Tissue Distribution and Toxicological Risk Assessment of Mercury and Other Elements in Northern Populations of Wolverine (Gulo gulo).

Wolverines are facultative scavengers that feed near the top of terrestrial food chains. We characterized concentrations of mercury and other trace elements in tissues of wolverine from a broad geographic area, representing much of their contemporary distribution in northwestern North America. We obtained tissues from 504 wolverines, from which mercury was measured on muscle (n = 448), kidney (n = 222), liver (n = 148), hair (n = 130), and brain (n = 52).

Complete and Immediate Resolution of See-Saw Nystagmus Following Pituitary Macroadenoma Resection: Case Report and Review of the Literature.

See-saw nystagmus (SSN) is a rare form of nystagmus characterised by alternating elevation with incyclotorsion of one eye and concomitant depression with excyclotorsion of the other eye, often due to abnormalities involving the midbrain and parasellar region. Herein, we highlight a rare case of pendular SSN, which demonstrated complete resolution following resection of a pituitary macroadenoma. A patient in their 40s was identified to have SSN and was diagnosed with a pituitary macroadenoma.

In-Clinic Detection of Optic Disc Drusen Using Hand-Held Ultrasound Technology.

Neuro-ophthalmologists commonly receive referrals for possible papilloedema. One common cause of oedematous-appearing optic nerves is optic disc drusen (ODD). We describe a novel, handheld, portable ultrasound device that can be used to identify ODD in cases of suspected papilloedema.

Maternal Diet High in Linoleic Acid Alters Renal Branching Morphogenesis and mTOR/AKT Signalling Genes in Rat Fetal Kidneys.

Linoleic acid (LA), an n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA), is obtained from the maternal diet during pregnancy, and is essential for normal fetal growth and development. A maternal high-LA (HLA) diet alters maternal and offspring fatty acids, maternal leptin and male/female ratio at embryonic (E) day 20 (E20). We investigated the effects of an HLA diet on embryonic offspring renal branching morphogenesis, leptin signalling, megalin signalling and angiogenesis gene expression.

Contrasting trophic transfer patterns of cadmium and mercury in the Arctic marine food web of east Hudson Bay, Canada.

We investigated trophic transfer of cadmium (Cd) through an Arctic marine food web in Hudson Bay and compared it with mercury (Hg), a metal known to strongly biomagnify. We evaluated blue mussel, sea urchin, common eider, sculpin, Arctic cod, and ringed seal for the influence of dietary and biological variables on variation in Cd and Hg concentrations. Age and size influenced metal concentrations among individuals within a vertebrate species.

Optic Neuropathy and Myelopathy in a Teenager With Biotinidase Deficiency.

A 19-year-old man presented with 3 years of gradually progressive, painless vision loss in both eyes. The ophthalmic examination showed bilateral diminished visual acuity, dyschromatopsia, and temporal optic nerve pallor. The neurological examination was consistent with a mild myelopathy with decreased pin-prick sensation starting at T6-T7 and descending through the lower extremities.

Establishing Optic Nerve Diameter Threshold Sensitive and Specific for Optic Atrophy Diagnosis.

Purpose: To determine a potential threshold optic nerve diameter (OND) that could reliably differentiate healthy nerves from those affected by optic atrophy (OA) and to determine correlations of OND in OA with retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness, visual acuity (VA), and visual field mean deviation (VFMD).

Methods: This was a retrospective case control study. Magnetic resonance (MR) images were reviewed from individuals with OA aged 18 years or older with vision loss for more than 6 months and an OA diagnosis established by a neuro-ophthalmologist.

Linezolid optic neuropathy.

Purpose Of Review: In this article, we reviewed 67 reported cases of linezolid optic neuropathy and describe the common characteristics and expectations for recovery with an emphasis on recent findings in the literature.

Recent Findings: Linezolid classically causes a reversible, duration-dependent optic neuropathy. However, in our review, we found only 66.

A multi-centre case series of patients with coexistent intracranial hypertension and malignant arterial hypertension.

Objective: To describe the clinical characteristics, outcomes, and management of a large cohort of patients with concomitant malignant arterial hypertension and intracranial hypertension.

Methods: Design: Retrospective case series.

Subjects: Patients aged ≥ 18 years with bilateral optic disc oedema (ODE), malignant arterial hypertension and intracranial hypertension at five academic institutions.

Diet and landscape characteristics drive spatial patterns of mercury accumulation in a high-latitude terrestrial carnivore.

Limited information exists on mercury concentrations and environmental drivers of mercury bioaccumulation in high latitude terrestrial carnivores. Spatial patterns of mercury concentrations in wolverine (Gulo gulo, n = 419) were assessed across a 1,600,000 km2 study area in relation to landscape, climate, diet and biological factors in Arctic and boreal biomes of western Canada. Hydrogen stable isotope ratios were measured in wolverine hair from a subset of 80 animals to assess the spatial scale for characterizing environmental conditions of their habitat.

MRI Signal Intensity Varies Along the Course of the Normal Optic Nerve.

Background: MRI can help distinguish various causes of optic neuropathy including optic neuritis. Importantly, neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) has a propensity to cause enhancement of the prechiasmatic optic nerves. To determine whether the prechiasmatic optic nerve (PC-ON) demonstrates a different intensity from the midorbital optic nerve (MO-ON) on MRI among patients without optic neuropathy.

Red Desaturation Prevalence and Severity in Healthy Patients.

Background And Objectives: To determine the percentage of the healthy population that responds asymmetrically to the red desaturation test and to approximate the degree of red desaturation in those individuals. We also sought to elucidate any correlation between demographic variables and red desaturation prevalence and severity.

Methods: Adults aged 18 years and older with a normal eye examination, including confrontation fields and best-corrected visual acuity of ≥20/25 in both eyes, were eligible for this prevalence study.

Delayed-Onset Inflammatory Optic Nerve Sheath Mass and Perineuritis Following Cessation of Ipilimumab and Nivolumab Therapy.

A 65-year-old male presented with headaches and painless episodes of unilateral vision loss. He had a history of renal cell carcinoma, in remission following surgery and immunotherapy with ipilimumab and nivolumab, discontinued 2 years and 3 months before presentation, respectively. MRI revealed an optic nerve sheath mass and perineuritis.

Heart rate and age modulate retinal pulsatile patterns.

Theoretical models of retinal hemodynamics showed the modulation of retinal pulsatile patterns (RPPs) by heart rate (HR), yet in-vivo validation and scientific merit of this biological process is lacking. Such evidence is critical for result interpretation, study design, and (patho-)physiological modeling of human biology spanning applications in various medical specialties. In retinal hemodynamic video-recordings, we characterize the morphology of RPPs and assess the impact of modulation by HR or other variables.

Ophthalmic Findings Associated with NEDD4L-related Disorder.

Pathogenic variants in the NEDD4L gene are associated with a very rare neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by periventricular nodular heterotopia, developmental delay, 2-3 toe syndactyly, and cleft palate. Ophthalmic findings associated with this disorder have not been well described in literature. We have summarized the clinical findings that have been reported in this disorder previously and highlight a novel ophthalmic finding of foveal hypoplasia in a new case of NEDD4L-related disorder.

Ganglion Cell Layer Thickness Variance Using SPECTRALIS Optical Coherence Tomography.

Background: To determine the normal variance of the mean macular ganglion cell layer (GCL) volume among subjects without significant ocular pathology using SPECTRALIS optical coherence tomography (OCT).

Methods: Fifty subjects underwent a baseline scan using SPECTRALIS OCT followed by 2 more studies with (reg-ON) and without (reg-OFF) eye registration all taken at the same session. The mean GCL volume was measured using built-in SPECTRALIS software.

Protein biomarkers in serum as a conservation tool to assess reproduction: a case study on brown bears ().

Monitoring the reproductive characteristics of a species can complement existing conservation strategies by understanding the mechanisms underlying demography. However, methodology to determine important aspects of female reproductive biology is often absent in monitoring programs for large mammals. Protein biomarkers may be a useful tool to detect physiological changes that are indicative of reproductive state.

Exploring safety knowledge sharing among experienced and novice workers.

Introduction: This paper investigates how members of a culinary and hospitality arts program generate, share, and learn safety knowledge via social and identity mechanisms.

Method: We conducted semi-structured interviews with 20 participants of varying roles and experience (i.e.