Publications by authors named "Hay R"

Medically important pathogenic fungi invade vertebrate tissue and are considered primary when part of their nature life cycle is associated with an animal host and are usually able to infect immunocompetent hosts. Opportunistic fungal pathogens complete their life cycle in environmental habitats or occur as commensals within or on the vertebrate body, but under certain conditions can thrive upon infecting humans. The extent of host damage in opportunistic infections largely depends on the portal and modality of entry as well as on the host's immune and metabolic status.

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Chromoblastomycosis, an implantation mycosis, is a neglected tropical disease that causes decreased quality of life, stigma, and disability. The global burden of disease is unknown and data on disease epidemiology and outcomes are severely limited by a lack of access to needed diagnostic tools and therapeutics. The World Health Organization outlined targets for chromoblastomycosis in the Road Map for Neglected Tropical Diseases 2021-2030, but little progress has been made in initiating and implementing an effective control program globally.

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  • Small-molecule degraders can effectively target and degrade disease-driving proteins, offering a new approach for treating previously untreatable conditions.
  • Researchers used cryo-EM to observe how the degrader MZ1 helps position the Brd4 protein for ubiquitination by the UBE2R1 enzyme, leading to its degradation.
  • The study identifies specific lysines on Brd4 that are prone to ubiquitination and suggests a flexible model for how degrader-induced targets could be modified for better drug development.
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  • Scabies is a highly contagious skin disease affecting over 200 million people globally, especially children in poor and crowded areas, leading to significant health issues.
  • The lack of a vaccine and limited treatment options, like topical permethrin and oral ivermectin, often results in treatment failures due to fast-acting parasites and the need for multiple treatments.
  • Addressing scabies requires a comprehensive strategy, focusing on better diagnostic tools, new treatments, enhanced surveillance, and raising public awareness to break the cycle of infection.
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  • * Researchers used advanced techniques to identify various Candida species from 300 samples and categorized them based on their ability to produce biofilms, finding that a significant percentage displayed low sensitivity to common antifungal drugs like fluconazole and nystatin.
  • * The findings suggest that new antifungal agents or combinations with natural products could be promising alternatives for treating RVVC, given the challenges posed by existing medications.
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  • - Mycetoma is a neglected tropical disease that significantly impacts people, especially in impoverished areas with poor healthcare.
  • - The Mycetoma Research Center (MRC) in Khartoum, Sudan, is the only WHO collaborating center focused on this disease, offering comprehensive patient care.
  • - MRC's initiatives support the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals aimed at controlling mycetoma both in Sudan and around the world.
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Background: Nakaseomyces glabratus (N. glabratus) formerly known as Candida glabrata (C. glabrata), is an endogenous opportunistic pathogen, which is generally located in the gastrointestinal tract but can spread in immunocompromised patients.

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  • - There has been an increase in cases of dermatophytosis, especially stubborn and recurring tinea of the skin, with a significant rise in antifungal resistance, particularly noted in India, and a lack of comprehensive international data on the issue.
  • - This study conducted an online survey from February 2022 to July 2023, gathering insights from dermatologists worldwide to better understand the extent and characteristics of resistant tinea cases outside Europe.
  • - The survey received 260 responses from 36 countries, revealing that an overwhelming majority (91.7%) encountered these challenging tinea cases, primarily affecting areas like the trunk and groin, and highlighting the need for better diagnostic measures and collaboration to tackle antifungal resistance. *
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The World Health Organization, in response to the growing burden of fungal disease, established a process to develop a fungal priority pathogens list. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the epidemiology and impact of eumycetoma. PubMed and Web of Science were searched to identify studies published between 1 January 2011 and 19 February 2021.

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Background: The COVID-19 pandemic introduced new challenges to provide care and educate junior doctors (resident physicians). We sought to understand the positive and negative experiences of first-year resident physicians and describe potential ethical issues from their stories.

Method: We used narrative inquiry (NI) methodology and applied a semistructured interview guide with questions pertaining to ethical principles and both positive and negative aspects of the pandemic.

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Buruli ulcer (BU) is a skin infection caused by and a neglected tropical disease of the skin (skin NTD). Antibiotic treatments are available but, to be effective in the absence of surgery, BU must be detected at its earliest stages (an innocuous-looking lump under the skin) and adherence to prescribed drugs must be high. This study aimed to develop multisensory medical illustrations of BU to support communication with at-risk communities.

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  • Protein SUMOylation is crucial for cellular stress responses, particularly in repairing DNA-protein crosslinks and degrading damaged proteins during stress.
  • The study identifies TOPORS, a human E3 ligase, as an important player in SUMO-dependent DNA-protein crosslink resolution, functioning as a SUMO-targeted ubiquitin ligase alongside RNF4.
  • Loss of both TOPORS and RNF4 leads to severe cellular consequences, including inability to clear SUMOylated proteins, resulting in cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, highlighting their essential roles in managing cellular stress.
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Mycetoma is a neglected tropical disease (NTD) with devastating morbidity and stigma. Despite increased awareness and international collaboration, the burden of mycetoma is largely unknown and diagnosis and treatment are difficult. Addressing mycetoma globally aligns with several United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

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Management of obesity requires a multidisciplinary approach including physical activity interventions, which have significant impacts on overall health outcomes. Greater levels of lean muscle mass are significantly associated with improved health and reduced risk of comorbidities and should be preserved where possible when undertaking rapid weight loss. This article reports on the physical and functional outcomes achieved during a 12-week intensive multidisciplinary intervention targeting obesity and evaluates correlations between body composition and functional outcomes.

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Background: Evidence-based clinical care guidelines improve medical treatment by reducing error, improving outcomes and possibly lowering healthcare costs. While some data exist on individual guideline compliance, no data exist on overall compliance to multiple nuanced guidelines in a paediatric intensive care setting.

Methods: Guideline compliance was observed and measured with a prospective cohort at a tertiary academic paediatric medical-surgical intensive care unit.

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The year 2024 is the Centenary of the foundation of the Leprosy Relief Association (Lepra), formerly the British Empire Leprosy Relief Association (BELRA). The name of the organization changed to the LEProsy Relief Association (LEPRA) in 1976 but has been known as Lepra since 2008. Over the years it has worked closely with members and office holders of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

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With the advent of newer drugs and formulations, the armamentarium to combat dermatophytosis is ever-expanding. However, we must be rational and scientific when choosing the drugs. This review is an attempt to summarise the recently approved and upcoming therapeutic options for dermatophytosis.

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Background: The Covid-19 pandemic and related public health measures, including lockdowns and school closures, have impacted on mental health of children.

Aims And Hypothesis: We hypothesised that there would be an association between maintaining a routine during lockdown and both lower emotional and behavioural difficulties in children and lower parental anxiety. Routine was taken as keeping to the same basic activities such as mealtimes and bedtimes.

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Article Synopsis
  • * The study focuses on the E1B-55K protein, an important HAdV oncoprotein that enhances viral replication and alters cellular functions.
  • * Researchers discovered that HAdV boosts SUMOylation (a protein modification) in cells, which helps the virus by degrading antiviral factors, with E1B-55K playing a crucial role in this process.
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Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a recognized comorbidity in pediatric diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), although the exact etiology is unclear. The unique physiology of DKA makes dehydration assessments challenging, and these patients potentially receive excessive amounts of intravenous fluids (IVF). We hypothesized that dehydration is over-estimated in pediatric DKA, leading to over-administration of IVF and hyperchloremia that worsens AKI.

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