Harlow College

<b>Conclusions:</b> LAIs, especially SG formulations, are associated with reduced rehospitalization in BD-I compared to OAs, supporting their broader use to improve adherence and reduce readmissions.

IntroductionThe prevalence of schizophrenia is relatively low, yet increasing globally, and the disorder imparts a substantial burden of disease on both individuals and health systems. With regard to schizophrenia treatments, including long-acting injectable antipsychotics (LAIs), social media listening provides a unique source of insight into the experiences and perceptions of healthcare professionals (HCPs), patients, and caregivers who live with and manage this disorder daily.ObjectiveTo gain insight into HCP and patient/caregiver perceptions of LAIs for the treatment of schizophrenia.MethodsPublicly available online conversations in global English about LAIs for schizophrenia from May 2, 2022, to May 2, 2023, were analyzed. Posts were collected using customized search strings from social media analysis tools, including Talkwalker and Meltwater. Online forums, such as Reddit, were the main source for patient/caregiver conversations. Conversations among HCPs were examined using publicly available posts from Twitter about schizophrenia/LAIs. Random samples of posts on forums (100) and Twitter (100) were coded for primary topic, author type (patient, caregiver, or HCP), sentiment toward LAIs, and signs of LAI hesitancy. Additional topics in posts, such as barriers and benefits to LAI use, were also examined.ResultsIn the analyzed samples, some differences were observed between patients/caregivers (mostly patients) and HCPs (mostly psychiatrists) in lexicon, focus, and perspective. The most common terms for LAIs among patients/caregivers were “injection” or “shot,” while HCPs used the terms “LAIs” or “injectables.” The most frequent primary topic among patients/caregivers was treatment regimen, including impact of symptoms and side effects on quality of life. HCPs focused on drug efficacy, including broader health outcomes such as relapse, hospitalization, adherence, and mortality. Patients/caregivers expressed fewer positive sentiments (11% of posts) and more negative sentiments (35%) than HCPs (34% positive, 14% negative). Both groups noted reduced relapse and improved adherence among the top treatment benefits. Barriers to LAI use commonly cited by patients/caregivers included side effects and lack of effect on negative symptoms, while common barriers cited by HCPs included patient access/cost and limited knowledge around best prescribing practices. Treatment comparisons and/or switching were more commonly mentioned among patients/caregivers (51%) than HCPs (30%), suggesting a greater interest in optimizing treatment among patients. Patients/caregivers often compared individual LAIs with oral antipsychotics (OAs) or different LAIs, whereas it was more typical for HCPs to compare LAIs with OAs than to distinguish between different LAIs.ConclusionsBased on social media posts, patients/caregivers and HCPs had different primary treatment goals/concerns and generally used different lexicons, which may affect communication. Overall, HCPs were more positive and less negative toward LAIs than patients/caregivers. Top benefits noted (relapse and adherence) were similar between groups, while top treatment barriers differed. These differences highlight the need to improve communication between patients/caregivers and HCPs in order to increase treatment satisfaction and potentially improve treatment outcomes.FundingTeva Branded Pharmaceutical Products R&amp;D, Inc.

Lake Vombsjön in southern Sweden is visited by large numbers of Great Crested Grebes Podiceps cristatus (&gt;2000), Great Cormorants Phalacrocorax carbo (sometimes &gt;1000) and Common Mergansers Mergus merganser (up to 2000) in late autumn and early winter. Different species exploit them. Great Crested Grebes are used especially by commensal Common Gulls Larus canus; the gulls take advantage of fish that flee towards the surface. Common Gulls also use cormorants and mergansers in the same way but also try to kleptoparasitize them. Both Herring Gulls Larus argentatus and Great Black-backed Gulls Larus marinus kleptoparasitize these two species, while Red Kites Milvus milvus, Grey Herons Ardea cinerea and Carrion Crows Corvus corone use them commensally. White-tailed Eagles Haliaeetus albicilla seem to use both methods to obtain fish. On 50% of one hundred visits during November to March, eagles were seen flying low over the fishing flocks. They would fly a metre or so above the flocks and then accelerate and attack a bird holding a fish. The bird would then either try to escape by a rush or by diving, dropping the fish which the eagle seized. Interestingly, the flock-fishing birds showed no fear reactions towards the eagles but appeared to regard them similarly to large gulls.

Surface mass spectrometry methods can be difficult to use effectively with low cost, portable mass spectrometers.

Introduction Microbial Ecology Inoculum Development Conundrum Factors Critical to Inoculum Preparation Culture Storage Subculture Desiccation Freeze-Drying (Lyophilization) Freezing Stock Culture What Is a Stock Culture? Stock Culture Generation Culture Assessment Inoculum Development Multiple Growth Cycles Inoculation/Seed Transfer Criteria Inoculum Preparation Studies Inoculum Development Summary References

An all-optical 2R regenerator that consists of an ion implanted InGaAsP multiple-quantum-well saturable absorber, a nonlinear fiber, and an optical filter is presented. Error-free 10-Gb/s transmission over 7000 km of standard fiber with an amplifier spacing of 80 km is demonstrated in a recirculating loop experiment.

The ultrastructural changes in Fasciola hepatica induced by the fasciolicide clorsulon were assessed using scanning electron microscopy. At 8 and 44 weeks post-infection, male Sprague-Dawley rats infected with F. hepaticawere dosed orally with clorsulon at a concentration of 12.5 mg/kg and mature flukes recovered from the bile duct after 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h in both experiments. An in vitro incubation was also set up using mature fluke (8 weeks old) incubated with clorsulon for 24 h at a concentration of 10 microg/ml. After 24 h in vivo, the young-mature flukes (8 weeks old) showed significant disruption to the tegumental surface, particularly in the anterior mid-body region, where a distinct band of swelling and blebbing was evident. The band began just behind the ventral sucker and ran posteriorly along both margins. The apical cone region of the fluke was characterised by swelling and blebbing of the surface between the spines. Similar changes were evident after 48 h in vivo, but the disruption was more severe and the mid-body band had spread posteriorly. In approximately half of the specimens recovered after 72 h in vivo, widespread disruption had occurred, with sloughing of the apical membrane or the entire syncytium, over almost all of the oral cone and anterior mid-body. For all time periods, the anterior half of the fluke was more severely affected than the posterior half. No differences were seen between the dorsal and ventral surfaces. Old-mature flukes (44 weeks old) showed regionally similar, but more severe and widespread disruption than that seen in the young-mature flukes. The onset of surface changes occurred more quickly in old-mature flukes as well. Eight-week-old flukes which had been incubated for 24 h in vitro showed surprisingly little disruption, but this may be due to the method by which the drug is taken up by the fluke.