Association between prescribed stimulant medications and overdose among individuals receiving opioid agonist therapy: A retrospective cohort study from British Columbia, Canada.

Aims: We measured the association between prescribed stimulant medications and overdose among individuals receiving opioid agonist therapy (OAT) for opioid use disorder.

Design: Retrospective cohort study using the British Columbia Provincial Overdose Cohort, a linked administrative database.

Setting: We used data from British Columbia, Canada, from January 2015 through February 2020.

Three-Dimensional Modelling of Indexed Papillary Muscle Displacement in Patients Requiring Mitral Valve Surgery Using Four-Dimensional Echocardiography Variables.

: Two-dimensional and three-dimensional echocardiographic imaging are commonly used in assessing ischemic mitral regurgitation (IMR) and degenerative mitral regurgitation (DMR) in patients with mitral valve disease. However, the use of 4D echocardiographic imaging has not yet been reported. The objectives of this study were to explore the efficacy of utilizing 4D echocardiographic variables, determine papillary muscle displacement in patients with either IMR or DMR, and compare the differences in papillary muscle displacement between groups.

Adipose ZFP36 protects against diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance.

Aims: Obesity, as a worldwide healthcare problem, has become more prevalent. ZFP36 is a well-known RNA-binding protein and involved in the posttranscriptional regulation of many physiological processes. Whether the adipose ZFP36 plays a role in obesity and insulin resistance remains unclear.

Case Report: A missed diagnosis of cardiac amyloidosis using echocardiography due to immunoglobulin light chain amyloidosis with normal wall thickness in the early stage.

Background: Cardiac amyloidosis (CA) is a challenging diagnosis, particularly when the classic signs, such as increased wall thickness in a non-dilated left ventricle (LV), are absent. This makes the diagnosis more difficult in patients with normal LV wall thickness. We present a case of CA without increased wall thickness and without the characteristic granular sparkling echotexture in a non-dilated LV.

Comparison of Self-repair Disparities in Articular Cartilage Defect Models With Various Load-bearing Sites.

This study aimed to explore the construction of experimental animal models replicating cartilage defects across diverse load-bearing sites, compare self-repair conditions, and examine the role of mechanical stimulation in cartilage self-repair. Experimental animal models were established in rabbits to simulate full-thickness cartilage defects without penetrating the subchondral bone, at various load-bearing sites, including the posterior femoral condyle, anterior femoral condyle and femoral trochlear of knee joint, and the humerus of the shoulder joint. The successful exposure and construction of cartilage defects at the anterior femoral condyle, femoral trochlear, and posterior femoral condyle through the medial extension of surgical incision.

Vertical and horizontal variabilities of ammonia in an agricultural area of Southeast China.

Ammonia (NH) plays a crucial role in the global nitrogen cycle, the increased NH emissions from agricultural activities impacting air, soil, water quality, and human health. Accurately estimating both the vertical and horizontal transport distances of NH are important for effective pollution control. Therefore, we used a helium-filled balloon mounted sampler to analyze the vertical profiles of NH emissions and their seasonal variations in an agricultural area of southeast China.

Structural analysis and immunological activity of a novel low molecular weight neutral polysaccharide isolated from Hemerocallis citrina Borani.

A novel neutral water-soluble polysaccharide (HCBP1-1) was isolated and purified from Hemerocallis citrina Borani by column chromatography. The fine structure of HCBP1-1 was determined by a series of physical and chemical means. HCBP1-1 was a homogeneous low molecular weight polysaccharide of 7.

Amino Acid Infusion for Kidney Protection in Cardiac Surgery Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease: A Secondary Analysis of the PROTECTION Trial.

Background: In the PROTECTION trial, intravenous amino acids (AA) decreased the occurrence of acute kidney injury (AKI) in cardiac surgery patients with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Recruitment of renal functional reserve may be responsible for such protection. However, patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have diminished renal functional reserve, and AA may be less protective in such patients.

Detection of circulating tumor cells using a microfluidic chip for diagnostics and therapeutic prediction in mediastinal neuroblastoma.

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) have served as noninvasive tumor biomarkers in many types of cancer. Here, we detected CTCs in mediastinal neuroblastoma (mNB) patients for use as diagnostic and treatment response predictive biomarkers. We employed a cascaded filter deterministic lateral displacement microfluidic chip (CFD-Chip) to enrich CTCs in peripheral blood from 32 mNB patients and 7 healthy children.

A dataset for N natural abundance of soil ammonia volatilization.

Investigating the sources of ammonia (NH) in the atmosphere and the contribution of each source is essential for environmental pollution control. The presented dataset aims to provide N natural abundance (δN) data collected from different controlled treatments to fill the knowledge gap between insufficient data of soil δN-NH and accurately identifying atmospheric NH source apportionments. Our results showed that the overall δN-NH values emitted from soil ranged from -46.

FBLN7 mediates vascular smooth muscle cell phenotype switching and vascular remodeling in hypertension.

Arterial remodeling serves as a pivotal mechanism underlying the development of diseases such as hypertension. Fibulin-7 (FBLN7), an adhesion protein, remains enigmatic regarding its role in these pathological processes. This study aims to explore whether FBLN7 influences vascular remodeling and its underlying mechanisms.

Osteoclast Secretes Stage-Specific Key Molecules for Modulating Osteoclast-Osteoblast Communication.

In most cases of bone metabolic disorders, such as osteoporosis and osteomalacia, these conditions are often attributed to dysfunctional osteoclasts, leading to their common characterization as "destructors." In addition to the widely documented regulatory process where osteoblasts direct osteoclastic bone resorption, there is increasing evidence suggesting that osteoclasts also in turn influence osteoblastic bone formation through direct and indirect mechanisms. It is well-known that differentiation of osteoclasts involves several stages, each characterized by specific cellular features and functions.

Construction of multifunctional hydrogel containing pH-responsive gold nanozyme for bacteria-infected wound healing.

Nanozymes have become promising alternative antibacterial agents for bacteria-infected wounds. In this study, fucoidan-confined gold nanoparticles (Fuc@AuNPs) are developed by in situ reduction, and stabilized by sulfate groups of fucoidan. Fuc@AuNPs exhibit pH-responsive catalytic activity that can mimic oxidase (OXD) under acidic bacterial infection conditions and mimic superoxide dismutase (SOD) under normal physiological conditions.

Remote sensing image registration method based on synchronous atmospheric correction.

Image registration is a crucial preprocessing step in remote sensing applications, integrating information from multiple images to achieve synergistic advantages. Nevertheless, aerosols characterized by spatiotemporal heterogeneity can result in the blurring of remote-sensing images, thereby compromising the accuracy of image registration. This paper begins by analyzing the basic principles of atmospheric correction and image registration.

Tubulin acetyltransferases access and modify the microtubule luminal K40 residue through anchors in taxane-binding pockets.

Acetylation at α-tubulin K40 is the sole post-translational modification preferred to occur inside the lumen of hollow cylindrical microtubules. However, how tubulin acetyltransferases access the luminal K40 in micrometer-long microtubules remains unknown. Here, we use cryo-electron microscopy and single-molecule reconstitution assays to reveal the enzymatic mechanism for tubulin acetyltransferases to modify K40 in the lumen.

Convenient Reparation of SiC-Coated C/C Composites by the Slurry Painting Method.

SiC-coated C/C composites with mechanical damage were repaired by the heat treatment method and slurry painting-preoxidation. The effects of different process parameters on the microstructure, interface bonding and oxidation resistance of Si-SiC repair coatings at 1773 K for 10 h were studied. The results show that the repair coating is tightly bonded to the original coating and the C/C substrate, and there is no obvious interface.

Effects of high-definition tDCS targeting individual motor hotspot with EMG-driven robotic hand training on upper extremity motor function: a pilot randomized controlled trial.

Background: Delivering HD-tDCS on individual motor hotspot with optimal electric fields could overcome challenges of stroke heterogeneity, potentially facilitating neural activation and improving motor function for stroke survivors. However, the intervention effect of this personalized HD-tDCS has not been explored on post-stroke motor recovery. In this study, we aim to evaluate whether targeting individual motor hotspot with HD-tDCS followed by EMG-driven robotic hand training could further facilitate the upper extremity motor function for chronic stroke survivors.

Road to Recovery: protocol for a mixed-methods prospective cohort study evaluating the impact of a new model of substance use care in a Canadian setting.

Introduction: The Road to Recovery (R2R) Initiative is an innovative model of substance use care that seeks to increase treatment capacity by creating approximately 100 new addiction treatment beds to provide on-demand addiction care in Vancouver, British Columbia, for patients with substance use disorders. The new model also coordinates the region's existing clinical substance use services to support patients across a care continuum that includes traditional office-based addiction treatment and harm reduction services, early withdrawal management and more intensive abstinence-based treatment programming. To understand the impact of offering on-demand and coordinated substance use care, an observational cohort of individuals who access any R2R clinical service will be created to examine health and social outcomes over time.

Development and External Validation of a Motor Intention-Integrated Prediction Model for Upper Extremity Motor Recovery After Intention-Driven Robotic Hand Training for Chronic Stroke.

Objective: To derive and validate a prediction model for minimal clinically important differences (MCIDs) in upper extremity (UE) motor function after intention-driven robotic hand training using residual voluntary electromyography (EMG) signals from affected UE.

Design: A prospective longitudinal multicenter cohort study. We collected preintervention candidate predictors: demographics, clinical characteristics, Fugl-Meyer assessment of UE (FMAUE), Action Research Arm Test scores, and motor intention of flexor digitorum and extensor digitorum (ED) measured by EMG during maximal voluntary contraction (MVC).

Opportunities and challenges for implementing drug checking services in British Columbia, Canada: A qualitative study.

Background: Amidst the ongoing drug poisoning crisis across North America, drug checking services (DCS) are increasingly being implemented as an intervention intended to reduce drug-related harms. This study sought to identify key opportunities and challenges influencing the implementation of DCS in British Columbia (BC), Canada.

Methods: Between January 2020 and July 2021, semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with 21 individuals involved in the implementation of DCS across BC (i.

Persistence of immunity in children aged 2 months and 7 months - 5 years old after primary immunization with 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine.

Background: Pneumococcus is a common cause of pneumonia, meningitis, and other serious infections in children. The previous study has proved that the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) has sufficient immunogenicity in children. The data on long-term persistence of immunity will help the follow-up development work of pneumococcal vaccines.