Blood-based DNA methylation markers for lung cancer prediction.

Objective: Screening high-risk individuals with low-dose CT reduces mortality from lung cancer, but many lung cancers occur in individuals who are not eligible for screening. Risk biomarkers may be useful to refine risk models and improve screening eligibility criteria. We evaluated if blood-based DNA methylation markers can improve a traditional lung cancer prediction model.

As bleak as it sounds? Analysing trends in oncology clinical trial initiation in the UK from 2010 to 2022.

Objectives: The UK's withdrawal from the European Union (a political movement known as 'Brexit') incited concern both in the public and private sector about the future of drug development and the clinical trial landscape in the UK. This study evaluates trends in the initiation of phase III clinical trials that evaluated systemic anticancer treatments from 2010 to 2022 both in the UK and worldwide.

Methods And Analysis: Relevant clinical trials were identified through ClinicalTrials.

Integrated multiplex analysis of cell death regulators in stage II colorectal cancer suggests patients with 'persister' cell profiles fail to benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy.

Objective: Inducing tumour cell apoptosis is a primary objective of chemotherapy but, to date, there are no validated biomarkers of apoptosis sensitivity or resistance. Our objective was to image multiple apoptosis pathway proteins at single cell level and determine multi-protein associations with recurrence risk and chemotherapy response in patients with stage II colorectal cancer (CRC).

Methods And Analysis: Multiplexed imaging of 16 proteins in the intrinsic and extrinsic apoptosis pathways at single cell resolution on resected tissue from 194 patients with stage II CRC who either received adjuvant chemotherapy (n108) or were treated with surgery only (n=86).

Improving outcomes with early and intensive metabolic control in patients with type 2 diabetes: a long-term modeling analysis of clinical and cost outcomes in Italy.

Objectives: This analysis quantifies the potential long-term clinical and cost benefits of early and intensive metabolic control (EIMC) versus conventional management in patients newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in Italy.

Methods: The PRIME T2D Model was used to project clinical and cost outcomes over long-term time horizons for a newly diagnosed cohort of patients receiving EIMC or conventional management. EIMC was associated with a mean glycated hemoglobin reduction of 0.

Performance and validation of a digital memory test across the Alzheimer's disease continuum.

Digital cognitive testing using online platforms has emerged as a potentially transformative tool in clinical neuroscience. In theory, it could provide a powerful means of screening for and tracking cognitive performance in people at risk of developing conditions such as Alzheimer's disease. Here we investigate whether digital metrics derived from an in-person administered, tablet-based short-term memory task-the 'What was where?' Oxford Memory Task-were able to clinically stratify patients at different points within the Alzheimer's disease continuum and to track disease progression over time.

Mendelian randomization studies of risk and protective factors for osteoporosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Mendelian randomization is believed to attenuate the biases inherent in observational studies, yet a meta-analysis of Mendelian randomization studies in osteoporosis has not been conducted thus far. This study aims to evaluate the connection between potential causal factors and the risk of osteoporosis by synthesizing evidence from Mendelian randomization studies.

Methods: The databases PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase were systematically searched for Mendelian randomization studies investigating factors influencing osteoporosis up to May 2024.

Efficient extraction of carboxylated nanocellulose from ionoSolv pulps with alkaline HO assisted oxidation.

Unlabelled: We report a simple procedure to produce carboxylated cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) from grassy biomass () using a two-step approach consisting of biomass fractionation with a protic ionic liquid followed by oxidation of the resulting cellulose-rich pulps with HO. The impact of the fractionation severity on the composition, structure, size, thermal stability, crystallinity, and degree of polymerization of the CNCs was evaluated. It was found that fractionation severity had a large impact on the pulp purity and its reactivity during the oxidation stage.

The impact of interfacial quality and nanoscale performance disorder on the stability of alloyed perovskite solar cells.

Microscopy provides a proxy for assessing the operation of perovskite solar cells, yet most works in the literature have focused on bare perovskite thin films, missing charge transport and recombination losses present in full devices. Here we demonstrate a multimodal operando microscopy toolkit to measure and spatially correlate nanoscale charge transport losses, recombination losses and chemical composition. By applying this toolkit to the same scan areas of state-of-the-art, alloyed perovskite cells before and after extended operation, we show that devices with the highest macroscopic performance have the lowest initial performance spatial heterogeneity-a crucial link that is missed in conventional microscopy.

Coronary Dissection - Back to the Future - Finding Good in the Bad!

It has been recognized for decades that dissections occur as a mechanism of balloon angioplasty. A successful angioplasty result contains some degree of intimal splitting and disruption, which usually heals well. Nonetheless, some dissections are extensive, leading to serious ischaemic complications.

Measuring patient reported outcomes in brachytherapy: Why we should do it and more importantly how.

As the treatment for cancer improves and advances are made, the clinical focus is often on treatment response and survival. However, these are not the only factors which are important to patients. More patients are living longer after cancer treatment and therefore it is important that we can describe not only the treatment to patients but also what their life will be like during and after treatment.

The relation between perceived non-native features in the L1 speech of English migrants to Austria and their phonetic manifestation in L1 productions.

Aims: The purpose of this research was to investigate to what extent the most commonly identified non-native features in the L1 speech of late consecutive bilinguals are reflected in differences in the bilinguals' productions of these features compared with those of monolingual speakers of the L1.

Design: We investigated the L1 accent of English migrants to Austria and monolingual English speakers in the United Kingdom in two inter-related studies.

Data: In Study 1, an accent-perception experiment, native English listeners rated the nativeness of the monolinguals' and bilinguals' L1 English productions of read sentences, using a 6-point scale, and subsequently commented on the accentual features associated with perceived non-nativeness.

Study of nitrous oxide utilization for syngas production partial oxidation of methane using Ni-doped perovskite catalysts.

Four different materials-pure NiO, pure LSCF (LaSrCoFeO ), 10% Ni/LSCF, and 20% Ni/LSCF-were studied. The Ni/LSCF catalysts demonstrated superior catalytic performance for both NO decomposition and the partial oxidation of methane (POM) compared to pure NiO and pure LSCF. This enhancement is attributed to an increase in oxygen vacancies and improved oxygen mobility within the catalyst, as evidenced by O-TPD analysis.

A safety checklist for apnoeic oxygenation using high-flow nasal oxygen for laryngotracheal surgery in adults: An international Delphi consensus.

Background: Apnoeic oxygenation using high-flow nasal oxygen is becoming a commonly used technique in adult patients undergoing laryngotracheal surgery. Despite widespread adoption, there are no best practice guidelines governing its safe delivery.

Objective: To develop a checklist for use during laryngotracheal surgery to guide the safe delivery of apnoeic oxygenation using high-flow nasal oxygen.

Associations between physical activities and self-harm behaviour in depression across the genotype: findings from the UK biobank.

Background: Physical activities are widely implemented for non-pharmacological intervention to alleviate depressive symptoms. However, there is little evidence supporting their genotype-specific effectiveness in reducing the risk of self-harm in patients with depression.

Aims: To assess the associations between physical activity and self-harm behaviour and determine the recommended level of physical activity across the genotypes.

A Regulatory Roadmap for Repurposing: Comparing Pathways for Making Repurposed Drugs Available In The EU, UK, And US.

To help academic and non-profit investigators interested in drug repurposing navigate regulatory approval processes, we compared pathways for repurposed drugs to obtain approval at EMA, UK MHRA, and the US FDA. Though we found no pathways specifically for repurposed drugs, pathways to market are available in all repurposing scenarios.

A critical assessment of male HIV/AIDS patients' satisfaction with antiretroviral therapy and its implications for sustainable development in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Purpose: The emergence of unique and destructive viruses, such as COVID-19, has claimed lives, disrupted health systems and diverted resources from addressing the needs of male HIV/AIDS patients in the context of antiretroviral therapy and other HIV/AIDS-related issues. This study aims to assess male HIV/AIDS patients' satisfaction with antiretroviral therapy and its implications for sustainable development in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Design/methodology/approach: Satisfaction, word-of-mouth, trust and revisit intention were the variables in the research model.

Reporting and representation of participant race and ethnicity in phase III clinical trials for solid tumors.

Background: Including racial and ethnic minorities in clinical trials is essential for advancing health equity. Despite progress, trials often do not mirror patient population demographics.

Methods: The National Library of Medicine's Clinical Trials database was queried for phase III trials of lung, colorectal, breast, and prostate cancers.

The challenges faced by early-career international medical graduates in general practice and the opportunities for support: a mixed methods study.

Background: Recruiting and retaining International Medical Graduates (IMGs) has been identified as a key component in addressing the ongoing workforce crisis in general practice. However, research shows IMG General Practitioners (GPs) face unique challenges compared to their UK-trained counterparts, impacting their welfare, retention in the workforce, and ability to provide patient care.

Aim: This study examined the challenges facing early-career IMG GPs, the help and support they access and want to access, and their perceptions and utilisation of the help and support available.

Protocol for a feasibility study evaluating a supported self-management intervention for stroke survivors with aphasia (StarStep study).

Background: There is a growing evidence base to support the use of self-management interventions for improving quality of life after stroke. However, stroke survivors with aphasia have been underrepresented in research to date. It is therefore unclear if self-management is an appropriate or effective approach for this group.

Associations between inflammation and striatal dopamine D2-receptor availability in aging.

Background: Normal brain aging is associated with dopamine decline, which has been linked to age-related cognitive decline. Factors underlying individual differences in dopamine integrity at older ages remain, however, unclear. Here we aimed at investigating: (i) whether inflammation is associated with levels and 5-year changes of in vivo dopamine D2-receptor (DRD2) availability, (ii) if DRD2-inflammation associations differ between men and women, and (iii) whether inflammation and cerebral small-vessel disease (white-matter lesions) serve as two independent predictors of DRD2 availability.

Restoring riparian habitats for benefits to biodiversity and human livelihoods: a systematic map protocol for riparian restoration approaches in the tropics.

Background: Riparian zones are vital transitional habitats that bridge the gap between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. They support elevated levels of biodiversity and provide an array of important regulatory and provisioning ecosystem services, of which, many are fundamentally important to human well-being, such as the maintenance of water quality and the mitigation of flood risk along waterways. Increasing anthropogenic pressures resulting from agricultural intensification, industry development and the expansion of infrastructure in tropical regions have led to the widespread degradation of riparian habitats resulting in biodiversity loss and decreased resilience to flooding and erosion.

Enhancing the role of mass media in the translation of evidence from health policy and systems research in Nigeria.

Background: There are massive gaps in communication between health researchers and policy-makers in Nigeria, which constrains the use of research evidence for policy-making. Mass media can help in bridging the gaps, especially since the media has the reach and a reputation for presenting information in ways that elicit actions from the public and policy-makers.

Objective: There is a small body of emerging literature from Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa, evidencing the usefulness of the media to encourage evidence translation in the health sector; and even evidence translation theories are light on dissemination.

Quantifying the potential value of entomological data collection for programmatic decision-making on malaria control in sub-Saharan African settings.

Background: The availability of many tools for malaria control leads to complex decisions regarding the most cost-effective intervention package based on local epidemiology. Mosquito characteristics influence the impact of vector control, but entomological surveillance is often limited due to a lack of resources in national malaria programmes.

Methods: This study quantified the monetary value of information provided by entomological data collection for programmatic decision-making using a mathematical model of Plasmodium falciparum transmission.

A dedicated caller for DUX4 rearrangements from whole-genome sequencing data.

Rearrangements involving the DUX4 gene (DUX4-r) define a subtype of paediatric and adult acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) with a favourable outcome. Currently, there is no 'standard of care' diagnostic method for their confident identification. Here, we present an open-source software tool designed to detect DUX4-r from short-read, whole-genome sequencing (WGS) data.