Impact of Fibronectin Knockout on Proliferation and Differentiation of Human Infrapatellar Fat Pad-Derived Stem Cells.

Fibronectin plays an essential role in tissue development and regeneration. However, the effects of fibronectin knockout (FN1-KO) on stem cells' proliferation and differentiation remain unknown. In this study, CRISPR/Cas9 generated FN1-KO in human infrapatellar fat pad-derived stem cells (IPFSCs) was evaluated for proliferation ability including cell cycle and surface markers as well as stemness gene expression and for differentiation capacity including chondrogenic and adipogenic differentiation.

Investigating the interactions of the first 17 amino acid residues of Huntingtin with lipid vesicles using mass spectrometry and molecular dynamics.

The first 17 amino acid residues of Huntingtin protein (Nt17 of htt) are thought to play an important role in the protein's function; Nt17 is one of two membrane binding domains in htt. In this study the binding ability of Nt17 peptide with vesicles comprised of two subclasses of phospholipids is studied using electrospray ionization - mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Overall, the peptide is shown to have a greater propensity to interact with vesicles of phosphatidylcholine (PC) rather than phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) lipids.

Constitutive AKT Activity Predisposes Lung Fibrosis by Regulating Macrophage, Myofibroblast and Fibrocyte Recruitment and Changes in Autophagy.

The etiology and pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis is poorly understood. We and others reported that M-CSF/CSF-1, M-CSF-R and downstream AKT activation plays an important role in lung fibrosis in mice models and in IPF patients. To understand potential molecular pathways used by M-CSF-R activation to direct lung fibrosis, we used a novel transgenic mouse model that expresses a constitutively-active form of AKT, myristoylated AKT (Myr-Akt), driven by the (M-CSF-R) promoter.

A proposed protocol for the comparison of virtual to physical health assessments and treatment plans for patients presenting for initial vascular clinic visits.

Unlabelled: The current manuscript contains a protocol proposal for a prospective research trial comparing virtual vascular clinic visits to actual physical clinic visits. Patient dissatisfaction can increase because of the complexities associated with navigating modern health care systems. It is easy to speculate that some of this dissatisfaction is associated with travel, wait times and other issues that arise during routine clinic visits.

Association of Entrepreneurial Traits With Interest in Becoming a Pharmacist Provider Among Student Pharmacists.

Background: With the emerging opportunities for pharmacists to gain provider status, the need for understanding interest to become a pharmacist provider has never been greater.

Objective: To determine which entrepreneurial traits (locus of control, innovativeness, autonomy, risk-taking propensity, proactiveness, achievement motivation, people liking, problem-solving, and leadership) are associated with interest in becoming a pharmacist provider.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among second- and third-year student pharmacists.

Circulating extracellular vesicle content reveals DNA methyltransferase expression as a molecular method to predict septic shock.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are mRNA-containing cell fragments shed into circulation during pathophysiological events. DNA methyltransferases (DNMT1, DNMT3A, and DNMT3B) regulate gene expression by modifying DNA methylation and altering transcription. Sepsis is a systemic insult resulting in vascular dysfunction, which can lead to shock and death.

Mediating Role of Acculturation and Lifestyle Behaviors on Cardiometabolic Risk Among a National Sample of U.S. Asian Indians.

Asian Indians are the third largest and fastest growing Asian subgroup in the U.S. and have high risks for diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Systematic reviews and meta-analysis in nutrition research.

There exists an ever-increasing number of systematic reviews, with or without meta-analysis, in the field of nutrition. Concomitant with this increase is the increased use of such to guide future research as well as both practice and policy-based decisions. Given this increased production and consumption, a need exists to educate both producers and consumers of systematic reviews, with or without meta-analysis, on how to conduct and evaluate high-quality reviews of this nature in nutrition.

The association of pain interference and opioid use with healthcare utilization and costs, and wage loss among adults with osteoarthritis in the United States.

To examine associations of opioid use and pain interference with activities (PIA), healthcare resource utilization (HRU) and costs, and wage loss in noninstitutionalized adults with osteoarthritis in the United States (US). Adults with osteoarthritis identified from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey for 2011/2013/2015 were stratified by no-opioid use with no/mild PIA, no-opioid use with moderate/severe PIA, opioid use with no/mild PIA, and opioid use with moderate/severe PIA. Outcomes included annualized total HRU, direct healthcare costs, and wage loss.

Development of multifunctional Overhauser-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging for concurrent in vivo mapping of tumor interstitial oxygenation, acidosis and inorganic phosphate concentration.

Tumor oxygenation (pO), acidosis (pH) and interstitial inorganic phosphate concentration (Pi) are important parameters of the malignant behavior of cancer. A noninvasive procedure that enables visualization of these parameters may provide unique information about mechanisms of tumor pathophysiology and provide clues to new treatment targets. In this research, we present a multiparametric imaging method allowing for concurrent mapping of pH, spin probe concentration, pO, and Pi using a single contrast agent and Overhauser-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging technique.

Liver Kinase B1 Fine-Tunes Lineage Commitment of Human Fetal Synovium-Derived Stem Cells.

Liver kinase B1 (LKB1), a serine/threonine protein, is a key regulator in stem cell function and energy metabolism. Herein, we describe the role of LKB1 in modulating the differentiation of synovium-derived stem cells (SDSCs) toward chondrogenic, adipogenic, and osteogenic lineages. Human fetal SDSCs were transduced with CRISPR associated protein 9 (Cas9)-single-guide RNA vectors to knockout or lentiviral vectors to overexpress the LKB1 gene.

Structure and chemistry of lysinoalanine crosslinking in the spirochaete flagella hook.

The flagellar hook protein FlgE from spirochaete bacteria self-catalyzes the formation of an unusual inter-subunit lysinoalanine (Lal) crosslink that is critical for cell motility. Unlike other known examples of Lal biosynthesis, conserved cysteine and lysine residues in FlgE spontaneously react to form Lal without the involvement of additional enzymes. Oligomerization of FlgE via its D0 and Dc domains drives assembly of the crosslinking site at the D1-D2 domain interface.

An exploratory study on the intergenerational transmission of dieting proneness within an eating disorder population.

Unlabelled: An Exploratory Study on the Intergenerational Transmission of Dieting Proneness within an Eating Disorder Population (IRB Protocol Number: 160928271).

Purpose: Parents and families are not the sole factor in eating disorder (ED) development and their involvement in recovery is crucial. However, parents provide a social and environmental context for a child's eating and weight that cannot be completely discounted.

Successful Clearance of Persistent Methicillin-Resistant Bacteremia with Daptomycin, Linezolid, and Meropenem Salvage Therapy.

is one of the most virulent Gram-positive organisms responsible for a multitude of infections, including bacteremia. Methicillin-resistant (MRSA) is of special concern in patients with bacteremia. Due to its associated poor clinical outcomes, morbidity, and mortality, the superlative salvage regimen for persistent MRSA bacteremia remains uncertain.

Uncovering the signaling landscape controlling breast cancer cell migration identifies novel metastasis driver genes.

Ttriple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive and highly metastatic breast cancer subtype. Enhanced TNBC cell motility is a prerequisite of TNBC cell dissemination. Here, we apply an imaging-based RNAi phenotypic cell migration screen using two highly motile TNBC cell lines (Hs578T and MDA-MB-231) to provide a repository of signaling determinants that functionally drive TNBC cell motility.

Modular imaging system: Rapid scan EPR at 800 MHz.

An electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) imaging system has been custom built for use in pre-clinical and, potentially, clinical studies. Commercial standalone modules have been used in the design that are MATLAB-controlled. The imaging system combines digital and analog technologies.

Association of osteoarthritis and pain with Alzheimer's Diseases and Related Dementias among older adults in the United States.

Background: Emerging evidence suggests that Pain Interference (PI) and certain chronic pain conditions, including Osteoarthritis (OA) may be associated with risk for Alzheimer's disease and Related Dementias (ADRD). However, research exploring the relation of OA and PI to ADRD remains sparse.

Objective: To assess the association of OA and PI to ADRD using cross-sectional data from a representative sample of USA adults aged ≥65 years.

Systematic reviews and meta-analysis in rheumatology: a gentle introduction for clinicians.

Given the plethora of studies today on the same topic, clinicians in rheumatology as well as others increasingly rely on systematic reviews, with or without meta-analysis, to aid in their evidence-based decision-making. However, given time constraints, staying up-to-date on current methods for conducting systematic reviews and meta-analyses as well as interpreting the results of these reviews for application in clinical practice can be challenging. The purpose of this paper is to try and address this gap.

Variations in VA and Medicare Use Among Veterans With Diabetes: Impacts on Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions Hospitalizations for 2008, 2009, and 2010.

Introduction: VA and Medicare use among older Veterans has been considered fragmented care, however, it may represent access to needed care.

Methods: The population studied were Veterans with diabetes, age 66 years and older, dually enrolled in VA and Medicare.

Data Source/study Setting: We conducted a dynamic retrospective cohort study with 2008, 2009, and 2010 as the outcome years (Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions Hospitalization (ACSC-H) or not).

Significance of Cellular Cross-Talk in Stromal Vascular Fraction of Adipose Tissue in Neovascularization.

Adult stem cell-based therapy has been regarded as a promising treatment for tissue ischemia because of its ability to promote new blood vessel formation. Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells are the most used angiogenic cells for therapeutic neovascularization, yet the side effects and low efficacy have limited their clinical application. Adipose stromal vascular fraction is an easily accessible, heterogeneous cell system comprised of endothelial, stromal, and hematopoietic cell lineages, which has been shown to spontaneously form robust, patent, and functional vasculatures in vivo.

The MitoNEET Ligand NL-1 Mediates Antileukemic Activity in Drug-Resistant B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

Disease relapse in B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), either due to development of acquired resistance after therapy or because of de novo resistance, remains a therapeutic challenge. In the present study, we have developed a cytarabine (Ara-C)-resistant REH cell line (REH/Ara-C) as a chemoresistance model. REH/Ara-C 1) was not crossresistant to vincristine or methotrexate; 2) showed a similar proliferation rate and cell surface marker expression as parental REH; 3) demonstrated decreased chemotaxis toward bone marrow stromal cells; and 4) expressed higher transcript levels of cytidine deaminase () and mitoNEET () than the parental REH cell line.

Factors in delay of diagnosis of gynecologic ureteral injuries at a rural academic hospital.

Introduction And Hypothesis: Ureteral injuries are a source of morbidity, and delays in diagnosis can increase the risk for long-term sequelae. Our aim was to quantify and describe iatrogenic ureteral injuries in a rural tertiary care center. Our secondary goal was to evaluate the impact of delayed diagnosis of ureteral injury on patient outcomes and whether cystoscopy had any influence on these outcomes.

Tobacco Use among Adult Muslims in the United States.

Background: Compared with the general United States (US) population, Muslims in the US exhibit elevated rates of tobacco use. As a result, they might be at a higher risk for preventive disease and premature death as compared with the general US population.

Objective: This study investigated the Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) factors that are associated with tobacco use among a sample of adult Muslims in the US.

Barriers to using new needles encountered by rural Appalachian people who inject drugs: implications for needle exchange.

Background: Using a new needle for every injection can reduce the spread of infectious disease among people who inject drugs (PWID). No previous study has examined new needle use barriers among PWIDs residing in the rural Appalachian part of the United States, an area currently in the midst of a heroin epidemic.

Objective: Therefore, our primary aim was to explore self-reported barriers to using a new needle by PWID attending a needle exchange program (NEP).

Teaching History of Pharmacy in U.S. Pharmacy Schools.

To determine how the standards for teaching pharmacy history were met by U.S. pharmacy schools, whether schools wanted to expand their commitment to pharmacy history, what pedagogical assistance, if any, was desired, and whether elective courses were offered.