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Objective: To characterize the experience of people with epilepsy and aligned healthcare workers (HCWs) during the first 18 months of the COVID‐19 pandemic and compare experiences in high‐income countries (HICs) with non‐HICs. Methods: Separate surveys for people with epilepsy and HCWs were distributed online in April 2020. Responses were collected to September 2021. Data were collected for COVID‐19 infections, the effect of COVID‐related restrictions, access to specialist help for epilepsy (people with epilepsy), and the impact of the pandemic on work productivity (HCWs). The frequency of responses for non‐HICs and HICs were compared using non‐parametric Chi‐square tests. Results: Two thousand one hundred and five individuals with epilepsy from 53 countries and 392 HCWs from 26 countries provided data. The same proportion of people with epilepsy in non‐HICs and HICs reported COVID‐19 infection (7%). Those in HICs were more likely to report that COVID‐19 measures had affected their health (32% vs. 23%; p < 0.001). There was no difference between non‐HICs and HICs in the proportion who reported difficulty in obtaining help for epilepsy. HCWs in non‐HICs were more likely to report COVID‐19 infection than those in HICs (18% vs 6%; p = 0.001) and that their clinical work had been affected by concerns about contracting COVID‐19, lack of personal protective equipment, and the impact of the pandemic on mental health (all p < 0.001). Compared to pre‐pandemic practices, there was a significant shift to remote consultations in both non‐HICs and HICs (p < 0.001). Significance: While the frequency of COVID‐19 infection was relatively low in these data from early in the pandemic, our findings suggest broader health consequences and an increased psychosocial burden, particularly among HCWs in non‐HICs. Planning for future pandemics should prioritize mental healthcare alongside ensuring access to essential epilepsy services and expanding and enhancing access to remote consultations. Plain Language Summary: We asked people with epilepsy about the effects of COVID‐19 on their health and healthcare. We wanted to compare responses from people in high‐income countries and other countries. We found that people in high‐income countries and other countries had similar levels of difficulty in getting help for their epilepsy. People in high‐income countries were more likely to say that their general health had been affected. Healthcare workers in non‐high‐income settings were more likely to have contracted COVID‐19 and have the care they deliver affected by the pandemic. Across all settings, COVID‐19 associated with a large shift to remote consultations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A principal components analysis of the Teacher Rating Scale-Child (TRS-C) of the Behavior Assessment System for Children was conducted with a cross-sectional cohort of 659 children in Grades 1 to 5. A predictive validity study was then conducted with a 2-year longitudinal sample of 206 children. The results suggested that scores from the resulting 23-item screener had strong initial reliability and validity evidence. Predictive validity coefficients for the screener scores were acceptable for both behavioral and academic outcomes and equal to or better than those for the full TRS-C, comprised of 148 items. The practicality of the screener was documented by teachers' experiences. Administration time was less than 5 minutes per child, and no specialized teacher training was necessary. These results provide preliminary evidence that routine school screening via a brief teacher rating scale can increase the probability that children with behavioral and emotional problems may be validly identified for diagnostic and treatment services. (Contains 4 tables.)

Objectives: As part of the COVID‐19 and Epilepsy (COV‐E) global study, we aimed to understand the impact of COVID‐19 on the medical care and well‐being of people with epilepsy (PWE) in the United States, based on their perspectives and those of their caregivers. Methods: Separate surveys designed for PWE and their caregivers were circulated from April 2020 to July 2021; modifications in March 2021 included a question about COVID‐19 vaccination status. Results: We received 788 responses, 71% from PWE (n = 559) and 29% (n = 229) from caregivers of persons with epilepsy. A third (n = 308) of respondents reported a change in their health or in the health of the person they care for. Twenty‐seven percent (n = 210) reported issues related to worsening mental health. Of respondents taking ASMs (n = 769), 10% (n = 78) reported difficulty taking medications on time, mostly due to stress causing forgetfulness. Less than half of respondents received counseling on mental health and stress. Less than half of the PWE reported having discussions with their healthcare providers about sleep, ASMs, and potential side effects, while a larger proportion of caregivers (81%) reported having had discussions with their healthcare providers on the same topics. More PWE and caregivers reported that COVID‐19‐related measures caused adverse impact on their health in the post‐vaccine period than during the pre‐vaccine period, citing mental health issues as the primary reason. Significance: Our findings indicate that the impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic in the US on PWE is multifaceted. Apart from the increased risk of poor COVID‐19 outcomes, the pandemic has also had negative effects on mental health and self‐management. Healthcare providers must be vigilant for increased emotional distress in PWE during the pandemic and consider the importance of effective counseling to diminish risks related to exacerbated treatment gaps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT) is a unilateral balance task designed to evaluate dynamic postural control. This investigation explored the relationship between limb preference, strength, and performance on the SEBT in NCAA Division I, female collegiate soccer athletes (nonsoccer, n = 11 ; soccer, n = 12). Each participant completed maximal, concentric test efforts at a velocity of 90[degrees]*[s.sup.-1] for supine ankle dorsiflexion (ADF) and plantarflexion (APF) and at 60[degrees]*[s.sup.-1] for the seated leg extension (LE) and flexion (LF) and supine hip extension (HE) and flexion (HF). In addition, participants performed maximal SEBT reaches in the anterior, medial, and posterior directions. All testing was completed on both limbs. These results indicate that SEBT performance is similar for both limbs in both groups. The soccer group, however, reached significantly farther than the nonsoccer group, suggesting that the SEBT may be sensitive to training status and/or sport-related adaptations. The concentric strength results indicate that despite group differences in all strength tests, strength in general was not highly correlated to SEBT performance. Thus, neuromuscular factors above and beyond strength may have accounted for the group differences in SEBT performance. The SEBT may be a useful tool for determining the relative effectiveness of an intervention designed to improve postural control. KEY WORDS stregth, limb preference, postural control

Counterfeit pharmaceuticals are a subclass of falsified and substandard medicines. They are illicit products, purporting to be genuine medicines, that are made and sold by criminal organisations. They represent a significant risk to patient safety, as well as a financial and reputational threat to the companies who make the genuine medicines. It is essential to have analytical methods to determine if suspect samples seized by law enforcement agencies are counterfeit, with mass spectrometry (MS) being a commonly used technique in forensic cases. Speed-to-answer is vital to enable law enforcement agencies to progress investigations, as well as for pharmaceutical companies so that they can notify health authorities of the circulation of counterfeit medicines. In this work, an atmospheric solids analysis probe (ASAP)-MS was assessed as a fast and simple-to-use approach to analyse tablets on a commercially available instrument. Complementing the analytics with real-time sample recognition software demonstrated that the classification of tablets as authentic or counterfeit could be achieved quickly (< 2 min) and without the need for MS interpretation skills. Authentication of five tablets (two authentic pharmaceuticals, one placebo and two counterfeits containing the correct active pharmaceutical ingredient [API] but at lower quantities than in the genuine medicine and with different excipient contents) of unknown origin was achieved with 100% success. This creates the opportunity to deploy the end-to-end workflow as a tool for non-scientists, such as law enforcement officers and border control staff, for use in-territory to obtain fast answers and make data-led decisions to control the illegal trading of medicines., (© 2024 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Home care continues to expand. With this growth are opportunities for registered dietitians (RDs) to demonstrate the vital role that they play not only in providing optimal nutrition care, but also in contributing to each patient's quality of life. Home care nutrition services range from individual patient counseling to managing and monitoring parenteral nutrition. RDs' knowledge of nutrition, reimbursement, and new technologies position them to improve care and control costs. Current roles and responsibilities along with emerging areas of professional growth give RDs a multitude of options to provide and expand their services and value in home care.