An intercountry comparison of the impact of the paediatric live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) programme across the UK and the Republic of Ireland (ROI), 2010 to 2017.

Background: The universal paediatric live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) programme commenced in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2013/2014. Since 2014/2015, all pre-school and primary school children in Scotland and Northern Ireland have been offered the vaccine. England and Wales incrementally introduced the programme with additional school age cohorts being vaccinated each season.

End of season influenza vaccine effectiveness in primary care in adults and children in the United Kingdom in 2018/19.

2018/19 was the first season of introduction of a newly licensed adjuvanted influenza vaccine (aTIV) for adults aged 65 years and over and the sixth season in the roll-out of a childhood influenza vaccination programme with a quadrivalent live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV). The season saw mainly A(H1N1)pdm09 and latterly A(H3N2) circulation. End-of-season adjusted vaccine effectiveness (aVE) estimates against laboratory confirmed influenza infection in primary care were calculated using the test negative case control method adjusting for key confounders.

Vaccination against pertussis and influenza in pregnancy: a qualitative study of barriers and facilitators.

Objectives: Influenza and pertussis vaccination programmes have been in place for pregnant women in the UK since 2009 and 2012, respectively. In 2015, vaccine uptake rates were 55% for influenza and 63% for pertussis in Northern Ireland. We conducted a qualitative study with the aim of learning about the views of pregnant women and identifying potential barriers to vaccination in pregnancy.

Fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 signaling transcriptionally regulates the axon guidance cue slit1.

Axons sense molecular cues in their environment to arrive at their post-synaptic targets. While many of the molecular cues have been identified, the mechanisms that regulate their spatiotemporal expression remain elusive. We examined here the transcriptional regulation of the guidance gene slit1 both in vitro and in vivo by specific fibroblast growth factor receptors (Fgfrs).

Impact of live attenuated influenza vaccination programme for healthy children in Northern Ireland: A comparison of seven influenza seasons, 2010/11-2016/17.

Seasonal influenza vaccination for healthy children was introduced in Northern Ireland in the 2013/14 flu season, with an initial pilot year involving two specific cohorts, followed by rollout to all children aged 4-11 years in subsequent seasons. This study aimed to examine the impact of that programme on the burden of flu in primary care over the study period 2010/11-2016/17. Two routine indicators were used to measure impact - GP in-hour consultations and out-of-hour calls for influenza and influenza-like-illness (ILI).

Changing epidemiology of Pneumocystis pneumonia, Northern Ireland, UK and implications for prevention, 1 July 2011-31 July 2012.

Purpose: There is a lack of consensus about which non-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patient groups would benefit from prophylaxis. Here, we analysed an enhanced Pneumocystis jirovecii database to describe the epidemiology of Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) and P. jirovecii colonizations in Northern Ireland (NI) with a view to identifying risk groups who may benefit from prophylaxis.

Effectiveness of seasonal influenza vaccine for adults and children in preventing laboratory-confirmed influenza in primary care in the United Kingdom: 2015/16 end-of-season results.

The United Kingdom (UK) is in the third season of introducing universal paediatric influenza vaccination with a quadrivalent live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV). The 2015/16 season in the UK was initially dominated by influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 and then influenza of B/Victoria lineage, not contained in that season's adult trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (IIV). Overall adjusted end-of-season vaccine effectiveness (VE) was 52.

Effectiveness of seasonal influenza vaccine in preventing laboratory-confirmed influenza in primary care in the United Kingdom: 2015/16 mid-season results.

In 2015/16, the influenza season in the United Kingdom was dominated by influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 circulation. Virus characterisation indicated the emergence of genetic clusters, with the majority antigenically similar to the current influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 vaccine strain. Mid-season vaccine effectiveness (VE) estimates show an adjusted VE of 41.

Effectiveness of seasonal influenza vaccine in preventing laboratory-confirmed influenza in primary care in the United Kingdom: 2014/15 end of season results.

The 2014/15 influenza season in the United Kingdom (UK) was characterised by circulation of predominantly antigenically and genetically drifted influenza A(H3N2) and B viruses. A universal paediatric influenza vaccination programme using a quadrivalent live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) has recently been introduced in the UK. This study aims to measure the end-of-season influenza vaccine effectiveness (VE), including for LAIV, using the test negative case-control design.

Public health risk communication by text message in response to a cluster of invasive meningococcal infection in a primary school.

Public health risk communication during emergencies should be rapid and accurate in order to allow the audience to take steps to prevent adverse outcomes. Delays to official communications may cause unnecessary anxiety due to uncertainty or inaccurate information circulating within the at-risk group. Modern electronic communications present opportunities for rapid, targeted public health risk communication.

Evaluation of a partnership between primary and secondary care providing an accessible Level 1 sexual health service in the community.

Summary Comprehensive testing for asymptomatic sexually transmitted infections in Northern Ireland has traditionally been provided by genitourinary medicine clinics. As patient demand for services has increased while budgets have remained limited, there has been increasing difficulty in accommodating this demand. In May 2013, the newly commissioned specialist Sexual Health service in the South Eastern Trust sought to pilot a new model of care working alongside a GP partnership of 12 practices.

Neuropilin-1 biases dendrite polarization in the retina.

The majority of neurons in the nervous system exhibit a polarized morphology, with multiple short dendrites and a single long axon. It is clear that multiple factors govern polarization in developing neurons, and the biased accumulation of intrinsic determinants to one side of the cell, coupled with responses to asymmetrically localized extrinsic factors, appears to be crucial. A number of intrinsic factors have been identified, but surprisingly little is known about the identity of the extrinsic signals.

TGFbeta ligands promote the initiation of retinal ganglion cell dendrites in vitro and in vivo.

Each type of neuron develops a unique morphology critical to its function, but almost all start with the basic plan of one long axon and multiple short, branched dendrites. Though extrinsic signals are known to direct many steps in the development of neuronal structure, little is understood about the initiation of processes, particularly dendrites. We find that Xenopus retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) explanted early will extend axons and not dendrites in dissociated cultures.

Differential subcellular sequestration of proapoptotic and antiapoptotic proteins and colocalization of Bcl-x(L) with the germ plasm, in Xenopus laevis oocytes.

Apoptosis is an important element of normal embryonic development and gametogenesis in invertebrate and vertebrate species. Although the components of apoptotic machinery are present in Xenopus laevis fully grown stage VI oocytes and eggs, apoptosis in the developing Xenopus ovary is limited to the somatic cells with no indication of apoptosis in the germ cells. Considering the possibility that Xenopus previtellogenic oocytes might lack the components of the apoptotic pathway, we analyzed Xenopus Stage I oocytes for the presence of the proapoptotic factors Bax and tumor suppressor p53, and antiapoptotic factors Bcl-x(L) and mitochondrial heat shock protein 60 (Hsp60).

The roles of Bcl-xL in modulating apoptosis during development of Xenopus laevis.

Background: Apoptosis is a common and essential aspect of development. It is particularly prevalent in the central nervous system and during remodelling processes such as formation of the digits and in amphibian metamorphosis. Apoptosis, which is dependent upon a balance between pro- and anti-apoptotic factors, also enables the embryo to rid itself of cells damaged by gamma irradiation.

Compact intergenic regions of the pufferfish genome facilitate isolation of gene promoters: characterization of Fugu 3'-phosphoadenosine 5'-phosphosulfate synthase 2 (fPapss2) gene promoter function in transgenic Xenopus.

The highly compact nature of the pufferfish (Fugu rubripes) genome renders it a useful tool not only for annotating coding regions within vertebrate genomes, but also for the identification of sequences important to gene regulation. Indeed, owing to this compaction it will be feasible in many instances to initiate analyses using entire intergenic regions when mapping gene promoters; a strategy that is very rarely feasible with the expanded genomes of other species. Stemming from our interest in studying promoters expressed in chondrocytes, we selected for study the intergenic region upstream of Fugu 3'-phosphoadenosine 5'-phosphosulfate synthase 2, fPapss2, a gene required for the normal development of cartilage extracellular matrix.