Solving unknown primary cancer with earlier diagnosis - the SUPER-ED trial: study protocol for a stepped-wedge cluster randomised controlled trial to support earlier diagnosis for people presenting with malignancy of undefined primary origin.

Background: People with malignancy of undefined primary origin (MUO) have a poor prognosis and may undergo a protracted diagnostic workup causing patient distress and high cancer related costs. Not having a primary diagnosis limits timely site-specific treatment and access to precision medicine. There is a need to improve the diagnostic process, and healthcare delivery and support for these patients.

Exploring Virtual Reality and Exercise Simulator Interventions in Patients With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Comprehensive Literature Review.

Background: This review explores virtual reality (VR) and exercise simulator-based interventions for individuals with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Past research indicates that both VR and simulator-based interventions enhance cognitive functions, such as executive function and memory, though their impacts on attention vary.

Objective: This study aimed to contribute to the ongoing scientific discourse on integrating technology-driven interventions into the management and evaluation of ADHD.

Unveiling the intricacies: Insight into gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) poses a substantial global health challenge, with prevalence rates exhibiting geographical variation. Despite its widespread recognition, the exact prevalence and associated risk factors remain elusive. This article comprehensively analyzed the global burden of GERD, shedding light on its risk factors, underlying pathophysiological mechanisms, current diagnostic modalities, evolving management strategies tailored to diverse patient profiles, and complex determinants contributing to treatment failures.

Benzene metabolites increase vascular permeability by activating heat shock proteins and Rho GTPases.

Benzene is a ubiquitous environmental and occupational pollutant abundant in household products, petrochemicals, and cigarette smoke. It is also a well-known carcinogen and hematopoietic toxin. Population-based studies indicate an increased risk of heart failure in subjects exposed to inhaled benzene, which coincides with the infiltration of immune cells into the myocardium.

Investigating disease awareness of cutaneous leishmaniasis in rural Sri Lanka to inform public health services: a cross-sectional study.

Objective: To assess community awareness of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) in a disease-endemic district in Sri Lanka.

Design: Population-based cross-sectional study.

Setting: This study was conducted in selected 158 Grama Niladhari divisions covering all the 22 Divisional Secretariat areas of the Anuradhapura district, Sri Lanka.

Smartphone Technology to Facilitate Remote Postural Balance Assessment in Acute Concussion Management: Pilot Study.

Impaired balance is a key symptom following acute concussion. Unfortunately, the recommended clinical balance assessment lacks sensitivity and discriminative ability, relying on the experience of the clinician for interpretation. The aim of this pilot study is to explore smartphone technology to remotely assess balance impairment in people with acute concussion.

Assessment of the productivity loss due to leading maternal ill-health conditions: a follow-up study of a prospective pregnancy cohort in rural Sri Lanka.

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the productivity loss and cost due to maternal ill-health conditions and its associated factors throughout pregnancy in rural Sri Lanka.

Design: A follow-up study of women registered in the Rajarata Pregnancy Cohort (RaPCo).

Setting: Anuradhapura district, Sri Lanka.

Quantifying Hand Motion Complexity in Simulated Sailing Using Inertial Sensors.

The control of hand movement during sailing is important for performance. To quantify the amount of regularity and the unpredictability of hand fluctuations during the task, the mathematical algorithm Approximate Entropy (ApEn) of the hand acceleration can be used. Approximate Entropy is a mathematical algorithm that depends on the combination of two input parameters including (1) the length of the sequences to be compared (m), and (2) the tolerance threshold for accepting similar patterns between two segments (r).

A real-world study of BBIBP-CorV vaccine effectiveness in a Sri Lanka rural province.

Objective: Real-world studies assessing the effectiveness of the BBIBP-CorV vaccine in low and middle-income countries are limited. We evaluated the BBIBP-CorV vaccine's effectiveness in reducing COVID-19 symptomatic disease, hospitalisation, severe disease, and mortality during the third wave of the pandemic in Sri Lanka.

Methods: We conducted a test-negative case-control study in North Central Province from May 2021 to February 2022.

'Omics-Based Digital Twins for Personalised Paediatric Healthcare.

Digital twins offer potential to enhance the precision and personalisation of healthcare delivery. As part of a collaborative project between La Trobe University and the Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia, multidimensional 'omics-based digital twins of children are being developed. The aim is to explore their application to a range of health contexts in children.

Impact of COVID-19 on Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Diagnosis and Management in the US.

The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected individuals with chronic conditions, such as type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The full extent of the impact however remains unknown, mainly due to the limited research availability. This study examines the pandemic's impact on T2DM diagnosis and management in the United States.

Co-designing a motivational interviewing training platform to enhance oncology healthcare professional communication.

Background: Oncology healthcare professionals (HCPs) using motivational interviewing may motivate and support patients with chronic illness to adhere to medications. Research of online motivational interviewing training focusing on medication adherence in cancer is limited.

Objective: Co-design, develop, and preliminarily evaluate a motivational interviewing training platform (MITP) for oncology HCPs focused on medication adherence.

Empathic Conversational Agent Platform Designs and Their Evaluation in the Context of Mental Health: Systematic Review.

Background: The demand for mental health (MH) services in the community continues to exceed supply. At the same time, technological developments make the use of artificial intelligence-empowered conversational agents (CAs) a real possibility to help fill this gap.

Objective: The objective of this review was to identify existing empathic CA design architectures within the MH care sector and to assess their technical performance in detecting and responding to user emotions in terms of classification accuracy.

Safety and adherence to medications and self-care advice in oncology (SAMSON): pilot randomised controlled trial protocol.

Introduction: With the increasing use of oral anti-cancer medicines (OAMs), research demonstrating the magnitude of the medication non-adherence problem and its consequences on treatments' efficacy and toxicity is drawing more attention. Mobile phone interventions may be a practical solution to support patients taking OAMs at home, yet evidence to inform the efficacy of these interventions is lacking. The safety and adherence to medications and self-care advice in oncology (SAMSON) pilot randomised control trial (RCT) aims to evaluate the acceptability, feasibility and potential efficacy of a novel digital solution to improve medication adherence (MA) among people with cancer.

Anticipated and experienced stigma and discrimination in the workplace among individuals with major depressive disorder in 35 countries: qualitative framework analysis of a mixed-method cross-sectional study.

Objectives: Workplace stigmatisation and discrimination are significant barriers to accessing employment opportunities, reintegration and promotion in the workforce for people with mental illnesses in comparison to other disabilities. This paper presents qualitative evidence of anticipated and experienced workplace stigma and discrimination among individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD) in 35 countries, and how these experiences differ across countries based on their Human Development Index (HDI) level.

Design: Mixed-method cross-sectional survey.

Enhancing Healthcare through Sensor-Enabled Digital Twins in Smart Environments: A Comprehensive Analysis.

This comprehensive review investigates the transformative potential of sensor-driven digital twin technology in enhancing healthcare delivery within smart environments. We explore the integration of smart environments with sensor technologies, digital health capabilities, and location-based services, focusing on their impacts on healthcare objectives and outcomes. This work analyzes the foundational technologies, encompassing the Internet of Things (IoT), Internet of Medical Things (IoMT), machine learning (ML), and artificial intelligence (AI), that underpin the functionalities within smart environments.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease in Sri Lanka: An island-wide epidemiological survey assessing the prevalence and associated factors.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is commonly encountered in clinical practice in Sri Lanka. However, its prevalence in Sri Lanka is unknown. Our objective was to study the island-wide prevalence of GERD symptoms in Sri Lanka and its associated factors.

Co-Design, Development, and Evaluation of a Mobile Solution to Improve Medication Adherence in Cancer: Design Science Research Approach.

Background: Medication nonadherence negatively impacts the health outcomes of people with cancer as well as health care costs. Digital technologies present opportunities to address this health issue. However, there is limited evidence on how to develop digital interventions that meet the needs of people with cancer, are perceived as useful, and are potentially effective in improving medication adherence.

Intelligent decision support systems for dementia care: A scoping review.

In the context of dementia care, Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered clinical decision support systems have the potential to enhance diagnosis and management. However, the scope and challenges of applying these technologies remain unclear. This scoping review aims to investigate the current state of AI applications in the development of intelligent decision support systems for dementia care.

Nano zerovalent Fe did not reduce metal(loid) leaching and ecotoxicity further than conventional Fe grit in contrasting smelter impacted soils: A 1-year field study.

The majority of the studies on nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) are conducted at a laboratory-scale, while field-scale evidence is scarce. The objective of this study was to compare the metal(loid) immobilization efficiency of selected Fe-based materials under field conditions for a period of one year. Two contrasting metal(loid) (As, Cd, Pb, Zn) enriched soils from a smelter-contaminated area were amended with sulfidized nZVI (S-nZVI) solely or combined with thermally stabilized sewage sludge and compared to amendment with microscale iron grit.

Non-invasive blood glucose monitoring technology in diabetes management: review.

Diabetes is one of the leading non-communicable diseases globally, adversely impacting an individual's quality of life and adding a considerable burden to the healthcare systems. The necessity for frequent blood glucose (BG) monitoring and the inconveniences associated with self-monitoring of BG, such as pain and discomfort, has motivated the development of non-invasive BG approaches. However, the current research progress is slow, and only a few BG self-monitoring devices have made considerable progress.

Digital Twins for More Precise and Personalized Treatment.

The use of Digital Twins (DTs) or the digital replicas of physical entities has provided benefits to several industry sectors, most notably manufacturing. To date, the application of DTs in the healthcare sector has been minimal, however. But, as pressure increases for more precise and personalized treatments, it behooves us to investigate the potential for DTs in the healthcare context.