Impact of diabetes mellitus on coronary artery plaque characteristics and outcomes in the SCOT-HEART trial.

Background: Diabetes mellitus is an established cardiovascular risk factor. We assessed the impact of diabetes mellitus on quantitative plaque and long-term outcomes in patients with and without diabetes mellitus in the Scottish COmputed Tomography of the HEART (SCOT-HEART) trial.

Methods: Coronary artery calcium (CAC) was assessed on non-contrast computed tomography (CT).

Prevalence and Clinical Correlates of Radiologically Detected Coronary Artery Disease in COPD: A Cross-Sectional Observational Study.

Rationale: Unrecognised coronary artery disease (CAD) may contribute to adverse outcomes in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Improved identification of at-risk groups could inform better preventative care. We aimed to evaluate the burden and relationships of radiologically detectable CAD in COPD, establish frequency of occult disease, and examine potential cardiovascular screening methods.

Switchable pH-Responsive Morphologies of Coassembled Nucleobase Copolymers.

This work presents supramolecular coassembled nucleobase copolymers with transitional morphologies upon pH changes (from 7.4 to 10). Uracil- and adenine-containing copolymers were prepared by RAFT, which allowed us to finely tailor the polymerization degree and the composition.

Establishing a successful cardiovascular computed tomography service: Financial and regulatory challenges facing radiologists and cardiologists.

Cardiac imagers, radiologists or cardiologists, do not receive adequate training or preparation for the harsh realities of running imaging programs and most of the training follows graduation where they are learning on the job and from their own mistakes. There are many factors and skill sets need to help imagers to run a successful and financially independent practice that are easily not easily acquired or researched independently. The intent of this review is to provide a checklist of steps recommended to create a successful program and to give insight into the financial considerations associated with workforce, equipment, training and sustainability.

A new business paradigm to make coronary CT angiography (CCTA) accessible to all.

Recently, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid proposed a classification change that, if enacted, could double reimbursement for coronary CT angiography (CCTA) in the U.S. [1].

Cost-effectiveness of a novel AI technology to quantify coronary inflammation and cardiovascular risk in patients undergoing routine Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography.

Aims: Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography (CCTA) is a first line investigation for chest pain in patients with suspected obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD). However, many acute cardiac events occur in the absence of obstructive CAD. We assessed the lifetime cost-effectiveness of integrating a novel artificial intelligence-enhanced image analysis algorithm (AI-Risk) that stratifies the risk of cardiac events by quantifying coronary inflammation, combined with the extent of coronary artery plaque and clinical risk factors, by analysing images from routine CCTA.

Preformulation evaluation of selumetinib for topical application: skin distribution and photodegradation analysis using MALDI imaging and LC-MS/MS.

Understanding drug behavior within the skin, especially for photosensitive compounds, is crucial for developing effective and safe topical therapies. This study employs Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Mass Spectrometry Imaging (MALDI-MSI) and Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to investigate the skin permeation and photostability of selumetinib, a MEK inhibitor used in treating type 1 neurofibromatosis (NF1). The highest amounts of selumetinib in the skin sections were obtained when using the gel formulation, suggesting that it is to be preferred to cream formulations to achieve higher permeation of the drug.

Cardiac CT in the context of value-based care.

Cardiac computed tomography (CCT) is often used synonymously with coronary CT angiography (CCTA) and coronary artery calcium scoring (CACS), but also encompasses the use of CT for the assessment of structural, valvular, and congenital heart disease, and other cardiovascular pathology. This paper looks at the role of cardiac CT in the context of value-based care and predominantly focuses on the role of cardiac CT in the assessment of coronary artery disease (CAD), as this is where most of the clinical use and evidence of value can be found. Critical questions as to the defining of quality health care using cardiac CT are highllighted and the wider use of CT for the assessment of non-coronary disease is commented on towards the end of the manuscript but does not yet have the same level of health economic and value-based evidence.

Biocompatible hydrogels based on quaternary ammonium salts of chitosan with high antimicrobial activity as biocidal agents for disinfection.

The paper reports new hydrogels based on quaternary ammonium salts of chitosan designed as biocidal products. The chitosan derivative was crosslinked with salicylaldehyde via reversible imine bonds and supramolecular self-assemble to give dynamic hydrogels which respond to environmental stimuli. The crosslinking mechanism was demonstrated by H NMR and FTIR spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction and polarized light microscopy.

Inflammatory risk and cardiovascular events in patients without obstructive coronary artery disease: the ORFAN multicentre, longitudinal cohort study.

Background: Coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) is the first line investigation for chest pain, and it is used to guide revascularisation. However, the widespread adoption of CCTA has revealed a large group of individuals without obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD), with unclear prognosis and management. Measurement of coronary inflammation from CCTA using the perivascular fat attenuation index (FAI) Score could enable cardiovascular risk prediction and guide the management of individuals without obstructive CAD.

Photo-responsive supramolecular polymer bottle-brushes: The key role of the solvent on self-assembly and responsiveness.

Hypothesis: Supramolecular polymer bottlebrushes (SPBs) consist in the 1D self-assembly of building blocks composed of a self-assembling core with pendant polymer arms. Kinetic hurdles often hinder their stimuli-responsiveness in solution. Changing the nature of the solvent should alleviate these hurdles by modulating the self-association strength, leading to stimuli-responsive SPBs.

Improving linkage to HIV care following a reactive HIV self-testing result among men in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Background: Despite the many interventions that have been implemented in sub-Saharan Africa to improve the uptake of HIV testing and antiretroviral (ART) initiation services, the rates at which men are tested for HIV and initiated on ART have remained consistently lower compared to those for women. We aim to investigate barriers and facilitators for linkage to care following HIVST positive results among men aged between 18 and 49 years, and use these findings to design an intervention to improve linkage to care among men in a high-HIV prevalent district in KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa.

Methods: This multi-method study will be conducted over 24 months in eight purposively selected HIV testing and treatment facilities from December 2023 to November 2025.

Comparing PrEP initiation rates by service delivery models among high risk adolescent boys and young men in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: findings from a population-based prospective study.

Introduction: Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is an HIV prevention strategy that can reduce the risk of HIV acquisition by more than 90% if taken consistently. Although South Africa has been implementing PrEP since 2016, initially for selected population groups before expanding access to more people, there is a dearth of research focused on PrEP among adolescent boys and young men (ABYM), despite them experiencing high rates of HIV infection. To address this gap, we compared PrEP initiation rates by service delivery points (SDPs) among ABYM in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Linkage to HIV care and early retention in HIV care among men in the 'universal test-and-treat' era in a high HIV-burdened district, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Introduction: Despite the numerous efforts and initiatives, males with HIV are still less likely than women to receive HIV treatment. Across Sub-Saharan Africa, men are tested, linked, and retained in HIV care at lower rates than women, and South Africa is no exception. This is despite the introduction of the universal test-and-treat (UTT) prevention strategy anticipated to improve the uptake of HIV services.

Energy Resolved Mass Spectrometry for Interoperable Non-resonant Collisional Spectra in Metabolomics.

In untargeted metabolomics, the unambiguous identification of metabolites remains a major challenge. This requires high-quality spectral libraries for reliable metabolite identification, which is essential for translating metabolomics data into meaningful biological information. Several attempts have been made to generate reproducible product ion spectra (PIS) under a low collision energy () regime and nonresonant collisional conditions but have not fully succeeded.