Background: Long COVID (LC) is characterized by persistent symptoms at least 3 months after a SARS-COV-2 infection. LC has been associated with fungal translocation, gut dysfunction, and enhanced systemic inflammation. Currently, there is no approved treatment for this condition.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGlycans play critical roles in cellular signaling and function. Unlike proteins, glycan structures are not templated from genetic sequences but synthesized by the concerted activity of many genes, making them historically challenging to study. Here, we present a strategy that utilizes CRISPR screens and lectin microarrays to uncover and characterize regulators of glycosylation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Recently, elevated levels of plasma erythritol have been associated with major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). It is known that people with HIV (PWH) have a higher cardiovascular disease burden. Whether PWH have higher levels of plasma erythritol has not been evaluated.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThere is limited long-term evidence on the effects of COVID-19 on vascular injury between male and female sex. An adult cohort of COVID-19 survivors (COVID+) and confirmed SARS-CoV-2 antibody-negative participants (COVID-) were prospectively enrolled. COVID+ participants who have documented the presence of persistent symptoms four weeks following infection were considered to have post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe ability of mitochondria to coordinate stress responses across tissues is critical for health. In C. elegans, neurons experiencing mitochondrial stress elicit an inter-tissue signaling pathway through the release of mitokine signals, such as serotonin or the Wnt ligand EGL-20, which activate the mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPR) in the periphery to promote organismal health and lifespan.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCellular homeostasis is intricately influenced by stimuli from the microenvironment, including signaling molecules, metabolites, and pathogens. Functioning as a signaling hub within the cell, mitochondria integrate information from various intracellular compartments to regulate cellular signaling and metabolism. Multiple studies have shown that mitochondria may respond to various extracellular signaling events.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The effect of COVID-19 infection versus the indirect effect of the pandemic on body composition remains unclear. This study investigates the long-term changes in body composition in COVID-19 survivors compared to a contemporary control group.
Method: This is a prospective study involving adults who underwent a pre-pandemic whole-body DXA scan (DXA#1) between 2017 and 2019.
Glia are the protectors of the nervous system, providing neurons with support and protection from cytotoxic insults. We previously discovered that four astrocyte-like glia can regulate organismal proteostasis and longevity in . Expression of the UPR transcription factor, XBP-1s, in these glia increases stress resistance, and longevity, and activates the UPR in intestinal cells via neuropeptides.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Adhesive capsulitis (AC) has traditionally been a clinical diagnosis characterized by progressive shoulder pain and decreased range of motion. Our aim is to examine the role of shoulder MRI in making the diagnosis of AC, and to identify the frequency of cases where MRI was the primary method in diagnosing AC amongst medical providers.
Methods: This was an anonymized retrospective analysis.
Objective: The aim of this study was to retrospectively evaluate and present our two-year experience with abbreviated breast MRI at our academic institution as a screening tool to identify primary breast cancers.
Methods: Employing eight specialty trained breast radiologists, studies were interpreted using the BI-RADS MRI lexicon in this IRB-approved retrospective study. The protocol utilized T1-weighted, fat-saturated, pre- and post-contrast, short T1 inversion recovery images, and was completed within 10 minutes.
Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) mitochondrial respiration was measured ex vivo from participants without a history of COVID (n = 19), with a history of COVID and full recovery (n = 20), and with PASC (n = 20). Mean mitochondrial basal respiration, ATP-linked respiration, maximal respiration, spare respiration capacity, ATP-linked respiration, and non-mitochondrial respiration were highest in COVID + PASC+ (p ≤ 0.04).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: COVID-19 survivors can experience lingering symptoms known as post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC) that appear in different phenotypes, and its etiology remains elusive. We assessed the relationship of endothelial dysfunction with having COVID and PASC.
Methods: Data was collected from a prospectively enrolled cohort (n=379) of COVID-negative and COVID-positive participants with and without PASC.
Background: Zinc (Zn) is known for its substantial involvement in the immune response as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent. Zn plasma levels' clinical significance in coronavirus disease (COVID) diagnosis is not yet fully established.
Objective: We assessed the association between Zn deficiency, gut integrity, inflammation, and COVID-19 outcomes.
The ability of mitochondria to coordinate stress responses across tissues is critical for health. In , neurons experiencing mitochondrial stress elicit an inter-tissue signaling pathway through the release of mitokine signals, such as serotonin or the WNT ligand EGL-20, which activate the mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPR ) in the periphery to promote organismal health and lifespan. We find that germline mitochondria play a surprising role in neuron-to-peripheral UPR signaling.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe nervous system plays a critical role in maintaining whole-organism homeostasis; neurons experiencing mitochondrial stress can coordinate the induction of protective cellular pathways, such as the mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPR), between tissues. However, these studies largely ignored nonneuronal cells of the nervous system. Here, we found that UPR activation in four astrocyte-like glial cells in the nematode, , can promote protein homeostasis by alleviating protein aggregation in neurons.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Residents commonly receive only end-of-rotation evaluations and thus are often unaware of their progress during a rotation. In 2021, our neuroradiology section instituted mid-rotation feedback in which rotating residents received formative subjective and objective feedback. The purpose of this study was to describe our feedback method and to evaluate if residents found it helpful.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe nervous system plays a critical role in maintaining whole-organism homeostasis; neurons experiencing mitochondrial stress can coordinate the induction of protective cellular pathways, such as the mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPR), between tissues. However, these studies largely ignored non-neuronal cells of the nervous system. Here, we found that UPR activation in four, astrocyte-like glial cells in the nematode, , can promote protein homeostasis by alleviating protein aggregation in neurons.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: To explore whether MR fingerprinting (MRF) scans provide motion-robust and quantitative brain tissue measurements for non-sedated infants with prenatal opioid exposure (POE).
Study Type: Prospective.
Population: 13 infants with POE (3 male; 12 newborns (age 7-65 days) and 1 infant aged 9-months).
Background: A noninvasive and sensitive imaging tool is needed to assess the fast-evolving baby brain. However, using MRI to study non-sedated babies faces roadblocks, including high scan failure rates due to subjects motion and the lack of quantitative measures for assessing potential developmental delays. This feasibility study explores whether MR Fingerprinting scans can provide motion-robust and quantitative brain tissue measurements for non-sedated infants with prenatal opioid exposure, presenting a viable alternative to clinical MR scans.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC) is marked by persistent or newly developing symptoms beyond 4 weeks of infection. Investigating gut integrity, oxidized lipids and inflammatory markers is important for understanding PASC pathogenesis.
Methods: A cross-sectional study including COVID+ with PASC, COVID+ without PASC, and COVID-negative (COVID-) participants.
Background And Purpose: Important information regarding fluoroscopically guided lumbar puncture (FGLP) performance and referrals is lacking. The purpose of our study was to elucidate the success rate for initial FGLP attempts and re-attempts, reasons for unsuccessful FGLPs, and the relationship between clinical indications and whether patients will undergo a fluoroscopically guided re-attempt, among others.
Materials And Methods: This retrospective study analyzed failed FGLP attempts in hospitalized adult patients at an academic hospital between June 2016 and March 2022.
Objective: Evaluating the vascular function in HIV-infected compared with HIV uninfected with assessment of body composition, inflammation, and gut integrity markers.
Design: A noninvasive test that measures the endothelial function.
Methods: We included participants at least 18 years old, with peripheral arterial tonometry testing (EndoPAT2000) between 2014 and 2022.
Aging organisms lose the ability to induce stress responses, becoming vulnerable to protein toxicity and tissue damage. Neurons can signal to peripheral tissues to induce protective organelle-specific stress responses. Recent work shows that glia can independently induce such responses.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAs a teaching subject, animal welfare is challenging for educators and learners, as was recently shown in a recent survey on the evolution of animal welfare teaching in Europe. Among several suggestions to overcome the current resistance to implementing animal welfare education, we highlight two. The first is that animal welfare education should be based on learner-centred approaches; the second is that it should encompass both animal welfare science and ethics and law.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAJNR Am J Neuroradiol
December 2022
Background And Purpose: Referrals to perform fluoroscopy-guided lumbar punctures by neuroradiologists have increased. The purpose of our study was to determine the management of fluoroscopy-guided lumbar puncture referrals in different practice settings.
Materials And Methods: We sent an online questionnaire to neuroradiologists and radiology trainees between May and June 2020 to survey their handling of fluoroscopy-guided lumbar puncture requests, preprocedural work-up, and the use of physician extenders/trainees to perform fluoroscopy-guided lumbar punctures, among other questions.