Effect of Cyclooxygenase-2 Glycosylation on Downstream Expression of E-Cadherin and β-Catenin in MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cells

Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is an enzyme that helps catalyze the formation of prostaglandins, which promote inflammation, pain, and fever and maintain other normal physiological functions throughout the body. However, the overexpression of COX-2 has been found to play a role in various diseases including breast cancer. COX-2 exists as two major glycoforms— 72 kDa and 74 kDa— due to the glycosylation site Asn580 which is glycosylated 50% of the time. Past studies from our lab have shown that this glycosylation regulates COX-2 protein turnover in the cell3. The proteins E-cadherin— a tumor suppressor— and β-catenin— a tumor driver— can be regulated by COX-2 activityhttps://scholar.dominican.edu/natural-sciences-and-mathematics-faculty-research-posters/1002/thumbnail.jp

Variably improved microbial source tracking with digital droplet PCR

This study addressed whether digital droplet PCR (ddPCR) could improve sensitivity and specificity of human-associated Bacteroidales genetic markers, BacHum and B. theta, and their quantification in environmental and fecal composite samples. Human markers were quantified by qPCR and ddPCR platforms obtained from the same manufacturer. A total of 180 samples were evaluated by each platform including human and animal feces, sewage, and environmental water. The sensitivity of ddPCR and qPCR marker assays in sewage and human stool was 0.85–1.00 with marginal reduction in human stool by ddPCR relative to qPCR (<10%). The prevalence and distribution of markers across complex sample types was similar (74–100% agreement) by both platforms with qPCR showing higher sensitivity for markers in environmental and composite samples and ddPCR showing greater reproducibility for marker detection in fecal composites. Determination of BacHum prevalence in fecal samples by ddPCR increased specificity relative to qPCR (from 0.58 to 0.88) and accuracy (from 0.77 to 0.94), while the B. theta assay performed similarly on both platforms (specificity = 0.98). In silico analysis indicated higher specificity of ddPCR for BacHum was not solely attributed to reduced sensitivity relative to qPCR. Marker concentrations measured by ddPCR for all sample types were consistently lower than those measured by qPCR, by a factor of 2.6 ± 2.8 for B. theta and 18.7 ± 10.0 for BacHum. We suggest that differences in assay performance on ddPCR and qPCR platforms may be linked to the characteristics of the assay targets (that is, genes with multiple versus single copies and encoding proteins versus ribosomal RNA) however further work is needed to validate these ideas. We conclude that ddPCR is a suitable tool for microbial source tracking, however, other factors such as cost-effectiveness and assay-specific performance should be considered.Fil: Nshimyimana, Jean Pierre. Michigan State University; Estados Unidos. Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Estados Unidos. Nanyang Technological University; SingapurFil: Cruz, Mercedes Cecilia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta. Instituto de Investigaciones para la Industria Química. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Facultad de Ingeniería. Instituto de Investigaciones para la Industria Química; Argentina. Nanyang Technological University; SingapurFil: Wuertz, Stefan. Nanyang Technological University; SingapurFil: Thompson, Janelle R.. Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Estados Unido

Survey of Revegetated Areas on the Fitzner/Eberhardt Arid Lands Ecology Reserve: Status and Initial Monitoring Results

During 2010, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Richland Operations Office removed a number of facilities and debris from the Fitzner/Eberhardt Arid Lands Ecology Reserve (ALE), which is part of the Hanford Reach National Monument (HRNM). Revegetation of disturbed sites is necessary to stabilize the soil, reduce invasion of these areas by exotic weeds, and to accelerate re-establishment of native plant communities. Seven revegetation units were identified on ALE based on soils and potential native plant communities at the site. Native seed mixes and plant material were identified for each area based on the desired plant community. Revegetation of locations affected by decommissioning of buildings and debris removal was undertaken during the winter and early spring of 2010 and 2011, respectively. This report describes both the details of planting and seeding for each of the units, describes the sampling design for monitoring, and summarizes the data collected during the first year of monitoring. In general, the revegetation efforts were successful in establishing native bunchgrasses and shrubs on most of the sites within the 7 revegetation units. Invasion of the revegetation areas by exotic annual species was minimal for most sites, but was above initial criteria in 3 areas: the Hodges Well subunit of Unit 2, and Units 6 and 7

Mother-child histocompatibility and risk of rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus among mothers.

The study objective was to test the hypothesis that having histocompatible children increases the risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), possibly by contributing to the persistence of fetal cells acquired during pregnancy. We conducted a case control study using data from the UC San Francisco Mother Child Immunogenetic Study and studies at the Inova Translational Medicine Institute. We imputed human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles and minor histocompatibility antigens (mHags). We created a variable of exposure to histocompatible children. We estimated an average sequence similarity matching (SSM) score for each mother based on discordant mother-child alleles as a measure of histocompatibility. We used logistic regression models to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals. A total of 138 RA, 117 SLE, and 913 control mothers were analyzed. Increased risk of RA was associated with having any child compatible at HLA-B (OR 1.9; 1.2-3.1), DPB1 (OR 1.8; 1.2-2.6) or DQB1 (OR 1.8; 1.2-2.7). Compatibility at mHag ZAPHIR was associated with reduced risk of SLE among mothers carrying the HLA-restriction allele B*07:02 (n = 262; OR 0.4; 0.2-0.8). Our findings support the hypothesis that mother-child histocompatibility is associated with risk of RA and SLE

La imagen y la narrativa como herramientas para el abordaje psicosocial en escenarios de violencia. Departamentos de Boyacá, Bolívar y Magdalena

La violencia en Colombia con lleva a la actuación del totalitarismo que, como estrategia de opresión social, se inscribe a interacciones entre Estado, instituciones, comunidades, colectivos, familias e individuos. Se menciona que estas interacciones están influenciadas por la falta de comunicación, la exclusión de la alteridad, el deseo de liberación generacional y la adaptación a condiciones sociopolíticas de dominación. Se destaca que los grupos de víctimas de conflictos armados a menudo adoptan un lenguaje bélico en lugar de buscar acuerdos, lo que refleja la contrariedad ideológica entre los bandos. Esto lleva a una reflexión en las ciencias sociales sobre temas como vida-muerte, bien-mal, normal-patológico, objetividad-subjetividad, lo simple-lo complejo y la lucha contra la impunidad de la desaparición forzosa. El texto propone analizar dos casos: el de Amparo, sus traumas y estrategias de afrontamiento, y el de El Salado, con sus consecuencias bio-psico-socio-culturales. También se plantean preguntas sobre el impacto en las familias y las transformaciones en las relaciones familiares. Se enfatiza la importancia de entender la interpretación de las víctimas y cómo usan sus imaginarios para sobrevivir. Además, se menciona un ejercicio de foto-voz en cinco comunidades de Boyacá, Bolívar y Magdalena, donde se identifican hechos de violencia y se destaca la resiliencia de los habitantes al buscar oportunidades de mejora individual y comunitaria. El objetivo final es establecer conclusiones basadas en este proceso práctico.Violence in Colombia leads to the action of totalitarianism which, as a strategy of social oppression, is inscribed in interactions between the State, institutions, communities, collectives, families and individuals. It is mentioned that these interactions are influenced by the lack of communication, the exclusion of otherness, the desire for generational liberation and the adaptation to socio-political conditions of domination. It is emphasized that groups of victims of armed conflicts often adopt a warlike language instead of seeking agreements, reflecting ideological contrariness between the sides. This leads to a reflection in the social sciences on issues such as life-death, good-evil, normal-pathological, objectivity-subjectivity, the simple-complex and the struggle against the impunity of forced disappearance. The text proposes to analyze two cases: that of Amparo, her traumas and coping strategies, and that of El Salado, with its bio-psycho-socio-cultural consequences. Questions are also raised about the impact on families and transformations in family relationships. The importance of understanding the interpretation of the victims and how they use their imaginaries to survive is emphasized. In addition, a photo-voice exercise is mentioned in five communities in Boyacá, Bolívar and Magdalena, where facts of violence are identified and the resilience of the inhabitants is highlighted as they seek opportunities for individual and community improvement. The final objective is to establish conclusions based on this practical process

La influencia de la responsabilidad social empresarial en el comportamiento de compra de las consumidoras de revistas de 18 a 24 años de edad en Lima Metropolitana

La responsabilidad social empresarial (RSE) se ha convertido en un tema de importancia a nivel internacional, sin embargo en el Perú aún no se observan muchos estudios que permitan conocer su impacto en el consumidor. Por tanto, esta investigación busca determinar la influencia de la Responsabilidad Social Empresarial en el comportamiento de compra de las consumidoras de revistas cuyas edades se encuentran entre 18 a 24 años en Lima Metropolitana. Para cuantificar la intención de compra y la disposición a pagar por las acciones de responsabilidad social desarrolladas por las empresas, se realizó una investigación bajo la Metodología de los Modelos de Elección Discreta. Dicho experimento se llevó a cabo utilizando una muestra por conveniencia de 132 consumidoras de revistas cuyas edades se encuentran entre 18 a 24 años en Lima Metropolitana. La investigación brinda evidencia empírica de la relación positiva entre la Responsabilidad Social Empresarial y el comportamiento de compra de la muestra. Los resultados del estudio indican que el efecto de la Responsabilidad Social Empresarial en su conjunto es superior al de las Competencias Corporativas. El presente estudio es una ampliación del alcance de la investigación doctoral La Influencia de la Responsabilidad Social Empresarial en el Comportamiento de Compra de los Consumidores Peruanos (Marquina, 2009). Con la autorización del autor, se ha utilizado la tesis como base para la revisión de literatura y la aplicación de la metodología.Corporate Social Responsibility has become a matter of importance at an international level, also in Peru there are not many studies that show its effect on the consumer. Therefore, this research seeks to determine the influence of Corporate Social Responsibility on consumer magazine’s buying behavior whose ages are between 18-24 years in Metropolitan Lima. To quantify the purchase intention and the disposition to pay for the corporate social responsibility actions developed by companies an experiment was carried out under the discrete choice model. This experiment was carried out using a random for convenience of 132 consumer magazine’s buying whose ages are between 18-24 years in Metropolitan Lima. This investigation provides empirical evidence of the positive relationship between the corporate social responsibility and the purchasing behavior of the sample. The results of the study indicate that the effect of the corporate social responsibility as a whole is superior to that of the corporate competencies. The present study is an extension of the scope of the doctoral investigation “The Influence of the Corporate Social Responsibility in the Purchasing Behavior of Peruvian Consumers” (Marquina, 2009). With permission of the author, the thesis has been used as the basis for the literature review and application of the methodology.Tesi

Increasing effectiveness and equity in strengthening health research capacity using data and metrics: recent advances of the ESSENCE mechanism

Background: The ESSENCE on Health Research initiative established a Working Group on Review of Investments in 2018 to improve coordination and collaboration among funders of health research capacity strengthening. The Working Group comprises more than a dozen ESSENCE members, including diverse representation by geography, country income level, the public sector, and philanthropy. Objective: The overall goal of the Working Group is increased research on national health priorities as well as improved pandemic preparedness, and, ultimately, fewer countries with very limited research capacity. Methods: We developed a basic set of metrics for national health research capacity, assessed different models of coordination and collaboration, took a deeper dive into eight countries to characterize their national research capacity, and began to identify opportunities to better coordinate our investments. In this article, we summarize the presentations, discussions, and outcomes of our second annual (virtual) meeting, which had more than 100 participants representing funders, researchers, and other stakeholders from higher- and lower-income countries worldwide. Findings and conclusions: Presentations on the first day included the keynote speaker, Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, chief scientist of the World Health Organization (WHO), and updates on data and metrics for research capacity, which are critical to establish targets, road maps, and budgets. The second day focused on improving collaboration and coordination among funders and other stakeholders, the potential return on investment for health research, ongoing work to increase coordination at the country level, and examples of research capacity strengthening efforts in diverse health research areas from around the world. We concluded that an intentional data- and metric-driven approach to health research capacity strengthening, emphasizing coordination among funders, local leadership, and equitable partnerships and allocation of resources, will enhance the health systems of resource-poor countries as well as the world's pandemic preparedness

Gut microbial diversity is reduced by the probiotic VSL#3 and correlates with decreased TNBS-induced colitis:

Compositional changes within the normal intestinal microbiota have been associated with the development of various intestinal inflammatory disorders such as pouchitis and inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). Therefore, it has been speculated that manipulation of a dysbiotic intestinal microbiota has the potential to restore microbial homeostasis and attenuate inflammation

Experiences and Perspectives of Filipino Patients with Stroke on Physical Therapy Telerehabilitation: A Phenomenological Study Protocol

Introduction: Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the Philippines, so these patients must continuously undergo rehabilitation for faster recovery. With the rise of COVID-19, physical therapy (PT) telerehabilitation (TR) has emerged, where services are provided outside the usual rehabilitation setting for patients with stroke to continue their treatment while reducing the risk of acquiring COVID-19. However, it is a relatively new service in the country; hence, further research is needed to identify the factors and needs of these patients during TR, which may help improve PT TR services. Objective: This study aims to explore the experiences and perspectives of Filipino patients with stroke who have undergone PT TR in the Philippines since March 2020. Administrators of healthcare facilities, policy-makers, and other decision-makers involved in evaluating, implementing, and developing PT TR may benefit patients with stroke. This can expand the scope of rehabilitation to patients with stroke who have no access to face-to-face rehabilitation or improve the training or education of Physical Therapists who are providing TR to stroke patients. Methods: This will be a qualitative phenomenological study design that will use purposive sampling to recruit participants. Semi-structured interviews (SSI) will be conducted online using Google Meetings®, Zoom®, or Facebook Messenger® to record their experiences and perspectives. The NVivo data analysis software will be used to create codes and identify themes from the data gathered. The data that will be obtained is about the experiences and perspectives of Filipino patients with stroke regarding PT TR. The insights of the participants will undergo Thematic Analysis until no new information will be discovered from the analyzed data