Sex Dependent Disparities in the Central Innate Immune Response after Moderate Spinal Cord Contusion in Rat.

Subacute spinal cord injury (SCI) displays a complex pathophysiology associated with pro-inflammation and ensuing tissue damage. Microglia, the resident innate immune cells of the CNS, in concert with infiltrating macrophages, are the primary contributors to SCI-induced inflammation. However, subpopulations of activated microglia can also possess immunomodulatory activities that are essential for tissue remodeling and repair, including the production of anti-inflammatory cytokines and growth factors that are vital for SCI recovery.

An Analysis of Uncertainties and Data Collection Agreements in the Cancer Drugs Fund.

Background: Managed Access Agreements (MAAs) are a commercial arrangement that provide patients earlier access to innovative health technologies while uncertainties in the evidence base are resolved through data collection. In the UK, data collection agreements (DCAs) outline the evidence that will be collected during the MAA period and are intended to resolve uncertainties in the clinical- and cost-effectiveness of a technology sufficient for the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) committee to make a final decision on reimbursement.

Objective: The aim of this study was to identify the primary uncertainties leading to a recommendation for entry to the Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF) and evaluate how the corresponding DCAs attempt to address these.

Activation of multiple Eph receptors on neuronal membranes correlates with the onset of optic neuropathy.

Background: Optic neuropathy is a major cause of irreversible blindness, yet the molecular determinants that contribute to neuronal demise have not been fully elucidated. Several studies have identified 'ephrin signaling' as one of the most dysregulated pathways in the early pathophysiology of optic neuropathy with varied etiologies. Developmentally, gradients in ephrin signaling coordinate retinotopic mapping via repulsive modulation of cytoskeletal dynamics in neuronal membranes.

An evaluation of managed access agreements in England based on stakeholder experience.

Objectives: The objective of this research was to evaluate managed access policy in England, drawing upon the expertise of a range of stakeholders involved in its implementation.

Methods: Seven focus groups were conducted with payer and health technology assessment representatives, clinicians, and representatives from industry and patient/carer organizations within England. Transcripts were analyzed using framework analysis to identify stakeholders' views on the successes and challenges of managed access policy.

Activation of Multiple Eph Receptors on Neuronal Membranes Correlates with The Onset of Traumatic Optic Neuropathy.

Background: Optic neuropathy (ON) is a major cause of irreversible blindness, yet the molecular determinants that contribute to neuronal demise have not been fully elucidated. Several studies have identified 'ephrin signaling' as one of the most dysregulated pathways in the early pathophysiology of ON with varied etiologies. Developmentally, gradients in ephrin signaling coordinate retinotopic mapping via repulsive modulation of cytoskeletal dynamics in neuronal membranes.

How to Be Irish in an Epidemic: A Dossier Article on HIV and AIDS in Ireland, Then and Now.

This dossier article contains four short and varied contributions from activists and other service and healthcare providers who have been agitating and working on the frontlines of HIV/AIDS in Ireland since the early 1980s. The dossier contains: (1) a history, by Bill Foley, of the early collective efforts of a group of gay men to provoke government action and healthcare under the umbrella of Gay Health Action (GHA) (2) a speech delivered by Dr. Erin Nugent to government officials on the re-branding of HIV Ireland in 2015; (3) a brief history, recounted by Noel Donnellan, of ACT UP Dublin since it was revitalized in 2016 by a small cohort of dedicated activists from a dormant group into a vibrant collective that has achieved great legislative change with regards to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP); and (4) a polemic, written by Thomas Strong, on living with HIV as a queer man in Ireland that demonstrates the ways in which HIV stigma not only thrives in but molds and shapes twenty-first-century gay men's communities, both in real life and online.

Derivation and Characterization of Murine and Amphibian Müller Glia Cell Lines.

Purpose: Müller glia (MG) in the retina of Xenopus laevis (African clawed frog) reprogram to a transiently amplifying retinal progenitor state after an injury. These progenitors then give rise to new retinal neurons. In contrast, mammalian MG have a restricted neurogenic capacity and undergo reactive gliosis after injury.

"L'ENFER, C'EST LES AUTRES": Proximity as an Ethical Problem during COVID-19.

During the COVID-19 emergency, people around the world are debating concepts like physical distancing, lockdown, and sheltering in place. The ethical significance of proximity-that is, closeness or farness as ethical qualities of relations (Strathern 2020)-is thus being newly troubled across a range of habits, practices, and personal relationships. Through five case studies from Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United States, contributors to this Colloquy shed light on what the hype of the pandemic often conceals: the forms of ethical reflection, reasoning, and conduct fashioned during the pandemic.

ACE2-cytomimetic particles restrict SARS-Cov-2 spike protein binding to cellular targets.

The development of countermeasures that aid in the prevention and propagation of SARS-CoV-2 infections is critical to manage the continuing crisis brought about by COVID-19. Here we present a proof-of-concept study on the use of cell-mimetic microparticles (Cytomimetics) for the interference and sequestration of SARS-CoV-2 virions away from the cellular surfaces required for replication, disease manifestation, and outbreak propagation. Recombinant human ACE2 (rhACE2) functionalized onto the surface of cytomimetic particles binds the receptor binding domain (RBD) of recombinant SARS-CoV-2 spike protein with high affinity and demonstrated a stoichiometric advantage over the use of soluble rhACE2.

Effectiveness and cost effectiveness of pharmacist input at the ward level: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Pharmacists play important role in ensuring timely care delivery at the ward level. The optimal level of pharmacist input, however, is not clearly defined.

Objective: To systematically review the evidence that assessed the outcomes of ward pharmacist input for people admitted with acute or emergent illness.

Transcriptomic analysis of synovial extracellular RNA following knee trauma: A pilot study.

Traumatic knee injuries often result in damage to articular cartilage and other joint structures. Such trauma is a strong risk factor for the future development and progression of osteoarthritis (OA). The molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways modulating response to knee joint trauma remain unclear.

Comparison of human adult stem cells from adipose tissue and bone marrow in the treatment of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.

Introduction: While administration of ex vivo culture-expanded stem cells has been used to study immunosuppressive mechanisms in multiple models of autoimmune diseases, less is known about the uncultured, nonexpanded stromal vascular fraction (SVF)-based therapy. The SVF is composed of a heterogeneous population of cells and has been used clinically to treat acute and chronic diseases, alleviating symptoms in a range of tissues and organs.

Methods: In this study, the ability of human SVF cells was compared with culture-expanded adipose stem cells (ASCs) and bone-derived marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) as a treatment of myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (35-55)-induced experimental autoimmune encephalitis in C57Bl/6J mice, a well-studied multiple sclerosis model (MS).

Obesity associated alterations in the biology of adipose stem cells mediate enhanced tumorigenesis by estrogen dependent pathways.

Introduction: Obesity has been associated with increased incidence and mortality of breast cancer. While the precise correlation between obesity and breast cancer remains to be determined, recent studies suggest that adipose tissue and adipose stem cells (ASCs) influence breast cancer tumorigenesis and tumor progression.

Methods: Breast cancer cells lines were co-cultured with ASCs (n = 24), categorized based on tissue site of origin and body mass index (BMI), and assessed for enhanced proliferation, alterations in gene expression profile with PCR arrays, and enhanced tumorigenesis in immunocompromised mice.

Initial experience with a dual-balloon catheter for the management of postpartum hemorrhage.

Objective: When uterotonics fail to cause sustained uterine contractions and satisfactory control of hemorrhage after delivery, tamponade of the uterus can be effective in decreasing hemorrhage secondary to uterine atony.

Study Design: These data are from a postmarketing surveillance study of a novel dual-balloon catheter tamponade device, the Belfort-Dildy Obstetrical Tamponade System (ebb).

Results: A total of 57 women were enrolled: 55 women had the diagnosis of postpartum hemorrhage, and 51 women had uterine balloon placement within the uterine cavity.

A new method for creating the bladder flap.

Background: Bladder flaps are commonly created during routine cesarean deliveries and often require multiple steps that increase operating time and expose the surgeon to inadvertent injury.

Objective: We report a simple method of creating a bladder flap that eliminates the need for multiple instrument handoffs and repositioning.

Conclusion: The simplicity of this method allows the surgeon decreased operative entry time while decreasing exposure to injuries from multiple instrument handoffs during bladder flap development.

Obesity-associated dysregulation of calpastatin and MMP-15 in adipose-derived stromal cells results in their enhanced invasion.

Adipose tissue maintains a subpopulation of cells, referred to as adipose-derived stromal/stem cells (ASCs), which have been associated with increased breast cancer tumorigenesis and metastasis. For ASCs to affect breast cancer cells, it is necessary to delineate how they mobilize and home to cancer cells, which requires mobilization and invasion through extracellular matrix barriers. In this study, ASCs were separated into four different categories based on the donor's obesity status and depot site of origin.

Umbilical artery aneurysm.

Background: Umbilical artery aneurysm is a rare condition associated with increased risk for aneuploidy and fetal demise.

Case: We report a case of umbilical artery aneurysm discovered at 27 weeks of gestation in one fetus of a dichorionic, diamniotic twin pregnancy. The patient was hospitalized to monitor for expansion of the aneurysm.

Romantic relationships and their social context among gay/bisexual male youth in the Castro District of San Francisco.

This article examines the culture of romantic relationships among gay/bisexual male youth in the Castro District of San Francisco. The article seeks to specify the cultural ideology that informs these relationships, drawing upon ethnographic observation, autobiographical accounts, and informant cultural exegesis. The article also seeks to link thinking and experience inside romantic relationships (e.