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Validity of using prescription medications to classify disease – a retrospective observational study using routinely collected electronic health records from the UK
No full textBackground: Epidemiological studies rely on valid classifications of patients’ disease status. However, in the absence of perfect information on every patients’ health status, researchers use proxy information with variable and often unknown validity.Methods: To investigate the validity of using prescription records for disease classification, we conducted a retrospective observational study on a UK-wide database of medical prescriptions and clinical records (Optimum Patient Care Research Database). We used electronic health records of 25,000 randomly selected patients for each year between 2004 and 2020 (total N=425,000) and compared disease classification of 18 different chronic conditions based on clinical records for a period of three years (gold standard) with disease classification based on prescription records for the same period. We then used logistic regression to analyse if positive and negative predicted values (PPV and NPV) were associated with known predictors of disease.Results: Results showed large variations in PPV ranging from 8% (heart failure) to 94% (all type diabetes) and smaller variations in NPV ranging from 96% (anxiety) to 100% (Type 1 diabetes). Age, sex, ethnicity, and year but not socio-economic status were associated with variations in validity, especially in classifying dementia, diabetes, and depression.Discussion: Varying validity can partly be explained by different (stratum-specific) prevalence of disease. Additionally, conditions like heart failure can be treated with medication that can also be prescribed for other conditions or can be treated without medication. However, varying validity can also be attributed to imperfect clinical records, which we used as gold standard. As a consequence of low validity, the apparent prevalence based on using prescription records was between 1.3 times lower (all-type diabetes) and up-to 11 times higher (heart failure) than the true prevalence based on the clinical records.Conclusion: Studies using prescription data to classify disease status run a substantial risk of misclassification bias.<br/
Dietary flavonoid intake and psychological well-being – a bidirectional relationship
No full textBackground and AimHigher dietary flavonoid intake has been associated with lower risks of mortality and major chronic disease, yet its relationship with psychological well-being (PWB), a key contributor to health and quality of life, remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate bidirectional associations between dietary flavonoid intake and two PWB facets: happiness (positive emotional state) and optimism (generalized expectation of positive outcomes). Specifically, we examined whether (1) overall flavonoid-rich dietary patterns (flavodiet score), (2) intake of specific flavonoid-rich foods, and (3) total flavonoid and subclass intakes were each associated with happiness and optimism over time.MethodsData were drawn from the Nurses’ Health Study to form two analytical samples. Flavonoid intake measured in 1990 (n=44,659) was examined in relation to sustained happiness (1992-2000) while intake in 2002 (n=36,723) was analysed in relation to sustained optimism (2004-2012). Secondary analyses assessed whether higher baseline levels of each PWB facet were associated with sustained higher flavonoid intake, over up to 18 years. Associations were assessed using generalized estimating equations, adjusting for potential confounders.ResultsHigher flavodiet scores were associated with a 3-6% higher likelihood of sustained happiness [RRQ4vsQ1 (95% CI): 1.03 (1.02-1.05)] and optimism [RRQ4vsQ1 (95% CI): 1.06 (1.01-1.11)]. Specific flavonoid-rich foods (strawberries, apples, oranges, grapefruit, blueberries) were associated with a 3-16% greater likelihood of sustained PWB, across the two facets. Similarly, total flavonoid and subclass intakes were associated with a 2-18% greater likelihood of sustained PWB. Women with higher baseline levels of happiness or optimism were also more likely to sustain a higher flavonoid intake.ConclusionsConsuming ∼3 servings/day of flavonoid-rich foods is associated with sustained PWB, and higher baseline PWB is associated with sustained higher flavonoid intake over up to 18 years. This bidirectional relationship suggests that integrated interventions targeting both diet and well-being may help promote long-term health and reduce chronic disease risk
Students’ reflections as tools for curriculum alignment strategies in media practice pedagogy: a postgraduate conversion course case study
No full textMany universities have responded to radical contemporary shifts in the media industry by embedding more digital skill into their curricula. Disruptive technologies, the social media boom, media convergence, the shifting sands of the broadcasting industry and constant change in employment requirements for graduates today are all forcing media graduates to consider how improving their technical skills is a key vector in their own perceptions of their employability, post-graduation. One-year media and broadcast conversion courses can lead to more work opportunities, new specialisms and entrepreneurial ownership of career prospects. Broadcast skills like filming, editing, audio recording, harvesting of natural sound or live studio environments are less commonly taught, even though streaming is a form of broadcasting. Student confidence in their own broadcast technical skill acquisition ability is an important factor in the era of convergence media, and it can determine students’ course success and employment opportunities post-graduation. Teaching media and broadcast technical skills a media conversion course necessitates important planning due to complex factors such as multi-module learning outcomes as well as student previous experience and background. Taking the MA Media and Broadcast Production conversion degree at Queen’s University Belfast as a case study, this paper qualitatively explores pedagogical interventions that can help redress lagging student confidence and perceptions of employability vis-a-vis their technical broadcast skill acquisition level in a postgraduate media conversion context. While the findings of this study show that the introduction of broadcast technical skill to the curriculum strongly correlates with students’ growing confidence in both the production of quality assessment and the strength level of employment applications, this study is limited in scope. While this study provides rich qualitative data about students’ confidence levels, a wider pool of students should be considered on a longitudinal basis to better determine the employment prospects impact such skill labs have
Corrigendum to "Epithelial head and neck cancer survival in Europe: Geographical variation, time trends and long term survival" Eur J Cancer 229 (October) (2025) 115692
No full textBudget impact analysis of a vision center-based community eye health program in an underserved urban slum in India
No full textPurpose: We aim to study the Vision Centre-Based Community Eye Health Programs in an underserved urban slum in Pune city, India, using Budget Impact Analysis from a payer’s perspective. Methods: Input costs, training, human resources, capital equipment cost, recurrent consumable costs, salaries, and rent were calculated from January 2015 to December 2022. The income earned from subsidized outpatient care, optical services, and surgeries was calculated. The monthly reports of the center were used to calculate the number of beneficiaries. Data were stored in Excel and analyzed in R software. Free surgeries, consultations, and spectacles were distributed to needy patients occasionally during these years. Results: The Vision Centre at Phulenagar, Vishrantwadi, Pune, in partnership with Operation Eyesight Universal, has been operational since January 2015, providing critical eye health services to the community. Over 5 years, the center examined 44,535 individuals, with 98.1% re-examined in 2019, and significantly reduced the prevalence of blindness and visual impairment. Budget impact analysis revealed the center’s establishment cost, net budget impact, and the economic impacts of various operational scenarios. Sensitivity analysis showed that income from surgeries had the highest influence on total income, while spectacle costs affected total costs the most. Scenario analysis highlighted that a combined approach of reducing costs and increasing income, particularly in the absence of District Blindness Control Society subsidy, could improve the financial sustainability of the Vision Centre. Conclusion: Vision center-based prevention of blindness and vision impairment programs, combined with home screening, is effective clinically and economically
The impact of ultraviolet suppression on the rates and properties of strongly lensed Type IIn supernovae detected by LSST
No full textUpcoming wide-field time-domain surveys, such as the Vera C. Rubin Observatory’s Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) are expected to discover up to two orders of magnitude more strongly lensed supernovae per year than have so far been observed. Of these, Type IIn supernovae have been predicted to be detected more frequently than any other supernova type, despite their small relative detection fraction amongst non-lensed supernovae. However, previous studies that predict a large population of lensed Type IIn supernova detections model their time evolving spectrum as a pure blackbody. In reality, there is a deficit in the UV flux of supernovae relative to the blackbody continuum due to line-blanketing from iron-group elements in the ejecta and scattering effects. In this work we quantify the effect of this UV suppression on the detection rates by LSST of a simulated population of strongly lensed Type IIn supernovae, relative to a pure blackbody model, using a mock LSST observing run. With a blackbody model, we predict to detect ∼70 lensed Type IIn supernova per year with LSST. By modelling a similar UV deficit to that seen in superluminous supernovae, we recover 60 - 80% of the detections obtained using a pure blackbody model, of which ∼10 detections per year are sufficiently bright (mi &lt; 22.5 mag) and detected early enough (&gt; 5 observations before lightcurve peak) to enable high-cadence spectroscopic follow up
Sum capacity characterization of pinching antennas-assisted multiple access channels
No full textPinching antenna system (PASS) has recently shown its promising ability to flexibly reconfigure wireless channels via dynamically adjusting the positions of pinching antennas over a dielectric waveguide, termed as pinching beamforming. This paper studies the fundamental limit of the sum rate for a PASS-assisted multiple access channel, where multiple users transmit individual messages to a base station under the average power constraint. To this end, a dynamic pinching beamforming setup is conceived, where multiple pinching beamforming vectors are employed in a transmission period and the capacity-achieving non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) based scheme is considered. For the ideal case with an asymptotically large number of pinching beamforming vectors, the optimal transmission scheme is unveiled to carry out alternating transmission among each user whose channel power gain is maximized with the tailored pinching beamforming. This implies that NOMA is not needed for achieving the sum capacity and the required optimal number of pinching beamforming vectors is equal to the number of users. With this insight, the corresponding sum rate is derived in closed-form expression, which serves as the upper bound of the sum rate. Inspired by this result, a lower bound of the sum rate under an arbitrarily finite number of pinching beamforming vectors is obtained. Numerical results validate our theoretical findings and also illustrate the practical significance of using dynamic pinching beamforming to improve the sum rate
Effectiveness of telemedicine interventions on anxiety, depression, and health-related quality of life in adults with implantable cardioverter defibrillators: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
No full textAims Adults with implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) frequently experience psychological distress, characterized as elevated symptoms of anxiety and depression; this significantly compromises their health-related quality of life (HRQoL). This review aims to synthesize the evidence on telemedicine interventions and evaluates their effectiveness on anxiety, depression, and HRQoL among adults with ICDs. Methods and results A comprehensive search was conducted across eight databases including Embase, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Scopus, Web of Science, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, PsycINFO, and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses. The quality of the studies was assessed using the revised Cochrane risk of bias tool for randomized trials (RoB2). Meta-analyses were performed using the Review Manager Web, employing a random-effects model. Nine studies encompassing a total of 1147 participants were included. Telemedicine interventions included phone calls, web-based platforms, mobile application, and remote monitoring. The meta-analysis results showed no significant differences between telemedicine interventions and standard care in perceived anxiety [standardized mean difference (SMD): −0.21; 95% confidence interval (CI): −0.64, 0.22; P = 0.34, very low certainty], perceived depression (mean difference: −0.40; 95% CI: −2.14, 1.34; P = 0.65, very low certainty), and HRQoL (SMD: 0.01; 95% CI: −0.18, 0.20, P = 0.92, low certainty). Conclusion Although no statistically significant differences were observed between telemedicine and standard care interventions in improving anxiety, depression, and HRQoL in adults with ICDs, telemedicine should continue to serve as a valuable complement to existing standard care. Future high-quality randomized controlled trials are needed to establish its effectiveness. Registration PROSPERO: CRD42025648188
Preconception care for men: a scoping review of knowledge, behaviours and interventions
No full textAim: This scoping review mapped quantitative evidence on men’s preconception care (PCC) focusing on: (1) knowledge, (2) behaviours and attitudes, (3) reproductive intentions and (4) outcomes of educational or counselling interventions. The review also sought to identify evidence gaps and inform future policies and practices to enhance male engagement in reproductive health. Methods: Quantitative studies involving men aged ≥18 years from high- and upper-middle-income countries were included. Studies focusing on couples, non-English-language publications, qualitative research, reviews and commentaries were excluded. Quantitative designs were prioritised to map measurable determinants and outcomes of engagement in PCC. Searches were conducted across seven databases in September 2025, following the PRISMA-ScR framework. No critical appraisal was performed, consistent with scoping review methodology. Results: Fourteen studies (n=18 733 men) were included, most of which were observational. Findings indicated low fertility awareness, inconsistent engagement in preconception behaviours, and minimal use of supplements or healthcare services. Differences were noted by age, education and fatherhood status. One intervention improved knowledge but did not address systemic barriers. Conclusions: Men remain underrepresented in PCC. Gender-transformative, system-level reforms integrating men into primary care, health education and public messaging are needed. Future research should test context-specific, equity-oriented interventions to promote inclusive PCC for all
Can instrumental effects obscure the true photospheric wave spectrum?
No full textOptical aberrations and instrument resolution can affect the observed morphological properties of features in the solar atmosphere. However, little work has been done to study the effects of spatial resolution on the dynamical processes occurring in the Sun’s atmosphere. In this work, owing to the availability of high-resolution observations of a magnetic pore captured with the Interferometric BIdimensional Spectrometer mounted at the Dunn Solar Telescope, we studied the impact of the diffraction limit and the sampling of an instrument on line-of-sight Doppler velocity oscillations. We reported a noticeable shift in the dominant frequency band from 5 to 3 mHz, as both the angular and detector resolutions of the instruments were degraded. We argue that the observed behavior is a result of the increased contamination of straylight from neighboring quiet Sun regions, masking the true behavior of umbral oscillations. These results suggest that the wave energy contributions reported in the literature and based on low-resolution instrumentation may be fundamentally underestimated. As we move into the era of high-resolution instrumentation such as DKIST and MUSE, this paper will offer a critical baseline for interpreting new observations, especially in terms of distinguishing true dynamic behaviors from artifacts introduced by instrument-related limitations