Imaging in Vascular Liver Diseases.

Vascular liver diseases (VLDs) include different pathological conditions that affect the liver vasculature at the level of the portal venous system, hepatic artery, or venous outflow system. Although serological investigations and sometimes histology might be required to clarify the underlying diagnosis, imaging has a crucial role in highlighting liver inflow or outflow obstructions and their potential causes. Cross-sectional imaging provides a panoramic view of liver vascular anatomy and parenchymal patterns of enhancement, making it extremely useful for the diagnosis and follow-up of VLDs.

Screening for Alcohol Use Disorder Among Hospitalised Patients: Learning from a Retrospective Cohort Study in Secondary Care.

Excessive alcohol consumption is among the leading causes of hospitalisation in high-income countries and contributes to over 200 medical conditions. We aimed to determine the prevalence and characteristics of alcohol use disorder (AUD), describe the distribution of AUD in ICD-10 discharge diagnosis groups and ascertain any relationship between them in secondary care. The study group was a retrospective cohort of adult patients admitted to Nottingham University Hospital (NUH) between 4 April 2009 and 31 March 2020.

The Diagnostic Accuracy of an Electrocardiogram in Pulmonary Hypertension and the Role of "R V1, V2 + S I, aVL - S V1".

: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) can cause characteristic electrocardiographic (ECG) changes due to right ventricular hypertrophy and/or strain. The aims of the present study were to explore the diagnostic accuracy of ECG parameters for the diagnosis of PH, applying the recently adjusted mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) threshold of >20 mmHg, and to determine the role of "R V1, V2 + S I, aVL - S V1". : Between July 2012 and November 2023, 100 patients without PH, with pulmonary arterial hypertension, or with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension were retrospectively enrolled.

Transoral Robotic Surgery for Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnoea: A Systematic Literature Review of Current Practices.

Transoral robotic surgery (TORS) for tongue base reduction (TBR) and/or epiglottic surgery is an effective treatment option for selected patients with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). This systematic review aims to provide an up-to-date overview of current practices and challenges associated with TORS for OSA. PubMed and Embase databases were searched up to December 2022 following PRISMA guidelines.

Early Detection of Macular Atrophy Automated Through 2D and 3D Unet Deep Learning.

Macular atrophy (MA) is an irreversible endpoint of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which is the leading cause of blindness in the world. Early detection is therefore an unmet need. We have developed a novel automated method to identify MA in patients undergoing follow-up with optical coherence tomography (OCT) for AMD based on the combination of 2D and 3D Unet architecture.

Myopia in Children: Epidemiology, Genetics, and Emerging Therapies for Treatment and Prevention.

Refractive errors, particularly myopia, are among the most prevalent visual impairments globally, with rising incidence in children and adolescents. This review explores the epidemiology and risk factors associated with the development of refractive errors, focusing on the environmental and lifestyle factors contributing to the current surge in myopia. We provide an overview of key genetic factors and molecular pathways driving the pathogenesis of myopia and other refractive errors, emphasizing the complex interplay between genetic predisposition and environmental triggers.

Acute Myeloid Leukemia with Normal Cytogenetics and -Mutation: Impact of Mutation Topography on Outcomes.

: About half of adults with acute myeloid leukemia with normal cytogenetics (CN-AML) have mutations. There is controversy regarding their prognosis and best therapy. : We studied 150 subjects with these features using targeted regional sequencing.

Insights on the Genetic and Phenotypic Complexities of Optic Neuropathies.

/: Optic neuropathies are a category of illnesses that ultimately cause damage to the optic nerve, leading to vision impairment and possible blindness. Disorders such as dominant optic atrophy (DOA), Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON), and glaucoma demonstrate intricate genetic foundations and varied phenotypic manifestations. This narrative review study seeks to consolidate existing knowledge on the genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying ocular neuropathies, examine genotype-phenotype correlations, and assess novel therapeutic options to improve diagnostic and treatment methodologies.

Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms in the General Population Under Stressful Conditions: Lessons Learned from the COVID-19 Pandemic.

: The COVID-19 pandemic had a negative impact on mental health in the general population. The fear, stress, and uncertainty surrounding that traumatic period could have contributed to the aggravation or possible new onset of obsessive-compulsive symptoms. The COvid Mental hEalth Trial (COMET) is a nationwide project organized by the University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", designed as an observational investigation that aimed to gather data from a representative sample of the Italian general population.

Standardizing Domains and Metrics of Stroke Recovery: A Systematic Review.

Background And Aims: Measuring stroke recovery poses a significant challenge, given the complexity of the recovery process. We aimed to identify a standardized and data-driven set of metrics of stroke rehabilitation in the literature that ensures the inclusion of all recovery domains and subdomains in the literature.

Methods: A systematic review was conducted by four reviewers using the PRISMA guidelines on PubMed, MEDLINE, and Embase for stroke recovery articles between 2004 and 2024.

Characteristics of older patients undergoing surgery in the UK: SNAP-3, a snapshot observational study.

Background: Frailty and multimorbidity are common in older adults, but the prevalence and interaction of these conditions in surgical patients remain unclear. This study describes the clinical characteristics of a heterogeneous cohort of older UK surgical patients.

Methods: We conducted a prospective observational cohort study during 5 days in March 2022, aiming to recruit all UK patients aged 60 yr and older undergoing surgery, excluding minor procedures (e.

Effect of psilocybin versus escitalopram on depression symptom severity in patients with moderate-to-severe major depressive disorder: observational 6-month follow-up of a phase 2, double-blind, randomised, controlled trial.

Background: Psilocybin therapy (PT) produces rapid and persistent antidepressant effects in major depressive disorder (MDD). However, the long-term effects of PT have never been compared with gold-standard treatments for MDD such as pharmacotherapy or psychotherapy alone or in combination.

Methods: This is a 6-month follow-up study of a phase 2, double-blind, randomised, controlled trial involving patients with moderate-to-severe MDD.

A Rare Case of High-Pressure Paint Injection Causing a Penetrating Neck Injury.

We report a case of a 45-year-old gentleman who presented to our major trauma centre after sustaining a penetrating high-pressure paint injection injury to the neck. This rare mechanism of injury is most commonly reported to affect the non-dominant hand, occurring due to the malfunction or misuse of industrial paint machines, causing a piercing soft tissue injury with high-pressure fluid. The unique challenges faced in managing penetrating injuries to the neck are due to the density of vital visceral structures in the region, including major blood vessels and the upper aerodigestive tract.

An overview of proactive monitoring and management of respiratory issues in ataxia-telangiectasia in a specialist and shared care pediatric clinic.

Ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T) is an ultrarare autosomal recessive disorder and occurs in all racial and ethnic backgrounds. Clinically, children and young people with A-T are affected by sinopulmonary infections, neurological deterioration with concomitant bulbar dysfunction, increased sensitivity to ionizing radiation, immunodeficiency, a decline in lung function, chronic liver disease, endocrine abnormalities, cutaneous and deep-organ granulomatosis, and early death. Pulmonary complications become more frequent in the second decade of life and are a leading cause of death in individuals with A-T.

Enhancing oncolytic virotherapy by extracellular vesicle mediated microRNA reprograming of the tumour microenvironment.

Background: There has been limited success of cancer immunotherapies in the treatment of ovarian cancer (OvCa) to date, largely due to the immunosuppressive tumour microenvironment (TME). Tumour-associated macrophages (TAMs) are a major component of both the primary tumour and malignant ascites, promoting tumour growth, angiogenesis, metastasis, chemotherapy resistance and immunosuppression. Differential microRNA (miRNA) profiles have been implicated in the plasticity of TAMs.

Prevalence of chlamydia, gonorrhoea, and trichomoniasis among male and female general populations in sub-Saharan Africa from 2000-2024: A systematic review and meta-regression analysis.

Background: Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has the highest sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevalence globally, but information about trends and geographic variation is limited by sparse aetiologic studies, particularly among men. This systematic review assessed chlamydia, gonorrhoea, and trichomoniasis prevalence by sex, sub-region, and year, and estimated male-to-female prevalence ratios for SSA.

Methods: We searched Embase, MEDLINE, Global Health, PubMed, and African Index Medicus for studies measuring STI prevalence among general populations from January 1, 2000, to September 17, 2024.

Prioritizing protein targets for dyslipidaemia and cardiovascular diseases using Mendelian randomization in South Asians.

South Asians are at higher risk of dyslipidaemia-a modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). We aimed to identify protein targets for dyslipidaemia and CVDs in this population. We used a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) approach, supplemented with MR-Egger, weighted median, colocalization, and generalized MR (GMR), to evaluate the effect of 2,800 plasma proteins on high/low/non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C/LDL-C/nonHDL-C), total cholesterol, and triglycerides.

Evaluation of the effect of 48 weeks of BIC/F/TAF and DRV/c/F/TAF on platelet function in the context of rapid ART start.

Introduction: The BIC-T&T study aimed to determine the efficacy of bictegraviremtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide (BIC/F/TAF) and darunavir/cobicistat/emtricitabinetenofovir alafenamide (DRV/c/F/TAF) at suppressing viral load in a two-arm, open-label, multi-centre, randomised trial under a UK test-and-treat setting. This sub-study aimed to evaluate potential off-target cardiovascular impact by examining platelet function.

Methods: Platelets were isolated by centrifugation of citrated blood from participants attending Chelsea and Westminster Hospital or St Mary's Hospital at Week 48 following enrolment.

Capture, mutual inhibition and release mechanism for aPKC-Par6 and its multisite polarity substrate Lgl.

The mutually antagonistic relationship of atypical protein kinase C (aPKC) and partitioning-defective protein 6 (Par6) with the substrate lethal (2) giant larvae (Lgl) is essential for regulating polarity across many cell types. Although aPKC-Par6 phosphorylates Lgl at three serine sites to exclude it from the apical domain, aPKC-Par6 and Lgl paradoxically form a stable kinase-substrate complex, with conflicting roles proposed for Par6. We report the structure of human aPKCι-Par6α bound to full-length Llgl1, captured through an aPKCι docking site and a Par6 contact.

FAecal micRobiota transplantation in primary sclerosinG chOlangitis (FARGO): study protocol for a randomised, multicentre, phase IIa, placebo-controlled trial.

Introduction: Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is the classical hepatobiliary manifestation of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The strong association between gut and liver inflammation has driven several pathogenic hypotheses to which the intestinal microbiome is proposed to contribute. Pilot studies of faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) in PSC and IBD are demonstrated to be safe and associated with increased gut bacterial diversity.

Birth weight and head circumference for 22-29 weeks gestation neonates from an international cohort.

Objective: Size at birth is a key indicator of in utero growth. Our objective was to generate sex-specific percentiles for birth weight and head circumference in neonates born between 22 and 29 weeks gestation from pregnancies without hypertension or diabetes and assess differences between vaginal and caesarean births and between singletons and twins.

Methods: We used data from 12 countries participating in the International Network for Evaluating Outcomes in Neonates database from 2007 to 2021.