57 research outputs found
Factors associated with access to care and healthcare utilisation in the homeless population of England
Introduction: People experiencing homelessness are known to have complex health needs which are often compounded by poor access to healthcare. This study investigates the individual-level factors associated with access to care and healthcare utilisation among homeless people in England. Methods: A cross-sectional sample of 2,505 homeless people from 19 areas of England was used to investigate associations with access to care and healthcare utilisation. Results: Rough sleepers were much less likely to be registered with a GP (OR 0.45, CI 0.30-0.66) than single homeless in accommodation (reference group) or the hidden homeless (OR 1.48 CI 0.88-2.50). Those who had recently been refused registration by a GP or dentist also had lower odds of being admitted to hospital (OR 0.67, CI 0.49-0.91) or using an ambulance (OR 0.73, CI 0.54-0.99). Conclusions: The most vulnerable homeless people appear to face the greatest barriers to utilising healthcare. Rough sleepers have particularly low rates of GP registration and this appears to have a knock-on effect on admission to hospital. Improving primary care access for the homeless population could ensure that some of the most vulnerable people in society are able to access vital services which they are currently missing out on
Lifelong reduction in complex IV induces tissue‐specific metabolic effects but does not reduce lifespan or healthspan in mice
Scim: Intelligent Skimming Support for Scientific Papers
Researchers need to keep up with immense literatures, though it is
time-consuming and difficult to do so. In this paper, we investigate the role
that intelligent interfaces can play in helping researchers skim papers, that
is, rapidly reviewing a paper to attain a cursory understanding of its
contents. After conducting formative interviews and a design probe, we suggest
that skimming aids should aim to thread the needle of highlighting content that
is simultaneously diverse, evenly-distributed, and important. We introduce
Scim, a novel intelligent skimming interface that reifies this aim, designed to
support the skimming process by highlighting salient paper contents to direct a
skimmer's focus. Key to the design is that the highlights are faceted by
content type, evenly-distributed across a paper, with a density configurable by
readers at both the global and local level. We evaluate Scim with an in-lab
usability study and deployment study, revealing how skimming aids can support
readers throughout the skimming experience and yielding design considerations
and tensions for the design of future intelligent skimming tools
Structural Optimization of Dental Restorations using the Principle of Adaptive Growth
ABSTRACT Fracture of restored teeth is a problem in restorative dentistry since it has been estimated that 92 percent of fractured teeth have been previously restored. In a restored tooth, the stresses that occur at the tooth-restoration interface during loading could become large enough to fracture the tooth and/or restoration. The tooth preparation process for a dental restoration is therefore a classical optimization problem: tooth reduction must be minimized to preserve tooth tissue whilst stress levels must be kept low to avoid fracture of the restored tooth. The objective of the present study was to propose alternative optimized designs for a second upper premolar cavity preparation by means of structural shape optimization based on the finite element method and biological adaptive growth. Restored tooth models using the optimized cavity shapes exhibited significant reduction of stresses along the tooth-restoration interface. In the best case, the maximum stress value was reduced by more than 50 percent
A Geographically-Restricted but Prevalent Mycobacterium tuberculosis Strain Identified in the West Midlands Region of the UK between 1995 and 2008
Background: We describe the identification of, and risk factors for, the single most prevalent Mycobacterium tuberculosis strain in the West Midlands region of the UK.Methodology/Principal Findings: Prospective 15-locus MIRU-VNTR genotyping of all M. tuberculosis isolates in the West Midlands between 2004 and 2008 was undertaken. Two retrospective epidemiological investigations were also undertaken using univariable and multivariable logistic regression analysis. The first study of all TB patients in the West Midlands between 2004 and 2008 identified a single prevalent strain in each of the study years (total 155/3,056 (5%) isolates). This prevalent MIRU-VNTR profile (32333 2432515314 434443183) remained clustered after typing with an additional 9-loci MIRU-VNTR and spoligotyping. The majority of these patients (122/155, 79%) resided in three major cities located within a 40 km radius. From the apparent geographical restriction, we have named this the "Mercian" strain. A multivariate analysis of all TB patients in the West Midlands identified that infection with a Mercian strain was significantly associated with being UK-born (OR = 9.03, 95% CI = 4.56-17.87, p 65 years old (OR = 0.25, 95% CI = 0.09-0.67, p < 0.01). A second more detailed investigation analyzed a cohort of 82 patients resident in Wolverhampton between 2003 and 2006. A significant association with being born in the UK remained after a multivariate analysis (OR = 9.68, 95% CI = 2.00-46.78, p < 0.01) and excess alcohol intake and cannabis use (OR = 6.26, 95% CI = 1.45-27.02, p = .01) were observed as social risk factors for infection.Conclusions/Significance: The continued consistent presence of the Mercian strain suggests ongoing community transmission. Whilst significant associations have been found, there may be other common risk factors yet to be identified. Future investigations should focus on targeting the relevant risk groups and elucidating the biological factors that mediate continued transmission of this strain
Phase 1 safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamic results of KCL‐286, a novel retinoic acid receptor‐β agonist for treatment of spinal cord injury, in male healthy participants
Aims: KCL‐286 is an orally available agonist taht activates the retinoic acid receptor (RAR) β2, a transcription factor which stimulates axonal outgrowth. The investigational medicinal product is being developed for treatment of spinal cord injury (SCI). This adaptive dose escalation study evaluated the tolerability, safety and pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamic activity of KCL‐286 in male healthy volunteers to establish dosing to be used in the SCI patient population. Methods: The design was a double blind, randomized, placebo‐controlled dose escalation study in 2 parts: a single ascending dose adaptive design with a food interaction arm, and a multiple ascending dose design. RARβ2 mRNA expression was evaluated in white blood cells. Results: At the highest single and multiple ascending doses (100 mg), no trends or clinically important differences were noted in the incidence or intensity of adverse events (AEs), serious AEs or other safety assessments with none leading to withdrawal from the study. The AEs were dry skin, rash, skin exfoliation, raised liver enzymes and eye disorders. There was an increase in mean maximum observed concentration and area under the plasma concentration–time curve up to 24 h showing a trend to subproportionality with dose. RARβ2 was upregulated by the investigational medicinal product in white blood cells. Conclusion: KCL‐286 was well tolerated by healthy human participants following doses that exceeded potentially clinically relevant plasma exposures based on preclinical in vivo models. Target engagement shows the drug candidate activates its receptor. These findings support further development of KCL‐286 as a novel oral treatment for SCI
Explaining the DAMA Signal with WIMPless Dark Matter
WIMPless dark matter provides a framework in which dark matter particles with
a wide range of masses naturally have the correct thermal relic density. We
show that WIMPless dark matter with mass around 2-10 GeV can explain the annual
modulation observed by the DAMA experiment without violating the constraints of
other dark matter searches. This explanation implies distinctive and promising
signals for other direct detection experiments, GLAST, and the LHC.Comment: 8 pages; v2: discussion of channeling, CoGeNT, and references added;
v3: published version; v4: annihilation signal correcte
FEM Simulation of Non-Progressive Growth from Asymmetric Loading and Vicious Cycle Theory: Scoliosis Study Proof of Concept
Scoliosis affects about 1-3% of the adolescent population, with 80% of cases being idiopathic. There is currently a lack of understanding regarding the biomechanics of scoliosis, current treatment methods can be further improved with a greater understanding of scoliosis growth patterns. The objective of this study is to develop a finite element model that can respond to loads in a similar fashion as current spine biomechanics models and apply it to scoliosis growth. Using CT images of a non-scoliotic individual, a finite element model of the L3-L4 vertebra was created. By applying asymmetric loading in accordance to the ‘vicious cycle’ theory and through the use of a growth modulation equation it is possible to determine the amount of growth each region of the vertebra will undergo; therefore predict scoliosis growth over a period of time. This study seeks to demonstrate how improved anatomy can expand researchers current knowledge of scoliosis
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Combined treatment of rapamycin and dietary restriction has a larger effect on the transcriptome and metabolome of liver
Rapamycin (Rapa) and dietary restriction (DR) have consistently
been shown to increase lifespan. To investigate whether Rapa
and DR affect similar pathways in mice, we compared the effects
of feeding mice ad libitum (AL), Rapa, DR, or a combination of
Rapa and DR (Rapa + DR) on the transcriptome and metabolome
of the liver. The principal component analysis shows that Rapa
and DR are distinct groups. Over 2500 genes are significantly
changed with either Rapa or DR when compared with mice fed
AL; more than 80% are unique to DR or Rapa. A similar
observation was made when genes were grouped into pathways;
two-thirds of the pathways were uniquely changed by DR or
Rapa. The metabolome shows an even greater difference
between Rapa and DR; no metabolites in Rapa-treated mice were
changed significantly from AL mice, whereas 173 metabolites
were changed in the DR mice. Interestingly, the number of genes
significantly changed by Rapa + DR when compared with AL is
twice as large as the number of genes significantly altered by
either DR or Rapa alone. In summary, the global effects of DR or
Rapa on the liver are quite different and a combination of Rapa
and DR results in alterations in a large number of genes and
metabolites that are not significantly changed by either manipulation
alone, suggesting that a combination of DR and Rapa
would be more effective in extending longevity than either
treatment alone.Keywords: metabolome, rapamycin, transcriptome, dietary restrictio
Antimicrobial resistance among migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis
BACKGROUND: Rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are rising globally and there is concern that increased migration is contributing to the burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe. However, the effect of migration on the burden of AMR in Europe has not yet been comprehensively examined. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and synthesise data for AMR carriage or infection in migrants to Europe to examine differences in patterns of AMR across migrant groups and in different settings. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus with no language restrictions from Jan 1, 2000, to Jan 18, 2017, for primary data from observational studies reporting antibacterial resistance in common bacterial pathogens among migrants to 21 European Union-15 and European Economic Area countries. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to report data on carriage or infection with laboratory-confirmed antibiotic-resistant organisms in migrant populations. We extracted data from eligible studies and assessed quality using piloted, standardised forms. We did not examine drug resistance in tuberculosis and excluded articles solely reporting on this parameter. We also excluded articles in which migrant status was determined by ethnicity, country of birth of participants' parents, or was not defined, and articles in which data were not disaggregated by migrant status. Outcomes were carriage of or infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms. We used random-effects models to calculate the pooled prevalence of each outcome. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016043681. FINDINGS: We identified 2274 articles, of which 23 observational studies reporting on antibiotic resistance in 2319 migrants were included. The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or AMR infection in migrants was 25·4% (95% CI 19·1-31·8; I2 =98%), including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (7·8%, 4·8-10·7; I2 =92%) and antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (27·2%, 17·6-36·8; I2 =94%). The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or infection was higher in refugees and asylum seekers (33·0%, 18·3-47·6; I2 =98%) than in other migrant groups (6·6%, 1·8-11·3; I2 =92%). The pooled prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms was slightly higher in high-migrant community settings (33·1%, 11·1-55·1; I2 =96%) than in migrants in hospitals (24·3%, 16·1-32·6; I2 =98%). We did not find evidence of high rates of transmission of AMR from migrant to host populations. INTERPRETATION: Migrants are exposed to conditions favouring the emergence of drug resistance during transit and in host countries in Europe. Increased antibiotic resistance among refugees and asylum seekers and in high-migrant community settings (such as refugee camps and detention facilities) highlights the need for improved living conditions, access to health care, and initiatives to facilitate detection of and appropriate high-quality treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections during transit and in host countries. Protocols for the prevention and control of infection and for antibiotic surveillance need to be integrated in all aspects of health care, which should be accessible for all migrant groups, and should target determinants of AMR before, during, and after migration. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College Healthcare Charity, the Wellcome Trust, and UK National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and Antimictobial Resistance at Imperial College London
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