AIN to Ulnar Motor Nerve Transfer Meta Analysis

Background: There are currently few comprehensive studies of end-to-end and “supercharged” reverse end-to-side (SETS) anterior interosseous nerve (AIN) to ulnar nerve transfers for treatment of ulnar neuropathy. The authors performed a literature review existing published literature to evaluate the indications for, and utility of, AIN-ulnar nerve transfer as a treatment method and to inform future treatment decisions. Methods: A literature review was performed based on the following inclusion criteria: inclusion of anterior interosseous nerve or AIN, ulnar nerve or ulnar motor nerve, transfer or nerve transfer, and outcome, motor, clinical, ulnar neuropathies, ulnar nerve paralysis, treatment or function. Exclusion criteria included animal studies or studies not in English. Results were analyzed based on the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaire scores, grip and key pinch strength, and interosseous Medical Research Council (MRC) graded strength. Preoperative and postoperative differences were evaluated by independent t-test and Mann-Whitney U-test. Results: Literature search identified 103 unique articles. Following screening, 13 full-text articles were reviewed. 9 articles met the inclusion criteria, of which 5 pertained to the reverse end-to-side (SETS) technique and 4 pertained to the end-to-end technique. 130 patients (mean age, 40.8 +/- 12.8 years) were included overall, and 114 patients had sufficient follow-up to evaluate functional outcomes. The mean time to surgery was 5.4 +/- 2.2 months and the mean follow-up period was 18.2 +/- 27.0 months. Injuries to the ulnar nerve and diagnoses varied, but all patients had preoperative clinical evidence of ulnar weakness, and the majority of patients (70%) had documented preoperative decreased grip or key pinch strength and/or motor MRC grade. Other indices included weak index crossover, interosseous atrophy, and denervation evidenced by electromyography of the first dorsal interosseous (FDI) muscle. Motor MRC grade, DASH score, and grip and key pinch strength all improved significantly from their preoperative baseline. Conclusion: Both end-to-end and SETS nerve transfer produced significant improvement in motor function. Nerve transfer is an effective treatment method of both transection and compression injuries, with outcomes comparable to or better than traditional nerve grafts

Going Coastal: Shared Evolutionary History between Coastal British Columbia and Southeast Alaska Wolves (Canis lupus)

Many coastal species occupying the temperate rainforests of the Pacific Northwest in North America comprise endemic populations genetically and ecologically distinct from interior continental conspecifics. Morphological variation previously identified among wolf populations resulted in recognition of multiple subspecies of wolves in the Pacific Northwest. Recently, separate genetic studies have identified diverged populations of wolves in coastal British Columbia and coastal Southeast Alaska, providing support for hypotheses of distinct coastal subspecies. These two regions are geographically and ecologically contiguous, however, there is no comprehensive analysis across all wolf populations in this coastal rainforest.By combining mitochondrial DNA datasets from throughout the Pacific Northwest, we examined the genetic relationship between coastal British Columbia and Southeast Alaska wolf populations and compared them with adjacent continental populations. Phylogenetic analysis indicates complete overlap in the genetic diversity of coastal British Columbia and Southeast Alaska wolves, but these populations are distinct from interior continental wolves. Analyses of molecular variation support the separation of all coastal wolves in a group divergent from continental populations, as predicted based on hypothesized subspecies designations. Two novel haplotypes also were uncovered in a newly assayed continental population of interior Alaska wolves.We found evidence that coastal wolves endemic to these temperate rainforests are diverged from neighbouring, interior continental wolves; a finding that necessitates new international strategies associated with the management of this species

Single copy nuclear DNA markers for the onychophoran Phallocephale tallagandensis

For some species, particularly invertebrates, developing single copy nuclear markers is an expensive and time-consuming task that may result in few or no usable markers. This has proven true for Onychophora (velvet worms). Here we describe our PCR-based method of generating single copy nuclear markers in Onychophora—a phylum comprised of species generally regarded as rare and of high conservation value—for which suitable microsatellites have been difficult to obtain. We list 6 primer pairs, some of which amplify across genera, and demonstrate their utility in identifying strong population structure in the species Phallocephale tallagandensis.Chester J. Sands, Melanie L. Lancaster, Jeremy J. Austin, Paul Sunnuck