Real-world effectiveness of mepolizumab in asthma: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Exacerbations and suboptimal disease control are common in severe asthma with an eosinophilic phenotype (SAep). Mepolizumab, an anti-interleukin-5 monoclonal antibody, has demonstrated efficacy and safety in randomized controlled trials (RCTs). We aimed to strengthen the real-world evidence base for mepolizumab in SAep.

Piloting a minimum data set for older people living in care homes in England: a developmental study.

Background: We developed a prototype minimum data set (MDS) for English care homes, assessing feasibility of extracting data directly from digital care records (DCRs) with linkage to health and social care data.

Methods: Through stakeholder development workshops, literature reviews, surveys and public consultation, we developed an aspirational MDS. We identified ways to extract this from existing sources, including DCRs and routine health and social care datasets.

Longitudinal Assessment of Sexual Behavior and Relationship Quality During the First Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Britain: Findings from a Longitudinal Population Survey (Natsal-COVID).

While the impact of social restrictions on sexual and romantic life early in the COVID-19 pandemic has been widely studied, little is known about impacts beyond the initial months. We analyzed responses from 2,098 British adults (aged 18-59) taking part in the Natsal-COVID study (Waves 1 and 2). Participants were recruited via a web panel and surveyed twice: four months and one year after the start of the UK's first national lockdown (July 2020 and March 2021).

Success Rates of Assisted Reproduction for Men With Cystic Fibrosis.

Background: The vast majority of men with CF (mwCF) are infertile. Improvements in assisted reproductive technology (ART) have made it possible for these patients to become biological fathers.

Methods: Data were examined for all male CF patients attending a large adult CF center over a 23-year period.

Dynamic Covalent Sulfur-Selenium Rich Polymers via Inverse Vulcanization for High Refractive Index, High Transmittance, and UV Shielding Materials.

Recent advancements in inverse vulcanization have led to the development of sulfur-rich polymers with diverse applications. However, progress is constrained by the harsh high-temperature reaction conditions, limited applicability, and the generation of hazardous HS gas. This study presents an induced IV method utilizing selenium octanoic acid, yielding sulfur-selenium rich polymers with full atom economy, even at a low-temperatures of 100-120 °C.

Primary Effusion Lymphoma Prognostic Score (PEL-PS): A Validated International Prognostic Score in HIV-Associated Primary Effusion Lymphoma.

Primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) is an HIV-associated B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) caused by Kaposi sarcoma herpesvirus (KSHV). There is no validated prognostic model in PEL, and prognosis is thought to be poor compared to other HIV-associated NHL. We derived the PEL-Prognostic score (PEL-PS) from an international real-world training set of 59 patients with HIV-associated PEL who received first-line anthracycline-containing chemotherapy from the HIV and AIDS Malignancy Branch at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in the United States and the National Center for HIV Malignancy at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital (CWH) in England from 2000 to 2022.

Biomarkers in coronary artery disease: systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: Little information exists regarding the detection of early coronary heart disease protein biomarkers. The aim of this study was to investigate several potential candidates.

Methods: Systematic review was carried out followed by meta-analysis.

Addressing Unmet Needs in Eating Disorders Requires Systemic Change and Co-Production: A Commentary on Ali et al. (2024).

The treatment gap for eating disorders varies significantly across healthcare systems owing to structural, cultural, and systemic barriers. A recent systematic review by Ali et al. highlighted this disparity, with treatment rates ranging from 2.

Insights into Chronic Low Back Pain Etiology: Population-based genome-wide Association Study Identifies 18 Risk Loci.

Study Design: Genome-wide association study (GWAS) meta-analysis with downstream analyses.

Objective: To explore the genetic architecture of chronic low back pain (cLBP) and identify underlying biological mechanisms that contribute to its development.

Summary Of Background Data: Chronic low back pain is prevalent and debilitating, with many cases having no identifiable biological cause.

Using patient preference to inform ritlecitinib dose selection for alopecia areata treatment.

Ritlecitinib is an oral Janus kinase 3/tyrosine kinase expressed in hepatocellular carcinoma (JAK3/TEC) family kinase inhibitor approved for the treatment of severe alopecia areata (AA). Benefit-risk profiles of two doses of ritlecitinib (50 mg vs 30 mg once daily) were evaluated by integrating patient preferences and clinical efficacy and safety estimates for ritlecitinib. A discrete-choice experiment (DCE) was utilized to elicit preferences for benefit and safety attributes of systemic AA treatments.

Refractive error maps: A predictive tool for refractive error progression.

Purpose: To investigate the influence of axial length on different ocular parameters and create a predictive tool for refractive error progression.

Methods: Two eye models were used to simulate refractive errors, namely the Liou-Brennan and the Goncharov-Dainty. Both models were simulated using Zemax OpticStudio.

Health Care Resource Utilization With Dronedarone Versus Sotalol Following Catheter Ablation in Adults With Atrial Fibrillation.

Background: Clinical trials support dronedarone use for atrial fibrillation (AF) following catheter ablation (CA); however, comparative data on health care resource utilization (HCRU) with other antiarrhythmic drugs are lacking.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of Merative MarketScan databases (January 01, 2012-March 31, 2020) comparatively assessed HCRU in US adults with AF who received dronedarone or sotalol post-CA. Patients with ≥ 12-months' pre-CA data were followed from post-CA index treatment to disenrollment, death, or study end.

Tranexamic acid for preventing postpartum haemorrhage after vaginal birth.

Rationale: Postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) is common and potentially life-threatening. The antifibrinolytic drug tranexamic acid (TXA) is thought to be effective for treating PPH. There is growing interest in whether TXA is effective for preventing PPH after vaginal birth.

The role of multi-modality imaging for the assessment of left atrium and left atrial appendage. A clinical consensus statement of the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (EACVI), European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).

Structural, architectural, contractile or electrophysiological alterations may occur in the left atrium (LA). The concept of LA cardiopathy is supported by accumulating scientific evidence demonstrating that LA remodeling has become a cornerstone diagnostic and prognostic marker. The structure and the function of LA and left atrial appendage (LAA) which is an integral part of the LA, are key elements for a better understanding of multiple clinical conditions, most notably atrial fibrillation (AF), cardioembolism, heart failure and mitral valve diseases.

Attribute Conditioning is insensitive to cue competition and is not predicted by the Big Five Personality Traits.

When a neutral stimulus is paired with a stimulus denoting an attribute, the neutral stimulus inherits that attribute (i.e., Attribute Conditioning; AC).

Relationship of Angle Kappa with Ocular Parameters using Swept-Source Ocular Coherence Tomography in Cataract Surgery Patients.

Purpose: To assess the relationship between angle kappa (apparent chord mu) and ocular parameters in cataract patients.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, the data on apparent chord mu, age, axial length, anterior chamber depth, anterior and posterior mean keratometry, mean total keratometry, white-to-white, central corneal thickness and lens thickness were collected for consecutive cataract patients. Correlation (Pearson) between chord mu and the other ocular parameters was calculated.

'Why Don't We Get Counselling?': Comparing NICE Guidelines for Morphological and Genetic Cancer Risk Diagnoses.

Background: In the UK's National Health Service (NHS), there is specific psychosocial care offered to people with genetic cancer risk conditions but not morphological cancer risk conditions. As researchers develop new ways to diagnose morphological risk conditions, including precancers and in situ cancers, it is important to consider the psychosocial care that those diagnosed might require.

Objectives: This study compares the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence's guidelines for BRCA1/2, which are genetic risk conditions, and Barrett's oesophagus (BO), a morphological risk condition.

Pharmacovigilance Pregnancy Data in a Population of Japanese Patients With Chronic Inflammatory Disease Exposed to Certolizumab Pegol.

Aim: Uncontrolled chronic inflammatory diseases (CIDs) before, during, and after pregnancy, as well as some CID medications, can increase the risk of impaired fertility in addition to adverse maternal/pregnancy outcomes in women of childbearing age. We report pregnancy outcomes from prospectively reported pregnancies in Japanese women treated with certolizumab pegol (CZP).

Methods: Data from July 2001 to November 2020 on CZP-exposed pregnancies from the CZP Pharmacovigilance safety database were reviewed.

Association Between Healthful Plant-Based Dietary Pattern and Obesity Trajectories and Future Cardiovascular Diseases in Middle-Aged and Elderly: A Prospective and Longitudinal Cohort Study.

We aimed to explore the association between plant-based dietary (PBD) patterns and obesity trajectories in middle-aged and elderly, as well as obesity trajectories linked to cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. A total of 7108 middle-aged and elderly UK Biobank participants with at least three physical measurements were included. Dietary information collected at enrolment was used to calculate the healthful plant-based diet index (hPDI).

Family Poultry Farming in Sri Lanka: An Integral Component of Protein Security, Poverty Alleviation and Public Health.

Family poultry farming plays a crucial role in ensuring protein availability and household income, particularly in low-income families. This study investigates the knowledge, attitudes and practices of family poultry farmers regarding poultry diseases, biosecurity and vaccinations. The research involved surveying 150 farmers in a selected area in Sri Lanka's western province, revealing significant knowledge gaps, particularly in understanding poultry diseases, their causes, transmission pathways and potential impacts on humans.

Beyond Inducing Anionic Redox: Controllable Migration Sequence of Li Ions in Transition Metal Layers Toward Highly Stable Li-Rich Cathodes.

The energy density of layered oxides of Li-ion batteries can be enhanced by inducing oxygen redox through replacing transition metal (TM) ions with Li ions in the TM layer. Undesirably, the cathodes always suffer from unfavorable structural degradation, which is closely associated with irreversible TM migration and slab gliding, resulting in continuous capacity and voltage decay. Herein, attention is paid to the Li ions in the TM layer (Li) and find their extra effects beyond inducing oxygen redox, which has been rarely mentioned.

Impact of Financial Toxicity on the Health-Related Quality of Life and Financial Well-Being of Cancer Patients and Survivors: A Comparative Study of the United Kingdom and United States.

Background: This study investigated and compared the impact of financial toxicity (FT) on the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and financial well-being of cancer patients and survivors in the United Kingdom (UK) and United States (US).

Methods: UK & US participants (n = 600) completed an online questionnaire that consisted of a validated FT instrument (COmprehensive Score for financial Toxicity-COST), a standardised HRQoL instrument (EQ-5D-5L) and questions related to their financial well-being. Tobit regression models and descriptive statistics plus χ tests were used to analyse the association between FT and (i) HRQoL whilst controlling for sociodemographic characteristics; and (ii) financial well-being.