The importance of visual acuity screening in dental education amongst undergraduate dental students: a straightforward method.

Background: Visual acuity plays a pivotal role in a dental professional's daily performance and screening the students' field of vision in their early formative years ensures successful undergraduate programmes.

Aims: To compare near and distance visual acuity and stereopsis in first-year and final-year dental students and investigate students' perception of their vision.

Method: This was a cross-sectional study involving 100 KCL first- and final-year dental students who underwent assessment of their vision and completed a self-perception questionnaire.

Early-stage randomised controlled trial of therapist-supported online cognitive therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder in young people.

Background: Effective face-to-face treatments for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) are available, but most young people with PTSD do not receive effective treatment. Therapist-supported online Cognitive Therapy has the potential to improve accessibility of effective treatment. This early-stage trial gathered data on the feasibility, acceptability, and initial signal of clinical efficacy of a novel online Cognitive Therapy program for young people with PTSD.

Reassessing the need for primary prevention implantable cardioverter-defibrillators in contemporary patients with heart failure.

The main function of the implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) is to protect against sudden cardiac death (SCD) due to ventricular tachyarrhythmia (VTA). Current guidelines provide a recommendation to implant a prophylactic ICD for the primary prevention of SCD in individuals having heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) who never experienced a previous sustained VTA. However, these recommendations are based on clinical trials conducted more than 20 years ago and may not be applicable to contemporary patients with HFrEF who have a lower arrhythmic risk as a result of advances in heart failure medical therapies.

Number of people treated for hepatitis C virus infection in 2014-2023 and applicable lessons for new HBV and HDV therapies.

Background And Aims: The year 2023 marked the 10-year anniversary of the launch of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) for the treatment of the hepatitis C virus (HCV). HCV treatment trends by country, region, and globally are important to monitor progress toward the World Health Organization's 2030 elimination targets. Additionally, the historical patterns can help predict the treatment uptake for future therapies for other liver diseases.

Long-term non-progression in children living with HIV: estimates from international cohort data.

Objectives: To estimate the probability of long-term nonprogression (LTNP) in the absence of antiretroviral treatment (ART) in children with perinatally acquired HIV, and the impact of LTNP definitions on these estimates.

Design: Analysis of longitudinal routine care data (follow-up to 2016) collected through a collaboration of cohorts of children in routine HIV care across Europe and Thailand.

Methods: LTNP was defined as reaching age 8 years without disease progression (defined as an AIDS diagnosis or immunosuppression based on WHO immunosuppression-for-age thresholds, age-adjusted CD4+z-scores or CD4+ counts).

An oligodendrocyte silencer element underlies the pathogenic impact of lamin B1 structural variants.

The role of non-coding regulatory elements and how they might contribute to tissue type specificity of disease phenotypes is poorly understood. Autosomal Dominant Leukodystrophy (ADLD) is a fatal, adult-onset, neurological disorder that is characterized by extensive CNS demyelination. Most cases of ADLD are caused by tandem genomic duplications involving the lamin B1 gene (LMNB1) while a small subset are caused by genomic deletions upstream of the gene.

Interventions for quitting vaping.

This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To conduct a living systematic review to assess the benefits and harms of interventions to help people quit vaping compared to each other or to placebo or no intervention. We will also assess how these interventions affect the use of combustible tobacco, and whether effects vary based on participant characteristics.

Guidelines vs mindlines: a qualitative investigation of how clinicians' beliefs influence the application of rapid molecular diagnostics in intensive care.

Rapid molecular diagnostic tests improve antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) by facilitating earlier refinement of antimicrobial therapy. The INHALE trial tested the application of the BioFire FilmArray Pneumonia Panel (Pneumonia Panel) for antibiotic prescribing for hospital-acquired and ventilator-associated pneumonias (HAP/VAP) in UK intensive care units (ICUs). We report a behavioral study embedded within the INHALE trial examining clinicians' perceptions of using these tests.

Implementation of prehospital point-of-care ultrasound using a novel continuous feedback approach in a UK helicopter emergency medical service.

Background: There has been increased use of prehospital point-of-care ultrasound (PoCUS) by helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) in recent years. Lack of governance structure and evidence of benefit have been described as major barriers to its implementation. This paper describes a novel approach to implementation of prehospital PoCUS and clinical governance framework in a UK HEMS.

Environmental risk factors for self-harm during imprisonment: A pilot prospective cohort study.

Introduction: Self-harm is a major public health issue in the imprisoned population. Limited high-quality evidence exists for the potential impact of prison environmental factors such as solitary confinement. This exploratory pilot prospective cohort study in a large male remand prison in England sought to estimate effect sizes for a comprehensive range of prison environmental factors in relation to self-harming behaviours.

The incidence and outcomes of hyperacute cardiovascular dysfunction following isolated traumatic brain injury: an observational cohort study.

Background: The relationship between early cardiovascular dysfunction (CVD) in isolated traumatic brain injury (iTBI) and outcome has not been fully described. We aimed to (1) determine the prevalence and phenotype of CVD after iTBI in the hyper-acute phase and (2) compare treatment and outcomes in those with CVD vs non-CVD.

Methods: An observational cohort database study of severe iTBI patients (Head AIS 3+) at a level 1 trauma centre (2008-2019) and physician-led air ambulance service (2019-2020).

Barriers and facilitators to engagement in psychological therapy in first episode psychosis: A meta-ethnography and qualitative comparative analysis.

Objectives: Disengagement from psychological therapies in first-episode psychosis (FEP) is a common occurrence, with personal costs associated with untreated problems. This study aimed to establish the barriers and facilitators of people experiencing FEP to engagement in psychological therapies by undertaking a meta-ethnography and Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) of existing qualitative literature.

Methods: A systematic search was conducted in multiple databases including Psychinfo, Ovid Medline, Web of Science, EthOs, OPENgrey and Procrest in July 2021 (updated in July 2024).

Regional and Sectorial Distribution of Cardiovascular Risk Factors Among Sub-Saharan Africa Workforce: A Systematic Review.

The sub-Saharan African region is currently experiencing an unprecedented cardiovascular disease (CVD) epidemic, with CVD accounting for the highest mortality among adults in the region. Changing demographic profiles, lifestyle choices, and preferences for corporate work are identified as root causes of the CVD epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The primary objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of CV risk factors among different regions, countries, and work sectors in SSA.

Optimizing stroke prediction using gated recurrent unit and feature selection in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Background: Stroke remains a leading cause of death and disability worldwide, with African populations bearing a disproportionately high burden due to limited healthcare infrastructure. Early prediction and intervention are critical to reducing stroke outcomes. This study developed and evaluated a stroke prediction system using Gated Recurrent Units (GRU), a variant of Recurrent Neural Networks (RNN), leveraging the Afrocentric Stroke Investigative Research and Education Network (SIREN) dataset.

Enhancing maternity healthcare workers' wellbeing using insider participatory action research.

Background: Good healthcare worker (HCW) wellbeing positively impacts service user outcomes, yet the United Kingdom (UK) National Health Service (NHS) is suffering workforce burnout and retention issues. While urgently needing evidence-based wellbeing strategies, participatory interventions using positive psychology have been under-investigated. We aimed to develop a caring, collegial NHS labour ward environment wherein HCWs created paths to enhancing individual and collective workplace wellbeing.

The Impact of AI-driven Remote Patient Monitoring on Cancer Care: A Systematic Review.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic necessitated a shift in healthcare delivery, emphasizing the need for remote patient monitoring (RPM) to minimize infection risks. This review aimed to evaluate the applications of artificial intelligence (AI) in RPM for cancer patients, exploring its impact on patient outcomes and implications for future healthcare practices. A qualitative systematic review was conducted using keyword searches across four databases: Embase OVID, PubMed, PsychInfo, and Web of Science.

Identifying consensus and areas for future research in chondrosarcoma : a report from the Birmingham Orthopaedic Oncology Meeting.

Aims: The Birmingham Orthopaedic Oncology Meeting (BOOM), held in January 2024, convened 309 delegates from 53 countries to discuss and refine 21 consensus statements on the optimal management of chondrosarcoma.

Methods: With representation from Europe (43%; n = 133), North America (17%; n = 53), South America (16%; n = 49), Asia (13%; n = 40), Australasia (5%; n = 16), the Middle East (4%; n = 12), and Africa (2%; n = 6), the combined experience of treating bone sarcomas among attendees totalled approximately 30,000 cases annually, equivalent to 66 years of experience in the UK alone. The meeting's process began with the formation of a local organizing committee, regional leads, and a scientific committee comprising representatives from 150 specialist units across 47 countries.

Behavioural and psychological symptoms of people with dementia in acute hospital settings: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) can complicate acute hospital care, but evidence on BPSD in this setting is heterogeneous.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of BPSD in acute hospitals and explore related risk factors, treatments, and outcomes (PROSPERO: CRD42023406294).

Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis by searching Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, and PsycINFO for studies on BPSD prevalence among older people with dementia during their acute hospital admissions (up to 5 March 2024).

Association of pre-existing cardiovascular disease with administration of fluoropyrimidine chemotherapy in patients with gastrointestinal malignancies.

Objective: Fluoropyrimidine chemotherapy is a first-line treatment for many gastrointestinal (GI) cancers, however, cardiotoxicity concerns may limit administration in patients with pre-existing cardiovascular disease (CVD). This study investigated the association of pre-existing CVD with use of fluoropyrimidine chemotherapy in tumour-eligible GI cancer patients.

Methods And Analysis: National cancer registry data from the Virtual Cardio-Oncology Research Initiative from England between 2014 and 2018 was used to identify GI cancer patients eligible to receive fluoropyrimidine chemotherapy.

Protocol for a feasibility study evaluating a supported self-management intervention for stroke survivors with aphasia (StarStep study).

Background: There is a growing evidence base to support the use of self-management interventions for improving quality of life after stroke. However, stroke survivors with aphasia have been underrepresented in research to date. It is therefore unclear if self-management is an appropriate or effective approach for this group.