Socioeconomic deprivation and perinatal anxiety: an observational cohort study.

Background: Women from areas of social deprivation and minority ethnic groups are more likely to experience poor physical health and have higher rates of mental health problems relative to women from less socially disadvantaged groups. However, very little research has examined this in relation to perinatal anxiety. The current study aims to determine prevalence, risk factors and desire for treatment for perinatal anxiety in three regions of the UK with diverse regional characteristics.

Theoretically-informed vs standard cover letter to improve participant response to mailed questionnaire: results of an embedded randomised retention trial.

Background: Participant non-response is a source of bias in all research, especially in randomised controlled trials. Participants followed up remotely can have high non-response rates. Four such trials have been conducted of a cover letter with content informed by behaviour change theory to overcome hypothesised barriers to responding to a mailed questionnaire.

Statistical analysis plan for the FiO-C trial: effects of closed-loop automatic control of the inspiratory fraction of oxygen (FiO-C) on outcomes of extremely preterm infants-a randomized-controlled parallel group multicentre trial for safety and efficacy.

Background: Extremely low gestational age neonates (ELGANs, i.e. those born before 28 weeks postmenstrual age (PMA)) often require supplemental oxygen and frequently experience intermittent hypo- and hyperoxemic episodes.

Cross-sectional analysis of plasma n-3 fatty acid levels and self-reported hearing difficulty in the UK Biobank Cohort.

Background: Disabling hearing loss affects ∼430 million people globally. Fish consumption and long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) intake were inversely associated with risk of hearing loss, but the association of plasma n-3 PUFAs and hearing loss is unclear.

Objective: To examine the associations between plasma n-3 PUFA fractions (as % of total fatty acids), i.

Inhibition of GPX4 enhances CDK4/6 inhibitor and endocrine therapy activity in breast cancer.

CDK4/6 inhibition in combination with endocrine therapy is the standard of care for estrogen receptor (ER+) breast cancer, and although cytostasis is frequently observed, new treatment strategies that enhance efficacy are required. Here, we perform two independent genome-wide CRISPR screens to identify genetic determinants of CDK4/6 and endocrine therapy sensitivity. Genes involved in oxidative stress and ferroptosis modulate sensitivity, with GPX4 as the top sensitiser in both screens.

Controlled Inhalation of Tetrahydrocannabinol-Predominant Cannabis Flos Mitigates Severity of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms and Improves Quality of Sleep and General Mood in Cannabis-Experienced UK Civilians: A Real-World, Observational Study.

Introduction: Approximately 4% of the UK population experiences PTSD. Individuals must exhibit symptoms across four clusters to receive a diagnosis: intrusion, avoidance, altered reactivity, and altered mood. Evidence suggests that cannabinoid agonists such as nabilone and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) may alleviate PTSD symptoms.

Real-Time Imaging Assessment of Stress-Induced Vascular Inflammation Using Heartbeat-Synchronized Motion Compensation.

Background: Chronic mental stress accelerates atherosclerosis through complicated neuroimmune pathways, needing for advanced imaging techniques to delineate underlying cellular mechanisms. While histopathology, ex vivo imaging, and snapshots of in vivo images offer promising evidence, they lack the ability to capture real-time visualization of blood cell dynamics within pulsatile arteries in longitudinal studies.

Methods: An electrically tunable lens was implemented in intravital optical microscopy, synchronizing the focal plane with heartbeats to follow artery movements.

Prognostic factors for worsening and improvement in multiple sclerosis using a multistate model.

Background: The long-term disease trajectory of people living with multiple sclerosis (MS) can be improved by initiating efficacious treatment early. More quantitative evidence is needed on factors that affect a patient's risk of disability worsening or possibility of improvement to inform timely treatment decisions.

Methods: We developed a multistate model to quantify the influence of demographic, clinical, and imaging factors on disability worsening and disability improvement simultaneously across the disability spectrum as measured by the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS).

Energy-Efficient and Effective MCF-7 Cell Ablation and Electrothermal Therapy Enabled by M13-WS-PEG Nanostructures.

Thermal agents (TAs) have exhibited promise in clinical tests when utilized in cancer thermal therapy (TT). While rapid degradation of TAs may address safety concerns, it limits the thermal stability required for effective treatment. TAs, which possess exceptional thermal stability, experience gradual deterioration.

Overuse of familiar phrases by individuals with Williams syndrome masks differences in language processing.

We investigated whether individuals with Williams Syndrome (WS) produce language with a bias towards statistical properties of word combinations rather than grammatical rules, resulting in an overuse of holistically stored, familiar phrases. We analysed continuous speech samples from English children with WS (n = 12), typically developing (TD) controls matched on chronological age (n = 15) and TD controls matched on language age (n = 14). Alongside word count, utterance length, grammatical complexity, and morphosyntactic errors, we measured familiarity of expressions by computing collocation strength of each word combination.

Revisiting nonword repetition as a clinical marker of developmental language disorder: Evidence from monolingual and bilingual L2 Cantonese.

Cross-linguistically, nonword repetition (NWR) tasks have been found to differentiate between typically developing (TD) children and those with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD), even when second-language TD (L2-TD) children are considered. This study examined such group differences in Cantonese. Fifty-seven age-matched children (19 monolingual DLD (MonDLD); 19 monolingual TD (MonTD); and 19 L2-TD) repeated language-specific nonwords with varying lexicality levels and Cantonese-adapted quasi-universal nonwords.

Nuclear magnetic resonance-based metabolomics with machine learning for predicting progression from prediabetes to diabetes.

Background: Identification of individuals with prediabetes who are at high risk of developing diabetes allows for precise interventions. We aimed to determine the role of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-based metabolomic signature in predicting the progression from prediabetes to diabetes.

Methods: This prospective study included 13,489 participants with prediabetes who had metabolomic data from the UK Biobank.

Photoluminescence modal splitting strong coupling in hybrid Au/WS/GaP nanoparticle-on-mirror cavities.

By integrating dielectric and metallic components, hybrid nanophotonic devices present promising opportunities for manipulating nanoscale light-matter interactions. Here, we investigate hybrid nanoparticle-on-mirror optical cavities, where semiconductor WS monolayers are positioned between gallium phosphide (GaP) nanoantennas and a gold mirror, thereby establishing extreme confinement of optical fields. Prior to integration of the mirror, we observe an intermediate coupling regime from GaP nanoantennas covered with WS monolayers.

NeuroBooster Array: A Genome-Wide Genotyping Platform to Study Neurological Disorders Across Diverse Populations.

Background: Commercial genome-wide genotyping arrays have historically neglected coverage of genetic variation across populations.

Objective: We aimed to create a multi-ancestry genome-wide array that would include a wide range of neuro-specific genetic content to facilitate genetic research in neurological disorders across multiple ancestral groups, fostering diversity and inclusivity in research studies.

Methods: We developed the Illumina NeuroBooster Array (NBA), a custom high-throughput and cost-effective platform on a backbone of 1,914,934 variants from the Infinium Global Diversity Array and added custom content comprising 95,273 variants associated with more than 70 neurological conditions or traits, and we further tested its performance on more than 2000 patient samples.

Exploiting human immune repertoire transgenic mice for protective monoclonal antibodies against antimicrobial resistant Acinetobacter baumannii.

The use of monoclonal antibodies for the control of drug resistant nosocomial bacteria may alleviate a reliance on broad spectrum antimicrobials for treatment of infection. We identify monoclonal antibodies that may prevent infection caused by carbapenem resistant Acinetobacter baumannii. We use human immune repertoire mice (Kymouse platform mice) as a surrogate for human B cell interrogation to establish an unbiased strategy to probe the antibody-accessible target landscape of clinically relevant A.

PRECIOUS study (PREterm Caesarean/vaginal birth and IVH/OUtcomeS): does mode of birth reduce the risk of death or brain injury in very preterm babies? A cohort and emulated target trial protocol.

Introduction: Very preterm babies are at risk of poor neurodevelopmental outcomes and death. Intraventricular haemorrhage (IVH) after birth is the most prevalent cause of this. Birth by caesarean section may protect against IVH in very preterm babies, but the evidence is limited.