Publications by authors named "J M Testa"
Mesothelioma is a lethal cancer of the serosal lining of the body cavities. Risk factors include environmental and genetic factors. Asbestos exposure is considered the principal environmental risk factor, but other carcinogenic mineral fibers, such as erionite, also have a causal role.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) metastases face poor prognoses, even with adjuvant therapies. Tumor-infiltrating T-cells and macrophages are critical in targeting tumor cells within the renal microenvironment. Beyond VHL mutations, loss-of-function mutations in SWI/SNF complex genes, including PBRM1, BAP1, ARID1A, SETD2, SMARCA4 (BRG1), and SMARCA2 (BRM), have been implicated in ccRCC progression.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- AKT, a key protein kinase in the PI3K signaling pathway, is crucial for normal cell functions and can contribute to diseases like cancer, inflammation, and autoimmune disorders when its regulation fails.
- Targeting the PI3K/AKT pathway is essential to counteract these diseases, with current AKT inhibitors showing promise but facing challenges like resistance and side effects.
- The review highlights innovative targeting strategies, such as isoform-specific approaches and selective inhibitors, alongside the search for reliable biomarkers to improve treatment efficacy and patient outcomes.
Shellfish aquaculture producers in coastal systems are facing uncertain future growing conditions as climate change alters weather patterns and raises sea level. We examined expected mid-century (2059-2068) changes in aquaculture profitability from recent conditions by integrating models of climate change, estuarine hydrodynamics and biogeochemistry, oyster growth, oyster mortality, and economics, using the Chesapeake Bay, USA as a case study. We developed an economic stochastic dynamic programming (SDP) approach that generates optimal grower behavior to maximize profits under uncertainty by dynamically choosing planting density, replanting and mitigation use, in response to changing oyster stock status and water quality conditions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: We conducted a retrospective cohort study to evaluate changes in metabolic biomarkers among participants in Bridging the [Health Equity] Gap (BTG), a free program run by Clínica Esperanza/Hope Clinic (CEHC) for Spanish-speaking immigrants without health insurance in Rhode Island.
Methods: From July 2019 through June 2021, 471 people volunteered to participate in the BTG program. Participants enrolled in lifestyle change classes and visited quarterly with health care providers.