Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy: the importance of biventricular strain in risk-stratification.

Despite arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) being predominantly a right ventricular (RV) disease, concomitant left ventricular (LV) involvement has been recognized. ARVC is diagnosed by the RV-centric 2010 Task Force Criteria(TFC) using routine echocardiography, but previous studies have suggested that strain imaging may be more sensitive to detect RV and LV dysfunction. No data however are available regarding the additional value of combining biventricular strain for risk stratification.

We are a family! Exploring flexitarian households' meat reduction practices.

It is widely accepted that the (over)consumption of meat is negatively linked to environmental problems and public health issues, yet research shows that actual meat consumption remains (too) high. While most research related to the protein transition focuses on consumers' motivations, perceptions and acceptance towards plant-based meat alternatives, a clear need arises to extensively study the context in which (plant-based) meals are consumed. In this research, a generative research approach was applied to extend knowledge on flexitarian households' meat reduction practices.

More self-efficacy is associated with longitudinally higher health-related quality of life in mechanically ventilated COVID-19 ICU survivors: The prospective MaastrICCht cohort.

Background: More self-efficacy leads to greater confidence in one's ability to perform actions to achieve treatment goals. Therefore, self-efficacy may affect patient recovery and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) after ICU discharge.

Aim: In a cohort of mechanically ventilated COVID-19 survivors, we examined the associations between self-efficacy at 3 months and HRQoL at 3, 12 and 24 months after discharge.

Albendazole-ivermectin co-formulation for the treatment of Trichuris trichiura and other soil-transmitted helminths: a randomised phase 2/3 trial.

Background: Treatments for soil-transmitted helminthiases face challenges, especially in addressing Trichuris trichiura. Combination regimens, particularly of ivermectin and albendazole, are promising. We aimed to assess the safety, efficacy, and palatability of a combination tablet for the treatment of T trichiura, hookworm, and Strongyloides stercoralis infections among school-aged children in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Mozambique.

Outcome of a Mix-and-Match Approach with a Monofocal Aspherical and a Bifocal Extended Depth-of-Focus Intraocular Lens to Achieve Extended Monovision in Cataract Patients.

Background: Extended monovision is a novel mix-and-match approach that has been recently introduced. It involves implanting an aspherical monofocal intraocular lens (IOL) for distance vision in the dominant eye, and a bifocal extended depth-of-focus (EDOF) IOL in the nondominant eye. The target refraction for the nondominant eye is - 1.

4.5-Year Follow-up with a Novel Corneal Endothelial Prosthesis.

Background: Refractory corneal edema is the foremost reason for endothelial corneal transplantation (EK) in the world. Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK) and Descemet stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK) offer good clinical outcomes. However, human donor tissue is limited in availability and has a complex logistical chain.

Subgroups varying in risk and density highlight the potential for stratified breast cancer screening.

Most breast cancer screening programs rely only on demographic data without considering individual risk factors of the population, which might limit their effectiveness by over- and underscreening specific subgroups. Therefore, the aim of this study is to highlight health and economic disparities in outcomes from such a uniform screening strategy. With the microsimulation model MISCAN, we simulated outcomes of the Dutch screening program considering 16 subgroups varying by their 5-year breast cancer risk and breast density.

Effects of POPs-induced SIRT6 alteration on intestinal mucosal barrier function: A comprehensive review.

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are pervasive organic chemicals with significant environmental and ecological ramifications, extending to adverse human health effects due to their toxicity and persistence. The intestinal mucosal barrier, a sophisticated defense mechanism comprising the epithelial layer, mucosal chemistry, and cellular immunity, shields the host from external threats and fosters a symbiotic relationship with intestinal bacteria. Sirtuin 6 (SIRT6), a sirtuin family member, is pivotal in genome and telomere stability, inflammation regulation, and metabolic processes.

The Importance of Frailty in Older Adults With Benign Paroxysmal Positioning Vertigo.

Background And Purpose: Even though Benign Paroxysmal Positioning Vertigo (BPPV) is one of the most reported vestibular disorders, its interaction with frailty and postural control in older adults is hardly or not investigated.

Methods: Thirty-seven older adults (≥65 years) with a diagnosis of BPPV (oaBPPV) (mean age 73.13 (4.

The CeHRes Roadmap 2.0: Update of a Holistic Framework for Development, Implementation, and Evaluation of eHealth Technologies.

To ensure that an eHealth technology fits with its intended users, other stakeholders, and the context within which it will be used, thorough development, implementation, and evaluation processes are necessary. The CeHRes (Centre for eHealth and Wellbeing Research) Roadmap is a framework that can help shape these processes. While it has been successfully used in research and practice, new developments and insights have arisen since the Roadmap's first publication in 2011, not only within the domain of eHealth but also within the different disciplines in which the Roadmap is grounded.

Supervised Exercise for Patients With Metastatic Breast Cancer: A Cost-Utility Analysis Alongside the PREFERABLE-EFFECT Randomized Controlled Trial.

Purpose: To evaluate the cost utility of a 9-month supervised exercise program for patients with metastatic breast cancer (mBC), compared with control (usual care, supplemented with general activity advice and an activity tracker). Evidence on the cost-effectiveness of exercise for patients with mBC is essential for implementation in clinical practice and is currently lacking.

Methods: A cost-utility analysis was performed alongside the multinational PREFERABLE-EFFECT randomized controlled trial, conducted in 8 centers across Europe and Australia.

Fructose catabolism and its metabolic effects: Exploring host-microbiota interactions and the impact of ethnicity.

Important health disparities are observed in the prevalence of obesity and associated non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including type 2 diabetes (T2D) and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) among ethnic groups. Yet, the underlying factors accounting for these disparities remain poorly understood. Fructose has been widely proposed as a potential mediator of these NCDs, given that hepatic fructose catabolism can result in deleterious metabolic effects, including insulin resistance and hepatic steatosis.

Floodplain forests drive fruit-eating fish diversity at the Amazon Basin-scale.

Unlike most rivers globally, nearly all lowland Amazonian rivers have unregulated flow, supporting seasonally flooded floodplain forests. Floodplain forests harbor a unique tree species assemblage adapted to flooding and specialized fauna, including fruit-eating fish that migrate seasonally into floodplains, favoring expansive floodplain areas. Frugivorous fish are forest-dependent fauna critical to forest regeneration via seed dispersal and support commercial and artisanal fisheries.

Delayed Versus Atypical Speech Sound Development: A Markedness-Based Analysis of Speech Sound Disorder in Cantonese.

Purpose: Speech sound disorder (SSD) is one of the major speech disorders in school-age children. Given the heterogeneity in terms of subtypes within SSD, there is a need to develop techniques for a quick identification of these subtypes. Furthermore, given the paucity of studies from children with SSD from Cantonese-speaking homes and a noted prevalence of SSDs in Cantonese-speaking children, it becomes even more important to investigate the subtypes of SSDs in Cantonese-speaking children.

Genomic exploration of the journey of Plasmodium vivax in Latin America.

Plasmodium vivax is the predominant malaria parasite in Latin America. Its colonization history in the region is rich and complex, and is still highly debated, especially about its origin(s). Our study employed cutting-edge population genomic techniques to analyze whole genome variation from 620 P.

Overcoming the threat of anti-bias interventions: Combining self-report and psychophysiological measures to capture the process of change.

Anti-bias interventions do not always have the intended results and can even backfire. In light of research on the psychology of morality, we examined whether confronting people with evidence of their own (group's) bias causes a (psychophysiological) threat response, and how to overcome this. We focused on an intervention addressing gender bias in teacher evaluations.

Open Soil Spectral Library (OSSL): Building reproducible soil calibration models through open development and community engagement.

Soil spectroscopy is a widely used method for estimating soil properties that are important to environmental and agricultural monitoring. However, a bottleneck to its more widespread adoption is the need for establishing large reference datasets for training machine learning (ML) models, which are called soil spectral libraries (SSLs). Similarly, the prediction capacity of new samples is also subject to the number and diversity of soil types and conditions represented in the SSLs.

Distribution and viability of ocular and non-ocular Chlamydia trachomatis in households in a trachoma-endemic community in Oromia, Ethiopia.

Background: We aimed to determine the household distribution and viability of Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct) from the eyes, face, and hands during the initial two visits of a year-long fortnightly cohort study in geographically defined adjacent households.

Methods/findings: We enrolled 298 individuals from 68 neighbouring households in Shashemene Woreda, Oromia, Ethiopia. All individuals above 2 years of age residing in these households were examined for signs of trachoma.

5-year migration and inducible displacement of the uncemented LCS and ATTUNE rotating platform knee systems: a secondary report of a randomized controlled RSA trial.

Background And Purpose:  Early migration of the uncemented cruciate-sacrificing rotating platform ATTUNE and Low Contact Stress (LCS) tibial components was classified as at-risk for aseptic loosening rates exceeding 6.5% at 15 years based on recent fixation-specific migration thresholds. In this secondary report of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) we aimed to evaluate whether the 5-year migration, inducible displacement, and the clinical outcome of the ATTUNE components were comparable to those of the LCS.

Audiovisual Breathing Guidance for Improved Image Quality and Scan Efficiency of T2- and Diffusion-Weighted Liver MRI.

Objectives: Impaired image quality and long scan times frequently occur in respiratory-triggered sequences in liver magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We evaluated the impact of an in-bore active breathing guidance (BG) application on image quality and scan time of respiratory-triggered T2-weighted (T2) and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) by comparing sequences with standard triggering (T2S and DWIS) and with BG (T2BG and DWIBG).

Materials And Methods: In this prospective study, random patients with clinical indications for liver MRI underwent 3 T MRI with standard and BG acquisitions.

Increased clonal hematopoiesis in long-term survivors of pediatric hematopoietic cell transplantation.

In pediatric hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) recipients, transplanted donor cells may need to function far beyond normal human lifespan. Here, we investigated the risk of clonal hematopoiesis (CH) in 144 pediatric long-term HCT survivors and 258 non-transplanted controls. CH was detected in 16% of HCT recipients and 8% of controls, at variant allele frequencies (VAFs) of 0.