University of Memphis

About: University of Memphis is a education organization based out in Memphis, Tennessee, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Poison control. The organization has 7710 authors who have published 20082 publications receiving 611618 citations. The organization is also known as: U of M.

Patients with COVID-19: in the dark-NETs of neutrophils.

Abstract: SARS-CoV-2 infection poses a major threat to the lungs and multiple other organs, occasionally causing death. Until effective vaccines are developed to curb the pandemic, it is paramount to define the mechanisms and develop protective therapies to prevent organ dysfunction in patients with COVID-19. Individuals that develop severe manifestations have signs of dysregulated innate and adaptive immune responses. Emerging evidence implicates neutrophils and the disbalance between neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation and degradation plays a central role in the pathophysiology of inflammation, coagulopathy, organ damage, and immunothrombosis that characterize severe cases of COVID-19. Here, we discuss the evidence supporting a role for NETs in COVID-19 manifestations and present putative mechanisms, by which NETs promote tissue injury and immunothrombosis. We present therapeutic strategies, which have been successful in the treatment of immunο-inflammatory disorders and which target dysregulated NET formation or degradation, as potential approaches that may benefit patients with severe COVID-19.

Fabrication of Cardiac Patch with Decellularized Porcine Myocardial Scaffold and Bone Marrow Mononuclear Cells

Abstract: Tissue engineered cardiac grafts are a promising therapeutic mode for ventricular wall reconstruction. Recently, it has been found that acellular tissue scaffolds provide natural ultrastructural, mechanical, and compositional cues for recellularization and tissue remodeling. We thus assess the potential of decellularized porcine myocardium as a scaffold for thick cardiac patch tissue engineering. Myocardial sections with 2-mm thickness were decellularized using 0.1% sodium dodecyl sulfate and then reseeded with differentiated bone marrow mononuclear cells. We found that thorough decellularization could be achieved after 2.5 weeks of treatment. Reseeded cells were found to infiltrate and proliferate in the tissue constructs. Immunohistological staining studies showed that the reseeded cells maintained cardiomyocyte-like phenotype and possible endothelialization was found in locations close to vasculature channels, indicating angiogenesis potential. Both biaxial and uniaxial mechanical testing showed a stiffer mechanical response of the acellular myocardial scaffolds; however, tissue extensibility and tensile modulus were found to recover in the constructs along with the culture time, as expected from increased cellular content. The cardiac patch that we envision for clinical application will benefit from the natural architecture of myocardial extracellular matrix, which has the potential to promote stem cell differentiation, cardiac regeneration, and angiogenesis.

Coseismic and postseismic slip associated with the 2010 Maule Earthquake, Chile: Characterizing the Arauco Peninsula barrier effect

Abstract: Observations of coseismic and postseismic deformation associated with the 2010 Mw = 8.8 Maule earthquake in south-central Chile provide constraints on the spatial heterogeneities of frictional properties on a major subduction megathrust and how they have influenced the seismic rupture and postseismic effects. We find that the bulk of coseismic slip occurs within a single elongated patch approximately 460 km long and 100 km wide between the depths of 15 and 40 km. We infer three major patches of afterslip: one extends northward along strike and downdip of the major coseismic patch between 40 and 60 km depth; the other two bound the northern and southern ends of the coseismic patch. The southern patch offshore of the Arauco Peninsula is the only place showing resolvable afterslip shallower than 20 km depth. Estimated slip potency associated with postseismic slip in the 1.3 years following the earthquake amounts to 20-30% of that generated coseismically. Our estimates of the megathrust frictional properties show that the Arauco Peninsula area has positive but relatively low (a−b)σn values (0.01 ~ 0.22 MPa), that would have allowed dynamic rupture propagation into this rate-strengthening area and afterslip. Given the only modestly rate-strengthening megathrust friction in this region, the barrier effect may be attributed to its relatively large size of the rate-strengthening patch. Coseismic and postseismic uplift of the Arauco Peninsula exceeds interseismic subsidence since the time of the last major earthquake in 1835, suggesting that coseismic and postseismic deformation has resulted in some permanent strain in the forearc.

Source Parameters and Tectonic Implications of Aftershocks of the Mw 7.6 Bhuj Earthquake of 26 January 2001

Abstract: We present and discuss the spatial distribution of more than 1000 aftershocks of the largest continental intraplate earthquake to occur during the modern seismological period. The data were recorded on a network of eight portable digital seismographs deployed for 3 weeks starting 17 days after the mainshock. We have calculated high-quality single-event locations, based on a 1D velocity model determined for the region for earthquakes with magnitudes between ∼2 and 5. Aftershock locations reveal activity concentrated on a nearly east-striking, south-dipping plane, trapezoidal in outline. The active zone tapers from about 45 km along strike at the shallow end, which is about 5 km deep, to no more than 25 km long at a depth of 35 km. The total rupture area was about 1300 km 2 . We estimate the static stress drop of the mainshock at 16 ± 2 MPa. Aftershocks extend nearly through the entire crust, with concentrations in the lower crust at about 26 km and in the upper crust at about 10 km. The fault that ruptured was not mapped at the surface and not known to have been active prior to the 2001 earthquake. The aftershock data are consistent with the Bhuj earthquake resulting from reactivation in contraction of a fault formed under extension within a failed rift.