Establishing Convergent Validity of the Face-Q Aesthetics Module Scales.

Background: FACE-Q Aesthetics scales assess patient-important outcomes following both surgical/nonsurgical facial cosmetic interventions. Convergent validity is the degree to which the scores of one measurement relate to another measuring a similar construct.

Objectives: This study aims to establish the convergent validity of 11 FACE-Q Aesthetics appearance scales using the MERZ Aesthetics scales.

Patient and wound factors associated with WOUND-Q scales measuring health-related quality of life: An international cross-sectional study.

The WOUND-Q is a patient-reported outcome measure for individuals with any type of chronic wound. This study aimed to identify patient and wound factors associated with the four WOUND-Q health-related quality of life (HRQL) scales: Life impact, Psychological, Sleep, and Social. Adults with a chronic wound were recruited internationally through clinical settings between August 2018 and May 2020, and through an online platform (i.

The Effect of Cranial Sutures Should Be Considered in Transcranial Electrical Stimulation.

Background: Computational modeling is used to optimize transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) approaches, and the precision of these models is dependent on their anatomical accuracy. We are unaware of any computational modeling of tES that has included cranial sutures.

Objectives: The aims of the study were to review the literature on the timing of closure of the coronal and squamous sutures, which are situated under electrode placements used in tES; to review the literature regarding differences in skull and suture conductivity and to determine a more accurate conductivity for sutures; and to identify magnetic resonance image (MRI) techniques that could be used to detect cranial sutures.

Glutamate concentrations and cognitive deficits in ultra-treatment-resistant schizophrenia: An exploratory and comparative H-MRS study.

Background And Aims: Glutamate plays a crucial role in cognition, learning, and mood regulation, with studies suggesting glutamatergic dysfunction in chronic schizophrenia. This study explored glutamate levels in the occipital cortex (OCC) and cognitive function in ultra-treatment resistant schizophrenia (uTRS) compared to healthy controls.

Methods: Fifteen uTRS participants and 19 healthy controls underwent 3T proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (H-MRS) to measure glutamate levels in the OCC.

How can a 4-day working week increase wellbeing at no cost to performance?

The 4-day working week is gaining interest, with international trials reporting enhanced staff wellbeing and performance, despite spending less time on the job. Here, we argue that improved performance on a 4-day working week arises through two psychological mechanisms of recovery and motivation: because better rested, better motivated brains, create better work.

International study to develop a patient-reported outcome measure to evaluate outcomes of gender-affirming care - the GENDER-Q.

Background: To meaningfully understand outcomes of gender-affirming care, patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) that are grounded in what matters to individuals seeking care are urgently needed. The objective of this study was to develop a comprehensive PROM to assess outcomes of gender-affirming care in clinical practice, research, and quality initiatives (the GENDER-Q).

Methods: Internationally established guidelines for PROM development were used to create a field test version of the GENDER-Q.

L-Proline Alters Energy Metabolism in Brain Cortical Tissue Slices.

L-Proline (L-Pro) is a non-essential amino acid which, in high concentrations, can cause neurological problems including seizures, although the causative mechanism for this is unclear. Here, we studied the impact of physiological levels of proline on brain energy metabolism and investigated the metabolism of L-Pro itself, using the cortical brain tissue slice and stable isotope labelling from [1- C]glucose and [1,2- C]acetate detected by NMR spectroscopy and LCMS. L-Pro was actively taken up by the slices and significantly reduced the total metabolic pools of all measured metabolites with glutamine the least affected, while reducing net flux of C into glycolytic byproducts (lactate and alanine).

Synesthesia is linked to large and extensive differences in brain structure and function as determined by whole-brain biomarkers derived from the HCP (Human Connectome Project) cortical parcellation approach.

There is considerable interest in understanding the developmental origins and health implications of individual differences in brain structure and function. In this pre-registered study we demonstrate that a hidden subgroup within the general population-people with synesthesia (e.g.

Measuring Outcomes Relevant to the Decolletage from the Patient Perspective: Development and Validation of the BODY-Q Decolletage Scale.

Background: A range of cosmetic treatments to improve skin quality of the decolletage are available. To measure outcomes from the patient perspective, a rigorously developed patient-reported outcome measure is needed.

Objectives: To develop and validate the BODY-Q Decolletage scale.

Indigenous Peoples' evaluation of health risks when facing mandatory evacuation for birth during the COVID-19 pandemic: an indigenous feminist analysis.

Background: Indigenous Peoples living on the land known as Canada are comprised of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis people and because of the Government of Canada's mandatory evacuation policy, those living in rural and remote regions of Ontario are required to travel to urban, tertiary care centres to give birth. When evaluating the risk of travelling for birth, Indigenous Peoples understand, evaluate, and conceptualise health risks differently than Eurocentric biomedical models of health. Also, the global COVID-19 pandemic changed how people perceived risks to their health.

Clinical Outcomes of a Nurse-Delivered, Technology-Enabled HIV Outpatient Model.

We evaluated Klick, a nurse-led, digitally enabled model of HIV outpatient care, launched in 2020. Klick's smartphone app offers online booking, remote nurse-led consultations, and results. An audit of Klick nurse-led consultations was conducted against BHIVA monitoring guidelines, and nurses were interviewed about their experience.

Understanding the mechanisms of fatigue in multiple sclerosis: linking interoception, metacognition and white matter dysconnectivity.

One of the most prominent symptoms in multiple sclerosis is pathological fatigue, often described by sufferers as one of the most debilitating symptoms, affecting quality of life and employment. However, the mechanisms of both, physical and cognitive fatigue in multiple sclerosis remain elusive. Here, we use behavioural tasks and quantitative MRI to investigate the neural correlates of interoception (the ability to sense internal bodily signals) and metacognition (the ability of the brain to assess its own performance), in modulating cognitive fatigue.

Patient evaluation of Klick, a technology-enabled, nurse-delivered HIV outpatient pathway.

Objectives: Klick is a clinic-specific, digitally supported outpatient pathway of care for people living with HIV (PLWH). It involves a smartphone application (app) for PLWH to self-manage their care, navigate access to the clinic and communicate with their healthcare provider. We present a patient evaluation of Klick.

Functional conductivity imaging: quantitative mapping of brain activity.

Theory and modelling suggest that detection of neuronal activity may be feasible using phase sensitive MRI methods. Successful detection of neuronal activity both in vitro and in vivo has been described while others have reported negative results. Magnetic resonance electrical properties tomography may be a route by which signal changes can be identified.

Measuring and reducing the carbon footprint of fMRI preprocessing in fMRIPrep.

Computationally expensive data processing in neuroimaging research places demands on energy consumption-and the resulting carbon emissions contribute to the climate crisis. We measured the carbon footprint of the functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) preprocessing tool fMRIPrep, testing the effect of varying parameters on estimated carbon emissions and preprocessing performance. Performance was quantified using (a) statistical individual-level task activation in regions of interest and (b) mean smoothness of preprocessed data.

Discovery of a Peptoid-Based Nanoparticle Platform for Therapeutic mRNA Delivery via Diverse Library Clustering and Structural Parametrization.

Nanoparticle-mediated mRNA delivery has emerged as a promising therapeutic modality, but its growth is still limited by the discovery and optimization of effective and well-tolerated delivery strategies. Lipid nanoparticles containing charged or ionizable lipids are an emerging standard for in vivo mRNA delivery, so creating facile, tunable strategies to synthesize these key lipid-like molecules is essential to advance the field. Here, we generate a library of N-substituted glycine oligomers, peptoids, and undertake a multistage down-selection process to identify lead candidate peptoids as the ionizable component in our Nutshell nanoparticle platform.

Effect of Ethanol on Brain Electrical Tissue Conductivity in Social Drinkers.

Background: How the biophysics of electrical conductivity measures relate to brain activity is poorly understood. The sedative, ethanol, reduces metabolic activity but its impact on brain electrical conductivity is unknown.

Purpose: To investigate whether ethanol reduces brain electrical tissue conductivity.

Mapping maternal and infant health in Morocco: A global scoping review of themes, gaps, and the "unseen" in the published health research literature, 2000-2022.

Global efforts to reduce Maternal Mortality Rates (MMR) have been significant, but researchers are exploring new approaches to address stalled progress and enduring health inequities. This scoping review offers an analytic synthesis of maternal and infant health (MIH) research in the low-middle income North African Islamic country of Morocco over 22 years, a mapping of the themes, research gaps, geographies, and methodologies, 2000-2022. Morocco is an official MIH success story with excellent health indicators, yet indicators do not address local contexts, gender issues, or health disparities.

Development and validation of a patient-reported outcome measure for hair loss treatment: The HAIR-Q.

Background: Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) for hair loss focus mainly on Alopecia Areata. We created a PROM (i.e.

Establishing test-retest reliability and the smallest detectable change of FACE-Q Aesthetic Module scales.

Background: The test-retest (TRT) reliability of FACE-Q Aesthetic scales is yet to be assessed. The aim of this study was to establish the TRT reliability of 17 FACE-Q Aesthetic scales and determine the smallest detectable change (SDC) that can be identified using these scales.

Methods: Data were collected from an online international sample platform (Prolific).

The WOUND-Q Function and Symptoms Scales for Chronic Lower Extremity Wounds: A Validation Study.

Determine the validity and reliability of the LIMB-Q scales, Function, and Symptoms in patients with chronic lower extremity wounds. Cognitive debriefing interviews with people with current or previous wounds were conducted to examine content validity. Scales were field-tested in an international sample of people with chronic lower extremity wounds sourced from an online platform ( Prolific).

Geographical and economic influences on neuroimaging modality choice.

The current neuroimaging literature is unrepresentative of the world's population due to bias towards particular types of people living in a subset of geographical locations. This is true of both the people running the research and those participating in it. These biases mean we may be missing insights into how the brain works.

Patient factors associated with novel EAR-Q appearance, psychosocial, and social scales: A cross-sectional study and regression analysis.

Introduction: The EAR-Q is a rigorously validated patient-reported outcome measure, which evaluates ear appearance and health-related quality of life (HRQL) in patients with congenital or acquired ear conditions. The aim of this study was to conduct an exploratory analysis to examine the factors associated with EAR-Q appearance and HRQL scale scores.

Methods: In this study, 862 participants, aged 8-29 years, with congenital or acquired ear conditions, completed the EAR-Q as part of an international field-test study.

Further psychometric evaluation of the WOUND-Q: A responsiveness study.

The WOUND-Q is a modular patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) with 13 scales measuring constructs across 4 domains (i.e., wound characteristics, health related quality of life, experience of care and wound treatment).