Clinical Characteristics of Virologically Confirmed Respiratory Syncytial Virus in English Primary Care: Protocol for an Observational Study of Acute Respiratory Infection.

Background: There are gaps in our understanding of the clinical characteristics and disease burden of the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) among community-dwelling adults. This is in part due to a lack of routine testing at the point of care. More data would enhance our assessment of the need for an RSV vaccination program for adults in the United Kingdom.

Hybrid strains of enterotoxigenic/Shiga toxin-producing , United Kingdom, 2014-2023.

Diarrhoeagenic (DEC) pathotypes are defined by genes located on mobile genetic elements, and more than one definitive pathogenicity gene may be present in the same strain. In August 2022, UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) surveillance systems detected an outbreak of hybrid Shiga toxin-producing /enterotoxigenic (STEC-ETEC) serotype O101:H33 harbouring both Shiga toxin () and heat-stable toxin (). These hybrid strains of DEC are a public health concern, as they are often associated with enhanced pathogenicity.

Cerebral Microbleeds and Amyloid Pathology Estimates From the Amyloid Biomarker Study.

Importance: Baseline cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) and APOE ε4 allele copy number are important risk factors for amyloid-related imaging abnormalities in patients with Alzheimer disease (AD) receiving therapies to lower amyloid-β plaque levels.

Objective: To provide prevalence estimates of any, no more than 4, or fewer than 2 CMBs in association with amyloid status, APOE ε4 copy number, and age.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This cross-sectional study used data included in the Amyloid Biomarker Study data pooling initiative (January 1, 2012, to the present [data collection is ongoing]).

Basal implants as a treatment alternative for severely resorbed ridges.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term treatment outcomes of basal implants in patients with severely resorbed ridges, including the survival and success rates, patient complaints, satisfaction, and Quality of Life.

Evidence Acquisition: An extensive electronic search was conducted on the search engines: PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar using Boolean Operators (AND, OR, NOT) and the key words (basal implants, Corticobasal implants, Strategic Implants, severely resorbed ridge, severely atrophic ridge, treatment outcome, patient satisfaction) within the last 10 years.

Evidence Synthesis: A total of 21 articles were found, encompassing 9732 basal implants placed in 1219 patients.

The effects of ultra-selective beta1-antagonism on the metabolic and cytokine profile in septic shock patients receiving noradrenaline: a sub-investigation from the STRESS-L Randomised Study.

Purpose: The landiolol and organ failure in patients with septic shock (STRESS-L study) included a pre-planned sub-study to assess the effect of landiolol treatment on inflammatory and metabolomic markers.

Methods: Samples collected from 91 patients randomised to STRESS-L were profiled for immune and metabolomic markers. A panel of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines were measured through commercially acquired multiplex Luminex assays and statistically analysed by individual and cluster-level analysis (patient).

Contact Lenses in Therapeutic Care: A Comprehensive Review of Past Innovations, Present Applications, and Future Directions.

Contact lenses have become integral tools in the realm of ocular therapeutics, extending beyond their primary function of refractive correction to encompass a diverse array of therapeutic applications. This review explores the evolving role of contact lenses in managing various ocular conditions, highlighting their efficacy in enhancing patient outcomes. Initially developed to correct refractive errors, contact lenses now serve as effective vehicles for delivering medications directly to the ocular surface, offering targeted treatment for conditions such as dry eye syndrome and corneal ulcers.

Witchcraft, Envy, and Norm Enforcement in Mauritius.

Recent research has shown that an array of religious beliefs can be used to enforce socially normative behaviour, but the application of these theories to other supernatural beliefs, including witchcraft, is still nascent. Across two pre-registered studies in Mauritius, we examine how witchcraft is believed to be caused by envy and how this belief can create and enforce social norms around not causing envy. Data was collected in-person in Mauritius.

Improving Therapeutic Adherence and Reducing Therapeutic Inertia in the Management of People with Cardiometabolic Diseases: A Call-to-Action from the Middle East.

Hypertension, dyslipidemia, and type 2 diabetes are highly prevalent and poorly controlled cardiometabolic diseases in the Middle East. Therapeutic non-adherence and therapeutic inertia are major contributors to this suboptimal disease control. Regardless of the cardiometabolic disease, evidence-based solutions may be used to improve therapeutic non-adherence and overcome inertia, and thereby help to alleviate the heavy burden of cardiovascular disease in the Middle East.

Item-Level Analysis of Category Fluency Test Performance: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Studies of Normal and Neurologically Abnormal Ageing.

While Category Fluency (CF) is widely used to help profile semantic memory, item-level scoring (ILS) approaches to this test have been proposed to obtain indices that are less influenced by non-semantic supportive functions. We systematically reviewed the literature to test the hypotheses that (1) compared with healthy adults, individuals with a clinical diagnosis suggestive of neurodegeneration generate words of lower semantic complexity; (2) compared with young adults, older adults generate words of higher semantic complexity. We searched six databases (date of search: 8 December 2023) for studies that relied on CF and ILS methods, in normal ageing and in age-associated neurodegeneration.

Bracing effectiveness in idiopathic early onset scoliosis followed to skeletal maturity: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Purpose: Treating idiopathic Early Onset Scoliosis (idiopathic EOS) is challenging due to ongoing growth and extensive follow-ups. While bracing is effective for Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS), its value for children under 10 remains debated. This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluates the effectiveness of spinal bracing in idiopathic EOS, followed to skeletal maturity.

The association of congenital diaphragmatic hernia with scoliosis.

Purpose: To determine the prevalence of scoliosis in patients who have undergone surgical repair of CDH and attempt to assess the aetiology of scoliosis in affected cases.

Methods: A prospectively collected database of patients with CDH treated in a single centre between 1997 and 2023 was reviewed. Cases with adequate records who continued to reside locally having survived beyond age 2 and > 2 years following CDH repair were included.

Vascular Access and Closure Management for Electrophysiological Interventions: Small Interventions Big Impact.

Purpose Of The Review: This review examines the role of vascular access and closure management in cardiac electrophysiology (EP) procedures, emphasising their impact on patient outcomes and safety. It synthesises current evidence and highlights advancements, challenges, and opportunities in this critical area of EP practice.

Recent Findings: Ultrasound-guided vascular access has significantly reduced complications and improved success rates compared to traditional methods.

Autologous platelet concentrates as adjuncts to non-surgical periodontal therapy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: To evaluate the possible additional clinical benefit from autologous platelet concentrate (APC) treatment adjunct to non-surgical periodontal therapy (NSPT).

Methods: Electronic (MEDLINE/Embase/Cochrane/MedNar/CORE) and hand searches were conducted. Following studies selection, evidence tables were formed, and meta-analyses were performed for the following outcomes: probing pocket depth (PPD) reduction, clinical attachment level (CAL) gain, and bleeding on probing (BoP) reduction.

Blood Flow Velocity Analysis in Cerebral Perforating Arteries on 7T 2D Phase Contrast MRI with an Open-Source Software Tool (SELMA).

Blood flow velocity in the cerebral perforating arteries can be quantified in a two-dimensional plane with phase contrast magnetic imaging (2D PC-MRI). The velocity pulsatility index (PI) can inform on the stiffness of these perforating arteries, which is related to several cerebrovascular diseases. Currently, there is no open-source analysis tool for 2D PC-MRI data from these small vessels, impeding the usage of these measurements.

Primary diffuse leptomeningeal atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumours (ATRT) of childhood: a molecularly characterised case report and literature review.

Background: Atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumours (ATRTs) are malignant central nervous system tumours, typically presenting in the posterior fossa of very young children. Prognosis remains poor despite current therapy, while tumorigenesis implicates both genomic and epigenetic dysregulation. Primary diffuse leptomeningeal (PDL) ATRT, characterised by the absence of an intraparenchymal mass lesion, is seldom reported but appears associated with a dismal outcome.

The publication fate of abstracts awarded prizes at European Society of Paediatric Radiology annual scientific meetings.

Background: The European Society of Paediatric Radiology (ESPR) awards prizes for outstanding work presented at their annual scientific meetings. The proportion of ESPR prize-winning abstracts to journal publications is not known. Contextualising abstract-to-publication proportions by evaluating publication experience can yield valuable insights and actionable outcomes to support researchers in overcoming barriers to journal publication.

Conventional and genetic association between migraine and stroke with druggable genome-wide Mendelian randomization.

The genetic relationship between migraine and stroke remains underexplored, particularly in the context of druggable targets. Previous studies have been limited by small sample sizes and a lack of focus on genetic-targeted therapies for these conditions. We analyzed the association and causality between migraine and stroke using multivariable logistic regression in the UK Biobank cohort and Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses based on genome-wide association study (GWAS) data.

Ravulizumab demonstrates long-term efficacy, safety and favorable patient survival in patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria.

Ravulizumab is a second-generation complement component 5 (C5) inhibitor (C5i) approved for the treatment of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) following positive results from two pivotal trials in patients with PNH originally naive to C5i treatment and eculizumab-experienced patients with PNH. In both trials, after the 26week primary evaluation period, all patients received ravulizumab for up to 6 years. To report ravulizumab treatment outcomes in patients with PNH originally naive to C5i treatment and eculizumab-experienced patients with PNH treated for up to 6 years.

[Role of prostate-specific membrane antigen positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PSMA-PET/CT) in staging].

The superiority of prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) positron emission tomography (PET) over conventional staging methods such as computed tomography (CT) and bone scintigraphy has now been demonstrated for almost all clinical stages of prostate cancer. In primary diagnostics, PSMA-PET/CT is therefore the new standard for risk-adapted whole-body staging. At the same time, PSMA-PET/CT provides a new risk-based classification for predicting overall survival across all early and late stages of the disease.

Effect of Lipidation on the Structure, Oligomerization, and Aggregation of Glucagon-like Peptide 1.

Lipidated analogues of glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) have gained enormous attention as long-acting peptide therapeutics for type 2 diabetes and also antiobesity treatment. Commercially available therapeutic lipidated GLP-1 analogues, semaglutide and liraglutide, have the great advantage of prolonged half-lives of hours and days instead of minutes as is the case for native GLP-1. A crucial factor in the development of novel lipidated therapeutic peptides is their physical stability, which greatly influences manufacturing and drug product development.

A double dissociation between semantic and spatial cognition in visual to default network pathways.

Processing pathways between sensory and default mode network (DMN) regions support recognition, navigation, and memory but their organisation is not well understood. We show that functional subdivisions of visual cortex and DMN sit at opposing ends of parallel streams of information processing that support visually mediated semantic and spatial cognition, providing convergent evidence from univariate and multivariate task responses, intrinsic functional and structural connectivity. Participants learned virtual environments consisting of buildings populated with objects, drawn from either a single semantic category or multiple categories.