In clinical medicine numerous measurement instruments have been developed to assess the functional outcome of patients in clinical trials. The majority are questionnaires with multiple-choice items. The responses of the patients are used to calculate a sum score. However, there are some disadvantages associated with the use of sum scores. Modern clinimetric methods, based on item response theory (IRT) in combination with a calibrated item bank, can overcome these problems. When using this measurement technique, it is possible to arrange both the item difficulty and the patient's ability on a single, hierarchical linear scale. This allows the user to obtain a sufficiently detailed clinical picture using a small number of items. In addition to being efficient, this method makes it possible to present different sets of items to different groups of patients. Since all of the items are calibrated, the measurements remain comparable. The application of this innovative method of measuring is being studied in the ongoing 'Amsterdam linear disability score' (ALDS) project.
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J Echocardiogr
January 2025
Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Keimyung University Dongsan Medical Center, Keimyung University School of Medicine, 1035 Dalgubeol-Daero, Dalseo-Gu, Daegu, 42601, Republic of Korea.
Background: With the growing number of high-risk pregnant women, echocardiography frequently reveals pericardial effusion (PE). However, the clinical implications of PE are unknown.
Method: We analyzed a cohort of 406 high-risk pregnant women who underwent echocardiography in the third trimester between November 2019 and December 2022.
Gastric Cancer
January 2025
Department of Medical Oncology, Hospital Clinico Universitario, INCLIVA, Biomedical Research Institute, University of Valencia, Avenida Menendez Pelayo nro 4 accesorio, Valencia, Spain.
Introduction: Gastric cancer (GC) burden is currently evolving with regional differences associated with complex behavioural, environmental, and genetic risk factors. The LEGACy study is a Horizon 2020-funded multi-institutional research project conducted prospectively to provide comprehensive data on the tumour biological characteristics of gastroesophageal cancer from European and LATAM countries.
Material And Methods: Treatment-naïve advanced gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma patients were prospectively recruited in seven European and LATAM countries.
Hepatol Int
January 2025
Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
Background/purpose: Although metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) has been proposed to replace the diagnosis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) with new diagnostic criteria since 2023, the genetic predisposition of MASLD remains to be explored.
Methods: Participants with data of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) in the Taiwan Biobank database were collected. Patients with missing data, positive for HBsAg, anti-HCV, and alcohol drinking history were excluded.
Pediatr Cardiol
January 2025
Pediatric Heart Center, Johann-Wolfgang-Goethe University Clinic, Theodor-Storm-Kai 7, 60596, Frankfurt, Germany.
This proposal presents a proof of concept for the use of pulmonary flow restrictors (PFRs) based on MVP™-devices, drawing from clinical experience, and explores their potential role in the management of newborns with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), other complex left heart lesions, and infants with end-stage dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). At this early stage of age, manually adjusted PFRs can be tailored to patient's size and hemodynamic needs. Although currently used off-label, PFRs have substantial potential to improve outcomes in these vulnerable patient populations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Robot Surg
January 2025
The Third Ward of Orthopaedic Department, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, 804 Shengli South Street, Hui Autonomous Region, Yinchuan, Ningxia, 750004, People's Republic of China.
The purpose of this study is to assess the safety and effectiveness of TiRobot-assisted treatment for femoral neck fractures, in comparison to traditional freehand treatment methods. Throughout the research process, we conducted an extensive literature search across numerous databases, including PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), CQVIP, and Wanfang. Based on the literature screening criteria, we selected six studies, encompassing 358 cases of femoral neck fracture patients, for this meta-analysis.
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