Publications by authors named "North R"

Lead (Pb) is a heavy metal associated with a range of toxic effects. Relatively few studies attempt to understand the impact of lead on development from a mechanistic perspective. (zebrafish) embryos are a model organism for studying the developmental consequences of exposure to chemical agents.

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Objectives: To determine if piecemeal separation surgery, in conjunction with smaller treatment volumes utilized with spine stereotactic radiation therapy (S-SBRT), increased the risk of adjacent level progression (ALP).

Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of a prospectively maintained database of adult spine oncologic patients who underwent SBRT to the spine at University of Michigan from 2010 to 2021. We compared ALP in patients undergoing SBRT who had pretreatment surgery with those who did not.

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Background: Obesity and frailty are positively linked. Compared to other groups, older African American women have the highest rates of both obesity and frailty. Several academic weight loss interventions have shown that older adults can lose weight and improve physical function through diet and exercise.

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Study Design: Narrative Review.

Objective: The management of spinal tumors requires a multi-disciplinary approach including surgery, radiation, and systemic therapy. Surgical approaches typically require posterior segmental instrumentation to maintain long-term spinal stability.

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Purpose: AIM-Back is an embedded pragmatic clinical trial (ePCT) with cluster randomization designed to increase access and compare the effectiveness of two different non-pharmacological care pathways for low back pain (LBP) delivered within the Veteran Administration Health Care System (VAHCS). This manuscript describes baseline characteristics of AIM-Back participants as well as the representativeness of those referred to the AIM-Back program by sex, age, race, and ethnicity, relative to Veterans with low back pain at participating clinics.

Participants: To be eligible for AIM-Back, Veterans were referred to the randomized pathway at their clinic by trained primary care providers (Referral cohort).

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Background: The Standard Protocol Items: Recommendations for Interventional Trials (SPIRIT) statement has improved the quality of reporting of randomised trial protocols. Extensions to the SPIRIT statement are needed to address specific issues of trial protocol reporting, including those relevant to particular types of interventions. Methodological and reporting deficiencies in protocols of clinical trials of implantable neurostimulation devices are common.

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Background: The Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) statement has improved the quality of reporting of randomised trials. Extensions to the CONSORT statement are often needed to address specific issues of trial reporting, including those relevant to particular types of interventions. Methodological and reporting deficiencies in clinical trials of implantable neurostimulation devices are common.

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Older adults with Alzheimer's disease (AD), in addition to significant cognitive disability, have twice the risk of fracture compared to those with normal cognition. Fractures among older adults with AD are associated with substantial morbidity, loss of physical function, and significant mortality. Prior studies have shown a decreased risk of fracture among those taking acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, such as donepezil.

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Article Synopsis
  • Bacteria evolve mechanisms to optimize resource competition and adapt to new environments, specifically focusing on the import of isethionate by the sulfate-reducing bacterium Oleidesulfovibrio alaskensis.
  • This species uses a TRAP transporter (OaIsePQM) to facilitate isethionate import, with OaIseP binding the substrate and delivering it to the transporter for cellular uptake.
  • The study revealed the binding affinity of isethionate to OaIseP, provided structural insights into the protein’s conformation with and without the substrate, and suggests implications for antibiotic development targeting TRAP transporters.
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Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and the transient receptor potential vanilloid subtype 1 (TRPV1) are both upregulated and play key roles in the induction and expression of paclitaxel-related chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN). Using Apolipoprotein A-I binding protein, non-specific cholesterol depletion, TLR4 mis-sense rats and a TLR4 inhibitor, we demonstrate that co-localization of TRPV1 with TLR4 to cholesterol-rich lipid membrane rafts in nociceptors is essential for its normal activation as well as for its exaggerated activation that underlies the development and expression of CIPN. The findings suggest that TLR4-lipid rafts may have an essential role in numerous neuroinflammatory and neuropathic pain conditions.

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Purpose: To evaluate the value of enhanced optometric services for managing neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) and glaucoma in primary care optometry services, instead of hospital eye services (HES).

Methods: Seven enhanced optometric service pathways in primary care in Wales were assessed with a mixed-methods approach: three for nAMD and four for glaucoma. The methods were a patient-related experience measure (PREM), a Realist Review and Evaluation involving both patients and staff, a discrete event simulation model estimating the economic impact of the pathways and a workforce survey of optometrists to gauge capability and capacity.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The complex nature of spinal cord injury (SCI) creates challenges for translating research into practical treatments, leading to a need for advanced data science solutions to manage diverse injury data and outcomes.
  • - To address privacy concerns with sensitive data, a Private Data Commons for SCI (PDC-SCI) has been developed, enabling secure, organized data sharing among researchers for collaborative studies.
  • - An example of PDC-SCI in action is demonstrated through the VA Gordon Mansfield SCI Consortium, which integrates various data types to enhance research insights and knowledge discovery in SCI.
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Background: Spinal arteriovenous fistulas (SAVFs) are direct communication between arteries and veins without intervening abnormal vessel nidus, which often results in venous congestion and spinal cord dysfunction. Ventrally located SAVF can be challenging to treat through traditional open or endovascular approaches.

Case Description: We describe a hybrid (open/endovascular) procedure in a 72-year-old male with a Takai Type IVb SAVF presenting with paraparesis and sphincter dysfunction.

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Tripartite ATP-independent periplasmic (TRAP) transporters are analogous to ABC transporters in that they use a substrate-binding protein to scavenge metabolites (e.g., N-acetylneuraminate) and deliver them to the membrane components for import.

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Article Synopsis
  • sLITT is a minimally invasive treatment for metastatic epidural spinal cord compression, offering benefits over traditional surgery.
  • A study analyzed outcomes for 129 patients who underwent sLITT, finding a one-year freedom from local failure rate of 80% and overall survival rate of 78%.
  • Key factors affecting treatment success included the location of the disease and post-treatment imaging scores, highlighting the importance of early treatment responses as potential prognostic markers.
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Chronic shoulder pain due to iatrogenic spinal accessory nerve (SAN) injury continues to be under-recognized, resulting in delayed time-to-diagnosis and poorer outcomes. Solutions are needed to improve the management of this condition, which can be challenging as care needs to be coordinated across pain management, neurophysiology, rehabilitation and reconstructive surgery. We present a series of six patients with shoulder pain refractory to conservative pain treatments to highlight how SAN injuries continued to be missed and treatment delayed, even at advanced care centers.

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Objective: The resiliency of patients who have advanced heart failure (HF) and undergo a physical stressor such as heart transplantation or left ventricular assist device implantation has yet to be studied in the physical, cognitive, and psychosocial domains. The primary aim of this pilot study was to assess the feasibility of a multidomain resiliency assessment in patients who have advanced HF and require surgery.

Methods: A battery of assessments in each of the domains was completed at baseline before surgical intervention, after intensive care discharge, and 3 and 6 months after surgery.

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Study Design: Survey study.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to characterize the utility of 3D printed patient specific anatomic models for the planning of complex primary spine tumor surgeries.

Methods: A survey of individual members of an international study group of spinal oncology surgeons was performed.

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Article Synopsis
  • Spontaneous activity in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons is a major factor in neuropathic pain, which often goes untreated.
  • Researchers found that the drug tomivosertib (eFT508) can suppress this spontaneous activity in human sensory neurons known as nociceptors by inhibiting a specific signaling pathway (MNK) within minutes.
  • The treatment not only reduced the activity of these neurons but also led to key changes in their electrical properties, indicating potential mechanisms that could be targeted in future clinical trials for managing neuropathic pain.
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Background: Paget's disease of bone (PDB) is a common bone metabolic pathology in older adults, characterized by mixed osteolytic, osteoblastic, and quiescent periods. Surgical guidelines for PDB involving the spine are not well-defined and are reserved for cases refractory to medical treatments, typically bisphosphonates like zoledronic acid. This case study describes a 52-year-old male with PDB who presented with rapidly progressing myelopathy symptoms refractory to standard medical treatment, warranting surgical decompression.

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Accelerated warming since the 1950s has caused dramatic change to ice shelves and outlet glaciers on the Antarctic Peninsula. Long observational records of ice loss in Antarctica are rare but essential to accurately inform mass balance estimates of glaciers. Here, we use aerial images from 1968 to reveal glacier configurations in the Larsen B region.

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Objectives: The aim of this study was to present key technologic and regulatory milestones in spinal cord stimulation (SCS) for managing chronic pain on a narrative timeline with visual representation, relying on original sources to the extent possible.

Materials And Methods: We identified technical advances in SCS that facilitated and enhanced treatment on the basis of scientific publications and approvals from the United States (US) Food and Drug Administration (FDA). We presented milestones limited to first use in key indications and in the context of new technology validation.

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(1) Background: Myxopapillary ependymoma (MPE) is a rare tumor of the spine, typically slow-growing and low-grade. Optimal management strategies remain unclear due to limited evidence given the low incidence of the disease. (2) Methods: We analyzed data from 1197 patients with spinal MPE from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database (2000-2020).

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Objective: Variation exists in approaches to delivery of spine stereotactic radiosurgery (SSRS). Here, the authors describe outcomes following single-fraction SSRS performed using a simultaneous integrated boost for the treatment of prostate cancer spine metastases.

Methods: Health records of patients with prostate cancer spine metastases treated with single-fraction SSRS at the authors' institution were reviewed.

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