Addressing Health Equity Goals for COVID-19 Vaccination Using Integrated Data and Mapping Tools: A Collaboration Between Academia, Public Health, and Health Care Systems in Columbus and Franklin County, Ohio.

Context: Data sharing between local health departments and health care systems is challenging during public health crises. In early 2021, the supply of COVID-19 vaccine was limited, vaccine appointments were difficult to schedule, and state health departments were using a phased approach to determine who was eligible to get the vaccine.

Program: Multiple local health departments and health care systems with the capacity for mobile and pop-up vaccine clinics came together in Columbus and Franklin County, Ohio, with a common objective to coordinate where, when, and how to set up mobile/pop-up COVID-19 vaccine clinics.

CD40 Mediates Maturation of Thymic Dendritic Cells Driven by Self-Reactive CD4 Thymocytes and Supports Development of Natural Regulatory T Cells.

Thymic dendritic cells (tDCs) play an important role in central tolerance by eliminating self-reactive thymocytes or differentiating them to regulatory T (Treg) cells. However, the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying these functions are not completely understood. We found that mouse tDCs undergo maturation following cognate interaction with self-reactive CD4 thymocytes and that this maturation is dependent on CD40 signaling.

Asthmatics with exacerbation during acute respiratory illness exhibit unique transcriptional signatures within the nasal mucosa.

Background: Acute respiratory illness is the leading cause of asthma exacerbations yet the mechanisms underlying this association remain unclear. To address the deficiencies in our understanding of the molecular events characterizing acute respiratory illness-induced asthma exacerbations, we undertook a transcriptional profiling study of the nasal mucosa over the course of acute respiratory illness amongst individuals with a history of asthma, allergic rhinitis and no underlying respiratory disease.

Methods: Transcriptional profiling experiments were performed using the Agilent Whole Human Genome 4X44K array platform.

Molecular basis of selective atrial fibrosis due to overexpression of transforming growth factor-β1.

Aims: Animal studies show that transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) is an important mediator of atrial fibrosis and atrial fibrillation (AF). This study investigated the role of TGF-β1 in human AF and the mechanism of atrial-selective fibrosis.

Methods And Results: Atrial specimens from 17 open heart surgery patients and left atrial and ventricular specimens from 17 explanted hearts were collected to assess the relationship between TGF-β1, AF, and differential atrial vs.

T cell activation induces proteasomal degradation of Argonaute and rapid remodeling of the microRNA repertoire.

Activation induces extensive changes in the gene expression program of naive CD4(+) T cells, promoting their differentiation into helper T cells that coordinate immune responses. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play a critical role in this process, and miRNA expression also changes dramatically during T cell differentiation. Quantitative analyses revealed that T cell activation induces global posttranscriptional miRNA down-regulation in vitro and in vivo.

Altered microRNA profiles in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid exosomes in asthmatic patients.

Background: Asthma is characterized by increased airway narrowing in response to nonspecific stimuli. The disorder is influenced by both environmental and genetic factors. Exosomes are nanosized vesicles of endosomal origin released from inflammatory and epithelial cells that have been implicated in asthma.

The mammalian target of rapamycin regulates cholesterol biosynthetic gene expression and exhibits a rapamycin-resistant transcriptional profile.

The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a central regulator of cell growth and proliferation in response to growth factor and nutrient signaling. Consequently, this kinase is implicated in metabolic diseases including cancer and diabetes, so there is great interest in understanding the complete spectrum of mTOR-regulated networks. mTOR exists in two functionally distinct complexes, mTORC1 and mTORC2, and whereas the natural product rapamycin inhibits only a subset of mTORC1 functions, recently developed ATP-competitive mTOR inhibitors have revealed new roles for both complexes.

Whole genome expression analysis reveals differential effects of TiO2 nanotubes on vascular cells.

The response of primary human endothelial (ECs) and vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) to TiO2 nanotube arrays is studied through gene expression analysis. Microarrays revealed that nanotubes enhanced EC proliferation and motility, decreased VSMC proliferation, and decreased expression of molecules involved in inflammation and coagulation in both cell types. Networks generated from significantly affected genes suggest that cells may be sensing nanotopographical cues via pathways previously implicated in sensing shear stress.

Distinct roles of FOXA2 and FOXA3 in allergic airway disease and asthma.

Rationale: Increased production of mucus is a prominent feature of asthma. IL-13-driven mucous cell metaplasia is associated with decreased expression of the transcription factor FOXA2 and increased expression of the related transcription factor FOXA3 in animal and cell culture models.

Objectives: Establish how changes in FOXA2 and FOXA3 expression contribute to mucous metaplasia and determine whether FOXA2 and FOXA3 expression is altered in asthma.

IL-13 and epidermal growth factor receptor have critical but distinct roles in epithelial cell mucin production.

Overproduction of mucus is a central feature of asthma. The cytokine, IL-13, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), and transcription factor, FOXA2, have each been implicated in mucus production, but the mechanistic relationships between these molecules are not yet well understood. To address this, we established a primary normal human bronchial epithelial cell culture system with IL-13-induced mucus production and gene transcript expression changes similar to those seen in vivo in mice.

Macronuclear genome sequence of the ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila, a model eukaryote.

The ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila is a model organism for molecular and cellular biology. Like other ciliates, this species has separate germline and soma functions that are embodied by distinct nuclei within a single cell. The germline-like micronucleus (MIC) has its genome held in reserve for sexual reproduction.