Publications by authors named "MK Jones"

Bioactive lipids have a multifaceted role in health and disease and are recognized to play an important part in gut immunity and disease conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease and colon cancer. Advancements in lipidomics, enabled by mass spectrometry and chromatographic techniques, have enhanced our understanding of lipid diversity and functionality. Bioactive lipids, including short-chain fatty acids, saturated fatty acids, omega-3 fatty acids, and sphingolipids, exhibit diverse effects on inflammation and immune regulation.

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Canine hookworm (Ancylostoma caninum), a gastrointestinal nematode of domestic dogs, principally infects the small intestine of dogs and has the potential to cause zoonotic disease. In greyhounds and pet dogs in the USA, A. caninum has been shown to be resistant to multiple anthelmintics.

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The internalization of N6.2 extracellular vesicles (EVs) by cells results in a significant induction of the 2',5'-oligoadenylate synthetase (OAS) pathway. It also induces expression of and .

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  • The COVID-19 pandemic has had severe health and economic impacts globally, with vaccination being crucial for control, especially in regions with high rates of helminth infections, which could affect vaccine responses.
  • A study in Uganda surveyed 450 individuals to assess helminth prevalence and COVID-19 vaccine responses; results showed high infection rates of schistosomiasis (36.4%) and hookworms (36.9%), with 93.14% vaccination coverage among a smaller group interviewed.
  • Despite widespread vaccination, a significant portion of those vaccinated had low anti-S1 IgG antibody levels, indicating that helminth infections might reduce vaccine efficacy among individuals with moderate to heavy infections.
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Despite the concurrent use of haploidentical cord (HCT) and dual cord (DCT) stem cell transplant approaches for over a decade, there have been few comparisons of their outcomes. Our objective in this study is to assess for differences in the outcomes and adverse effects associated with HCTs versus DCTs. Here we report a retrospective analysis of HCTs and DCTs at our institution.

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Despite institutional efforts, growth in the number of faculty of color has largely plateaued, limiting research innovation and other benefits of diversity. In this article, we seek to understand structural barriers to faculty equity by (a) detailing a theory of epistemic exclusion within academia and (b) applying the theory of epistemic exclusion to the specific context of faculty departmental reviews of scholarly research (e.g.

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Few T cells infiltrate into primary brain tumors, fundamentally hampering the effectiveness of immunotherapy. We hypothesized that Toxoplasma gondii, a microorganism that naturally elicits a Th1 response in the brain, can promote T cell infiltration into brain tumors despite their immune suppressive microenvironment. Using a mouse genetic model for medulloblastoma, we found that T.

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Objective: To compare continence outcomes in post-prostatectomy patients undergoing supervised in-person versus online pelvic floor muscle training and pelvic floor education (iPMFT vs oPFMT/PFE). Despite the proven benefit of in-person PFMT for urinary incontinence (UI) following prostatectomy, numerous barriers impede access. We developed a comprehensive online program to deliver oPFMT/PFE.

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. Very few predictive models have been externally validated in a prospective cohort following the implementation of an artificial intelligence analytic system. This type of real-world validation is critically important due to the risk of data drift, or changes in data definitions or clinical practices over time, that could impact model performance in contemporaneous real-world cohorts.

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  • - Necrotic enteritis in poultry is caused by the bacterium Clostridium perfringens, and researchers developed nanobodies that can bind and neutralize key toxins produced by this bacterium.
  • - A total of six effective nanobodies were identified, showing high activity against these toxins and stability in chicken gastrointestinal fluids, and they were expressed using two different microbial systems (Pichia pastoris and Bacillus subtilis).
  • - When chickens were fed with these nanobodies incorporated either in supernatants or as spores, mortality rates significantly decreased, highlighting the potential for using nanobody technology to better control necrotic enteritis in poultry.
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  • Schistosomiasis japonica is a severe disease caused by a parasitic worm endemic to regions like the Philippines, China, and Indonesia, with female worms producing an unusually high number of eggs, which contributes to disease severity.
  • Bovine hosts, particularly water buffalo and cattle, are key in the life cycle of the parasite, contributing up to 90% of the eggs in rural areas where humans and livestock coexist.
  • Developing veterinary transmission-blocking vaccines for these animals is essential for controlling the disease, and this approach should be paired with human health initiatives for effective public health outcomes, aligning with the One Health concept.
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Hookworms are the most common intestinal nematode parasites of dogs in Australia. The control of these parasites relies mostly on regular deworming with anthelmintics, with pyrantel-based dewormers being a relatively low cost and readily-available option for dog owners. Pyrantel resistance in canine hookworms in Australia was first reported in 2007, however pyrantel-based dewormers are still used against hookworm infection in dogs across Australia.

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During a series of pathology surveys in four production complexes of a U.S. broiler integrator, the technical services veterinarians of an animal health company noted a high incidence of severe gizzard erosions and ulcerations (GEU), prompting further clinical investigation and a battery trial.

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Background: Although pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) is widely shown to improve post-prostatectomy incontinence (PPI), numerous barriers impede access to formal PFMT and include the limited availability of specialized therapists and financial or scheduling barriers. To address these barriers, we developed a novel online program delivering comprehensive long-term PFMT, pelvic floor education (PFE), and dietary/behavioral modification education. This study is a prospective interim analysis of online PFMT/PFE (oPFMT/PFE), with focus on feasibility, satisfaction, and continence outcomes.

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Background: Recent studies on CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing in have shed new light on the study and control of this parasitic helminth. However, the gene editing efficiency in this parasite is modest.

Methods: To improve the efficiency of CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing in schistosomes, we used lentivirus, which has been effectively used for gene editing in mammalian cells, to deliver plasmid DNA encoding Cas9 nuclease, a sgRNA targeting acetylcholinesterase () and a mCherry fluorescence marker into schistosomes.

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Introduction And Hypothesis: Urinary incontinence (UI) is common in women and has a vast impact on quality of life (QOL), financial health, and work disability. Robust evidence demonstrates the efficacy of comprehensive conservative therapy (pelvic floor muscle training [PFMT], and behavioral and dietary modification) in the treatment of UI. However, numerous barriers impede access to this care, including limited specialized therapists, financial barriers, and scheduling obstacles.

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Hypoglossal-facial nerve (12-7) anastomosis can restore symmetry and voluntary movement on the face in patients with facial nerve paralysis. Traditional 12-7 transfer includes direct end-to-end nerve anastomosis, sacrificing the entire hypoglossal nerve. Contemporary, end-to-side anastomosis, or split anastomosis techniques limit tongue morbidity by preserving some hypoglossal nerve.

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Norovirus infection is influenced by the presence of commensal bacteria, and both human and murine norovirus (MNV) bind to these bacteria. These virus-bacterial interactions, as well as MNV infection, promote the increased production of bacterial extracellular vesicles (bEVs). However, no correlation has been made between specific bacterial groups, their vesicles, and their impact on norovirus infection.

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This study delves into the previously unexplored territory of extracellular vesicle (EV) cargo and composition, specifically focusing on lipid composition changes in EVs following infection. EVs play crucial roles in intercellular communication, carrying a variety of biomolecules. Investigating how these EV cargo lipids change post-infection with is significant for understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying lipid trafficking during infection.

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Article Synopsis
  • Caregiver-mediated early interventions help caregivers use specific strategies to enhance communication skills in young autistic children.
  • A clinical trial aimed to identify which strategies were most effective for improving both short-term and long-term communication outcomes in these children.
  • The study found that caregiver prompts can significantly benefit children's language development, contributing to a better understanding of early intervention's role in enhancing child communication.
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Point-of-care (POC) diagnostics are simple and effective portable tools that can be used for fast mapping of helminthic diseases and monitoring control programs. Most POC tests (POCTs) available for schistosomiasis diagnosis are lateral flow immunoassays (LFIAs). The emergence of simple and rapid DNA isolation methods, along with isothermal nucleic acid amplification strategies - for example, loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) and recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) - and recent clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-based diagnostic methods facilitate the development of molecular-based POC diagnostics for schistosomiasis.

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  • Caregivers of deaf/hard of hearing infants face tough choices about communication methods, and this research explores their valued advice and influencing factors.
  • The study involved 105 caregiver-child pairs with infants aged 12-18 months and highlighted that caregivers often received guidance to use both speech and sign language, valuing input from speech-language pathologists.
  • The findings indicate that caregivers prioritize their child's future academic and social success when making decisions about communication methods, suggesting it’s crucial for providers to discuss these impactful factors early on.
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There are a variety of methods employed by laboratories for quantifying extracellular vesicles isolated from bacteria. As a result, the ability to compare results across published studies can lead to questions regarding the suitability of methods and buffers for accurately quantifying these vesicles. Within the literature, there are several common methods for vesicle quantification.

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