Review of a specialist Rett syndrome clinic from 2003 to the COVID pandemic: clinic experience and carer perspectives.

Background: We have held a 'trouble-shooting' clinic for Rett syndrome patients from 2003 until the COVID pandemic in 2020. The clinic was multidisciplinary, including clinical genetics, paediatric neurology, adult learning disability psychiatry and physiotherapy. Access to specialist communication support and eye-gaze equipment was also often available.

Calceolarioside B inhibits SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.2 variant cell entry and modulates immune response.

This study evaluated the inhibitory effects of calceolarioside B, extracted from the traditional Chinese herb Mutong (Akebia quinata Thumb), on the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.2 variant. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations predicted the binding sites and interactions between calceolarioside B and the Omicron BA.

The role of inflammatory gene polymorphisms in severe COVID-19: a review.

The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, has profoundly impacted global healthcare systems and spurred extensive research efforts over the past three years. One critical aspect of the disease is the intricate interplay between the virus and the host immune response, particularly the role of inflammatory gene expression in severe COVID-19. While numerous previous studies have explored the role of genetic polymorphisms in COVID-19, research specifically focusing on inflammatory genes and their associations with disease severity remains limited.

Targeting SARS-CoV-2 main protease: a comprehensive approach using advanced virtual screening, molecular dynamics, and in vitro validation.

The COVID-19 pandemic, driven by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, necessitates the development of effective therapeutics. The main protease of the virus, Mpro, is a key target due to its crucial role in viral replication. Our study presents a novel approach combining ligand-based pharmacophore modeling with structure-based advanced virtual screening to identify potential inhibitors of Mpro.

Using an electronic patient reported outcome measure (ePAQ-MPH) to assess potential harm for long-waiting patients in gynaecology.

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, outpatient waits for gynaecology appointments increased by 60% in the UK National Health Service (NHS). The aim of this study was to use the electronic Personal Assessment Questionnaire-Menstrual, Pain and Hormonal (ePAQ-MPH) electronic patient reported outcome measure (ePROM) to assess symptoms, impact and potential harm for patients waiting > 60 weeks for general gynaecology appointments at a teaching hospital.

Methods: 1070 patients waiting > 60 weeks for a new appointment (range 60-72 weeks) were invited to complete ePAQ-MPH online to measure gynaecological symptoms and health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL).

Trends of socioeconomic and geographic inequalities in COVID-19 vaccine uptake in Ethiopia: using the WHO Health Equity Assessment Toolkit.

Background: Equity in COVID-19 vaccine uptake is the heart of managing the ongoing pandemic of COVID-19 disease. However, the evidence of inequality in COVID-19 vaccination in Ethiopia is limited. Therefore, this study investigated the trends of socioeconomic and geographic inequality of COVID-19 vaccine uptake in Ethiopia.

Post-coronavirus disease 2019-associated symptoms among children and adolescents in the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron era.

Purpose: Lack of a control group(s) and selection bias were the main criticisms of previous studies investigating the prevalence of post-coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) syndrome (PCS). There are insufficient data regarding paediatric PCS, particularly in the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron era. As such, our study investigated PCS-associated symptoms in a representative control-matched cohort.

Association of breastfeeding practices during the first 12 months and subsequent infant respiratory tract infections: a prospective cohort study.

Background: Breastfeeding and human milk are the normative standards for infant feeding and nutrition.

Objectives: We aimed to examine the association of breastfeeding practices during the first year of life with subsequent infant respiratory tract infections (RTIs).

Methods: The study was a secondary analysis embedded in the Tongji Maternal and Child Health Cohort study.

Safety and immunogenicity of an acellular pertussis vaccine containing genetically detoxified pertussis toxin administered to pregnant women living with and without HIV and their newborns (WoMANPOWER): a randomised controlled trial in Uganda.

Background: Immunisation in pregnancy against pertussis can reduce severe disease in infancy. There are few data on the safety and immunogenicity of vaccines given to pregnant women living with HIV and their infants. We aimed to describe the safety and immunogenicity of a tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis (TdaP) vaccine containing genetically detoxified pertussis toxin given to pregnant women living with HIV and the effect of the vaccine on infant whole-cell pertussis vaccine responses.

Essential shifts in health workforce measurement: a human-centred approach.

The health sector has faced long-standing challenges in drivers of worker behaviours and performance, such as job satisfaction, which have been worsened by COVID-19. Structural issues including high workloads and poor working conditions have long contributed to dissatisfaction among health workers. The pandemic escalated unsafe working conditions, causing workers' deaths, increasing burnout rates, and contributing to exodus from health-care jobs.

Impact of Changes in Criminal-Legal Practices During the COVID-19 Pandemic on the HIV Risk Behaviors of Women Who Use Drugs: Protocol for a Multimethods Qualitative Study.

Background: HIV risk behavior in women who use drugs is related to myriad psychosocial issues, including incarceration. The experience of incarceration elevates women's HIV risk by disrupting social networks, housing, employment, and access to health care. During the COVID-19 pandemic, changes in criminal-legal practices resulted in decreased incarceration, especially among women.

Exploring Resources and Reasoning Practices in Socioscientific System Modeling for Justice-Centered Science Education.

Integrating science education with social justice is vital for preparing students to critically address significant societal issues like climate change and pandemics. This study examines the effectiveness of socioscientific system modeling as a tool within Justice-Centered Science Pedagogy (JCSP) to enhance middle school students' understanding of social justice science issues. It focuses on how system modeling can scaffold students' reasoning about complex social systems, informed by their lived experiences, cultural backgrounds, and social identities.

Health and economic impact of the 21-Valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (V116) for adults in Japan: A delta price approach.

Introduction: This study analyzed the health and economic impact of the 21-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (V116) and the 20-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV20), as well as their relative cost-effectiveness, in Japanese adults aged 65 years using a delta pricing approach.

Methods: A Markov model was employed to simulate the movement of the Japanese population among 4 health states: healthy, pneumococcal disease (consisting of invasive pneumococcal disease [IPD] with or without meningitis and non-bacteremic pneumococcal pneumonia [NBPP]), post-meningitis sequelae (PMS), and death. The model was populated with publicly available demographic and epidemiologic data, stratified by risk level.

Analysis of lung microbiota in pediatric pneumonia patients using BALF metagenomic next-generation sequencing: A retrospective observational study.

The contribution of the lung microbiota to pneumonia in children of varying severity remains poorly understood. This study utilized metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) technology to elucidate the characteristics of lung microbiota and their association with disease severity. This retrospective study analyzed bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) mNGS data of 92 children diagnosed with pneumonia between January 2021 and July 2022.

Primary pulmonary plasmacytoma: A case report.

Rationale: Extramedullary plasmacytoma is an extremely rare malignant clonal plasmacytoma, which can occur in any tissue or organ of the body other than bone marrow hematopoietic tissue. Lesions mostly occur in the head and neck or upper respiratory tract, and rarely in the lower respiratory tract. Primary plasmacytoma of the lung, also known as primary pulmonary plasmacytoma (PPP), is rarer and is mainly diagnosed on the basis of the histopathology of biopsy tissue.

Dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 lineages in children and adults in 2021 and 2022.

Purpose: We aimed to describe SARS-CoV-2 lineages and diversity in children and adults in Estonia and similarity to travel-related cases and neighbouring countries.

Methods: SARS-CoV-2 sequences in 2021-2022 from a nationwide study were included. The proportion of predominant lineages in Estonian regions and among travel-related cases was described by multinomial logistic regression.

Being vulnerable with viewers: Exploring how medical YouTubers communicated about COVID-19 with the public.

This study explores COVID-19 communication between medical experts who upload YouTube videos related to health/medicine (hereinafter medical YouTubers) and their viewers. We investigated three specific elements: (1) how medical YouTubers' use of words related to analytical thinking is associated with their viewers' engagement, (2) how medical YouTubers' use of different types of emotion is associated with their viewers' engagement, and (3) the emotional alignment between medical YouTubers and their viewers. We collected 194 COVID-related video transcripts from five YouTube channels and 375,284 comments from those videos.

Cardiovascular complications in vascular connective tissue disorders after COVID-19 infection and vaccination.

Background: COVID-19 infection and vaccination have been reported to confer an elevated risk for cardiovascular events (CVE). We sought to determine whether individuals with an underlying vascular connective tissue disorder including Marfan syndrome (MFS), Loeys-Dietz syndrome (LDS), or vascular Ehlers Danlos syndrome (vEDS) are at increased risk for cardiac events after COVID-19 infection or vaccination.

Methods: 325 respondents self-reported data through a cross-sectional, web-based survey available from 22 November 2021, through 15 March 2022 regarding COVID-19 illness and vaccinations, the occurrence of any CVE, and adverse events following vaccination.

Airway interfere with and infection and express secreted factors selectively targeting each pathogen.

The composition of the respiratory track microbiome is a notable predictor of infection-related morbidities and mortalities among both adults and children. Species of which are largely present as commensals in the upper airway and other body sites, are associated with lower colonization rates of opportunistic bacterial pathogens such as and . In this study, -mediated protective effects against and were directly compared using and models.

Health inequalities in respiratory tract infections - beyond COVID-19.

Purpose Of Review: To discuss recent findings on the global burden of respiratory tract infections in underprivileged populations, highlighting the critical role of socioeconomic factors in the incidence and severity of these diseases, with a particular focus on health disparities affecting Indigenous communities.

Recent Findings: Pulmonary tuberculosis and lower respiratory tract infections, particularly those caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), continue to disproportionally impact populations in low-income countries and Indigenous communities worldwide. Indigenous children <5 years old bear the highest global burden of RSV infection, reflecting persistent social inequalities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations.

New Diagnoses of Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis Early in the COVID-19 Pandemic: Analysis of a Large United States Commercial Insurance Database.

Background/objective: Little is known about the rates of rheumatic disease diagnosis among children during the COVID-19 pandemic. We examined the impact of the pandemic on the diagnosis of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) in the United States.

Methods: We performed a historical cohort study using US commercial insurance data (2016-2021) to identify children aged <18 years without prior JIA diagnosis or treatment in the prior ≥12 months.

Application of a Language Model Tool for COVID-19 Vaccine Adverse Event Monitoring Using Web and Social Media Content: Algorithm Development and Validation Study.

Background: Spontaneous pharmacovigilance reporting systems are the main data source for signal detection for vaccines. However, there is a large time lag between the occurrence of an adverse event (AE) and the availability for analysis. With global mass COVID-19 vaccination campaigns, social media, and web content, there is an opportunity for real-time, faster monitoring of AEs potentially related to COVID-19 vaccine use.

Patient Organizations' Digital Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic: Scoping Review.

Background: Patient organizations (POs) play a crucial role in supporting individuals with health conditions. Their activities range from counseling to support groups to advocacy. The COVID-19 pandemic and its related public health measures prompted rapid digital transformation efforts across multiple sectors, including health care.

Retrieval of patent ductus arteriosus device embolization using hybrid approach: a case report.

Background: Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is a congenital heart defect that requires closure to prevent complications like heart failure and pulmonary hypertension. Catheter-based closure using devices such as the Amplatzer duct occluder is the preferred method due to its minimally invasive nature. However, device embolization is a rare but recognized complication, particularly in small children or high-flow PDAs.

Chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) symptom verbal response scales: content validity testing for use in adults with CRSwNP.

Background: PRO measures of symptoms in clinical trials have historically utilized visual and numerical scales but verbal descriptors may make it easier for patients to clearly differentiate between response options. This study assessed content validity and meaningful change in five verbal response scales (VRSs) used to assess chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyp (CRSwNP) symptom severity.

Methodology: This qualitative, semi-structured interview study recruited adults from the US, Germany, and China with confirmed moderate-to-severe CRSwNP.