PIONEER REAL UK: A Multi-Centre, Prospective, Real-World Study of Once-Daily Oral Semaglutide Use in Adults with Type 2 Diabetes.

Introduction: Oral semaglutide provides an alternative to injectable glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) for treatment of type 2 diabetes (T2D). The PIONEER REAL studies evaluate clinical outcomes of oral semaglutide treatment of T2D in a real-world setting. PIONEER REAL UK focused on adults living with T2D in the UK.

Hyperventilation During Manual Ventilation Can Be Reduced Using a Novel Ventilator but Not With Education Interventions.

Introduction: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the leading cause of combat casualties in modern war with an estimated 20% of casualties experiencing head injury. Since the release of the Brain Trauma Foundation's Guidelines for the Management of Severe Traumatic Brain Injury in 1995, recommendations for management of TBI have included the avoidance of routine hyperventilation. However, both published and anecdotal data suggest that many patients with TBI are inappropriately ventilated during transport, thereby increasing the risk of morbidity and mortality from secondary brain injury.

Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome and Pre-eclampsia/Eclampsia: Anesthetic Implications and Management.

Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is a rare neurologic disorder that has recently become more frequently diagnosed. While the exact etiology of PRES remains unclear, multiple diseases are associated with PRES. Moreover, there is increasing recognition of the association of PRES in pre-eclampsia/eclampsia with advancements in imaging techniques and increased awareness of the disorder.

A seafood risk tool for assessing and mitigating chemical and pathogen hazards in the aquaculture supply chain.

Intricate links between aquatic animals and their environment expose them to chemical and pathogenic hazards, which can disrupt seafood supply. Here we outline a risk schema for assessing potential impacts of chemical and microbial hazards on discrete subsectors of aquaculture-and control measures that may protect supply. As national governments develop strategies to achieve volumetric expansion in seafood production from aquaculture to meet increasing demand, we propose an urgent need for simultaneous focus on controlling those hazards that limit its production, harvesting, processing, trade and safe consumption.

A comparative study of materials assembled from recombinant K31 and K81 and extracted human hair keratins.

Natural biopolymers have found success in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications. Their intrinsic biocompatibility and biological activity make them well suited for biomaterials development. Specifically, keratin-based biomaterials have demonstrated utility in regenerative medicine applications including bone regeneration, wound healing, and nerve regeneration.

Development and characterization of a biomimetic coating for percutaneous devices.

Percutaneous osseointegrated prosthetics (POP), which consist of a metallic post attached to the bone that extends outward through the skin to connect to an external prosthesis, have become a clinically relevant option to replace the typical socket-residual limb connection. POP devices offer several advantages such as mechanical off-loading of soft tissues, direct force transfer to the musculoskeletal system, greater proprioception, and overall improvement in limb kinesis compared to a socket system. However, POP devices create several challenges including epidermal downgrowth, increased infection risk, and mechanical tearing at the skin-implant interface.

Characterization of Campylobacter jejuni, Campylobacter upsaliensis, and a novel Campylobacter sp. in a captive non-human primate zoological collection.

Background: The aim of this study was to longitudinally investigate the prevalence and characterization of Campylobacter spp. from non-human primates primate (NHP) with a history of endemic diarrhea housed at Como Park Zoo.

Methods: Fecal samples from 33 symptom-free NHP belonging to eight different species were collected weekly for 9 weeks.

Engineering of a miniaturized, robotic clinical laboratory.

The ability to perform laboratory testing near the patient and with smaller blood volumes would benefit patients and physicians alike. We describe our design of a miniaturized clinical laboratory system with three components: a hardware platform (ie, the miniLab) that performs preanalytical and analytical processing steps using miniaturized sample manipulation and detection modules, an assay-configurable cartridge that provides consumable materials and assay reagents, and a server that communicates bidirectionally with the miniLab to manage assay-specific protocols and analyze, store, and report results (i.e.

Modular Peptide Amphiphile Micelles Improving an Antibody-Mediated Immune Response to Group A Streptococcus.

Inducing a strong and specific immune response is the hallmark of a successful vaccine. Nanoparticles have emerged as promising vaccine delivery devices to discover and elicit immune responses. Fine-tuning a nanoparticle vaccine to create an immune response with specific antibody and other cellular responses is influenced by many factors such as shape, size, and composition.

Surgical Removal of a Ventricular Foreign Body in a Captive African Black-footed Penguin ( Spheniscus demersus ).

Anterior gastrointestinal tract obstruction by a foreign body has been reported in several avian species, most commonly in captive birds. It is often associated with behavioral issues that lead to compulsive consumption of bedding materials or bright moving objects. In penguins, foreign bodies are most commonly identified at necropsy and often are found in the ventriculus because of anatomic characteristics of the species.

Isolation and Host Range of Bacteriophage with Lytic Activity against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Potential Use as a Fomite Decontaminant.

Staphylococcus aureus (SA) is a commensal bacterium and opportunistic pathogen commonly associated with humans and is capable of causing serious disease and death including sepsis, pneumonia, and meningitis. Methicillin-resistant SA (MRSA) isolates are typically resistant to many available antibiotics with the common exception of vancomycin. The presence of vancomycin resistance in some SA isolates combined with the current heavy use of vancomycin to treat MRSA infections indicates that MRSA may achieve broad resistance to vancomycin in the near future.

Peptide amphiphile micelles self-adjuvant group A streptococcal vaccination.

Delivery system design and adjuvant development are crucially important areas of research for improving vaccines. Peptide amphiphile micelles are a class of biomaterials that have the unique potential to function as both vaccine delivery vehicles and self-adjuvants. In this study, peptide amphiphiles comprised of a group A streptococcus B cell antigen (J8) and a dialkyl hydrophobic moiety (diC16) were synthesized and organized into self-assembled micelles, driven by hydrophobic interactions among the alkyl tails.

Omental torsion in a captive polar bear (Ursus maritimus).

This is the first case report of an omental torsion in a polar bear (Ursus maritimus). A captive, 23-yr-old, 250-kg, intact female polar bear presented to the University of Minnesota Veterinary Medical Center with a 2-day history of lethargy, depression, and vomiting. Abdominal ultrasound identified large amounts of hyperechoic free peritoneal fluid.

Longitudinal Characterization of Escherichia coli in Healthy Captive Non-Human Primates.

The gastrointestinal (GI) tracts of non-human primates (NHPs) are well known to harbor Escherichia coli, a known commensal of human beings and animals. While E. coli is a normal inhabitant of the mammalian gut, it also exists in a number of pathogenic forms or pathotypes, including those with predisposition for the GI tract as well as the urogenital tract.

A longitudinal study of Salmonella from snakes used in a public outreach program.

Snakes are considered to be a source of Salmonella infection for humans, but little is known about the actual serotype prevalence in healthy snakes over time. Twelve snakes involved in a public outreach program, representing seven different species, were tested weekly for shedding of Salmonella sp. over a period of 10 consecutive weeks.

Fecal steroid analysis for evaluating ovarian function in the greater kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros) and lesser kudu (Tragelaphus imberbis).

Seasonal reproductive-endocrine norms have not been described for the genus Tragelaphus, which consists of seven species of African antelope. Longitudinal patterns of progesterone metabolite excretion were assessed by radioimmunoassays in fecal samples collected noninvasively (three to seven samples per week) from greater kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros, n = 4) and lesser kudu (Tragelaphus imberbis, n = 4). Progesterone metabolite excretion patterns revealed seasonal estrous cycles in both species, and discrimination of pregnant versus nonpregnant females was achieved in lesser kudu.

Toll-like receptor-mediated adjuvanticity and immunomodulation in dendritic cells: Implications for peptide vaccines.

Considerable success has been made with many peptide antigen formulations and it appears that peptide-based vaccines are emerging as the next generation of prophylactic and remedial immunotherapy. However, peptides are typically poorly immunogenic and rely on delivery with potent immunostimulatory adjuvants that activate the innate and adaptive arms of the immune system. Our research aims to develop novel peptide antigen delivery systems that incorporate multiple pattern-recognition receptor (PRR) agonists and is focused on those designed to stimulate Toll-like receptors (TLRs) on dendritic cells (DCs).

Advances in the design and delivery of peptide subunit vaccines with a focus on toll-like receptor agonists.

Considerable success has been made with many peptide antigen formulations, and peptide-based vaccines are emerging as the next generation of prophylactic and remedial immunotherapy. However, finding an optimal platform balancing all of the requirements for an effective, specific and safe immune response remains a major challenge for many infectious and chronic diseases. This review outlines how peptide immunogenicity is influenced by the way in which peptides are presented to the immune system, underscoring the need for multifunctional delivery systems that couple antigen and adjuvant into a single construct.

Controlling kinesin motor proteins in nanoengineered systems through a metal-binding on/off switch.

A significant challenge in utilizing kinesin biomolecular motors in integrated nanoscale systems is the ability to regulate motor function in vitro. Here we report a versatile mechanism for reversibly controlling the function of kinesin biomolecular motors independent of the fuel supply (ATP). Our approach relied on inhibiting conformational changes in the neck-linker region of kinesin, a process necessary for microtubule transport.