Understanding Low Vaccine Uptake in the Context of Public Health in High-Income Countries: A Scoping Review.

Although the COVID-19 pandemic has caused the need for the largest mass vaccination campaign ever undertaken to date, African, Caribbean, and Black (ACB) populations have shown both a disproportionately high degree of negative impacts from the pandemic and the lowest willingness to become vaccinated. This scoping review aims to investigate low vaccine uptake in ACB populations relative to public health in high-income countries. A search was conducted in MEDLINE(R) ALL (OvidSP), Embase (OvidSP), CINAHL (EBSCOHost), APA PsycInfo (OvidSP), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (OvidSP), the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (OvidSP), the Allied and Complimentary Medicine Database (Ovid SP), and the Web of Science following the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) framework for scoping reviews, supplemented by PRISMA-ScR.

Improving Transitional Care for Older Adults: Results of a Patient-Centred Quality Improvement Intervention.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the implementation and outcomes of a quality improvement intervention for older adults discharged from hospital to home, that used a patient-centred discharge education tool called the We conducted a pre-post evaluation of PCAP implementation among patients 65 years and older and discharged home from an acute medical or geriatric admission at two general hospitals. Two patient cohorts, PRE and POST, were analysed using administrative data ( = 3,309) and post-discharge structured interviews in a subset of patients ( = 326). Outcomes were 90-day readmissions and return emergency department (ED) visits, and transition experiences (10-item scale).

The quality of four psychology practice guidelines using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE) II.

Rationale, Aims And Objectives: Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) have been shown to improve healthcare services and clinical outcomes. However, they are useful resources only to the degree that they are developed according to the most rigorous standards. Multiple studies have demonstrated significant variability between CPGs with regard to specific indicators of quality.

Social determinants of the disproportionately higher rates of COVID-19 infection among African Caribbean and Black (ACB) population: A systematic review protocol.

The challenges of identifying and eliminating racial disparities regarding the exposure, transmission, prevention, and treatment of communicable diseases within the healthcare system have been a mounting concern since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The African, Caribbean, and Black (ACB) populations in Canada represent a fast-expanding and underprivileged community, which have been previously found to have higher susceptibility to communicable diseases and lower sensitivity to intervention measures. Currently, there is insufficient evidence to adequately identify racial patterns in the prevalence and healthcare utilization among the ACB population within the context of the ongoing pandemic.

Can We Develop Evidence-Based Guidelines Without Research Expertise?

The development and implementation of clinical practice guidelines has flourished over the past two decades. Unfortunately, many studies have found that the quality of such guidelines is highly variable (Alonso-Coello et al. in Qual Safe Health Care 19:e58, 2010; MacQueen et al.

Economic impact of the use of the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program.

Objectives: The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP®) is a validated, risk-adjusted database for improving the quality and security of surgical care. ACS NSQIP can help participating hospitals target areas that need improvement. The aim of this study was to systematically review the literature analyzing the economic impact of using NSQIP.

Characterizing the protracted neurobiological and neuroanatomical effects of paraquat in a murine model of Parkinson's disease.

The primary motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD) result from the degeneration of dopamine-producing neurons of the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc), and often, the loss is asymmetrical, resulting in unilateral tremor presentation. Notably, age is the primary risk factor for PD, and it is likely that the disease ultimately stems from the impact of environmental factors, which interact with the aging process. Recent research has focused on the role of microglia and pro-oxidative responses in dopaminergic neuronal death.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of the efficacy of intravenous ketamine infusion for treatment resistant depression: January 2009 - January 2019.

Background: Sub-anaesthetic administration of ketamine is an emerging practice in patients presenting treatment resistant depression (TRD), however several outstanding questions have yet to be answered.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of intravenous ketamine infusion for patients presenting TRD on depression scores, clinical remission and response rates, and to assess its efficacy over both time and frequency.

Methods: Five databases were searched up to January 4 2019 to include primary studies evaluating the use of sub-anaesthetic dose of ketamine in adults presenting TRD.

Factors Affecting Predictability of Buccal Bone Augmentation in Surgically Facilitated Orthodontic Treatment: Surgical Considerations.

The purpose of surgically facilitated orthodontic treatment (SFOT) is to increase and thicken the periodontal biotype, including both hard and soft tissue, and facilitate accelerated tooth movement through the induction of the regional acceleratory phenomenon. This article discusses the surgical and biomaterial factors related to increased predictability of bone augmentation when performing this pre-orthodontic surgical technique. Critical surgery-related factors of SFOT that will be examined include incision and flap design and closure, the depth and location of corticotomies, surgical trauma, augmentation protocols, and postoperative considerations.

Microglia depletion prior to lipopolysaccharide and paraquat treatment differentially modulates behavioral and neuronal outcomes in wild type and G2019S LRRK2 knock-in mice.

Background: Substantial data have implicated microglial-driven neuroinflammation in Parkinson's disease (PD) and environmental toxicants have been long expected as triggers of such inflammatory processes. Of course, these environmental insults act in the context of genetic vulnerability factors and in this regard, leucine rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2), may play a prominent role.

Methods: We used a double hit, lipopolysaccharide (LPS; endotoxin) followed by paraquat (pesticide toxicant) model of PD in mice with the most common LRRK2 mutation G2019S, knockin mice and wild type littermates.

Artificial Intelligence Within Pharmacovigilance: A Means to Identify Cognitive Services and the Framework for Their Validation.

Introduction: Pharmacovigilance (PV) detects, assesses, and prevents adverse events (AEs) and other drug-related problems by collecting, evaluating, and acting upon AEs. The volume of individual case safety reports (ICSRs) increases yearly, but it is estimated that more than 90% of AEs go unreported. In this landscape, embracing assistive technologies at scale becomes necessary to obtain a higher yield of AEs, to maintain compliance, and transform the PV professional work life.

Factors Affecting Predictability of Buccal Bone Augmentation in Surgically Facilitated Orthodontic Treatment: Etiological Considerations.

Pre-orthodontic surgical techniques such as surgically facilitated orthodontic treatment (SFOT) are intended to increase bone volume while reducing the incidence of induced gingival recession. SFOT aims to enhance and thicken the periodontal biotype, including both hard and soft tissue, and facilitate accelerated tooth movement through the induction of the regional acceleratory phenomenon. This article reviews different variables and critical etiological factors that may affect the predictability of generating buccal bone during SFOT and should be diagnosed and addressed prior to combined surgical-orthodontic treatment.

Quantum dot conjugated saporin activates microglia and induces selective substantia nigra degeneration.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by profound microglial driven inflammatory processes and the loss of dopamine neurons of the substantia nigra (SNc). Both microglia and dopamine neurons that are affected in the SNc are particularly vulnerable to environmental toxicants and finding more selective ways of targeting these cell types is of importance. Quantum dots (QDs) might be a useful vehicle for selectively delivering toxicants to microglia and owing to their fluorescent capability, they can be microscopically tracked within the cell.

"What is the efficacy of specialised early intervention in mental health targeting simultaneously adolescents and young adults?'' An HTA.

Objectives: Current service organization is not adapted for youth with or at risk of mental illness. Access, engagement and continuity of care are notorious challenges, particularly during transition from adolescence to adulthood, when youths are transferred to adult services. An HTA was initiated to evaluate the efficacy of programs for which admission is not a function of the legal age of majority.

Training Augmented Intelligent Capabilities for Pharmacovigilance: Applying Deep-learning Approaches to Individual Case Safety Report Processing.

Introduction: Regulations are increasing the scope of activities that fall under the remit of drug safety. Currently, individual case safety report (ICSR) collection and collation is done manually, requiring pharmacovigilance professionals to perform many transactional activities before data are available for assessment and aggregated analyses. For a biopharmaceutical company to meet its responsibilities to patients and regulatory bodies regarding the safe use and distribution of its products, improved business processes must be implemented to drive the industry forward in the best interest of patients globally.

Considerations for Incision and Flap Design With Implant Therapy in the Esthetic Zone.

The planning and design of any incision in the esthetic zone should be carried out based on biologic principles and with careful consideration of the desired esthetic outcome. Different incision and flap designs have been identified for implant and implant-related surgeries in the esthetic zone. Those include; flapless, vestibular incision, papilla sparing, envelope, triangular, and trapezoidal.

Cell-Intrinsic Glycogen Metabolism Supports Early Glycolytic Reprogramming Required for Dendritic Cell Immune Responses.

Dendritic cell (DC) activation by Toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists causes rapid glycolytic reprogramming that is required to meet the metabolic demands of their immune activation. Recent efforts in the field have identified an important role for extracellular glucose sourcing to support DC activation. However, the contributions of intracellular glucose stores to these processes have not been well characterized.

Defining fetal growth restriction: abdominal circumference as an alternative criterion.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to determine if using abdominal circumference percentile (AC) to define fetal growth restriction (FGR) improves ultrasound at ≥36 weeks as a screening test for small for gestational age (SGA).

Materials And Methods: All non-anomalous singletons undergoing ultrasound at a single center at ≥36 weeks during 12/2008-5/2014 were included. FGR was defined as (estimated fetal weight) estimated fetal weight (EFW) and/or abdominal circumference (AC) < 10 for gestational age (GA).

Utilization of noninvasive prenatal testing: impact on referrals for diagnostic testing.

Objective: Since the introduction of noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT), a marked decrease in prenatal diagnostic testing (chorionic villus sampling [CVS] and amniocentesis) has been observed with unknown potential effects on genetic diagnosis of these pregnancies. The purpose of this study was to understand the impact of NIPT on genetics counseling referrals, diagnostic testing with CVS/amniocentesis, and appropriate use of NIPT.

Study Design: A retrospective cohort study was performed on all women referred for genetic counseling and prenatal testing during the 2 years preceding the introduction of NIPT (pre-NIPT) and 2 years following (post-NIPT).

Mechanistic target of rapamycin inhibition extends cellular lifespan in dendritic cells by preserving mitochondrial function.

TLR-mediated activation of dendritic cells (DCs) is associated with a metabolic transition in which mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation is inhibited by endogenously synthesized NO and the cells become committed to glucose and aerobic glycolysis for survival. We show that inhibition of mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) extends the lifespan of TLR-activated DCs by inhibiting the induction of NO production, thereby allowing the cells to continue to use their mitochondria to generate ATP, and allowing them the flexibility to use fatty acids or glucose as nutrients to fuel core metabolism. These data provide novel mechanistic insights into how mTOR modulates DC metabolism and cellular longevity following TLR activation and provide an explanation for previous findings that mTOR inhibition enhances the efficacy of DCs in autologous vaccination.

Guiding policy decisions for genetic screening: developing a systematic and transparent approach.

With the ever-widening gap between what is technologically possible and services available, jurisdictions around the world are faced with complex decisions regarding the introduction and expansion of genetic screening programs. A series of literature reviews and consultations with stakeholders and experts led to the development of a decision support guide for genetic screening policy-making. This involved establishing a preliminary list of core criteria synthesized from the growing literature on genetic screening, which was then transformed through a series of consultations into a more elaborate decision guide.

Quantifying the spatial and temporal variation of ground-level ozone in the rural Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia, Canada using nitrite-impregnated passive samplers.

The spatiotemporal variability of ground-level ozone (GLO) in the rural Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia was investigated between August 29, 2006, and September 28, 2007, using Ogawa nitrite-impregnated passive diffusion samplers (PS). A total of 353 PS measurements were made at 17 ambient and 1 indoor locations over 18 sampling periods ranging from 2 to 4 weeks. The calculated PS detection limit was 0.

Revisiting Wilson and Jungner in the genomic age: a review of screening criteria over the past 40 years.

Almost 40 years ago, WHO commissioned a report on screening from James Maxwell Glover Wilson, then Principal Medical Officer at the Ministry of Health in London, England, and Gunner Jungner, then Chief of the Clinical Chemistry Department of Sahlgren’s Hospital in Gothenburg, Sweden. The report, published in 1968, was entitled: and it has since become a public health classic.