Interrupted time series datasets from studies investigating the impact of interventions or exposures in public health and social science: a data note.

Objectives: The interrupted time series (ITS) design is commonly used to investigate the impact of an intervention or exposure in public health. There are many statistical methods that can be used to analyse ITS data and to meta-analyse their results. We undertook two empirical studies to investigate: (i) how effect estimates (and associated statistics) compared when six statistical methods were applied to 190 real-world datasets; and (ii) how meta-analysis effect estimates (and associated statistics) compared when the combinations of two ITS analysis methods and five meta-analysis methods were applied to 17 real-world meta-analyses including 283 ITS datasets.

Authors' Reply: Commentary on "Protecting User Privacy and Rights in Academic Data-Sharing Partnerships: Principles From a Pilot Program at Crisis Text Line".

We appreciate Reierson's thoughtful commentary on our 2019 paper, which described our experiences, ethical process, judgment calls, and lessons from a 2016-2017 data-sharing pilot between Crisis Text Line and academic researchers. The commentary raises important questions about the ethical conduct of health research in the digital age, particularly regarding informed consent, potential conflicts of interest, and the protection of vulnerable populations. Our article focused specifically on the noncommercial use of Crisis Text Line data for research purposes, so we restrict our reply to points relevant to such usage.

Consensus outcomes between health professionals and parents for oral corticosteroids in treating preschool wheeze: a multi-national survey and nominal group technique study.

Objective: To obtain priority consensus for outcome measures of oral corticosteroid treatment of preschool wheeze that represent stakeholder groups.

Design: (1) A systematic review to identify a set of outcome measures; (2) an international survey for healthcare professionals (HCPs) and a nominal group meeting with parents; (3) a final consensus nominal group meeting with key HCPs (trial investigators and paediatric emergency medicine clinicians) and the same parent group.

Main Outcome Measures: Consensus priority of treatment outcome measures, outcome minimal clinically important differences (MCIDs) and level of concerns about adverse effects.

Using routine primary care data in research: (in)efficient case studies and perspectives from the Asthma UK Centre for Applied Research.

Aim: We aimed to identify enablers and barriers of using primary care routine data for healthcare research, to formulate recommendations for improving efficiency in knowledge discovery.

Background: Data recorded routinely in primary care can be used for estimating the impact of interventions provided within routine care for all people who are clinically eligible. Despite official promotion of 'efficient trial designs', anecdotally researchers in the Asthma UK Centre for Applied Research (AUKCAR) have encountered multiple barriers to accessing and using routine data.

Chromosomal rearrangements and instability caused by the LINE-1 retrotransposon.

LINE-1 (L1) retrotransposition is widespread in many cancers, especially those with a high burden of chromosomal rearrangements. However, whether and to what degree L1 activity directly impacts genome integrity is unclear. Here, we apply whole-genome sequencing to experimental models of L1 expression to comprehensively define the spectrum of genomic changes caused by L1.

Genotype-Guided Asthma Treatment Reduces Exacerbations in Children: Meta-Analysis of Two RCTs.

Background: Long-acting beta2-agonists (LABA) in combination with inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) are commonly used to treat asthma, however, some children lack response to the addition of LABA. This might be partially due to the presence of the Arg16Gly polymorphism, encoded by rs1042713 G>A in the ADRB2 gene. Carrying the A allele (Arg16) at this variant has been associated with an increased risk of exacerbations despite LABA treatment.

Mantle oxidation by sulfur drives the formation of giant gold deposits in subduction zones.

Oxidation of the sub-arc mantle driven by slab-derived fluids has been hypothesized to contribute to the formation of gold deposits in magmatic arc environments that host the majority of metal resources on Earth. However, the mechanism by which the infiltration of slab-derived fluids into the mantle wedge changes its oxidation state and affects Au enrichment remains poorly understood. Here, we present the results of a numerical model that demonstrates that slab-derived fluids introduce large amounts of sulfate (S) into the overlying mantle wedge that increase its oxygen fugacity by up to 3 to 4 log units relative to the pristine mantle.

Evaluation of a Training Model to Teach Skills Associated with Esophagostomy Tube Placement in Companion Animals.

Models and simulations are used in veterinary education to allow students to practice surgical skills in order to obtain clinical competence. Further development of models is also driven by the requirement of veterinary institutions to reduce the use of animal patients in teaching (live or cadaver). Esophagostomy tube placement is a common therapeutic procedure performed in companion animal critical care cases, and a model was developed to help teach this skill.

Alzheimer's Disease Sequencing Project Release 4 Whole Genome Sequencing Dataset.

The Alzheimer's Disease Sequencing Project (ADSP) is a national initiative to understand the genetic architecture of Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (AD/ADRD) by sequencing whole genomes of affected participants and age-matched cognitive controls from diverse populations. The Genome Center for Alzheimer's Disease (GCAD) processed whole-genome sequencing data from 36,361 ADSP participants, including 35,014 genetically unique participants of which 45% are from non-European ancestry, across 17 cohorts in 14 countries in this fourth release (R4). This sequencing effort identified 387 million bi-allelic variants, 42 million short insertions/deletions, and 2.

Feasibility and Acceptability of a Remote Group Intervention for Depression, Social Isolation, and Loneliness in Older Adults.

Objectives: This mixed-methods study examines the acceptability, feasibility, and preliminary effect of a novel, remotely delivered group intervention (Empower@Home: Connected) targeting depression, social isolation, and loneliness in older adults (≥ 60).

Methods: Acceptability was assessed via participant satisfaction, and feasibility was measured by attrition rates and session attendance. Participants completed pre- and posttest measures of depression, social isolation, and loneliness, with depression also assessed biweekly.

Alpelisib plus fulvestrant in PIK3CA-mutated, hormone receptor-positive advanced breast cancer after a CDK4/6 inhibitor (BYLieve): one cohort of a phase 2, multicentre, open-label, non-comparative study.

Background: Alpelisib, a PI3Kα-selective inhibitor and degrader, plus fulvestrant showed efficacy in hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative, PIK3CA-mutated advanced breast cancer in SOLAR-1; limited data are available in the post-cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitor setting. BYLieve aimed to assess alpelisib plus endocrine therapy in this setting in three cohorts defined by immediate previous treatment; here, we report results from cohort A.

Methods: This ongoing, phase 2, multicentre, open-label, non-comparative study enrolled patients with hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative, advanced breast cancer with tumour PIK3CA mutation, following progression on or after previous therapy, including CDK4/6 inhibitors, from 114 study locations (cancer centres, medical centres, university hospitals, and hospitals) in 18 countries worldwide.

The status quo of global geriatric radiation oncology education: A scoping review.

Purpose: To identify potential gaps in geriatric radiation oncology (RO) education worldwide, as measured by geriatric oncology (GO) content within postgraduate RO training program (TP) curricula across 8 focus countries.

Methods And Materials: The need for improved education around GO is internationally recognized and is a key strategic priority of the International Society of Geriatric Oncology (SIOG).Two reviewers undertook a systematic scoping review from March to September 2023.

Monitoring forest cover and land use change in the Congo Basin under IPCC climate change scenarios.

The Congo Basin tropical forests are home to many endemic and endangered species, and a global hotspot for forest fragmentation and loss. Yet, little has been done to document the region's rapid deforestation, assess its effects and consequences, or project future forest cover loss to aid in effective planning. Here we applied the Random Forest (RF) supervised classification algorithm in Google Earth Engine (GEE) to map and quantify decadal changes in forest cover and land use (LCLU) in the Congo Basin between 1990 and 2020.

Microresonator photonic wire bond integration for Kerr-microcomb generation.

Extremely high-Q microresonators provide an attractive platform for a plethora of photonic applications including optical frequency combs, high-precision metrology, telecommunication, microwave generation, narrow linewidth lasers, and stable frequency references. Moreover, the desire for compactness and a low power threshold for nonlinear phenomena have spurred investigation into integrated and scalable solutions. Historically, crystalline microresonators with Q ∼ 10 were one of the first material platforms providing unprecedented optical performance in a small form factor.

The effects of moderate prenatal alcohol exposure on performance in object and spatial discrimination tasks by adult male rats.

Exposure to alcohol during pregnancy produces Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, which in its most severe form is characterized by physical dysmorphology and neurobehavioral alterations. Moderate prenatal alcohol exposure (mPAE) is known to produce deficits in discrimination of spatial locations in adulthood. However, the impact of mPAE on higher-order sensory representations, such as discrimination of perceptually similar stimuli, is currently unknown.

METTL3/MYCN cooperation drives neural crest differentiation and provides therapeutic vulnerability in neuroblastoma.

Neuroblastoma (NB) is the most common extracranial childhood cancer, caused by the improper differentiation of developing trunk neural crest cells (tNCC) in the sympathetic nervous system. The N-methyladenosine (mA) epitranscriptomic modification controls post-transcriptional gene expression but the mechanism by which the mA methyltransferase complex METTL3/METTL14/WTAP is recruited to specific loci remains to be fully characterized. We explored whether the mA epitranscriptome could fine-tune gene regulation in migrating/differentiating tNCC.

Clinical outcomes following acute sore throat assessment at community pharmacy versus general practice: a retrospective, longitudinal, data linkage study.

Background: To date, no research has compared longer-term outcomes (antibiotic provision; re-consultations; hospital admissions for quinsy; cost-effectiveness) following presentation with acute sore throat at general practice (GP) versus newer, pharmacy-led services.

Methods: A retrospective, longitudinal cohort study of sore throat consultations between 1 November 2018 and 28 February 2020 either with the Wales pharmacy-led sore throat test and treat (STTT) service or with a healthcare professional at GP. Individual-level pharmacy consultation data from the national Choose Pharmacy IT application were securely uploaded to the Secure Anonymised Information Linkage Databank and linked to routinely collected, anonymized, population-scale, individual-level, anonymized health and administrative data.

The Banksia plot: a method for visually comparing point estimates and confidence intervals across datasets.

Objectives: In research evaluating statistical analysis methods, a common aim is to compare point estimates and CIs calculated from different analyses. This can be challenging when the outcomes (and their scale ranges) differ across datasets. We therefore developed a graphical method, the "Banksia plot", to facilitate pairwise comparisons of different statistical analysis methods by plotting and comparing point estimates and CIs from each analysis method, both within and across datasets.

Bexotegrast in people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF): a plain language summary of publication of the INTEGRIS-IPF study.

This plain language summary shares results from a clinical study called INTEGRIS-IPF that was published in the in 2024. This study looked at a medicine called (beck-so-teh-grast) as a possible treatment for (i-dee-uh-pa-thick pul-muh-ner-ee fie-bro-sis; IPF). is an investigational medicine, which means that it is being studied and has not yet been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), for people with IPF to take as a treatment.