The Harms of Class Imbalance Corrections for Machine Learning Based Prediction Models: A Simulation Study.

Introduction: Risk prediction models are increasingly used in healthcare to aid in clinical decision-making. In most clinical contexts, model calibration (i.e.

The added value of ECG abnormalities in predicting incident cardiovascular disease risk for people with type 2 diabetes: The Hoorn Diabetes Care System cohort.

Aims: To investigate if adding ECG abnormalities as a predictor improves the performance of incident CVD-risk prediction models for people with type 2 diabetes (T2D).

Methods: We evaluated the four major prediction models that are recommended by the guidelines of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association and European Society of Cardiology, in 11,224 people with T2D without CVD (coronary heart disease, heart failure, stroke, thrombosis) from the Hoorn Diabetes Care System cohort (1998-2018). Baseline measurements included CVD-risk factors and ECG recordings coded according to the Minnesota Classification as no, minor or major abnormalities.

Serotype-specific serum immunoglobulin G at 18 months of age following one or two doses of a primary series of 10-valent or 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine and a booster dose at nine months of age: a randomized controlled study.

Background: Due to high costs of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCV), transitioning from a two (2 + 1) to a single dose (1 + 1) primary series with a booster should be considered. This study evaluated the immune response at 18 months of age following a 1 + 1 compared to a 2 + 1 schedule of 10-valent (PCV10) and 13-valent (PCV13) vaccines.

Research Design And Methods: A single-center, open-label, randomized trial conducted in Soweto, South Africa, evaluated the immunogenicity of differing dosing schedule for PCV10 and PCV13.

Determination of Pathogens in Surgical Site Infections in Ankle Fractures and Implications for Empirical Antibiotic Treatment.

Surgical site infections (SSIs) are the most common complication after surgery for ankle fractures. This retrospective study aimed to determine the pathogens cultured in SSI and their antimicrobial susceptibility patterns to provide a recommendation for empirical therapy. Patients who underwent surgical treatment for an ankle fracture were included.

Fluid intake and recurrence and progression risk of patients with non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

Objectives: To evaluate the association of pre- and post-diagnosis fluid intake with non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) recurrence and progression risk.

Patients And Methods: Data were used from the multicentre prospective cohort study UroLife. Participants reported pre-diagnosis fluid intake at 6 weeks (food frequency questionnaire [FFQ]) (n = 1322) and post-diagnosis fluid intake at 3 and 15 months (FFQ and 4-day 24-h fluid diaries) (n = 1275) after diagnosis.

Precision in Liver Diagnosis: Varied Accuracy Across Subgroups and the Need for Variable Thresholds in Diagnosis of MASLD.

Background And Aims: The performance of non-invasive liver tests (NITs) is known to vary across settings and subgroups. We systematically evaluated whether the performance of three NITs in detecting advanced fibrosis in patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) varies with age, sex, body mass index (BMI), type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) status or liver enzymes.

Methods: Data from 586 adult LITMUS Metacohort participants with histologically characterised MASLD were included.

Defining Excellence: The First Core Set of Quality Indicators for the European Paediatric Surgical Audit on Hirschsprung's Disease Care.

Aim: This study aimed to develop a universally applicable core set of quality indicators for Hirschsprung's disease care through a consensus-driven process, to standardise and improve care quality across Europe.

Methods: A modified Delphi method was used to achieve consensus among healthcare professionals (HPs) and patient representatives (PRs) across Europe. Participants completed three rounds of anonymous surveys, rating quality indicators for Hirschsprung's disease care.

RADAR-AD: assessment of multiple remote monitoring technologies for early detection of Alzheimer's disease.

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder affecting millions worldwide, leading to cognitive and functional decline. Early detection and intervention are crucial for enhancing the quality of life of patients and their families. Remote Monitoring Technologies (RMTs) offer a promising solution for early detection by tracking changes in behavioral and cognitive functions, such as memory, language, and problem-solving skills.

Incorporating Spatial and Spectral Saturation Modules Into MR Fingerprinting.

In this work, we introduce spatial and chemical saturation options for artefact reduction in magnetic resonance fingerprinting (MRF) and assess their impact on T and T mapping accuracy. An existing radial MRF pulse sequence was modified to enable spatial and chemical saturation. Phantom experiments were performed to demonstrate flow artefact reduction and evaluate the accuracy of the T and T maps.

Ribosome pausing in amylase producing Bacillus subtilis during long fermentation.

Background: Ribosome pausing slows down translation and can affect protein synthesis. Improving translation efficiency can therefore be of commercial value. In this study, we investigated whether ribosome pausing occurs during production of the α-amylase AmyM by the industrial production organism Bacillus subtilis under repeated batch fermentation conditions.

High Prevalence of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms Found in Well-Treated People with HIV after the Introduction of Patient-Reported Outcome Measures.

People with HIV (PWH) are at greater risk of experiencing mental health problems, such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The purpose of our study was to determine the prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder PTSD in PWH. PWH in care Amsterdam University Medical center (Amsterdam UMC) with access to the electronic patient portal were offered patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) between May 2022 and May 2023, including the PC-PTSD-5 screen for PTSD as part of routine clinical care.

Extreme migratory connectivity and apparent mirroring of non-breeding grounds conditions in a severely declining breeding population of an Afro-Palearctic migratory bird.

Understanding the distribution of breeding populations of migratory animals in the non-breeding period (migratory connectivity) is important for understanding their response to environmental change. High connectivity (low non-breeding population dispersion) may lower resilience to climate change and increase vulnerability to habitat loss within their range. Very high levels of connectivity are reportedly rare, but this conclusion may be limited by methodology.

Sleep-wake modulation and pathogenesis of Alzheimer disease: Suggestions for postponement and treatment.

Sleep-wake disorders are recognized as one of the earliest symptoms of Alzheimer disease (AD). Accumulating evidence has highlighted a significant association between sleep-wake disorders and AD pathogenesis, suggesting that sleep-wake modulation could be a promising approach for postponing AD onset. The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) and the pineal hormone melatonin are major central modulating components of the circadian rhythm system.

Factors influencing shared decision-making on hospital wards as perceived by healthcare professionals: A qualitative study.

Objectives: The extent to which healthcare professionals apply Shared Decision Making (SDM) on hospital wards is still unknown. The aim was to explore the current knowledge of SDM among healthcare professionals and the experienced factors influencing SDM on the wards of Dutch hospitals, regarding both treatment and care decisions.

Setting: Twelve hospital wards in two university medical centres and one teaching hospital.

The moderating and mediating role of the placenta in the association between prenatal exposure to air pollutants and birth weight: A twin study.

Prenatal exposure to air pollution has been linked to lower birth weight, yet the role of the placenta in this association is often overlooked. This study investigates whether placental characteristics act as moderators or mediators in the association between prenatal exposure to particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen dioxide (NO) and birth weight in twins. The study included 3340 twins (born 2002-2013) from the East Flanders Prospective Twin Survey.

Pain and Physical Function are common core domains across 40 core outcome sets of musculoskeletal conditions: A systematic review.

Objective: To determine common domains across existing musculoskeletal COSs. Secondary aims were to assess the development quality of existing musculoskeletal COSs and whether development quality and patient participation was associated with domain selection.

Study Design And Setting: A systematic review of musculoskeletal COSs.

Describing the landscape of nutrition- and diet-related randomized controlled trials: meta-research study of protocols published between 2012 and 2022.

Background: Publishing protocols promotes transparency and reproducibility. The scope and methods of protocols for nutrition- and diet-related randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have not been investigated yet.

Objective: Map the landscape of nutrition- and diet-related interventions research.

Global impact of 10- and 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccines on pneumococcal meningitis in all ages: the PSERENADE project.

Background: Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) introduced in childhood national immunization programs lowered vaccine-type invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD), but replacement with non-vaccine-types persisted throughout the PCV10/13 follow-up period. We assessed PCV10/13 impact on pneumococcal meningitis incidence globally.

Methods: The number of cases with serotyped pneumococci detected in cerebrospinal fluid and population denominators were obtained from surveillance sites globally.

Using Laboratory Test Results for Surveillance During a New Outbreak of Acute Hepatitis in 3-Week- to 5-Year-Old Children in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Ireland, and Curaçao: Observational Cohort Study.

Background: In March 2022, a concerning rise in cases of unexplained pediatric hepatitis was reported in multiple countries. Cases were defined as acute hepatitis with serum transaminases >500 U/L (aspartate transaminase [AST] or alanine transaminase [ALT]) in children aged 16 years or younger. We explored a simple federated data analytics method to search for evidence of unreported cases using routinely held data.