Publications by authors named "SMITH A"

Introduction: Adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) are multipotent stem cells capable of differentiating into many cell lineages. They play an important role in wound healing by secreting cytokines. Prior studies have demonstrated the presence of proinflammatory cytokines in burn wounds.

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  • - The study evaluated the effectiveness of 6 different types of commercially available prefabricated orthotic insoles on how pressure is distributed in the feet, particularly focusing on healthy individuals.
  • - Using in-shoe dynamic pressure measurements, researchers found that insoles designed with heel cups and specific arch shapes increased contact area and reduced peak pressure in critical foot regions.
  • - The findings suggest that these prefabricated insoles can help alleviate lower-body muscle stress for individuals who spend a lot of time on their feet, highlighting their practical benefits.
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Background: Hypoparathyroidism is a rare endocrine disease frequently associated with serious physical and cognitive symptoms. This study's purpose was to understand the impacts of the phase 3 PaTHway clinical trial treatment, TransCon PTH, on patients' overall, physical, and cognitive hypoparathyroidism signs/symptoms and what patients consider meaningful improvement.

Methods: Individual telephone exit interviews were conducted with patients who recently completed the PaTHway trial blinded period.

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The Health Service Executive, responsible for operating the Irish health service, has introduced health technology management (HTM) initiatives to manage expenditure on medicines. One such approach is managed access protocols (MAPs) to support access to high-cost medicines, while providing oversight, governance and budgetary certainty to the payer. Herein we describe the development and operation of MAPs, using case studies of liraglutide (Saxenda), dupilumab (Dupixent) and calcitonin gene-related peptide monoclonal antibodies.

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  • VREfm is a significant healthcare-acquired pathogen that can lead to serious bloodstream infections, and previous studies focused on its presence within healthcare facilities.
  • A study involving 710 clinical isolates collected from 2017-2022 revealed that nearly half of the isolates formed genetically similar clusters, indicating a high rate of transmission in the hospital.
  • Comparison with a large database of VREfm genomes over 20 years showed a notable shift in the populations of VREfm within hospitals, suggesting that antimicrobial peptides like bacteriocin T8 might play a crucial role in the emergence and persistence of these strains.
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Background: In 2023, an estimated 82,290 individuals were diagnosed with bladder cancer in the United States. For muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC), the American Urological Association recommends offering radical cystectomy with cisplatin-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy. However, patients are increasingly requesting alternative treatments.

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  • The COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted immunosuppressed individuals, such as solid organ transplant recipients and those undergoing cancer treatment, leading to worse health outcomes and higher mortality rates.
  • Due to challenges in studying these vulnerable populations, researchers created a mathematical model to simulate immune responses and analyzed virtual patient cohorts that mirrored clinical data from cancer and immunosuppressed patients.
  • The model revealed that severe cases in these groups exhibited reduced CD8+ T cells, delayed type I interferon peaks, and higher tissue damage, suggesting that immune dysfunction is a critical factor in COVID-19 severity for cancer patients.
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Ferrous iron (Fe) is required for the growth and virulence of many pathogenic bacteria, including Vibrio cholerae (Vc), the causative agent of the disease cholera. For this bacterium, Feo is the primary system that transports Fe into the cytosol. FeoB, the main component of this system, is regulated by a soluble cytosolic domain termed NFeoB.

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Malamides (diamide derivatives of malic acid) are prevalent in nature and of significant biological interest, yet only limited synthetic methods to access functionalised enantiopure derivatives have been established to date. Herein, an effective synthetic method to generate this molecular class is developed through in situ formation of spirocyclic β-lactone-oxindoles (employing a known enantioselective isothiourea-catalysed formal [2+2] cycloaddition of C(1)-ammonium enolates and isatin derivatives) followed by a subsequent dual ring-opening protocol (of the β-lactone and oxindole) with amine nucleophiles. The application of this protocol is demonstrated across twelve examples to give densely functionalised malamide derivatives with high enantio- and diastereo-selectivity (up to >95:5 dr and >99:1 er).

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Background: Homicide is the leading cause of death among young people in Latin America, one of the world's most violent regions. Poverty is widely considered a key cause of violence, but theories suggest different effects of poverty, depending on when it is experienced in the life-course. Longitudinal studies of violence are scarce in Latin America, and very few prospective data are available worldwide to test different life-course influences on homicide.

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Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is the leading cause of sudden death in athletes during high-level, organised sport. Patient-related and event-related factors provide an opportunity for rapid intervention and the potential for high survival rates. The aim of this consensus was to develop a best-practice guideline for dedicated field-of-play medical teams responding to SCA during an organised sporting event.

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Background: While Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been extensively studied with a focus on cognitive networks, visual network dysfunction has received less attention despite compelling evidence of its significance in AD patients and mouse models. We recently reported c-Fos and synaptic dysregulation in the primary visual cortex of a pre-amyloid plaque AD-model.

Objective: We test whether c-Fos expression and presynaptic density/dynamics differ in cortical and subcortical visual areas in an AD-model.

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  • This study investigates the relationship between plasma proteins and stroke risk specifically in South Asian individuals, utilizing genetic data from the UK Biobank and stroke data from the GIGASTROKE consortium.
  • Using advanced statistical methods, researchers identified a potential causal link between the glycoprotein GP6 levels and the likelihood of cardioembolic stroke, showing an odds ratio indicating a significant increase in risk.
  • Findings suggest that GP6 may not have the same effect on stroke risk in European populations, highlighting the importance of genetic ancestry in biomedical research.
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Historically, evidence-based psychotherapy training has favored the standardized application of discrete treatment packages, with key outcomes being the therapist's adherence to and competent delivery of theory-prescribed ingredients. However, this model often fails to align with the priorities and values of clinicians, and research casts doubt on the notion that a therapist's faithful application of treatment protocols is a valid index of clinical expertise. Considering this, training and practice models that emphasize evidence-based clinician flexibility and patient-centered tailoring of interventions are receiving increased attention.

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  • Microcrystal electron diffraction (microED) is a new technique for quickly analyzing small molecule crystals, particularly useful in pharmaceuticals.
  • In a study involving 30 samples from Amgen Inc., researchers successfully determined the structures of 15 crystals using just 40 hours of microscope time.
  • All chiral compounds analyzed had their absolute stereochemistry correctly assigned through dynamic refinement, showcasing the effectiveness of dynamic refinement in determining stereochemistry for pharmaceutical compounds.
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We present a genome assembly from an individual male (the nine-spined stickleback; Chordata; Actinopteri; Gasterosteiformes; Gasterosteidae). The genome sequence is 480.4 megabases in span.

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Objective: Financial strain and unmet social needs are associated with greater risk for lower urinary tract symptoms. Little research has examined financial strain and unmet social needs in relation to the more holistic concept of bladder health. This study utilizes baseline data from RISE FOR HEALTH: A U.

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People share information for many reasons. For example, Berger (2011, = 40) found that undergraduate participants manipulated to have higher physiological arousal were more likely to share a news article with others via email than people who had low arousal. Berger's research is widely cited as evidence of the causal role of arousal in sharing information and has been used to explain why information that induces high-arousal emotions is shared more than information that induces low-arousal emotions.

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  • A study identified a multidrug-resistant strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa AUST-03 (ST242) in South African children with cystic fibrosis, linking it to increased health risks.
  • Whole genome sequencing revealed a high prevalence of specific antibiotic resistance genes in these isolates, with significant genetic similarities to a global isolate from Russia.
  • The findings highlight the urgent need for effective infection control measures in public clinics to prevent outbreaks of this resistant strain.
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Introduction: The mesolimbic reward system is associated with the promotion and rewarding benefits of social relationships. In the socially monogamous prairie vole (), the establishment of a pair bond can be displayed by a robust preference for a breeding partner and aggressive rejection of unfamiliar conspecifics. Mesolimbic dopamine signaling influences bond-related behaviors within the vole through dopamine transmission and receptor activity in the nucleus accumbens.

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Participatory design (PD) is a methodology that emphasizes user participation in the design of new technologies to leverage change within organizations and services. PD originated in the computer science field in the 1970s and 1980s when new programs and technologies were developed to empower workers, by involving them in decisions that affected them. PD in health research has been proven to change clinical practice.

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The development of new vaccines against the SARS-CoV-2 virus in response to the COVID-19 pandemic represents a milestone in the history of public health. However, due to the rapid development and short duration of these new vaccines, the full spectrum of side effects is not yet known. A 76-year-old man presented to the clinic for follow-up after being discharged from the emergency department for hyperglycemia.

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Introduction: Effective consumer engagement practices can enhance patient safety. This is important for consumers from ethnic minority backgrounds who are exposed to increased risk of patient safety events. Using the Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety model, this study explored staff experiences of creating opportunities for engagement with consumers from ethnic minority backgrounds to contribute to their cancer care safety.

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Background: Von Willebrand factor (VWF) is a critical glycoprotein in hemostasis and is an important factor in diagnosing bleeding disorders. Albeit the analysis of VWF is often compromised by inconsistent methodologies and challenges quantifying multimeric size. Current VWF multimer analysis methods are costly, time-consuming, and often inconsistent; thus, demanding skilled professionals.

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