Publications by authors named "Shapiro H"

In mucosal barriers, tissue cells and leukocytes collaborate to form specialized niches that support host-microbiome symbiosis. Understanding the spatial organization of these barriers is crucial for elucidating the mechanisms underlying health and disease. The gingiva, a unique mucosal barrier with significant health implications, exhibits intricate tissue architecture and likely contains specialized immunological regions.

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  • Germline BRCA1 mutation carriers have a high breast cancer risk, but the reasons for this increased risk are not fully understood.
  • Researchers used a genetically engineered mouse model to show that the early onset of tumors in BRCA1 heterozygous mice can't be explained by the traditional "two-hit" hypothesis alone.
  • Advanced techniques like single-cell RNA sequencing revealed distinct chromatin alterations in normal Brca1 heterozygous cells, hinting at epigenetic changes that might promote cancer, with specific transcription factors identified as key players in tumor development.
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Importance: Physicians, especially surgeons, delay family building, and face age-related complications of pregnancy.

Objective: To explore factors that are associated with family building decisions among residents and fellows and to understand their thoughts on accessing family building supports, workplace culture, and attitudes toward family planning.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This qualitative study was conducted from May to August 2022 at postgraduate training sites across Ontario, Canada.

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A 2-year professional master of health science program at the University of Toronto provides a unique integrated educational program to train allied health science personnel to practice as physician extenders and health care professionals in two high-demand clinical laboratory disciplines, Pathologists' Assistant (PA) and Clinical Embryologist (CE). This report describes an integrated graduate program developed and delivered in a research-intensive laboratory medicine department. The core courses in fundamental biomedical science and in general medical laboratory function and operations formed the foundation on which the requisite clinical skills required to practice as a PA or CE were subsequently delivered as comprehensive CE and PA specialty courses and practicums.

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Background And Objectives: As overdose rates rise among non-White Americans, understanding barriers to substance use disorder (SUD) treatment access by race and ethnicity is important. This study explores self-reported barriers to SUD treatment by race and ethnicity in emergency department (ED) populations.

Methods: We conducted a secondary, exploratory analysis of a randomized trial of patients not seeking SUD treatment who endorsed active drug use at six academic EDs.

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  • More women of childbearing age are surviving heart transplants and many wish to become pregnant, but there's little information on their counseling experiences or knowledge regarding pregnancy after transplantation.
  • A survey of 64 women who underwent heart transplants revealed that many felt they lacked adequate information about post-transplant pregnancy and contraception before and after the procedure.
  • The results indicate a significant gap in communication between healthcare providers and these women, suggesting a need for improved education and support regarding reproductive health after heart transplantation.*
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Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a disorder of clinical and public health significance requiring novel and improved therapeutic solutions. Both environmental and genetic factors play a significant role in its pathophysiology. However, the underlying epigenetic molecular mechanisms that link the gene-environment interaction in AUD remain largely unknown.

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Background: Many physicians feel uncomfortable caring for patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). While some residency training programs include lecture content on IDD, few provide structured experiences with individuals with IDD. One strategy for improving comfort is "contact theory:" increasing interactions with "dissimilar" people can lead to decreased negative attitudes toward that population.

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Although gender differences in the prevalence of substance use disorders (SUD) have been well-characterized, little is known about when gender differences emerge along the continuum of substance use. Understanding the contribution of gender to risk at key transition points across this continuum is needed to identify potential mechanisms underlying gender differences and to inform improved gender-responsive interventions. To characterize gender differences in the progression of cannabis, cocaine, and heroin use, the current study used data from the United States-based 2015-2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health to quantify gender differences in: (1) perceived access to drugs, (2) lifetime drug use among individuals with at least some access, and (3) past-year SUD among those who had ever used each drug.

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Accompanied by a historical perspective of the field of cytometry, this introductory chapter provides a broad view of what flow cytometry can do; hence, the glass is half full.

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Valvular heart disease is a common cause of peripartum cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The hemodynamic changes of pregnancy and their impact on preexisting valvular lesions are described in this paper. Tools for calculation of maternal and fetal risk during pregnancy are also discussed.

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Background: Between 2017 and 2021, the newly established Department of Neurosurgery at Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem, a high volume metropolitan hospital, operated on 25 intradural lesions in 24 patients (one patient had multiple tumors). In this retrospective study, we review results and lessons learned as experienced surgeons opened a new service line.

Methods: A multidisciplinary team was assembled and led by experienced neurosurgeons with skills in both microneurosurgery and complex spine care.

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People with diabetes feature a life-risking susceptibility to respiratory viral infection, including influenza and SARS-CoV-2 (ref. ), whose mechanism remains unknown. In acquired and genetic mouse models of diabetes, induced with an acute pulmonary viral infection, we demonstrate that hyperglycaemia leads to impaired costimulatory molecule expression, antigen transport and T cell priming in distinct lung dendritic cell (DC) subsets, driving a defective antiviral adaptive immune response, delayed viral clearance and enhanced mortality.

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Importance: Physicians are known to delay childbearing compared with nonphysicians and to experience higher rates of age-related pregnancy complications. Delay of childbearing is more pronounced in surgical specialties, and family planning and building goals may influence specialty choice.

Objective: To assess medical students' perspectives on the development of family planning goals and the timing of family building within a medical career to elucidate how these perceptions impact their choice of specialty.

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NK effector functions can be triggered by inflammatory cytokines and engagement of activating receptors. NK cell production of IFN-γ, an important immunoregulatory cytokine, exhibits activation-specific IFN-γ regulation. Resting murine NK cells exhibit activation-specific metabolic requirements for IFN-γ production, which are reversed for activating receptor-mediated stimulation following IL-15 priming.

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Clinical embryologists are responsible for the handling, evaluation, and care of human gametes and preimplantation embryos within the context of an assisted reproductive technology laboratory. They are integral members of a team of professionals who provide care for fertility patients. Despite the increasing recognition of clinical embryologists as professionals, training requirements, continuing professional development, and appropriate credentialing have lagged in several countries.

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The postnatal interaction between microbiota and the immune system establishes lifelong homeostasis at mucosal epithelial barriers, however, the barrier-specific physiological activities that drive the equilibrium are hardly known. During weaning, the oral epithelium, which is monitored by Langerhans cells (LC), is challenged by the development of a microbial plaque and the initiation of masticatory forces capable of damaging the epithelium. Here we show that microbial colonization following birth facilitates the differentiation of oral LCs, setting the stage for the weaning period, in which adaptive immunity develops.

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Objective: We aimed to compare the prescribing patterns of preventive medications between pediatric and adult neurologists for young adults with migraine.

Background: Although preventive medications are effective for adults with migraine, studies in children have failed to demonstrate similar efficacy. As a result, lifestyle modifications and non-pharmacological interventions are often emphasized in children.

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Rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus 2 (RHDV2) is a fatal, highly contagious pathogen that infects wild and domestic lagomorphs (rabbits and hares). RHDV2 is an important cause of disease in pet and companion rabbits, has resulted in economic losses for the commercial rabbit industry, and has caused declines of wild lagomorph populations. It is essential for domestic rabbit owners to engage in appropriate actions (e.

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