Publications by authors named "B L Conway"
Background: Several clinical trials, including the recently published the GRAND PLAN study from Vancouver Infectious Diseases Center (VIDC), have demonstrated the efficacy of hepatitis C (HCV) therapy among active drug users, including those facing significant addiction-related and social challenges. In the GRAND PLAN, we documented sustained virological response post-treatment Week12 (SVR12) in 108/117 (92.3 %) individuals (108/111 (mITT) or 97.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTo what extent does concept formation require language? Here, we exploit color to address this question and ask whether macaque monkeys have color concepts evident as categories. Macaques have similar cone photoreceptors and central visual circuits to humans, yet they lack language. Whether Old World monkeys such as macaques have consensus color categories is unresolved, but if they do, then language cannot be required.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Antimicrobial stewardship supports rational antibiotic use. However, balancing access to antibiotic treatment while controlling resistance is challenging. This research used a threshold logistic modeling approach to identify targets for antibiotic usage associated with carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii, carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumonia, and extended-spectrum β-lactamases-producing Escherichia coli incidence in hospitals.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- Current guidelines advise against metformin for patients with advanced kidney impairment, despite limited evidence supporting this recommendation, prompting an observational study to compare outcomes of continuing versus stopping metformin after developing stage 4 chronic kidney disease (CKD).
- The study found that out of 4,278 metformin users with incident CKD stage 4, those who stopped taking the medication experienced a significantly lower 3-year survival rate compared to those who continued, although the incidence of major cardiovascular events was similar between the two groups.
- The findings suggest that ongoing metformin use may be beneficial for patients with advanced kidney impairment, although the study does acknowledge potential limitations due to residual confounding factors.