Publications by authors named "J Courville"

Bottlenose dolphins () are long-lived marine mammals, upper-level predators, and they inhabit near-shore environments, which increases their exposure to pollution. Mercury is a ubiquitous and persistent metal pollutant that can bioaccumulate and biomagnify up the food chain. Dolphins are known to accumulate mercury, and limited research has shown that mercury exposure can weaken the immune system of dolphins.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Small molecule drugs can attach to proteins in the blood, and how much of the drug is free (not attached) affects how it works and is removed from the body.
  • In studies about liver (HI) and kidney (RI) problems, only some drugs mention how they bind to proteins, and this can change how much the dose should be adjusted.
  • Understanding free drug levels in patients with HI and RI helps doctors make better treatment decisions based on safety and effectiveness.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study evaluates how different frailty assessments (RAI and mFI-5) and patient age affect postoperative outcomes in neurosurgery, focusing on extended lengths of stay (eLOS), prolonged LOS within 30 days (pLOS), and LOS greater than 30 days.
  • The research analyzed data from over 400,000 patients and found that the RAI had better predictive ability for negative outcomes compared to mFI-5 and patient age.
  • The findings suggest that using the RAI for preoperative frailty screening can enhance patient care by improving quality metrics and preparing patients and families for surgical risks.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Microplastics (<5 mm in diameter) are ubiquitous in the oceanic environment, yet microplastic accumulation in marine mammals is vastly understudied. In recent years, efforts have been made to document microplastic profiles in odontocetes. The objective of the present study was to describe and quantify microplastics in the gastrointestinal (GI) tracts of deceased odontocetes that stranded in the southeastern United States.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: There is a rising prevalence of overweight and obese persons in the US, and there is a paucity of information about the relationship between frailty and body mass index. Therefore, we examined discrimination thresholds and independent relationships of the risk analysis index (RAI), modified frailty index-5 (mFI-5), and increasing patient age in predicting 30-day postoperative mortality.

Methods: This retrospective American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program analysis compared all overweight or obese adult patients who underwent neurosurgery procedures between 2012 and 2020.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF