Publications by authors named "Willis L"

Many labels are used within and across subfields to describe personality disorder (PD) and interpersonally-oriented trait dimensions. For example, "interpersonal disorders" is a suggested alternative label to "personality disorders" in clinical research. Other "dark trait" terms, though not proposed as formal labels for PDs, also are used in different research areas for describing externalizing traits.

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Background: Expectations of birth, and whether they are met, influence postnatal psychological wellbeing. Intrapartum interventions, for example induction of labour, are increasing due to a changing pregnant population and evolving evidence, which may contribute to a mismatch between expectations and birth experience. NICE recommends antenatal education (ANE) to prepare women for labour and birth, but there is no mandated UK National Health Service (NHS) ANE curriculum.

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The successful progression of therapeutic antibodies and other biologics from the laboratory to the clinic depends on their possession of "drug-like" biophysical properties. The techniques and the resultant biophysical and biochemical parameters used to characterize their ease of manufacture can be broadly defined as developability. Focusing on antibodies, this review firstly discusses established and emerging biophysical techniques used to probe the early-stage developability of biologics, aimed towards those new to the field.

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A framework for the rational selection of a minimal suite of nondegenerate developability assays (DAs) that maximize insight into candidate developability or storage stability is lacking. To address this, we subjected nine formulation:mAbs to 12 mechanistically distinct DAs together with measurement of their accelerated and long-term storage stability. We show that it is possible to identify a reduced set of key variables from this suite of DAs by using orthogonal statistical methods.

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Temperature is a key determinant of microbial behaviour and survival in the environment and within hosts. At intermediate temperatures, growth rate varies according to the Arrhenius law of thermodynamics, which describes the effect of temperature on the rate of a chemical reaction. However, the mechanistic basis for this behaviour remains unclear.

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  • Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is prevalent among women of reproductive age and often linked to obesity, with clinical guidelines recommending weight loss to manage symptoms, although its effectiveness remains uncertain.* -
  • This study aimed to assess the impact of weight loss interventions on various clinical features of PCOS against standard care, using a systematic review of randomized controlled trials.* -
  • Results indicated that weight loss interventions led to significant improvements in insulin resistance, hormone levels, and menstrual regularity, while showing no significant negative effects on participants.*
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The development time of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) has been shortened by formulation platforms and the assessment of 'protein stability' using 'developability' assays. A range of assays are used to measure stability to a variety of stresses, including forces induced by hydrodynamic flow. We have previously developed a low-volume Extensional Flow Device (EFD) which subjects proteins to defined fluid flow fields in the presence of glass interfaces and used it to identify robust candidate sequences.

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  • Intraoperative bronchospasm in kids using laryngeal mask airways (LMAs) is often treated with pressurized metered-dose inhaler (pMDI) albuterol, and this study investigated how effectively this medication is delivered through LMAs under various scenarios.
  • Researchers tested different devices, timing for inhalation, sizes of LMAs, and other factors to see how they impacted the delivery efficiency of albuterol, measuring how much of the drug actually reached its intended target.
  • The findings revealed that using a valved holding chamber (VHC), administering the inhaler during exhalation, and selecting a smaller LMA size significantly improved the effectiveness of drug delivery.
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Objective: Activation of type I interferon (IFN) response has been shown to correlate with disease activity in systemic sclerosis (SSc). It is currently unknown whether the tissue-specific type I IFN activation is a consequence of the response observed in blood or rather its source. Exosomes from SSc fibroblasts were recently shown to activate macrophages in vitro.

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  • PTEN hamartoma tumor syndrome (PHTS) is a rare condition that increases the risk of tumors and is linked to vascular anomalies.
  • A study reviewed seven children with PHTS treated with sirolimus, an mTOR inhibitor, with a median age of 10 years at treatment initiation.
  • After 2.5 years, 86% of patients showed significant improvement, with only minor side effects like mild buccal ulcers and acne, suggesting sirolimus is a safe and effective treatment for vascular issues in PHTS.
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Background: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's web-based behavioral parent training (BPT) program, Essentials for Parenting Toddlers and Preschoolers (EfP), uses a psychoeducational approach to promote positive parenting and address common parenting challenges. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of EfP on parenting behavior and whether implementation format impacted behavioral outcomes.

Methods: A sample of 200 parents of 2- to 4-year-old children were recruited via Internet advertising.

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Technology-facilitated child sexual abuse (TF-CSA), or child sexual abuse that occurs online or through electronic communication, is a preventable public health problem that can be addressed within youth-serving organizations (YSOs). This study is a review of a purposive sample of organizational policies and practices designed to prevent TF-CSA collected from 13 national and local YSOs in the United States. Documents were coded to identify practices to prevent TF-CSA related to YSO activities or YSO staff, volunteers, or participants.

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Objective: To compare events of recurrent swelling between treated and untreated patients with macrocystic lymphatic malformations of the head and neck not involving the airway. The frequency and timing of emergency department (ED) visits related to the event were analysed to provide data on efficacy and ideal timing of treatment.

Methods: A 5-year retrospective review of a hospital database was conducted reviewing 35 patients (15 female, 20 male; mean age 3.

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Objective: Our objective was to codesign, implement, evaluate acceptability and refine an optimised antenatal education session to improve birth preparedness.

Design: There were four distinct phases: codesign (focus groups and codesign workshops with parents and staff); implementation of intervention; evaluation (interviews, questionnaires, structured feedback forms) and systematic refinement.

Setting: The study was set in a single maternity unit with approximately 5500 births annually.

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Background: Empirical studies have demonstrated associations between ten original adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and multiple health outcomes. Identifying expanded ACEs can capture the burden of other childhood adversities that may have important health implications.

Objective: We sought to identify childhood adversities that warrant consideration as expanded ACEs.

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Physical activity, including structured exercise, is associated with favorable health-related chronic disease outcomes. Although there is evidence of various molecular pathways that affect these responses, a comprehensive molecular map of these molecular responses to exercise has not been developed. The Molecular Transducers of Physical Activity Consortium (MoTrPAC) is a multicenter study designed to isolate the effects of structured exercise training on the molecular mechanisms underlying the health benefits of exercise and physical activity.

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Tracheostomized children have higher mortality compared to adults due to smaller airway anatomy and greater medical complexity and are at high risk for life-threatening complications. Following new tracheostomy placement, caregivers are required to successfully complete extensive training before discharge home. Training for tracheostomy emergencies such as tube obstruction and accidental decannulation is challenging without real-life, hands-on experience, but simulation training has shown promising effects on improving caregiver knowledge and comfort in preparing for emergency situations.

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Objectives: The aims of this study were to assess aetiology and clinical characteristics in childhood meningitis, and develop clinical decision rules to distinguish bacterial meningitis from other similar clinical syndromes.

Methods: Children aged <16 years hospitalised with suspected meningitis/encephalitis were included, and prospectively recruited at 31 UK hospitals. Meningitis was defined as identification of bacteria/viruses from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and/or a raised CSF white blood cell count.

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The purpose of peer review is to evaluate the scientific merit of the submitted work and to assess suitability for publication. This process is intended to provide an unbiased, independent critique to ensure publication of high-quality manuscripts that demonstrate validity and reliability. Reviewers are subject-matter experts who volunteer their time to participate in peer review.

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Polysialic acid (polySia) is a linear polymer of α2,8-linked sialic acid residues that is of fundamental biological interest due to its pivotal roles in the regulation of the nervous, immune, and reproductive systems in healthy human adults. PolySia is also dysregulated in several chronic diseases, including cancers and mental health disorders. However, the mechanisms underpinning polySia biology in health and disease remain largely unknown.

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In this study, PM2.5 concentrations were collected and documented during wildfire smoke impacted days using PurpleAir PA-II sensors at three different locations in a community located in the northwestern United States. Each location was comprised of three co-located sensors with one sensor positioned outdoors, one sensor indoors, and one sensor indoors with an air cleaner in the room.

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Background: Decreased salivary secretion is not only a risk factor for carious lesions in Sjögren's disease (SD) but also an indicator of deterioration of teeth with every restorative replacement. This study determined the longevity of direct dental restorations placed in patients with SD using matched electronic dental record (EDR) and electronic health record (EHR) data.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using EDR and EHR data of Indiana University School of Dentistry patients who have a SD diagnosis in their EHR.

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Periodontitis is an irreversible disease leading to tooth loss, and 42% U.S. population suffers from periodontitis.

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This article describes the development of a video serial drama intervention that was designed to address factors that influence HIV in the United States among Black youth. These include HIV testing, sexual behaviors not protected by condoms, negative attitudes towards sexual minorities, and HIV stigma. Behavior-change principles (social learning theory and education-entertainment) and input from members of the priority audience formed the basis of this 27-episode (3 minutes each) drama for dissemination on multiple platforms, including in public spaces or privately online.

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