776 results match your criteria: "Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+)[Affiliation]"

Evaluating the Implementation of Home-Based Sexual Health Care Among Men Who Have Sex with Men: Limburg4zero.

AIDS Behav

January 2025

Department of Sexual Health, Infectious Diseases and Environmental Health, Living Lab Public Health Mosa, Public Health Service South Limburg, Heerlen, The Netherlands.

Home-based sexual health care (including self-sampling testing) could reduce barriers to clinic-based testing. This study systematically evaluated the implementation of home-based sexual health care ('Limburg4Zero') among men who have sex with men (MSM) in a mixed urban-rural region of the Netherlands. We systematically assessed implementation outcomes (contextual domains, population reached, effectiveness, adoption by health care providers (HCP), implementation fidelity, and maintenance) using the practical, robust implementation and sustainability model.

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Inducing cylindrical and spherical defocus after implantation with new generation intraocular lenses improves intermediate and near visual acuity.

Sci Rep

December 2024

Imaging, Biomechanics and Mathematical Modelling Solutions Lab, Narayana Nethralaya Foundation, Bangalore, India.

An induced cylinder and spherical power after implantation with an extended depth of focus (EDOF) and enhanced monofocal intraocular lens (IOL) could improve distance, intermediate (60 cm) and near (40 cm) visual acuity (VA). In this prospective study, forty eyes with Eyhance EDOF IOL (Johnson and Johnson, USA) and 40 eyes with Vivity EDOF IOL (Alcon Laboratories Inc. USA) were included.

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Functional screening identifies miRNAs with a novel function inhibiting Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell proliferation.

Mol Ther

December 2024

Centre for Cardiovascular Science, The Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh; Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, UK; CARIM school for cardiovascular sciences, Department of Pathology, Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC); Maastricht 6229HX, The Netherlands. Electronic address:

Proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (vSMCs) is a crucial contributor to pathological vascular remodelling. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are powerful gene regulators and attractive therapeutic agents. Here, we aim to systematically identify and characterise miRNAs with therapeutic potential in targeting vSMC proliferation.

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Challenges to Students' Learning and Wellbeing During Placement Abroad: A Qualitative Study Using Rich Pictures.

Perspect Med Educ

December 2024

School of Health Professions Education (SHE), Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.

Introduction: Undergraduate healthcare students on placement abroad can experience challenges that affect their wellbeing, personal and professional development. These challenges may result in students taking a more peripheral role in workplace activities, which negatively impacts learning. We studied .

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Accuracy and Reliability of Grip Strength Measurements: A Comparative Device Analysis.

J Funct Morphol Kinesiol

December 2024

University Center for Prevention and Sports Medicine, Balgrist University Hospital, University of Zurich, CH-8008 Zurich, Switzerland.

Grip strength is widely used as a surrogate parameter for functional status. The current gold standard, the JAMAR Hydraulic Dynamometer (JAMAR Hydraulic), presents challenges for individuals with painful finger joints or low grip strength. Therefore, the objective of this observational study was to assess comparability across the JAMAR Smart, the Martin Vigorimeter and the gold standard.

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Atherosclerosis is a pervasive contributor to ischemic heart disease and stroke. Despite the advance of lipid-lowering therapies and anti-hypertensive agents, the residual risk of an atherosclerotic event remains high, and developing therapeutic strategies has proven challenging. This is due to the complexity of atherosclerosis with a spatial interplay of multiple cell types within the vascular wall.

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Aims: To answer the question of whether the bladder itself can to any extent control or modulate the initiation of voiding.

Methods: This subject was discussed at the International Consultation on Incontinence-Research Society (ICI-RS) 2024 conference in Bristol, UK in a proposal session.

Results: Cells in the bladder wall sense the local environment via a diverse array of ion channels and receptors which together provide input to motor-sensory and signal transduction mechanisms.

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Aim: The early diagnosis of atherosclerotic changes to prevent ischemic events represents a clinical challenge.Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) as an established diagnostic in the field of prostate cancer also appears to detect neovascularization and inflammation in other diseases. We hypothesized that it might be also suited for detection of inflammation in atherosclerosis.

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The occurrence of single-site pharyngeal Neisseria gonorrhoeae among female sex workers in the Netherlands.

Sex Transm Dis

November 2024

Department of Medical Microbiology, Infectious Diseases & Infection Prevention, National Chlamydia trachomatis Reference Laboratory, Care and Public Health Research Institute (CAPHRI), Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+), Maastricht, the Netherlands.

Background: Female sex workers (FSW) have a higher burden of sexually transmitted infections (STI), including Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG), than the non-sex worker population, mainly due to social vulnerability and work-related factors. This large study evaluated the anatomical site distribution of NG, and specifically the occurrence of single-site pharyngeal NG, among FSW visiting Dutch STI clinics in the Netherlands.

Methods: Coded STI clinic consultations from FSW attending any Dutch STI clinic between 2016 and 2021, in which tests were performed on all three anatomical sites, according to the Dutch testing policy for FSW, were included in analyses (n = 22,304).

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Prognostic value of the 6-min walk test derived attributes in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Respir Med

January 2025

Department of Pulmonology, St. Antonius Hospital, Interstitial Lung Diseases Center of Excellence, Member of European Reference Network-Lung, Nieuwegein, the Netherlands; Division of Heart and Lungs, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands.

Article Synopsis
  • Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a severe lung disease linked to decreased physical ability and oxygen levels, both of which can predict survival rates in patients, especially when treated with antifibrotic drugs.
  • This study analyzed data from patients who underwent a 6-minute walk test (6MWT) between 2015 and 2020 to evaluate how well certain test outcomes correlated with survival over two years.
  • Results indicate that specific metrics from the 6MWT, particularly the minimal oxygen saturation during exercise (SpO-nadir), effectively predict mortality risk; incorporating SpO-nadir into existing survival models enhances their accuracy for clinical use in IPF care.
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This article provides a recap of the 10 Questions/10 Experts session at the 2024 American College of Sports Medicine Annual Meeting. Each of the speakers considered the validity of common "myths," while providing evidence-based opinions to support, or, bust, myths addressing the following questions: (1) Would 100 g/hr of carbohydrate be advisable for the Olympic Cycling Road race? (2) Is there an advantage in the marathon of ingesting bicarbonate as a hydrogel product? (3) Can genotyping be used to individualize caffeine supplementation in football? (4) Should low fluid consumers drink more to improve 1,500-m track performance? (5) Do urinary markers of dehydration predict poor basketball performance? (6) Do placebo effects influence 10-km track performance? (7) Should combat athletes make weight using glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists? (8) Would crushed ice ingestion help tennis umpires make better decisions in the heat? (9) Are collagen supplements useful to reduce tendon and ligament injuries in volleyball? and (10) Should female athletes plan their training and diet according to their menstrual cycle? This article describes the content of each of the presentations including the most important outcomes and conclusions drawn by the presenters.

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Article Synopsis
  • Ketamine is increasingly used recreationally, leading to health issues like ketamine-induced uropathy (KIU), which has lower urinary tract symptoms and may affect the upper urinary tract.
  • The 2024 ICI-RS meeting focused on KIU, employing literature reviews, expert talks, and group discussions to examine its clinical and research aspects comprehensively.
  • Research highlights include bladder fibrosis mechanisms, the potential for reversing fibrosis, and the relationship between ketamine use and urinary symptoms, suggesting the need for further studies on the systemic effects and psychological dependency of users.
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Background: Precise preoperative risk classification of endometrial cancer is crucial for treatment decisions. Existing clinical markers often fail to accurately predict lymph node metastasis and recurrence risk. Loss of vimentin expression has emerged as a potential marker for predicting recurrence in low-risk endometrial cancer patients.

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The mechanistic interaction between mechanical dyssynchrony and filling pressure in cardiac resynchronization therapy candidates.

Eur Heart J Cardiovasc Imaging

November 2024

Department of Biomedical Engineering, Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht (CARIM), Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+), Maastricht, the Netherlands.

Background: Both left ventricular (LV) mechanical dyssynchrony and filling pressure have been shown to be associated with outcome in heart failure patient treated with cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT).

Objectives: To investigate the mechanistic link between mechanical dyssynchrony and filling pressure and to assess their combined prognostic value in CRT candidates.

Methods: Left atrial pressure (LAP) estimation and quantification of mechanical dyssynchrony were retrospectively performed in 219 CRT patients using echocardiography.

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The societal burden associated with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: a cross-sectional burden-of-disease study.

BMC Public Health

November 2024

Department of Health Services Research, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, CAPHRI, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.

Background: In the general population the prevalence of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is 2-3%. There is growing awareness of how AIS affects the quality of life of patients. However, the extent of the societal burden AIS poses remains poorly understood.

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We evaluated the efficacy of large language models (LLMs), specifically, generative pre-trained transformer-4 (GPT-4), in predicting pregnancy following in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment and compared its accuracy with results from an original published study. Our findings revealed that GPT-4 can autonomously develop and refine advanced machine learning models for pregnancy prediction with minimal human intervention. The prediction accuracy was 0.

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Article Synopsis
  • * A meta-analysis of 951 studies identified 19 relevant studies, revealing that patients at high to extreme risk saw a greater increase in Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ) scores compared to intermediate risk patients.
  • * Although TAVI had a positive effect on HrQoL, the impact of frailty on post-TAVI outcomes showed mixed results between randomized and non-randomized studies, highlighting the need for further investigation.
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Anti-GABAB receptor encephalitis: clinical and laboratory characteristics, imaging, treatments and prognosis.

Front Immunol

October 2024

Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNS), Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands.

Introduction: Anti-GABABR encephalitis is a rare disease reported to be often associated with tumors. The current study aims to summarize the clinical characteristics, imaging features, treatments, outcomes and explore the potential prognosis risk factors of patients with anti-GABABR encephalitis.

Methods: Patients tested positive for anti-GABABR were retrospective studied from a single medical center in China over a period of 3 years.

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Background: The Nuss procedure is the accepted standard approach to correct pectus excavatum. Still, is associated with potential major complications that are in part believed to be preventable as they might be the consequence of institutional case-volume differences. The objective is to evaluate the presence of a volume-outcome relation for the Nuss procedure and determine the optimal annual institutional case-volume threshold, defining high-volume centers.

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Outcomes of STEMI Patients in COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Iran J Public Health

September 2024

Cardiovascular Nursing Research Center, Rajaie Cardiovascular Medical and Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

Background: The global SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has disrupted health systems and put a huge strain on hospitals and healthcare workers. Prioritizing COVID-19 patients in hospitals caused irreversible harm to cardiac patients. Although multiple studies have shown that ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients have worse admission circumstances than before the pandemic, the hospital outcomes of these patients have remained limited.

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Intradiscal drug delivery is a promising strategy for treating intervertebral disk degeneration (IVDD). Local degenerative processes and intrinsically low fluid exchange are likely to influence drug retention. Understanding their connection will enable the optimization of IVDD therapeutics.

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Article Synopsis
  • * Conducted across 24 sites in ten countries, 1200 cancer patients on opioid analgesics completed questionnaires assessing their constipation status, revealing that 59.5% met the criteria for OIC, but only 61.5% self-reported experiencing constipation.
  • * Results indicated that while 72% were prescribed laxatives or other treatments, only 66% consistently used them, leading to inadequate management of OIC due to poor assessment and treatment follow-up.
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Introduction: Left bundle branch area pacing (LBBAP) comprises pacing at the left ventricular septum (LVSP) or left bundle branch (LBBP). The aim of the present study was to investigate the differences in ventricular electrical heterogeneity between LVSP, LBBP, right ventricular pacing (RVP) and intrinsic conduction with different dyssynchrony measures using the ECG, vectorcardiograpy, ECG belt, and Ultrahigh frequency (UHF-)ECG.

Methods: Thirty-seven patients with a pacemaker indication for bradycardia or cardiac resynchronization therapy underwent LBBAP implantation.

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Rectal gonorrhoea in women: true infections?-Authors' reply.

Lancet Microbe

November 2024

Department of Social Medicine, Care and Public Health Research Institute (CAPHRI), Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands; Department of Infectious Diseases, Public Health Service Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands; Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity (AII), Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, Netherlands.

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Background: Adjunctive catheter-directed thrombolysis shows variable efficacy in preventing postthrombotic syndrome (PTS), despite restored patency.

Objectives: This Ultrasound-Accelerated Catheter-Directed Thrombolysis Versus Anticoagulation for the Prevention of Post-Thrombotic Syndrome (CAVA) trial subanalysis investigated the effect of ultrasound-accelerated catheter-directed thrombolysis (UACDT) on patency, reflux, and their relevance in PTS development.

Methods: This multicenter, randomized, single-blind trial enrolled patients (aged 18-85 years) with a first iliofemoral deep vein thrombosis and symptom duration ≤14 days.

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