Conceptualising Centres of Clinical Excellence: A Scoping Review.

Objectives: Centres of clinical excellence (CoCE) are healthcare facilities that provide excellent healthcare. However, despite their increasing prevalence, it is unclear how CoCE are identified and monitored. This paper explores how CoCE has been described in the literature, including its defining characteristics and selection and monitoring processes.

Mailed smoking cessation support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who smoke: protocol for a hybrid type 1 effectiveness - implementation trial.

Introduction: Smoking is the leading preventable cause of death and the single most significant risk behaviour contributing to adverse health conditions among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. There is an urgent need for innovative approaches to support reductions in smoking prevalence. This study will assess the implementation and effectiveness of a mailed smoking cessation support programme that includes nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) () for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Poorer objective but not subjective driving performance in drivers vulnerable to sleep loss effects during extended wake.

Sleepiness-related errors are a leading cause of driving accidents, requiring drivers to effectively monitor sleepiness levels. However, there are inter-individual differences in driving performance after sleep loss, with some showing poor driving performance while others show minimal impairment. This research explored if there are differences in self-reported sleepiness and driving performance in healthy drivers who exhibited vulnerability or resistance to objective driving impairment following extended wakefulness.

From knife to needle - the trend of vascular neurosurgery in Belgium.

Introduction: The management of neurovascular pathologies has changed globally over the last few decades. Endovascular treatments are increasing, and fewer surgical procedures are performed.

Research Question: Evaluate the evolution of vascular neurosurgery in Belgium over the last 30 years and compare with other countries.

Measurement of plantar pressure differences in the contralateral limb when using offloading modalities for diabetic foot ulcerations.

Background: This study investigated the effect of various offloading devices commonly used for the management of diabetic foot ulcerations on peak plantar pressure and pressure-time integral of the contralateral limb.

Methods: A quantitative, randomised and within-subject repeated measures study was conducted in an outpatient gait laboratory. Outpatients with unilateral diabetic foot ulcers and adequate perfusion to the lower limb without an intrinsic limb-length discrepancy who were able to walk were recruited for the study.

Six months of hybrid closed-loop therapy improves diabetes-specific positive well-being, and reduces diabetes distress and fear of hypoglycemia: secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial.

Introduction: This analysis aimed to investigate diabetes-specific psychological outcomes among adults with type 1 diabetes (T1D) using hybrid closed-loop (HCL) versus standard therapy.

Research Design And Methods: In this multicenter, open-label, randomized, controlled, parallel-group clinical trial, adults with T1D were allocated to 26 weeks of HCL (MiniMed™ 670G) or standard therapy (insulin pump or multiple daily injections without real-time continuous glucose monitoring). Psychological outcomes (awareness and fear of hypoglycemia; and diabetes-specific positive well-being, diabetes distress, diabetes treatment satisfaction, and diabetes-specific quality of life (QoL)) were measured at enrollment, mid-trial and end-trial.

A Novel In Vitro Model of the Bone Marrow Microenvironment in Acute Myeloid Leukemia Identifies CD44 and Focal Adhesion Kinase as Therapeutic Targets to Reverse Cell Adhesion-Mediated Drug Resistance.

Background/objectives: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is an aggressive neoplasm. Although most patients respond to induction therapy, they commonly relapse due to recurrent disease in the bone marrow microenvironment (BMME). So, the disruption of the BMME, releasing tumor cells into the peripheral circulation, has therapeutic potential.

Australian occupational therapists' perspectives about the management of driving safety concerns for older people with dementia and mild cognitive impairment.

Introduction: Driving safety may be compromised in people with dementia or mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Occupational therapists assess and screen for driving safety in older people with cognitive impairment. However, little is known about their perspectives relating to these assessments.

Neutrophil Extracellular Traps (NETs) as a Potential Target for Anti-Aging: Role of Therapeutic Apheresis.

Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are large structures composed of chromatin, histones and granule-derived proteins released extracellularly by neutrophils. They are generally considered to be a part of the antimicrobial defense strategy, preventing the dissemination of pathogens. However, overproduction of NETs or their ineffective clearance can drive various pathologies, many of which are associated with advanced age and involve uncontrolled inflammation, oxidative, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative stress as underlying mechanisms.

Does age, sex, and area of substantia nigra echogenicity predict the MRI appearance of nigrosome-1?

The appearance of the substantia nigra (SN) can aid diagnosis of Parkinson's disease (PD). The effect of age and sex on the appearance of nigrosome-1 (SN subregion) on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and the relationship between nigrosome-1 (viewed with MRI) and SN echogenicity (viewed with transcranial ultrasound) is unknown. The study aimed to address these knowledge gaps.

Enriching surgical theatre competence through computer-based simulation.

Introduction: Radiographers support the multidisciplinary team by facilitating medical imaging within the operating theatre environment. This project aimed to enhance student readiness for clinical competency in operative theatre imaging by implementing an authentic C-arm simulator for students to use prior to attending clinical placement.

Methods: This study followed a pre-post, quantitative study design.

AGITG MONARCC: A Randomized Phase 2 Study of Panitumumab Monotherapy and Panitumumab Plus 5-Fluorouracil as First-Line Therapy for Older Patients With RAS and BRAF Wild Type Metastatic Colorectal Cancer. A Study by the Australasian Gastro-Intestinal Trials Group (AGITG).

Background: Panitumumab (pan) plus chemotherapy is a preferred first-line therapy for unresectable RAS and BRAF wild type metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Older patients may not be suitable for combination regimens. We investigated 2 lower intensity pan-containing regimens.

Gut Neuropathies and Intestinal Motility Disorders.

Background: The enteric nervous system plays a key role in the coordination of gastrointestinal motility together with sympathetic, parasympathetic, and extrinsic sensory pathways. In some cases, abnormalities in neural activity in these pathways contribute to disorders of gut motility. Where this is associated with damage or death of enteric neurons, usually detected by microscopy, this is considered a gut neuropathy.

Tumour Mutational Burden and Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Response in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer: A Continuous Modelling Approach.

Background: Tumour mutational burden (TMB) is an established biomarker for patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). The optimal TMB cut-off is uncertain. It is also uncertain whether there is a sharp TMB threshold or a more graduated change in clinical outcomes as TMB increases.

Endostatin as a biomarker of systemic sclerosis: insights from a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: The critical role played by vascular dysfunction and ineffective angiogenesis in the pathophysiology of systemic sclerosis (SSc) suggests that circulating biomarkers reflecting these alterations may be useful in the clinical evaluation of this patient group. We sought to address this issue by conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies investigating a such candidate biomarker, endostatin, an endogenous glycoprotein exerting anti-angiogenic effects, in SSc patients and healthy controls.

Methods: A literature search was conducted in the electronic databases Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus from inception to 27 May 2024.

Paramedic assessment of suspected or confirmed COVID-19 patients in the out-of-hospital environment: a scoping review protocol.

Objective: The objective of this review is to develop a comprehensive collection of information about the current processes for paramedics assessing and referring suspected or confirmed COVID-19 patients in the out-of-hospital environment.

Introduction: Patients with COVID-19 are frequently encountered by paramedics and ambulance service clinicians. Increased demand on ambulance services has resulted in many of these services developing alternative referral pathways to avoid unnecessary conveyance to emergency departments.

A historico-medical perspective on ancient epidemics and their impact on past human societies.

The present article reviews the major historical plague epidemics that characterised human history by combining data derived from historical sources and biomedical evidence emerged in recent years thanks to advancements of palaeogenetics and palaeopathology. Notes are offered on the Plague of Athens, the Antonine Plague, the Plague of Cyprian, the Justinian Plague, the Black Death down to more recent centuries and presenting key aspects that continued to be preserved over time and would also partly characterise the recent COVID-19 pandemic.

Feasibility and psychometric quality of smartphone administered cognitive ecological momentary assessments in women with metastatic breast cancer.

Objective: Metastatic breast cancer (MBC) is associated with burdensome side effects, including cognitive changes that require ongoing monitoring. Cognitive ecological momentary assessments (EMAs) allow for assessment of individual cognitive functioning in natural environments and can be administered via smartphones. Accordingly, we sought to establish the feasibility, reliability, and validity of a commercially available cognitive EMA platform.

Consumer perspectives of the group itself in group-delivered programs for people with chronic pain: A systematic review and meta-synthesis.

Group-delivered programs for chronic pain are evidence-based and frequently used. The contribution of group factors to outcomes is unclear and there are no integrated findings on consumer perceptions of the group itself in programs for people with chronic pain. The aim of this systematic review was to search and synthesise qualitative data specifically related to the group itself in studies investigating group-delivered programs for people with chronic pain (PROSPERO, CRD42023382447).

Metabolic reprogramming, malignant transformation and metastasis: Lessons from chronic lymphocytic leukaemia and prostate cancer.

Metabolic reprogramming is a hallmark of cancer, crucial for malignant transformation and metastasis. Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) and prostate cancer exhibit similar metabolic adaptations, particularly in glucose and lipid metabolism. Understanding this metabolic plasticity is crucial for identifying mechanisms contributing to metastasis.

Professional judgement: a social practice perspective on a multiple mini-interview for specialty training selection.

Background: Interviewers' judgements play a critical role in competency-based assessments for selection such as the multiple-mini-interview (MMI). Much of the published research focuses on the psychometrics of selection and the impact of rater subjectivity. Within the context of selecting for entry into specialty postgraduate training, we used an interpretivist and socio-constructivist approach to explore how and why interviewers make judgments in high stakes selection settings whilst taking part in an MMI.

From Traditional to Cutting-Edge: Transforming Pulmonary Valve Assessment With Advanced Echocardiography Techniques.

The pulmonary valve (PV), although often less emphasized than other heart valves, is crucial for cardiac function and hemodynamics. Historically, the PV has been underrepresented in echocardiographic assessments due to its rare involvement in pathological conditions, particularly in adults. Additionally, the anatomical position of the PV makes it one of the most challenging valves to visualize using conventional echocardiography.