Diagnostic accuracy of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and the platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio in rheumatoid arthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Existing challenges with the early diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and active disease, mainly by non-rheumatologists, have prompted the search for novel biomarkers. Elevations in indices derived from blood cell counts, e.g.

Antithrombotic utilization, adverse events, and associations with treatment outcomes in multiple myeloma: pooled analysis of three clinical trials.

Background: Patients with multiple myeloma (MM) are at risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE), worsened by immunomodulatory drugs. Although antithrombotics are recommended for prophylaxis, existing guidelines are suboptimal and treatment outcomes remain unclear.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate adverse events, antithrombotic utilization, and their associations with survival outcomes in patients with MM initiating multi-drug immunomodulatory combinations.

Depression influences fatigue in inflammatory bowel disease amongst other factors: a structural modelling approach.

Objectives: Fatigue is common in people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and is associated with IBD activity, sleep disturbance, anxiety and depression. The relative contribution of these factors to fatigue is unclear. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between fatigue and these factors through a novel approach using structural equation modelling.

Push or pull? Digital notification platform implementation reduces dysglycaemia.

Pushing selected information to clinicians, as opposed to the traditional method of clinicians pulling information from an electronic medical record, has the potential to improve care. A digital notification platform was designed by clinicians and implemented in a tertiary hospital to flag dysglycaemia. There were 112 patients included in the study, and the post-implementation group demonstrated lower rates of dysglycaemia (2.

Qualitative Comparative Analysis of exercise interventions for fall prevention in residential aged care facilities.

Background: Exercise interventions are highly effective at preventing falls in older people living in the community. In residential aged care facilities (RACFs), however, the evidence for effectiveness is highly variable, warranting exploration of drivers of successful trials. This study aims to identify the conditions of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that are associated with reducing falls in RACFs and test whether it can explain the variability.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of ischemia-modified albumin in diabetes mellitus.

Aim: There is an ongoing search for novel biomarkers of diabetes. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of the serum concentrations of ischemia-modified albumin (IMA), a candidate biomarker of oxidative stress, acidosis, and ischemia, in patients with pre-diabetes, different types of diabetes mellitus (type 1, T1DM, type 2, T2DM, and gestational, GDM), and healthy controls.

Methods: We searched for case-control studies published in PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus from inception to December 31, 2023.

Establishing Quality Indicators and Implementation Priorities for Post-Stroke Aphasia Services Through End-User Involvement.

Background: Currently, there are no agreed quality standards for post-stroke aphasia services. Therefore, it is unknown if care reflects best practices or meets the expectations of people living with aphasia. We aimed to (1) shortlist, (2) operationalise and (3) prioritise best practice recommendations for post-stroke aphasia care.

Responsive feeding practices among Arabic and Mongolian speaking migrant mothers in Australia: A qualitative study.

Establishing healthy feeding habits during infancy is crucial for optimal growth. However, certain parental feeding and cultural practices might hinder the development of children's healthy eating behaviours. This research explored responsive feeding practices among migrant mothers in Australia.

Effectiveness of NSW health get healthy telephone coaching in adults screened from general practices.

Background: The effectiveness of the NSW Health "Get Healthy Information and Coaching Service(Get Healthy) to facilitate weight loss on a population scale has been documented, but this was based on self-reported measures. Our study aims to test the effectiveness of the Get Healthy Service on objectively measured weight, BMI, waist circumference, and changes in other health behaviours, including nutrition, physical activity and alcohol intake.

Methods: Men and women aged 40-70 years (n = 154) with pre-diabetes (5.

The transcriptome of early compensatory kidney growth reveals cell and time specific responses.

Following kidney removal, the remaining kidney enlarges and increases its function. The mechanism and signals driving this compensatory kidney hypertrophy and the enlargement of its constituent kidney cells remains elusive. RNA-seq studies in mice undergoing hypertrophy 24, 48, and 72 h following nephrectomy were undertaken to understand the early transcriptional changes.

Gut Analysis Toolbox - automating quantitative analysis of enteric neurons.

The enteric nervous system (ENS) consists of an extensive network of neurons and glial cells embedded within the wall of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Alterations in neuronal distribution and function are strongly associated with GI dysfunction. Current methods for assessing neuronal distribution suffer from undersampling, partly due to challenges associated with imaging and analyzing large tissue areas, and operator bias due to manual analysis.

Cruciferous vegetables lower blood pressure in adults with mildly elevated blood pressure in a randomized, controlled, crossover trial: the VEgetableS for vaScular hEaLth (VESSEL) study.

Background: Higher cruciferous vegetable intake is associated with lower cardiovascular disease risk in observational studies. The pathways involved remain uncertain. We aimed to determine whether cruciferous vegetable intake (active) lowers 24-h brachial systolic blood pressure (SBP; primary outcome) compared to root and squash vegetables (control) in Australian adults with mildly elevated BP (SBP 120-160 mmHg inclusive).

External validation and comparative analysis of the HOSPITAL score and LACE index for predicting readmissions among patients hospitalised with community-acquired pneumonia in Australia.

Objective Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a leading cause of emergency hospitalisations globally and is associated with high readmission rates. Specific score systems developed for all medical conditions such as the HOSPITAL score and the LACE index can also usefully predict CAP readmissions. However, there is limited evidence regarding their performance in the Australian healthcare settings.

Strain surveillance during chemotherapy to improve cardiovascular outcomes: the SUCCOUR-MRI trial.

Background And Aims: The detection of cancer therapy-related cardiac dysfunction (CTRCD) by reduction of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) during chemotherapy usually triggers the initiation of cardioprotective therapy. This study addressed whether the same approach should be applied to patients with worsening of global longitudinal strain (GLS) without attaining thresholds of LVEF.

Methods: Strain surveillance during chemotherapy for improving cardiovascular outcomes (SUCCOUR-MRI) was a prospective multicentre randomized controlled trial involving 14 sites.

Understanding the mechanism of injury and fracture pattern of paediatric triplane ankle fractures versus adult trimalleolar fractures.

Aims: Paediatric triplane fractures and adult trimalleolar ankle fractures both arise from a supination external rotation injury. By relating the experience of adult to paediatric fractures, clarification has been sought on the sequence of injury, ligament involvement, and fracture pattern of triplane fractures. This study explores the similarities between triplane and trimalleolar fractures for each stage of the Lauge-Hansen classification, with the aim of aiding reduction and fixation techniques.

Efficacy and safety of commonly used thromboprophylaxis agents following hip and knee arthroplasty.

Aims: We investigated the efficacy and safety profile of commonly used venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis agents following hip and knee arthroplasty.

Methods: A systematic search of PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and OrthoSearch was performed. Prophylaxis agents investigated were aspirin (< 325 mg and ≥ 325 mg daily), enoxaparin, dalteparin, fondaparinux, unfractionated heparin, warfarin, rivaroxaban, apixaban, and dabigatran.

Manipulation of Serum Protein Adsorption by Nanoengineered Biomaterials Influences Subsequent Immune Responses.

The adsorption of serum proteins on biomaterial surfaces is a critical determinant for the outcome of medical procedures and therapies, which involve inserting materials and devices into the body. In this study, we aimed to understand how surface topography at the nanoscale influences the composition of the protein corona that forms on the (bio)material surface when placed in contact with serum proteins. To achieve that, we developed nanoengineered model surfaces with finely tuned topography of 16, 40, and 70 nm, overcoated with methyl oxazoline to ensure uniform outermost chemistry across all surfaces.

Inappropriate prescribing and association with readmission or mortality in hospitalised older adults with frailty: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Inappropriate prescribing (IP) is common in hospitalised older adults with frailty. However, it is not known whether the presence of frailty confers an increased risk of mortality and readmissions from IP nor whether rectifying IP reduces this risk. This review was conducted to determine whether IP increases the risk of adverse outcomes in hospitalised middle-aged and older adults with frailty.

Reliability of Intestinal Ultrasound for Evaluating Crohn's Disease Activity Using Point-of-care and Central Reading.

Background & Aims: Intestinal ultrasound (IUS) is increasingly used to assess Crohn's disease (CD) activity in clinical practice. However, application in clinical trials has been limited by heterogeneous scoring methods and concerns about reliability. We aimed to determine the inter- and intra-rater reliability of locally and centrally read IUS parameters for evaluating CD using prospectively performed scans.