Identifying effective behavioural components of Intervention and Comparison group support provided in SMOKing cEssation interventions (IC-SMOKE) : a systematic review protocol

Funding The research described in this paper is funded by Cancer Research UK, registered under application number C50862/A18446. The systematic review protocol reported in this paper was previously peer-reviewed by Cancer Research UK as part of the funding process. The funders had no role in protocol design, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

Something fishy about homecooked infant feeding recipes

Acknowledgments The authors would like to thank the statistical team within the Division of Applied Health Sciences at the University of Aberdeen for their support in analysing the data. This work was supported by The Scottish Government’s Rural and Environment Science and Analytical Services (RESAS) division (LC grant). Substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work; analysis, and interpretation of data for the work were conducted by Sharon Carstairs (SC) under the supervision of Dr K Kiezebrink (KK), Dr D Marais (DM) and Dr L Craig (LC). Data collection was conducted by SC and a 10% duplicate data extraction by DM. Financial Support This work was funded by The Seafish Authority and Interface Food and Drink as part of a Doctorate Scholarship undertaken at the University of Aberdeen (grant number HS053 RBZ0214).

Non-pharmacological interventions to reduce the risk of diabetes in people with impaired glucose regulation : a systematic review and economic evaluation

Peer reviewed

Bone mineral density and incidence of stroke: European Prospective Investigation into Caner-Norfolk population-based study, systematic review and meta-analysis : European Prospective Investigation into Cancer - Norfolk population–based study, systematic review, and meta-analysis

Peer reviewed

Topical antihistamines and mast cell stabilisers for treating seasonal and perennial allergic conjunctivitis

Peer reviewed

Surgical trial in traumatic intracerebral haemorrhage (STITCH) : A randomised controlled trial of early surgery compared with Initial conservative treatment

Funding This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme.

Monitoring ocular hypertension, how much and how often? : A cost-effectiveness perspective

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A review of clinical trial designs used to detect a disease-modifying effect of drug therapy in Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease

Acknowledgements This article presents independent research funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) under its Programme Grants for Applied Research Programme (Grant Reference Number RP-PG-0707-10124). The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NHS, the NIHR or the Department of Health. The funders had no role in study design, data collection, data analysis, data interpretation, writing of the report or for the decision to submit for publication.

A systematic review of the cost-effectiveness of non-surgical obesity interventions in men

Crown Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Réduction des artéfacts de tuteur coronarien au moyen d’un algorithme de reconstruction avec renforcement des bords : étude prospective transversale en tomodensitométrie 256 coupes

Les artéfacts métalliques entraînent un épaississement artéfactuel de la paroi des tuteurs en tomodensitométrie (TDM) avec réduction apparente de leur lumière. Cette étude transversale prospective, devis mesures répétées et observateurs avec méthode en aveugle, chez 24 patients consécutifs/71 tuteurs coronariens a pour objectif de comparer l’épaisseur de paroi des tuteurs en TDM après reconstruction par un algorithme avec renforcement des bords et un algorithme standard. Une angiographie coronarienne par TDM 256 coupes a été réalisée, avec reconstruction par algorithmes avec renforcement des bords et standard. L’épaisseur de paroi des tuteurs était mesurée par méthodes orthogonale (diamètres) et circonférentielle (circonférences). La qualité d’image des tuteurs était évaluée par échelle ordinale, et les données analysées par modèles linéaire mixte et régression logistique des cotes proportionnelles. L’épaisseur de paroi des tuteurs était inférieure avec l’algorithme avec renforcement des bords comparé à l’algorithme standard, avec les méthodes orthogonale (0,97±0,02 vs 1,09±0,03 mm, respectivement; p<0,001) et circonférentielle (1,13±0,02 vs 1,21±0,02 mm, respectivement; p<0,001). Le premier causait moins de surestimation par rapport à l’épaisseur nominale comparé au second, avec méthodes orthogonale (0,89±0,19 vs 1,00±0,26 mm, respectivement; p<0,001) et circonférentielle (1,06±0,26 vs 1,13±0,31 mm, respectivement; p=0,005) et diminuait de 6 % la surestimation. Les scores de qualité étaient meilleurs avec l’algorithme avec renforcement des bords (OR 3,71; IC 95% 2,33–5,92; p<0,001). En conclusion, la reconstruction des images avec l’algorithme avec renforcement des bords génère des parois de tuteurs plus minces, moins de surestimation, et de meilleurs scores de qualité d’image que l’algorithme standard.

Clinical translation of a hand-held optical imager for breast cancer diagnostics: In vitro and in vivo tomography studies

Optical imaging is an emerging technology towards non-invasive breast cancer diagnostics. In recent years, portable and patient comfortable hand-held optical imagers are developed towards two-dimensional (2D) tumor detections. However, these imagers are not capable of three-dimensional (3D) tomography because they cannot register the positional information of the hand-held probe onto the imaged tissue. A hand-held optical imager has been developed in our Optical Imaging Laboratory with 3D tomography capabilities, as demonstrated from tissue phantom studies. The overall goal of my dissertation is towards the translation of our imager to the clinical setting for 3D tomographic imaging in human breast tissues. A systematic experimental approach was designed and executed as follows: (i) fast 2D imaging, (ii) coregistered imaging, and (iii) 3D tomographic imaging studies. (i) Fast 2D imaging was initially demonstrated in tissue phantoms (1% Liposyn solution) and in vitro (minced chicken breast and 1% Liposyn). A 0.45 cm3 fluorescent target at 1:0 contrast ratio was detectable up to 2.5 cm deep. Fast 2D imaging experiments performed in vivo with healthy female subjects also detected a 0.45 cm3 fluorescent target superficially placed ∼2.5 cm under the breast tissue. (ii) Coregistered imaging was automated and validated in phantoms with ∼0.19 cm error in the probe’s positional information. Coregistration also improved the target depth detection to 3.5 cm, from multi-location imaging approach. Coregistered imaging was further validated in-vivo , although the error in probe’s positional information increased to ∼0.9 cm (subject to soft tissue deformation and movement). (iii) Three-dimensional tomography studies were successfully demonstrated in vitro using 0.45 cm3 fluorescence targets. The feasibility of 3D tomography was demonstrated for the first time in breast tissues using the hand-held optical imager, wherein a 0.45 cm3 fluorescent target (superficially placed) was recovered along with artifacts. Diffuse optical imaging studies were performed in two breast cancer patients with invasive ductal carcinoma. The images showed greater absorption at the tumor cites (as observed from x-ray mammography, ultrasound, and/or MRI). In summary, my dissertation demonstrated the potential of a hand-held optical imager towards 2D breast tumor detection and 3D breast tomography, holding a promise for extensive clinical translational efforts.

From theory-inspired to theory-based interventions : A protocol for developing and testing a methodology for linking behaviour change techniques to theoretical mechanisms of action

This research is funded by UK Medical Research Council grant number MR/L011115/1

A qualitative evaluation of the Scottish Staff and Associate Specialist Development Programme

Acknowledgements Our thanks to all those who took part in the interviews, and to Gillian Campbell for her help in organising these interviews. Our thanks to NHS Education for Scotland for commissioning us to carry out this project. Funding Our thanks to NHS Education for Scotland (NES) for funding this research. JC and PJ received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

What, who and when? Incorporating a discrete choice experiment into an economic evaluation

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: The Medman study was funded by the Department of Health for England and Wales and managed by a collaboration of the National Pharmaceutical Association, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain, the Company Chemist Association and the Co-operative Pharmacy Technical Panel, led by the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee. The research in this paper was undertaken while the lead author MT was undertaking a doctoral research fellowship jointly funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and the Medical Research Council (MRC). The Health Economics Research Unit (HERU), University of Aberdeen is funded by the Chief Scientific Office of the Scottish Government Health and Social Care Directorate.

Restarting antidepressant treatment following early discontinuation : a primary care database study

Peer reviewed