Objective: Stereotactic laser amygdalohippocampotomy (SLAH) is a minimally invasive procedure for mesial temporal lobe epilepsy that preserves more tissue than open procedures. As a result, although patients have better functional outcomes, more patients do not achieve seizure freedom. The rate at which this occurs is evolving with improved surgical practices.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: The detection of circulating tumor DNA, which allows non-invasive tumor molecular profiling and disease follow-up, promises optimal and individualized management of patients with cancer. However, detecting small fractions of tumor DNA released when the tumor burden is reduced remains a challenge.
Experimental Design: We implemented a new highly sensitive strategy to detect base-pair resolution methylation patterns from plasma DNA and assessed the potential of hypomethylation of LINE-1 retrotransposons as a non-invasive multi-cancer detection biomarker.
Colorectal cancer contributes to cancer-related deaths and health disparities in the Hispanic and Latino community. To probe both the biological and genetic bases of the disparities, we characterized features of colorectal cancer in terms of somatic alterations and genetic similarity. Specifically, we conducted a comprehensive genome-scale analysis of 67 Hispanic and Latino samples.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe rate of spontaneous action potentials (APs) generated by sinoatrial node cells (SANC) is regulated by local Ca release (LCR) from the sarcoplasmic reticulum via Ca release channels (ryanodine receptors, RyRs). LCR events propagate and self-organize within the network of RyR clusters (Ca release units, CRUs) via Ca-induced-Ca-release (CICR) that depends on CRU sizes and locations: While larger CRUs generate stronger release signals, the network's topology governs signal diffusion and propagation. This study used super-resolution structured illumination microscopy to image the 3D network of CRUs in rabbit SANC.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: Given the high prevalence of food insecurity among college students, there is an interest in identifying whether the use of a single item can adequately screen for food insecurity. The current study aimed to determine the validity of a single-item food insecurity screening question among college students.
Design: Cross-sectional study exploring food insecurity among racial and ethnic undergraduate college students.
Most adults do not adhere to established aerobic physical activity (PA) guidelines due in part to various barriers. PA snacks, or periodic short bouts of activity (<10 minutes) offer a potential strategy to overcoming such barriers and increasing PA. Previous efforts have been focused on eliciting the health benefits of PA and exercise snacks, yet adherence to this concept has not been examined.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTransition of cytosine to thymine in CpG dinucleotides is the most frequent type of mutation in cancer. This increased mutability is commonly attributed to the spontaneous deamination of 5-methylcytosine (5mC), which is normally repaired by the base-excision repair (BER) pathway. However, the contribution of 5mC deamination in the increasing diversity of cancer mutational signatures remains poorly explored.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMosquitoes are known to transmit different arthropod-borne viruses belonging to various virus families. The exogenous small interfering RNA pathway plays an important role in the mosquito defence against such virus infections, with Dicer-2 (Dcr2) as one of the key proteins that initiates the cleavage of viral dsRNAs into 21 nt long virus-derived small interfering RNAs. Previous data identified the importance of various motifs in Dcr2 for its small interfering RNA (siRNA)-mediated antiviral activity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFibroblast Growth Factor Receptors (FGFRs) play a role in diverse developmental pathways that mediate cell proliferation, cell migration, and cell survival. We use as a model to better understand FGFR signaling specificity. has a single FGFR, EGL-15 .
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Iberdomide, a cereblon modulator, promotes degradation of transcription factors Ikaros and Aiolos.
Objective: Evaluate iberdomide efficacy and safety in cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE) in a phase 2 study.
Methods: Patients were randomized (2:2:1:2) to iberdomide 0.
Surgical treatment of liver metastases of uveal melanoma (LMUM) could be proposed for selected patients. This retrospective study examined the prognostic significance of the genetic profiles of liver metastases after LMUM resection. A total of 86 patients treated with resection for LMUM, who underwent genetic analysis of liver metastasis, were included.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTebentafusp, a bispecific immune therapy, is the only drug that demonstrated an overall survival benefit in patients with metastatic uveal melanoma (MUM). Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) has emerged as a potential prognostic and predictive marker in the phase 3 IMCgp100-202 trial using multiplex PCR-based next-generation sequencing (NGS). In this study (NCT02866149), ctDNA dynamics were assessed using droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) in 69 MUM patients undergoing tebentafusp treatment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Identifying factors impacting vaccination and testing for COVID-19 is crucial to reduce health disparities, especially for rural/agricultural, low access and high poverty Latino communities disproportionately affected by the pandemic. This study examined differences in perceived barriers and facilitators (such as values, beliefs, and concerns) to COVID-19 vaccine uptake and testing intention by vaccination status and testing hesitancy among rural Latino community members in Southwest Florida.
Methods: Rural Latino community members ( = 493) completed a cross-sectional survey in Spanish (86.
During cortical spreading depolarization (CSD), neurons exhibit a dramatic increase in cytosolic calcium, which may be integral to CSD-mediated seizure termination. This calcium increase greatly exceeds that during seizures, suggesting the calcium source may not be solely extracellular. Thus, we sought to determine if the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), the largest intracellular calcium store, is involved.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA critical public health issue facing many universities is food insecurity. Food insecurity has been associated with many academic, physical, and mental health issues. Although the number of campus-based food pantries has grown exponentially, self-, and social stigma have been associated with low rates of utilization.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe striking ethnic and racial disparities in breast cancer mortality are not explained fully by pathologic or clinical features. Structural racism contributes to adverse conditions that promote cancer inequities, but the pathways by which this occurs are not fully understood. Social determinants of health, such as economic status and access to care, account for a portion of this variability, yet interventions designed to mitigate these barriers have not consistently led to improved outcomes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe Neuronal alpha-Synuclein Disease (NSD) biological definition and Integrated Staging System (NSD-ISS) provide a research framework to identify individuals with Lewy body pathology and stage them based on underlying biology and increasing degree of functional impairment. Utilizing data from the PPMI, PASADENA, and SPARK studies, we developed and applied biologic and clinical data-informed definitions for the NSD-ISS across the disease continuum. Individuals enrolled as Parkinson's disease, Prodromal, or Healthy Controls were defined and staged based on biological, clinical, and functional anchors at baseline.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Problematic mealtime behaviors and inadequate diet quality are pressing concerns for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study aimed to evaluate recruitment feasibility and baseline outcomes of the Autism Eats program for children under 3 years with ASD.
Methods: Recruitment feasibility was assessed through reach and participation rates.
Despite an abundance of pharmacologic and surgical epilepsy treatments, there remain millions of patients suffering from poorly controlled seizures. One approach to closing this treatment gap may be found through a deeper mechanistic understanding of the network alterations that underly this aberrant activity. Functional optical imaging in vertebrate models provides powerful advantages to this end, enabling the spatiotemporal acquisition of individual neuron activity patterns across multiple seizures.
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