Iron Overload, Oxidative Stress, and Somatic Mutations in MDS: What Is the Association?

Introduction: Iron overload (IOL) accumulates in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) from expanded erythropoiesis and transfusions. Somatic mutations (SM) are frequent in MDS and stratify patient risk. MDS treatments reversing or limiting transfusion dependence are limited.

Assessment of Opuntia ficus-indica supplementation on enhancing antioxidant levels.

Opuntia ficus-indica (OFi) is a major fruit source prevalent in semiarid and arid regions across various countries worldwide. It is widely recognised for its potential health benefits; however, most studies investigating its effects have been limited to pre-clinical models, highlighting the need for further validation through clinical trials. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of OFi supplementation in enhancing antioxidant levels.

A retrospective analysis of medical student authorship in highest impact radiology journal publications.

Objectives: To assess medical student authorship in radiology research, focusing on the prevalence and impact of student articles, demographic trends, and potential barriers and opportunities for involvement.

Methods: We retrospectively assessed original research and review papers from 2018 to 2022 in the top five radiology journals based on their 2022 Impact Factor. Three reviewers manually validated and classified articles by medical student (MS) and non-MS authorship.

Role of the sarcin-ricin loop of 23S rRNA in biogenesis of the 50S ribosomal subunit.

The sarcin-ricin loop (SRL) is one of the most conserved segments of ribosomal RNA (rRNA). Translational GTPases (trGTPases), such as EF-G and EF-Tu and IF2, form contacts with the SRL that are critical for GTP hydrolysis and factor function. Previous studies showed that expression of 23S rRNA lacking the SRL confers a dominant lethal phenotype in E.

Housing matters: The long-term impact of stable housing on mortality among people with HIV in British Columbia, Canada.

Aim: For several decades, British Columbia (BC), Canada, has been experiencing a housing crisis marked by a shortage of safe and affordable housing, which coincides with a severe drug poisoning epidemic in the region. We explore the impact of housing instability on mortality (all-cause, drug-related) among a cohort of people with HIV (PWH) in BC.

Methods: Data are from the Longitudinal Investigation into Supportive and Ancillary Health Services (LISA) study (n = 997).

Diagnostic accuracy of an automated classifier for the detection of pleural effusions in patients undergoing lung ultrasound.

Rationale: Lung ultrasound, the most precise diagnostic tool for pleural effusions, is underutilized due to healthcare providers' limited proficiency. To address this, deep learning models can be trained to recognize pleural effusions. However, current models lack the ability to diagnose effusions in diverse clinical contexts, which presents significant challenges.

Contaminant-Associated Disruption of the Skin Transcriptome in the Endangered St. Lawrence Estuary Beluga.

The St. Lawrence Estuary (SLE) beluga () population in Canada is Endangered, and endocrine disrupting contaminants, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and other halogenated flame retardants, have been identified as a threat to the recovery of this population. Here, potential impacts of these contaminants on SLE beluga were evaluated by comparing skin transcriptome profiles and biological pathways between this population and a population less exposed to contaminants (Eastern Beaufort Sea) used as a reference.

Electroconvulsive shock and transcranial magnetic stimulation do not alter the survival or spine density of adult-born striatal neurons.

Adult neurogenesis has most often been studied in the hippocampus and subventricular zone-olfactory bulb, where newborn neurons contribute to a variety of behaviors. A handful of studies have also investigated adult neurogenesis in other brain regions, but relatively little is known about the properties of neurons added to non-canonical areas. One such region is the striatum.

Machine learning reveals the dynamic importance of accessory sequences for outbreak clustering.

Unlabelled: Bacterial typing at whole-genome scales is now feasible owing to decreasing costs in high-throughput sequencing and the recent advances in computation. The unprecedented resolution of whole-genome typing is achieved by genotyping the variable segments of bacterial genomes that can fluctuate significantly in gene content. However, due to the transient and hypervariable nature of many accessory elements, the value of the added resolution in outbreak investigations remains disputed.

Maternal sucrose consumption alters steroid levels in the mother, placenta, and fetus.

Maternal diet has long-term effects on offspring brain development and behavior. Sucrose (table sugar) intakes are high in modern diets, but it is not clear how a maternal high-sucrose diet (HSD) affects the offspring. In rats, a maternal HSD (26% of calories from sucrose, which is human-relevant) alters maternal metabolism and brain and also alters adult offspring endocrinology and behavior in a sex-specific manner.

Experiences of violence and hospitalization rates among people living with HIV in British Columbia, Canada.

People living with HIV (PLWH) in Canada experience high rates of interpersonal violence which may lead to adverse health outcomes that require hospitalization. Using self-reported data on experiences of violence linked to administrative health data on hospitalizations, we used Poisson regression modelling to examine and compare the associations between experiences of violence (recent [in the past 6 months], non-recent [>6 months ago], or none) and hospitalization rates, among a sample of PLWH in British Columbia, Canada. Of 984 PLWH included in this study, 60.

Patient Preferences in Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy (ARVC) Screening and ICD Implantation: Canadian ARVC Registry Substudy.

Background: Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) is typically diagnosed following an arrhythmic event or during screening after a family member experiences sudden cardiac death. Implantation of a defibrillator (ICD) improves survival but can be associated with morbidity and risks, an important consideration within a shared decision-making context. This study examined patient decisional needs and preferences surrounding ARVC screening and prophylactic ICD implantation.

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Background: Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) remains a prominent medical concern worldwide. Epidemiologic metrics and trends over time for OHCA cases in Canada are not well defined. This study evaluated geographic differences in the incidence and outcomes of OHCA patients admitted to hospitals across Canada, during the period 2013-2017.

The Canadian Heart Failure (CAN-HF) Registry: A Canadian Multicentre, Retrospective Study of Outpatients with Heart Failure.

Background: Guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) reduces events in patients with heart failure (HF) with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). Despite this impact, underutilization of GDMT persists. This report sought to describe HF management in Canadian outpatients treated at specialized HF clinics (HFCs).

Severe Edematous Facial Myositis Following Dual Influenza and COVID-19 Vaccination: A Case Report.

Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM), or myositis, are a heterogeneous group of autoimmune disorders that can affect multiple organs, including the muscles, skin, joints, lungs, heart, and gastrointestinal tract. While new-onset myositis has been reported following SARS-CoV-2 infection, cases associated with COVID-19 vaccination remain rare. We describe a unique case of severe progressive edematous facial myositis resembling angioedema in a 22-year-old man, with onset one to two weeks after receiving dual SARS-CoV-2 and influenza vaccinations.

Association between prescribed stimulant medications and overdose among individuals receiving opioid agonist therapy: A retrospective cohort study from British Columbia, Canada.

Aims: We measured the association between prescribed stimulant medications and overdose among individuals receiving opioid agonist therapy (OAT) for opioid use disorder.

Design: Retrospective cohort study using the British Columbia Provincial Overdose Cohort, a linked administrative database.

Setting: We used data from British Columbia, Canada, from January 2015 through February 2020.

Population-Based Analysis of the Risk of Mycobacterial Infections Associated With Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors.

In this population-based study, we examined the risk of nontuberculous mycobacterial disease associated with immune checkpoint inhibitors among people with cancer. Using a nested case-control design, we identified 184 cases and 714 matched controls; there was no significant association on conditional logistic regression (adjusted odds ratio, 0.51 [95% confidence interval, .

Secondary Immunodeficiency.

The field of medicine is constantly changing and, as healthcare providers, we are fortunate to be practicing in a time when patients are living longer and novel therapeutic options continue to evolve. However, these new advances may be associated with adverse effects that practitioners need to be aware of. Some of these impair the immune system leading to secondary immunodeficiencies (SID) that increase host susceptibility to infections and other complications.

Echocardiographic assessment of aortic regurgitation: a practical guideline from the British Society of Echocardiography.

Aortic regurgitation is the third most common valve lesion with increasing prevalence secondary to an ageing population. Transthoracic echocardiography plays a vital role in the identification and assessment of aortic regurgitation and proves essential in monitoring severity and determining the timing of intervention. Building on the foundations of previous British Society of Echocardiography (BSE) recommendations, this BSE guideline presents an update on how to approach an echocardiographic assessment of aortic regurgitation.

Integrative genomic analysis of DLBCL identifies immune environments associated with bispecific antibody response.

Most diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) patients treated with immunotherapies such as bispecific antibodies (BsAb) or chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells fail to achieve durable treatment responses, underscoring the need for a deeper understanding of mechanisms that regulate the immune environment and response to treatment. Here, an integrative, multi-omic approach was applied to multiple large independent datasets in order to characterize DLBCL immune environments, and to define their association with tumor cell-intrinsic genomic alterations and outcomes to CD19-directed CAR T-cell and CD20 x CD3 BsAb therapies. This approach effectively segregated DLBCLs into four immune quadrants (IQ) defined by cell-of-origin and immune-related gene set expression scores.

Power assist add-ons for adult manual wheelchair users: A scoping review.

Manual wheelchairs can promote independence among users. However, the user's level of disability, strength, stamina, and the environmental conditions within which the wheelchair is used may limit manual wheelchair functionality. The use of power assist add-ons may mitigate these limitations and help individuals to age in place.

From impact metrics and open science to communicating research: Journalists' awareness of academic controversies.

This study sheds light on how journalists respond to evolving debates within academia around topics including research integrity, improper use of metrics to measure research quality and impact, and the risks and benefits of the open science movement. It does so through a codebook thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with 19 health and science journalists from the Global North. We find that journalists' perceptions of these academic controversies vary widely, with some displaying a highly critical and nuanced understanding and others presenting a more limited awareness.