Publications by authors named "Morgan Morris"

Background: Isolated psychiatric symptoms can be the initial symptom of pediatric anti-N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor autoimmune encephalitis (pNMDARE). Here we report on the prevalence of isolated psychiatric symptoms in pNMDARE. We also assess whether initial neurodiagnostic tests (brain magnetic resonance imaging [MRI], electroencephalography [EEG], and/or cerebrospinal fluid [CSF] white blood cell count) are abnormal in children with isolated psychiatric symptoms and pNMDARE.

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Introduction: Immune medications affect antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in adults with neuroinflammatory disorders, but little is known about antibody responses in children with neuroinflammation and on immune treatments. Here we measure antibody levels in response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in children receiving anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies, or fingolimod.

Methods: Children under 18 years of age with pediatric-onset neuroinflammatory disorders who received at least two mRNA vaccines were included.

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Objectives: How brain MRI lesions associate with outcomes in pediatric anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis (pNMDARE) is unknown. In this study, we correlate T2-hyperintense MRI brain lesions with clinical outcomes in pNMDARE.

Methods: This was a multicenter retrospective cohort study from 11 institutions.

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Article Synopsis
  • A study was conducted to evaluate sleep problems in children diagnosed with NMDA receptor encephalitis, revealing that 95% experienced sleep dysfunction at onset.
  • At the one-year mark, 34% continued to report sleep issues, indicating a significant persistence of sleep problems over time.
  • Notably, while sleep issues at onset and the use of propofol did not relate to poor outcomes, poor sleep at one year did correlate with unfavorable modified Rankin Scores, suggesting the need for further research on sleep and long-term outcomes in these patients.
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Neurosarcoidosis is a rare disorder in children. We identified 30 pediatric NS cases through a systematic review. Twenty-one (70%) had systemic sarcoidosis with 30% having primary neurosarcoidosis.

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Background The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) may predict poor outcomes in adult anti-NMDAR encephalitis (NMDARE). The association of NLR with outcomes in pediatric NMDARE was examined. Methods Pediatric NMDARE patients (N = 36) were retrospectively studied.

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An EMS mutagenesis screen was conducted in to identify growth control mutants. The multi-institution Fly-CURE consortium phenotypically characterized the mutant using the system which displayed a mutant lethal phenotype with reduced head development, and darkened ocular tissue. Complementation mapping was conducted to identify the affected gene.

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Article Synopsis
  • Mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) serves as a key indicator of mitochondrial function, and this study aimed to quantify its variability among different human cell types.
  • The researchers utilized a dual microscopy method to evaluate the relative and absolute measurements of ΔΨm in unsynchronized cancer cells, cells synchronized in specific phases of the cell cycle, and human fibroblasts.
  • Findings revealed that cancer cells exhibit greater heterogeneity in ΔΨm than fibroblasts, with this variability being influenced by internal mitochondrial factors rather than external cell cycle phases or membrane potential differences.
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ME-344 is a second-generation cytotoxic isoflavone with anticancer activity promulgated through interference with mitochondrial functions. Using a click chemistry version of the drug together with affinity-enriched mass spectrometry, voltage-dependent anion channels (VDACs) 1 and 2 were identified as drug targets. To determine the importance of VDAC1 or 2 to cytotoxicity, we used lung cancer cells that were either sensitive (H460) or intrinsically resistant (H596) to the drug.

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Statins, widely used to treat hypercholesterolemia, inhibit the 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase, the rate-limiting enzyme of cholesterol (Chol) synthesis. Statins have been also reported to slow tumor progression. In cancer cells, ATP is generated both by glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation.

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Our laboratory previously reported that agonists of the 5-hydoxytryptamine 1F (5-HT) receptor induce renal mitochondrial biogenesis (MB) and that stimulation of the 5-HT receptor following ischemia/reperfusion (I/R)-induced acute kidney injury (AKI) accelerated the recovery of renal function in mice. The goal of this study was to examine the contribution of the 5-HT receptor in the regulation of renal mitochondrial homeostasis and renal function in naïve and injured mice. Although 5-HT receptor knockout (KO) mice were healthy and fertile, and did not exhibit renal dysfunction, renal mitochondrial DNA copy number and mitochondrial fission gene expression increased at 10 wk of age.

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