Trends in human parainfluenza virus in Scotland before and after the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, January 2017 to October 2023.

BackgroundHuman parainfluenza viruses (HPIV) commonly cause upper respiratory tract infections, with potential for severe lower respiratory complications. Understanding seasonal increases informs strategies to prevent HPIV spreading.AimWe examined the impact of COVID-19 on HPIV epidemiological and clinical patterns in Scotland using non-sentinel and sentinel surveillance data.

Decision model to evaluate the cost of clinical events associated with switching from Apixaban to Rivaroxaban among patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation in the United States and Germany.

Aims: Direct-acting oral anticoagulants (DOACs) have emerged as the preferred treatment for nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). However, evidence concerning the economic outcomes of DOAC switching remains limited. This study aimed to assess the economic outcomes of DOAC switching in the US and Germany, two countries with a high AF prevalence and DOAC utilization.

A perspective on the use of patient-reported experience and patient-reported outcome measures in ambulatory healthcare.

Introduction: Patient-reported experience measures (PREMs) are patient reports about their healthcare, whereas patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are reports about their functioning and well-being regarding physical, mental, and social health. We provide a perspective on using PREMs and PROMs in ambulatory healthcare.

Areas Covered: We conducted a narrative review of the literature about using PREMs and PROMs in research and clinical practice, identified challenges and possibilities for addressing them, and provided suggestions for future research and clinical practice.

Implications of assisted dying for nursing practice.

This conceptual paper considers the practice implications of assisted dying for contemporary nursing practice within the United Kingdom in response to the publication of a parliamentary report leading to a private members' bill that will form the basis of a debate and possible change in legislation. A recurring theme within the nursing research is how nurses should respond to patients expressing an interest or making a request for assisted dying. This paper explores contemporary evidence and argues that the procedure of assisted dying is a complex (manifold) and puzzling (paradoxical) practice.

Disparities in Cancer Mortality Worldwide: A Novel Metric for Measuring Global Disparities and Prioritizing Cancer Control Efforts.

Purpose: Cancer incidence is rising worldwide and estimated to double by 2040. A systematic method of allocating resources and prioritizing cancer control efforts is needed. We aimed to develop and test a simple metric to quantify disparities in cancer mortality.

Prevalence of Fatigue and Associations With Depression and Cognitive Impairment in Patients With CADASIL.

Background And Objectives: Fatigue is a common and disabling symptom in cerebrovascular disease and has been associated with white matter damage, but the underlying disease mechanisms are poorly understood. Cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL) is the most common genetic form of stroke and causes a cerebral small vessel disease arteriopathy with white matter ischemia. We determined the prevalence of fatigue in CADASIL, the factors associated with it, and its relationship with both depression and cognitive impairment.

Exploring the Needs of Young People Born With Cleft Lip and/or Palate Approaching End of Routine Care, in the UK.

Objective: The aim of this study was to understand the needs of young people, aged 16 to 20 years, born with cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P) approaching end of routine care, in the United Kingdom (UK).

Design: Nominal group technique was used during 2 online focus groups to identify priorities for cleft care at transition to adult care. Focus group discussions were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis.

Influence of Worsening Renal Function and Baseline Chronic Kidney Disease on Clinical Outcomes in Patients With Chronic Coronary Syndromes: Insights From the REAL-CAD Study.

Background: The effect of worsening renal function and baseline chronic kidney disease (CKD) on outcomes in patients with chronic coronary syndrome in the setting of optimal medical therapy remains unknown.

Methods And Results: The REAL-CAD (Randomized Evaluation of Aggressive or Moderate Lipid Lowering Therapy With Pitavastatin in Coronary Artery Disease) study is a prospective, multicenter, randomized trial of high-dose (pitavastatin 4 mg/day) or low-dose (pitavastatin 1 mg/day) statin therapy in 12 118 patients with chronic coronary syndrome. The primary end point was a composite of cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, stroke, or unstable angina requiring hospitalization (major adverse cardiac and cerebral events [MACCE]).

Proteins Involved in Endothelial Function and Inflammation Are Implicated in Cerebral Small Vessel Disease.

Background: Endothelial dysfunction and inflammation have been implicated in the pathophysiology of cerebral small vessel disease (SVD). However, whether they are causal, and if so which components of the pathways represent potential treatment targets, remains uncertain.

Methods: Two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) was used to test the association between the circulating abundance of 996 proteins involved in endothelial dysfunction and inflammation and SVD.

Insights into pathologic mechanisms occurring during serious adverse events following live zoster vaccination.

An effective live zoster vaccine has been widely used around the world. Although no deaths occurred in the original large clinical trial, we analyzed 10 serious adverse events, including six deaths that have subsequently occurred in four countries. The goal is to define the viral pathogenesis of these unexpected adverse events secondary to a viremia with dissemination of the vaccine virus.

Maternal socialization and infant helping in Uganda and the United Kingdom.

Prosocial behavior, including instrumental helping, emerges early in development, but the role parental attitudes and practices take in shaping the emergence of early helping across different cultural contexts is not well understood. We took a longitudinal approach to investigate maternal socialization of early helping across two different cultural groups. Participants were mother-infant dyads from urban/suburban York, United Kingdom (43 infants: 21 females, 22 males) and the rural Masindi District, Uganda (39 infants: 22 females, 17 males).

Mechanism of Fe(II) Chemisorption on Hematite(001) Revealed by Reactive Neural Network Potential Molecular Dynamics.

Atomic-scale understanding of important geochemical processes including sorption, dissolution, nucleation, and crystal growth is difficult to obtain from experimental measurements alone and would benefit from strong continuous progress in molecular simulation. To this end, we present a reactive neural network potential-based molecular dynamics approach to simulate the interaction of aqueous ions on mineral surfaces in contact with liquid water, taking Fe(II) on hematite(001) as a model system. We show that a single neural network potential predicts rate constants for water exchange for aqueous Fe(II) and for the exergonic chemisorption of aqueous Fe(II) on hematite(001) in good agreement with experimental observations.

Fermi Level Equilibration and Charge Transfer at the Exsolved Metal-Oxide Interface.

Exsolution is a promising approach for fabricating oxide-supported metal nanocatalysts through redox-driven metal precipitation. A defining feature of exsolved nanocatalysts is their anchored metal-oxide interface, which exhibits exceptional structural stability in (electro)catalysis. However, the electronic interactions at this unique interface remain unclear, despite their known impact on catalytic performance.

FCIQMC-CASPT2 with Imaginary-Time-Averaged Wave Functions.

A new method to perform complete active space second-order perturbation theory on top of large active spaces optimized with full configuration quantum Monte Carlo is presented. Computing the three- and Fock-contracted four-particle density matrix from imaginary-time-averaged wave functions is found to resolve fermionic positivity violations and to ensure numerical stability. The protocol is applied to [NiFe]-hydrogenase, [CuO]-oxidase and Fe-porphyrin model systems up to 26 electrons in 27 orbitals and benchmarked against DMRG-CASPT2.

The Accuracy of Cardiac Surface Conduction Velocity Measurements.

Background: Conduction velocity (CV) is a measure of the health of myocardial tissue. It can be measured by taking differences in local activation times from intracardiac electrodes. Several factors introduce error into the measurement, among which ignoring the 3-dimensional aspect is a major detriment.

Factors Associated With Cocaine Use at 17 and 20 Years Old: A Longitudinal Analysis of a Nationally Representative Cohort.

Purpose: Despite growing concerns about trends in cocaine use, there is a shortage of longitudinal research that prospectively examines risk and protective factors associated with cocaine initiation and use in general youth populations. This study addresses this gap.

Methods: Growing Up in Ireland is a nationally representative cohort.

Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Inclisiran for the Treatment of Primary Hypercholesterolemia or Mixed Dyslipidemia in Singapore.

Objectives: This analysis evaluated the cost-effectiveness of inclisiran plus standard of care (SoC; comprising statins, ezetimibe, and fenofibrate) in primary hypercholesterolemia or mixed dyslipidemia from a Singapore healthcare system perspective. Inclisiran + SoC was separately compared with SoC, alirocumab + SoC, and evolocumab + SoC.

Methods: A lifetime Markov model in the United Kingdom (UK) was adapted to the Singapore setting.

Triterpenoid saponin-mediated recovery of visual deficits in age-related macular degeneration (AMD): Double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised clinical trial.

Purpose: Recovery rate of rod photoreceptor sensitivity (S2 gradient) following a bleach is reduced in age-related macular degeneration (AMD) due to diminished delivery of retinol across a grossly altered Bruch's membrane. Since triterpenoid saponins are known to improve transport across Bruch's, we have assessed their possible use for reversing the visual deficits in AMD.

Design: Double-blind, placebo controlled randomised clinical trial.

Circulating monocytes upregulate CD52 and sustain innate immune function in cirrhosis unless acute decompensation emerges.

Background & Aims: Infectious complications determine the prognosis of cirrhosis patients. Their infection susceptibility relates to the development of immuneparesis, a complex interplay of different immunosuppressive cells and soluble factors. Mechanisms underlying the dynamics of immuneparesis of innate immunity remain inconclusive.

'Entanglement of nursing care': A theoretical proposition to understand the complexity of nursing work and division of labour.

Ongoing challenges in the provision of care, driven by growing care complexity and nursing shortages, prompt us to reconsider the basis for efficient division of nursing labour. In organising nursing work, traditionally the focus has been on identifying nursing tasks that can be delegated to other less expensive and less highly educated staff, in order to make best use of scarce resources. We argue that nursing care activities are connected and intertwined.

Imported seafood is a reservoir of Enterobacteriaceae carrying CTX-M-encoding genes of high clinical relevance.

We determined the frequency, genotypes, phenotypes, and mobility of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-encoding genes in Enterobacteriaceae isolated from retail seafood products. Overall, 288 samples of fresh shrimps, catfish and seabass imported from Asia were collected from three supermarket chains in the UK (96 each). After enrichment in MacConkey broth supplemented with cefotaxime, total DNA was screened for the presence of CTX-M, SHV and TEM by real-time PCR.

Microplastic ingestion by an aquatic ciliate: Functional response, modulation, and reduced population growth.

Microplastic particles are ubiquitous in aquatic environments and are considered a major threat to the large range of heterotrophic organisms that involuntarily consume them. However, there is current uncertainty around the mechanisms underpinning microplastic uptake by aquatic consumers and the consequences for both the fate of the microplastics and the growth potential of consumer populations. We performed a feeding experiment, exposing a model freshwater ciliate, Tetrahymena pyriformis, to six different microplastic concentrations and measured microplastic uptake and population growth over the course of several generations.