Does bladder outflow obstruction obfuscate the traditional clinical factors that are used to assess the risk of prostate cancer at rapid-access diagnostic clinics?

Objectives: To understand whether bladder outflow obstruction influences the association between traditional clinical predictive factors, particularly prostate-specific antigen (PSA) density and clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa). This will help facilitate effective and evidence-based triaging of patients in rapid-access clinics.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively analysed prospectively collected data from 307 suspected prostate cancer patients who underwent diagnostic biopsy from 2019 to 2023 at a single, high-volume, specialist cancer centre.

SPIRIT-DEFINE explanation and elaboration: recommendations for enhancing quality and impact of early phase dose-finding clinical trials protocols.

Unlabelled: Transparent and accurate reporting in early phase dose-finding (EPDF) clinical trials is crucial for informing subsequent larger trials. The SPIRIT statement, designed for trial protocol content, does not adequately cover the distinctive features of EPDF trials. Recent findings indicate that the protocol contents in past EPDF trials frequently lacked completeness and clarity.

CONSORT-DEFINE explanation and elaboration: recommendations for enhancing reporting quality and impact of early phase dose-finding clinical trials.

Unlabelled: Early phase dose-finding (EPDF) trials are key in the development of novel therapies, with their findings directly informing subsequent clinical development phases and providing valuable insights for reverse translation. Comprehensive and transparent reporting of these studies is critical for their accurate and critical interpretation, which may improve and expedite therapeutic development. However, quality of reporting of design characteristics and results from EPDF trials is often variable and incomplete.

Efficacy and safety of post-discharge oral nutritional supplements for patients with gastric cancer undergoing gastrectomy: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Objectives: To report the first and largest systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCT) to evaluated the efficacy and safety of post-discharge oral nutritional supplements (ONS) for patients with gastric cancer undergoing gastrectomy.

Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Eligibility Criteria For Selecting Studies: RCT which evaluated the efficacy and/or safety of post-discharge ONS for patients with gastric cancer undergoing gastrectomy.

Risk prediction models for feeding intolerance in patients with enteral nutrition: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Although more risk prediction models are available for feeding intolerance in enteral-nourishment patients, it is still unclear how well these models will work in clinical settings. Future research faces challenges in validating model accuracy across populations, enhancing interpretability for clinical use, and overcoming dataset limitations.

Objective: To thoroughly examine studies that have been published on feeding intolerance risk prediction models for enteral nutrition patients.

Depression in pregnant non-diabetic women and women with gestational diabetes in Bangladesh-a comparative study based on multiple logistic regression.

Background: Depression and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) pose significant challenges during pregnancy. Limited literature exists on depression in women with GDM, with most studies focusing on pre-pregnancy diabetes or postpartum depression. This study fills a crucial gap by specifically investigating and comparing antenatal depression among subjects with and without GDM in Bangladesh, utilizing data from the gestational period.

The design space of E(3)-equivariant atom-centred interatomic potentials.

Molecular dynamics simulation is an important tool in computational materials science and chemistry, and in the past decade it has been revolutionized by machine learning. This rapid progress in machine learning interatomic potentials has produced a number of new architectures in just the past few years. Particularly notable among these are the atomic cluster expansion, which unified many of the earlier ideas around atom-density-based descriptors, and Neural Equivariant Interatomic Potentials (NequIP), a message-passing neural network with equivariant features that exhibited state-of-the-art accuracy at the time.

Optical Properties of Phenylthiolate-Capped CdS Nanoparticles.

Using many-body perturbation theory, we study the optical properties of phenylthiolate-capped cadmium sulfide nanoparticles to understand the origin of the experimentally observed blue shift in those properties with decreasing particle size. We show that the absorption spectra predicted by many-body perturbation theory agree well with the experimentally measured spectra. The results of our calculations demonstrate that all low-energy excited states correspond to a mixture of two fundamental types of excitations: intraligand and ligand-to-metal charge-transfer excitations.

Plasmonic Nanoparticles for Photothermal Therapy: Benchmarking of Photothermal Properties and Modeling of Heating at Depth in Human Tissues.

Many different types of nanoparticles have been developed for photothermal therapy (PTT), but directly comparing their efficacy as heaters and determining how they will perform when localized at depth in tissue remains complex. To choose the optimal nanoparticle for a desired hyperthermic therapy, it is vital to understand how efficiently different nanoparticles extinguish laser light and convert that energy to heat. In this paper, we apply photothermal mass conversion efficiency (η ) as a metric to compare nanoparticles of different shapes, sizes, and conversion efficiencies.

Advantages and challenges of using arterial spin labelling MRI to monitor cerebral blood flow in multi-centre clinical trials of neurodegenerative disease: Experience from the RADAR study.

Arterial spin labelling (ASL) enables non-invasive quantification of regional brain perfusion using MRI. ASL was used in the Reducing Pathology in Alzheimer's Disease through Angiotensin TaRgeting (RADAR) multi-centre trial to pilot the assessment of the effects of the anti-hypertension drug losartan on cerebral blood flow (CBF). In the multi-centre setting, disparities in ASL implementation on scanners from different manufacturers lead to inherent differences in measured CBF and its associated parameters (e.

Evaluating mobile apps for sun protection: content analysis and user preferences in a two-part study.

Background: Sunburn and intermittent sun exposure elevate melanoma skin cancer risk. Sun protection behaviours, including limiting sun exposure, seeking shade, wearing protective gear, and using sunscreen, help mitigate excessive sun exposure. Smartphone apps present a promising platform to enhance these behaviours.

Efficacy and safety of hemoporfin photodynamic therapy in treating port-wine stains in Chinese children: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to explore the efficacy and safety of hematoporphyrin monomethyl ether mediated photodynamic therapy (HMME-PDT) in treating children with port-wine stains (PWS).

Method: Literature related to the topic was searched in PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang, and China Science Technology Journal Database online databases. The quality of the literature was evaluated using the Effective Public Health Practice Project.

Clustering Sequence Data with Mixture Markov Chains with Covariates Using Multiple Simplex Constrained Optimization Routine (MSiCOR).

Mixture Markov Model (MMM) is a widely used tool to cluster sequences of events coming from a finite state-space. However, the MMM likelihood being multi-modal, the challenge remains in its maximization. Although Expectation-Maximization (EM) algorithm remains one of the most popular ways to estimate the MMM parameters, however, convergence of EM algorithm is not always guaranteed.

Diagnostic inequalities relating to physical healthcare among people with mental health conditions: a systematic review.

Background: Inaccurate diagnosis of physical health problems in people with mental health conditions may contribute to poorer health outcomes. We review the evidence on whether individuals with mental health conditions are at risk of diagnostic inequalities related to their physical health.

Methods: We searched MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Embase, and CINAHL, 1 September 2002-18 Septemebr 2024 (PROSPERO 2022: CRD42022375892).

Genomic evaluation of phenotypic antibiotic susceptibility patterns as a surrogate for MRSA relatedness and putative transmission during outbreak investigations.

Antibiograms have been used during outbreak investigations for decades as a surrogate for genetic relatedness of Methicillin-resistant (MRSA). In this study, we evaluate the accuracy of antibiograms in detecting transmission, using genomic epidemiology as the reference standard. We analysed epidemiological and genomic data from 1,465 patients and 1,465 MRSA isolates collected at a single clinical microbiology laboratory in the United Kingdom over a one-year period.

Estimated breeding values of dairy sires for cow colostrum and transfer of passive immunity traits.

The objective of this study was to derive the estimated breeding values (EBVs) of Holstein sires for colostrum and passive transfer of immunity traits to (1) estimate the genetic association between these new traits and established production, conformation, and function, and (2) explore whether sires can be classified in specific profiles regarding the new traits. For cow colostrum traits, the study included 699 daughters of 67 sires from 6 commercial dairy herds. The number of daughters per sire ranged from 5 to 49.

Putting one health to the test: Operational challenges and critical reflections from the global South.

One Health as a policy framework to tackle zoonoses has gained wide-ranging validation with multiple international organizations throwing their collective might behind it. Such endorsement has convinced several governments to adopt One Health as a national strategy to address zoonoses. Although some argue that One Health is so many things that there are in fact multiple 'One Healths', others find that most international policy documents that use the One Health framing contain certain key recommendations, with intersectoral coordination and disease surveillance prominent among them.

Experiences of south Asian key workers in COVID-19 lockdowns in the United Kingdom.

Background: This study aims to explore the experiences, challenges, and support given to South Asian Key Workers (food and necessary goods, Transport (delivery and taxi drivers,) working in the United Kingdom in times of the COVID-19 lockdowns between March 2020 to March 2021. The qualitative study aims to explore the experiences, challenges, and financial support given to South Asian Key Workers working in the United Kingdom in times of the COVID-19 lockdowns.

Methods: A phenomenological approach was used to explore the experiences of key workers during the COVID-19 lockdowns in the UK.

Epidemiological, economic and humanistic burden of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia in Europe: A systematic literature review.

Introduction: High-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) is a premalignant lesion of the cervix caused by persistent human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, which can lead to cervical cancer. Despite ongoing primary prevention efforts, considerable burden of illness remains. This study assessed the epidemiological, economic, and humanistic burden associated with high-grade CIN among adult women in Europe.

Transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation for Parkinson's disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) has emerged as a novel noninvasive adjunct therapy for advanced Parkinson's disease (PD), yet no quantitative analysis had been conducted to assess its therapeutic effect.

Objectives: This review aimed to investigate the efficacy of tVNS on motor function, other potential clinical targets and its safety in various treatment conditions.

Methods: We searched six databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that involved treating PD patients with tVNS.

Goal attainment, medication adherence and guideline adherence in the treatment of hypertension and dyslipidemia in Irish populations: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: The appropriate treatment high blood pressure (BP) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol.(LDL-C), according to clinical guidelines, reduces a patient's risk of a cardiovascular event.

Aim: This systematic review aims to evaluate the attainment of BP and LDL-C goals among the Irish population in both primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular diseases, the level of adherence to prescribing guidelines by doctors and the level of medication adherence among patients.

The burden of group A (GAS) infections: The challenge continues in the twenty-first century.

is a Gram-positive bacterium, also known as Group A (GAS), that has become a significant threat to the healthcare system, infecting more than 18 million people and resulting in more than 500,000 deaths annually worldwide. GAS infection rates decreased gradually during the 20th century in Western countries, largely due to improved living conditions and access to antibiotics. However, post-COVID-19, the situation has led to a steep increase in GAS infection rates in Europe, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand, which triggers a global concern.

Assessing river discharge dynamics through relative surface water extent changes in river basins.

Surface water in rivers is vital for human society. However, our current understanding of the dynamics and drivers of river flows relies predominantly on stream gauging data, which are limited in spatial coverage and involve significant costs. Remote sensing techniques have emerged as complementary tools for monitoring river discharge, but these satellite-based methods often require complex data processing.

A faunal inventory of methane seeps on the Pacific margin of Costa Rica.

The methane seeps on the Pacific margin of Costa Rica support extensive animal diversity and offer insights into deep-sea biogeography. During five expeditions between 2009 and 2019, we conducted intensive faunal sampling via 63 submersible dives to 11 localities at depths of 300-3600 m. Based on these expeditions and published literature, we compiled voucher specimens, images, and 274 newly published DNA sequences to present a taxonomic inventory of macrofaunal and megafaunal diversity with a focus on invertebrates.