University of Alabama at Birmingham

About: University of Alabama at Birmingham is a education organization based out in Birmingham, Alabama, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Poison control. The organization has 38523 authors who have published 86775 publications receiving 3930642 citations. The organization is also known as: UAB & The University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Laser–Raman imagery of Earth's earliest fossils

Abstract: Unlike the familiar Phanerozoic history of life, evolution during the earlier and much longer Precambrian segment of geological time centred on prokaryotic microbes1. Because such microorganisms are minute, are preserved incompletely in geological materials, and have simple morphologies that can be mimicked by nonbiological mineral microstructures, discriminating between true microbial fossils and microscopic pseudofossil ‘lookalikes’ can be difficult2,3. Thus, valid identification of fossil microbes, which is essential to understanding the prokaryote-dominated, Precambrian 85% of life's history, can require more than traditional palaeontology that is focused on morphology. By combining optically discernible morphology with analyses of chemical composition, laser–Raman spectroscopic imagery of individual microscopic fossils provides a means by which to address this need. Here we apply this technique to exceptionally ancient fossil microbe-like objects, including the oldest such specimens reported from the geological record, and show that the results obtained substantiate the biological origin of the earliest cellular fossils known.

Smoking and mortality--beyond established causes.

Abstract: BACKGROUND Mortality among current smokers is 2 to 3 times as high as that among persons who never smoked. Most of this excess mortality is believed to be explained by 21 common diseases that have been formally established as caused by cigarette smoking and are included in official estimates of smoking-attributable mortality in the United States. However, if smoking causes additional diseases, these official estimates may significantly underestimate the number of deaths attributable to smoking. METHODS We pooled data from five contemporary U.S. cohort studies including 421,378 men and 532,651 women 55 years of age or older. Participants were followed from 2000 through 2011, and relative risks and 95% confidence intervals were estimated with the use of Cox proportional-hazards models adjusted for age, race, educational level, daily alcohol consumption, and cohort. RESULTS During the follow-up period, there were 181,377 deaths, including 16,475 among current smokers. Overall, approximately 17% of the excess mortality among current smokers was due to associations with causes that are not currently established as attributable to smoking. These included associations between current smoking and deaths from renal failure (relative risk, 2.0; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.7 to 2.3), intestinal ischemia (relative risk, 6.0; 95% CI, 4.5 to 8.1), hypertensive heart disease (relative risk, 2.4; 95% CI, 1.9 to 3.0), infections (relative risk, 2.3; 95% CI, 2.0 to 2.7), various respiratory diseases (relative risk, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.6 to 2.4), breast cancer (relative risk, 1.3; 95% CI, 1.2 to 1.5), and prostate cancer (relative risk, 1.4; 95% CI, 1.2 to 1.7). Among former smokers, the relative risk for each of these outcomes declined as the number of years since quitting increased. CONCLUSIONS A substantial portion of the excess mortality among current smokers between 2000 and 2011 was due to associations with diseases that have not been formally established as caused by smoking. These associations should be investigated further and, when appropriate, taken into account when the mortality burden of smoking is investigated. (Funded by the American Cancer Society.)

On the Alert for Cytokine Storm: Immunopathology in COVID-19.

Abstract: Poor outcomes in COVID-19 correlate with clinical and laboratory features of cytokine storm syndrome. Broad screening for cytokine storm and early, targeted antiinflammatory therapy may prevent immunopathology and could help conserve limited health care resources. While studies are ongoing, extrapolating from clinical experience in cytokine storm syndromes may benefit the multidisciplinary teams caring for patients with severe COVID-19.

Antiretroviral Drugs for Treatment and Prevention of HIV Infection in Adults: 2018 Recommendations of the International Antiviral Society–USA Panel

Abstract: Importance Antiretroviral therapy (ART) is the cornerstone of prevention and management of HIV infection. Objective To evaluate new data and treatments and incorporate this information into updated recommendations for initiating therapy, monitoring individuals starting therapy, changing regimens, and preventing HIV infection for individuals at risk. Evidence Review New evidence collected since the International Antiviral Society–USA 2016 recommendations via monthly PubMed and EMBASE literature searches up to April 2018; data presented at peer-reviewed scientific conferences. A volunteer panel of experts in HIV research and patient care considered these data and updated previous recommendations. Findings ART is recommended for virtually all HIV-infected individuals, as soon as possible after HIV diagnosis. Immediate initiation (eg, rapid start), if clinically appropriate, requires adequate staffing, specialized services, and careful selection of medical therapy. An integrase strand transfer inhibitor (InSTI) plus 2 nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) is generally recommended for initial therapy, with unique patient circumstances (eg, concomitant diseases and conditions, potential for pregnancy, cost) guiding the treatment choice. CD4 cell count, HIV RNA level, genotype, and other laboratory tests for general health and co-infections are recommended at specified points before and during ART. If a regimen switch is indicated, treatment history, tolerability, adherence, and drug resistance history should first be assessed; 2 or 3 active drugs are recommended for a new regimen. HIV testing is recommended at least once for anyone who has ever been sexually active and more often for individuals at ongoing risk for infection. Preexposure prophylaxis with tenofovir disoproxil fumarate/emtricitabine and appropriate monitoring is recommended for individuals at risk for HIV. Conclusions and Relevance Advances in HIV prevention and treatment with antiretroviral drugs continue to improve clinical management and outcomes for individuals at risk for and living with HIV.

Redox signaling and the MAP kinase pathways.

Abstract: The mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases are a large family of proline-directed, serine/threonine kinases that require tyrosine and threonine phosphorylation of a TxY motif in the activation loop for activation through a phosphorylation cascade involving a MAPKKK, MAPKK and MAPK, often referred to as the MAP kinase module. Three separate such modules have been identified, based on the TxY motif of the MAP kinase and the dual-specificity kinases that strictly phosphorylate their specific TxY sequence. They are the extracellular signal regulated kinases (ERKs), c-jun N-terminal kinases (JNKs) and p38 MAPKs. The ERKs are mainly associated with proliferation and differentiation while the JNKs and p38MAP kinases regulate responses to cellular stresses. Redox homeostasis is critical for proper cellular function. While reactive oxygen species (ROS) and oxidative stress have been implicated in injury, a rapidly growing literature suggests that a transient increase in ROS levels is an important mediator of proliferation and results in activation of various signaling molecules and pathways, among which the MAP kinases. This review will summarize the role of ROS in MAP kinase activation in various systems, including in macrophages, cells of myeloid origin that play an essential role in inflammation and express a multi-component NADPH oxidase that catalyzes the receptor-regulated production of ROS.