Description of control measures, attitudes, and behaviours at a scientific conference with a confirmed COVID-19 case but no reported onward transmission, November 2021 England.

Background: COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) outbreaks in workplace settings have been investigated to understand how transmission occurred. However, there is limited data looking at COVID-19 transmission in conference settings in England, particularly where an outbreak did not occur. The aim of this work was to investigate COVID-19 infection risk factors and control measures at a large conference, with a known case but no reported onward transmission to inform prevention of future outbreaks of respiratory infections in conferences and similar settings.

A COVID-19 Outbreak in a Large Meat-Processing Plant in England: Transmission Risk Factors and Controls.

The meat-processing industry had frequent COVID-19 outbreaks reported worldwide. In May 2021, a large meat-processing plant in the UK had an outbreak affecting 4.1% (63/1541) of workers.

Neuroplastin expression is essential for hearing and hair cell PMCA expression.

Hearing deficits impact on the communication with the external world and severely compromise perception of the surrounding. Deafness can be caused by particular mutations in the neuroplastin (Nptn) gene, which encodes a transmembrane recognition molecule of the immunoglobulin (Ig) superfamily and plasma membrane Calcium ATPase (PMCA) accessory subunit. This study investigates whether the complete absence of neuroplastin or the loss of neuroplastin in the adult after normal development lead to hearing impairment in mice analyzed by behavioral, electrophysiological, and in vivo imaging measurements.

Ketamine anaesthesia induces gain enhancement via recurrent excitation in granular input layers of the auditory cortex.

Key Points: Ketamine is a common anaesthetic agent used in research and more recently as medication in treatment of depression. It has known effects on inhibition of interneurons and cortical stimulus-locked responses, but the underlying functional network mechanisms are still elusive. Analysing population activity across all layers within the auditory cortex, we found that doses of this anaesthetic induce a stronger activation and stimulus-locked response to pure-tone stimuli.

Bypassing nearest hospital for more distant neuroscience care in head-injured adults with suspected traumatic brain injury: findings of the head injury transportation straight to neurosurgery (HITS-NS) pilot cluster randomised trial.

Objective: Reconfiguration of trauma services, with direct transport of patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) to specialist neuroscience centres (SNCs)-bypassing non-specialist acute hospitals (NSAHs), could improve outcomes. However, delays in stabilisation of airway, breathing and circulation (ABC) may worsen outcomes when compared with selective secondary transfer from nearest NSAH to SNC. We conducted a pilot cluster randomised controlled trial to determine the feasibility and plausibility of bypassing suspected patients with TBI -directly into SNCs-producing a measurable effect.

The Head Injury Transportation Straight to Neurosurgery (HITS-NS) randomised trial: a feasibility study.

Background: Reconfiguration of trauma services, with direct transport of traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients to neuroscience centres (NCs), bypassing non-specialist acute hospitals (NSAHs), could potentially improve outcomes. However, delays in stabilisation of airway, breathing and circulation (ABC) and the difficulties in reliably identifying TBI at scene may make this practice deleterious compared with selective secondary transfer from nearest NSAH to NC. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance and systematic reviews suggested equipoise and poor-quality evidence - with regard to 'early neurosurgery' in this cohort - which we sought to address.

Cognitive function in children with brain tumors in the first year after diagnosis compared to healthy matched controls.

Background: Improved survival of children with brain tumors (BTs) has increased focus on ameliorating morbidity. To reduce the risk of progressive cognitive decline, remedial strategies need to be instituted early, based upon accurate appraisal of need, yet few studies have investigated cognition in BT children early post-diagnosis. The study aims were to investigate cognition in children with primary BTs 1, 6, and 12 months post-diagnosis compared with healthy children, exploring the impact of disease and treatment variables.

Migrating partial seizures of infancy: expansion of the electroclinical, radiological and pathological disease spectrum.

Migrating partial seizures of infancy, also known as epilepsy of infancy with migrating focal seizures, is a rare early infantile epileptic encephalopathy with poor prognosis, presenting with focal seizures in the first year of life. A national surveillance study was undertaken in conjunction with the British Paediatric Neurology Surveillance Unit to further define the clinical, pathological and molecular genetic features of this disorder. Fourteen children with migrating partial seizures of infancy were reported during the 2 year study period (estimated prevalence 0.

An fMRI study on cortical responses during active self-touch and passive touch from others.

Active, self-touch and the passive touch from an external source engage comparable afferent mechanoreceptors on the touched skin site. However, touch directed to glabrous skin compared to hairy skin will activate different types of afferent mechanoreceptors. Despite perceptual similarities between touch to different body sites, it is likely that the touch information is processed differently.

Standards of care for occupational asthma: an update.

Background: The British Thoracic Society (BTS) Standards of Care (SoC) Committee produced a standard of care for occupational asthma (OA) in 2008, based on a systematic evidence review performed in 2004 by the British Occupational Health Research Foundation (BOHRF).

Methods: BOHRF updated the evidence base from 2004-2009 in 2010.

Results: This article summarises the changes in evidence and is aimed at physicians, nurses and other healthcare professionals in primary and secondary care, occupational health and public health and at employers, workers and their health, safety and other representatives.

A detailed prospective longitudinal assessment of health status in children with brain tumors in the first year after diagnosis.

Purpose: To compare health status (HS) in children with brain tumors at 1 (t1), 6 (t6), and 12 (t12) months after diagnosis with "normal" controls. To assess the relationship between parent-report and self-report HS for patients at t12.

Methods: HS was assessed using the Health Utilities Index Mark III parent-report at all time points and self-report at t12.

Child-related determinants of health-related quality of life in children with brain tumours 1 year after diagnosis.

Objectives: Infratentorial tumour site and health-related quality of life (HRQL) 1 month after diagnosis have been shown to predict HRQL 1 year after diagnosis in children with brain tumours. This study aimed to identify additional early child-related determinants of parent- and child-report HRQL.

Methods: Longitudinal prospective study.

Agreement in diagnosing occupational asthma by occupational and respiratory physicians who report to surveillance schemes for work-related ill-health.

Objectives: To assess diagnostic agreement for occupational asthma, and to identify case and rater characteristics associated with this diagnosis.

Methods: Summaries of possible occupational asthma cases were sent to 104 occupational and respiratory physicians. Raters assigned likelihood scores (0-100%) of occupational asthma based on case histories (phase 1), and on histories plus investigative procedures (phase 2).

Family, demographic and illness-related determinants of HRQL in children with brain tumours in the first year after diagnosis.

Aims: To evaluate the relationship between parent- and child-report Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQL) and demographic, tumour and family variables in children with a brain tumour in the first year after diagnosis and to identify determinants of HRQL at 12 months.

Procedure: Longitudinal prospective study: Semi-structured interviews took place approximately 1, 6 and 12 months after diagnosis. HRQL was measured using the self- and parent-report PedsQL 4.

A pilot study assessing emotional intelligence training and communication skills with 3rd year medical students.

Objective: To investigate whether emotional intelligence (EI) developmental training workshops can lead to increases with the Bar-On Emotional Quotient (EQ-i) total scores.

Methods: A pilot study with a quasi-randomised controlled design was employed with self-report assessments conducted at baseline and post-intervention following a 7-month training programme. Medical students based at a UK-based medical school participated in the study, and 36 volunteer students were recruited to the control group with 50 students randomly assigned to receive the intervention.

Sensitization to wheat flour and enzymes and associated respiratory symptoms in British bakers.

Rationale: Current literature suggests that flour exposed workers continue to be at risk of allergic sensitization to flour dust and respiratory ill health.

Objectives: A cross-sectional study of 225 workers currently potentially exposed to flour dust in British bakeries was performed to identify predictors of sensitization to wheat flour and enzymes.

Results: Work-related nasal irritation was the most commonly reported symptom (28.