Crystallography of the litharge to massicot phase transformation from neutron powder diffraction data.

The crystallographic phase change from tetragonal litharge (α-PbO; P4/nmm) to orthorhombic massicot (β-PbO; Pbcm) has been studied by full-matrix Rietveld analysis of high-temperature neutron powder diffraction data collected in equal steps from ambient temperature up to 925 K and back down to 350 K. The phase transformation takes place between 850 and 925 K, with the coexisting phases having equal abundance by weight at 885 K. The product massicot remains metastable on cooling to near ambient temperature.

Update on the evolving landscape of pneumococcal capsule types: new discoveries and way forward.

SUMMARY (the "pneumococcus") is a significant human pathogen. The key determinant of pneumococcal fitness and virulence is its ability to produce a protective polysaccharide (PS) capsule, and anti-capsule antibodies mediate serotype-specific opsonophagocytic killing of bacteria. Notably, immunization with pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) has effectively reduced the burden of disease caused by serotypes included in vaccines but has also spurred a relative upsurge in the prevalence of non-vaccine serotypes.

Correlates of Susceptibility to Nicotine Pouch Use Among Australian Adolescents and Younger Adults.

Introduction: Nicotine pouches are growing rapidly in popularity. These products have been found to contain high levels of nicotine, raising concerns about the risk of nicotine dependence and addiction. Preventing uptake of nicotine pouches, particularly among adolescents and younger adults, is thus important.

Morphological Control of Y6 Thin Films Reveals Charge Transfer Is Facilitated by Co-facial Interactions.

The organic semiconductor Y6 has been extensively used as an acceptor in organic photovoltaic devices, yielding high efficiencies. Its unique properties include a high refractive index, intrinsic exciton dissociation, and barrierless charge generation in bulk heterojunctions. However, the direct impact of the crystal packing morphology on the photophysics of Y6 has remained elusive, hindering further development of heterojunction and homojunction devices.

Update on Menopause Hormone Therapy; Current Indications and Unanswered Questions.

Objective: To provide clinicians involved in managing menopause with a summary of current evidence surrounding menopause hormone therapy (MHT).

Design: The authors evaluate and synthesize existing pooled evidence relating to MHT's clinical indications, efficacy, and safety and explore the limitations of existing data.

Patients: The review focuses on MHT-related outcomes in women with natural-timed menopause captured within observational studies, RCTs, and pooled data from pivotal meta-analyses and reviews.

Integration of Apolipoprotein B into the SCORE2 Framework: Implications for Cardiovascular Risk Prediction.

Aim: To evaluate whether integrating Apolipoprotein B (ApoB) into the SCORE2 cardiovascular risk prediction framework improves its predictive accuracy and clinical applicability within the UK Biobank population.

Method: A 10-year prospective cohort study was conducted with 448,303 UK Biobank participants eligible for SCORE2 calculation. Three approaches were employed: (1) threshold analysis to determine the optimal ApoB cutoff for cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk prediction using Youden's Index, (2) assessment of the synergistic effect of SCORE2 and ApoB through concordant and discordant classifications, and (3) recalibration of the SCORE2 model by incorporating ApoB as an additional predictor.

Electronic cigarettes for smoking cessation.

Background: Electronic cigarettes (ECs) are handheld electronic vaping devices that produce an aerosol by heating an e-liquid. People who smoke, healthcare providers, and regulators want to know if ECs can help people quit smoking, and if they are safe to use for this purpose. This is a review update conducted as part of a living systematic review.

Refractory and Resistant Herpes Simplex Virus Mucocutaneous Infections in Immunocompromised Patients: Literature Review and Proposed Definitions for Use in Clinical Trials.

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection is one of the most prevalent viral infections worldwide. In general, host immunity is sufficient to clear viral shedding and recurrences, although it is insufficient to prevent subsequent virologic reactivations. In immunocompromised patients, prolonged and difficult-to-treat HSV infections may develop.

How Can We Make Information on Equity in Clinical Guidelines More Usable for Clinicians? A Case Study Methodology of General Practitioners.

Background: Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) are moving toward greater consideration of population-level differences, like health inequities, when creating management recommendations. CPGs have the potential to reduce or perpetuate health inequities. The intrinsic design factors of electronic interfaces that contain CPGs are known barriers to guideline use.

Return-to-work in lung transplant recipients: an Australian perspective.

Background: Return-to-work (RTW) following lung transplant has been associated with increased quality of life, but little is known regarding the rates of and barriers to this in the Australian population.

Aims: We aimed to describe, characterise and determine predictors of return to work and social participation in Australian lung transplant recipients. We also sought to explore the relationship between return to work and quality of life.

A Nonrandomized Pilot Study to Investigate the Acceptability and Feasibility of LivR Well: A Multifaceted 28-Day Home-Based Liver Optimization Program for Acute-on-Chronic Liver Failure.

Background And Aims: Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) has a 22%-74% 28-day mortality rate and 30%-40% 30-day readmission rate. We investigated the acceptability and feasibility of a multimodal community intervention for ACLF.

Methods: A single-arm nonrandomized pilot study of consecutive participants with ACLF was conducted in a tertiary health service.

Examining the Time to Diagnosis in Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension Presentations in a Specialist Eye Emergency Department.

Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is a neurological disorder characterized by chronic headaches, cognitive difficulties, reduced quality of life, and rarely irreversible visual loss. Community diagnosis is often challenging due to unfamiliarity with current guidelines and a lack of clinical experience, leading to misdiagnosis and treatment delays, which can negatively impact visual recovery and quality of life. Our study examined the time to diagnosis and investigated the barriers to timely diagnosis in adults with newly diagnosed IIH.

Heart Failure in Atrial Fibrillation Subtypes in Women and Men in the Tromsø Study.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) and heart failure (HF) often coexist and impact morbidity and mortality. There is limited knowledge on the association of AF subtypes with HF according to sex.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to explore sex-specific associations between AF subtypes and subsequent HF, identifying HF risk factors in participants with AF, and exploring the combined impact on mortality.

Practice Patterns and Attitudes Regarding Pregnancy and Parenthood After Lung Transplantation.

Background: Parenthood after lung transplantation (LuTx) is uncommon. Although data exist regarding practice patterns surrounding pregnancy after heart transplantation, there are no data specific to LuTx recipients and parenthood more broadly.

Methods: We conducted a voluntary, anonymous online survey between October and December 2021.

Long-term follow-up of intradetrusor botulinum toxin utilisation: A comparison of patients with multiple sclerosis and idiopathic overactive bladder.

Objectives: To assess long-term outcomes (up to 10 cycles) of repeated intradetrusor botulinum toxin (BoNT) utilisation in multiple sclerosis (MS) and idiopathic overactive bladder (OAB).

Materials And Methods: This is a retrospective, international, multi-centre, observational cohort study of patients diagnosed with MS and neurogenic OAB and treated with intradetrusor BoNT between January 2005 and January 2020 (just prior to COVID-19 interruption). Dose, efficacy, duration of effect, International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire Overactive Bladder (ICIQ-OAB) and International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire Urinary Incontinence (ICIQ-UI) measures and complication rates were recorded.

The feasibility and safety of robotic-assisted salvage radical cystectomy.

Objectives: To evaluate the feasibility and safety of robotic-assisted salvage radical cystectomy (RA-SRC).

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively searched the prospectively collected surgical database of two highly experienced robotic urological surgeons for cases of RA-SRC, defined as RARC performed post-previous pelvic RT for palliative or oncologic treatment purposes. Collected data included demographic and clinical information and outcome measures including operative course, hospital stay and complications.

Guidelines for robotic credentialling in reconstructive and functional urology. Consensus study.

Objectives: This study aims to define criteria for robotic reconstructive and functional urology credentialing using expert consensus. A recent narrative review identified a lack of standardised minimal requirements for performing robotic-assisted surgery procedures. The substantial variability or absence of a standardised curriculum and credentialing process within a highly specialised surgical field is often insufficient to guarantee surgeon proficiency and could potentially jeopardise patient safety.

A novel bladder cancer surveillance schedule using bladder Cx for patients on annual surveillance.

Objectives: Cx bladder monitor (CxM) is a urine test with a proven high sensitivity and negative predictive value in bladder cancer surveillance. The aim of this retrospective study was to report on the outcomes of our newly implemented bladder cancer surveillance program for patients eligible for yearly cystoscopy, as per the European Association of Urology (EAU) guidelines. In this program, eligible patients alternate between yearly surveillance cystoscopy and CxM, instead of the standard yearly surveillance cystoscopy.

SPIRIT-DEFINE explanation and elaboration: recommendations for enhancing quality and impact of early phase dose-finding clinical trials protocols.

Unlabelled: Transparent and accurate reporting in early phase dose-finding (EPDF) clinical trials is crucial for informing subsequent larger trials. The SPIRIT statement, designed for trial protocol content, does not adequately cover the distinctive features of EPDF trials. Recent findings indicate that the protocol contents in past EPDF trials frequently lacked completeness and clarity.

CONSORT-DEFINE explanation and elaboration: recommendations for enhancing reporting quality and impact of early phase dose-finding clinical trials.

Unlabelled: Early phase dose-finding (EPDF) trials are key in the development of novel therapies, with their findings directly informing subsequent clinical development phases and providing valuable insights for reverse translation. Comprehensive and transparent reporting of these studies is critical for their accurate and critical interpretation, which may improve and expedite therapeutic development. However, quality of reporting of design characteristics and results from EPDF trials is often variable and incomplete.

Norovirus-associated diarrhea and asymptomatic infection in children aged under 4 years: a community-cohort study in the Philippines.

Objectives: This study aimed to estimate the incidence of norovirus (NoV)-associated diarrhea and asymptomatic infections in children under 4 years of age and identify the genotypes of multiple NoV infections.

Methods: A community-based cohort study was conducted in Tarlac, Philippines. Children aged 0-2 years were followed up for 2 years.

Cost savings of reducing opioid prescribing for the treatment of people with low back pain in general practice: a modelling study.

Background: Low back pain (LBP) is the leading cause of disability worldwide. Contrary to clinical guidelines, opioids are frequently prescribed early in the management of LBP in primary care, leading to potential harm and downstream healthcare costs. The objective of this study was to model the one-year impacts of strategies that reduce opioid prescribing for low back pain (LBP) in primary care on healthcare costs and overdose deaths Australia-wide and explore the potential for such strategies to be cost-neutral.

Transcriptional signature of CD56 NK cells predicts favourable prognosis in bladder cancer.

Human natural killer (NK) cells can be sub-divided into two functional subsets but the clinical significance of these CD56 and CD56 NK cells in anti-tumour immunity remains largely unexplored. We determined the relative abundances of gene signatures for CD56 and CD56 NK cells along with 3 stromal and 18 other immune cell types in the patient tumour transcriptomes from the cancer genome atlas bladder cancer dataset (TCGA-BLCA). Using this computational approach, CD56 NK cells were predicted to be the more abundant tumour-infiltrating NK subset which was also associated with improved patient prognosis.

A faunal inventory of methane seeps on the Pacific margin of Costa Rica.

The methane seeps on the Pacific margin of Costa Rica support extensive animal diversity and offer insights into deep-sea biogeography. During five expeditions between 2009 and 2019, we conducted intensive faunal sampling via 63 submersible dives to 11 localities at depths of 300-3600 m. Based on these expeditions and published literature, we compiled voucher specimens, images, and 274 newly published DNA sequences to present a taxonomic inventory of macrofaunal and megafaunal diversity with a focus on invertebrates.