Publications by authors named "Michael Powers"

Article Synopsis
  • Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) on renal replacement therapy (RRT) face a high risk of infections from cardiovascular implantable electronic devices (CIED), but device extraction, the usual way to manage these infections, is often avoided due to high procedural risks.
  • A study analyzed data from CKD patients with CIED infections, finding that 30% underwent device extraction, which significantly improved one-year survival rates (59.2% vs. 48.8% for no extraction).
  • Despite the survival benefits, the low rate of device extraction among these patients highlights a need for better management strategies in this high-risk group.
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The brain is a highly dynamic organ that requires a constant energy source to function normally. This energy is mostly supplied by glucose, a simple sugar that serves as the brain's principal fuel source. Glucose transport across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is primarily controlled via sodium-independent facilitated glucose transport, such as by glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1) and 3 (GLUT3).

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Introduction: A learning health network is a type of learning health system in which stakeholders use network organization to improve health and health care. Building on existing resources in the cystic fibrosis (CF) community, the Cystic Fibrosis Learning Network (CFLN) was designed to improve medical outcomes and quality of life through an intentional focus on achieving reliable evidence-based chronic care delivery and creating a system for data-driven collaborative learning.

Methods: We describe the development and growth of the CFLN considering six domains of a Network Maturity Grid: system leadership; governance and policy management; quality improvement (QI); engagement and community building; data and analytics; and research.

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Introduction: Childhood interstitial and diffuse lung disease (chILD) encompasses a broad spectrum of rare disorders. The Children's Interstitial and Diffuse Lung Disease Research Network (chILDRN) established a prospective registry to advance knowledge regarding etiology, phenotype, natural history, and management of these disorders.

Methods: This longitudinal, observational, multicenter registry utilizes single-IRB reliance agreements, with participation from 25 chILDRN centers across the U.

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Background: ZIP8, encoded by SLC39A8, is a membrane transporter that facilitates the cellular uptake of divalent biometals including zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), and iron (Fe). The hepatic system has long been accepted as the central modulator for whole-body biometal distribution. Earlier investigations suggest the propensity of ZIP8 to prioritize Mn influx, as opposed to Fe or Zn, in hepatocytes.

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A 24-week, phase 3, open-label study showed elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor (ELX/TEZ/IVA) was safe and efficacious in children aged 6-11 years with cystic fibrosis (CF) and one or more alleles. To assess long-term safety and efficacy of ELX/TEZ/IVA in children who completed the pivotal 24-week phase 3 trial. In this phase 3, two-part (part A and part B), open-label extension study, children aged ⩾6 years with CF heterozygous for and a minimal function mutation (/MF genotypes) or homozygous for ( genotype) who completed the 24-week parent study received ELX/TEZ/IVA based on weight.

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Drosophila trachea is a premier model to study tube morphogenesis. After the formation of continuous tubes, tube maturation follows. Tracheal tube maturation starts with an apical secretion pulse that deposits extracellular matrix components to form a chitin-based apical luminal matrix (aECM).

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Mushrooms have unique properties in arsenic metabolism. In many commercial and wild-grown mushrooms, arsenobetaine (AsB), a non-toxic arsenical, was found as the dominant arsenic species. The AsB biosynthesis remains unknown, so we designed experiments to study conditions for AsB formation in the white button mushroom, .

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Article Synopsis
  • - Failure of rotator cuff repair can have serious consequences, and understanding the biology of the tendon insertion sites is crucial for improving outcomes.
  • - Quality of the torn tendon plays a significant role in repair success, and augmentation techniques, including allografts, xenografts, and synthetics, can be beneficial for long-term healing.
  • - This study focuses on a specific surgical technique that uses the patient's own coracoacromial ligament tissue to enhance the repair of the supraspinatus tendon during arthroscopy.
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Selenium is an essential micronutrient with a wide range of biological effects in mammals. The inorganic form of selenium, selenite, is supplemented to relieve individuals with selenium deficiency and to alleviate associated symptoms. Additionally, physiological and supranutritional selenite have shown selectively higher affinity and toxicity towards cancer cells, highlighting their potential to serve as chemotherapeutic agents or adjuvants.

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Most children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), in resource-limited settings (RLS), are diagnosed after the age of four. Our work confirmed and extended results of Pierce that eye tracking could discriminate between typically developing (TD) children and those with ASD. We demonstrated the initial 15 s was at least as discriminating as the entire video.

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Anthropogenic disasters may be defined as any disaster caused by human action or inaction. Natural disasters occur without human interference. Injuries caused by terrorists and related criminal activities may be broadly grouped into 3 categories: blunt, blast, and penetrating trauma.

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The innate immune system is the first line of defense against invasive fungal infections. As a consequence, many successful fungal pathogens have evolved elegant strategies to interact with host immune cells. For example, undergoes a morphogenetic switch coupled to cell wall remodeling upon phagocytosis by macrophages and then induces macrophage pyroptosis, an inflammatory cell death program.

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Enamel demineralization is destructive, esthetically compromised, and costly complications for orthodontic patients. Nano-sized amorphous calcium phosphate (NACP) has been explored to address this challenge. The 20% NACP-loaded ortho-cement notably exhibited favorable behavior on reducing demineralization of enamel around brackets in a caries model designed to simulate the carious attack.

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Most LADAR (laser radar, LIDAR) imaging systems use pixel-basis sampling, where each azimuth and elevation resolution element is uniquely sampled and recorded. We demonstrate and examine alternative sampling and post-detection processing schemes where recorded measurements are made in alternative bases that are intended to reduce system power consumption and laser emissions. A prototype of such a sensor having the capability to generate arbitrary illumination beam patterns rather than spot, line scanning, or flash techniques is described along with computational imaging algorithms to reduce speckle and identify scene objects in a low-dimensional compressed basis rather than in the pixel basis.

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This study was a histomorphometric comparison of the transmandibular implant (TMI) system and titanium implant using a confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM). Two dogs were used. In each dog, 16 implant holes were made in the bilateral mandibular angle.

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Background: The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends a staged approach to pediatric weight management, starting with helping families to make targeted dietary and activity changes. This pilot study evaluated the preliminary efficacy of a pediatric practice-based referral program to support parents in helping their overweight/obese children improve their weight-related behaviors and BMI.

Methods: A nonrandomized intervention study with contemporaneous control was used.

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Interaction conditions can change the balance of cooperation and conflict in multicellular groups. After aggregating together, cells of the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum may migrate as a group (known as a slug) to a new location. We consider this migration stage as an arena for social competition and conflict because the cells in the slug may not be from a genetically homogeneous population.

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Pleistocene residential sites with multiple contemporaneous human burials are extremely rare in the Americas. We report mitochondrial genomic variation in the first multiple mitochondrial genomes from a single prehistoric population: two infant burials (USR1 and USR2) from a common interment at the Upward Sun River Site in central Alaska dating to ∼11,500 cal B.P.

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