The Benefits of Hearing Aids for Adults: A Systematic Umbrella Review.

Objectives: This umbrella review aims to summarize the major benefits of hearing aid usage in adults by synthesizing findings from published review articles.

Design: A comprehensive search of databases, including MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar, was conducted. The search was limited to English-language review articles published between 1990 and 2023, focusing on hearing aid outcomes in at least 5 adults (aged ≥18 years).

A Dual-Pathway Responsive Mechanophore for Intelligent Luminescent Polymer Materials.

Mechanoluminescent units, when integrated into polymer matrices, undergo structural transformations in response to mechanical force, resulting in changes in fluorescence. This phenomenon holds considerable promise for the development of stress-sensing materials. Despite the high demand for robust, tunable mechanoluminescent mechanophores for force assessment and smart force-responsive materials, strategies for their design and synthesis remain underdeveloped.

Assessing paediatric blood culture quality: surveys of clinician and laboratory practices in Australia and New Zealand.

Paediatric blood cultures are vital for the diagnosis of paediatric bloodstream infections. Quality of paediatric blood culture collection, processing and reporting depend on multiple factors, with a paucity of literature describing these in practice. We conducted separate surveys of clinicians and laboratory staff to assess quality standards and knowledge related to paediatric blood culture collection, analysis, and interpretation to identify improvement opportunities.

Computational Nuclear Oncology Toward Precision Radiopharmaceutical Therapies: Ethical, Regulatory, and Socioeconomic Dimensions of Theranostic Digital Twins.

Computational nuclear oncology for precision radiopharmaceutical therapy (RPT) is a new frontier for theranostic treatment personalization. A key strategy relies on the possibility to incorporate clinical, biomarker, image-based, and dosimetric information in theranostic digital twins (TDTs) of patients to move beyond a one-size-fits-all approach. The TDT framework enables treatment optimization by real-time monitoring of the real-world system, simulation of different treatment scenarios, and prediction of resulting treatment outcomes, as well as facilitating collaboration and knowledge sharing among health care professionals adopting a harmonized TDT.

KDIGO 2025 clinical practice guideline for the evaluation, management, and treatment of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD): executive summary.

The Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) 2025 Clinical Practice Guideline for the Evaluation, Management, and Treatment of Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD) represents the first KDIGO guideline on this subject. Its scope includes nomenclature, diagnosis, prognosis, and prevalence; kidney manifestations; chronic kidney disease (CKD) management and progression, kidney failure, and kidney replacement therapy; therapies to delay progression of kidney disease; polycystic liver disease; intracranial aneurysms and other extrarenal manifestations; lifestyle and psychosocial aspects; pregnancy and reproductive issues; pediatric issues; and approaches to the management of people with ADPKD. The guideline has been developed with patient partners, clinicians, and researchers around the world, with the goal to generate a useful resource for healthcare providers and patients by providing actionable recommendations.

Analysis of Acute Cerebrovascular Accidents following Cardiovascular Surgical Procedures: A Comprehensive 17-year study involving 24,412 patients at a leading Tertiary care institution in the United Kingdom.

Objective: The primary objective of this study is to quantify the incidence of stroke following cardiac surgery over 17 years at our centre. Additionally, we evaluated the potential risk factors leading to postoperative stroke in these patients.

Methods: Patient characteristics and perioperative data were collected for 24,412 patients undergoing surgery at our centre between January 2005 and December 2021.

A health economic evaluation of the multinational, randomized controlled CONVINCE trial - cost-utility of high-dose online hemodiafiltration compared to high-flux hemodialysis.

High-flux hemodialysis (HD) and high-dose hemodiafiltration (HDF) are established treatments for patients with kidney failure. Since HDF has been associated with improved survival rates compared to HD, we evaluated the cost-effectiveness of HDF compared to HD. Cost-utility analyses were performed from a societal perspective alongside the multinational randomized controlled CONVINCE trial.

Ultraviolet radiation vs air filtration to mitigate virus laden aerosol in an occupied clinical room.

Mitigation measures against infectious aerosols are desperately needed. We aimed to: 1) compare germicidal ultraviolet radiation (GUV) at 254 nm (254-GUV) and 222 nm (222-GUV) with portable high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters to inactivate/remove airborne bacteriophage ϕX174, 2) measure the effect of air mixing on the effectiveness of 254-GUV, and 3) determine the relative susceptibility of ϕX174, SARS-CoV-2, and Influenza A(H3N2) to GUV (254 nm, 222 nm). A nebulizer generated ϕX174 laden aerosols in an occupied clinical room (sealed-low flow).

Exploring the decisional needs of patients living with subacromial pain syndrome: A qualitative needs assessment study.

Background: There are a variety of different treatments for patients living with subacromial pain syndrome (SAPS). All treatments have small to moderate effect sizes, and it is challenging when healthcare practitioners and patients need to decide on which treatment options to choose. The aim of this study was to explore and understand the decisional needs of patients with SAPS, to inform and support the decision-making process.

Precision Oncology: A Global Perspective on Implementation and Policy Development.

Despite the acknowledged merits of precision oncology (PO) and its increasing global implementation, its full potential for advancing care and prevention remains unrealized. The benefits are currently accessible to only limited patient segments because of multifaceted barriers. Successful implementation hinges on various factors-scientific complexities not limited to technical, clinical, regulatory, economic, administrative, and health care policy-related challenges.

Noninvasive Anemia Detection and Hemoglobin Estimation from Retinal Images Using Deep Learning: A Scalable Solution for Resource-Limited Settings.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a deep-learning model for noninvasive anemia detection, hemoglobin (Hb) level estimation, and identification of anemia-related retinal features using fundus images.

Methods: The dataset included 2265 participants aged 40 years and above from a population-based study in South India. The dataset included ocular and systemic clinical parameters, dilated retinal fundus images, and hematological data such as complete blood counts and Hb concentration levels.

Whole-Heart Histological and CMR Validation of Electroanatomic Mapping by Multielectrode Catheters in an Ovine Model.

Background: Accurate electroanatomic mapping is critical for identifying scar and the long-term success of ventricular tachycardia ablation.

Objectives: This study sought to determine the accuracy of multielectrode mapping (MEM) catheters to identify scar on cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) and histopathology.

Methods: In an ovine model of myocardial infarction, we examined the effect of electrode size, spacing, and mapping rhythm on scar identification compared to CMR and histopathology using 5 multielectrode mapping catheters.

Intrinsic Mechanical Effects on the Activation of Carbon Catalysts.

The mechanical effects on carbon-based metal-free catalysts (C-MFCs) have rarely been explored, despite the global interest in C-MFCs as substitutes for noble metal catalysts. Stress is ubiquitous, whereas its dedicated study is severely restricted due to its frequent entanglement with other structural variables, such as dopants, defects, and interfaces in catalysis. Herein, we report a proof-of-concept study by establishing a platform to continuously apply strain to a highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) lamina, simultaneously collecting electrochemical signals.

A Survey of the Congenital Glaucoma Surgery Practice Patterns in the Indian Pediatric Glaucoma Society.

Purpose: To assess the practice patterns among the Indian Pediatric Glaucoma Society (IPGS) members in the management of children with primary congenital glaucoma (PCG).

Methods: An anonymous 74-question survey was administered online via Qualtrics (Qualtrics, Provo, Utah, USA) using a link sent by email to the 88 IPGS members. The questionnaire comprised five sections and was designed to gather information regarding respondent demographics and specialty training, clinic composition and volume, surgical practices and preferences, follow-up practices, and additional services.

Assessing spatial sequencing and imaging approaches to capture the molecular and pathological heterogeneity of archived cancer tissues.

Spatial transcriptomics (ST) offers enormous potential to decipher the biological and pathological heterogeneity in precious archival cancer tissues. Traditionally, these tissues have rarely been used and only examined at a low throughput, most commonly by histopathological staining. ST adds thousands of times as many molecular features to histopathological images, but critical technical issues and limitations require more assessment of how ST performs on fixed archival tissues.

Reinventing the evaluation wheel: COGwheel's co-designed digital innovation using the Qualtrics heat map.

The involvement of service-users, clinicians, and other health service end-users is recognised as an essential part of health and medical research. This collaborative approach can significantly contribute to methodological advancements including the development of research instruments and measures that ensure their suitability for research participants. The current paper details the co-design, development and implementation of the novel, digitised COGwheel (Co-designed Outcomes for Guests Evaluation Wheel).

Changes in platelet maturity and reactivity following acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

Background: Reduced effect of antiplatelet therapy has been reported in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). This could partly be explained by an increase of highly reactive immature platelets.

Objectives: To investigate changes in platelet maturity and reactivity after acute STEMI.

Delayed return of bowel function after general surgery in South Australia.

Introduction: Reference ranges for determining pathological versus normal postoperative return of bowel function are not well characterised for general surgery patients. This study aimed to characterise time to first postoperative passage of stool after general surgery; determine associations between clinical factors and delayed time to first postoperative stool; and evaluate the association between delay to first postoperative stool and prolonged length of hospital stay.

Methods: This study included consecutive admissions at two tertiary hospitals across a two-year period whom underwent a range of general surgery operations.

Arcuate fasciculus cortico-cortical evoked potentials and direct cortico-subcortical stimulation during awake craniotomy for debulking of left dominant temporal oligodendroglioma.

Electrophysiological mapping and monitoring techniques permit the objective measurement of eloquent cortical regions and accompanying white matter tracts to reduce the incidence of iatrogenic injury in glioma surgery. Recently, there has been increased interest in mapping and monitoring of the human arcuate fasciculus via cortico-cortical evoked potentials (CCEPs) during awake and asleep craniotomy. The authors present the case of a 27-year-old female who underwent a hypnosis-assisted awake craniotomy with cortico-subcortical language mapping and arcuate fasciculus CCEPs.

Clinical efficacy of electrosurgery and steel scalpel surgery for umbilical herniorrhaphy in bovine calves: A comparative analysis.

Electrosurgery (ES) offers a promising alternative to conventional steel scalpel surgery (SSS), providing superior hemorrhage control and efficient tissue dissection with minimal invasiveness. Given the limited literature, this study aims to compare the clinical efficacy of ES with that of SSS in bovine umbilical herniorrhaphy. Fourteen crossbred male calves with reducible umbilical hernias, aged less than one month and weighing 25-47 kg, were randomly assigned to two experimental groups: group A (ES) and group B (SSS), each containing seven calves.

Primary medullary adenocarcinoma of the colon: Literature review and case series.

Aims: Medullary carcinoma of the colon is a rare subtype of adenocarcinoma, first described in 1999. Clinically known to have a favourable prognosis in comparison to poorly differentiated cancers, it is associated with deficient mismatch repair. This is an observational single center study of patients with medullary cancer, and comparison with the current literature.