Publications by authors named "Tiffany Lam"

Human brain tissue studies have used a range of metrics to assess RNA quality but there are few large-scale cross-comparisons of presequencing quality metrics with RNA-seq quality. We analyzed how postmortem interval (PMI) and RNA integrity number (RIN) before RNA-seq relate to RNA quality after sequencing (percent of counts in top 10 genes [PTT], 5' bias, and 3' bias), and with individual gene counts across the transcriptome. We analyzed 4 human cerebrocortical tissue sets (1 surgical, 3 autopsy), sequenced with varying protocols.

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In recent years, multiple groups have shown that what is currently thought of as "Alzheimer's Disease" (AD) may be usefully viewed as several related disease subtypes. As these efforts have continued, a related issue is how common co-pathologies and ethnicity intersect with AD subtypes. The goal of this study was to use a dataset constituting 153 pathologic variables recorded on 666 AD brain autopsies to better define how co-pathologies and ethnicity relate to established AD subtypes.

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Human brain tissue studies have historically used a range of metrics to assess RNA quality. However, few large-scale cross-comparisons of pre-sequencing quality metrics with RNA-seq quality have been published. Here, we analyze how well metrics gathered before RNA sequencing (post-mortem interval (PMI) and RNA integrity number RIN) relate to analyses of RNA quality after sequencing (Percent of counts in Top Ten genes (PTT), 5' bias, and 3' bias) as well as with individual gene counts across the transcriptome.

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Article Synopsis
  • - Research on patients with normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) indicates that early Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology can be detected, and this study aims to identify cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers related to these initial AD changes.
  • - The study analyzed CSF data and found that specific biomarkers such as β-amyloid-42/40 and neurofilament light chain (NfL) are correlated with AD pathology; seven key proteins were identified that also relate to both pathology and gene expression.
  • - The findings suggest a link between CSF biomarkers and central nervous system changes in AD, providing valuable insights into how these markers reflect the disease's progression.
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Introduction: Normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) patients undergoing cortical shunting frequently show early AD pathology on cortical biopsy, which is predictive of progression to clinical AD. The objective of this study was to use samples from this cohort to identify CSF biomarkers for AD-related CNS pathophysiologic changes using tissue and fluids with early pathology, free of post-mortem artifact.

Methods: We analyzed Simoa, proteomic, and metabolomic CSF data from 81 patients with previously documented pathologic and transcriptomic changes.

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ZCCHC17 is a master regulator of synaptic gene expression and has recently been shown to play a role in splicing of neuronal mRNA. We previously showed that ZCCHC17 protein declines in Alzheimer's disease (AD) brain tissue before there is significant gliosis and neuronal loss, that ZCCHC17 loss partially replicates observed splicing abnormalities in AD brain tissue, and that maintenance of ZCCHC17 levels is predicted to support cognitive resilience in AD. Here, we assessed the functional consequences of reduced ZCCHC17 expression in primary cortical neuronal cultures using siRNA knockdown.

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The intestine is a highly metabolic tissue, but the metabolic programs that influence intestinal crypt proliferation, differentiation, and regeneration are still emerging. Here, we investigate how mitochondrial sirtuin 4 (SIRT4) affects intestinal homeostasis. Intestinal SIRT4 loss promotes cell proliferation in the intestine following ionizing radiation (IR).

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mutations have been shown to be associated with myotonia, paramyotonia congenita, and periodic paralyses. More recently, loss-of-function variants in the gene were also noted to be associated with rarer, autosomal recessive forms of congenital myasthenic syndrome and congenital myopathy. Diagnosis is challenging as the initial clinical presentation and histological features on muscle biopsies are non-specific.

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ZCCHC17 is a putative master regulator of synaptic gene dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease (AD), and ZCCHC17 protein declines early in AD brain tissue, before significant gliosis or neuronal loss. Here, we investigate the function of ZCCHC17 and its role in AD pathogenesis using data from human autopsy tissue (consisting of males and females) and female human cell lines. Co-immunoprecipitation (co-IP) of ZCCHC17 followed by mass spectrometry analysis in human iPSC-derived neurons reveals that ZCCHC17's binding partners are enriched for RNA-splicing proteins.

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Background: Lung cancer remains the major cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Early stages of lung cancer are characterized by long asymptomatic periods that are ineffectively identified with the current screening programs. This deficiency represents a lost opportunity to improve the overall survival of patients.

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ZCCHC17 is a putative master regulator of synaptic gene dysfunction in Alzheimer's Disease (AD), and ZCCHC17 protein declines early in AD brain tissue, before significant gliosis or neuronal loss. Here, we investigate the function of ZCCHC17 and its role in AD pathogenesis. Co-immunoprecipitation of ZCCHC17 followed by mass spectrometry analysis in human iPSC-derived neurons reveals that ZCCHC17's binding partners are enriched for RNA splicing proteins.

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Background: Peer-research is steered and conducted by people with lived experience of the issues being researched. This paper explores the value of peer-research in two complex public health intervention evaluations in the UK.

Methods: Reports from 18 peer research projects, completed by residents from 12 communities in the UK taking part in two community empowerment interventions, were analysed using cross-case analysis.

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Article Synopsis
  • Patients with predominant antibody deficiency (PAD) exhibit a significantly lower antibody response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccines compared to healthy controls, especially those with severe PAD conditions.
  • Factors contributing to poor immune response include low levels of specific T and B cells, and prior B-cell depletion therapy.
  • Administering an additional dose of mRNA vaccine significantly boosts antibody levels in PAD patients, indicating potential for improved immunity.
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Background: Targeting mitochondrial oncoproteins presents a new concept in the development of effective cancer therapeutics. ATAD3A is a nuclear-encoded mitochondrial enzyme contributing to mitochondrial dynamics, cholesterol metabolism, and signal transduction. However, its impact and underlying regulatory mechanisms in cancers remain ill-defined.

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Objective: To explore predictors of severe COVID-19 disease in patients with diabetes hospitalized for COVID-19.

Methods: This is a retrospective observational study of adults with diabetes admitted for COVID-19. Bivariate tests and multivariable Cox regression were used to identify risk factors for severe COVID-19, defined as a composite endpoint of intensive care unit admission/intubation or in-hospital death.

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The principal cause of cancer deaths is the residual disease, which eventually results in metastases. Certain metastases are induced by disseminated dormancy-capable single cancer cells that can reside within the body undetected for months to years. Awakening of the dormant cells starts a cascade resulting in the patient's demise.

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Objective: To describe the technique of sonographic ulnar nerve mapping in the postoperative elbow for surgical planning.

Materials And Methods: A retrospective review of a surgical databank identified 24 patients, all aged 18 years and older with a history of orthopedic elbow surgery, who were referred for preoperative sonographic mapping of the ulnar nerve prior to subsequent surgery. All cases were reviewed for patient demographics, clinical presentation, prior surgical interventions, and ultrasound technique.

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Objective: Cable closure has been introduced as a potential alternative to traditional wire cerclage (WC) for closure of median sternotomy. To evaluate whether cable closure improves patient outcomes, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature.

Methods: Ovid versions of Medline and Embase, and Google Scholar were used for the literature search.

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Around 20-30% of ovarian cancer patients exhibit chemoresistance, but there are currently no methods to predict whether a patient will respond to chemotherapy. Here, we discovered that chemoresistant ovarian cancer cells exhibit enhanced survival in a quiescent state upon experiencing the stress of physical confinement. When immobilized in stiff silica gels, most ovarian cancer cells die within days, but surviving cells exhibit hallmarks of single-cell dormancy.

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Article Synopsis
  • Radioresistance in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) hampers effective cancer treatment, making it crucial to develop strategies that enhance the effectiveness of radiotherapy for better patient survival rates.!* -
  • The study explored the use of the AKT inhibitor capivasertib, delivered via specialized nanoparticles, to improve the sensitivity of OSCC cells to radiation therapy, indicating that blocking AKT signaling can significantly counteract radioresistance.!* -
  • Results showed that capivasertib, when combined with radiation, not only increased tumor cell death in lab models but also effectively reduced tumor size in living models, suggesting it could be a vital approach to improving radiotherapy outcomes in OSCC patients.!*
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Irreversible electroporation (IRE) is an emerging technology for non-thermal ablation of solid tumors. This study sought to integrate electrodes into microporous poly(caprolactone) (PCL) scaffolds previously shown to recruit metastasizing cancer cells in vivo in order to facilitate application of IRE to disseminating cancer cells. As the ideal parallel plate geometry would render much of the porous scaffold surface inaccessible to infiltrating cells, numerical modeling was utilized to predict the spatial profile of electric field strength within the scaffold for alternative electrode designs.

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Focal thermal therapy (Heat), cryosurgery (Cryo) and irreversible electroporation (IRE) are increasingly used to treat cancer. However, local recurrence and systemic spread are persistent negative outcomes. Nevertheless, emerging work with immunotherapies (i.

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Previous research shows that people with high self-esteem cope with threats to the self by reducing the extent to which their self-worth is contingent on the threatened domain (Buckingham, Weber, & Sypher, 2012). The present studies tested the hypothesis that this is a defensive process. In support of this hypothesis, Study 1 (N = 160), showed that self-affirmation attenuates the tendency for people with high self-esteem to reduce their contingencies of self-worth following self-threat.

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Molecular neurobiological insight into human nervous tissues is needed to generate next-generation therapeutics for neurological disorders such as chronic pain. We obtained human dorsal root ganglia (hDRG) samples from organ donors and performed RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) to study the hDRG transcriptional landscape, systematically comparing it with publicly available data from a variety of human and orthologous mouse tissues, including mouse DRG (mDRG). We characterized the hDRG transcriptional profile in terms of tissue-restricted gene coexpression patterns and putative transcriptional regulators, and formulated an information-theoretic framework to quantify DRG enrichment.

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