Publications by authors named "Lay J"

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  • This study explores how combining a hydrogen-producing microbiome with phytoremediation improves the breakdown of diesel in contaminated soil, focusing on enhanced enzyme activity.
  • Key soil changes included increased moisture from 12.5% to 20%, a shift in pH to an alkaline level of 8.0-8.5, and improved organic matter, all supporting microbial activity.
  • The combined approach achieved a 78.1% reduction in total petroleum hydrocarbons, significantly outperforming traditional methods, while also boosting microbial populations and Bermuda grass survival rates.
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The inter- and intra-tumor heterogeneity of triple negative breast cancers (TNBC), which is reflected in diverse drug responses, interplays with tumor evolution. Here, we developed a preclinical experimental and analytical framework using treatment-naive TNBC patient-derived tumor xenografts (PDTX) to test their predictive value in personalized cancer treatment approaches. Patients and their matched PDTX exhibited concordant drug responses to neoadjuvant therapy using two trial designs and dosing schedules.

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Background: Affect recall is key to psychological assessment and decision-making. However, self-concepts (self-beliefs) may bias retrospective affect reports such that they deviate from lived experiences. Does this experience-memory gap apply to solitude experiences? We hypothesized that individuals misremember how they feel overall and when in solitude, in line with self-concepts of introversion, self-determined/not-self-determined solitude motivations, and independent/interdependent self-construal.

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Chemotherapy remains a cornerstone in lung cancer treatment, yet emerging evidence suggests that sublethal low doses may inadvertently enhance the malignancy. This study investigates the paradoxical effects of sublethal low-dose chemotherapy on non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells, emphasizing the role of Aldo-keto reductase family 1 member B10 (AKR1B10). We found that sublethal doses of chemotherapy unexpectedly increased cancer cell migration approximately 2-fold and invasion approximately threefold, potentially promoting metastasis.

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  • Atrazine disrupts the formation of laminin and reduces germ and Sertoli cells in the developing testes of tammar wallabies, similar to the effects of oestrogen.
  • The study highlights how exposure to atrazine (a banned herbicide in Europe) affects the balance of androgen and oestrogen, resulting in testis differentiation issues.
  • The research involved treating male pouch young with atrazine and comparing its effects with other endocrine disruptors, revealing significant negative impacts on cell structure and function.
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Older adults report greater affective well-being in solitude than younger adults, but prior findings are based on correlational designs. We aim to examine age differences in affective well-being in solitude using an experimental design and to examine conflict de-escalation as a potential mechanism. In Study 1, 207 participants were randomly assigned to either a solitude or a social interaction condition.

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Background: The evidence for an increased incidence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among patients utilizing HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) has been inconsistent. We assessed the risk of incident STI while on PrEP compared to periods off PrEP among military service members starting PrEP.

Methods: Incidence rates of chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, hepatitis C virus, and HIV were determined among military service members without HIV prescribed daily oral tenofovir disoproxil fumarate and emtricitabine for HIV PrEP from February 1, 2014 through June 10, 2016.

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  • Identifying various animal hosts involved in spill-over events of infectious diseases is essential for understanding how viruses like Lassa virus (LASV) are transmitted to humans and pose public health risks.
  • Researchers conducted a study in southern Nigeria, screening domestic and non-domestic animals, including birds and lizards, to assess their potential as LASV reservoirs.
  • Results showed lizards had the highest positivity rates for LASV, while cattle showed significant seropositivity, pointing to the need for further analysis of these animal hosts to inform strategies for managing Lassa fever transmission.
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  • - Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a genetic condition linked to mutations that hinder the creation of a vital protein called dystrophin, with exon duplications, especially in exon 2, being common mutations.
  • - An exon-skipping treatment targeting these Dup2 mutations shows promise, as it can lead to the production of a functional form of dystrophin, potentially improving muscle health.
  • - Research on a specific treatment using a vector in Dup2 mouse models has demonstrated lasting dystrophin expression and improved muscle function for up to 18 months post-treatment, indicating its long-term efficacy.
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Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused an international healthcare crisis and produced a large healthcare burden. Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a common disease that can be controlled via pharmacologic agents; however, many patients have poor glycemic control, leading to disease-related complications. DM has been reported in the literature to be associated with increasing morbidity and mortality in COVID-19 patients.

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Happiness can be experienced differently in young as compared to older adulthood, possibly due to shifts in temporal focus and differences in preferences for high- versus low-arousal affective states. The current project aimed to replicate initial evidence on age-related differences in the experience of happiness by investigating the positive affective correlates of everyday happiness; we further explored the role of thinking about the future in moderating such associations. We used daily life assessments from 257 participants ( = 48.

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  • * Despite the effectiveness of EGFR kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs), resistance often develops due to alternative pathways like AXL and MET activation, linked to EMT characteristics.
  • * The study found that AXL phosphorylation stabilizes MIG6, a negative regulator of EGFR signaling, indicating a complex interplay that could enhance our understanding of cancer treatment strategies.
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Background: Early reports have indicated a relationship between ABO and rhesus blood group types and infection with SARS-CoV-2. We aim to examine blood group type associations with COVID-19 mortality and disease severity.

Methods: This is a retrospective chart review of patients ages 18 years or older admitted to the hospital with COVID-19 between January 2020 and December 2021.

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This study investigated everyday associations between one key facet of mindfulness (allocating attention to the present moment) and pain. In Study 1, 89 community-dwelling adults (33-88 years; = 68.6) who had experienced a stroke provided 14 daily end-of-day present-moment awareness and pain ratings.

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Background And Objectives: Extremely hot temperature affects psychological well-being negatively, especially for older adults with lower socioeconomic status (SES). The objectives of this study are to examine: (a) the impact of hot instantaneous temperature on older adults' emotional well-being and (b) whether meaningful engagement could reduce the above impact, particularly for those of lower SES.

Research Design And Methods: We conducted a quantitative time-sampling study during hot-weather months (May-September) in 2021 and 2022.

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Background: Although the majority of existing literature has suggested positive effects of housework on older adults' health and survival rate, the underlying mechanisms of such effects remain unclear. To address potential mechanisms, the present study examined the association between older adults' housework engagement and days of survival across 14 years and tested three potential mediation pathways in this association.

Methods: Four thousand Hong Kong older adults (50% female; aged between 65 and 98 years) participated in a longitudinal study in which they reported initial housework engagement and health status across three domains (cognitive functioning, physical health, and mental health) at the baseline, and the numbers of days they survived over the subsequent 14-year period were recorded.

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Introduction:  Spinal epidural abscess (SEA) is a rare process with significant risk for morbidity and mortality. Treatment includes an extended course of antibiotics with or without surgery depending on the clinical presentation. Both non-operative and surgically treated patients require close follow-up to ensure the resolution of the infection without recurrence and/or progression of neurologic deficits.

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Melanoma is one of the most aggressive forms of skin cancer and is characterized by high metastatic potential. Despite improvements in early diagnosis and treatment, the mortality rate among metastatic melanoma patients continues to represent a significant clinical challenge. Therefore, it is imperative that we search for new forms of treatment.

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Purpose: Given the advancements in dissection modalities over the last decade, what is the current understanding of the alar fascia and its clinical implications as an access point into the danger space (DS)? The aim of the study is to provide an updated review of the alar fascia and danger space.

Methods: A comprehensive search of the alar fascia and danger space was performed through PubMed databases up to August 2022. Thirty-two sagittal E12 sheet plastination slices of the head and neck were analyzed under a stereomicroscope to assess the morphology and continuity of the retropharyngeal, alar, and prevertebral fasciae (PVF and their respective potential spaces).

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Objective: The objective of this study is twofold. First, we seek to understand the characteristics of the multimorbid population that needs hospital care by using all diagnoses information (ICD-10 codes) and two aggregated multimorbidity and frailty scores. Second, we use machine learning prediction models on these multimorbid patients characteristics to predict rehospitalization within 30 and 365 days and their length of stay.

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Perturbation of the insulin/insulin-like growth factor (IGF) signaling system is often cited as a mechanism driving breast cancer risk. A systematic review identified prospective cohort studies and Mendelian randomization studies that examined the effects of insulin/IGF signaling (IGF, their binding proteins (IGFBP), and markers of insulin resistance] on breast cancer risk. Meta-analyses generated effect estimates; risk of bias was assessed and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation system applied to evaluate the overall quality of the evidence.

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Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a devastating muscle-wasting disease that arises due to the loss of dystrophin expression, leading to progressive loss of motor and cardiorespiratory function. Four exon-skipping approaches using antisense phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomers (PMOs) have been approved by the FDA to restore a open reading frame, resulting in expression of a functional but internally deleted dystrophin protein, but in patients with single-exon duplications, exon skipping has the potential to restore full-length dystrophin expression. Cell-penetrating peptide-conjugated PMOs (PPMOs) have demonstrated enhanced cellular uptake and more efficient dystrophin restoration than unconjugated PMOs.

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Nanoencapsulation with safe materials improves delivery, stability, and activity of bioactive components. We report a novel safe, and effective method for the development of encapsulated antimicrobial essential oils (EO) for topical creams and gels. The method developed features three aspects that, to our knowledge, had not been previously demonstrated: (1) use of novel liposomes (LPs) to encapsulate EOs, (2) use of the EOs to replace synthetic organic solvents that are potentially toxic and/or leave harmful residues, and (3) an encapsulation process at temperatures below the boiling point of water.

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Loneliness is a recognized risk factor for morbidity and mortality across the adult life span including old age. Loneliness is a negative emotional experience that has been associated with social isolation, but loneliness may also be adaptive to the extent that it signals a need to socially reengage. To reconcile these seemingly contradictory findings, we unpack the timing of the underlying processes by distinguishing between transient and chronic loneliness in shaping prosocial behaviors.

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The reliability of packed cell volumes (PCV), total solids (TS), blood glucose (BG), γ-glutamyl transferase (GGT), and glutaraldehyde test in determining passive transfer of colostral immunoglobulins was investigated in nine species of cervids: axis deer (), hog deer (), sika deer (), tufted deer (), Père David's deer (), pudu (), sambar deer (), barasinga deer (), and Eld's deer (). Individually the parameters evaluated were significant though imperfect predictors of passive transfer status in cervids. Interpreted collectively as a panel along with neonate condition, these tests were clinically helpful in diagnosing failure of passive transfer (FPT).

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