Publications by authors named "Kelly F"

Introduction: Telemedicine, propelled by recent technological advancements, has transformed healthcare delivery, notably benefiting patients with chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as systemic arterial hypertension and diabetes mellitus. This meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials aimed to assess the efficacy of telehealth-based interventions on disease control rates and clinical parameters among NCD patients, including systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP), fasting blood glucose (FBG), and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels.

Methods: We conducted searches in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Database for interventional studies that compared tele-monitoring with usual care in patients with hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus.

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The impact and severity of natural disasters and hazards have been increasing in the United States and throughout the world. With our mounting reliance and dependence on technology in our industrialized society, technological disasters also have become more commonplace. Although disasters may occur with little to no warning, these risks are felt to be acceptable despite their ability to impact large populations.

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  • Schizophrenia is a severe mental illness with high mortality rates, and Xanomeline combined with Trospium has shown promise in clinical trials as a treatment option.
  • A meta-analysis of 3 randomized controlled trials involving 674 patients revealed that XTC significantly improved schizophrenia symptoms measured by the PANSS total score, although it also led to nausea and other cholinergic side effects.
  • While XTC effectively reduces symptoms of schizophrenia, the associated adverse effects may affect patient compliance and overall treatment tolerability.
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Although the relative bioavailability (RBA) can be applied to assess the effects of Pb on human health, there is no definition and no specific data of Pb-RBA to different soil sources and endpoints in vivo. In this study, we estimated the Pb-RBA from different soil sources and endpoints based on machine learning. The Pb-BAc and Pb-RBA in soils were found to be mostly in the range of 20-80 %, which is different from the USEPA Pb-RBA of 60 % in soils.

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Introduction: Medication-related problems remain a significant burden despite the availability of various interventions and services in primary care. Involving health care consumers to design interventions or services across health disciplines is becoming more widely used as this type of engagement reportedly leads to more accessible, acceptable and sustainable health services and quality of life. We conducted a scoping review to examine when and how consumers have been involved in the design and development of medication safety interventions or services within the primary care.

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Background: Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), affects approximately 18.6 million individuals worldwide and poses a significant healthcare related challenge. Despite the established efficacy of both high-intensity statin monotherapy (HIS) and moderate-intensity statin plus ezetimibe (MIS+EZT) in ASCVD management, the optimal treatment strategy remains unclear.

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Background: Patients with Down syndrome (DS) have a unique genetic and clinical profile that may increase the risk of cancer.

Methods: A literature search on PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and the Cochrane databases was conducted, focusing on studies to investigate the prevalence of solid and hematologic tumors in DS.

Results: Fifteen studies were included, encompassing 62,121 individuals with Down syndrome (DS).

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Immunotherapy treatments that target programmed cell death receptor-1 (PD-1) or its ligand (PD-L1) have revolutionized the treatment of metastatic melanoma and currently represent the standard first-line treatment for this type of cancer. However, it is still not entirely clear which biomarkers are cost-effective, simple, and highly reliable. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to analyze the predictive value of the baseline neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) regarding disease progression and overall survival of patients with metastatic melanoma undergoing treatment with PD-1/PD-L1 blockade.

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  • The oxidative potential (OP) of airborne particulate matter (PM) is important for assessing health risks, but traditional methods of measuring OP have slow time resolution and may miss reactive components.
  • A new instrument has been developed that allows for continuous, high-resolution (5-minute intervals) measurement of OP, providing more accurate data compared to traditional filter-based techniques.
  • Conducted at the Marylebone Road Air Quality Monitoring Station in London, the study showed that high-resolution OP data reveals real-time changes influenced by factors like wind conditions and various PM sources, enhancing our understanding of PM's health implications.
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Background: Degarelix is a third-generation GnRH receptor antagonist approved for the treatment of prostate cancer, however, the decision to use a GnRH agonist or an antagonist depends on several factors. We aimed to perform a meta-analysis comparing the cardiovascular disease risk between degarelix and gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists in patients with all stages of prostate cancer.

Methods: Databases were searched for randomized control trials (RCTs) and observational studies that compared the risk of cardiovascular disease between degarelix and GnRH agonists in patients with prostate cancer.

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  • Resistant arterial hypertension (RAH) is a significant global health issue linked to increased cardiovascular risk, and the effectiveness of ultrasound renal denervation (uRDN) as a treatment is not fully understood.
  • This study analyzed data from five trials involving 709 patients to evaluate the impact of uRDN on reducing both systolic and diastolic blood pressure in those with RAH.
  • Results indicated that uRDN significantly lowered office blood pressure levels compared to sham treatments, though more research is necessary to fully assess its efficacy in managing RAH.
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Background: Few tools exist for the early identification of patients at risk for chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD). We previously showed hyaluronan (HA), a matrix molecule that regulates lung inflammation and fibrosis, accumulates in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and blood in CLAD. We aimed to determine if early posttransplant HA elevations inform CLAD risk.

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  • Despite national efforts to highlight the importance of capnography for confirming tracheal intubation, deaths from unrecognized esophageal intubation persist, prompting the adoption of a two-person verbal check during the intubation process.
  • In a study across two hospitals, one implemented a one-step check and the other a two-step check, collecting feedback from anaesthetists and assistants via anonymous questionnaires throughout the process.
  • The majority of participants felt that the two-person checks enhanced communication and teamwork, with high support for continued use; 82% of intubators and 94% of assistants intended to use this method for future intubations.
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Introduction:  The question of whether assisted reproductive technologies (ART) and ovulation induction are related to a higher incidence of ovarian tumors (OTs) is still controversial in the literature.

Methods: We performed a comprehensive search of PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases for case-control and cohort studies that investigated ART and ovulation induction exposure as risk factors for OT in infertile women. Odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were employed for all endpoints.

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  • Renal denervation (RDN) is a potential treatment for resistant hypertension, but initial trials showed no significant difference in blood pressure reduction compared to a SHAM procedure.
  • A meta-analysis of nine studies with 1622 patients evaluated the effectiveness of RDN, focusing on different blood pressure measurements.
  • Results indicated significant reductions in 24-hour ambulatory and daytime systolic blood pressure with RDN, while office and night-time systolic pressures showed mixed results.
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  • Fluoropyrimidines are chemotherapy drugs that rely on the DPD enzyme for metabolism, and genetic mutations in the DPYD gene can lead to DPD deficiency, increasing toxicity risk in patients.
  • A meta-analysis of 36 studies with over 16,000 patients focused on identifying significant DPYD gene variants linked to severe toxicity from fluoropyrimidine treatment, particularly in patients with colorectal cancer.
  • The study highlighted four DPYD variants—DPYD*2A, DPYD p.D949V, DPYD*13, and DPYD Hap23—as predictors of severe toxicity, indicating a need for genetic screening to improve patient safety.
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  • Metformin is the primary medication for treating insulin resistance in PCOS and has been extensively researched, while inositols have recently gained attention but lack strong evidence.
  • A study analyzed 6 randomized control trials involving 388 women with PCOS to compare the effects of combined metformin and inositols against metformin alone.
  • Results showed that the combination therapy improved menstrual cycle regularity and reduced certain hormone ratios, but no significant differences were found in acne, body weight, blood sugar, or insulin resistance measures; more research is needed on inositol's effectiveness.
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Background: Renal denervation (RDN) is an innovative procedure designed to regulate the renal sympathetic nervous system for the control of arterial hypertension (HTN). RDN has emerged as an alternative for patients with resistant HTN. However, the clinical efficacy of RDN remains incompletely elucidated.

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Background: There is increasing evidence that air pollution and noise may have detrimental psychological impacts, but there are few studies evaluating adolescents, ground-level ozone exposure, multi-exposure models, or metrics beyond outdoor residential exposure. This study aimed to address these gaps.

Methods: Annual air pollution and traffic noise exposure at home and school were modelled for adolescents in the Greater London SCAMP cohort (N=7555).

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Protein synthesis and subsequent delivery to the target locations in cells are essential for their proper functions. Methods to label and distinguish newly synthesized proteins from existing ones are critical to assess their differential properties, but such methods are lacking. We describe the first chemical genetics-based approach for selective labeling of existing and newly synthesized proteins that we termed as -SLENP.

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  • Universal use of Storz C-MAC® videolaryngoscopes for adult tracheal intubations was adopted at Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust in 2017, covering various medical settings, and data was collected from 1,099 procedures between March 2020 and March 2022.
  • The overall intubation success rate was 100%, with a first-pass success rate of 87.3%, varying by device type and user experience, and 87% of attempts resulted in no complications, particularly high in operating theatres and the emergency department.
  • Complications were rare, occurring in only 0.6% of cases, primarily outside theatres and during rapid sequence induction, highlighting the impact of
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Background: Exposure to air pollution has been associated with increased risks of cardiopulmonary diseases, cancer, and mortality, whereas residing near green spaces may reduce the risks. However, limited research explores their combined effect on oxidative stress.

Methods: A total of 251 participants with multi-time measurements were included in the longitudinal-designed study.

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Background/aims: The safety profile of programmed cell death 1 (PD-1)/programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibitors when associated with chemotherapy for the treatment of patients with extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer is still not fully unraveled.

Methods: We performed a comprehensive searrch of the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases for randomized controlled trials that investigated the addition of PD-1 or PD-L1 inhibitors to standard investigator choice chemotherapy. We used risk -ratios (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for all endpoints.

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  • The study investigates the effectiveness of high-dose versus low-dose oxytocin for enhancing labor in women experiencing delayed progress.
  • A meta-analysis of 21 studies, including 18 randomized controlled trials with over 14,000 patients, found no significant differences in key outcomes like cesarean rates or neonatal mortality between the doses.
  • High-dose oxytocin was linked to a significantly higher incidence of uterine tachysystole, indicating that a low-dose regimen may be safer and equally effective for labor augmentation.
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