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Optimising Mental Health in a Virtual World – Connecting from a Distance: College of Psychiatrists of Ireland Medical Student and Intern Essay Prize 2021 Runner Up
No full text• The use of modern technology and virtual approaches to mental health therapy is growing in importance across a diverse range of disorders.
• While existing mental health therapies have been successfully adapted to virtual modes of delivery, modern technology is also driving exciting novel therapies.
• Studies suggest virtual approaches to mental health care have both advantages and disadvantages. Further study and a cautious, evidence-based approach is key.
• The complex and co-morbid nature of psychiatry means that patients will continue to require assessment and management by specialists. Virtual therapies are useful components of a stepped-care model, however patients with severe mental health problems will continue to require in-person care
The Trojan Bacillus: Transgenic Bacteria in Cancer Therapy
Get PDFA classic conundrum in oncology is the identification of cancer-specific, druggable molecules which can be targeted with minimal systemic toxicity. A novel candidate for administering cancer therapeutics has emerged in bacteria, which may prove to be excellent delivery vehicles for biologics whose systemic delivery causes severe and unacceptable adverse effects. Bacteria are well-suited to this role due to their ability to colonise tumour microenvironments, synthesise drug molecules, and potentiate innate and adaptive immune responses. Genetic clockwork in the form of quorum sensing mechanisms allows these bacteria to lyse on demand, releasing therapeutic payloads into tumours. Recent in vivo evidence outlined here support this hypothesis, yet there is a great deal of research and refinement still to be done
The Sociology of Arts and Markets: New Developments and Persistent Patterns eds. A. Glauser, P. Holder, T. Mazzurana, O. Moeschler, V. Rolle, and F. Schultheis (2020), Palgrave Macmillan.
Get PDFThe evolution of artists’ status from manual to intellectual workers during the Renaissance deters artists from demonstrating overt economic interest, which establishes the myth of art and market dichotomy and engenders the relegation of the art market in art historical studies. Through empirical studies in various artistic, historical and spatial contexts, the editors of The Sociology of Arts and Markets: New developments and persistent patterns consolidate the emergent correctives to this neglect by discussing the complex and evolving relationship between art and its markets. They justify the market’s fundamental role in the autonomisation of art, negating the grounds for the neglect of art market studies. Discernible themes in the volume include: the blurring lines between high and popular culture, exclusion, positioning, intermediation, ranking, and valuation. Re-affirming the broad relevance of Pierre Bourdieu\u27s thinking in the sociological study of art markets, the book also demonstrates the impact of social inequalities, power relationships, and opportunities for agency in the production, mediation, and consumption of art. However, as a valuable addition to art markets studies, its neglect of the fundamental segment of art collection and reinforcement of postcolonial exclusion are shortcomings that need to be addressed in the future
Anaesthetic Safety: What Do Patients Understand and Expect?
Get PDF• Patients’ satisfaction depends on their prior expectations. These, in turn, are influenced by their understanding of a procedure.
• Provision of adequate pre-operative information can improve patients’ perioperative outcomes.
• Patients’ understanding of information provided may be optimised by employment of techniques including consolidation by multiple team members throughout the pre-operative period and the presence of a companion during consultations.
• A relative lack of awareness surrounding the anaesthesia and the role of the anaesthesiologists are contributing factors towards patient anxiety.
• A careful balance must be obtained between providing enough information to facilitate informed decision-making without causing unnecessary stress.
• Causes of patients’ perioperative anxiety are variable and are often underestimated. Efforts to acknowledge and alleviate this anxiety are known to have therapeutic benefit.
• Patients’ expectations of anaesthesia are influenced by a multitude of individual, social and cultural factors. This highlights the importance of meaningful discussion with the patient and a tailored approach to the pre-operative consenting procedure.
• In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the good health of healthcare workers is increasingly being recognised as a priority for ensuring patient safety
Management of Hydrocephalus in Congenital Toxoplasmosis using Pyrimethamine and Sulfonamide: A Systematic Review
Get PDFBackground: Congenital toxoplasmosis is a serious disease that occurs when the foetus is infected with the parasite. Toxoplasma gondii. A consequence of vertical transmission from mother to foetus is hydrocephalus. This is classified as an increase in intracranial pressure causing swelling of the brain. It is unknown whether the current gold standard of antibiotic treatment of pyrimethamine and sulfonamide is adequate. The objective of this review is to compare the efficacy of pyrimethamine and sulfonamide treatment duration in managing hydrocephalus induced by congenital toxoplasmosis.
Methods: A systematic review was conducted by two independent reviewers across several medical databases including Ovid MEDLINE, Cochrane Central and EMBASE. Seven articles including case reports, retrospective cohorts, randomised controlled trials, longitudinal studies, and systematic reviews met the inclusion criteria. Infants were classified from birth to 24 weeks old.
Results: There was a lack of conclusive evidence regarding the efficacy and safety of pyrimethamine and sulfonamide. Multiple studies revealed pyrimethamine and sulfonamide were effective in reducing infant deformities and neurological conditions, only when rapidly administered after birth. However, contradicting evidence revealed pyrimethamine and sulfonamide had no significant effect on hydrocephalus.
Conclusion: Novel pharmaceutical interventions for managing hydrocephalus caused by congenital toxoplasmosis are needed, as the existing treatments are inadequate. Since treatment options have dwindled in the last decade, toxoplasmosis is classified as a neglected parasitic infection. Renewed interest in conducting higher-quality trials is required to elucidate different therapeutic interventions for clinical use
A policy review of Basic Income for the Arts Pilot Scheme
Get PDFThe launch of Basic Income for the Arts in April 2022 by the Irish Government marks a significant moment for the arts in Ireland. This article addresses the key assumptions underlying the policy and discusses whether what is primarily a welfare state redistributive intervention will address the social and economic complexities of life within the cultural and creative economy in Ireland
The Pathogenesis, Risk Factors, and Comorbidities Associated with Hidradenitis Suppurativa: A Systematic Review
Get PDFIntroduction: Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease primarily affecting the apocrine gland-rich areas of the body. It presents with painful nodules, abscesses, sinus tracts, and scarring.
Methods: A literature review of hidradenitis suppurativa was conducted by systematically searching relevant databases with a focus on the pathogenesis and risk factors associated with the disease.
Results: Evidence relating to pathogenesis and HS thus far supports an inflammatory component with dysregulation of the innate and adaptive immune system. However, research is ongoing in this area and many questions remain unanswered. The risk factors that have been most consistently associated with HS to date include high weight/ obesity, smoking, and female sex. Comorbidities in patients with HS encompass metabolic, endocrine, psychiatric, and inflammatory diseases.
Conclusion: Further research is warranted to enable clinicians with the knowledge necessary to manage patients presenting with HS and to deliver patients the disease-modifying treatment and care that they require. Several practical points may be discerned from research regarding risk factors and diseases associated with HS. These include raising the index of suspicion for certain physical diseases and mental conditions in patients with HS and lowering the biopsy threshold for certain malignancies
Family Size and Subjective Well-Being in Europe: Do More Children Make Parents (Un)Happy?
Get PDFUsing SILC data we show that having an additional child results in lower levels of subjective well-being among parents with small children, but higher or unchanged levels among parents of teenagers. Multiple births are used as the source of exogenous variation and we show that this is the best strategy given the data structure and the European context. We conclude that higher fertility levels might be reached if parents receive more help during the early years of their children and if the positive future effects of having large families are publicized
Where Do We Stand With “Whatever It Takes”?
Get PDFIt is ten years since Mario Draghi’s “whatever it takes” speech and the announcement of the OMT programme designed to address financial fragmentation. This paper reviews the sources of financial fragmentation and discusses whether monetary tightening over the next few years will trigger concerns about unsustainable fiscal burdens in some euro area member states. The paper discusses the evolution of ECB policy regarding fragmentation and the practical and legal issues involved. Legal limits on sovereign bond holdings may force the ECB into some difficult choices in the coming years
Announcement: Professor Christopher Whelan
No full textAnnouncement:- It was with great sadness that the Editor learned of the recent death of Professor Christopher Whelan, a long standing and much-valued member of our Editorial Board. We extend our deepest sympathy to his family, friends and colleague