Gender and Intersecting Barriers and Facilitators to Access the HIV Cascade of Care in Manitoba, Canada, Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study.

Marginalized groups in Manitoba, Canada, especially females and people who inject drugs, are overrepresented in new HIV diagnoses and disproportionately affected by HIV and structural disadvantages. Informed by syndemic theory, our aim was to understand people living with HIV's (PLHIV) gendered and intersecting barriers and facilitators across the cascade of HIV care before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study was co-designed and co-led alongside people with lived experience and a research advisory committee.

Retinal Degeneration Associated With Biallelic RDH12 Variants: Longitudinal Evaluation of Retinal Structure and Visual Function in Pediatric Patients.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the natural history of the photoreceptor disease in a large group of pediatric patients with RHD12-associated Leber congenital amaurosis (RDH12-LCA), to estimate the changes expected over the duration of a clinical trial, and to define the relationship between the photoreceptor loss and visual dysfunction.

Methods: Forty-six patients representing 36 families were included. The great majority of patients were under the age of 18 years.

Rapid assessment of the osteogenic capacity of hydroxyapatite/aragonite using a murine tibial periosteal ossification model.

Biomaterials are widely used as orthopaedic implants and bone graft substitutes. We aimed to develop a rapid osteogenic assessment method using a murine tibial periosteal ossification model to evaluate the bone formation/remodelling potential of a biomaterial within 2-4 weeks. A novel hydroxyapatite/aragonite (HAA) biomaterial was implanted into C57BL/6 mice juxtaskeletally between the tibia and tibialis anterior muscle.

A decade of real-world clinical experience with 8-week azithromycin-metronidazole combined therapy in paediatric Crohn's disease.

Objectives: The aim of our study was to assess the effectiveness and side-effect profile of a combination of azithromycin and metronidazole (CD AZCRO) as alternative induction therapy for 8 weeks in mild to moderately active paediatric Crohn's disease (CD).

Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study (November 2012 to July 2023) of a regional paediatric inflammatory bowel disease service. Disease activity, faecal calprotectin (FC), C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), haematological parameters and albumin were collected at baseline, 8 and 16 weeks.

Treating eosinophilic exacerbations of asthma and COPD with benralizumab (ABRA): a double-blind, double-dummy, active placebo-controlled randomised trial.

Background: Exacerbations of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are important events and are associated with critical illness. Eosinophilic inflammation is a treatable trait commonly found during acute exacerbations of asthma and COPD. We hypothesised that for patients with eosinophilic exacerbations, a single injection of benralizumab, a humanised monoclonal antibody against interleukin-5 receptor-α, alone or in combination with prednisolone, will improve clinical outcomes compared with prednisolone, the standard of care.