Publications by authors named "Peter Smith"

We report the use of unprotected amino acids as submonomer reagents in the solid-phase synthesis of -substituted glycine peptoid oligomers. Subsequent coupling of an amine, alcohol, or thiol to the free carboxylate of the incorporated amino acid provides access to peptoids bearing amides, esters, and thioesters as side chain pendant groups and permits further elongation of the peptoid backbone. The palette of readily obtained building blocks suitable for solid-phase peptoid synthesis is substantially expanded through this protocol, further enhancing the chemical diversity and potential applications of sequence-specific peptoid oligomers.

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Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) hold great promise for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases through cell-based therapies, but these therapies require extensive preclinical testing that is best done in species-in-species experiments. Pigs are a good large animal model for these tests due to the similarity of their cardiovascular system to humans. However, a lack of adequate pig iPSCs (piPSCs) that are analogous to human iPSCs has greatly limited the potential usefulness of this model system.

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Bivalve transmissible neoplasia (BTN) is one of three known types of naturally transmissible cancer-cancers in which the whole cancer cells move from individual to individual, spreading through natural populations. BTN is a lethal leukemia-like cancer that has been observed throughout soft-shell clam () populations on the east coast of North America, with two distinct sublineages circulating at low enzootic levels in New England, USA, and Prince Edward Island, Canada. Major cancer outbreaks likely due to BTN (MarBTN) were reported in 1980s and the 2000s and the disease has been observed since the 1970s, but it has not been observed in populations of this clam species on the US west coast.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to establish epidemiological cut-off values for the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 10 antimicrobial agents against the bacteria Vibrio parahaemolyticus using standardized testing methods.
  • Eight laboratories conducted broth microdilution tests at two different temperatures (35°C and 28°C) to assess the effect of incubation temperature on MIC values, finding that many values were consistent across both temperatures.
  • The generated data will be submitted to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute to help set international standards for interpreting antimicrobial susceptibility tests for this species.
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Background: Complete mental health encompasses both mental illness (MI) symptoms and positive mental health (PMH). Distinct profiles of MI and PMH have not been explored among injured workers. This study describes latent mental health profiles among workers with a disabling physical work injury/illness and identifies differences in sociodemographic and return-to-work factors, health correlates, and disability claim duration and cost between profiles.

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Advancements in transition metal catalyzed C-H activation/functionalization cascades have allowed the synthetic chemist's toolbox to be significantly expanded. Despite this, protocols for the remote alkynylation of linear aliphatic amines still remain limited. Herein, a palladium-catalyzed directing-group approach to alkynylation of aliphatic amines is disclosed.

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Developmental exposure to environmental chemicals (ECs) perturbs establishment and maintenance of the ovarian reserve across the reproductive lifetime, leading to premature follicle depletion and ovarian aging. Considering humans are exposed to a complex mixture of ECs, real-life models assessing their cumulative impact on the ovarian reserve are needed. Biosolids is a source of real-life mixture of ECs.

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Grating couplers are widely used in integrated optics to generate free-space beams and facilitate localized interactions with systems such as atom or ion traps. However, etched devices often exhibit small-scale inconsistencies; exacerbated by the high index contrast of the devices, this can lead to phase errors, limiting devices to a sub-millimeter scale. Here we present the first demonstration, to our knowledge, of tilted, out-of-plane blazed gratings in planar silica fabricated by UV inscription using a 213 nm laser.

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Background: Functional capacity is critical to preoperative risk assessment, yet guidance on its measurement in clinical practice remains lacking.

Purpose: To identify functional capacity assessment tools studied before surgery and characterize the extent of evidence regarding performance, including in populations where assessment is confounded by noncardiopulmonary reasons.

Data Sources: MEDLINE, EMBASE, and EBM Reviews (until July 2024).

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  • IgE-mediated food allergies are the most common type, causing quick and serious reactions that affect patients' and caregivers' lives.
  • Omalizumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody that binds to IgE, reducing allergic reactions, and has been approved by the FDA for treating these food allergies.
  • The GALEN ANACARE Consensus Statement supports omalizumab's use based on a systematic review and expert agreement, noting it is currently the only drug that can significantly reduce IgE-mediated food allergic reactions, although more evidence is needed for stronger guideline recommendations.
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The spliceosome is the complex molecular machinery that sequentially assembles on eukaryotic messenger RNA precursors to remove introns (pre-mRNA splicing), a physiologically regulated process altered in numerous pathologies. We report transcriptome-wide analyses upon systematic knock down of 305 spliceosome components and regulators in human cancer cells and the reconstruction of functional splicing factor networks that govern different classes of alternative splicing decisions. The results disentangle intricate circuits of splicing factor cross-regulation, reveal that the precise architecture of late-assembling U4/U6.

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This European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) guideline provides recommendations for the management of IgE-mediated food allergy and was developed using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations (GRADE) approach. Following the confirmation of IgE-mediated food allergy diagnosis, allergen avoidance and dietary advice (with support of a specialised dietitian, if possible) together with the provision of a written treatment plan, education on the recognition of allergic symptoms and prescription of medication including adrenaline using an auto-injector are essential. Patients with significant anxiety and requirement for coping strategies may benefit from support from a clinical psychologist.

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Background: Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Examining gender (socio-cultural) in addition to sex (biological) is required to untangle socio-cultural characteristics contributing to inequities within or between sexes. This study aimed to develop a gender measure including four gender dimensions and examine the association between this gender measure and CVD incidence, across sexes.

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as a Gram-negative anaerobe plays a key bridging role in oral biofilms. It is involved in periodontal and extraoral diseases, the most prominent being colorectal cancer. Five subspecies are recognised: and .

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Neutrophils, pivotal cells of innate and adaptive immune responses, employ reactive oxygen species (ROS) to combat pathogens and control gene expression. Paracetamol (acetaminophen) is widely used as an analgesic and antipyretic medication, yet its precise mechanisms of action are not yet fully understood. Here, we investigate the impact of both ingested and in-vitro paracetamol on neutrophil ROS activity, using flow cytometry and antioxidant assays.

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The visual system adapts dynamically to stabilize perception over widely varying illuminations. Such adaptation allows the colors of objects to appear constant despite changes in spectral illumination. Similarly, the wearing of colored filters also alters spectral content, but this alteration can be more extreme than typically encountered in nature, presenting a unique challenge to color constancy mechanisms.

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Objectives: Evaluate the utility of a joint model when analysing a patient-reported endpoint as part of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) in which censoring occurs when patients die during follow-up.

Study Design And Setting: The present study comprises two parts as follows: first we reanalyzed data from a previously published RCT comparing two fluid regimens in the first 24 hours of major abdomino-pelvic surgery ('Restrictive versus Liberal Fluid Therapy for Major Abdominal Surgery [RELIEF]' trial). In this trial, patient-reported disability was measured at multiple timepoints before and after surgery.

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  • BamA is a crucial part of the β-barrel assembly machine (BAM) that helps insert proteins into the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria like E. coli.
  • Researchers used in vitro selection techniques to find peptide macrocycles that can disrupt BamA's function by binding to different conformational states, specifically Peptide Targeting BamA-1 (PTB1) and Peptide Targeting BamA-2 (PTB2).
  • These findings are important for developing new antibiotics targeting BamA and could also be applied to discover modulators for other similar proteins in the future.
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  • Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are serious health problems that affect both men and women, but there are some differences in how they impact each gender.
  • The study looked at how work stress and conditions relate to CVDs in men and women, finding that many studies don’t fully separate results for each gender.
  • Although researchers are starting to pay more attention to gender differences, there are still big gaps in research that need to be filled to help improve heart disease prevention for everyone.
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Health care quality improvement (QI) initiatives are being implemented by a number of low- and middle-income countries. However, there is concern that these policies may not reduce, or may even worsen, inequities in access to high-quality care. Few studies have examined the distributional impact of QI programmes.

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Background: Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines are an expensive component of the routine immunization schedule. Fractional-dose regimens may be one option to increase the sustainability of the vaccine program.

Methods: We assessed whether the immunogenicity of fractional doses of the 10-valent and 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCV10 [GSK] and PCV13 [Pfizer], respectively) would be noninferior to that of the full doses and analyzed the prevalence of vaccine-serotype carriage.

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  • Globally, while people are living longer, many experience a decline in health due to age-related diseases, highlighting the need for better classification systems to address these issues.
  • A consensus meeting with 150 experts established criteria for identifying ageing-related pathologies, requiring a 70% agreement for approval among participants.
  • The agreed criteria focus on conditions that progress with age, contribute to functional decline, and are backed by human studies, setting a foundation for future classification and staging efforts.
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Background: Health issues caused and/or exacerbated by work are common in patients seeking primary health care. Yet, primary care providers generally receive little or no training in the assessment and management of occupational injuries and illnesses.

Aims: To conduct a pilot project to develop, implement and evaluate a programme to teach occupational and environmental medicine to primary healthcare providers.

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