Remote management of anaemia in patients with end-stage kidney disease using a wearable, non-invasive sensor.

Anaemia is a prevalent complication in patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) undergoing haemodialysis. This study evaluates the accuracy of the Alio SmartPatch™, a non-invasive remote monitoring device, in measuring haemoglobin (Hb) and haematocrit (Hct) levels in haemodialysis patients by comparing its results with standard blood-based laboratory methods. The results from 116 patients across multiple sites in the USA and the Kingdom of Jordan show that SmartPatch measurements align closely with standard blood-based laboratory methods, meeting clinically acceptable limits of agreement.

Qualitative evaluation of the implementation and national roll-out of the NHS App in England.

Background: The NHS App launched in 2019 as the 'digital front door' to the National Health Service in England with core features including General Practitioner (GP) appointment booking, repeat prescriptions, patient access to records and, later on, COVID-19 vaccination certification. Similar patient portals have been adopted in different formats and with variable levels of success. In this longitudinal study (2021-2023) we examined how the NHS App became implemented in the pandemic context and beyond.

Exploring the purpose and stages of patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE) in audiology research: a case study approach.

Background: Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) has become an integral component of contemporary audiology research. It aims to capture diverse views and experiences, essential for evaluating the long-term impact of technological advancements and care models on individuals. Traditional inclusion methods, such as focus groups, may exclude individuals with additional needs or communication difficulties, necessitating the development of more inclusive approaches.

Pitfalls in performing genome-wide association studies on ratio traits.

Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) are often performed on ratios composed of a numerator trait divided by a denominator trait. Examples include body mass index (BMI) and the waist-to-hip ratio, among many others. Explicitly or implicitly, the goal of forming the ratio is typically to adjust for an association between the numerator and denominator.

Heart-brain microvascular MRI study: protocol for a multicentre, observational, cohort study in the UK assessing associations between small vessel disease of the heart and brain.

Introduction: Ischaemic heart disease (IHD) and cerebrovascular disease are leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) is a leading cause of dementia and stroke. While coronary small vessel disease (coronary microvascular dysfunction) causes microvascular angina and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality.

Defining proteoform-specific interactions for drug targeting in a native cell signalling environment.

Understanding the dynamics of membrane protein-ligand interactions within a native lipid bilayer is a major goal for drug discovery. Typically, cell-based assays are used, however, they are often blind to the effects of protein modifications. In this study, using the archetypal G protein-coupled receptor rhodopsin, we found that the receptor and its effectors can be released directly from retina rod disc membranes using infrared irradiation in a mass spectrometer.

The Role of Social Determinants of Health in Childhood Epilepsy.

Social determinants of health (SDHs) are significant and potentially modifiable drivers of neurologic diseases, including childhood epilepsy. Social determinants of health greatly influence the epidemiology, management, and outcomes associated with these conditions. Social determinants of health affect every aspect of a family's journey with epilepsy-from initial diagnosis to accessing effective treatments and ongoing care.

Diabetic foot ulcer photography study: a study within a trial to assess the reliability of two-dimensional (2D) photography for the assessment of ulcer healing in patients with diabetes-related foot ulcers-protocol paper.

Background: The primary endpoint in diabetes-related foot ulcer (DFU) trials is often time to healing, defined as complete re-epithelialisation with absence of drainage, requiring clinical expert assessment as the gold standard. Central blinded photograph review for confirmation of healing is increasingly being undertaken for internal validity. The Diabetic Foot Ulcer Photography study aims to determine the agreement between blinded independent review panel members for assessing ulcer healing status in patients with DFUs.

Explainable artificial intelligence to identify follicles that optimize clinical outcomes during assisted conception.

Infertility affects one-in-six couples, often necessitating in vitro fertilization treatment (IVF). IVF generates complex data, which can challenge the utilization of the full richness of data during decision-making, leading to reliance on simple 'rules-of-thumb'. Machine learning techniques are well-suited to analyzing complex data to provide data-driven recommendations to improve decision-making.

"Just Listen to Me. Help Me Explore it." An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Exploring Experiences of Gender Dysphoria, Identity And Resilience in Autistic Adolescents Assigned Female at Birth.

Much of the current autism and gender literature has been based within a medical deficiency model; where both are seen as deficiencies rather than differences. However, there is currently minimal knowledge about the experiences of being an autistic adolescent who is both assigned female at birth and has gender dysphoria (GD), whilst even less is known about their experiences of social identity, self-concept and resilience. This study aims to explore experiences of GD with a particular focus on identity and resilience to promote parent and healthcare staff understanding; particularly around gender-affirming care, to foster positive mental health outcomes.

A Global Collaborative Comparison of SARS-CoV-2 Antigenicity Across 15 Laboratories.

Setting up a global SARS-CoV-2 surveillance system requires an understanding of how virus isolation and propagation practices, use of animal or human sera, and different neutralisation assay platforms influence assessment of SARS-CoV-2 antigenicity. In this study, with the contribution of 15 independent laboratories across all WHO regions, we carried out a controlled analysis of neutralisation assay platforms using the first WHO International Standard for antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (source: NIBSC). Live virus isolates (source: WHO BioHub or individual labs) or spike plasmids (individual labs) for pseudovirus production were used to perform neutralisation assays using the same serum panels.

Reference intervals of work ability and productivity loss and their use in patients with inflammatory rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases.

Objectives: To establish reference intervals (RIs) for work ability, at-work productivity loss and overall productivity loss in the general working population and to compare work ability and at-work productivity loss of patients with inflammatory rheumatic and musculoskeletal disease (iRMD) with this population.

Methods: Cross-sectional analysis among patients with iRMDs and population controls without iRMDs having paid work and participating in a Dutch cohort study. They reported on three work outcomes: work ability (0-10), at-work productivity loss and overall productivity loss (0%-100%).

Experimental medicine study with stabilised native-like HIV-1 Env immunogens drives long-term antibody responses, but lacks neutralising breadth.

Background: We report findings from an experimental medicine study of rationally designed prefusion stabilised native-like HIV envelope glycoprotein (Env) immunogens, representative of global circulating strains, delivered by sequential intramuscular injection.

Methods: Healthy adult volunteers were enrolled into one of five groups (A to E) each receiving a different schedule of one of two consensus Env immunogens (ConM SOSIP, ConS UFO, either unmodified or stabilised by chemical cross-linking, followed by a boost with two mosaic Env immunogens (Mos3.1 and Mos3.

Accurate calculation of the content volume, density and original weight of museum curated eggs.

Worldwide museums hold collections of eggshells representing material for descriptive studies. However, an obstacle to this is the lack of information about the original contents and weight of the entire egg (W). This study aimed to fill this gap though development of a methodological mechanism for calculating the volume of the egg interior (V), its density (D) and W.

Health care assistant and registered nurse dyads, working together and apart - a qualitative study.

Background: This study was undertaken to understand the role of the Health Care Assistants and how they negotiate roles and responsibilities with Registered Nurses in adult acute hospitals.

Methods: The qualitative approach of focused ethnography used non-participant observation and interviews with staff from four acute wards. Field notes and interview data, analysed using NVIVO10, moved data from description through explanation, interpretation and identification of themes.

Cardiovascular-Liver-Metabolic Health: Recommendations in Screening, Diagnosis, and Management of Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease in Cardiovascular Disease via Modified Delphi Approach.

There is a new awareness of the widespread nature of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and its connection to cardiovascular disease (CVD). This has catalyzed collaboration between cardiologists, hepatologists, endocrinologists, and the wider multidisciplinary team to address the need for earlier identification of those with MASLD who are at increased risk for CVD. The overlap in the pathophysiologic processes and parallel prevalence of CVD, metabolic syndrome, and MASLD highlight the multisystem consequences of poor cardiovascular-liver-metabolic health.

Weight and metabolic changes with long-acting cabotegravir and rilpivirine or bictegravir/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide.

Background: Modest weight and lipid changes have been observed in cabotegravir plus rilpivirine long-acting (CAB+RPV LA) Phase 3/3b studies. The SOLAR study included standardized evaluations of weight and metabolic changes in people living with HIV switching to CAB+RPV LA dosed every 2 months (Q2M) vs. continuing bictegravir/emtricitabine/tenofovir (BIC/FTC/TAF).

Synchronized Photoluminescence and Electrical Mobility Enhancement in 2D WS through Sequence-Specific Chemical Passivation.

Two-dimensional (2D) semiconducting dichalcogenides hold exceptional promise for next-generation electronic and photonic devices. Despite this potential, the pervasive presence of defects in 2D dichalcogenides results in carrier mobility and photoluminescence (PL) that fall significantly short of theoretical predictions. Although defect passivation offers a potential solution, its effects have been inconsistent.

Advanced anaerobic co-digestion of hydrothermally pretreated wheat straw: Process performance, techno-economic and life cycle assessment.

Hydrothermal and thermal-alkali pretreatment potential was investigated to enhance agro-wastes' anaerobic co-digestion (AcoD). The techno-economic (TEA) and life cycle assessment (LCA) of biogas upgrading (BioCNG) and energy generation via combined heat and power (CHP) processes for energy utilization were carried out to realize the environmental impacts and cost-effectiveness of the studied processes. Three AcoD conditions of untreated, hydrothermally (150 °C, 60 min) and thermal-alkali pretreated (1% NaOH, 150 °C- 60 min) wheat straw (WS) with food waste and cow manure were studied in semi-continuous mode for 340 days under variable organic loading rates (OLR, 1.

Feasibility of Using Rebound Exercise in Community-Dwelling Adults With Neurological Disorders.

Rebound exercise (RE) increases mobility in hospitalized adults with neurological disorders (AwND), but its feasibility in community settings remains largely unexplored. This study evaluates the practicality of implementing RE in the community, particularly for AwND. The feasibility study involved 53 community-dwelling AwND engaging in RE sessions for 30 min, once- or twice-weekly, over 12 weeks.

Perceptual Experiences of Autistic People With an Intellectual Disability and People With Williams Syndrome: A Reflexive Thematic Analysis.

Background: Autistic people without intellectual disabilities have increased perceptual capacity: they can process more information at any given time compared to non-autistic people. We examined whether increased perceptual capacity is evident across the autistic spectrum (i.e.

INSIGHT-2: mechanistic studies into pregnancy complications and their impact on maternal and child health-study protocol.

Background: Pregnancy and early childhood cohorts provide a framework for investigating the complex interplay between early-life exposures and health outcomes, thereby informing prevention strategies and interventions to improve maternal and child health. In this paper, we outline the objectives, methodologies and expected contributions of INSIGHT-2, a comprehensive cohort study dedicated to advancing our understanding of pregnancy and pregnancy complications towards improving the health and well-being of mothers and their offspring.

Methods: Over the course of 5 years, the study aims to establish a diverse cohort of 1700 pregnant women and to follow up their children up to 2 years of age.

Impact of intensity standardisation and ComBat batch size on clinical-radiomic prognostic models performance in a multi-centre study of patients with glioblastoma.

Purpose: To assess the effect of different intensity standardisation techniques (ISTs) and ComBat batch sizes on radiomics survival model performance and stability in a heterogenous, multi-centre cohort of patients with glioblastoma (GBM).

Methods: Multi-centre pre-operative MRI acquired between 2014 and 2020 in patients with IDH-wildtype unifocal WHO grade 4 GBM were retrospectively evaluated. WhiteStripe (WS), Nyul histogram matching (HM), and Z-score (ZS) ISTs were applied before radiomic feature (RF) extraction.

Realization of Z Topological Photonic Insulators Made from Multilayer Transition Metal Dichalcogenides.

Monolayers of semiconducting transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have long attracted interest for their intriguing optical and electronic properties. Recently, TMDs in their quasi-bulk form have started to show considerable promise for nanophotonics thanks to their high refractive indices, large optical anisotropy, wide transparency windows reaching to the visible, and robust room temperature excitons promising for nonlinear optics. Adherence of TMD layers to any substrate via van der Waals forces is a further key enabler for the nanofabrication of complex photonic structures requiring heterointegration.