Jargon and Readability in Plain Language Summaries of Health Research: Cross-Sectional Observational Study.

Background: The idea of making science more accessible to nonscientists has prompted health researchers to involve patients and the public more actively in their research. This sometimes involves writing a plain language summary (PLS), a short summary intended to make research findings accessible to nonspecialists. However, whether PLSs satisfy the basic requirements of accessible language is unclear.

A UK population-based case-control study of blood tests before cancer diagnosis in patients with non-specific abdominal symptoms.

Background: Abnormal results in commonly used primary care blood tests could be early markers of cancer in patients presenting with non-specific abdominal symptoms.

Methods: Using linked data from the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) and national cancer registry we compared blood test use and abnormal results from the 24-months pre-diagnosis in 10,575 cancer patients (any site), and 52,875 matched-controls aged ≥30 presenting, with abdominal pain or bloating to primary care.

Results: Cancer patients had two-fold increased odds of having a blood test (odds ratio(OR):1.

A Phase 2b, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of intravenous prasinezumab in early-stage Parkinson's disease (PADOVA): Rationale, design, and baseline data.

Introduction: Prasinezumab was shown to potentially delay motor progression in individuals with early-stage Parkinson's disease (PD) who were either treatment-naïve or on monoamine oxidase type B inhibitor (MAO-Bi) therapy in the PASADENA study. We report the rationale, design, and baseline patient characteristics of the PADOVA study, designed to evaluate prasinezumab in an early-stage PD population receiving standard-of-care (SOC) symptomatic medications.

Methods: PADOVA (NCT04777331) is a Phase 2b, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study, in which individuals with early-stage PD on SOC stable symptomatic monotherapy (levodopa or MAO-Bi) receive intravenous prasinezumab 1500 mg every 4 weeks.

Cell state-dependent allelic effects and contextual Mendelian randomization analysis for human brain phenotypes.

Gene expression quantitative trait loci are widely used to infer relationships between genes and central nervous system (CNS) phenotypes; however, the effect of brain disease on these inferences is unclear. Using 2,348,438 single-nuclei profiles from 391 disease-case and control brains, we report 13,939 genes whose expression correlated with genetic variation, of which 16.7-40.

Cognitive reserve and its impact on cognitive and functional abilities, physical activity and quality of life following a diagnosis of dementia: longitudinal findings from the Improving the experience of Dementia and Enhancing Active Life (IDEAL) study.

Background: The concept of cognitive reserve may explain inter-individual differences in susceptibility to neuropathological changes. Studies suggest that experiences over a lifetime impact on cognitive reserve, and it is hypothesised that following a dementia diagnosis, greater reserve levels are linked to accelerated disease progression.

Objective: To investigate the longitudinal impact of cognitive reserve on cognitive and functional abilities, physical activity and quality of life in people with dementia.

Multimorbidity clusters and their associations with health-related quality of life in two UK cohorts.

Background: Identifying clusters of multiple long-term conditions (MLTCs), also known as multimorbidity, and their associated burden may facilitate the development of effective and cost-effective targeted healthcare strategies. This study aimed to identify clusters of MLTCs and their associations with long-term health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in two UK population-based cohorts.

Methods: Age-stratified clusters of MLTCs were identified at baseline in UK Biobank (n = 502,363, 54.

COLOFIT: Development and Internal-External Validation of Models Using Age, Sex, Faecal Immunochemical and Blood Tests to Optimise Diagnosis of Colorectal Cancer in Symptomatic Patients.

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer in the United Kingdom and the second largest cause of cancer death.

Aim: To develop and validate a model using available information at the time of faecal immunochemical testing (FIT) in primary care to improve selection of symptomatic patients for CRC investigations.

Methods: We included all adults (≥ 18 years) referred to Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust between 2018 and 2022 with symptoms of suspected CRC who had a FIT.

Treatment outcomes with oral anti-hyperglycaemic therapies in people with diabetes secondary to a pancreatic condition (type 3c diabetes): A population-based cohort study.

Aims: To assess outcomes of oral anti-hyperglycaemic therapies in people with diabetes secondary to a pancreatic condition (type 3c), where specific treatment guidance is limited.

Materials And Methods: Using hospital-linked UK primary care records (Clinical Practice Research Datalink; 2004-2020), we identified 7084 people with a pancreatic condition (acute pancreatitis, chronic pancreatitis, pancreatic cancer and haemochromatosis) preceding diabetes diagnosis (type 3c cohort), initiating oral glucose-lowering therapy (metformin, sulphonylureas, SGLT2-inhibitors, DPP4-inhibitors or thiazolidinediones), and without concurrent insulin treatment. We stratified by pancreatic exocrine insufficiency [PEI] (n = 5917 without PEI, 1167 with PEI) and matched to 97 227 type 2 diabetes (T2D) controls.

CIROZ is dispensable in ancestral vertebrates but essential for left-right patterning in humans.

Four genes-DAND5, PKD1L1, MMP21, and CIROP-form a genetic module that has specifically evolved in vertebrate species that harbor motile cilia in their left-right organizer (LRO). We find here that CIROZ (previously known as C1orf127) is also specifically expressed in the LRO of mice, frogs, and fish, where it encodes a protein with a signal peptide followed by 3 zona pellucida N domains, consistent with extracellular localization. We report 16 individuals from 10 families with bi-allelic CIROZ inactivation variants, which cause heterotaxy with congenital heart defects.

High patient acceptance of immediately sequential bilateral cataract surgery (ISBCS) as part of a one-stop see-and-treat pathway within an innovative NHS cataract unit.

Background: Constituting ~0.5% of all NHS cataract operations, national provision of immediately sequential bilateral cataract surgery (ISBCS) is limited. Combining offering ISBCS within a novel one-stop see-and-treat (S&T) cataract pathway would offer patients the opportunity for two cataract operations in a single hospital visit.

Congenital hyperinsulinism in the Ukraine: a 10-year national study.

Introduction: Congenital Hyperinsulinism (CHI) has not been previously studied in Ukraine. We therefore aimed to elucidate the genetics, clinical phenotype, histological subtype, treatment and long-term outcomes of Ukrainian patients with CHI.

Methods: Forty-one patients with CHI were recruited to the Ukrainian national registry between the years 2014-2023.

A systematic review of short- compared with standard-length Exeter stems in primary total hip arthroplasty.

Aims: The Exeter femoral stem has a cemented, polished taper-slip design, and an excellent track record. The current range includes short-length options for various offsets, but less is known about the performance of these stems. The aim of this study was to compare the survival of short-length stems with standard-length Exeter stems.

Longitudinal Measurement Invariance of the Parenting Sense of Competence (PSoC): Evidence to Question Its Use?

Background: This study investigated the factor structure of the parenting sense of competence (PSoC), a measure of parenting self-efficacy, in a sample of parents recruited when their infants were under 2 months old. Due to the lack of longitudinal analysis of the PSoC's factor structure over time, the study sought to establish if the published two-factor structure was consistent over an 18-month period.

Methods: Data collected from 536 parents who had participated in a randomised controlled trial of universal proportionate parenting support, delivered in five sites in England, were subject to confirmatory factor analysis (CFA).

An exploratory case study of food sharing practices in Caribbean countries through a transition lens using intergenerational dyad interviews.

Background: Caribbean populations face complex health issues related to diet and food security as they undergo a rapid nutrition transition, resulting in some of the world's highest number of premature deaths from noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). Despite policy efforts to promote local and regional food consumption, reliance on food imports remains high with many Caribbean countries importing more than 80% of their food from larger economies. Previous regional research revealed the importance of food sharing practices in the Caribbean, with implications for the consumption of local foods, food security, and community resilience against climate change.

Hypoglycaemic stimulation of macrophage cytokine release is suppressed by AMP-activated protein kinase activation.

Aims: Acute hypoglycaemia promotes pro-inflammatory cytokine production, increasing the risk for cardiovascular events in diabetes. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is regulated by and influences the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. We sought to examine the mechanistic role of AMPK in low glucose-induced changes in the pro-inflammatory cytokine macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), which is elevated in people with diabetes.

Technology use in long-term care during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study of paid employees' experiences in Western Canada.

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, governments across the world implemented processes and policies to limit the spread of COVID-19, especially in long-term care (LTC) homes. This led to changes in technology use for persons living in LTC homes, their families and friends, as well as the paid workforce dedicated to caring for them.

Objective: The study describes the role of technology and its impact on the experiences of LTC staff working in northern and rural areas in Western Canada during COVID-19.

Proteomic signatures of Alzheimer's disease and Lewy body dementias: A comparative analysis.

Introduction: We aimed to identify unique proteomic signatures of Alzheimer's disease (AD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), and Parkinson's disease dementia (PDD).

Methods: We conducted a comparative proteomic analysis of 33 post mortem brains from AD, DLB, and PDD individuals without dementia focusing on prefrontal, cingulate, and parietal cortices, using weighted gene co-expression network analyses with differential enrichment analysis.

Results: Network modules revealed hub proteins common to all dementias.

Evaluating the use of electromyography in UK and European gait laboratories for the assessment of cerebral palsy and other neurological and musculoskeletal conditions.

Background: Electromyography (EMG) can estimate the magnitude and timing of muscle activation during walking in those with gait disorders. Despite the potential of EMG use in assessment and clinical decision-making, there are reports of declining use of EMG within gait laboratories. Technical and educational barriers to EMG usage in clinics in Italy were recently suggested.

Assessing the comparative effects of interventions in COPD: a tutorial on network meta-analysis for clinicians.

To optimize patient outcomes, healthcare decisions should be based on the most up-to-date high-quality evidence. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are vital for demonstrating the efficacy of interventions; however, information on how an intervention compares to already available treatments and/or fits into treatment algorithms is sometimes limited. Although different therapeutic classes are available for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), assessing the relative efficacy of these treatments is challenging.

Biologically defined neuronal synuclein disease as a tool to advance drug development.

In a recent Viewpoint article (. 2024;81:789‒90), Okubadejo et al. raised concerns regarding two recent proposals for biological definitions and staging systems for synucleinopathies (the Neuronal Synuclein Disease Integrated Staging System and SynNeurGe system).

The direct and urinary electrolyte-mediated effects of ambient temperature on population blood pressure: A causal mediation analysis.

High ambient heat can directly influence blood pressure (BP) through the vasodilation of the skin vasculature and indirectly by affecting urinary volume and electrolyte levels. We evaluated the direct and urine electrolyte-mediated effects of ambient temperature on BP. We pooled 5,624 person-visit data from a community-based stepped-wedge randomized control trial in southwest coastal Bangladesh from December 2016 to May 2017.

Exploring the Human Health Impact of Artificial Turf Worldwide: A Systematic Review.

The growing use of artificial turf in place of natural turf in residential, recreational and commercial settings has raised concerns regarding its potential impact on human health. A systematic review of databases revealed 5673 articles of which, 30 were deemed eligible. Those performing total concentration analyses, bioaccessibility analyses or human health risk assessments (HHRAs) of artificial turf fibres or crumb rubber infill were of interest.