Publications by authors named "Velez K"

The female reproductive axis is one of the first organ systems to age, which has consequences for fertility and overall health. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview of the biological process of female reproductive aging across reproductive organs, tissues and cells based on research with widely used physiologic aging mouse models, and describe the mechanisms that underpin these phenotypes. Overall, aging is associated with dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis, perturbations of the ovarian stroma, reduced egg quantity and quality, and altered uterine morphology and function that contributes to reduced capacity for fertilization and impaired embryo development.

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The mechanisms contributing to age-related deterioration of the female reproductive system are complex, however aberrant protein homeostasis is a major contributor. We elucidated exceptionally stable proteins, structures, and macromolecules that persist in mammalian ovaries and gametes across the reproductive lifespan. Ovaries exhibit localized structural and cell-type-specific enrichment of stable macromolecules in both the follicular and extrafollicular environments.

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Article Synopsis
  • Precision Health (PH) aims to transform healthcare by personalizing disease prevention and management using genomic and lifestyle data, but practicing nurses currently lack the necessary knowledge and skills for its effective integration.
  • A survey conducted among Registered Nurses (RNs) across the U.S. revealed that while many nurses recognize the importance of understanding PH and social determinants of health, they feel unconfident in their ability to implement it effectively.
  • The study also validated the Precision Health Nurse Capacity Scale (PHNCS) as a reliable tool to assess nurses’ preparedness for PH, highlighting the need for targeted education and training to equip the nursing workforce for this emerging healthcare approach.
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The mechanisms contributing to age-related deterioration of the female reproductive system are complex, but aberrant protein homeostasis is a major contributor. We elucidated the exceptionally stable proteins, structures, and macromolecules that persist in mammalian ovaries and gametes across the reproductive lifespan. Ovaries exhibit localized structural and cell-type specific enrichment of stable macromolecules in both the follicular and extrafollicular environments.

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Background And Objective: Type 1 diabetes, the most common cause of diabetes in pediatrics, is defined by the hyperglycemia that results from the permanent autoimmune damage to the pancreas. The Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT) demonstrated that strict glycemic control targeting lower HbA1c goals can both delay the onset and progression of its complications that include diabetic neuropathy, nephropathy, retinopathy, and increased cardiovascular events. Our primary objective is to review the literature available regarding the technology applied for the treatment of diabetes, not only aiding patients' quality of life but addressing its effects on hypoglycemia and reduced risk of the long-term complications.

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Climate-induced stressors, such as changes in temperature, salinity, and pH, contribute to the emergence of infectious diseases. These changes alter geographical constraint, resulting in increased spread, exposure, and infection rates, thus facilitating greater -human interactions. Multiple efforts have been developed to predict exposure and raise awareness of health risks, but most models only use temperature and salinity as prediction factors.

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Nursing schools can better integrate documentation skills training.

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The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, confinement, fear, lifestyle changes, and worldwide health care impacted almost all diseases. Reports from countries outside Latin America revealed differences in migraine patients. In this study, we describe and compare the immediate changes in migraine symptoms associated with COVID-19 quarantine in patients from Argentina, Mexico, and Peru.

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Since 2007, the Oncofertility Consortium Annual Conference has brought together a diverse network of individuals from a wide range of backgrounds and professional levels to disseminate emerging basic and clinical research findings in fertility preservation. This network also developed enduring educational materials to accelerate the pace and quality of field-wide scientific communication. Between 2007 and 2019, the Oncofertility Consortium Annual Conference was held as an in-person event in Chicago, IL.

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Introduction: Many critically ill trauma and surgical patients require nutritional support. Patients needing long-term enteral access often undergo placement of surgical feeding tubes, including percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube, laparoscopic gastrostomy tube, and open gastrostomy tube. This study was performed to determine national practice patterns for feeding after feeding tube placement.

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Four years post-implementation, an interactive patient care system is slated for decommissioning in two hospitals. A team of experts was tasked with evaluating whether to replace or remove the functionalities of this system and the cost associated with either. The largest effects noted were the financial burden and the patient education.

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The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has introduced acute and persistent psychosocial stressors for many individuals, with emerging gender differences that suggest women may be at greater risk for poorer mental health outcomes. This may have unintended consequences for women's overall health and well-being, including disruptions to reproductive function as elevated stress is often associated with menstrual cycle irregularities. The objective of this study was to determine if and how the COVID-19 pandemic and its related stressors have impacted women's menstrual cyclicity.

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The homeostasis of the gut epithelium relies upon continuous renewal and proliferation of crypt-resident intestinal epithelial stem cells (IESCs). Wnt/β-catenin signaling is required for IESC maintenance, however, it remains unclear how this pathway selectively governs the identity and proliferative decisions of IESCs. Here, we took advantage of knock-in mice harboring transgenic β-catenin alleles with mutations that specifically impair the recruitment of N- or C-terminal transcriptional co-factors.

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Background: Although there is evidence that self-inflicted abdominal stab wounds are less severe than those from assault, it is unclear if this is true in other anatomic regions. This study compares severity and injury pattern between self-inflicted stab wounds (SISWs) and wounds from assault (ASW).

Materials And Methods: Stab wounds from our level I trauma registry from 2013 to 2018 were reviewed.

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Background & Aims: Intestinal epithelial homeostasis depends on a tightly regulated balance between intestinal epithelial cell (IEC) death and proliferation. While the disruption of several IEC death regulating factors result in intestinal inflammation, the loss of the anti-apoptotic BCL2 family members BCL2 and BCL2L1 has no effect on intestinal homeostasis in mice. We investigated the functions of the antiapoptotic protein MCL1, another member of the BCL2 family, in intestinal homeostasis in mice.

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Mucosal barrier immunity is essential for the maintenance of the commensal microflora and combating invasive bacterial infection. Although immune and epithelial cells are thought to be the canonical orchestrators of this complex equilibrium, here, we show that the enteric nervous system (ENS) plays an essential and non-redundant role in governing the antimicrobial protein (AMP) response. Using confocal microscopy and single-molecule fluorescence in situ mRNA hybridization (smFISH) studies, we observed that intestinal neurons produce the pleiotropic cytokine IL-18.

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The gastric bacterium causes a persistent infection that is directly responsible for gastric ulcers and gastric cancer in some patients and protective against allergic and other immunological disorders in others. The two outcomes of the -host interaction can be modeled in mice that are infected as immunocompetent adults and as neonates, respectively. Here, we have investigated the contribution of the immunomodulator VacA to -specific local and systemic immune responses in both models.

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We present here the complete genomes of 18 phages that infect Paenibacillus larvae, the causative agent of American foulbrood in honeybees. The phages were isolated between 2014 and 2016 as part of an undergraduate phage discovery course at Brigham Young University. The phages were isolated primarily from bee debris and lysogens.

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We present here the complete genomes of eight phages that infect , the causative agent of American foulbrood in honeybees. Phage PBL1c was originally isolated in 1984 from a lysogen, while the remaining phages were isolated in 2014 from bee debris, honeycomb, and lysogens from three states in the USA.

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Ultraviolet-C (UV-C) technology implementation was associated with a 44% reduction in viral infection incidence among pediatric patients in a long-term care facility (incidence rate ratio, 0.56; 95% confidence interval, 0.37-0.

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Thrombin and activated protein C (APC) signaling can mediate opposite biologic responses in endothelial cells. Given that thrombin induces procoagulant tissue factor (TF), we examined how TF activity is affected by APC. Exogenous or endogenously generated APC led to increased TF-dependent factor Xa activity.

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