Vector mosquitoes are well-adapted to habitats in urban areas, including belowground infrastructure such as stormwater systems. As a major source of larval habitat in population centers, control of larval populations in stormwater catch basins is an important tool for control of vector-borne disease. Larval development and adult phenotypes driving vectorial capacity in mosquitoes are modulated by the larval gut microbiota, which is recruited from the aquatic environment in which larvae develop.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Acute and late inflammatory markers including high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) are associated with future vascular events after stroke. However, few longitudinal studies exist examining the intra-individual reproducibility of inflammatory biomarker measures at different time-points after atherosclerotic stroke. We sought to examine the reproducibility of hsCRP and IL-6 in a cohort of patients with minor stroke or transient ischaemic attack (TIA) caused by ipsilateral carotid atherosclerosis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Atrial Fibrillation (AF) causes up to 20% of ischaemic strokes and 30% in some populations such as those over 80 years. Previous research in our population showed that widespread adoption of Direct Oral Anticoagulant (DOAC) prophylaxis had not been associated with a reduction in AF associated stroke prevalence but there was a considerable rate of breakthrough stroke in patients receiving anticoagulation and anticoagulation rate may be affected by increasing use of DOACs.
Aims: We undertook a more detailed study using the Irish National Audit of Stroke (INAS) to determine the characteristics of anticoagulation practice in AF associated stroke, particularly breakthrough stroke, adherence to prescribing guidelines and effect on thrombolysis rate.
J Am Mosq Control Assoc
December 2024
From 2021 to 2024, the number of pupae found in storm sewer catch basins in the North Shore suburbs of Chicago were assessed as part of routine quality control and improvement efforts. Over the course of these 4 yr, pupae were collected at least once during all calendar months, allowing for some insight into monthly mosquito production in catch basins. Thus, the intent of this study was to use those data to describe the number of pupae found in these structures across calendar months.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBMC Health Serv Res
September 2024
Introduction: Hospital overcrowding where patient admissions exceed capacity is associated with worse outcomes in Emergency Department. Developments in emergency stroke care have been associated with improvements in stroke outcome but are dependent on effective, organised care. We examined if overcrowding in the hospital system was associated with negative changes in stroke outcome.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInsect growth regulators, like S-methoprene, are heavily relied upon worldwide for larval mosquito chemical control due to their target specificity and long-lasting effects. In this study, susceptibility to S-methoprene was evaluated in Culex pipiens, a globally important vector species. Populations from 14 sites throughout the Chicago area with a long history of S-methoprene use and two sites with minimal use in Wisconsin were examined.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: There is conflicting evidence regarding the outcomes of acute stroke patients who present to hospital within normal working hours ('in-hours') compared with the 'out-of-hours' period. This study aimed to assess the effect of time of stroke presentation on outcomes within the Irish context, to inform national stroke service delivery.
Materials And Methods: A secondary analysis of data from the Irish National Audit of Stroke (INAS) from Jan 2016 to Dec 2019 was carried out.
J Am Mosq Control Assoc
March 2024
Over the course of three years, 200 ft to 0.75 mi (60 m to 1.2 km) sections of 3 larger (>6 ft [1.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Am Mosq Control Assoc
February 2024
Over the course of three years, 200 ft to 0.75 mi (60 m to 1.2 km) sections of 3 larger (>6 ft [1.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: In-hospital stroke refers to a stroke arising in a patient during hospital admission for another condition. Between 2 and 17% of all inpatient strokes are in-hospital strokes.
Aim: To compare the outcomes and performance on quality-of-care stroke measures of in-hospital stroke cases with community-onset strokes.
Background: The adoption of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) has changed practice in prevention of stroke in atrial fibrillation (AF). We used Irish data national data on stroke and anticoagulation therapy over 9 years to investigate changes in anticoagulation practice and potential consequences on stroke prevalence and thrombolysis.
Methods: AF, anticoagulation, thrombolysis, and stroke data from the Irish National Audit of Stroke (INAS) 2013-2021 were reviewed.
J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg
November 2023
Objective: In-hospital stroke cases occur during hospitalization for another diagnosis and reflect a clinically distinct cohort from community-onset stroke. The objective was to validate the diagnostic accuracy of in-hospital stroke identification in stroke audit data at a large teaching hospital.
Methods: A retrospective clinical validation of in-hospital stroke diagnoses from two linked data sources was completed for a 2-year period from January 1 2020 to December 31 2021.
Background: The Oxford Carotid Stenosis tool (OCST) and Essen Stroke Risk Score (ESRS) are validated to predict recurrent stroke in patients with and without carotid stenosis. The Symptomatic Carotid Atheroma Inflammation Lumen stenosis (SCAIL) score combines stenosis and plaque inflammation on fluorodeoxyglucose positron-emission tomography (FDG-PET). We compared SCAIL with OCST and ESRS to predict ipsilateral stroke recurrence in symptomatic carotid stenosis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEpigenetic features such as DNA accessibility dictate transcriptional regulation in a cell type- and cell state- specific manner, and mapping this in health vs. disease in clinically relevant material is opening the door to new mechanistic insights and new targets for therapy. Assay for Transposase Accessible Chromatin Sequencing (ATAC-seq) allows chromatin accessibility profiling from low cell input, making it tractable on rare cell populations, such as regulatory T (Treg) cells.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Previous studies have shown an association between number of stroke admissions and outcomes. Small hospitals often support more remote areas and we studied national data to determine if an association exists between hospital remoteness and stroke care.
Methods: Data from the Irish National Audit of Stroke (INAS) on average stroke admissions, adjusted mortality for ischaemic stroke, thrombolysis rate and proportion with door to needle (DTN) ≤45 min were analysed.
West Nile virus remains the leading cause of arboviral neuroinvasive disease in the United States, despite extensive efforts to control the mosquito vectors involved in transmission. In this study, we evaluated the effectiveness of Altosid SR-20 (active ingredient, S-methoprene 20%) larvicide applications using truck-mounted ultra-low volume (ULV) dispersal equipment to target Culex pipiens Linnaeus (Diptera: Culicidae) and Cx. restuans (Theobald)larvae.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Pelvic exenteration surgery (PE) offers potentially curative resection for locally advanced malignancy but is associated with significant complexity and morbidity. Specialised teams are recommended to achieve optimal patient outcomes. This study aims to analyse short-term outcomes at a tertiary setting before and after creating a dedicated PE service.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRationale: The increased mortality and morbidity seen in critically injured patients appears associated with systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and immune dysfunction, which ultimately predisposes to infection. Mitochondria released by injury could generate danger molecules, for example, ATP, which in turn would be rapidly scavenged by ectonucleotidases, expressed on regulatory immune cells.
Objective: To determine the association between circulating mitochondria, purinergic signalling and immune dysfunction after trauma.
The main burden of SARS-CoV-2 falls on the lungs but neurological manifestations, the most disabling of which are strokes and which correlate with disease severity, are common. We proffer a novel mechanism for acute COVID-19 stroke whereby pulmonary vein clots developing within the characteristic pulmonary intravascular thrombotic lesions can embolize to the brain. Appreciation of this mechanism requires an understanding of the tricompartmental model of lung parenchyma oxygenation (the alveolus, the bronchial artery, and the pulmonary artery), all of which are compromised in COVID-19.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground And Objectives: In pooled analyses of endarterectomy trials for symptomatic carotid stenosis, several subgroups experienced no net benefit from revascularization. The validated symptomatic carotid atheroma inflammation lumen-stenosis (SCAIL) score includes stenosis severity and inflammation measured by PET and improves the identification of patients with recurrent stroke compared with lumen-stenosis alone. We investigated whether the SCAIL score improves the identification of recurrent stroke in subgroups with uncertain benefit from revascularization in endarterectomy trials.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF