147 research outputs found

    Rabies Postexposure Prophylaxis in Routine Practice in View of the New Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization Recommendations

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    Under real-life conditions rabies post-exposure prophylaxis is often administered in a suboptimal manner. In this study, 6.7% of previously non-immune patients did not develop adequate antibody levels after 4 doses of rabies vaccin

    The COV-ED Survey : exploring the impact of learning and teaching from home on parent/carers’ and teachers’ mental health and wellbeing during COVID-19 lockdown

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    Background Following the emergence of COVID-19 in the UK, on March 18th 2020 the majority of schools in England closed and families and teachers were tasked with providing educational support for children and adolescents within the home environment. Little is known, however, regarding the impact of remote teaching and learning on the mental wellbeing of parents/carers and teaching staff. Methods The Coronavirus Education (COV-ED) online survey explored the practicalities of learning and teaching from home for 329 parents/carers and 117 teachers of 11–15 year old adolescents in England, during June/July 2020, and the associated impact on their mental wellbeing. Participants were recruited through schools and via University of Warwick social media channels. Data was analysed using a series of Multiple Linear and Multivariate Regressions. Results Despite coping well with the challenges of remote learning, a third of teachers reported below average mental wellbeing on the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale. Multivariate regression revealed that wellbeing was associated with access to resources and confidence to teach from home. Almost half of parents/carers surveyed reported below average wellbeing. Multivariate regression revealed that poor wellbeing was more common in those who were also working from home and who lacked support for their own mental health. Concerns about their child’s mental health and lack of access to electronic devices and workspace were also significantly associated with the mental wellbeing of parents/carers. Conclusions Whilst young people’s mental health and wellbeing has, and continues to be a national priority, the mental health and wellbeing of the families and teachers supporting them has not previously been explored. Our survey population was of predominantly white British heritage, female and living in the West Midlands UK, therefore, findings should be treated with caution. Findings provide a snapshot of factors that may be of significance to families and schools in supporting the mental wellbeing of those tasked with learning from home. They will help i) increase knowledge and awareness with regard to future support of families and teachers during similar crises; ii) enable the design and development of practical solutions in the delivery of remote teaching and learning; and, iii) help address the mental wellbeing needs of those tasked with supporting adolescents

    Antibiotic stability related to temperature variations in elastomeric pumps used for outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT).

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    Elastomeric pumps can be used for the continuous administration of antimicrobials in the outpatient setting. A potentially limiting factor in their use is the stability of antimicrobials. To investigate under real-life conditions the temperature variations of antibiotic solutions contained in elastomeric pumps, and to examine under such conditions the stability of five antibiotics. Healthy volunteers carried the elastomeric pumps in carry pouches during their daily activities. A thermologger measured the temperatures every 15 min over 24 h. Antibiotic concentrations were measured by HPLC coupled to tandem MS. During daytime, the temperature of solutions in the pumps increased steadily, warming to >30°C. During the night, when the pumps were kept attached to the waist, the temperatures reached up to 33°C. The use of white carry pouches avoided excessive temperature increases. Over seven experiments, cefazolin, cefepime, piperacillin and tazobactam were found to be stable over 24 h. Flucloxacillin showed a mean decrease in concentration of 11% ( P  = 0.001). Real-life situations can cause significant temperature rises in elastomeric pumps, thereby potentially increasing the risk of antibiotic degradation. Patients should be instructed to avoid situations causing excessive temperature increases. Despite these temperature variations, cefazolin, cefepime, piperacillin and tazobactam were found to be stable over 24 h. A moderate degradation was noticed for flucloxacillin, albeit most probably not to an extent that might impair anti-infective efficacy

    Bronchoalveolar neutrophils, interferon gamma-inducible protein 10 and interleukin-7 in AIDS-associated tuberculosis

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    During advanced AIDS tuberculosis (TB) often presents atypically with smear-negative and non-cavitary disease, yet immune features associated with this change are poorly characterized. We examined the local immune response in a cohort of Tanzanian AIDS-associated TB patients who underwent bronchoalveolar lavage. TB infection was confirmed in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid by culture, probe and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Among TB patients CD4 count correlated positively with the extent of cavitary disease as well as BAL TB load (qPCR CT). TB patients had significantly higher granulocyte–macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) than non-TB patients, and those with non-cavitary TB had significantly higher BAL interferon gamma-inducible protein (IP-10) and interleukin (IL)-7 than those with cavities. BAL neutrophils were as prevalent as monocytes/macrophages or epithelial cells, and immunohistochemistry revealed that neutrophils, monocytes/macrophages, and epithelial cells were major sources of the IP-10 and IL-7. These data suggest a dysregulated cytokine profile may contribute to the TB of advanced AIDS

    Alliance or acquisition? A mechanisms‐based, policy‐capturing analysis

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    Research summary: While alliance researchers view prior partner‐specific alliance experience as influencing firms' subsequent alliance or acquisition decisions, empirical evidence on the alliance versus acquisition decision is surprisingly mixed. We offer a reconciliation by proposing and testing an analytical framework that recognizes prior partner‐specific experiences as heterogeneous along three fundamental dimensions: partner‐specific trust, routines, and value certainty. This allows us to use a policy‐capturing methodology to rigorously operationalize and test our mechanism‐level predictions. We find that all three mechanisms can increase the likelihood of a subsequent alliance or acquisition, and in terms of the comparative choice between alliances versus acquisitions, partner‐specific trust pulls towards alliances, and value certainty pulls towards acquisitions. We conclude with a discussion of the theoretical and empirical implications of our approach and method. Managerial summary: This study focuses on an important corporate decision: When a firm has had an alliance with another firm, how would that experience affect the likelihood of a future alliance or acquisition with that same firm? We first suggest that it will depend on three factors: the level of trust that existed in that prior alliance, the extent to which specific work routines were developed, and the degree to which the firm was able to confidently assess the value of the partner firm's resources. We then find that trust is a particularly strong predictor of future alliances, while confidence regarding value more strongly predicts future acquisitions. In this way, we demonstrate more precisely how past corporate choices can affect (consciously or unconsciously) future ones

    An online parenting intervention to prevent affective disorders in high-risk adolescents : the PIPA trial protocol

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    Background: Adolescent depression can place a young person at high risk of recurrence and a range of psychosocial and vocational impairments in adult life, highlighting the importance of early recognition and prevention. Parents/carers are well placed to notice changes in their child’s emotional wellbeing which may indicate risk, and there is increasing evidence that modifiable factors exist within the family system that may help reduce the risk of depression and anxiety in an adolescent. A randomised controlled trial (RCT) of the online personalised ‘Partners in Parenting’ programme developed in Australia, focused on improving parenting skills, knowledge and awareness, showed that it helped reduce depressive symptoms in adolescents who had elevated symptom levels at baseline. We have adapted this programme and will conduct an RCT in a UK setting. Methods: In total, 433 family dyads (parents/carers and children aged 11–15) will be recruited through schools, social media and parenting/family groups in the UK. Following completion of screening measures of their adolescent’s depressive symptoms, parents/carers of those with elevated scores will be randomised to receive either the online personalised parenting programme or a series of online factsheets about adolescent development and wellbeing. The primary objective will be to test whether the personalised parenting intervention reduces depressive symptoms in adolescents deemed at high risk, using the parent-reported Short Mood & Feelings Questionnaire. Follow-up assessments will be undertaken at 6 and 15 months and a process evaluation will examine context, implementation and impact of the intervention. An economic evaluation will also be incorporated with cost-effectiveness of the parenting intervention expressed in terms of incremental cost per quality-adjusted life year gained. Discussion: Half of mental health problems emerge before mid-adolescence and approximately three-quarters by mid-20s, highlighting the need for effective preventative strategies. However, few early interventions are family focused and delivered online. We aim to conduct a National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) funded RCT of the online personalised ‘Partners in Parenting’ programme, proven effective in Australia, targeting adolescents at risk of depression to evaluate its effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and usability in a UK setting. Trial registration {2a}: ISRCTN63358736. Registered 18 September 2019
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