Contribution and legacy: a qualitative study of older people's attitudes about sharing their routinely collected health data for research purposes in New Zealand.

Background: Older adults, especially those with dementia, are often excluded from health research due to physical and medical comorbidities, and the assumption that those with cognitive impairment won't be able to consent. Using routinely collected data for research purposes is a way to include older people in research, and therefore the benefits of research. However, very little research has been done to examine the attitudes of older people towards sharing their routinely collected health data for research purposes.

The diagnostic accuracy of CTseg segmentation software for dementia in a New Zealand memory service.

This study examines the accuracy of CTseg segmentation software to diagnose Alzheimer's disease dementia and other dementias using routine CT scans from a New Zealand memory service. Analyzing 168 scans (89 with dementia and 79 without dementia) the software segmented the brain to produce total brain volume and hippocampal volume. CTseg-derived total brain volume (sensitivity 72%, specificity 58%) and hippocampal volume (sensitivity 71%, specificity 62%) were reasonably effective at differentiating dementia from non-dementia at time of diagnosis.

Prevalence of Dementia in European, Chinese and Indian/Fijian-Indian Populations in Aotearoa New Zealand: A Protocol.

Objectives: Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ) is a bicultural nation (Māori and European) with a growing population of Asian and Pacific peoples. Recent analysis of national routinely collected data suggests dementia prevalence is higher in Māori and Pacific peoples when compared with European and Asian, and that inequities in dementia care for Māori, Asian, and Pacific people with dementia exist. A population-based dementia prevalence study is needed to confirm these findings.

Cultural adaptations of the WHO iSupport for dementia: A scoping review.

IntroductionThe World Health Organisation (WHO) has developed iSupport for Dementia, a self-paced online training programme for caregivers of people with dementia which is adaptable to different cultural contexts. This scoping review aims to understand the iSupport adaptation process in different countries and provide recommendations for future adaptations.MethodsA systematic search was done in electronic databases such as Pubmed, MEDLINE, APA PsycINFO, and EMBASE to obtain relevant publications up to 18 February 2024.

Te Ōranga Ō Te Roro: kaumātua perspectives on the development of a mobile app for mate wareware (dementia) awareness.

Aim: Mate wareware (dementia) presents a significant social and economic burden for Māori in Aotearoa New Zealand. Previous literature has highlighted the need to improve health literacy for Māori regarding the causes and management of mate wareware, yet there is a lack of Māori-centred educational resources. It was determined that a mobile phone application (app) could meet this need and that early consultation with Māori was required to ensure the digital solution would be culturally safe and relevant.

Exploring older peoples' attitudes and preferences around the use of their healthcare information.

Aims: Routinely collected health data can provide rich information for research and epidemiological monitoring of different diseases, but using the data presents many challenges. This study aims to explore the attitudes and preferences of people aged 55 and over regarding the use of their de-identified health data, and their concerns and comfort in different scenarios.

Methods: An anonymous online survey was conducted with people aged 55 and over currently engaged with health services in a New Zealand health district during June-October 2022.

Identifying potential patients with diabetes-related dementia: a descriptive approach using routinely collected data.

Aims: Diabetes-related dementia (DRD) is a new dementia subtype associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus, first described in 2013. This study investigated data from a local New Zealand memory service to identify patients that met the criteria for DRD.

Methods: Using routinely collected data from 2013-2021, we selected a sample of people with dementia, diabetes, and no CT evidence of Alzheimer's disease (AD), vascular dementia, or frontotemporal dementia.

Living with Dementia in Aotearoa (LiDiA): A Feasibility Study for a Dementia Prevalence Study in Māori and Non-Māori Living in New Zealand.

Introduction: Recent estimations have projected a threefold increase in dementia prevalence in Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ) by 2050, particularly in Maori and Pacific peoples. However, to date, there are no national data on dementia prevalence, and overseas data are used to estimate the NZ dementia statistics. The aim of this feasibility study was to prepare the groundwork for the first full-scale NZ dementia prevalence study that is representative of Māori, European, Pacific and Asian peoples living in NZ.

Diagnostic accuracy of 10/66 dementia protocol in Māori kaumātua (elders) living in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Aims: Dementia is an important health concern for Māori and therefore it is essential to explore the extent and impact of dementia in this community. The 10/66 dementia protocol, a widely used research tool for measuring the prevalence of dementia, was developed to minimise cultural and educational bias in comparisons of dementia prevalence across different countries and/or cultures. The aims of this study are to (i) adapt the 10/66 dementia protocol for use in research within the Māori community and (ii) test the diagnostic accuracy of the adapted (ie, Māori-friendly) 10/66 dementia protocol against the reference standard of a clinical diagnosis of dementia (or no dementia).

Lived Experience of Dementia in the New Zealand Indian Community: A Qualitative Study with Family Care Givers and People Living with Dementia.

Currently, there are estimated to be 70,000 people living with dementia in Aotearoa, New Zealand (NZ). This figure is projected to more than double by 2040, but due to the more rapid growth of older age groups in non-European populations, prevalence will at least triple amongst the NZ Indian population. The impact of dementia in the NZ Indian community is currently unknown.

The Understanding and Experiences of Living with Dementia in Chinese New Zealanders.

Little is known about the lived experience of dementia in the New Zealand Chinese community. This study aims to explore the understanding and experiences of living with dementia in Chinese New Zealanders. Participants were recruited from a memory service and a community dementia day programme.

Diagnostic Accuracy of 10/66 Dementia Protocol in Fijian-Indian Elders Living in New Zealand.

The 10/66 dementia protocol was developed as a language and culture-fair instrument to estimate the prevalence of dementia in non-English speaking communities. The aim of this study was to validate the 10/66 dementia protocol in elders of Indian ethnicity born in the Fiji Islands (Fijian-Indian) living in New Zealand. To our knowledge, this is the first time a dementia diagnostic tool has been evaluated in the Fijian-Indian population in New Zealand.

Predictors of mortality in Māori, Pacific Island, and European patients diagnosed with dementia at a New Zealand Memory Service.

Background: As the economic impact of dementia on health and social care increases, governments require disease-specific epidemiological data that will help inform spending and policy decisions. The aim of this study is to examine predictors of mortality in dementia in consecutive referrals to a New Zealand (NZ) memory service that includes Māori, Pacific Islander, and NZ European patients.

Methods: Date of birth, sex, ethnicity, living situation, cognitive function, dementia subtype, dementia severity, physical comorbidity, and medication data were collected from electronic health records.

Do community-dwelling Māori and Pacific peoples present with dementia at a younger age and at a later stage compared with NZ Europeans?

Objective: Ethnicity may affect presentation to clinical services in people with dementia; however, no studies have examined this in Māori or Pacific peoples in New Zealand (NZ). Our objective was to examine the routinely collected clinical data from a memory assessment service in South Auckland to examine the presentation of dementia in the major NZ ethnic groups.

Methods: A total of 360 patients presenting to a memory service with a new diagnosis of dementia were included in this study.

Early onset dementia in New Zealand Pacific boxers: a case series.

Aim: To describe the biopsychosocial characteristics of a series of Pacific men living in South Auckland with a history of boxing presenting with early onset dementia. We discuss the history of boxing in Pacific people and the possibility of increased risk of early onset dementia in New Zealand Pacific men compared to their European counterparts.

Method: We reviewed the files of Pacific men with a history of amateur or professional boxing who presented to our memory and older adult mental health services with early onset dementia over a 45-month period.

High prevalence of latent tuberculosis and bloodborne virus infection in a homeless population.

Introduction: Urban homeless populations in the UK have been shown to have high rates of active tuberculosis, but less is known about the prevalence of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of LTBI among individuals using homeless hostels in London.

Methods: We performed a cross-sectional survey with outcome follow-up in homeless hostels in London.

Structural and mechanistic insights into the bifunctional enzyme isocitrate dehydrogenase kinase/phosphatase AceK.

The switch between the Krebs cycle and the glyoxylate bypass is controlled by isocitrate dehydrogenase kinase/phosphatase (AceK). AceK, a bifunctional enzyme, phosphorylates and dephosphorylates isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) with its unique active site that harbours both the kinase and ATP/ADP-dependent phosphatase activities. AceK was the first example of prokaryotic phosphorylation identified, and the recent characterization of the structures of AceK and its complex with its protein substrate, IDH, now offers a new understanding of both previous and future endeavours.

Structural basis of the substrate specificity of bifunctional isocitrate dehydrogenase kinase/phosphatase.

Isocitrate dehydrogenase kinase/phosphatase (AceK) regulates entry into the glyoxylate bypass by reversibly phosphorylating isocitrate dehydrogenase (ICDH). On the basis of the recently determined structure of the AceK-ICDH complex from Escherichia coli, we have classified the structures of homodimeric NADP(+)-ICDHs to rationalize and predict which organisms likely contain substrates for AceK. One example is Burkholderia pseudomallei (Bp).

Actin polymerization is controlled by residue size at position 204.

Previous work has shown that purified double mutant A204C/C374A yeast actin is polymerization-deficient in vitro under physiological concentrations. To understand the importance of the 204 residue in subdomain 4, a series of actin proteins with a single mutation at this position were created with Cys-374 retained. Only yeast expressing A204G-, A204S-, or A204C-actin were viable.

Evaluating knowledge gain from TB leaflets for prison and homeless sector staff: the National Knowledge Service TB pilot.

Background: The National Knowledge Service (NKS) is a National Health Service initiative to make patient and public information available to patients and healthcare professionals. The current study was carried out with a view to determine whether the resources developed by the NKS Tuberculosis Pilot have improved knowledge about tuberculosis among the target group in the short term.

Methods: Information resources specifically targeted and developed for homeless sector staff, managers and prison officials were used for this study.

Nurses and technology: an international survey.

This paper reports the results of a survey to investigate nurses' comfort with, and concerns regarding, the electromedical and computer equipment they use in their daily practice. Hospitals were surveyed in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Singapore, and South Africa. Fourteen hospitals participated and a total of 933 responses were received.

Overexpression of cardiac actin with baculovirus is promoter dependent.

The influence of the promoter and an N-terminal hexahistidine tag on human cardiac actin (ACTC) expression and function was investigated using four baculovirus constructs. It was found that both non-tagged ACTC and hisACTC expression from the p10 promoter was higher than from the polh promoter. Characterization showed that an N-terminal hexahistidine tag has a negative effect on ACTC.

Stealth and mimicry by deadly bacterial toxins.

Diphtheria toxin and exotoxin A are well-characterized members of the ADP-ribosyltransferase toxin family that function as virulence factors in the pathogenic bacteria Corynebacterium diphtheriae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Recent high-resolution structural data of the Michaelis (enzyme-substrate) complex of the P. aeruginosa toxin with an NAD(+) analog and eukaryotic elongation factor 2 (eEF2) have provided insights into the mechanism of inactivation of protein synthesis caused by these protein factors.

Exotoxin A-eEF2 complex structure indicates ADP ribosylation by ribosome mimicry.

The bacteria causing diphtheria, whooping cough, cholera and other diseases secrete mono-ADP-ribosylating toxins that modify intracellular proteins. Here, we describe four structures of a catalytically active complex between a fragment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin A (ETA) and its protein substrate, translation elongation factor 2 (eEF2). The target residue in eEF2, diphthamide (a modified histidine), spans across a cleft and faces the two phosphates and a ribose of the non-hydrolysable NAD+ analogue, betaTAD.