Assessing post-operative dietary intake in older adult hip fracture patients: An observational study protocol.

Fragility fractures of the hip are a common injury in England. Meeting post-operative resting energy expenditure (REE) needs are fundamental to recovery from trauma that with greater nutritional intake, post-operative complications and length of stay can be reduced. However, dietary intake can be overlooked when the goal is prompt surgery to reduce pain and lower the risks of mortality at 30 days and 1 year.

Meeting report - Alpine desmosome disease meeting 2024: advances and emerging topics in desmosomes and related diseases.

Desmosomes are adhesive cell contacts abundant in tissues exposed to mechanical strain, such as the stratified and simple epithelia of the epidermis and mucous membranes, as well as the myocardium. Besides their role in mechanical cell cohesion, desmosomes also modulate pathways important for tissue differentiation, wound healing and immune responses. Dysfunctional desmosomes, resulting from pathogenic variants in genes encoding desmosomal components, autoantibodies targeting desmosomal adhesion molecules or inflammation, cause the life-threatening diseases arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy and pemphigus and contribute to the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel diseases.

Constructing mechanosensitive signalling pathways de novo in synthetic cells.

Biological mechanotransduction enables cells to sense and respond to mechanical forces in their local environment through changes in cell structure and gene expression, resulting in downstream changes in cell function. However, the complexity of living systems obfuscates the mechanisms of mechanotransduction, and hence the study of these processes in vitro has been critical in characterising the function of existing mechanosensitive membrane proteins. Synthetic cells are biomolecular compartments that aim to mimic the organisation, functionality and behaviours of biological systems, and represent the next step in the development of in vitro cell models.

Swatting Flies: Biting Insects as Non-Invasive Samplers for Mammalian Population Genomics.

Advances in next-generation sequencing have allowed the use of DNA obtained from unusual sources for wildlife studies. However, these samples have been used predominantly to sequence mitochondrial DNA for species identification while population genetics analyses have been rare. Since next-generation sequencing allows indiscriminate detection of all DNA fragments in a sample, technically it should be possible to sequence whole genomes of animals from environmental samples.

Values of Life: 40 years of The Value of Life.

This special section brings together international scholars celebrating the 40 anniversary of John Harris' book, (1985), and John Harris and his contributions to the field of bioethics more generally.

Association of GLP1R locus with mental ill-health endophenotypes and cardiometabolic traits: A trans-ancestry study in UK Biobank.

Aims: Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP1RA), used to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity, have been associated with off-target behavioural effects. We systematically assessed genetic variation in the GLP1R locus for impact on mental ill-health (MIH) and cardiometabolic phenotypes across diverse populations within UK Biobank.

Materials And Methods: All genetic variants with minor allele frequency >1% in the GLP1R locus were investigated for associations with MIH phenotypes and cardiometabolic phenotypes.

Supplemental Screening With MRI in Women With Dense Breasts: The European Perspective.

Breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer in women in Europe, and while all European countries have some form of screening for breast cancer, disparities in organization and implementation exist. Breast density is a well-established risk factor for breast cancer; however, most countries in Europe do not have recommendations in place for notification of breast density or additional supplementary imaging for women with dense breasts. Various supplemental screening modalities have been investigated in Europe, and when comparing modalities, MRI has been shown to be superior in cancer detection rate and in detecting small invasive disease that may impact long-term survival, as demonstrated in the Dense Tissue and Early Breast Neoplasm Screening (DENSE) trial in the Netherlands.

Update on the treatment navigation for functional cure of chronic hepatitis B: expert consensus 2.0.

As new evidence emerges, treatment strategies toward the functional cure of chronic hepatitis B are evolving. In 2019, a panel of national hepatologists published a Consensus Statement on the functional cure of chronic hepatitis B. Currently, an international group of hepatologists has been assembled to evaluate research since the publication of the original consensus, and to collaboratively develop the updated statements.

Child mental health problems and poverty.

Waiting lists for children and young people with mental health problems are at an all-time high. Almost the only policies proposed to deal with this situation involve increasing the number of mental health professionals. Little attention is given to dealing with the underlying causative stresses, of which poverty is easily the most pervasive.

An Overview of Flame-Retardant Materials for Triboelectric Nanogenerators and Future Applications.

Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) have gained significant attention for ability to convert mechanical energy into electrical energy. As the applications of TENG devices expand, their safety and reliability becomes priority, particularly where there is risk of fire or spontaneous combustion. Flame-retardant materials can be employed to address these safety concerns without compromising the performance and efficiency of TENGs.

Bacteria Flagella-Mimicking Polymer Multilayer Magnetic Microrobots.

Mass production of biomedical microrobots demands expensive and complex preparation techniques and versatile biocompatible materials. Learning from natural bacteria flagella, the study demonstrates a magnetic polymer multilayer cylindrical microrobot that bestows the controllable propulsion upon an external rotating magnetic field with uniform intensity. The magnetic microrobots are constructed by template-assisted layer-by-layer technique and subsequent functionalization of magnetic particles onto the large opening of the microrobots.

Untethered Soft Robots Based on 1D and 2D Nanomaterials.

Biological structures exhibit autonomous and intelligent behaviors, such as movement, perception, and responses to environmental changes, through dynamic interactions with their surroundings. Inspired by natural organisms, future soft robots are also advancing toward autonomy, sustainability, and interactivity. This review summarizes the latest achievements in untethered soft robots based on 1D and 2D nanomaterials.

Clear scalp, clear mind: Examining the beneficial impact of dandruff reduction on physical, emotional and social wellbeing.

Objective: Dandruff is a common scalp condition characterized by the chronic shedding of large clumps of epidermal cells. Alongside negative physical symptoms, dandruff is thought to have a detrimental impact on individuals' mental health. The aim of this study was to determine whether the clinical benefits of using an anti-dandruff shampoo (ADS) will result in improved psychological wellbeing in individuals suffering from dandruff.

Clinical Sensitivity and Specificity of the PROSTest in an American Cohort.

Introduction: Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men in the United States, following skin cancer, with an incidence rate of 112.7 per 100,000 men per year. The need for a reliable, non-invasive diagnostic tool for early PCa detection (screening, biochemical residual disease) remains unmet due to the limitations of PSA testing, which often leads to overdiagnosis and overtreatment.

Vitronectin regulates lung tissue remodeling and emphysema in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Vitronectin (VTN) is an important extracellular matrix protein in tissue remodeling, but its role in COPD is unknown. We show that VTN regulates tissue remodeling through urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) signaling pathway in COPD. In human COPD airways and bronchoepithelial cells and the airways of mice with cigarette smoke (CS)-induced experimental COPD, VTN protein was not changed, but downstream uPA signaling was altered (increased plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, uPAR) that induced collagen and airway remodeling.

Injury epidemiology in International Basketball: a six-season study of the Great Britain Men's Basketball Team.

Objectives: To report the injury epidemiology of the Great Britain's (GB) Men's Basketball team games and training over a 6-season period.

Methods: Non-time loss (NTL) and time-loss (TL) injuries were recorded throughout 14 international windows (2018-2024). Exposure (player-hours) was recorded for team training and games.

Long-Lasting Cross-Linked PLGA-Inspired Nanoparticles from One-Pot Nanopolymerization of Precisely Sequenced Short Oligolactoglycolic Acid Dimethacrylates.

A novel PLGA-inspired NP polymerization technique is presented, which allows the formation of NPs via the cross-linking of precisely sequenced short oligolactoglycolic acid dimethacrylates (OLGADMAs). Following the synthesis of a range of OLGADMAs, a library of NPs via this rapid and surfactant-free nanopolymerization method is successfully generated, which permits the simultaneous NP formation and encapsulation of drugs such as dexamethasone. The results indicate that NPs produced through this nanopolymerization technique with precisely controlled sequences exhibit heightened stability compared to conventionally sequenced and non-sequence controlled PLGA, as evidenced by minimal pH changes over five weeks.

Assessing the Impact of Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions During the COVID-19 Pandemic on RSV Seasonality in Europe.

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, atypical respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) circulation patterns emerged, with the occurrence of RSV activity outside the typical winter season. This study investigates the impact of COVID-19 and associated non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) on RSV seasonality.

Methods: The onset, offset and peak of RSV epidemics from 2018 to 2022 across 12 European countries were determined using the 3% positivity threshold method.

Effects of time-restricted feeding and meal timing on an 8-week fat oxidation exercise training program-A randomized controlled trial.

Time-restricted feeding (TRF) and aerobic exercise are lifestyle interventions to prevent or manage different metabolic diseases. How these interventions interact, including the impact of meal timing, is not well understood. The aim of this study was to examine the influence of TRF on fat oxidation during exercise, whereby participants performed an 8-week fat-training program either in the fasted state or after a carbohydrate-based snack.

Revealing trends in measles immunity during periods of varying measles circulation in Madagascar.

Estimating the durability of immunity from vaccination is complicated by unreported re-vaccination, and unobserved natural infection or reexposure, which could result in overestimation of protection longevity. We tested serial cross-sectional serum samples from 2005 to 2015 (N=2,530) for IgG to examine measles seroprevalence, spatiotemporal patterns of titers across regions and antibody dynamics among children aged 1-9 years who grew up during varying measles circulation in Madagascar under a one-dose vaccination schedule. We found that measles seroprevalence has generally decreased over this time period.

Artificial intelligence assisted risk prediction in organ transplantation: a UK Live-Donor Kidney Transplant Outcome Prediction tool.

Predicting the outcome of a kidney transplant involving a living donor advances donor decision-making donors for clinicians and patients. However, the discriminative or calibration capacity of the currently employed models are limited. We set out to apply artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms to create a highly predictive risk stratification indicator, applicable to the UK's transplant selection process.

Short-term variability of Alzheimer's disease plasma biomarkers in a mixed memory clinic cohort.

Background: For clinical implementation of Alzheimer's disease (AD) blood-based biomarkers (BBMs), knowledge of short-term variability, is crucial to ensure safe and correct biomarker interpretation, i.e., to capture changes or treatment effects that lie beyond that of expected short-term variability and considered clinically relevant.

Developing generic clinical trial animated explainer videos in the UK: results of a survey and case study.

Background: Animated short videos used to explain a concept or project are often called animated explainer videos (AEVs). AEVs can supplement or provide an alternative to participant information sheets as a means of giving information about clinical research to potential participants. Current use of AEVs tends to focus on the specifics of a particular trial, yet there are many common aspects of clinical research regardless of the interventions being investigated that can be poorly covered in current trial materials.

Impact of sodium alginate hydrogel containing bacteriophage peptides that specifically bind to the EtCab protein on the inhibition of Eimeria tenella infection.

Avian coccidiosis, caused by the protozoan Eimeria, leads to significant economic losses for the poultry industry. In this study, bacteriophages that specifically bind to the calcium-binding protein (EtCab) of Eimeria tenella were selected using a biopanning process with a pIII phage display library. The recombinant EtCab protein served as the ligand in this selection process.