Playing a serious game to increase fertility awareness: perceptions of adolescents, parents and teachers.

Infertility is increasing globally, affecting one in six adults due to factors like delayed childbearing and lifestyle changes. Despite the recognition of the importance of increasing fertility awareness, levels remain low. This study evaluated the perceptions of 'FActs!', a serious game aimed at improving adolescents' fertility awareness.

Local adaptation and phenotypic plasticity in two forest understorey herbs in response to forest management intensity.

Local adaptation is a common phenomenon that helps plant populations to adjust to broad-scale environmental heterogeneity. Given the strong effect of forest management on the understorey microenvironment and often long-term effects of forest management actions, it seems likely that understorey herbs may have locally adapted to the practiced management regime and induced environmental variation. We investigated the response of and to forest management using a transplant experiment along a silvicultural management intensity gradient.

Diffusion tensor imaging in peroneal neuropathy: a prospective, single-centre study.

Objective: Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) showed promising results in diagnosing upper limb neuropathies, but its value in patients with foot drop due to peroneal neuropathy has not yet been investigated. We aim to establish reference values for DTI metrics of the healthy peroneal nerve and to evaluate differences in DTI metrics between patients and healthy controls.

Methods: Diffusion-weighted images (DWI) from 22 pathological nerves, 14 asymptomatic patients' nerves and 65 healthy peroneal nerves were processed for quantitative assessment of fractional anisotropy (FA), radial diffusivity (RD), axial diffusivity and mean diffusivity.

Diagnostic accuracy of 4D-MRA for the detection and localization of spinal dural arteriovenous fistulas: A retrospective 10-year cohort study.

Research Question: The goal of this study was to assess the diagnostic accuracy of spinal time-resolved contrast-enhanced MR angiography (4D-MRA) for the detection and localization of spinal dural arteriovenous fistulas (SDAVF) in our institution.

Material And Methods: Single center retrospective cohort study of patients with the clinical suspicion of a SDAVF. Patients were included who had undergone spinal 4D-MRA in the period January 2010-February 2021.

Multidimensional 1-Year Outcomes After Intensive Care Admission for Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children.

Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic gave rise to uncertainty concerning potential sequelae related to a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection. This landscape is currently unfolding with studies reporting sequelae on various domains (physical, cognitive, and psychosocial), although most studies focus on adults or only one domain. We sought to investigate concurrent sequelae on multiple domains 1 year after PICU admission for Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C).

Exploring peripheral fluid biomarkers for early detection of Alzheimer's disease in Down syndrome: A literature review.

People with Down Syndrome (DS) are at high risk of developing Alzheimer's disease dementia (AD) and cerebral amyloid angiopathy, which is a critical factor contributing to dementia in sporadic AD. Predicting and monitoring the decline and onset of dementia is a diagnostic challenge and of essence in daily care and support for people with DS. In this literature scoping review, we first summarize the different blood-based biomarkers for AD in DS.

Challenges during cardiac arrest in pregnancy.

A 36-year-old woman at 23 weeks and 3 days of gestation experienced a witnessed cardiopulmonary collapse. Bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was initiated immediately. After advanced life support, she was transferred under mechanical CPR to a hospital for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO).

Risk Factors for Post Laryngectomy Pharyngocutaneous Fistula and Impact of Pharyngeal Suture Type on Fistula Characteristics.

Introduction: Pharyngocutaneous fistula (PCF) is the most common complication following total laryngectomy (TL). The factors contributing to its occurrence are still a matter of debate. The impact of suture type has been relatively underexplored.

Definition of a European pre-vasectomy scoring system to identify patients at risk of vasectomy regret.

Introduction: Vasectomy is a widely used, safe, effective method of permanent contraception and contributes to healthy sexuality.

Aims: We have conducted a 3-step observational clinical study to develop a vasectomy regret risk score and guide patients and clinicians when discussing a vasectomy.

Methods: A 3-step approach has been followed.

Engineering antibacterial plasma-polymerized polyethylene glycol-ZnO nanocomposite coatings for extending pork sausage shelf life.

Recently, interest in eco-friendly techniques for producing antibacterial food packaging films has surged. Within this context, plasma polymerization is emerging as a promising approach for applying degradable antibacterial coatings on various plastic films. This research therefore employs an atmospheric pressure aerosol-assisted plasma deposition technique to create polyethylene glycol (PEG)-like coatings embedding zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) of varying sizes on polyethylene (PE) substrates.

Development of a bioavailability-based acute effects assessment method for nickel.

This study aimed to develop a bioavailability-based effects assessment method for nickel (Ni) to derive acute freshwater environmental thresholds in Europe. The authors established a reliable acute freshwater Ni ecotoxicity database covering 63 different freshwater species, and the existing acute Ni bioavailability models for invertebrates were revised. A single average invertebrate bioavailability model was proposed, in which the protective effects of Ca2+ and Mg2+ on Ni2+ toxicity were integrated as a single-site competition effect at the Ni biotic ligand.

Outcomes in stage IIA versus stage IIB/III in the PALLAS trial [ABCSG-42/AFT-05/PrE0109/BIG-14-13]).

Background: The PALLAS trial investigated the addition of palbociclib to standard adjuvant endocrine therapy to reduce breast cancer recurrence. This pre-specified analysis was conducted to determine whether adjuvant palbociclib benefited patients diagnosed with lower risk stage IIA disease compared to those with higher stage disease.

Methods: PALLAS was an international, multicenter, randomized, open-label, phase III trial, representing a public-private partnership between Pfizer, the Austrian Breast Cancer Study Group, and the U.

WT1-mRNA dendritic cell vaccination of patients with glioblastoma multiforme, malignant pleural mesothelioma, metastatic breast cancer, and other solid tumors: type 1 T-lymphocyte responses are associated with clinical outcome.

Cell therapies, including tumor antigen-loaded dendritic cells used as therapeutic cancer vaccines, offer treatment options for patients with malignancies. We evaluated the feasibility, safety, immunogenicity, and clinical activity of adjuvant vaccination with Wilms' tumor protein (WT1) mRNA-electroporated autologous dendritic cells (WT1-mRNA/DC) in a single-arm phase I/II clinical study of patients with advanced solid tumors receiving standard therapy. Disease status and immune reactivity were evaluated after 8 weeks and 6 months.

Clinical validation of an individualized auto-adaptative serious game for combined cognitive and upper limb motor robotic rehabilitation after stroke.

Background: Intensive rehabilitation through challenging and individualized tasks are recommended to enhance upper limb recovery after stroke. Robot-assisted therapy (RAT) and serious games could be used to enhance functional recovery by providing simultaneous motor and cognitive rehabilitation.

Objective: The aim of this study is to clinically validate the dynamic difficulty adjustment (DDA) mechanism of ROBiGAME, a robot serious game designed for simultaneous rehabilitation of motor impairments and hemispatial neglect.

A systematic review of outcomes reported in studies to optimise the medication use of patients at hospital discharge.

Introduction: Care transitions, specifically hospital discharge, hold a risk for drug-related problems and medication errors. Effective interventions that optimise medication use during and after transitions are needed, yet there is no standardisation of the outcomes. This literature review aimed at collecting outcomes from studies investigating how to optimise medication use of patients following hospital discharge, and to categorise them, as a first step in the development of a core outcome set.

What is the learning effect of video review in postgraduate medical education: a systematic review.

Background: Video review is a feasible, commonly used learning tool, but current literature lacks a comprehensive review of its impact on learning in postgraduate medical education. This systematic review aims at examining the learning effect of video review of resident performance in clinical practice during postgraduate medical education.

Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted from May 2023 to July 2023 with an update on 12/12/2023.

Exploration of transfer learning techniques for the prediction of PM.

Modelling of pollutants provides valuable insights into air quality dynamics, aiding exposure assessment where direct measurements are not viable. Machine learning (ML) models can be employed to explore such dynamics, including the prediction of air pollution concentrations, yet demanding extensive training data. To address this, techniques like transfer learning (TL) leverage knowledge from a model trained on a rich dataset to enhance one trained on a sparse dataset, provided there are similarities in data distribution.

Beta-tricalcium phosphate patient-specific gap implants in bilateral sagittal split osteotomy: an innovative treatment method to enhance the mandibular border contour. Part 1: concept and workflow.

Antegonial notching can occur after bilateral sagittal split osteotomy (BSSO) and may lead to unpleasant aesthetic outcomes in both young and older patients. This clinical study presents a new concept to potentially overcome this problem and describes the workflow. Beta-tricalcium phosphate patient-specific gap implants (β-TCP gap-PSIs) are biocompatible and resorbable bone grafts that are placed in the space of the osteotomy gap during orthognathic procedures; they are virtually planned and printed in 3D.

Prevalence, Diagnosis, and Management of Stress Urinary Incontinence in Women: A Collaborative Review.

Background And Objective: Stress urinary incontinence (SUI), defined as any involuntary leakage of urine associated with physical activity, remains underdiagnosed and undertreated. This review aims to provide an updated overview of the prevalence, diagnosis, and treatment of SUI in women, drawing upon recent evidence-based literature and clinical guidelines.

Methods: A systematic search of the MEDLINE database was conducted to identify only the most up-to-date and relevant studies published up to February 26, 2024, including the reference ESTER systematic review.

Green Nuclear Medicine and Radiotheranostics.

There is a significantly growing interest in diagnostic and therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals, and it is foreseeable that an unprecedented number of patients will need to be treated with new nuclear medicine therapies. This predicted increase will have potentially significant environmental impacts. In this discussion, we show different areas of impact, as well as possible measures to reduce such impact.

KDIGO 2025 clinical practice guideline for the evaluation, management, and treatment of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD): executive summary.

The Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) 2025 Clinical Practice Guideline for the Evaluation, Management, and Treatment of Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD) represents the first KDIGO guideline on this subject. Its scope includes nomenclature, diagnosis, prognosis, and prevalence; kidney manifestations; chronic kidney disease (CKD) management and progression, kidney failure, and kidney replacement therapy; therapies to delay progression of kidney disease; polycystic liver disease; intracranial aneurysms and other extrarenal manifestations; lifestyle and psychosocial aspects; pregnancy and reproductive issues; pediatric issues; and approaches to the management of people with ADPKD. The guideline has been developed with patient partners, clinicians, and researchers around the world, with the goal to generate a useful resource for healthcare providers and patients by providing actionable recommendations.

The blood transcriptional response in patients developing intensive care unit-acquired pneumonia.

Introduction: Immune response dysregulation has been implicated in the development of intensive care unit (ICU)-acquired pneumonia. We aimed to determine differences in the longitudinal blood transcriptional response between patients who develop ICU-acquired pneumonia (cases) and those who do not (controls).

Methods: We performed a case-cohort study in mechanically ventilated trauma and surgery patients with ICU stays >2 days, enrolled in 30 hospitals across Europe.