Cross-Sectoral Comparisons of Process Quality Indicators of Health Care Across Residential Regions Using Restricted Mean Survival Time.

Background: Practice guidelines recommend patient management based on scientific evidence. Quality indicators gauge adherence to such recommendations and assess health care quality. They are usually defined as adverse event rates, which may not fully capture guideline adherence over time.

Cerebellar pilocytic astrocytoma: predictors of recurrence based on MRI morphology-a single-centre experience.

Purpose: We aimed to present our surgical experience and the impact of a solid or cystic morphology of cerebellar pilocytic astrocytoma (cPA) on surgery and the risk for a re-resection.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed all children operated at our institution between 2009 and 2023 for cPA. Tumours were categorized into 4 groups: (i) cystic PA without cyst wall enhancement, (ii) cystic PA with cyst wall enhancement, (iii) solid tumour, (iv) and solid tumour with central necrosis.

Detection and phylogenetic analysis of blood-associated pathogens from spleen samples of wild raccoons (Procyon lotor) in Germany.

Raccoons (Procyon lotor) originated in North America and have been introduced to Europe. Due to their close contact with human settlements, they are important reservoirs for zoonotic pathogens, such as Baylisascaris procyonis. The relevance and prevalence of vector-borne pathogens have not yet been fully elucidated.

Comparative efficacy and safety of treatment regimens for Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia in people living with HIV - A systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Background: Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PCP) is a serious opportunistic infection in people living with HIV (PWH) who have low CD4 counts. Despite its side effects, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) is currently considered the primary treatment for PCP.

Objectives: To compare the efficacy (treatment-failure and mortality) and tolerability (treatment change) of PCP treatment-regimens with a frequentist network meta-analysis (NMA).

The role of microRNA in the regulation of hepatic metabolism and energy-expensive processes in the hibernating dormouse.

The garden dormouse (Eliomys quercinus) is a fat-storing mammal that undergoes annual periods of hibernation to mitigate the effects of food scarcity, low ambient temperatures, and reduced photoperiod that characterize winter. Like other hibernating species, this animal suppresses its metabolic rate by downregulating nonessential genes and processes in order to prolong available energy stores and limit waste accumulation throughout the season. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short, single-stranded, noncoding RNAs that bind to mRNA and mediate post-transcriptional suppression, making miRNA ideal for modulating widespread changes in gene expression, including global downregulation typified by metabolic rate depression.

Cementless fixation in total knee arthroplasty: current evidence and future perspective.

Introduction: Cementless fixation plays an increasing role in total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The objective of this review article is to analyze functional outcomes and survivorship of cementless TKA.

Materials And Methods: A comprehensive literature search for studies reviewing the outcome and survivorship of cementless TKA was conducted.

Evaluation of the ETV success score and its predictive value in pediatric occlusive hydrocephalus: implications for patient counseling.

Introduction: Endoscopic Third Ventriculostomy (ETV) is a well-established treatment for pediatric hydrocephalus, particularly in cases of aqueductal stenosis. The ETV Success Score (ETVSS) is a predictive tool widely used to estimate the likelihood of ETV success based on factors like age. Its accuracy, especially in infants under 3 months, is still debated.

Improved methodology for tracing a pulse of 13C-labelled tree photosynthate carbon to ectomycorrhizal roots, other soil biota and soil processes in the field.

Isotopic pulse-labelling of photosynthate allows tracing of carbon (C) from tree canopies to belowground biota and calculations of its turnover in roots and recipient soil microorganisms. A high concentration of label is desirable, but is difficult to achieve in field studies of intact ecosystem patches with trees. Moreover, root systems of trees overlap considerably in most forests, which requires a large labelled area to minimize the impact of C allocated belowground by un-labelled trees.

Normative prospective data on automatically quantified retinal morphology correlated to retinal function in healthy ageing eyes by two microperimetry devices.

Purpose: The relationship between retinal morphology, as assessed by optical coherence tomography (OCT), and retinal function in microperimetry (MP) has not been well studied, despite its increasing importance as an essential functional endpoint for clinical trials and emerging therapies in retinal diseases. Normative databases of healthy ageing eyes are largely missing from literature.

Methods: Healthy subjects above 50 years were examined using two MP devices, MP-3 (NIDEK) and MAIA (iCare).

Forecast of total health expenditure on China's ageing population: a system dynamics model.

Background: China is currently at a turning point as its total population has started to decline, and therefore faces issues related to caring for an ageing population, which will require an increase in Total Health Expenditure (THE). Therefore, the ability to forecast China's future THE is essential.

Methods: We developed two THE System Dynamics (SD) models using Stella Architect 3.

Social conditions of smallholder dairy farmers influence their environmental decisions.

The objective of this study is to characterize the social conditions for making agricultural decisions. Particular attention is paid to sustainable agricultural practices in dairy farming. The theoretical framework has been developed around two major explicatory perspectives: sustainable development and quality of life.

Temporal dynamics in the composition of metabolically active bacteria and fungi in the ileo-cecal lymph nodes of suckling and newly weaned piglets.

The early microbial colonization of the porcine gut is an important priming factor for gut and immune development. Nevertheless, little is known about the composition of microbes that translocate into the ileo-cecal lymph nodes (ICLN) in the neonatal phase. This study aimed to characterize age- and nutrition-related changes in the metabolically active bacterial and fungal composition of the ICLN in suckling and newly weaned piglets.

The eSAH score: a simple practical predictive model for SAH mortality and outcomes.

We developed a simple quantifiable scoring system that predicts aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) mortality, delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI), and modified Rankin scale (mRS) outcomes using readily available SAH admission data with SAH volume (SAHV) measured on computed tomography (CT). We retrospectively analyzed a cohort of 277 patients with aSAH admitted at our Comprehensive Stroke Center at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, between January 5, 2012, and February 24, 2022. We developed a mathematical radiographic model SAHV that measures basal cisternal SAH blood volume using a derivation of the ABC/2 ellipsoid formula (A = width/thickness, B = length, C = vertical extension) on noncontrast CT, which we previously demonstrated is comparable to pixel-based manual segmentation on noncontrast CT.

Spatiotemporal patterns and drivers of orchard meadow loss in South Tyrol, Italy.

Orchard meadows, a specific agroforestry system characterised by scattered high-stem fruit trees, are a traditional element of several cultural landscapes in Central Europe and provide important ecosystem services. Since the middle of the 20th century, orchard meadows have drastically declined across Europe. Spatial information on the drivers and patterns of such a decline in several regions in Central Europe is lacking.

A dataset of income distribution on provincial, urban, and rural levels for China from 2020 to 2100.

Projections of future income distributions at subnational levels are becoming increasingly important for a variety of analyses and evaluations. However, relevant datasets are currently limited. This study presents a methodological framework that introduces machine learning algorithms to a top-down approach used for generating income distribution datasets.

The Financial Burden of Localized and Metastatic Bladder Cancer.

Background And Objective: Bladder cancer (BCa) imposes a substantial economic burden on health care systems and patients. Understanding these financial implications is crucial for effective resource allocation and optimization of treatment cost effectiveness. Here, we aim to systematically review and analyze the financial burden of BCa from the health care and patient perspectives.

The 1888 dissertation of a female medical student, Ueber Character-Veränderungen des Menschen in Folge von Laesionen des Stirnhirns (On character changes of man as a consequence of lesions of the frontal lobe).

A case of brain injury with a transient syndrome of mainly disinhibited behaviour (Franz Binz) was the subject of the 1888 medical dissertation of Leonore Welt (∗1859 Chernivtsi, Ukraine; †1944 Geneva, Switzerland) which came to be discussed quite controversially. Although Binz was never fully forgotten, the similar "American crow-bar case" (Phineas Gage) attracted more interest. Welt's study, in contrast, provides not only well-illustrated neuropathological findings but also more detailed clinical data.

Real-world multicentre cohort study on choices and effectiveness of immunotherapies in NMOSD and MOGAD.

Background: Recurrent attacks in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSDs) or myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease (MOGAD) can lead to severe disability. We aimed to analyse the real-world use of immunotherapies in patients with NMOSD and MOGAD, focusing on changes in treatment strategies, effects on attack rates (ARR) and risk factors for attacks.

Methods: This longitudinal registry-based cohort study included 493 patients (320 with aquaporin-4 immunoglobulin G (AQP4-IgG) seropositive NMOSD (65%), 44 with AQP4-IgG seronegative NMOSD (9%) and 129 MOGAD (26%)) with 1247 treatments from 19 German and one Austrian centre from the registry of the neuromyelitis optica study group (NEMOS).

Current Approaches to Optimize Donor Heart for Transplantation.

Heart transplantation remains a critical therapy for patients with end-stage heart failure, offering incremental survival and improved quality of life. One of the key components behind the success of heart transplantation is the condition and preservation of the donor heart. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of ischemic reperfusion injury, risk factors associated with primary graft dysfunction, current use of various preservation solutions for organ procurement and recent advancements in donor heart procurement technologies.

The association of temperature extremes, ecosystem resilience, with child mortality: Novel evidence from India.

The present study investigates how ecosystem resilience affects children's health and acts as a protective shield against high temperature exposure. Ecosystem resilience is the ability of an ecosystem to absorb anthropogenic or climatic shocks and recover from those shocks. The study used various data sources to estimate the impact of temperature extremes on child mortality in India.