1,635 research outputs found
Serological response to a single dose of a SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine
The delays in the production and delivery of COVID-19 vaccines and the growing number of fatal infections across the globe raised the question whether it would be more advantageous to vaccinate a larger group of individuals with one dose instead of a smaller one with two doses. Through a group of vaccinated healthcare workers, we describe the qualitative and quantitative serological response to a single dose of the BNT162b2 vaccine. We found that, before the second dose inoculation, 95.3 % (182/191) already had anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG and, half of them, antibodies concentrations against RBD (the key target of neutralizing antibodies) that reached maximum values for the used evaluation immunoassay. In order to improve the execution of vaccination programs, further studies are needed to assess whether there are individuals for whom a single dose of mRNA vaccine or a delay in the inoculation of the second dose, produce a sufficient immune response. Additionally, follow-up studies will help in understanding post-vaccination immunity, how long it lasts and how it relates to infection and reinfection.This work was supported by FCT Special Support Research4Covid (Project 186)
Serving within the British army: research into mental health benefits
This document is the Accepted Manuscript version of a Published Work that appeared in final form in British Journal of Nursing, copyright © MA Education, after peer review and technical editing by the publisher. To access the final edited and published work see http://www.magonlinelibrary.com/doi/abs/10.12968/bjon.2011.20.19.1256The mental health (MH) of soldiers remains extremely newsworthy and is regularly featured in high profile media forums that focus on post-traumatic stress disorder. However, the authors feel that there are distinct benefits to serving within the Army, and that it provides effective occupational medical, MH and welfare support. This research study explores potential benefits and stressors of being in the Army and provides an overview of Army mental health services (AMHS) through the perspectives of AMHS personnel, 84% of which were nurses. The study indicated that the Army can provide a protective community, sharing a bond based on common values and experiences. The Army can provide soldiers with career opportunities that are not available in civilian life, and there are opportunities to develop an employment profile, enhanced by internal and external educational training, and encapsulated within a progressive career pathway. The Army can also be seen to offer an escape route, preventing soldiers entering a life of crime, and supplying the stable family these soldiers had never experienced. The provision of leadership, within an environment where soldiers are valued and stigma is not tolerated can potentially shield against MH problems
The potential for adverse effects in fish exposed to antidepressants in the aquatic environment.
This is the final version. Available from the American Chemical Society via the DOI in this record.âŻAntidepressants are one of the most commonly prescribed pharmaceutical classes for the treatment of psychiatric conditions. They act via modulation of brain monoaminergic signaling systems (predominantly serotonergic, adrenergic, dopaminergic) that show a high degree of structural conservation across diverse animal phyla. A reasonable assumption, therefore, is that exposed fish and other aquatic wildlife may be affected by antidepressants released into the natural environment. Indeed, there are substantial data reported for exposure effects in fish, albeit most are reported for exposure concentrations exceeding those occurring in natural environments. From a critical analysis of the available evidence for effects in fish, risk quotients (RQs) were derived from laboratory-based studies for a selection of antidepressants most commonly detected in the aquatic environment. We conclude that the likelihood for effects in fish on standard measured end points used in risk assessment (i.e., excluding effects on behavior) is low for levels of exposure occurring in the natural environment. Nevertheless, some effects on behavior have been reported for environmentally relevant exposures, and antidepressants can bioaccumulate in fish tissues. Limitations in the datasets used to calculate RQs revealed important gaps in which future research should be directed to more accurately assess the risks posed by antidepressants to fish. Developing greater certainty surrounding risk of antidepressants to fish requires more attention directed toward effects on behaviors relating to individual fitness, the employment of environmentally realistic exposure levels, on chronic exposure scenarios, and on mixtures analyses, especially given the wide range of similarly acting compounds released into the environment.Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) Joint Undertaking under âIntelligence-led Assessment of Pharmaceuticals in the Environmentâ (iPiE)European UnionEuropean Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA)MerckBiotechnology and Biological Sciences Research CouncilUniversity of Exete
Exposure Effects of Environmentally Relevant Concentrations of the Tricyclic Antidepressant, Amitriptyline in Early Life Stage Zebrafish
This is the final version. Available from the American Chemical Society via the DOI in this record.âŻAntidepressants are one of the most globally prescribed classes of pharmaceuticals, and drug target conservation across phyla means that nontarget organisms may be at risk from the effects of exposure. Here, we address the knowledge gap for the effects of chronic exposure (28 days) to the tricyclic antidepressant amitriptyline (AMI) on fish, including for concentrations with environmental relevance, using
zebrafish (Danio rerio) as our experimental model. AMI was found to bioconcentrate in zebrafish, readily transformed to its major active metabolite nortriptyline, and induced a pharmacological effect (down-
regulation of the gene encoding the serotonin transporter; slc6a4a) at environmentally relevant concentrations (0.03 ÎŒg/L and above). Exposures to AMI at higher concentrations accelerated the hatch rate and reduced activity levels, the latter of which was abolished after a 14
day period of depuration. The lack of any response on the features of physiology and behavior we measured at concentrations found in the environment would indicate that AMI poses a relatively low level of risk to fish populations. The pseudopersistence and likely presence of multiple drugs acting via the same mechanism of
action, however, together with a global trend for increased prescription rates, mean that this risk may be underestimated using current ecotoxicological assessment paradigms.Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) Joint UndertakingEUâs Seventh Framework ProgrammeEuropean Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA)MerckUniversity of Exete
Viscoelastic gels of guar and xanthan gum mixtures provide long-term stabilization of iron micro- and nanoparticles
Iron micro- and nanoparticles used for groundwater remediation and medical applications are prone to fast aggregation and sedimentation. Diluted single biopolymer water solutions of guar gum (GG) or xanthan gum (XG) can stabilize these particles for few hours providing steric repulsion and by increasing the viscosity of the suspension. The goal of the study is to demonstrate that amending GG solutions with small amounts of XG (XG/GG weight ratio 1:19; 3 g/L of total biopolymer concentration) can significantly improve the capability of the biopolymer to stabilize highly concentrated iron micro- and nanoparticle suspensions. The synergistic effect between GG and XG generates a viscoelastic gel that can maintain 20 g/L iron particles suspended for over 24 h. This is attributed to (i) an increase in the static viscosity, (ii) a combined polymer structure the yield stress of which contrasts the downward stress exerted by the iron particles, and (iii) the adsorption of the polymers to the iron surface having an anchoring effect on the particles. The XG/GG viscoelastic gel is characterized by a marked shear thinning behavior. This property, coupled with the low biopolymer concentration, determines small viscosity values at high shear rates, facilitating the injection in porous media. Furthermore, the thermosensitivity of the soft elastic polymeric network promotes higher stability and longer storage times at low temperatures and rapid decrease of viscosity at higher temperatures. This feature can be exploited in order to improve the flowability and the delivery of the suspensions to the target as well as to effectively tune and control the release of the iron particle
Feasibility randomized-controlled trial of online acceptance and commitment therapy for painful peripheral neuropathy in people living with HIV: The OPEN study
Background
Neuropathic pain negatively affects quality of life among people living with HIV (PLWH). This study examined the feasibility of conducting a fullâscale randomizedâcontrolled trial of online acceptance and commitment therapy (âACT OPENâ) for neuropathic pain in PLWH.
Methods
Using a parallelâgroups design, thirtyâeight participants were randomized to ACT OPEN or a waitlist control (2:1). Participants completed standard selfâreport outcome measures at baseline, and twoâ and fiveâmonths postârandomization. Participants were aware of their allocation, but assessment was blinded.
Results
Twentyâfive participants were randomized to ACT OPEN and 13 to the control (of 133 referrals). ACT OPEN completion was 69% and twoâmonth trial retention was 82%. Treatment credibility and satisfaction scores for ACT OPEN were comparable to scores reported in previous trials of cognitiveâbehavioural treatments for pain. Four adverse events were reported during the study, including one serious adverse event; all of these were unrelated to the research procedures. Small to moderate effects and 95% confidence intervals suggest that the true effect may favour ACT OPEN for improvements in pain intensity/interference and depression.
Conclusions
A fullâscale RCT of online ACT for pain management in PLWH may be feasible with refinements to trial design to facilitate recruitment.
Significance
Research on pain management in people living with HIV has primarily focused on pharmacological treatments with limited success. This is the first study to show the potential feasibility of a psychological treatment based on acceptance and commitment therapy delivered online and tailored for pain management in people with HIV (âACT OPENâ). ACT OPEN may be a promising treatment in this population and further evaluation in a fullâscale randomizedâcontrolled trial appears warranted.
Trial Registration: The trial was registered (clinicaltrials.gov; NCT03584412)
Spatiotemporal variation of the epifaunal assemblages associated to Sargassum muticum on the NW Atlantic coast of Morocco
Epifaunal assemblages inhabiting the non-indigenous macroalga Sargassum muticum (Yendo) Fensholt were investigated on two physically distinct intertidal rocky (S1) and sandy (S2) sites along the Atlantic coast of Morocco. The objective of this study was to test whether the habitat-forming marine alga S. muticum invasive in these sites supported different epifaunal assemblages under different environmental conditions and through time. The gastropods Steromphala umbilicalis, S. pennanti, and Rissoa parva and the isopod Dynamene bidentata were the most contributive species to the dissimilarity of epifaunal assemblage structure between both sites throughout seasons. SIMPER analysis showed a dissimilarity of 58.3-78.5% in the associated species composition of S. muticum between study sites with respect to sampling season. Species diversity and total abundance were significantly higher at the rocky site compared to the sandy site. PERMANOVA analyses showed significant differences of associated epifaunal assemblage structure for the season and site interaction. Accordingly, site and season were determinant factors conditioning the role of habitat in structuring epifaunal assemblages.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Age is no barrier: predictors of academic success in older learners
Although predictors of academic success have been identified in young adults, such predictors are unlikely to translate directly to an older student population, where such information is scarce. The current study aimed to examine cognitive, psychosocial, lifetime, and genetic predictors of university-level academic performance in older adults (50â79 years old). Participants were mostly female (71%) and had a greater than high school education level (M = 14.06 years, SD = 2.76), on average. Two multiple linear regression analyses were conducted. The first examined all potential predictors of grade point average (GPA) in the subset of participants who had volunteered samples for genetic analysis (N = 181). Significant predictors of GPA were then re-examined in a second multiple linear regression using the full sample (N = 329). Our data show that the cognitive domains of episodic memory and language processing, in conjunction with midlife engagement in cognitively stimulating activities, have a role in predicting academic performance as measured by GPA in the first year of study. In contrast, it was determined that age, IQ, gender, working memory, psychosocial factors, and common brain gene polymorphisms linked to brain function, plasticity and degeneration (APOE, BDNF, COMT, KIBRA, SERT) did not influence academic performance. These findings demonstrate that ageing does not impede academic achievement, and that discrete cognitive skills as well as lifetime engagement in cognitively stimulating activities can promote academic success in older adults
Growth of breast cancer recurrences assessed by consecutive MRI
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Women with a personal history of breast cancer have a high risk of developing an ipsi- or contralateral recurrence. We aimed to compare the growth rate of primary breast cancer and recurrences in women who had undergone prior breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Three hundred and sixty-two women were diagnosed with breast cancer and had undergone breast MRI at the time of diagnosis in our institution (2005 - 2009). Among them, 37 had at least one prior breast MRI with the lesion being visible but not diagnosed as cancer. A linear regression of tumour volume measured on MRI scans and time data was performed using a generalized logistic model to calculate growth rates. The primary objective was to compare the tumour growth rate of patients with either primary breast cancer (no history of breast cancer) or ipsi- or contralateral recurrences of breast cancer.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Twenty women had no history of breast cancer and 17 patients were diagnosed as recurrences (7 and 10 were ipsi- and contralateral, respectively). The tumour growth rate was higher in contralateral recurrences than in ipsilateral recurrences (growth rate [10<sup>-3 </sup>days<sup>-1</sup>] 3.56 vs 1.38, p < .001) or primary cancer (3.56 vs 2.09, p = 0.01). Differences in tumour growth were not significant for other patient-, tumour- or treatment-related characteristics.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>These findings suggest that contralateral breast cancer presents accelerated growth compared to ipsilateral recurrences or primary breast events.</p
Ferromagnetic Semiconductors: Moving Beyond (Ga,Mn)As
The recent development of MBE techniques for growth of III-V ferromagnetic
semiconductors has created materials with exceptional promise in spintronics,
i.e. electronics that exploit carrier spin polarization. Among the most
carefully studied of these materials is (Ga,Mn)As, in which meticulous
optimization of growth techniques has led to reproducible materials properties
and ferromagnetic transition temperatures well above 150 K. We review progress
in the understanding of this particular material and efforts to address
ferromagnetic semiconductors as a class. We then discuss proposals for how
these materials might find applications in spintronics. Finally, we propose
criteria that can be used to judge the potential utility of newly discovered
ferromagnetic semiconductors, and we suggest guidelines that may be helpful in
shaping the search for the ideal material.Comment: 37 pages, 4 figure
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