Publications by authors named "Linda Thomas"

Cancer cell overexpresses numerus proteins, however, how these up-regulated proteins, especially those enzymatically opposite kinases and phosphatases, act together to promote oncogenesis is unknown. Here, we reported that protein tyrosine phosphatase H1 (PTPH1) is a scaffold protein for receptor tyrosine kinase (HER2) to potentiate breast tumorigenesis. PTPH1 utilizes its PDZ domain to bind HER2, p38γ, PBK, and YAP1 and to increase HER2 nuclear translocation, stemness, and oncogenesis.

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Background: Psychological state, self-reported gut symptoms, and somatic complaints are recognized relationships that can impact health assessment and subsequent treatment.

Aim: To investigate the impact of psychological state and personality on symptom self-reporting and somatization.

Methods: Sixty-two (62) participants from the Hunter region of NSW (Australia) undertook a survey of health and lifestyle along with an MMPI-2-RF assessment of personality, psychopathology, and test-taking attitude.

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Objective: We investigated concurrent outbreaks of carrying (VIM-CRPA) and Enterobacterales carrying (KPC-CRE) at a long-term acute-care hospital (LTACH A).

Methods: We defined an incident case as the first detection of or from a patient's clinical cultures or colonization screening test. We reviewed medical records and performed infection control assessments, colonization screening, environmental sampling, and molecular characterization of carbapenemase-producing organisms from clinical and environmental sources by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and whole-genome sequencing.

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This case report presents the diagnostic journey and management of a 19-year-old female who was diagnosed with advanced colorectal cancer (CRC) associated with Lynch syndrome (LS), a hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC). The patient initially presented with complaints of persistent abdominal pain, vomiting, and unexplained weight loss, leading to investigations revealing hypochromic microcytic anemia and the presence of an inhomogeneous pelvic mass associated with the sigmoid colon. Subsequent diagnostic procedures, including flexible sigmoidoscopy and pathology reports, confirmed the presence of an advanced rectosigmoid adenocarcinoma with high-grade dysplasia.

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Carbapenem-resistant (CRE) are among the most concerning antibiotic resistance threats due to high rates of multidrug resistance, transmissibility in health care settings, and high mortality rates. We evaluated the potential for regional genomic surveillance to track the spread of -carrying CRE (KPC-CRE) by using isolate collections from health care facilities in three U.S.

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Objective: Low plasma levels of carotenoids are associated with mortality and chronic disease states. Genetic studies in animals revealed that the tissue accumulation of these dietary pigments is associated with the genes encoding β-carotene oxygenase 2 (BCO2) and the scavenger receptor class B type 1 (SR-B1). Here we examined in mice how BCO2 and SR-B1 affect the metabolism of the model carotenoid zeaxanthin that serves as a macular pigment in the human retina.

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Some mammalian tissues uniquely concentrate carotenoids, but the underlying biochemical mechanism for this accumulation has not been fully elucidated. For instance, the central retina of the primate eyes displays high levels of the carotenoids, lutein, and zeaxanthin, whereas the pigments are largely absent in rodent retinas. We previously identified the scavenger receptor class B type 1 and the enzyme β-carotene-oxygenase-2 (BCO2) as key components that determine carotenoid concentration in tissues.

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We report an outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 involving 3 Malayan tigers (Panthera tigris jacksoni) at a zoo in Tennessee, USA. Investigation identified naturally occurring tiger-to-tiger transmission; genetic sequence change occurred with viral passage. We provide epidemiologic, environmental, and genomic sequencing data for animal and human infections.

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Campylobacteriosis is the most common bacterial foodborne illness in the United States and is frequently associated with foods of animal origin. The goals of this study were to compare clinical and non-clinical populations from Tennessee (TN) and Pennsylvania (PA), use phylogenetic relatedness to assess source attribution patterns, and identify potential outbreak clusters. isolates studied ( = 3080) included TN clinical isolates collected and sequenced for routine surveillance, PA clinical isolates collected from patients at the University of Pennsylvania Health System facilities, and non-clinical isolates from both states for which sequencing reads were available on NCBI.

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Thiamine is essential for the activity of several enzymes associated with energy metabolism in humans. Chronic alcohol use is associated with deficiency of thiamine along with other vitamins through several mechanisms. Several neuropsychiatric syndromes have been associated with thiamine deficiency in the context of alcohol use disorder including Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, alcoholic cerebellar syndrome, alcoholic peripheral neuropathy, and possibly, Marchiafava-Bignami syndrome.

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In mammals, carotenoids are converted by two carotenoid cleavage oxygenases into apocarotenoids, including vitamin A. Although knowledge about β-carotene oxygenase-1 (BCO1) and vitamin A metabolism has tremendously increased, the function of β-carotene oxygenase-2 (BCO2) remains less well-defined. We here studied the role of BCO2 in the metabolism of long chain β-apocarotenoids, which recently emerged as putative regulatory molecules in mammalian biology.

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Article Synopsis
  • Serovar Javiana is a significant cause of human infections in the U.S. and Tennessee, with most cases being sporadic rather than linked to outbreaks.
  • A study analyzed 111 clinical isolates from Tennessee, revealing three genetic clades and identifying mobile genetic elements related to antibiotic resistance and potential clusters of related infections.
  • Global phylogenetic comparisons showed that Tennessee isolates belong to one of three major clades of serovar Javiana, with significant genetic diversity noted among different strain clusters.
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Background: In Australia, there are approximately 165,000 healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) per year. Improving patient knowledge on HAIs and actively involving them in infection prevention is essential. This study assessed patient knowledge on types of and risk factors for HAIs and their perceptions of HAI information provision and hospital infection control practices in rural New South Wales, Australia.

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The enzyme β-carotene oxygenase 2 (BCO2) converts carotenoids into more polar metabolites. Studies in mammals, fish, and birds revealed that BCO2 controls carotenoid homeostasis and is involved in the pathway for vitamin A production. However, it is controversial whether BCO2 function is conserved in humans, because of a 4-amino acid long insertion caused by a splice acceptor site polymorphism.

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Background In cirrhosis, a pathological gut microbiome has been linked with immune dysfunction. A pilot study of probiotic Shirota (LcS) in alcoholic cirrhosis demonstrated significant improvement in neutrophil function. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of LcS on neutrophil function and significant infection rates in patients with cirrhosis.

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Background: Acute gastroenteritis (AGE) is a common reason for children to receive medical care. However, the viral etiology of AGE illness is not well described in the post-rotavirus vaccine era, particularly in the outpatient (OP) setting.

Methods: Between 2012 and 2015, children 15 days through 17 years old presenting to Vanderbilt Children's Hospital, Nashville, Tennessee, with AGE were enrolled prospectively from the inpatient, emergency department, and OP settings, and stool specimens were collected.

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Carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases (CCDs) are nonheme iron enzymes that catalyze double bond processing of carotenoids and their apocarotenoid metabolites. Mammalian genomes encode three members of this protein family, namely BCO1, BCO2, and RPE65. Mutations and genetic polymorphism in the corresponding genes are associated with inherited blinding diseases, vitamin A deficiency, and high carotenoid plasma levels.

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Background: In the United States, surveillance of norovirus gastroenteritis is largely restricted to outbreaks, limiting our knowledge of the contribution of sporadic illness to the overall impact on reported outbreaks. Understanding norovirus transmission dynamics is vital for improving preventive measures, including norovirus vaccine development.

Methods: We analyzed seasonal patterns and genotypic distribution between sporadic pediatric norovirus cases and reported norovirus outbreaks in middle Tennessee.

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In situ cancer vaccination that uses immune stimulating agents is revolutionizing the way that cancer is treated. In this realm, viruses and noninfectious virus-like particles have gained significant traction in reprogramming the immune system to recognize and eliminate malignancies. Recently, cowpea mosaic virus-like particles (VLPs) have shown exceptional promise in their ability to fight a variety of cancers.

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IMPORTANCE: Oklahoma has one of the highest rates of infant mortality and poor birth outcomes in the U.S., particularly among minority populations.

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