Guidelines for Meta-analyses and Systematic Reviews in Urology.

Our guideline comprises points addressing the conduct and interpretation of systematic reviews and meta-analyses in urology. Application of the guideline would lead to a more considered interpretation of a smaller number of systematic reviews and meta-analyses, and could thus help in translating evidence into better decision-making for doctors and patients.

Applications of Musculoskeletal Ultrasound in Inflammatory Arthritis.

Musculoskeletal ultrasound plays an important role in facilitating diagnostic and therapeutic decisions in rheumatic diseases. This article discusses the utility of ultrasound in rheumatoid arthritis, spondyloarthropathy and crystal arthropathy. This article also highlights the implementation challenges and the emerging role of artificial intelligence in enhancing musculoskeletal ultrasound.

Functional divergence of G protein γ subunits drives plant vigor and improvement through the CPK28-PIP1;2 pathway in tomato.

Maintaining robust plant vigor is essential for sustaining crop productivity, yet the precise roles and molecular underpinnings of G protein γ subunits in this process remain elusive. This study reveals that GGC1 is under selection during tomato domestication, and its mutants exhibit enhanced plant vigor, characterized by superior growth, increased yield, and improved fruit quality. In contrast, triple mutants gga1/ggb1/ggb2 display severely compromised vigor resembling slgb1 mutants lacking the Gβ subunit.

Relapsed rhabdomyosarcoma: treatment recommendations from the European pediatric soft tissue sarcoma study group (EpSSG).

At least one-third of patients with localized rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) and 60-70% of patients with metastatic RMS experience progressive disease or relapse. Following relapse, outcomes generally remain poor with limited treatment options and a high risk of subsequent recurrence. Optimal treatment requires a multidisciplinary approach incorporating chemotherapy with local control.

Acute isolation is associated with increased reward seeking and reward learning in human adolescents.

Social connection, a basic human need, is vital during adolescence. How a lack of connection impacts adolescent behaviour is unclear. To address this question, we employed experimental short-term isolation with and without access to virtual social interactions (iso total; iso with media; order counterbalanced, both compared to a separate baseline session).

ERS/EULAR clinical practice guidelines for connective tissue diseases associated interstitial lung disease.

Background: Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a frequent manifestation of connective tissue diseases (CTDs) and is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Clinical practice guidelines to standardise screening, diagnosis, treatment and follow-up for CTD-ILD are of high importance for optimised patient care.

Methods: A European Respiratory Society and European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology task force committee, composed of pulmonologists, rheumatologists, pathologists, radiologists, methodologists and patient representatives, developed recommendations based on PICO (Patients, Intervention, Comparison, Outcomes) questions with grading of the evidence according to the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations) methodology and complementary narrative questions agreed on by both societies.

Vulval lichen sclerosus in UK general practice: a cross-sectional survey of patient experience.

Objective: To explore experience and prevalence of vulval lichen sclerosus (VLS) diagnosis in general practice using an anonymous patient survey.

Design: Quantitative descriptive cross-sectional survey informed by previous qualitative interviews and developed with patient representatives, sent to people recorded in general practice as having a VLS diagnosis.

Setting: General practices (n=24) in the UK (West Midlands).

Mechanosensitive biochemical imprinting of the talin interaction with DLC1 regulates RhoA activity and cardiomyocyte remodeling.

During heart disease, the cardiac extracellular matrix (ECM) undergoes a structural and mechanical transformation. Cardiomyocytes sense the mechanical properties of their environment, leading to phenotypic remodeling. A critical component of the ECM mechanosensing machinery, including the protein talin, is organized at the cardiomyocyte costamere.

Replication competition drives the selective mtDNA inheritance in Drosophila ovary.

Purifying selection that limits the transmission of harmful mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations has been observed in both human and animal models. Yet, the precise mechanism underlying this process remains undefined. Here, we present a highly specific and efficient in situ imaging method capable of visualizing mtDNA variants that differ by only a few nucleotides at single-molecule resolution in Drosophila ovaries.

Anatomical Study and Classification of Foramina of the Squamous Part of the Temporal Bone.

The postglenoid foramen (PGF) is a rarely reported anatomical variant of the temporal bone, with limited data on its morphology, prevalence, and clinical relevance, particularly in non-European populations. This study aimed to investigate the anatomy and frequency of foramina located on the squamous part of the temporal bone, including the PGF, and to propose a classification system based on their anatomical positions. A total of 117 human skulls (234 sides), including both dried and Thiel-embalmed specimens, were examined through gross observation, cadaveric dissection, and computed tomography (CT) in selected cases.

The complex pangenome is small and shaped by sub-lineage-specific regions of difference.

The complex (MTBC) is a group of bacteria causing tuberculosis (TB) in humans and animals. Understanding MTBC genetic diversity is crucial for insights into its adaptation and traits related to survival, virulence, and antibiotic resistance. While it is known that within-MTBC diversity is characterised by large deletions found only in certain lineages (regions of difference [RDs]), a comprehensive pangenomic analysis incorporating both coding and non-coding regions remains unexplored.

Economics of Task-Shifting in Surgery: A Systematic Review.

Background And Aim: Due to the global shortage in the surgical workforce, especially in low-resource settings, one solution to increase surgical volume is to delegate certain roles of surgeons to other trained non-surgeon health workers. However, quantifying the costs and benefits of surgical task-shifting has several challenges associated with it. The purpose of this study was to conduct a critical appraisal of studies on the cost-effectiveness of task shifting in surgical care.

Exploring the Lived Experiences of Transgender Women With Previous Sexual Offense Convictions in the Community in the UK.

Transgender individuals with previous convictions for sexual offenses are an under-researched yet growing population in the UK. This study adopted a qualitative approach to exploring the lived experiences of three such individuals who were currently living in the community under the management of Probation Services. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was used to analyze the data derived from semi-structured interviews with the participants.

Multi-system benefits of non-invasive spinal cord stimulation following cervical spinal cord injury: a case study.

Unlabelled: Cervical spinal cord injury (SCI) impairs sensorimotor and autonomic functions. We investigated the effects of lumbosacral transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (tSCS) on urinary bladder, bowel, and sexual function as well as cardiovascular and sensorimotor functions in one individual with chronic clinically motor-complete cervical SCI, 11 years post-injury. Following 30 sessions of lumbosacral tSCS, the individual presented with improved urinary bladder compliance as well as anorectal function in parallel with mitigation of the severity of autonomic dysreflexia during filling cystometry and anorectal manometry.

Changes in carriage and serotype diversity of Streptococcus pneumoniae and other respiratory pathobionts in the UK between pre-PCV13 (2006-10), early-PCV13 (2010-12) and late-PCV13 (2012-23) periods.

Background: The ongoing burden of mortality and morbidity associated with infections requires that monitoring of carriage epidemiology continues. Here, we present data from the annual, cross-sectional surveillance study in Southampton UK on serotype epidemiology and diversity, as well as carriage of other frequent colonisers of the respiratory tract in over 7000 children over a period of seventeen years (2006–2023).

Methods: Children were recruited from two sites: Site 1 - Southampton General Hospital, administered by University Hospital Southampton (UHS) NHS Foundation Trust and Site 2– a collection of community health care facilities within the Solent NHS Trust region.

Antifungal Drug Resistance.

Fungal infections pose an important threat to public health and food security, and with the rise in antifungal drug and fungicide resistance, we are faced with a global crisis. Currently, humanity is at an intersection of global climate change driving the expansion of species range distributions, emergence of novel pathogenic fungi, and changing at-risk populations. Here, we review the main mechanisms of antifungal drug and fungicide resistance, new drugs and mode-of-action drug classes, and future topics for risk reduction.

The Epstein-Barr Virus in Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma: Pathogenesis, Immunobiology, and Therapeutic Implications.

Classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) is a unique B cell malignancy characterised by the presence of Hodgkin/Reed-Sternberg (HRS) cells within an extensive inflammatory microenvironment. In approximately 40% of cases- particularly in the mixed cellularity subtype-HRS cells are infected with the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). EBV-positive cHL displays a restricted pattern of viral gene expression (latency II), with functional contributions from EBNA1, LMP1, and LMP2A/B, as well as some non-coding RNAs.

Specific features of immune ageing are detected in the earliest stages in rheumatoid arthritis development.

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis is an age-related disease displaying features of an aged immune system. This study aims to determine premature presence of immune ageing in the early stages of RA development, including in patients with clinically suspected arthralgia and undifferentiated arthritis.

Methods: We recruited 224 participants: 69 healthy controls (mean age 57.

ERS/EULAR clinical practice guidelines for connective tissue disease-associated interstitial lung diseaseDeveloped by the task force for connective tissue disease-associated interstitial lung disease of the European Respiratory Society (ERS) and the European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR)Endorsed by the European Reference Network on rare respiratory diseases (ERN-LUNG).

Background: Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a frequent manifestation of connective tissue diseases (CTDs) and is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Clinical practice guidelines to standardise screening, diagnosis, treatment and follow-up for CTD-ILD are of high importance for optimised patient care.

Methods: A European Respiratory Society and European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology task force committee, composed of pulmonologists, rheumatologists, pathologists, radiologists, methodologists and patient representatives, developed recommendations based on PICO (Patients, Intervention, Comparison, Outcomes) questions with grading of the evidence according to the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations) methodology and complementary narrative questions agreed on by both societies.

Therapeutics Update in Immune Mediated Rheumatic Diseases: Rheumatoid Arthritis, Idiopathic Inflammatory Myositis and ANCA Associated Vasculitis.

Immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) are a group of common clinically diverse conditions which are characterised by systemic inflammation. They often pose medical challenges due to their multi organ involvement, chronicity, associated co-morbidities and poor impact on quality of life to patients. The management for IMIDs has changed profoundly over the past twenty years with the paradigm of treatment shifting away from broad immunosuppression towards pathway specific targeted treatment.

From Fat to Flame: How Adipose Tissue Stokes the Fires of Osteoarthritis.

Objective: To investigate the inflammatory profiles of adipose tissues from patients with osteoarthritis (OA), comparing the joint-associated adipose tissues, infrapatellar fat pad (IFP) and sub-synovial (SSAT)with subcutaneous adipose tissue (SCAT), and to explore adipose-joint cell crosstalk.

Design: RNA sequencing was performed on autologous IFP, SSAT, and SCAT from six patients. The adipose tissue secretome was profiled using targeted proteomics.

Improving cosmological reach of a gravitational wave observatory using Deep Loop Shaping.

Improved low-frequency sensitivity of gravitational wave observatories would unlock study of intermediate-mass black hole mergers and binary black hole eccentricity and provide early warnings for multimessenger observations of binary neutron star mergers. Today's mirror stabilization control injects harmful noise, constituting a major obstacle to sensitivity improvements. We eliminated this noise through Deep Loop Shaping, a reinforcement learning method using frequency domain rewards.

The influence of perceived threat on the motive attribution asymmetry bias for groups in conflict.

Previous research shows higher perceived threat is related to more intergroup bias, usually via greater ingroup positivity. Newer research has identified the Motive Asymmetry Attribution Bias in which ingroup and outgroup members make very different explanations for the motives about why their groups are in conflict. We were interested in this Motive Asymmetry Bias and its relationship to perceived threat with groups in conflict, so we designed two studies to investigate it cross-sectionally (Study 1) and longitudinally (Study 2).

Incidence and Risk Factors for Progression of Acute Kidney Injury to Chronic Kidney Disease After Liver Transplantation: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) following liver transplantation has the potential to progress to chronic kidney disease (CKD), which can result in extended hospital stays, elevated healthcare costs, and increased mortality rates. This retrospective cohort study seeks to examine the prognosis of AKI progression to CKD post-liver transplantation and to identify its independent risk factors. A cohort of 443 patients who developed AKI post-liver transplantation was analyzed, with participants categorized into a CKD group and a non-CKD group.

: a transposon facilitating the movement of the virulence factor ToxA in fungal wheat pathogens.

There is increasing evidence that mobile genetic elements can drive the emergence of pathogenic fungal species by moving virulence genes horizontally. The 14 kbp transposon was shown to move the necrotrophic effector, horizontally between wheat pathogens, namely , , and . All three species utilize the ToxA protein to infect wheat.