Publications by authors named "James Patton"

This study develops biomimetic strategies for slip prevention in prosthetic hand grasps. The biomimetic system is driven by a novel slip sensor, followed by slip perception and preventive control. Here, we show that biologically inspired sensorimotor pathways can be restored between the prosthetic hand and users.

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Aim: Extracellular communication via the transfer of vesicles and nanoparticles is now recognized to play an important role in tumor microenvironment interactions. Cancer cells upregulate and secrete abundant levels of and that can alter gene expression in donor and recipient cells. In this study, we sought to identify targets of and and conclusively demonstrate that microRNAs (miRNAs) can be functionally transferred from donor to recipient cells.

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This study presents a novel training technique, visual + electrotactile proprioception training (visual + EP training), which provides additional proprioceptive information via tactile channel during motor training to enhance the training effectiveness. In this study, electrotactile proprioception delivers finger aperture distance information in real-time, by mapping frequency of electrical stimulation to finger aperture distance. To test the effect of visual + EP training, twenty-four healthy subjects participated in the experiment of matching finger aperture distance with distance displayed on screen.

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5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) has been used for chemotherapy for colorectal and other cancers for over 50 years. The prevailing view of its mechanism of action is inhibition of thymidine synthase leading to defects in DNA replication and repair. However, 5-FU is also incorporated into RNA causing defects in RNA metabolism, inhibition of pseudouridine modification, and altered ribosome function.

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Mammals do not possess the ability to spontaneously repair or regenerate damaged retinal tissue. In contrast to teleost fish which are capable of retina regeneration through the action of Müller glia, mammals undergo a process of reactive gliosis and scarring that inhibits replacement of lost neurons. Thus, it is important to discover novel methods for stimulating mammalian Müller glia to dedifferentiate and produce progenitor cells that can replace lost retinal neurons.

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Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a major long-lasting side effect of some chemotherapy drugs, which threatens cancer survival rate. CIPN mostly affects sensory neurons and occasionally motor neurons, causing numbness, tingling, discomfort, and burning pain in the upper and lower extremities. The pathophysiology of CIPN is not completely understood; however, it is believed that chemotherapies induce peripheral neuropathy via directly damaging mitochondria, impairing the function of ion channels, triggering immunological mechanisms, and disrupting microtubules.

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  • - Botta's pocket gopher (Thomomys bottae) is a common rodent in the western U.S., attracting interest due to its diverse physical traits and varying chromosome structures.
  • - A high-quality genome was sequenced from a male gopher from the San Francisco Bay Area, featuring nearly 2,800 scaffolds and a BUSCO score indicating good quality, filling a gap in rodent genomic data.
  • - This genome will enable research into how these gophers adapt to their underground lifestyle and how traits like limited movement affect their genetic diversity, evolution, and relationships with other species.
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  • Zebrafish have the ability to regenerate their retinas after damage, driven by Müller glia (MG) cells.
  • In higher vertebrates, similar MG do not promote retina regeneration, highlighting a loss of this ability.
  • A study found that senescent cells, which are usually linked to aging, also play a role in retinal repair by influencing inflammation and regeneration processes during damage recovery.
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Extracellular vesicles and nanoparticles (EVPs) are now recognized as a novel form of cell-cell communication. All cells release a wide array of heterogeneous EVPs with distinct protein, lipid, and RNA content, dependent on the pathophysiological state of the donor cell. The overall cargo content in EVPs is not equivalent to cellular levels, implying a regulated pathway for selection and export.

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Sensory feedback provides critical interactive information for the effective use of hand prostheses. Non-invasive neural interfaces allow convenient access to the sensory system, but they communicate a limited amount of sensory information. This study examined a novel approach that leverages a direct and natural sensory afferent pathway, and enables an evoked tactile sensation (ETS) of multiple digits in the projected finger map (PFM) of participants with forearm amputation non-invasively.

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In metazoans, microRNAs (miRNAs) are essential regulators of gene expression, affecting critical cellular processes from differentiation and proliferation, to homeostasis. During miRNA biogenesis, the miRNA strand that loads onto the RNA-induced Silencing Complex (RISC) can vary, leading to changes in gene targeting and modulation of biological pathways. To investigate the impact of these "arm switching" events on gene regulation, we analyzed a diverse range of tissues and developmental stages in zebrafish by comparing 5p and 3p arms accumulation dynamics between embryonic developmental stages, adult tissues, and sexes.

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Wearable ExoNETs offer a novel, wearable solution to support and facilitate upper extremity gravity compensation in healthy, unimpaired individuals. In this study, we investigated the safety and feasibility of gravity compensating ExoNETs on 10 healthy, unimpaired individuals across a series of tasks, including activities of daily living and resistance exercises. The direct muscle activity and kinematic effects of gravity compensation were compared to a sham control and no device control.

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Extracellular communication via the transfer of vesicles and nanoparticles is now recognized to play an important role in tumor microenvironment interactions. Cancer cells upregulate and secrete abundant levels of and that can alter gene expression by both cell- and non-cell-autonomous mechanisms. We previously showed that these miRNAs activate Wnt signaling in colorectal cancer (CRC) through noncanonical pairing with 5 negative regulators of Wnt signaling.

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Our study addresses the critical question of how learners acquire skills without the constant crutch of feedback, using a specialized training approach with intermittent feedback. Despite recognized benefits in skill retention, the underlying mechanisms of intermittent feedback in motor control neuroscience remain elusive. Leveraging a previously published dataset from visuomotor learning experiments with intermittent feedback, we tested a wide range of proxy-process models that posit the presence of an inferred error signal even when an explicit sensory performance is not present.

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Extracellular vesicles and particles (EVPs) play a crucial role in mediating cell-to-cell communication by transporting various molecular cargos, with small non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) holding particular significance. A thorough investigation into the abundance and sorting mechanisms of ncRNA within EVPs is imperative for advancing their clinical applications. We have developed EVPsort, which not only provides an extensive overview of ncRNA profiling in 3,162 samples across various biofluids, cell lines, and disease contexts but also seamlessly integrates 19 external databases and tools.

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Objective: To analyze real-world rehabilitation technology (RT) use, with a view toward enhancing RT development and adoption.

Design: A convergent, mixed-methods study using direct field observations, semi-structured templates, and summative content analysis.

Setting: Ten neurorehabilitation units in a single health system.

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5-fluorouracil (5-FU) has been used for chemotherapy for colorectal and other cancers for over 50 years. The prevailing view of its mechanism of action is inhibition of thymidine synthase leading to defects in DNA replication and repair. However, 5-FU is also incorporated into RNA causing toxicity due to defects in RNA metabolism, inhibition of pseudouridine modification, and altered ribosome function.

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Background: Analysis of tongue movement would benefit from a reference showcasing healthy tongue capability. We aimed to develop a reference of tongue capability and evaluated the role of visual feedback on the expression of movement.

Methods: Using a wireless tracking intraoral wearable device, we composed probability distributions of the tongue tip as subjects were asked to explore the entire sensing surface area.

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Article Synopsis
  • - Natural history museums hold important specimens, samples, and data that help us understand the natural world.
  • - A recent commentary discusses the need for more compassionate collection methods for specimens in these museums.
  • - It raises the question of whether it's feasible to entirely stop the collection of whole animal specimens in the future.
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The little pocket mouse, Perognathus longimembris, and its nine congeners are small heteromyid rodents found in arid and seasonally arid regions of Western North America. The genus is characterized by behavioral and physiological adaptations to dry and often harsh environments, including nocturnality, seasonal torpor, food caching, enhanced osmoregulation, and a well-developed sense of hearing. Here we present a genome assembly of Perognathus longimembris longimembris generated from PacBio HiFi long read and Omni-C chromatin-proximity sequencing as part of the California Conservation Genomics Project.

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Control of movement is learned and uses error feedback during practice to predict actions for the next movement. We have shown that augmenting error can enhance learning, but while such findings are encouraging the methods need to be refined to accommodate a person's individual reactions to error. The current study evaluates method, where the interactive robot tempers its augmentation when the error is less likely.

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  • Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are important for cell communication, carrying molecular cargo like proteins and small RNAs, but there's a lack of systematic analysis regarding their small RNA profiles across different conditions and cell types.
  • A study reanalyzed 2,756 small RNA sequencing samples from various studies to assess quality metrics, RNA composition, and the presence of different RNA biotypes in EVs versus donor cells.
  • Findings revealed variability in EV extraction methods affecting RNA composition, with certain RNA types (like rRNA and tRNA) being enriched while others (like miRNAs) were less abundant in EVs, suggesting that the methods used should be carefully selected for accurate analysis.
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Periprosthetic femoral fractures are increasing in incidence, and typically occur in frail elderly patients. They are similar to pathological fractures in many ways. The aims of treatment are the same, including 'getting it right first time' with a single operation, which allows immediate unrestricted weightbearing, with a low risk of complications, and one that avoids the creation of stress risers locally that may predispose to further peri-implant fracture.

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Background: Robotic-assisted unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) improves implant accuracy, however whether this translates to patient function is less clear. Various outcomes have been reported but muscle recovery has not been previously investigated.

Objective: To explore sequential change in lower limb muscle strength following robotic-assisted UKA with isokinetic dynamometry.

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Zebrafish spontaneously regenerate their retina in response to damage through the action of Müller glia. Even though Müller glia (MG) are conserved in higher vertebrates, the capacity to regenerate retinal damage is lost. Recent work has focused on the regulation of inflammation during tissue regeneration with precise temporal roles for macrophages and microglia.

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