Publications by authors named "N Fletcher"
Study Design: Retrospective review.
Objective: To determine the impact of upper lumbar lordosis changes in the fused segment on compensatory kyphotic or lordotic changes in the unfused lower lumbar spine in patients with Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS).
Summary Of Background Data: While the distribution of lordosis and interplay between fused/unfused segments has been studied in adults, less is known about this in AIS.
Article Synopsis
- The study examines the impact of implant density on outcomes in posterior spinal fusion surgery for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS), revealing limited differences between high-density and moderate-density screw constructs.
- A total of 1865 patients were analyzed, showing similar age, sex distribution, and radiographic results, with slight advantages for high-density constructs in curve correction.
- Overall, the findings suggest that moderate-density constructs can be effectively used in routine AIS surgeries, as both densities resulted in comparable patient-reported and radiographic outcomes after two years.
Article Synopsis
- ALS is a severe neurodegenerative disease characterized by the buildup of misfolded proteins in motor neurons, prompting researchers to find ways to reduce this burden for potential treatment.
- Antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) have been identified as a promising option to target proteins like SOD1 that cause mutations, but their delivery to the central nervous system is challenging due to the blood-brain barrier.
- The study demonstrates that using transcranial focused ultrasound (FUS) along with calcium phosphate lipid nanoparticles significantly enhances the delivery of a SOD1 ASO into the brain of mice, leading to reduced SOD1 levels and improved motor neuron survival without damaging brain tissue.
Bats are becoming recognised as new model species to study naturally evolved mammalian extended healthspan and disease tolerance. However, this research is limited by the lack of bat specific cellular resources. Here we describe an optimised protocol to develop both primary and immortalised fibroblast cell-lines from wing biopsy punches from the Egyptian fruit bat, Rousettus aegyptiacus.
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