Centenarians-the way to healthy vascular ageing and longevity: a review from VascAgeNet.

The prevalence of centenarians, people who lived 100 years and longer, is steadily growing in the last decades. This exceptional longevity is based on multifaceted processes influenced by a combination of intrinsic and extrinsic factors such as sex, (epi-)genetic factors, gut microbiota, cellular metabolism, exposure to oxidative stress, immune status, cardiovascular risk factors, environmental factors, and lifestyle behavior. Epidemiologically, the incidence rate of cardiovascular diseases is reduced in healthy centenarians along with late onset of age-related diseases compared with the general aged population.

Human enteric glia diversity in health and disease: new avenues for the treatment of Hirschsprung disease.

Background And Aims: The enteric nervous system (ENS), comprised of neurons and glia, regulates intestinal motility. Hirschsprung disease (HSCR) results from defects in ENS formation, yet while neuronal aspects have been extensively studied, enteric glia remain disregarded. This study aimed to explore enteric glia diversity in health and disease.

Update on inborn errors of immunity.

Ever since the first description of an inherited immunodeficiency in 1952 in a boy with gammaglobulin deficiency, new insights have progressed rapidly in disorders that are now referred to as inborn errors of immunity (IEI). In a field where fundamental molecular biology, genetics, immune signaling and clinical care are tightly intertwined, 2022-2024 saw a multitude of advances. Here we report a selection of research updates with a main focus on (1) diagnosis and screening, (2) new genetic defects, (3) susceptibility to severe COVID-19 infection and impact of vaccination, and (4) treatment.

Hemostatic Outcome Definitions in Pediatric Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation: Challenges in Cohorts From Rotterdam (2019-2023) and Melbourne (2016-2022).

Objectives: To determine if a priori standardization of outcome hemostatic definitions alone was adequate to enable useful comparison between two cohorts of pediatric extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) patients, managed according to local practice and protocol.

Design: Comparison of two separate prospective cohort studies performed at different centers with standardized outcome definitions agreed upon a priori.

Setting: General and cardiac PICUs at the Royal Children's Hospital (RCH) in Melbourne, Australia, and the Sophia Children's Hospital (SCH) in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

When Should Colon Cancer Screening Begin? The Impact of Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer and the Reality of an Unscreened Older Population.

Background: Recent increases in colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence and mortality under age 50 have led the US to recommend starting screening at age 45 years instead of 50. Several other countries are now also reconsidering the age to start CRC screening.

Aims: To aid decision makers in making an informed decision about lowering the starting age of CRC screening in their jurisdictions.

Dutch Nationwide Cohort Experience with a New PROMs Set in Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery: BODY-Q Obesity Module.

Purpose: Patient-reported outcomes are important as obesity is a chronic disease with a substantial impact. A multidisciplinary task force selected six scales (48 questions) from the validated BODY-Q questionnaire. This subset was gradually introduced and evaluated in a mandatory nationwide registry.

The impact of wearing compression hosiery and the use of assistive products for donning and doffing: A descriptive qualitative study into user experiences.

This qualitative study aimed to describe users' experiences and needs related to wearing, donning, and doffing compression hosiery, and the provision process of compression hosiery and associated assistive products for donning and doffing. Adults who have been advised to wear compression hosiery participated in semi-structured interviews. Existing frameworks about the provision process and acceptance of assistive technology guided the topic list.

Genotype-Guided Asthma Treatment Reduces Exacerbations in Children: Meta-Analysis of Two RCTs.

Background: Long-acting beta2-agonists (LABA) in combination with inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) are commonly used to treat asthma, however, some children lack response to the addition of LABA. This might be partially due to the presence of the Arg16Gly polymorphism, encoded by rs1042713 G>A in the ADRB2 gene. Carrying the A allele (Arg16) at this variant has been associated with an increased risk of exacerbations despite LABA treatment.

The role of vorasidenib in the treatment of isocitrate dehydrogenase-mutant glioma.

Isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH)-mutant gliomas are the most common malignant primary brain tumors in young adults. This condition imposes a substantial burden on patients and their caregivers, marked by neurocognitive deficits and high mortality rates due to tumor progression, coupled with significant morbidity from current treatment modalities. Although surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy improve survival, these treatments can adversely affect cognitive function, quality of life, finances, employment status, and overall independence.

Air pollution exposure is associated with gene expression in children.

Environmental exposures, including air pollutants and lack of natural spaces, are associated with suboptimal health outcomes in children. We aimed to study the associations between environmental exposures and gene expression in children. Associations of exposure to particulate matter (PM) with diameter <2.

Contribution of social activity participation to the relationship between sensory impairment, physical performance and cognitive decline: a longitudinal study in China.

Objectives: This study examined the impact of sensory impairment (hearing and/or vision) combined with poor physical performance on cognitive decline and assessed whether social activity participation mediated this relationship.

Methods: Multilevel models were used to explore the relationships between sensory impairment, physical performance, their combination, and cognitive decline. A multilevel mediation model analyzed the mediating effect of social activity participation.

Development of the Dutch translational knowledge agenda for inherited metabolic diseases.

Background: Inherited metabolic diseases (IMDs) may have considerable implications for patients and their families. Despite their individual rarity, covering a spectrum of over 1800 distinct diseases, the diseases collectively exert a significant impact, with often lifelong disabilities. The United for Metabolic Diseases consortium was established to catalyze research with translation into the best possible care.

Fractional Flow Reserve Directed Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Optimization Using High-Definition Intravascular Ultrasound in Non-ST-Segment Elevation Acute Coronary Syndrome Versus Chronic Coronary Syndrome.

Background: Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)-guided optimization of suboptimal fractional flow reserve (FFR) following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) results in a significant increase in both post-PCI FFR and minimal lumen and stent areas (MLA and MSA, respectively). However, the impact of clinical presentation with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS) versus chronic coronary syndrome (CCS) on the efficacy of PCI optimization remains unknown.

Methods: This was a prespecified subgroup analysis of the FFR REACT trial comparing IVUS-guided PCI optimization versus no further treatment in 291 patients with a post-PCI FFR < 0.

Bodies as communication systems. The relevance of Michel Serres's philosophy of science for health care.

This article demonstrates the value of French philosophy of science for medical practice through an exposition of Michel Serres's philosophy of the body. It explores how Serres's examination of the similarity between scientific models and works of art can provide insight into different conceptions of the human body. What makes Serres's method of unique is that it does not see art and literature as subordinate to the natural sciences: they are both involved in mapping the communication lines of the body.

Use of extracorporeal blood purification therapies in sepsis: the current paradigm, available evidence, and future perspectives.

Background: Sepsis is the result of a dysregulated immune response to infection and is associated with acute organ dysfunction. The syndrome's complexity is contingent upon the underlying pathology and individual patient characteristics, including their immune response. The involvement of multiple organs and physiological functions adds complexity, with "organ cross-talk" emerging as a pivotal pathophysiological and clinical aspect.

Does a Restrictive Diagnostic Work-up for Thyroid Nodules Lead to a Different Papillary Thyroid Cancer Patient Population? A Comparison Between Dutch and U.S. T1-T3 Patient Population.

Introduction: The 2015 American Thyroid Association guidelines recommend de-escalating surgical treatment for papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). We hypothesize that the Dutch PTC population might differ due to a restrictive diagnostic policy that mainly selects symptomatic and palpable thyroid nodules for further diagnostics, potentially selecting relatively more aggressive tumors. We aimed to describe the Dutch PTC population because differences in populations can have consequences for the adoption of foreign guidelines.

Sample size estimation for task-related functional MRI studies using Bayesian updating.

Task-related functional MRI (fMRI) studies need to be properly powered with an adequate sample size to reliably detect effects of interest. But for most fMRI studies, it is not straightforward to determine a proper sample size using power calculations based on published effect sizes. Here, we present an alternative approach of sample size estimation with empirical Bayesian updating.

NanoCMSer: a consensus molecular subtype stratification tool for fresh-frozen and paraffin-embedded colorectal cancer samples.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a significant contributor to cancer-related mortality, emphasizing the need for advanced biomarkers to guide treatment. As part of an international consortium, we previously categorized CRCs into four consensus molecular subtypes (CMS1-CMS4), showing promise for outcome prediction. To facilitate clinical integration of CMS classification in settings where formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples are routinely used, we developed NanoCMSer, a NanoString-based CMS classifier using 55 genes.

Enhanced radiosensitivity of head and neck cancer cells to proton therapy via hyperthermia-induced homologous recombination deficiency.

Background And Purpose: Radiotherapy induces tumor cell killing by generating DNA double strand breaks (DSBs). The effectiveness of radiotherapy is significantly influenced by the repair of DSBs, which counteracts this lethal effect. Current investigations are focused on determining whether non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) or homologous recombination is the predominant repair pathway following proton and photon radiation.

Electronically Controlled Dual-Wavelength Switchable SRS Fiber Amplifier in the NIR-II Region for Multispectral Photoacoustic Microscopy.

Photoacoustic microscopy (PAM) is a high-resolution and non-invasive imaging modality that provides optical absorption contrast. By employing dual- or multiple-wavelength excitation, PAM extends its capabilities to offer valuable spectroscopic information. To achieve efficient multispectral PAM imaging, an essential requirement is a light source characterized by a high repetition rate and switching rate, a ≈microjoule pulse energy, and a ≈nanosecond pulse duration.

Daily routines, short-term priorities, and nurses' role hamper self-management support in a hospital setting: A mixed methods study.

Background: Self-management support is widely considered a critical aspect of nursing. Still, many studies indicate that nurses frequently experience difficulties in daily practice.

Objective: To gain a deeper understanding of the factors perceived by nurses to impede or promote their support of patients' self-management within the dynamic environment of the in-patient hospital setting.

Effects of reasoned treatment decision-making on parent-related outcomes: Results from a video-vignette experiment in neonatal care.

Objective: To examine the effects of clinicians' provision of (un)reasonable arguments on parent-related outcomes in neonatal (intensive) care (NICU), starting from the NICU Communication Framework.

Methods: A video-vignette experiment, in which we systematically varied clinicians' use of (reasonable, unreasonable, no) argumentation across two non-acute and two acute decision-making scenarios (3×4 design). Reasonable arguments were medically appropriate and constructive reasons to support the treatment plan, as defined by an expert panel.

SEED-AN and a non-specialised, severe mental illness (SMI) community treatment model: perspectives of professionals and patients of a QoL-focussed treatment.

Background: Improving care for SEED-AN patients is urgently needed. Current specialist eating disorder (SEDU) programs have minimal impact, resulting in poor quality of life. Flexible assertive community treatment (FACT) focuses on improving the quality of life of people with severe mental illness.

Simple-Flow: A 3D-Printed Multiwell Flow Plate to Coculture Primary Human Lung Cells at the Air-Liquid Interface.

Immortalized epithelial cell lines and animal models have been used in fundamental and preclinical research to study pulmonary diseases. However valuable, though, these models incompletely recapitulate the human lung, which leads to low predictive outcomes in potential respiratory treatments. Advanced technology and cell culture techniques stimulate the development of improved models that more closely mimic the physiology of the human lung.