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Open Access Publications from the University of California

Scholarly Works (19 results)

  • Article
Recent Work (2005)

Conservation planning in San Diego County has been ongoing since the early 1990’s and has resulted in the establishment of the Multiple Species Conservation Program (MSCP) in southwest San Diego County and the Multiple Habitat Conservation Program (MHCP) in northwest San Diego County. Currently, the County of San Diego is developing regional plans for the unincorporated lands remaining in north and east San Diego County. These regional plans are (or will be) permitted under the Federal Endangered Species Act (Section 10: Habitat Conservation Plan) and the State of California Natural Community Conservation Planning Act. This paper focuses on the integration of transportation conservation with the MSCP. “The MSCP is a comprehensive, long-term habitat conservation plan which addresses the needs of multiple species and the preservation of natural vegetation communities in San Diego County” (MSCP 1998). The MSCP covers 85 species, of which 20 species are federally listed and 14 are State listed, including 46 plant species and 39 animal species. The MSCP defines a design preserve within the plan boundaries that include large interconnected areas for the protection of the MSCP-covered species. The MSCP does not cover regional transportation projects, such as projects funded by the Federal Highway Administration. District 11 of the California Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration collaborated with Federal and State resource agencies to develop transportation projects that are consistent with the MSCP. The planning and development of improvements to Interstate 15, State Route (SR) 125 South, and the SR 905 Extension included the protection of large blocks of habitat in conservation banks. Numerous parcels were purchased as mitigation, including the Walsh property, Bonita Meadows Open Space Preserve, Johnson Canyon Open Space Preserve, San Ysidro Mountain, Lake Jennings, and Dennery Canyon. These parcels are key to the buildout of the preserve identified by MSCP. In addition, the design of SR 125 South and the SR 905 Extension included modifying the alignment to avoid and minimize impacts to sensitive natural resources within the MSCP. Collaboration between the transportation agencies and natural-resource agencies has resulted in the preservation of large blocks of habitat to further the buildout of the MSCP preserve. The voter-approved extension of a $0.005 sales tax will provide a funding mechanism for the up-front purchases of land to continue this collaboration in recognition that it results in the most cost-effective mitigation and better conservation.

    Cover page: Integrating transportation conservation with regional conservation planning
    • Article
    • Peer Reviewed
    California Breast Cancer Research Program Funded Publications (2012)
      Cover page: Bisphenol-A-induced inactivation of the p53 axis underlying deregulation of proliferation kinetics, and cell death in non-malignant human breast epithelial cells
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      • Peer Reviewed
      California Breast Cancer Research Program Funded Publications (2014)
        Cover page: Exposure to the polyester PET precursor--terephthalic acid induces and perpetuates DNA damage-harboring non-malignant human breast cells
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        • Peer Reviewed
        Research Grants Program Office (RGPO) Funded Publications (2018)
        As a continuous source of hormonal stimulation, environmentally ubiquitous estrogenic chemicals, ie, xenoestrogens (XEs), are a potential risk factor for breast carcinogenesis. Given their wide distribution in the environment and the fact that bisphenol-A (BPA), methylparaben (MP), and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) are uniformly detected in unselected body fluid samples, it must be assumed that humans are simultaneously exposed to these chemicals almost daily. We studied the effects of a ternary mixture of BPA, MP, and PFOA on benign breast epithelial cells at the range of concentrations observed for single chemicals in human samples. Measurements of exposure impact relevant to the breast were based on endpoints associated with "hallmarks" of cancer and "key characteristics" of carcinogens. These included modulation of total estrogen receptor (ER)α, phosphorylated ERα (pERα), total ERβ, S-phase induction, and apoptotic evasion. Data from live cell measurements were fit to a log-linear dose-response model. Concentration-dependent reduction of ERβ and apoptosis evasion was observed concurrently with the induction of ERα, pERα, and S-phase fraction, and an increased rate of cell proliferation. Beyond additive effects predicted by the sum of individual test XEs, mixture treatment demonstrated synergism for the ERβ and apoptosis suppression phenotypes (p > .001). Nonmalignant breast cells were more sensitive than commonly used breast cancer lines to XE treatment in 3 of 5 endpoints. All observations were validated with cells isolated from the normal breast tissue of 14 individuals. At relatively low concentrations, a chemical mixture has striking effects on normal cell function that are missed by evaluation of single components.
          Cover page: A Ternary Mixture of Common Chemicals Perturbs Benign Human Breast Epithelial Cells More Than the Same Chemicals Do Individually
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          • Peer Reviewed
          UC Irvine Previously Published Works (2013)
            Cover page: Discovery of highly potent acid ceramidase inhibitors with in vitro tumor chemosensitizing activityCreative Commons 'BY' version 4.0 license
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            • Peer Reviewed
            UC Davis Previously Published Works (2019)
            The cat lungworm Aelurostrongylus abstrusus is a cause of lower respiratory tract disease worldwide. Bronchoscopy and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) are important tools for diagnosing respiratory diseases in cats. Therefore, the aim of the study was to investigate the usefulness of bronchoscopy and BAL in the diagnosis of A. abstrusus. Findings from bronchoscopic examination and BAL of 24 naturally infected cats were evaluated and compared with those of 12 cats with idiopathic Feline Bronchial Diseases (FBDs). Data were analyzed using Mann-Whitney or Fisher's exact tests. No significant bronchoscopic differences were detected between cats with aelurostrongylosis and FBDs in bronchial mucus, nodular lesions, and airway collapse. On the other hand, airway hyperemia, epithelial irregularities, and bronchial stenosis were observed more frequently in cats affected by FBDs than aelurostrongylosis, while bronchiectasis was found only in cats infected by A. abstrusus. Neutrophilic, eosinophilic, lymphocytic, and mixed inflammation were recorded in both groups. Bacteria or bacterial DNA was identified regardless of the presence or absence of A. abstrusus with no significant differences between groups. Larvae of A. abstrusus were cytologically detected in 5 of the 24 cats (20.8%) with aelurostrongylosis. These results indicate that, although some findings on bronchoscopic examination (i.e., bronchiectasis) can be described more frequently in cats infected by A. abstrusus, bronchial alterations and cytological findings in aelurostrongylosis are not specific unless larvae are observed and overlap with those of other feline airway diseases.
              Cover page: Evaluation of Bronchoscopy and Bronchoalveolar Lavage Findings in Cats With Aelurostrongylus abstrusus in Comparison to Cats With Feline Bronchial Disease
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              • Peer Reviewed
              UC San Francisco Previously Published Works (2015)
              Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and aggressive human brain tumor. Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) immediate-early (IE) proteins that are endogenously expressed in GBM cells are strong viral transactivators with oncogenic properties. Here, we show how HCMV IEs are preferentially expressed in glioma stem-like cells (GSC), where they colocalize with the other GBM stemness markers, CD133, Nestin, and Sox2. In patient-derived GSCs that are endogenously infected with HCMV, attenuating IE expression by an RNAi-based strategy was sufficient to inhibit tumorsphere formation, Sox2 expression, cell-cycle progression, and cell survival. Conversely, HCMV infection of HMCV-negative GSCs elicited robust self-renewal and proliferation of cells that could be partially reversed by IE attenuation. In HCMV-positive GSCs, IE attenuation induced a molecular program characterized by enhanced expression of mesenchymal markers and proinflammatory cytokines, resembling the therapeutically resistant GBM phenotype. Mechanistically, HCMV/IE regulation of Sox2 occurred via inhibition of miR-145, a negative regulator of Sox2 protein expression. In a spontaneous mouse model of glioma, ectopic expression of the IE1 gene (UL123) specifically increased Sox2 and Nestin levels in the IE1-positive tumors, upregulating stemness and proliferation markers in vivo. Similarly, human GSCs infected with the HCMV strain Towne but not the IE1-deficient strain CR208 showed enhanced growth as tumorspheres and intracranial tumor xenografts, compared with mock-infected human GSCs. Overall, our findings offer new mechanistic insights into how HCMV/IE control stemness properties in GBM cells.
                Cover page: Cytomegalovirus Immediate-Early Proteins Promote Stemness Properties in Glioblastoma
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                • Peer Reviewed
                UC San Diego Previously Published Works (2020)
                Objective: To characterize the use of adjunctive therapy in Kawasaki disease (KD) in Latin America. Methods: The study included 1,418 patients from the Latin American KD Network (REKAMLATINA) treated for KD between January 1, 2009, and May 31, 2017. Results: Of these patients, 1,152 received only a single dose of IVIG, and 266 received additional treatment. Age at onset was similar in both groups (median 2 vs. 2.2 years, respectively). The majority of patients were male (58 vs. 63.9%) and were hospitalized with the first 10 days of fever (85.1 vs. 84.2%). The most common adjunctive therapy administered was steroids for IVIG-resistance, followed by additional doses of IVIG. The use of biologics such as infliximab was limited. KD patients who received adjunctive therapy were more likely to have a lower platelet count and albumin level as well as a higher Z score of the coronary arteries. Conclusion: This is the first report of adjunctive therapies for KD across Latin America. IVIG continues to be the initial and resistance treatment, however, steroids are also used and to a lesser extent, biological therapy such as infliximab. Future studies should address the barriers to therapy in children with acute KD throughout Latin America.
                  Cover page: Use of Adjunctive Therapy in Acute Kawasaki Disease in Latin America
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                  • Peer Reviewed
                  UC San Diego Previously Published Works (2020)
                  Objective: To characterize the clinical presentation and outcomes of Kawasaki disease (KD) in infants <6 months of age as compared to those ≥6 months in Latin America. Methods: We evaluated 36 infants <6 months old and 940 infants ≥6 months old diagnosed with KD in Latin America. We compared differences in laboratory data, clinical presentation, treatment response, and coronary artery outcomes between the two cohorts. Results: The majority (78.1%) of infants and children ≥6 months of age were initially diagnosed with KD, as compared to only 38.2% of infants <6 months. Clinical features of KD were more commonly observed in the older cohort: oral changes (92 vs. 75%, P = 0.0023), extremity changes (74.6 vs. 57.1%, P = 0.029), and cervical lymphadenopathy (67.6 vs. 37.1%, P = 0.0004). Whether treated in the first 10 days of illness or after the 10th day, infants <6 months were at greater risk of developing a coronary artery aneurysm compared to KD patients ≥6 months treated at the same point in the course of illness [ ≤ 10 days (53.8 vs. 9.4%, P = 0.00012); >10 days (50 vs. 7.4%, P = 0.043)]. Conclusion: Our data show that despite treatment in the first 10 days of illness, infants <6 months of age in Latin America have a higher risk of developing a coronary artery aneurysm. Delay in the diagnosis leads to larger coronary artery aneurysms disproportionately in these infants. Thus, suspicion for KD should be high in this vulnerable population.
                    Cover page: Presentation and Outcomes of Kawasaki Disease in Latin American Infants Younger Than 6 Months of Age: A Multinational Multicenter Study of the REKAMLATINA Network
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                    • Peer Reviewed
                    UC San Diego Previously Published Works (2024)
                    OBJECTIVES: Our aim was to describe the epidemiology and outcomes of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) in Latin America. METHODS: We conducted an observational, retrospective, and prospective multicenter study that gathered information from 84 participating centers across 16 Latin American countries between August 1, 2020 and June 30, 2022. RESULTS: Of the 1239 reported children with MIS-C, 84.18% were previously healthy. The most frequent clinical manifestation in our studied population was abdominal pain (N = 804, 64.9%), followed by conjunctival injection (N = 784, 63.3%). The median duration of fever at the time of hospital admission was 5 days and a significant number of subjects required admission to an intensive care unit (N = 589, 47.5%). Most of the subjects (N = 1096, 88.7%) were treated with intravenous immunoglobulin, whereas 76.7% (N = 947) were treated with steroids, of whom 10.6% (N = 100) did not receive intravenous immunoglobulin. The death rate attributed to MIS-C was 4.88%, with a rate of 3.39% for those initially diagnosed with MIS-C and 8.85% for those whose admission diagnosis was not MIS-C (P <0.001, odds ratio 2.76, 95% confidence interval 1.6-4.6). CONCLUSIONS: One of the most significant findings from our study was the death rate, especially in those not initially diagnosed with MIS-C, in whom the rate was higher. This highlights the importance of increasing awareness and making an earlier diagnosis of MIS-C in Latin America.
                      Cover page: Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children across 16 Latin American countries: A multicenter study from the REKAMLATINA Network.
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