Publications by authors named "Fitzgerald F"

Background: Neonatal sepsis is a major cause of mortality in low-resource settings. We assessed how neonatal sepsis guidelines were used in two Zimbabwean hospitals and one Malawian hospital.

Methods: Using routine data collected with the digital health intervention, Neotree, we retrospectively reviewed doctors' and nurses' agreement with national and World Health Organization (WHO) guideline recommendations for antibiotic prescription for sepsis.

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The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has recently recommended the introduction of the varicella (chickenpox) vaccine into the UK's routine childhood immunisation schedule. This was previously only available to a small group of eligible children or through private healthcare providers. Engaging families in conversations around vaccines is recognised as important for informed decision-making, and professionals leading these discussions need to be confident and well-informed.

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Nature utilizes bioreversible post-translational modifications (PTMs) to spatiotemporally diversify protein function. Mimicking Nature's approach, chemists have developed a variety of chemoselective regents for traceless, bioreversible modification of native proteins. These strategies have found utility in the development of reversible covalent inhibitors and degraders as well as the synthesis of functional protein conjugates for delivery into cells.

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Objectives: An effective vaccine for chicken pox has been included in immunisation schedules since the 1990s. In the UK the recommendation for routine inclusion came in November 2023; it has not yet been implemented. We explored paediatricians' attitudes towards the vaccine and their personal and professional use; as this has been shown to be an influential factor in parents' vaccine decision making.

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Article Synopsis
  • During autumn/winter 2022, the UK saw an unusual rise in severe group A streptococcal infections in children, primarily manifesting as pneumonia with fluid in the lungs.
  • Clinicians documented 185 cases from children under 16, revealing that most patients were healthy prior to infection, with many also suffering from respiratory viral coinfections.
  • The study underscores the importance of routine vaccinations against common viruses and group A streptococcus, as well as the effectiveness of molecular testing to aid in diagnosis and reporting.
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Background: Biological maturity and relative age player selection biases are well documented in youth sports. However, there has been limited examination of the relationship between these biases.

Aim: This study investigated the presence, strength, and independence of relative age and biological maturity selection biases in Gaelic football.

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Background: Despite an increase in hospital-based deliveries, neonatal mortality remains high in low-resource settings. Due to limited laboratory diagnostics, there is significant reliance on clinical findings to inform diagnoses. Accurate, evidence-based identification and management of neonatal conditions could improve outcomes by standardizing care.

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The COVID-19 pandemic and associated measures may have disrupted delivery of maternal and neonatal health services and reversed the progress made towards dual elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis in Zimbabwe. This qualitative study explores the impact of the pandemic on the provision and uptake of prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) services from the perspectives of women and maternal healthcare providers. Longitudinal in-depth interviews were conducted with 20 pregnant and breastfeeding women aged 20-39 years living with HIV and 20 healthcare workers in two maternity polyclinics in low-income suburbs of Harare, Zimbabwe.

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Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has globally impacted health service access, delivery and resources. There are limited data regarding the impact on the prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) service delivery in low-resource settings. Neotree ( www.

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Background: Two-thirds of the 2.4 million newborn deaths that occurred in 2020 within the first 28 days of life might have been avoided by implementing existing low-cost evidence-based interventions for all sick and small newborns. An open-source digital quality improvement tool (Neotree) combining data capture with education and clinical decision support is a promising solution for this implementation gap.

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Article Synopsis
  • Improving survival rates for newborns can be achieved by using effective healthcare tools that help mothers and babies, especially in countries with fewer resources.
  • Neotree is a digital health app created with input from healthcare workers in several countries, allowing them to track and manage the care of newborns more effectively.
  • This app collects important patient data and provides real-time support for doctors, has already helped over 21,000 babies, and is open for anyone to use and improve.
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Large ribosomal subunit precursors (pre-LSUs) are primarily synthesized in the nucleolus. At an undetermined step in their assembly, they are released into the nucleoplasm. Structural models of yeast pre-LSUs at various stages of assembly have been collected using cryo-EM.

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Zimbabwe is targeting elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV by December 2025, however the COVID-19 pandemic challenged health service delivery globally. Monthly aggregated data were extracted from DHIS-2 for all facilities delivering antenatal care (ANC). ZIMSTAT and Spectrum demographic estimates were used for population-level denominators.

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Objective: To develop a clinical prediction model to diagnose neonatal sepsis in low-resource settings.

Design: Secondary analysis of data collected by the Neotree digital health system from 1 February 2019 to 31 March 2020. We used multivariable logistic regression with candidate predictors identified from expert opinion and literature review.

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Neonatal encephalopathy (NE) accounts for ~23% of the 2.4 million annual global neonatal deaths. Approximately 99% of global neonatal deaths occur in low-resource settings, however, accurate data from these low-resource settings are scarce.

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Introduction: Improving peri- and postnatal facility-based care in low-resource settings (LRS) could save over 6000 babies' lives per day. Most of the annual 2.4 million neonatal deaths and 2 million stillbirths occur in healthcare facilities in LRS and are preventable through the implementation of cost-effective, simple, evidence-based interventions.

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Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and influenza viruses are important global causes of morbidity and mortality. We evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of the Luminex NxTAG respiratory pathogen panels (RPPs)™ (index) against other RPPs (comparator) for detection of RSV and influenza viruses. Studies comparing human clinical respiratory samples tested with the index and at least one comparator test were included.

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Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) infections are leading causes of neonatal morbidity and mortality, contributing to an extended hospital stay and increased healthcare costs. Although the burden and impact of HAI/AMR in resource-limited neonatal units are substantial, there are few HAI/AMR prevention studies in these settings. We reviewed the mechanism of action and evidence supporting HAI/AMR prevention interventions, including care bundles, for hospitalized neonates in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC).

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Introduction: Every year 2.4 million deaths occur worldwide in babies younger than 28 days. Approximately 70% of these deaths occur in low-resource settings because of failure to implement evidence-based interventions.

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Objectives: To examine indirect impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on neonatal care in low-income and middle-income countries.

Design: Interrupted time series analysis.

Setting: Two tertiary neonatal units in Harare, Zimbabwe and Lilongwe, Malawi.

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Article Synopsis
  • Nascent polypeptide chains exit the ribosome via the nascent polypeptide exit tunnel (NPET), which is influenced by specific ribosomal proteins, highlighting the complexity of translation and ribosome assembly.
  • The protein eL39 plays a crucial role in the construction of the NPET, facilitating both early stages of pre-60S assembly and proper protein folding during translation.
  • Research indicates that eL39 is involved in alternative pathways of ribosome assembly, suggesting similarities with bacterial ribosomal subunit biogenesis.
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Dynamic changes of a cell's glycophenotype are increasingly interpreted as shifts in the capacity to interact with tissue (endogenous) lectins. The status of glycan branching or chain length (e.g.

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