Publications by authors named "Hawkins E"

Rapidly changing environments are contributing to the spread of non-native species and their associated pathogens into new and vulnerable ecosystems, such as the Galapagos archipelago. These pathogens represent a significant threat to emblematic species. The Galapagos sea lion () (GSL) is an endangered and endemic pinniped that is increasingly at risk of acquiring infectious diseases due to interactions with introduced companion animals.

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Background: Parent-Child Interaction Therapy-Toddler (PCIT-T) is an attachment-informed intervention model designed to meet the specific developmental needs of toddlers aged 12-24 months presenting with challenging behaviors.

Methods: This study used a randomized controlled design to evaluate outcomes of PCIT-T for children aged 14-24 months with disruptive behaviors. Ninety toddlers with parent-reported disruptive behavior were randomly allocated to PCIT-T (intervention), an active control condition (Circle of Security- Parenting™; COS-P), or a non-treatment control condition (wait-list; WL).

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Mixed lineage kinase domain-like (MLKL) is a pseudokinase, best known for its role as the terminal effector of the necroptotic cell death pathway. MLKL-mediated necroptosis has long been linked to various age-related pathologies including neurodegeneration, atherosclerosis and male reproductive decline, however many of these attributions remain controversial. Here, we investigated the role of MLKL and necroptosis in the adult mouse testis: an organ divided into sperm-producing seminiferous tubules and the surrounding testosterone-producing interstitium.

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Cell death frequently occurs in the pathogenesis of obesity and metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD). However, the exact contribution of core cell death machinery to disease manifestations remains ill-defined. Here, we show via the direct comparison of mice genetically deficient in the essential necroptotic regulators, receptor-interacting protein kinase-3 (RIPK3) and mixed lineage kinase domain-like (MLKL), as well as mice lacking apoptotic caspase-8 in myeloid cells combined with RIPK3 loss, that RIPK3/caspase-8 signaling regulates macrophage inflammatory responses and drives adipose tissue inflammation and MAFLD upon high-fat diet feeding.

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Article Synopsis
  • Fibrous dysplasia (FD) is a nonheritable genetic condition that causes abnormal bone growth, leading to benign lesions that can sometimes become malignant, as exemplified in a case of a 61-year-old man with painful craniofacial FD.
  • The patient presented with a rapidly growing mass in the skull, which MRI revealed as an extensive dysplastic mass causing significant pressure on the brain; he underwent surgery to remove the mass.
  • Post-surgery pathology confirmed it as a high-grade undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma, leading to further treatment with chemotherapy, though the effectiveness of such treatment remains debated.
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Endothelial cells are integral components of all vasculature within complex organisms. As they line the blood vessel wall, endothelial cells are constantly exposed to a variety of molecular factors and shear force that can induce cellular damage and stress. However, how endothelial cells are removed or eliminate unwanted cellular contents, remains unclear.

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Diabetes is a complex metabolic disease which most commonly has a polygenic origin; however, in rare cases, diabetes may be monogenic. This is indeed the case in both Maturity Onset Diabetes of the Young (MODY) and neonatal diabetes. These disease subtypes are believed to be simpler than Type 1 (T1D) and Type 2 Diabetes (T2D), which allows for more precise modelling.

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  • Therapeutic strategies focusing on disrupting dysregulated transcription have shown promise for treating cancers like leukaemias using small molecule inhibitors that target key proteins involved in gene expression.* -
  • Research indicates that the effectiveness of these inhibitors is influenced not just by their ability to stop mRNA production, but also by how quickly mRNA is produced and degraded.* -
  • Findings suggest that modifying post-transcriptional processes, such as targeting specific proteins, can enhance the effects of transcriptional inhibitors, offering potential new combination therapies for leukaemia.*
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No model exists to train the handling skills required for successful performance of rigid rhinoscopy in veterinary patients. The complex anatomy of the nasal cavity, the limited space between turbinates, and the propensity of the mucosa to bleed with slight trauma make thorough examination of a nasal cavity difficult. The goal of this study was development and initial testing of a low fidelity canine rigid rhinoscopy training model for veterinary novices.

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  • The Treat-to-target (T2T) strategy helps kids and teens with childhood-onset SLE (a type of lupus) manage their disease better.
  • In a study, 135 young people with cSLE were checked regularly for 12 months to see how well T2T worked.
  • The results showed that T2T improved their health, with more patients feeling better and less damage happening to their bodies over time.
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Investigating how transcription factors control complex cellular processes requires tools that enable responses to be visualised at the single-cell level and their cell fate to be followed over time. For example, the tumour suppressor p53 (also called TP53 in humans and TRP53 in mice) can initiate diverse cellular responses by transcriptional activation of its target genes: Puma to induce apoptotic cell death and p21 to induce cell cycle arrest/cell senescence. However, it is not known how these processes are regulated and initiated in different cell types.

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Molecular factors that contribute to the diverse spatial and temporal patterns of starch granule initiation between species and organs are poorly understood. Wheat (Triticum sp.) endosperm contains both large A-type granules initiated during early grain development and small B-type granules that initiate about 10 to 15 days later.

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Urbanisation has reduced the abundance and diversity of many taxonomic groups, and the effects may be more pronounced on islands, which have a smaller regional species pool to compensate. Green spaces within urban environments may help to safeguard wildlife assemblages, and the associated habitat heterogeneity can even increase species diversity. Here, total abundance and species diversity of butterflies, birds, and vegetation at nine rural and nine urban locations were quantified on Lipsi Island, Greece.

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  • The study aimed to analyze chronic opioid use patterns among Veterans with spinal cord injury (SCI) and assess associated demographic and health factors from 2015 to 2017.
  • Researchers found a decline in overall prescription opioid use during the study period, with chronic use rates of 33.2%, 31.7%, and 29.7%.
  • Factors like past depression or COPD increased the odds of chronic opioid use, while non-white race and certain health issues like hyperlipidemia were linked to lower odds; however, previous opioid prescriptions strongly predicted current use.
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This study tested for the emergence of listener discriminations and intraverbal vocal responses following tact training with four autistic children. All participants were trained to tact the name and the favorite food of two contrived cartoon monsters in the presence of a picture of the monster (e.g.

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Lightning is a common environmental hazard, and is a significant cause of global injury and death. Care and evaluation should follow general trauma guidelines, but several unique aspects of lightning injuries necessitate deviations from standard care that can improve survival and overall outcomes. When evaluating lightning strike patients, some common injury patterns are pathognomonic for lightning strikes and easy to recognize, while others are subtle and require heightened awareness.

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T cell-based cancer immunotherapy has typically relied on membrane-bound cytotoxicity enhancers such as chimeric antigen receptors expressed in autologous αβ T cells. These approaches are limited by tonic signaling of synthetic constructs and costs associated with manufacturing. γδ T cells are an emerging alternative for cellular therapy, having innate antitumor activity, potent antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity, and minimal alloreactivity.

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Necroptosis is a lytic form of regulated cell death reported to contribute to inflammatory diseases of the gut, skin and lung, as well as ischemic-reperfusion injuries of the kidney, heart and brain. However, precise identification of the cells and tissues that undergo necroptotic cell death in vivo has proven challenging in the absence of robust protocols for immunohistochemical detection. Here, we provide automated immunohistochemistry protocols to detect core necroptosis regulators - Caspase-8, RIPK1, RIPK3 and MLKL - in formalin-fixed mouse and human tissues.

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Objectives: The Sherpa ethnic group living at altitude in Nepal may have experienced natural selection in response to chronic hypoxia. We have previously shown that Sherpa in Kathmandu (1400 m) possess larger spleens and a greater apnea-induced splenic contraction compared to lowland Nepalis. This may be significant for exercise capacity at altitude as the human spleen responds to stress-induced catecholamine secretion by an immediate contraction, which results in transiently elevated hemoglobin concentration ([Hb]).

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  • Research shows that SARS-COV-2 infection can lead to increased depression symptoms, particularly among veterans who often have pre-existing mental and physical health issues.
  • This study aimed to investigate the specific link between SARS-COV-2 infection and depression in U.S. Military Veterans, filtering out other contributing factors.
  • Results indicated that veterans who contracted SARS-COV-2 exhibited significantly higher levels of depression symptoms, particularly psychological indicators like low mood and suicidal thoughts, compared to those who did not get infected.
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Objectives: Medication treatment for opioid use disorder (MOUD) is effective and recommended for outpatient settings. We implemented and evaluated the SUpporting Primary care Providers in Opioid Risk reduction and Treatment (SUPPORT) Center-a quality improvement partnership to implement stepped care for MOUD in 2 Veterans Health Administration (VA) primary care (PC) clinics.

Methods: SUPPORT provided a dedicated clinical team (nurse practitioner prescriber and social worker) and stepped care ([1] identification, assessment, referral; [2] MOUD induction; [3] stabilization; and [4] maintenance supporting PC providers [PCPs] to initiate and/or sustain treatment) coupled with ongoing internal facilitation (consultation, trainings, informatics support).

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Objectives: Buprenorphine, a medication for opioid use disorder (OUD), is underutilized in general medical settings. Further, it is inequitably received by racialized groups and persons with comorbidities. The Veterans Health Administration launched an initiative to increase buprenorphine receipt in primary care.

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The human spleen contracts in response to stress-induced catecholamine secretion, resulting in a temporary rise in haemoglobin concentration ([Hb]). Recent findings highlighted enhanced splenic response to exercise at high altitude in Sherpa, possibly due to a blunted splenic response to hypoxia. To explore the potential blunted splenic contraction in Sherpas at high altitude, we examined changes in spleen volume during hyperoxic breathing, comparing acclimatized Sherpa with acclimatized individuals of lowland ancestry.

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There has been a growing interest in research examining the relationship between parenting and child callous-unemotional (CU) traits, particularly in early childhood. This study reviewed evidence from studies that investigated the relationship between parenting characteristics (e.g.

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