MyMedR

Two more coronaviruses may infect people

King A

Science, 2021 05 28;372(6545):893.

PMID: 34045334 DOI: 10.1126/science.372.6545.893

Fulltext Optimizing protocols for risk prediction in asymptomatic carotid stenosis using embolic signal detection: the Asymptomatic Carotid Emboli Study

King A, Shipley M, Markus H, ACES Investigators

Stroke, 2011 Oct;42(10):2819-24.

PMID: 21852607 DOI: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.111.622514

Improved methods are required to identify patients with asymptomatic carotid stenosis at high risk for stroke. The Asymptomatic Carotid Emboli Study recently showed embolic signals (ES) detected by transcranial Doppler on 2 recordings that lasted 1-hour independently predict 2-year stroke risk. ES detection is time-consuming, and whether similar predictive information could be obtained from simpler recording protocols is unknown.

Quantitative comparisons of lung structure of adult domestic fowl and red jungle fowl, with reference to broiler ascites

Vidyadaran MK, King AS, Kassim H

Avian Pathol, 1990 Jan;19(1):51-8.

PMID: 18679913

A stereological comparison has been made of the structure of the lungs of the adult female domestic fowl and its wild progenitor the Red Jungle Fowl. The volume of the lung per unit body weight of the domestic bird is between 20 and 33% smaller than that of the wild bird. The domestic fowl has partly compensated for this by increasing the surface area for gas exchange per unit volume of exchange tissue. However, the blood-gas tissue barrier is about 28% thicker in the domestic fowl than in the Red Jungle Fowl, and this has led to a 25% lower anatomical diffusing capacity for oxygen of the blood-gas tissue barrier per unit body weight in the domestic fowl. These structural characteristics may make the modern domestic fowl vulnerable to stress factors such as altitude, cold, heat or air pollution by predisposing to hypoxaemia and perhaps thence to ascites.

Ultrasonic plaque echolucency and emboli signals predict stroke in asymptomatic carotid stenosis

Topakian R, King A, Kwon SU, Schaafsma A, Shipley M, Markus HS, et al.

Neurology, 2011 Aug 23;77(8):751-8.

PMID: 21849657 DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0b013e31822b00a6

Better methods are required to identify patients with asymptomatic carotid stenosis (ACS) at risk of future stroke. Two potential markers of high risk are echolucent plaque morphology on carotid ultrasound and embolic signals (ES) in the ipsilateral middle cerebral artery on transcranial Doppler ultrasound (TCD). We explored the predictive value of a score based on these 2 measures in the prospective, observational, international multicenter Asymptomatic Carotid Emboli Study.

Geniculate neuralgia: a systematic review

Tang IP, Freeman SR, Kontorinis G, Tang MY, Rutherford SA, King AT, et al.

J Laryngol Otol, 2014 May;128(5):394-9.

PMID: 24819337 DOI: 10.1017/S0022215114000802

To systematically summarise the peer-reviewed literature relating to the aetiology, clinical presentation, investigation and treatment of geniculate neuralgia.

Fulltext An international observational prospective survey assessing the control of atrial fibrillation in Asia-Pacific: results of the Record-AFAP Registry

Amerena J, Chen SA, Sriratanasathavorn C, Cho JG, Dejia H, Omar R, et al.

Clin Med Insights Cardiol, 2015;9:77-83.

PMID: 26279634 DOI: 10.4137/CMC.S22022

A prospective 1-year observational survey was designed to assess the management and control of atrial fibrillation (AF) in eight countries within the Asia-Pacific region. Patients (N = 2,604) with recently diagnosed AF or a history of AF ≤1 year were included. Clinicians chose the treatment strategy (rhythm or rate control) according to their standard practice and medical discretion. The primary endpoint was therapeutic success. At baseline, rhythm- and rate-control strategies were applied to 35.7% and 64.3% of patients, respectively. At 12 months, therapeutic success was 43.2% overall. Being assigned to rhythm-control strategy at baseline was associated with a higher therapeutic success (46.5% vs 41.4%; P = 0.0214) and a lower incidence of clinical outcomes (10.4% vs 17.1% P < 0.0001). Patients assigned to rate-control strategies at baseline had higher cardiovascular morbidities (history of heart failure or valvular heart disease). Cardiovascular outcomes may be less dependent on the choice of treatment strategy than cardiovascular comorbidities.

Fulltext SMART Recovery International and COVID-19: Expanding the reach of mutual support through online groups

Kelly PJ, McCreanor K, Beck AK, Ingram I, O'Brien D, King A, et al.

J Subst Abuse Treat, 2021 Dec;131:108568.

PMID: 34446323 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsat.2021.108568

BACKGROUND: Mutual support groups play an extremely important role in providing opportunities for people to engage in alcohol and other drug (AOD) treatment and support. SMART Recovery groups employ cognitive, behavioural and motivational principles and strategies to offer support for a range of addictive behaviours. COVID-19 fundamentally changed the way that these groups could be delivered.

METHODS: A series of online meetings were conducted by the lead author (PK) and the SMART Recovery International Executive Officer (KM), with representatives from the SMART Recovery National Offices in the Ireland (DO), United States (MR), Australia (RM), and Denmark (BSH, DA), and the United Kingdom (AK). The meetings focused on discussing the impacts of COVID-19 on SMART Recovery in each of the regions.

RESULTS: As a result of restrictions to prevent the transmission of COVID-19, the vast majority of SMART Recovery face-to-face meetings were required to cease globally. To ensure people still had access to AOD mutual support, SMART Recovery rapidly scaled up the provision of online groups. This upscaling has increased the number of groups in countries that had previously provided a limited number of online meetings (i.e., United States, England, Australia), and has meant that online groups are available for the first time in Denmark, Ireland, Hong Kong, Spain, Malaysia and Brazil.

DISCUSSION: Whilst the urgent and rapid expansion of online groups was required to support people during the pandemic, it has also created an opportunity for the ongoing availability of online mutual support post-pandemic. The challenge for the research community is to critically evaluate the online delivery of mutual support groups, to better understand the mechanisms through which they may work, and to help understand the experience of people accessing the groups.

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