Optimizing the Use of High-Sensitivity Troponin Assays for the Early Rule-out of Myocardial Infarction in Patients Presenting with Chest Pain: A Systematic Review.

Background: We assessed the accuracy and clinical effectiveness of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin (hs-cTn) assays for early rule-out of non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) in adults presenting with acute chest pain.

Methods: Sixteen databases were searched to September 2019. Review methods followed published guidelines.

Accelerometer-derived sedentary time and physical activity and the incidence of depressive symptoms - The Maastricht Study.

Background: This study examined the associations between accelerometer-derived sedentary time (ST), lower intensity physical activity (LPA), higher intensity physical activity (HPA) and the incidence of depressive symptoms over 4 years of follow-up.

Methods: We included 2082 participants from The Maastricht Study (mean ± s.d.

Parenting style as longitudinal predictor of adolescents' health behaviors in Lebanon.

This prospective study aimed to examine how parenting style relates to health behaviors and body mass index of Lebanese adolescents while checking for interactive effect of child characteristics (age and gender). About 341 students from private and public schools in Mount Lebanon and Beirut area, aged between 16 and 18 years, completed a self-administered survey assessing socio-demographics, parenting styles and health behaviors. Adolescents were surveyed at two time points, six months apart.

Improvements in Muscle Strength Are Associated With Improvements in Walking Capacity in Young Children With Cerebral Palsy: A Secondary Analysis.

Purpose: To evaluate whether changes in lower-limb muscle strength explain changes in walking capacity during 14-week periods of usual care, power training and follow-up for children with spastic cerebral palsy.

Methods: Secondary analysis of a previously conducted double-baseline controlled trial of 22 children with spastic cerebral palsy. Generalized estimating equations were used to evaluate the relationships between within-subject changes in isometric muscle strength and walking capacity over 3 periods.

Self-assessment of unilateral and bimodal cochlear implant experiences in daily life.

Objective: The subjective experiences were assessed of cochlear implant (CI) users either wearing or not wearing a hearing aid (HA) at the contralateral ear.

Design: Unilateral CI-recipients were asked to fill out a set of daily-life questionnaires on bimodal HA use, hearing disability, hearing handicap and general quality of life.

Study Sample: Twenty-six CI-recipients who regularly use a contralateral HA (bimodal group) and twenty-two CI-recipients who do not use a HA in the contralateral ear (unilateral group).

Vascular risk factors for optical coherence tomography-detected macular cysts: The Maastricht Study.

Purpose: To investigate whether higher blood pressure and greater arterial stiffness are associated with the presence of macular cysts and whether this association is already present in the absence of micro-aneurysms in individuals with and without type 2 diabetes.

Methods: Using spectral domain optical coherence tomography (OCT), we performed a macular volume scan in 2647 individuals (mean age 60 ± 8 years, 50% men, 27% type 2 diabetes). The association between macular cysts and 24-hour systolic and diastolic blood pressure, pulse pressure, mean arterial blood pressure, carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity and carotid distensibility was assessed by use of logistic regression.

Influence of COVID-19 pandemic on decisions for the management of people with inflammatory rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases: a survey among EULAR countries.

Objectives: To investigate how the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic influenced decisions of rheumatologists and health professionals in rheumatology regarding the management of patients with inflammatory rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs).

Methods: An English-language questionnaire was developed by a EULAR working group and distributed via national rheumatology societies of EULAR countries, EMEUNET and individual working group members. Responses were collected using an online survey tool.

Systematic Review on Late Cochlear Implantation in Early-Deafened Adults and Adolescents: Predictors of Performance.

Objectives: Early-deafened, late-implanted adolescents and adults constitute a unique group of cochlear implant (CI) users, showing a large variability in outcomes. The current systematic review aimed to determine which preimplantation factors are relevant in predicting postoperative outcomes in this patient group.

Design: A systematic search for studies published between 2000 and September 2017 was performed in five electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane library, CINAHL, and PsycInfo).

Systematic Review on Late Cochlear Implantation in Early-Deafened Adults and Adolescents: Clinical Effectiveness.

Objectives: Cochlear implantation in early-deafened patients, implanted as adolescents or adults, is not always advised due to poor expected outcomes. In order to judge whether such reluctance is justified, the current systematic review aimed to gather all available evidence on postoperative outcomes obtained by early-deafened patients using a state-of-the art cochlear implant (CI).

Design: Five electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane library, CINAHL, and PsycInfo) were systematically searched for studies in English, French, German, or Dutch, published between 2000 and September 2017.

Associations between depressive complaints and indicators of labour participation among older Dutch employees: a prospective cohort study.

Purpose: European policy measures have led to an increased net labour participation of older employees. Yet, via different routes (for instance disability schemes) employees still often leave the labour market early. Mental health may be an important factor hindering labour participation.

Feasibility and effectiveness of home-based therapy programmes for children with cerebral palsy: a systematic review.

Objective: To assess the feasibility and effectiveness of home-based occupational therapy and physiotherapy programmes in children with cerebral palsy (CP), focusing on the upper extremity and reporting on child-related and/or parent-related outcomes.

Design: Systematic review.

Data Sources: Electronic searches were performed in MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, OTseeker and PEDro, and in ICTRP and CENTRAL trial registers, from inception to 6 June 2019.

The (cost-)effectiveness and cost-utility of a novel integrative care initiative for patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain: the pragmatic trial protocol of Network Pain Rehabilitation Limburg.

Background: Rehabilitation care for patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP) is not optimally organized. The Network Pain Rehabilitation Limburg 2.0 (NPRL2.

A Systematic Review and Mixed Treatment Comparison of Pharmaceutical Interventions for Multiple Sclerosis.

Background: Since 2010, 27 mixed-treatment comparisons (MTCs) of disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) for multiple sclerosis have been published. However, there has been continued evolution in the field of MTCs. Additionally, limitations in methodological approach and reporting transparency, even in the most recent publications, makes interpretation and comparison of existing studies difficult.

Constructing bi-plots for random forest: Tutorial.

Current technological developments have allowed for a significant increase and availability of data. Consequently, this has opened enormous opportunities for the machine learning and data science field, translating into the development of new algorithms in a wide range of applications in medical, biomedical, daily-life, and national security areas. Ensemble techniques are among the pillars of the machine learning field, and they can be defined as approaches in which multiple, complex, independent/uncorrelated, predictive models are subsequently combined by either averaging or voting to yield a higher model performance.

Cost-effectiveness of Digital Breast Tomosynthesis in Population-based Breast Cancer Screening: A Probabilistic Sensitivity Analysis.

BackgroundDigital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) is a promising screening test, but its outcomes and cost-effectiveness remain uncertain.PurposeTo determine if biennial DBT is cost-effective in a screening setting, when compared with digital mammography (DM) in the Netherlands, and to quantify the uncertainty.Materials and MethodsIn this study, performed from March 2018 to February 2019, the MIcrosimulation SCreening ANalysis model was used to conduct a probabilistic sensitivity analysis (PSA), consisting of 10 000 model runs with 1 000 000 women simulated per run.

Performance and Self-reported Functioning of People With Chronic Idiopathic Axonal Polyneuropathy: A 4-Year Follow-up Study.

Objective: To describe the course of performance of activities (observed and self-reported) of people with chronic idiopathic axonal polyneuropathy (CIAP) over 4 years and to assess the associations with muscle strength, sensory function, and psychological personal factors (intention, perceived behavior control [PBC], and feelings of depression or anxiety).

Design: Prospective observational study with measurement at baseline, 6 months, 1 year, and 4 years.

Setting: Outpatient neurology clinic.

[Covid-19: An ad hoc public health ethics consultation].

In this paper we describe the process and content of our ad hoc public health ethics consultation for a Bavarian health authority in relation to Covid-19.

Evaluating hearing performance with cochlear implants within the same patient using daily randomization and imaging-based fitting - The ELEPHANT study.

Background: Prospective research in the field of cochlear implants is hampered by methodological issues and small sample sizes. The ELEPHANT study presents an alternative clinical trial design with a daily randomized approach evaluating individualized tonotopical fitting of a cochlear implant (CI).

Methods: A single-blinded, daily-randomized clinical trial will be implemented to evaluate a new imaging-based CI mapping strategy.

Development and validation of an alternative ankylosing spondylitis disease activity score when patient global assessment is unavailable.

Objective: To develop an alternative Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score (ASDAS) to be used in research settings in axial SpA (axSpA) when Patient Global Assessment (PGA) is unavailable in databases.

Methods: Longitudinal data from four axSpA cohorts and two randomized controlled trials were combined. Observations were randomly split in a development (N = 1026) and a validation cohort (N = 1059).

Discrepancy between Lung Function Measurements at Home and in the Hospital in Children with Asthma and CF.

The Coronavirus pandemic stresses the importance of eHealth techniques to monitor patients at home. Home monitoring of lung function in asthma and cystic fibrosis (CF) may help to detect deterioration of lung function at an early stage, but the reliability is unclear. We investigated whether lung function measurements at home were comparable to measurements during clinical visits.

Is Academic Achievement Related to Mediterranean Diet, Substance Use and Social-Cognitive Factors: Findings from Lebanese Adolescents.

There is substantial evidence that good academic performance significantly enhances the prospects of success for adolescents in terms of employment, social status, quality of life and health. Identifying which factors are correlated to good academic achievement and which factors may need to be addressed by policies is crucial. Despite its importance, there is insufficient data concerning factors associated with academic achievement in the Middle East, particularly Lebanon.

Why are Spanish Adolescents Binge Drinkers? Focus Group with Adolescents and Parents.

Binge drinking in adolescents is a worldwide public healthcare problem. The aim of this study was to explore the perceptions about determinants of binge drinking in Spanish adolescents from the perspective of adolescents and parents. A qualitative study using fourteen semi-structured focus groups of adolescents was conducted during the 2014/2015 school year ( = 94), and four with parents ( = 19), based on the I-Change Model for health behaviour acquisition.

Influenza vaccination among Dutch general practitioners and their attitude toward influenza vaccination in the elderly.

Knowledge, attitudes and beliefs (KABs) toward influenza vaccination (IV) play a key role in HCWs' decisions to receive vaccination and can strongly influence patients' IV uptake. We examined the knowledge, attitudes and beliefs of GPs toward IV, exploring their opinion on IV in the elderly, mandatory HCW vaccination and the desirability of an IV trial in the elderly with hospitalization/mortality as effect measure. From November 2018 to March 2019, surveys were emailed to GPs and GP-practices (n = 1676) in three regions of the Netherlands.

A systematic literature review looking for the definition of treatment burden.

Background: Treatment burden is an emerging concept in health care literature. It can complicate the patients' condition and perhaps result in poor adherence to treatment, which is linked to worse clinical outcomes. However, until now there is no definition for treatment burden recognized by all stakeholders.