Standardising lipid testing and reporting in the United Kingdom; a joint statement by HEART UK and The Association for Laboratory Medicine.

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease remains a major cause of premature death in the UK. Lipid testing is a key tool used to assess cardiovascular risk and guide clinical management decisions. There are currently no national guidelines to provide evidence-based recommendations on lipid testing and reporting for UK laboratories and clinicians.

Quantification of L-lactic acid in human plasma samples using Ni-based electrodes and machine learning approach.

This work presents a robust strategy for quantifying overlapping electrochemical signatures originating from complex mixtures and real human plasma samples using nickel-based electrochemical sensors and machine learning (ML). This strategy enables the detection of a panel of analytes without being limited by the selectivity of the transducer material and leaving accommodation of interference analysis to ML models. Here, we fabricated a non-enzymatic electrochemical sensor for L-lactic acid detection in complex mixtures and human plasma samples using nickel oxide (NiO) nanoparticle-modified glassy carbon electrodes (GCE).

Comparison of Clinical and Patient Reported Outcomes in One-Sided Cruciate-Retaining Versus Other-Sided Posterior Stabilizing Protheses in Bilateral Simultaneous Total Knee Arthroplasty.

Introduction: Cruciate retaining and posterior stabilizing knee systems are frequently used in total knee replacements. Most researchers compare the results of Cruciate Retaining (CR) and Posterior Stabilizing (PS) knees with those of a control group. The results of using both knee systems in a single patient in simultaneous Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) have been studied less.

Moiré Exciton Polaron Engineering via twisted hBN.

Twisted hexagonal boron nitride (thBN) exhibits ferroelectricity due to moiré superlattices with AB/BA domains. These domains possess electric dipoles, leading to a periodic electrostatic potential that can be imprinted onto other materials placed in its proximity. Here we demonstrate the remote imprinting of moiré patterns from thBN onto monolayer MoSe and investigate the changes in the exciton properties.

Long COVID and financial hardship: A disaggregated analysis at income and education levels.

Objectives: To examine how long COVID is associated with financial hardship (food insecurity, inability to pay bills, or threat of losing service) across income and education levels, and to assess the role of employment loss or reduced work hours in this hardship.

Data Source And Study Setting: We used nationally representative data on 271,076 adults from the 2022 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS).

Study Design: We used multivariable binomial logistic regression models to estimate the average marginal effect of long COVID on financial hardships across multiple income and education groups.

Coassembly of Cell-Penetrating Peptide Octaarginine with Acetazolamide: Emergent Interactions with .

The investigation of established pharmaceutical agents for recalibrating usage strongly supplements new drug development. In this work, we have prepared coassembled complexes of acetazolamide (AZM) with the cationic peptide octaarginine (R8) in an attempt to enhance its potency and scope of use. R8 and AZM in different weight ratios coassemble into remarkable nano- and microstructures such as ribbons, sheets, and stick-like structures.

Association between child marriage and high blood glucose level in women: A birth cohort analysis.

Objectives: Child marriage prematurely forces girls (<18 years of age) to perform adult roles prior to physical and psychological maturity. Such precocious transitions to young adulthood can have consequences on their long-term health, however, limited work has examined such relationships to date. As such, this study examines whether child marriage is associated with the risk of having hyperglycemia, or high blood glucose, in adulthood.

A Survival Analysis of Rural-Urban Disparities in COVID-19 Vaccination Uptake in the United States.

Purpose: Though urban-rural disparities in COVID-19 vaccination coverage was documented at a point of time, little is known on the evolution of vaccination uptake over time. This study, using individual level time-to-event data, intend to assess the differences in monthly progression of vaccination uptake among U.S.

Health-Seeking Behavior and Economic Burden of Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a major public health concern, affecting millions worldwide and placing a significant burden. This study aimed to assess the health-seeking behaviors and the economic burden of T2DM patients in Jaipur, Rajasthan. Methodology This cross-sectional observational study was conducted from January 2019 to June 2020 at the Community Health Centre (CHC) in Jaipur, India.

Relationship between social support, life satisfaction, and smoking status among US adults with cardiovascular risks.

Social support and life satisfaction are important determinants of health behaviors and health outcomes. Cigarette smoking, a health risk behavior that increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases, is deemed to have association with perceived social support and life satisfaction. This study assessed this relationship among US adults with one or more cardiovascular (CV) risks, namely, hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, and obesity.

Tunable Coassembly of Octaarginine with Thiazolyl Benzenesulfonamides Exerts Variable Antibacterial Activity.

The cationic peptide octaarginine (R8) is a prominent cell-penetrating peptide and has been extensively researched as a carrier of diverse cell-destined cargo. In this work, we describe the coassembly of R8 with small molecule thiazolyl benzenesulfonamide (TBS) derivatives. Physical complexation of R8 with three TBS derivatives across a range of weight ratios results in the formation of a distinctive set of nano- and microstructures.

Spousal age difference and risk of hypertension in women: evidence from India.

There has been steady progress in documenting the psychosocial risk factors of hypertension. However, most of the extant evidence is based on population from the developed countries. Using nationally representative data from India, this cross-sectional study explores whether spousal age gap is associated with risk of hypertension in married women aged 20 to 49 years.

Role of Child Marriage and Adolescent Childbearing on Hysterectomy Among Married Women in India: A Cross-Sectional and Time-to-Event Analysis.

Objective: Child marriage forces a girl into adult roles before physical and psychological maturity, which can take a toll on women's health over the life course. This article aims to assess whether child marriage and adolescent childbearing are associated with elevated risk of gynaecologic disorders leading to hysterectomy.

Design: Cross-sectional and time-to-event analysis.

Medical financial hardship in the Southern United States: the struggle continues across generations pre- and post- the Affordable Care Act.

Introduction: Medical financial hardship in the United States is a growing public health concern. This study aims to assess the south vs. non-south disparities in medical financial hardship among US adults of different generations - Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964), Generation X (born between 1965 and 1980), and the Millennials (born between 1981 and 1996) across periods pre- and post- Affordable Care Act (ACA).

Hysterectomy and medical financial hardship among U.S. women.

Objective: Hysterectomy is one of the common surgical procedures for women in the United States. Studies show that hysterectomy is associated with elevated risk of developing chronic conditions, whichmay cause financial toxicity in patients. This study aimed to assess whether women who underwent hysterectomy had a higher risk of experiencing medical financial hardship compared to women who didn't.

Association Between Obesity and Risk of Total and Obesity-Related Cancer in People With Incident Cardiovascular Disease.

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer frequently co-occur due to shared risk factors such as obesity, which is linked to CVD and 14 cancer types. This study explores whether CVD pathophysiologies, combined with obesity, increase cancer risk, impacting clinical management.

Methods And Results: Data from the ARIC (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities) study, spanning 28 years, were analyzed.

G-quadruplexes in long non-coding RNAs and their interactions with proteins.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as crucial regulators of cellular processes, with their dysregulation linked to various disease states. Among the structural motifs in lncRNAs, RNA G-quadruplexes (rG4s) have gained increasing attention due to their diverse roles in cellular function and disease pathogenesis. This review provides an updated and comprehensive overview of rG4s in lncRNAs, elucidating their formation, interaction with proteins, and distinctive roles in cellular processes.

Health disparity at the intersection of religion and caste: Evidence from India.

Objective: The provisions and recognition of Schedule Castes (SCs), the constitutional term for the Dalits in India, have been exclusively extended to Hindus, Buddhists, and Sikhs (HBS). Omission of Dalit Muslims and Christians (MC) from the SC category stripped them of the affirmative action benefits tied with the SC status. This study aimed to explore how such differential treatment might play a role in differential health outcomes in Dalit women in India.

Ligand-selective turn-off sensing, harvesting and post-adsorptive use of Dy(III) and Yb(III) by intrinsically fluorescent flower-shaped Gum Acacia-grafted hydrogels.

Rare earth metals (REMs), such as Dysprosium (Dy) and Ytterbium (Yb), have experienced unprecedented demand in recent times due to their applications in high-end technologies. REMs are found only in select geographic locations placing tremendous economic constraints on their use. In this work, we have developed Gum Acacia-grafted hydrogels (GmAc-FluoroTerPs) that are capable of selective detection and capture of Dy and Yb.

Long COVID and the Higher Risk of Food Insecurity Among Participants and Nonparticipants of Food Assistance Programs in the United States.

Background: In the aftermath of the COVID-19 public health emergency, it is important to understand the extent of socioeconomic burdens of long COVID, defined as continuation of symptoms after initial infection, including food insecurity.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the association between long COVID and family food insecurity among low-income individuals (or any of their family members living with them) who were participants and nonparticipants in public food assistance programs (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program [SNAP], Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children [WIC], and National School Lunch Program [NSLP]) in the United States.

Design: The study used an observational cross-sectional design.

Religious minority status and risk of hypertension in women: Evidence from Bangladesh.

Discrimination based on religion and communal violence against religious minorities have been on the rise worldwide. Despite growing incidences of violence against religious minorities, little is known on the relationship between minority status and population health outcomes in the low-and-middle income countries (LMICs). This study intends to fill this gap by assessing the prevalence of hypertension among religious minority women in Bangladesh, a South Asian country with high levels of social hostilities involving religion.

Scrutinizing different predictive modeling validation methodologies and data-partitioning strategies: new insights using groundwater modeling case study.

Groundwater salinity is a critical factor affecting water quality and ecosystem health, with implications for various sectors including agriculture, industry, and public health. Hence, the reliability and accuracy of groundwater salinity predictive models are paramount for effective decision-making in managing groundwater resources. This pioneering study presents the validation of a predictive model aimed at forecasting groundwater salinity levels using three different validation methods and various data partitioning strategies.

Vision-aided grasp classification: design and evaluation of compact CNN for prosthetic hands.

Powered prosthetic hands capable of executing various grasp patterns are highly sought-after solutions for upper limb amputees. A crucial requirement for such prosthetic hands is the accurate identification of the intended grasp pattern and subsequent activation of the prosthetic digits accordingly. Vision-based grasp classification techniques offer improved coordination between amputees and prosthetic hands without physical contact.

Direct Writing of Room Temperature Polariton Condensate Lattice.

Realizing lattices of exciton polariton condensates has been of much interest owing to the potential of such systems to realize analogue Hamiltonian simulators and physical computing architectures. Here, we report the realization of a room temperature polariton condensate lattice using a direct-write approach. Polariton condensation is achieved in a microcavity embedded with host-guest Frenkel excitons of an organic dye (rhodamine) in a small-molecule ionic isolation lattice (SMILES).