Search

Templates for the acquisition of large datasets such as the Human Connectome Project guide the neuroimaging community to reproducible data acquisition and scientific rigor. By contrast, small animal neuroimaging often relies on laboratory-specific protocols, which limit cross-study comparisons. The establishment of broadly validated protocols may facilitate the acquisition of large datasets, which are essential for uncovering potentially small effects often seen in functional MRI (fMRI) studies. Here, we outline a procedure for the acquisition of fMRI datasets in rats and describe animal handling, MRI sequence parameters, data conversion, preprocessing, quality control and data analysis. The procedure is designed to be generalizable across laboratories, has been validated by using datasets across 20 research centers with different scanners and field strengths ranging from 4.7 to 17.2 T and can be used in studies in which it is useful to compare functional connectivity measures across an extensive range of datasets. The MRI procedure requires 1 h per rat to complete and can be carried out by users with limited expertise in rat handling, MRI and data processing., Competing Interests: Competing interests: C.W. is an employee of Bruker, a manufacturer of preclinical MRI systems., (© 2025. Springer Nature Limited.)

Alienation has been used as a crucial concept to describe the negative psychosocial impacts that stem from the ways production and consumption are organised in Marxist and non-Marxist traditions. The psychosocial impacts it generates are mediated through stress pathways to increase non-communicable physical and mental illnesses. There has been little empirical research on the impact of alienation on health and ways in which the impact might be reduced. This paper sets out an Alienation, Health and Well-being research agenda. We propose two hypotheses: (1) that processes of production and consumption in 21st century capitalism leads to alienation which underpins a significant degree of mental illness and non-communicable disease; and (2) reductions in prevalence of mental illness and non-communicable disease requires public policies which regulate market behaviour in favour of measures which reduce the alienating impacts of processes of production and consumption., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2025. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ Group.)

Problem: Women's preferences regarding care delivery during labour and birth remain insufficiently understood. Obtaining a clear understanding of these is important to realise a maternity care system that is future-proof and person-centred., Background: Dutch maternity care deals with capacity issues due to staff shortages. Despite expected stable birth rates in the coming decades, this situation jeopardises the provision of care during labour and birth that is responsive to women's preferences., Aim: To systematically study a variety of women's preferences for care delivery during labour and birth in Dutch hospitals using Q-methodology., Methods: Q-methodology is a mixed methods approach. Thirty individual interviews were conducted with women living in the south-western Netherlands, during which they ranked 29 statements about their labour and birth preferences from least to most important. By-person factor analysis was performed to identify factors (viewpoints). Interpretation of the viewpoints was done using the qualitative interview data., Findings: Four viewpoints emerged from the study sample: 1) The personal approach, 2) The empowering approach, 3) The expert approach and 4) The needs-based approach. Consensus statements show a shared preference for respectful interaction. The study cohort emphasises continuity of adequate information provision, while continuity of care professional is deemed less important., Discussion: Our study was the first to apply Q-methodology to capture women's preferences for care delivery during labour and birth in Dutch hospitals. Although preferences are individual, they share commonalities in four viewpoints., Conclusion: The viewpoints provide valuable guidance for the allocation of scarce resources to ensure a maternity care system that is responsive to women's preferences., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Purpose of the Review: Peripartum depression (PPD), including both depression during pregnancy and postpartum, is the most frequent health disorder during the perinatal period. It is a significant public health issue in many countries due to its prevalence and its impact on women, as well as on their partners and offspring. Here, we will attempt to untangle the most recent studies and publications, considering what it is essential to know in 2024 about PPD as a specific perinatal issue., Recent Findings: PPD appears to be a very heterogeneous disorder in which a complex interplay between different factors contributes to its pathophysiology. Thus, the need to enhance diagnosis and referral through a better understanding of its severity and co-morbidities has emerged as a major public health issue. Indeed, research has consistently shown that PPD negatively impacts parent-infant interactions and infants' cognitive, social, and emotional development. Evidence underlining its global risk has accumulated over the past three decades, but many questions remain, including how these vulnerable offspring developmental trajectories unfold., Competing Interests: Declarations. Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Background and Purpose: In this study, we conducted a population-based retrospective audit of heart doses for high-risk breast cancer (BC) over a nine-year period in patients treated with adjuvant CT-based radiotherapy in a comprehensive and homogenized national BC cohort. Additionally, this serves as a demonstration of performing large scale audits with consistent delineations created by an auto-segmentation tool., Materials and Methods: High-risk BC patients treated with adjuvant radiotherapy in the period 2008-2016 from all seven radiotherapy centres in Denmark were included. A homogenized cohort was created using an inhouse developed auto-segmentation tool. The homogenized cohort volume and planned doses (mean heart dose (MHD), V20Gy and V40Gy) were evaluated. Volumes and dose metrics were compared for clinical and homogenized heart volumes., Results: Among 6925 patients, 5589(81 %) had a clinical heart delineation. The median delineated heart volume increased from 531.9 ml (2008) to 638.5 ml (2016) (p < 0.01). The median MHD for the homogenized cohort was 1.58 Gy (2008-2016) with an overall decreasing trend, 2.14 Gy in left- and 1.08 Gy in right-sided patients. The median MHD in the clinically delineated hearts was 0.01 Gy lower than the planned median MHD in the homogenized cohort., Conclusion: During 2008-2016 the planned heart dose has been low across the population. A volume increase was observed in the clinically delineated hearts, however the median MHD in the homogenized cohort was low, with 1.58 Gy. The study demonstrated the possibilities for full population-based and consistent dose audit by using auto-segmentation tools., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Purpose/objective: The Danish Breast Cancer Group (DBCG) IMN2 study investigated the gain from internal mammary node irradiation (IMNI) in node-positive breast cancer patients. IMNI was indicated in right-sided patients, but not in left-sided. Target volume delineations were based on bony landmarks in contrast to the contemporary vessel-based ESTRO consensus guideline. Our objective was to compare IMNI doses in right-sided versus left-sided patients., Material/methods: Treatment plans and delineated structures including CTVn&#95;IMN (IMN&#95;old) from 2008 to 2014 were collected from the DBCG RT Nation study. During the study period, IMN&#95;old was only delineated in right-sided patients. Right and left-sided CTVn&#95;IMN structures were auto-segmented following the ESTRO guidelines (IMN&#95;ESTRO). Due to cranial discordance between IMN&#95;old and IMN&#95;ESTRO, the IMN&#95;ESTRO models were separated into IMN&#95;ESTRO&#95;cranial and IMN&#95;ESTRO&#95;intercostal space(IC)1-3, IC1-4, and IC4&#95;only., Results: Treatment plans for 2837 patients were available (62.5 % of patients in the IMN2 study). In right-sided patients, the median IMN&#95;old dose coverage (92.4 %) was higher than IMN&#95;ESTRO (71.7 %), p < 0.001. Dose coverage in IMN&#95;ESTRO&#95;IC1-3 was comparable to IMN&#95;old. Comparing IMN&#95;ESTRO&#95;IC1-3 in all patients by laterality, the median CTVn&#95;V90% was 94.6 % (IQR 64.8-100.0) in right-sided patients and 20.4 % (IQR 0.9-55.8) in left-sided patients, p < 0.001. For right-sided patients, median CTV&#95;V90% was 82.3 % in IMN&#95;ESTRO&#95;IC4&#95;only. Median mean heart doses were lower in right-sided patients (1.2 Gy) than in left-sided (2.3 Gy), p < 0.001. Median mean lung doses were higher in right-sided patients (16.0 Gy) than in left-sided (12.7 Gy), p < 0.001., Conclusion: For IMN&#95;ESTRO&#95;IC1-3, we found a significantly higher IMN dose coverage in right-sided than in left-sided patients supporting treatment according to study guidelines in the DBCG IMN2 study., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)