Basic Science and Pathogenesis.

Background: Hallmark pathologies of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) include the accumulation of both extracellular amyloid and intracellular tau proteins. While a significant body of knowledge exists surrounding the role of the protein aggregates in the context of AD, research supporting these as targets for therapeutic development have yielded inconsistent findings. One significant barrier is the inability to restore cognitive function despite the successful clearance of these proteins.

Transforming Households with Refraction and Innovative Financial Technology (THRIFT): study protocol for a randomised controlled trial of vision interventions and online banking among the elderly in Kurigram.

Introduction: Presbyopia, difficulty in seeing close-ups, affects a billion people globally. Mobile financial services (MFS) have been mandated since January 2021 for Bangladesh government social safety net payments, including old age allowance (OAA) and widow allowance (WA). We report the protocol for the Transforming Households with Refraction and Innovative Financial Technology randomised trial assessing the impact on the use of online banking of providing presbyopic safety net beneficiaries with reading glasses, and brief smartphone and mobile banking app training.

A scoping review of activities intended to reduce publication bias in randomised trials.

Background: The World Health Organization recommends that a randomised controlled trial (RCT) publishes its results in a peer-reviewed journal within 24 months of study completion. When RCTs are not published or publication is delayed, this can contribute to publication bias, which is the tendency for studies with positive or significant results to be published more frequently than studies with nonsignificant or negative results. This bias skews the available evidence, creating a distorted view of the research landscape.

STABLE trial of spectacle provision and driving safety among myopic motorcycle users in Vietnam: study protocol for a stepped-wedge, cluster randomised trial.

Background: Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death globally for people aged 5-29 years, with 90% of mortality occurring in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The STABLE (Slashing Two-wheeled Accidents by Leveraging Eyecare) trial was designed to determine whether providing spectacles could reduce risk among young myopic motorcycle users in Vietnam.

Methods: This investigator-masked, stepped-wedge, cluster randomised naturalistic driving trial will recruit 625 students aged 18-23 years, driving ≥ 50 km/week, with ≥ 1-year driving experience and using motorcycles as their primary means of transport, in 25 clusters of 25 students in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on first-episode psychosis presentations in two early intervention in psychosis services.

Objectives: To assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on first-episode psychosis (FEP) presentations across two Early Intervention in Psychosis (EIP) services in Ireland, by comparing pre-pandemic and post-pandemic cohorts.

Methods: A cross-sectional observational design with retrospective medical record review was employed. The study population comprised 187 FEP patients (77 in pre-pandemic and 110 in post-pandemic cohort).