1,721,005 research outputs found
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Measuring A. alternata Protease Activity and Their Effects on Asthma
No full textAlternaria alternata, is a key factor in childhood allergic asthma in semi-arid climates. We have shown that filtrates from A. alternata can both cause asthma symptoms in a mouse model as well as directly activate human bronchial epithelial cells, which provide the first point of contact for microbes in the airway lumen. These interactions are dependent on A. alternata protease activity within the host acting on protease activated receptor-2 (PAR₂) (1). Proteolysis of PAR₂ results in an exposed “tethered ligand” that initiates host intracellular signaling pathways and subsequent physiological response (1). In this report, we measured the protease activity of various A. alternata filtrate samples using a standard, casein-based fluorescent protease detection assay and a novel fluorescent probe we designed to include the specific proteolytic sequence of PAR₂. Both assays showed protease activity of A. alternata filtrates that matched their respective signaling responses in host epithelial cells. Conditions that limited protease activity effectively blocked protease detections in the assays and cell signaling responses. We conclude that A. alternata filtrates induce airway epithelial cell signaling and asthmatic response partly via protease activity on PAR₂. By utilizing our novel proteolytic assay we may better predict potency of various PAR₂-dependent asthmagens in vitro
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
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RESPIRATORY SYNCYTIAL VIRUS (RSV) AND ASTHMA—POTENTIAL FOR INTERVENTION
No full textRespiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is a common virus that has the potential to infect people of all ages and is prevalent in countries all over the world. Most cases of RSV infections are presented in the upper respiratory tract, but there are cases of lower respiratory tract infection, which tend tolead tomore harmful consequences. In some instances, RSV infections can be responsible for the emergence of other short-term respiratory issues, such as pneumonia and bronchiolitis. This can occur if an RSV infection worsens and leads toconditions that make thelungs susceptible to illnesses and even chronic diseases. Asthma is common chronic health condition affecting millions of people worldwide, and increasing evidence shows that having severe RSV infections at an early age is linked to adult asthma. This literature review focuses on research findings that provide supportive evidence for how RSV islinked to asthma and possible interventions for both RSV and asthma. Iwill look at the backgrounds, the pathophysiology, and treatments and preventative options of both RSV and asthma. Then, I will focus on the main findings among the correlations between the cytokines that are upregulated during severe RSV infections, such as interleukin-33(IL-33), IL-13, and IL-5,and how those same cytokines areinvolved with asthma genesis and recurring asthmatic inflammation. Finally, I will discuss the potential forpreventing asthma development caused by RSV via early RSV vaccination
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MODELING THE EFFECTS OF ARSENIC INHALATION EXPOSURE ON APICAL BRONCHIAL EPITHELIAL BARRIER FUNCTION
No full textThis thesis is a research-based approach to determining an experimental model that accurately
mimics inhalation of environmentally relevant concentrations of arsenic. The model will be
established by using an immortalized human bronchial cell line seeded on filters that allow
access to the apical and basolateral surfaces of the upper respiratory epithelium. Further, this
model will be used to understand how inhalatory arsenic exposure affects the upper airway
epithelial barrier function via tight junction proteins and subsequently contributes to respiratory
disease
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DETAILING LUNG CELL MORPHOLOGY IN SEPTIC PATIENTS WITH ACUTE RESPIRATORY DISTRESS SYNDROME
No full textWith the rise of new bacterial and viral strains, curtailing invasive blood infections has become a race against the clock for hospitalized patients every day. Sepsis begins as an infection in the bloodstream. The body’s immune-mediated response begins the release of cytokines targeting the pathogen. Activation of the immune system interrupts the integrity of epithelial structures in the alveoli. Without the early intervention of antibiotics, the conditions of septic patients can progress into Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), jeopardizing their survival rate. Today's challenge is determining how early sepsis can be diagnosed and what changes occur in lung cells to exacerbate respiratory distress. No treatment can cure ARDS, but a combination of therapies, like mechanical ventilation and induced comas, can assist in the healing process of the lungs
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
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ΒETA-ARRESTIN-BIASED PROTEASE-ACTIVATED RECEPTOR-2 ANTAGONIST C781 LIMITS ALLERGEN-INDUCED AIRWAY HYPERRESPONSIVENESS AND INFLAMMATION
No full textMillions of patients in the United States suffer from asthma, and of these patients 5-10% are estimated to have a disease state that remains uncontrolled by current treatments. Therefore, there is a strong need for advances in allergic asthma medications. Protease-activated-Receptor 2 (PAR2) as expressed in the airway has been implicated in allergic asthma through its paradoxical downstream signaling pathways. The β-arrestin-dependent pathway promotes inflammation, while the Gαq-dependent pathway has a protective effect, promoting relaxation. We have developed a biased PAR2 antagonist C781 that selectively blocks the β-arrestin-dependent inflammatory pathway, and that we have shown to be promising in vivo to attenuate asthma indicators in an acute allergen exposure model in mice. In this thesis, the landscape of current asthma treatments is explored, and the logic behind the development of C781 is established. Next, we describe the efficacy of C781 in vitro cell-based assays and in vivo mouse models as published in the British Journal of Pharmacology. We conclude by exploring future directions in the development of PAR2 biased antagonists with the potential for biochemical optimization of C781
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ADDRESSING E-CIGARETTE POLICY AND USAGE ON THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA CAMPUS
No full textE-Cigarettes were introduced as an alternative to smoking and entered the American market in 2007. A decade later, 3.6 million middle and high school students were using e-cigarettes. Most important to the University of Arizona community, 14.3% of undergraduate students have reported using an e-cigarette at any point within 30 days. While the full health effects of using e-cigarettes remains unknown, mounting evidence suggests that they are no better than cigarettes. Further, rather than serving as an “healthy alternative” to traditional tobacco products, e- cigarettes serve as a gateway to smoking. Regulation of e-cigarettes occurs at both the federal and state levels. Within Arizona, there is a law restricting youth access to e-cigarettes, however, there are no Arizona laws that define e-cigarettes, tax e-cigarettes, define product packaging of e- cigarettes, or require licenses for retail sales of e-cigarettes. To partially address this lack of oversight, the University of Arizona has implemented campus policies concerning e-cigarette and vaping (Policy SA-301, enacted February, 2017). In this report, I review these policies and make recommendations to better position the University of Arizona as a healthy, tobacco-free environment. In an attempt to understand how current policies are regulated at the University of Arizona, and to discuss potential improvements on these policies, I requested a meeting from every college on campus, the UA President, the Provost, UAPD, Housing, and the Dean of Students office. I held meetings with the Honors College, Housing and Residential Life, College of Pharmacy, College of Public Health, and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. The results of these meetings include updated procedures during residential life meetings, inclusion of e-cigarette policy and prevention information during new student orientation, and increased marketing on campus to increase awareness on the policies concerning e-cigarettes
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
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