Investigating Skin Cancer Risk and Sun Safety Practices Among LGBTQ+ Communities in Canada.

Background: Skin cancer prevention relies on effective sun safety practices. Previous studies have shown that LGBTQ+ individuals exhibit lower sunscreen use and higher tanning bed usage compared to their non-LGBTQ+ counterparts. This study is the first to assess skin cancer risk factors, sun-protective behaviors, and skin cancer concerns among LGBTQ+ individuals across Canada.

The sixth sense: how much does interictal intracranial EEG add to determining the focality of epileptic networks?

Intracranial EEG is used for two main purposes: to determine (i) if epileptic networks are amenable to focal treatment and (ii) where to intervene. Currently, these questions are answered qualitatively and differently across centres. There is a need to quantify the focality of epileptic networks systematically, which may guide surgical decision-making, enable large-scale data analysis and facilitate multi-centre prospective clinical trials.

Regulatory elements in (7q21.3) locus contribute to genetic control of coronal nonsyndromic craniosynostosis and bone density-related traits.

Purpose: The etiopathogenesis of coronal nonsyndromic craniosynostosis (cNCS), a congenital condition defined by premature fusion of 1 or both coronal sutures, remains largely unknown.

Methods: We conducted the largest genome-wide association study of cNCS followed by replication, fine mapping, and functional validation of the most significant region using zebrafish animal model.

Results: Genome-wide association study identified 6 independent genome-wide-significant risk alleles, 4 on chromosome 7q21.

Ultrasound technology as a tool to teach basic concepts of physiology and anatomy in undergraduate and graduate courses: a systematic review.

Many publications describe use of ultrasound imaging in teaching of clinical courses, primarily integrated with clinical applications. More recently there have been increasing numbers of papers describing ultrasound as a tool primarily for teaching basic anatomy and physiology concepts rather than clinical applications. Of these, many have described qualitative analysis with a consensus that its use is viewed very positively by students for aiding learning.

Immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment does not impair ovarian or endocrine function in a mouse model of triple negative breast cancer.

Background: Representing 15-20% of all breast cancer cases, triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is diagnosed more frequently in reproductive-age women and exhibits higher rates of disease metastasis and recurrence when compared with other subtypes. Few targeted treatments exist for TNBC, and many patients experience infertility and endocrine disruption as a result of frontline chemotherapy treatment. While they are a promising option for less toxic therapeutic approaches, little is known about the effects of immune checkpoint inhibitors on reproductive and endocrine function.

A novel murine model mimicking male genital Neisseria species infection using Neisseria musculi†.

With ~78 million cases yearly, the sexually transmitted bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae is an urgent threat to global public health due to continued emergence of antimicrobial resistance. In the male reproductive tract, untreated infections may cause permanent damage, poor sperm quality, and subsequently subfertility. Currently, few animal models exist for N.

At what risk? A research note on interviewer burden.

Background: We report on our methodological experiences during an investigation of how institutional racism functions in healthcare. We found tension between balancing methodological rigor with the unanticipated consequence of interviewer burden.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with patients.

A multi-institutional machine learning algorithm for prognosticating facial nerve injury following microsurgical resection of vestibular schwannoma.

Vestibular schwannomas (VS) are the most common tumor of the skull base with available treatment options that carry a risk of iatrogenic injury to the facial nerve, which can significantly impact patients' quality of life. As facial nerve outcomes remain challenging to prognosticate, we endeavored to utilize machine learning to decipher predictive factors relevant to facial nerve outcomes following microsurgical resection of VS. A database of patient-, tumor- and surgery-specific features was constructed via retrospective chart review of 242 consecutive patients who underwent microsurgical resection of VS over a 7-year study period.

Photothermal Prussian blue nanoparticles generate potent multi-targeted tumor-specific T cells as an adoptive cell therapy.

Prussian blue nanoparticle-based photothermal therapy (PBNP-PTT) is an effective tumor treatment capable of eliciting an antitumor immune response. Motivated by the ability of PBNP-PTT to potentiate endogenous immune responses, we recently demonstrated that PBNP-PTT could be used ex vivo to generate tumor-specific T cells against glioblastoma (GBM) cell lines as an adoptive T cell therapy (ATCT). In this study, we further developed this promising T cell development platform.

Mapping the Relationship of White Matter Lesions to Depression in Multiple Sclerosis.

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an immune-mediated neurological disorder, and up to 50% of patients experience depression. We investigated how white matter network disruption is related to depression in MS.

Methods: Using electronic health records, 380 participants with MS were identified.

Evidence that ovarian hormones, but not diet and exercise, contribute to the sex disparity in post-traumatic stress disorder.

Females are twice as likely as males to receive a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). One hypothesis for this sex disparity is that ovarian hormones, including estrogen and progesterone, contribute to PTSD risk. Alternatively, sex differences in lifestyle factors, such as diet and exercise, may play a role in PTSD risk.

Ultrasound skills teaching in UK medical education: A systematic review.

Background: Sonography is increasingly integrated into medical curricula to prepare students for clinical practice. In 2022, we conducted a systematic review to explore the degree to which ultrasound skill acquisition is incorporated into undergraduate medial education in the United Kingdom.

Methods: A search of Medline and Embase databases from 2003 to 2022 identified 15 relevant articles.

A Narrative Review of Osteoid Osteomas and an Audit on the Practice of CT-Guided Radiofrequency Ablation in the Northern Irish Population: A First in the Literature.

Introduction Osteoid osteoma is a benign condition of the bone, usually affecting young males. This retrospective study explores the demographics of osteoid osteomas in the Northern Irish population. It also aims to audit the practice of CT-guided radiofrequency ablation of osteoid osteomas at a major orthopaedic centre in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and to investigate the possible causes of treatment failure.

Application of the ViroKey® SQ FLEX assay for detection of cytomegalovirus antiviral resistance.

Background: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a viral infection which establishes lifelong latency, often reactivating and causing disease in immunosuppressed individuals, including haematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients. Treatment can be problematic due to antiviral resistance which substantially increases the risk of patient mortality. Diagnostic testing capabilities for CMV antiviral resistance in Australia and elsewhere have traditionally relied on gene-specific Sanger sequencing approaches, however, are now being superseded by next generation sequencing protocols.

Quantifying interictal intracranial EEG to predict focal epilepsy.

Introduction: Intracranial EEG (IEEG) is used for 2 main purposes, to determine: (1) if epileptic networks are amenable to focal treatment and (2) where to intervene. Currently these questions are answered qualitatively and sometimes differently across centers. There is a need for objective, standardized methods to guide surgical decision making and to enable large scale data analysis across centers and prospective clinical trials.

Nanodepots Encapsulating a Latency Reversing Agent and Broadly Neutralizing Antibody Enhance Natural Killer Cell Cytotoxicity Against an in vitro Model of Latent HIV.

Purpose: Current antiretroviral therapies (ART) for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are not curative, as the virus persists in latent reservoirs, requiring lifelong adherence to ART and increasing the risk of co-morbidities. "Shock and kill" approaches to reactivate HIV from latent reservoirs followed by administration of anti-HIV drugs represent a promising strategy for eradicating latent HIV. To achieve effective shock and kill, we describe a strategy to eradicate the HIV reservoir that combines latency reversing agents (LRAs), broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs), and natural killer (NK) cells.