Virtual reality-enhanced exergames for weight control: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Background: Obesity is an important public health issue. Virtual reality provides an opportunity to increase benefits of traditional exercise programs with more immersive, interactive, and enjoyable experiences for weight control.

Objectives: This study aimed to explore the efficacy of virtual reality-enhanced exergames for obesity-related outcomes, including body weight, body mass index, body fat, and waist circumference.

Applying high-density surface EMG to the study of neuromuscular disorders: a systematic review.

Objective: High-density surface electromyography (HD-sEMG) is a non-invasive and quantitative tool for studying neuromuscular disorders, enabling assessments of muscle excitation, motor unit (MU) characteristics and firing patterns. This systematic review reports the published evidence on the clinical applications of HD-sEMG across neuromuscular disorders, identifying the range of disorders studied, indexes utilized, and gaps in the literature.

Methods: Systematic searches in PubMed and Scopus identified 200 studies, of which 55 met the inclusion criteria.

Building effective relationships in global surgery: an exploratory qualitative study.

Background: The rise in malignant hepatopancreatobiliary tumors disproportionately affects low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) due to systemic challenges. In 2023, the International Hepatopancreatobiliary Association (IHPBA) launched a relationship-building initiative to mitigate outcome disparities by increasing capacity and quality. This study aimed to understand the dynamics and value of such collaborations.

Mepolizumab treatment and reduced oral corticosteroid exposure improves symptoms of depression and anxiety in severe eosinophilic asthma: data from the Australian Mepolizumab Registry.

Background: The benefits of oral corticosteroid (OCS) stewardship approaches -including monoclonal antibody treatments for severe asthma- on reducing toxic OCS exposure and related comorbidities such as depression and anxiety require real-world evaluation.

Methods: This real-world observational study investigated OCS exposure and associated complications over 24 months in patients enrolled in the Australian Mepolizumab Registry (n=412).

Results: Patients were median age 59 years, 58% were female.

Muti-band Morlet mutual information functional connectivity for classifying Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal dementia with a deep learning technique.

Accurate differentiation of Alzheimer's disease (AD), frontotemporal dementia (FTD), and healthy control (HC) is critical for early diagnosis and intervention of brain disorders. This study introduces a deep learning framework that leverages electroencephalography (EEG)-derived multiband functional connectivity (FC) features. Multiband Morlet wavelet mutual information (MMMIFC) was utilized to generate high-resolution FC matrices across 1-20 Hz, which were subsequently processed by a 3D convolutional neural network (3D-CNN) based on a modified VGG architecture.

Factors Affecting Quality Control (QC) Failure Rates in Somatic Breast Cancer (BRCA) Gene Testing in Castrate Resistant Prostate Cancer: Experiences From an Australian Cancer Care Centre.

Aims: Castrate-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) is a common malignancy with poor prognostic outcomes. Breast cancer (BRCA) genes 1 and 2 mutations occur in prostate cancers and confer poorer prognoses. Somatic BRCA testing can lead to inconclusive results, which can gatekeep patients from accessing targeted medications.

Hot chocolate: pre-warming chocolate agar improves correct organism identification from choc drop by 16.1.

Blood cultures are an important test for the diagnosis of sepsis, and the time to an accurate result can allow for optimized antibiotic therapy. The 'choc drop' is a commonly performed, reliable and cheap rapid identification method, using a drop of positive blood culture broth incubated for a short period (2-4 h) before performing matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight MS on any early growth/microbiological veil present. Due to the short incubation time (~2 h), agar plates may not reach the target temperature for optimal bacterial growth, leading to reduced accuracy of identification.

Long term follow-up outcomes in congenital thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura.

Congenital thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (cTTP) is an ultra-rare thrombotic microangiopathy mediated through inherited deficiency in ADAMTS13 (a disintegrin and metalloprotease with a thrombospondin type 1 motif, member 13). To date more than 200 ADAMTS13 genetic variants have been associated with cTTP. We report longitudinal follow up from the UK TTP registry in 104 confirmed cTTP cases (91 consented for follow-up) in a large multi-ethnic national cTTP patient cohort, including a large Black African cTTP cohort.

How I do it-tubular trans-spinous process muscle-sparing approach for bilateral lumbar microdiscectomy: surgical technique with illustrative video.

This video demonstrates our surgical approach for an entirely tubular trans-spinous process bilateral lumbar discectomy. A 47-year-old man presented with 12 months of severe predominantly right L5 radiculopathy. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a large diffuse disc bulge at L4/5 resulting in bilateral lateral recess and central stenosis.

The Management of Parkinson's Disease Before, during and after Pregnancy-an MDS Scientific Issues Committee Review.

Background: Pregnancy after a Parkinson's diagnosis presents complex challenges. Due to the paucity of literature, there is no evidence-based guidelines and protocols for preconception care, management of pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period in women with early-onset Parkinson's disease (PD). Decision-making can be fraught with uncertainty for both patients and healthcare providers.

Modeling the Bone Marrow Microenvironment to Better Understand the Pathogenesis, Progression, and Treatment of Hematological Cancers.

Despite significant advancements in understanding the pathogenesis and treatment of hematological malignancies, including leukemia and multiple myeloma, the majority of patients continue to experience poor long-term outcomes. This is partly due to the difficulty of accurately recapitulating the malignant microenvironment in vitro, particularly the bone marrow niche. The complexity of the bone marrow microenvironment poses a challenge for the in vitro examination of hematological malignancies.

Low Yield of Surveillance Endoscopy in Severe Oesophagitis: A 1700-Patient Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background: Guidelines recommend re-evaluation of severe oesophagitis to detect occult malignancy and Barrett's oesophagus (BE), but the utility and resource implications of this practice are unclear.

Aims: To assess the diagnostic yield, predictors, and resource implications of surveillance endoscopy in patients with severe (LA Grade C/D) oesophagitis.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 1700 index cases of severe oesophagitis over 18.

The road to young-onset dementia diagnosis: Findings from the Joint Solutions Project.

Introduction: Diagnosis of young-onset dementia (YOD) is often delayed due to atypical presentations and lack of awareness. This study explored diagnostic experiences in Australia.

Methods: This Joint Solutions sub-study employed a mixed-methods approach.

Two-year outcome of a treatment program for alcohol use disorder in regional and rural India.

Background: Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a major health issue in developing countries, posing a significant economic burden with limited access to comprehensive treatment and follow-up services. AUD treatment services are limited in India, especially in regional and rural areas.

Methods: This retrospective study assessed outcomes in patients with AUD from a rural and regional part of India admitted to a voluntary treatment program with a 2-year follow-up after initial detoxification.

Clinical phenotype and outcomes in autoimmune encephalitis after herpes simplex virus encephalitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Autoimmune encephalitis after herpes simplex virus encephalitis (HSVE-AE) represents the intersection of central nervous system infection and autoimmunity. Defining the phenotype and the safety and effectiveness of immunotherapy in HSVE-AE would help identify immunotherapy candidates, optimise therapeutic strategies, and improve patient outcomes.

Methods: We systematically searched Embase, Medline, PubMed, and Web of Science (2007-2024) for cases meeting consensus criteria for AE after confirmed HSVE.

Using EEG and Eye Tracking to Evaluate an Emotion Recognition iPad App for Autistic Children.

Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition that impacts individuals' communication and social interaction skills. Autistic children often have smaller N170 amplitudes in response to faces than neurotypical children. Autistic children also avoid the salient areas of the face.

Frailty Nexus: Community of practice for frailty researchers and healthcare professionals.

Background: There has been success in implementing frailty education for healthcare professionals, but there remains a need to improve the knowledge and skills of researchers and healthcare professionals to develop, implement and evaluate frailty-focused research.

Objectives: This paper describes how the Australian Frailty Network developed and evaluated a virtual community of practice (VCOP), a proven model for fostering knowledge mobilisation, to support researchers and healthcare professionals in advancing frailty research and practice in Australia.

Design: Mixed methods.

A population-based study of cause-specific mortality in First Nations Australians with cirrhosis: impact of cardiometabolic comorbidities and liver disease risk factors.

Background: Liver disease is an important contributor to high mortality in First Nations Australians. We describe cause-specific mortality by First Nations status in people with cirrhosis.

Methods: Population-based retrospective cohort analysis of all adults with cirrhosis admitted to hospitals in the state of Queensland (2007-2022).

Patient-Reported Outcome Measures and Validation Data Used in Melanoma Research and Routine Practice: A Systematic Review.

Importance: Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are increasingly used in melanoma research and to guide clinical practice; however, the validation of these PROMs for use in melanoma populations is unknown.

Objective: To conduct a systematic review and construct an evidence gap map to identify PROMs that have been used in melanoma research and clinical practice and related melanoma-specific validation data.

Evidence Review: MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science Index Medicus, CINAHL, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and PsychINFO were searched in January 2025 including any studies that used a PROM to evaluate outcomes of patients with melanoma published from January 1, 2010, onward to identify instruments relevant to the current era of melanoma diagnosis and treatment.

How should glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid replacement be optimised in a young patient with classic 21-hydroxylase congenital adrenal hyperplasia?

This article aims to provide a simple clinical approach to understanding and managing steroid supplementation in young adults and adult patients with classical congenital adrenal hyperplasia secondary to 21-hydroxylase deficiency (21OHD). It aims to overcome the clinical inertia that leads to glucocorticoid excess in these patients, particularly addressing the adult endocrinologist at the transition when they meet the patient with 21OHD with 'fresh eyes'.

SGNDV-001: disitamab vedotin with pembrolizumab in HER2-expressing locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma.

Introduction: Platinum-based chemotherapy for the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma (la/mUC), has been the first-line standard of care for many decades. Enfortumab vedotin, an antibody-drug conjugate, combined with pembrolizumab, a programmed death 1 (PD-1) inhibitor, recently demonstrated improved efficacy versus chemotherapy in la/mUC. Since 60%-80% of patients with UC have tumors expressing human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), HER2-directed vedotin-based antibody-drug conjugates may also be beneficial in la/mUC.