Application of Quantitative Systems Pharmacology Approaches to Support Pediatric Labeling in Rare Diseases.

Quantitative Systems Pharmacology (QSP) models offer a promising approach to extrapolate drug efficacy across different patient populations, particularly in rare diseases. Unlike conventional empirical models, QSP models can provide a mechanistic understanding of disease progression and therapeutic response by incorporating current disease knowledge into the descriptions of biomarkers and clinical endpoints. This allows for a holistic representation of the disease and drug response.

VIVALDI ASCOT and Ethnography Study: protocol for a mixed-methods longitudinal study to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 and other respiratory infection outbreaks on care home residents' quality of life and psychosocial well-being.

Introduction: Older adults in care homes experienced some of the highest rates of mortality from SARS-CoV-2 globally and were subjected to strict and lengthy non-pharmaceutical interventions, which severely impacted their daily lives. The VIVALDI ASCOT and Ethnography Study aims to assess the impact of respiratory outbreaks on care home residents' quality of life, psychological well-being, loneliness, functional ability and use of space. This study is linked to the VIVALDI-CT, a randomised controlled trial of staff's asymptomatic testing and sickness payment support in care homes (ISRCTN13296529).

Shaping care home COVID-19 testing policy: a protocol for a pragmatic cluster randomised controlled trial of asymptomatic testing compared with standard care in care home staff (VIVALDI-CT).

Introduction: Care home residents have experienced significant morbidity, mortality and disruption following outbreaks of SARS-CoV-2. Regular SARS-CoV-2 testing of care home staff was introduced to reduce transmission of infection, but it is unclear whether this remains beneficial. This trial aims to investigate whether use of regular asymptomatic staff testing, alongside funding to reimburse sick pay for those who test positive and meet costs of employing agency staff, is a feasible and effective strategy to reduce COVID-19 impact in care homes.

A qualitative process evaluation using the behaviour change wheel approach: Did a whole genome sequence report form (SRF) used to reduce nosocomial SARS-CoV-2 within UK hospitals operate as anticipated?

Purpose: The aim of this study was to conduct a process evaluation of a whole-genome sequence report form (SRF) used to reduce nosocomial SARS-CoV-2 through changing infection prevention and control (IPC) behaviours within the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: We used a three-staged design. Firstly, we described and theorized the purported content of the SRF using the behaviour change wheel (BCW).

Burial of microplastics in freshwater sediments facilitated by iron-organo flocs.

Microplastics are ubiquitous in standing freshwater bodies, consequently lakes and reservoirs may be important sinks for these contaminants. However, the mechanisms governing the deposition of microplastics and their interactions with the sediments are understudied. We demonstrate how aggregation-based transport facilitates the sinking and infiltration of buoyant microplastics into freshwater reservoir sediments by employing experiments with intact sediment cores.