Publications by authors named "Hagan R"

Introduction: Nerve decompression surgery for occipital neuralgia (ON) of the lesser occipital nerve (LON) is oftentimes performed in combination with treatment of the greater and third occipital nerves (GON and TON). The traditional surgical approach requires multiple separate incisions. This study describes combined GON/LON approach through a single vertical midline incision and reports on the postoperative outcomes.

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Sensory-specific satiety describes a decline in hedonic value of the taste of a food as it is consumed, relative to a non-consumed food - the pudding tummy phenomenon. Incentive motivation towards consumed foods has also been shown to decline. Interestingly, several studies report that brief exposure to food odours can also produce a sensory-specific satiety effect, in the absence of consumption, selectively reducing hedonic ratings and subsequent high calorie food choices.

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Foodcrusts have received relatively little attention in the burgeoning field of proteomic analysis of ancient cuisine. We remain ignorant of how cooking and burial impact protein survival, and crucially, the extent to which the extractome reflects the composition of input ingredients. Therefore, through experimental analogues, we explore the extent of protein survival in unburied and buried foodcrusts and ceramics using 'typical' Mesolithic ingredients (red deer, Atlantic salmon and sweet chestnut).

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  • Variation exists in diagnosing and treating neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome (NTOS), causing challenges in standardizing outcomes and practices among hand surgeons.
  • An international group of expert hand surgeons reached a consensus on guidelines for diagnosing and managing NTOS using the Delphi method, confirming 17 key statements.
  • Recommendations include a specific diagnostic approach, prioritizing conservative management, routine preoperative imaging, and surgical techniques for effective NTOS treatment.*
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  • The medieval period in Sicily experienced significant regime changes, transitioning from Byzantine to various Muslim rulers, and finally to Normans and Swabians, influencing local communities.
  • A multidisciplinary analysis of 27 individuals from neighboring Muslim and Christian cemeteries in Segesta revealed genetic differences but also signs of continuity in diet and social practices.
  • Findings indicate that both Muslim and Christian communities coexisted in the 13th century, even as regime changes led to demographic shifts and the establishment of new social relationships.
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The recent pandemic was caused by the emergence of a new human pathogen, SARS-CoV-2. While the rapid development of many vaccines provided an end to the immediate crisis, there remains an urgent need to understand more about this new virus and what constitutes a beneficial immune response in terms of successful resolution of infection. Indeed, this is key for development of vaccines that provide long lasting protective immunity.

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The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 pandemic is characterized by the emergence of novel variants of concern (VOCs) that replace ancestral strains. Here, we dissect the complex selective pressures by evaluating variant fitness and adaptation in human respiratory tissues. We evaluate viral properties and host responses to reconstruct forces behind D614G through Omicron (BA.

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Background: Although nerve decompression surgery is an effective treatment for refractory occipital neuralgia, a proportion of patients experience recurrence of pain and undergo reoperation. This study analyzes the incidence, risk factors, and outcomes of reoperation following primary greater occipital nerve (GON) decompression.

Methods: A total of 215 patients who underwent 399 primary GON decompressions were prospectively enrolled.

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  • The study explores how SARS-CoV-2 infection triggers a strong but ineffective inflammatory response in severe COVID-19 cases, involving a range of immune cells, even those without the necessary receptors for the virus.
  • It investigates fragmented viral components and their potential to stimulate inflammation through self-organization in the host, finding that these fragments mimic host antimicrobial peptides and are especially prevalent in SARS-CoV-2 compared to less harmful coronaviruses.
  • The research shows that these viral fragments can create complexes with double-stranded RNA, enhancing immune responses in various cell types, and that this process closely mirrors the gene expression patterns observed in COVID-19 patients.
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CD4 forkhead box P3 (FOXP3) regulatory T cells (Tregs) are essential in maintaining immune tolerance and suppressing excessive immune responses. Tregs also contribute to tissue repair processes distinct from their roles in immune suppression. For these reasons, Tregs are candidates for targeted therapies for inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, and in diseases where tissue damage occurs.

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Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) are proton-gated cation channels widely expressed in the nervous system. ASIC gating is modulated by divalent cations as well as small molecules; however, the molecular determinants of gating modulation by divalent cations are not well understood. Previously, we identified two small molecules that bind to ASIC1a at a novel site in the acidic pocket and modulate ASIC1 gating in a manner broadly resembling divalent cations, raising the possibility that these small molecules may help to illuminate the molecular determinants of gating modulation by divalent cations.

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There has been a growing body of evidence indicative of the effectiveness of headache surgery in treating patients with refractory headache disorders. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons issued a Policy Statement in 2018 stating that peripheral nerve decompression surgery for the treatment of refractory chronic headache disorders in select patients is considered a standard of care treatment. This endorsement sparked the interest of numerous plastic surgeons into initiating their own headache surgery practices.

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Background: Headache surgery is a well-established, viable option for patients with chronic head pain/migraines refractory to conventional treatment modalities. These operations involve any number of seven primary nerves. In the occipital region, the surgical targets are the greater, lesser, and third occipital nerves.

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Type 1 IFN expression is critical in the innate immune response, but aberrant expression is associated with autoimmunity and cancer. Here, we identify N-[4-(1H46 pyrazolo[3,4-b] pyrazin-6-yl)-phenyl]-sulfonamide (Sanofi-14h), a compound with preference for inhibition of the AGC family kinase SGK3, as an inhibitor of Ifnb1 gene expression in response to STING stimulation of macrophages. Sanofi-14h abrogated SGK activity and also impaired activation of the critical TBK1/IRF3 pathway downstream of STING activation, blocking interaction of STING with TBK1.

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Objectives: There is a pressing need to regularly evaluate the progress of onchocerciasis elimination programmes to timely identify and mitigate potential risks hindering the reaching of the 2030 targets proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO) in its roadmap on neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). We determined the prevalence of onchocerciasis and associated dermatological and ophthalmological manifestations in six endemic communities in the Bono Region of Ghana after 27 years of ivermectin mass treatment.

Methods: In a cross-sectional study, 564 participants aged ≥5 years were enrolled (49.

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Situation awareness (SA) is a mental state that is instrumental to performance of complex dynamic tasks. SA within teams is thought to be supported by favorable social conditions within the team. The present study was organized in two parts: (a) causal relationships among SA, group cohesion, and autonomic synchrony, the latter being a fundamentally nonlinear process, and (b) the combined impact of the three variables on performance in a dynamic decisions task.

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  • Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a serious complication of COVID-19, leading to higher in-hospital death rates; researchers used proteomics to find markers for COVID-AKI and long-term kidney issues.
  • In a study with two groups of COVID-19 hospitalized patients, they identified 413 proteins with elevated levels and 30 with decreased levels tied to AKI, validating 62 of these in a second group.
  • The findings reveal that proteins indicating kidney and heart injury correlate with acute and long-term kidney dysfunction, suggesting that AKI is influenced by various factors, including blood flow issues and heart damage.
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  • Hip resurfacing surgery can be valuable for select patients but faces issues with high early failure rates, primarily due to adverse reactions to metal-on-metal (MoM) bearings.
  • The study aimed to investigate the connection between human leucocyte antigen (HLA) genotypes and the development of pseudotumours around MoM hip resurfacings, using a case-control approach with a small sample.
  • Findings suggested that specific HLA alleles were associated with an increased risk of pseudotumour formation, indicating potential genetic predispositions that could help identify at-risk patients.
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We have previously identified mitogen-activated protein kinase-activated protein kinase 2 (MK2) is required for caspase-3 nuclear translocation in the execution of apoptosis; however, little is known of the underlying mechanisms. Therefore, we sought to determine the role of kinase and nonkinase functions of MK2 in promoting nuclear translocation of caspase-3. We identified two non-small cell lung cancer cell lines for use in these experiments based on low MK2 expression.

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The detection of dairy processing is pivotal to our understanding of ancient subsistence strategies. This culinary process is linked to key arguments surrounding the evolution of lactase persistence in prehistory. Despite extensive evidence indicating the presence of dairy products in ceramics in the European Neolithic, questions remain about the nature and extent of milk (and lactose) processing and consumption.

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The insect cell-baculovirus expression vector system (IC-BEVS) has shown to be a powerful platform to produce complex biopharmaceutical products, such as recombinant proteins and virus-like particles. More recently, IC-BEVS has also been used as an alternative to produce recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV). However, little is known about the variability of insect cell populations and the potential effect of heterogeneity (e.

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Non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs) demonstrate intrinsic resistance to cell death, even after chemotherapy. Previous work suggested defective nuclear translocation of active caspase-3 in observed resistance to cell death. We have identified mitogen-activated protein kinase-activated protein kinase 2 (MK2; encoded by the gene ) is required for caspase-3 nuclear translocation in the execution of apoptosis in endothelial cells.

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Glioblastoma (GBM) is one of the most aggressive tumors in the adult central nervous system. We previously revealed that circadian regulation of glioma stem cells (GSCs) affects GBM hallmarks of immunosuppression and GSC maintenance in a paracrine and autocrine manner. Here, we expand the mechanism involved in angiogenesis, another critical GBM hallmark, as a potential basis underlying CLOCK's pro-tumor effect in GBM.

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Rationale: Proteins extracted from archaeological bone and teeth are utilised for investigating the phylogeny of extinct and extant species, the biological sex and age of past individuals, as well as ancient health and physiology. However, variable preservation of proteins in archaeological materials represents a major challenge.

Methods: To better understand the spatial distribution of ancient proteins preserved within teeth, we applied matrix assisted laser desorption/ionisation mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI-MSI) for the first time to bioarchaeological samples to visualise the intensity of proteins in archaeological teeth thin sections.

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The insect cell-baculovirus expression vector system (IC-BEVS) has emerged as an alternative time- and cost-efficient production platform for recombinant Adeno-associated virus (AAV) for gene therapy. However, a better understanding of the underlying biological mechanisms of IC-BEVS is fundamental to further optimize this expression system toward increased product titer and quality. Here, gene expression of Sf9 insect cells producing recombinant AAV through a dual baculovirus expression system, with low multiplicity of infection (MOI), was profiled by RNA-seq.

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