Core Concepts: Self-Controlled Designs in Pharmacoepidemiology.

One of the key challenges in pharmacoepidemiological studies is that of uncontrolled confounding, which occurs when confounders are poorly measured, unmeasured or unknown. Self-controlled designs can help address this issue, as their key comparison is not between people, but periods of time within the same person. This controls for all time-stable confounders (genetics) and in the absence of time-varying confounding negates the need for an external control group.

Nanopore-based consensus sequencing enables accurate multimodal tumor cell-free DNA profiling.

Shallow genome-wide cell-free DNA (cfDNA) sequencing holds great promise for non-invasive cancer monitoring by providing reliable copy number alteration (CNA) and fragmentomic profiles. Single nucleotide variations (SNVs) are, however, much harder to identify with low sequencing depth due to sequencing errors. Here we present Nanopore Rolling Circle Amplification (RCA)-enhanced Consensus Sequencing (NanoRCS), which leverages RCA and consensus calling based on genome-wide long-read nanopore sequencing to enable simultaneous multimodal tumor fraction estimation through SNVs, CNAs, and fragmentomics.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Acute Pancreatitis: An Update of Evidence-Based Management and Recent Trends in Treatment Strategies.

Acute pancreatitis is a common gastrointestinal disease leading to hospitalisation. Recent advancements in its management have primarily focussed on the development of early phase medical interventions targeting inflammatory pathways, optimisation of supportive treatment (including fluid resuscitation, pain management and nutritional management), appropriate use of antibiotics, implementation of minimally invasive interventions for infected necrosis, and the necessity of follow-up for long-term complications. These advancements have significantly improved personalised management and overall outcomes of acute pancreatitis.

Addressing Water Scarcity to Achieve Climate Resilience and Human Health.

Water scarcity is projected to affect half of the world's population, gradually exacerbated by climate change. This article elaborates from a panel discussion at the 2023 United Nations Water Conference on Addressing Water Scarcity to Achieve Climate Resilience and Human Health. Understanding and addressing water scarcity goes beyond hydrological water balances to also include societal and economic measures.

NAB2::STAT6 Rearranged Carcinoma of the Parotid Gland with Sebaceous Differentiation: A Case Report.

Purpose: The NAB2::STAT6 fusion is predominantly associated with solitary fibrous tumors (SFTs) and is utilized in diagnosing SFTs through nuclear STAT6 protein overexpression. Recent studies expanded the phenotypic spectrum of NAB2::STAT6 rearranged neoplasms, including adamantinoma-like and teratocarcinosarcoma-like phenotypes. We report a case of a NAB2::STAT6 rearranged epithelial tumor exhibiting sebaceous differentiation in the parotid gland.

Effect of physical exercise on white matter microstructure in chemotherapy-treated breast cancer patients: a randomized controlled trial (PAM study).

Physical exercise is a promising intervention to improve brain white matter integrity. In the PAM study, exercise intervention effects on white matter integrity were investigated in breast cancer patients. Chemotherapy-treated breast cancer patients with cognitive problems were randomized 2-4 years post-diagnosis to an exercise (n = 91) or control group (n = 90).

Importance of early use of tolvaptan in hyponatremic acutely decompensated heart failure patients, a retrospective study.

Background: Hyponatremia is one of the complicating findings in acute decompensated heart failure. Decrease in cardiac output and systemic blood pressure triggers activation of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, antidiuretic hormone, and norepinephrine due to the perceived hypovolemia. Fluid-overloaded heart failure patients are commonly treated with loop diuretics, acutely decompensated heart failure patients tend to be less responsive to conventional oral doses of a loop diuretic, while other different diuretics could work in different part of nephron circulation system.

Low Attainment of Treatment Targets for Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Indonesian Adults With Established Coronary Artery Disease.

Rationale: Established coronary artery disease (CAD) patients are at increased risk for recurrence of cardiovascular events and mortality due to non-attainment of recommended risk factor control targets.

Objective: We aimed to evaluate the attainment of treatment targets for risk factor control among CAD patients as recommended in the Indonesian CVD prevention guidelines.

Methods: Patients were consecutively recruited from the Makassar Cardiac Center at Wahidin Sudirohusodo Hospital, Indonesia.

A multimodal neural signature of face processing in autism within the fusiform gyrus.

Atypical face processing is commonly reported in autism. Its neural correlates have been explored extensively across single neuroimaging modalities within key regions of the face processing network, such as the fusiform gyrus (FFG). Nonetheless, it is poorly understood how variation in brain anatomy and function jointly impacts face processing and social functioning.

Recognising depression in non-human primates: a narrative review of reported signs of depression.

Major depressive disorder (depression) is a highly heterogenous human mental disorder that may have equivalents in non-human animals. Research into non-human depression teaches us about human depression and can contribute to enhance welfare of non-human animals. Here, we narratively review how signs of depression in non-human primates (NHPs) can be observed based on symptoms of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5).

Measuring health-related quality of life in cardiovascular disease using a novel patient-centred and disease-specific patient-reported outcome measure.

Background: Assessment of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) is impaired by limitations of current patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs). We developed the first cardiovascular disease (CVD) specific electronic PROM for which health items were derived by a fully patient-centered method. This paper reports on the measurement of HRQoL in CVD patients by a novel developed electronic patient-centred PROM based on a preference-based measurement model.

Incidence and prevalence of traumatic and non-traumatic wounds and burns and access to wound care in Sierra Leone; data from a nationwide household survey (PRESSCO) 2020.

Objectives: This wound section of the PREvalence Study on Surgical COnditions (PRESSCO) determines the incidence and prevalence of wounds and burns in Sierra Leone. It further describes access to wound care and wound-related healthcare-seeking behaviour.

Methods: Between October 2019 and March 2020, a nationwide cross-sectional household survey was performed.

Imaging flow cytometry reveals divergent mitochondrial phenotypes in mitochondrial disease patients.

Traditional classification by clinical phenotype or oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) complex deficiencies often fails to clarify complex genotype-phenotype correlations in mitochondrial disease. A multimodal functional assessment may better reveal underlying disease patterns. Using imaging flow cytometry (IFC), we evaluated mitochondrial fragmentation, swelling, membrane potential, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and mitochondrial mass in fibroblasts from 31 mitochondrial disease patients.

Radiotherapy-induced Hypothalamic-Pituitary axis dysfunction in adult Brain, head and neck and skull base tumor patients - A systematic review and Meta-Analysis.

Background And Purpose: Radiotherapy for brain, head & neck (HN), and skull base (SB) tumors may deliver significant radiation dose to the hypothalamic-pituitary axis (HPA), leading to impaired functioning of this region and hence, to endocrine disorders. The purpose of this systematic review and -analysis is to investigate literature on HP dysfunction after radiation for non-pituitary brain, HN, or SB tumors at adult age, aiming to give insight in the prevalence of HP dysfunction related to radiation dose.

Materials And Methods: Literature search of the PubMed database was performed for HP dysfunction after radiotherapy in adult patients.

An Overview of Patient-reported Outcomes for Men with Prostate Cancer: Results from the PIONEER Consortium.

Background And Objective: Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are increasingly being used to capture the patients' perspective of their functional status and quality of life (QoL). Big data can help us better understand patient-reported outcomes (PROs). Using prospectively collected data from the Prostate Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment Enhancement Through the Power of Big Data in Europe (PIONEER) consortium, we aimed to describe the functional status and QoL in men with prostate cancer (PCa) treated with active surveillance (AS), radical prostatectomy (RP), and radiotherapy (RT), and to demonstrate the applicability of PROM data on a large scale and at a European level.

Coronary Artery Calcium Scores After Prophylactic Premenopausal Bilateral Salpingo-Oophorectomy.

Background: Premenopausal risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy (RRSO) in women at high familial risk of ovarian cancer leads to immediate menopause. Although early natural menopause is associated with increased cardiovascular disease risk, evidence on long-term cardiovascular disease risk after early surgical menopause is scarce.

Objectives: We sought to determine the long-term influence of the timing of RRSO on the development of coronary artery calcium (CAC), an established marker for cardiovascular disease risk.

Multimodality Imaging in the Diagnostic Work-Up of Patients With Cardiac Masses: State-of-the-Art Review.

Cardiac masses encompass a diverse range of benign and malignant tumors as well as pseudotumors. Accurate histologic identification is essential for guiding appropriate treatment, yet the diagnostic process remains challenging. Although biopsy is traditionally the diagnostic gold standard, its invasive nature and associated risks limit its application.