Publications by authors named "Trinidad J"
Background: Occupational therapy (OT) can be part of mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) in the university setting. Numerous studies worldwide have highlighted the negative impact of COVID-19 on mental health due to isolation and restrictions. In the Philippines, these issues were exacerbated among students, whose abrupt shift to remote learning negatively affected their mental well-being.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The Sarasota Memorial Health Care System (SMHCS) Acute Care Rehabilitation Team began implementing the Keep Your Move in the Tube (KYMITT) protocol in February 2023 to improve patient mobility and offer an alternative to traditional sternal precautions. The goal of KYMITT is for patients to remain within a safe zone (referred to as "the tube") rather than complying with time and weight restrictions, which are the cornerstone of traditional sternal precautions. In previous studies, KYMITT was associated with greater independence after surgery without placing patients at an increased risk of experiencing a surgical site infection.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHow group-living primates come to a consensus about navigating their environment is a result of their decision-making processes. Although decision-making has been examined in several primate taxa, it remains underexplored for primates living in anthropogenic landscapes. To shed light on consensus decision-making and flexibility in this process, we examined collective movement behavior in a group of wild moor macaques (Macaca maura) experiencing a risk-reward tradeoff as a result of roadside provisioning within Bantimurung Bulusaraung National Park in South Sulawesi, Indonesia.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEvolutionary arms races can lead to extremely specific and effective defense mechanisms, including venoms that deter predators by targeting nociceptive (pain-sensing) pathways. The venom of velvet ants (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae) is notoriously painful. It has been described as "Explosive and long lasting, you sound insane as you scream.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDNA repair dysregulation is a key driver of cancer development. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying DNA repair dysregulation in cancer cells is crucial for cancer development and therapies. Here, we report that enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) directly methylates poly(adenosine diphosphate-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1), an essential enzyme involved in DNA repair, and regulates its activity.
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- Folliculosebaceous cystic hamartoma (FSCH) is a rare skin growth that contains both epithelial and mesenchymal tissue, usually presenting as a slow-growing, skin-colored nodule on the face or scalp.
- A case is highlighted involving a 45-year-old male with a 4 mm nodule on his temple, which was initially misidentified as an epidermal inclusion cyst (EIC), but further examination confirmed it was FSCH due to its unique structure.
- The standard treatment for FSCH is surgical excision, and post-surgery, the patient has not experienced any recurrence, emphasizing the need to distinguish FSCH from EIC in similar cases.
Article Synopsis
- This study highlights the role of macrophage-derived exosomes, particularly those enhanced with the protein TOMM70, in supporting keratinocyte function during the early stages of wound healing.* -
- TOMM70 helps maintain mitochondrial function in leading-edge keratinocytes by compensating for depleted proteins during hypoxic conditions, which is vital for their energy needs and migration.* -
- Disruption of exosome uptake impedes wound healing and maintains inflammation, suggesting that effective communication between keratinocytes and macrophages is crucial for recovery, especially in patients with chronic wounds.*
Article Synopsis
- The study assesses surgical management of pediatric lower extremity vascular injuries (PLEVI) at adult versus pediatric trauma centers.
- Between 2009 and 2022, data from 79 patients were reviewed, focusing on outcomes like amputation and fasciotomy rates.
- Results show that although injury patterns varied between centers, overall outcomes were similar, indicating that PLEVI can be effectively treated in both types of facilities.
Article Synopsis
- Evolutionary arms races lead to specialized defense mechanisms in predator-prey interactions, with velvet ant venom being a prime example that induces extreme pain in would-be predators.
- Velvet ant venom targets specific pain-sensing pathways in a way that is efficient yet lower in toxicity, making it effective for deterring various vertebrate predators.
- The study revealed that a particular peptide in the venom, Do6a, activates insect nociceptors effectively but does not cause pain in mammals, indicating it may have evolved to specifically affect insect prey.
Background: In the absence of a gold-standard diagnostic modality for cellulitis, sterile inflammatory disorders may be misdiagnosed as cellulitis.
Objective: To determine the utility of skin biopsy and tissue culture for the diagnosis and management of patients admitted with a diagnosis of presumed cellulitis.
Design: Pilot single-blind parallel group randomized controlled clinical trial in 56 patients with a primary diagnosis of presumed cellulitis.
Article Synopsis
- Erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP) and X-linked protoporphyria (XLP) are rare conditions causing severe skin reactions to sunlight, and afamelanotide is the only approved treatment that enhances light tolerance and quality of life (QoL).
- A study conducted at Massachusetts General Hospital evaluated 29 adults who received afamelanotide, showing that patients experienced significant increases in time before phototoxic symptoms appeared after sunlight exposure, indicating improved light tolerance.
- Despite these benefits in light tolerance and QoL, the treatment did not result in improvements in laboratory markers of protoporphyria or liver function.
Article Synopsis
- A new method was created to analyze extracellular vesicles (EVs) in bovine milk by using serial-pelleting purification combined with mass spectrometry to identify differences in EV populations.
- Different speeds of ultracentrifugation helped separate large EVs (>200 nm) from small EVs (<200 nm), leading to the discovery of 476 proteins, with 340 tied to vesicular components.
- Findings showed that a greater number of proteins were enriched in large EVs, with specific protein types indicating their origins, thus offering potential new marker proteins for distinct vesicle populations.
During December 11, 2020-March 29, 2022, the US government delivered ≈700 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine to vaccination sites, resulting in vaccination of ≈75% of US adults during that period. We evaluated accessibility of vaccination sites. Sites were accessible by walking within 15 minutes by 46.
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