Publications by authors named "Christopher Baron"

Article Synopsis
  • The study involved analyzing surgical strategies and outcomes for patients with osteoporotic thoracolumbar fractures classified as OF 5 within a larger multicenter cohort of 518 patients.
  • Out of 19 patients assessed, different surgical methods were utilized, with no major surgical complications but a 45% occurrence of general postoperative complications reported.
  • Results indicated significant improvements in patients' functional outcomes and quality of life at an average follow-up of 20 weeks, highlighting surgical stabilization as an effective treatment despite the associated complication rate.
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Aim: Osteoporotic thoracolumbar fractures are of increasing importance. To identify the optimal treatment strategy this multicentre prospective cohort study was performed.

Purpose: Patients suffering from osteoporotic thoracolumbar fractures were included.

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The high technical success rate of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) placement makes the procedure a popular treatment option for symptomatic portal hypertension. Among the major drawbacks of the procedure - hepatic encephalopathy, acute hepatic failure, hemorrhage, biliary injury - TIPS dysfunction is one of the most prevalent, often requiring endovascular reintervention. Conventional techniques for shunt revision rely on transjugular access to the stent; but in technically difficult cases of abnormal angulation or severe stenosis, transhepatic access may also be required.

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Oligosaccharides present in human breast milk have been linked to beneficial effects on infant health. Inclusion of these human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) in infant formula can recapitulate these health benefits. As a result, there is substantial commercial interest in a cost-effective source of HMOs as infant formula ingredients.

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Development of spontaneous mutations in Pseudomonas aeruginosa has been associated with antibiotic failure, leading to high rates of morbidity and mortality. Our objective was to evaluate the pharmacodynamics of polymyxin B combinations against rapidly evolving P. aeruginosa mutator strains and to characterize the time course of bacterial killing and resistance via mechanism-based mathematical models.

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Unlabelled: Xiao and colleagues in China reported successful restoration of bladder control in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) by establishing a somatic-autonomic reflex pathway through lumbar-to-sacral ventral root nerve rerouting. We evaluated long-term results in eight patients who underwent this procedure at a German university clinic between 2005 and 2007. The primary outcome was the occurrence of voiding upon stimulation of the skin, with normalization of bladder pressure when filling, as assessed with videourodynamics at each visit.

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Laccase activity in plants results in the formation of a number of brown pigments, often referred to as tannins. Laccase-dependent pigment production is also catalogued in numerous fungal and bacterial species. The laccase of the haploid yeast Cryptococcus neoformans forms melanin-like pigmentation outside the cell wall in the presence of exogenous substrates.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to compare the effectiveness of total lower extremity radiographs versus dedicated tibia radiographs for evaluating young children who are not weight-bearing and show no specific injury signs.
  • A total of 263 children aged 9 months to 4 years were reviewed, with 133 meeting the criteria of nonweight bearing without trauma, alongside a control group who had only tibia radiographs.
  • The findings revealed that while fractures were more common in the control group, both radiographic methods yielded similar diagnostic results, indicating that total lower extremity radiography holds comparable diagnostic value.
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Metallothioneins (MTs) are low-molecular-weight proteins whose physiologic roles are the regulation of essential metals Cu and Zn, sequestration of heavy metals, and free radical scavenging. Induced production of MTs in a wide variety of organisms exposed to heavy metals has made them popular exposure indicators. While it has been postulated that the three different isoforms of MT play different physiologic roles, methods to discern induction separately have not been available.

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Elevated concentrations of Se have been detected in cold, flowing water habitats near uranium and coal mines in Canada. Fish from these systems have concentrations of Se in their tissues that exceed toxic effect thresholds that have been established for warm-water fishes. However, the applicability of toxic effect thresholds and guidelines to cold water, lotic habitats is a matter of contention in the literature since most cases of Se toxicosis have been documented in standing, warm-water systems.

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Although selenium is required by vertebrates, toxicity can arise at concentrations only slightly greater than those they require. The toxicity of Se is thought to arise from its ability to substitute for sulfur during the assembly of proteins. However, recent studies also indicate that some forms of selenium are capable of generating oxidative stress in an in vitro test system that includes glutathione.

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Estrogenic contaminants isolated from waters receiving sewage treatment plant effluents are known to induce the egg yolk precursor vitellogenin (VTG) in male fish. Levels of the metal binding protein metallothionein (MT) have also been shown to be affected by estrogens in fish. It has been postulated that MT declines in estrogen exposed fish to facilitate transfer of the essential metal Zn to cellular components required for VTG synthesis.

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