"I have never felt so alone and vulnerable" - A qualitative study of bereaved people's experiences of end-of-life cancer care during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Background: COVID-19 drastically affected healthcare services world-wide. In the UK, many cancer services were overwhelmed as oncology staff were reassigned, and cancer diagnoses and treatments were delayed. The impact of these pressures on end-of-life care for patients with advanced cancer and their relatives is not well understood.

Fast detection of protein kinase B in chrysin treated colorectal cancer cells using a novel multicore microfiber biosensor.

Rapid and accurate determination of target proteins in cells provide essential diagnostic information for early detection of diseases, evaluation of drug responses, and the study of pathophysiological mechanisms. Traditional Western blotting method has been used for the determination, but it is complex, time-consuming, and semi-quantitative. Here, a tapered seven-core fiber (TSCF) biosensor was designed and fabricated.

National outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing O145:H28 associated with pre-packed sandwiches, United Kingdom, May-June 2024.

Shiga toxin-producing (STEC) is a group of bacteria that causes gastrointestinal illness and occasionally causes large foodborne outbreaks. It represents a major public health concern due to its ability to cause severe illness which can sometimes be fatal. This study was undertaken as part of a rapid investigation into a national foodborne outbreak of STEC O145.

Empowering professionals: a multidisciplinary approach to supporting people seeking asylum and refugees.

People seeking asylum and refugees living in initial accommodation in the UK can experience significant barriers to accessing care. They often have complex health and social needs and may experience fragmentation in the delivery of services. The Respond Integrated Refugee Health Service, hosted by University College London Hospital and operating across North Central London, has been created to address some of these challenges.

Night shift work and prostate cancer: a large cohort study from UK Biobank and Mendelian randomisation study.

Objective: The global concern regarding the health implications of night shift work has escalated. Nevertheless, variations exist in the observed association between night shift work and prostate cancer (PCa). This study aims to systematically explore the association between night shift work and the risk of PCa.

Living with pain and Parkinson's developing an understanding of the impact, trajectory and pain management needs: a qualitative interview study protocol.

Introduction: Pain is reported as one of the most troubling symptoms for people with Parkinson's (PwP); however, the literature exploring their lived experience of pain and how to manage it is limited. Pain affects PwP at all stages of their condition and can fluctuate and change over time. Therefore, it is pertinent to speak to PwP to understand their experiences of pain to inform the development of tailored behavioural interventions to manage pain.

Has the UK lost its position as a destination for world-leading clinical research? A comparative analysis of haematological cancer clinical trials performance before Brexit.

Objectives: To understand the competitive position of the UK in comparison to Europe and the USA for haematological cancer clinical research.

Design: Using commercially available databases, clinical trial numbers, their effectiveness and publication outputs were evaluated in two analyses: a macrodevelopment and a research activity and performance analysis.

Data Sources: The following databases were used for this analysis: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Thomson Reuters Incidence and Prevalence, the Cortellis Clinical Trial Intelligence, the Clarivate Cortellis Innography Patent Intelligence, Thomson-Reuters Cortellis Regulatory Intelligence, Thomson Reuters Web of Science and data from the Centre for Medicine Research (CMR).

Implementation and impact of NHS-funded tobacco dependence services in England: a mixed-method evaluation protocol.

Introduction: Tobacco smoking remains a leading cause of ill-health, premature mortality and a driver of health inequalities. To support smokers in England, a comprehensive approach to treating tobacco dependence is being implemented. This includes offering support to all people admitted to hospitals, as well as women and pregnant people within NHS settings.

TOURISM study (Treatment Outcomes in UteRIne SarcoMa): a 10-year retrospective evaluation of practice in the UK.

Background: Although rare, uterine sarcomas account for a high proportion of uterine cancer mortality. Treatment options and robust trial data are limited.

Objectives: The TOURISM study (Treatment Outcomes in UteRIne SarcoMa) is a UK-wide study by the National Oncology Trainees Collaborative for Healthcare Research which aimed to characterise this patient cohort.

Derivation and validation of the simplified BleedingAudit Triage Trauma (sBATT) score: a simplified trauma score for major trauma patients injured in motor vehicle collisions.

Objectives: To develop and validate a simplified Bleeding Audit Triage Trauma (sBATT) score for use by lay persons, or in areas and environments where physiological monitoring equipment may be unavailable or inappropriate.

Design: The sBATT was derived from the original BATT, which included prehospital systolic blood pressure (SBP), heart rate, respiratory rate, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), age and trauma mechanism. Variables suitable for lay interpretation without monitoring equipment were included (age, level of consciousness, absence of radial pulse, tachycardia and trapped status).

Pragmatic non-inferiority Randomised trial Investigating Needle aspiration versus ChEst drain for Secondary Spontaneous Pneumothorax (the PRINCE-SSP study): study protocol for a randomised non-inferiority trial.

Introduction: Secondary spontaneous pneumothorax (SSP) is a medical emergency where the lung collapses in the presence of underlying chronic lung disease. Current international clinical guidelines advise intercostal drain (ICD) insertion for SSP. However, in a previous small study needle aspiration (NA) has been shown to reduce length of hospital stay (LOHS) and reduce complications.

Epidemiology of antimicrobial resistant diarrheagenic Escherichia coli pathotypes from children, livestock and food in Dagoretti South, Nairobi Kenya.

Peri-urban environments, characterized by dense human populations, cohabiting livestock, and complex food systems, serve as hotspots for food contamination and infectious diseases. Children aged 6-24 months are particularly vulnerable as they often encounter contaminated food and water, increasing their risk of food-borne disease, with diarrhea being a common symptom. We investigated the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in pathogenic Escherichia coli from 6-24 months-old children, their food, and cohabiting livestock, in Dagoretti South subcounty in Nairobi, Kenya.

Negative valence in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A worldwide mega-analysis of task-based functional neuroimaging data of the ENIGMA-OCD consortium.

Objective: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is associated with altered brain function related to processing of negative emotions. To investigate neural correlates of negative valence in OCD, we pooled fMRI data of 633 individuals with OCD and 453 healthy controls from 16 studies using different negatively-valenced tasks across the ENIGMA-OCD Working-Group.

Methods: Participant data were processed uniformly using HALFpipe, to extract voxelwise participant-level statistical images of one common first-level contrast: negative vs.

Specialist training in infectious diseases in Europe.

Objectives: The objectives were to determine the structure of training programmes and assessment of physicians training to become infectious disease (ID) specialists in Europe in early 2024, and to document the provision of specialists, trainees and training centres in each country.

Methods: Delegates to the ID Section and Board of the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS) entered national data on a web-based survey tool in late 2023-early 2024. Results were compared to UEMS recommendations on the structure and content of postgraduate training in ID in Europe (2018), and to results of a similar survey in early 2021.

Development and Validation of a Brief Form of the Anticipated Effects of Food Scale.

Identifying malleable influences on eating behaviours will advance our ability to improve physical and mental health. Food-related emotional expectancies are the anticipated positive and negative emotions from eating different foods and are theorised to affect eating behaviour, and to be amenable to change. The Anticipated Effects of Food Scale (AEFS) assesses food-related emotional expectancies using 62 one-word items; however, a shorter questionnaire would be useful in large and clinical studies.

Development and validation of a rapid point of care CYP2C19 genotyping platform.

Pharmacogenetic guided prescribing can lead to more accurate medicine selection and dosing, improving patient outcomes and leading to better use of healthcare budgets. Loss of function (LoF) variants in CYP2C19 influence an individual's ability to metabolise clopidogrel, increasing the risk of secondary vascular events following ischemic stroke and percutaneous coronary intervention. In acute clinical contexts, centralized laboratory-based testing is too slow to inform timely clinical decision making.

A multicenter evaluation of penile curvature correction in men with Peyronie's disease undergoing inflatable penile prosthesis placement.

Background: Inflatable penile prosthesis (IPP) insertion is recommended for the treatment of patients with Peyronie's disease (PD) and significant erectile dysfunction (ED); adjunctive procedures can be used for residual curvature after IPP placement.

Aim: To assess the management of penile curvature correction in PD patients undergoing IPP procedures within a large multinational, multicenter cohort.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on PD patients treated with IPP by 11 experienced prosthetic surgeons.

Relationship Between Hepatic Iron Concentration and Glycemic Metabolism, Prediabetes, and Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review.

Context: Emerging research has suggested a potential link between high iron levels, indicated by serum ferritin levels, and the development of type 2 diabetes (T2D). However, the role of hepatic iron concentration (HIC) on T2D development and progression is not well understood.

Objectives: This study aims to systematically review the literature on HIC and/or the degree of hepatic iron overload (HIO) in individuals with prediabetes and/or diagnosed T2D, and to analyze associations between HIC and markers of glucose metabolism.

BENNETT'S FRACTURE: A NARRATIVE REVIEW OF CURRENT LITERATURE.

Background: Bennett's fracture, a fracture-dislocation of the base of the first metacarpal, poses significant challenges due to the unique biomechanics of the thumb's carpometacarpal (CMC) joint. Effective management is critical to restoring thumb function and preventing long-term complications such as arthritis and instability.

Objective: This article provides a comprehensive overview of Bennett's fracture, including its mechanism of injury, diagnostic considerations, and management strategies, with a focus on conservative and surgical options.

Incidence, mortality, and global burden of retinoblastoma in 204 countries worldwide from 1990 to 2021: Data and systematic analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021.

Background: Retinoblastoma (Rb), the primary intraocular malignancy in children, poses significant risks, yet its overall burden remains inadequately assessed. This study aims to analyze global Rb trends using Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factors study (GBD) 2021 data.

Methods: GBD 2021 data was analyzed to assess Rb incidence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) from 1990 to 2021.

Differences between neonatal units with high and low rates of breast milk feeding for very preterm babies at discharge: a qualitative study of staff experiences.

Background: Breast milk has significant benefits for preterm babies, but 'very preterm' babies are unable to feed directly from the breast at birth. Their mothers have to initiate and sustain lactation through expressing milk for tube feeding until their babies are developmentally ready to feed orally. There are wide disparities between neonatal units in England in rates of breast milk feeding at discharge.

The De Novo Emergence of Two Brain Genes in the Human Lineage Appears to be Unsupported.

Recently, certain studies have claimed that cognitive features and pathologies unique to humans can be traced to certain changes in the nervous system. These are caused by genes that have likely evolved "from scratch," not having any coding precursors. The translated proteins would not appear outside of the human lineage and any orthologs in other species should be non-coding.

Tunable Terpolymer Series for the Systematic Investigation of Membrane Proteins.

Membrane proteins (MPs) are critical to cellular processes and serve as essential therapeutic targets. However, their isolation and characterization are often impeded by traditional detergent-based methods, which can compromise their native states, and retention of their native lipid environment. Amphiphilic polymers have emerged as effective alternatives, enabling the formation of nanoscale discs that preserve MPs' structural and functional integrity.

Feed additives for methane mitigation: Regulatory frameworks and scientific evidence requirements for the authorization of feed additives to mitigate ruminant methane emissions.

This article describes the regulatory and evidence requirements necessary for the authorization of antimethanogenic feed additives (AMFA) aimed at mitigating enteric methane (CH) emissions from ruminants. It outlines the legislation and legal procedures in Australia, Canada, the European Union, New Zealand, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States as illustrative examples, offering insights for applicants seeking authorization. Additionals objectives are to highlight consequential similarities and differences in regulations and evidence requirements and offer recommendations for scientists and applicants.

Feed additives for methane mitigation: A guideline to uncover the mode of action of antimethanogenic feed additives for ruminants.

This publication aims to provide guidelines of the knowledge required and the potential research to be conducted in order to understand the mode of action of antimethanogenic feed additives (AMFA). In the first part of the paper, we classify AMFA into 4 categories according to their mode of action: (1) lowering dihydrogen (H) production; (2) inhibiting methanogens; (3) promoting alternative H-incorporating pathways; and (4) oxidizing methane (CH). The second part of the paper presents questions that guide the research to identify the mode of action of an AMFA on the rumen CH production from 5 different perspectives: (1) microbiology; (2) cell and molecular biochemistry; (3) microbial ecology; (4) animal metabolism; and (5) cross-cutting aspects.