The mutational landscape of Staphylococcus aureus during colonisation.

Staphylococcus aureus is an important human pathogen and a commensal of the human nose and skin. Survival and persistence during colonisation are likely major drivers of S. aureus evolution.

Core Concepts: Self-Controlled Designs in Pharmacoepidemiology.

One of the key challenges in pharmacoepidemiological studies is that of uncontrolled confounding, which occurs when confounders are poorly measured, unmeasured or unknown. Self-controlled designs can help address this issue, as their key comparison is not between people, but periods of time within the same person. This controls for all time-stable confounders (genetics) and in the absence of time-varying confounding negates the need for an external control group.

Trapping Anions within Stacks of Tetra-Urea Macrocycles.

Designing molecular receptors that bind anions in water is a significant challenge, and an even greater difficulty lies in using these receptors to remove anions from water without resorting to the hazardous liquid-liquid extraction approach. We here demonstrate an effective and synthetically simple strategy toward these goals by exploiting ion-pair assembly of macrocycles. Our anion binding ensemble consists of an octa-chloro tetra-urea macrocyclic anion receptor (ClTU), which forms water-dispersible aggregates, and a tetra-cationic fluorescent dye 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(1-methyl-4-pyridinio)porphyrin (TMPyP4), which provides Coulombic stabilization and fluorescence reporting of anion binding in an ion-pair assembly.

Self-reported contraceptive method use at conception among patients presenting for abortion in England: a cross-sectional analysis comparing 2018 and 2023.

Background: Recent media attention has been given to an apparent shift away from hormonal methods of contraception. While an increase in fertility awareness-based or 'natural' family planning methods is reported in the grey literature, there are no robust data to determine any such trend in the UK.

Methods: We compared self-reported contraceptive use at conception among patients presenting for abortion at British Pregnancy Advisory Service from January to June 2018 (N=33 495) and January to June 2023 (N=55 055) using chi-square (χ) tests of association.

Pharmacogenomics and symptom management in palliative and supportive care: A scoping review.

Context: Pharmacogenomics (PGx) is an area of expanding research, which could indicate whether an individual is likely to benefit from a symptom control medication. Palliative and supportive care (PSC) could be an area that benefits from PGx, however, little is known about the current evidence base for this.

Objective: To determine how PGx can be applied in PSC, whether there is any evidence of benefit, and to understand the extent and type of evidence that supports the use of PGx in PSC.

Utility and interpretation of multiple breath washout in children with cystic fibrosis.

Transformative changes in the health of children with cystic fibrosis (CF) mean that more sensitive outcome measures are needed to monitor paediatric CF lung disease. Multiple breath washout (MBW) and its primary readout lung clearance index are gaining increasing traction as an endpoint for clinical trials in the CF space and show promise as a clinical investigation. In this article, we use four clinically based questions to explore what MBW can and cannot (yet) do and highlight some of its strengths and weaknesses as an investigation.

Single-molecule localisation microscopy (SMLM) is feasible in human and animal formalin fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) tissues in medical renal disease.

Aims: Establishment of a protocol for routine single-molecule localisation microscopy (SMLM) imaging on formalin fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) tissue using medical renal disease including minimal change disease (MCD) and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS).

Methods: Protocol for normal and diseased renal FFPE tissue was developed to investigate the clinical diagnostic potential of SMLM. Antibody concentrations were determined for confocal microscopy and transferred to SMLM.

NUCLEAR RNA-BINDING PROTEINS MEET CYTOPLASMIC VIRUSES.

Cytoplasmic viruses interact intricately with the nuclear pore complex and nuclear import/export machineries, affecting nuclear-cytoplasmic trafficking. This can lead to the selective accumulation of nuclear RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) in the cytoplasm. Pioneering research has shown that relocated RBPs serve as an intrinsic defence mechanism against viruses, which involves RNA export, splicing and nucleolar factors.

Refining PREVENT prediction models for 10-year risk of cardiovascular disease using measures of anxiety and depression.

Background: Anxiety and depression are associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD). We aimed to investigate whether adding measures of anxiety and depression to the American Heart Association Predicting Risk of Cardiovascular Disease Events (PREVENT) predictors improves the prediction of CVD risk.

Methods: We developed and internally validated risk prediction models using 60% and 40% of the cohort data from the UK Biobank, respectively.

Ethnic disparities in rapid tranquillisation use and justifications in adult mental health inpatient settings: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Question: Evidence on the likelihood of receiving rapid tranquillisation (RT) across ethnic groups is mixed, with some studies suggesting that ethnic minorities are more likely to receive RT than others. We aimed to investigate the association between ethnicity and RT use in adult mental health inpatient settings and to explore explanations for RT use in relation to ethnicity.

Study Selection And Analysis: We searched six databases, grey sources, and references from their inception to 15 April 2024.

Retinal vascular fingerprints predict incident stroke: findings from the UK Biobank cohort study.

Objective: To investigate the associations between a comprehensive set of retinal vascular parameters and incident stroke to unveil new associations and explore its predictive power for stroke risk.

Methods: Retinal vascular parameters were extracted from the UK Biobank fundus images using the Retina-based Microvascular Health Assessment System. We used Cox regression analysis, adjusted for traditional risk factors, to examine the associations, with false discovery rate adjustment for multiple comparisons.

The impact of clinical phenotypes of coronary artery disease on outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation: A post-hoc analysis of GLORIA-AF registry.

Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) and atrial fibrillation (AF) often coexist, but the impact of clinical phenotypes of CAD on outcomes in AF patients in the non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulant drugs (NOACs) era is less well understood.

Methods: This was a post-hoc of the GLORIA-AF registry, a global, multicenter, prospective AF registry study. Patients were divided into three groups: prior history of myocardial infarction (MI)/unstable angina group (Group 1); stable angina group (Group 2); and a control group without stable angina or history of MI/unstable angina.

Active cycle of breathing technique versus oscillating positive expiratory pressure therapy: Effect on lung function in children with primary ciliary dyskinesia; A feasibility study.

Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia (PCD) is a rare genetic disorder requiring airway clearance techniques for mucus removal. We aimed to evaluate the feasibility and the effect of the active cycle of breathing technique (ACBT) versus oscillating positive expiratory pressure therapy (OPEP) in improving lung function and functional exercise capacity among children with PCD in Palestine. 32 PCD children (6-18 years) were included in a 12-week home-based feasibility study.

Dietary-Lifestyle Patterns and Colorectal Cancer Risk: Global Cancer Update Programme (CUP Global) Systematic Literature Review.

Background: While healthy dietary and lifestyle factors have been individually linked to lower colorectal cancer (CRC) risks, recommendations for whole diet-lifestyle patterns remained unestablished due to limited studies and inconsistent pattern definitions.

Objective: This updated review synthesized literature on dietary-lifestyle patterns and CRC risk/mortality.

Methods: PubMed and Embase were searched through 31 March 2023 for randomized controlled trials and prospective cohort studies examining adulthood dietary patterns combined with modifiable lifestyle factors such as adiposity, smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, and/or others.

Investigating eating architecture and the impact of the precision of recorded eating time: a cross-sectional study.

Background: The precision of recorded eating times directly affects the estimation of eating architecture i.e. size, timing, and frequency of eating.

Plasma metabolomic signature of a proinflammatory diet in relation to breast cancer risk: a prospective cohort study.

Background: A proinflammatory diet has been linked to an increased risk of breast cancer. However, the underlying metabolic roles remain to be elucidated.

Objective: To investigate the metabolic mechanism between proinflammatory diet and breast cancer risk.

Altered Neural Responses to Punishment Learning in Conduct Disorder.

Objective: Conduct disorder (CD) is associated with deficits in the use of punishment for reinforcement learning (RL) and subsequent decision-making, contributing to reckless, antisocial, and aggressive behaviors. Here, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine whether differences in behavioral learning rates derived from computational modeling, particularly for punishment, are reflected in aberrant neural responses in youths with CD compared to typically-developing controls (TDCs).

Methods: 75 youths with CD and 99 TDCs (9-18 years, 47% girls) performed a probabilistic RL task with punishment, reward, and neutral contingencies.

Mepolizumab real-world effectiveness in severe asthma with an eosinophilic phenotype and overlapping severe allergic asthma.

Background: Some patients with severe asthma have overlapping allergic and eosinophilic phenotypes and may be eligible for anti-eosinophilic or anti-IgE biologics.

Objective: This post hoc sub-analysis assessed real-world mepolizumab effectiveness in patients with overlapping allergic and eosinophilic phenotypes, using 1-year data from the international, prospective REALITI-A study.

Methods: The clinically significant asthma exacerbation (CSE) rate was assessed 1 year prior to (pre-treatment) and following (follow-up) mepolizumab treatment, stratified by baseline total IgE levels (tIgE; <60, 60-<190, 190-<550, and ≥550 kU/L), atopic status (yes/no/unknown), prior omalizumab use (yes/no), geographic baseline omalizumab eligibility (eligible/non-eligible), and baseline tIgE level and blood eosinophil count (BEC) threshold combinations (<81 or ≥81 kU/L and <300 or ≥300 cells/µL).

The Optimal Dosage and Duration of Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Supplementation in Heart Failure Management: Evidence from a Network Meta-Analysis.

Heart failure is a progressive condition associated with a high mortality rate. Despite advancements in treatment, many patients continue to experience less-than-ideal outcomes. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) have been studied as a potential supplementary therapy for heart failure, but the optimal dosage and duration of supplementation remain unclear.

Relationship between severe hypoglycemia or impaired awareness of hypoglycemia and diabetes-related health status, global cognition and executive functions in adults with type 1 diabetes without severe anxiety or depression.

Aims: To explore the relationship between impaired awareness of hypoglycemia (IAH) or severe hypoglycemia (SH), and health status and cognition in adults with type 1 diabetes (T1D).

Methods: T1D adults attending a tertiary diabetes service were recruited into this cross-sectional study. People screening positive for severe anxiety or depression were not included.