Real-world experience of feasibility and efficacy of electrical muscle stimulation in elderly patients with acute heart failure: A randomized controlled study.

Background: Reduced aerobic capacity and deconditioning contributes to morbidity and mortality in elderly acute heart failure (AHF) patients. Electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) has shown to be a suitable alternative to exercise in AHF. However, feasibility and efficacy are unknown in a real-world setting.

Analysis of 30 anaesthesia-related deaths in Germany between 2006 and 2015: An analysis of a closed claims database.

Background: Anaesthesiology is one of the safest fields in medicine today in relation to mortality. Deaths directly because of anaesthesia have fortunately now become rare exceptions. Nevertheless, important findings can still be drawn from the rare deaths that still occur.

Characteristics of scholars who review for predatory and legitimate journals: linkage study of Cabells Scholarly Analytics and Publons data.

Objectives: To describe and compare the characteristics of scholars who reviewed for predatory or legitimate journals in terms of their sociodemographic characteristics and reviewing and publishing behaviour.

Design: Linkage of random samples of predatory journals and legitimate journals of the Cabells Scholarly Analytics' journal lists with the Publons database, employing the Jaro-Winkler string metric. Descriptive analysis of sociodemographic characteristics and reviewing and publishing behaviour of scholars for whom reviews were found in the Publons database.

Implementation strategies for the first licensed dengue vaccine: A meeting report.

Dengue vaccination would enhance the control of dengue, one of the most frequent vector-borne viral diseases globally. CYD-TDV is the first dengue vaccine to be licensed, but global uptake has been hampered due to its use being limited to seropositive persons aged 9 years and above, and the need for a 3-dose schedule. The Partnership for Dengue Control (PDC) organized a meeting with key opinion leaders and stakeholders to deliberate on implementation strategies for the use of CYD-TDV.

Combination adherence strategy to support HIV antiretroviral therapy and pre-exposure prophylaxis adherence during pregnancy and breastfeeding: protocol for a pair of pilot randomised trials.

Introduction: To realise the expected gains from prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission initiatives, adherence to preventative and therapeutic antiretroviral regimens is critical and interventions deployable in busy programmatic settings with a high HIV burden are needed. Based on formative research, we developed an approach that integrates patient-centred counselling and engagement of an adherence supporter for pregnant and breastfeeding women initiating HIV treatment (ie, antiretroviral therapy (ART)) or biomedical HIV prevention (ie, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)).

Methods: Tonse Pamodzi 2 is a pilot study designed to provide acceptability, fidelity and clinical outcomes data on a set of behavioural interventions for adherence support.

Respiratory symptoms do not reflect functional impairment in early CF lung disease.

Background: Lung disease can develop within the first year of life in infants with cystic fibrosis (CF). However, the frequency and severity of respiratory symptoms in infancy are not known.

Methods: We assessed respiratory symptoms in 50 infants with CF and 50 healthy matched controls from two prospective birth cohort studies.

Cuffless Blood Pressure Measurement Using a Smartphone-Case Based ECG Monitor with Photoplethysmography in Hypertensive Patients.

Unlabelled: The availability of simple, accurate, and affordable cuffless blood pressure (BP) devices has the potential to greatly increase the compliance with measurement recommendations and the utilization of BP measurements for BP telemonitoring. The aim of this study is to evaluate the correlation between findings from routine BP measurements using a conventional sphygmomanometer with the results from a portable ECG monitor combined with photoplethysmography (PPG) for pulse wave registration in patients with arterial hypertension.

Methods: The study included 500 patients aged 32-88 years (mean 64 ± 7.

Telemedicine Intervention to Improve Long-Term Risk Factor Control and Body Composition in Persons with High Cardiovascular Risk: Results from a Randomized Trial: Telehealth strategies may offer an advantage over standard institutional based interventions for improvement of cardiovascular risk in high-risk patients long-term.

Background: Telehealth strategies are increasingly used to support people at high cardiovascular risk long-term, but is it unclear if these interventions are effective at improving cardiovascular risk.

Objective: To evaluate the effects of a telemedicine technology-based program on risk factor control and body composition in patients at high cardiovascular risk.

Methods: This is a population based randomized controlled trial.

Local adaptation in populations of endemic to the Indian Ocean Rim.

Lineage 1 (L1) and 3 (L3) are two lineages of the complex (MTBC) causing tuberculosis (TB) in humans. L1 and L3 are prevalent around the rim of the Indian Ocean, the region that accounts for most of the world's new TB cases. Despite their relevance for this region, L1 and L3 remain understudied.

Public willingness to participate in personalized health research and biobanking: A large-scale Swiss survey.

This paper reports survey findings on the Swiss public's willingness, attitudes, and concerns regarding personalized health research participation by providing health information and biological material. The survey reached a sample of 15,106 Swiss residents, from which we received 5,156 responses (34.1% response rate).

Bayesian spatial modelling of terrestrial radiation in Switzerland.

The geographic variation of terrestrial radiation can be exploited in epidemiological studies of the health effects of protracted low-dose exposure. Various methods have been applied to derive maps of this variation. We aimed to construct a map of terrestrial radiation for Switzerland.

Risk factors for vertebral fractures and bone loss after denosumab discontinuation: A real-world observational study.

Background: Denosumab discontinuation without subsequent bisphosphonates (BPs) is associated with bone loss and multiple vertebral fractures.

Objective: Identifying risk factors for bone loss and vertebral fractures after denosumab discontinuation.

Methods: This retrospective study measured the outcome of 219 women with osteoporosis who discontinued denosumab treatment and received subsequent treatment with zoledronate, other BPs or a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM), or no therapy.

Investigating and dealing with publication bias and other reporting biases in meta-analyses of health research: A review.

A P value, or the magnitude or direction of results can influence decisions about whether, when, and how research findings are disseminated. Regardless of whether an entire study or a particular study result is unavailable because investigators considered the results to be unfavorable, bias in a meta-analysis may occur when available results differ systematically from missing results. In this article, we summarize the empirical evidence for various reporting biases that lead to study results being unavailable for inclusion in systematic reviews, with a focus on health research.

Isometric Strength Measures are Superior to the Timed Up and Go Test for Fall Prediction in Older Adults: Results from a Prospective Cohort Study.

Background: Isometric strength measures and timed up and go (TUG) tests are both recognized as valuable tools for fall prediction in older adults. However, results from direct comparison of these two tests are lacking. We aimed to assess the potential of isometric strength measures and the different modalities of the TUG test to detect individuals at risk of falling.

Citations and metrics of journals discontinued from Scopus for publication concerns: the GhoS(t)copus Project.

 Scopus is a leading bibliometric database. It contains a large part of the articles cited in peer-reviewed publications The journals included in Scopus are periodically re-evaluated to ensure they meet indexing criteria and some journals might be discontinued for 'publication concerns'. Previously published articles may remain indexed and can be cited.

Guidance regarding COVID-19 for survivors of childhood, adolescent, and young adult cancer: A statement from the International Late Effects of Childhood Cancer Guideline Harmonization Group.

Childhood, adolescent, and young adult (CAYA) cancer survivors may be at risk for a severe course of COVID-19. Little is known about the clinical course of COVID-19 in CAYA cancer survivors, or if additional preventive measures are warranted. We established a working group within the International Late Effects of Childhood Cancer Guideline Harmonization Group (IGHG) to summarize existing evidence and worldwide recommendations regarding evidence about factors/conditions associated with risk for a severe course of COVID-19 in CAYA cancer survivors, and to develop a consensus statement to provide guidance for healthcare practitioners and CAYA cancer survivors regarding COVID-19.

Impact of an evidence-based intervention on urinary catheter utilization, associated process indicators, and infectious and non-infectious outcomes.

Background: Multi-centre intervention studies tackling urinary catheterization and its infectious and non-infectious complications are lacking.

Aim: To decrease urinary catheterization and, consequently, catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) and non-infectious complications.

Methods: Before/after non-randomized multi-centre intervention study in seven hospitals in Switzerland.

Effect of postoperative continuation of antibiotic prophylaxis on the incidence of surgical site infection: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Antibiotic prophylaxis is frequently continued for 1 day or more after surgery to prevent surgical site infection. Continuing antibiotic prophylaxis after an operation might have no advantage compared with its immediate discontinuation, and it unnecessarily exposes patients to risks associated with antibiotic use. In 2016, WHO recommended discontinuation of antibiotic prophylaxis after surgery.

Effect of Biomechanical Footwear on Knee Pain in People With Knee Osteoarthritis: The BIOTOK Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Individually calibrated biomechanical footwear therapy may improve pain and physical function in people with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis, but the benefits of this therapy are unclear.

Objective: To assess the effect of a biomechanical footwear therapy vs control footwear over 24 weeks of follow-up.

Design, Setting, And Participants: Randomized clinical trial conducted at a Swiss university hospital.

Effect of breastfeeding duration on lung function, respiratory symptoms and allergic diseases in school-age children.

Background: A positive effect of breastfeeding on lung function has been demonstrated in cohorts of children with asthma or risk for asthma. We assessed the impact of breastfeeding on lung function and symptoms at the age of 6 years in an unselected, healthy birth cohort.

Methods: We prospectively studied healthy term infants from the Bern-Basel Infant Lung Development (BILD) cohort from birth up to 6 years.

Cancer-induced immunosuppression can enable effectiveness of immunotherapy through bistability generation: A mathematical and computational examination.

Cancer immunotherapies rely on how interactions between cancer and immune system cells are constituted. The more essential to the emergence of the dynamical behavior of cancer growth these interactions are, the more effectively they may be used as mechanisms for interventions. Mathematical modeling can help unearth such connections, and help explain how they shape the dynamics of cancer growth.

A Single Infusion of Zoledronate in Postmenopausal Women Following Denosumab Discontinuation Results in Partial Conservation of Bone Mass Gains.

Discontinuation of denosumab is associated with a rapid return of bone mineral density (BMD) to baseline and an increased risk of multiple vertebral fractures. No subsequent treatment regimen has yet been established for preventing either loss of BMD or multiple vertebral fractures after denosumab discontinuation. The aim of this 8-year observational study was to investigate the effect of a single zoledronate infusion, administered 6 months after the last denosumab injection, on fracture occurrence and loss of BMD.

Risk Factors for Negative Global Treatment Outcomes in Lumbar Spinal Stenosis Surgery: A Mixed Effects Model Analysis of Data from an International Spine Registry.

Objective: To determine risk factors for negative global treatment outcomes as self-assessed by patients undergoing surgical treatment for lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS).

Methods: Patients from the Spine Tango registry undergoing first-time surgery for LSS were analyzed. The primary outcome was global treatment outcomes measured at the last available follow-up ≥3 months postoperatively using a single question rating how much the operation had helped the patient's back problem (negative = no change/operation made things worse).