5,269 results match your criteria: "the University of Texas Medical Branch[Affiliation]"

Public alignment with longevity biotechnology: an analysis of framing in surveys and opinion studies.

Biogerontology

November 2024

Department of Bioethics and Health Humanities, The University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd., Galveston, TX, 77555, USA.

This article examines the framing and public perception of longevity biotechnology, or geroscience, which aims to extend both healthspan and lifespan by targeting the biological processes of aging. Although often seen as moving into the mainstream, questions remain about its ability to meet these ambitious goals, given the complexities of understanding and manipulating aging biology. Drawing on an analysis of qualitative studies and surveys conducted over the past two decades, this paper explores how public attitudes toward anti-aging science are framed, suggesting that studies often emphasize life extension over healthspan gains.

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Harnessing Simple Animal Models to Decode Sleep Mysteries.

Mol Biotechnol

November 2024

Department of Pharmacology, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Mysuru, 570015, Karnataka, India.

Whether it involves human subjects or non-human animals, basic, translational, or clinical sleep research poses significant ethical challenges for researchers and ethical committees alike. Sleep research greatly benefits from using diverse animal models, each offering unique insights into sleep control mechanisms. The fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) is a superior genetic model due to its quick generation period, large progenies, and rich genetic tools.

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Lead exposure at the feto-maternal interface: A cause for concern for fetal membrane trophoblasts.

Toxicol Sci

November 2024

Division of Basic Science and Translational Research, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, 301 University Blvd, Galveston, TX, 77555-1062, United States of America.

The integrity of fetal membranes enables biological functions that protect the fetus and maintain the pregnancy. Any compromise in fetal membrane function can predispose a pregnant woman to prelabor rupture of the membranes (pPROM) and subsequently to preterm birth (PTB). Epidemiologic data suggest that lead exposure during pregnancy is one of several risk factors associated with PTB and pPROM.

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Postmortem single-cell studies have transformed understanding of lower respiratory tract diseases (LRTDs), including coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), but there are minimal data from African settings where HIV, malaria and other environmental exposures may affect disease pathobiology and treatment targets. In this study, we used histology and high-dimensional imaging to characterize fatal lung disease in Malawian adults with (n = 9) and without (n = 7) COVID-19, and we generated single-cell transcriptomics data from lung, blood and nasal cells. Data integration with other cohorts showed a conserved COVID-19 histopathological signature, driven by contrasting immune and inflammatory mechanisms: in US, European and Asian cohorts, by type I/III interferon (IFN) responses, particularly in blood-derived monocytes, and in the Malawian cohort, by response to IFN-γ in lung-resident macrophages.

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The collegiate environment may exacerbate body image issues and eating disorders (EDs) among dancers. This study seeks to evaluate the complex relationships between body image perceptions, risk of EDs, and nutrition knowledge among collegiate dancers. A convenience sample of collegiate dancers was recruited via announcements, flyers, and email to complete the Body Image Assessment Scale-Body Dimensions (BIAS-BD), anthropometrics, and an electronic survey evaluating ED risk (Eating Attitudes Test; EAT-26), nutrition knowledge, and dietary habits.

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Fetal microchimeric cells influence maternal lung health following term and preterm births.

Sci Rep

November 2024

Division of Basic Science and Translational Research, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, 301 University Blvd., Galveston, TX, 77555-1062, USA.

Fetal microchimerism, the presence of fetal cells in maternal tissues, has garnered interest for its potential role in maternal physiology. In this study, we aimed to explore the impact of fetal microchimeric cells on maternal lung health following term and preterm delivery, particularly in the context of infection-induced preterm birth and subsequent allergic challenges. We characterized the immune cells in maternal lungs using a transgenic mouse model (mT+ Ve, Td Tomato) and high dimensional mass cytometry (CyTOF) techniques.

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Background: Aneurysmal bone cysts (ABCs) are rare, benign, yet locally aggressive lesions that contain blood-filled channels that rarely occur in the thoracic spine of adults. The literature on the treatment of spinal ABCs is sparse, but the consensus is to achieve gross-total resection (GTR) due to these lesions being locally aggressive and to prevent recurrence.

Observations: This report describes a 35-year-old female admitted with back pain and right T5 dermatome radiculopathy without any inciting events.

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Background: The association between preoperative mental health trends and arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (RCR) outcomes and patient satisfaction has not been previously described. We investigated the association between a subjective change in preoperative mental health and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) and achievement of patient satisfaction and substantial clinical benefit (SCB), defined as an improvement of American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Standardized Shoulder Assessment score ≥ 17.5, following RCR.

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Article Synopsis
  • Breast cancer (BC) is a major health concern, especially in women with schizophrenia, who experience higher mortality rates; the project aimed to assess the incidence of BC in this group and compare outcomes based on antipsychotic medication use prior to diagnosis.
  • Utilizing the TriNetX database, the study examined data from over 1.3 million women with schizophrenia from 2011 to 2023, finding that breast cancer incidence was consistent over the years but peaked in 2017; non-Hispanic women had higher diagnosis rates compared to Hispanic women.
  • Results indicated that women not on antipsychotics prior to BC diagnosis had significantly better 5-year survival rates (72% vs. 60%) and lower risks of local
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Background: Results of recent studies suggest that high levels of endogenous testosterone decrease the risk of diabetes. Testosterone therapy may delay the transition from prediabetes to diabetes and accelerate healing of diabetic foot ulcers in hypogonadal men. We investigated whether testosterone therapy in this population decreases the occurrence of diabetic foot complications within 1 and 5 years of diabetes diagnosis.

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Purpose: Electric scooters (e-scooters) have rapidly become a mainstream method of transportation in the U.S. but there is consequently limited data on their safety profile.

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Chapter 10: Review of parent and healthcare provider experiences based on approach to managing Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome (NOWS).

Semin Perinatol

November 2024

The University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd, Galveston, TX 77555-1132, USA. Electronic address:

Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome (NOWS) is a group of clinical withdrawal signs occurring in prenatally opioid-exposed newborns and manifesting as neurobehavioral dysregulation, including extreme irritability such as excessive crying, rigid muscle tone, and difficulty feeding and sleeping. One U.S.

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Background: Erectile dysfunction and lower urinary tract symptoms, from benign prostatic hyperplasia and bladder neck obstructions, are prevalent in men and associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases. Phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE-5) inhibitors, such as tadalafil and sildenafil, are used to treat erectile dysfunction and may also offer cardiovascular benefits due to their vasodilatory effects. This study evaluates the impact of these PDE-5 inhibitors on all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease, and dementia in middle-aged men with erectile dysfunction and lower urinary tract symptoms over a 3 year follow-up period.

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Article Synopsis
  • GLP-1 receptor agonists, used for managing diabetes and weight loss, may increase complications post total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA), including higher rates of deep vein thrombosis and myocardial infarction.
  • A study analyzed data from 2010 to 2023, matching 1,259 patients on GLP-1 receptor agonists with a control group to assess postoperative medical complications and readmission rates.
  • Results showed users had significantly more complications and readmissions within 90 days, but no difference in revision surgery rates within 2 years; further research is needed on the risks involved.
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Background And Objectives: Crohn's disease (CD) is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) characterized by transmural inflammation and intestinal fibrosis involving mostly the small intestine and colon. The pathogenic mechanisms of CD remain incompletely understood and cures are unavailable. Current medical therapies are aimed at inducing prolonged remission.

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We present a case of a 12-year-old healthy girl who presented with acute onset of dry, hyperpigmented, and raised pruritic rash. The lesions initially presented on her thighs then progressed to the trunk and arms hours after receiving the tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis (Tdap) and meningococcal vaccine. After a poor response to medium potency topical steroids, a biopsy specimen was taken, which led to our diagnosis.

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Over the past 25 years, the global community has faced challenges posed by three distinct outbreaks of coronaviruses including severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The identification of a novel alphacoronavirus canine CoV (CCoV-HuPn2018) in human patients in Malaysia underscores the potential for crossover infections to humans. The threat of the ever-evolving nature of viral infections as well as the lingering health and socioeconomic effects of the recent SARS-CoV-2 pandemic emphasize the urgent need for advanced antiviral drug screening tools that can be quickly implemented to strengthen preparedness and preventive measures against future outbreaks.

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Disruption of canonical AHR-mediated induction of hepatocyte PKM2 expression compromises antioxidant defenses and increases TCDD-induced hepatotoxicity.

Redox Biol

November 2024

Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA; Institute for Integrative Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA. Electronic address:

Metabolic reprogramming by the pyruvate kinase M2 isoform is associated with cell proliferation and reactive oxygen species (ROS) defenses. 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), an environmental contaminant that induces ROS and hepatotoxicity, dose-dependently induces pyruvate kinase muscle isoform M2 (PKM2) in the liver. To further investigate its role in combating TCDD hepatotoxicity, a Pkm mouse was constructed lacking the dioxin response element mediating aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) induction.

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Article Synopsis
  • The golf club deformity is a serious malreduction after distal femur fracture fixation that can lead to knee problems and reduced function.
  • There is no agreement among orthopedic experts on the best way to treat these malunions.
  • The proposed technique combines osteotomy and ring external fixation with advanced computer-assisted correction methods, aiming to improve the reliability of measuring and fixing this deformity.
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  • Street-involved children and youth (SICY) face numerous challenges, including abuse and social exclusion, with an estimated 10-15 million SICY globally, over 250,000 in Kenya.
  • A study analyzed the impact of street exposure duration and sleeping locations on abuse experiences among 228 formerly SICY in Kenya, revealing high rates of physical, emotional, and economic abuse.
  • The findings emphasize the need for early intervention and trauma-informed approaches to effectively support the reintegration of SICY, considering the timing and types of abuse they encounter.
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Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) exhibits an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) contributing to its therapeutic resistance. Following our previous studies, we report that mast cells infiltrating the PDAC TME foster this immunosuppression and desmoplasia. Mast cell infiltration correlated with human PDAC progression, and genetic or pharmacological mast cell depletion reduced tumor growth and desmoplasia while enhancing survival in mouse PDAC models.

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