Immunotherapy-Resistant Neuropathic Pain and Fatigue Predict Quality-of-Life in Contactin-Associated Protein-Like 2 Antibody Disease.

The long-term clinical outcomes and associated prognostic factors in contactin-associated protein-like 2 (CASPR2)-antibody diseases are unknown. A total of 75 participants with CASPR2 antibodies were longitudinally assessed for disability, quality-of-life, and chronic pain. Although most symptoms improved within 6 months of treatment, neuropathic pain and fatigue were the most immunotherapy refractory, and persisted for up to 6 years.

The role of host plants, land cover and bioclimate in predicting the invasiveness of Aromia bungii on a global scale.

Aromia bungii is an invasive Cerambycidae of major concern at the global scale because of the damage caused to Rosaceae. Given the major phytosanitary relevance of A. bungii, predicting its spread in invaded areas and identifying possible new suitable regions worldwide remains a key action to develop appropriate management practices and optimise monitoring and early detection campaigns.

Soil Nitrogen Supply Exerts Largest Influence on Leaf Nitrogen in Environments with the Greatest Leaf Nitrogen Demand.

Accurately representing the relationships between nitrogen supply and photosynthesis is crucial for reliably predicting carbon-nitrogen cycle coupling in Earth System Models (ESMs). Most ESMs assume positive correlations amongst soil nitrogen supply, leaf nitrogen content, and photosynthetic capacity. However, leaf photosynthetic nitrogen demand may influence the leaf nitrogen response to soil nitrogen supply; thus, responses to nitrogen supply are expected to be the largest in environments where demand is the greatest.

Diabetic foot ulcer in the Western Pacific Region: Current data on ulceration rates and microbial profiles, gaps and charting strategies.

The Western Pacific Region hosts the largest proportion of people with diabetes. Despite being a key diabetes-related complication, diabetic foot ulcer has been neglected in both prevention and treatment efforts. This narrative review highlights available data on the burden (either prevalence or incidence), as well as microbial profiles of diabetic foot ulcers in the Western Pacific Region, identifies data gaps, and discusses strategies to address these gaps.

Sex and Cardiac Operations: Are We Being Fair to Our Female Patients?

Background: Research suggests that although men have a higher cardiovascular disease (CVD) rate, women with CVD are more likely to experience a poorer prognosis, possibly owing to incorrect diagnosis and poorer treatment. A question not yet addressed is whether some of this inequality could be due to sex bias when selecting patients for operation.

Method: The participants were from the Scottish Heart Health Extended Cohort who had been admitted to hospital with a cardiovascular diagnosis over the study period.

Simplified acid extraction and quantification of histones in human tumor cells.

Histones are essential nuclear proteins that package eukaryotic DNA into chromosomes, play a vital role in gene regulation, DNA replication, DNA repair and chromosome condensation. Understanding histone modifications is crucial for grasping biological and disease-related processes. Specific alterations in histone modifications serve as sensitive and selective biomarkers for conditions like cancer, impacting both tumor and immune cells and affecting their interactions.

Management of infants presenting with fever: a review of pan-London hospital guidelines and national guidelines.

Febrile infants often have self-limiting conditions. Differentiating them from infants with serious bacterial infections can be challenging. We aimed to understand how febrile infants are managed across London, by analysing the management steps from local clinical practical guidelines (CPGs) and comparing them to the national guideline 143 (NG143).

Associations of blood-based biomarkers of neurodegenerative diseases with mortality, cardio- and cerebrovascular events in persons with chronic coronary syndrome.

Background: In light of growing evidence highlighting interactions between cardiac and brain health, we investigated associations of biomarkers of neurodegenerative diseases with adverse outcomes (all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, major cardiovascular events, and stroke) in persons with chronic coronary syndrome (CCS).

Methods: We used data from a cohort of persons with CCS for whom major adverse events were recorded over a follow-up of 20 years. We measured biomarkers of neurodegenerative diseases in baseline blood samples, using the Single-Molecule Array Technology on a HD-1 Analyzer.

Regulatory workshop on standardisation of clinical procedures, endpoints and data robustness of human challenge studies - A stakeholder meeting report.

Inno4Vac, a public-private partnership funded by the IMI2/EU/EFPIA Joint Undertaking (IMI2 JU), brings together academic institutions, SMEs, and pharmaceutical companies to accelerate and de-risk vaccine development. The project has made significant strides in the selection and production of challenge agents for influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and toxigenic Clostridioides difficile for controlled human infection model studies (CHIMs). A regulatory workshop held on March 20, 2024, addressed the standardisation of clinical procedures, ethical considerations, endpoints, and data integrity, highlighting the ongoing initiatives related to these CHIMs.

Towards circular desalination: A new methodology for measuring and assessing resource flows and circular actions.

There is a lack of methodologies that quantitatively measure the intrinsic circularity of desalination systems, particularly focusing on resource flow traceability and circular actions. This study proposes a novel framework for assessing the circular economy performance of desalination systems. By integrating a systemic indicator selection and calculation approach, this methodology enables a comprehensive evaluation of intrinsic circularity in desalination processes.

Factors Influencing Success in Endoscopic Treatment of Grade 4-5 Primary Vesicoureteric Reflux (VUR) in Infancy and Childhood.

Introduction: There is equipoise among pediatric urologists regarding endoscopic versus surgical intervention for symptomatic Grade 4-5 Vesicoureteric Reflux (VUR), particularly in infancy. Our aim was to assess outcomes of first-line endoscopic treatment in all cases of symptomatic Grade 4-5 VUR and we hypothesised that using endoscopic Dx/HA as first line management for primary VUR would obviate the need for ureteric reimplantation in the majority of cases.

Methods: Retrospective single-surgeon analysis of consecutive patients with primary Grade 4-5 VUR over 15 years.

Food groups, macronutrient intake and objective measures of total carotenoids and fatty acids in 16-to-24-year-olds following different plant-based diets compared to an omnivorous diet.

Background: Knowledge about the diet quality among youth who follow different types of plant-based diets is essential to understand whether support is required to ensure a well-planned diet that meets their nutritional needs. This study aimed to investigate how food groups, macronutrient intake, and objective blood measures varied between Norwegian youth following different plant-based diets compared to omnivorous diet.

Methods: Cross-sectional design, with healthy 16-to-24-year-olds (n = 165) recruited from the Agder area in Norway, following a vegan, lacto-ovo-vegetarian, pescatarian, flexitarian or omnivore diet.

Central venous pressure as a method of optimising atrio-ventricular delay after cardiac surgery.

Introduction: Haemodynamic atrioventricular delay (AVD) optimisation has primarily focussed on signals that are not easy to acquire from a pacing system itself, such as invasive left ventricular catheterisation or arterial blood pressure (ABP). In this study, standard clinical central venous pressure (CVP) signals are tested as a potential alternative.

Methods: Sixteen patients with a temporary pacemaker after cardiac surgery were studied.

Diabetic Ketoacidosis in Pregnancy: A Systematic Review of the Reported Cases.

Background: Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a rare but serious complication that can develop during pregnancy, with up to 30% of patients presenting with euglycemia, making prompt recognition challenging. It is associated with increased perinatal mortality rates, although the exact risk of maternal mortality remains unclear. The purpose of this systematic review was to examine the available literature and provide an overview of reported cases of DKA during pregnancy.

Automated system for diagnosing pulmonary fibrosis using crackle analysis in recorded lung sounds based on iterative envelope mean fractal dimension filter.

Patients with pulmonary fibrosis (PF) often experience long waits before getting a correct diagnosis, and this delay in reaching specialized care is associated with increased mortality, regardless of the severity of the disease. Early diagnosis and timely treatment of PF can potentially extend life expectancy and maintain a better quality of life. Crackles present in the recorded lung sounds may be crucial for the early diagnosis of PF.

Timing based clustering of childhood BMI trajectories reveals differential maturational patterns; Study in the Northern Finland Birth Cohorts 1966 and 1986.

Background/objectives: Children's biological age does not always correspond to their chronological age. In the case of BMI trajectories, this can appear as phase variation, which can be seen as shift, stretch, or shrinking between trajectories. With maturation thought of as a process moving towards the final state - adult BMI, we assessed whether children can be divided into latent groups reflecting similar maturational age of BMI.

Does candidate race influence simulated patient ratings in standardised assessments of clinical practice? A single-blinded randomised study in UK medical schools.

Objectives: Standardisation of medical examinations involves minimising assessor stereotyping and bias for a fair process. This study aimed to determine whether being a non-white candidate affected scoring by simulated patients, compared with a white candidate, at three different performance grades in the same history-taking station.

Design: Single-blinded, video-based, randomised study.

Diabetes complications in people with alcohol use disorder and type 2 diabetes.

Background: People living with alcohol use disorder (AUD) who develop Type 2 Diabetes (T2DM) may be at higher risk of diabetes-complications.

Aim: Our aims were to compare diabetes-monitoring and incidence of diabetes-complications between people with and without AUD prior to T2DM diagnosis attending primary care in England.

Design & Setting: We used the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) Aurum linked with Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) and Office for National Statistics (ONS) mortality data.

Experiences of eating disorder services for people caring for a loved one with an eating disorder in the UK: national survey.

Background: Research suggests that those caring for a loved one with an eating disorder in the UK report unmet needs and highlight areas for improvement. More research is needed to understand these experiences on a wider, national scale.

Aims: To disseminate a national survey for adults who had experience caring for a loved one with an eating disorder in the UK, informed by the findings of a smaller scale, qualitative study with parents, siblings and partners in the UK.