Private and well drinking water are reservoirs for antimicrobial resistant bacteria.

Water quality testing does not recognise antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and is often limited to indicators of faecal contamination Escherichia coli and Enterococcus species. In Europe, data on AMR in drinking water is scarce. In Ireland, as in many countries, household drinking water is supplied via mains or via private wells or water schemes.

Genomics yields biological and phenotypic insights into bipolar disorder.

Bipolar disorder is a leading contributor to the global burden of disease. Despite high heritability (60-80%), the majority of the underlying genetic determinants remain unknown. We analysed data from participants of European, East Asian, African American and Latino ancestries (n = 158,036 cases with bipolar disorder, 2.

Regional and institutional trends in assessment for academic promotion.

The assessment of research performance is widely seen as a vital tool in upholding the highest standards of quality, with selection and competition believed to drive progress. Academic institutions need to take critical decisions on hiring and promotion, while facing external pressure by also being subject to research assessment. Here we present an outlook on research assessment for career progression with specific focus on promotion to full professorship, based on 314 policies from 190 academic institutions and 218 policies from 58 government agencies, covering 32 countries in the Global North and 89 countries in the Global South.

Evaluating the efficiency of 16S-ITS-23S operon sequencing for species level resolution in microbial communities.

Rapid advancements in long-read sequencing have facilitated species-level microbial profiling through full-length 16S rRNA sequencing (~ 1500 bp), and more notably, by the newer 16S-ITS-23S ribosomal RNA operon (RRN) sequencing (~ 4500 bp). RRN sequencing is emerging as a superior method for species resolution, exceeding the capabilities of short-read and full-length 16S rRNA sequencing. However, being in its early stages of development, RRN sequencing has several underexplored or understudied elements, highlighting the need for a critical and thorough examination of its methodologies.

Going to extremes: progress in exploring new environments for novel antibiotics.

The discoveries of penicillin and streptomycin were pivotal for infection control with the knowledge subsequently being used to enable the discovery of many other antibiotics currently used in clinical practice. These valuable compounds are generally derived from mesophilic soil microorganisms, predominantly Streptomyces species. Unfortunately, problems with the replication of results suggested that this discovery strategy was no longer viable, motivating a switch to combinatorial chemistry in conjunction with existing screening programmes to derive new antimicrobials.

3D-printed ultra-sensitive strain sensors using biogels prepared from fish gelatin and gellan gum.

The long-term sustainable development of flexible electronic devices is limited by a reliance on synthetic polymers that pose dangers for humans and potentially severe ecological problems, as well as a reliance on conventional processing methods. This work aims to exploit 3D printing to develop natural biogels composed of fish gelatin and high acyl gellan gum for use as flexible sensors. The electrical conductivity and mechanical strength were remarkably enhanced through the environmentally friendly enzyme (transglutaminase) cross-linking and non-toxic ethanol modification treatment, which allows the development of 3D printed sensors for temperature, strain, and stress sensors.

Disappearance of spinal catheter tip due to catheter stretching: a case report.

Background: Continuous spinal anesthesia (CSA) offers precise, prolonged neuraxial anesthesia suitable for high-risk patients. This technique minimizes hemodynamic instability but comes with notable challenges. Vigilant catheter management is crucial to avoid complications, including the risk of catheter retention.

The clinical and molecular landscape of diffuse hemispheric glioma, H3 G34-mutant.

Background: Diffuse hemispheric glioma, histone 3 (H3) G34-mutant, has been newly defined in the 2021 WHO classification of central nervous system tumors. Here we sought to define the prognostic roles of clinical, neuroimaging, pathological, and molecular features of these tumors.

Methods: We retrospectively assembled a cohort of 114 patients (median age 22 years) with diffuse hemispheric glioma, H3 G34-mutant, CNS WHO grade 4 and profiled the imaging, histological and molecular landscape of their tumors.

Pseudoprecocious puberty and gynaecomastia as presenting features of Peutz-Jeghers syndrome.

A boy in mid-childhood presented with right-sided gynaecomastia, which was excised. He represented and, on review by endocrinology, Tanner staging showed stage 2 left-sided glandular breast tissue and some features of virilisation. His testicular volumes remained prepubertal (3 mL).

Albumin-based delivery systems: Recent advances, challenges, and opportunities.

Albumin and albumin-based biomaterials have been explored for various applications, including therapeutic delivery, as therapeutic agents, as components of tissue adhesives, and in tissue engineering applications. It has been approved as an albumin nanoparticle containing paclitaxel (Abraxane®), as an albumin-binding peptide (Victoza®), and as a glutaraldehyde-crosslinked tissue adhesive (BioGlue®). Albumin is also approved as a supportive therapy for various conditions, including hypoalbuminemia, sepsis, and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).

Macronutrient modulation in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease - the molecular role of fatty acids versus sugars in human metabolism and disease progression.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is a significant public health concern, with its progression to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) and fibrosis leading to severe outcomes including cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma and liver failure. While obesity and excess energy intake are well established contributors to the development and progression of MASLD, the distinct role of specific macronutrients is less clear. This review examines the mechanistic pathways through which dietary fatty acids and sugars contribute the development of hepatic inflammation and fibrosis, offering a nuanced understanding of their respective roles in MASLD progression.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom clusters associated with an indicator of heart rate variability: The ADVANCE cohort study.

Background: Heart rate variability (HRV) is governed by of sympathetic and parasympathetic regulatory systems. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) may influence these systems and consequently affect cardiovascular functioning.

Methods: The sample consisted of 860 UK male military personnel approximately half of who had sustained physical combat injuries in Afghanistan.

The class-IIa HDAC inhibitor TMP269 promotes BMP-Smad signalling and is neuroprotective in in vitro and in vivo 6-hydroxydopamine models of Parkinson's disease.

Degeneration of midbrain nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons is a pathological hallmark of Parkinson's disease (PD). Peripheral delivery of a compound(s) to arrest or slow this dopaminergic degeneration is a key therapeutic goal. Pan-inhibitors of histone deacetylase (HDAC) enzymes, key epigenetic regulators, have shown therapeutic promise in PD models.

Analysis of consular assistance provided to Irish citizens abroad, 2014-2023.

Introduction: There has been limited literature reporting the nature of the consular assistance provided to travellers. This study aimed to describe the consular assistance activity of the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs.

Methods: Publicly available consular assistance data (2014-2023) were analysed descriptively.

How and why do health system factors influence general dentists' participation in publicly funded, contracted primary dental care services: A realist review.

Objectives: To identify health system contexts and mechanisms influencing general dental practitioners' (GDPs) participation in state funded, contracted primary oral healthcare.

Methods: Peer-reviewed articles and other sources were identified via EMBASE, Medline (OVID), Web of Science and Google Scholar databases, grey literature search, citation tracking and expert recommendations. Studies meeting the inclusion criteria were assessed for rigour, relevance and richness, and coded to identify data relating to contexts, mechanisms and outcomes.

Distraction-based interventions for children in the emergency care setting: A realist synthesis based on primary research.

Background: The literature underscores the prevalence of pain as the most common presenting symptom in the Emergency Care Setting (ECS) and is associated with anxiety and stress for children. On top of that painful procedures are often required as part of their treatment, making procedural pain a common experience. The substantial evidence supporting the effectiveness of distraction-based interventions (DBI) in relieving pain and anxiety and reducing stress underscores the urgency of addressing this issue.

Diabetic foot ulcer related pain and its impact on health-related quality of life.

Background: Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are a prevalent complication of diabetes. Individuals with DFUs can experience wound-related pain, which could be nociceptive and/or neuropathic in origin, which adversely affects health-related quality of life (HRQoL).

Aim: To determine the prevalence and characteristics of DFU-related pain and its impact on HRQoL in community-dwelling individuals with active DFUs.

IPEM code of practice for proton therapy dosimetry based on the NPL primary standard proton calorimeter calibration service.

Internationally, reference dosimetry for clinical proton beams largely follows the guidelines published by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA TRS-398 Rev. 1, 2024). This approach yields a relative standard uncertainty of 1.

Epidemiology, Ventilation Management, and Outcomes in Invasively Ventilated Coronavirus Disease 2019 Patients: An Analysis of Four Observational Studies in Four Countries on Two Continents.

Epidemiology, ventilator management, and outcomes in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) because of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been described extensively but have never been compared between countries. We performed an individual patient data analysis of four observational studies to compare epidemiology, ventilator management, and outcomes. We used propensity score weighting to control for confounding factors.

Depression and anxiety in patients with type 2 diabetes in Indonesia and Malaysia: do age, diabetes duration, foot ulcers, and prescribed medication play a role?

Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are susceptible to mental health issues, impacting medication adherence and diabetes control. This study aimed to evaluate factors associated with depression and anxiety among T2DM patients in Indonesia and Malaysia. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Indonesia and Malaysia from October 2022 to April 2023 among T2DM patients.

Mitochondrial respiratory complex III sustains IL-10 production in activated macrophages and promotes tumor-mediated immune evasion.

The cytokine interleukin-10 (IL-10) limits the immune response and promotes resolution of acute inflammation. Because of its immunosuppressive effects, IL-10 up-regulation is a common feature of tumor progression and metastasis. Recently, IL-10 regulation has been shown to depend on mitochondria and redox-sensitive signals.

Triiodothyronine treatment in mice improves stroke outcome and reduces blood-brain barrier damage.

Objective Thyroid hormones (TH) control a variety of processes in the central nervous system and influence its response to different stimuli, such as ischemic stroke. Post-stroke administration of 3,3',5-triiodo-L-thyronine (T3) has been reported to substantially improve outcomes, but the optimal dosage and time window remain elusive. Methods Stroke was induced in mice by transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) and T3 was administered at different doses and time points before and after stroke.