97,492 results match your criteria: "University of Alabama; and ‡General Surgery Program[Affiliation]"

Environmental Variation Influences Genome Evolution in Hispaniolan Trunk Anoles (Anolis distichus).

Mol Ecol

January 2025

Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Biodiversity Institute, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA.

Environmental variation often drives evolutionary processes like population differentiation, local adaptation and speciation. We used genome-scale data to investigate the contribution of environmental variation to evolution of the North Caribbean bark anole (Anolis distichus), a widespread common lizard that exhibits impressive phenotypic variation across varying habitats on the island of Hispaniola. We obtained new double-digest restriction-associated DNA sequence data (ddRADseq) from nearly 200 individuals and used 53 GIS data layers representing a range of environmental variables.

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Elevated phosphate levels in CKD - a direct threat for the heart.

Nephrol Dial Transplant

January 2025

Division of Nephrology and Section of Mineral Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Heersink School of Medicine, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.

Elevations in systemic phosphate levels, also called hyperphosphatemia, occur in chronic kidney disease (CKD) and during the normal aging process and are associated with various pathologies, such as cardiovascular injury. Experimental studies suggest that at high serum concentrations, phosphate can induce osteogenic differentiation of vascular smooth muscle cells and contribute to vascular calcification. However, the precise underlying mechanism leading to cardiovascular injury is not well understood.

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GI (Gastrointestinal) malignancies are one of the most common and lethal cancers globally. The dawn of precision medicine and developing technologies have reduced the mortality rates for GI malignancies, underscoring the main role of early detection methods for survival rate improvement. Artificial intelligence (AI) is a new technology that may improve GI cancer screening, treatment, and therapeutic efficiency for better patient care.

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Genomic and phenotypic correlates of mosaic loss of chromosome Y in blood.

Am J Hum Genet

January 2025

Division of Biostatistics, Data Science Institute, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA; Cancer Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA. Electronic address:

Mosaic loss of Y (mLOY) is the most common somatic chromosomal alteration detected in human blood. The presence of mLOY is associated with altered blood cell counts and increased risk of Alzheimer disease, solid tumors, and other age-related diseases. We sought to gain a better understanding of genetic drivers and associated phenotypes of mLOY through analyses of whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of a large set of genetically diverse males from the Trans-Omics for Precision Medicine (TOPMed) program.

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Trends and predictors of leaving before medically advised in US emergency departments from 2016 to 2021.

Am J Emerg Med

December 2024

Department of Health Policy & Organization, School of Public Health, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA; Center for Outcomes and Effectiveness Research and Education, Heersink School of Medicine, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.

Background: Leaving before medically advised (BMA) is a significant issue in the US healthcare system, leading to adverse health outcomes and increased costs. Despite previous research, multi-year studies using up-to-date nationwide emergency department (ED) data, are limited. This study examines factors associated with leaving BMA from EDs and trends over time, before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Reaccreditation and Pathways Recognition Experiences of Small Local and Tribal Health Departments.

J Public Health Manag Pract

November 2024

Author Affiliations: Prevention Research Center, Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri (Allen and Crenshaw); Department of Health Policy and Organization, School of Public Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama (Fifolt); School of Public Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama (Erwin); Research and Evaluation, Public Health Accreditation Board, Alexandria, Virginia (Lang, Belflower Thomas, and Kuehnert); and Lipstein Distinguished Professor of Public Health, Prevention Research Center, Brown School, and Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center and Division of Public Health Sciences, Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine; Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri (Brownson).

Context: This paper describes experiences and views of leadership teams from 4 small local health departments (LHDs) seeking Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) reaccreditation or Pathways Recognition using PHAB Standards & Measures Version 2022. The Pathways program launched in 2022 provides additional supports for improvement of public health practice.

Objective: Given the need to accelerate accreditation among small health departments, the purpose of this study is to share small health departments' strategies for overcoming accreditation challenges and actionable advice for use by other health departments.

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Background And Objectives: The most effective antiseizure medications (ASMs) for poststroke seizures (PSSs) remain unclear. We aimed to determine outcomes associated with ASMs in people with PSS.

Methods: We systematically searched electronic databases for studies on patients with PSS on ASMs.

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Public Health Accreditation Board Accreditation and Pathways Recognition Among Small Health Departments: Motivation, Communication, and Celebration.

J Public Health Manag Pract

November 2024

Author Affiliations: Department of Health Policy and Organization, School of Public Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama (Drs Fifolt and Erwin); Prevention Research Center, Brown School, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, Missouri (Dr Peg and Mr Crenshaw); Research and Evaluation, Public Health Accreditation Board, Alexandria, Virginia (Mx Lang and Ms Belflower Thomas); Lipstein Distinguished Professor of Public Health, Prevention Research Center, Brown School; Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center and Division of Public Health Sciences, Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine; Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri (Dr Brownson).

This paper explores how small local health departments (LHDs) motivated staff members, communicated progress toward Public Health Accreditation Board accreditation or Pathways Recognition, and celebrated interim and final accreditation accomplishments. Qualitative key informant interviews were conducted with 22 employees and affiliates of 4 LHDs with jurisdiction populations <50 000. LHDs motivated staff through ownership, creative strategies to monitor and record progress, and meaningful no- or low-cost incentives.

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End-user feedback early in product development is important for optimizing multipurpose prevention technologies for HIV and pregnancy prevention. We evaluated the acceptability of the 90-day dapivirine levonorgestrel ring (DPV-LNG ring) used for 14 days compared to a dapivirine-only ring (DVR-200mg) in MTN-030/IPM 041 (n = 23), and when used for 90 days cyclically or continuously in MTN-044/IPM 053/CCN019 (n = 25). We enrolled healthy, non-pregnant, HIV-negative women aged 18-45 in Pittsburgh, PA and Birmingham, AL (MTN-030 only).

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Context-Dependent Heterotypic Assemblies of Intrinsically Disordered Peptides.

J Am Chem Soc

January 2025

Department of Chemistry, Brandeis University, 415 South St., Waltham, Massachusetts 02454, United States.

Despite their critical role in context-dependent interactions for protein functions, intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) are often overlooked for designing peptide assemblies. Here, we exploit IDRs to enable context-dependent heterotypic assemblies of intrinsically disordered peptides, where "context-dependent" refers to assembly behavior driven by interactions with other molecules. By attaching an aromatic segment to oppositely charged intrinsically disordered peptides, we achieve a nanofiber formation.

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Background: On demand, topical PrEP is desired by those preferring episodic, nonsystemic PrEP. PC-1005 gel (MIV-150, zinc, and carrageenan) exhibits in vitro antiviral HIV-1, human papillomavirus (HPV), and herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) activity, attractive for a multipurpose prevention technology candidate. We evaluated the safety, pharmacokinetics, and antiviral effect of rectally applied PC-1005.

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Unlabelled: are Gram-negative, rod-shaped, entero-invasive foodborne bacteria and are frequently detected in chicken houses and facilities of poultry broiler complexes. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence, critical entry points, and movement pattern of along different stages of a complex. A total of 1,071 environmental samples were collected from 38 production houses (8 pullet, 10 breeder, and 20 broiler), a hatchery, 6 transport trucks, and a processing plant.

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The Joseph M Donald Endowment for the Archival Collection of the Southern Surgical Association is named for the 73rd President Elect of the Southern Surgical Association (Figure 1), who died in 1961 at age 57 before he had the opportunity to deliver his Presidential Address. Dr Donald's career as a surgeon in Birmingham began in 1931 after the completion of his residency at the Mayo Clinic. He was one of four generations of Donalds to serve Alabama as physicians.

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The purpose of this study was to compare changes in circulating microRNAs -126 (c-miR-126) and -222 (c-miR-222) following acute serial concurrent exercise (SCE) and integrated concurrent exercise (ICE) sessions among young, sedentary adults. Ten males and 9 females completed the study procedures. For SCE, participants performed resistance exercise (RE) followed by aerobic exercise (AE), without mixing the two.

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Coping Power (CP) is an empirically supported school-based intervention for children at risk for aggression. A child's social status with peers and the extent to which they accurately perceive it are important aspects of preadolescent social development that may influence how intervention format affects disruptive behavior outcomes. Further, reactive (RA) and proactive (PA) functional subtypes of aggression have differential relations with peer acceptance.

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Transforming an ATP-dependent enzyme into a dissipative, self-assembling system.

Nat Chem Biol

January 2025

Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.

Nucleoside triphosphate (NTP)-dependent protein assemblies such as microtubules and actin filaments have inspired the development of diverse chemically fueled molecular machines and active materials but their functional sophistication has yet to be matched by design. Given this challenge, we asked whether it is possible to transform a natural adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP)-dependent enzyme into a dissipative self-assembling system, thereby altering the structural and functional mode in which chemical energy is used. Here we report that FtsH (filamentous temperature-sensitive protease H), a hexameric ATPase involved in membrane protein degradation, can be readily engineered to form one-dimensional helical nanotubes.

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Background: Airway management is a critical component of the care of patients experiencing cardiac arrest, but data from randomized trials on the use of video vs direct laryngoscopy for intubation in the setting of cardiac arrest are limited. Current AHA guidelines recommend placement of an endotracheal tube either during CPR or shortly after return of spontaneous circulation but do not provide guidance around intubation methods, including the choice of laryngoscope.

Research Question: Does use of video laryngoscopy improve the incidence of successful intubation on the first attempt, compared to use of direct laryngoscopy, among adults undergoing tracheal intubation after experiencing cardiac arrest?

Study Design And Methods: This secondary analysis of the Direct versus Video Laryngoscope (DEVICE) trial compared video laryngoscopy versus direct laryngoscopy in the subgroup of patients who were intubated following cardiac arrest.

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Interrogation of the Tumor Microenvironment by Nanoparticles.

Cancer Lett

January 2025

Department of Pathology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA; Peggy and Charles Stephenson Cancer Center, The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA. Electronic address:

The tumor microenvironment (TME) plays a pivotal role in cancer progression by fostering intricate multicellular crosstalk among cancer cells, stromal cells, and immune cells. This review explores the emerging paradigm of utilizing nanoparticles to disrupt this crosstalk within the TME as a therapeutic strategy. Nanoparticles are engineered with precise physicochemical properties to target specific cell types and deliver therapeutic payloads, thereby inhibiting critical signaling pathways involved in tumor growth, invasion, and metastasis.

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14-3-3θ phosphorylation exacerbates alpha-synuclein aggregation and toxicity.

Neurobiol Dis

January 2025

Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, United States of America. Electronic address:

Aggregation of alpha-synuclein (αsyn) plays an integral role in Parkinson's disease (PD) and Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). 14-3-3θ is a highly expressed brain protein with chaperone-like activity that regulates αsyn folding. 14-3-3θ overexpression reduces αsyn aggregation, transmission between cells, and neuronal loss, while 14-3-3 inhibition promotes αsyn pathology.

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Too little, too late? Extra anatomic aortic bypass for aortic coarctation in adults.

Ann Thorac Surg

January 2025

Department of Surgery, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1700 6(th) Avenue South, Suite 9100, Birmingham, AL 35233. Electronic address:

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