Publications by authors named "Craig Smith"

Background: Surgery remains an important treatment for low-risk patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis (AS). We evaluated 5-year outcomes in low-risk patients undergoing isolated surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) or SAVR with concomitant procedures within the randomized PARTNER 3 trial.

Methods: In the PARTNER 3 trial, 454 patients underwent surgery for severe, symptomatic, tri-leaflet AS and were followed for 5 years.

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A prenatal low-protein (LP) diet disrupts glucose homeostasis in adult offspring. Skeletal muscles are one of the main sites of glucose clearance, and mitochondria residing in the muscle fibers are central to glucose homeostasis. Our previous studies indicated that impaired mitochondrial health is central to dysregulated glucose metabolism in the gastrocnemius muscle of the LP-programmed female rats.

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The relaxin-family peptide 3 receptor (RXFP3) and its native ligand, relaxin-3, are expressed in specific populations of brain neurons, and research on this system has focussed on its role in the central nervous system. However, some studies have indicated that relaxin-3 and RXFP3 are also expressed in peripheral organs, including the gut. In this study, we characterised the identity of RXFP3-expressing cells in the gastrointestinal tract, using RXFP3-Cre/tdTomato reporter mice.

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  • Systemic complications after both ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes are frequent and significantly affect patient recovery, yet they are not well-studied in current research.
  • This scientific statement aims to clarify these complications, review existing literature, and fill knowledge gaps while offering practical care suggestions.
  • It emphasizes the need for better teamwork in healthcare settings and advocates for more research on preventing and managing these complications to enhance recovery for stroke survivors.
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  • This study focused on understanding how common diagnostic uncertainty is when critically ill children are admitted to Pediatric Intensive Care Units (PICUs) and what factors contribute to it.
  • Researchers reviewed medical records from 882 pediatric patients across four hospitals to assess the presence of diagnostic uncertainty at admission and how it changed by the time of discharge.
  • Key findings indicated that 25.9% of patients showed diagnostic uncertainty upon PICU admission, with significant factors being the time of admission, illness severity, atypical symptoms, and discrepancies in diagnoses between different healthcare providers.
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  • Anthropogenic debris has been found in Antarctica for over 40 years, breaking down into microdebris that can reach the seafloor and be ingested by marine species.
  • Research analyzed benthic specimens from 1986 to 2016, discovering microdebris in the gut content of 13 out of 15 species studied, with particularly high ingestion rates in sea cucumbers and brittle stars.
  • The study identifies the first occurrence of microplastics in Southern Ocean deep-sea invertebrates, raising concerns about pollution even in remote, isolated regions like Antarctica.
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  • Stroke-associated pneumonia (SAP) is a common and serious complication after a stroke, leading to high mortality rates, prompting the need for effective diagnosis and treatment strategies.
  • This study analyzed the National Early Warning Score (NEWS 2) and its components in 389 SAP patients to determine their relationship with time-to-mortality before starting antibiotics, revealing significant associations with respiratory rate and overall NEWS 2 score.
  • Findings indicated that a higher respiratory rate and total NEWS 2 score are linked to increased mortality risk, suggesting the need for further research to improve treatment outcomes for SAP patients.
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  • In July 2017, a black flying fox was found with neurological issues, leading to the discovery of a new hantavirus called Robina virus (ROBV) in its brain.
  • Research indicated that ROBV is closely related to Quezon virus, which was found in a different type of bat in the Philippines.
  • From March 2018 to October 2023, 495 bats were tested for ROBV, revealing a 4.2% prevalence, with increased detections in 2019-2020 suggesting a possible epidemic and demonstrating seasonal effects on virus spread.
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Background: Increasing incidence of head and neck cancers (HNCs), driven by rising rates of oropharynx cancer (OPC), has been recorded around the world. This study examined trends in HNC and subsites (oral cavity, oropharynx, and larynx cancers) in Scotland focusing on assessing whether the sociodemographic profile has changed over the past 20 years.

Methods: Scottish Cancer Registry data (2001-2020) including European Age Standardised Rates of HNC and subsites were analysed in multivariate Poisson regression by age, sex, area-based socioeconomic status, and year of diagnosis (with interaction tests).

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Reproducible and standardised neurological assessment scales are important in quantifying research outcomes. These scales are often performed by non-neurologists and/or non-clinicians and must be robust, quantifiable, reproducible and comparable to a neurologist's assessment. COVID-CNS is a multi-centre study which utilised the Neurological Impairment Scale (NIS) as a core assessment tool in studying neurological outcomes following COVID-19 infection.

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Background: Fatigue is a common complication of stroke that has a significant impact on quality of life. The biological mechanisms that underly post-stroke fatigue are currently unclear, however, reactivation of latent viruses and their impact on systemic immune function have been increasingly reported in other conditions where fatigue is a predominant symptom. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in particular has been associated with fatigue, including in long-COVID and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome, but has not yet been explored within the context of stroke.

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The MHLC-C is a condition-specific instrument measuring the internal and external loci of control beliefs, adaptable to various health conditions. Translated into Swedish and Chinese, this study aims to translate the MHLC-C into German using the FACID-Method. The English version is validated and reliable; the German version requires these validation steps.

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Recent investigation of a constitutively active ADAMTS13 variant (caADAMTS13) in murine models of acute ischaemic stroke (AIS) have revealed a potential anti-inflammatory mechanism of action contributing to its protective effect. However, it remains unclear whether these observations are a direct result of VWF proteolysis by caADAMTS13. We have implemented state of the art in vitro assays of neutrophil rolling and transmigration to quantify the impact of caADAMTS13 on these processes.

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Patients with asthma experience elevated rates of mental illness. However, the molecular links underlying such lung-brain crosstalk remain ambiguous. Hypothalamic dysfunction is observed in many psychiatric disorders, particularly those with an inflammatory component due to many hypothalamic regions being unprotected by the blood-brain barrier.

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Background: Although adverse technical events during aortic root replacement (ARR) are not uncommon and are extremely challenging, there is scant literature to help surgeons prepare for such situations. We describe our experience of outstanding technical events during ARR.

Methods: This is a retrospective study of 830 consecutive ARRs at a single center from 2012 to 2022.

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Objective: While several studies have examined the effectiveness of librarian interactions with clinicians and impact of librarians on patient care, no studies have explored a library's effects on population care. The goal of this study was to investigate the library's impact on both patient and population care.

Methods: Using a sequential exploratory mixed-methods design, we first interviewed a small set of clinicians and researchers active in patient and population care.

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Background: Head and neck cancer (HNC) incidence is on the rise, often diagnosed at late stage and associated with poor prognoses. Risk prediction tools have a potential role in prevention and early detection.

Methods: The IARC-ARCAGE European case-control study was used as the model development dataset.

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Background: Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) has analgesic/anti-inflammatory properties that may be a suitable alternative to over-the-counter (OTC) non-steroidal analgesics/anti-inflammatories. While OTC pain medications can impair strength training adaptations, the mechanism of action of PEA is distinct from these and it may not negatively affect skeletal muscle adaptations to strength training.

Methods: The primary aim of this study was to investigate the effects of daily PEA supplementation (350 mg Levagen + equivalent to 300 mg PEA) combined with 8-weeks of resistance training on lean body mass with secondary aims addressing strength, power, sleep, and wellbeing compared to placebo (PLA) in young, healthy, active adults.

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Prolonged bed rest impairs standing balance but the underlying mechanisms are uncertain. Previous research suggests strength loss is not the cause, leaving impaired sensorimotor control as an alternative. Here we examine vestibular control of posture in 18 male volunteers before and after 60 days of bed rest.

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