Publications by authors named "Banks D"

Background: The pressing need for better antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) is invariably reliant on educational interventions in some form.

Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness of post-qualification educational interventions for AMS behaviour change among health professionals.

Methods: Seven databases were searched for articles published between 2013 and 2024 for post-qualification educational interventions aimed at health professionals to improve AMS.

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Sensitivity is often the Achilles' heel of liquid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments. This problem is perhaps most pressing at the lowest fields (e.g.

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  • * This study specifically investigates the high-concentration monoclonal antibody pembrolizumab (Keytruda) and its behavior in frozen solutions using advanced techniques like dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) and solid-state NMR (ssNMR).
  • * Findings reveal how these methods allow detailed analysis of the protein's structure, dynamics, and the behavior of its excipients at low temperatures, highlighting their potential for improving the stability assessment of biological drugs in frozen conditions.
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  • The study aimed to find environmental features linked to higher rates of drug-related fatalities and created a risk score based on these features.
  • Researchers analyzed overdose data from St. Louis County, using Risk Terrain Modeling (RTM) to determine how proximity to various places affected overdose risk, separating data by drug type and race of decedents.
  • Key findings revealed that fatalities were notably higher near hotels/motels, foreclosures, and restaurants, with specific patterns differing by race, suggesting that certain built environments reflect social conditions that contribute to overdose risk.
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: As congenital syphilis incidence continues to increase yearly in the United States (US), recommendations from government and professional organizations aim to inform effective clinical practice, although it is unclear how closely these recommendations are followed. This study surveyed US pediatric specialists regarding their approach to congenital syphilis diagnosis and treatment to examine decision-making relative to practice guidelines and subspecialty. : US pediatric physicians recruited from subspecialty directories were sent an online survey conducted in March-April 2024.

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Social determinants of health (SDOH) are the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age that influence health outcomes, and structural and systemic drivers of health (SSD) are the social, cultural, political, and economic contexts that create and shape SDOH. With the integration of constructs from previous examples, we propose an SSD model that broadens the contextual effect of these driving forces or factors rooted in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's SDOH framework. Our SSD model (1) presents systems and structures as multidimensional, (2) considers 10 dimensions as discrete and intersectional, and (3) acknowledges health-related effects over time at different life stages and across generations.

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  • Substance use stigma is a significant barrier to treatment and recovery for individuals with substance use disorders, and this stigma is intensified when combined with Black racial identity.
  • A scoping review of studies revealed that Black individuals generally face less stigma than White individuals regarding substance use, but they experience more treatment-related stigma overall.
  • The complexity of how race and substance use stigma interact was evidenced by both quantitative and qualitative studies, highlighting varying perceptions based on racial identity and the necessity for standardized measures in future research.
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Obtaining atomic-level information on components in the cell is a major focus in structural biology. Elucidating specific structural and dynamic features of proteins and their interactions in the cellular context is crucial for understanding cellular processes. We introduce F dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) combined with fast magic-angle-spinning (MAS) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy as a powerful technique to study proteins in mammalian cells.

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Objectives: Widespread naloxone distribution is key to mitigating opioid-related morbidity, but stigma remains a barrier. Naloxone stigma among providers, emergency responders, and the public is well-documented and associated with treatment and policy preferences, but little is known about naloxone stigma among people who use drugs (PWUD), who may be overdose first responders. This study examines naloxone stigma, its correlates, and its association with stigma toward medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) among PWUD.

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Hyperpolarization by dissolution dynamic nuclear polarization (dDNP) provides the opportunity to dramatically increase the weak nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) signal of liquid molecular targets using the high polarization of electron radicals. Unfortunately, the solution-state hyperpolarization can only be accessed once since freezing and melting of the hyperpolarized sample happen in an irreversible fashion. A way to expand the application horizon of dDNP can therefore be to find a recyclable DNP alternative.

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Background: Black individuals in the U.S. face increasing racial disparities in drug overdose related to social determinants of health, including place-based features.

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Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS) and hypermobility spectrum disorders (HSD) are common causes of chronic musculoskeletal pain. Current practices rely on analgesics, physical therapy, bracing, and assistive devices. Dextrose prolotherapy (DPT) is a regenerative injection modality used to treat chronic painful musculoskeletal conditions through stimulation of tissue proliferation.

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  • * The study introduces a new method using multinuclear solid-state magic-angle-spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (MAS NMR) spectroscopy enhanced by dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) to analyze the spatial arrangement of LNP components, specifically in siRNA-based drugs.
  • * Results reveal a structural model where siRNA resides in the core, targeting agents are positioned beneath the surface, and sugars are located above the lipid layer, highlighting the potential of this approach for broader applications in analyzing complex biological formulations.
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Objectives: Ineffective esophageal motility (IEM) on high-resolution manometry (HRM) is not consistently associated with specific clinical syndromes or outcomes. We evaluated the prevalence, clinical features, management, and outcomes of pediatric IEM patients across the United States.

Methods: Clinical and manometric characteristics of children undergoing esophageal HRM during 2021-2022 were collected from 12 pediatric motility centers.

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The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is an extensive capillary network that protects the brain from environmental and metabolic toxins while limiting drug delivery to the central nervous system (CNS). The ATP-binding cassette transporter breast cancer resistance protein (Bcrp) reduces drug delivery across the BBB by actively transporting its clinical substrates back into peripheral circulation before their entry into the CNS compartment. 17β-Estradiol (E2)-elicited changes in Bcrp transport activity and expression have been documented previously.

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  • Racism consists of three main parts: individual, cultural, and institutional, with most research focusing mainly on the individual aspect and not enough on the cultural and institutional dimensions.
  • This study explored how cultural and institutional race-related stress directly impacts anxiety and depression in ethnic/racially minoritized young adults, while also examining the protective role of ethnic identity affirmation, belongingness, and commitment (EI-ABC).
  • Findings revealed that both cultural and institutional race-related stress predicted higher anxiety and depression symptoms, but only cultural stress was buffered by EI-ABC, highlighting the need for interventions that bolster EI-ABC to help reduce anxiety related to cultural stress.
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Missouri's Overdose Field Report (ODFR) is a community-based reporting system which intends to capture overdoses which may not be otherwise recorded. Describe the factors related to non-fatal overdoses reported to Missouri's ODFR. This study used a descriptive epidemiological approach to examine the demographics and circumstances of overdoses reported to the ODFR.

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  • Alcohol is a significant factor in many deaths, with a striking increase in alcohol-involved fatalities in the St. Louis region, particularly between 2011 and 2022, where these deaths rose by over 54%.
  • A study of 7,641 substance-involved deaths revealed that 26.29% included alcohol, with overdose deaths being the most prevalent, particularly those involving opioids and benzodiazepines.
  • The data indicated that the likelihood of alcohol involvement in deaths increases with age and is notably higher in males, underscoring the need for targeted research and prevention strategies for alcohol-related fatalities in diverse demographic groups.
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Black and Latinx people are disproportionately impacted by HIV, COVID-19, and other syndemic health crises with similar underlying social determinants of health. Lessons learned from the HIV pandemic and COVID-19 response have been invoked to improve health equity at the systemic level in the face of other emergent health crises. However, few have examined the potential translation of strategies between syndemics at the individual level.

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Objectives: Surgery for intestinal malrotation (IM) aims to correct the defect and improve symptoms; however, many have persistent gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms postoperatively. We evaluated the incidence, clinical presentation, and long-term outcomes of children with surgically repaired IM and its possible association with disorders of gut and brain interaction (DGBI).

Methods: Multicenter retrospective study was conducted in patients from 0 to 21 years old, who had surgery for IM from 2000 to 2021 across three pediatric tertiary care centers.

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  • The study focuses on periprosthetic fractures (PPFs) around the knee, examining patient demographics, fracture types, and treatment methods to assess their effect on in-hospital mortality.
  • A total of 420 patients from a larger database were analyzed, revealing a 6.4% mortality rate; key risk factors included higher ASA grades, peripheral vascular disease, rheumatic disease, and fractures associated with loose implants.
  • Management type did not significantly affect mortality, but surgical interventions led to longer hospital stays and increased likelihood of further surgeries compared to non-operative treatments.
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Background: Dysphagia is common in adults living with neuromuscular disease (NMD). Increased life expectancy, secondary to improvements in standards of care, requires the recognition and treatment of dysphagia with an increased priority. Evidence to support the establishment of healthcare pathways is, however, lacking.

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Background: Youth who experience traumatic events are at a substantially higher risk of engaging in substance use and sexual risk behaviors and problems (eg, HIV acquisition) than their non-trauma-exposed counterparts. Evidence-based substance use and risky sexual behavior prevention may reduce the risk of these outcomes. Trauma-focused mental health treatment provides a window of opportunity for the implementation of such preventive work with these youth.

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Background: Structural oppression affects health behaviors through residence in suboptimal neighborhoods and exposure to community violence. Youth and parents report perceptions of neighborhood factors that can affect youth substance use behaviors. Given that Latinx youth report higher levels of perceived community violence than other racial and ethnic groups, it is imperative to examine how youth- and parent-perceived neighborhood-level factors may relate to youth substance use.

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