Publications by authors named "Michael O'connor"

Aim: This study aims to assess the cervical spine positioning of consultant and trainee hand surgeons during standardised hand surgeries, focusing on the prevalence of sustained end-range postures, particularly cervical spine flexion.

Background: Surgeons often perform procedures that require maintenance of sustained postures for prolonged periods of time. Hand surgeons may be at increased risk of sustained end of range postures, particularly cervical spine flexion.

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Aims: Parsonage Turner Syndrome (PTS) is a peripheral neuropathy manifesting as sudden onset pain, muscle weakness, and atrophy. This review aims to analyse long-term outcomes reported in adult patients with PTS, and establish an optimised management approach.

Methods: A comprehensive literature search was performed using MEDLINE, PubMed, and the Cochrane Library.

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Toys are us (Trus) is the ortholog of mammalian Programmed Cell Death 2-Like (PDCD2L), a protein that has been implicated in ribosome biogenesis, cell cycle regulation, and oncogenesis. In this study, we examined the function of Trus during development. CRISPR/Cas9 generated null mutations in lead to partial embryonic lethality, significant larval developmental delay, and complete pre-pupal lethality.

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Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation is increasingly being used to support patients with hypoxemic respiratory failure and cardiogenic shock. During the COVID-19 pandemic, consensus guidance recommended extracorporeal life support for patients with COVID-19-related cardiopulmonary disease refractory to optimal conventional therapy, prompting a substantial expansion in the use of this support modality. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation was particularly integral to the bridging of COVID-19 patients to heart or lung transplantation.

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Animals sense chemical cues such as nutritious and noxious stimuli through the chemosensory system and adapt their behavior, physiology, and developmental schedule to the environment. In the Drosophila central nervous system, chemosensory interneurons that produce neuropeptides called Hugin (Hug) peptides receive signals from gustatory receptor neurons and regulate feeding behavior. Because Hug neurons project their axons to the higher brain region within the protocerebrum where dendrites of multiple neurons producing developmentally important neuropeptides are extended, it has been postulated that Hug neurons regulate development through the neuroendocrine system.

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This case presents a 35-year-old male with spinal predominant neurofibromatosis-1 who developed an incomplete spinal cord injury (C3 Asia C) which did not improve despite urgent decompressive surgery for multiple cervical neurofibromas. This report outlines a novel indication for intrathecal baclofen. The patient suffered from lower limb weakness with severe spasticity and required assistance of at least two for all activities.

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Maintaining metabolic homeostasis requires coordinated nutrient utilization between intracellular organelles and across multiple organ systems. Many organs rely heavily on mitochondria to generate (ATP) from glucose, or stored glycogen. Proteins required for ATP generation are encoded in both nuclear and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA).

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Article Synopsis
  • - Understanding the growth of the Drosophila larval brain involves two key types of neural stem cells, neuroblasts and neuroepithelial cells, which proliferate in a coordinated manner influenced by nutrition and hormonal signals during different larval stages.
  • - Mutations in the baboon (babo) gene, which produces three types of receptors involved in TGF-β signaling, lead to significantly reduced neural stem cell proliferation, resulting in small brain development in fruit flies.
  • - The research highlights the pivotal role of the BaboA isoform in regulating neural stem cell behaviors and EcR-B1 expression, suggesting that Babo signaling is essential for proper brain growth by managing these cellular processes.
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Purpose To develop a molecular breast imaging (MBI)-guided biopsy system using dual-detector MBI and to perform initial testing in participants. Materials and Methods The Stereo Navigator MBI Accessory biopsy system comprises a lower detector, upper fenestrated compression paddle, and upper detector. The upper detector retracts, allowing craniocaudal, oblique, or medial or lateral biopsy approaches.

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Molecular breast imaging (MBI) is one of several options available to patients seeking supplemental screening due to mammographically dense breasts. Patient experience during MBI may influence willingness to undergo the test but has yet to be formally assessed. We aimed to assess patient comfort level during MBI, to compare MBI comfort with mammography comfort, to identify factors associated with MBI discomfort, and to evaluate patients' willingness to return for future MBI.

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Background: Absent "organic" disease, dyspeptic symptoms may arise from abnormal gastric sensation, accommodation, motility or emptying (GE). Extensive gastric sensorimotor evaluation is rarely undertaken because testing is prolonged, invasive, poorly tolerated or unavailable.

Aims: To investigate whether gastric antral motor function, evaluated with scintigraphy, predicts GE.

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In Australia, acute inpatient units within public mental health services have become the last resort for mental health care. This research explored barriers and facilitators to safe, person-centred, recovery-oriented mental health care in these settings. It utilised participant observations conducted by mental health nurses in acute inpatient units.

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Background: There is no gold-standard test for primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD), rather American Thoracic Society guidelines recommend starting with nasal nitric oxide (nNO) in children ≥5 years old and confirming the diagnosis with genetic testing or ciliary biopsy with transmission electron microscopy (TEM). These guidelines have not been studied in a clinical setting. We present a case series describing the PCD diagnostic process at our pediatric PCD center.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study focused on the blood parameters of giant pandas to help monitor their health, especially regarding reintroduction efforts for this endangered species in China.
  • Researchers compared three released pandas with 30 captive pandas and found that elevation and captivity status significantly affected their hematological measures, with released pandas showing better health indicators at higher altitudes.
  • The findings established reference intervals for blood parameters that can be used to track the health of both captive and future free-roaming giant pandas.
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Background: It is extremely rare for Lyme borreliosis to present solely with features of increased intracranial pressure. The treatment of pediatric Lyme neuroborreliosis with oral versus intravenous antibiotics remains controversial.

Methods: Case report and literature review.

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The pseudouridine (ψ) synthase, RluD is responsible for three ψ modifications in the helix 69 (H69) of bacterial 23S rRNA. While normally dispensable, rluD becomes critical for rapid cell growth in bacteria that are defective in translation-termination. In slow-growing rluD bacteria, suppressors affecting termination factors RF2 and RF3 arise frequently and restore normal termination and rapid cell growth.

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Background And Objectives: Eating disorders (EDs) affect a substantial number of American adolescents, with an increasing number seeking care for EDs during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. We assessed the prevalence and clinical characteristics of adolescents hospitalized with EDs during 2010 to 2022.

Methods: We used data from a national database of 12 children's hospitals (PEDSnet).

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Introduction: Chronic pain is defined as pain lasting longer than 3 months. This often causes persistent emotional distress and functional disability that is refractory to conventional treatments. Emerging evidence suggests that oral Ketamine therapy may have a specific role in managing treatment-resistant chronic pain.

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The fourth chromosome is the final frontier for genetic analysis in Drosophila. Small, heterochromatic, and devoid of recombination the fourth has long been ignored. Nevertheless, its long arm contains 79 protein-coding genes.

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