Maintaining access to HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis in a pandemic: A service evaluation of telephone-based pre-exposure prophylaxis provision.

Objectives: The objective was to perform a survey-based service evaluation of our telephone PrEP clinic (Tele-PrEP), which was instituted during the COVID-19 pandemic, to inform future service delivery.

Methods: We administered parallel, web-based, anonymous surveys to PrEP-users who had a Tele-PrEP appointment between 13.11.

Motion Compensated Ultrasound Imaging Allows Thermometry and Image Guided Drug Delivery Monitoring from Echogenic Liposomes.

Ultrasound imaging is widely used both for cancer diagnosis and to assess therapeutic success, but due to its weak tissue contrast and the short half-life of commercially available contrast agents, it is currently not practical for assessing motion compensated contrast-enhanced tumor imaging, or for determining time-resolved absolute tumor temperature while simultaneously reporting on drug delivery. The objectives of this study were to: 1) develop echogenic heat sensitive liposomes (E-LTSL) and non-thermosensitive liposomes (E-NTSL) to enhance half-life of contrast agents, and 2) measure motion compensated temperature induced state changes in acoustic impedance and Laplace pressure of liposomes to monitor temperature and doxorubicin (Dox) delivery to tumors. LTSL and NTSL containing Dox were co-loaded with an US contrast agent (perfluoropentane, PFP) using a one-step sonoporation method to create E-LTSL and E-NTSL.

Audit of hepatitis B vaccination of men who have sex with men attending Scottish genitourinary medicine clinics.

Practice related to hepatitis B vaccination of men who have sex with men (MSM) in Scottish genitourinary medicine clinics was audited against targets based on the offer and completion of vaccination set by the British Association of Sexual Health and HIV. Of 521 cases audited from 11 clinics, 215 (41%) were eligible for vaccination and 175 (81%) of eligible MSM were offered vaccination. Of those, 144 (82%) accepted vaccination.

Expression of Fhit, cell adhesion molecules and matrix metalloproteinases in atypical adenomatous hyperplasia and pulmonary adenocarcinoma.

Invasive parenchymal-type lung adenocarcinoma develops from atypical adenomatous hyperplasia (AAH), through an intermediate in situ stage of bronchioloalveolar carcinoma (BAC). We examined the expression of the putative tumour suppressor gene product Fhit, cell adhesion molecules CD44v6, E-cadherin and beta-catenin, and matrix metalloproteinase 2 and its inhibitor, TIMP-2, in a range of AAH lesions, BACs and invasive adenocarcinomas, to determine the changes in molecular expression associated with this form of neoplastic progression. Sections of formalin-fixed wax-embedded archival tissue were stained by standard Immunohistochemical techniques and scored semi-quantitatively, resulting in a grading of negative/low- or high-level staining.

Expression of CD44v6 but not E-cadherin or beta-catenin influences prognosis in primary pulmonary adenocarcinoma.

Primary pulmonary adenocarcinoma was studied, looking for relationships between the expression of cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) E-cadherin, beta-catenin and CD44v6, and clinicopathological tumour parameters and patient post-operative survival. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue from 120 primary lung adenocarcinomas, including 23 poorly differentiated tumours, 17 of probable bronchial origin, and 29 with a prominent bronchioloalveolar pattern, together with nodal metastatic tumour from 34 of these patients was stained using monoclonal antibodies and immunohistochemistry. Sections were scored either high level (>10% cells positive) or low level (<10% positive).