Publications by authors named "WALKER D"

Article Synopsis
  • The Omicron subvariant BA.5 became the dominant strain globally, surpassing earlier subvariants due to its ability to evade immune responses and bind more effectively to receptors.
  • A study using male Syrian hamsters assessed how well different COVID-19 vaccine regimens, including Janssen and Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines, protect against BA.5 after primary vaccination and boosters.
  • Results showed that a single high or low dose of the Janssen vaccine offers longer-lasting immunity compared to two doses of Pfizer, and boosters like Novavax enhance immunity and reduce viral replication more effectively.
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Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are secreted by all living cells and are found in body fluids. They exert numerous physiological and pathological functions and serve as cargo shuttles. Due to their safety and inherent bioactivity, they have emerged as versatile therapeutic agents, biomarkers, and potential drug carriers.

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  • G3BP1 and G3BP2 are proteins that help form stress granules when cells face stress, like during a virus attack.
  • The study investigates how G3BP1 interacts with the nucleocapsid (N) protein of SARS-CoV-2 and what happens when this interaction is disrupted.
  • A mutation in the N protein (F17) impairs its ability to interact with G3BP1, leading to reduced viral replication and disease severity, implying that this interaction helps the virus evade the cellular stress response.
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Translational efficiency change is an important mechanism for regulating protein synthesis. Experiments with paired ribosome profiling (Ribo-seq) and mRNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) allow the study of translational efficiency by simultaneously quantifying the abundances of total transcripts and those that are being actively translated. Existing methods for Ribo-seq data analysis either ignore the pairing structure in the experimental design or treat the paired samples as fixed effects instead of random effects.

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Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a common cause of serious hospital-acquired infections, the leading proven cause of mortality in people with cystic fibrosis and is associated with high levels of antimicrobial resistance. Pyocins are narrow-spectrum protein antibiotics produced by P. aeruginosa that kill strains of the same species and have the potential to be developed as therapeutics targeting multi-drug resistant isolates.

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: No evidence-based intervention effectively reduces cannabis use in young adults with psychosis (YAP). To generate hypotheses about why, a scoping review was conducted to synthesize evidence about motivations for cannabis use and reduction/cessation for YAP and the psychosocial interventions trialed to identify possible gaps between motivations and interventive strategies. : A systematic literature search was conducted in December, 2022.

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The outermost exosporium layer of spores, the causative agents of anthrax, is comprised of a basal layer and an external hair-like nap. The nap includes filaments composed of trimers of the collagen-like glycoprotein BclA. Essentially all BclA trimers are attached to the spore in a process in which part of the 38-residue amino-terminal domain (NTD) of BclA forms an extremely stable interaction with the basal layer protein BxpB.

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Opioid overdose deaths are dramatically increasing in the United States and disproportionately affecting minority communities, with the increasing presence of fentanyl exacerbating this crisis. Developing community coalitions is a long-standing strategy used to address public health issues. However, there is a limited understanding of how coalitions operate amid a serious public health crisis.

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Background: A poor diet can result from adverse social determinants of health and increases the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Objective: We aimed to assess, using data from the Nulliparous Pregnancy Outcomes Study: Monitoring Mothers-to-Be prospective cohort, whether nulliparous pregnant individuals who lived in a food desert were more likely to experience poorer periconceptional diet quality compared with those who did not live in a food desert.

Methods: The exposure was living in a food desert based on a spatial overview of food access indicators by income and supermarket access per the Food Access Research Atlas.

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Objective: To examine whether the observed non-inferiority of heat-stable carbetocin (HSC), compared with oxytocin, was influenced by biologic (macrosomia, parity 3 or more, or history of postpartum hemorrhage [PPH]) and/or pharmacologic (induction or augmentation) risk factors for PPH.

Methods: The present study is a secondary analysis of the CHAMPION non-inferiority randomized trial-a two-arm, double-blind, active-controlled study conducted at 23 hospitals in 10 countries, between July 2015 and January 2018. Women with singleton pregnancies, expected to deliver vaginally with cervical dilatation up to 6 cm were eligible.

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Objective: To examine differences in sleep disturbance, nocturia, and depression among adults with overactive bladder (OAB) by treatment type.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey of adults with OAB assessed sleep disturbance, nocturia, and depression using patient-reported outcome measures, including the Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS)-29 Profile v2.1 (Sleep Disturbance and Depression domains), Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction Research Network Symptom Index-10, and PROMIS Sleep Disturbance Short Form 8B.

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Introduction: Preterm birth is a leading cause of under-5 mortality, with the greatest burden in lower-resource settings. Strategies to improve preterm survival have been tested, but strategy costs are less understood. We estimate costs of a highly effective Preterm Birth Initiative (PTBi) intrapartum intervention package (data strengthening, WHO Safe Childbirth Checklist, simulation and team training, quality improvement collaboratives) and active control (data strengthening, Safe Childbirth Checklist).

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Ca/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) hyperactivity causes cardiac arrhythmias, a major source of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Despite proven benefits of CaMKII inhibition in numerous preclinical models of heart disease, translation of CaMKII antagonists into humans has been stymied by low potency, toxicity, and an enduring concern for adverse effects on cognition due to an established role of CaMKII in learning and memory. To address these challenges, we asked whether any clinically approved drugs, developed for other purposes, were potent CaMKII inhibitors.

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Background: Malignant spinal cord compression (MSCC) has been noted in 3-5% of children with primary tumours. MSCC can be associated with permanent neurological deficits and prompt treatment is necessary. Our aim was to perform a systematic review on MSCC in children < 18 years to help formulate national guidelines.

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Hyperphosphorylation of the microtubule-associated protein tau is hypothesized to lead to the development of neurofibrillary tangles in select brain regions during normal aging and in Alzheimer disease (AD). The distribution of neurofibrillary tangles is staged by its involvement starting in the transentorhinal regions of the brain and in final stages progress to neocortices. However, it has also been determined neurofibrillary tangles can extend into the spinal cord and select tau species are found in peripheral tissues and this may be depended on AD disease stage.

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An effective approach is reported to enhance the stability of inverted organo-tin halide perovskite photovoltaics based on capping the cathode with a thin layer of bismuth. Using this simple approach, unencapsulated devices retain up to 70% of their peak power conversion efficiency after up to 100 h testing under continuous one sun solar illumination in ambient air and under electrical load, which is exceptional stability for an unencapsulated organo-tin halide perovskite photovoltaic device tested in ambient air. The bismuth capping layer is shown to have two functions: First, it blocks corrosion of the metal cathode by iodine gas formed when those parts of the perovskite layer not protected by the cathode degrade.

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Article Synopsis
  • * Proline-rich tyrosine kinase 2 (PYK2) is identified as a risk factor for inflammatory bowel disease and is overexpressed in colorectal cancer, a complication of Crohn's disease.
  • * Inhibition of PYK2 during AIEC infection reduces the number of bacteria replicating inside macrophages and decreases inflammation, suggesting it could be a target for new treatments for Crohn's disease.
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Purpose: To determine the safety, feasibility, and potential effect of an 18-week exercise intervention for adults with primary brain cancer.

Materials And Methods: Eligible patients were 12-26-weeks post-radiotherapy for brain cancer. The individually-prescribed weekly exercise was ≥150-minutes of moderate-intensity exercise, including two resistance-training sessions.

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Across research disciplines, cluster randomized trials (CRTs) are commonly implemented to evaluate interventions delivered to groups of participants, such as communities and clinics. Despite advances in the design and analysis of CRTs, several challenges remain. First, there are many possible ways to specify the causal effect of interest (eg, at the individual-level or at the cluster-level).

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Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the most pressing concerns in our society. Today, social media can function as an important channel to disseminate information about AMR. The way in which this information is engaged with depends on a number of factors, including the target audience and the content of the social media post.

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  • Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a major medical crisis that requires a better understanding of the molecular changes linked to drug use and relapse to develop effective treatments.
  • Researchers created a comprehensive atlas of brain changes related to opioid use by performing RNA sequencing on male mice undergoing various OUD-related conditions, such as acute and chronic heroin use.
  • Their findings revealed specific molecular alterations and biological processes tied to OUD vulnerability, and comparisons with human data highlighted significant gene candidates that could lead to new therapeutic approaches.
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Simulation training in basic and emergency obstetric and neonatal care has previously shown success in reducing maternal and neonatal mortality in low-resource settings. Though preterm birth is the leading cause of neonatal deaths, application of this training methodology geared specifically towards reducing preterm birth mortality and morbidity has not yet been implemented and evaluated. The East Africa Preterm Birth Initiative (PTBi-EA) was a multi-country cluster randomized controlled (CRCT) trial that successfully improved outcomes of preterm neonates in Migori County, Kenya and the Busoga region of Uganda through an intrapartum package of interventions.

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Extinct lineages of Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of the plague, have been identified in several individuals from Eurasia between 5000 and 2500 years before present (BP). One of these, termed the 'LNBA lineage' (Late Neolithic and Bronze Age), has been suggested to have spread into Europe with human groups expanding from the Eurasian steppe. Here, we show that the LNBA plague was spread to Europe's northwestern periphery by sequencing three Yersinia pestis genomes from Britain, all dating to ~4000 cal BP.

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Rapid atmospheric warming and sea-ice retreat are driving widespread changes in Arctic ecosystems, among the most pervasive of which is the "greening of the Arctic"-an increase in the cover and biomass of vegetation observed by satellites across much of the Arctic tundra biome. Determining the drivers, impacts, and feedbacks of Arctic greening requires continued investment in robust field, remote-sensing, and model-based capabilities, and improved integration of the knowledge base of Arctic peoples. These tools and approaches support the triangulation of complex problems and the development of improved projections for the warmer Arctic tundra biome of the future.

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