Publications by authors named "Williams Laura"

Background: Long QT Syndrome Type-2 (LQT2) is due to loss-of-function variants. encodes K 11.1 that forms a delayed-rectifier potassium channel in the brain and heart.

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Introduction: Patient engagement in research aims to foster meaningful partnerships, integrating patient experiences into the research process. This paper describes the development of a Terms of Reference (ToR) to support these meaningful partnerships. While engagement improves data collection and empowerment, ineffective engagement can lead to negative outcomes.

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  • The text is a correction for an article previously published with the DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0094703.
  • It addresses errors or inaccuracies that were found in the original article.
  • The correction ensures that the information is accurate and reliable for readers and researchers.
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  • Comparative genomics of predatory and non-predatory bacteria reveals significant differences in their genomes, aiding the understanding of their ecology and potential therapeutic uses against drug-resistant infections.
  • Analysis of 18 obligate predatory bacteria and 15 non-predatory bacteria highlighted at least five distinct species and recent reclassifications, showcasing lineage-specific gene clusters related to predatory functions.
  • Key findings include a focus on enzymes involved in peptidoglycan metabolism unique to predatory bacteria, suggesting evolutionary adaptations for their predatory lifestyle, which may be targeted for further functional studies.
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IgE antibodies against the mammalian oligosaccharide allergen galactose-α-1,3-galactose (αGal) can result in a severe allergic disease known as alpha-gal syndrome (AGS). This syndrome, acquired by tick bites that cause αGal sensitization, leads to allergic reactions after ingestion of non-primate mammalian meat and mammalian-derived products that contain αGal. Allergen-specific immunotherapies for this tickborne allergic syndrome are understudied, as are the immune mechanisms of allergic desensitization that induce clinical tolerance to αGal.

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Introduction: Previously published data are conflicting regarding the ability of tenecteplase versus alteplase to produce early recanalization of an intracranial large vessel occlusion. We compared the performance of each thrombolytic in a stroke network.

Methods: We queried our prospectively collected code stroke registry for basilar, internal carotid, or proximal middle cerebral artery occlusion patients treated with intravenous thrombolysis from 11/17/2021-9/16/2023.

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Designing surfaces that enable controlled presentation of multivalent ligand clusters (e.g., for rapid screening of biomolecular binding constants or design of artificial extracellular matrices) is a cross-cutting challenge in materials and interfacial chemistry.

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Objective: To describe the clinical presentation, diagnostic findings, and medical management of the first suspected autochthonous case of a dog in the US diagnosed with Angiostrongylus vasorum, the French heartworm.

Animal: A 10-month-old Goldendoodle born in Oregon and residing in Washington State.

Clinical Presentation, Progression, And Procedures: The dog presented for evaluation of intermittent vomiting and diarrhea.

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Background: The DEFUSE 3 and SELECT2 thrombectomy trials included some patients with similar radiographic profiles, although the rates of good functional outcomes differed widely between the studies.

Objective: To report neurological outcomes for patients who meet CT and CT perfusion (CTP) inclusion criteria common to both DEFUSE 3 and SELECT2.

Methods: Retrospective study of thrombectomy patients, presenting between November 2016 and December 2023 to a large health system, with Alberta Stroke Program Early CT score ≥6, core infarction 50-69 mL, mismatch ratio ≥1.

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Increased intestinal permeability has been identified as one of the many pathophysiological factors associated with the development of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a common disorder of gut-brain interaction. The layer of epithelial cells that lines the intestine is permeable to a limited degree, and the amount of paracellular permeability is tightly controlled to enable the absorption of ions, nutrients, and water from the lumen. Increased intestinal permeability to macromolecules can be triggered by a variety of insults, including infections, toxins from food poisoning, or allergens, which in turn cause an inflammatory response and are associated with abdominal pain in patients with IBS.

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  • - The study investigates the relationship between tree species diversity and community productivity in forest ecosystems, focusing on the roles of different mycorrhizal associations (arbuscular and ectomycorrhizal fungi) in this relationship.
  • - Results showed that higher tree species richness generally enhances community productivity, particularly when both types of mycorrhizal trees coexist, likely due to complementary interactions between them.
  • - In communities with only ectomycorrhizal trees, species richness positively influenced productivity, but this effect was not seen in communities composed solely of arbuscular mycorrhizal trees, highlighting the importance of mycorrhizal interactions in biodiversity-productivity dynamics.
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Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is an immunomodulator used in dermatology and rheumatology. Side effects may be observed on routine monitoring studies before they become clinically apparent. The goal of this retrospective chart review was to assess laboratory abnormalities in dermatologic and rheumatologic patients taking HCQ.

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  • This study aimed to assess how reanalyzing genomic data can help identify diagnoses in dystonia patients who previously had inconclusive results.
  • Initially, only 11.7% of 111 patients received a molecular diagnosis from the first genome sequencing in 2019, but reanalysis between 2020 and 2023 increased that rate to 18.9%.
  • The findings suggest that regularly revisiting genomic data can lead to more genetic diagnoses, which can be crucial for better understanding and managing the condition for patients and their families.
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Introduction: Patient engagement and integrated knowledge translation (iKT) processes improve health outcomes and care experiences through meaningful partnerships in consensus-building initiatives and research. Consensus-building is essential for engaging a diverse group of experienced knowledge users in co-developing and supporting a solution where none readily exists or is less optimal. Patients and caregivers provide invaluable insights for building consensus in decision-making around healthcare, policy and research.

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  • Food allergies are serious medical conditions driven by harmful immune responses to certain foods, with current treatments often being long and only temporarily effective.
  • Researchers are investigating the use of nanoparticles that encapsulate allergens to directly suppress the harmful immune cells (Th2 cells) responsible for allergic reactions.
  • In mouse studies, administering these nanoparticles showed promising results by significantly reducing severe allergic reactions and reprogramming the immune response to be less reactive to allergens.
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  • Elaeophorosis is a parasitic disease caused by the filarial worm Elaeophora schneideri, affecting wild ungulates, particularly moose in North America, although more research is needed regarding its impact on moose health and mortality.
  • A study conducted on 61 Shiras moose in Idaho from March 2020 to July 2022 revealed that 24% of adult moose were infected, all of which were from southeastern Idaho, with no infections found in northern Idaho or in juvenile moose.
  • Histopathological analysis indicated microfilariae in brain tissue linked to ischemic injuries, while other affected tissues showed inflammation; signs such as cropped ears and abnormal behavior were observed in some infected
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Plant diversity effects on community productivity often increase over time. Whether the strengthening of diversity effects is caused by temporal shifts in species-level overyielding (i.e.

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The identification of neurodevelopmental defects in a patient harboring a heterozygous de novo missense variant (NM_006561.4, c.1517G > A, p.

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Background: Variants in dehydrodolichol diphosphate synthetase (DHDDS) and nuclear undecaprenyl pyrophosphate synthase 1 (NUS1) cause a neurodevelopmental disorder, classically with prominent epilepsy. Recent reports suggest a complex movement disorder and an overlapping phenotype has been postulated due to their combined role in dolichol synthesis.

Cases: We describe three patients with heterozygous variants in DHDDS and five with variants affecting NUS1.

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Background: Multiparametric remote measurement technologies (RMTs), which comprise smartphones and wearable devices, have the potential to revolutionize understanding of the etiology and trajectory of major depressive disorder (MDD). Engagement with RMTs in MDD research is of the utmost importance for the validity of predictive analytical methods and long-term use and can be conceptualized as both objective engagement (data availability) and subjective engagement (system usability and experiential factors). Positioning the design of user interfaces within the theoretical framework of the Behavior Change Wheel can help maximize effectiveness.

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Background: Basilar thrombosis frequently leads to poor functional outcomes, even with good endovascular reperfusion. We studied factors associated with severe disability or death in basilar thrombectomy patients achieving revascularization.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed records from a health system's code stroke registry, including successful basilar thrombectomy patients from January 2017 to May 2023 who were evaluated with pretreatment computed tomography perfusion.

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A large pediatric hospital redesigned the traditional task-based orientation program to one based on the Synergy Model for Patient Care nurse competencies, enhanced identification of learning needs, critical thinking exercises, and use of experienced staff in the role of clinical mentor. Development of a role to coordinate the learning experiences of the new hire was essential to creation of a model built upon the framework of the core competencies needed to care for a unit's population of patients.

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Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a life-altering event, which often results in loss of sensory and motor function below the level of trauma. Biomaterial therapies have been widely investigated in SCI to promote directional regeneration but are often limited by their pre-constructed size and shape. Herein, the design parameters of microporous annealed particles (MAPs) are investigated with tubular geometries that conform to the injury and direct axons across the defect to support functional recovery.

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