BACKGROUND The purpose of this paper is to review the population-based epidemiology of surgically treated post-traumatic epidural hematomas (EDHs) and/or subdural hematomas (SDHs) among patients who presented to the single neurosurgical centre in Nova Scotia. METHODS We included all patients aged 16 years or older who presented to the tertiary care hospital with acute post-traumatic EDHs and/...

Astrocytes dynamically interact with neurons to regulate synaptic transmission. Although the gap junction proteins connexin 30 (Cx30) and connexin 43 (Cx43) mediate the extensive network organization of astrocytes, their role in synaptic physiology is unknown. Here we show, by inactivating Cx30 and Cx43 genes, that astroglial networks tone down hippocampal synaptic transmission in CA1 pyramidal...

Cardiac conduction is mediated by gap junction channels that are formed by connexin (Cx) protein subunits. The connexin family of proteins consists of more than 20 members varying in their biophysical properties and ability to combine with other connexins into heteromeric gap junction channels. The mammalian heart shows regional differences both in connexin expression profile and in degree of e...

Although a direct link between the HED meteorites and the asteroid 4 Vesta is generally acknowledged, several issues continue to be actively examined that tie Vesta to early processes in the solar system. Vesta is no longer the only basaltic asteroid in the Main belt. In addition to the Vestoids of the Vesta family, the small asteroid Magnya is basaltic but appears to be unrelated to Vesta. Sim...

We report preliminary results from the Spitzer IRS (Infrared Spectrograph) observations of the V-type asteroid 956 Elisa. Elisa was observed as part of a campaign to measure the 5.2–38 micron spectra of small basaltic asteroids with the Spitzer IRS. Targets include members of the dynamical family of the unique large differentiated asteroid 4 Vesta (“Vestoids”), several outer-mainbelt basaltic a...

UNLABELLED Despite the South African antiretroviral therapy rollout, which should reduce the incidence of HIV-associated tuberculosis (TB), the number of TB-attributable deaths in KwaZuluNatal (KZN) remains high. TB is often diagnosed clinically, without microbiologic confirmation, leading to inaccurate estimates of TB-attributed deaths. This may contribute to avoidable deaths, and impact popul...

Intercellular genetic communication is an essential requirement for coordination of cell proliferation and differentiation and has an important role in many cellular processes. Gap junction channels possess large pore allowing passage of ions and small molecules between cells. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small regulatory RNAs that can regulate gene expression broadly. Here, we report that miRNAs can...

V-type asteroids in the inner Main Belt (a < 2.5 AU) and the HED meteorites are thought to be genetically related to one another as collisional fragments from the surface of the large basaltic asteroid 4 Vesta. We investigate this relationship by comparing the near-infrared (0.7−2.5 μm) spectra of 39 V-type asteroids to laboratory spectra of HED meteorites. The central wavelengths and areas spa...

The importance of connexins (Cxs) in cochlear functions has been demonstrated by the finding that mutations in Cx genes cause a large proportion of sensorineural hearing loss cases. However, it is still unclear how Cxs contribute to the cochlear function. Recent data (33) obtained from Cx30 knockout mice showing that a reduction of Cx diversity in assembling gap junctions is sufficient to cause...