Exploring the Roles of Trust, Attitudes, and Motivations in COVID-19 Decision-Making and Vaccination Likelihood: Insights from the Louisiana Community Engagement Alliance (LA-CEAL) Community-Academic-Public Health-Practice (CAPP) Partnership.

Given the increasing integration of trusted leaders in public health science, including vaccination programs, context-specific understandings of community perceptions and levels of trust are critical to intervention. This study aimed to understand the perspectives and attitudes of the southeastern Louisiana community and inform the development of a community-engaged action plan. A cross-sectional survey of 555 southeastern Louisianans-including faith-based organization (FBO) members, community pharmacy (CommRx) customers, community-based organization (CBO) contacts, and Louisiana community-dwelling residents-was conducted from November 2020 to March 2021.

TLE1 corepressor promotes gefitinib resistance in lung cancer A549 cells via E‑cadherin silencing.

As a putative lung specific oncogene, the transducin-like enhancer of split 1 (TLE1) corepressor drives an anti-apoptotic and pro-epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) gene transcriptional programs in human lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) cells, thereby promoting anoikis resistance and tumor aggressiveness. Through its survival- and EMT-promoting gene regulatory programs, TLE1 may impact drug sensitivity and resistance in lung cancer cells. In the present study, a novel function of TLE1 was uncovered as an inhibitor of the antitumor effects of the epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) gefitinib in the human LUAD cell line A549, which exhibits moderate sensitivity to EGFR-TKI.

COVID-19 Testing Behavior as a Predictor of COVID-19 Vaccination in Southeastern Louisiana: A Longitudinal Cohort Study.

Global COVID-19 vaccination effort faces the challenges of vaccine hesitancy and resistance, rooted in misinformation and institutional distrust. Addressing these barriers with customized messaging is essential, yet the relationship between vaccine hesitancy and other health-seeking behaviors, like COVID-19 testing, has been underexplored. This study assessed COVID-19 vaccine uptake in Southeastern Louisiana across 10 pharmacies and clinics in areas with historically high rates of COVID-19 infection.

Licochalcone A-Inspired Chalcones: Synthesis and Their Antiproliferative Potential in Prostate Cancer Cells.

Prostate cancer remains a significant global health concern, prompting ongoing exploration of novel therapeutic agents. Licochalcone A, a natural product in the chalcone family isolated from licorice root, is characterized by its enone structure and demonstrates antiproliferative activity in the micromolar range across various cell lines, including prostate cancer. Building on our prior success in enhancing curcumin's antiproliferative potency by replacing the substituted phenol with a 1-alkyl-1H-imizadol-2-yl moiety, we applied a similar approach to design a new class of licochalcone A-inspired chalcones.

Development of 6-amido-4-aminoisoindolyn-1,3-diones as p70S6K1 inhibitors and potential breast cancer therapeutics.

Introduction: Many breast cancer therapeutics target the PI3K/AKT/mTOR oncogenic pathway. Development of resistance to the therapeutics targeting this pathway is a frequent occurrence. Therapeutics targeting p70S6K1, a downstream member of this pathway, have recently gained importance due to its critical role in all types of breast cancer and its status as a prognostic marker.

Insight into pharmacy students' perspectives on mandatory COVID-19 vaccines in schools and healthcare settings.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has had an extreme global impact, transforming our daily lives, educational systems, and healthcare systems. Healthcare workers' views on mandatory vaccination and experience with vaccines may play a pivotal role in vaccination rates and public health policy.

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to uncover the perspectives of pharmacy students, at Xavier University of Louisiana, concerning COVID-19 vaccination mandates in educational institutions and healthcare environments, specifically the ethical, legal, and logistical dimensions.

Proline-Modified RWn Peptides: Enhanced Antifungal Efficacy and Synergy with Conventional Antibiotics for Combating Resistant Fungal Infections.

(Ca) and (Cn) infections pose a growing threat due to rising antifungal resistance. This study explores a new class of antifungal agents, the RWn series (n = 4, 6, 8) peptides. These synthetic peptides were evaluated for their ability to inhibit Ca and Cn growth.

Elucidating the Discharge Behavior of Aqueous Zinc Sulfur Batteries in the Presence of Molybdenum(IV) Chalcogenide Catalyst: The Criticality of Interfacial Electrochemistry.

The aqueous zinc-sulfur battery holds promise for significant capacity and energy density with low cost and safe operation based on environmentally benign materials. However, it suffers from the sluggish kinetics of the conversion reaction. Here, we highlight the efficacy of molybdenum(IV) sulfide (MoS) to reduce the overpotential of S-ZnS conversion in aqueous electrolytes and study the discharge products formed at the solid-solid and solid-liquid interfaces using experimental and theoretical approaches.

Efficacy of trastuzumab deruxtecan in treating HER2-low breast cancer leptomeningeal metastasis: a case report.

We report the efficacy of trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd) in treating human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) low, type ID leptomeningeal breast cancer (LMD) (with positive cerebrospinal fluid [CSF] cytology and hydrocephalus as the only abnormal imaging finding) and the diagnostic and monitoring utilization of a novel microfluidic platform called CNSide™. Breast cancer LMD is associated with poor prognosis, and effective treatments are lacking. Our case highlights two crucial aspects related to the treatment and monitoring of breast cancer LMD.

Reaction Optimization Experiment for Undergraduate Capstone Organic Chemistry Laboratory Course.

Molecular Structure and Organic Synthesis (MSOS) is an upper-division undergraduate (capstone) laboratory course for undergraduates majoring in chemistry at Xavier University of Louisiana (XULA). The course is designed for juniors and seniors and is based on self-regulated research and learning under limited instructor supervision. It includes a 2-step synthetic project, chosen by each student in the class from a list based on the Organic Synthesis periodical or actual faculty research and then carried out independently.

Research for all: building a diverse researcher community for the All of Us Research Program.

Objectives: The NIH All of Us Research Program (All of Us) is engaging a diverse community of more than 10 000 registered researchers using a robust engagement ecosystem model. We describe strategies used to build an ecosystem that attracts and supports a diverse and inclusive researcher community to use the All of Us dataset and provide metrics on All of Us researcher usage growth.

Materials And Methods: Researcher audiences and diversity categories were defined to guide a strategy.

Sulfonated Penta-Galloyl Glucose (SPGG): The Pharmacological Effects of Promiscuous Glycosaminoglycan Small Molecule Mimetic.

Sulfated glycosaminoglycans (SGAGs), such as heparin, are complex linear polysaccharides attached to core proteins via covalent bonds to form proteoglycans. SGAGs are crucial in assembling extracellular matrix, the regulation of cell signaling and cell behavior, hemostasis, development, and various diseases, including thrombosis, cancer, infectious diseases, and neurodegenerative disorders, through their binding with diverse proteins. Despite the abundant SGAG-protein interactions provided by nature, the development of small SGAG-like molecules remains underexplored.

Lysine deacetylase inhibitors have low selectivity in cells and exhibit predominantly off-target effects.

Lysine deacetylases (KDACs or HDACs) are metal-dependent enzymes that regulate lysine acetylation, a post-translational modification that is present on thousands of human proteins, essential for many cellular processes, and often misregulated in diseases. The selective inhibition of KDACs would allow for understanding of the biological roles of individual KDACs and therapeutic targeting of individual enzymes. Recent studies have suggested that purportedly specific KDAC inhibitors have significant off-target binding, but the biological consequences of off-target binding were not evaluated.

Identification of exosomal ceRNA networks as prognostic markers in clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

Aggressive clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) has a bad prognosis. We seek new ccRCC biomarkers for diagnosis and treatment. We used exoRBase and The Cancer Genome Atlas Database to compare DEmRNAs, DEmiRNAs, DElncRNAs, and DEcircRNAs in ccRCC and normal renal tissues.

Understanding the Biological Basis of Polygenic Risk Scores and Disparities in Prostate Cancer: A Comprehensive Genomic Analysis.

Objectives: For prostate cancer (PCa), hundreds of risk variants have been identified. It remains unknown whether the polygenic risk score (PRS) that combines the effects of these variants is also a sufficiently informative metric with relevance to the molecular mechanisms of carcinogenesis in prostate. We aimed to understand the biological basis of PRS and racial disparities in the cancer.

Restaurants as Environments for Healthy Eating: Factors That Contribute to Restaurant-Based Healthy Eating Program Adoption.

This study identified restaurant manager/owner factors that may contribute to adoption of a restaurant-based healthy eating program, Eat Fit. Findings may be used to engage restaurants in efforts to increase access to and availability of healthy foods, promote healthy food choices, and work toward improving diet and lowering obesity and chronic disease risk in the community. .

Discovery of Oral Degraders of the ROS1 Fusion Protein with Potent Activity against Secondary Resistance Mutations.

The development of therapeutic resistance in the majority of patients limits the long-term benefit of ROS1 inhibitor treatment. On-target mutations of the ROS1 kinase domain confer resistance to crizotinib and lorlatinib in more than one-third of acquired resistance cases with no current effective treatment option. As an alternative to stoichiometric inhibition, proteolytic degradation of ROS1 could provide an effective tool to combat resistance generated by these mutations.

Design and Implementation of a Mentorship Education Program at Xavier University of Louisiana: Impact and Lessons Learned.

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), such as Xavier University of Louisiana (Xavier), have strong cultures of mentoring underrepresented students. We report on the design and implementation of the Preparing Mentors and Advisors at Xavier (P-MAX) Program, a mentor-training program at an HBCU. Over half of the full-time Xavier faculty members have participated in at least one P-MAX event over the life of the Program, with about 60% completing the 8-hour foundational workshop.

The impact of coronavirus pandemic shutdowns on immunization completion in Hadeetha, Anbar, Iraq: A case-study of vaccine completion in a recovering healthcare system.

The SARS-COV2 pandemic caused significant disruptions in immunization delivery. Baseline deficit gaps in immunization completion exacerbated ongoing disparities in immunization coverage in low- and middle-income. Emerging reports focused on global strategies for return to routine immunization schedules.

Novel Anti-Cancer Stem Cell Compounds: A Comprehensive Review.

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) possess a significant ability to renew themselves, which gives them a strong capacity to form tumors and expand to encompass additional body areas. In addition, they possess inherent resistance to chemotherapy and radiation therapies used to treat many forms of cancer. Scientists have focused on investigating the signaling pathways that are highly linked to the ability of CSCs to renew themselves and maintain their stem cell properties.