Publications by authors named "Elizabeth Douglas"

Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates how cardiac lymphatic vessels in two different mouse strains respond to pregnancy, with a focus on the physiological changes in the heart.
  • C57BL/6J mice show no significant changes in lymphatic vasculature during late pregnancy, despite experiencing cardiac hypertrophy.
  • Conversely, BALB/cJ mice do not exhibit cardiac hypertrophy but show notable decreases in lymphatic length and branching during pregnancy, highlighting the complex interactions of genetics and physiological responses in cardiac lymphatic remodeling.
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Introduction: The coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in a great deal of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Since most deaths related to COVID-19 are currently considered natural, and they tend to occur following a clinically recognized illness, many medical examiner/coroner offices within the United States do not take jurisdiction over the majority of COVID-19 deaths.

Methods: In this review, we present the experience of a medium-sized medical examiner's office affiliated with an academic medical school institution, over the first 15 months of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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The adhesion receptor vascular endothelial (VE)-cadherin transduces an array of signals that modulate crucial lymphatic cell behaviors including permeability and cytoskeletal remodeling. Consequently, VE-cadherin must interact with a multitude of intracellular proteins to exert these functions. Yet, the full protein interactome of VE-cadherin in endothelial cells remains a mystery.

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Recently developed antimigraine therapeutics targeting calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) signaling are effective, though their sites of activity remain elusive. Notably, the lymphatic vasculature is responsive to CGRP signaling, but whether meningeal lymphatic vessels (MLVs) contribute to migraine pathophysiology is unknown. Mice with lymphatic vasculature deficient in the CGRP receptor (CalcrliLEC mice) treated with nitroglycerin-mediated (NTG-mediated) chronic migraine exhibit reduced pain and light avoidance compared with NTG-treated littermate controls.

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Background: Meningiomas are the most prevalent type of primary intracranial tumor in adults, comprising nearly one-third of all intracranial tumors. They are typically benign, slow-growing, and asymptomatic but may cause neurological symptoms as they expand due to mass effect. Classification is determined by World Health Organization (WHO) grades 1 to 3 following pathological examination corresponding to benign, atypical, and anaplastic (malignant), respectively, reflecting their rate of growth and risk of recurrence.

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Article Synopsis
  • * A case study of a 36-year-old man diagnosed with Eales disease illustrates its symptoms, including sudden flashes of light and vision loss, alongside complications like retinal artery and vein occlusions, ultimately confirmed through specific retinal findings.
  • * Treatment with systemic corticosteroids led to improvement in the patient's vision, highlighting the importance of early diagnosis and management to prevent further vision loss in Eales disease patients.
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  • The study aimed to investigate changes in symptom burden for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) undergoing treatment with ocrelizumab (OCR), specifically looking at reports of worsening symptoms toward the end of the 6-month infusion cycle.* -
  • Researchers assessed symptoms at three points during two consecutive OCR infusion cycles using various questionnaires, analyzing changes through statistical methods and comparing patient demographics and clinical characteristics.* -
  • Findings suggested that while most patients showed stable or slight improvements in symptoms over the cycles, meaningful changes—either worsening or improvement—were rare, indicating that symptom deterioration associated with time from infusion may not be a common issue.*
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In Brief: Healthy development of the placenta is dependent on trophoblast cell migration and reduced oxidative stress presence. This article describes how a phytoestrogen found in spinach and soy causes impaired placental development during pregnancy.

Abstract: Although vegetarianism has grown in popularity, especially among pregnant women, the effects of phytoestrogens in placentation lack understanding.

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This article describes our experience of conducting a 5-year, culturally responsive evaluation of a federal program with Indigenous communities. It describes how we adapted tenets from "participatory evaluation models" to ensure cultural relevance and empowerment. We provide recommendations for evaluators engaged in similar efforts.

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Background: The menstrual needs of girls and women are important to health, education, and well-being. Unmet need and harm from poor menstrual health in low-and- middle-income countries have been documented, but with little empirical research undertaken in high income countries. Continuing austerity in the UK suggests menstruators are likely more vulnerable to 'period poverty' than previously, with the COVID-19 pandemic assumed to exacerbate the situation.

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Urushiol, the active antigen in poison ivy ( Toxicodendron radicans ), is frequently associated with type I and type III hypersensitivity reactions. These reactions most often result in cutaneous symptoms that vary in severity and may at times require medical interventions. Injuries involving other body systems associated with urushiol exposure are far less common.

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Background: As the older Indigenous population in the United States expands, there is a growing demand for programs to address age-related needs. Although Title VI of the OAA provides culturally responsive strategies to support elders through home- and community-based nutrition services, these programs have not been the subject of a national evaluation; our study is the first.

Methods: We conducted a mixed-methods study to assess the impact of the Title VI programs on elders.

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Article Synopsis
  • This study evaluates the efficiency and histological quality of three decalcification agents—7% HCl, 5% nitric acid, and 10% EDTA—used to prepare bone samples for microscopy.
  • HCl decalcified samples the fastest (3.57 days), followed by nitric acid (10.35 days), while EDTA was much slower (78.97 days) but offered better tissue visualization.
  • The findings suggest that 5% nitric acid is effective for decalcifying thicker samples, while EDTA is ideal for thinner cranial samples from young children due to its superior sample quality despite longer processing time.
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Acetyl fentanyl (AF) is a Schedule I fentanyl analog that has been increasingly seen in heroin and fentanyl polydrug toxicity overdoses in Michigan (MI). Drug users are often unaware of the presence of AF in their drugs because it is often sold mixed into or disguised as heroin. High levels of AF in heroin drug products can cause increased incidence of overdose.

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  • The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted New York City hospitals, particularly in March and April 2020, leading to operational challenges.
  • This article focuses on how a neurology division at a Brooklyn hospital adapted to support COVID-19 patients without dismantling its existing team structure.
  • Instead of reallocating staff to internal medicine, the neurology division developed an innovative approach to contribute to expanded care while preserving team dynamics and support systems.
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We previously discovered a method to estimate the groundwater mean residence time using the changes in the enantiomeric ratio of metolachlor ethanesulfonic acid (MESA), (2-[(2-ethyl-6-methylphenyl)(2-methoxy-1-methylethyl)amino]-2-oxoethanesulfonic acid), a metabolite of the herbicide metolachlor. However, many grab samples would be needed for each watershed over an extended period, and this is not practical. Thus, we examined the use of a polar organic chemical integrative sampler (POCIS) deployed for 28 days combined with a modified liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry LC-MS/MS method to provide a time-weighted average of the MESA enantiomeric ratio.

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The importance of diverse lifestyle factors in sustaining cognition during aging and delaying the onset of decline in Alzheimer's disease and related dementias cannot be overstated. We explored the influence of cognitive, social, and physical lifestyle factors on resting-state lagged linear connectivity (LLC) in high-density electroencephalography (EEG) in adults, ages 35-75 years. Diverse lifestyle factors build cognitive reserve (CR), protecting cognition in the presence of physical brain decline.

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Article Synopsis
  • * An interdisciplinary team conducted an evidence-based project to improve temperature assessment and rewarming methods, using the Iowa Model of Evidence-Based Practice for guidance.
  • * The project achieved a significant increase in core temperature assessments and blanket use for patients, demonstrating that nursing staff can effectively implement research-backed practices at low costs, but further research is needed to tackle obstacles to these interventions.
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Background: Dementia is very common in Down syndrome (trisomy 21) adults. Statins may slow brain amyloid β (Aβ, coded on chromosome 21) deposition and, therefore, delay Alzheimer disease onset. One prospective cohort study with Down syndrome adults found participants on statins had reduced risk of incident dementia, but there are no randomised controlled trials (RCTs) on this issue.

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Introduction: We report the case of an adolescent with anticholinergic toxidrome from diphenhydramine overdose, whose symptoms were treated with a novel application of dexmedetomidine.

Case Report: A 13-year-old female developed an anticholinergic toxidrome after intentionally ingesting 9.5 mg/kg of diphenhydramine.

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Histone H4 acetylation was examined by immunohistochemistry in patients with acute lymphocytic leukaemia (ALL) in first relapse. Univariate and multivariate models identified correlates of complete remission (CR) and overall survival (OS). No variables were associated with achievement of CR.

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Background: Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors are a novel anti-tumor therapy. To determine whether HDAC inhibitors may be useful in the treatment of adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), we examined the acetylation of histone H4 by immunohistochemistry in newly diagnosed ALL patients and evaluated the impact of acetylation on complete remission (CR) rate, relapse-free survival (RFS), and overall survival (OS).

Methods: Patients > or = 18 years of age and an available diagnostic bone marrow biopsy were evaluated.

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Article Synopsis
  • The PowerPlex 16 BIO system includes 13 CODIS loci, two additional pentanucleotide loci, and the Amelogenin sex-identifying locus, optimized for specific imaging systems.
  • Extensive validation studies involving seven labs confirmed the system's reliability, with one minor discordance in a single sample and consistent results across nonprobative casework.
  • The system showed robust performance with minimal DNA input, although higher temperatures could degrade larger DNA fragments and some cross-reactivity was noted with primate DNA.
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