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Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified more than 100 genetic loci associated with type 2 diabetes. The majority of these are located in the intergenic or intragenic regions suggesting that the implicated variants may alter chromatin conformation. This, in turn, is likely to influence the expression of nearby or more remotely located genes to alter beta cell function. At present, however, detailed molecular and functional analyses are still lacking for most of these variants. We recently analysed one of these loci and mapped five causal variants in an islet-specific enhancer cluster within the STARD10 gene locus. Here, we aimed to understand how these causal variants influence b-cell function by alteration of the chromatin structure of enhancer cluster

Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine rates continue to be low in the United States. Young women ages 18-26 years are eligible for catch-up vaccination but previous research shows that relationships status and percieved risk may be barriers to HPV vaccination. The purpose of this quantitative study was to assess the association between relationship status and perceived risk for HPV among young adult women.

This abstract discusses three cases of pediatric heart transplant patients who suffered from parvovirus (B19) infection. Of these patients, two ( B & C) responded well to standard intravenous Ig therapy. Patient A however, did not respond to standard treatment and was begun on subcutaneous Ig, which effectively diminished his viral load. Thus, subcutaneous Ig infusions might serve as a second line treatment for transplant patients with parvovirus who do not respond well to the standard approach.

Angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL) is a common type of peripheral T-cell lymphoma. AITL can be missed until lymphadenopathy develops in patients initially presenting with skin lesions, as skin biopsy may lack conclusive findings. Our case highlights the extranodal presentation of AITL with cutaneous lesions displaying the TFH phenotype.

We aimed to determine if the Pediatric Asthma Severity Score (PASS) predicts a patient's appropriate level of care in the inpatient setting, with special attention to patients who required rapid transfer to another level of care after initial disposition and/or hospital readmission.

Plasmodium falciparum is evolving resistance to Artemisinin Combination Therapy. The gene with the strongest association with resistance is K13. K13 is an ortholog of the well characterized transcriptional regulator Keap1. In this work we transcriptionally characterized a mutant with a transposon inserted in the K13 promoter region which results in dysregulation of K13 at 2 points of the intraerythrocytic cycle of the life-cycle to identify the processes regulated by K13.

We found a distinct subpopulation of Tregs within BMSCs. Tregs and BMSCs in co-culture conferred neuroprotection that varied in a dose-dependent manner. Tregs minimized stem cell production of IL-6, a pro-inflammatory cytokine, and inhibited BMSC secretion of FGF-beta, a cytokine related to BMSC proliferation and differentiation. The ratio of Tregs found natively in BMSCs is optimally adapted to provide the maximum neuroprotective benefit of stem cell treatment after ischemic stroke.

This study aimed to determine the knowledge and perceptions of University of South Florida students regarding Zika transmission and the associated risks; additionally, this study aimed to identify any differences in knowledge and perceptions among international students, graduate students, and students that have traveled internationally during the past year.

PfABCk2 gene is ligated into pET21a+ vector with His-tag at C-terminus and transformed into BL-21 (DE3) competent cells that are verified through Miniprep and DNA sequencing. Furthermore, this gene construct is utilized to heterologous express this protein with IPTG and afterwards purified the recombinant protein kinase using nickel affinity chromatography as shown on 10% SDS-PAGE with the expected 36 kDa protein band.

Studies have shown that IFI16 acts as an antiviral restriction factor against a number of DNA viruses, by inhibiting viral replication or transcription through epigenetic modifications. However, till date, no specific epigenetic function of IFI16 has been identified. Here, we have discovered that IFI16 recruits two histone methyltransferases on the KSHV episome leading to altered Histone H3K9 methylation, thus regulating its lifecycle.