Impact of Standardised Packaging of Tobacco Products Regulations on cigarette consumption and youth smoking in England: interrupted time-series analysis.

Background: In the UK in May 2016, standardised packaging of tobacco products was implemented, including minimum pack sizes of 20 sticks or 30 g loose tobacco. The change was intended to reduce uptake by increasing upfront costs to young people, but there was concern it may unintentionally increase consumption among people smoking. This study aimed to assess whether the introduction of the policy was associated with changes in (1) mean daily factory-made (FM)/roll-your-own (RYO) cigarettes consumption among people smoking predominantly (a) FM and (b) RYO cigarettes; and (2) current smoking prevalence among 16-24-year-olds.

Evaluation of a Regional Tobacco Control Program (Greater Manchester's Making Smoking History) on Quitting and Smoking in England 2014-2022: A Time-Series Analysis.

Introduction: This study aimed to assess the impact of Greater Manchester's Making Smoking History program-a region-wide smoking cessation programs launched in January 2018-on key smoking and quitting outcomes.

Methods: Data were from a nationally representative monthly survey, 2014-2022 (n = 171 281). We used interrupted time-series analyses (Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average [ARIMA] and generalized additive models [GAM]) to examine regional differences between Greater Manchester and the rest of England, before and during the program's first five years.

Author Correction: Propylene glycol inactivates respiratory viruses and prevents airborne transmission.

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Managing cow's milk protein allergy during the 2022 formula shortage: decision-making among pediatric healthcare providers.

Introduction: Cow's milk protein allergy (CMPA) affects 2%-7% of infants and is managed with hypoallergenic formulas. The 2022 recalls of infant formulas due to factors including contamination led to specialty formula shortages, highlighting CMPA management challenges. Understanding healthcare providers' (HCPs) decision-making in transitioning to alternative formulas during shortages is crucial.

Phase 1 randomized trials to assess safety, pharmacokinetics, and vaginal bleeding associated with use of extended duration dapivirine and levonorgestrel vaginal rings.

Background: Vaginal rings formulated to deliver two drugs simultaneously have potential as user-controlled, long-acting methods for dual prevention of HIV and pregnancy.

Methods: Two phase 1 randomized trials (MTN-030/IPM 041 and MTN-044/IPM 053/CCN019) respectively enrolled 24 and 25 healthy, HIV-negative participants to evaluate safety, pharmacokinetics, and vaginal bleeding associated with use of a vaginal ring containing 200mg dapivirine (DPV) and 320mg levonorgestrel (LNG) designed for 90-day use. MTN-030/IPM 041 compared the DPV/LNG ring to a DPV-only ring (200mg) over 14 days of use.

Case Report of 11 Years of Severe Malabsorption, Muscular Atrophy, Seizures, and Immunodeficiency Resolved After Proximal Intercessory Prayer.

We present the case of 11 years of severe malabsorption, muscular atrophy, seizures, and immunodeficiency resolved after proximal intercessory prayer (PIP). A male infant suffered from severe abdominal pain and impaired development with the introduction of solid food at age five months. The patient had previously appeared healthy, having been born to term and breastfed.

Patterns of Use and Barriers to STI Point-of-care Tests for Military Obstetrician Gynecologists.

Introduction: Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are commonly reported in military populations. Point-of-care tests (POCTs) are commercially available, but their use is variable in the civilian sector. Their use among military providers has not been evaluated.

A population-centered model for public health medicine.

Objectives: Public health physicians (PHPs) are trained in both medicine and public health, yet practice models in each of these fields incompletely describe their work. A model of practice for public health physicians would better enable training and professional development in the specialty. The objective of this study was to develop an empirically grounded method of the practice of public health medicine by public health physicians.

Factors Influencing Omega-3 Index Status in Active-Duty Military Personnel.

Background: This study assessed omega-3 fatty acid (O3FA) status, previous brain injury risk exposures, and associations between O3FA status and risk exposures among active-duty military personnel.

Methods: O3FA status was measured by a Holman omega-3 blood test. A survey was conducted to assess brain injury risk history and dietary O3FA factors.

Promoting End-of-Life Care and Healthcare Worker Well-Being: Implementing the 3 Wishes Project in an Oncology Intensive Care Unit.

This scholarly project implemented the 3 Wishes Project (3WP), which aims to fulfill the final wishes of dying critically ill patients, in a 16-bed tertiary intensive care unit (ICU). The project assessed outcomes through sur.

Single-cell analysis of bronchoalveolar cells in inflammatory and fibrotic post-COVID lung disease.

Background: Persistent radiological lung abnormalities are evident in many survivors of acute coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Consolidation and ground glass opacities are interpreted to indicate subacute inflammation whereas reticulation is thought to reflect fibrosis. We sought to identify differences at molecular and cellular level, in the local immunopathology of post-COVID inflammation and fibrosis.

The Evolving Landscape of Biomarkers for Immune Checkpoint Blockade in Genitourinary Cancers.

In the past decade, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have been approved for treatment of genitourinary malignancies and have revolutionized the treatment landscape of these tumors. However, despite the remarkable success of these therapies in some GU malignancies, many patients' tumors do not respond to these therapies, and others may experience significant side effects, such as immune-related adverse events (iRAEs). Accordingly, biomarkers and improved prognostic tools are critically needed to help predict which patients will respond to ICI, predict and mitigate risk of developing immune-related adverse events, and inform personalized choice of therapy for each patient.

Transfer of radionuclides through ecological systems: Lessons learned from 10 years of research within CERAD CoE.

Norway's Centre of Excellence for Environmental Radioactivity (CERAD) research programme included studies on transfer of radionuclides in various ecosystems within the context of environmental risk assessment. This article provides highlights from 10 years of research within this topic and summarises lessons learnt from the process. The scope has been extensive, involving laboratory-based experiments, field studies and the implementation of transfer models quantifying radionuclide uptake directly from the surrounding environment and via food chains.

Machine-learning approaches for risk prediction in transcatheter aortic valve implantation: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objectives: With the expanding integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) into the structural heart domain, numerous ML models have emerged for the prediction of adverse outcomes after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). We aim to identify, describe, and critically appraise ML prediction models for adverse outcomes after TAVI. Key objectives consisted in summarizing model performance, evaluating adherence to reporting guidelines, and transparency.

Social smoker identity and associations with smoking and quitting behaviour: A cross-sectional study in England.

Background: 'Social smoking' typically occurs predominantly or exclusively in the presence of others who are smoking. Relatively little is known about changes in the prevalence of 'social smoking identity' over time and its association with other smoking-related correlates.

Methods: Data were from the Smoking Toolkit Study, a nationally-representative cross-sectional survey in England.

Systemic Fluoroquinolone Use and Risk of Uveitis or Retinal Detachment.

Importance: Fluoroquinolone use has been associated with increased risk of uveitis and retinal detachment in noninterventional studies, but the findings have been conflicting and causality is unclear.

Objective: To estimate the association of systemic fluoroquinolone use with acute uveitis or retinal detachment, using multiple analyses and multiple databases to increase the robustness of results.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This cohort study used data from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink Aurum and GOLD UK primary care records databases, which were linked to hospital admissions data.

Medicare Advantage enrollees' reports of unfair treatment during health care encounters.

We investigated unfair treatment among 1863 Medicare Advantage (MA) enrollees from 21 MA plans using 2022 survey data (40% response rate) in which respondents indicated whether they were treated unfairly in a health care setting based on any of 10 personal characteristics. We calculated reported unfair treatment rates overall and by enrollee characteristics. Nine percent of respondents reported any unfair treatment, most often based on health condition (6%), disability (3%), or age (2%).

Case report: Abdominal mesothelioma in .

Hedgehogs, as exotic species, are more susceptible to various neoplastic conditions affecting diverse bodily systems, particularly the tegumentary, hemolymphatic, and digestive systems. Among these conditions, epithelial tumors are the most prevalent, followed by round cell tumors and mesenchymal tumors. A striking characteristic is the malignant nature of over 8% of these tumors, leading to a generally unfavorable prognosis.

'Vitamin B17': Killing more than cancer.

Objective: Vitamin B17 tablets are sold (online) as an alternative cancer therapy medication. Its use however is not benign, given that it is metabolised into hydrogen cyanide. We aimed to measure the number of calls received by the New South Wales Poisons Information Centre (NSW PIC) regarding Amygdalin exposures.

Further Examination of the Pulsed- and Steady-Pedestal Paradigms under Hypothetical Parvocellular- and Magnocellular-Biased Conditions.

The pulsed- and steady-pedestal paradigms were designed to track increment thresholds (Δ) as a function of pedestal contrast (C) for the parvocellular (P) and magnocellular (M) systems, respectively. These paradigms produce contrasting results: linear relationships between Δ and are observed in the pulsed-pedestal paradigm, indicative of the P system's processing, while the steady-pedestal paradigm reveals nonlinear functions, characteristic of the M system's response. However, we recently found the P model fits better than the M model for both paradigms, using Gabor stimuli biased towards the M or P systems based on their sensitivity to color and spatial frequency.