The effects of isolated game elements on adherence rates in food response inhibition training.

Food response inhibition training (food-RIT) is found to aid weight loss and reduce snacking of foods high in sugar, salt and fat. However, these interventions suffer from a lack of adherence, with gamification proposed as a solution to increase engagement. The effect of gamification is unclear, however, with a lack of research investigating the effects of single game elements in improving adherence to interventions.

Managing preschool wheeze: a qualitative study of parents' views and experiences.

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore parents' views and experiences of managing preschool wheeze, including opinions on the use of investigations to inform treatment pathways.

Design: Purposive sampling was used to recruit 16 participants from 14 families across England and Wales. Qualitative data were collected via semi-structured interviews with parents of children aged 1-5 years with preschool wheeze, conducted on Microsoft (MS) Teams.

Diurnal variation of visual functions for driving with and without orthokeratology: A multicenter study.

Purpose: To investigate orthokeratology-related diurnal variations in visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, mesopic (twilight) vision, and glare sensitivity, and to verify compliance with requirements for driver licensing.

Methods: In this prospective, multicenter, controlled study, fifty myopic (range, -1.00 to -4.

Neuropathy with anti-myelin-associated glycoprotein antibodies: update on diagnosis, pathophysiology and management.

Antimyelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG) neuropathy is a rare autoimmune demyelinating peripheral neuropathy caused by IgM autoantibodies targeting MAG. The typical presentation is that of a slowly progressive, distal, length-dependent, predominantly sensory, sometimes ataxic neuropathy, frequently accompanied by upper limb tremor. Distal motor weakness may subsequently occur.

Interactions Between High-Intensity Light and Unrestricted Vision in the Drive for Hyperopia.

Purpose: To evaluate the impact of optical vs. illuminance factors and their duration-dependency on lens-induced hyperopia (LIH) in chick eyes.

Methods: Hyperopia was induced in one eye in chicks (10 groups; n = 126) from day 1 after hatching until day 8 using +10-diopter lenses with fellow eyes as controls.

Factors Influencing Stream Segregation Based on Interaural Phase Difference Cues.

Interaural time differences are often considered a weak cue for stream segregation. We investigated this claim with headphone-presented pure tones differing in a related form of interaural configuration-interaural phase differences (ΔIPD)-or/and in frequency (ΔF). In experiment 1, sequences comprised 5 × ABA- repetitions (A and B = 80-ms tones, "-" = 160-ms silence), and listeners reported whether integration or segregation was heard.

Determinants of long-term disability in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy: A multicenter Korea/UK study of 144 patients.

Background: Despite standard-of-care treatment, therapeutic outcomes in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP) are often incomplete. We aimed to evaluate the impact of clinical and therapeutic factors on long-term disability in CIDP, from cohorts from Korea and the UK.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective multicenter cohort study of 144 patients with CIDP.

Stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG)-guided insula resections: is it "Reily" worth it?

Objective: Stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG) is widely used to characterise epileptic networks and guide resection in paediatric epilepsy surgery programmes. The insula, with its extensive connectivity with temporal and extratemporal structures, has increasingly been seen as a possible surgical target. We report our seizure outcomes after SEEG-guided resection of the insula in a paediatric cohort.

Direct and indirect effects of childhood adversity on psychopathology: Investigating parallel mediation via self-concept clarity, self-esteem and intolerance of uncertainty.

Objectives: The aim was to extend previous work on the identity disruption model (IDM) of adult psychological distress. According to the IDM, aversive childhood experiences (ACEs) disrupt the development of identity, resulting in an unclear sense of self and a reliance on external sources of self-definition, leading to psychological distress in adulthood. In line with this model, self-concept clarity (SCC) in parallel with self-esteem (SE) and intolerance of uncertainty (IU) has been shown to mediate the relationship between childhood adversity and depression and anxiety.

Post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 in cancer patients: Two cohorts in UK and Hong Kong.

Background: Limited research exists on the risks and spectrum of complications in post-acute phase of COVID-19 in cancer patients. This study aimed to evaluate the post-acute effects of COVID-19 on different types of morbidities among cancer patients across two regions with different healthcare systems and dominant variants of COVID-19.

Materials And Methods: Cancer patients with COVID-19 from the UK Biobank (UKB, n = 2230; March 16, 2020 to May 31, 2021; pre-Omicron-variants dominant) and electronic medical records in Hong Kong (HK cohort, n = 22,335; April 1, 2020 to October 31, 2022; Omicron-variant dominant) were included.

Homozygous Delta-Beta Thalassaemia With Alpha Thalassaemia and Erythrocytosis- a Rare Case Report.

In this report, we describe a case of homozygous delta-beta (δβ) thalassaemia, a rare genetic disorder characterized by severe deficiency in delta (δ) and beta (β)-globin chain production, leading to ineffective erythropoiesis and chronic haemolytic anaemia. The patient, a 26-year-old female with δβ-thalassaemia, experienced a miscarriage. High-performance liquid chromatography revealed 89.

Cognition and wellbeing in middle-aged early treated people with phenylketonuria: Preliminary results and methodological lessons.

The first cohort of early-treated adults with phenylketonuria (PKU) is reaching middle-age and moving towards old age. We do not know if and how the effects of an aging brain may interact with the effect of PKU. This study compared wellbeing and cognition in 19 middle-aged adults with PKU (age 40+ mean = 45.

Rare but elevated incidence of hematological malignancy after clozapine use in schizophrenia: A population cohort study.

Background: Clozapine is widely regarded as a highly efficacious psychotropic drug that is largely underused worldwide. Recent disproportionality analyses and nationwide case-control studies suggested a potential association between clozapine use and hematological malignancy (HM). Nevertheless, the absolute rate difference is not well-established due to the absence of analytic cohort studies.

Dazzle camouflage: benefits and problems revealed.

During WWI, ships were painted in high-contrast 'dazzle' patterns believed to distort, among other things, submariners' perceptions of direction when aiming their torpedoes, but was this strategy effective? Here, we investigated the effects of different camouflage patterns, including versions used in the war, on the perceived direction of travel for a three-dimensional computer model of the RMS Mauretania. The results of this study showed that texture gradients 'twisted' the perceived direction of the ship, the effect being ~10° for a regular pattern of circles. We also found a second, larger effect, 'hysteresis', that biased perceived target directions to parallel the horizon for directions of travel within approximately ±30° of 90° (left-right).

Randomised controlled trial of HOYA one-day multifocal contact lenses: The HOMCL trial.

Trial Design: Double-masked crossover RCT (Research Registry: #8136) comparison of a new HOYA one-day disposable multifocal contact lens (HOMCL) with Alcon DAILIES TOTAL1® Multifocal (ADT1).

Methods: Sixty presbyopic participants from three countries attended for baseline measurements and fitting of both lens types and then for a fortnight completed daily diaries of symptoms with habitual optical correction, and VF-14 questionnaire. Participants collected either HOMCL or ADT1, when the vision was measured again, and they wore this product for a fortnight, completing daily diaries and VF-14.

Sulfation pathways in times of change.

Sulfation pathways are an essential part of overall sulfur metabolism. Sulfation pathways are mainly about sulfate activation, and the making and breaking of biological sulfate esters. This special issue features some extended reflection on what was presented at the SUPA 2023 meeting on Sulfation Pathways.

Pioneering Advances and Innovative Applications of Mesoporous Carriers for Mitochondria-Targeted Therapeutics.

Mitochondria, known as the cell's powerhouse, play a critical role in energy production, cellular maintenance, and stemness regulation in non-cancerous cells. Despite their importance, using drug delivery systems to target the mitochondria presents significant challenges due to several barriers, including cellular uptake limitations, enzymatic degradation, and the mitochondrial membranes themselves. Additionally, barriers in the organs to be targetted, along with extracellular barriers formed by physiological processes such as the reticuloendothelial system, contribute to the rapid elimination of nanoparticles designed for mitochondrial-based drug delivery.

Myasthenia gravis following statin therapy: evidence from target trial emulation and self-controlled case series study.

Several international pharmacovigilance agencies have issued warnings regarding the potential risk of myasthenia gravis (MG) following statin therapy. Our study investigated this association using population-based electronic health records in Hong Kong. We conducted a sequence of target trial emulation (TTE) for interpersonal comparison and a self-controlled case series (SCCS) study for intrapersonal comparison.

Effects of 1267 nm Illumination on Microcirculation Regulatory Mechanisms.

This study explored the effects of 1267 nm laser irradiation on changes in blood flow parameters and activation of the regulatory mechanisms of the microcirculatory bed (MCB). Using laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) technique and time-frequency analysis of perfusion signals, changes in the MCB of 16 healthy volunteers, targeting the distal phalanx of the third finger with 1267 nm laser irradiation were evaluated. Results indicated no significant differences in perfusion between control and target measurements, likely due to blood flow redistribution caused by vessel dilation/constriction.

Perspectives of dry eye patients in the United Kingdom on risk factors and desired treatment outcomes.

Purpose: Successful management of dry eye disease depends upon an effective two-way communication between eyecare practitioners and affected patients. However, there has been limited investigation into the perspectives of patients with dry eye disease in the United Kingdom regarding their risk factors and desired treatment outcomes.

Methods: An online, self-administered, anonymous survey was distributed to patients based in the United Kingdom who have had a diagnosis of dry eye disease between November 2023 to March 2024.