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A term neonate was transferred from a Local Neonatal Unit to our surgical Neonatal Intensive Care Unit on Day 2 due to abdominal distension with radiological appearances suggestive of intestinal obstruction. He was born by Caesarean section with no risk factors for sepsis. He was intubated at birth for increased work of breathing and failed planned extubation on Day 1. 

Despite critical care advances, robust antibiotic therapy and improved strategies in early detection and prevention of infection, the incidence of morbidity and mortality from neonatal sepsis worldwide in preterm and low birth weight neonates remains overwhelmingly high. Neonatal sepsis is characterised by a clinical syndrome of systemic signs of infection and bloodstream bacteraemia in newborns within the first months of life. The risk of sepsis in neonates is inversely proportional to gestational age and birth weight due to deficiency in humoral immunity and the need for more invasive supportive neonatal intensive care unit interventions. Adverse effects such as necrotising enterocolitis associated with antimicrobial therapy are serious enough to warrant exploration of alternative therapeutic strategies. Immunoglobulin replacement therapy offers hope of enhancing immune competence and reducing infection rates in vulnerable populations. It is evident from the relevant studies to date that the benefits offered by intravenous immunoglobulin prophylaxis may not be significant enough for routine hospital implementation. Further research to better understand the mechanisms underlying immunodeficiency will lead to the realisation of alternative therapeutic and prophylactic interventions.

The well-documented therapeutic potential of group singing for patients living with Alzheimer’s disease (PLAD) has been hindered by COVID-19 restrictions, exacerbating loneliness and cognitive decline among seniors in residential and long-term care centers (CHSLDs). Addressing this challenge, the multidisciplinary study aims to develop a patient-oriented virtual reality (XR) interaction system facilitating group singing for mental health support during confinement and enhancing the understanding of the links between Alzheimer’s disease, social interaction, and singing. The researchers also propose to establish an early AD detection system using voice, facial, and non-invasive biometric measurements and validate the efficacy of selected intervention practices. The methodology involves co-designing an intelligent environment with caregivers to support PLAD mental health through online group singing, addressing existing constraints in CHSLDs. The researchers will engage volunteers in remote singing interactions and validate the impact of voice stimulation for PLADs using a control group. The primary expected outcome is the development of an “Intelligent Learning Health Environment,” fostering interactions while adapting to individual PLAD situations and incrementally accumulating knowledge on AD signs. This environment will facilitate the transfer of knowledge and technologies to promote non-verbal interactions via singing, enabling intervention at the first symptoms. Additionally, the research will contribute to transforming CHSLDs’ living environments, informed by neuroscience insights, and potentially extend the “collaborative self-care” approach to support seniors in aging safely and healthily at home.

Over the past many decades, scientific research and practical efforts in the field of acute nonspecific inflammation of the lung tissue have been aimed at early detection of the pathogen and its suppression.

Willingness to pay (WTP) and sensory acceptability for minimally processed (MP) vegetables were studied. A total of 116 participants of two different household incomes (HI) were considered. Two types of preparations (bags with whole vegetables and trays with MP vegetables), and two types of presentations (mix vegetables for soup and mix vegetables for salad), were evaluated. Low income (LI) participants offered more money in general than the medium-high income (MI) participants. However, the offers of the two preparations (soup and salad) did not show significant differences. The 4 samples (two preparations: soup and salad; and two presentations: bags and trays) had good sensory acceptability with values between 6.5 and 8.3, on a scale of 1-9. MI consumers had higher acceptability for mixed vegetables for soup than for salad vegetables; however, LI participants showed no difference between the types of preparation, observing for both samples (soup and salad) high acceptability. For both HI, Check All That Apply (CATA) questions showed that phrases such as “It is unreliable” and “I distrust how it was prepared” were associated with the trays, while the phrase “It takes time to prepare or cook” was associated with bags.

The stomatognathic apparatus is currently understood as a complex functional unit in its muscular, skeletal, dental, and neurological parts; in particular, it is now commonly acknowledged that the craniofacial district is connected to the type of occlusion not only functionally but also morphologically. Occlusion is the result of the adaptation of dental organs that can adapt through the periodontium and cranial bones through sutures, with the “neurological direction” of the function and tone of the perioral, lingual, and craniocervical muscles

Saliva is produced by and secreted from salivary glands. It is an extra-cellular fluid, 98% water, plus electrolytes, mucus, white blood cells, epithelial cells, enzymes, and anti-microbial agents. Saliva serves a critical role in the maintenance of oral, dental, and general health and well-being. Hence, alteration(s) in the amount/quantity and/or quality of secreted saliva may induce the development of several oro-dental variations, thereby the negatively-impacting overall quality of life. Diverse factors may affect the process of saliva production and quantity/quality of secretion, including medications, systemic or local pathologies and/or reversible/irreversible damage. Herein, chemo- and/or radio-therapy, particularly, in cases of head and neck cancer, for example, are well-documented to induce serious damage and dysfunction to the radio-sensitive salivary gland tissue, resulting in hypo-salivation, xerostomia (dry mouth) as well as numerous other adverse Intra-/extra-oral, medical and quality-of-life issues. Indeed, radio-therapy inevitably causes damage to the normal head and neck tissues including nerve structures (brain stem, spinal cord, and brachial plexus), mucous membranes, and swallowing muscles. Current commercially-available remedies as well as therapeutic interventions provide only temporary symptom relief, hence, do not address irreversible glandular damage. Further, despite salivary gland-sparing techniques and modified dosing strategies, long-term hypo-function remains a significant problem. Although a single governing mechanism of radiation-induced salivary gland tissue damage and dysfunction has not been yet elucidated, the potential for synergy in radio-protection (mainly, and possibly -reparation) via a combinatorial approach of mechanistically distinct strategies, has been suggested and explored over the years. This is, undoubtfully, in parallel to the ongoing efforts in improving the precision, safety, delivery, and efficacy of clinical radiotherapy protocols/outcomes, and in designing, developing, evaluating and optimizing (for translation) new artificial intelligence, technological and bio-pharmaceutical alternatives, topics covered in this review.

Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy (CIPN) is a major limiting side effect of many common chemotherapeutics often leading patients to terminate their chemotherapy treatment regimen early. The development of CIPN differs by chemotherapeutic class, with platinum- and taxane-based treatments demonstrating the highest incidence rates. Despite its relatively high prevalence, there are currently no FDA-approved treatments for CIPN, and clinicians must rely on the off-label use of several analgesics and various non-pharmacological approaches to treat CIPN symptoms in patients. Novel insights on the development of CIPN have identified new drug targets leading to several Phase II clinical trials to be initiated. Here, we describe recent advances in drug development for CIPN.

In the 19th Century in much of Western Europe and North America the number and size of asylums increased hugely. In London, there was a wave of new asylums built in response to the 1808 County Asylums Act and the 1845 Lunacy Act, which required publicly funded care for those deemed mentally unwell. One such asylum was the Surrey County Lunatic Asylum which was built on the grounds which now house Springfield University Hospital in South West London.This paper describes the admission records from Surrey County Lunatic Asylum, between 1863-1867, from information stored in the London Metropolitan Archives. Although the terminology is different from that of today’s, the picture the records paint is of an institution aiming at recovery rather than long-term incarceration which can be how asylums are now remembered. This more nuanced view is starting to be discussed more in public conversations about the topic. The optimism this may imbue is tempered by the shocking number of patients who died within the institution.

Background: Obesity remains a global epidemic with over 2.8 million people dying due to complications of being overweight or obese every year. The low-carbohydrate and high-fat ketogenic diet has a rising popularity for its rapid weight loss potential. However, most studies have a maximal 2-year follow-up, and therefore long-term adverse events remain unclear including the risk of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease (ASCVD).Results: Based on current evidence on PubMed and Google Scholar, there is no strong indication ketogenic diet is advantageous for weight loss, lipid profile, and mortality. When comparing a hypocaloric ketogenic diet with a low-fat diet, there may be faster weight loss until 6 months, however, this then appears equivalent. Ketogenic diets have shown inconsistent Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL) changes; perhaps from different saturated fat intake, dietary adherence, and genetics. Case reports have shown a 2-4-fold elevation in LDL in Familial hypercholesterolaemic patients which has mostly reversed upon dietary discontinuation. There is also concern about possible increased ASCVD and mortality: low (< 40%) carbohydrate intake has been associated with increased mortality, high LDL from saturated fats, high animal product consumption can increase trimethylamine N-oxide, and cardioprotective foods are likely minimally ingested.Conclusion: Ketogenic diets have been associated with short-term positive effects including larger weight reductions. However, by 2 years there appears no significant differences for most cardiometabolic risk markers. Therefore, this raises the question, excluding those who have a critical need to lose weight fast, is this diet worth the potentially higher risks of ASCVD and mortality while further long-term studies are awaited?