Cost-effectiveness of data driven personalised antibiotic dosing in critically ill patients with sepsis or septic shock.

Purpose: This study provides an economic evaluation of bedside, data-driven, and model-informed precision dosing of antibiotics in comparison with usual care among critically ill patients with sepsis or septic shock.

Methods: This economic evaluation was conducted alongside an AutoKinetics randomized controlled trial. Effect measures included quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), mortality and pharmacokinetic target attainment.

Academic motivation-achievement cycle and the behavioural pathways: A short-timeframe experiment with manipulated perceived achievement.

Background: The purported reciprocity between motivation and academic achievement in education has largely been supported by correlational data.

Aims: Our first aim was to determine experimentally whether motivation and achievement are reciprocally related. The second objective was to investigate a potential behavioural mediation pathway between motivation and achievement by measuring the objective effort expended on learning.

Expert Consensus Methods In The Humanities: An Exploration of their Potential.

Background: Despite the significant role of consensus and dissensus in knowledge production, formal approaches to consensus are notably less common in the humanities compared to their frequent application in natural, social, and life sciences. This article therefore explores the potential of expert consensus methods in humanities-related research.

Methods: In order to do so, an interdisciplinary team of both sciences researchers experienced in consensus methods and researchers familiar with the domain of the humanities and epistemology, conducted a literary review and exchanged their expertise in multiple brainstorm sessions.

Therapeutic quality of exercise interventions for chronic low back pain: a meta-research study using i-CONTENT tool.

Objective: To assess the therapeutic quality of exercise interventions delivered in chronic low back pain (cLBP) trials using the international Consensus on Therapeutic Exercise aNd Training (i-CONTENT) tool and its inter-rater agreement.

Methods: We performed a meta-research study, starting from the trials' arms included in the published Cochrane review (2021) 'Exercise therapy for chronic low back pain'. Two pairs of independent reviewers applied the i-CONTENT tool, a standardised tool designed to ensure the quality of exercise therapy intervention, in a random sample of 100 different exercise arms.

The lncRNA DSCR9 is modulated in pulmonary arterial hypertension endothelial cell models and is associated with alterations in the nitric oxide pathway.

Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) may be involved in dysfunction of pulmonary artery endothelial cells (PAEC) and, thus, in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) pathobiology. We screened the RNA expression profile of commercial human PAEC (hPAEC) exposed to increased hydrostatic pressure, and found that the lncRNA Down syndrome critical region 9 (DSCR9) was the most regulated transcript (log2FC 1.89 vs control).

A health economic evaluation of the multinational, randomized controlled CONVINCE trial - cost-utility of high-dose online hemodiafiltration compared to high-flux hemodialysis.

High-flux hemodialysis (HD) and high-dose hemodiafiltration (HDF) are established treatments for patients with kidney failure. Since HDF has been associated with improved survival rates compared to HD, we evaluated the cost-effectiveness of HDF compared to HD. Cost-utility analyses were performed from a societal perspective alongside the multinational randomized controlled CONVINCE trial.

Exploring chitin metabolite profiles and sensitivity differences in Collembola species exposed to teflubenzuron.

Effective environmental risk assessments of chemical plant protection products, such as benzoylurea pesticides, are crucial for safeguarding ecosystems. These pesticides, including teflubenzuron, target chitin synthesis in arthropods but also pose risks to non-target soil fauna like Collembola, which play essential roles in decomposition and nutrient cycling. This study combines traditional toxicity tests with a metabolomic approach to examine the interspecies specific sensitivity of three Collembola species - Sinella curviseta, Ceratophysella denticulata, and Folsomia candida - to teflubenzuron.

Conventional MRI-Based Structural Disconnection and Morphometric Similarity Networks and Their Clinical Correlates in Multiple Sclerosis.

Background And Objectives: Although multiple sclerosis (MS) can be conceptualized as a network disorder, brain network analyses typically require advanced MRI sequences not commonly acquired in clinical practice. Using conventional MRI, we assessed cross-sectional and longitudinal structural disconnection and morphometric similarity networks in people with MS (pwMS), along with their relationship with clinical disability.

Methods: In this longitudinal monocentric study, 3T structural MRI of pwMS and healthy controls (HC) was retrospectively analyzed.

Maternity Care Providers' Experiences with Providing Information on Newborn Bloodspot Screening During Pregnancy: A Dutch Survey Study.

Newborn bloodspot screening (NBS) aims to detect treatable disorders in newborns to offer early interventions. According to the official Dutch national NBS guidance, parents in the Netherlands should be informed about NBS during pregnancy by maternity care providers (MCPs), providing two leaflets and oral information. This study investigated what, how, and when information about NBS is given during pregnancy according to Dutch MCPs.

Amyloid-β and tau deposition in traumatic brain injury: a study of Vietnam War veterans.

Traumatic brain injury is widely viewed as a risk factor for dementia, but the biological mechanisms underlying this association are still unclear. In previous studies, traumatic brain injury has been associated with the hallmark pathologies of Alzheimer's disease, i.e.

Urethra-sparing prostate cancer radiotherapy: Current practices and future insights from an international survey.

Purpose: In prostate cancer patients, high radiation doses to the urethra have been associated with an increased risk of severe genitourinary toxicity following dose-escalated radiotherapy. Urethra-sparing techniques have emerged as a promising approach to reduce urinary toxicity. This international survey aims to evaluate current global practices in urethra-sparing and explore future directions for the implementation of this technique in external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) for prostate cancer.

The involvement of orexin-1 receptors in modulation of feeding and anxiety-like behavior in rats with complete Freund's adjuvant-induced temporomandibular joint disorder.

Orexin-A (OXA), a neuropeptide produced in the hypothalamus, is recognized for its role in modulating orofacial nociception and regulating feeding behaviors, as well as its impact on psychophysiological responses. This study investigated the role of orexin-1 receptors (OX1R) in modulating nociceptive behaviors induced by noxious stimulation of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and the associated changes in mood and feeding behaviors in rats with complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA)-induced temporomandibular disorders (TMDs). Bilateral cannulation of the lateral ventricles was performed in rats.

Ex vivo detection of recreational consumed nitrous oxide in exhaled breath.

The increasing use of recreational nitrous oxide ([Formula: see text]O) in the Netherlands and its link to traffic accidents highlights the need for reliable detection methods for law enforcement. This study focused on ex vivo detection of [Formula: see text]O in exhaled breath and examining its persistence in the human body. Firstly, a low-cost portable infrared based detector was selected and validated to detect [Formula: see text]O in air.

Motivations for Abortion or Continuation of an Unwanted Pregnancy: A Scoping Review of the Global Literature.

Context: The aim of this scoping review was to provide an overview of recent studies in peer reviewed journals investigating self-reported motivations to have an abortion or to continue an unwanted pregnancy in different countries and settings, including both qualitative and quantitative results.

Methods: We searched for English language publications published between 2008 and 2023 indexed in four scientific databases. We included studies if they captured people's own motivations for abortion and/ or for continuing an unwanted pregnancy.

Cellular expression of low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 and amyloid beta deposition in human and rat epileptogenic brain.

Decreased capillary expression of low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 (LRP1) has been linked to increased brain amyloid beta (Aβ) accumulation in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Aβ accumulation has also been observed in (a subset of) temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) patients, suggesting a potential link between epilepsy and AD. This study examines cellular LRP1 expression in human and rat epileptogenic brain tissue to explore LRP1's role in epilepsy.

Guiding the Hand to an Invisible Target.

Numerous devices are being developed to assist visually impaired and blind individuals in performing everyday tasks such as reaching out to grasp objects. Considering that the size, weight, and cost of assistive devices significantly impact their acceptance, it would be useful to know how effective various types of guiding information can be. As an initial exploration of this issue, we conducted four studies in which participants with normal vision were visually guided toward targets.

SIRE: Scale-invariant, rotation-equivariant estimation of artery orientations using graph neural networks.

The orientation of a blood vessel as visualized in 3D medical images is an important descriptor of its geometry that can be used for centerline extraction and subsequent segmentation, labeling, and visualization. Blood vessels appear at multiple scales and levels of tortuosity, and determining the exact orientation of a vessel is a challenging problem. Recent works have used 3D convolutional neural networks (CNNs) for this purpose, but CNNs are sensitive to variations in vessel size and orientation.

The Significance of a Cerebrovascular Accident Outcome Prediction Model for Patients, Family Members, and Health Care Professionals: Qualitative Evaluation Study.

Background: Patients with cerebrovascular accident (CVA) should be involved in setting their rehabilitation goals. A personalized prediction of CVA outcomes would allow care professionals to better inform patients and informal caregivers. Several accurate prediction models have been created, but acceptance and proper implementation of the models are prerequisites for model adoption.

Cerebral Microbleeds and Amyloid Pathology Estimates From the Amyloid Biomarker Study.

Importance: Baseline cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) and APOE ε4 allele copy number are important risk factors for amyloid-related imaging abnormalities in patients with Alzheimer disease (AD) receiving therapies to lower amyloid-β plaque levels.

Objective: To provide prevalence estimates of any, no more than 4, or fewer than 2 CMBs in association with amyloid status, APOE ε4 copy number, and age.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This cross-sectional study used data included in the Amyloid Biomarker Study data pooling initiative (January 1, 2012, to the present [data collection is ongoing]).

Depressive Symptoms and Amyloid Pathology.

Importance: Depressive symptoms are associated with cognitive decline in older individuals. Uncertainty about underlying mechanisms hampers diagnostic and therapeutic efforts. This large-scale study aimed to elucidate the association between depressive symptoms and amyloid pathology.

Evidence-Based Application of Natriuretic Peptides in the Evaluation of Chronic Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction in the Ambulatory Outpatient Setting.

Background: Plasma NT-proBNP (N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide) is commonly used to diagnose heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), but its diagnostic performance in the ambulatory/outpatient setting is unknown because previous studies lacked objective reference standards.

Methods: Among patients with chronic dyspnea, diagnosis of HFpEF or noncardiac dyspnea was determined conclusively by exercise catheterization in a derivation cohort (n=414), multicenter validation cohort 1 (n=560), validation cohort 2 (n=207), and a nonobese Japanese validation cohort 3 (n=77). Optimal NT-proBNP cut points for HFpEF rule out (optimizing sensitivity) and rule in (optimizing specificity) were derived and tested, stratified by obesity and atrial fibrillation.

Polygenic risk scores for atrial fibrillation and heart failure and the risk of stroke and dementia.

Atrial fibrillation and heart failure have both been suggested to increase stroke and dementia risk. However, in observational studies, reversed causation and unmeasured confounding may occur. To mitigate these issues, this study aims to investigate if higher genetic risk for atrial fibrillation and heart failure increases dementia and stroke risk.

Uncovering the hidden mechanics of upper body rotations in tennis serves using wearable sensors on Dutch professional players.

Background: It is assumed that the tennis serve is performed according to the kinetic chain principle in which a proximal-to-distal sequence in peak angular velocities of subsequent body segments can be observed to reach high end point ball velocities. The aim of the present study was to investigate if the magnitude and (intersegmental) timing of peak angular velocities of body segments in professional tennis players are different between first and second serves and if they are associated with serve performance.

Methods: Eight (two female and six male) professional tennis players performed each 48 tennis serves on a tennis court.