Effects of improved partner notification on the transmission of HIV and among men who have sex with men: a modelling study.

Men who have sex with men (MSM) are disproportionally affected by HIV in the Netherlands. Partner notification (PN) is an important element in controlling the transmission of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV. We investigated the effects of improving PN on the transmission of HIV and (NG) among MSM in the Netherlands.

Emulation of ARISTOTLE and ROCKET AF trials in real-world atrial fibrillation patients results in similar efficacy and safety as original landmark trials: insights from the GARFIELD-AF registry.

Aims: This study aimed to determine the robustness, reproducibility and representativeness of the landmark Apixaban for Reduction in Stroke and Other Thromboembolic Events in Atrial Fibrillation (AF) (ARISTOTLE) and Rivaroxaban Once Daily Oral Direct Factor Xa Inhibition Compared with Vitamin K Antagonism for Prevention of Stroke and Embolism Trial in AF (ROCKET AF) randomised trials through replication in an observational AF patient registry.

Methods And Results: Patients from the Global Anticoagulant Registry in the FIELD (GARFIELD)-AF registry treated with apixaban, rivaroxaban or vitamin K antagonist (VKA) were assessed for eligibility for the ARISTOTLE and ROCKET AF trials. HRs of apixaban and rivaroxaban versus comparator for stroke/systemic embolism, major bleeding and all-cause mortality within 2 years follow-up were calculated using propensity score overlap-weighted Cox models.

CD19-directed chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy: what can we learn from the haematologist?

CD19-directed chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy, originally developed for haematological malignancies, has recently emerged as a promising therapy for patients with autoimmune diseases. By selectively depleting CD19-positive B-cells, this therapy brings a new approach in resetting immune dysregulation and potentially providing long-term remission for patients with a refractory disease. Recent reports have highlighted its effectiveness in conditions such as SLE, systemic sclerosis and myositis.

Evaluation of the implementation of personalised outcomes forecasts to optimise supervised exercise therapy in patients with intermittent claudication: a multimethods process evaluation.

Background: Personalised outcomes forecasts (POFs) were introduced among physical and exercise therapists in the Netherlands to optimise supervised exercise therapy for patients with intermittent claudication. Yet, therapists' initial adoption and sustainable implementation of POFs can be influenced by various factors.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine therapists' adoption of the POFs, their fidelity to the measurement protocol for supervised exercise therapy, and their perceived barriers and facilitators for using POFs in practice.

Plasma transfusions in neonatal intensive care units: a prospective observational study.

Objective: Despite lack of evidence supporting efficacy, prophylactic fresh frozen plasma and Octaplas transfusions may be administered to very preterm infants to reduce bleeding risk. International variation in plasma transfusion practices in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) is poorly understood, therefore, we aimed to describe neonatal plasma transfusion practice in Europe.

Design: Prospective observational study.

Control Performance Of Amphibian Metamorphosis Assays With Xenopus Laevis.

The amphibian metamorphosis assay (AMA) is an in vivo screen to assess potential interactions of chemicals with the amphibian thyroid system. Tadpoles are exposed for 21-days, then assessed for development and growth after 7 days and at test termination. This paper presents data from studies performed to satisfy test orders from the US EPA's Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program.

Modelling diversity in hospital strategies in city-scale ambulance dispatching with coupled game-theoretic model and discrete-event simulation.

The optimization in the ambulance dispatching process is significant for patients who need early treatments. However, the problem of dynamic ambulance redeployment for destination hospital selection has rarely been investigated. The paper proposes an approach to model and simulate the ambulance dispatching process in multi-agent healthcare environments of large cities.

Interactions between live attenuated influenza vaccine and nasopharyngeal microbiota among children aged 24-59 months in The Gambia: a phase 4, open-label, randomised controlled trial.

Background: Live attenuated influenza vaccines (LAIVs) alter nasopharyngeal microbiota in adults. It is poorly understood why LAIV immunogenicity varies across populations, but it could be linked to the microbiome. We aimed to investigate the interactions between intranasal immunisation with LAIV and nasopharyngeal microbiota composition in children from The Gambia.

Contraceptive patch in Mexico, an underused option.

Introduction: The transdermal patch is an effective contraceptive with advantages over other hormonal methods. However, the percentage of patch's users is 2.8 %.

Unloader brace or high tibial osteotomy in the treatment of the young patient with medial knee osteoarthritis: a randomized controlled trial.

Background And Purpose:  For medial knee osteoarthritis (OA), operative and nonoperative treatment options are available. Two widely applied unloading therapies are a valgus unloader brace and a high tibial osteotomy (HTO). We aimed to compare the effects of a valgus unloader knee brace with an HTO on knee pain after 1 year in patients with symptomatic medial knee OA.

Radiotherapy and surgery: can this combination be further optimized for patients with metastatic spine disease?

This narrative review provides a comprehensive overview of the current status, recent advancements, and future directions in the management of metastatic spine disease using both radiotherapy and surgery. Emphasis has been put on the integrated use of radiotherapy and surgery, incorporating recent developments such as separation surgery, active dose sparing of the surgical field, and the implementation of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer implants. Future studies should explore the effects of minimizing the time between radiotherapy and surgery and investigate the potential of vertebral re-ossification after radiotherapy to obviate the need for stabilization surgery.

Integrated artificial neurons from metal halide perovskites.

Hardware neural networks could perform certain computational tasks orders of magnitude more energy-efficiently than conventional computers. Artificial neurons are a key component of these networks and are currently implemented with electronic circuits based on capacitors and transistors. However, artificial neurons based on memristive devices are a promising alternative, owing to their potentially smaller size and inherent stochasticity.

Approaches to Incorporation of Preferences into Health Economic Models of Genomic Medicine: A Critical Interpretive Synthesis and Conceptual Framework.

Introduction: Genomic medicine has features that make it preference sensitive and amenable to model-based health economic evaluation. Preferences of patients, caregivers, and clinicians related to the uptake and delivery of genomic medicine technologies and services that are not captured in health state utility weights can affect the intervention's cost-effectiveness and budget impact. However, there is currently no established or agreed-on approach for integrating preference information into economic evaluations.

Symptomatic early coronary graft failure in bypass surgery patients: incidence, predictors and clinical impact.

Objectives: Coronary graft failure (CGF) may occur early after coronary bypass graft surgery (CABG). The study aimed to identify clinical and perioperative risk factors and to evaluate the long-term clinical impact of symptomatic early CGF.

Methods: Patients who underwent clinically indicated coronary angiography (CAG) prior to post-CABG discharge between 2012 and 2022 were included.

Optimized breath analysis: customized analytical methods and enhanced workflow for broader detection of VOCs.

Introduction: Breath Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are promising biomarkers for clinical purposes due to their unique properties. Translation of VOC biomarkers into the clinic depends on identification and validation: a challenge requiring collaboration, well-established protocols, and cross-comparison of data. Previously, we developed a breath collection and analysis method, resulting in 148 breath-borne VOCs identified.

Road coverage as demand metric for ambulance allocation.

Ambulances must be strategically placed to ensure timely patient care and save lives. The allocation problem considered in the current paper optimally distributes a fixed number of ambulances over predetermined bases with limited capacity. Ambulance allocation problems are usually solved through historical demand.

Relationship of maternal ophthalmic artery Doppler with uterine artery Doppler, hemodynamic indices and gestational age: prospective MATERA study.

Objectives: To examine the relationship of ophthalmic artery (OA) Doppler indices with uterine artery (UtA) Doppler indices, selected maternal hemodynamic parameters and gestational age, and to evaluate the intraobserver reproducibility of OA Doppler indices.

Methods: This was a prospective cohort study of women recruited between 11 + 0 and 23 + 6 weeks' gestation using a stratified and random sampling approach to ensure adequate distribution across the gestational-age range. OA pulsatility index (PI), first peak systolic velocity (PSV1), second peak systolic velocity (PSV2) and peak systolic velocity ratio (PSV ratio), calculated as PSV2/PSV1, were measured twice in each eye by the same observer.

Unmet needs in the management of patients with bilateral synchronous renal masses: the rationale for clinical decision-making.

Background: Bilateral synchronous renal masses (BSRMs) are a rare finding, and the optimal treatment strategy remains undetermined. This study depicts the management of BSRM at eight European high-volume centers.

Methods: This is a retrospective analysis of prospective institutional databases collecting all patients presenting with clinical T1-2 N0 M0 BSRMs between 1993 and 2020 at 8 tertiary referral high-volume centers for renal cancer treatment in Europe.

Androgens differentially modulate glucocorticoid effects on adipose tissue and lean mass.

Glucocorticoids and androgens affect each other in several ways. In metabolic organs such as adipose tissue and the liver, androgens enhance glucocorticoid-induced insulin resistance and promote fat accumulation in male mice. However, the direct contribution of the androgen receptor (AR) to these effects is unknown.

Highly Efficient and Stable CsPbI Perovskite Quantum Dots Light-Emitting Diodes Through Synergistic Effect of Halide-Rich Modulation and Lattice Repair.

Currently, CsPbI quantum dots (QDs) based light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are not well suited for achieving high efficiency and operational stability due to the binary-precursor method and purification process, which often results in the nonstoichiometric ratio of Cs/Pb/I. This imbalance leads to amounts of iodine vacancies, inducing severe non-radiative recombination processes and phase transitions of QDs. Herein, red-emitting CsPbI QDs are reported with excellent optoelectronic properties and stability based on the synergistic effects of halide-rich modulation passivation and lattice repair.