Publications by authors named "Layton A"

Preeclampsia is a multisystem hypertensive disorder that manifests itself after 20 weeks of pregnancy, along with proteinuria. The pathophysiology of preeclampsia is incompletely understood. Artificial intelligence, especially machine learning with its capability to identify patterns in complex data, has the potential to revolutionize preeclampsia research.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Acne and sensitive skin can take a profound toll on patients' well-being, which can be exacerbated if the conditions are experienced together. This narrative review aims to identify appropriate treatments to facilitate a holistic management approach to acne (One Acne™), sensitive skin, and acne-induced sequelae and describe the role of treatments in improving skin quality. Topical retinoids are considered the preferred first-line option for acne treatment by dermatologists, either as monotherapy or in combination with other treatments, because of their ability to target various aspects of the disease.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Magnesium (Mg) is essential for many bodily functions and its levels need to be carefully controlled to prevent health issues.
  • Researchers created a computational model to study Mg homeostasis in male rats, linking it with an existing calcium (Ca) model to explore how Mg and Ca levels interact.
  • The model showed that a lack of dietary Mg led to very low Mg and mildly low Ca levels, while varying Ca intake affected Mg deficiency, and vitamin D deficiency significantly impacted Ca levels but had little effect on Mg.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Mathematical models of whole-body dynamics help us understand how our body regulates essential physiological processes like metabolism and blood pressure, but they often use a "baseline" of a 35-year-old man weighing 70 kg.* -
  • This baseline model fails to represent many individuals, such as women, older adults, and those with different body weights, highlighting the need for more inclusive models that consider factors like sex, age, weight, and circadian rhythms.* -
  • The text emphasizes that personalized models can better explain physiological differences by using the blood pressure regulatory system as an example, showcasing the importance of capturing individual variations.*
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

High Na intake has been linked to elevations in blood pressure, whereas K has the opposite effect. The underlying mechanisms involve complex interactions among renal function, fluid volume, fluid-regulatory hormones, the vasculature, cardiac function, and the autonomic nervous system. These mechanisms are likely moderated by sex, given the known sex differences in blood pressure regulation and the higher prevalence of hypertension in men.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Key Points: Proteomics analyses identified seven proteins predictive of time to development of albuminuria among youth with type 2 diabetes in the Treatment Options for Type 2 Diabetes in Adolescents and Youth cohort, 118 proteins predictive of time to development of hyperfiltration, and three proteins predictive of time to rapid eGFR decline. Seven proteins were predictive of all three outcomes (SEM4A, PSB3, dihydroxyphenylalanine decarboxylase, C1RL1, T132A, pyruvate carboxylase, and C1-esterase inhibitor) and have been implicated in immune regulatory mechanisms, metabolic dysregulation, proteostasis, and cellular signaling pathways. Elastic net Cox proportional hazards model identified distinct multiprotein signatures (38–68 proteins) of time to albuminuria, hyperfiltration, and rapid eGFR decline with concordance for models with clinical covariates and selected proteins between 0.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • - Acne is a common skin condition worldwide that presents management challenges due to varying grading systems, severity factors, and its chronic nature, which necessitates ongoing treatment to prevent scarring.
  • - The UK Acne Working Group reviews the latest NICE guidelines to offer practical insights for better acne management based on current evidence.
  • - The group highlights new findings since the original NICE guidelines, including new acne treatments, methods for assessing severity, strategies for treating body acne, and hormonal therapies specifically for adult women.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Acne is a common skin condition that affects women's quality of life and often leads to long-term antibiotic use, prompting the study of spironolactone as a potential treatment.
  • The study was a randomized, double-blind trial assessing the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of spironolactone for treating facial acne in women aged 18 and older, continuing their usual topical treatments.
  • Results showed that among the 410 women randomized, the treatment group successfully tolerated spironolactone at increasing doses, with a focus on improvements in acne-related quality of life over a 12-week period.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • A phase 2a clinical trial demonstrated that the leishmaniasis vaccine ChAd63-KH is safe and can generate an immune response in Sudanese patients with post kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL).
  • A follow-up phase 2b randomized trial assessed its therapeutic efficacy, comparing the vaccine to a placebo in 86 participants with uncomplicated PKDL.
  • Results indicated no significant improvement in clinical outcomes or severity of PKDL, suggesting that ChAd63-KH does not provide therapeutic benefits for this condition in the studied population.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Acne vulgaris is a multifactorial dermatosis primary of the face and trunk. Erythema, pruritus, and xerosis are frequent adverse effects of first-line acne treatment and, if not appropriately counseled and managed, can exacerbate, leading to regimen nonadherence and poor outcomes.

Methods: A panel of 6 dermatologists (five from the Nordic European Countries and one from the UK) employed a modified Delphi method and reached a consensus on a practical acne treatment and maintenance algorithm integrating skincare based on the best available evidence, and the panels' clinical experience, and opinions.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Localized cutaneous leishmaniasis (LCL) is a chronic ulcerating disease. A literature review identified inconsistencies in clinical trials. The aims of this study were to reach a consensus on the most important domains to measure when assessing LCL, agree on parameters to measure the domains, and develop a tool representing a Core Outcome Set (COS), for use in clinical assessment of LCL.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Men generally favor carbohydrate metabolism, while women lean towards lipid metabolism, resulting in significant sex-based differences in energy oxidation across various metabolic states such as fasting and feeding. These differences are influenced by body composition and inherent metabolic fluxes, including increased lipolysis rates in women. However, understanding how sex influences organ-specific metabolism and systemic manifestations remains incomplete.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The leishmaniases are globally important parasitic diseases for which no human vaccines are currently available. To facilitate vaccine development, we conducted an open-label observational study to establish a controlled human infection model (CHIM) of sand fly-transmitted cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) caused by Leishmania major. Between 24 January and 12 August 2022, we exposed 14 participants to L.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Renal hemodynamics, renal transporter expression levels, and urine excretion exhibit circadian variations. Disruption of these diurnal patterns is associated with the pathophysiology of hypertension and chronic kidney disease. Renal hemodynamics determines oxygen delivery, whereas renal transport and metabolism determines oxygen consumption; the balance between them yields renal oxygenation which also demonstrates 24-h periodicity.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Type 1 Bartter's syndrome and Gitelman's syndrome are characterized by mutations in two key renal Na transporters, Na-K-2Cl cotransporter (NKCC2) and Na-Cl cotransporter (NCC). Since these two transporters play an important role in regulating magnesium (Mg) and calcium (Ca) transport in the kidney, significant alterations in the transport of these two electrolytes are observed in type 1 Bartter's syndrome and Gitelman's syndrome. In this study, we used our sex-specific computational models of renal electrolyte transport in rats to understand the complex compensatory mechanisms, in terms of alterations in tubular dimensions and ion transporter activities, that lead to Mg and Ca preservation or wasting in these two genetic disorders.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Cell reprogramming, which guides the conversion between cell states, is a promising technology for tissue repair and regeneration, with the ultimate goal of accelerating recovery from diseases or injuries. To accomplish this, regulators must be identified and manipulated to control cell fate. We propose Fatecode, a computational method that predicts cell fate regulators based only on single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Mycobacterial glycolipids are important cell envelope structures that drive host-pathogen interactions. Arguably, the most important are lipoarabinomannan (LAM) and its precursor, lipomannan (LM), which are trafficked from the bacterium to the host via unknown mechanisms. Arabinomannan is thought to be a capsular derivative of these molecules, lacking a lipid anchor.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Acne (syn. acne vulgaris) is a common inflammatory skin disorder associated with puberty and adolescence. The disease is characterized by comedoneous lesions, papules, pustules, and nodules that are mostly found on the face.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: A wide variety of dermocosmetics (products with both active skincare and cosmetic activity) are available for the management of acne vulgaris. These products are important because they may be the first line of approach for patients desiring to self-treat and they can also have beneficial effects-reducing lesion counts and improving global acne severity. When used in conjunction with medical therapy, dermocosmetics can improve tolerability and enhance results.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Pregnancy is associated with elevated demand of most nutrients, with many trace elements and minerals critical for the development of fetus. In particular, calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) are essential for cellular function, and their deficiency can lead to impaired fetal growth. A key contributor to the homeostasis of these ions is the kidney, which in a pregnant rat undergoes major changes in morphology, hemodynamics, and molecular structure.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The kidneys are crucial for maintaining Mg homeostasis. Along the proximal tubule and thick ascending limb, Mg is reabsorbed paracellularly, while along the distal convoluted tubule (DCT), Mg is reabsorbed transcellularly via transient receptor potential melastatin 6 (TRPM6). TRPM6 and other renal transporter expressions are regulated by sex hormones.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Comprehensive health data interoperability is recognized as an essential element of high-functioning and accountable health service. Canada is lagging in health data interoperability compared to international comparators, and lacks a comprehensive approach to human factor interoperability, defined as system-level relationships that impact the capacity of health sector stakeholders to adopt harmonized health data standards and technology. Without addressing these system-level relationships, the adoption of harmonized health data standards and technology will be obstructed and Canadians will be underserved.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF