Publications by authors named "MacLean A"

Aims: The aim of this study was to perform an incremental cost-utility analysis and assess the impact of differential costs and case volume on the cost-effectiveness of robotic arm-assisted medial unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (rUKA) compared to manual (mUKA).

Methods: Ten-year follow-up of patients who were randomized to rUKA (n = 64) or mUKA (n = 65) was performed. Patients completed the EuroQol five-dimension health questionnaire preoperatively, at three months, and one, two, five, and ten years postoperatively, which was used to calculate quality-adjusted life years (QALY) gained and the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER).

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Increased antibody affinity over time after vaccination, known as affinity maturation, is a prototypical feature of immune responses. Recent studies have shown that a diverse collection of B cells, producing antibodies with a wide spectrum of different affinities, are selected into the plasma cell (PC) pathway. How affinity-permissive selection enables PC affinity maturation remains unknown.

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During development and cancer metastasis, cells transition reversibly from epithelial to mesenchymal via intermediate cell states during epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). EMT is controlled by gene regulatory networks (GRNs) and can be described by a three-node GRN that permits tristable EMT landscapes. In this GRN, multiple inputs regulate the transcription factor ZEB that induces EMT.

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Increased antibody affinity over time after vaccination, known as affinity maturation, is a prototypical feature of immune responses. Recent studies have shown that a diverse collection of B cells, producing antibodies with a wide spectrum of different affinities, are selected into the plasma cell (PC) pathway. How affinity-permissive selection enables PC affinity maturation remains unknown.

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Clonal hematopoiesis becomes increasingly common with age, but its cause is enigmatic because driver mutations are often absent. Serial observations infer weak selection indicating variants are acquired much earlier in life with unexplained initial growth spurts. Here we use fluctuating CpG methylation as a lineage marker to track stem cell clonal dynamics of hematopoiesis.

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Intracellular ribonucleases (RNases) are essential in all aspects of RNA metabolism, including maintaining accurate RNA levels. Inherited mutations in genes encoding ubiquitous RNases are associated with human diseases, primarily affecting the nervous system. Recessive mutations in genes encoding an evolutionarily conserved RNase complex, the RNA exosome, lead to syndromic neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by progressive neurodegeneration, such as Pontocerebellar Hypoplasia Type 1b (PCH1b).

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Although the CXCL12/CXCR4 pathway has been prior investigated for its prometastatic and immuno- suppressive roles in the tumor microenvironment, evidence on the spatiotemporal regulation of these hallmarks has been lacking. Here, we demonstrate that CXCL12 forms a gradient specifically around cancer cell intravasation doorways, also known as Tumor Microenvironment of Metastasis (TMEM) doorways, thus facilitating the chemotactic translocation of prometastatic tumor cells expressing CXCR4 toward the perivascular TMEM doorways for subsequent entry into peripheral circulation. Fur- thermore, we demonstrate that the CXCL12-rich micro-environment around TMEM doorways may cre- ate immunosuppressive niches, whereby CD8 T cells, despite being attracted to these regions, often exhibit reduced effector functions, limiting their efficacy.

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  • Internalizing disorders like depression and anxiety are common in adolescents with substance use disorders, making it crucial to address both issues simultaneously in treatment.
  • The study aims to develop and assess a new treatment protocol called Fam-AID, which integrates family support and cognitive behavioral therapy techniques without significantly changing existing substance use treatment practices.
  • The research consists of two phases: an initial pilot phase for protocol development with input from stakeholders, followed by a comparison between standard care and the enhanced Fam-AID treatment in diverse adolescent cases to evaluate its effectiveness and acceptability.
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  • The mitochondrial electron transport chain (mETC) is crucial for processes like ATP synthesis and the production of pyrimidines, with complex III (cytochrome complex) playing a key role in electron transfer and proton gradient generation.
  • Research highlights that the composition of complex III in parasites (PfCIII) differs from humans, making it a promising target for antimalarial drugs like atovaquone and other pre-clinical inhibitors.
  • This study demonstrates the importance of the PfCIII subunit, PfRieske, in parasite survival and gametocyte maturation, linking genetic disruption of PfRieske to mitochondrial dysfunction and emphasizing its potential as a target for future antimalarial drug development.
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Background: Opioid use disorder (OUD) among young adults (YAs) continues to persist as a national health crisis. Best practice recommendations for YA OUD treatment highlight the importance of medication for OUD (MOUD) and family involvement across the treatment services continuum for better treatment retention and outcomes. Yet, concerned significant others (CSOs) such as family members, romantic partners, and family-of-choice members are not routinely involved in OUD and MOUD treatment for YAs.

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Objectives: Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) use is widespread in EDs and throughout those practising medicine. Between institutions and specialities, there is widespread variety and training. With this comes the risk of patient harm and backlash to a clinically useful modality.

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Objectives: Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) use is widespread in EDs and throughout those practising medicine. Between institutions and specialities, there is widespread variety and training. With this comes risk of patient harm and backlash to a clinically useful modality.

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Unlabelled: Iron-sulfur (Fe-S) clusters are ubiquitous inorganic cofactors required for numerous essential cellular pathways. Since they cannot be scavenged from the environment, Fe-S clusters are synthesized in cellular compartments such as the apicoplast, mitochondrion, and cytosol. The cytosolic Fe-S cluster biosynthesis pathway relies on the transport of an intermediate from the mitochondrial pathway.

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Virus-induced accelerated aging has been proposed as a potential mechanism underlying the persistence of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) despite advances in access and adherence to combination antiretroviral therapies (cART). While some studies have demonstrated evidence of accelerated aging in PLWH, studies examining acute infection, and cART intervention are limited, with most studies being or utilizing small animal models. Here, we utilized FFPE tissues from Simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infected rhesus macaques to assess the levels of two proteins commonly associated with aging - the cellular senescence marker p16 (p16) and the NAD-dependent deacetylase sirtuin 1 (SIRT1).

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Background: We previously undertook a prospective clinical study to evaluate PCR.Ai's (www.pcr.

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During the early years (2020-2021) of the COVID-19 pandemic, relatively little attention focused on experiences of people with long-lasting symptoms, particularly young adults who were commonly understood to be invulnerable to serious effects of the virus. Drawing on narrative interviews with 15 adults in their twenties and living in the UK when they became ill with long COVID, we explore contextual factors which made their long COVID illness experience, and the wholescale disruption to their lives, challenging. We propose that existing adaptations of the concept of biographical disruption are problematic for this group, and instead suggest that 'biographical retrogression' may more accurately reflect these young adults' experiences.

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Introduction: Considering the relevant 2015 Truth and Reconciliation Commission recommendations, this paper reviews the current state of Canadian medical schools' Indigenous admissions processes and explores continued barriers faced by Indigenous applicants.

Methods: A summary of literature illustrating disadvantages for Indigenous applicants of current admissions tools is presented. A grey literature search of current admissions requirements, interview processes, and other relevant data from each medical school was performed.

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Background: Screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment for adolescents (SBIRT-A) is widely recommended to promote detection and early intervention for alcohol and other drug (AOD) use in pediatric primary care. Existing SBIRT-A procedures rely almost exclusively on adolescents alone, despite the recognition of caregivers as critical protective factors in adolescent development and AOD use. Moreover, controlled SBIRT-A studies conducted in primary care have yielded inconsistent findings about implementation feasibility and effects on AOD outcomes and overall developmental functioning.

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  • * A study introduced a machine learning approach to create predictive models that can distinguish between live normally sited pregnancies (LNSP) and combined adverse outcomes (CAO) like miscarriages or ectopic pregnancies based on blood samples.
  • * Analyzing metabolites and hormone levels from participants, the best prediction model combined both stable metabolite signals and hormone concentrations, achieving accuracy in differentiating LNSP from CAO.
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Importance: Effective weight loss interventions are needed for men with obesity.

Objective: To determine whether an intervention that combined text messaging with financial incentives attained significant weight loss at the 12-month follow-up compared with the control group and whether an intervention of text messaging alone attained significant weight loss at the 12-month follow-up compared with the control group.

Design, Setting, And Participants: An assessor-blinded randomized clinical trial conducted in Belfast, Bristol, and Glasgow areas in the UK.

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  • Metastatic disease, a major cause of death in advanced breast cancer, involves tumor cells spreading from their original site to distant organs, highlighting the importance of studying these processes.
  • Researchers have developed a new murine breast tumor cell line, NT2.5-LM, that shows a much faster spread of metastases after implantation, making it a valuable tool for understanding cancer progression and treatment.
  • The NT2.5-LM cell line displays characteristics of enhanced metastatic potential, responds well to HER2-targeted therapies, and offers advantages over previous models, enabling better exploration of therapeutic strategies and mechanisms of metastasis.
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In 2019, the European Union banned Triton X-100, a detergent widely used in laboratory diagnostics, including the Viral PCR Sample Solution (VPSS), and urged manufacturers to find environmentally sustainable alternatives. Tergitol 15-S-9 (VPSS2) has been proposed as an alternative surfactant. This multicenter study evaluated the effectiveness of VPSS2, a Tergitol-based viral solution, as a replacement for VPSS.

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