Audiometric Outcomes of Auditory Brainstem Implantation during Vestibular Schwannoma Resection in NF2 Patients.

 Many patients with neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) suffer from sensorineural hearing loss, and associated cochlear nerve compromise in NF2 patients makes auditory brainstem implant (ABI) an attractive treatment option. The long-term outcomes and benefits of the device are still being explored.  A retrospective review was conducted for 11 ABI recipients at a single-institution tertiary center between November 2017 and August 2022.

Persistent cross-species transmission systems dominate Shiga toxin-producing O157:H7 epidemiology in a high incidence region: A genomic epidemiology study.

Several areas of the world suffer a notably high incidence of Shiga toxin-producing . To assess the impact of persistent cross-species transmission systems on the epidemiology of O157:H7 in Alberta, Canada, we sequenced and assembled O157:H7 isolates originating from collocated cattle and human populations, 2007-2015. We constructed a timed phylogeny using BEAST2 using a structured coalescent model.

Principles of visual cortex excitatory microcircuit organization.

Synapse-specific connectivity and dynamics determine microcircuit function but are challenging to explore with classic paired recordings due to their low throughput. We therefore implemented optomapping, a ∼100-fold faster two-photon optogenetic method. In mouse primary visual cortex (V1), we optomapped 30,454 candidate inputs to reveal 1,790 excitatory inputs to pyramidal, basket, and Martinotti cells.

Perineuronal nets in motor circuitry regulate the performance of learned vocalizations in songbirds.

The accurate and reliable performance of learned vocalizations (e.g., speech and birdsong) modulates the efficacy of communication in humans and songbirds.

DeepDrug as an expert guided and AI driven drug repurposing methodology for selecting the lead combination of drugs for Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's Disease (AD) significantly aggravates human dignity and quality of life. While newly approved amyloid immunotherapy has been reported, effective AD drugs remain to be identified. Here, we propose a novel AI-driven drug-repurposing method, DeepDrug, to identify a lead combination of approved drugs to treat AD patients.

Repurposing Licensed Drugs with Activity Against Epstein-Barr Virus for Treatment of Multiple Sclerosis: A Systematic Approach.

Background: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is implicated as a necessary factor in the development of multiple sclerosis (MS) and may also be a driver of disease activity. Although it is not clear whether ongoing viral replication is the driver for MS pathology, MS researchers have considered the prospect of using drugs with potential efficacy against EBV in the treatment of MS. We have undertaken scientific and lived experience expert panel reviews to shortlist existing licensed therapies that could be used in later-stage clinical trials in MS.

Direct Induction of Buprenorphine Extended-Release: A Case Report.

Buprenorphine has superior safety in opioid use disorder compared with alternatives due to its action as a partial opioid agonist, which limits its ability to cause respiratory depression. There is a risk of precipitated opioid withdrawal after buprenorphine exposure in someone using full opioid agonists. Buprenorphine induction strategies that avoid precipitated withdrawal remain a crucial component for starting buprenorphine in individuals actively using opioids.

Ring Fixator Bone Transport is Associated With Fewer Unplanned Major Reoperations than Masquelet in the Treatment of Segmental Bone Defects of the Tibia.

Objective: To determine whether bone transport or Masquelet results in higher rates of major unplanned reoperations for the treatment of segmental tibial bone defects ≥4 cm in length.

Methods: Design: Retrospective cohort.

Setting: Level I trauma center.

E-cigarettes and arterial health: A review of the link between vaping and atherosclerosis progression.

Recent studies have suggested an evolving understanding of the association between vaping, specifically electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use, and the progression of atherosclerosis, a significant contributor to cardiovascular disease. Despite the prevailing perception of vaping as a safer alternative to traditional tobacco smoking, accumulating evidence suggests that the aerosols emitted by e-cigarettes contain harmful constituents that may promote endothelial dysfunction, oxidative stress, inflammation, and dyslipidemia-key mechanisms implicated in atherosclerosis pathogenesis. While past research, including experimental studies and clinical investigations, has shed light on the potential cardiovascular risks associated with vaping, gaps in knowledge persist.

Determining If Post-Injury Financial Distress Was Preexisting or Injury-Induced: A Prospective Cohort Study of Patients with Lower-Extremity Trauma.

Background: Previous research has estimated that over one-half of patients with orthopaedic trauma experience financial distress after the injury. However, it is unknown what proportion of patients lived under financial distress before the injury and, therefore, the causal effect of the injury on financial distress. This study examined changes in financial distress after the injury and factors associated with new post-injury financial distress.

Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia Asian Consortium study of arsenic trioxide in newly-diagnosed patients: impact and outcome.

The Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia Asian Consortium analyzed a contemporaneous cohort of newly-diagnosed APL patients treated with and without frontline arsenic trioxide (ATO) in six centers. The objectives were to define the impact of ATO on early deaths and relapses, and its optimal positioning in the overall treatment strategy. In a 21.

Implications of Clonal Hematopoiesis in Hematological and Non-Hematological Disorders.

Clonal hematopoiesis (CH) is associated with an increased risk of developing myeloid neoplasms (MNs) such as myelodysplastic neoplasm (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). In general, CH comprises clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP) and clonal cytopenia of undetermined significance (CCUS). It is an age-related phenomenon characterized by the presence of somatic mutations in hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) that acquire a fitness advantage under selection pressure.

Biofabrication and biomanufacturing in Ireland and the UK.

As we navigate the transition from the Fourth to the Fifth Industrial Revolution, the emerging fields of biomanufacturing and biofabrication are transforming life sciences and healthcare. These sectors are benefiting from a synergy of synthetic and engineering biology, sustainable manufacturing, and integrated design principles. Advanced techniques such as 3D bioprinting, tissue engineering, directed assembly, and self-assembly are instrumental in creating biomimetic scaffolds, tissues, organoids, medical devices, and biohybrid systems.

Stronger binding affinities of in provide insights into HIV/host interactions.

Human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) exploits the viral protein and host / receptors for the pandemic infection to humans. The host co-receptors of not only humans but also several primates and HIV-model mice can interact with the HIV receptor. However, the molecular mechanisms of these interactions remain unclear.

IFN-γ-dependent regulation of intestinal epithelial homeostasis by NKT cells.

Intestinal homeostasis is maintained through the combined functions of epithelial and immune cells that collaborate to preserve the integrity of the intestinal barrier. However, the mechanisms by which immune cell populations regulate intestinal epithelial cell (IEC) homeostasis remain unclear. Here, we use a multi-omics approach to study the immune-epithelial crosstalk and identify CD1d-restricted natural killer T (NKT) cells as key regulators of IEC biology.

24-Hour Induction of Transdermal Buprenorphine to Buprenorphine Extended-Release.

Buprenorphine is an effective treatment for opioid use disorder but can be slow when using a standard low-dose titration protocol to avoid precipitated withdrawal. This presents a substantial practical barrier in clinical practice. Recent low-dose induction strategies have attempted to simplify and shorten the process required for successful induction, including our own transdermal buprenorphine method, which achieves induction to sublingual buprenorphine/naloxone after 48 h.

Microglial depletion rescues spatial memory impairment caused by LPS administration in adult mice.

Recent studies have highlighted the importance of microglia, the resident macrophages in the brain, in regulating cognitive functions such as learning and memory in both healthy and diseased states. However, there are conflicting results and the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. In this study, we examined the effect of depleting adult microglia on spatial learning and memory under both physiological conditions and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced neuroinflammation.

A β-hydroxybutyrate shunt pathway generates anti-obesity ketone metabolites.

β-Hydroxybutyrate (BHB) is an abundant ketone body. To date, all known pathways of BHB metabolism involve the interconversion of BHB and primary energy intermediates. Here, we identify a previously undescribed BHB secondary metabolic pathway via CNDP2-dependent enzymatic conjugation of BHB and free amino acids.

Clinical Outcomes and Virulence Factors of Shiga Toxin-Producing (STEC) from Southern Alberta, Canada, from 2020 to 2022.

Shiga toxin-producing (STEC) can cause severe clinical disease in humans, particularly in young children. Recent advances have led to greater availability of sequencing technologies. We sought to use whole genome sequencing data to identify the presence or absence of known virulence factors in all clinical isolates submitted to our laboratory from Southern Alberta dated 2020-2022 and correlate these virulence factors with clinical outcomes obtained through chart review.