Concussion-Related Biomarker Variations in Retired Rugby Players and Implications for Neurodegenerative Disease Risk: The UK Rugby Health Study.

The health and well-being of retired rugby union and league players, particularly regarding the long-term effects of concussions, are of major concern. Concussion has been identified as a major risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), in athletes engaged in contact sports. This study aimed to assess differences in specific biomarkers between UK-based retired rugby players with a history of concussion and a non-contact sports group, focusing on biomarkers associated with Alzheimer's, ALS, and CTE.

"More than just another physical activity program": exploring the GUM program for at-risk adolescent girls.

Physical activity (PA) levels among adolescent girls continue to steadily decline, especially for those classified as 'at-risk'. To mitigate these trends, Girls United and on the Move (GUM) was created as a dual-component PA and psychosocial program. The primary purpose of this study was to explore participant experiences within GUM, with a secondary purpose of qualitatively informing future PA programs for 'at-risk' adolescent girls.

Exploring the Effectiveness of an Integrated Physical Activity and Psychosocial Program Targeting At-Risk Adolescent Girls: Protocol for the Girls United and on the Move (GUM) Intervention Study.

Background: Adolescents are highly susceptible to negative self-perceptions, likely due to their social cues and environment. The presence of these negative self-perceptions has been shown to adversely impact levels of physical activity (PA). Although PA has the ability to foster improved self-perceptions, the rates of PA among adolescents continue to descend, with girls appearing to be most susceptible to these declines.

Molecular recognition of insulin by a synthetic receptor.

The discovery of molecules that bind tightly and selectively to desired proteins continues to drive innovation at the interface of chemistry and biology. This paper describes the binding of human insulin by the synthetic receptor cucurbit[7]uril (Q7) in vitro. Isothermal titration calorimetry and fluorescence spectroscopy experiments show that Q7 binds to insulin with an equilibrium association constant of 1.

Infection threshold to estimate Lepeophtheirus salmonis-associated mortality among juvenile pink salmon.

A threshold of lethal infection was estimated from previous controlled laboratory exposures to be 7.5 Lepeophtheirus salmonis g(-1) for pink salmon Oncorhynchus gorbuscha averaging < 0.7 g.

The abundance and distribution of Lepeophtheirus salmonis (Copepoda: Caligidae) on pink (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) and chum (O. keta) salmon in coastal British Columbia.

In total, 23,750 specimens of the salmon louse, Lepeophtheirus salmonis, were collected from 3,907 juvenile pink and 3,941 chum salmon caught within the Broughton Archipelago during a 2-yr survey. The prevalence on pink salmon was significantly higher than on chum salmon in 2004 (62.3% and 58.

The occurrence of Lepeophtheirus salmonis and Caligus clemensi (Copepoda: Caligidae) on three-spine stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus in coastal British Columbia.

Infections with sea lice species belonging to Lepeophtheirus and Caligus are reported from examinations of 1,309 three-spine sticklebacks collected in coastal British Columbia. Over 97% of the 19,960 Lepeophtheirus specimens and nearly 96% of the 2,340 Caligus specimens were in the copepodid and chalimus developmental stages. The parasites were identified as Lepeophtheirus salmonis and Caligus clemensi based on morphology of adult stages.

Childhood tuberculosis in Malawi: caseload, diagnostic practices and treatment outcomes.

There were 22,982 cases of TB registered in Malawi in 1998, of which 2739 (11.9%) were children. Children accounted for 11.

Voluntary counselling, HIV testing and adjunctive cotrimoxazole reduces mortality in tuberculosis patients in Thyolo, Malawi.

Objectives: To assess the feasibility and effectiveness of voluntary counselling, HIV testing and adjunctive cotrimoxazole in reducing mortality in a cohort of tuberculosis (TB) patients registered under routine programme conditions in a rural district of Malawi.

Design: 'Before' and 'after' cohort study using historical controls.

Methods: Between 1 July 1999 and 30 June 2000 all TB patients were started on standardized anti-TB treatment, and offered voluntary counselling and HIV testing (VCT).

The diagnosis of extrapulmonary tuberculosis in Malawi.

There is little information on a country-wide basis in sub-Saharan Africa about how the diagnosis of extra-pulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) is made. A country-wide cross-sectional study was carried out in 40 non-private hospitals in Malawi which register and treat (TB) patients in order to assess diagnostic practices in adults registered with EPTB. All patients aged 15 years and above in hospital on treatment for EPTB were reviewed usingTB registers, case note files and clinical assessment.

High frequency of Tuberculosis in households of patients with Pulmonary Tuberculosis in Mzimba, Malawi.

A case-control study was carried out in Mzimba district to determine whether household members of a patient with pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) had an increased frequency of TB compared with households where no TB had been previously diagnosed. There were 79 patients with PTB (66 with smear-positive PTB and 13 with smear-negative PTB) and 79 controls, matched by age and sex. Household compositions were similar.

Preventing tuberculosis among health workers in Malawi.

Objective: Following the introduction of guidelines for the control of tuberculosis (TB) infection in all hospitals in Malawi, a study was carried out to determine whether the guidelines were being implemented, the time between admission to hospital and the diagnosis of pulmonary TB had been reduced, and the annual case notification rates among health workers had fallen and were comparable to those of primary-school teachers.

Methods: The study involved 40 district and mission hospitals. Staff and patients were interviewed in order to determine whether the guidelines had been adopted.

Highly active antiretroviral therapy and tuberculosis control in Africa: synergies and potential.

HIV/AIDS (human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) and TB (tuberculosis) are two of the world's major pandemics, the brunt of which falls on sub-Saharan Africa. Efforts aimed at controlling HIV/AIDS have largely focused on prevention, little attention having been paid to care. Work on TB control has concentrated on case detection and treatment.

Childhood tuberculosis in Malawi: nationwide case-finding and treatment outcomes.

Setting: All 43 non-private hospitals (three central, 22 [corrected] district and 18 [corrected] mission) in Malawi that register and treat adult and paediatric TB cases.

Objective: To assess the rate, pattern and treatment outcome of childhood TB case notifications in Malawi in 1998.

Design: Retrospective data collection using TB registers, treatment cards and information from health centre registers.

High death rates in health care workers and teachers in Malawi.

High death rates are reported in health care workers (HCWs) and teachers in urban areas of Malawi. The present study was carried out to determine the annual death rate in HCWs and primary school teachers working in semi-urban and rural areas of Malawi, and to try to ascertain the main causes of death. Forty district and mission hospitals in Malawi were visited.

Clinical diagnosis of smear-negative pulmonary tuberculosis: an audit of diagnostic practice in hospitals in Malawi.

Setting: Thirty-seven hospitals in Malawi.

Objective: To audit the hospital practice of clinically diagnosing adults with smear-negative pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB).

Design: A cross-sectional survey of adults aged 15 years or above who were registered and receiving inpatient treatment for smear-negative PTB.

Design of regimens for treating tuberculosis in patients with HIV infection, with particular reference to sub-Saharan Africa.

The highest burden of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) related tuberculosis (TB) is in sub-Saharan Africa. HIV complicates several areas of TB control, one of which involves treatment and treatment outcome. Large patient numbers cause congestion on TB wards, there is increased morbidity, an increased risk of adverse drug reactions, an increased case fatality, and an increased recurrence of TB after treatment completion.

High early death rate in tuberculosis patients in Malawi.

Setting: Thirty-eight district and mission hospitals in Malawi.

Objectives: In patients registered with all types of tuberculosis (TB) in 1997 to determine 1) treatment outcomes, and 2) when in the course of anti-tuberculosis treatment TB deaths occurred.

Design: A retrospective study using information from TB registers, health centre registers, TB treatment cards and TB ward admission books.

Care of HIV complications in patients receiving anti-tuberculosis treatment in hospitals in Malawi.

A cross-sectional study was carried out in all 43 hospitals in Malawi that register and treat tuberculosis (TB) patients to determine whether there is care and treatment for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) complications in TB patients. Of 1,416 adults with TB, 861 (61%) had HIV complications, 627 (44%) patients had received no ward round, and of 1,142 patients who had been on anti-tuberculosis treatment for more than 7 days, 294 (26%) had not had a clinical review. Of patients with HIV complications, only 139 (16%) were receiving treatment.

Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in patients being registered for smear-negative pulmonary tuberculosis in Malawi.

The National TB Control Programme of Malawi registers and treats large numbers of patients with chronic cough for smear-negative pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB). Smear-negative PTB is diagnosed according to clinical and radiographic criteria, as mycobacterial cultures are not routinely available. In an area of high HIV seroprevalence there is a concern that other opportunistic infections apart from TB, such as Pneumocystis carinii, may be missed owing to lack of diagnostic facilities.

'Smear-negative' pulmonary tuberculosis in a DOTS programme: poor outcomes in an area of high HIV seroprevalence.

Setting: Lilongwe Central Hospital, Malawi.

Objectives: To investigate 1) treatment outcome of a cohort of smear-negative pulmonary TB (snPTB) patients in an area of high human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) seroprevalence, and 2) whether poor treatment outcomes are due to non-TB patients being mistakenly treated for TB due to lack of diagnostic facilities.

Design: Patients about to be registered for snPTB treatment by the National TB Programme underwent further assessment including TB culture, bronchoscopy and bronchoalveolar lavage.

Preventing antiretroviral anarchy in sub-Saharan Africa.

Combination antiretroviral therapy has dramatically improved the survival of patients living with HIV and AIDS in industrialised countries of the world. Despite this enormous benefit, there are some major problems and obstacles to be overcome.(1) Treatment of HIV-infection is likely to be lifelong.

Resources for controlling tuberculosis in Malawi.

Objective: To document resources for controlling tuberculosis (TB) in Malawi.

Methods: We performed a countrywide study of all 43 hospitals (3 central, 22 district and 18 mission) which register and treat patients with TB. To collect data for 1998 on the TB-related workload, diagnostic facilities, programme staff and treatment facilities, we used laboratory, radiographic and TB registers, conducted interviews and visited hospital facilities.

What causes smear-negative pulmonary tuberculosis in Malawi, an area of high HIV seroprevalence?

Setting: The Central Hospital and the District Tuberculosis (TB) Registry in Lilongwe, the capital of Malawi. In this setting smear-negative pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) is diagnosed using clinical and radiographic criteria for TB, and mycobacterial cultures are not routinely available.

Objective: To determine the proportion of patients being registered for smear-negative PTB treatment in Lilongwe who have TB that can be confirmed microbiologically.