Associations Between Patient Characteristics and Progression to Multiple Myeloma Among Patients With Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance: A Systematic Review.

Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) is a pre-malignant condition of multiple myeloma (MM). Evidence suggested old age, black race, male gender, and obesity as risk factors for MGUS development; however, whether they are associated with an increased risk of progression to MM among patients with MGUS is unclear. A systematic search of PUBMED and EMBASE for cohort studies investigating the association between age/race/gender/obesity and progression to MM.

Enhanced detection and Characterization of M-proteins in multiple myeloma patients using An Agilent AssayMAP Bravo liquid handling system coupled to an LC-QTOF.

Background: Mass spectrometry methods are emerging as tools to detect M-proteins in the serum of multiple myeloma patients with increased sensitivity and specificity compared to traditional electrophoretic methods.

Methods: A liquid handling system, the Agilent AssayMAP Bravo, with liquid chromatography high-resolution quadrupole-time-of-flight (LC-QTOF) mass spectrometry to analyze intact light chains was compared to immunofixation electrophoresis (IFE) for M-protein analysis. 210 patient serum samples were analyzed in a split sample comparison (LC-QTOF vs.

Quality of plastic surgery Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) studies: A systematic review.

Background: In effort to improve post-operative outcomes, enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols have gained popularity. The objective of this systematic review was to assess the reporting and methodological quality of plastic surgery ERAS studies.

Methods: All plastic surgery ERAS implementation studies, published between January 1, 2020, to November 20, 2023, were included.

CCR2 restricts IFN-γ production by hippocampal CD8 TRM cells that impair learning and memory during recovery from WNV encephalitis.

Central nervous system (CNS) resident memory CD8 T cells (T) that express IFN-γ contribute to neurodegenerative processes, including synapse loss, leading to memory impairment. Here, we show that CCR2 signaling in CD8 T that persist within the hippocampus after recovery from CNS infection with West Nile virus (WNV) significantly prevents the development of memory impairments. Using CCR2-deficient mice, we determined that CCR2 expression is not essential for CNS T cell recruitment or virologic control during acute WNV infection.

Ten-year trends in clinical characteristics and outcome of children hospitalized with severe wasting or nutritional edema in Malawi (2011-2021): Declining admissions but worsened clinical profiles.

Background: Severe acute malnutrition (SAM) constitutes a substantial burden in African hospitals. Despite adhering to international guidelines, high inpatient mortality rates persist and the underlying contributing factors remain poorly understood.

Objective: We evaluated the 10-year trend (2011-2021) in clinical factors and outcomes among children with severe wasting and/or nutritional edema at Malawi's largest nutritional rehabilitation unit (NRU).

segcsvd: A Convolutional Neural Network-Based Tool for Quantifying White Matter Hyperintensities in Heterogeneous Patient Cohorts.

White matter hyperintensities (WMH) of presumed vascular origin are a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based biomarker of cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD). WMH are associated with cognitive decline and increased risk of stroke and dementia, and are commonly observed in aging, vascular cognitive impairment, and neurodegenerative diseases. The reliable and rapid measurement of WMH in large-scale multisite clinical studies with heterogeneous patient populations remains challenging, where the diversity of imaging characteristics across studies adds additional complexity to this task.

Exogenous bone sialoprotein improves extraction socket healing in ibsp knockout and wild-type mice.

Bone sialoprotein (Ibsp/BSP) is a bone-associated extracellular matrix protein. Ibsp knockout (Ibsp) mice exhibit defective alveolar bone formation, mineralization, and healing. We hypothesized BSP would rescue defective alveolar bone healing in a molar extraction model in Ibsp mice.

Risk of bleeding with the concurrent use of amiodarone and DOACs: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background And Aims: Amiodarone is frequently prescribed alongside direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) in atrial fibrillation (AF). There are concerns regarding drug-drug interactions (DDIs) between amiodarone and DOACs. The literature is conflicting on the clinical implications of this DDI, hence we conducted a meta-analysis to compare bleeding risk among patients receiving DOACs, with and without concurrent amiodarone.

Overview of the Canadian Clinician Investigator Trainees' Research Presented at the 2024 CSCI-CITAC Joint Meeting.

The 2024 Annual Joint Meeting (AJM) and Young Investigators' Forum of the Canadian Society for Clinical Investigation (CSCI) and Clinician Investigator Trainee Association of Canada (CITAC) was held on April 11, 2024, in Vancouver, British Columbia. Hosted in collaboration with the University of British Columbia (UBC) and the International Congress on Academic Medicine (ICAM), this meeting marked a significant opportunity for clinician investigator trainees to present their research and connect with national and international peers. The event included 70 trainees, consisting of 58 MD+ (MD/PhD, MD and PhD, MD-MSc, MD and MSc) and 12 Clinician Investigator Program and/or Surgeon-Scientist Training Program trainees.

Delisting From Liver Transplant List for Improvement and Re-compensation Among Decompensated Patients at one-year.

Background And Aim: Data are limited regarding etiology-specific trends for delisting and re-compensation for liver disease improvement among liver transplant (LT) listed candidates in the US.

Methods And Results: A retrospective cohort (2002-2022) using UNOS database examined etiology-specific trends for delisting and re-compensation due to liver disease improvement among candidates listed for LT. Of 120,451 listings in adults, 34,444 (2002-08), 38,296 (2009-2015), 47,711 (2016-2022) were analyzed.

In Search of Transcriptomic Correlates of Neuronal Firing-Rate Adaptation across Subtypes, Regions and Species: A Patch-seq Analysis.

Can the transcriptomic profile of a neuron predict its physiological properties? Using a Patch-seq dataset of the primary visual cortex, we addressed this question by focusing on spike rate adaptation (SRA), a well-known phenomenon that depends on small conductance calcium (Ca)-dependent potassium (SK) channels. We first show that in parvalbumin-expressing (PV) and somatostatin-expressing (SST) interneurons (INs), expression levels of genes encoding the ion channels underlying action potential generation are correlated with the half-width (HW) of spikes. Surprisingly, the SK encoding gene is not correlated with the degree of SRA (dAdap).

HR-pQCT measurements of changes in periarticular bone density and microarchitecture one year after acute knee injury and after reconstructive surgery.

ACL injuries commonly lead to post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA), but the underlying mechanism is not well-understood. One theorized mechanism is pathological bone remodelling following an ACL tear, for which high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT) is uniquely positioned to investigate in vivo in humans. In this study, we longitudinally investigate the one-year changes in periarticular bone density and microarchitecture in the human knee following an ACL tear and reconstructive surgery using data sampled from an on-going observational cohort study.

Tracking of spaceflight-induced bone remodeling reveals a limited time frame for recovery of resorption sites in humans.

Mechanical unloading causes bone loss, but it remains unclear whether disuse-induced changes to bone microstructure are permanent or can be recovered upon reloading. We examined bone loss and recovery in 17 astronauts using time-lapsed high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography and biochemical markers to determine whether disuse-induced changes are permanent. During 6 months in microgravity, resorption was threefold higher than formation.

A national cross-sectional survey of health literacy of caregivers attending Canadian pediatric emergency departments.

Background: Health literacy assessment is key to better meeting family needs and developing informed strategies to promote positive health outcomes for children. The objective of this study was to describe the health literacy of caregivers who use Canadian pediatric emergency departments and relate it to demographic and visit-specific variables.

Methods: This study utilized a descriptive, cross-sectional survey design with medical record review.

Patterns of Extraocular Muscle Enlargement in Graves' Orbitopathy and Acromegaly.

Extraocular muscle (EOM) enlargement occurs in both acromegaly and Graves' disease, but the degree and pattern of enlargement have not been directly compared in these patient groups. This study investigated whether acromegaly and Graves' orbitopathy (GO) are associated with different patterns of EOM enlargement at the time of diagnosis. Retrospective cohort.

Transfer RNA and small molecule therapeutics for aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase diseases.

Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases catalyze the ligation of a specific amino acid to its cognate tRNA. The resulting aminoacyl-tRNAs are indispensable intermediates in protein biosynthesis, facilitating the precise decoding of the genetic code. Pathogenic alleles in the aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases can lead to several dominant and recessive disorders.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of interventions to delabel low-risk penicillin allergies with consideration for sex and gender.

Aims: Sex and gender may influence penicillin allergy label (PAL) prevalence and outcomes. This review evaluates the effectiveness and safety of direct delabelling (DD) and oral challenge (OC) for low-risk patients and examines sex and gender differences in reporting and outcomes.

Methods: We searched PubMed, Database of Abstracts of Reviews and Effects, ClinicalTrials.

Mobilizing community engagement for crisis response: lessons learned from a COVID-19 mass vaccination clinic in Cobourg, Ontario, Canada.

Background: Communities have an important role to play in disaster and emergency planning and response. Yet community members are not typically engaged in official planning activities, including plans for mass immunization clinics during infectious disease emergencies, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. This qualitative study explores one case of a community driven effort to implement a COVID-19 mass vaccination clinic in Cobourg, Ontario, Canada.

Development of metal-organic framework biocomposites from chitosan as drug delivery vehicles: In vitro evaluation on HeLa and SH-SY5Y cell lines.

In modern times, achieving precise drug delivery through a safe and stable carrier remains a significant challenge. In this study, we synthesized a novel ligand based on a guanazole Schiff base and subsequently developed new metal-organic framework (MOF) named UWO-1 through a reaction involving zinc acetate. At the same time, curcumin (CUR) was loaded onto the newly synthesized UWO-1.

Partial or Focal Brachytherapy for Prostate Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Introduction: Recent advances in image-guided brachytherapy have allowed for treatment volume reduction in the treatment of prostate cancer, with the aim to optimize disease control and reduce toxicities. This systematic review reports on the efficacy and safety of focal brachytherapy for treatment of patients with localized prostate cancer.

Methods: Medline, Embase, Web of Science and Cochrane were searched from inception to July 2023.

The evolution of academic advisor and resident dyadic coaching relationships: a two-year longitudinal qualitative study.

Implementing competency based medical education (CBME) has generated enormous amounts of assessment data. To help residents synthesize and use these data, some programs have appointed academic advisors (AA) to 'coach over time'. This study explored how resident and faculty AA dyads perceived their relationship developing and evolving, and the extent to which it aligned with 'coaching over time'.