In vivo intervertebral disc deformation: intratissue strain patterns within adjacent discs during flexion-extension.

The biomechanical function of the intervertebral disc (IVD) is a critical indicator of tissue health and pathology. The mechanical responses (displacements, strain) of the IVD to physiologic movement can be spatially complex and depend on tissue architecture, consisting of distinct compositional regions and integrity; however, IVD biomechanics are predominately uncharacterized in vivo. Here, we measured voxel-level displacement and strain patterns in adjacent IVDs in vivo by coupling magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with cyclic motion of the cervical spine.

Patterned enteroscopy balloon design factors influence tissue anchoring.

Balloon-assisted enteroscopy procedures allow visualization and intervention in the small intestine. These balloons anchor an endoscope and/or overtube to the small intestine, allowing endoscopists to plicate the small intestine over the overtube. This procedure can extend examination deeper into the small intestine than the length of the endoscope would allow with direct examination.

The transition to clinical expert: enhanced decision making for children aged less than 5 years attending the paediatric ED with acute respiratory conditions.

Background: Rates of unplanned paediatric admissions are persistently high. Many admissions are short-stay events, lasting less than 48 hours.

Objective: This qualitative research explores factors that influence clinical decision making in the paediatric ED (PED) for children under 5 attending with acute respiratory conditions, focusing on how management decisions adapt with increasing experience.

Colocalization of cellular nanostructure using confocal fluorescence and partial wave spectroscopy.

A new multimodal confocal microscope has been developed, which includes a parallel Partial Wave Spectroscopic (PWS) microscopy path. This combination of modalities allows molecular-specific sensing of nanoscale intracellular structure using fluorescent labels. Combining molecular specificity and sensitivity to nanoscale structure allows localization of nanostructural intracellular changes, which is critical for understanding the mechanisms of diseases such as cancer.

Nanocytological field carcinogenesis detection to mitigate overdiagnosis of prostate cancer: a proof of concept study.

Purpose: To determine whether nano-architectural interrogation of prostate field carcinogenesis can be used to predict prognosis in patients with early stage (Gleason 6) prostate cancer (PCa), which is mostly indolent but frequently unnecessarily treated.

Materials And Methods: We previously developed partial wave spectroscopic microscopy (PWS) that enables quantification of the nanoscale intracellular architecture (20-200 nm length scale) with remarkable accuracy. We adapted this technique to assess prostate needle core biopsies in a case control study from men with Gleason 6 disease who either progressed (n = 20) or remained indolent (n = 18) over a ~3 year follow up.

Complex consultations in primary care: a tool for assessing the range of health problems and issues addressed in general practice consultations.

Background: There is an increasing recognition that many consultations in general practice involve several problems covering multiple disease domains. However there is a paucity of reliable tools and techniques to understand and quantify this phenomenon. The objective was to develop a tool that can be used to measure the number and type of problems discussed in primary care consultations.

The content of general practice consultations: cross-sectional study based on video recordings.

Background: Demographic and policy changes appear to be increasing the complexity of consultations in general practice.

Aim: To describe the number and types of problems discussed in general practice consultations, differences between problems raised by patients or doctors, and between problems discussed and recorded in medical records.

Design And Setting: Cross-sectional study based on video recordings of consultations in 22 general practices in Bristol and North Somerset.

Seroprevalence of bactericidal, specific IgG antibodies and incidence of meningitis due to group A Neisseria meningitidis by age in Burkina Faso 2008.

Background: We investigated serological correlates of protection against Neisseria meningitidis serogroup A (NmA) in Burkina Faso before the introduction of NmA conjugate vaccine.

Methodology/principal Findings: We collected blood from a representative sample (N = 1022) of Bobo-Dioulasso residents. Sera were evaluated for serum bactericidal antibody (SBA) activity against NmA strains of immunotype L11 (F8238) and L10 (3125) and NmA-specific IgG.

Meningococcal carriage by age: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Neisseria meningitidis is an important cause of meningitis and septicaemia, but most infected individuals experience a period of asymptomatic carriage rather than disease. Previous studies have shown that carriage rates vary by age and setting; however, few have assessed carriage across all ages. We aimed to estimate the age-specific prevalence of meningococcal carriage.