Publications by authors named "Garza R"

Background And Objectives: Immediate lymphatic reconstruction (ILR) performed to prevent breast cancer related lymphedema is not consistently covered by insurance payors in the United States.

Methods: Retrospective review was performed on a prospective database of ILR candidates from 2018 to 2022. Candidates were identified as patients with clinical axillary lymph node involvement at the time of breast cancer diagnosis.

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  • Photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy is a highly sensitive and quick method for detecting molecules, and zinc oxide (ZnO) shows promising optical properties, especially when combined with graphene quantum dots (GQD) for applications in photocatalysis and sensing.* -
  • The study examined the PL performance of ZnO and ZnO-GQD nanocomposites in both solid and aqueous phases, identifying six distinctive peaks in their emissions and emphasizing the key role of the peak at around 415 nm where GQD interacts with ZnO.* -
  • Varying GQD concentrations affected PL emission in the aqueous phase, with low concentrations weakening the ZnO-GQD contact, high concentrations enhancing it, and medium concentrations maintaining
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Glioblastoma presents a formidable clinical challenge because of its complex microenvironment. Here, we characterized tumor-associated foam cells (TAFs), a type of lipid droplet-loaded macrophage, in human glioblastoma. Through extensive analyses of patient tumors, together with in vitro and in vivo investigations, we found that TAFs exhibit distinct protumorigenic characteristics related to hypoxia, mesenchymal transition, angiogenesis, and impaired phagocytosis, and their presence correlates with worse outcomes for patients with glioma.

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  • The study examines the use of antegrade continence enemas (ACE) in children with medically refractory fecal incontinence and constipation, focusing on patient perceptions and the potential to discontinue the use of the associated appendicostomy/cecostomy tube.
  • Data was gathered from 165 patients who underwent ACE procedures between 2012 and 2021, with 82 completing a follow-up survey revealing satisfaction rates and reasons for discontinuing flushes.
  • Findings indicate a high satisfaction rate (76.8% very satisfied), with 21.8% of patients able to stop using flushes for various reasons, and a strong recommendation rate for ACE among respondents.
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The human silencing hub (HUSH) complex binds to transcripts of LINE-1 retrotransposons (L1s) and other genomic repeats, recruiting MORC2 and other effectors to remodel chromatin. How HUSH and MORC2 operate alongside DNA methylation, a central epigenetic regulator of repeat transcription, remains largely unknown. Here we interrogate this relationship in human neural progenitor cells (hNPCs), a somatic model of brain development that tolerates removal of DNA methyltransferase DNMT1.

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  • Mutations in a specific gene are linked to Gaucher disease and significantly increase the risk for Parkinson's disease, but studying this gene is challenging due to its similar pseudogene.
  • By using long-read RNA sequencing, researchers were able to differentiate and quantify expression levels between the gene and its pseudogene, finding previously unrecognized transcripts.
  • The study revealed that many transcripts from both genes do not have the known lysosomal functions, indicating they may have other roles in the brain, which could change how we understand their impact on health and disease.
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SVA (SINE (short interspersed nuclear element)-VNTR (variable number of tandem repeats)-Alu) retrotransposons remain active in humans and contribute to individual genetic variation. Polymorphic SVA alleles harbor gene regulatory potential and can cause genetic disease. However, how SVA insertions are controlled and functionally impact human disease is unknown.

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The prevalence of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) is a growing global health concern. Recent advances have demonstrated significant reductions in acute cardiovascular events through the management of modifiable cardiovascular risk factors. However, these factors are responsible for about 50% of the global cardiovascular disease burden.

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Did you know that micro-organisms can live in blood? parasites can infect red blood cells and cause a serious disease called malaria. This disease is mostly seen in young children living in Africa. Sick children have a fever, aches, can feel very tired, and in bad cases, they can even die from malaria.

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Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurological disorder that affects dopaminergic neurons. The lack of understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms of PD pathology makes treating it a challenge. Several pieces of evidence support the protective role of enriched environment (EE) and exercise on dopaminergic neurons.

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Background: Recent literature on autologous breast reconstruction suggests that such factors as scar symmetry and skin paddle size impact patient preferences more than preservation of native breast skin. Since patient satisfaction with plastic surgery procedures can be largely influenced by beauty standards set by the general public, this study used a novel crowdsourcing method to evaluate laypeople's aesthetic preferences for different bilateral autologous breast reconstructions to determine the relative importance of scar and skin paddle symmetry and preservation of native skin.

Methods: Using Amazon's Mechanical Turk crowdsourcing marketplace, participants ranked images of reconstructions based on overall aesthetic appearance.

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Objective: To find the safety of long-acting injectable antipsychotics (LAIs) compared to each other, and/or placebo in the treatment of schizophrenia (SCZ) and/or schizoaffective disorder (SZA).

Methods: We performed a systematic review and a network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing the safety of LAIs versus other LAIs or placebo in adults diagnosed with SCZ or SZA. The primary outcomes were treatment emergent adverse events (TEAEs), serious treatment emergent adverse events (STEAEs), and deaths.

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Atypical B cells are a population of activated B cells that are commonly enriched in individuals with chronic immune activation but are also part of a normal immune response to infection or vaccination. To better define the role of atypical B cells in the human adaptive immune response, we performed single-cell sequencing of transcriptomes, cell surface markers, and B cell receptors in individuals with chronic exposure to the malaria parasite , a condition known to lead to accumulation of circulating atypical B cells. We identified three previously uncharacterized populations of atypical B cells with distinct transcriptional and functional profiles and observed marked differences among these three subsets in their ability to produce immunoglobulin G upon T-cell-dependent activation.

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Learning Objectives: After studying this article, the participant should be able to: 1. Describe current surgical techniques for treating primary and secondary lymphedema. 2.

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Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of chronic brain impairment and results in a robust, but poorly understood, neuroinflammatory response that contributes to the long-term pathology. We used single-nuclei RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) to study transcriptomic changes in different cell populations in human brain tissue obtained acutely after severe, life-threatening TBI. This revealed a unique transcriptional response in oligodendrocyte precursors and mature oligodendrocytes, including the activation of a robust innate immune response, indicating an important role for oligodendroglia in the initiation of neuroinflammation.

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The genetic mechanisms underlying the expansion in size and complexity of the human brain remain poorly understood. Long interspersed nuclear element-1 (L1) retrotransposons are a source of divergent genetic information in hominoid genomes, but their importance in physiological functions and their contribution to human brain evolution are largely unknown. Using multiomics profiling, we here demonstrate that L1 promoters are dynamically active in the developing and the adult human brain.

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Objective: Misapplication of the 2016 Centers for Disease Control (CDC) opioid prescribing guidelines has led to overem-phasis of morphineequivalent daily dose (MEDD) as a "metric of success" in chronic noncancer pain (CNCP), resulting in unintentional harms to patients. This article reviews CNCP-related guidelines and patient preferences in order to identify pragmatic, patient-centered metrics to assess treatment response and safety in opioid-treated CNCP.

Methods: We reviewed the clinical (CDC), research (Initiative on Methods, Measurement, and Pain Assessment in Clinical Trials), and implementability-related guidelines (GuideLine Implementability Appraisal), along with relevant patient-identified treatment goals.

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Studies of anger treatment have often reported on reappraisal and relaxation techniques delivered in person to forensic and psychiatric samples. The present study evaluated an integrative programme of cognitive-behavioural affective therapy (CBAT) delivered remotely to chronic pain sufferers with comorbid anger. Volunteers (N = 54) were randomly assigned to either CBAT or an Emotional Education (EE) group, both receiving hour-long videorecorded sessions twice a week for 4 weeks plus weekly calls by telephone.

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Background: The SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 pandemic has been associated with increased stress levels and higher alcohol use, including in pregnant and postpartum women. In the general population, alcohol use is associated with dysregulation in the autonomic nervous system (ANS), which is indexed by heart rate variability (HRV). The objectives of this study were to: (1) characterize changes in substance use during the SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 pandemic via a baseline self-report survey followed by mobile ecological momentary assessment (mEMA) of substance use; and (2) examine the associations between momentary substance use and ambulatory HRV measures in pregnant and postpartum women.

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Impaired emotion regulation and impulsivity have been linked to substance use. This study evaluated the association between emotion regulation difficulties-specifically impulsivity-and substance use within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic among pregnant ( = 49) and postpartum ( = 20) women. Participants from a prospective cohort ENRICH-2 completed a baseline phone survey of COVID-19-related experiences and impulsivity followed by a 14-day (3x/day) mobile ecological momentary assessment (mEMA) of impulsivity and substance use.

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The most common malignant laryngeal tumors are squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs), and other types such as sarcomas are rare. Osteosarcomas of the larynx are extremely rare within the subset of sarcomas, with very few cases reported in the literature. This cancer has a predilection for elderly males, in the sixth to eighth decades of life.

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Objective: The vast majority of research on biobehavioral influences on development has focused on mothers and infants, whereas research on paternal biobehavioral influences remains sparse. This study aims to increase understanding of paternal influences on the biobehavioral dynamics of the family unit, using a multi-system approach.

Methods: Participants consisted of 32 predominantly high-risk families recruited during pregnancy who completed monthly questionnaires and in-home visits when infants were 4, 12, and 18 months of age.

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Background And Objectives: This study examined how a promoter variant of TH (rs10770141) affects subjective effects of cocaine in 65 nontreatment-seeking individuals with cocaine dependence.

Methods: Participants received cocaine/saline intravenously, and TH genotypes were evaluated.

Results: Homozygous individuals for the minor T allele reported greater "good" and "bad" subjective effects to cocaine than those with the major C allele.

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