Characteristics and population estimates of unpaid end of life carers: An observational study.

Background: Improving support for unpaid carers is a policy priority internationally, yet there are few reliable population estimates on numbers of end of life carers, and little is known about the demographic characteristics of this group.

Aim: (1) Estimate the number of unpaid end of life carers in the UK; (2) Describe demographic characteristics of this group.

Design: An observational study using data from the UK Household Longitudinal Survey (Understanding Society), Health Survey for England and the Office for National Statistics to estimate the number of end of life carers in the UK.

The Prevalence and Burden of Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) Symptoms in Adults with Disorders of Gut-Brain Interaction: A Population-Based Study.

Background & Aims: Individuals with disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBI) may experience avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) symptoms. However, extant findings have been limited to specialist neurogastroenterology clinics. We assessed the association between DGBI and ARFID within the adult general population.

Overview of evidence synthesis types and modes.

Background And Objectives: Evidence syntheses systematically compile and analyze information from multiple sources to support health care decision making. As many different types of questions need to be answered in health care, different evidence synthesis types have emerged. In this article, we introduce the most common types of evidence synthesis.

A single-cell, long-read, isoform-resolved case-control study of FTD reveals cell-type-specific and broad splicing dysregulation in human brain.

Progranulin-deficient frontotemporal dementia (GRN-FTD) is a major cause of familial FTD with TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43) pathology, which is linked to exon dysregulation. However, little is known about this dysregulation in glial and neuronal cells. Here, using splice-junction-covering enrichment probes, we introduce single-nuclei long-read RNA sequencing 2 (SnISOr-Seq2), targeting 3,630 high-interest genes without loss of precision, and complete the first single-cell, long-read-resolved case-control study for neurodegeneration.

How accurate are witnesses of first suspected seizures in recalling semiology at clinically relevant timepoints? A UK experimental study with a pilot intervention.

Objective: A key diagnostic challenge at "first seizure" clinic appointments is determining whether the reported event was epileptic. Witness accounts are often critical, yet such appointments typically occur weeks after the event. Guidelines recommend review within 2 weeks.

Educational interventions and retention of the primary care workforce: what has been done before? A scoping review.

Introduction and aim NHS primary care dentistry is facing a workforce crisis. Education and training opportunities have been suggested as an approach to improve retention. This review aims to summarise the literature available on educational interventions and their impact on primary healthcare workforce retention.

Real-world effectiveness of autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation for multiple sclerosis in the UK.

Background: Autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT) is increasingly used as a one-off disease-modifying therapy for aggressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). We report real-world effectiveness of AHSCT for MS in the UK.

Methods: This retrospective open-label study included patients with (pw)MS treated with AHSCT between 2002 and 2023 in 14 UK centres.

'For the love of God, just refer me': a co-produced qualitative study of the experiences of people with Tourette Syndrome and tic disorders accessing healthcare services in the UK.

Objectives: Chronic tic disorders (CTDs)-such as Tourette Syndrome (TS)-are neurodevelopmental disorders affecting at least 1% of the population, causing repetitive involuntary movements and vocalisations known as tics. This study aimed to explore the lived experiences of accessing healthcare for people with CTD or TS and their families in the United Kingdom (UK), as part of a larger programme of work to inform change to healthcare services for this population.

Design: Informed and designed with extensive patient and public involvement, the design utilised qualitative research using focus groups.

Investigating circadian patterns in electrochemical skin Conductance: A year-long retrospective analysis using home-based devices.

Objective: This study presents a comprehensive analysis of electrochemical skin conductance (ESC) values collected from over 1.9 million measurements using Withings Body Scan and Body Comp scales. It aimed at establishing descriptive values for ESC while correcting for the influence of age, sex, and circadian and seasonal variations on sudomotor function.

Modulation of cellular adhesion, contractility, and migration by MiuA: A comprehensive analysis of its biomechanical impact.

Cellular adhesion and contractility are essential for cell movement. In this study, we investigated the effects of actin stabilization on adhesion properties, contractility, and cell migration. For this, we used the recently synthesized actin stabilizer miuraenamide A (MiuA), which has been discussed as a more reliable alternative to the otherwise commonly used actin stabilizer jasplakinolide.

Living with cough and secretion issues: the experiences of people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and their caregivers.

Purpose: To explore the experiences of people living with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and their caregivers managing cough and secretion problems.

Methods: A qualitative study was completed with 15 individuals participating in 10 interviews; 10 people living with ALS and five informal caregivers. Interview methods were adapted to ensure inclusivity of participants who had physical, respiratory and communication impairments.

CT scoring system to Defined Thrombus Distribution in Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension.

Objective: Characterisation of thrombus is important for guiding treatment in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). This study presents a novel scoring system for visual assessment of CTEPH on CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA), incorporating both disease location and extent to determine the impact on survival outcomes.

Methods: Patients with CTEPH were identified retrospectively from the ASPIRE registry.

A guide to consumer-grade wearables in cardiovascular clinical care and population health for non-experts.

Consumer-grade wearables provide an opportunity to understand public health trends, develop risk stratification tools and monitor interventions. This review introduces the most common wearable sensors and describes the health parameters that can be measured using them. We highlight research into the validity and accuracy of these measurements and practical considerations for the use of wearable data.

Mapping functional hemodynamic and metabolic responses to dementia: a broadband spectroscopy pilot study.

Significance: Broadband near-infrared spectroscopy (bNIRS) can simultaneously monitor several chromophores, including the oxidative state of cytochrome c-oxidase (oxCCO), an oxygen metabolism biomarker, the activity of which is altered in Alzheimer's disease. Being a portable and noninvasive neuromonitoring technique, bNIRS could provide accessibility to brain-specific biomarkers and aid in the dementia diagnostic pathway.

Aim: We use bNIRS-recorded functional hemodynamic and oxCCO changes to assess their relevance in Alzheimer's disease diagnosis.

Density-dependent network structuring within and across wild animal systems.

Theory predicts that high population density leads to more strongly connected spatial and social networks, but how local density drives individuals' positions within their networks is unclear. This gap reduces our ability to understand and predict density-dependent processes. Here we show that density drives greater network connectedness at the scale of individuals within wild animal populations.

Benefit-risk of colchicine and spironolactone in acute myocardial infarction: a prespecified generalised pairwise comparisons analysis of the CLEAR trial.

Background: Composite outcomes in cardiovascular trials often group events of unequal clinical importance, and conventional analyses may obscure treatment trade-offs. Generalised pairwise comparisons (GPC), expressed as a win ratio (WR), allow for hierarchical ranking of events and incorporation of recurrent outcomes, providing a potentially more intuitive assessment of benefit-risk.

Methods: In a prespecified exploratory analysis of the 2×2 factorial, randomised CLEAR (Colchicine and Spironolactone in Patients with Myocardial Infarction) trial (7062 patients within 72 hours of acute myocardial infarction (MI) and percutaneous coronary intervention), we applied both time-to-first and recurrent-event GPC to reassess low-dose colchicine (0.

Functional Thoracic MRI: Recent Advances in Pulmonary Assessment.

Functional thoracic MRI provides regional assessment of the three principal components of lung function: ventilation, perfusion, and gas exchange. It offers advantages over pulmonary function tests like spirometry, which yield only global measurements. MRI enables comprehensive evaluation of respiratory mechanics, including chest wall and diaphragm motion, dynamic large airway instability, and lung ventilation using various contrast mechanisms and gas agents.

Renal, bladder and prostate cancer surgery outcomes with respect to team familiarity.

Objectives: To investigate outcomes in urological oncology according to team membership and familiarity.

Subjects/patients: We assessed peri-operative times, lengths of stay and re-admission rates in all patients undergoing surgery for prostate, bladder and kidney cancer at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals from 2021 to September 2024. Our analysis was performed with respect to staff pairs and a validated familiarity score (FS) derived using seven team members.

The Greatest Extinction Event in 66 Million Years? Contextualising Anthropogenic Extinctions.

Biological communities are changing rapidly in response to human activities, with the high rate of vertebrate species extinction leading many to propose that we are in the midst of a sixth mass extinction event. Five past mass extinction events have commonly been identified across the Phanerozoic, with the last occurring at the end of the Cretaceous, 66 million years ago (Ma). However, life on Earth has always changed and evolved, with most species ever to have existed now extinct.

Intersectionality and Long Covid: Understanding the Lived Experiences of Ethnic Minority Groups in the United Kingdom.

Introduction: Long Covid is the patient-preferred term to describe persistent symptoms experienced following an acute Covid-19 infection. The severity and unpredictable nature of long Covid symptoms can affect every aspect of an individual's life. Under-represented groups such as ethnic minorities and lower socio-economic groups are disproportionately affected by long Covid and often face challenges in accessing healthcare and additional support.

Trends in non-coeliac gluten/wheat sensitivity: a self-managed problem?

Introduction: Self-reported non-coeliac gluten/wheat sensitivity (NCGWS) is triggered by gluten/wheat ingestion in patients without coeliac disease (CD) or wheat allergy. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, diagnoses of NCGWS appear to have declined. A gluten/wheat-free diet (GFD) remains the only management approach, though long-term adherence and outcomes are unclear.

Patterns of pre-registration and publication of trials in Cochrane systematic reviews of interventions.

Objective: It is widely recognised that selective reporting clinical trial results based on their outcomes, in the forms of publication bias, outcome reporting bias, or p-hacking, has detrimental effects on the scientific literature and on evidence synthesis. This can be recognised, and perhaps ameliorated with comprehensive trial registration. However, previous investigations of clinical trial registration focussed on study-level examinations, rather than the number of trial participants, which is often more relevant to meta-analysis.