Publications by authors named "Lloyd G"

Article Synopsis
  • * The researchers developed a new measurement called the restitution threshold index (RTI), which reflects the burden of short R-R intervals and found it correlates with reduced LVEF and improvement in LVEF after catheter ablation (CA).
  • * In a study with 104 patients, those with reduced LVEF had a significantly higher RTI, indicating it as a strong predictor for recognizing the risk of LVEF decline and predicting recovery after CA.
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  • Atrial fibrillation-induced cardiomyopathy (AIC) is characterized by a drop in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) due to AF, but the reasons why some patients develop AIC are still unclear.* -
  • The study hypothesizes that subtle heart muscle issues exist before LVEF decreases; therefore, a detailed examination of heart function following successful catheter ablation is essential to identify these features.* -
  • Results show that out of 41 participants, 82.9% recovered LVEF post-ablation, yet many still had signs of heart dysfunction, with significant portions exhibiting elevated NT-proBNP levels, ongoing heart failure symptoms, and impaired heart performance despite normalization of LVEF.*
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Background: The clinical potential of Raman spectroscopy is well established but has yet to become established in routine oncology workflows. One barrier slowing clinical adoption is a lack of evidence demonstrating that data taken on one spectrometer transfers across to data taken on another spectrometer to provide consistent diagnoses.

Methods: We investigated multi-centre transferability using human oesophageal tissue.

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  • * Current guidelines for treating asymptomatic patients focus on heart size and function, but even after surgery, there's still a risk of heart failure and death.
  • * New methods, including machine learning and advanced imaging techniques, are being developed to identify high-risk patients who might benefit from earlier interventions, with valve repair being the preferred treatment.
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  • This study aimed to enhance understanding of upper tract imaging in patients assessed for hematuria, evaluating imaging rates and effectiveness using a national cohort of insured individuals.
  • A total of 466,710 patients were analyzed between 2010 and 2015, with various imaging modalities revealing low detection rates: ultrasound (1%), CT (1.7%), and other methods (2.7%).
  • The results suggest that while the diagnostic yield of imaging is higher than expected, overall detection remains low, indicating a potential preference for using ultrasound in initial evaluations based on updated guidelines.
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  • - Supramolecular hydrogels are versatile in biomedicine, used as scaffolds for cell culture, tissue engineering matrices, and drug delivery systems, leveraging the natural properties of amino acids like L-Phenylalanine (Phe).
  • - Research reveals that introducing halogen atoms in Phe can control gelation properties by altering packing structures, offering improved functionality in multi-component gel systems.
  • - Studies on gel systems using Phe and NH-Phe show that their self-assembly in water results in crystalline hydrogels, with different dynamics and interactions based on concentration affecting network integrity.
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Alpha-synuclein (αSyn) forms pathologic aggregates in Parkinson's disease (PD) and is implicated in mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration. While pathologic αSyn has been extensively studied, there is currently no method to evaluate αSyn within the brains of living patients. Patients with PD are often treated with deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery in which surgical instruments are in direct contact with neuronal tissue; herein, we describe a method by which tissue is collected from DBS surgical instruments in PD and essential tremor (ET) patients and demonstrate that αSyn is detected.

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Background: Early cardiopulmonary resuscitation and defibrillation is key to increasing survival following an out-of-hospital-cardiac-arrest (OHCA). However, automated external defibrillators (AEDs) are used in a very small percentage of cases. Despite large numbers of AEDs in the community, the absence of a unified system for registering their locations across the UK's ambulance services may have resulted in missed opportunities to save lives.

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Lipid functions can be influenced by genetics, age, disease states, and lifestyle factors, particularly dietary patterns, which are crucial in diabetes management. Lipidomics is an expanding field involving the comprehensive exploration of lipids from biological samples. In this cross-sectional study, 396 participants from a Mediterranean region, including individuals with type 1 diabetes (T1D), type 2 diabetes (T2D), and non-diabetic individuals, underwent lipidomic profiling and dietary assessment.

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  • - The study introduces mathematical formulas and algorithms to evaluate maximum parsimony evolution across 12 types of phylogenetic characters found in 4467 datasets, focusing on calculating minimum (m), maximum (g), and maximum possible (g) character costs.
  • - The character types discussed include various binary and multistate characters, and the algorithms provided can be applied within computational limits to numerous taxa and states, bridging gaps in existing solutions.
  • - The Claddis R package implements these methods, enhancing the ability to analyze homoplasy through additional metrics like extra cost (h), consistency index (ci), and retention index (ri).
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Synucleinopathies are a group of neurodegenerative disorders characterized by the presence of misfolded α-Synuclein (αSyn) in the brain. These conditions manifest with diverse clinical and pathophysiological characteristics. This disease diversity is hypothesized to be driven by αSyn strains with differing biophysical properties, potentially influencing prion-type propagation and consequentially the progression of illness.

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Benchmark dose (BMD) modeling estimates the dose of a chemical that causes a perturbation from baseline. Transcriptional BMDs have been shown to be relatively consistent with apical end point BMDs, opening the door to using molecular BMDs to derive human health-based guidance values for chemical exposure. Metabolomics measures the responses of small-molecule endogenous metabolites to chemical exposure, complementing transcriptomics by characterizing downstream molecular phenotypes that are more closely associated with apical end points.

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Alpha-synuclein (αSyn) forms pathologic aggregates in Parkinson's disease (PD) and is implicated in mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration. While pathologic αSyn has been extensively studied, there is currently no method to evaluate αSyn within the brains of living patients. Patients with PD are often treated with deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery in which surgical instruments are in direct contact with neuronal tissue; herein, we describe a method by which tissue is purified from DBS surgical instruments in PD and essential tremor (ET) patients and demonstrate that αSyn is robustly detected.

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Grouping/read-across is widely used for predicting the toxicity of data-poor target substance(s) using data-rich source substance(s). While the chemical industry and the regulators recognise its benefits, registration dossiers are often rejected due to weak analogue/category justifications based largely on the structural similarity of source and target substances. Here we demonstrate how multi-omics measurements can improve confidence in grouping via a statistical assessment of the similarity of molecular effects.

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Objective: The study objective was to determine whether adequately delivered bilateral remote ischemic preconditioning is cardioprotective in young children undergoing surgery for 2 common congenital heart defects with or without cyanosis.

Methods: We performed a prospective, double-blind, randomized controlled trial at 2 centers in the United Kingdom. Children aged 3 to 36 months undergoing tetralogy of Fallot repair or ventricular septal defect closure were randomized 1:1 to receive bilateral preconditioning or sham intervention.

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Background: In this study, we evaluated the lipidome alterations caused by type 1 diabetes (T1D) and type 2 diabetes (T2D), by determining lipids significantly associated with diabetes overall and in both sexes, and lipids associated with the glycaemic state.

Methods: An untargeted lipidomic analysis was performed to measure the lipid profiles of 360 subjects (91 T1D, 91 T2D, 74 with prediabetes and 104 controls (CT)) without cardiovascular and/or chronic kidney disease. Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (UHPLC-ESI-MS) was conducted in two ion modes (positive and negative).

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Background: Work-related musculoskeletal pain (WRMSP) is increasingly recognised in cardiac ultrasound practice. WRMSP can impact workforce health, productivity and sustainability. We sought to investigate the prevalence, characteristics and clinical impact of WRMSP.

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While grouping/read-across is widely used to fill data gaps, chemical registration dossiers are often rejected due to weak category justifications based on structural similarity only. Metabolomics provides a route to robust chemical categories via evidence of shared molecular effects across source and target substances. To gain international acceptance, this approach must demonstrate high reliability, and best-practice guidance is required.

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Introduction: A 70-year-old male with prior total colectomy for ulcerative colitis was referred for elevated prostate specific antigen (PSA) (8.01) with PIRADS 4 lesion on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Described is a novel technique using pre-operative multi-parametric prostate MRI and intraoperative computed tomography (CT) 3D/3D fusion for systematic and targeted prostate biopsy in a patient lacking a rectum.

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Background: Older men frequently develop lower urinary tract symptoms attributed to benign prostatic hyperplasia (LUTS/BPH). Risk factors for LUTS/BPH include sedentary lifestyle, anxiety/depression, obesity, and frailty, which all increase with age. Although physical exercise may reduce the progression and/or severity of LUTS/BPH, the age-related mechanisms responsible remain unknown.

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Objectives: Grading the severity of moderate mixed aortic stenosis and regurgitation (MAVD) is challenging and the disease poorly understood. Identifying markers of haemodynamic severity will improve risk stratification and potentially guide timely treatment. This study aims to identify prognostic haemodynamic markers in patients with moderate MAVD.

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