The Development of Non-Invasive Optical Brain Pulse Monitoring: A Review.

Early detection of neurological deterioration in serious acute brain injury is seen as an important goal to reduce death and disability, but monitoring for neurological deterioration remains challenging. Routine methods, such as neurological examination and brain imaging, often identify brain injuries only after they have progressed to an irreversible stage. Alternate approaches such as invasive brain monitoring, are complex, costly and carry inherent risks.

Influenza vaccine effectiveness against hospitalizations and emergency department or urgent care encounters for children, adolescents, and adults during the 2023-2024 season, United States.

Background: The 2023-2024 influenza season had predominant influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 virus activity, but A(H3N2) and B viruses co-circulated. Seasonal influenza vaccine strains were well-matched to these viruses.

Methods: Using health care encounters data from health systems in 8 states, we evaluated influenza vaccine effectiveness (VE) against influenza-associated medical encounters from October 2023-April 2024.

Comparative Analysis of Healthcare Quality Between the University Hospital of the West Indies and Public Hospitals in Jamaica.

Objective This study aims to assess the quality of healthcare services at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI), a quasi-public hospital, compared to public hospitals in Jamaica, examining both patient and clinician perceptions. Methods This cross-sectional study included one hundred patients (30 males, 70 females) aged 22 to 95, and 52 clinicians (29 females, 23 males) from 10 hospitals, comprising UHWI and nine public hospitals, were surveyed. Quality assessment encompassed structural adequacy, time management, privacy protection, competency, and healthcare standards.

Sequence independent immune effects of white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) dsRNA complexed with phytoglycogen nanoparticles in freshwater crayfish.

White spot syndrome virus (WSSV), a double stranded (ds)DNA virus, is a pathogen that causes massive mortalities in crustaceans worldwide. The present study focuses on using dsRNA to induce sequence-independent immune responses to control virus replication. DsRNA is a well characterized innate immune stimulant in vertebrates and effectively induces an antiviral state.

Optimizing nurse practitioner productivity within the Veterans Health Administration.

Background: Nurse practitioners (NPs) provide high-quality, comprehensive health care at Veterans Health Administration (VHA) medical centers in various practice settings. Accurately determining the productivity of NPs is essential to understanding their overall contribution to veteran care. There is a lack of understanding of the contributors to the variability among VHA medical centers regarding their processes for capturing these data.