Publications by authors named "K H McDonough"
In the earliest days of the COVID-19 pandemic, the collection of dried blood spots (DBS) enabled public health laboratories to undertake population-scale seroprevalence studies used to estimate rates of SARS-CoV-2 exposure. With SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity levels now estimated to exceed 94% in the United States, attention has turned to using DBS to assess neutralizing antibodies within cohorts of interest. With this goal in mind, we generated contrived DBS (cDBS) and whole blood-derived DBS from convalescent and vaccinated individuals and subjected DBS eluates to a battery of assays, including a SARS-CoV-2 multiplexed microsphere immunoassay (MIA), a receptor binding domain (RBD)-human ACE2 inhibition assay (iACE2), a cell-based pseudovirus neutralization assay, and real-time PCR-based surrogate neutralization assay (NAB-Sure).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe recA gene, encoding Recombinase A (RecA) is one of three Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) genes encoding an in-frame intervening protein sequence (intein) that must splice out of precursor host protein to produce functional protein. Ongoing debate about whether inteins function solely as selfish genetic elements or benefit their host cells requires understanding of interplay between inteins and their hosts. We measured environmental effects on native RecA intein splicing within Mtb using a combination of western blots and promoter reporter assays.
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- Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) can occur after cancer treatment, and spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is being explored for treating severe cases.
- A study examined the effectiveness of two types of SCS (tonic vs. burst) in improving pain and gait in patients with CIPN, alongside quantitative sensory testing (QST) outcomes.
- Results showed improvements in gait scores and pain relief, although some sensory testing outcomes were inconsistent; the study highlights the potential of different SCS waveforms in managing CIPN and emphasizes the importance of psychophysical testing as a monitoring tool.
Article Synopsis
- Spontaneous activity in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons is a major factor in neuropathic pain, which often goes untreated.
- Researchers found that the drug tomivosertib (eFT508) can suppress this spontaneous activity in human sensory neurons known as nociceptors by inhibiting a specific signaling pathway (MNK) within minutes.
- The treatment not only reduced the activity of these neurons but also led to key changes in their electrical properties, indicating potential mechanisms that could be targeted in future clinical trials for managing neuropathic pain.
Background: In 2011, the Institute of Medicine published a report on the future of nursing, which recommended nurse practitioner postgraduate training in the form of fellowships or residencies. Since then, the number of postgraduate programs has grown, but data is still scarce regarding their efficacy and benefits.
Aim: The goal of this integrative review is to synthesize available literature regarding the outcomes of nurse practitioner postgraduate fellowships and/or residencies on clinical competence and perceived readiness to practice.