Alkaptonuria

This case report describes a man in his 50s with progressive blue-gray discoloration of sun-exposed areas, including the nose, cheeks, ears, and hands.

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Exercise Intolerance and Response to Training in Patients With Postacute Sequelae of SARS-CoV2 (Long COVID): A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association

Circulation, Ahead of Print. The postacute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2, also known as Long COVID, may affect 10% to 25% of individuals diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2. More than 100 symptoms have been reported among patients with Long COVID, but almost all patients report severe fatigue, orthostatic intolerance, shortness of breath, and reductions in exercise tolerance. Emerging data suggest that cardiovascular deconditioning plays a major role in the development of this syndrome and that reductions in functional capacity among patients with Long COVID are comparable to reductions seen among individuals with cardiovascular deconditioning resulting from bed rest. Concern has been raised about the use of exercise training as part of the management strategy for patients with Long COVID. However, exercise training appropriately tailored to the patient with cardiovascular deconditioning may be an effective strategy to facilitate improvement in symptoms. This American Heart Association scientific statement provides a concise yet comprehensive overview of mechanisms contributing to development of Long COVID and methods by which exercise training may be applied to this unique patient population to alleviate symptoms and improve quality of life. In addition, methods of reintroducing exercise and return to play among athletes affected by COVID-19 are discussed.

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Process evaluation of a randomised trial of a triple low-dose combination pill strategy to improve hypertension control: a qualitative study

Background
High blood pressure (BP) is a significant global health issue, with many treated patients failing to achieve BP control. The Triple Pill vs Usual Care Management for Patients with Mild-to-Moderate Hypertension (TRIUMPH) trial evaluated the effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and acceptability of early use of low-dose triple fixed-dose combination of BP-lowering drugs (‘triple pill’) compared with usual care in the management of hypertension. The TRIUMPH trial showed superior BP control with the triple pill strategy compared with usual care. This process evaluation of the TRIUMPH trial aimed to explore the contextual factors that influenced the trial outcomes, implementation of the triple pill strategy, mechanisms of its effects and potential barriers and facilitators for implementing the triple pill strategy in routine practice.

Methods
Guided by the UK Medical Research Council’s framework, semistructured interviews were conducted with 23 patients and 13 healthcare providers involved in the TRIUMPH trial. Data were analysed using the framework analysis method in NVivo.

Results
Hypertension care in Sri Lanka was hindered by the absence of systematic screening and overcrowded public clinics. Despite free medication provision at public clinics, long waiting times and occasional stock-outs posed challenges. In the TRIUMPH trial, both intervention and usual care were delivered in the context of ‘better than usual’ care, including team-based management, reduced waiting times, monetary assistance for travel, routine adherence monitoring and intensive follow-up. The triple pill strategy provided a simplified regimen, better access to BP-lowering medications and better BP-lowering efficacy. Key barriers to implementation in routine practice included the triple pill’s large size, therapeutic inertia and restrictive regulatory policies regarding fixed-dose combinations.

Conclusions
Implementation of the triple pill strategy into routine practice requires health system strengthening, provider training and supportive policy measures to replicate its effectiveness seen in the trial.

Trial registration number
ACTRN12612001120864, SLCTR/2015/020.

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Acceptability, fidelity and implementation of systematic integrated pain management in oncology outpatient services: a process evaluation protocol for a multicentre clustered randomised pilot trial

Introduction
In the UK National Health Service (NHS), most people with cancer are cared for at oncology outpatient services, where there are no standardised procedures for managing pain. As a result, patients with cancer may receive inadequate care for pain. The Cancer Pain-assessment Toolkit for Use in RoutinE oncology outpatient services aims to assess the feasibility of conducting a multicentre cluster-randomised trial of a systematic pain assessment and management programme integrated within routine care at UK NHS oncology outpatient services. This protocol describes an embedded process evaluation that aims to evaluate the acceptability, fidelity and implementation of the intervention and trial procedures.

Methods and analysis
A combination of methods will be used in the process evaluation. Quantitative data on fidelity and intervention implementation will be collected using case report forms completed at sites, capturing details on training, intervention delivery and adherence. Qualitative data on acceptability and trial experience will be collected through semistructured interviews with intervention recipients (participants), intervention deliverers (healthcare professionals), research nurses and intervention champions. Researcher fieldnotes will also document trial acceptability throughout the trial. Quantitative data will be summarised descriptively. Qualitative data will be analysed using thematic analysis, guided by the framework of acceptability.

Ethics and dissemination
The trial received ethical approval from South Yorkshire Research Ethics Committee and Health Research Authority (21/HRA/5245). Site-specific approvals were obtained from the research and innovation offices at Leeds Teaching Hospital and Hull Teaching Hospital. Trial findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and via participating sites.

Trial registration number
ISRCTN86926298.

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Reference charts for the fetal cavum septi pellucidis width, length and length-to-width ratio: protocol for a prospective monocentric cross-sectional study in Italy (the 'REC-FAST study)

Introduction
The cavum septi pellucidi (CSP) is a fluid-filled cavity box situated on the midline between the medial walls of the two lateral ventricles and placed above the fornix and below the corpus callosum. The formation of the CSP begins at 14 weeks and is completed around 17 weeks.
A regular CSP indirectly indicates the correct development of the corpus callosum and the midline of the fetal brain. Therefore, its evaluation is mandatory during routine obstetric scans. The available guidelines do not report specific recommendations on the morphology or biometry of the fetal CSP, thus leaving to the experience of the operator and, thus, to a subjective evaluation, the identification of potential anomalies.
Our aim is to construct methodologically robust reference charts for the CSP’s width, length and length-to-width ratio in relation to gestational age and fetal biparietal diameter.

Methods and analysis
The REC-FAST study (Reference Charts for the Fetal cAvum SepTi pellucidi) is a prospective monocentric cross-sectional study on consecutively enrolled pregnant women accessing our Obstetric Unit at the Foundation IRCCS San Gerardo dei Tintori, Monza, Italy, for fetal ultrasound evaluation.
Women will be eligible if carrying an uncomplicated singleton pregnancy between 190/7 and 366/7 weeks’ gestation with a certain pregnancy dating by first trimester ultrasound with crown-rump length measurement, and if aged between 18 and 45 years.
After signing the informed consent, the ultrasound scan will be performed and the CSP’s width and length will be measured by means of the inner-to-inner technique and its morphology recorded.
In order to achieve the statistical power required for properly constructing reference charts, we will divide our population into six groups according to the gestational age when the ultrasound scan will be performed (each group will cover a 3-week interval starting at 190/7 until 366/7 weeks). A minimum sample size of 80 will be reached for each gestational age group. Before charting, the data will be checked for consistency to identify any outliers. Where possible, outliers will be corrected by comparing with the original values (computation errors); otherwise, such data will be excluded. The fetal charts will be traced using the Cole and Green-Lambda, Median, and Sigmamethod (CG-LMS); in addition, the use of alternative modelling approaches, such as parametric models derived from the Extended Mechanistic Growth Function method, will be explored.

Ethics and dissemination
Ethical approval for this study was obtained by the Lombardy Ethics Committee n.3 (15 December 2023) prior to the commencement of the research. Written informed consent will be obtained from all participants. Women will be free to decline participation or to withdraw at any time.
Findings will be presented at scientific meetings and published in peer-reviewed scientific journals in the field of obstetrics and fetal medicine. Also, they will be disseminated to study participants through dedicated online and in-person meetings and to the public through reach-out activities involving families and healthcare specialists.

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How do health shocks affect preventive behaviours? An empirical examination of the mediating role of perceived risk from a longitudinal study in China

Objectives
Against the heavy burden of non-communicable diseases and the lack of preventive behaviours (PB) in China, health shocks (HSs), as a trigger, provide the teachable moment for promoting PB with a role of perceived risk (PR) in this process being discussed. The aim of this study is to examine four hypotheses on the impact of HS on PB and whether PR is mediating the relationship.

Design
A retrospective cohort.

Setting
Panel data of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, a well-designed nationally representative survey of Chinese over 45 years old in 2015 and 2018 waves.

Participants
A total of 9888 respondents were included, who were over 45 years old, followed up in both waves, and had no chronic diseases in 2015, after propensity score matching.

Primary outcome measures
The change of PB including smoking status, alcohol consumption, physical activity participation, physical examination participation, and the fitness expenditure.

Results
Hypothesis 1: HS significantly promote PB by decreasing the probability of smoking and drinking, increasing the probability of taking exercise and physical examination, and increasing the fitness expenditure. Hypothesis 2 and 3: HSs increase PR, and PR is positively associated with PB. Hypothesis 4: The indirect effects of HS on smoking (–0.016, p

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