Publications by authors named "Michelle Lowry"

Young adults living with type 1 diabetes often struggle to achieve what clinicians consider to be optimal levels of metabolic control. Despite the impact that this can have on a young person's future risk of complications, there are relatively few studies reporting new ways of organizing or delivering care to this cohort. In this article, we explore some of the reasons why young adult diabetes care is challenging, and describe approaches to "re-imagining" how care might be improved.

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Background: The D1 Now intervention is designed to improve outcomes in young adults living with type 1 diabetes. It consists of three components: an agenda-setting tool, an interactive messaging system and a support worker. The aim of the D1 Now pilot cluster randomised controlled trial (RCT) was to gather and analyse acceptability and feasibility data to allow (1) further refinement of the D1 Now intervention, and (2) determination of the feasibility of evaluating the D1 Now intervention in a future definitive RCT.

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Introduction: D1 Now is a novel intervention which aims to support self-management and clinic engagement and improve outcomes in young adults (18-25 years) living with type 1 diabetes in Ireland. It has been developed using a systematic, theoretical, user-centred approach. The specific role of the Support Worker, one of three components of the D1 Now intervention, was developed to provide continuity and build relationships between young adults and their diabetes team.

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Bone formation or regeneration requires the recruitment, proliferation, and osteogenic differentiation of stem/stromal progenitor cells. A potent stimulus driving this process is mechanical loading. Osteocytes are mechanosensitive cells that play fundamental roles in coordinating loading-induced bone formation via the secretion of paracrine factors.

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Article Synopsis
  • There's been a lot of new research on tiny structures called extracellular vesicles (EVs) that cells release, which help us understand how cells work and what goes wrong in diseases.
  • Scientists have had a hard time studying these EVs because they come in different types and can be tough to separate and analyze properly.
  • The International Society for Extracellular Vesicles updated their guidelines, called MISEV2018, to help researchers share clear information about how to study EVs and ensure their findings are accurate and reliable.
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Increasing evidence indicates that extracellular vesicles (EVs) are key players in undesirable cell-cell communication in cancer. However, the release of EVs is not unique to cancer cells; normal cells release EVs to perform physiological roles. Thus, selective inhibition of EV release from cancer cells is desirable.

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Background: Neratinib is in Phase 3 clinical trials but, unfortunately, the development of resistance is inevitable. Here, we investigated the effects of acquired neratinib resistance on cellular phenotype and the potential mechanism of this resistance.

Methods: Neratinib-resistant variants of HER2-positive breast cancer cells were developed and their cross-resistance investigated using cytotoxicity assays.

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Public awareness and utilization of assisted reproductive technology has been increasing, but little is known about changes in ethical concerns over time. The National Survey of Fertility Barriers, a national, probability-based sample of US women, asked 2031 women the same set of questions about ethical concerns regarding six reproductive technologies on two separate occasions approximately 3 years apart. At Wave 1 (2004-2007), women had more concerns about treatments entailing the involvement of a third party than about treatments that did not.

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Background: Although it has been long realized that eukaryotic cells release complex vesicular structures into their environment, only in recent years has it been established that these entities are not merely junk or debris, but that they are tailor-made specialized minimaps of their cell of origin and of both physiological and pathological relevance. These exosomes and microvesicles (ectosomes), collectively termed extracellular vesicles (EVs), are often defined and subgrouped first and foremost according to size and proposed origin (exosomes approximately 30-120 nm, endosomal origin; microvesicles 120-1000 nm, from the cell membrane). There is growing interest in elucidating the relevance and roles of EVs in cancer.

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Exosomes (EVs) have relevance in cell-to-cell communication carrying pro-tumorigenic factors that participate in oncogenesis and drug resistance and are proposed to have potential as self-delivery systems. Advancing on our studies of EVs in triple-negative breast cancer, here we more comprehensively analysed isogenic cell line variants and their EV populations, tissues cell line variants and their EV populations, as well as breast tumour and normal tissues. Profiling 384 miRNAs showed EV miRNA content to be highly representative of their cells of origin.

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Notch proteins (Notch 1-4) are a family of trans-membrane cell surface receptors that are converted into transcriptional regulators when activated by interactions with cell surface ligands on adjacent cells. Ligand-binding stimulates proteolytic cleavage of the trans-membrane domain, releasing an active intracellular domain (ICD) that translocates to the nucleus and impacts transcription. In transit, the ICD may interact with regulatory proteins that modulate the expression and transcriptional activity.

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Purpose: In 2006, Sharp Health Plan (SHP) conducted a campaign to increase mammography screening for at-risk female members that consisted of mailing each eligible member an informational mammography postcard with an appointment tracker. Then came an automated phone call reminder. After the mammography campaign, 70 percent of SHP members sought mammography screening while 30 percent remained nonadherent.

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