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Normalization of Gut Hormone Levels Following Long-Term Recovery from Anorexia Nervosa
No full textBackground: Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), gastric inhibitory peptide (GIP), glucagon, and glicentin are gastrointestinal hormones derived from proglucagon that play crucial roles in regulating appetite and glucose homeostasis. These hormones have been examined during the acute state of anorexia nervosa (AN) with our previous study showing elevated GIP levels in the acute state which normalized following short-term weight restoration. GLP-1 and glicentin concentration remain unchanged in the acute state, but decrease after short-term weight restoration. However, few studies have investigated whether these alterations are more than mere consequences of the severe underweight, whether they persist after long-term recovery, and whether they could therefore be considered potential trait markers.Methods: In the current study, we assessed fasting serum concentrations of GLP-1, GIP, glucagon, and glicentin in 80 female individuals who had long-term recovered from AN and 100 healthy female controls. For group comparisons, a subset of 70 controls was pairwise age-matched to the recovered patients. Participants were further stratified by oral contraceptive (OC) use.Results: No significant differences in hormone concentrations, confirmed by Bayesian statistics, were observed between controls and recovered patients, regardless of OC use, except for glucagon levels.Conclusion: These findings suggest that alterations in gut-secreted hormones associated with glucose homeostasis during the acute, malnourished phase of AN reflect state-dependent changes that do not persist after recovery. OC use in former patients with AN does not affect normalization of these hormones during recovery.<br/
Ethnic and socioeconomic inequalities in the mental health of children and young people with pre-existing mental health and neurodevelopmental conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic:a systematic review of longitudinal studies
No full textThe COVID-19 pandemic may have amplified existing inequalities and disproportionately impacted the mental health of children and young people (CYP) with pre-existing mental health and neurodevelopmental conditions. Evidence suggests the mental health impact on this clinical group was heterogeneous, but the role of ethnicity and socioeconomic position on longitudinal mental health outcomes is unclear. This systematic review investigates the longitudinal association between ethnic and socioeconomic inequalities and the mental health outcomes of CYP with pre-existing conditions during the pandemic. OVID Medline, EMBASE, APA PsycInfo, and Global Health databases were searched between January 2020 and November 2025 (PROSPERO CRD42024611865). Eligible papers included longitudinal studies that assessed mental health outcomes at multiple timepoints before and/or during the pandemic in CYP with pre-existing conditions and examined the effect of ethnicity and socioeconomic position on outcomes. Included studies were narratively synthesised. Ten studies (N = 3,887) were included. We found evidence that CYP from lower income brackets and who experienced financial hardship reported greater levels of internalising, neurodevelopmental, post-traumatic stress, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Weak associations were found between ethnicity and internalising symptoms. However, the findings were inconsistent across mental health outcomes, timepoints, and ethnic and socioeconomic position groups. There is some evidence for the association between lower socioeconomic position and increased mental health outcomes in CYP with pre-existing conditions during the pandemic. Further robust longitudinal research is warranted to examine the long-term consequences of the pandemic to better understand how ethnic and socioeconomic inequalities contribute to mental health outcomes.</p
Hydrodynamic noise in one dimension:projected Kubo formula and how it vanishes in integrable models
No full textVirtual reality relaxation for university students:A feasibility and acceptability study
No full textBackground: There is a high prevalence of stress in university students. Current stress management interventions are often scarce or challenging to implement. Virtual reality (VR) relaxation may be a useful alternative. Our aim was to investigate the feasibility and acceptability of a five-week VR relaxation training in university students, and secondarily to explore its impact on clinical outcomes.Methods: University students (n = 30) were recruited in a five-week VR relaxation training. A mixed methods design was utilised to test the feasibility and acceptability and explore the impact of the training on clinical outcomes.Results: It was possible to recruit sufficient participants, and retention and adherence were excellent. The VR relaxation was experienced as positive, relaxing, immersive and resulting in impactful daily changes, though participants would value tailoring VR relaxation experiences according to preferences. Explorative analyses indicate a reduction in stress and increased relaxation and connection to nature in the short-term, and a reduction of worrying in the long-term. Conclusions: A five-week VR relaxation training is feasible and acceptable in university students and indicates beneficial changes for short-term stress, relaxation and connection to nature. Implications for students are discussed. Owing to methodological limitations, the findings on clinical outcomes need to be treated with caution. Further research in this promising area is warranted.<br/
A Sound Understanding:An In-Situ Deployment of an Accessible Audio-Media Player with People Living with Aphasia
No full textAudio media – radio, podcasts, audiobooks – structures everyday life: we keep up, wind down, and share moments through long-form listening. Yet for people living with aphasia – a communication disability that affects audio comprehension – unsupported audio often means losing the thread and marring the experience. While accessibility advances have focused on print, web, and audiovisual content, audio-only remains unconsidered; oftentimes optimised for marketisation rather than sustained understanding.We report a three-week in-situ deployment of Re-Connect app, an audio media player which meets the people at the moment of comprehension difficulty. With ten adults living with aphasia, we show how people assemble personal repertoires of small, co-present communication cues that repair in the moment and support recall. Grounded in lived experience, we argue for personal, source-proximate scaffolds that help make long-form audio more understandable and enjoyable
Tetronic® 1307-Based Polymeric Micelles and Thermoresponsive Gels for the Co-Delivery of Pentamidine and Miltefosine
Get PDFBackground: Pentamidine isethionate (PTM) and miltefosine (MF) are clinically relevant antiparasitic agents whose use is limited by toxicity, emerging resistance, and the lack of effective co-delivery strategies. Tetronic® 1307 (T1307), an amphiphilic and thermoresponsive block copolymer, was investigated as a carrier to enable their combination therapy. Methods: PTM and MF were formulated in T1307-based micelles and thermoresponsive gels. The systems were characterized by small-angle neutron scattering (SANS), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR). Antiparasitic activity was evaluated against Leishmania major promastigotes. Results: MF formed stable micelles that efficiently incorporated PTM, generating a “drug-in-drug” architecture. While T1307 alone showed limited PTM loading, MF promoted mixed micelle formation and enhanced PTM incorporation. At physiological temperature and adequate copolymer concentrations, drug-loaded micelles formed thermoreversible gels suitable for topical application. The combined formulations preserved drug activity and exhibited synergistic effects against L. major. Conclusions: T1307 is a promising platform for the co-delivery of PTM and MF, enabling synergistic combination therapy and thermoresponsive gel formation with potential to reduce systemic toxicity and improve treatment administration
P0261 Patient perspectives on colonoscopic surveillance for colitis-associated dysplasia and colorectal cancer in inflammatory bowel disease:A mixed-methods systematic review
No full textBackground: Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are at 1.4-1.7 times increased risk of developing colorectal cancer (CRC) compared with the non-IBD population. Clinical guidelines recommend regular colonoscopic surveillance to detect and manage colitis-associated dysplasia or early-stage CRC.1 Despite its importance, colonoscopy ranks low in acceptability among IBD patients when compared to other disease monitoring procedures.2 Adherence to surveillance varies3 and patients’ experiences are poorly understood. This study aimed to address the question: “What are the experiences of adult patients with IBD regarding colonoscopic surveillance programmes for colitis-associated dysplasia and CRC?”. The objectives were to explore patients’ experiences of surveillance and identify barriers and motivators influencing participation.Methods: This mixed-methods systematic review (MMSR) was conducted in alignment with the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology, using a convergent segregated mixed-methods design. The PRISMA diagram (Figure 1) summarises the search and studies selection. Data were extracted using a standardised tool and appraised with Critical Appraisal Skills Programme checklists. Quantitative findings were synthesised descriptively, and qualitative findings underwent thematic synthesis before final integration.Results: Three studies met the inclusion criteria (two cross-sectional surveys and one qualitative interview study), performed in the UK (n =1) and the USA (n=2). Key qualitative and quantitative findings are summarised in Table 1. The barriers to surveillance spanned 5 themes: 1) bowel preparation difficulties, 2) understanding the procedure’s purpose, 3) poor clinician communication, 4) emotional responses, e.g. anxiety, and 5) logistical constraints. Motivating factors included clear explanations from clinicians, reassurance about disease status, and confidence in the benefits of surveillance.Conclusion: This review provides a deeper understanding of how patients experience and interpret the surveillance process, highlighting modifiable factors that could enhance engagement. The five identified themes raise awareness that many barriers are easily remediable. Measures to remove barriers may improve the patient experience and thereby increase the uptake of surveillance to mitigate the risk of CRC. This MMSR demonstrates that research in this area remains limited and highlights the need for further research
Characterising the gut microbiota in chronic liver disease and the utility of faecal microbiota transplantation as a therapy
No full textAdditional file 1 of Genetic liability to psoriasis predicts severe disease outcomes
No full textAdditional file 1: Supplementary Tables S1-S12