Estradiol increases dendritic spine density and synaptogenesis in the CA1 region of the female hippocampus. This effect is specific to females, as estradiol-treated males fail to show increases in hippocampal spine density. Estradiol-induced spinogenesis in the female is dependent upon upregulation of the N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptor as well as on non-nuclear estrogen receptors (ER), including those found in dendrites. Thus, in the male, the inability of estradiol to induce spinogenesis may be related to a failure of estradiol to increase hippocampal NMDA receptors as well as a paucity of dendritic ER. In the first experiment, we sought to investigate this possibility by assessing NMDA receptor binding, using [³H]-glutamate autoradiography, in estradiol-treated males and females. We found that while estradiol increases NMDA binding in gonadectomized females, estradiol fails to modulate NMDA binding in gonadectomized males. To further investigate sex differences in the hippocampus, we conducted a second separate, but related, ultrastructural study in which we quantified ERα-immunoreactivity (ERα-ir) in neuronal profiles in the CA1 region of the hippocampus in intact males and females in diestrus and proestrus. Consistent with previous reports in the female, we found ERα-ir in several extranuclear sites including dendrites, spines, terminals and axons. Statistical analyses revealed that females in proestrus had a 114.3% increase in ERα-labeled dendritic spines compared to females in diestrus and intact males. Taken together, these studies suggest that both the ability of estrogen to increase NMDA binding in the hippocampus and the presence of ERα in dendritic spines may contribute to the observed sex difference in estradiol-induced hippocampal spinogenesis.

With the prevalence of eye diseases, such as cataracts, retinal degenerative diseases, and glaucoma, different treatments including lens replacement, vitrectomy, and stem cell transplantation have been developed; however, they are not without their respective shortcomings. For example, current methods to seal corneal incisions induced by cataract surgery, such as suturing and stromal hydration, are less than ideal due to the potential for surgically induced astigmatism or wound leakage. Vitrectomy performed on patients with diabetic retinopathy requires an artificial vitreous substitute, with current offerings having many shortcomings such as retinal toxicity. The use of stem cells has also been investigated in retinal degenerative diseases; however, an optimal delivery system is required for successful transplantation. The incorporation of hydrogels into ocular therapy has been a critical focus in overcoming the limitations of current treatments. Previous reviews have extensively documented the use of hydrogels in drug delivery; thus, the goal of this review is to discuss recent advances in hydrogel technology in surgical applications, including dendrimer and gelatin-based hydrogels for ocular adhesives and a variety of different polymers for vitreous substitutes, as well as recent advances in hydrogel-based retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and retinal progenitor cell (RPC) delivery to the retina.

Research examining boys' notions of masculinity is on the rise, but little attention has been given to those of Asian Canadian boys. This interview-based study explores 10 Asian and White high school boys' discussions about masculinity in the context of their gender, culture, and "race." Feminist poststructuralist analysis reveals these boys' complex negotiations with hegemonic masculinity and suggests that gender, culture, and "race" play a significant role in considerations of masculinity. These boys' discussions challenge hegemonic notions of masculinity and have implications for secondary education, particularly boys' schooling. Les recherches sur les notions de masculinité chez les garçons se multiplient, mais peu d'attention a été accordée aux garçons canadiens d'origine asiatique. Cette étude fondée sur des entrevues explore des discussions entre 10 élèves du secondaire, blancs ou asiatiques, de sexe masculin sur la masculinité dans le contexte du sexe, de la culture et de la « race ». L'analyse féministe poststructuraliste révèle les négociations complexes de ces garçons avec la masculinité hégémonique et laisse entendre que le sexe, la culture et la « race » jouent un rôle important dans les considérations relatives à la masculinité. Les discussions entre ces garçons remettent en question les notions hégémoniques de la masculinité et ont des implications pour l'enseignement au secondaire, surtout auprès des garçons.

Patients with Schwannomatosis (SWN) overwhelmingly present with intractable, debilitating chronic pain. There are no effective therapies to treat SWN. The drivers of pain response and tumor progression in SWN are not clear. The pain is not proportionally linked to tumor size and is not always relieved by tumor resection, suggesting that mechanisms other than mechanical nerve compression exist to cause pain. SWN research is limited by the lack of clinically-relevant models. Here, we established novel patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models, dorsal root ganglia (DRG) imaging model, and combined with single-cell resolution intravital imaging and RNASeq, we discovered: i) schwannomas on the peripheral nerve cause macrophage influx into the DRG, via secreting HMGB1 to directly stimulate DRG neurons to express CCL2, the key macrophage chemokine, ii) once recruited, macrophages cause pain response via overproduction of IL-6, iii) IL-6 blockade in a therapeutic setting significantly reduces pain but has modest efficacy on tumor growth, iv) EGF signaling is a potential driver of schwannoma growth and escape mechanism from anti-IL6 treatment, and v) combined IL-6 and EGFR blockade simultaneously controlled pain and tumor growth in SWN models. Our findings prompted the initiation of phase II clinical trial (NCT05684692) for pain relief in patients with SWN.

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