Ensemble feature selection and tabular data augmentation with generative adversarial networks to enhance cutaneous melanoma identification and interpretability.

Background: Cutaneous melanoma is the most aggressive form of skin cancer, responsible for most skin cancer-related deaths. Recent advances in artificial intelligence, jointly with the availability of public dermoscopy image datasets, have allowed to assist dermatologists in melanoma identification. While image feature extraction holds potential for melanoma detection, it often leads to high-dimensional data.

Timely empirical antibiotic therapy against sepsis in a rural Norwegian ambulance service: a prospective cohort study.

Background: Early diagnosis and antibiotic therapy in patients with sepsis reduce morbidity and mortality, thus pre-hospital management is likely to affect patient outcomes. Pre-hospital administration may increase the risk of unnecessary use of broad-spectrum antibiotics, but identification of an infectious focus enables more targeted antibiotic therapy. The aim of this study was to investigate how paramedics, with or without the assistance of general practitioners, can administer empiric intravenous antibiotic treatment against sepsis in a timely manner.

Production of Cu at a biomedical cyclotron via Zn(p,α)Cu reaction and its evaluation in a preclinical study using small animal SPECT/CT.

Clinical advancements in nuclear medicine theranostics has excited a research interest in exploring novel radionuclides for medical use. The duo of the β emitter Cu and the positron emitter Cu, has advantages over the well-established clinical pair Ga and Lu in terms of capability for high-precision therapy. Low availability has hindered the use of Cu whereas Cu has become established at a limited number of sites through production in low-to-medium energy biomedical cyclotrons.

The Thoughtful program: a randomized controlled study of a mentalization-based mental health education intervention in a psychiatric outpatient population.

Background: P-factor and mentalizing theory and research set perspectives for transdiagnostic psychiatric treatments.

Aims: To test the effects of a low-cost mentalization-based health education program (the Thoughtful program) in an unselected waiting list population, from a psychiatric outpatient clinic in North Norway.

Methods: Waiting list patients were randomized (1:1 allocation): 79 patients in the control group were offered standard individual assessment and treatment.

Agreement between child- and parent-reported orofacial symptoms in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

Objective: To assess the agreement between child- and parent-reported orofacial symptoms in the Danish version of the patient questionnaire Assessment of Orofacial Symptoms in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis.

Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted at Aarhus University in March 2023. Eligible candidates were consecutive subjects with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) and temporomandibular joint involvement accompanied by a parental proxy for examination in the Craniofacial Clinic.

Validity of the Johns Hopkins Adjusted Clinical Groups system on the utilisation of healthcare services in Norway: a retrospective cross-sectional study.

Background: The Adjusted Clinical Groups (ACG) System is a validated electronic risk stratification system. However, there is a lack of studies on the association between different ACG risk scores and the utilisation of different healthcare services using different sources of input data. The aim of this study was therefore to assess the validity of the association between five different ACG risk scores and the utilisation of a range of different healthcare services using input data from either general practitioners (GPs) or hospitals.

A randomized trial on three different minimally invasive decompression techniques for lumbar spinal stenosis. Five years follow-up from the NORDSTEN-SST.

Purpose: The short-term clinical outcome for midline-preserving posterior decompression techniques was comparable. The aim of this study was to evaluate long-term clinical results after three different midline-preserving posterior decompression techniques.

Material: In the NORDSTEN spinal stenosis trial (NORDSTEN-SST) 437 patients were randomized to three different midline-retaining posterior decompression techniques: Unilateral laminotomy with crossover (UL), bilateral laminotomy (BL) and spinous process osteotomy (SPO).

Affordance trajectories and the usefulness of online records access among older adults in Sweden.

Objective: The current understanding of the breadth of individual differences in how eHealth technologies are perceived as useful for different purposes is incomprehensive. The aim/purpose of the study is to improve the understanding of diverse perceptions of the usefulness of technologies by exploring older adults' use of their patient-accessible electronic health records (PAEHRs).

Methods: The study applies and extends Affordance Theory based on an empirical analysis of data from the NORDeHEALTH 2022 Patient Survey on attitudes toward PAEHR in Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Estonia.

Roles of miR-20a-5p in breast cancer based on the clinical and multi-omic (CAMO) cohort and in vitro studies.

MicroRNAs are involved in breast cancer development and progression, holding potential as biomarkers and therapeutic targets or tools. The roles of miR-20a-5p, a member of the oncogenic miR-17-92 cluster, remain poorly understood in the context of breast cancer. In this study, we elucidate the role of miR-20a-5p in breast cancer by examining its associations with breast cancer risk factors and clinicopathological features, and its functional roles in vitro.

Diversity, functional classification and genotyping of SHV β-lactamases in .

Interpreting the phenotypes of alleles in genomes is complex. Whilst all strains are expected to carry a chromosomal copy conferring resistance to ampicillin, they may also carry mutations in chromosomal alleles or additional plasmid-borne alleles that have extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) activity and/or β-lactamase inhibitor (BLI) resistance activity. In addition, the role of individual mutations/a changes is not completely documented or understood.

Incidence and Genetic Risk of Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis in Norway by Latitude.

Objective: We aimed to investigate the incidence of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) in the three geographic regions of Norway and whether potential regional incidence differences are explained by environmental or genetic factors across regions.

Methods: We conducted a register-based cohort study including all Norwegian children born from 2004 to 2019, with follow-up throughout 2020. The JIA diagnosis, defined by at least two International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision codes for JIA, was validated against medical records.

Identifying and presenting key country-specific indicators related to medication adherence: a comprehensive study across European countries.

This study tackles the critical challenge of medication non-adherence in healthcare by pinpointing indicators related to medication adherence (IRMAs) across 39 European countries and Israel. Utilizing a structured expert survey methodology within the European Network to Advance Best Practices and Technology on Medication Adherence (ENABLE; COST Action CA19132), our research identified key country-specific IRMAs and collected data on these indicators to understand the multifaceted nature of medication adherence. The research was conducted in two phases: firstly, defining key IRMAs through a two-round expert survey, and secondly, gathering country-specific data on these IRMAs through literature reviews and additional expert surveys.

'The MRI-scan says it is completely normal': Reassurance attempts in clinical encounters among patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain.

In clinical guidelines for patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain, reassurance is a key element. The purpose of reassuring patients is to change their views on their illness and, thereby, their actions. However, when symptoms persist without pathological findings, reassurance can be difficult to achieve.

Exploring virtual delivery of academic detailing to general practitioners compared with in-person delivery: a qualitative study.

Background: Inappropriate prescribing may have detrimental consequences for the patient and increase healthcare utilisation and costs. Academic detailing (AD) is an interactive outreach method to deliver non-commercial evidence-based medical information to healthcare professionals, aiming to improve patient care. Performing AD virtually has recently become more relevant, especially with the COVID-19 pandemic.

A systematic review and proposed framework for sustainable learning healthcare systems.

Background: The healthcare sector is a complex domain that faces challenges in effectively learning from practices and outcome data. The Learning Health System (LHS) has emerged as a potential framework to improve healthcare by promoting continuous learning. However, its adoption remains limited, often involving only a single clinical department or a part of the LHS cycle.

Associations between body height and cardiovascular risk factors in women and men: a population-based longitudinal study based on The Tromsø Study 1979-2016.

Objectives: Investigate associations between body height and cardiovascular disease risk factors at several time points in women and men across educational levels in Norway.

Design: Population-based longitudinal study.

Setting: The Tromsø Study, a population-based study with six surveys conducted between 1979 and 2016 in the municipality of Tromsø, Norway.

Outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) using a continuous ambulatory delivery device (CADD) allowing treatment with multiple daily doses: a brief report of a Norwegian experience.

Background: Outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) is safe, effective and increasingly available. While OPAT in Norwegian healthcare has been rare, a new continuous ambulatory delivery device (CADD) allowing multiple daily dosing treatments has been innovated making OPAT more accessible.

Objectives: To describe the clinical outcome and safety using CADD in an OPAT setting.