Publications by authors named "N A Sims"

Interleukin 11 (IL-11), a member of the IL-6 family of cytokines, has roles in haematopoiesis, inflammation, bone metabolism, and craniofacial development. IL-11 also has pathological roles in chronic inflammatory diseases, fibrosis, and cancer. In this structural snapshot, we explore our recently published cryo-EM structure of the human IL-11 signalling complex to understand the molecular mechanisms of complex formation and disease-associated mutations.

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This study identifies biochemical markers (BCIs) that can be used as population markers in wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) and compares their estimates with other established population size estimation (PE) methods, including census data (PE). Several groups of BCIs (64 targets: genetic and chemical markers) were investigated in an intercity study, including 10 cities/towns within England equating to a population of ∼7 million people. Several selection criteria were applied to identify the best BCIs to provide robust estimation of population size at a catchment level: (1) excellent performance with analytical methods; (2) excellent fit of the linear regression model which indicates PE-driven BCI daily loads; (3) low temporal variability in usage; (4) human-linked origin.

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Article Synopsis
  • Inactivation of the 24-hydroxylase enzyme (CYP24A1) in mice led to increased levels of calcitriol, resulting in higher intestinal calcium absorption and mild to severe hypercalcemia during pregnancy and lactation.
  • Both wild-type and Cyp24a1 null mice saw similar increases in bone mineral content during late pregnancy, but Cyp24a1 nulls had significantly higher calcitriol and intestinal calcium absorption, with some null dams experiencing late gestational mortality.
  • Despite some negative effects, Cyp24a1 nulls showed reduced bone loss during lactation compared to wild-types, highlighting the need for treatment options that target calcitriol levels in
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Introduction: The United Kingdom (UK) and world's population is aging with patients living longer, often with many co-morbidities. It is expected that patients of extreme old age would have poor outcomes following trauma; however, this assumption is not clearly evidenced. This study aims to present the outcomes of patients aged 100 or older admitted to a single hospital trust following admission for orthopaedic trauma.

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