Publications by authors named "Alex Berry"

Encephalitis lethargica, an epidemic neurological illness, typically involved a severe sleep disorder and progressive parkinsonism. A century later, our understanding relies on seminal descriptions, more recent historical research and the study of small numbers of possible sporadic cases. Theories around infection, environmental toxins, catatonia and autoimmune encephalitis have been proposed.

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Background: Opportunities for home-monitoring are increasing exponentially. Home- spirometry is reproducible and reliable in interstitial lung disease (ILD), yet patients' experiences are not reported. Given the morbidity and mortality associated with ILDs, maintaining health-related quality-of-life is vital.

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Background: People with type 1 diabetes and raised glucose levels are at greater risk of retinopathy, nephropathy, neuropathy, cardiovascular disease, sexual health problems and foot disease. The UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends continuous subcutaneous 'insulin pump' therapy for people with type 1 diabetes whose HbA1c is above 69 mmol/mol. Insulin pump use can improve quality of life, cut cardiovascular risk and increase treatment satisfaction.

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Purpose: Only a fraction of low-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) progresses to high-grade CIN; however, the biological processes that differentiate progressive CIN from CIN that resolves naturally are poorly understood. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are important epigenetic regulators of gene expression and thus, miRNA expression profiling can reveal the dysregulated biology underlying disease processes. The purpose of this case-control study was to reveal miRNA expression patterns and predict the underlying biological pathways that are associated with clinical outcomes of low-grade CIN.

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Anthropogenic pressures are restructuring coral reefs globally. Sound predictions of the expected changes in key reef functions require adequate knowledge of their drivers. Here we investigate the determinants of a poorly-studied yet relevant biogeochemical function sustained by marine bony fishes: the excretion of intestinal carbonates.

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The term 'opioids' refers to both the natural compounds ('opiates') which are extracted from the opium poppy plant () and their semi-synthetic and synthetic derivatives. They all possess relatively similar biochemical profiles and interact with the opioid receptors within the human body to produce a wide range of physiological effects. They have historically been used for medicinal purposes, their analgesic and sedative effects, and in the management of chronic and severe pain.

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Predatory fish in the wild consume whole prey including hard skeletal parts like shell and bone. Shell and bone are made up of the buffering minerals calcium carbonate (CaCO) and calcium phosphate (Ca(PO)). These minerals resist changes in pH, meaning they could have physiological consequences for gastric acidity, digestion and metabolism in fish.

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Fish in coastal ecosystems can be exposed to acute variations in CO2 of between 0.2 and 1 kPa CO2 (2000-10,000 µatm). Coping with this environmental challenge will depend on the ability to rapidly compensate for the internal acid-base disturbance caused by sudden exposure to high environmental CO2 (blood and tissue acidosis); however, studies about the speed of acid-base regulatory responses in marine fish are scarce.

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Background: Neuropsychiatric symptoms are common in Parkinson's disease (PD) and predict poorer outcomes. Reward processing dysfunction is a candidate mechanism for the development of psychiatric symptoms including depression and impulse control disorders (ICDs). We aimed to determine whether reward processing is impaired in PD and its relationship with neuropsychiatric syndromes and dopamine replacement therapy.

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Background: Implementation of quality improvement (QI) practices varies considerably among public health units (PHUs) in Ontario. With the emphasis on continuous quality improvement (CQI) in the revised Ontario Public Health Standards (OPHS), there is a need to understand the level of QI maturity in Ontario's PHUs. The objective of this research was to establish a baseline understanding of QI maturity in Ontario's PHUs.

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This article considers the intersection of multiple and, at times, seemingly conflicting temporalities in Andean childhoods. We draw on Silvia Rivera Cusicanqui's scholarship on Andean sociology and our ethnographic research with Cañari families to argue that Cañari families' and children's relations with cows and milk production are fueled by both capitalist and Andean temporalities that cannot be thought as opposites. These temporal relations do not create confusion or limiting binaries but are, we propose, itinerant.

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We report a case of a 62-year-old female diagnosed with functional neurological disorder (FND), where the diagnosis was eventually revised to progressive supranuclear palsy 3 years after symptom onset. FND is a commonly encountered condition and can be diagnosed with a considerable degree of confidence in most cases. FND is associated with significant functional impairment and may occur alongside other neurological disorders, and there is now a growing evidence base for symptom-specific FND treatments.

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New psychoactive substances (NPS) are a heterogeneous group of substances. They are associated with a number of health and social harms on an individual and societal level. NPS toxicity and dependence syndromes are recognised in primary care, emergency departments, psychiatric inpatient and community care settings.

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Aims: Inpatient care for people with diabetes can and must be improved. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the way care is delivered across the UK. Diabetes UK needed to understand how inpatient care for people with diabetes has been affected and to identify opportunities, areas of concerns and recommendations for the future.

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Article Synopsis
  • Scientists are studying how the endocannabinoid system (ECS) changes in people with Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment, but results have been confusing so far.
  • They looked at 22 different studies, trying to find patterns in things like cannabinoid receptors and important chemicals in the ECS.
  • Most studies were small and didn't always consider other important factors, making it hard to understand how ECS changes relate to Alzheimer's symptoms.
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Objectives: The main aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) for comorbid dissociative seizures (DS) in patients with epilepsy.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective case note review of 14 patients with epilepsy who underwent outpatient CBT for DS in a tertiary neuropsychiatry service. The diagnosis of DS was confirmed by neurologists clinically and/or following video-telemetry electroencephalogram (EEG).

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Article Synopsis
  • The text expresses gratitude towards Mr [...].
  • It highlights his contributions or support in a particular context.
  • Overall, it acknowledges his positive impact and importance in the situation discussed.
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A case of acute dyskinesia in a 42-year-old man with a history of cocaine use and schizophrenia is described. He had discontinued clozapine approximately 1 month before presenting to the emergency department displaying signs of psychosis, with generalised choreiform and dystonic movements. Urinary toxicology was positive for cocaine.

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The locus coeruleus (LC), the major origin of noradrenergic modulation of the central nervous system, may play an important role in neuropsychiatric disorders including Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease. The pattern of age-related change of the LC across the life span is unclear. We obtained normalized, mean LC signal intensity values, that is, contrast ratios (CRs), from magnetization transfer-weighted images to investigate the relationship between LC CR and age in cognitively normal healthy adults (N = 605, age range 18-88 years).

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The range of is expanding in Ontario, increasing the risk of Lyme disease. As an effective public health response requires accurate information on disease distribution and areas of risk, this study aims to establish the geographic distribution of and its associated pathogen, , in northwestern Ontario. We assessed five years of active and passive tick surveillance data in northwestern Ontario.

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Article Synopsis
  • This review looks at different ways to help people who feel like their thinking skills are getting worse, known as subjective cognitive decline (SCD).
  • Researchers searched for studies that tested these methods, which included talking therapy, brain exercises, lifestyle changes, and medication.
  • The results showed that while group therapy helped people feel better emotionally, it didn't really improve their thinking skills much; however, brain training did show a small improvement in objective thinking performance.
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Light extraction from InGaN/GaN-based multiple-quantum-well (MQW) light emitters is enhanced using a simple, scalable, and reproducible method to create hexagonally close-packed conical nano- and micro-scale features on the backside outcoupling surface. Colloidal lithography via Langmuir-Blodgett dip-coating using silica masks (d = 170-2530 nm) and Cl/N-based plasma etching produced features with aspect ratios of 3:1 on devices grown on semipolar GaN substrates. InGaN/GaN MQW structures were optically pumped at 266 nm and light extraction enhancement was quantified using angle-resolved photoluminescence.

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