Alan Wells
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View article: CXCR3-activating peptide inhibits pulmonary fibrosis in a bleomycin mouse model
CXCR3-activating peptide inhibits pulmonary fibrosis in a bleomycin mouse model Open
Abnormal wound healing and dysregulated inflammation in the lung results in scarring and progressive fibrosis, which are hallmarks of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) and post-COVID injury-related lung fibrosis. Chemokine signaling thro…
View article: An estrogen-independent and IL-1-dependent pathway controls vulvovaginal candidiasis through combined IL-17/IL-22 signaling
An estrogen-independent and IL-1-dependent pathway controls vulvovaginal candidiasis through combined IL-17/IL-22 signaling Open
Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC), caused by the commensal pathobiont Candida albicans, affects >75% of women, marring quality of life and incurring significant health costs. Estrogen (E2) activity is tightly linked to VVC susceptibility, and…
View article: Context-Dependent Modulation of Breast Cancer Cell E-Cadherin Expression, Mitogenesis, and Immuno-Sensitivity by Immortalized Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells In Vitro
Context-Dependent Modulation of Breast Cancer Cell E-Cadherin Expression, Mitogenesis, and Immuno-Sensitivity by Immortalized Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells In Vitro Open
The major event that leads to death from breast cancer (BrCa) is the emergence of micrometastases into lethal growing metastases. While it is still uncertain what regulates the cell fate decision between remaining in dormancy and aggressiv…
View article: Leveraging Deep Learning, Grid Search, and Bayesian Networks to Predict Distant Recurrence of Breast Cancer
Leveraging Deep Learning, Grid Search, and Bayesian Networks to Predict Distant Recurrence of Breast Cancer Open
Background: Unlike most cancers, breast cancer poses a persistent risk of distant recurrence—often years after initial treatment—making long-term risk stratification uniquely challenging. Current tools fall short in predicting late metasta…
View article: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors on EGFR Mutations In Vitro
Evaluating the Effectiveness of Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors on EGFR Mutations In Vitro Open
Abnormal expressions and genetic mutations of EGFR are broadly involved in the progression of many human solid tumors, which has led to the development of small molecule inhibitors (TKIs). However, patients’ tumors usually develop resistan…
View article: Hope for OTHERS (Our Tissue Helping Enhance Research & Science): research results from the University of Pittsburgh rapid autopsy program for breast cancer
Hope for OTHERS (Our Tissue Helping Enhance Research & Science): research results from the University of Pittsburgh rapid autopsy program for breast cancer Open
Breast cancer affects 1/8 of women throughout their lifetimes, with over 90% of cancer deaths being caused by metastasis. However, metastasis poses unique challenges to research, as complex changes in the microenvironment in different meta…
View article: Predictive Models to Identify Individuals With HIV at Risk of Unsuppressed Viral Load Using Routine Public Health Data
Predictive Models to Identify Individuals With HIV at Risk of Unsuppressed Viral Load Using Routine Public Health Data Open
Background: Effective antiretroviral therapy to maintain durable viral suppression is key to ending the HIV epidemic in the United States. We evaluated the ability of machine learning algorithms to predict people with HIV (PWH) at risk of …
View article: Deep Learning: A Heuristic Three-Stage Mechanism for Grid Searches to Optimize the Future Risk Prediction of Breast Cancer Metastasis Using EHR-Based Clinical Data
Deep Learning: A Heuristic Three-Stage Mechanism for Grid Searches to Optimize the Future Risk Prediction of Breast Cancer Metastasis Using EHR-Based Clinical Data Open
Background: A grid search, at the cost of training and testing a large number of models, is an effective way to optimize the prediction performance of deep learning models. A challenging task concerning grid search is time management. With…
View article: Statins as Secondary Preventive Agent to Limit Breast Cancer Metastatic Outgrowth
Statins as Secondary Preventive Agent to Limit Breast Cancer Metastatic Outgrowth Open
Metastasis is a leading cause of mortality in breast cancer, as metastatic disease is often aggressive and resistant to conventional treatments. Cancer cells that spread to distant organs can enter a dormant phase for extended periods, som…
View article: Hope for Others: Research Results from the University of Pittsburgh Rapid Autopsy Program for Breast Cancer
Hope for Others: Research Results from the University of Pittsburgh Rapid Autopsy Program for Breast Cancer Open
Breast cancer affects 1/8 of women throughout their lifetimes, with over 90% of cancer deaths being caused by metastasis. However, metastasis poses unique challenges to research, as complex changes in the microenvironment in different meta…
View article: Cytokine trajectory over time in men and women with HIV on long-term ART
Cytokine trajectory over time in men and women with HIV on long-term ART Open
Objective: Although antiretroviral therapy (ART) suppresses viral replication and reduces inflammation, it does not lead to the normalization of cytokines. The long-term effects of ART beyond viral suppression have not been studied and are…
View article: Coalitions of AI-based Methods Predict 15-Year Risks of Breast Cancer Metastasis Using Real-World Clinical Data with AUC up to 0.9
Coalitions of AI-based Methods Predict 15-Year Risks of Breast Cancer Metastasis Using Real-World Clinical Data with AUC up to 0.9 Open
Breast cancer is one of the two cancers responsible for the most deaths in women, with about 42,000 deaths each year in the US. That there are over 300,000 breast cancers newly diagnosed each year suggests that only a fraction of the cance…
View article: Deep Learning: a Heuristic Three-stage Mechanism for Grid Searches to Optimize the Future Risk Prediction of Breast Cancer Metastasis Using EHR-based Clinical Data
Deep Learning: a Heuristic Three-stage Mechanism for Grid Searches to Optimize the Future Risk Prediction of Breast Cancer Metastasis Using EHR-based Clinical Data Open
A grid search, at the cost of training and testing a large number of models, is an effective way to optimize the prediction performance of deep learning models. A challenging task concerning grid search is the time management. Without a go…
View article: Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Secreted Exosomes and Soluble Signals Regulate Breast Cancer Metastatic Dormancy: Current Progress and Future Outlook
Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Secreted Exosomes and Soluble Signals Regulate Breast Cancer Metastatic Dormancy: Current Progress and Future Outlook Open
Breast cancer is most common in women, and in most cases there is no evidence of spread and the primary tumor is removed, resulting in a ‘cure’. However, in 10% to 30% of these women, distant metastases recur after years to decades. This i…
View article: Navigating the Tensions of Community Engagement Evaluation through Culturally Responsive and Equity-Oriented Approaches
Navigating the Tensions of Community Engagement Evaluation through Culturally Responsive and Equity-Oriented Approaches Open
For decades, community-campus partnerships have helped transform traditional notions of research. Through approaches such as community-based participatory research (CBPR), decolonizing methodologies, and participatory action research (PAR)…
View article: Clinical evaluation of the Simplexa HSV 1 & 2 Direct assay for bronchoalveolar lavage specimens
Clinical evaluation of the Simplexa HSV 1 & 2 Direct assay for bronchoalveolar lavage specimens Open
Rapid laboratory testing is essential to detect HSV in the lower respiratory tract to allow rapid treatment decisions. We evaluated the clinical performance of the Simplexa HSV 1 & 2 Direct assay in bronchoalveolar lavage. This assay is hi…
View article: A CXCR3-Activating Peptide Increases Tear Break Up Time and Corrects Corneal haze in a Rabbit Model of Environmental Dry Eye
A CXCR3-Activating Peptide Increases Tear Break Up Time and Corrects Corneal haze in a Rabbit Model of Environmental Dry Eye Open
The treatment of environmental DED/KCS with a peptide that activates CXCR3 improved tear quality and reversed corneal pathology by promoting tear stability and likely dampening the corneal inflammation, while not affecting aqueous volume o…
View article: Prospective Assessment of Humoral and Cellular Immune Responses to a Third COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine Dose Among Immunocompromised Individuals
Prospective Assessment of Humoral and Cellular Immune Responses to a Third COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine Dose Among Immunocompromised Individuals Open
Background Improved coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) prevention is needed for immunocompromised individuals. Methods A prospective study was performed of health care workers (HCW) and immunocompromised participants with baseline serolog…
View article: Clinical performance evaluation of HCV and HIV-1 assays on the fully automated molecular system Alinity m
Clinical performance evaluation of HCV and HIV-1 assays on the fully automated molecular system Alinity m Open
The demand for molecular virology testing continues to grow in clinical laboratories worldwide. The Alinity m system is a fully automated, continuous, random-access molecular diagnostic analyzer that was designed to streamline the laborato…
View article: 1614 DEVELOPING OUR OLDER PEOPLES LIAISON SERVICE: IS A FRAILTY NURSE LED MODEL THE WAY FORWARD?
1614 DEVELOPING OUR OLDER PEOPLES LIAISON SERVICE: IS A FRAILTY NURSE LED MODEL THE WAY FORWARD? Open
Introduction ‘Older People in Hospital Standards’ (2015) identifies that Older People should have care/treatment in the most suitable settings. In University Hospital Monklands (UHM) a liaison service was provided to frail patients who nee…
View article: Deciphering the molecular mechanism of enhanced tumor activity of the EGFR variant T790M/L858R using melanoma cell lines
Deciphering the molecular mechanism of enhanced tumor activity of the EGFR variant T790M/L858R using melanoma cell lines Open
Introduction The abnormal expression and mutagenesis of EGFR drives both the development and progression of a multitude of human cancers. Further mutations within the tyrosine kinase region of the EGFR subsequently contribute to resistance…
View article: Axl contributes to efficient migration and invasion of melanoma cells
Axl contributes to efficient migration and invasion of melanoma cells Open
Axl, a member of the TAM receptor family has been broadly suggested to play a key role in tumor metastasis. However, the function of Axl in the invasion and metastasis of melanoma, the most lethal skin cancer, remains largely unknown. In t…
View article: A CXCR3-activating peptide increases Tear Break Up Time and corrects corneal haze in a rabbit model of environmental dry eye
A CXCR3-activating peptide increases Tear Break Up Time and corrects corneal haze in a rabbit model of environmental dry eye Open
Purpose Environmentally-triggered dry eye disease (DED) or keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS), which constitutes the majority of DED cases, currently is palliatively treated with aqueous replacement solutions that do not target the dysfuncti…
View article: Role of CXCR3 in fibrotic tissue responses
Role of CXCR3 in fibrotic tissue responses Open
Development of fibrosis leads to end stage diseases that defy treatments across all organs. This ensues as chronic inflammation is not dampened by physiologic processes that issue in the resolution phase of wound healing. Thus, these condi…
View article: Predictive model for severe COVID-19 using SARS-CoV-2 whole genome sequencing and electronic health record data, March 2020-May 2021
Predictive model for severe COVID-19 using SARS-CoV-2 whole genome sequencing and electronic health record data, March 2020-May 2021 Open
Background and Aim: We used SARS-CoV-2 whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and electronic health record (EHR) data to investigate the associations between viral genomes and clinical characteristics and severe outcomes among hospitalized COVID-19…
View article: New and Interesting Fungi
New and Interesting Fungi Open
Nine new genera, 17 new species, nine new combinations, seven epitypes, three lectotypes, one neotype, and 14 interesting new host and / or geographical records are introduced in this study. New genera: Neobarrmaelia (based on Neobarrmaeli…