Molecular basis for shifted receptor recognition by an encephalitic arbovirus.

After decades of inactivity throughout the Americas, western equine encephalitis virus (WEEV) recently re-emerged in South America, causing a large-scale outbreak in humans and horses. WEEV binds protocadherin 10 (PCDH10) as a receptor; however, nonpathogenic strains no longer bind human or equine PCDH10 but retain the ability to bind avian receptors. Highly virulent WEEV strains can also bind the very low-density lipoprotein receptor (VLDLR) and apolipoprotein E receptor 2 (ApoER2) as alternative receptors.

COVID-19 vaccine anxieties: exploring social and political drivers of vaccine attitudes in Kono District, Sierra Leone.

As COVID-19 spread rapidly during the early months of the pandemic, many communities around the globe anxiously waited for a vaccine. At the start of the pandemic, it was widely believed that Africa would be a significant source of infection, and thus, vaccinating African communities became a primary goal among local and global health authorities. However, when the COVID-19 vaccine became available in March 2021 in Sierra Leone, many people viewed it with scepticism and hesitation.

Enterovirus evolution reveals the mechanism of an RNA-targeted antiviral and determinants of viral replication.

Selective pressures on viruses provide opportunities to establish target site specificity and mechanisms of antivirals. Enterovirus (EV)-A71 with resistant mutations in the stem loop (SL) II internal ribosome entry site (IRES) (SLII) were selected at low doses of the antiviral dimethylamiloride (DMA)-135. The EV-A71 mutants were resistant to DMA-135 at concentrations that inhibit replication of wild-type virus.

Inappropriate behaviours in a dental training environment: pilot of a UK-wide questionnaire.

Incivility and inappropriate behaviour in the workplace are topics of growing interest due to their impact on patient care and safety. Several surveys and campaigns have emerged highlighting the existence of a problem. However, the true scale is difficult to ascertain.

South of the UES: Improving the ability of speech-language pathologists to detect oesophageal abnormalities during videofluoroscopy swallowing studies.

Purpose: With two-thirds of adults presenting for a videofluoroscopy swallow study (VFSS) with oesophageal abnormalities, it seems prudent to include visualisation of the oesophagus, in the context of the entire swallow process, to provide further information to the diagnostic team. This study aims to evaluate the ability of speech-language pathologists (SLPs) to interpret oesophageal sweep on VFSS and the relative improvement in that ability with additional training.

Method: One hundred SLPs attended training in oesophageal visualisation during VFSS, based on a previous study.

Heat induces multiomic and phenotypic stress propagation in zebrafish embryos.

Heat alters biology from molecular to ecological levels, but may also have unknown indirect effects. This includes the concept that animals exposed to abiotic stress can induce stress in naive receivers. Here, we provide a comprehensive picture of the molecular signatures of this process, by integrating multiomic and phenotypic data.

The future of nurse education? Studying at the Open University in Scotland.

This article describes nurse education with the Open University in Scotland (OUiS). Although there are problems with nurse recruitment and retention across the UK, in Scotland the landscape is somewhat different, with greater support for students required in remote and rural areas. Despite these challenges, the OUiS continues to recruit to the commissioned numbers of places.

Evaluation of the implementation of a Tracheostomy Review Services (TRS): an observational cohort study.

It has been suggested that interprofessional tracheostomy teams improve safety, enhance outcomes and promote excellence. This study evaluated the effect of a Tracheostomy Review Service (TRS) on patient outcomes and staff attitudes. The TRS reviewed patients with a tracheostomy tube (TT) on our wards.

Cardiovascular risks in relation to posttraumatic stress severity among young trauma-exposed women.

Background: Posttraumatic stress is associated with elevated risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Relatively little research, particularly among women, has documented mechanisms by which PTSD might confer CVD risk during early adulthood. The purpose of the present study was to examine whether the number and relative levels of CVD risk factors are associated with posttraumatic stress symptom severity among young, trauma-exposed women.

Strength in numbers: patient experiences of group exercise within hospice palliative care.

Background: Exercise is increasingly recognized as a core component of palliative rehabilitation. The group exercise model is often adopted as a means of reaching more patients with limited resource. Despite the growth of quantitative research examining this area of practice, few qualitative studies have looked at the patient experience of participating in group exercise in a palliative setting, and most exclude patients with a non-cancer diagnosis.

pH and Organic Carbon Dose Rates Control Microbially Driven Bioremediation Efficacy in Alkaline Bauxite Residue.

Bioremediation of alkaline tailings, based on fermentative microbial metabolisms, is a novel strategy for achieving rapid pH neutralization and thus improving environmental outcomes associated with mining and refining activities. Laboratory-scale bioreactors containing bauxite residue (an alkaline, saline tailings material generated as a byproduct of alumina refining), to which a diverse microbial inoculum was added, were used in this study to identify key factors (pH, salinity, organic carbon supply) controlling the rates and extent of microbially driven pH neutralization (bioremediation) in alkaline tailings. Initial tailings pH and organic carbon dose rates both significantly affected bioremediation extent and efficiency with lower minimum pHs and higher extents of pH neutralization occurring under low initial pH or high organic carbon conditions.

Cultural Assets and Substance Use Among Hispanic Adolescents.

Research on cultural factors and substance use among Hispanic adolescents has focused primarily on acculturation, while specific core Hispanic values and attributes have received minimal attention. The objective of the current study was to examine the relationship between traditional Hispanic cultural assets and substance use among adolescents. A purposive sample of 225 Hispanic adolescents (47% male) aged 13 to 16 years were recruited from community venues (e.

Psychophysiological Reactivity and PTSD Symptom Severity among Young Women.

Mixed findings with regard to cardiovascular reactivity (CVR) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have suggested a need to further explore the nature of this relationship and factors that might explain differences in reactivity across and within samples. In the present study, the severity of PTSD symptoms was investigated in relation to CVR among young women. In addition, we examined whether severity within PTSD symptom clusters and level of dissociative symptoms were related to CVR.

Cultural influences on HIV testing among Latino youth.

Young Latinos aged 13-24 years in the USA are disproportionately impacted upon by HIV. Despite the elevated risk, lower rates of HIV testing have been documented among Latino youth relative to other racial/ethnic groups. The objective of the current study was to examine the influence of acculturation and cultural values on HIV testing among Latino youth.

HIV Testing Characteristics Among Hispanic Adolescents.

Hispanic adolescents are disproportionally impacted by HIV/AIDS. Among Hispanic people living with HIV, delayed testing and late entry into HIV care have been documented. The current study examined Hispanic adolescents' HIV testing characteristics and factors related to testing.

The use of virtual reality and physical tools in the development and validation of ease of entry and exit in passenger vehicles.

Ease of entry and exit is important for creating a positive first impression of a car and increasing customer satisfaction. Several methods are used within vehicle development to optimise ease of entry and exit, including CAD reviews, benchmarking and buck trials. However, there is an industry trend towards digital methods to reduce the costs and time associated with developing physical prototypes.

An evaluation of the St Christopher's Hospice rehabilitation gym circuits classes: Patient uptake, outcomes, and feedback.

Background: Evidence suggests exercise may benefit patients with advanced progressive illness and some hospice day services now provide dedicated gym space. However, supporting data for such a service development are limited. We describe patient referrals, interventions, feedback, and potential impact of a nine-session, outpatient, hospice-based, circuit exercise programme.

Latino cultural values as protective factors against sexual risks among adolescents.

The study objective was to examine the associations between cultural values and sexual risk factors among Latino youth. A sample of 226 Latino adolescents ages 13-16 completed a survey on cultural and sexual variables. Results indicate higher levels of Latino cultural orientation were related to greater sexual self-efficacy and fewer sexual partners for female adolescents and greater condom use self-efficacy for both males and females.

Metabolic, autonomic and immune markers for cardiovascular disease in posttraumatic stress disorder.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been associated with significantly greater incidence of heart disease. Numerous studies have indicated that health problems for individuals with PTSD occur earlier in life than in the general population. Multiple mechanistic pathways have been suggested to explain cardiovascular disese (CVD) risk in PTSD, including neurochemical, behavioral, and immunological changes.

Pentavalent rotavirus vaccine in developing countries: safety and health care resource utilization.

Objective: In the international, placebo-controlled, Rotavirus Efficacy and Safety Trial, the pentavalent rotavirus vaccine reduced the rate of rotavirus-attributable hospitalizations and emergency department visits by 95%. This study investigated the effect in Jamaica.

Methods: The vaccine effect on rates of hospitalizations and emergency department visits in Jamaica was evaluated in both modified intention-to-treat and per-protocol analyses.

Variation in Partnership Health general practice enrolment data related to need and hospital and national records on ethnicity.

Aim: To compare enrolment data for ethnicity and deprivation and other classifications in Partnership Health Primary Health Organisation (PHO) general practices with the National Health Index (NHI) data set and hospital discharge data and to analyse use of special access funding.

Methods: NHI-linked practice data were obtained through Partnership Health and sent directly to New Zealand Health Information Service (NZHIS). The database was linked with the hospital discharge data for the two years ending June 2007, with the NHIs encrypted.

GP practice variation in hospitalisation rates: a study of partnership health-enrolled patients.

Aim: This project aims to provide information to support the planning and implementation of strategies to reduce hospitalisation. It examines variations in hospital discharge rates between practice populations and the use of special general practice access funding.

Methods: Practice enrolment data for 345 254 patients enrolled with 102 Partnership Health Primary Health Organisation (PHO) general practices were sent to New Zealand Health Information Service.