Investigating Vα7.2+/CD161- T Cell and MAIT Cell Profiles Using Flow Cytometry in Healthy Subjects and Subjects with Atopic Dermatitis.

This study investigates the roles of mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells and Vα7.2+/CD161- T cells in skin diseases, focusing on atopic dermatitis. MAIT cells, crucial for bridging innate and adaptive immunity, were analyzed alongside Vα7.2+/CD161- T cells in peripheral blood samples from 14 atopic dermatitis patients and 10 healthy controls. Flow cytometry and machine learning algorithms were employed for a comprehensive analysis. The results indicate a significant decrease in MAIT cells and CD69 subsets in atopic dermatitis, coupled with elevated CD38 and polyfunctional MAIT cells producing TNFα and Granzyme B (TNFα+/GzB+). Vα7.2+/CD161- T cells in atopic dermatitis exhibited a decrease in CD8 and IFNγ-producing subsets but an increase in CD38 activated and IL-22-producing subsets. These results highlight the distinctive features of MAIT cells and Vα7.2+/CD161- T cells and their different roles in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis and provide insights into their potential roles in immune-mediated skin diseases.

Delivering Culturally-Appropriate, Technology-Enabled Health Care in Indigenous Communities.

Indigenous health is becoming a top priority globally. The aim is to ensure equal health opportunities, with a focus on Indigenous populations who have faced historical disparities. Effective health interventions in Indigenous communities must incorporate Indigenous knowledge, beliefs, and worldviews to be culturally appropriate.

The use of a poster to reduce expectations to receive antibiotics for a common cold.

Many doctors prescribe antibiotics for a cold, to meet patient's expectations. As a result, patient's education about antibiotics and antibiotic resistance forms a major component of the WHO's Global Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance. However, it is not known whether simple educational material can change a person's attitudes about antibiotic therapy. We designed three posters about antibiotic treatment for "cold and flu". Hospital inpatients answered a baseline survey and then were asked to look at one of three randomly selected posters. The posters highlighted the futility of antibiotic treatment for colds (futility), the risk of adverse drug reactions from antibiotics (harm), and the issue of antimicrobial resistance (resistance). Participants then completed a follow-up survey. Participants' expectations to receive antibiotics for a "bad cold" reduced significantly after viewing a poster (82/299, 27% expected antibiotics in the baseline survey compared with 13% in the follow-up survey, P < 0.01). Continuing expectation to receive antibiotics after viewing one of the posters was associated with expectation to receive antibiotics in the baseline survey and the strong belief that colds were caused by bacteria. Participants who viewed the resistance poster were more likely to continue to expect antibiotics than participants who viewed the futility poster (OR 2.46, 95%CI 1.16-5.20, P = 0.02). Following discussion of the study, viewing a poster reduced participants' expectations to receive antibiotics for a hypothetical cold. Changing patients' expectations to receive antibiotics using simple educational material about antibiotic futility could lead to significant reductions in antibiotic prescription for viral upper respiratory tract infections.

Developing and utilising a new funding model for home-care services in New Zealand.

Worldwide increases in the numbers of older people alongside an accompanying international policy incentive to support ageing-in-place have focussed the importance of home-care services as an alternative to institutionalisation. Despite this, funding models that facilitate a responsive, flexible approach are lacking. Casemix provides one solution, but the transition from the well-established hospital system to community has been problematic. This research seeks to develop a Casemix funding solution for home-care services through meaningful client profile groups and supporting pathways. Unique assessments from 3,135 older people were collected from two health board regions in 2012. Of these, 1,009 arose from older people with non-complex needs using the interRAI-Contact Assessment (CA) and 2,126 from the interRAI-Home-Care (HC) from older people with complex needs. Home-care service hours were collected for 3 months following each assessment and the mean weekly hours were calculated. Data were analysed using a decision tree analysis, whereby mean hours of weekly home-care was the dependent variable with responses from the assessment tools, the independent variables. A total of three main groups were developed from the interRAI-CA, each one further classified into "stable" or "flexible." The classification explained 16% of formal home-care service hour variability. Analysis of the interRAI-HC generated 33 clusters, organised through eight disability "sub" groups and five "lead" groups. The groupings explained 24% of formal home-care services hour variance. Adopting a Casemix system within home-care services can facilitate a more appropriate response to the changing needs of older people.