MedWorm: National Institute for Health Research (NIHR)

Difficult to see how C. diff spreads in hospital

NHS News Feed — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 10:27:00 +0100

Conclusion This research is important because it suggests that the previous assumption that all C.difficile is spread on wards through contact with infected patients may not be entirely correct. As the authors point out, this means that transmission may not be adequately controlled by current strategies, which focus on preventing person-to-person spread. Further study is required to look at how the infection is transmitted. It’s worth noting that the research concentrated on established cases of Clostridium difficile and the potential transmission between infected patients. As such, it did not look at how far C. difficile may have been stopped from spreading in the wards by current hospital prevention strategies. Infection control measures in the NHS and private hospitals remain valid be...

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MAVIDOS Maternal Vitamin D Osteoporosis Study: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Trials — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

In this study we aim to test whether offspring of mothers supplemented with vitamin D in pregnancy have higher bone mass at birth than those whose mothers were not supplemented. Methods: Women have their vitamin D status assessed after ultrasound scanning in the twelfth week of pregnancy at 3 trial centres (Southampton, Sheffield, Oxford). Women with circulating 25(OH)-vitamin D levels 25-100nmol/l are randomised in a double-blind design to either oral vitamin D supplement (1000 IU cholecalciferol/day, n=477) or placebo at 14 weeks (n=477). Questionnaire data include parity, sunlight exposure, dietary information, and cigarette and alcohol consumption. At 19 and 34 weeks maternal anthropometry is assessed and blood samples taken to measure 25(OH)-vitamin D, PTH and biochemistry. At deliver...

Burden of pelvis fracture: a population-based study of incidence, hospitalisation and mortality

Osteoporosis International — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 19:37:21 +0100

Conclusions Pelvic fractures are associated with high rates of hospitalisation and mortality. Given this, further work is required to identify the optimal post-fracture therapeutic strategy to improve outcomes in this elderly patient group. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Original ArticlePages 1-7DOI 10.1007/s00198-012-1907-zAuthors D. Prieto-Alhambra, Oxford NIHR Musculoskeletal Biomedical Research Unit, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, University of Oxford, Windmill Road, Headington, Oxford OX3 7LD, UKF. F. Avilés, Institut Català de la Salut—IDIAP Jordi Gol i Gurina, Barcelona, SpainA. Judge, Oxford NIHR Musculoskeletal Biomedical Research Unit, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoske...

How a 'bottom-up' approach to innovation is making service improvements easier

HSJ — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0100

Adopting a bottom-up approach to driving clinical improvements in a traditionally top-down health service is making a significant difference to the collaborative projects being run in north west London by the National Institute for Health Research, writes Ganesh Sathyamoorthy. (Source: HSJ)

Accessing NIHR Information Systems: IT guidance

NHS Networks — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Peter Knight, deputy director and head of research information and intelligence, has written to chief executives of NHS trusts and university chancellors to explain that NHS and academic organisations are expected to review their local IT, internet access policies and/or firewall settings to ensure that all researchers are able to access the NIHR systems. (Source: NHS Networks)

Accessing National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) information systems

The Kings Fund - Health Management Specialist Collection — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:46:45 +0100

This letter explain that NHS and academic organisations are expected to review their local IT, internet access policies and/or firewall settings to ensure that all researchers are able to access the NIHR systems. Letter Department of Health - letters (Source: The Kings Fund - Health Management Specialist Collection)

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Paediatric research in the current NHS research environment

Paediatrics and Child Health — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 06:16:38 +0100

This article is about how such research is possible through the National Institute for Health Research; it is not about opportunities for basic medical and laboratory scientific research. (Source: Paediatrics and Child Health)

Massive decline in deadly heart attacks

NHS News Feed — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:50:00 +0100

Conclusion The strengths of this study lie in its very large size and its complete national coverage. One possible limitation is its reliance on the accuracy of routine data and diagnosis codes used from English hospitals, although, as the authors point out, research has shown high accuracy rates for this type of hospital data. It should be noted that although the study shows a fall in heart attacks and also in death rates among heart attack patients, it does not tell us the precise causes of either. The fall in heart attacks is likely to be linked to healthier lifestyles, earlier detection and a better management of risk factors such as high blood pressure in people at risk. Also, the study only examined deaths from heart attacks and the definition of this has changed over the years, so t...

Doubts cast over whether anti-flu drug Tamiflu works

NHS News Feed — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 17:35:00 +0100

Conclusion This systematic review aimed to assess comprehensively the effect of NIs including Tamiflu and Relenza on the prevention and treatment of flu in healthy adults and children by including results known to have been missed in previous reviews. In this sense, the review failed to meet its aims but for two distinct reasons. The evidence review of Relenza was suspended because new information about its effects on individual patients became available. The results of this are eagerly awaited. The review of Tamiflu was incomplete because of difficulties in obtaining sufficiently detailed information from the manufacturer. The systematic review included 25 studies in its final analysis, but had to exclude 42 relevant studies. By excluding these relevant studies, important information tha...

Fluorescent spray 'detects oesophageal cancer'

NHS News Feed — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 08:30:00 +0100

Conclusion This small study has developed a fluorescently tagged molecule that can help identify areas of Barrett’s oesophagus that have progressed towards becoming cancerous. This is an early study with limitations, including the following: This was a small study, which only tested the technique in sections of oesophagus from four patients. The study only looked at oesophageal samples that had been removed from the body, although the researchers did try to replicate how the oesophagus would be examined in real life. The fluorescent molecule binds more strongly to normal tissue and less strongly to abnormal tissue. The researchers note that an ideal marker for cancerous tissue would usually work in the opposite way: binding to abnormal tissue but not normal tissue. This study...

Blood vessels 'grown in lab'

NHS News Feed — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 18:30:00 +0100

Conclusion In this study, researchers developed methods for generating vascular smooth muscle cells, which form the walls of blood vessels, from pluripotent stem cells via three different intermediate stages. The cells they produced were in functional, working order and could help to form blood vessels when injected into mice. It’s already well known that the body uses different types of vascular smooth muscle cell to make up the walls of different blood vessels, and that these cells are themselves formed from different precursor cells during development. This latest advance in knowledge will allow different blood vessels to be modelled for research purposes, particularly to see why some of them are more susceptible to disease than others and to test new drugs. In future, it may also be...

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Education increases reserve against Alzheimer’s disease—evidence from structural MRI analysis

Neuroradiology — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 16:57:55 +0100

Conclusion Education may increase regional cortical thickness in healthy controls, leading to increased brain reserve, as well as helping AD patients to cope better with the effects of brain atrophy by increasing cognitive reserve. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Diagnostic NeuroradiologyPages 1-10DOI 10.1007/s00234-012-1005-0Authors Yawu Liu, Department of Neurology, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio University Hospital, P.O.Box 1627, 70211 Kuopio, FinlandValtteri Julkunen, Department of Neurology, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio University Hospital, P.O.Box 1627, 70211 Kuopio, FinlandTeemu Paajanen, Department of Neurology, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio University Hospital, P.O.Box 1627, 70211 Kuopio, FinlandEric Westman, Department of Neurob...

Experimental hepatitis C vaccine tested

NHS News Feed — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 16:15:00 +0100

Conclusion This was a small, early-stage human study into a new vaccine against the hepatitis C virus. While such research is required to determine the safety profile of a new therapy, little information on the effectiveness of the vaccine can be gleaned from the study. Phase I clinical trials are designed to determine the optimal dose of a new therapy, and to assess the safety and tolerability of treatments. This study shows that the developed vaccine is well tolerated and safe to use, and the preliminary results indicate that the immune response may be similar to that of people with a natural immunity to the virus. In addition to the small study size and the focus on safety and not effectiveness, there are other practical limitations to the study that should be considered before it is co...

The development and validation of a clinical prediction model to determine the probability of MODY in patients with young-onset diabetes

Diabetologia — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 17:00:50 +0100

Conclusions/interpretation We have developed clinical prediction models that calculate an individual’s probability of having MODY. This allows an improved and more rational approach to determine who should have molecular genetic testing. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory ArticlePages 1-8DOI 10.1007/s00125-011-2418-8Authors B. M. Shields, Peninsula NIHR Clinical Research Facility, Peninsula Medical School, University of Exeter, Barrack Road, Exeter, EX2 5DW UKT. J. McDonald, Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust, Exeter, UKS. Ellard, Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust, Exeter, UKM. J. Campbell, School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UKC. Hyde, Peninsula Technology Assessment Group, Peninsula Medical School, Unive...

Value of cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging in myocardial hypertrophy

Clinical Research in Cardiology — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 16:54:09 +0100

Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Letter to the EditorsPages 1-2DOI 10.1007/s00392-011-0401-5Authors Andreas Schuster, King’s College London British Heart Foundation (BHF) Centre of Excellence; National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre at Guy’s and St. Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust; Wellcome Trust and Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Medical Engineering Centre; Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, The Rayne Institute, St. Thomas’ Hospital, London, SE1 7EH UKMasaki Ishida, King’s College London British Heart Foundation (BHF) Centre of Excellence; National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre at Guy’s and St. Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust; Wellcome Trust and Engineering an...

Defining physiologically “normal” vitamin D in African Americans

Osteoporosis International — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 20:08:38 +0100

Conclusion Among MOST participants, the 25(OH)D thresholds at which no further change in iPTH was observed was approximately 20 ng/ml in African Americans versus approximately 30 ng/ml in Caucasians, suggesting optimal vitamin D levels in Caucasians may not be applicable to African Americans. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Original ArticlePages 1-9DOI 10.1007/s00198-011-1877-6Authors N. C. Wright, Department of Epidemiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, RPHB 523, 1665 University Blvd, Birmingham, AL 35294, USAL. Chen, Division of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, FOT 805, 510 20th Street South, Birmingham, AL 35294, USAJ. Niu, Clinical Epidemiology Research & Training Unit, Boston University School of ...

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The national institute for health research health technology assessment programme

Journal of Medical Screening — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

(Source: Journal of Medical Screening)

Knee Arthroplasty and Risk of Hip Fracture: A Population-Based, Case–Control Study

Calcified Tissue International — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 17:04:19 +0100

Abstract The majority of knee arthroplasties (KAs) are performed in patients with osteoarthritis (OA). Although bone mass may be increased in these patients, subjects with knee OA may have an increased risk of hip fracture, possibly due to an increased severity of falls. However, in patients with KAs, risk of hip fracture has not been studied extensively. We evaluated the association between KAs and hip fracture risk in a population-based case–control study using the Dutch PHARMO Record Linkage System (1991–2002, n = 33,104). Cases were patients with a first admission for hip fracture; controls were matched by age, gender, and geographic location. Neither group had a previous history of fracture. Time since first KA was calculated. Analyses were adjusted for ...

National Institute of Academic Anaesthesia research priority setting exercise

British Journal of Anaesthesia — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions A total of 14 research priorities were identified by the exercise, two of which have been submitted to the NIHR Health Technology Assessment (HTA) programme as statements of research need. Potential funding streams for the remaining questions are being sought. We discuss some implications of this exercise for research strategy in the speciality. (Source: British Journal of Anaesthesia)

Randomized controlled trial of intraoperative goal-directed fluid therapy in aerobically fit and unfit patients having major colorectal surgery

British Journal of Anaesthesia — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions Intraoperative SV optimization conferred no additional benefit over standard fluid therapy. In an aerobically fit subgroup of patients, GDT was associated with detrimental effects on the primary outcome. Trial registry: UK NIHR CRN 7285, ISRCTN 14680495. http://public.ukcrn.org.uk/Search/StudyDetail.aspx?StudyID=7285. (Source: British Journal of Anaesthesia)

Visualizing the hill of vision in 3D using the free programming language ‘R’

Graefe's Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 17:07:31 +0100

Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Letter to the EditorPages 1-2DOI 10.1007/s00417-011-1861-zAuthors Ryo Asaoka, NIHR Biomedical Research Centre for Ophthalmology, Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London, UKRichard A. Russell, NIHR Biomedical Research Centre for Ophthalmology, Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London, UKDavid P. Crabb, Department of Optometry and Visual Science, City University, London, UKDavid F. Garway-Heath, NIHR Biomedical Research Centre for Ophthalmology, Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London, UK Journal Graefe's Archive for Clinical and Experimental OphthalmologyOnline ISSN 1435-702XPrint ISSN 0721-832X (Source...

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Does maternal long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid status in pregnancy influence the bone health of children?

Osteoporosis International — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 17:33:17 +0100

Conclusions These findings suggest that variation in early exposure to n-3 and n-6 LCPUFA may have potential consequences for bone development and that the effects appear to persist into early childhood. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Original ArticlePages 1-9DOI 10.1007/s00198-011-1860-2Authors N. Harvey, MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, SO16 6YD UKD. Dhanwal, MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, SO16 6YD UKS. Robinson, MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, SO16 6YD UKM. Kim, MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton General Hosp...

Significant Gaps And Weaknesses In Children's Health Information Identified By Major Report

Health News from Medical News Today — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 08:00:00 +0100

Children and young people who have chronic health conditions or need operations don't always have access to the high-quality, child-friendly information they need to understand what is happening to them. That is the key finding of a three-year study funded by the National Institute for Health Research Service Delivery and Organisation (NIHR SDO) programme and led by Bangor and Cardiff Universities... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

The Harkness Fellows: 2011-2012

HSJ — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 17:39:00 +0100

Established by the Commonwealth Fund and supported by the Nuffield Trust and the National Institute for Health Research Service Delivery and Organisation Programme, Harkness Fellowships allow professionals to research health policy in the US. They blog their experiences and learning for HSJ and the Nuffield Trust. (Source: HSJ)

MRI identifies plantar plate pathology in the forefoot of patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Clinical Rheumatology — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 07:01:37 +0100

This study aimed to examine the relationship between plantar plate pathology and the rheumatoid arthritis magnetic resonance imaging score (RAMRIS) of the lesser (second to fifth) MTP joints in patients with RA using high-resolution 3 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In 24 patients with RA, the forefoot was imaged using 3 T MRI. Proton density fat-suppressed, T2-weighted fat-suppressed and T1-weighted post gadolinium sequences were acquired through 96 lesser MTP joints. Images were scored for synovitis, bone marrow oedema and bone erosion using the RAMRIS system and the plantar plates were assessed for pathology. Seventeen females and 7 males with a mean age of 55.5 years (range 37–71) and disease duration of 10.6 years (range 0.6–36) took part in the study...

Recombinant IgE antibodies for passive immunotherapy of solid tumours: from concept towards clinical application

Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 17:27:40 +0100

Abstract Therapeutic antibodies have revolutionised treatment of some cancers and improved prognosis for many patients. Over half of those available are approved for haematological malignancies, but efficacious antibodies for solid tumours are still urgently needed. Clinically available antibodies belong to the IgG class, the most prevalent antibody class in human blood, while other classes have not been extensively considered. We hypothesised that the unique properties of IgE, a class of tissue-resident antibodies commonly associated with allergies, which can trigger powerful immune responses through strong affinity for their particular receptors on effector cells, could be employed for passive immunotherapy of solid tumours such as ovarian and breast carcinomas. Our labo...

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Diagnosing Hypertension With Novel Test

Health News from Medical News Today — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 16:00:00 +0100

Investigators at the University of Cambridge have developed a novel test which may help doctors diagnose thousands of individuals with the most prevalent curable cause of hypertension (high blood pressure). The research showed a high-tech PET-CT scan could identify Conn's syndrome, which causes up to 5% of hypertension cases. The British Heart Foundation (BHF) and National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) funded the research. In the UK approximately 12 million individuals are diagnosed with hypertension... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Predicting Response to Growth Hormone Treatment

Indian Journal of Pediatrics — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 18:06:12 +0100

Abstract Despite extensive experience over the past 25 y in managing growth failure with growth hormone (rhGH), predicting treatment efficacy in individual children remains a challenge. In this paper, the authors present the methods that are currently available to clinicians for predicting the growth response, and other more sophisticated techniques which have the potential to pave the way for individualised therapy in the future. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Symposium on Growth HormonePages 1-9DOI 10.1007/s12098-011-0611-xAuthors Leena Patel, Department of Pediatric Endocrinology, Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, Manchester, M13 9WL UKPeter E. Clayton, Child Health & Pediatric Endocrinology, NIHR Greater Manchester, Lancashire & South Cumbria Medic...

Influenza H1N1 (swine flu) vaccination: a safety surveillance feasibility study using self‐reporting of serious adverse events and pregnancy outcomes

British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 21:40:02 +0100

Conclusions: Overall, no significant safety issues were identified. The methodology and use of modern technologies to collect safety data from large numbers of patients was successful and could be used again in similar safety studies.What is already known about this subject:▪ While the new H1N1 vaccines underwent the usual rigorous safety and efficacy testing, concerns remained that there may be unexpected side effects of the vaccines▪ The strategy for H1N1 vaccine pharmacovigilance in the UK consisted of two patient studies by the two vaccine manufacturers, 14 small scale studies supported by the NIHR, monitoring by specialist neurologists and the MHRA.▪ This pilot study was performed to investigate the feasibility of a large‐scale prospective active surveillance system for near r...

Pathophysiology of postprandial hyperglycaemia in women with type 1 diabetes during pregnancy

Diabetologia — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 06:47:48 +0100

Conclusions/interpretation Postprandial glucose control is impaired by significantly slower glucose disposal in late gestation. Early prandial insulin dosing may help to accelerate glucose disposal and potentially ameliorate postprandial hyperglycaemia in late pregnancy. Trial registration: ISRCTN 62568875 Funding: Diabetes UK Project Grant BDA 07/003551. H.R. Murphy is funded by a National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) research fellowship (PDF/08/01/036). Supported also by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), Abbott Diabetes Care (Freestyle Navigator CGM and sensors free of charge), Medical Research Council Centre for Obesity and Related Metabolic Diseases and NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre. Content Type Journal Arti...

'Weak evidence' to support exercise referrals

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 04:00:00 +0100

(The Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry) Research commissioned by the NIHR Health Technology Assessment program and carried out by research teams from the Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry and the universities of Exeter and Brunel, has called into question the effectiveness of exercise referral schemes as they are delivered at present. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

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The national institute for health research health technology assessment programme

Journal of Medical Screening — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 04:00:00 +0100

(Source: Journal of Medical Screening)

New decision framework to support NICE recommendations published

NeLM - News — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Source: PharmaTimes Area: News According to a report by PharmaTimes, a new decision framework to support recommendations by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) on the use of new drugs and devices in the NHS has been published by the Centre for Health Economics at the University of York. The project is funded by the National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment (NIHR HTA) programme. Please see link for details. (Source: NeLM - News)

New way to predict cancer returning?

NHS News Feed — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 17:13:00 +0100

Conclusion This study assessed a new combined test’s ability to predict the risk of disease recurrence in oestrogen-receptor-positive breast cancer patients whose disease had not spread to nearby lymph nodes. The test builds on an existing genetic measure, but adds clinical factors to classify a patient’s risk level. The researchers found that the new test classified more patients at low risk for disease recurrence compared to the original test. However, it did not improve the ability to predict a patient’s potential benefit from receiving chemotherapy. The researchers say that planning cancer treatments should be based on both the benefits and risks of treatment for each individual patient. The researchers say that their test is not going to be of benefit for all patients and that t...

Pregnant women advised to get flu jab

NHS News Feed — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 17:00:00 +0100

Conclusion This well conducted study highlights the possible risk to babies of maternal infection with H1N1. The research has some limitations, which mean the results should be interpreted with some caution. The researchers used a historical cohort of pregnant women to act as a comparison, some of whom had given birth during 2005-6. It is possible that pregnancy outcomes have changed between this time and the time the infected women gave birth. The researchers point out that this risk is somewhat mitigated by the fact that the national surveillance of perinatal mortality has not identified any changes that were likely to affect these findings. Although the researchers adjusted their analysis for confounders, it is possible that both measured and unmeasured confounders affected the re...

Improving recruitment of older people to research through good practice

Age and Ageing — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

There is widespread evidence both of the exclusion of older people from clinical research, and of under-recruitment to clinical trials. This review and opinion piece provides practical advice to assist researchers both to adopt realistic, achievable recruitment rates and to increase the number of older people taking part in research. It analyses 14 consecutive recently published trials, providing the number needed to be screened to recruit one older participant (around 3:1), numbers excluded (up to 49%), drop out rates (5–37%) and whether the planned power was achieved. The value of planning and logistics are outlined, and approaches to optimising recruitment in hospital, primary care and care home settings are discussed, together with the challenges of involving older adults with me...

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Thirst for knowledge? Why the NHS should take clinical research seriously

HSJ — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0100

A survey by HSJ and the National Institute for Health Research set out to discover how seriously NHS organisations take clinical research. Daloni Carlisle studies the results. (Source: HSJ)

Researchers examine 'fertility switch'

NHS News Feed — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 15:27:00 +0100

Conclusion In this study, researchers have implicated the protein SGK1 in both infertility and recurrent pregnancy loss - two distinct causes of pregnancy failure. They found that this protein is produced at high levels in the womb linings of women with unexplained infertility, and a high proportion of the protein is in its active state. Using a mouse model, the researchers demonstrated that producing high levels of SGK1 in the womb lining stops embryos implanting, meaning the mice did not get pregnant. The researchers also found that women who had a history of miscarriage (on three or more consecutive occasions), produced less SGK1 in the womb lining. They used another mouse model to investigate this, and found that in mice lacking SGK1, although embryo implantation did take place, some o...

Simple Measurement of Aneurysm Residual after Treatment: the SMART scale for evaluation of intracranial aneurysms treated with flow diverters

Acta Neurochirurgica — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 15:37:55 +0100

Conclusions Further studies need to show the applicability and possible predictive value of this new grading scale on the efficacy of the stent in promoting intra-aneurysmal flow stagnation, thus creating the potential to harmonize the results of future papers. This may help to optimize treatment and future device design. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Experimental researchPages 1-6DOI 10.1007/s00701-011-1177-0Authors Iris Quasar Grunwald, Acute Vascular Imaging Centre (AVIC), NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, University of Oxford and Oxford Radcliffe Hospital NHS Trust, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, OX3 9DU UKM. Kamran, Oxford Neurovascular and Neuroradiology Research Unit, Level 6 West Wing, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UKR. A. Corkill, Departme...

Scare over miscarriage scans unjustified

NHS News Feed — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 18:35:00 +0100

Conclusion This research looked at the processes used to diagnose whether a pregnancy was viable when performing an early pregnancy scan. These types of scans were given to women who had an early pregnancy scan due to lower abdominal pain, vaginal bleeding, poor obstetric history or to estimate gestational age. A diagnosis of uncertain viability was made if no embryo could be seen although the gestational sac was a certain diameter, or if no fetal heartbeat could be detected in embryos of a certain size. A subsequent first-trimester scan was performed at 11-14 weeks. The researchers then analysed the results to determine how many viable pregnancies would have been misdiagnosed as miscarriages using the current recommended cut-offs. Using the current cut-off, the researchers found that betw...

Parkinson's Disease And Falls Prevention

Health News from Medical News Today — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 07:00:00 +0100

A study carried out by the Primary Care Research Group at the Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry, supported by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and NIHR PenCLAHRC, has analysed the results of an exercise programme to prevent falls in those with Parkinson's disease. The study was instigated because, to date, there are few trials that have examined the benefit of such interventions to people with Parkinson's disease... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

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A1 Financial and time costs of R&D governance and regulation in England and Wales: evidence from the SAFER 2 trial

Emergency Medicine Journal — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

We present recommendations about how to improve the system to avoid delays and spiralling costs. The SAFER 2 trial is an National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment-funded cluster randomised controlled trial evaluating clinical and cost effectiveness of protocols for paramedics to refer older people for whom a 999 call has been made for a reported fall to community based care. We have encountered various issues relating to R&D processes, including: unclear guidelines about how R&D permissions work both within and across UK countries; inconsistencies in processes between sites; complex processes at global and local level; differing interpretations of the Attributing Revenue Costs of non-commercial research in the NHS (ARCO); multiple routes for reclaim...

Heterozygous ABCC8 mutations are a cause of MODY

Diabetologia — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 05:50:29 +0100

Conclusions/interpretation ABCC8 mutations can cause MODY in patients whose clinical features are similar to those with HNF1A/4A MODY. Therefore, sequencing of ABCC8 in addition to the known MODY genes should be considered if such features are present, to facilitate optimal clinical management of these patients. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Short CommunicationPages 1-5DOI 10.1007/s00125-011-2319-xAuthors P. Bowman, Peninsula NIHR Clinical Research Facility, Peninsula Medical School, University of Exeter, Exeter, UKS. E. Flanagan, Institute of Biomedical and Clinical Science, Peninsula Medical School, University of Exeter, Exeter, UKE. L. Edghill, Institute of Biomedical and Clinical Science, Peninsula Medical School, University of Exeter, Exeter, UKA. Damhu...

Falls prevention in Parkinson's disease

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

(The Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry) A study carried out by the Primary Care Research Group at the Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry, supported by the National Institute for Health Research and NIHR PenCLAHRC, has analysed the results of an exercise program to prevent falls in those with Parkinson's disease. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

Post-operative pain management.

Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 01:20:04 +0100

Authors: Eccleston C Abstract This month sees the landmark publication of an authoritative Cochrane overview of systematic reviews of oral analgesics for acute post-operative pain in adults.The lead author, Professor Andrew Moore describes this study in this month's podcasts Pain management is a routine feature of everyday medicine. To the uninitiated, post-operative analgesia is often considered a straightforward pain problem. After all, the extent and timing of tissue damage are predictable, the damage occurs normally in controlled circumstances in a clinical environment with access to analgesia, and in many societies there is choice of analgesic strategy. However, despite the ubiquity of pain and analgesic practice, post-operative pain management is commonly reported to be poor....

Genes for 'rare form of hypoglycaemia found'

NHS News Feed — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 16:42:00 +0100

Conclusion This study has identified a mutation in the AKT2 gene that gives rise to a very specific pattern of symptoms, including severe recurrent hypoglycaemia and overgrowth on one side of the body. This research highlights the role of the AKT2 protein in regulating sugar levels in the body. It is important to note that the syndrome that these three children had is rare, and the mutation identified will not be responsible for most people’s episodes of hypoglycaemia. Episodes of hypoglycaemia will usually occur in people who have diabetes if they inject more insulin than they need for the amount of sugar they have in their bloodstream. These findings may help to find ways to treat the children who carry this rare mutation, but it seems unlikely that the findings will have any implica...

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Gene for 'rare form of hypoglycaemia found'

NHS News Feed — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 16:42:00 +0100

Suicide Rates In England And Wales Might Be Wrong

Health News from Medical News Today — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 16:00:00 +0100

Experts on bmj.com today warn that the increasing use of "narrative verdicts" made by coroners in England and Wales may lead to greater underestimation of suicide rates. The on-going research is partly funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). In 2009 suicides accounted for 4,648 deaths in England and Wales. At present, official statistics produced by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) are based on open verdict deaths, also known as "short-from" verdicts, issued by coroners after inquests into unexpected or unnatural deaths... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Tanning 'damages deep skin layers'

NHS News Feed — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 10:24:00 +0100

Conclusion This research has shown that UVA can produce some similar damage to the DNA when the skin becomes red as UVB. The research also showed that these changes may increase the risk of developing skin cancer if not repaired by the body. Previously, it was thought that UVB caused burning and was the major carcinogenic component of sunlight, while UVA was considered to be relatively harmless apart from ageing the skin. In recent times studies, including this one, have suggested that UVA may directly cause the type of DNA damage that can lead to skin cancer. This study emphasises the importance of choosing a sunscreen that protects against both UVA and UVB (often labelled as offering ‘broad spectrum’ protection). The charity Cancer Research UK has highlighted that there is no interna...

The attitude of farmers to the New Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme in Northwest China one year after its introduction: a cross-sectional study

Journal of Public Health — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 05:48:48 +0100

Conclusion A number of remedial actions in health financing, planning and management to counteract the identified issues are proposed. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Original ArticlePages 1-9DOI 10.1007/s10389-011-0448-9Authors Chuangzhou Xu, College of Humanities, Northwest A&F University, No. 3 Taicheng Road, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, ChinaZhengbing Wang, College of Economics and Management, Northwest A&F University, No. 3 Taicheng Road, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, ChinaChristian A. Gericke, Peninsula CLAHRC, National Institute for Health Research, Peninsula Medical School, Universities of Exeter & Plymouth, Portland Square, Plymouth, PL4 8AA UK Journal Journal of Public HealthOnline ISSN 1613-2238Print ISSN 0943-1853 (Source: Journal of Public Health)

Concern over accuracy of suicide rates in England and Wales

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

(BMJ-British Medical Journal) The increasing use of "narrative verdicts" by coroners in England and Wales may be leading to greater underestimation of suicide rates, warn experts on bmj.com today, based on ongoing research part funded by the National Institute for Health Research. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

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Study: Mammo delivers effective surveillance for breast cancer survivors

Health Imaging News — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 10:36:49 +0100

Screening mammography is likely to improve survival among women previously diagnosed with breast cancer, according to a clinical survey and cost-effectiveness analysis commissioned by the National Institute for Health Research in the U.K. and published in the September issue of Health Technology Assessment. (Source: Health Imaging News)

National Institute for Health Research annual report 2010/11 published

NHS Networks — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

The report provides an overview of the NIHR’s activities and key achievements over the year. (Source: NHS Networks)

Academic training in rheumatology in 2009: a UK trainee survey.

Clinical Medicine — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Authors: Gompels LL, Chinoy H, Devakumar V, Bax D, Mackworth-Young CG Abstract Significant changes to the structure and entry into specialist training continue to be implemented. This is likely to have had a long-term impact on rheumatology service provision and the proportion of trainees undertaking academic medicine. An online questionnaire was sent to all trainees on the Joint Royal Colleges Postgraduate Training Board (JRCPTB) database. Out of 211 trainees, 141 responded (66.8%). Of these, 33 (23%) were registered for, or had been awarded, an MD or PhD with a wide variety of funding sources. Mainstream funding sources included Arthritis Research UK, the Medical Research Council, the National Institute for Health Research and the Wellcome Trust, but a substantial number of train...

QRS subtraction for atrial electrograms: flat, linear and spline interpolations

Medical and Biological Engineering and Computing — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 05:49:33 +0100

Abstract The main objective of this article is to implement and compare QRS subtraction techniques for intra-cardiac atrial electrograms based on using the surface ECG as a reference. A band-pass filter between 8 and 20 Hz followed by rectification, and then a low-pass filter at 6 Hz are used for QRS detection. QRS subtraction was performed using three different approaches: flat, linear and spline interpolations. QRS subtraction affects the power of the signals but it normally does not affect the dominant frequency. The average power of the atrial electrograms after QRS subtraction is significantly reduced for frequencies above 10 Hz. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Original ArticlePages 1-8DOI 10.1007/s11517-011-0829-9Authors A. Ahmad, Department...

National Institute for Health Research Annual Report 2010/11 published

NeLM - News — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Source: Department of Health (DH) Area: News The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Annual Report 2010/11, which provides an overview of the NIHR's activities and key achievements over the year, has been published and can be accessed via the link below. The NIHR was established in April 2006 to provide the framework through which the Department of Health can position, maintain and manage the research, research staff and research infrastructure of the NHS in England as a national research facility. (Source: NeLM - News)

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Mammographic Surveillance Increases Breast Cancer Survival

Health News from Medical News Today — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 08:00:00 +0100

New research published in Health Technology Assessment 2011; vol. 15:34 has found that surveillance using mammography increases the survival chances of breast cancer patients. The research was funded by the National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment (NIHR HTA) programme. Around 45,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer in the UK every year. Outcomes are improving and many women do not suffer from a recurrence. To ensure that any recurrences are detected early, women are given regular follow up appointments for up to three years... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

A phase I, open-label, randomized crossover study to assess the effect of dosing of the MEK 1/2 inhibitor Selumetinib (AZD6244; ARRY-142866) in the presence and absence of food in patients with advanced solid tumors

Cancer Chemotherapy and Pharmacology — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 05:51:06 +0100

Conclusions The presence of food decreased the extent of absorption of selumetinib. It is recommended that for further clinical studies, selumetinib be taken on an empty stomach. Selumetinib demonstrated an acceptable safety profile in the advanced cancer population. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Clinical Trial ReportPages 1-10DOI 10.1007/s00280-011-1732-7Authors Suzanne Leijen, Division of Experimental Therapy, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, The NetherlandsPatricia M. M. B. Soetekouw, Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, GROW—School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The NetherlandsT. R. Jeffry Evans, Translational Cancer Research, Beatson...

The use of LiDCO based fluid management in patients undergoing hip fracture surgery under spinal anaesthesia: Neck of femur optimisation therapy - targeted stroke volume (NOTTS) : study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Trials — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Background: Approximately 70,000 patients / year undergo surgery for repair of a fractured hip in the United Kingdom. This is associated with 30-day mortality of 9% and survivors have a considerable length of acute hospital stay postoperatively (median 26 days). Use of oesophageal Doppler monitoring to guide intra-operative fluid administration in hip fracture repair has previously been associated with a reduction in hospital stay of 4-5 days. Most hip fracture surgery is now performed under spinal anaesthesia. Oesophageal Doppler monitoring may be unreliable in the presence of spinal anaesthesia and most patients would not tolerate the probes. An alternative method of guiding fluid administration (minimally-invasive arterial pulse contour analysis) has been shown to reduce length of stay ...

Costs of cancer treatments questioned

NHS News Feed — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 18:40:00 +0100

Conclusion This is an extensive expert opinion piece looking at the high cost of cancer care. The authors examined cost drivers from a variety of policy and clinical perspectives – from epidemiology to research to technology development and health economics. The report identifies key areas that they feel could be addressed to reduce the cost and improve the quality of cancer care. Although the paper discusses specific treatments and national healthcare systems (including the NHS) it is not a specific analysis of where changes in individual systems would be beneficial. Instead, the document raises many issues pertaining to whether cancer care strategies need to be examined and reformed in terms of both cost-effectiveness and clinical benefit. However, the media generally focused on one sp...

The National Horizon Scanning Centre (NHSC) website new features

NHS Networks — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100

The NHSC is funded by the UK National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) to provide key NHS decision makers with advance notice of new and emerging health technologies that may have a significant impact on patients and/or service delivery or costs. The scope of the horizon scanning activity includes drugs, medical devices and equipment, diagnostic tests and procedures, therapeutic interventions, and rehabilitation aids and therapy. Information is provided to NHS decision makers in the form of short technology briefings (drugs) or news briefs (medical devices, diagnostics and other technology types). The NHSC website features: An enhanced search function so that you can find information on new and emerging health technologies more easily and quickly Recent briefings and rese...

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Stem cell trial for eye condition to go ahead

NHS News Feed — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 11:24:00 +0100

“UK medics lead Europe's first embryonic stem cell trial,” reported BBC News. It said that doctors at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London have been “given the go-ahead” to carry out Europe's first clinical trial using human embryonic stem cells (cells from early stage embryos that have the potential to develop into any type of body cell). In the trial in London, retinal cells derived from embryonic stem cells will be injected into the retina of people with Stargardt's macular dystrophy, which is an inherited condition that causes progressive, and eventually total, loss of central vision. This early trial, which is likely to start within the next few months, is aimed at testing the safety of the treatment in humans. It may be some time before we know whether it works. If the results i...

Five New Genes That Affect Risk Of Developing Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) And Heart Attacks Discovered

Health News from Medical News Today — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 10:00:00 +0100

According to an investigation set to be published in the open-access journal PLoS Genetics, an international group of investigators report the findings of five new genes that affect risk of developing coronary artery disease (CAD) and heart attacks. The investigation was funded by the British Heart Foundation and the National Institute for Health Research in the UK, with added funding from the NIH in the U.S. as well as other funding sources in Europe... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Cryotherapy Or Salicylic Acid Treatment Of Verrucae Equally As Effective

Health News from Medical News Today — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 10:00:00 +0100

In a project funded by the National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment (NIHR HTA), researchers discovered that there is no evidence of a difference in clearance rates between patient self-treatment for verrucae (A type of wart) and treatment received by healthcare professionals. Verrucae are common, infectious and sometimes painful, and although most verrucae spontaneously disappear without treatment, many patients seek out health professionals to remove the wart because they experience pain or it prevents them from sporting activities... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

NHS leaders' views sought on clinical research

HSJ — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 15:27:00 +0100

HSJ, in partnership with the National Institute for Health Research, are looking to gain insight into the way NHS leaders see clinical research within their organisations. (Source: HSJ)

’AMP NIHR Programme’ - CANCELLED (2011-09-29)

Institute of Psychiatry | Events — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 08:42:31 +0100

Now cancelled (Source: Institute of Psychiatry | Events)

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’AMP NIHR Programme’ - CANCELLED (2011-09-29)

Institute of Psychiatry | Events — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 13:48:45 +0100

Now cancelled (Source: Institute of Psychiatry | Events)

Preprocedural imaging strategies in symptomatic carotid artery stenosis

Journal of Vascular Surgery — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: DUS is the optimum screening tool due to its sensitivity and specificity, availability, and low cost. When CEA appears indicated, confirmatory imaging with CE-MRA is the most reliable and cost-effective method of investigation. (Source: Journal of Vascular Surgery)

The NIHR Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care (CLAHRC) for Greater Manchester: Combining empirical, theoretical and experiential evidence to design and evaluate a large-scale implementation strategy

Implementation Science — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 23:00:00 +0100

We present an argument for adopting an integrative, co-production approach to planning and evaluating the implementation of research into practice, drawing on an eclectic range of evidence sources. (Source: Implementation Science)

New NIHR Biomedical Research Centre and Units announced (National Institute for Health Research News, 18 August 2011)

Society for Endocrinology — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 12:00:00 +0100

The Department of Health has released £800 million to fund the establishment of 11 NIHR Biomedical Research Centres, and 20 NIHR Biomedical Research Units, all centred on translational ('bench-to-bedside') research. Full article (Source: Society for Endocrinology)

The national institute for health research health technology assessment programme

Journal of Medical Screening — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 23:00:00 +0100

(Source: Journal of Medical Screening)

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Diabetic retinopathy screening with computational support

Acta Ophthalmologica — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 09:30:03 +0100

Conclusion Our system has sensitivity/specificity values for the MA step comparable to or better then other automated systems available, as tested in the Retinopathy Online Challenge, where it is currently ranked as first. MA detection remains a key component in automated DR screening, but detection of other DR lesions can lead to further improvement. This work was supported in part by NKTH, TECH08‐2, Hungary DRSCREEN project and the NIHR BMRC in Ophthalmology (TP). (Source: Acta Ophthalmologica)

NIHR Research for Patient Benefit funding

Society for Endocrinology — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 12:00:00 +0100

The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Research for Patient Benefit (RfPB) scheme encourages proposals for projects covering a wide range of health service issues and challenges. Projects are selected for funding on the basis of the quality of the research proposal and its likely transition into patient benefit locally and for the wider NHS. The programme supports: studies of the provision and use of NHS services; evaluations of the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of interventions; examination of the resource utilisation of alternative means for healthcare delivery; the scrutinising of innovations and developments; and pilots or feasibility projects to help reach the next step of a definitive trial. RfPB particularly welcomes proposals that have benefited from interactio...

Simple test finds baby heart defects

NHS News Feed — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 10:43:00 +0100

Conclusion Babies with congenital heart defects are currently identified through routine ultrasound scans during pregnancy and at routine newborn baby examinations after birth. However, as the researchers say, these methods have a fairly low detection rate for CHD, and a substantial number of babies with life-threatening CHD are discharged without their condition being identified. The pulse oximetry test is already a well-established test for measurement of blood oxygenation, and rationale for its use as a screening test is based on the premise that babies with major CHD would have some degree of hypoxaemia (low blood oxygen level), even if it were not detectable through clinical examination. This was a well-conducted screening cohort study in which a large sample of newborns all received ...

Heart test could save babies' lives

Guardian Unlimited Science — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 23:05:01 +0100

This study shows the potential benefit of pulse oximetry screening as part of that."ChildrenHealthSarah Boseleyguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2011 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds (Source: Guardian Unlimited Science)

Association between DHEAS and Bone Loss in Postmenopausal Women: A 15-Year Longitudinal Population-Based Study

Calcified Tissue International — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 05:51:27 +0100

Abstract Our aim was to examine the association between serum dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) at baseline and BMD change at the femoral neck (FN) and lumbar spine (LS) in postmenopausal women during a 15-year follow-up. All participants were from the Chingford Study. BMD at the FN and LS were measured eight times during the 15-year follow-up by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. DHEAS at baseline was measured using radioimmunoassay. Data on height, weight, and hormone-replacement therapy (HRT) status were obtained at each visit. Multilevel linear regression modeling was used to examine the association between longitudinal BMD change at the FN and LS and DHEAS at baseline. Postmenopausal women (n = 1,003) aged 45–68 years (mean 54.7) at baseline were i...

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Academic clinical lecturerships, University of Oxford

Society for Endocrinology — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 12:00:00 +0100

Via www.jobs.ac.uk. Applications are invited for four Academic clinical lectureships posts under the NIHR Integrated Academic Training Pathway. These are fixed-term four-year posts which offer excellent opportunities to undertake high-quality research within a clinically excellent environment. Applicants should be medically qualified, have full GMC registration and already hold, or be close to obtaining a PhD/DPhil/MD. Any successful applicant must be able to take up his/her post no later than 31 March 2012. Applications for the four posts are invited from the following specialities: Paediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Neurology, General Psychiatry, Endocrinology and Diabetes Mellitus, Chemical Pathology, Medical Microbiology, and Immunology. Click on the link below for more informa...

Clinical Utility of the New ASAS Criteria for Spondyloarthritis and the Disease Activity Score

Current Rheumatology Reports — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 05:54:39 +0100

Abstract The advent of new therapeutic agents that are efficacious in the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis and related spondyloarthropathies has highlighted important unmet needs in our understanding of these conditions. Chief among these is the possibility of making a diagnosis at the early, nonradiographic phase, when the burden of disease is substantial and comparable to that of more advanced stages. The new Assessments in Spondyloarthritis International Society (ASAS) classification criteria provide a unique tool to allow research standardization in this area and may also be of clinical utility. The development of the disease activity index ASDAS (Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score) aims to provide a composite measure that can discriminate and show sensit...

Senior clinical lectureship awards for nurses, midwives, allied health professionals and healthcare scientists

MEDEV News — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 03:45:26 +0100

HEFCE and the funding councils work with The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) for England to run the Senior Clinical Lectureship Awards for Nurses, Midwives, Allied Health Professionals and Healthcare Scientists. The awards represent the pinnacle of the Clinical Academic Training Programme which supports individuals committed to developing a career combining research and clinical practice.The Clinical Academic Training Programme was developed following the publication, in 2007, of the report 'Developing the best research professionals. Qualified graduate nurses: recommendations for preparing and supporting clinical academic nurses of the future' by the UK Clinical Research Collaboration Sub-committee for Nurses in Clinical Research.HEFCE and...

Predicting The Severity Of Illness In Children Using Vital Signs

Health News from Medical News Today — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 11:00:00 +0100

The research will be presented today [Thursday 7 July] at the Annual Scientific Meeting of the Society of Academic Primary Care, hosted this year by the Academic Unit of Primary Health Care, University of Bristol. The research was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) School for Primary Care Research (NSPCR). Dr Susannah Fleming and colleagues used a dataset containing heart rate, temperature, and oxygen saturation measurements from 873 children, and assessed the severity of their illness by checking whether they were admitted to hospital in the following seven days... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Unclear results for salt reduction study

NHS News Feed — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 18:15:00 +0100

Conclusion Performing a systematic review and meta-analysis can increase the statistical power of research on a topic, helping to detect differences in outcomes. However, although the number of individuals pooled in the analysis was large (approximately 6,500 people), the number of events which occurred was relatively small, reducing certainty as to what impact the interventions may have had. One of the study authors has estimated that at least 18,000 participants would need to be analysed in order to identify any effects clearly. Points to note are that: The reduced-sodium interventions did actually produce the expected positive effect, but the researchers could place little confidence in those measurements due to the relatively small number of events observed. The researchers were ...

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Association between incident and baseline vertebral fractures in European women: vertebral fracture assessment in the Osteoporosis and Ultrasound Study (OPUS)

Osteoporosis International — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 05:58:13 +0100

Conclusions Population-based postmenopausal women had relatively low prevalence and incidence of VF analysed with the ABQ method applied to VFA. Women with prevalent fracture had a significantly greater risk of incident VF than women without prevalent fracture. Content Type Journal ArticlePages 1-7DOI 10.1007/s00198-011-1701-3Authors L. Ferrar, The National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Unit for Musculoskeletal Disease at the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield, UKC. Roux, Centre d’Evaluation des Malades Osseuses, Service de Rhumatologie, Assistance-Publique, Hopitaux de Paris, Rene Descartes University, Paris, FranceD. Felsenberg, Center of Muscle and Bone Research, Charite-Universitätsmediz...

Babies 'detect emotion in voices'

NHS News Feed — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 16:53:00 +0100

Conclusion This study furthers our understanding of the brain’s biology and which areas of a baby’s brain are activated by speech and by different emotionally charged vocalisations. It will be of interest to the scientific and medical community and will contribute to the findings of similar studies conducted in this area. As expected for this type of experimental study, the sample of babies was small and, therefore, the study is more likely to produce chance results than studies in more participants. As all babies were sleeping during the study (which is understandably more feasible and ethical when placing young babies in a scanner, in addition to removing the effect that a baby’s own crying and distress would have upon brain activity), it is not known whether there is a difference ...

Experiences of and influences on continuity of care for service users and carers: synthesis of evidence from a research programme

Health and Social Care in the Community — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100

AbstractHealth and social care systems experience difficulty in delivering the continuity of care that service users want. Lack of clarity about what continuity means hinders service organisation and delivery. The NIHR Service Delivery and Organisation programme funded a series of research projects to tackle this conceptual confusion, and subsequently commissioned a review of the projects’ outputs. The aim was to assess how the projects had progressed conceptualisation and measurement of continuity, and increased knowledge about what influenced it. This paper concentrates on two questions: what is continuity of care, and what influences it? We reviewed the projects’ outputs and extracted data using techniques adapted from systematic reviewing methods. We treated the outputs as ‘trans...

Route Map Gives New Priority To Dementia Research, UK

Health News from Medical News Today — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 17:00:00 +0100

Up to Â£20 million will be spent on four National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Units over the next five years, Paul Burstow, Care Services Minister announced today. The commitment forms part of a Route Map for Dementia Research based on evidence collected by the Ministerial Advisory Group on Dementia Research (MAGDR)... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Route Map gives new priority to dementia research

Alzheimers Society — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 09:42:00 +0100

Up to £20 million will be spent on four National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Units over the next five years, Paul Burstow, Care Services Minister announced today. (Source: Alzheimers Society)

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NIHR Manchester BRC Research Training Fellowships

Society for Endocrinology — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 12:00:00 +0100

The NIHR Manchester Biomedical Research Centre welcomes applications to a fourth round of recruitment for Research Training Fellowships. The competition is open to appoint clinical, non-clinical and allied health professional Research Training Fellows for 12 months, during which time they will be expected to complete an MPhil and work towards a PhD. Applicants interested in taking up a clinical research fellowship in endocrinology should contact Professor David Ray at david.w.ray@manchester.ac.uk for more information. The deadline for applications is 1 July 2011. You can find out more and download an application form via the link below. Full article (Source: Society for Endocrinology)

NIHR Clinical Lecturer in Endocrinology & Diabetes - University of Sheffield

Society for Endocrinology — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 12:00:00 +0100

Added via www.jobs.ac.uk Applications are invited for four new National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Clinical Lecturer posts within the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry & Health at the University of Sheffield. All posts are available until the post-holder obtains their CCT, up to a maximum of four years. Applicants must be able to demonstrate evidence of academic achievement and have successfully completed a PhD/MD. They will also be eligible to hold an National Training Number (NTN) or may already hold an NTN, having undertaken some training at Specialty Registrar level or equivalent. Those interested in undertaking a post in Endocrinology & Diabetes should contact Dr John Newell-Price at j.newellprice@sheffield.ac.uk for more information. The job description and applicati...

The Effects of Morphine–Neostigmine and Secretin Provocation on Pancreaticobiliary Morphology in Healthy Subjects: A Randomized, Double-blind Crossover Study Using Serial MRCP

World Journal of Surgery — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 05:47:00 +0100

Conclusions The effects of morphine–neostigmine were more pronounced than those of secretin in healthy subjects. The diagnostic utility of morphine–neostigmine stimulated serial MRCP for SOD merits further evaluation. Content Type Journal ArticlePages 1-8DOI 10.1007/s00268-011-1162-zAuthors Abeed H. Chowdhury, Division of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Nottingham Digestive Diseases Centre NIHR Biomedical Research Unit, Nottingham University Hospitals, Queen’s Medical Centre, Nottingham, NG7 2UH UKDavid J. Humes, Division of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Nottingham Digestive Diseases Centre NIHR Biomedical Research Unit, Nottingham University Hospitals, Queen’s Medical Centre, Nottingham, NG7 2UH UKSusan E. Pritchard, Sir Peter Mansfield Magnetic Resonance Centre, Scho...

Lowering Phosphate Intake In Humans Can Reduce Heart Disease, According To Research By Experts At The University Of Sheffield.

Health News from Medical News Today — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 10:00:00 +0100

This is the first time the connection between a high phosphate diet and atherosclerosis - the cause of heart disease - has been proven. The findings have been published in Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology (2 June 2011). The research, which was funded by the Sheffield Kidney Association and the National Institute for Health Research, has shown that cholesterol deposits in the wall of arteries are increased following a higher phosphate diet. This leads to narrowing of the arteries, which is the cause of most heart attacks and strokes... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Unplanned hospital admissions of older people: exploring the issues

NeLM - Care of Older People — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100

Source: National Institutes of Health (NIH) Area: News The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) has published the outcomes of a study which examined the impact of different governance models as local health and social care economies sought to reduce utilisation of unplanned inpatient bed days by older people. Please see link below for details. (Source: NeLM - Care of Older People)

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Correction

Heart — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100

d'Arcy JL, Prendergast BD, Chambers JB, et al. Valvular heart disease: the next cardiac epidemic? Heart 2011;97:91–93. Dr d'Arcy would like to acknowledge support from the Oxford NIHR Biomedical Research Centre programme. (Source: Heart)

Involving patients in designing research into using acupuncture and moxibustion in the management of breast cancer related lymphoedema

European Journal of Integrative Medicine — Tue, 31 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100

Background: The National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) encourages active involvement of patients and public in health care research . This is to ensure that research focuses on what is important to service users and is relevant and acceptable to them. We used patient involvement to design an exploratory study into using acupuncture and moxibustion (acu/moxa) to promote wellbeing and improve quality of life for breast and head and neck cancer patients with secondary lymphoedema . Our objective is continue to use patient involvement in designing the next step, a pilot pragmatic randomised controlled trial to further investigate the potential for using acu/moxa as an adjunct to usual care for lymphoedema in breast cancer survivors. (Source: European Journal of Integrative Medicine)

Hands on or hands off the perineum: a survey of care of the perineum in labour (HOOPS)

International Urogynecology Journal — Wed, 25 May 2011 06:21:42 +0100

Conclusions The “hands off” the perineum technique is prevalent in the management of labour. We hypothesise that a possible consequence might be an increased incidence of obstetric anal sphincter injury. Content Type Journal ArticlePages 1-7DOI 10.1007/s00192-011-1454-8Authors Ruben Trochez, The Chilterns, Women’s Health, Southmead Hospital, Bristol, BS10 5NB UKMalcolm Waterfield, Maternity Unit, Level 7, Derriford Hospital, Plymouth PL6 8DH, UKRobert M. Freeman, Locality Lead for Peninsula Collaboration for Applied Health Research and Care, National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Plymouth PL6 8DH, UK Journal International Urogynecology JournalOnline ISSN 1433-3023Print ISSN 0937-3462 (Source: International Urogynecology Journal)

Prevalence of non-fracture short vertebral height is similar in premenopausal and postmenopausal women: the osteoporosis and ultrasound study

Osteoporosis International — Wed, 25 May 2011 06:19:53 +0100

Conclusions Short vertebral height without endplate fracture is equally prevalent in pre- and postmenopausal women and not associated with low bone density. Content Type Journal ArticlePages 1-6DOI 10.1007/s00198-011-1657-3Authors L. Ferrar, Sheffield NIHR Bone Biomedical Research Unit, University of Sheffield and Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield, UKC. Roux, Centre d’Evaluation des Malades Osseuses, Service de Rhumatologie, Assistance-Publique, Hopitaux de Paris, Rene Descartes University, Paris, FranceD. M. Reid, Division of Applied Medicine, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UKD. Felsenberg, Center of Muscle and Bone Research, Charite-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, CBF, Berlin, GermanyC. C. Glüer, Medical Physics, Department of Diagnost...

Neuroinformatics and Neuroprotection in the Newborn (2011-05-31)

Institute of Psychiatry | Events — Mon, 23 May 2011 19:29:26 +0100

David Edwards is the Weston Professor of Neonatal Medicine, heading the Weston Group whose aim is to reduce the number of newborn infants who grow up with problems caused by brain injury in the newborn period. He is also head of the Neonatal Medicine Group in the Medical Research Council Clinical Sciences Centre at Hammersmith. He is Associate Director of the National Institute for Health Research (Source: Institute of Psychiatry | Events)

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Highlights from this issue

Thorax — Sun, 22 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100

CANNOT BE BADGERED: a sorry tale from MASCOT Clinical trials in children are few and far between so funding from NIHR for MASCOT, a large clinical trial comparing treatment options at in children whose asthma is uncontrolled on low dose inhaled corticosteroids, was welcome. However, what followed was a litany of frustrating delays due to an astonishing burden of bureaucracy, communication problems, governance issues and difficulties with recruitment (See page 457). As a result, the trial was not completed and over £1 million of public money was wasted. While this fiasco was rumbling on, the BADGER trial, starting about the same time, was successfully completed in the USA. What can be learnt from this disaster? It strikes us that there are three areas where immediate reform should be ...

Clinical trials and tribulations: the MASCOT study

Thorax — Sun, 22 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100

Following the 1994 Lancet paper showing benefits of long-acting β-agonists (LABAs) in adults with asthma,1 British Paediatric Respiratory Society surveys have consistently recommended undertaking similar studies appropriately designed for children. Adult outcome measures should not be extrapolated into childhood, which explains why early studies indicated LABAs may be less helpful in children.2 With the advent of the Medicines for Children Research Network (MCRN) in 2004, the Health Technology Assessment (HTA) put out a call for children's medicines studies in 2005. The Management of Asthma in School Children On Therapy (MASCOT) study was funded in January 2006 pending Pharma approval to supply the medicines (fluticasone, fluticasone–salmeterol combination treatment and monteluk...

Lessons to be learnt from unsuccessful clinical trials

Thorax — Sun, 22 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100

In this issue of Thorax, Lenney and colleagues have described their trials and tribulations with the MASCOT study (see page 457), which compared three different treatment options in children with asthma whose condition was not adequately controlled on low-dose inhaled corticosteroids (ICS).1 The study, which aimed to initially recruit 900 children and enter 450 into a randomised comparison, recently had to close because it had fallen considerably short of its recruitment targets and funding was not extended (by the NIHR Health Technology Assessment Programme). The MASCOT trial was coordinated by the NIHR Medicines for Children Research Network (MCRN) Clinical Trials Unit and supported by the NIHR MCRN and Primary Care Research Networks, which provided an infrastructure of research nurses a...

The previously reported T342P GCK missense variant is not a pathogenic mutation causing MODY

Diabetologia — Sat, 21 May 2011 23:19:55 +0100

Content Type Journal ArticlePages 1-4DOI 10.1007/s00125-011-2194-5Authors A. M. Steele, Peninsula NIHR Clinical Research Facility, Peninsula Medical School, University of Exeter, Exeter, UKN. D. Tribble, Oxford Centre for Diabetes Endocrinology & Metabolism, University of Oxford, Churchill Hospital, Headington, Oxford, OX3 7LJ UKR. Caswell, Peninsula NIHR Clinical Research Facility, Peninsula Medical School, University of Exeter, Exeter, UKK. J. Wensley, Peninsula NIHR Clinical Research Facility, Peninsula Medical School, University of Exeter, Exeter, UKA. T. Hattersley, Peninsula NIHR Clinical Research Facility, Peninsula Medical School, University of Exeter, Exeter, UKA. L. Gloyn, Oxford Centre for Diabetes Endocrinology & Metabolism, University of Oxford, Churchill Hospital, Heading...

An association between vasomotion and oxygen extraction.

American Journal of Physiology. Heart and Circulatory Physiology — Thu, 19 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100

Authors: Thorn CE, Kyte H, Slaaf DW, Shore AC Vasomotion is a spontaneous local oscillation in vascular tone that may have a beneficial effect on tissue oxygenation. The effect of vasomotion at frequencies < 0.02 Hz attributed to endothelial activity was studied in forearm skin of 24 healthy males by optical reflectance spectroscopy and laser Doppler fluximetry. Fourier analysis identified periodic fluctuations in mean blood saturation (S(mb)O(2)) in 19 subjects, predominantly with skin temperatures >29.3°C (Χ (2)=6.19, p<0.02). Consistent minimum thresholds in S(mb)O(2) (mean: 39.4% range: 24.0 - 50.6 %) precede transient surges in flux, inducing fast rises in S(mb)O(2). The integral increase in flux correlates with integral increase in oxyhaemoglobin (Pearson's correlation...

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Erratum to “Magnetic-resonance-imaging-derived indices for the normalization of left ventricular morphology by body size” [Magn Reson Imaging 27 (2009) 207–213]

Magnetic Resonance Imaging — Thu, 19 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100

In the above article, the authors omitted the following acknowledgement: Dr. Myerson would like to acknowledge the support from the Oxford NIHR Biomedical Research Centre programme. (Source: Magnetic Resonance Imaging)

NHS Evidence resource: Phase 2 of UK Clinical Trials Gateway

NeLM - News — Wed, 11 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100

Source: NHS Evidence Area: News The UK Clinical Trials Gateway (UKCTG), a new online resource providing easy to understand information about clinical research trials running in the UK, is designed to help the public and clinicians locate and contact trials. UKCTG is run by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) on behalf of all UK Health Departments and is a new addition to the resources available via NHS Evidence. (Source: NeLM - News)

The impact of nursing innovations in the context of governance and incentives

Journal of Research in Nursing — Wed, 11 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100

This discursive paper is a structured analysis of four completed national and regional studies carried out in the UK. It sets out retrospectively to explore the impact of key contextual, professional and personal features and mechanisms on innovation and outcomes in nursing and the extent to which these are common or diverge across the studies (cases). As successive governments across the world turn their attention to developing nursing as a means of increasing productivity and effectiveness in health care, there is a need for evidence to inform workforce policy and planning about the circumstances that enable positive levers and mechanisms, which influence outcomes to operate. This analysis takes advantage of recent conceptual work on organisational governance and incentives by asking new...

British Thyroid Foundation Research Awards

Society for Endocrinology — Tue, 03 May 2011 12:00:00 +0100

The annual British Thyroid Foundation Research Award is up to £10,000 to support medical research projects and can be used to supplement existing projects or help get new research ideas started. Funds will be awarded for consumables, running costs and equipment. Applications are invited for research that is specifically directed to the study of thyroid disorders or investigations into the basic understanding of thyroid function. The British Thyroid Foundation is an NIHR partner organisation in respect of its research awards funding stream. Studies funded through this funding stream are eligible for inclusion in the NIHR Clinical Research Network Portfolio and therefore able to access NHS support via the NIHR Clinical Research Network infrastructure. Details of how to apply can be fo...

The national institute for health research health technology assessment programme

Journal of Medical Screening — Sun, 01 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100

(Source: Journal of Medical Screening)

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A Depression Recognition and Treatment package for families living with Stroke (DepReT-Stroke): Study Protocol for A Randomised Controlled Trial

BioMed Central — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100

DiscussionDepression both for patients and their carers is common after stroke. Our Depression Recognition and Treatment package (DepReT-stroke) may help clinicians be more effective at detecting and managing a common co-morbidity that limits rehabilitation and recovery.Trial Registration: ISRCTN: 32451749Research Ethics Committee Reference Number: 10/H0310/23Grant Reference Number: (NIHR) PB-PG-0808-17056 (Source: BioMed Central)

End-systolic versus end-diastolic late gadolinium enhanced imaging for the assessment of scar transmurality

The International Journal of Cardiovascular Imaging — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 15:41:25 +0100

Abstract Late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) is widely used to precisely localize and determine the extent and transmurality of myocardial scarring. Performing LGE imaging at end-systole may reduce motion artefacts. It is therefore important to know whether end-systolic imaging influences infarct transmurality in patients with ischemic scar. 107 dysfunctional segments were studied in 20 consecutive patients with established coronary artery disease. Patient specific trigger delays were used to obtain end-diastolic and end-systolic LGE images (LGEed, LGEes). Wall thickness (WTed, WTes), thickness of the remaining viable rim (RIMed, RIMes) and end-diastolic scar thickness were measured manually. There was LGE in 84% of all dysfunctional segments with a mean scar of 3.4 ±&n...

Hepatic consequences of vascular adhesion protein-1 expression

Journal of Neural Transmission — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 18:01:25 +0100

Abstract The liver is constantly exposed to antigens present in the blood and to particulate antigens delivered from the gut. To maintain effective levels of immune surveillance and yet tolerate food antigens, the hepatic environment has become highly specialised. A low flow environment exists within the hepatic sinusoids that not only facilitates the exchange of toxins and nutrients within the liver parenchyma, but also provides an ideal niche for the recruitment of leukocytes. One such adhesion molecule involved in this process, the vascular adhesion protein-1 (VAP-1), is unusual in the context of the leukocyte adhesion cascade in that it is both an adhesion molecule and a primary amine oxidase. In this review, we examine the biological functions of VAP-1 and examine wha...

King's Fund report: Impact of Quality and Outcomes Framework on health inequalities

NeLM - News — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100

Source: King's Fund Area: News The National Institute for Health Research Service Delivery and Organisation programme commissioned the King's Fund, together with the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, to explore the impact of the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) on public health and health inequalities. The research aimed to examine whether the GMS contract and, in particular, the QOF was contributing to improvements in public health and reductions in health inequalities; the focus was on health inequalities as determined by income deprivation. The following areas were addressed: . Incentives for prevention and public health activities . Differences in performance by deprivation . Impact on population health . Practice character...

Chief Medical Officer to open National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Unit

University of Bristol news — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 11:47:25 +0100

Professor Dame Sally Davies, Chief Medical Officer and Chief Scientific Advisor for the Department of Health and the NHS, will open the National Institute for Health Research Bristol Biomedical Research Unit in Cardiovascular Disease at the Bristol Heart Institute (BHI) on Thursday 7 April. (Source: University of Bristol news)

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Clinical research networks and clinical study groups

Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproductive Medicine — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 20:42:25 +0100

The National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Comprehensive Clinical Research Network (CCRN) was set up to address recruitment and enhance the efficiency of research in the NHS in those areas that were not covered by the Topic specific Research Networks. The preceding Topic specific Networks were specifically targeted to particular areas of medical research. The first was in cancer and its success rapidly led to development of Topic specific Networks in Diabetes, Medicines for Children, Dementias and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Mental Health and Stroke. In addition, a Primary Care Research Network was established. (Source: Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproductive Medicine)

Corrigendum to “Stress Perfusion Imaging Using Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance: A Review” [Heart Lung Circ. 19 (2010) 697–705]

Heart, Lung and Circulation — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 15:00:53 +0100

Dr. Myerson would like to acknowledge support from the Oxford NIHR Biomedical Research Centre program. (Source: Heart, Lung and Circulation)

Correction

Journal of the American College of Cardiology — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 23:00:00 +0100

Selvanayagam JB, Hawkins PN, Paul B, Myerson SG, Neubauer S. Evaluation and Management of the Cardiac Amyloidosis. J Am Coll Cardiol 2007;50:2101–10. In this paper, funding for Dr. Myerson was inadvertently omitted. Dr. Myerson would like to acknowledge support from the Oxford NIHR Biomedical Research Centre programme. (Source: Journal of the American College of Cardiology)

A novel performance monitoring framework for health research systems: experiences of the National Institute for Health Research in England

Health Research Policy and Systems — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: The use of the hybrid conceptual framework provides a pragmatic approach to defining performance indicators that are aligned to the strategic aims of a health research system. The particular strength of this framework is its capacity to provide an empirical link, over time, between upstream activities of a health research system and its long-term strategic objectives. (Source: Health Research Policy and Systems)

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[Errata] Errata

Lancet Neurology — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 19:15:48 +0100

Vellas B, Andrieu S, Sampaio C, Coley N, Wilcock G, for the European Task Force Group. Endpoints for trials in Alzheimer's disease: a European task force consensus. Lancet Neurol 2008; 7: 436–50—The Acknowledgments section of this paper should have stated that GW was partly funded by the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre Programme, Oxford. This correction has been made to the online version as of March 21, 2011. (Source: Lancet Neurology)

Erratum

American Journal of Kidney Diseases — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100

In the article entitled “Association of Long-term Administration of the Survivin mRNA–Targeted Antisense Oligonucleotide LY2181308 With Reversible Kidney Injury in a Patient With Metastatic Melanoma” (Herrington et al, American Journal of Kidney Diseases 57(2):300-303, 2011), the Acknowledgements section incorrectly indicated that there was no external support for the work reported in the article. The correct statement for the support section of the Acknowledgements is: “Dr Talbot is supported by the NIHR (National Institute for Health Research) Oxford Biomedical Research Centre.” (Source: American Journal of Kidney Diseases)

Laughter, ultrasound and leg ulcers

NHS News Feed — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 17:20:00 +0100

Conclusion This research in a real-life situation has produced the important finding that weekly ultrasound treatment appears to have no benefits for ulcer healing time. Nor did it benefit the probability of ulcer having healed at 12 months, and other outcomes relating to hard-to-heal leg ulcers. It is worth noting a few points that these researchers make: There were more adverse events in the ultrasound group than in the standard care group. But as ultrasound is not currently used in practice, it is possible that nurses were more likely to attribute adverse events (such as ulcer deterioration) to the unfamiliar ultrasound treatment. The overall adverse event rate was similar to that in a previous trial, which reported an event rate of about 40%. The lack of effect could be explained ...

Corrigendum to “Individual patient data meta-analysis of trials of self-monitoring of blood glucose in non-insulin treated type 2 diabetes: Protocol for a systematic review” [Primary Care Diabetes 3 (2009) 117–121]

Primary Care Diabetes — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100

The authors would like to apologise that the following acknowledgement was missing from the original text: “Andrew Farmer receives funding support from the National Institute for Health Research Oxford Biomedical Research Centre”. (Source: Primary Care Diabetes)

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NIHR Clinical Research Fellow, Oxford

Society for Endocrinology — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 12:00:00 +0100

Via jobs.ac.uk. A Clinical Research Fellowship is available at the Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Oxford. The Fellowship is for one year in the first instance and is aimed at senior specialist registrars in diabetic medicine interested in undertaking translational research in the field of pancreatic islet transplantation. This post will be part of the Oxford Consortium for Islet Transplantation (OXCIT), a recently established world-leading collaboration of clinicians and scientists in the fields of islet biology, human islet isolation and transplantation. The postholder will undertake a research post in one aspect of human islet isolation/clinical islet transplantation and will be expected to register for and complete a higher degree. They will also be involved i...

Job Opportunity: Director of the UK Cochrane Centre

The Cochrane Collaboration - Current news at The Cochrane Collaboration — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 10:56:42 +0100

A rare opportunity has arisen for a new full time Director for the UK Cochrane Centre, a part of the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). The Centre is the focal point for Cochrane Collaboration activity in the UK and a key link between the work of the Collaboration, the NIHR and the National Health Service. Further information can be obtained from http://www.jobs.nhs.uk/cgi-bin/vacdetails.cgi?selection=912630140. The closing date for applications is the 6 April 2011. External link for more information: http://www.jobs.nhs.uk/cgi-bin/vacdetails.cgi?selection... Contributor's Information Contributor's name: Caroline Rouse Email address: crouse@cochrane.ac.uk ...

Department of Health announces £775million investment for NHS research

NeLM - News — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Source: Department of Health (DH) Area: News The Department of Health has announced a £775million budget allocation for translational research over 5 years - research that is dedicated to deliver benefits to NHS patients. The funding is part of a total of £4billion being invested in Research and Development up to March 2015. It will be made available over the next five years to NHS/university partnerships through the National Institute for Health Research. Applications are encouraged to focus on improving health outcomes for patients in high priority disease areas such as dementia, cancer and heart disease. (Source: NeLM - News)

Centre for Reviews and Dissemination/NIHR announce launch of international database of registered systematic reviews

The Cochrane Collaboration - Current news at The Cochrane Collaboration — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 18:18:53 +0100

The Centre for Reviews and Dissemination, which is part of the National Institute for Health Research and based at the University of York has launched PROSPERO, an international database of prospectively registered systematic reviews in health and social care. This is the first dedicated register for planned and ongoing systematic reviews from anywhere in the world, covering any aspect of health care. Researchers are able to record key features from their protocol and these are then maintained as a permanent record in PROSPERO.Contributor's Information Contributor's name: Mike Clarke Email address: mclarke@cochrane.ac.uk read more (Source: The Cochrane Collaboration - Current news at The Cochrane Coll...

Chain-Florey Clinical Research Fellowships - Imperial College London

Society for Endocrinology — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 12:00:00 +0100

Imperial College London has four clinical fellowships, funded jointly by the Medical Research Council, Imperial College London and the NIHR Biomedical Research centre at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, to allow medical graduates who wish to pursue a career in academic medicine to embark on basic science research training and undertake fully-funded PhDs in a centre of outstanding research excellence. The Chain-Florey Clinical Research Fellowships have a strong translational and basic research theme and are for medical graduates whose chosen career path is that of a clinical academic. Support in the form of strong clinical and scientific mentorship is fostered, encouraging alignment of the fellows' research and long-term career aspirations, with a link to their clinical speciality. ...

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New Brain Scan Helps Detect Early Signs Of Alzheimer's - Alzheimer's Society Comment

Health News from Medical News Today — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 10:00:00 +0100

A new brain scan which can detect early signs of Alzheimer's is being trialled at memory services in Croydon, Lambeth and Southwark. An 'Automated MRI' software package compares a patient's brain scan against 1200 others showing varying stages of Alzheimer's disease. This is the first time such software has been used by the NHS. The scan has been developed by scientists at the National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre for Mental Health at the Maudsley Hospital and Kings College London together with colleagues from the Karolinksa hospital in Stockholm... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Malaria vaccines: the stage we are at

Nature Reviews Microbiology — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Nature Reviews Microbiology 9, 306 (2011). doi:10.1038/nrmicro2545 Author: Stephen M. Todryk & Adrian V. S. Hill Nature Reviews Microbiology5, 487–489 (2007)The authors wish to acknowledge that they were supported by funding from the UK National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Oxford Biomedical Research Centre programme at the time of writing. The authors apologize (Source: Nature Reviews Microbiology)

Early Alzheimer's Signs Spotted By New Brain Scan

Health News from Medical News Today — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 21:00:00 +0100

A novel Automatic MRI software package that compares an individual's brain features with 1,200 other people in various stages of Alzheimer's disease can help detect the early signs of the disease. The National Health Service (NHS), UK is trying out the state-of-the art technology at its medical centers in Croydon, Lambeth and Southward (south London). Researchers at the National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre for Mental Health at the Maudsley Hospital, London, Kings College London, and the Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden, developed the scan... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Erratum

Cortex — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100

The following acknowledgement was missing from the papers “Exogenous phasic alerting and spatial orienting in mild cognitive impairment compared to healthy ageing: Study outcome is related to target response” [Cortex, 47(2): 180–190, 2011], “New insights into feature and conjunction search: II. Evidence from Alzheimer’s disease” [Cortex, 46(5): 637–649, 2010], and “New insights into feature and conjunction search: I. Evidence from pupil size, eye movements and ageing” [Cortex, 46(5): 621–636, 2010]: GW was partly funded by the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre Programme, Oxford. (Source: Cortex)

Learning behind movement studied

NHS News Feed — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 18:25:00 +0100

Conclusion This research is of scientific interest, and demonstrates the responsiveness of chemical transmitters in the central nervous system when undergoing direct stimulation. It also examines how this relates to a person’s capacity to learn a new motor activity. However, this experimental scenario in 12 people has limited direct implications. The study only assessed each individual’s ability in one test of time reaction, and the results cannot be applied to all other areas of movement, such as dance. Also, it is not possible to attribute all the effect to GABA; other chemical transmitters could be involved. As the authors acknowledge, it may be that their measure of GABA is a surrogate marker for other chemical changes that are taking place and having a direct effect. The findings ...

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New prostate cancer test shows promise

NHS News Feed — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 12:19:00 +0100

Conclusion This study has identified a potential new marker for prostate cancer. This research is at an early stage, and much further research is needed. The test’s accuracy will need to be confirmed in larger samples of men from non-specialist settings to show how effective it is at screening for prostate cancer in the general population. After this, studies would need to examine how the test affects outcomes such as the numbers of men dying from prostate cancer, and those having unnecessary biopsies. Though promising, these findings also need to be considered with some pragmatism. Even if the EN2 test performs well in larger scale testing, the test would not necessarily replace PSA testing. The authors suggest that the tests could be used together in prostate cancer diagnosis. Also, if...

[Errata] Errata

The Lancet Infectious Diseases — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Olotu A, Lusingu J, Leach A, et al. Efficacy of RTS,S/AS01E malaria vaccine and exploratory analysis on anti-circumsporozoite antibody titres and protection in children aged 5–17 months in Kenya and Tanzania: a randomised controlled trial. Lancet Infect Dis 2011; 11: 102–09. The following statement was not included in the Acknowledgments section: “PB is supported by the NIHR Biomedical Centre, Oxford”. A correction has been made to the online version as of Feb 28, 2011. (Source: The Lancet Infectious Diseases)

UK Cochrane Centre seeks information on interventions promoting uptake of SR evidence

The Cochrane Collaboration - Current news at The Cochrane Collaboration — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 18:03:16 +0100

The UK Cochrane Centre is undertaking an NIHR-funded project to identify the key difficulties faced by NHS commissioners when using evidence from systematic reviews to develop guidelines for decommissioning. As part of the project, a systematic review of interventions promoting the uptake of evidence from systematic reviews for decision-making is currently underway. We are seeking examples of strategies or information products derived from systematic review evidence to aid decision-making by clinicians or commissioners. External link for more information: http://ukcc.cochrane.org/ Contributor's Information Contributor's name: Lakshmi Murthy Email address: ...

Corrigendum to “Risk factors for recurrence after Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia. A retrospective matched case-control study” [Journal of Infection 58 (2009) 411–416]

Journal of Infection — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Author Philip Bejon has noted that the information regarding the title of his funders for the above paper was incorrect. The acknowledgement should read “P. Bejon is supported by the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre Oxford”. (Source: Journal of Infection)

Patients to become guinea pigs in mass trials of public health treatments

Telegraph Health — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 15:12:58 +0100

Patients will frequently become guinea pigs in mass studies to establish the best ways to tackle obesity, alcohol misuse and other pressing public health concerns. (Source: Telegraph Health)

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Prevalence of monogenic diabetes in young adults: a community-based, cross-sectional study in Oxfordshire, UK

Diabetologia — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 17:27:43 +0100

Content Type Journal ArticlePages 1-3DOI 10.1007/s00125-011-2090-zAuthors J. Kropff, Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism (OCDEM), University of Oxford, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, OX3 7LJ UKM. P. Selwood, Department of Primary Health Care, University of Oxford, Oxford, UKM. I. McCarthy, Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism (OCDEM), University of Oxford, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, OX3 7LJ UKA. J. Farmer, Oxford National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, UKK. R. Owen, Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism (OCDEM), University of Oxford, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, OX3 7LJ UK Journal DiabetologiaOnline ISSN 1432-0428Print ISSN 0012-186X (Source: Diabetologia)

Blood pressure device performs well

NHS News Feed — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 17:00:00 +0100

Conclusion This complex study involved the application of mathematical approaches to derive a measure of CASP from both radial artery pressure and brachial artery pressure. The researchers have developed a mathematical algorithm that appears to accurately predict CASP. In commenting that a sensor strapped to the wrist that can “measure the pressure in the aorta”, The Independent misunderstood the mechanics of measures of radial pressure. The researchers measured pressure at both the wrist and at the upper arm and used mathematical approaches to convert them into an estimate of the pressure in the aorta. The HealthSTATS sensor mentioned in news coverage is not the first device of its kind, and there are several monitors which can be strapped to the wrist to measure radial pressure. Howe...

£1.2m study looks at treatments for children with speech and language problems

University of Bristol news — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 09:00:00 +0100

A major new research study that will identify and evaluate the types of treatment available for pre-school children with speech and language difficulties has been awarded £1.2million from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). (Source: University of Bristol news)

Erratum to: Effects of calcium-fortified ice cream on markers of bone health

Osteoporosis International — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 07:02:21 +0100

Content Type Journal ArticlePages 1-1DOI 10.1007/s00198-011-1576-3Authors L. Ferrar, Sheffield NIHR Bone Biomedical Research Unit, University of Sheffield and Sheffield Teaching Hospital Foundation Trust, Centre for Biomedical Research, Herries Road, Sheffield, S5 7AU South Yorkshire UKR. M. van der Hee, Unilever R&D Vlaardingen, Vlaardingen, The NetherlandsM. Berry, Unilever R&D Colworth, Colworth Science Park, Sharnbrook, Bedfordshire, UKC. Watson, Unilever R&D Colworth, Colworth Science Park, Sharnbrook, Bedfordshire, UKS. Miret, Unilever R&D Vlaardingen, Vlaardingen, The NetherlandsJ. Wilkinson, Unilever R&D Colworth, Colworth Science Park, Sharnbrook, Bedfordshire, UKM. Bradburn, Clinical Trials Research Unit, School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield, Sheffie...

NHS combats infection with Irisys infrared solution

Healthcare IT News — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 20:21:38 +0100

Under the Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) the National Institute for Health Research Invention for Innovation has awarded a two-year contract to Irisys to develop infrared sensors. The sensors will help improve compliance with hospital handwashing regulations to stem the spread of hospital-acquired infections. read more (Source: Healthcare IT News)

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Polyp Recurrence After Endoscopic Mucosal Resection of Sessile and Flat Colonic Adenomas

Digestive Diseases and Sciences — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 07:03:21 +0100

Conclusions Piecemeal resections and flat polyps are associated with higher recurrence following EMR. Additional use of APC did not affect the recurrence rates after piecemeal resection. Content Type Journal ArticlePages 1-7DOI 10.1007/s10620-011-1609-yAuthors J. Mannath, Nottingham Digestive Diseases Centre and NIHR Biomedical Research Unit, Queens Medical Centre Campus, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Nottingham, NG7 2UH UKV. Subramanian, Nottingham Digestive Diseases Centre and NIHR Biomedical Research Unit, Queens Medical Centre Campus, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Nottingham, NG7 2UH UKR. Singh, Nottingham Digestive Diseases Centre and NIHR Biomedical Research Unit, Queens Medical Centre Campus, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust,...

Techniques of assessing hypoxia at the bench and bedside

Angiogenesis — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 06:55:14 +0100

Abstract Tissues require an adequate supply of oxygen in order to maintain normal cell function. Low oxygen tension (hypoxia) is characteristic of a number of conditions, including cancer, atherosclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, critical limb ischaemia, peripheral vascular disease, and ischaemic heart disease. Tissue hypoxia is found in tumours, atherosclerotic plaque, and ischaemic myocardium. There is a growing interest in methods to detect and assess hypoxia, given that hypoxia is important in the progression of these diseases. Hypoxia can be assessed at the level of the whole organ, tissue, or cell, using both invasive and non-invasive methods, and by a range of immunohistochemical, biochemical, or imaging techniques. This review describes and critiques current methods ...

Mesothelioma Developments Underway Despite Loss of Funding

Asbestos and Mesothelioma News — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 21:02:20 +0100

The search for a mesothelioma cure is still underway, and a number of medical researchers are dedicating their time to extensive clinical and laboratory tests in hopes of eradicating this rare cancer. While many promising developments have been made to fight the disease, adequate funding for future projects must be secured to ensure further progress. Caused almost exclusively by asbestos exposure, malignant mesothelioma claims 2,000 to 3,000 lives a year in the United States alone. Since no known cure currently exists, further research is undoubtedly necessary. Unfortunately, one major source of funding for research in the United Kingdom failed to follow through on a 2010 promise to invest money into mesothelioma research by creating a National Centre for Asbestos Related Disease (NCARD). ...

Identifying important research questions for the Health Technology Assessment

Society for Endocrinology — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 12:00:00 +0100

The Society for Endocrinology's partnership with the National Institute for Health Research's Health Technology Assessment (HTA) programme seeks to identify research questions within the area of metabolic disorders and endocrinology that are important to members and their colleagues in their day to day clinical practice. Members are invited to submit research questions in response to this initiative by 25 February 2011. Research questions that are successful in being prioritised by the HTA Advisory panels will then be advertised to the research community. Suggestions can be made directly on the online form available at http://www.hta.ac.uk/mesg/. If you have any queries or require any further information please contact Julie Bell by email J.M.Bell@soton.ac.uk. (Source: Society for Endocri...

’AMP NIHR Programme’ (2011-09-29)

Institute of Psychiatry | Events — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 02:32:00 +0100

All welcome Seminar given by Prof Chris Dowrick - [link=http://tulip.liv.ac.uk/portal/pls/portal/tulwwwmerge.mergepage?p_template=rae_staff_be&p_tulipproc=raestaff&p_params=%3Fp_func%3DSDBE%26p_select%3DRAE%26p_hash%3DA732786%26p_url%3D76084%26p_template%3Drae_staff_be::http://tulip.liv.ac.uk/portal/pls/portal/tulwwwmerge.mergepage?p_template=rae_staff_be&p_tulipproc=raes (Source: Institute of Psychiatry | Events)

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Reducing the environmental impact of trials: a comparison of the carbon footprint of the CRASH-1 and CRASH-2 clinical trials

Trials — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: Faster patient recruitment in the CRASH-2 trial largely accounted for its greatly increased carbon efficiency in terms of emissions per randomized patient. Lighter trial materials and web-based data entry also contributed to the overall lower carbon emissions in CRASH-2 as compared to CRASH-1.Trial Registration Numbers:CRASH-1: ISRCTN74459797CRASH-2: ISRCTN86750102 (Source: Trials)

Systematic review: Clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of long-term weight management schemes for adults

NeLM - News — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Source: National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment programme Area: News The long-term clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of weight management schemes for adults has been assessed in this systematic review For the assessment of clinical effectiveness, the authors searched bibliographic databases from inception to December 2009, including the Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, EMBASE and MEDLINE In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations for long-term RCTs of adult participants who were classified by BMI as overweight or obese. Interventions were multicomponent weight management programmes (including diet, physical activity and behaviour change strategies) that assessed weight measures. Twelve studies were included in the clinical effectiv...

Research Manager/Project Support Officer - Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolic Medicine Section, Imperial College London

Society for Endocrinology — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 12:00:00 +0100

The ADDRESS 2 project (After Diagnosis Diabetes REsearch Support System-2) is jointly funded by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and Diabetes UK, and will identify incident cases of type 1 diabetes and their siblings and create a repository for DNA analysis and biomarker measurements. Two positions are available to provide input to this Diabetes Research Network initiative: Research Manager, providing independent leadership and management for the ADDRESS 2 project and overseeing study delivery for all portfolio studies recruiting people with type 1 diabetes and their siblings; Project Support Officer, providing high level support for the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Diabetes Portfolio with particular reference to the ADDRESS 2 project for which they will be th...

Milking Compared With Delayed Cord Clamping to Increase Placental Transfusion in Preterm Neonates: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Obstetrics and Gynecology — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0100

CONCLUSION:: Milking the cord four times achieved a similar amount of placento-fetal blood transfusion compared with delaying clamping the cord for 30 seconds. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION:: National Research Register UK, www.nihr.ac.uk/Pages/default.aspx, N0051177741. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE:: I. PMID: 21252731 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Obstetrics and Gynecology)