Achieving health equity through conversational AI: A roadmap for design and implementation of inclusive chatbots in healthcare.

Background: The rapid evolution of conversational and generative artificial intelligence (AI) has led to the increased deployment of AI tools in healthcare settings. While these conversational AI tools promise efficiency and expanded access to healthcare services, there are growing concerns ethically, practically and in terms of inclusivity. This study aimed to identify activities which reduce bias in conversational AI and make their designs and implementation more equitable.

Barriers and facilitators to engagement with artificial intelligence (AI)-based chatbots for sexual and reproductive health advice: a qualitative analysis.

Background The emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) provides opportunities for demand management of sexual and reproductive health services. Conversational agents/chatbots are increasingly common, although little is known about how this technology could aid services. This study aimed to identify barriers and facilitators for engagement with sexual health chatbots to advise service developers and related health professionals.

Uncovering the genetic diversity within the virome and isolation of new viruses from this highly urbanised and invasive mosquito.

The Australian backyard mosquito, , is a highly urbanised pest species that has invaded New Zealand and the USA. Importantly, has been implicated as a vector of Ross River virus, a common and arthritogenic arbovirus in Australia, and is a laboratory vector of numerous other pathogenic viruses, including West Nile, yellow fever, and Zika viruses. To further explore live viruses harboured by field populations of and, more specifically, assess the genetic diversity of its virome, we processed 495 pools, comprising a total of 6,674 female collected across fifteen suburbs in Brisbane, Australia, between January 2018 and May 2019.

Mesh inlay, mesh kit or native tissue repair for women having repeat anterior or posterior prolapse surgery: randomised controlled trial (PROSPECT).

Objective: To compare standard (native tissue) repair with synthetic mesh inlays or mesh kits.

Design: Randomised controlled trial.

Setting: Thirty-three UK hospitals.

Surgical interventions for uterine prolapse and for vault prolapse: the two VUE RCTs.

Background: New surgical approaches for apical prolapse have gradually been introduced, with few prospective randomised controlled trial data to evaluate their safety and efficacy compared with traditional methods.

Objective: To compare surgical uterine preservation with vaginal hysterectomy in women with uterine prolapse and abdominal procedures with vaginal procedures in women with vault prolapse in terms of clinical effectiveness, adverse events, quality of life and cost-effectiveness.

Design: Two parallel randomised controlled trials (i.

Use of technology to increase physical activity in female veterans and soldiers aged 19-64 years.

Background And Purpose: Heart disease is the leading cause of mortality for American women, claiming 289,753 lives annually. Research has show that female veterans are more sedentary after separating from service and that mobile apps can assist in increasing physical activity. The purposes of this study were to: 1) implement a mobile application to increase physical activity, 2) compare the exercise data, and 3) determine the sustainability of using a mobile application in female active duty soldiers, military retirees, and veterans with prior service.

Surgical interventions for women with stress urinary incontinence: systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.

Objectives: To compare the effectiveness and safety of surgical interventions for women with stress urinary incontinence.

Design: Systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Eligibility Criteria For Selecting Studies: Randomised controlled trials evaluating surgical interventions for the treatment of stress urinary incontinence in women.

Surgical treatments for women with stress urinary incontinence: the ESTER systematic review and economic evaluation.

Background: Urinary incontinence in women is a distressing condition that restricts quality of life and results in a large economic burden to both the NHS and women themselves.

Objective: To evaluate the clinical effectiveness, safety and cost-effectiveness of surgical treatment for stress urinary incontinence (SUI) in women and explore women's preferences.

Design: An evidence synthesis, a discrete choice experiment (DCE) and an economic decision model, with a value-of-information (VOI) analysis.

Contribution of local rarity and climatic suitability to local extinction and colonization varies with species traits.

Changes in species distributions through local extinction and colonization events are a major consequence of climate change. The mechanisms underlying these processes, however, are yet to be fully understood. We investigate the effects of climatic suitability and local rarity on local extinction and colonization of British birds.

Clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of surgical options for the management of anterior and/or posterior vaginal wall prolapse: two randomised controlled trials within a comprehensive cohort study - results from the PROSPECT Study.

Background: The use of mesh in prolapse surgery is controversial, leading to a number of enquiries into its safety and efficacy.

Objective: To compare synthetic non-absorbable mesh inlay, biological graft and mesh kit with a standard repair in terms of clinical effectiveness, adverse effects, quality of life (QoL), costs and cost-effectiveness.

Design: Two randomised controlled trials within a comprehensive cohort (CC) study.

Mesh, graft, or standard repair for women having primary transvaginal anterior or posterior compartment prolapse surgery: two parallel-group, multicentre, randomised, controlled trials (PROSPECT).

Background: The use of transvaginal mesh and biological graft material in prolapse surgery is controversial and has led to a number of enquiries into their safety and efficacy. Existing trials of these augmentations are individually too small to be conclusive. We aimed to compare the outcomes of prolapse repair involving either synthetic mesh inlays or biological grafts against standard repair in women.

Two parallel, pragmatic, UK multicentre, randomised controlled trials comparing surgical options for upper compartment (vault or uterine) pelvic organ prolapse (the VUE Study): study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

Background: One in three women who have a prolapse operation will go on to have another operation, though not necessarily in the same compartment. Surgery can result in greater impairment of quality of life than the original prolapse itself (such as the development of new-onset urinary incontinence, or prolapse at a different site). Anterior and posterior prolapse surgery is most common (90 % of operations), but around 43 % of women also have a uterine (34 %) or vault (9 %) procedure at the same time.

Facilitating interprofessional evidence-based practice in paediatric rehabilitation: development, implementation and evaluation of an online toolkit for health professionals.

Purpose: Lack of time, competencies, resources and supports are documented as barriers to evidence-based practice (EBP). This paper introduces a recently developed web-based toolkit designed to assist interprofessional clinicians in implementing EBP within a paediatric rehabilitation setting.

Methods: EBP theory, models, frameworks and tools were applied or adapted in the development of the online resources, which formed the basis of a larger support strategy incorporating interactive workshops, knowledge broker facilitation and mentoring.

Comparison of the metabolic effects of sustained CCK1 receptor activation alone and in combination with upregulated leptin signalling in high-fat-fed mice.

Aims/hypothesis: Cholecystokinin (CCK) and leptin are important hormones with effects on energy balance. The present study assessed the biological effects of (pGlu-Gln)-CCK-8 and [D-Leu-4]-OB3, smaller isoforms of CCK and leptin, respectively.

Methods: The actions and overall therapeutic use of (pGlu-Gln)-CCK-8 and [D-Leu-4]-OB3, alone and in combination, were evaluated in normal and high-fat-fed mice.

Comparison of independent and combined metabolic effects of chronic treatment with (pGlu-Gln)-CCK-8 and long-acting GLP-1 and GIP mimetics in high fat-fed mice.

Aim: The incretin hormones, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) and cholecystokinin (CCK) are gastrointestinal peptides with important physiological effects. However, rapid enzymatic degradation results in short-lived biological actions.

Methods: This study has examined metabolic actions of exendin-4, GIP[mPEG] and a novel CCK-8 analogue, (pGlu-Gln)-CCK-8 as enzymatically stable forms of GLP-1, GIP and CCK, respectively.

Beneficial effects of (pGlu-Gln)-CCK-8 on energy intake and metabolism in high fat fed mice are associated with alterations of hypothalamic gene expression.

Cholecystokinin (CCK) is a gastrointestinal hormone with potential therapeutic promise for obesity-diabetes. The present study examined the effects of twice daily administration of the N-terminally modified stable CCK-8 analogue, (pGlu-Gln)-CCK-8, on metabolic control and hypothalamic gene expression in high fat fed mice. Sub-chronic twice daily injection of (pGlu-Gln)-CCK-8 for 16 days significantly decreased body weight (p<0.

Comparison of the independent and combined metabolic effects of subchronic modulation of CCK and GIP receptor action in obesity-related diabetes.

Objective: Compromise of gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP) receptor action and activation of cholecystokinin (CCK) receptors represent mechanistically different approaches to the possible treatment of obesity-related diabetes. In the present study, we have compared the individual and combined effects of (Pro(3))GIP[mPEG] and (pGlu-Gln)-CCK-8 as an enzymatically stable GIP receptor antagonist and CCK receptor agonist molecule, respectively.

Results: Twice-daily injections of (pGlu-Gln)-CCK-8 alone and in combination with (Pro(3))GIP[mPEG] in high-fat-fed mice for 34 days significantly decreased the energy intake throughout the entire study (P<0.

Chemical cholecystokinin receptor activation protects against obesity-diabetes in high fat fed mice and has sustainable beneficial effects in genetic ob/ob mice.

The current study has determined the ability of (pGlu-Gln)-CCK-8 to counter the development of diet-induced obesity-diabetes and examined persistence of beneficial metabolic effects in high fat and ob/ob mice, respectively. Twice daily injection of (pGlu-Gln)-CCK-8 in normal mice transferred to a high fat diet reduced energy intake (p < 0.001), body weight (p < 0.

Beneficial effects of the novel cholecystokinin agonist (pGlu-Gln)-CCK-8 in mouse models of obesity/diabetes.

Aims/hypothesis: Cholecystokinin (CCK) is a rapidly degraded gastrointestinal peptide that stimulates satiety and insulin secretion. We aimed to investigate the beneficial weight-lowering and metabolic effects of the novel N-terminally modified CCK analogue, (pGlu-Gln)-CCK-8.

Methods: The biological actions of (pGlu-Gln)-CCK-8 were comprehensively evaluated in pancreatic clonal BRIN BD11 cells and in vivo in high-fat-fed and ob/ob mice.

Evaluation of the long-term effects of gastric inhibitory polypeptide-ovalbumin conjugates on insulin resistance, metabolic dysfunction, energy balance and cognition in high-fat-fed mice.

The effects of active immunisation with gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP) or (proline3)GIP-ovalbumin conjugates on insulin resistance, metabolic dysfunction, energy expenditure and cognition were examined in high-fat-fed mice. Normal mice were injected (subcutaneously) once every 14 d for 98 d with GIP-ovalbumin conjugates, with transfer to a high-fat diet on day 21. Active immunisation resulted in GIP antibody generation and significantly (P < 0·01 to P < 0·001) reduced circulating non-fasting plasma insulin concentrations compared to high-fat control mice from day 70 onwards.

Dual modulation of GIP and glucagon action by the low molecular weight compound 4-hydroxybenzoic acid 2-bromobenzylidene hydrazide.

Aim: The presence of functional gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP) receptors on adipocytes and knowledge that GIP plays a key role in fat deposition suggests a beneficial effect of GIP receptor antagonism in obesity and insulin resistance. GIP receptor antagonists studied to date are peptidic GIP analogues that must be administered by injection.

Methods: The present study has examined in vitro and in vivo metabolic actions of a low molecular weight GIP receptor modulator 4-hydroxybenzoic acid 2-bromobenzylidene hydrazide (4H2BH), suitable for oral administration.

Active immunization against (Pro(3))GIP improves metabolic status in high-fat-fed mice.

Aim: Ablation of gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP) receptor signalling can prevent many of the metabolic abnormalities associated with dietary-induced obesity-diabetes. The present study was designed to assess the ability of active immunization against (Pro(3))GIP to counter metabolic dysfunction associated with diet-induced obesity in high-fat-fed mice.

Methods: Normal male Swiss NIH mice were injected (s.