Publications by authors named "Otero K"

Black metal oxides with varying concentrations of O-vacancies display enhanced optical and catalytic properties. However, direct solution syntheses of this class of materials have been limited despite being highly advantageous given the different synthetic handles that can be leveraged towards control of the targeted material. Herein, we present an alternate colloidal synthesis of black InO nanoparticles from the simple reaction between In(acac) and oleyl alcohol.

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Effective family-based interventions are needed for youth who are experiencing emotional and behavioral difficulties and who are impacted by powerful environmental stressors. Culturally Informed and Flexible Family-Based Treatment for Adolescents (CIFFTA) is a manualized and evidence-based, multicomponent family-based treatment that has been shown to be efficacious in research settings. The purpose of this paper is to report on the effectiveness of implementing CIFFTA for the treatment of Latino and Black youth and families in community settings.

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This study sought to investigate the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on orthopedic surgery residency training across the United States. A 26-question online survey was created and sent to all orthopedic surgery residency programs across the United States. Areas of emphasis in the survey included the pandemic's effect on work hours, operative experience, didactics, and medical student recruitment.

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Background: Tumors of the hand are encountered frequently and represent a variety of pathologic diagnoses, both benign and malignant. Even within a single pathologic type, presentation can vary. This study reviews hand tumors encountered by an individual surgeon and described presenting features to better aid in clinical decision making.

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Background: While many factors inform the choice of operative versus nonoperative treatment of injuries to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) of the knee, socioeconomic status influences this decision, as has been reported with other procedures.

Purpose: To identify any associations between insurance status and likelihood of operative treatment of ACL injuries.

Study Design: Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3.

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Introduction: Our team developed the HOPE app as a clinic-based platform to support patients receiving medication assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder. We investigated the app's two communication features: an anonymous community message board (CMB) and secure messaging between patients and their clinic team.

Methods: The HOPE (Heal Overcome Persist Endure) app was piloted with patients and MAT providers.

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Background: Clavicle fractures are frequently associated with trauma to regions beyond the immediate zone of injury. In order to provide surgeons with information on injury prevalence to prevent delays in diagnosis and management, we describe the epidemiology of concomitant injuries in patients with clavicle fractures and identify differences between those with open and closed fractures. Methods:The Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) 2001-2013 database was queried for adult patients discharged with a diagnosis of a clavicle fracture using ICD-9 codes.

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Purpose: Hand infections are a common source of potentially debilitating morbidity, particularly in patients with comorbid disease. We hypothesize that there is a difference in predictive value between two commonly used comorbidity indices for the prognosis of hand infections, which may have clinical implications in the management of these conditions.

Methods: The Nationwide Inpatient Sample 2001-2013 database was queried for hand infections using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes.

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Background: Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a public health crisis with more than 2 million people living with OUD in the United States. Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) is an evidence-based approach for the treatment of OUD that relies on a combination of behavioral therapy and medication. Less than half of those living with OUD are accessing this treatment.

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Introduction: Recent studies indicate low rates of follow-up colonoscopy after abnormal fecal immunochemical testing (FIT) within safety net health systems. A patient navigation (PN) program is an evidence-based strategy that has been shown to improve colonoscopy completion in private and public healthcare settings. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a PN program to encourage follow-up colonoscopy after abnormal FIT within a large safety net hospital system.

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Wagner's replaced elements model (REM) theory implies that generalisation and summation tests depend on a common similarity parameter, but few studies have assessed generalisation and summation within the same experimental paradigm. Three experiments adapted a methodology used in non-human animal studies to investigate this question in the case of human causal reasoning. The studies combined different amounts of training on simple discriminations (A+ vs.

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Objectives: Health disparities are associated with poor outcomes related to public health. The objective of this study was to assess health disparities associated with influenza infection based on median household income and educational attainment.

Methods: We geocoded people with documented confirmed influenza infection by home address to identify the US Census 2010 tract in which they lived during 4 influenza surveillance seasons (2013-2014, 2015-2016, 2016-2017, and 2017-2018) in Rhode Island.

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The COVID-19 pandemic has redefined global health care. With almost 13 million confirmed cases worldwide, medical professionals have been forced to modify their practice to take care of an expanded, critically ill population. Institutions have been challenged to implement innovative ways to maximize the utility and the safety of residents and personnel.

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The triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2) is a microglial innate immune receptor associated with a lethal form of early, progressive dementia, Nasu-Hakola disease, and with an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease. Microglial defects in phagocytosis of toxic aggregates or apoptotic membranes were proposed to be at the origin of the pathological processes in the presence of Trem2 inactivating mutations. Here, we show that TREM2 is essential for microglia-mediated synaptic refinement during the early stages of brain development.

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Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating neurodegenerative disease that lacks a predictive and broadly applicable biomarker. Continued focus on mutation-specific upstream mechanisms has yet to predict disease progression in the clinic. Utilising cellular pathology common to the majority of ALS patients, we implemented an objective transcriptome-driven approach to develop noninvasive prognostic biomarkers for disease progression.

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Type I interferons (IFN-I) are implicated in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). In SLE, immune complexes bind to the CD32a (FcγRIIa) receptor on the surface of plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) and stimulate the secretion of IFN-I from pDCs. BDCA2 is a pDC-specific receptor that, when engaged, inhibits the production of IFN-I in human pDCs.

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Microglia are phagocytic cells that survey the brain and perform neuroprotective functions in response to tissue damage, but their activating receptors are largely unknown. Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2) is a microglial immunoreceptor whose loss-of-function mutations in humans cause presenile dementia, while genetic variants are associated with increased risk of neurodegenerative diseases. In myeloid cells, TREM2 has been involved in the regulation of phagocytosis, cell proliferation and inflammatory responses in vitro.

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Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) are a dendritic cell subset that secrete type I IFNs in response to microbial stimuli. The scaffold protein, CD2-associated protein (CD2AP), is a marker of human pDCs as it is highly expressed in this cell type. Recently, in human pDCs, decreased CD2AP expression appeared to enhance the production of type I IFNs via an inhibitory receptor-induced signaling cascade.

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Efferocytosis of apoptotic neutrophils by macrophages following tissue injury is fundamental to the resolution of inflammation and initiation of tissue repair. Using a sterile peritonitis model in mice, we identified interleukin (IL)-4-producing efferocytosing macrophages in the peritoneum that activate invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells to produce cytokines including IL-4, IL-13, and interferon-γ. Importantly, IL-4 from macrophages contributes to alternative activation of peritoneal exudate macrophages and augments type 2 cytokine production from NKT cells to suppress inflammation.

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Acute respiratory infections are responsible for more than 4 million deaths each year. Neutrophils play an essential role in the innate immune response to lung infection. These cells have an armamentarium of pattern recognition molecules and antimicrobial agents that identify and eliminate pathogens.

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To determine talin1's role in osteoclasts, we mated TLN1(fl/fl) mice with those expressing cathepsin K-Cre (CtsK-TLN1) to delete the gene in mature osteoclasts or with lysozyme M-Cre (LysM-TLN1) mice to delete TLN1 in all osteoclast lineage cells. Absence of TLN1 impairs macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF)-stimulated inside-out integrin activation and cytoskeleton organization in mature osteoclasts. Talin1-deficient precursors normally express osteoclast differentiation markers when exposed to M-CSF and receptor activator of nuclear factor κB (RANK) ligand but attach to substrate and migrate poorly, arresting their development into mature resorptive cells.

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TREM2 is an immunoreceptor expressed on osteoclasts (OC) and microglia that transmits intracellular signals through the adaptor DAP12. Individuals with genetic mutations inactivating TREM2 or DAP12 develop the Nasu-Hakola disease (NHD) with cystic-like lesions of the bone and brain demyelination that lead to fractures and presenile dementia. The mechanisms of this disease are poorly understood.

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Article Synopsis
  • Viral infections can trigger type I diabetes (T1D) by directly damaging insulin-producing β cells and indirectly through the immune response involving type I interferon (IFN-I).
  • The study highlights the importance of two viral sensors, MDA5 and TLR3, in preventing diabetes in mice infected with a specific virus (EMCV-D) that attacks β cells.
  • Mice lacking these sensors showed significant impairment in IFN-I responses, leading to diabetes from β cell damage rather than autoimmune reactions, emphasizing the need for effective viral sensor functions and timely immune responses.
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Chemokine CC motif receptor-like 2 (CCRL2) is a heptahelic transmembrane receptor that shows the highest degree of homology with CCR1, an inflammatory chemokine receptor. CCRL2 mRNA was rapidly (30 minutes) and transiently (2-4 hours) regulated during dendritic cell (DC) maturation. Protein expression paralleled RNA regulation.

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