Biochar filtration of drug-resistant bacteria and active pharmaceutical ingredients to combat antimicrobial resistance.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major cause of death worldwide, with 1.27 M direct deaths from bacterial drug-resistant infections as of 2019. Dissemination of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria in the environment, in conjunction with pharmapollution by active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), create and foster an environmental reservoir of AMR.

Inequalities in cancer two-week-wait referrals: a cross-sectional study in English general practice.

Background: Practices with higher two-week-wait (2WW) referral-rates demonstrate higher survival for several cancers. Yet, there is little up-to-date evidence exploring factors influencing 2WW-referral-rates and whether health inequalities exist, particularly after COVID-19.

Aim: To establish which patient-factors (eg, age, sex, ethnicity, deprivation) and practice-factors (eg, remote consultations, frequency of seeing a preferred-GP) independently predict 2WW-referral-rates.

Synthesis of novel pyrrolobenzodiazepine (PBD) C1-substituted monomers and dimers with DNA-binding activity and cytotoxicity.

The pyrrolobenzodiazepines (PBDs) represent a major class of sequence-selective DNA-alkylating molecules, one example of which, in its dimeric DNA-cross-linking form, is employed as the payload in the anticancer Antibody Drug Conjugate (ADC) loncastuximab tesirine-lpyl. To date, PBD analogues have been produced with substituents at every position of the tricyclic skeleton except the C1-position. We report here the first synthesis of a C1-subsitituted PBD monomer and dimer, both of which possess DNA-binding activity and cytotoxicity in a cancer cell line.

Bidirectional longitudinal associations between subjective oral health and subjective well-being.

Objective: This study investigated the bidirectional longitudinal association between subjective oral health (SOH) and subjective well-being (SWB) over time.

Methods: This cohort study was based on a four-wave surveys conducted by the English Longitudinal Study of Aging. SOH was measured by oral impacts on daily performance (OIDP), self-rated oral health (SROH), and SWB was measured by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression (CES-D) scale, Control, Autonomy, Self-Realization, and Pleasure (CASP-19), and satisfaction with life scale (SWLS).

Comparative assessment of chondral defect repair using human bone marrow- and adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells, adult and foetal articular cartilage-derived chondrocytes, and chondroprogenitors: an ex-vivo model.

Purpose: Cartilage repair necessitates adjunct therapies such as cell-based approaches, which commonly use MSCs and chondrocytes but is limited by the formation of fibro-hyaline cartilage. Articular cartilage-derived chondroprogenitors(CPs) offer promise in overcoming this, as they exhibit higher chondrogenic and lower hypertrophic phenotypes. The study aimed to compare the efficacy of various cell types derived from adult and foetal cartilage suspended in platelet-rich plasma(PRP) in repairing chondral defects in an Ex-vivo Osteochondral Unit(OCU) model.

High Content Image Analysis of Cellular Responses of the Murine J774A.1 Cell Line and Primary Human Cells Alveolar Macrophages to an Extended Panel of Pharmaceutical Agents.

Introduction: In vitro screening of macrophages for drug-induced effects, such as phospholipidosis, is useful for detecting potentially problematic compounds in the preclinical development of oral inhaled products. High-content image analysis (HCIA) is a multi-parameter approach for cytotoxicity screening. This study provides new insights into HCIA-derived response patterns of murine J774A.

Predicting clinical outcomes in a blended care intervention for early psychosis: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in Daily-Life (ACT-DL).

ACT in Daily Life (ACT-DL) is a blended-care Ecological Momentary Intervention that extends ACT into the daily life of individuals, improving psychotic distress, negative symptoms, and global functioning. However, it remains unclear whether ACT-DL works equally for everyone. We investigated whether moderators (i.

The effects of recent stressful life events on outcomes in individuals at clinical high risk for psychosis: results from the longitudinal EU-GEI high-risk study.

Background: Recent stressful life events (SLE) are a risk factor for psychosis, but limited research has explored how SLEs affect individuals at clinical high risk (CHR) for psychosis. The current study investigated the longitudinal effects of SLEs on functioning and symptom severity in CHR individuals, where we hypothesized CHR would report more SLEs than healthy controls (HC), and SLEs would be associated with poorer outcomes.

Methods: The study used longitudinal data from the EU-GEI High Risk study.

Characteristics of older patients undergoing surgery in the UK: SNAP-3, a snapshot observational study.

Background: Frailty and multimorbidity are common in older adults, but the prevalence and interaction of these conditions in surgical patients remain unclear. This study describes the clinical characteristics of a heterogeneous cohort of older UK surgical patients.

Methods: We conducted a prospective observational cohort study during 5 days in March 2022, aiming to recruit all UK patients aged 60 yr and older undergoing surgery, excluding minor procedures (e.

Home high-flow therapy during recovery from severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbation: a mixed-methods feasibility randomised control trial.

Introduction: Patients recovering from severe acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) have a 30-day readmission rate of 20%. This study evaluated the feasibility of conducting a randomised controlled trial to evaluate clinical, patient-reported and physiological effects of home high-flow therapy (HFT) in addition to usual medical therapy, in eucapnic patients recovering from AECOPD to support the design of a phase 3 trial.

Methods: A mixed-methods feasibility randomised controlled trial (quantitative primacy, concurrently embedded qualitative evaluation) (ISRCTN15949009) recruiting consecutive non-obese patients hospitalised with AECOPD not requiring acute non-invasive ventilation.

Multimorbidity latent classes in relation to 11-year mortality, risk factors and health-related quality of life in Malaysia: a prospective health and demographic surveillance system study.

Background: We aimed to identify specific multimorbidity latent classes among multi-ethnic community-dwelling adults aged ≥ 18 years in Malaysia. We further explored the risk factors associated with these patterns and examined the relationships between the multimorbidity patterns and 11-year all-cause mortality risk, as well as health-related quality of life (HRQoL).

Methods: Using data from 18,101 individuals (aged 18-97 years) from the baseline Census 2012, Health Round 2013, and Verbal Autopsies 2012-2023 of the South East Asia Community Observatory (SEACO) health and demographic surveillance system, latent class analysis was performed on 13 chronic health conditions to identify statistically and clinically meaningful groups.

Understanding how users of home-based aged care services with cognitive impairment rate their social care related quality of life.

Background: Over the past decades, self-directed models of care have been implemented throughout the world to support older people, including those with dementia, to live at home. However, there is limited information about how self-directed home care is experienced by older people with cognitive impairment and dementia, and how their thinking informs their care choices and quality of life.

Methods: We used the ASCOT-Easy Read, a staggered reveal method, talk aloud techniques, probing questions, and physical assistance to support users of self-directed home care in Australia with cognitive impairment and dementia to discuss their Social Care Related Quality of Life (SCRQoL).

Folic and folinic acid load tests for dynamic assessments of compliance and metabolism in folate deficiency and hyperhomocysteinaemia patients unresponsive to high-dose folate replacement.

We describe the utility of 'folic and folinic acid load tests' in the investigation of a 26-year-old woman with persistently low serum folate and moderate hyperhomocysteinaemia unresponsive to folic acid supplements. Serum folate, plasma 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-MTHF), red cell 5-MTHF and plasma total homocysteine at baseline, 2-h, 4-h and 2- or 4-days (if applicable) post administration of a large dose of oral folic acid, or oral or parenteral folinic acid were measured. The tests confirmed non-compliance but also suggested an unsuspected possible defect in the folate pathway based on differential response to folic versus folinic acid supplements.

Incongruent virtual reality cycling exercise demonstrates a role of perceived effort in cardiovascular control.

In this study we have used a highly immersive virtual reality (VR) cycling environment where incongruence between virtual hill gradient (created by visual gradient and bike tilt angle) and actual workload (pedalling resistance) can experimentally manipulate perception of exercise effort. This therefore may provide a method to examine the role of effort perception in cardiorespiratory control during exercise. Twelve healthy untrained participants (7 men, age 26 ± 5 years) were studied during five visits.

Respiratory support strategies in neonatal transport in the UK and Ireland.

Unlabelled: Infants requiring interhospital transfer for a higher level of care in the neonatal period are at increased risk of adverse outcomes. Optimising respiratory management is an important priority. The aim of this survey was to investigate current respiratory support strategies in neonatal transport and identify opportunities for the optimisation of clinical care and future research.

Motor-sparing regional anaesthesia for total knee arthroplasty: a narrative and systematic literature review.

Total knee arthroplasty is a life-changing surgical procedure that is associated with a high incidence of severe postoperative pain. Key to enhancing recovery after surgery is effective analgesia and early mobilisation. Innovations in motor-sparing regional anaesthesia techniques that have improved recovery include targeted surgical local infiltration analgesia, adductor canal blockade, genicular nerve blocks, and the infiltration between the popliteal artery and posterior capsule of the knee (iPACK) block.

Genetic factors shaping the plasma lipidome and the relations to cardiometabolic risk in children and adolescents.

Background: Lipid species are emerging as biomarkers for cardiometabolic risk in both adults and children. The genetic regulation of lipid species and their impact on cardiometabolic risk during early life remain unexplored.

Methods: Using mass spectrometry-based lipidomics, we measured 227 plasma lipid species in 1149 children and adolescents (44.

SOX2 sustentacular cells are stem cells of the postnatal adrenal medulla.

Renewal of the catecholamine-secreting chromaffin cell population of the adrenal medulla is necessary for physiological homeostasis throughout life. Definitive evidence for the presence or absence of an adrenomedullary stem cell has been enigmatic. In this work, we demonstrate that a subset of sustentacular cells endowed with a support role, are in fact adrenomedullary stem cells.

Parathyroid carcinoma: New insights.

Parathyroid carcinoma (PC) is a rare malignancy, comprising 1 % of all cases of primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT). This narrative review explores recent advances in PC management, with a focus on molecular insights, diagnostic advancements, surgical innovations, and emerging targeted therapies. Manuscripts published between 2023 and 2024 were obtained from PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL).