Publications by authors named "Simmonds M"

The Plectranthinae clade, which includes genera such as Plectranthus, Ocimum, and Aeollanthus, is well known for its diverse array of diterpenoids. While numerous studies have deepened the understanding of diterpene diversity across the clade, Aeollanthus species remain underexplored, with only two studies focusing on their diterpene profiles. The NMR-based chemical profiling of the EtOAc leaf extract of the rocky and succulent species Aeollanthus buchnerianus Briq.

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Background: Diabetic retinopathy is a major cause of sight loss in people with diabetes. The most severe form, proliferative diabetic retinopathy, carries a high risk of vision loss, vitreous haemorrhage, macular oedema and other harms. Panretinal photocoagulation is the primary treatment for proliferative diabetic retinopathy.

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Background: Pulse oximetry measures oxygen saturation non-invasively by using differential absorption of infrared signals which are dependent on the oxyhaemoglobin:deoxyhaemoglobin ratio. We tested the hypothesis that pulse oximetry error in measurements of blood oxygen saturations may be associated with blood haemoglobin levels.

Methods: The study design was an observational study of all adult patients admitted to a large teaching hospital with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 infection from February 2020 to December 2021 who had arterial blood gases (ABG) drawn.

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  • Increasing biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) in maize can lessen the environmental harm caused by synthetic nitrogen fertilizers, but high levels of reactive nitrogen in the rhizosphere hinder this process.
  • Researchers developed gene-edited strains of bacteria (Klebsiella variicola and Kosakonia sacchari) to enhance BNF and ammonium release in nitrogen-rich conditions.
  • Experiments showed that these engineered strains significantly boosted BNF activity and ammonium output, contributing an average of 21 kg of nitrogen per hectare to maize plants, thus potentially reducing reliance on synthetic fertilizers and improving crop yield stability.
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  • The study evaluated the safety and effectiveness of statins, ezetimibe, and their combination for treating children with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia (HeFH), using systematic reviews and various meta-analyses from RCTs.* -
  • Results showed that all lipid-lowering therapies (LLTs) were effective in reducing cholesterol levels, with statins leading to significant reductions in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), especially when combined with ezetimibe.* -
  • While no safety or tolerability issues were identified, the extent of LDL-C reduction varied by treatment dosage and type, highlighting the need for more research on long-term safety and effectiveness.*
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Hematopoietic stem cells surrender organelles during differentiation, leaving mature red blood cells (RBC) devoid of transcriptional machinery and mitochondria. The resultant absence of cellular repair capacity limits RBC circulatory longevity, and old cells are removed from circulation. The specific age-dependent alterations required for this apparently targeted removal of RBC, however, remain elusive.

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Mechanical circulatory support devices have profoundly transformed the management of severe cardiothoracic disorders. While heart transplantation is the gold standard therapy for end-stage heart disease, long-term mechanical support devices are a viable alternative for those ineligible and/or those awaiting organ availability. Major technological advancements were made over first 5 decades of development, resulting in improved durability and survival with reduced adverse events.

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Background: Von Willebrand factor (VWF) is a critical glycoprotein in hemostasis and is an important factor in diagnosing bleeding disorders. Albeit the analysis of VWF is often compromised by inconsistent methodologies and challenges quantifying multimeric size. Current VWF multimer analysis methods are costly, time-consuming, and often inconsistent; thus, demanding skilled professionals.

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Background: Parkinson's disease is a brain condition causing a progressive loss of co ordination and movement problems. Around 145,500 people have Parkinson's disease in the United Kingdom. Levodopa is the most prescribed treatment for managing motor symptoms in the early stages.

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Objective: The objective of this work was to understand how triglyceride plant oils can deliver strength and softness benefits to hair by their penetration. These plant oils are complex mixtures of TAGs, so the initial studies performed were with pure TAGs and then these data compared to plant oils and their measured TAG compositions.

Methods: LC-MS was used to identify the di and triglycerides in coconut oil, Camellia oleifera oil and safflower seed oil.

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Article Synopsis
  • Impaired primary hemostasis and abnormal blood vessel growth (angiogenesis) contribute to gastrointestinal bleeding in patients using continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices (CF-LVADs) in a "two-hit hypothesis."
  • A study examined the effects of acute exercise on blood samples from 22 CF-LVAD patients, measuring changes in hemostatic and angiogenic biomarkers.
  • Results showed that acute exercise significantly increased platelet count and function, as well as various factors related to blood clotting and vessel growth, suggesting potential benefits for GI bleeding management in these patients.
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Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor drugs (anti-VEGFs) compared with panretinal photocoagulation (PRP) for treating proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) in the United Kingdom.

Methods: A discrete event simulation model was developed, informed by individual participant data meta-analysis. The model captures treatment effects on best corrected visual acuity in both eyes, and the occurrence of diabetic macular edema and vitreous hemorrhage.

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Human activities are increasingly impacting our oceans and the focus tends to be on their environmental impacts, rather than consequences for animal welfare. Global shipping density has quadrupled since 1992. Unsurprisingly, increased levels of vessel collisions with cetaceans have followed this global expansion of shipping.

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Background: A wide range of ablative and non-surgical therapies are available for treating small hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with very early or early-stage disease and preserved liver function.

Objective: To review and compare the effectiveness of all current ablative and non-surgical therapies for patients with small hepatocellular carcinoma (≤ 3 cm).

Design: Systematic review and network meta-analysis.

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Background & Aims: Non-surgical therapies are frequently used for patients with early or very early hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The aim of this systematic review and network meta-analysis (NMA) was to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of ablative and non-surgical therapies for patients with small HCC.

Methods: Nine databases were searched (March 2021) along with clinical trial registries.

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This paper presents the design and testing of an arched foot with several biomimetic features, including five individual MTP (toe) joints, four individual midfoot joints, and plantar fascia. The creation of a triple-arched foot represents a step further in bio-inspired design compared to other published designs. The arched structure creates flexibility that is similar to human feet with a vertical deflection of up to 12 mm.

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Hemp ( L.) is a widely researched industrial crop with a variety of applications in the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, food, cosmetic, textile, and materials industries. Although many of these applications are related to its chemical composition, the chemical diversity of the hemp metabolome has not been explored in detail and new metabolites with unknown properties are likely to be discovered.

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Ethnopharmacological Relevance: In the snake-infested mountainous regions of China, Saxifraga stolonifera [L.] Meeb is widely utilized as an immediate remedy for venomous snake bites. However, the scientific understanding of S.

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