Gemella sanguinis: A Rare Cause of Endocarditis in a Bicuspid Aortic Valve.

Here, we present a case of infective endocarditis (IE) caused by a pathogen that rarely causes human infection. The patient in this case was an otherwise healthy 50-year-old man who presented with gradually worsening shortness of breath, weight loss, fatigue, chills, and leg swelling for six weeks. He had no prior history of cardiac disease and had never used intravenous drugs, but he had undergone extensive dental work following a military-associated injury.

Mitochondrial damage in muscle specific PolG mutant mice activates the integrated stress response and disrupts the mitochondrial folate cycle.

During mitochondrial damage, information is relayed between the mitochondria and nucleus to coordinate precise responses to preserve cellular health. One such pathway is the mitochondrial integrated stress response (mtISR), which is known to be activated by mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) damage. However, the causal molecular signals responsible for activation of the mtISR remain mostly unknown.

Scheduling, Income, and School Closures: Unlocking the Key Drivers of Home Care Personal Support Unplanned Absences Through Time-to-Event Regression Analysis.

Healthcare workers' unplanned workplace absences are a global challenge with consequences for care recipients, employers, and healthcare systems. With rising home care demand, understanding drivers of home care personal support worker (PSW) absences can inform management of labor supply through government and employer policies. In this paper, we examined predictors of PSWs' unplanned absences within a large, administrative, longitudinal dataset (2019-2021) from a home care organization in Ontario, stratified by time (pre-, early-, and mid-pandemic).

YTHDF1 and YTHDC1 mA reader proteins regulate HTLV-1 and activity.

Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is a retrovirus responsible for adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL) and HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP), a progressive neurodegenerative disease. Regulation of viral gene expression plays a key role in viral persistence and pathogenesis. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this fine-tuned regulation remain poorly understood.

Dynamic Roles of RNA and RNA Epigenetics in HTLV-1 Biology.

Since the discovery of RNA in the early 1900s, scientific understanding of RNA form and function has evolved beyond protein coding. Viruses, particularly retroviruses like human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1), rely heavily on RNA and RNA post-transcriptional modifications to regulate the viral lifecycle, pathogenesis, and evasion of host immune responses. With the emergence of new sequencing technologies in the last decade, our ability to dissect the intricacies of RNA has flourished.

Review article: Efficacy of cyproheptadine in the management of serotonin toxicity following deliberate self-poisoning - A systematic review.

Serotonin toxicity is a potentially fatal condition caused by increased serotonergic activity in the central nervous system. Cyproheptadine, a serotonergic antagonist, is recommended for treatment; however, there is a lack of evidence to support its use. The present study aimed to evaluate the evidence for the use of cyproheptadine in the management of serotonin toxicity following deliberate self-poisoning.

Remodeling pedagogical evaluation tools to incorporate student self-efficacy and sense of belonging in scientific research.

Curated undergraduate research experiences have been widely used at colleges and universities for decades to build student interest, technical preparation, and confidence in the pursuit of scientific careers. Educators often employ standardized survey instruments to evaluate learning outcomes for research experiences, but many of these assessments consider only technical skill development and career interests and are not rooted in discrete pedagogical theories. As higher education aims to create inclusive and equitable learning experiences for students, we argue that pedagogical assessment tools for undergraduate research experiences need to expand to consider outcomes such as increased science literacy, confidence in relational "soft" skills, and a sense of belonging to a community that values scientific inquiry.

How High-Performing Personal Support Workers Set and Maintain Boundaries When Providing Care: A Case Study in Ontario, Canada.

Personal support workers (PSWs) provide a large proportion of in-home care services for Canadians. PSWs must negotiate with clients and their family on how prescribed care is delivered. How PSWs set and maintain professional and personal boundaries during care is poorly understood, and failure to manage boundaries can expose both PSWs and clients to risk.

Burnout and occupational stress of home care rehabilitation professionals transitioning out of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario, Canada.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the home healthcare industry, with increased rates of burnout and stress among homecare rehabilitation professionals (hcRPs). This study aimed to (1) examine the nature of burnout and occupational stress among homecare rehabilitation professionals at a large home care organization in Ontario, Canada, transitioning out of the pandemic, and (2) assess its impact on work participation and engagement.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey using the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Generic Job Stress Questionnaire and Copenhagen Burnout Inventory to examine burnout and job stress.

CatWalk XT Gait Parameters Associated with Mouse Achilles Tendon Injury and Healing.

Tendons are connective tissues with limited healing potential which results in permanently impaired function. Although direct mechanical testing of tendon remains the gold standard for functional analyses, this assay is terminal and tracking healing over time requires the use of many animals. An alternative method for quantifying tendon function is gait analysis, which is non-terminal and enables longitudinal tracking of the same animal.

Factors Influencing Nurses' Decisions to Leave or Remain in the Home and Community Care Sector During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Home and community care (HCC) nurses experienced increased occupational challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, including increased workloads, job stressors, and occupational risks, like virus exposure. The objective of this study was to elucidate what factors influenced nurses' decisions to stay in their role, take a temporary leave, or exit HCC during the COVID-19 pandemic. A secondary analysis of data collected using a cross-sectional online open survey distributed among HCC Registered Practical Nurses across Ontario between June and September 2022 was conducted.

Nationwide, Couple-Based Genetic Carrier Screening.

Background: Genomic sequencing technology allows for identification of reproductive couples with an increased chance, as compared with that in the general population, of having a child with an autosomal recessive or X-linked genetic condition.

Methods: We investigated the feasibility, acceptability, and outcomes of a nationwide, couple-based genetic carrier screening program in Australia as part of the Mackenzie's Mission project. Health care providers offered screening to persons before pregnancy or early in pregnancy.

Gpnmb and Spp1 mark a conserved macrophage injury response masking fibrosis-specific programming in the lung.

Macrophages are required for healthy repair of the lungs following injury, but they are also implicated in driving dysregulated repair with fibrosis. How these 2 distinct outcomes of lung injury are mediated by different macrophage subsets is unknown. To assess this, single-cell RNA-Seq was performed on lung macrophages isolated from mice treated with LPS or bleomycin.

A Leave of Absence Might Not Be a Bad Thing: Registered Practical Nurses Working in Home Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

To describe the resilience and emotional intelligence of Registered Practical Nurses working in Home and Community Care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, to determine if there was a relationship between resilience and emotional intelligence based on whether a nurse: (1) left the sector, (2) considered leaving, or (3) took a leave of absence during the pandemic. An online cross-sectional survey was used to capture respondents' demographic information and scores on the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, Resilience at Work Scale, and Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale.

A Newly Identified Protective Role of C5a Receptor 1 in Kidney Tubules against Toxin-Induced Acute Kidney Injury.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) remains a major reason for hospitalization with limited therapeutic options. Although complement activation is implicated in AKI, the role of C5a receptor 1 (C5aR1) in kidney tubular cells is unclear. Herein, aristolochic acid nephropathy (AAN) and folic acid nephropathy (FAN) models were used to establish the role of C5aR1 in kidney tubules during AKI in germline C5ar1, myeloid cell-specific, and kidney tubule-specific C5ar1 knockout mice.

Slamf7 is dispensable in mouse models of acute lung injury.

https://bit.ly/3KgTJg1.

Resilience for working in Ontario home and community care: registered practical nurses need the support of themselves, family and clients, and employers.

Background: The context of practice is often not explicit in the discourse around the personal and professional resilience of nurses. The unique factors related to providing nursing care in home and community care may provide novel insight into the resilience of this health workforce. Therefore, this research addressed how nurses build and maintain resilience working in the home and community care sector.

Percentage area reduction at week 4 as a prognostic indicator of complete healing in patients treated with standard of care: a post hoc analysis.

Early indicators of healing provide valuable information on the potential benefit of treatment. In patients with hard-to-heal (chronic) diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs), timely intervention is critical. Ulcers that fail to show measurable progress within four weeks of treatment are considered recalcitrant.

Evaluation of SOX-10 immunohistochemical expression in canine melanoma and non-melanocytic tumors by tissue microarray.

Melanoma is the most common malignant oral tumor in dogs. It frequently presents a diagnostic challenge as many melanomas lack or contain scant melanin and may have a variable microscopic phenotype. Previous studies evaluating immunohistochemical markers for diagnosing melanoma have shown limited sensitivity and/or specificity for S-100, PNL2, melan A, TRP-1, TRP-2, and HMB-45.

The effects of occupational and mental stress among home care rehabilitation professionals working during the COVID-19 pandemic: An exploratory qualitative study.

Home care rehabilitation professionals (hcRPs) provide health services for clients with a broad range of medical conditions. During the COVID-19 pandemic, home care rehabilitation professionals experienced exacerbations of pre-existing work-related stressors, increased risk of transmission of the COVID-19 virus, reduced resource availability, greater workloads, and staffing shortages. The primary aim of this study was to examine the experience and impact of occupational and mental stress on hcRPs working during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sustaining a Workforce: Reflections on Work from Home and Community Care Nurses Transitioning out of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on nurses' well-being and desire to practice; however, the experience of Canadian home and community care nurses remains less well understood. As the health human resources crisis in this sector persists, understanding these nurses' experiences may be vital in creating more effective retention strategies.

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore how the COVID-19 pandemic shaped the working experiences, motivations, and attitudes of home and community care nurses in the Greater Toronto Area.