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The article shares views about the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities' consultation on clinical guidelines about harmful drinking and alcohol dependence in Great Britain. Topics discussed include the overlook of alcohol treatment funding in the country, the lack of political will to address the social determinants of alcohol problems, and the call on stakeholders to support a public first approach to addressing alcoholic drinking problems.

Set against the new chronological framework for the introduction and spread of the Neolithic into Britain this paper considers the logistics of introducing domestic cattle from continental Europe. Cattle were the most extensively utilised domestic animal at the start of the Neolithic and understanding the processes behind their introduction is critical for exploring early Neolithic farming systems. We begin by exploring the realities of creating a viable new animal population and then moving that population to Britain across the water from Continental Europe. Using a series of simulated models we demonstrate that only a very small number of cattle need to have been introduced into Britain in order to enable the uptake and spread of domestic cattle across the whole island. This, in turn, may effect how we consider the mechanisms involved in the adoption of the Neolithic, and can better inform our understanding of the kinds of processes involved in the transition to the Neolithic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cluster headache (CH) is a debilitating condition that is generally associated with substantial health care costs. Few therapies are approved for abortive or prophylactic treatment. Results from the prospective, randomised, open-label PREVA study suggested that adjunctive treatment with a novel non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation (nVNS) device led to decreased attack frequency and abortive medication use in patients with chronic CH (cCH). Herein, we evaluate whether nVNS is cost-effective compared with the current standard of care (SoC) for cCH. Methods: A pharmacoeconomic model from the German statutory health insurance perspective was developed to estimate the 1-year cost-effectiveness of nVNS + SoC (versus SoC alone) using data from PREVA. Short-term treatment response data were taken from the clinical trial; longer-term response was modelled under scenarios of response maintenance, constant rate of response loss, and diminishing rate of response loss. Health-related quality of life was estimated by modelling EQ-5D™ data from PREVA; benefits were defined as quality-adjusted life-years (QALY). Abortive medication use data from PREVA, along with costs for the nVNS device and abortive therapies (i.e. intranasal zolmitriptan, subcutaneous sumatriptan, and inhaled oxygen), were used to assess health care costs in the German setting. Results: The analysis resulted in mean expected yearly costs of €7096.69 for nVNS + SoC and €7511.35 for SoC alone and mean QALY of 0.607 for nVNS + SoC and 0.522 for SoC alone, suggesting that nVNS generates greater health benefits for lower overall cost. Abortive medication costs were 23 % lower with nVNS + SoC than with SoC alone. In the alternative scenarios (i.e. constant rate of response loss and diminishing rate of response loss), nVNS + SoC was more effective and cost saving than SoC alone. Conclusions: In all scenarios modelled from a German perspective, nVNS was cost-effective compared with current SoC, which suggests that adjunctive nVNS therapy provides economic benefits in the treatment of cCH. Notably, the current analysis included only costs associated with abortive treatments. Treatment with nVNS will likely promote further economic benefit when other potential sources of cost savings (e.g. reduced frequency of clinic visits) are considered. Trial registration: Clinicaltrials.gov identifier , 03OCT2012. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The following paper presents the results from two surveys of zooarchaeologists involved with commercial work in the United Kingdom. The surveys had a number of aims: they investigated the demographic of commercial zooarchaeologists; their relationship with organisations; the information they produce; how the current recession is affecting their work and what their priorities for help would be. The main survey was carried out during March–April 2009 with a further follow-up survey conducted during August. The surveys indicate that the demographic of zooarchaeologists varies from that of archaeologists in the United Kingdom as a whole. It also shows that the economic recession is affecting commercial zooarchaeologists in a number of ways. The paper also discusses the general structure and nature of the profession. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We assessed the cost-effectiveness and cost-utility of treating influenza with neuraminidase inhibitors (oseltamivir and zanamivir) from a health care payer’s and societal perspective in the United Kingdom. A simulation model was developed to predict morbidity and mortality due to influenza and its specified complications, comparing neuraminidase inhibitors with usual care in an otherwise healthy adult population. Robustness of the results was tested by one-way and multiway as well as probabilistic sensitivity analyses. Treatment with either neuraminidase inhibitor results in reduced morbidity and faster return to normal activities. However, oseltamivir dominates zanamivir in cost-utility analysis due to its lower costs. Comparing oseltamivir with usual care, the costs are £14.36 per day of normal activity gained and £5,600 per quality-adjusted life-year gained from the healthcare payer perspective. Oseltamivir dominates usual care from the societal perspective. Treatment with oseltamivir is a cost-effective strategy for otherwise healthy adults in the UK from both the healthcare payer and societal perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses about medical sciences in Great Britain. Hypothesis on the causative factor of sudden infant death syndrome; Survival improvements of patients with cystic fibrosis; Influence of stress on the relapse of breast cancer.

Reports developments regarding the medical care in Great Britain as of October 23, 1976. Admission of old people to hospitals; Steps for convenient bath-taking; Prevention of infection in the operation site.

The article examines the fairness of Great Britain's financial penalties imposed on hospitals which do not meet the Department of Health target for reduction of Clostridium difficile infection. The factors which affect an expected financial penalty include reduction in C. difficile risk, the closeness of the observed reduction in cases to the true risk reduction, and the formula for calculating the financial penalty. The authors explain that the C. difficile infection is not under a hospital's complete control. Problems with stipulated financial penalties and the effects of penalties are addressed. The authors believe that a fairer penalty would have a low chance of penalising trusts whose observed cases are compatible with the target risk reduction.

The article focuses on the results from opinion polls regarding the top issues in Great Britain. Opinion polls asking people what they see as the top issues facing the country have failed to register corruption or the cash-for-honors issue since the story broke out. Regarding the concerns about corruption, concerns about civil liberties are consistently absent from responses to pollsters' questions about the challenges facing the country.

The author discusses ways on how to decrease risks of insider threats in Great Britain. The topics discussed include the appropriate time for companies to check the information submitted during the recruitment process, the appointment of Sir Iain Vallance as head of the Security Commission to review the media expose of Edward Snowden from the U.S. National Security Agency.

Purpose: Apremilast, an oral phosphodiesterase-4 inhibitor, is effective and well tolerated in the treatment of moderate-to-severe psoriasis. The cost-effectiveness of introducing apremilast before biologics was assessed from a UK payer perspective. Materials and methods: A 10-year Markov cohort model was developed to compare alternative treatment sequences: (1) apremilast followed by adalimumab and etanercept and (2) adalimumab followed by etanercept. Non-responders moved to the next treatment line, and patients for whom etanercept therapy failed continued on best supportive care (BSC) in both sequences. Response was defined as a ≥ 75% reduction in Psoriasis Area and Severity Index score (PASI-75) at the end of the trial periods (12‒16 weeks). A network meta-analysis provided efficacy inputs. Results: As a treatment-extension strategy, apremilast had an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of £20,593 per quality-adjusted life-year gained versus the comparator sequence. PASI-75 was sustained for 0.73 additional years, and the total time on biologics and BSC was reduced by 0.44 and 1.01 years, respectively. These results were consistent with findings from sensitivity and scenario analyses. Conclusions: Apremilast, an oral treatment option for the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis, is cost-effective from a UK payer perspective when administered before biologics based on assumptions detailed within this analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]