Publications by authors named "Vicky Yang"
Cities exhibit consistent returns to scale in economic outputs, and urban scaling analysis is widely adopted to uncover common mechanisms in cities' socioeconomic productivity. Leading theories view cities as closed systems, with returns to scale arising from intra-city social interactions. Here, we argue that the interactions between cities, particularly via shared organizations such as firms, significantly influence a city's economic output.
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- Heart failure (HF) is a common heart problem, but scientists don't completely understand why it happens.
- A specific splicing factor called hnRNPL gets more active in the hearts of mice and people with heart failure.
- Researchers found that hnRNPL helps control how certain proteins are made in heart cells, and problems with it could contribute to heart failure.
Vascular endothelial growth factor receptor inhibitors (VEGFRis) improve cancer survival but are associated with treatment-limiting hypertension, often attributed to endothelial cell (EC) dysfunction. Using phosphoproteomic profiling of VEGFRi-treated ECs, drugs were screened for mitigators of VEGFRi-induced EC dysfunction and validated in primary aortic ECs, mice, and canine cancer patients. VEGFRi treatment significantly raised systolic blood pressure (SBP) and increased markers of endothelial and renal dysfunction in mice and canine cancer patients.
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- - Demyelination involves the loss of myelin sheath and oligodendrocytes, leading to damaged axons, brain atrophy, and neuronal degeneration due to neuroinflammation and cell death.
- - The study uses a cuprizone mouse model to explore the effects of non-invasive gamma stimulation through sensory input as a treatment method for promoting myelination and reducing inflammation.
- - Results indicate that multisensory gamma stimulation can reduce demyelination, promote the formation of oligodendrocytes, maintain neuronal function, and lessen brain inflammation, highlighting its potential as a therapy for demyelinating diseases.
Article Synopsis
- Hypoxia in solid tumors, especially in head and neck cancer, leads to treatment resistance and poor outcomes, making it crucial to find ways to alleviate this issue.
- Perfluorocarbon nanodroplets (PFP NDs) have shown promise as oxygen carriers and were developed to co-deliver oxygen and a photosensitizer drug, benzoporphyrin derivative (BPD), to hypoxic tumor cells.
- This study demonstrated that PFP NDs can effectively penetrate hypoxic regions in tumor spheroids, reduce hypoxia levels, and improve drug delivery, suggesting they could enhance therapy effectiveness in head and neck cancer.
Article Synopsis
- - Mitral valve prolapse (MVP) is a common degenerative heart disease affecting 2-3% of adults, with 5-10% of cases progressing to serious complications like heart failure and sudden death.
- - Similar to humans, affected dogs show changes in valvular interstitial cells (VICs) that resemble activated myofibroblasts, characterized by increased alpha-smooth muscle actin (αSMA) expression.
- - Research on VICs and their small extracellular vesicles (sEV) revealed that certain non-coding RNAs are upregulated in MVP, and targeting the interaction between miRNA and KLF4 could serve as a potential therapy for managing MVP abnormalities. *
Article Synopsis
- Acetyl-Coenzyme A plays a crucial role in both breaking down and building up biochemical pathways, and it is important for acetylation reactions.
- Multiple techniques to measure acetyl-CoA exist, but there has been little comparison between them, leading to inconsistencies in selecting assays and interpreting results.
- In this study, the researchers evaluated various measurement methods, finding that the colorimetric ELISA kit was ineffective, while the fluorometric enzymatic kit yielded results similar to liquid chromatography-based assays, which also showed strong alignment, particularly with the use of stable isotope-labeled internal standards.
Acetyl-Coenzyme A is a central metabolite in catabolic and anabolic pathways as well as the acyl donor for acetylation reactions. Multiple quantitative measurement techniques for acetyl-CoA have been reported, including commercially available kits. Comparisons between techniques for acetyl-CoA measurement have not been reported.
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- Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a significant global health issue linked to chronic liver disease, highlighting the urgent need for effective treatments.
- The study focused on the role of the stress-responsive protein TXNIP, which accumulates in the livers of NASH mouse models, revealing its connection to CHOP, a key regulator of cell stress and apoptosis.
- Findings suggest that targeting the NEDD4L-TXNIP-CHOP signaling pathway could offer a novel therapeutic approach for treating NASH by reducing liver damage caused by cell death and inflammation.
Chemotherapy-induced impairment of autophagy is implicated in cardiac toxicity induced by anti-cancer drugs. Imperfect translation from rodent models and lack of in vitro models of toxicity has limited investigation of autophagic flux dysregulation, preventing design of novel cardioprotective strategies based on autophagy control. Development of an adult heart tissue culture technique from a translational model will improve investigation of cardiac toxicity.
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- Recent studies focused on dogs with diet-associated dilated cardiomyopathy (daDCM), highlighting the need for research across various breeds.
- The study evaluated 60 dogs with DCM (majority on nontraditional diets) and 16 dogs with subclinical cardiac abnormalities (SCA), measuring changes in their heart health over time after diet modifications.
- Results showed that while there were minimal initial differences in taurine levels, dogs on nontraditional diets experienced noticeable improvements in heart function after dietary changes, indicating the potential benefits of diet on cardiac health in these dogs.*
Purpose Of Review: While vascular endothelial growth factor receptor inhibitors (VEGFRis) have dramatically improved cancer survival, these drugs cause hypertension in a majority of patients. This side effect is often dose limiting and increases cardiovascular mortality in cancer survivors. This review summarizes recent advances in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms and clinical findings that impact management of VEGFRi-induced hypertension.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDynamical system model predicts when social learners impair collective performance.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
August 2021
Article Synopsis
- This study addresses the complex question of whether a social group can effectively choose the best option when some members rely on what others say instead of evaluating choices independently.
- The researchers created a mathematical model that combines various factors like the number of social learners, the merits of the options, and how people conform, to predict decision-making outcomes in a binary choice scenario.
- The model suggests that when social learners make up a certain proportion of the group, a situation can arise where the majority may favor either the better or worse option, influenced by initial conditions and fluctuations, resolving existing debates about social influence on group decisions.
Article Synopsis
- Urban scaling analysis explores how urban features, like income inequality, change with city population, revealing common trends across different cities.
- The study finds that income for the wealthiest 10% scales disproportionately with larger city populations, while income for the poorest 10% increases linearly, highlighting growing inequality in urban areas.
- Additionally, as city size increases, the overall characteristics of income distributions, such as mean and variance, change, indicating that different income groups experience the benefits of urbanization unevenly.*
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to determine if intravenous (IV) administration of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) could improve cardiac function and survival in dogs with congestive heart failure (CHF) caused by myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD).
- Ten client-owned dogs with CHF were divided into two groups; one received MSCs derived from Wharton jelly, while the other received a placebo (autologous serum).
- Results showed no significant differences in heart function or survival outcomes between the groups, but MSC injections were safely administered, indicating potential for future studies.
Article Synopsis
- - Social categorizations create divisions between groups, leading to both community building and potential conflicts, particularly impacting those who don't fit neatly into either category.
- - A proposed model examines how two social groups determine boundaries for inclusion and exclusion based on a continuous attribute, showing that both groups tend to create stricter boundaries than necessary.
- - Research using U.S. political data and experiments with ambiguous racial faces confirms the model's prediction that people in the middle are often viewed as outsiders by both groups.
The effects of two intramuscular sedation protocols on echocardiographic variables in cats following sedation and blood donation.
J Vet Emerg Crit Care (San Antonio)
March 2021
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to compare the effects of two sedation protocols (alfaxalone-butorphanol and dexmedetomidine-butorphanol) on heart function in cats before and after blood donation.
- Eleven healthy cats were sedated with each protocol at different times and underwent echocardiographic evaluations to measure changes in heart rate and other cardiac variables.
- Results showed that dexmedetomidine significantly decreased heart rate and key heart function measurements, while alfaxalone increased heart rate and had less overall impact on heart function, suggesting it may be a better option for minimizing effects during sedation.
Article Synopsis
- The FDA is investigating a potential link between certain diets and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs and cats.
- A study reviewed the medical records of 71 dogs with DCM from 2014 to 2018, comparing those on traditional versus nontraditional diets and noting any diet changes post-diagnosis.
- Results showed that dogs on nontraditional diets who changed their diets had significant improvements in heart function and longer survival times compared to those who did not change their diets, indicating a need for further research on diet impacts on DCM.
Article Synopsis
- Long-term use of doxorubicin (DOX) can cause heart damage, and this study aims to identify microRNAs in dogs as potential biomarkers for this cardiotoxicity.* -
- Researchers monitored nine dogs undergoing DOX treatment by measuring cardiac troponin I, performing echocardiography, and isolating specific microRNAs before and after treatment.* -
- Results showed significant downregulation of certain microRNAs (miR-107, miR-146a) and upregulation of miR-502, suggesting changes in these microRNAs may occur before detectable heart damage, highlighting the need for further research.*
Article Synopsis
- Scaling is a framework used across various fields, like physics and biology, to understand how properties of a group change with its size.
- In urban studies, scaling helps measure how cities utilize resources and manage socio-economic activities effectively based on their size.
- The text compares two methods of urban scaling—cross-sectional and temporal—highlighting that cross-sectional analysis tends to yield more reliable and theoretically grounded results compared to temporal, which can show misleading patterns during population growth fluctuations.
Article Synopsis
- Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have strong potential as therapeutic agents due to their ability to modulate the immune system, particularly in veterinary contexts using canine models.
- This study specifically investigates how extracellular vesicles (EVs) from Wharton's jelly-derived MSCs (WJ-MSC EV) can inhibit the proliferation of CD4 T cells, linking this effect to biochemical mechanisms involving TGF-β and adenosine.
- The findings indicate that WJ-MSC EVs exert a dose-dependent suppression of CD4 T cell proliferation, suggesting their use could be valuable for advancing immune modulation therapies in both veterinary and human medicine.
Article Synopsis
- Set7/9 is a lysine methyltransferase that modifies proteins like histone H3 and is implicated in various human diseases, making it a potential drug target.
- The study identifies Rpl29, a ribosomal protein, as a key substrate for Set7/9, specifically methylated at lysine 5 (Rpl29K5), which is crucial for understanding Set7/9's role in cells.
- An antibody for Rpl29 methylation confirms its widespread presence and shows that the Set7/9 inhibitor ()-PFI-2 effectively reduces Rpl29K5 methylation, indicating that Rpl29 methylation can be used as a reliable biomarker for Set7/9 activity.
Article Synopsis
- Advanced heart failure in dogs with degenerative mitral valve disease (DMVD) is a complex issue, with this study examining 54 affected dogs to better understand their clinical features and outcomes.
- The study found that many dogs required increased dosages of medications like pimobendan and furosemide, with adjustments made in most cases after diagnosis.
- Notably, dogs that received higher doses of furosemide tended to have longer survival times, suggesting that medication management plays a critical role in the care of these animals.
Article Synopsis
- * The study examined valvular interstitial cells (VICs) from diseased versus healthy valves, finding that those from diseased valves showed changes indicating a shift toward a more fibrous cell type, increased signs of aging, and reduced ability to grow and survive.
- * Specific microRNAs (miRNAs) linked to cell behavior were significantly downregulated in VICs from diseased valves, indicating a possible link between decreased miRNAs and the progression of MMVD, supporting the idea that
Article Synopsis
- Myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) is similar to mitral valve prolapse (MVP) in humans, but there's currently no medical treatment to slow its progression, highlighting the necessity for better understanding of its molecular pathology.
- The study analyzed exosomal miRNA from different groups of dogs (healthy, with MMVD, and with MMVD-related heart failure) to investigate potential biomarkers associated with the disease and aging.
- Significant increases in specific exosomal miRNAs (like miR-181c and miR-495) were recorded in dogs with MMVD-related heart failure, indicating that exosomal miRNA changes might be more relevant to the disease compared to total plasma miRNA.