Socioeconomic differences in the cost-effectiveness of a telephone-based intervention for obesity prevention in early childhood.

Objectives: This study investigated the cost-effectiveness of an early childhood obesity prevention intervention providing telephone and short message service (SMS) support to mothers of children aged 2-4 years by socioeconomic position (SEP).

Methods: A model-based SEP-specific economic evaluation of the intervention was conducted. SEP-specific intervention costs and effects at age 5 years were derived from the trial data and applied to a cohort of 4- to 5-year-old Australian children.

Media representation of methamphetamine-related deaths: Exploring links to public stigma and support for harm reduction.

Background: Drug-related deaths are a significant and growing public health concern. In Australia, meth/amphetamine is the most common stimulant drug involved in unintentional drug-related deaths. People who use meth/amphetamine often experience stigma and are negatively portrayed in the media.

The surgical burden score: a novel continuous metric to predict postoperative complications after hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: No validated model incorporates surgical parameters for complication risk in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) resection. We evaluated a novel Surgical Burden Score (SBS), integrating adjusted blood loss (aBL; mL/kg) and operative time (hours) via a Pythagorean formula, and developed an SBS-based model to predict complications.

Methods: Patients undergoing curative-intent hepatectomy for HCC(2000-2023) were identified from an international database.

A Fluoroless Workflow Using Transoesophageal Echocardiography for Catheter Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation Using Pulsed Field Ablation.

Background: Catheter ablations are increasingly performed with zero or minimal fluoroscopy, enabled by ultrasound imaging and electro-anatomical mapping. Pulsed field ablation (PFA) using Farawave has been dependent on fluoroscopic assessment of catheter conformation and contact. We aimed to demonstrate the feasibility of a PFA workflow for pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) and extrapulmonary ablation.

Stimulant treatment for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and risk of first and repeat juvenile criminal offending: a population-based cohort study.

Background: Children and young adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be at increased risk of criminal offending. This study examines the risk of first-time and repeat offending among individuals with ADHD and potential effect of stimulant medication.

Methods: A population-based, data linkage cohort study of individuals born in New South Wales, Australia between 1990 and 2005 and followed until May 2016.

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.

Living guidelines have come of age: New insights and methods - An open call for contributions.

Objectives: Guideline developers have long recognised the importance of maintaining up-to-date guidelines to support evidence-based practice and policy, contributing to narrowing the gap between research generation and its application. This commentary reflects on key insights from the Journal of Clinical Epidemiology's Methods for Living Guidelines series and issues an open call for contributions aimed at advancing the development, implementation and evaluation of living guideline methods.

Methods: This commentary synthesises methodological innovations and practice experiences shared in the Methods for Living Guidelines series, highlighting emerging practices and lessons learned.

Indicators of high-quality general practice to achieve Quality Equity and Systems Transformation in Primary Health Care (QUEST-PHC) in Australia: a Delphi consensus study.

Objectives: This study aimed to achieve wider consensus on the relevance and feasibility of the Quality Equity and Systems Transformation in Primary Health Care (QUEST-PHC) indicators and measures developed for Australian general practice.

Methods: Partnering with eight Primary Health Networks (PHNs) across four states, we conducted a Delphi consensus study consisting of three rounds of online survey with general practice experts including general practitioners, practice nurses and PHN staff members. Participants rated each measure for relevance and feasibility, and provided input into the implementation of a quality indicator tool.

One Chance to Get it Right: Exploring Perspectives and Experiences in Care Home Discharge Decision-Making in the Acute Hospital.

Background: Discharge from acute hospital to new care home is a complex and life changing process often involving several key stakeholders in decision-making such as the older person, their significant person and members of the multidisciplinary team. There is limited research exploring the perspectives of these stakeholders, including factors that influence decision-making and how this is communicated.

Objective: This study explored how decisions are made to discharge older people directly from hospital to care home, considering the perspectives and experiences of those involved.

Impact of pharmacy clinical service redesign on quantity and quality of pharmacy interventions in a tertiary teaching hospital: a pre-post cohort study.

Background: Pharmacists are integral to the multidisciplinary team; however, staffing and resource challenges limit pharmacists' impact. Aligning pharmacists by admission specialty teams, rather than traditional ward-based models, may address these challenges.

Aim: This study aimed to evaluate whether a pharmacy redesign, which included aligning pharmacists to a specialty-based model from a ward-based model, increased the number and quality of interventions made per full-time equivalent pharmacist in hospitalised patients.

Active upper-limb therapies for hand function, individual goal achievement, and self-care in children with cerebral palsy: A network meta-analysis.

Aim: To compare active upper-limb therapies for children with cerebral palsy using a network meta-analysis.

Method: For this systematic review, five electronic databases were searched up to 2nd September 2024. Outcomes pertaining to improved hand use (Assisting Hand Assessment, AHA), goal attainment (Canadian Occupational Performance Measure, COPM), and self-care were analysed with therapies classified into 15 discrete categories.

Facial Patterns and Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Children Seeking for Orthodontic Treatment: Data From 3671 Polysomnographic Recordings.

Aim: To evaluate the association between vertical and sagittal facial profile characteristics and the diagnosis/severity of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) based on hospital-based polysomnography (PSG) in children attending their first orthodontic visit.

Materials And Methods: 3671 children aged 7 to 9 years who attended a private practice for a first orthodontic consultation were included. Apnea/Hypopnea Index (AHI) was measured from PSG, while vertical and skeletal facial profile characteristics were assessed according to the Modified Sassouni Analysis on lateral cephalogram.

Health risk assessment for severe COVID-19 in Taiwan: a multi-centre electronic health record study.

Background: As the global battle against COVID-19 continues, understanding the factors contributing to severe outcomes remains critical for public health strategies. We aim to identify the determinants significantly influencing severe COVID-19 infection and mortality among the general population in Taiwan.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using data extracted from the Taipei Medical University Clinical Research Database from 1 January 2022 to 31 December 2022.

The association between chronotype and dietary nutrient patterns.

This study examines how dietary nutrient patterns vary among individuals with different chronotypes. In other words, this research explores the potential connections between nutrient intake and circadian rhythm. In this secondary data analysis, we used data from 3,072 adult participants (mean age: 30.

Statistical Gems and Cautions From the Statistical Advisory Board of Clinical Oral Implants Research.

Objective: Statistics is fundamental in implant dentistry research, playing a crucial role in study design, data analysis, and interpretation of findings. This editorial, authored by members of the Statistical Advisory Board of Clinical Oral Implants Research, aims to highlight common statistical pitfalls encountered in submitted manuscripts and provide practical recommendations to enhance the quality of statistical reporting.

Materials And Methods: In this editorial, study design considerations, sample size calculation, appropriate selection of statistical tests, multiplicity issues, handling hierarchical data structures, and best practices for data presentation are discussed.

Updates in the endoscopic management of colorectal polyps.

Endoscopic resection of pre-malignant polyps remains a cornerstone of colorectal cancer prevention. This review provides an evidence-based analysis of the current approaches to endoscopic colorectal polyp management. Cold snare resection is recommended for small and diminutive polyps.

What do the PHQ-9, the GAD-7 and their variants miss in assessing young people presenting to youth mental health services?

Brief self-report measures offer significant benefits in youth mental health services by providing quick, efficient, and accessible assessment of mental health status. In this study, we describe the psychometric features of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), the Generalised Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) and their shorter variants in 1063 young people at their first appointment to headspace youth primary care mental health services. Specific aims were to: (i) document the internal consistency, dimensionality, and measurement invariance for sex and age (12-14, 15-17, 18-21, 22-25 years) for the PHQ-9 and GAD-7; (ii) compare the full and shorter variants of the measures; and (iii) determine construct validity by correlating variants with measures of psychological distress, rumination, functioning, and quality of life.

An RGD motif on SARS-CoV-2 Spike induces TGF-β signaling and downregulates interferon.

Unlabelled: The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike (S) protein mediates canonical cell entry via ACE2 and has also been implicated as an activator of a diverse range of signaling pathways. Here, we present evidence that the RGD (Arg-Gly-Asp) motif within the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the S1 fragment of the S protein induces TGF-β cytokine expression. RGD peptides are well characterized as ligands for a subset of integrin complexes primarily containing α5 and αV subunits.

Antibody responses to feline leukaemia vaccination: exploring the effect of sex, boosting schedule, site of administration and vaccine type.

ObjectivesHistorically, vaccines have been administered in the dorsal interscapular region of cats (the 'scruff' of the neck) owing to easy access to the subcutaneous space. In response to concerns about sarcomas developing at injection sites (feline injection site sarcomas [FISSs]), and a possible association between feline leukaemia virus (FeLV) vaccination and the development of FISS, alternative FeLV vaccination sites such as the distal left hindlimb and tail have been proposed by influential vaccination bodies and various key opinion leaders. There is a dearth of evidence, however, to demonstrate the development of a comparable immune response after FeLV vaccination in these sites.

Drag forces in granular materials.

Objects moving through granular materials experience a drag force. In the past two decades, many studies have revealed its non-trivial properties, including dependencies on the velocity of the object and the pressure around it. This tutorial review introduces some of these properties and their associated scaling laws.

The Impact of Stratified Surgical Margins on Survival Outcomes in Oral Cavity Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Multicenter Analysis.

Background: This multicenter study examines the impact of stratified surgical margins on treatment outcomes in oral SCC.

Methods: Margins were stratified into 1 mm increments from 0 to ≥ 5 mm. Outcomes included local recurrence, overall and disease-specific survivals.

What stroke survivors say about living with upper limb spasticity and how they manage it.

Introduction: Post-stroke spasticity can cause serious impairment, activity limitation, and participation restrictions for survivors, leading to stroke-related disability. While there are hundreds of qualitative studies regarding stroke survivor experience, the phenomenon of what it is like to have post-stroke spasticity is not well understood.

Methods: Ten community-dwelling adults with chronic stroke and upper limb spasticity who had recently participated in an intensive upper limb rehabilitation programme were interviewed.