This study is to investigate the relationship between the intestinal microbiota and urine levels of the ellagic acid-derived polyphenols, the urolithins, in a cohort of subjects following a three-week walnut dietary intervention. We longitudinally collected fecal and urine samples from 39 subjects before and after walnut consumption (2 oz per day for 21 days). 16S RNA gene sequencing was performed on fecal DNA to study the association between microbiota composition and the levels of nine urolithin metabolites, which were measured using UHPLC/Q-TOF-MS/MS.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Virtual interviews are still recommended for fellowship applications, 3 years after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Improving equity by reducing the cost for the applicants has been the most important reason for continuing virtual interviews. However, some argue that important information may be missed in a virtual setting.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Clin Transl Hepatol
March 2024
Gallstone (GS) disease is common and arises from a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Although genetic abnormalities specifically leading to cholesterol GSs are rare, there are clinically significant gene variants associated with cholesterol GSs. In contrast, most bilirubin GSs can be attributed to genetic defects.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEvery day, people perform internal (e.g., thoughts) and external (e.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Clin Gastroenterol
January 2024
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) increases the risk of dysplasia and colorectal cancer (CRC). Moreover, colitis-associated CRC is responsible for a disproportionate number of CRC-related mortality. For this reason, societies recommend screening and surveillance colonoscopy as the standard of care for patients with ulcerative colitis and Crohn's colitis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUndifferentiated esophageal carcinomas (UEC) are rare, with aggressive behavior and a dismal prognosis. An extremely rare subset is the SMARCA4-deficient UEC, which has only been reported in 14 cases to date. We present two cases of male patients (39- and 64-year-old) with SMARCA4-deficient UEC.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFImmune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) suppress the function of immune checkpoints, which are involved in downregulating immune responses. These lead to an increased activation of the function of T cells, increased release of cytokines, and decreased activity of regulatory T cells. This allows for a more significant and less regulated immune response and subsequent enhanced cytotoxic activity against cancer cells.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBr J Biomed Sci
August 2022
Alterations in certain microRNAs (miRNAs) and their target genes have reported in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and other disease of the female reproductive system, and so may be potential biomarkers. We hypothesised alterations in the prevalence of four miRNAs single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) variants miR-126 rs4636297, miR-146a rs2910164, miR-196a2 rs11614913, and miR-499 rs3746444 in women with PCOS in comparison to healthy controls. SNPs in the four miRNAs were determined in 385 patients and 385 controls by standard RT-PCR techniques.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Clin Transl Hepatol
June 2022
Primary sclerosing cholangitis is a disease affecting around 0.006-0.016% of the population.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFClin J Gastroenterol
August 2022
Granulomas consist of focal collections of immune cells that forms as a result of chronic inflammation. They can be formed in different organs and are considered the hallmark for several inflammatory and infectious diseases. The presence of granulomas in the mucosal biopsies of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract of immunocompetent patients, along with histological features of chronicity, confirms the diagnosis of Crohn's disease (CD) in the majority of cases.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFImmune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized the treatment of a variety of malignancies including advanced melanoma, non-small cell lung cancer, renal cell carcinoma, head and neck cancers among others. Since their introduction, there has been significant improvement in survival and prognosis in patients with advanced malignancies. Unfortunately, improved outcomes have come at a price of significant immune-related adverse events, with those of the gastrointestinal tract being the most common.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWhile some organizations are thriving during the COVID-19 pandemic, many are experiencing a crisis-a threat to organizational longevity, time pressure, and inadequate resources. Building on prior work examining emotions during times of crisis and changes that people undergo during major life transitions, as well as media accounts suggesting that employees have had positive and negative emotions tied to aspects of working during COVID-19, we adopt a person-centric view to examine profiles of monthly emotions regarding organizational reopening. Additionally, we consider how employees transition from one profile of emotions to another across months.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFKisspeptin, upstream of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, play an essential role in the reproductive process. In the present study, the effect of different types of kisspeptin, including goldfish (Carassius auratus) kiss1 kisspeptin (Kiss1), human kisspeptin (Hkiss) and their combination (Kiss1+H) on the reproductive-related genes (kiss1, Kissr and Cyp19) of adult female goldfish was investigated in comparison with Ovaprim (a synthetic GnRH hormone). Kiss1 and Hkiss were synthesized using a solid-phase synthesis approach.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMonomorphic epitheliotropic intestinal T-cell lymphoma (MEITL), previously known as Type-II enteropathy-associated T-cell lymphoma (EATL), is a rare subset of relatively aggressive lymphoma with a poor prognosis. We present a case of a previously healthy 59-year-old male with a 2-week history of abdominal distention who was found to have a non-bleeding ulcerated segment in the proximal jejunum secondary to MEITL. This exceedingly rare type of lymphoma usually presents with non-specific symptoms and can be challenging to diagnose.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIt has been shown that near all organs, especially the cardiovascular system, are affected by bacterial lipopolysaccharide via the activation of Toll-like receptor signaling pathways. Here, we tried to find the blunting effect of bacterial lipase on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced cardiac tissue toxicity in chicken embryos. 7-day fertilized chicken eggs were divided randomly into different groups as follows; Control, Normal Saline, LPS (0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are naturally occurring posttranscriptional regulatory molecules that potentially play a role in endometriotic lesion development.: We evaluated the prevalence of miRNAs variants miR-146a rs2910164, miR-149 rs2292832, miR-196a2 rs11614913, and miR-499 rs3746444 in endometriosis in 260 cases and 260 controls. DNA was extracted and genotyping of the SNPs was carried out by PCR.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHypercalcemia causes gastrointestinal symptoms such as anorexia, constipation, and pancreatitis but has not been commonly associated with dysphagia. In patients with cancer, dysphagia has been attributed to local tumor invasion or as a complication from surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. However, there are cases of dysphagia in setting of malignancy with rapid resolution of symptoms after treatment of hypercalcemia.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: play an essential role in human reproductive functions by regulating the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. Loss-of-function mutations in this gene have been frequently identified in patients with different reproductive disorders. We hypothesised links between polymorphisms and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEmployees around the world have experienced sudden, significant changes in their work and family roles due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, applied psychologists have limited understanding of how employee experiences of work-family conflict and enrichment have been affected by this event and what organizations can do to ensure better employee functioning during such societal crises. Adopting a person-centered approach, we examine transitions in employees' work-family interfaces from before COVID-19 to after its onset.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn recent years, there has been heightened interest in the active role of employees in shaping activities and experiences in their pursuit of optimal functioning (i.e., feeling and performing well), referred to as job-, leisure-, home-, and work-life balance crafting.
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