Publications by authors named "Brewster S"

The COVID-19 pandemic changed the nature of clinical research assessments. Little is known about the impact of face mask use on research assessments for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study reports on tolerability of face mask use, child characteristics associated with tolerability, and the impact of face mask use on researcher ASD diagnostic certainty ratings.

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To describe the types and frequency of developmental and psychiatric conditions (DPCs) in early school-age children who were diagnosed with ASD as toddlers and to compare rates of DPCs in children whose ASD persists ("persistent ASD") versus those in whom it does not ("non-persistent ASD"). Children with a clinical ASD diagnosis at 12-36 months old underwent a research assessment at 5-7 years old. Research assessments included measures of ASD symptoms and cognitive and adaptive functioning.

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Methods are lacking that can prepare deuterium-enriched building blocks, in the full range of deuterium substitution patterns at the isotopic purity levels demanded by pharmaceutical use. To that end, this work explores the regio- and stereoselective deuteration of tetrahydropyridine (THP), which is an attractive target for study due to the wide prevalence of piperidines in drugs. A series of d-d tetrahydropyridine isotopomers were synthesized by the stepwise treatment of a tungsten-complexed pyridinium salt with H/D and H/D.

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Cybersickness remains a major drawback of Virtual Reality (VR) headsets, as a breadth of stationary experiences with visual self-motion can result in visually-induced motion sickness. However, not everybody experiences the same intensity or type of adverse symptoms. Here we propose that prior experience with virtual environments can predict ones degree of cybersickness.

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Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) belongs to a phenotypically broad class of mental health disorders impacting social and cognitive functioning. Despite heritability estimates of 77%-88% and a global prevalence of up to 1 in 20 children, most of the underlying genetic etiology of the disorder remains undiscovered, making it challenging to obtain a clinical molecular genetic diagnosis and to develop new treatments (Biological Psychiatry, 2005, 57, 1313; Psychological Bulletin, 2009, 135, 608; Psychological Medicine, 2014, 44, 2223). Here we report the identification of a novel ultra-rare heterozygous loss-of-function (p.

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Neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) in dementia can be reduced through music listening. Little has been reported on home-based listening, compilation processes, or individual responses that include biophysiological data. We aim to provide new insights from two home-based case studies focused on specific music selections.

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Background: Serious games enhance learner engagement and knowledge, yet few medical education games target older adults' healthcare. Addressing this gap, we developed Geri-POP (Geriatrics Population Health), focusing on the Age-Friendly Health System (AFHS) framework and Geriatric 4Ms.

Methods: Geri-POP, a healthcare game is aimed at educating health profession learners about the AFHS framework.

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Article Synopsis
  • This study investigates the outcomes of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) between 12 to 36 months, focusing on whether they still qualify for the diagnosis when assessed at ages 5 to 7.
  • The research tracks the diagnosis persistence of 213 participants, revealing that 37.1% did not retain their ASD diagnosis at the later age, particularly noting that all of these children had IQs of 70 or above.
  • It also examines potential influences such as child-specific characteristics, demographics, and interventions received during early childhood on the likelihood of a persistent ASD diagnosis.
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Mobile phone reminding apps can be used by people with acquired brain injury (ABI) to compensate for memory impairments. This pilot feasibility trial aimed to establish the feasibility of a randomized controlled trial comparing reminder apps in an ABI community treatment setting. Adults with ABI and memory difficulty who completed the three-week baseline were randomized ( = 29) and allocated to Google Calendar or ApplTree app.

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Standalone Virtual Reality (VR) headsets can be used when travelling in cars, trains and planes. However, the constrained spaces around transport seating can leave users with little physical space in which to interact using their hands or controllers, and can increase the risk of invading other passengers' personal space or hitting nearby objects and surfaces. This hinders transport VR users from using most commercial VR applications, which are designed for unobstructed 1-2m 360 home spaces.

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Background: People with intellectual disabilities' voting rate within the United Kingdom remains significantly below the population average despite government enacted voting promotion measures. No published academic literature directly involves people with intellectual disabilities when considering their UK general election experiences - this study aims to address this omission.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with people with intellectual disabilities (N = 20) about their election experiences during the 2017 (n = 18) and 2019 (n = 8) general elections.

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Imaging is a critical tool for the diagnosis and management of thoracic and abdominal injuries in pediatric patients. The location and mechanism of injury, the physical examination, and other clinical findings should guide emergency clinicians in the selection of the most appropriate imaging modality for the pediatric trauma patient. This supplement reviews the evidence for imaging decisions in the setting of pleural space, lung parenchyma, chest wall, cardiac, diaphragm, solid-organ, and hollow-viscus injuries in pediatric patients.

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Interest in gene-based therapies for neurodevelopmental disorders is increasing exponentially, driven by the rise in recognition of underlying genetic etiology, progress in genomic technology, and recent proof of concept in several disorders. The current prioritization of one genetic disorder over another for development of therapies is driven by competing interests of pharmaceutical companies, advocacy groups, and academic scientists. Although these are all valid perspectives, a consolidated framework will facilitate more efficient and rational gene therapy development.

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Passengers spend considerable periods of time in shared transit spaces, relying on smartphones and laptops for work. However, these displays are limited in size and ergonomics compared to typical multi-monitor setups used in the office, impairing productivity. Augmented Reality (AR) headsets could provide large, flexible virtual workspaces during travel, enabling passengers to work more efficiently.

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Article Synopsis
  • Virtual reality (VR) can cause cybersickness (CS), making it hard for certain users to enjoy VR experiences and applications.
  • This study examined the human vestibular network (HVN) by measuring autonomic and neural signals during VR tasks to better understand CS.
  • Findings showed that CS affects cognitive control, and the data collected indicated that the HVN's three domains together provide the best way to predict CS severity and timing.
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Trauma is the leading cause of death in the pediatric population and is among the most common reasons for ED visits by children. Imaging is an important tool for the diagnosis and management of pediatric trauma, but there are risks associated with exposure to ionizing radiation. In pediatric head and neck injuries, clinical findings and clinical decision tools can help inform selection of the most appropriate imaging modalities for the trauma patient, while also reducing unnecessary radiation exposure.

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Aim: To conduct an analysis to assess whether the completion of recommended diabetes care processes (glycated haemoglobin [HbA1c], creatinine, cholesterol, blood pressure, body mass index [BMI], smoking habit, urinary albumin, retinal and foot examinations) at least annually is associated with mortality.

Materials And Methods: A cohort from the National Diabetes Audit of England and Wales comprising 179 105 people with type 1 and 1 397 790 people with type 2 diabetes, aged 17 to 99 years on January 1, 2009, diagnosed before January 1, 2009 and alive on April 1, 2013 was followed to December 31, 2019. Cox proportional hazards models adjusting for demographic characteristics, smoking, HbA1c, blood pressure, serum cholesterol, BMI, duration of diagnosis, estimated glomerular filtration rate, prior myocardial infarction, stroke, heart failure, respiratory disease and cancer, were used to investigate whether care processes recorded January 1, 2009 to March 31, 2010 were associated with subsequent mortality.

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Background: Attachment research has been limited by the lack of quick and easy measures. We report development and validation of the School Attachment Monitor (SAM), a novel measure for largescale assessment of attachment in children aged 5-9, in the general population. SAM offers automatic presentation, on computer, of story-stems based on the Manchester Child Attachment Story Task (MCAST), without the need for trained administrators.

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Healthcare interventions are complex, but have the potential to deliver more efficient, cost-effective care and improved health outcomes. Careful attention must be paid to their early planning and development to minimise research waste or interventions that fail to deliver what they set out to achieve. The Medical Research Council provides guidance to help intervention developers, encouraging an explicit and iterative approach.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to evaluate the practicality of a local anesthetic transperineal (LATP) technique for prostate cancer detection and to gather initial findings on infection rates and patient tolerability.
  • A total of 1,218 patients underwent LATP biopsies across multiple centers, and prostate cancer was identified in 67% of cases, with a significant proportion having clinically relevant disease.
  • Patients reported relatively low pain levels during the procedure, with a majority finding it tolerable under local anesthesia, while only a small percentage considered the re-biopsy process a major problem.
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Ultrasound haptics is a contactless haptic technology that enables novel mid-air interactions with rich multisensory feedback. This article surveys recent advances in ultrasound haptic technology. We discuss the fundamentals of this haptic technology, how a variety of perceptible sensations are rendered, and how it is currently being used to enable novel interaction techniques.

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Background: Smartphone reminding applications can help overcome memory difficulties experienced by people with acquired brain injury (ABI). Cognitive difficulties with memory and attention make entering reminders into a device, and remembering to set reminders, challenging for this group. ApplTree is a reminding app with features that aim to address challenges.

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Pharmacists are the third largest group of healthcare professionals worldwide, but are underused in the delivery of diabetes care. The aim of this narrative was to describe how integration of community pharmacy services into existing healthcare models may improve diabetes care. Relevant literature exploring pharmacy-led interventions for diabetes were identified from a search of Medline, Embase and Cinahl online databases.

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