Impact of Open Surgical Descending Repair on Aortic Stiffness in an Ex Vivo Porcine Model.

Background: Previous studies have strongly suggested that stent-graft deployment and acute arch angulation increase aortic stiffness, the impact of surgical interposition grafting remains unclear. We investigated the impact of open surgery on aortic stiffness and compared this with stent-graft induced aortic stiffening, utilising an ex vivo model.

Methods: Porcine thoracic aortas were connected to a mock circulatory loop.

Validating the Q1.6 Inguinal Hernia application using prospective data from a randomised clinical trial.

Purpose: The Q1.6 Inguinal Hernia application remotely and continuously collects patient-reported outcomes from inguinal hernia patients. Previous research has explored its technical, legal, and ethical aspects, along with face, content, and construct validity assessments.

Long-term mental health outcomes after corneal transplantation and potential predictors: A multicentre prospective cohort study.

Introduction: To evaluate the long-term effect of corneal transplantation on mental health outcomes and to assess potential predictors of these outcomes.

Methods: For this multicentre prospective cohort study, patients awaiting corneal transplantation were recruited from 11 (academic) hospitals and eye clinics in the Netherlands. Participants (n = 238) completed the Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale (CES-D), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Anxiety subscale (HADS-A) and the Dutch ICF Activity Inventory Emotional Health subscale (DAI-EH) and Fatigue subscale (DAI-F) 1 month prior and 3, 6, 12 and 24 months after corneal transplantation.

Home-based nursing care for clients carrying multidrug-resistant organisms: A focus group study in the Netherlands.

Background: The growing population of vulnerable clients receiving home-based nursing care (HBNC), combined with the worldwide increase in the prevalence of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs), poses a new burden on nursing staff. This study explored the attitudes, perceptions, experiences, challenges, and needs of nursing staff providing HBNC for clients carrying MDROs.

Methods: Seven focus groups with home-based nursing staff (N = 34) were performed in the Netherlands between April and July 2022, using a semistructured, open-ended topic list based on the integrated-change model and seven domains of practice.

Development of a parent decision support tool for surgical necrotising enterocolitis: a study protocol.

Introduction: Necrotising enterocolitis is a devastating gastrointestinal disease predominantly affecting preterm infants. In 40% of cases, its rapid progression renders conservative treatment insufficient, necessitating laparotomy as the sole viable option for survival. However, high perioperative and postoperative mortality rates, along with severe future potential disabilities and suffering, can complicate the decision of whether surgery is still in the infant's best interest.

Rationale and design of the STOP-IMH randomised trial: Safety of ticagrelor monotherapy after primary percutaneous coronary intervention for ST-elevation myocardial infarction and the effect on intramyocardial haemorrhage.

Background: Ticagrelor monotherapy after 1-3 months of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) has shown to be effective and safe after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), including in patients with an ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Direct omission of aspirin could further reduce bleeding complications and may reduce the incidence and expansion of intramyocardial haemorrhage (IMH), a frequent complication after revascularisation for a STEMI.

Methods: This multicentre open label pilot study randomises 200 STEMI patients within 24 hours after primary PCI and before the first subsequent dose of aspirin to ticagrelor monotherapy or ticagrelor plus aspirin for twelve months.

TransCatheter aortic valve implantation and fractional flow reserve-guided percutaneous coronary intervention versus conventional surgical aortic valve replacement and coronary bypass grafting for treatment of patients with aortic valve stenosis and complex or multivessel coronary disease (TCW): an international, multicentre, prospective, open-label, non-inferiority, randomised controlled trial.

Background: Patients with severe aortic stenosis present frequently (∼50%) with concomitant obstructive coronary artery disease. Current guidelines recommend combined surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) as the preferred treatment. Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) and fractional flow reserve (FFR)-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) represent a valid treatment alternative.

Incremental Cardiovascular Risk of Menopause in Women with Psoriasis, Psoriatic Arthritis or Spondyloarthritis?

Purpose Of The Review: This narrative review aims to discuss the most recent studies regarding the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in women with psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and spondyloarthritis (SpA). In addition, the potential of menopause to modulate/increase CVD risk in women with these diseases will also be explored. It is of major interest to gain more understanding into this topic because it can have meaningful implications for screening and treatment of CVD risk in these women.

Health problems in children with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities: a scoping review.

Unlabelled: This study aims to investigate and categorize health problems in children with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities (PIMD). We conducted a scoping review in five electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, Medline, PsychInfo, and Web of Science), including peer-reviewed studies that describe health problems in children with PIMD. Articles on PIMD were included when mentioning children with severe or profound intellectual disability (IQ/DQ < 35 or developmental age < 24 months) AND severe/profound motor impairment (GMFCS IV/V, non-ambulatory/not walking without support or gross motor function measure (GMFM-66) score < 40).

Mass-forming intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma: treatment outcomes after curative-intent resection in an Australian tertiary referral hospital.

Background: Mass-forming intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (MF-ICC) is the second most common primary liver cancer and liver resection offers the best chance of possible cure. This study aimed to assess treatment outcomes and prognostic factors for long-term survival in patients who underwent curative-intent liver resection.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on prospectively collected data from patients with MF-ICC managed at the Royal North Shore/North Shore Private Hospital from January 1998 to October 2023.

Lessons learned for pandemic preparedness in the neurodegenerative research and clinical fields: an advice report based on Parkinson's disease as an example.

Background: A sustainable pandemic preparedness strategy is essential to ensure equitable access to healthcare for individuals with neurodegenerative diseases. Moreover, it is vital to provide clinicians and researchers in the neurodegenerative disease fields with resources and infrastructure to ensure continuity of their work during a (health) crisis.

Methods: We established an international collaboration between researchers, clinicians, and patient representatives from the Netherlands, Poland, and the United Kingdom.

Clinical severity and cardiac phenotype in phosphomannomutase 2-congenital disorders of glycosylation : Insights into genetics and management recommendations.

Cardiac involvement (CI) in phosphomannomutase 2-congenital disorders of glycosylation (PMM2-CDG) is part of the multisystemic presentation contributing to high mortality rates. The most common cardiac manifestations are pericardial effusion, cardiomyopathy, and structural heart defects. A genotype-phenotype correlation with organ involvement has not yet been described.

Echocardiography-derived regional strain for assessment of non-culprit stenosis and prediction of systolic function recovery in acute STEMI.

To compare echocardiographic regional longitudinal strain with quantitative coronary angiography and assess temporal changes in regional strain in patients with STEMI and multivessel coronary artery disease. Thirty-two patients with STEMI and multivessel coronary artery disease underwent coronary angiography with 3D quantification and baseline echocardiography. Regional longitudinal strain was measured as the average strain of three adjacent myocardial segments (RLS-3S) with the most impaired strain values.

Emotion regulation: From neural circuits to a transdiagnostic perspective.

Emotion regulation is a critical factor implicated in diverse psychopathologies. However, evidence for the transdiagnostic feature of emotion regulation remains inconclusive. This study explored whether emotion regulation warrants designation as a transdiagnostic construct by examining its distinct neural basis compared to constructs within the existing Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) framework and searching for convergent regional brain activity during emotion regulation across psychiatric disorders.

White matter integrity and cognitive performance in the subacute phase after ischemic stroke in young adults.

Introduction: Reduced white matter integrity outside the stroke lesion may be a potential contributor of post-stroke cognitive impairment. We aimed to investigate how a stroke lesion affects the integrity of surrounding white matter, and whether the integrity of the non-lesioned part of white matter tracts is associated with cognitive performance after ischemic stroke in young adults.

Methods: Patients from the ODYSSEY study, aged 18-49 years, with a first-ever ischemic stroke, underwent 3T MRI and cognitive assessment within six months after the index event.

Reproducibility of three 6-min walk tests in patients with COPD referred for pulmonary rehabilitation.

Introduction And Objectives: The 6-min walk test (6MWT) is used to assess functional capacity in patients with COPD. A significant number of studies have shown that most patients walk further in a second 6MWT. Research on a further increase in the 6-min walk distance (6MWD) during a 3rd test performed in accordance with current guidelines has not been done.