Publications by authors named "Owen Thomas"

EEG slowing is reported in various neurological disorders including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Epilepsy. Here, we investigate alpha rhythm slowing in individuals with refractory temporal lobe epilepsy compared with healthy controls, using scalp EEG and magnetoencephalography. We retrospectively analysed data from 17 (46) healthy controls and 22 (24) individuals with temporal lobe epilepsy who underwent scalp EEG and magnetoencephalography recordings as part of presurgical evaluation.

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Objective: To synthesize available evidence on the impact of concomitant focal cartilage lesions and their surgical treatment on clinical outcomes in the setting of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)-reconstruction at short (6-36 months) and midterm (3-8 years) follow-up.

Design: Original level 1 or 2 studies comparing any patient-reported or objective outcomes in ACL-reconstructed patients (1) with and without concomitant focal cartilage lesion(s) or (2) after any type of cartilage surgical treatment were considered for inclusion. Systematic searches were conducted in MEDLINE via Ovid, Cochrane Library, EMBASE via OvidSP, and Web of Science.

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  • - We studied how exposure to different microbes at birth affects the behavior and temperament of children at ages 1, 2, and 3, using data from the Kuopio Birth Cohort Study and various behavioral questionnaires.
  • - Microbial samples from babies’ mouths were analyzed to determine their diversity, with a focus on comparing those born with and without antibiotic exposure during delivery.
  • - While no strong associations were confirmed after strict statistical corrections, initial findings suggested a possible link between microbial diversity and behaviors like surgency, especially for children exposed to antibiotics at birth.
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Background: Hospitals should adopt multiple methods to monitor incidents for a comprehensive review of the types of incidents that occur. Contrary to traditional incident reporting systems, the Green Cross (GC) method is a simple visual method to recognise incidents based on teamwork and safety briefings. Its longitudinal effect on patient safety culture has not been previously assessed.

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Acute mountain sickness (AMS) is a well-studied illness defined by clinical features (e.g., headache and nausea), as assessed by the Lake Louise score (LLS).

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Understanding the impact of the manufacturing environment on therapeutic monoclonal antibody (mAb) structures requires new process analytical technology. Here, we describe the creation of a new reference set for the circular dichroism (CD) spectra of mAbs. Data sets of the highest quality were collected by synchrotron radiation CD for 14 different mAbs in both native and acid-stressed states.

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Systematic development of a temperature-controlled isocratic process for one-column low-salt hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC) of proteins employing a travelling cooling zone reactor (TCZR) system, is described. Batch binding and confocal scanning microscopy were employed to define process conditions for temperature-reversible binding of bovine serum albumin (BSA) which were validated in pulse-response temperature switching HIC experiments, before transferring to TCZR-HIC. A thin-walled stainless-steel column mounted with a movable assembly of copper blocks and Peltier elements (travelling cooling zone, TCZ) was used for TCZR-HIC.

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  • New diagnostic criteria for NF2-related schwannomatosis were established in 2022, leading to an updated prevalence study in the UK, which focused on the rate of de novo NF2 cases.
  • A total of 1,084 living NF2 patients were identified, indicating a prevalence of 1 in 61,332, with a striking 72% of cases being de novo, many of which were mosaic.
  • The findings also revealed that nonsense variants were most common (24.8%), while missense variants had a higher familial association (56%), emphasizing the importance of patient databases for accurate genetic counseling.
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Background: Policymakers and researchers recommend supporting the capabilities of feedback recipients to increase the quality of care. There are different ways to support capabilities. We aimed to describe the content and delivery of feedback facilitation interventions delivered alongside audit and feedback within randomised controlled trials.

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Background: Police work can be sedentary and stressful, negatively impacting health and wellbeing. In a novel co-creation approach, we used the Behavior Change Wheel (BCW) and Double Diamond (DD) design framework to guide the collaborative design and development of a sedentary behavior intervention in the control rooms of two British police forces.

Methods: Multiple stakeholders participated in four phases of research.

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  • The study investigates how myasthenia gravis (MG) affects work productivity and the quality of life for patients, with a focus on the association between disease severity and the level of impairment.
  • Data were collected from a multinational survey involving 330 MG patients, utilizing the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment (WPAI) questionnaire to assess work absenteeism and presenteeism.
  • Results indicate significant productivity loss, particularly in patients with more severe symptoms (MGFA class III/IV), emphasizing the need for improved treatment strategies to enhance patient quality of life and work capacity.
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  • The study investigates the effects of therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) on short-term mortality for adults with sepsis-induced organ dysfunction, highlighting the uncertainty of its impact.
  • A thorough literature review was conducted, analyzing randomized clinical trials and matched cohort studies to compare mortality rates between patients receiving standard therapy and those receiving adjunct TPE.
  • The findings indicate that incorporating TPE into standard care may significantly reduce short-term mortality and lead to quicker recovery for critically ill septic patients.
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  • The study aimed to analyze the average time from the onset of ALS symptoms to 11 specific milestones, taking into account ALS progression rates and geographic differences.
  • Data were collected from a survey of neurologists caring for ALS patients across multiple countries, revealing that the average time to reach key milestones varied, with notable differences based on progression rates and locations.
  • Results showed that patients with faster progression experienced milestones sooner within 30 months from symptom onset, indicating that both speed of disease progression and location significantly influence the timing of these crucial life changes.
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Background: Depression is associated with metabolic abnormalities linked to metabolic syndrome and tissue inflammation, but the interplay between metabolic markers and their association with subsequent depression is unknown. Therefore, we aimed to describe the network of metabolites and their prospective association with depressive symptoms.

Methods: The Finnish Depression and Metabolic Syndrome in Adults (FDMSA) cohort, originally a prospective case-control study, comprised a group with Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)-I scores ≥10 at baseline, and controls (n = 319, BDI-I < 10); mean (sd) follow-up time: 7.

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Intracranial EEG is the gold standard technique for epileptogenic zone localization but requires a preconceived hypothesis of the location of the epileptogenic tissue. This placement is guided by qualitative interpretations of seizure semiology, MRI, EEG and other imaging modalities, such as magnetoencephalography. Quantitative abnormality mapping using magnetoencephalography has recently been shown to have potential clinical value.

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  • A normative electrographic activity map uses scalp EEG data to analyze normal brain function and detect abnormalities, specifically in epilepsy.
  • The study involved constructing maps from recordings of 17 healthy individuals and comparing these with data from MEG and intracranial EEG to assess similarities.
  • Findings suggest that the normative maps are spatially stable and align closely with patterns in existing literature, indicating potential clinical applications for identifying abnormal brain regions in epilepsy, though further validation with larger samples is necessary.
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Successful epilepsy surgery depends on localizing and resecting cerebral abnormalities and networks that generate seizures. Abnormalities, however, may be widely distributed across multiple discontiguous areas. We propose spatially constrained clusters as candidate areas for further investigation and potential resection.

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Background And Objective: Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels in midlife are strongly associated with the long-term risk of lethal prostate cancer in cohorts not subject to screening. This is the first study evaluating the association between PSA levels drawn as part of routine medical care in the Norwegian population and prostate cancer incidence and mortality. The objective of the study was to determine the association between midlife PSA levels <4.

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Decreased left ventricle (LV) function caused by genetic mutations or injury often leads to debilitating and fatal cardiovascular disease. LV cardiomyocytes are, therefore, a potentially valuable therapeutical target. Human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hPSC-CMs) are neither homogeneous nor functionally mature, which reduces their utility.

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Objectives: To compare vascular attenuation (VA) of an experimental half iodine-load dual-layer spectral detector CT (SDCT) lower limb computed tomography angiography (CTA) with control (standard iodine-load conventional 120-kilovolt peak (kVp) CTA).

Methods: Ethical approval and consent were obtained. In this parallel RCT, CTA examinations were randomized into experimental or control.

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  • A normative brain map using scalp EEG reveals important insights into normal brain function and potential abnormalities in conditions like epilepsy.
  • The study involved 17 healthy controls and showed that the scalp EEG maps had temporal stability and similarities with other imaging methods like MEG and intracranial EEG, especially in the alpha band.
  • The findings suggest that these normative maps can help identify abnormal brain regions in epilepsy, indicating their potential clinical utility, though further research with larger groups is needed for validation.
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  • The study examines the safety of radiation treatment for benign tumors in patients with NF2-related schwannomatosis, finding an increased risk of subsequent malignancies or malignant progression in those who received radiation compared to untreated patients.
  • Out of 1345 NF2 patients studied, 266 received radiation, leading to a malignancy rate of approximately 6%, as opposed to less than 1% in those not treated with radiation.
  • The findings suggest that NF2 patients should not receive radiation as the first treatment option for benign tumors due to the associated risks and should be informed about the significant risk of developing new malignancies.
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Introduction: Evidence has shown a trend towards rising mortality from surgical abdominal conditions with increasing distance from hospitals in Eastern India. It has been claimed that imaging modalities such as portable ultrasound are ideal for use in rural areas of developing countries for diagnosis and management of a variety of acute abdominal conditions. This mixed-methods study aimed to explore the need for increased access to POCUS in rural, hard-to-reach populations within India, and to identify barriers that may exist to increasing this access.

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Objective: Many patients with cochlear implants (CI) and auditory brainstem implants (ABI) require magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) following implantation. This study explores the patient experience of MRI, identifying factors associated with pain, and the effect of interventions designed to enhance comfort and safety.

Methods: A prospective observational case series from a tertiary referral unit.

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Objective: Epilepsy surgery fails to achieve seizure freedom in 30%-40% of cases. It is not fully understood why some surgeries are unsuccessful. By comparing interictal magnetoencephalography (MEG) band power from patient data to normative maps, which describe healthy spatial and population variability, we identify patient-specific abnormalities relating to surgical failure.

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