Publications by authors named "M E Donovan"

Background: Individuals with Down syndrome (DS), the genetic condition caused by trisomy 21 (T21), display clear signs of immune dysregulation, including high rates of autoimmunity and severe complications from infections. Although it is well established that T21 causes increased interferon responses and JAK/STAT signaling, elevated autoantibodies, global immune remodeling, and hypercytokinemia, the interplay between these processes, the clinical manifestations of DS, and potential therapeutic interventions remain ill defined.

Methods: We report a comprehensive analysis of immune dysregulation at the clinical, cellular, and molecular level in hundreds of individuals with DS, including autoantibody profiling, cytokine analysis, and deep immune mapping.

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Fossilized plant-insect herbivore associations provide fundamental information about the assembly of terrestrial communities through geologic time. However, fossil evidence of associations originating in deep time and persisting to the modern day is scarce. We studied the insect herbivore damage found on 284 Eucalyptus frenguelliana leaves from the early Eocene Laguna del Hunco rainforest locality in Argentinean Patagonia and compared damage patterns with those observed on extant, rainforest-associated Eucalyptus species from Australasia (> 10 000 herbarium sheets reviewed).

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Substance use and misuse remain formidable public health challenges and are intricately linked to social determinants of health (SDOH). Addressing SDOH requires structural interventions along with clinical support to change relevant policies. In this article, the authors review structural interventions known as prevention infrastructures and provide a framework for considering how different models of prevention infrastructures can be used to address SDOH that contribute to substance use.

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  • The study evaluates the effectiveness, safety, and influencing factors of ablative fractional carbon dioxide laser (AFCO2L) treatment for hypertrophic burn scars among adult patients at an Australian burn unit.
  • 47 patients participated, receiving up to four treatments over a year, with outcomes measured through ultrasound scar thickness and patient surveys at various intervals.
  • Results showed significant improvements in scar thickness and assessment scores after treatment, with minimal complications, indicating AFCO2L is a safe and effective option for managing burn scars.
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  • Growing research is focusing on the cerebellum in relation to brain injuries, both targeted (focal) and widespread (diffuse), affecting the cerebral cortex.
  • Studies in adults show that brain injuries lead to the loss of Purkinje cells in the cerebellum and activation of immune cells called microglia, a phenomenon known as "diaschisis."
  • When similar injuries occur in developing brains, they may cause neurodegeneration in the cerebellum, leading to severe long-term effects due to both diaschisis and interruptions in normal brain development.
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