Publications by authors named "Elizabeth C Gardner"

Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to assess the reliability and validity of the rebound countermovement jump (R-CMJ) as a test for leg muscle function in NCAA Division I football players, comparing it with traditional tests like the counter-movement jump (CMJ) and drop jumps (DJs).
  • Findings indicated that while the first phase of the R-CMJ showed reliability similar to the CMJ, the jump height was lower, and the second phase displayed moderate reliability but raised concerns about its validity in measuring reactive strength.
  • Overall, although the R-CMJ is easy and time-efficient for coaches to administer, it may not accurately reflect an athlete's reactive strength compared to established jumping tests.
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  • T7 RNA polymerase has been crucial for gene expression control and protein production in prokaryotes, but its use in eukaryotes has been limited due to the lack of 5' methyl guanosine caps on its transcripts.
  • Researchers created a fusion enzyme by combining T7 RNA polymerase with a capping enzyme from African swine fever virus, leading to significant improvements in protein expression.
  • The study showcases the successful use of these engineered variants in yeast and mammalian cells, providing a new, versatile gene regulatory system for synthetic biology in eukaryotic organisms.
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Yeast expression of human G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) can be used as a biosensor platform for the detection of pharmaceuticals. Cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1R) is of particular interest, given the cornucopia of natural and synthetic cannabinoids being explored as therapeutics. We show for the first time that engineering the N-terminus of CB1R allows for efficient signal transduction in yeast, and that engineering the sterol composition of the yeast membrane modulates its performance.

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Aims: The purpose of this survey study was to examine the demographic and lifestyle factors of women currently in orthopaedic surgery.

Methods: An electronic survey was conducted of practising female orthopaedic surgeons based in the USA through both the Ruth Jackson Society and the online Facebook group "Women of Orthopaedics".

Results: The majority of surveyed female orthopaedic surgeons reported being married (76.

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P2X receptors are a family of ligand gated ion channels found in a range of eukaryotic species including humans but are not naturally present in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We demonstrate the first recombinant expression and functional gating of the P2X2 receptor in baker's yeast. We leverage the yeast host for facile genetic screens of mutant P2X2 by performing site saturation mutagenesis at residues of interest, including SNPs implicated in deafness and at residues involved in native binding.

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Background: While the importance of structured rehabilitation following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR), particularly in the return-to-sport phase, is known, for most patients, supervised physical therapy is often completed before this time point. The recent emergence of telerehabilitation and other digital health interventions has the potential to address this "rehabilitation gap."

Methods: The study was conducted as a cross-section, online survey collecting qualitative and quantitative data from open and closed questions.

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The ongoing evolution of SARS-CoV-2 into more easily transmissible and infectious variants has provided unprecedented insight into mutations enabling immune escape. Understanding how these mutations affect the dynamics of antibody-antigen interactions is crucial to the development of broadly protective antibodies and vaccines. Here we report the characterization of a potent neutralizing antibody (N3-1) identified from a COVID-19 patient during the first disease wave.

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Summer, LC, Cheng, R, Moran, JT, Lee, M, Belanger, AJ, TaylorIV, WL, and Gardner, EC. Changes in body composition and athletic performance in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I female field hockey athletes throughout a competitive season. J Strength Cond Res 38(1): 146-152, 2024-The purposes of this study were (a) to analyze the changes in total and regional body composition measurements in a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I female field hockey team throughout a 17-game competitive season using dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA); (b) to examine improvements, if any, in athletic performance measures after a season; and (c) to report on the relationship between these body composition changes and changes in athletic performance.

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Background: Ice skating, inline skating, and roller skating are popular sports in the United States (US). Although they are similar, injuries incurred may be distinct and may have evolved over time.

Purpose: To characterize injuries related to ice skating, inline skating, and roller skating and track injury patterns over a 20-year period.

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Purpose: (1) To define the incidence of surgically treated isolated bucket-handle meniscus tears (BHMTs); (2) to investigate risk of subsequent ipsilateral anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) in patients who underwent previous isolated bucket handle (BH) meniscus repair; and (3) to investigate the risk of subsequent ACLR for various types of surgically treated meniscal tears.

Methods: A retrospective review of a national database was conducted to identify patients, aged 10 to 40 years, who underwent primary isolated BH meniscus surgery from 2015 to 2020. Patients were stratified by operative method.

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Purpose: Increasing ownership and use of mobile phones has been recently linked to reports of hand and wrist pain from overuse, as well as more serious injuries related to distracted behaviors, such as falls and texting while driving. We describe the epidemiology of hand and wrist injuries presenting to US emergency departments from 2011 to 2020, which were associated with cell phone use using the Consumer Product Safety Commission's National Electronic Injury Surveillance System.

Methods: The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System database was queried for treatment records from 2011 through to 2020 for all cell phone-related injuries of the lower arm, wrist, hand, and fingers.

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Introduction: Bucket-handle meniscus tears are common knee injuries that are often treated surgically with meniscectomy or meniscal repair. Although clinical factors may influence the choice of one treatment approach over the other, the influence of patient, socioeconomic, and hospital factors remains poorly characterized. This study aimed to estimate the relative nationwide utilization of these two procedures and delineate a variety of factors that are associated with the selection of one treatment approach over the other.

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Introduction: The extent to which physical therapy (PT) is used after meniscectomy is unknown. The objective of this study was to estimate the extent to which PT is implemented after meniscectomy and to identify factors associated with its utilization.

Methods: The Mariner PearlDiver database was queried to identify patients who underwent uncomplicated meniscectomy.

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The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is powerful for studying human G protein-coupled receptors as they can be coupled to its mating pathway. However, some receptors, including the mu opioid receptor, are non-functional, which may be due to the presence of the fungal sterol ergosterol instead of cholesterol. Here we engineer yeast to produce cholesterol and introduce diverse mu, delta, and kappa opioid receptors to create sensitive opioid biosensors that recapitulate agonist binding profiles and antagonist inhibition.

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Background: Traumatic hip dislocations are rare injuries that most commonly occur in motor vehicle accidents. There is a paucity of literature that describes sports-related hip dislocations.

Purpose: To estimate the incidence of sports-related hip dislocations and determine any sport- or sex-related epidemiological trends using the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) database.

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Background: The construction and application of synthetic genetic circuits is frequently improved if gene expression can be orthogonally controlled, relative to the host. In plants, orthogonality can be achieved via the use of CRISPR-based transcription factors that are programmed to act on natural or synthetic promoters. The construction of complex gene circuits can require multiple, orthogonal regulatory interactions, and this in turn requires that the full programmability of CRISPR elements be adapted to non-natural and non-standard promoters that have few constraints on their design.

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Article Synopsis
  • * A new platform called Spike Display has been developed to quickly analyze variations in spike proteins from over 200 SARS-CoV-2 variants in terms of their functionality, including how well they bind to receptors and how they're recognized by antibodies.
  • * The study identified critical mutations in variants that affect spike protein expression and their ability to evade neutralizing antibodies, suggesting that Spike Display could enhance the development of better vaccines and therapies against SARS-CoV-2 and similar viruses.
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Sarcopenia or muscle mass atrophy reportedly occurs in up to 50% of those aged >80 years and is a significant risk factor for functional disability and poor physical performance. Over time, the deterioration in both skeletal muscle quality and composition may compromise functional independence and has been shown to independently increase the risk for falls, fractures, and overall poor health in the elderly population. These are seen most obviously in older women.

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Case: We report an 11-year-old male who sustained a lesser tuberosity avulsion fracture of the proximal humerus upon making contact with a baseball during an at-bat. This injury was neglected for 14 months and was eventually detected by an axillary radiograph and subsequent MRI. He successfully underwent an open surgical repair and regained full range of motion and level of activity at 1-year follow-up.

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Coronal malalignment of the patellofemoral joint may contribute to both instability as well as pain and joint overload. The use of distal realignment procedures has evolved to include uniplanar and multiplanar osteotomies, which allows patient-specific treatment. With a careful understanding of the complex pathoanatomy, including osseous, soft tissue, and dynamic muscular factors, an appropriately designed tibial tubercle osteotomy (TTO) is an invaluable tool for the orthopedic surgeon to improve joint biomechanics and off-load articular injuries.

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Purpose: To generate national estimates of sports-related traumatic lumbar spine injury incidence rates using the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) database and determine any sports- and sex-specific epidemiologic patterns of these traumatic injuries.

Methods: Data regarding traumatic lumbar spine injuries sustained through sporting activities from 2009 to 2018 were extracted from the NEISS, a database generating nationwide estimates through patient information collected during emergency department visits from 100 NEISS hospitals across the United States. The estimated number of injuries was calculated using weights assigned by the NEISS database depending on the geographic location of the injury.

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The ongoing evolution of SARS-CoV-2 into more easily transmissible and infectious variants has sparked concern over the continued effectiveness of existing therapeutic antibodies and vaccines. Hence, together with increased genomic surveillance, methods to rapidly develop and assess effective interventions are critically needed. Here we report the discovery of SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies isolated from COVID-19 patients using a high-throughput platform.

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Background: Physical therapy (PT) rehabilitation is critical to successful outcomes after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). Later-stage rehabilitation, including sport-specific exercises, is increasingly recognized for restoring high-level knee function. However, supervised PT visits have historically been concentrated during the early stages of recovery after ACLR.

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Background: Evidence shows that after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction, patients may have varied access to physical therapy. In particular, physical therapy input may end many months before patients reach full recovery. Telerehabilitation may provide an opportunity to address this rehabilitation gap and improve access to evidence-based rehabilitation alongside physical therapy at all stages of care.

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Emulsion-based selections are a unique type of directed evolution method that overcome common bottlenecks associated with purely in vivo selections. For example, emulsions including cell-free translation machinery can be useful for expression of toxic genes. However, not all cell types can efficiently produce protein in vitro, for example, the eukaryotic microbe Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

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