Refractory and Resistant Herpes Simplex Virus Mucocutaneous Infections in Immunocompromised Patients: Literature Review and Proposed Definitions for Use in Clinical Trials.

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection is one of the most prevalent viral infections worldwide. In general, host immunity is sufficient to clear viral shedding and recurrences, although it is insufficient to prevent subsequent virologic reactivations. In immunocompromised patients, prolonged and difficult-to-treat HSV infections may develop.

A Nonrandomized Pilot Study to Investigate the Acceptability and Feasibility of LivR Well: A Multifaceted 28-Day Home-Based Liver Optimization Program for Acute-on-Chronic Liver Failure.

Background And Aims: Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) has a 22%-74% 28-day mortality rate and 30%-40% 30-day readmission rate. We investigated the acceptability and feasibility of a multimodal community intervention for ACLF.

Methods: A single-arm nonrandomized pilot study of consecutive participants with ACLF was conducted in a tertiary health service.

Long-term follow-up of intradetrusor botulinum toxin utilisation: A comparison of patients with multiple sclerosis and idiopathic overactive bladder.

Objectives: To assess long-term outcomes (up to 10 cycles) of repeated intradetrusor botulinum toxin (BoNT) utilisation in multiple sclerosis (MS) and idiopathic overactive bladder (OAB).

Materials And Methods: This is a retrospective, international, multi-centre, observational cohort study of patients diagnosed with MS and neurogenic OAB and treated with intradetrusor BoNT between January 2005 and January 2020 (just prior to COVID-19 interruption). Dose, efficacy, duration of effect, International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire Overactive Bladder (ICIQ-OAB) and International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire Urinary Incontinence (ICIQ-UI) measures and complication rates were recorded.

Guidelines for robotic credentialling in reconstructive and functional urology. Consensus study.

Objectives: This study aims to define criteria for robotic reconstructive and functional urology credentialing using expert consensus. A recent narrative review identified a lack of standardised minimal requirements for performing robotic-assisted surgery procedures. The substantial variability or absence of a standardised curriculum and credentialing process within a highly specialised surgical field is often insufficient to guarantee surgeon proficiency and could potentially jeopardise patient safety.

A novel bladder cancer surveillance schedule using bladder Cx for patients on annual surveillance.

Objectives: Cx bladder monitor (CxM) is a urine test with a proven high sensitivity and negative predictive value in bladder cancer surveillance. The aim of this retrospective study was to report on the outcomes of our newly implemented bladder cancer surveillance program for patients eligible for yearly cystoscopy, as per the European Association of Urology (EAU) guidelines. In this program, eligible patients alternate between yearly surveillance cystoscopy and CxM, instead of the standard yearly surveillance cystoscopy.

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.

Transcriptional signature of CD56 NK cells predicts favourable prognosis in bladder cancer.

Human natural killer (NK) cells can be sub-divided into two functional subsets but the clinical significance of these CD56 and CD56 NK cells in anti-tumour immunity remains largely unexplored. We determined the relative abundances of gene signatures for CD56 and CD56 NK cells along with 3 stromal and 18 other immune cell types in the patient tumour transcriptomes from the cancer genome atlas bladder cancer dataset (TCGA-BLCA). Using this computational approach, CD56 NK cells were predicted to be the more abundant tumour-infiltrating NK subset which was also associated with improved patient prognosis.

IDH-mutant gliomas in children and adolescents - from biology to clinical trials.

Gliomas account for nearly 30% of all primary central nervous system (CNS) tumors in children and adolescents and young adults (AYA), contributing to significant morbidity and mortality. The updated molecular classification of gliomas defines molecularly diverse subtypes with a spectrum of tumors associated with age-distinct incidence. In adults, gliomas are characterized by the presence or absence of mutations in isocitrate dehydrogenase (), with mutated (mIDH) gliomas providing favorable outcomes and avenues for targeted therapy with the emergence of mIDH inhibitors.

Lingual Artery Identification for Ligation in Neck Dissection and Transoral Surgery for Oropharyngeal Tumors.

Objectives: Transoral robotic surgery (TORS) and transoral laser microsurgery (TOLM) plus neck dissection are viable alternatives to radiotherapy as a treatment modality in select cases of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma. Many centers advocate for elective ligation of the feeding arteries at index neck dissection prior to TORS/TOLM to mitigate the risk of catastrophic perioperative hemorrhage. Although there are multiple cadaveric studies in the literature to identify the lingual artery at multiple points throughout its course, there are no studies on the intraoperative identification of the lingual artery for elective ligation prior to TORS/TOLM.

The promise of community-driven preprints in ecology and evolution.

Publishing preprints is quickly becoming commonplace in ecology and evolutionary biology. Preprints can facilitate the rapid sharing of scientific knowledge establishing precedence and enabling feedback from the research community before peer review. Yet, significant barriers to preprint use exist, including language barriers, a lack of understanding about the benefits of preprints and a lack of diversity in the types of research outputs accepted (e.

Acceleration of Self-Consistent Field Calculations Using Basis Set Projection and Many-Body Expansion as Initial Guess Methods.

In Self-Consistent Field (SCF) calculations, the choice of initial guess plays a key role in determining the time-to-solution by influencing the number of iterations required for convergence. However, focusing solely on reducing iterations may overlook the computational cost associated with improving the accuracy of initial guesses. This study critically evaluates the effectiveness of two initial guess methods─basis set projection (BSP) and many-body expansion (MBE) on Hartree-Fock and hybrid Density Functional Theory (B3LYP and MN15) methods.

Why the Delay? A Quality Improvement Initiative for Delayed Cord Clamping in Preterm Infants.

Aim: To improve delayed cord clamping (DCC) rates for preterm infants (≤ 34 + 0 weeks' gestation) and establish DCC as standard practice using quality improvement (QI) methods.

Methods: A multi-departmental initiative was undertaken. An audit of DCC for preterm infants born at or before 34 + 0 weeks was performed.

An online multidomain lifestyle intervention to prevent cognitive decline in at-risk older adults: a randomized controlled trial.

Effective, scalable dementia prevention interventions are needed to address modifiable risk factors given global burden of dementia and challenges in developing disease-modifying treatments. A single-blind randomized controlled trial assessed an online multidomain lifestyle intervention to prevent cognitive decline over 3 years. Participants were dementia-free community-dwelling Australians aged 55-77 years with modifiable dementia risk factors.

Effectiveness of Pelvic Floor Muscle and Education-based Therapies on Bladder, Bowel, Vaginal, Sexual, Psychological Function, Quality of Life, and Pelvic Floor Muscle Function in Females Treated for Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review.

Purpose Of Review: Breast malignancy is the most common cancer in females. Symptoms of pelvic floor disorders and sexual dysfunction secondary to systemic cancer treatment may occur. Non-surgical, non-pharmaceutical conservative therapies, namely pelvic floor muscle (PFM) and education-based therapies, could be beneficial to reduce these symptoms in this population.

Comparative analysis of salivary cytokine profiles in newly diagnosed pediatric patients with cancer and healthy children.

Salivary cytokines have the potential to serve as biomarkers for evaluating cancer progression and treatment response in specific cancer types. This study explored salivary cytokine profiles in pediatric cancer patients and healthy controls, examining changes during chemotherapy. We conducted a prospective study involving newly diagnosed cancer patients and healthy controls under 19 years old.

Association between enteral carboxymethyllysine intake and daily glycemic variability in critically ill adults: A retrospective cohort study.

Background: Advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) can enter patients' circulation through exogenous sources, such as enteral nutrition formulae. Circulating AGEs, specifically carboxymethyllysine, can promote insulin resistance and activation of pro-inflammatory pathways leading to oxidative stress, cell death, and organ failure. Suboptimal kidney function increases the risk of elevated circulating AGEs because levels are controlled through urinary excretion.

Digital Home-Based Self-Monitoring System for People with Heart Failure: Protocol for Development of SmartHeart and Evaluation of Feasibility and Acceptability.

Background: Heart failure (HF) is a chronic, progressive condition where the heart cannot pump enough blood to meet the body's needs. In addition to the daily challenges that HF poses, acute exacerbations can lead to costly hospitalizations and increased mortality. High health care costs and the burden of HF have led to the emerging application of new technologies to support people living with HF to stay well while living in the community.

User and Developer Views on Using AI Technologies to Facilitate the Early Detection of Skin Cancers in Primary Care Settings: Qualitative Semistructured Interview Study.

Background: Skin cancers, including melanoma and keratinocyte cancers, are among the most common cancers worldwide, and their incidence is rising in most populations. Earlier detection of skin cancer leads to better outcomes for patients. Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies have been applied to skin cancer diagnosis, but many technologies lack clinical evidence and/or the appropriate regulatory approvals.

Agency in young people's unsafe abortion trajectories in Papua New Guinea.

Unsafe abortion is a preventable contributor to maternal morbidity and mortality, particularly for young unmarried women in low resource settings. In Papua New Guinea, abortion is legally restricted and highly stigmatised, limiting access to safe abortion and post-abortion care, resulting in unsafe abortion. This paper explores young people's lived experiences and agency in relation to unsafe abortion.

Enhancing cognitive accessibility in assessments for children with neurodisability: development and implementation of an adaptation tracking questionnaire.

Purpose: The range of impairments in children with neurodisability (ND) complicates data collection, yet individualising materials and procedures could enable more children to self-report. This study introduces the Cognitive Accessibility Tracking Questionnaire (CATQ), designed to monitor changes enhancing accessibility ("adaptations") in interview-administered patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs). The CATQ is used in a longitudinal study of mental health and participation in children with ND investigating adaptation use and its utility in assessing the risk of bias introduced by these adaptations.

Vaccinating Adolescents With Intellectual and Developmental Disability at School: An Opportunity to Promote Supported Decision Making.

Internationally, vaccination rates among adolescents with intellectual and developmental disability (IDD) are lower than those of the general population. Little research has addressed this issue. This study investigates the experiences of vaccinating adolescents with IDD in special education settings in Australia, with a focus on student engagement.

Genetic Evidence of Killer Whale Predation on White Sharks in Australia.

Killer whales () have been documented to prey on white sharks (), in some cases causing localised shark displacement and triggering ecological cascades. Notably, a series of such predation events have been reported from South Africa over the last decade, with killer whales specifically targeting sharks' liver. However, observations of these interactions are rare, and knowledge of their frequency across the world's oceans remains limited.