Visual decision aids to support communication and shared decision-making: How are they valued and used in practice?

Background: It is unknown how visual decision aids support communication and shared decision-making in everyday clinical practice, and how they are perceived by patients with varying levels of health literacy and their healthcare providers. Recently, three visual decision aids have been developed for renal replacement treatment, osteoarthritis of the knee, and osteoarthritis of the hip. This study aims to explore how patients and healthcare providers use and value these visual decision aids.

CNN-Based Device-Agnostic Feature Extraction From ONH OCT Scans.

Purpose: Optical coherence tomography (OCT)-derived measurements of the optic nerve head (ONH) from different devices are not interchangeable. This poses challenges to patient follow-up and collaborative studies. Here, we present a device-agnostic method for the extraction of OCT biomarkers using artificial intelligence.

Combining immunoscore and tumor budding in colon cancer: an insightful prognostication based on the tumor-host interface.

Background: Tumor Budding (TB) and Immunoscore are independent prognostic markers in colon cancer (CC). Given their respective representation of tumor aggressiveness and immune response, we examined their combination in association with patient disease-free survival (DFS) in pTNM stage I-III CC.

Methods: In a series of pTNM stage I-III CCs (n = 654), the Immunoscore was computed and TB detected automatically using a deep learning network.

Determinants of adherence towards tuberculosis guidelines among Indonesian private practitioners: a qualitative study.

Introduction: In high tuberculosis (TB) burden countries, the private sector manages a large proportion of initial visits by presumptive patients with TB. In Indonesia, the second largest contributor of TB cases globally, private practitioners (PPs) often do not adhere to national TB guidelines. A district public-private mix programme to mitigate this issue was started in 2019, yet engagement remains low.

Action observation with motor simulation of reactive stepping: A randomized study in older adults with a history of falls.

Background: Perturbation-based training improves reactive stepping responses to prevent falling following a loss-of-balance. As there is currently no safe and feasible method for home-based practice, this randomized study investigated whether action observation with motor simulation (AOMS) of balance recovery improves reactive stepping in older adults with a history of falls. Additionally, we evaluated whether effects differ between AOMS of a human actor in the same experimental context or of an avatar in a virtual world.

Long-term sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 two years following infection: exploring the interplay of biological, psychological, and social factors.

Background: Severe fatigue and cognitive complaints are frequently reported after SARS-CoV-2 infection and may be accompanied by depressive symptoms and/or limitations in physical functioning. The long-term sequelae of COVID-19 may be influenced by biomedical, psychological, and social factors, the interplay of which is largely understudied over time. We aimed to investigate how the interplay of these factors contribute to the persistence of symptoms after COVID-19.

Exploring Recovery Priorities in Inpatient Addiction Treatment: A Q-Methodological Study.

Introduction: Recovery from substance use disorder (SUD) is increasingly recognized as a personal journey, necessitating an approach that considers individual goals and priorities. Research on recovery priorities in inpatient settings is limited. Our study employs Q-methodology to explore recovery priorities among clients with multimorbid SUD, aiming to guide targeted, recovery-oriented care.

Patient satisfaction with prescription opioid education in primary care.

Objectives: This study explores patients' satisfaction with opioid education, identifies areas for improvement, and assesses differences between those more or less satisfied with their opioid education.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey of adults with prescription opioid experience. Respondents reported opioid details, demographics, and pain coping.

The lived experience of patients with bipolar disorder with adapting their lifestyle to their condition.

Background: An important element of self-management strategies for people with bipolar disorder is adapting their lifestyle to their condition, since this improves their quality of life. However, not all people with bipolar disorder succeed in lifestyle adaptation. Knowledge about their lived experience with adaptation would enhance understanding about how healthcare providers optimize support.

Innate Immune Cell Functions Contribute to Spontaneous HIV Control.

Purpose Of Review: To review the role of innate immune cells in shaping the viral reservoir and maintenance of long-term viral control of spontaneous Elite and Viremic HIV controllers.

Recent Findings: HIV controllers exhibit a smaller and transcriptionally suppressed viral reservoir. Different studies report that early responses from innate cells play a pivotal role in this reservoir configuration.

Socio-affective communication in Tph2-deficient rat pups: communal nesting aggravates growth retardation despite ameliorating maternal affiliation deficits.

Background: A lack of serotonin (also known as 5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) in the brain due to deficiency of the rate-limiting enzyme in 5-HT synthesis, tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (TPH2), was recently reported to result in impaired maternal affiliation across species, including mice, rats, and monkeys. In rodents, this was reflected in a lack of preference for maternal odors and reduced levels of isolation-induced ultrasonic vocalizations (USV), possibly contributing to a severe growth retardation phenotype.

Methods: Here, we tested whether growth retardation, maternal affiliation deficits, and/or impairments in socio-affective communication caused by Tph2 deficiency can be rescued through early social enrichment in rats.

Psychedelic Research for Alcohol Use Disorder with Comorbid Major Depressive Disorder: An Unmet Need.

Purpose Of Review: In this narrative review, we discuss evidence for psilocybin- and LSD-assisted treatment of alcohol use disorder (AUD) and major depressive disorder (MDD). We describe limitations of psychedelic research and posit methodological considerations when designing a trial in patients with both disorders.

Recent Findings: In AUD, a growing evidence base for psilocybin treatment shows a promising beneficial and sustained effect on measures of drinking frequency.

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions: An Ethnographic Study of Researcher Discretion in Practice.

This paper is a study of the decisions that researchers take during the execution of a research plan: their researcher discretion. Flexible research methods are generally seen as undesirable, and many methodologists urge to eliminate these so-called 'researcher degrees of freedom' from the research practice. However, what this looks like in practice is unclear.

Tracking response flexibility in high-stakes summative assessments: A longitudinal student perspective.

Purpose: The ability to perceive assessments as learning instruments calls upon flexible perspective taking and flexible responding. We investigated the maturation of the student perspective on assessment as learning and explored the (in)flexibility of student responses during their development towards graduation.

Methods: In a longitudinal study with an extensive 6-year timeframe, we tracked the development of 12 medical students.

Patterns of News Consumption during the COVID-19 Pandemic Crisis: A 2.5 Year Longitudinal Study in the Netherlands.

During major long-term crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, news media are crucial sources of information for the public. This study aimed to explore the frequency of COVID-19-related news consumption based on (1) phase of the pandemic, (2) socio-demographic characteristics, and (3) news information channels. The study used a dynamic cohort design with 18 rounds of data collection, including 306,692 responses from 83,180 unique respondents in the Netherlands from 17 April 2020 to 11 September 2022.