Publications by authors named "RA Williams"

We studied the microbial diversity colonizing limestone rock pools at a Neolithic Monument (Arbor Low, Derbyshire, England). Five pools were analyzed: four located at the megaliths of the stone circle and one pool placed at the megalith at the Gib Hill burial mound 300 m distant. Samples were taken from rock pool walls and sediments, and investigated through molecular metabarcoding.

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  • Extraocular electrical stimulation can protect retinal cells but currently relies on patients frequently setting up external electrodes, which is inconvenient.
  • A new minimally-invasive implant has been developed to provide a reliable method for chronic electrical stimulation of the retina, aimed at improving patient adherence to treatment.
  • In a study with adult felines, the device showed surgical and stimulation safety with no adverse effects, stable electrode performance, and no significant changes to retinal health, suggesting it could be a viable long-term solution.
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West Nile virus (WNV) is a re-emerging flavivirus, primarily circulating among avian hosts and mosquito vectors, causing periodic outbreaks in humans and horses, often leading to neuroinvasive disease and mortality. Spain has reported several outbreaks, most notably in 2020 with seventy-seven human cases and eight fatalities. WNV has been serologically detected in horses in the Community of Madrid, but to our knowledge, it has never been reported from wild birds in this region.

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  • Glutamine metabolism is crucial in tumor microenvironments and influences how the immune system responds to tumors.
  • The glutamine-antagonist prodrug JHU083 effectively inhibits growth in urologic tumors by reprogramming tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) and enhancing immune responses.
  • JHU083 not only reduces metabolic activity in tumor cells but also helps alter the behavior of T cells, leading to a decrease in cancer cell growth and an improved antitumor environment.
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There is a pressing need to develop and evaluate culturally tailored, community-based interventions that address hypertension management among low-income African American women. We employed a randomized controlled trial to test the effectiveness of the Prime Time Sister Circles® Program in reducing blood pressure and body mass index among low-income African American women ages with hypertension. Study participants (N = 339) were African American women aged 40-75 years who were diagnosed with hypertension and received their primary care at government funded health centers in Washington, D.

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There is growing interest in emerging viruses that can cause serious or lethal disease in humans and animals. The proliferation of cloacal virome studies, mainly focused on poultry and other domestic birds, reveals a wide variety of viruses, although their pathogenic significance is currently uncertain. Analysis of viruses detected in wild birds is complex and often biased towards waterfowl because of the obvious interest in avian influenza or other zoonotic viruses.

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Blueberries are a nutritious and popular berry worldwide. The physical and chemical properties of blueberries constantly change through the cycle of the supply chain (from harvest to sale). The purpose of this study was to develop a rapid method for detecting the properties of packaged blueberries based on near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy.

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Background: Durvalumab is approved for the treatment of adults with unresectable stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) post-chemoradiotherapy (CRT). This real-world study describes patient characteristics and durvalumab treatment patterns (number of doses and therapy duration; treatment initiation delays, interruptions, discontinuations, and associated reasons) among VHA-treated patients.

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of adults with unresectable stage III NSCLC receiving durvalumab at the VHA between 1 January 2017 and 30 June 2020.

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  • Many families show unusual cancer clusters but don't fit into known hereditary cancer syndrome categories; they may still carry harmful genetic variants that increase cancer risk.* -
  • In a study of 195 participants with suspected hereditary cancer syndromes, whole-genome sequencing identified pathogenic variants in 5.1% and additional variants with potential health implications in 9.7% of participants.* -
  • The study suggests that using whole-genome sequencing up front is more cost-effective than traditional testing, but broader implementation will hinge on funding decisions and financial perspectives of healthcare payers.*
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Purpose: Oral-maxillofacial surgeons (OMSs) are frequent prescribers of opioid analgesics. It remains unclear if prescription patterns differ for urban versus rural patients, given potential differences in access to and delivery of care. This study aimed to characterize urban-rural differences in opioid analgesic prescriptions to patients in Massachusetts by OMSs from 2011 to 2021.

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Despite the importance of physical education (PE) lessons for physical activity in adolescents, the acute cognitive responses to PE lessons have not been explored; a gap in the literature that this study addresses. Following familiarisation, 76 (39 female) adolescents (12.2 ± 0.

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The present study examined the agreement and equivalence between two physical activity processing methods. Data were obtained from 161 Hong-Kong adolescents (74 girls, age: 12.6 ± 1.

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Although risk factors for cardiometabolic diseases begin to present in young people, the association between physical fitness and adiposity with traditional and novel risk factors for cardiometabolic diseases across adolescence remains relatively unknown. Following ethical approval, fifty-two adolescents (age 11.6 ± 0.

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  • - This study evaluates the outcomes of total parathyroidectomy (TPX) without autotransplantation in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) who underwent surgery for secondary hyperparathyroidism.
  • - Among the 34 patients analyzed, the rates of recurrent hyperparathyroidism were low at 5.9%, with persistent cases at 11.8%; no patients experienced severe complications like hypocalcemia or bone fractures.
  • - The findings suggest that TPX is effective for treating hyperparathyroidism, particularly highlighting that operating on four glands may reduce the likelihood of recurrence.
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Background: A team approach is one of the most effective ways to lower blood pressure (BP) in uncontrolled hypertension, but different models for organizing team-based care have not been compared directly.

Methods: A pragmatic, cluster-randomized trial compared 2 interventions in adult patients with moderately severe hypertension (BP≥150/95 mm Hg): (1) clinic-based care using best practices and face-to-face visits with physicians and medical assistants; and (2) telehealth care using best practices and adding home BP telemonitoring with home-based care coordinated by a clinical pharmacist or nurse practitioner. The primary outcome was change in systolic BP over 12 months.

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The associations between self-control and objective measures of physical activity, physical fitness, and adiposity are yet to be explored in young people; this is a gap in the literature that the present study aimed to address. The study employed a cross-sectional design. A total of 101 young people participated in the study.

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Importance: Terminal digit preference has been shown to be associated with inaccurate blood pressure (BP) recording.

Objective: To evaluate whether converting from manual BP measurement with aneroid sphygmomanometers to automated BP measurement was associated with terminal digit preference, mean levels of recorded BP, and the rate at which hypertension was diagnosed.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This quality improvement study was conducted from May 9, 2021, to March 24, 2022, using interrupted time series analysis of medical record data from 11 primary care clinics in a single health care system from April 2008 to April 2015.

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The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of 5-weeks participation in The Daily Mile on cognitive function, physical fitness, and adiposity in primary school children. In a quasi-experimental study, one class from each school completed The Daily Mile (n = 44) or acted as a control group (n = 35). Baseline measures included cognitive function tests (Stroop test, Sternberg paradigm, Flanker task), physical fitness (multi-stage fitness test) and body composition (BMI percentile, waist:hip circumference, sum of skinfolds).

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Background: School-based physical activity interventions are accessible to most adolescents and could enhance adolescent cardiometabolic health and cognition; yet the feasibility and success of school-based physical activity interventions is understudied.

Methods: Sixteen adolescent girls (age: 11.7 ± 0.

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Multiple presynaptic and postsynaptic targets have been identified for the reversible neurophysiological effects of general anesthetics on synaptic transmission and neuronal excitability. However, the synaptic mechanisms involved in persistent depression of synaptic transmission resulting in more prolonged neurological dysfunction following anesthesia are less clear. Here, we show that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a growth factor implicated in synaptic plasticity and dysfunction, enhances glutamate synaptic vesicle exocytosis, and that attenuation of vesicular BDNF release by isoflurane contributes to transient depression of excitatory synaptic transmission in mice.

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Objective: Long-term electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings can aid diagnosis and management of various neurological conditions such as epilepsy. In this study we characterize the safety and stability of a clinical grade ring electrode arrays by analyzing EEG recordings, fluoroscopy, and computed tomography (CT) imaging with long-term implantation and histopathological tissue response.

Approach: Seven animals were chronically implanted with EEG recording array consisting of four electrode contacts.

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Hypothesis: In emulsification-polymerisation avoiding monomer escape from emulsion droplets is the key to successful encapsulation. So far, it is believed that (1) a hydrophobe needs to be included and (2) free-micelles of surfactant need to be depleted. However, these criteria do not always work.

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Background: The cross-sectional associations between physical activity, physical fitness and adiposity with risk factors for cardiometabolic disease (particularly novel ones such as inflammatory cytokines) and cognitive function across the period of adolescence are not well understood. Additionally, novel physical activity metrics that summarise activity volume and intensity in a continuous manner have not been investigated in this context. Therefore, this study investigated the cross-sectional associations between physical activity, physical fitness and adiposity with risk factors for cardiometabolic disease and cognitive function.

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The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the subsequent suspension of all football-related activity, caused significant disruption to the daily habits of professional football players and support staff. Even when the most severe restrictions were lifted, strict control measures remained in place which likely continued to impact upon nutrition support and intake of players. Thus, this study aimed to understand how restrictions impacted upon nutrition support within professional football, as well as identify how these experiences could inform future practice.

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