Psychological distress over 12 months post-diagnosis in an early inflammatory arthritis cohort.

Objectives: People with inflammatory arthritis (IA) experience worsened mental wellbeing alongside disease progression. Using the National Early Inflammatory Arthritis Audit (NEIAA), we assessed trends in psychological distress during 12-months following IA diagnosis, mapping these against clinical outcomes to identify associations.

Methods: This is a prospective study of people recruited to NEIAA receiving an IA diagnosis and completing the baseline patient survey.

Mental health, quality of life and self-management behaviours: online evaluation of inflammatory arthritis patients over 1 year of COVID-19 lockdowns.

Objective: Patients with inflammatory arthritis were especially vulnerable to the psychosocial and health impacts of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the lockdowns. This study investigated the impact of these changes on mental health, physical health and quality of life for inflammatory arthritis patients over 1 year following the initial lockdown in the UK.

Methods: Three hundred and thirty-eight participants with inflammatory arthritis completed an ambidirectional study consisting of online questionnaires at four time points for 1 year.

Ongoing shielding behavior one year post COVID-19: results from a longitudinal study of patients with inflammatory arthritis.

Many patients with inflammatory arthritis (IA) were instructed to shield during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the ending of lockdowns and vaccination, large proportions of IA patients were continuing to shield when it is no longer needed. Given the detrimental effects of shielding on mental and physical health, understanding the rates and reasons for shielding is needed to help clinicians advise patients accordingly.

Canagliflozin, Blood Pressure Variability, and Risk of Cardiovascular, Kidney, and Mortality Outcomes: Pooled Individual Participant Data From the CANVAS and CREDENCE Trials.

Background Sodium glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors reduce systolic blood pressure (SBP), but whether they affect SBP variability is unknown. There also remains uncertainty regarding the prognostic value of SBP variability for different clinical outcomes. Methods and Results Using individual participant data from the CANVAS (Canagliflozin Cardiovascular Assessment Study) Program and CREDENCE (Canagliflozin and Renal Events in Diabetes with Established Nephropathy Clinical Evaluation) trial, we assessed the effect of canagliflozin on SBP variability in people with type 2 diabetes across 4 study visits over 1.

Longitudinal trends of peripheral blood counts in polycythaemia vera and essential thrombocythemia patients in the UK.

There is sparse evidence of how well haematological targets are met in practice for essential thrombocythemia (ET) and polycythaemia vera (PV) patients. Patient data was collected between 2008 and 2020 from two UK NHS Trusts for ET and PV patients. Longitudinal changes in peripheral blood counts, including the proportion of patients meeting peripheral blood count remission, was modelled.

The impact of consecutive COVID-19 lockdowns in England on mental wellbeing in people with inflammatory arthritis.

Background: During the first UK COVID-19 lockdown, studies identified over half of inflammatory arthritis (IA) patients in the UK reported a worsening of emotional distress. Given the prolonged nature of the pandemic, and the strict 'shielding' restrictions imposed on 'extremely clinically vulnerable' populations, it is likely that the implementation of the second lockdown period in England, during November 2020, may also have had a negative impact on the mental health of IA patients. The aim of this study was to qualitatively explore the impact of consecutive lockdown periods on mental wellbeing in people with IA.

High coherence and low cross-talk in a tileable 3D integrated superconducting circuit architecture.

We report high qubit coherence as well as low cross-talk and single-qubit gate errors in a superconducting circuit architecture that promises to be tileable to two-dimensional (2D) lattices of qubits. The architecture integrates an inductively shunted cavity enclosure into a design featuring nongalvanic out-of-plane control wiring and qubits and resonators fabricated on opposing sides of a substrate. The proof-of-principle device features four uncoupled transmon qubits and exhibits average energy relaxation times = 149(38) μs, pure echoed dephasing times = 189(34) μs, and single-qubit gate fidelities = 99.

The impact of COVID-19 on clinical care, self-management and mental health of patients with inflammatory arthritis.

Objectives: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdown and ongoing restrictions in the UK affected access to clinical care, self-management and mental health for many patients with inflammatory arthritis. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of lockdown on inflammatory arthritis clinical care, self-management, disease outcomes and mental health.

Methods: In total, 338 people with inflammatory arthritis participated in a prospective study, completing a series of online questionnaires.

The impact of COVID-19 on self-management behaviours and healthcare access for people with inflammatory arthritis.

Background: Inflammatory arthritis (IA) patients have been identified as at greater risk of severe illness from COVID-19. It is likely that lockdown restrictions (enforced by the UK government in response to the COVID-19 pandemic) and subsequent changes made to healthcare provision could impact patients' abilities to effectively manage their condition. The aim of this study was to qualitatively explore the impact of COVID-19 on self-management behaviours and healthcare access for people with IA.

Summarizing current refractory disease definitions in rheumatoid arthritis and polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis: systematic review.

Objectives: To identify how refractory disease (or relevant terminology variations) in RA and polyarticular JIA (polyJIA) is defined and establish the key components of such definitions.

Methods: Searches were undertaken of English-language articles within six medical databases, including manual searching, from January 1998 to March 2020 (PROSPERO: CRD42019127142). Articles were included if they incorporated a definition of refractory disease, or non-response, in RA/polyJIA, with clear components to the description.

Upconversion detection of 1.25 Gb/s mid-infrared telecommunications using a silicon avalanche photodiode.

With an ever-increasing interest in secure and reliable free-space optical communication, upconversion detectors enabled through nonlinear optical processes are an attractive route to transmitting data as a mid-infrared signal. This spectral region is known to have a higher transmissivity through the atmosphere. In this work, we present an upconversion scheme for detection in the silicon absorption band using magnesium-oxide doped periodically poled lithium niobate to generate 21 mW of a 3.

Ge on Si waveguide mid-infrared absorption spectroscopy of proteins and their aggregates.

Specific proteins and their aggregates form toxic amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brains of people suffering from neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. It is important to study these conformational changes to identify and differentiate these diseases at an early stage so that timely medication is provided to patients. Mid-infrared spectroscopy can be used to monitor these changes by studying the line-shapes and the relative absorbances of amide bands present in proteins.

CW demonstration of SHG spectral narrowing in a PPLN waveguide generating 2.5 W at 780 nm.

Periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) waveguides are a proven and popular means for efficient wavelength conversion. However, conventional PPLN waveguides typically have small mode field diameters (MFD) (≲6 µm) or significant insertion and/or propagation losses, limiting their ability to operate at multi-watt power levels. In this work we utilise zinc indiffused PPLN ridge waveguides that have a larger MFD, favourable pump/SHG modal overlap, and low insertion losses.

Use of rheumatoid arthritis impact of disease (RAID) in routine care; identification of DAS28 remission and unmet patient-reported outcomes.

Objective: The aim was to assess how the patient-reported outcome RA impact of disease (RAID) relates to DAS28 categories in routine care, its utility in identifying patients in DAS28 remission (RDAS) or low disease activity (LDAS) and the burden of unmet patient-reported needs in those achieving RDAS/LDAS.

Methods: DAS28 and RAID scores were collected from patients with established RA attending for routine review. The relationship between RAID and DAS28 was assessed with univariate pairwise correlation and mixed-effects linear regression analyses.

Zinc-indiffused MgO:PPLN waveguides for blue/UV generation via VECSEL pumping.

We present the design and characterization of a zinc-indiffused periodically poled lithium-niobate ridge waveguide for second-harmonic generation of ∼390 light from 780 nm. We use a newly developed, broadband near-infrared vertical external-cavity surface-emitting laser (VECSEL) to investigate the potential for lower-footprint nonlinear optical pump sources as an alternative to larger commercial laser systems. We demonstrate a VECSEL with an output power of 500 mW, containing an intracavity birefringent filter for spectral narrowing and wavelength selection.

Secular changes in the progression of clinical markers and patient-reported outcomes in early rheumatoid arthritis.

Objectives: To examine secular trends in the progression of clinical and patient-reported outcomes in early RA.

Methods: A total of 2701 patients recruited to the Early Rheumatoid Arthritis Study or Early Rheumatoid Arthritis Network with year of diagnosis from 1986 to 2011. The 5-year progression rates for patients diagnosed at different points in time were modelled using mixed-effects regression; 1990, 2002 and 2010, were compared.

Remission vs low disease activity: function, quality of life and structural outcomes in the Early Rheumatoid Arthritis Study and Network.

Objectives: To examine associations between function, quality of life and structural outcomes in patients achieving remission vs low disease activity in early RA.

Methods: Demographic, clinical and radiographic variables were collected at baseline and then annually from the Early Rheumatoid Arthritis Study (ERAS) and Early Rheumatoid Arthritis Network (ERAN) inception cohorts in routine care from 1986 to 2012. Disease activity was categorized: mean DAS28 score between years 1 and 5: remission [mean remission DAS (mRDAS) <2.

ZnO indiffused MgO:PPLN ridge waveguides.

We have demonstrated the first MgO:PPLN ridge waveguides based on ZnO indiffusion and dicing. The fabrication process utilizes ductile regime dicing of a planar waveguide layer producing second harmonic generation (SHG) devices with a near-symmetric sinc spectral profile, indicating highly uniform 40 mm long devices. A near circular pump mode is also obtained enabling efficient coupling to single mode telecommunication fibers.

Gout and the risk of advanced chronic kidney disease in the UK health system: a national cohort study.

Objective: Evaluate the association between gout and risk of advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Design: Retrospective matched cohort study.

Setting: UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink.

Waveguide Absorption Spectroscopy of Bovine Serum Albumin in the Mid-Infrared Fingerprint Region.

Protein sensing in biological fluids provides important information to diagnose many clinically relevant diseases. Mid-infrared (MIR) absorption spectroscopy of bovine serum albumin (BSA) is experimentally demonstrated on a germanium on silicon (GOS) waveguide in the 1900-1000 cm (5.3-10.

Acceptance and commitment therapy for chronic pain: protocol of a systematic review and individual participant data meta-analysis.

Background: Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) can be effective in treating chronic pain. Despite evidence supporting the effectiveness of ACT, uncertainties remain regarding which subgroups in the chronic pain population are likely to benefit most and least. This protocol describes the application for two meta-analytic approaches, one at the level of individual participant data and the other at the level of aggregated data, from randomized controlled trials of ACT for chronic pain (ACT-CP-MA).

Validation of methods for converting the original Disease Activity Score (DAS) to the DAS28.

The Disease Activity Score (DAS) is integral in tailoring the clinical management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and is an important measure in clinical research. Different versions have been developed over the years to improve reliability and ease of use. Combining the original DAS and the newer DAS28 data in both contemporary and historical studies is important for both primary and secondary data analyses.

Evanescent field refractometry in planar optical fiber.

This Letter demonstrates a refractometer in integrated optical fiber, a new optical platform that planarizes fiber using flame hydrolysis deposition (FHD). The unique advantage of the technology is survivability in harsh environments. The platform is mechanically robust, and can survive elevated temperatures approaching 1000°C and exposure to common solvents, including acetone, gasoline, and methanol.

Germanium-on-silicon waveguides operating at mid-infrared wavelengths up to 8.5 μm.

We report transmission measurements of germanium on silicon waveguides in the 7.5-8.5 μm wavelength range, with a minimum propagation loss of 2.

Non-adherence to immunosuppressants following renal transplantation: a protocol for a systematic review.

Introduction: Adherence to immunosuppressant medication is essential for renal transplant recipients. This review aims to summarise what is known about non-adherence, with a view to providing comprehensive evidence to inform strategies aimed at advancing adherent behaviour.

Methods And Analysis: A systematic review of quantitative studies that report adherence to immunosuppressants in adult (over 18 years) renal transplant recipients.