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Davidson posted an update 7 months, 2 weeks ago
Aims Chronic diseases may affect sexual health as an important factor for well-being. Mobile health (m-health) interventions have the potential to improve sexual health in patients with chronic conditions. The aim of this systematic review was to summarise the published evidence on mobile interventions for sexual health in adults with chronic diseases. Methods Five electronic databases were searched for English language peer-reviewed literature from 1 January 2009 to 31 December 2019. Appropriate keywords were identified based on the study’s aim. Study selection was based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis statement. The full texts of potential studies were reviewed, and final studies were selected. The m-health evidence reporting and assessment (mERA) checklist was used to assess the quality of the selected studies. After data extraction from the studies, data analysis was conducted. Results Nine studies met the inclusion criteria. All interventions were delivered through websites, and a positive effect on sexual problems was reported. Prostate and breast cancer were considered in most studies. Interventions were delivered for therapy, self-help and consultation purposes. Quality assessment of studies revealed an acceptable quality of reporting and methodological criteria in the selected studies. Replicability, security, cost assessment and conceptual adaptability were the criteria that had not been considered in any of the reviewed studies. Conclusions Reviewed studies showed a positive effect of mobile interventions on sexual health outcomes in chronic patients. For more effective interventions, researchers should design web-based interventions based on users’ needs and consider the m-health essential criteria provided by mERA. Additionally, mobile interventions can be more effective in combination with smartphone apps. © The Author(s) 2020.Objective Mobile health interventions have surged in popularity but their implementation varies widely and evidence of effectiveness is mixed. We sought to advance understanding of the diversity of behavior change techniques in mHealth interventions, especially those that leverage advanced mobile technologies. Methods We conducted a systematic review of articles published between 2007 and 2017 in high-impact journals in medicine, medical informatics, and health psychology to identify randomized controlled trials in which the effectiveness of an mobile health intervention was tested. Search terms included a mix of general (e.g. mobile health), hardware (e.g. Android, iPhone), and format (e.g. SMS, application) terms. Results In a systematic review of 21 studies, we found the techniques of personalization, feedback and monitoring, and associations were most commonly used in mobile health interventions, but there remains considerable opportunity to leverage more sophisticated aspects of ubiquitous computing. We found that prompts and cues were the most common behavior change techniques used in effective trials, but there was notable overlap in behavior change techniques used in ineffective trials. Conclusions Our results identify techniques that are commonly used in mobile health interventions and highlight pathways to advance the science of mobile health. © The Author(s) 2020.Case summary A 17-year-old neutered male European Shorthair cat was presented owing to an inability to jump and respiratory stridor. The owner did not report any other clinical signs. On physical examination, the main findings were plantigrade stance, broad facial features and inspiratory stridor. Neurological examination revealed posterior paraparesis, hypotonia and right hindlimb muscle atrophy. Laboratory findings were unremarkable and glycaemia was normal. Serum insulin-like growth factor 1 concentration was elevated (>1000 ng/ml). A total body CT scan showed an enlarged pituitary gland, thickening of the nasal turbinates and an L7-S1 right foraminal stenosis. Electrodiagnostic testing confirmed the presence of a neuropathy affecting both sciatic nerves. The cat was treated with gabapentin only and was still alive and euglycaemic 16 months after the diagnosis. Relevance and novel information This case describes for the first time sciatic neuropathy, an occasional complication of acromegaly in people, as a possible clinical presentation in acromegalic cats without concurrent diabetes mellitus. © The Author(s) 2020.Background Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is characterised by acute intestinal mucosal inflammation with chronic inflammatory features. Various degrees of mucosal eosinophilia are present along with the typical acute (neutrophil-predominant) inflammation. The effect of intestinal eosinophils on IBD outcomes remains unclear. Methods This is a retrospective study. Archived intestinal mucosal biopsy specimens of treatment-naïve IBD patients were examined by two pathologists. The number of eosinophils per high-power field was counted, and the mucosal inflammation was classified according to the eosinophilic inflammatory patterns. Clinical outcomes during the follow-up period were recorded. Results 142 treatment-naïve IBD patients were included. Mean age was 39 years. TGF-beta inhibitor 83% of patients had ulcerative colitis, and median follow-up was 3 years. 41% of patients had disease flare(s) and 24% required hospitalisation. Eosinophil count was not associated with risk of disease flare or hospitalisation. Patients with neutroPublished by BMJ.Background Circulating tumour DNA from colorectal cancer (CRC) is a biomarker for early detection of the disease and therefore potentially useful for screening. One such biomarker is the methylated SEPT9 (mSEPT9) gene, which occurs during CRC tumourigenesis. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to establish the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of mSEPT9 tests for the early diagnosis of CRC. Methods A systematic search of the relevant literature was conducted using Medline and Embase databases. Data were extracted from the eligible studies and analysed to estimate pooled sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic test accuracy. Results Based on 19 studies, the pooled estimates (and 95% CIs) for mSEPT9 to detect CRC were sensitivity 69% (62-75); specificity 92% (89-95); positive likelihood ratio 9.1 (6.1-13.8); negative likelihood ratio 0.34 (0.27-0.42); diagnostic OR 27 (15-48) and area under the curve 0.89 (0.86-0.91). The test has a positive predictive value of 2.6% and negative predictive value of 99.