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Introduction: Investigations of responses of animals and humans to changes of plasma volume are usually reported as average responses of groups of individuals. This ignores considerable quantitative variation between individuals. We examined the hypothesis that individual responses follow a common temporal pattern with variations reflecting different parameters describing that pattern. Methods: We illustrate this approach using data of Hahn, Lindahl and Drobin (Acta Anaesthesiol Scand.2011, 55:987‐94) who measured urine volume and haemoglobin dilution of 10 female subjects during intravenous Ringer infusions for 30 min and subsequent 3.5 h. The published time courses were digitised and analysed to determine if a family of mathematical functions accounted for the variation in individual responses. Results: Urine excretion was characterised by a time delay (Td) before urine flow increased and a time course of cumulative urine excretion described by a logarithmic function. This logarithmic relation forms the theoretical basis of a family of linear relations describing urine excretion as a function of Td. Measurement of Td enables estimation of subsequent values of urine excretion and thereby the fraction of infused fluid retained in the body. Conclusion: The approach might be useful for physiologists and clinical investigators to compare the response to infusion protocols when both test and control responses can be described by linear relations between cumulative urine volume at specific times and Td. The approach may also be useful for clinicians by complementing strategies to guide fluid therapy by enabling the later responses of an individual to be predicted from their earlier response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is a commonly accepted idea that complex structural challenges can be solved if private actors, NGOs, and the public authorities collaborate (Brogaard in Politica 47(4):541–560, 2015), a view that has come to frame several publicly funded network activities in Denmark. This article takes its point of departure in one such project aimed at setting up a collaborative network between researchers, patient associations, and life science partners to stimulate growth in research and development. We analyse this project as a social arena with a focus on what is at stake for patient organisations in such a collaboration. Using social worlds and arena theory, we map the negotiation of discourses, images, and positions, thereby answering the questions: What kind of relationships emerge as patient organisations network with researchers and the life science industry in the name of patient centricity and how do patient organisations balance legitimacy, representation, and independence in such collaboration? We argue that patient organisations' positions are expanding and taking new forms as they perform a balancing act, from which a 'multiplayer position' seems to have emerged. Lastly we propose that patient organisations' complex interdependencies should be acknowledged, and introduce an understanding of 'cumulative drives' to capture the nature of these complexities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses' (AACN) "Courage to Soar" theme in September 2024. Topics covered include the consideration of three questions on courage by critical care nurses, and the manifestation of courage in critical care clinical research when investigators are willing to admit lack of knowledge and confront current practices. Also noted is the issue of disregard or acceptance of a long-standing clinical problem by critical care nurses.

Many researchers and medical practitioners have recently focused on the automatic detection of COVID-19 using chest X-Ray (CXR) images. In the past, several computer-aided diagnostic (CAD) schemes were developed to assist healthcare professionals. These CAD systems using CXR images can speed up the identification process. As a result, we have proposed an automatic diagnosis (CAD-CXR) system by using the haar-like feature and XgBoost classifier. To develop a CAD-CXR system, we have used a pre-processing step and Haar-Like feature descriptor to extract features from chest X-ray images. Afterward, many machine learning classifiers are employed to categorize the images into coronavirus-19 and normal. Feature extraction and classification techniques are evaluated based on detection performance. Several experiments are performed to compare the performance of the proposed method with other classifiers. Our work is evaluated by public datasets with three different train-test splits in terms of average accuracy, F1-score, recall, and precision metrics. Compared to state-of-the-art methods, the XgBoost classifier with the Haar-Like feature obtained excellent performance based on the accuracy of 97.5%, F1-score of 96%, recall of 96%, and precision of 97%. These experimental results conclude that the CAD-CXR system outperforms to detect most of the covid-19 cases. The proposed CAD-CXR approach can be utilized to effectively screen the COVID-19-infected patients using CXR images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Proficiency in medical writing and publishing is essential for medical researchers. Workshops can play a valuable role in addressing these issues. However, there is a lack of systematic summaries of evidence on the evaluation of their impacts. So, in this systematic review, we aimed to evaluate all articles published on the impact of such workshops worldwide. Methods: We searched Ovid EMBASE, Ovid Medline, ISI Web of Science, ERIC database, and grey literature with no language, time period, or geographical location limitations. Randomized controlled trials, cohort studies, before-after studies, surveys, and program evaluation and development studies were included. We performed a meta-analysis on data related to knowledge increase after the workshops and descriptively reported the evaluation of other articles that did not have sufficient data for a meta-analysis. All analyses were performed using Stata software, version 15.0. Results: Of 23 040 reports, 222 articles underwent full-text review, leading to 45 articles reporting the impacts of workshops. Overall, the reports on the impact of such workshops were incomplete or lacked the necessary precision to draw acceptable conclusions. The workshops were sporadic, and researchers used their own method of assessment. Meta-analyses of the impact on the knowledge showed that workshops could nonsignificantly increase the mean or percentage of participants' knowledge. Conclusion: In the absence of systematic academic courses on medical writing/publishing, workshops are conducted worldwide; however, reports on educational activities during such workshops, the methods of presentations, and their curricula are incomplete and vary. Their impact is not evaluated using standardized methods, and no valid and reliable measurement tools have been employed for these assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As suicide rates increase worldwide, the mental health industry has reached an impasse in attempts to assess patients, predict risk, and prevent suicide. Traditional assessment tools are no more accurate than chance, prompting the need to explore new avenues in artificial intelligence (AI). Early studies into these tools show potential with higher accuracy rates than previous methods alone. Medical researchers, computer scientists, and social media companies are exploring these avenues. While Facebook leads the pack, its efforts stem from scrutiny following suicides and suicide attempts broadcasted on Facebook Live. The company continues to face scrutiny for ethical, privacy, and safety concerns associated with the quick rollout of proprietary AI technology that seems more focused on the optics of the company than the protection of its billions of users. This paper explores some of these issues, including a lack of transparency, questionable data practices, escalation to law enforcement, little to no regulation, potential for bias, increased viewership of troubling content, and worsening thoughts of suicide among vulnerable Facebook users. Despite AI tools showing promise in improving the accuracy of suicide risk predictions over traditional methods, without regulation, external review, and increased protection of users and data, these tools have the potential to cause more harm than good in the hands of powerful companies like Facebook. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Previous research has shown patients and the public in Australia generally support medical researchers in making de‐identified research data available to other scientists. However, this research has focussed on certain types of data and recipients. We surveyed Australians affected by cancer to characterize their attitudes toward the sharing of research data with multiple third parties, including the public. Methods: A short, anonymous online survey of Australians with a previous diagnosis of cancer was advertised between October 27, 2022, and February 27, 2023. Quantitative responses were analyzed with descriptive statistics. Free‐text responses were coded deductively and summarised using content analysis. Results: In total, 551 respondents contributed data to the survey. There was strong support for cancer researchers sharing non‐human and de‐identified human research data with clinicians (90% and 95%, respectively) and non‐profit researchers (both 94%). However, fewer participants supported sharing data with for‐profit researchers (both 64%) or publicly (both 61%). When asked if they would hypothetically consent to researchers at their treatment location using and sharing their de‐identified data publicly, only half agreed. In contrast, after being shown a visual representation of the de‐identified survey data, 80% of respondents supported sharing it publicly. Conclusion: Australians affected by cancer support the sharing of research data, particularly with clinicians and non‐profit researchers. Our results also imply that visualization of the data to be shared may enhance support for making it publicly available. These results should help alleviate any concerns about research participants' attitudes toward data sharing, as well as boost researchers' motivation for sharing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Purpose Methods Results Conclusions Simulations of physical processes and behavior can provide unique insights and understanding of real‐world problems. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is an imaging technique with several components of complexity. Several of these components have been characterized and simulated in the past. However, several computational challenges prevent simulations from being simultaneously fast, flexible, and accurate.The simulation of MRI experiments is underutilized by medical physicists and researchers using currently available simulators due to reasons including speed, accuracy, and extensibility constraints. This paper introduces an innovative MRI simulation engine and framework that aims to overcome these issues making available realistic and fast MRI simulation.Using the CUDA C/C++ programing language, an MRI simulation engine (PhoenixMR), incorporating a Turing‐complete virtual machine (VM) to simulate abstract spatiotemporal complexities, was developed. This engine solves a set of time‐discrete Bloch equations using the symmetric operator splitting technique. An extensible front‐end framework package (written in Python) aids the use of PhoenixMR to simplify simulation development.The PhoenixMR library and front‐end codes have been developed and tested. A set of example simulations were performed to demonstrate the ease of use and flexibility of simulation components such as geometrical setup, pulse sequence design, phantom design, and so forth. Initial validation of PhoenixMR is performed by comparing its accuracy and performance against a widely used MRI simulator using identical simulation parameters. Validation results show PhoenixMR simulations are three orders of magnitude faster. There is also strong agreement between models.A novel MRI simulation platform called PhoenixMR has been introduced. This research tool is designed to be usable by physicists and engineers interested in performing MRI simulations. Examples are shown demonstrating the accuracy, flexibility, and usability of PhoenixMR in several key areas of MRI simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lack of formal education in research ethics is a significant issue for the ethical conduct of research in Serbia. We conducted a cross-sectional survey on a sample of researchers and ethics committee members in Serbia to evaluate their self-assessed competence and educational needs in research ethics. Results indicated that previous ethics education had a significant effect on respondents’ perception of their own competence in addressing issues like informed consent, authorship, and publishing. Respondents expressed a high motivation for further research ethics education. Moreover, the study revealed that researchers with different specializations and different research experience have different educational needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is unknown to what extent medical researchers generalize study findings beyond their samples when their sample size, sample diversity, or knowledge of conditions that support external validity do not warrant it. It is also unknown to what extent medical researchers describe their results with precise quantifications or unquantified generalizations, i.e., generics, that can obscure variations between individuals. We therefore systematically reviewed all prospective studies (n = 533) published in the top four highest ranking medical journals, Lancet, New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), and the British Medical Journal (BMJ), from January 2022 to May 2023. We additionally reviewed all NEJM Journal Watch clinical research summaries (n = 143) published during the same time. Of all research articles reporting prospective studies, 52.5% included generalizations beyond specific national study populations, with the numbers of articles with generics varying significantly between journals (JAMA = 12%; Lancet = 77%) (p < 0.001, V = 0.48). There was no evidence that articles containing broader generalizations or generics were correlated with larger or more nationally diverse samples. Moreover, only 10.2% of articles with generalizations beyond specific national populations reported external validity strengthening factors that could potentially support such extrapolations. There was no evidence that original research articles and NEJM Journal Watch summaries intended for practitioners differed in their use of broad generalizations, including generics. Finally, from the journal with the highest citation impact, articles containing broader conclusions were correlated with more citations. Since there was no evidence that studies with generalizations beyond specific national study populations or with generics were associated with larger, more nationally diverse samples, or with reports of population similarity that may permit extensions of conclusions, our findings suggest that the generalizations in many articles were insufficiently supported. Caution against overly broad generalizations in medical research is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The amount of SARS-CoV-2 in a sample is often measured using Ct values. However, the same Ct value may correspond to different viral loads on different platforms and assays, making them difficult to compare from study to study. To address this problem, we developed ct2vl, a Python package that converts Ct values to viral loads for any RT-qPCR assay/platform. The method is novel in that it is based on determining the maximum PCR replication efficiency, as opposed to fitting a sigmoid (S-shaped) curve relating signal to cycle number. We calibrated ct2vl on two FDA-approved platforms and validated its performance using reference-standard material, including sensitivity analysis. We found that ct2vl-predicted viral loads were highly accurate across five orders of magnitude, with 1.6-fold median error (for comparison, viral loads in clinical samples vary over 10 orders of magnitude). The package has 100% test coverage. We describe installation and usage both from the Unix command-line and from interactive Python environments. ct2vl is freely available via the Python Package Index (PyPI). It facilitates conversion of Ct values to viral loads for clinical investigators, basic researchers, and test developers for any RT-qPCR platform. It thus facilitates comparison among the many quantitative studies of SARS-CoV-2 by helping render observations in a natural, universal unit of measure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To set up and evaluate a new surveillance system for severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) in Scotland. Cross-sectional study and evaluation of surveillance system. The SARI case definition comprised patients aged 16 years or over with an acute respiratory illness presentation requiring testing for influenza and SARS-CoV-2 and hospital admission. Data were collected from SARI cases by research nurses in one tertiary teaching hospital using a bespoke data collection tool from November 2021 to May 2022. Descriptive analyses of SARI cases were carried out. The following attributes of the surveillance system were evaluated according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines: stability, data quality, timeliness, positive predictive value, representativeness, simplicity, acceptability and flexibility. The final surveillance dataset comprised 1163 records, with cases peaking in ISO week 50 (week ending 19/12/2021). The system produced a stable stream of surveillance data, with the proportion of SARI records with sufficient information for effective surveillance increasing from 65.4% during the first month to 87.0% over time. Similarly, the proportion where data collection was completed promptly was low initially, but increased to 50%–65% during later periods. SARI surveillance was successfully established in one hospital, but for a national system, additional sentinel hospital sites across Scotland, with flexibility to ensure consistently high data completeness and timeliness are needed. Data collection should be automated where possible, and demands on clinicians minimised. SARI surveillance should be embedded and resourced as part of a national respiratory surveillance strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whereas medical practice stems from Hippocrates, cardiovascular science originates with Aristotle. The Hippocratic philosophy was championed by Galen (129-216 CE), whose advocacy of a tripartite soul found favor in the early Christian Church. In contrast, Aristotle's works were banned as heresy by ecclesiastical authority, only to survive and prosper in the Islamic Golden Age (775-1258 CE). Galen theorized that the circulation consisted of separate venous and arterial systems. Blood was produced in the liver and traveled centrifugally through veins. When arriving in the right ventricle, venous blood passed through tiny pores in the ventricular septum into the left ventricle, where it became aerated by air passing from the lungs through the pulmonary veins to the left side of the heart. Following arrival at distal sites, arterial blood disappeared, being consumed by the tissues, requiring that the liver needed to continually synthesize new blood. The heart was viewed as a sucking organ, and the peripheral pulse was deemed to result from changes in arterial tone, rather than cardiac systole. Galen's framework remained undisputed and dominated medical thought for 1,300 years, but the reintroduction of Aristotelian principles from the Islamic world into Europe (through the efforts of the Toledo School of Translators) were nurtured by the academic freedom and iconoclastic environment uniquely cultivated at the University of Padua, made possible by Venetian rebellion against papal authority. At Padua, the work of Andreas Vesalius, Realdo Colombo, Hieronymus Fabricius ab Acquapendente, and William Harvey (1543-1628) methodically destroyed Galen's model, leading to the modern concept of a closed-ended circulation. Yet, due to political forces, Harvey was ridiculed, as was James Lind, who performed the first prospective controlled trial, involving citrus fruits for scurvy (1747); it took nearly 50 years for his work to be accepted. Even the work of William Withering (1785), the father of cardiovascular pharmacology, was tarnished by professional jealously and the marketing campaign of a pharmaceutical company. Today's cardiovascular investigators should understand that major advances are routinely derided by the medical establishment for political or personal reasons; and it may take decades or centuries for important work to be accepted. [Display omitted] • Medical practice stems from Hippocrates; cardiovascular science originates with Aristotle. • Galen's theory of separate venous and arterial systems—dominant for 1,300 years—was destroyed by scholars at the University of Padua (1500-1650 CE). • Landmark works by Harvey, Lind, and Withering were derided and tarnished by political and personal reasons. • Young investigators must challenge the status quo; if they do not rebel, nothing will change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: This scoping review was conducted to provide a comprehensive summary of how electroencephalogram (EEG) and event‐related potentials (ERPs) have been used in nursing research, with the goal of mapping the themes and methods of nursing research involving EEGs or ERPs as a measurement tool. Methods: The eligibility criteria were determined according to the Population, Concept, and Context principle. A systematic electronic search of articles in the PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, CINAHL, APA PsycInfo, and Scopus databases was carried out for the period from database establishment to November 21, 2022. The included studies were analyzed using descriptive statistics and content analysis. Results: The review process culminated in 45 articles, evidencing an increasing trend and dispersion characteristics of EEG in nursing research and reflecting five thematic domains of inquiry related to nursing. There was a deficiency of detailed reports of EEG recording and data analysis parameters in nursing research. The common EEG bands in nursing research were Delta, Theta, Alpha, Beta, Gamma. The ERP components used frequently were P3, P2, N1, N2, P1, N170, and feedback‐related negativity. Conclusions: The wide variety of EEG components used show broad potential for studying nursing questions. In the future, it will be necessary to increase the depth of the research content, the repeatability of the experiment and the standardization of the report. Nursing researchers should give full play to the characteristics of nursing and establish a systematic and complete EEG research system for nursing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nursing research provides knowledge that advances nursing science, practice, and health care with the vision to optimize the health and well-being of the population. In a medical center setting or health care organization, nurse scientists are needed to demonstrate new knowledge, innovation, and scholarship. Nursing research in health care organizations or medical centers are led mainly by nurse leaders with a Doctorate in Philosophy (PhD) or a Doctorate in Nursing Practice (DNP). The purpose of this report is to provide examples of the role nurse scientists and nursing research plays nationally in Kaiser Permanente, an integrated health care system. In addition, this report will: (1) define the term "research" in the clinical setting and the role of the nurse research scientist in an integrated health care system and impact on the Magnet® Designation journey, and (2) discuss strategies for a successful role as a nurse research scientist in an integrated healthcare system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of the oral-systemic link is important in both basic and clinical dentistry. The microbiome (microbiota) and exosomes are two prevalent issues in the modern medical researches. The common advent of oral and general microbiological investigation originated from the initial observations of oral bacteria within the dental plaque known as oral microbiome. In addition to oral diseases related to oral microbiome, the disruption of the oral and intestinal microbiome could result in the onset of systemic diseases. In the past decade, the exosomes have emerged in the field of the medical researches as they play a role in regulating the transport of intracellular vesicles. However, with the rapid advancement of exosomes researches in recent years, oral tissues (such as dental pulp stem cells and salivary gland cells) are used as the research materials to further promote the development of regenerative medicine. This article emphasized the importance of the concept of the oral-systemic link through the examples of microbiome (microbiota) and exosomes. Through the researches related to microbiome (microbiota) and exosomes, many evidences showed that as the basic dentistry developed directly from the assistance of the basic medicine, indirectly the progress of the basic dentistry turns back to promote the development of the basic medicine, indicating the importance of the concept of the oral-systemic link. The understanding of the oral-systemic link is essential for both clinicians and medical researchers, regardless of their dental backgrounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the novice nurse researcher, identifying a clinical researchable problem may be simple, but discerning an appropriate research approach may be daunting. What are the differences among quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods, and triangulation research? Which method is applicable for the study one wants to conduct? This article discusses the two main research traditions (quantitative and qualitative) and the differences and similarities in methods for frontline nurses. It simplifies and clarifies how the reader might enhance the rigor of the research study by using mixed methods or triangulation. The four types of research are described, and examples are provided to support readers to plan projects, use the most appropriate method, and effectively communicate findings. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2024;55(7):338–344.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The novel coronavirus disease — COVID-19 is a historic catastrophe that has caused many devastating impacts on human life and wellness. Researchers in academia and industry strive to understand the causes of this pandemic disease and find new therapeutics combating it. Consequently, the number of COVID-19 related publications increases rapidly, and it is too difficult for medical researchers and practitioners to keep up with the latest research and development. Literature filtering and categorization, and knowledge discovery can use text mining as a powerful tool. In this paper, we propose a text mining method to explore the categories of COVID-19 related themes and identify the standard methodologies that have been used. We discuss the potential limitations of this preliminary study and present future perspectives related to COVID-19 research. This paper provides an quantitative and qualitative mixed analysis example of using some research papers by data mining method to dig out several hidden information and set up a foundation for data scientists to develop more effective algorithms to deal with COVID-19 related problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uveal and conjunctival melanomas are relatively rare tumors; nonetheless, they pose a significant risk of mortality for a large number of affected individuals. The pathogenesis of melanoma at different sites is very similar, however, the prognosis for patients with ocular melanoma remains unfavourable, primarily due to its distinctive genetic profile and tumor microenvironment. Regardless of considerable advances in understanding the genetic characteristics and biological behaviour, the treatment of uveal and conjunctival melanoma remains a formidable challenge. To enhance the prospect of success, collaborative efforts involving medical professionals and researchers in the fields of ocular biology and oncology are essential. Current data show a lack of well-designed randomized clinical trials and limited benefits in current forms of treatment for these tumors. Despite advancements in the development of effective melanoma therapeutic strategies, all current treatments for uveal melanoma (UM) and conjunctival melanoma (CoM) remain unsatisfactory, resulting in a poor long-term prognosis. Ongoing trials offer hope for positive outcomes in advanced and metastatic tumors. A more comprehensive understanding of the genetic and molecular abnormalities involved in the development and progression of ocular melanomas opens the way for the development of personalized therapy, with various potential therapeutic targets currently under consideration. Increased comprehension of the molecular pathogenesis of UM and CoM and their specificities may aid in the development of new and more effective systemic therapeutic agents, with the hope of improving the prognosis for patients with metastatic disease. Graphic Abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Methods Results Conclusion Over the past decade, ultrasound utilization has increased within anesthesia and intensive care medicine, enhancing patient safety and diagnostic accuracy. However, the frequency of ultrasound usage and operator training in the Nordic countries remain unclear. This project aims to perform a survey on ultrasound availability, daily clinical use, and how ultrasound skills are trained and assessed, among anesthesiologists.This online cross‐sectional survey will include anesthesiologists from the Nordic countries. The survey will adhere to the CROSS checklist. Survey items will be developed based on a formative model with a conceptual model, consisting of three main parts, including demographics, ultrasound machines and use, and skills development and assessment. The clinical relevance of items will be secured by including anesthesiologists of various levels of experience in the development of the survey. Furthermore, experienced researchers in medical education will participate in the development, contributing with relevant medical educational perspectives. Data will be summarized using a non‐parametric descriptive approach. A chi‐squared test will examine relevant relationships between certain answers.Results will be published in a peer‐reviewed journal and presented at relevant scientific conferences and meetings.This study may find a high availability of ultrasound machines and frequent use in the clinical departments. Despite this expected daily use of ultrasound, missing standardized structured skills acquisition and assessment could be uncovered. The results of this study may contribute to mapping various aspects of clinical ultrasound and skills development for further use in research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key Points: Question: Is patient participation in cancer drug trials associated with a survival benefit? Findings: In this systematic review and meta-analysis of 39 studies (85 comparisons), participation in trials by patients with cancer was associated with greater survival benefit compared with routine care (hazard ratio [HR], 0.76). However, survival benefit was not significantly greater when only high-quality studies were pooled (HR, 0.9) or when the sample was adjusted for possible publication bias (HR, 0.94). Meaning: After accounting for biases and confounders, cancer clinical trial participation was not associated with a survival benefit. Importance: Many cancer clinical investigators view clinical trials as offering better care for patients than routine clinical care. However, definitive evidence of clinical benefit from trial participation (hereafter referred to as the participation effect) has yet to emerge. Objective: To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of the evidence examining whether patient participation in cancer trials was associated with greater survival benefit compared with routine care. Data Sources: Studies were found through PubMed and Embase (January 1, 2000, until August 31, 2022), as well as backward and forward citation searching. Study Selection: Studies were included that compared overall survival of trial participants and routine care patients. Data Extraction and Synthesis: Data extraction and methodological quality assessment were completed by 2 independent coders using Covidence software. Data were pooled using a random-effects model and analyzed based on the quality of the comparison between trial participants and routine care patients (ie, extent to which studies controlled for bias and confounders). Main Outcomes and Measures: The hazard ratio (HR) for overall survival of trial participants vs routine care patients. Results: Thirty-nine publications were included, comprising 85 comparisons of trial participants and routine care patients. The meta-analysis revealed a statistically significant overall survival benefit for trial participants (HR, 0.76 [95% CI, 0.69-0.82]) when all studies were pooled, regardless of design or quality. However, survival benefits diminished in study subsets that matched trial participants and routine care patients for eligibility criteria (HR, 0.85 [95% CI, 0.75-0.97]) and disappeared when only high-quality studies were pooled (HR, 0.91 [95% CI, 0.80-1.05]). They also disappeared when estimates were adjusted for potential publication bias (HR, 0.94 [95% CI, 0.86-1.03]). Conclusions and Relevance: Many studies suggest a survival benefit for cancer trial participants. However, these benefits were not detected in studies using designs addressing important sources of bias and confounding. Pooled results of high-quality studies are not consistent with a beneficial effect of trial participation on its own. This systematic review and meta-analysis examines whether patient participation in cancer trials is associated with greater survival benefit compared with routine care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aims to enhance thyroid clinics by proposing solutions through collaboration between medical experts and researchers, thereby enhancing the quality of healthcare services. To minimize unnecessary in-person consultations, a doctor requested the development of an app to address non-critical physical consultation appointments. Design-based research is a robust methodology that combines theory-driven inquiry with real-world problem-solving to develop interventions or serve as the basis for the research being discussed. M-Thyroid Care is designed to provide a practical and cost-effective platform for online consultations, facilitating video calls between patients and doctors. By leveraging this technology, the app aims to enhance patient monitoring and optimize the efficiency of thyroid clinic consultations. Moreover, the integrated chat feature allows for real-time communication, fostering effective doctor-patient interaction even outside of scheduled appointments. Additionally, the app enables the sharing of files, videos, and images, empowering doctors to review diagnostic reports and relevant visual data remotely. This further streamlines the consultation process. By reducing the reliance on physical visits for non-critical cases, the app has the potential to enhance access to specialized care, decrease wait times, and optimize resource utilization in the clinic setting. The prototype has the potential to enhance patient care, as demonstrated by this proactive engagement with stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this project was to describe nurse scientists' roles, functions, and work experiences in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). BACKGROUND: Nurse scientists play a critical role in shaping the culture of clinical inquiry and closing the gap between knowledge and practice. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was used to collect information on sociodemographics, workload, research, clinical practice, education, and time/effort. Data were examined using descriptive statistics and χ2 analyses. RESULTS: One hundred forty-four nurse scientists completed the survey. These nurse scientists serve dynamic and critical roles in conducting research, implementing evidence-based practice, and reforming policy. Research effort was limited due to workload and infrastructure constraints. Better research infrastructure was associated with higher research productivity and funding. CONCLUSIONS: This survey highlights the needs and challenges nurse scientists experience in conducting research and advancing VHA's mission. Given the national shortage of PhD-prepared nurses, long-term strategies are needed to attract, hire, and retain nurse scientists in healthcare systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to current guidelines, iron deficiency is defined by a serum ferritin level <100 ng/ml or a transferrin saturation (TSAT) <20% if the serum ferritin level is 100–299 μg/L. These criteria were developed to encourage the use of intravenous iron as an adjunct to erythropoiesis‐stimulating agents in the treatment of renal anaemia. However, in patients with heart failure, these criteria are not supported by any pathophysiological or clinical evidence that they identify an absolute or functional iron deficiency state. A low baseline TSAT—but not serum ferritin level—appears to be a reliable indicator of the effect of intravenous iron to reduce major heart failure events. In randomized controlled trials, intravenous iron decreased the risk of cardiovascular death or total heart failure hospitalization in patients with a TSAT <20% (risk ratio 0.67 [0.49–0.92]) but not in patients with a TSAT ≥20% (risk ratio 0.99 [0.74–1.30]), with the magnitude of the risk reduction being proportional to the severity of hypoferraemia. Patients who were enrolled in clinical trials solely because they had a serum ferritin level <100 μg/L showed no significant benefit on heart failure outcomes, and it is noteworthy that serum ferritin levels of 20–300 μg/L lie entirely within the range of normal values for healthy adults. Current guidelines reflect the eligibility criteria of clinical trials, which inadvertently adopted unvalidated criteria to define iron deficiency. Reliance on these guidelines would lead to the treatment of many patients who are not iron deficient (serum ferritin level <100 μg/L but normal TSAT) and ignores the possibility of iron deficiency in patients with a low TSAT but with serum ferritin level of >300 μg/L. Importantly, analyses of benefit based on trial eligibility‐driven guidelines substantially underestimate the magnitude of heart‐failure‐event risk reduction with intravenous iron in patients who are truly iron deficient. Based on all available data, we recommend a new mechanism‐based and trial‐tested approach that reflects the totality of evidence more faithfully than the historical process adopted by clinical investigators and by the guidelines. Until additional evidence is forthcoming, an iron deficiency state in patients with heart failure should be defined by a TSAT <20% (as long as the serum ferritin level is <400 μg/L), and furthermore, the use of a serum ferritin level <100 μg/L alone as a diagnostic criterion should be discarded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The factors that affect journal choice for manuscript submission vary, depending on the researcher's career and field. Although several guidelines are available, information is limited on which criteria are used by Turkish authors. We aimed to evaluate the factors that affect Turkish medical researchers' journal choice decisions using semi-structured in-depth video conference interviews. The participants identified journal prestige as the major factor, mainly Science Citation Index-Expanded (SCIE) indexing and journal impact factor (JIF), along with acceptance and rejection rates, the age of the journal, and journal audience. Participants identified high publishing costs and mandatory paid open access policy as negative factors. Future policies on covering publishing costs institutionally would be helpful to remove obstacles during journal choice. Turkish medical researchers should be informed on using various indexes and scientometric data to better understand journal performance, rather than only SCIE and JIF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: High cognitive load in nurses is a common problem in the intensive care unit (ICU). However, it remains unclear what different types of cognitive load the ICU nurses have experienced during the implementation of delirium interventions. Aim: To describe the characteristics and explore the effect of implementing a delirium intervention on the cognitive load of nurses working in the ICU. Methods: A cluster‐randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted. Six ICUs were randomized in a 1:1 ratio, and eligible nurses from these units provided either a delirium bundle intervention in addition to usual care (27 nurses) or usual care alone. An instrument was used to measure different types of cognitive load (MDT‐CL), assessing intrinsic, extraneous and germane cognitive load. The repeated measures analysis of variance was used to detect between‐group differences. Results: Among these nurses, significant between‐group differences were identified in terms of their overall (P < 0.001), intrinsic (P < 0.001) and extraneous (P < 0.001) cognitive load. There was no significant change observed in the germane cognitive load (P = 0.489) in the delirium intervention group. Conclusion: It is important to understand how the implementation of a delirium intervention affects different types of cognitive load in nurses, in order that tailored strategies can be applied to reduce cognitive load in ICU nurses. Summary statement: What is already known about the topic? ABCDEF bundle interventions are effective to reduce ICU delirium incidence and improve clinical outcomes.Nursing care in the intensive care units is characterized by elevated demand on workloads and increased cognitive load.Cognitive load has been identified to include three different types: intrinsic cognitive load, extraneous cognitive load and germane cognitive load. What this paper adds? The application of a delirium intervention in ICU nurses can increase the intrinsic, extraneous and overall cognitive load but had no effect on the germane cognitive load in ICU nurses.It is important to understand how the implementation of a delirium intervention affects different types of cognitive load in nurses so that tailored strategies can be applied to reduce cognitive load in ICU nurses. The implications of this paper: Evaluating different types of cognitive load in ICU nurse is helpful to support appropriate allocation of nursing resources and improvement of patient safety.This study highlights the necessity of improving efforts focusing on reduction of the intrinsic and extraneous cognitive load related to nursing care for delirium in ICUs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article highlights the significance of support organizations for individuals with aortic disease, such as aortic aneurysm and aortic dissection. These organizations play a crucial role in offering emotional and social support, as well as providing guidance and resources to patients. It is recommended that patients seek out reputable support organizations to access reliable information and avoid misinformation. The article also provides a list of advocacy organizations for aortic disease, outlining the services they offer. These organizations provide support programs, educational resources, and funding opportunities for research. Overall, these resources aim to create a sense of community, provide education, and promote research opportunities for patients with aortic disease. [Extracted from the article]

Why you should read this article: • To understand how the permutation test can be used to test null hypothesis • To appreciate how much easier it is to understand than significance tests based on t statistics • To illustrate how the permutation test requires fewer assumptions than t-tests. Background: Quantitative researchers can use permutation tests to conduct null hypothesis significance testing without resorting to complicated distribution theory. A permutation test can reach conclusions in hypothesis testing that are the same as those of better-known tests such as the t-test but is much easier to understand and implement. Aim: To introduce and explain permutation tests using two real examples of independent and dependent t-tests and their corresponding permutation tests. Discussion: This article traces the history of permutation tests, explains the possible reason for their absence in textbooks and offers a simple example of their implementation. It provides simple code written in the R programming language to generate the null distributions and P-values for the permutation tests. Conclusion: Permutation tests do not require the strict model assumptions of t-tests and can be robust alternatives. Implications for practice: Permutation tests are a useful addition to practitioners’ research repertoire for testing hypotheses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Cultural appreciation is found within the arts, psychology, counseling, health disciplines, and education. Currently, in the literature, there is not a strong link between cultural appreciation, nursing, and Indigenous people. The aim of this concept analysis is to analyze the concept of cultural appreciation for nurse educators, nurse researchers, and nurse leaders to apply to culturally appreciate Indigenous people within their geographical areas which can result in meeting their wholistic care needs. Design: This concept analysis of cultural appreciation uses Walker & Avant's (2019) approach to define cultural appreciation, antecedents, empirical referents, and consequences. Results: The antecedents of cultural appreciation are cultural appropriation, oppression, cultural prejudice, privilege, and lack of knowledge to integrate the wholistic health of Indigenous people into practice, education, and research. The defining attributes of cultural appreciation are awareness, knowledge acquisition, and desire. The consequence of cultural appreciation is wholistic care of Indigenous people as defined by their ways of knowing and being. Conclusion: The concept analysis of cultural appreciation integrates Indigenous wholistic health beliefs and ways of knowing and being that can advance holistic nursing knowledge for nurses, educators, and researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Qualitative analysis can be a daunting and time-consuming task for those who are attempting to code qualitative data for the first time. Method: This article presents select secondary data analysis from a previously published study to demonstrate the applicability and usefulness of implementing a logic model approach to provide a framework for qualitative analysis. Results: The use of the logic model provided systematic organization during the analysis process, efficiency for analytical tasks, and enhanced trustworthiness by documenting each analysis step. The model allowed for easier visualization of data that facilitated a richer and more focused analysis. Conclusion: With qualitative data that are focused on processes or outcomes, implementing a logic model framework to categorize and organize data can be useful and efficient, particularly for a novice analyst whether analyzing qualitative text for quality improvement, evidence-based practice, program evaluation, or formal research. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2024;55(6):297–301.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Connell-Jones Endowed Chair Diversity Nursing Research Scholars Program was created to promote engagement in nursing research and scholarship among nurses of color. Preliminary evaluation suggests that the program was widely beneficial, resulting in enrollment in doctoral education for some. Establishing opportunities that promote exposure and participation in nursing research and scholarship among nurses of color helps cultivate cohorts of diverse nurses armed to address health disparities through the advancement of nursing knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The incidence of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is increasing year by year, the clinical manifestations are complex and diverse, and the adverse effects of long-term use of proton pump inhibitors and gastrointestinal motility drugs have been of great concern in recent years. The effectiveness of tegoprazan in the treatment of GERD is still controversial. This protocol describes a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy and safety of tegoprazan in the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease. Methods: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library and Web of Science will be searched from the database inception to 1 March 2023. All randomized controlled trials related to tegoprazan for GERD will be included. Extracted data will include publication details, basic information, demographic data, intervention details and patient outcomes. The primary outcome will be complete resolution of major symptoms, complete resolution of heartburn, proportion of heartburn-free days, chronic cough, hoarseness, and adverse events. Risk of bias will be assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration's tool for assessing risk of bias. Article selection, data extraction and risk of bias assessment will be performed in duplicate by two independent reviewers. If the meta-analysis is precluded, we will conduct a descriptive synthesis using a best-evidence synthesis approach. Discussion: The results of this study will provide reliable evidence to evaluate the efficacy and safety of tegoprazan in the treatment of GERD and help patients, physicians and clinical investigators choose the most appropriate treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research and development of military-required innovations are usually funded through the issuance of grants and contracts. The limitations of these funding methods are the a priori specifications and objectives that limit creativity and often do not produce capabilities beyond the desired outcomes or leverage the best ideas and solutions available. This limited engagement of commercial industry to develop military-required innovations usually relies solely on government funding and receipt of proposals from companies whose business model is built on receiving government grants and contracts, with the government owning most of the risks. Because the produced capabilities or products are designed to be military-unique, there is a limited or no commercial market available, usually driving the price per unit extremely high to the point that the military cannot afford to procure products in quantities sufficient to enable businesses to keep production lines open, however, for military-required or desired capabilities or products that have a commercial market, there are other funding pathways available to develop products by partnering with industry, academia, and other non-government organizations and leveraging their ideas and funding. One such way of engaging the commercial industry is through the use of prize competitions. This often under-utilized pathway has several notable strengths such as (1) reduced risks and costs for the military to develop novel capabilities and products; (2) new and novel creative solutions to solve military problems; (3) utilizing a results-oriented approach that funds the successful achievement of acceptance criteria versus funding of potential to achieve; (4) enticing investors by increased competition for a successful product or capability; and (5) delivery of a commercially available, affordable, field-tested, and viable capabilities and products. Prize competitions may be used by any/all federal agencies as authorized by Congressional Public Laws and Federal regulations. The specifics of this pathway for funding pathway and applications for use by medical researchers, developers, and project/program managers are spelled out in the article, along with the regulatory guidance and resources for finding out more about current and past prize competitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is drawn from a chapter of a forthcoming book on Canadian physician Maude Abbott. The excerpt explores how a prominent woman negotiated relationships during the early twentieth century. Abbott spent most of her career at McGill University in Montreal, as curator of its medical museum and as a researcher in congenital heart disease. Nonetheless her network of correspondents was vast. Engaging an approach the author calls 'friendship archaeology', the paper excavates Abbott's relationship with two powerful American physicians, Emanuel Libman and Paul Dudley White. Archival evidence turns up links with Nobel Prize nominees and winners, revealing how Abbott manoeuvred in that network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over time, there has been an increase in research on how to improve emotional state rehabilitation processes, and it is notable that the use of technology has had a positive result, with increasing accuracy. Serious Games (SG) for Virtual Reality (VR) are extremely beneficial in this regard, and the use of haptic devices as a tool for researchers and medical teams is increasing in popularity. The current study aims to conduct an initial investigation into the use of a haptic vest to see if haptic touch can aid in emotional conditioning, which may result in improved disease and phobia rehabilitation, and whether different interactions with virtual scenarios, such as a virtual hug, can increase immersiveness. The investigation seeks to discover the most effective ways to convey a virtual to physical hug using the haptic device. Previous research has revealed a high level of participant interest, as well as increased immersion in SGs realism, leading to additional research and implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mucopolysaccharidosis II (MPS II) is a rare lysosomal storage disease characterized by iduronate-2-sulfatase gene (IDS) deficiency and downstream glycosaminoglycan accumulation. Two-thirds of patients present with neuronopathic disease and evaluating cognitive function in these patients is challenging owing to limitations of currently available tests. During the clinical development of intrathecal idursulfase (idursulfase-IT), regulatory authorities requested qualitative data to further understand the neurocognitive changes observed by the investigators through the clinical trials. Results: This qualitative study consisted of semi-structured interviews with all nine of the principal investigators who participated in the idursulfase-IT phase 2/3 (NCT02055118) and extension (NCT02412787) trials. These investigators enrolled the 56 patients with neuronopathic MPS II who qualified for the extension phase of the trial. The investigators were asked to rate the disease status of their patients. Of the 56 patients, 49 (88%) were rated as having disease that was improved/improving, stabilized or slowing progression compared with the expected outcomes with no treatment. Three patients were rated as worsening, while the remaining four patients were considered to have slowing progression or worsening disease. Similar results were demonstrated for patients aged from 3 to under 6 years at baseline, with 33 of 39 patients (85%) rated as having disease that was improved/improving, stabilized or slowing progression. Of the seven patients rated with slowing progression/worsening or worsening disease, five of them had an IDS variant other than missense, while two had a missense class variant. All the assigned improved/improving ratings were in patients receiving idursulfase-IT from the start of the phase 2/3 trial. Moreover, patients under 3 years of age at baseline were all rated as either improved/improving or stabilized disease. In a blinded review of patient profiles, investigators were requested to assign a disease status rating to 18 patients with large IDS deletions; 67% of these patients were rated as improved/improving or stabilized disease. Conclusions: This qualitative analysis provides a snapshot of clinicians' considerations when evaluating treatment in patients with neuronopathic MPS II, compared with the expected decline in cognitive function in the absence of treatment. The results highlight the importance of robust assessment tools in treatment evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crowdsourced registries have been used to quickly gather information, especially during emerging public health concerns. Registries that began during the COVID-19 pandemic were used to rapidly answer key questions on coinfections, experimental treatments, and morbidity and mortality outcomes. Registries are also used more frequently to support clinical trials and track long-term outcomes in patient populations. This article reviews registry methodology, including the collection of data from crowdsourcing and real-world sources, that can be applied to nurse researcher and clinical research nurse skill sets. The authors illustrate a recently reported crowdsourced COVID-19 and cryptococcal disease registry that followed project management strategies and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality registry guidelines for planning, execution, and analysis of registries and other research methods. The authors describe the process of planning, developing, executing, and evaluating the crowdsourced COVID-19 and Invasive Cryptococcal Disease Registry, and highlight the use of a project management approach to successfully implement the resulting study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Spot‐scanning proton arc (SPArc) has been drawing significant interests in recent years because of its capability of continuous proton irradiation during the gantry rotation. Previous studies demonstrated SPArc plans were delivered on a prototype of the DynamicARC solution, IBA ProteusONE. Purpose: We built a novel delivery sequence model through an independent experimental approach: the first SPArc delivery sequence model (DSMSPArc). Based on the model, we investigated SPArc treatment efficiency improvement in the routine proton clinical operation. Methods: SPArc test plans were generated and delivered on a prototype of the DynamicARC solution, IBA ProteusONE. An independent gantry inclinometer and the machine logfiles were used to derive the DSMSPArc. Seventeen SPArc plans were used to validate the model's accuracy independently. Two random clinical operation dates (6th January and 22nd March, 2021) from a single‐room proton therapy center (PTC) were selected to quantitatively assess the improvement of treatment efficiency compared to the IMPT. Results: The difference between the logfile and DSMSPArc is about 3.2 ± 4.8%. SPArc reduced 58.1% of the average treatment delivery time per patient compared to IMPT (p < 0.01). Daily treatment throughput could be increased by 30% using SPArc using a single‐room proton therapy system. Conclusions: The first model of dynamic arc therapy is established in this study through an independent experimental approach using logfiles and measurements which allows clinical users and investigators to simulate the dynamic treatment delivery and assess the daily treatment throughput improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There have been recurring UK initiatives to increase nurse research capability but little robust evaluation of long-term effectiveness. More nurses undertake doctorates, yet few lead major funded projects. Previous research suggests potential explanations but the perspectives of nurse lead-investigators themselves have not been examined. Aim: To explore the perceptions of nurse lead-investigators about what has helped or hindered them to lead funded research projects. Methods: Lead investigators of research projects from major UK funders (1 Apr 2017–Sept 2022) were identified from publicly available data. University profiles were screened to identify registered nurses. Entire population was approached (no sample size calculation required). Consenting participants completed an online survey (five open questions). Results: A total of 65 nurse-lead investigators were identified, 36 (55%) completed the survey (20 December 2022 to 17 February 2023). Participants identified Building (multi-disciplinary) collaborations and mentorship as having been most important to their success. High-quality mentoring was also identified as most important in helping novice nurse researchers become leaders. Participants highlighted the critical importance of being supported by individuals with a track record of funding success and benefits of being situated in research-supportive environments. Lack of career pathway/ infrastructure and being unable to pursue research due to competing clinical/teaching priorities were identified as most unhelpful to this group AND the most common reasons for peers not going on to lead research. Conclusions: Ensuring access to mentors with an established track record is an important component of schemes to increase research capability in nurses. Funded, protected time for research and career structures that reward the significant skill development required to succeed in a competitive, multi-disciplinary funding arena is important. Impact: Interdisciplinary collaboration and mentorship by experienced researchers are critical to success and should be incorporated into future interventions to increase research capability in nurses. No patient or public contribution (as exploring a professional issue). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The Harmonising Outcome Measures for Eczema (HOME) initiative has agreed upon the Core Outcome Set (COS) for use in atopic dermatitis (AD) clinical trials, but additional guidance is needed to maximize its uptake. Objectives To provide answers to some of the commonly asked questions about using the HOME COS; to provide data to help with the interpretation of trial results; and to support sample size calculations for future trials. Methods and results We provide practical guidance on the use of the HOME COS for investigators planning clinical trials in patients with AD. It answers some of the common questions about using the HOME COS, how to access the outcome measurement instruments, what training/resources are needed to use them appropriately and clarifies when the COS is applicable. We also provide exemplar data to inform sample size calculations for eczema trials and encourage standardized data collection and reporting of the COS. Conclusions By encouraging adoption of the COS and facilitating consistent reporting of outcome data, it is hoped that the results of eczema trials will be more comprehensive and readily combined in meta-analyses and that patient care will subsequently be improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dr. Barbara M. Dossey is an internationally recognized pioneer in the holistic nursing and nurse coaching movements. She is a Florence Nightingale scholar, nurse theorist, and national and international speaker and teacher on the role of holistic, integral, and integrative nursing and nurse coaching in the integrative healthcare paradigm. Her theory of integral nursing presents the science and art of nursing. Her coauthored theory of integrative nurse coaching, a middle-range theory, is a framework to guide integrative nurse coaches in nurse coaching practice, education, research, and healthcare policy. In this column, Dr. Dossey shares her scholarly journey of joy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents a novel approach to enhance cardiovascular disease prediction using a hybrid machine learning (ML) model. Leveraging on Synthetic Minority oversampling techniques (SMOTE) and adaptive boosting (AdaBoost), we integrate these methods with prominent classifiers, including Random Forest (RF), Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), and Extra Tree (ET). Focused on heart rate data as stress level indicators, our objective is to jointly predict cardiovascular disease, thereby addressing the global health challenge of early detection and accurate risk assessments. In response to class imbalance issues in cardiology databases, our hybrid model, which combines SMOTE and AdaBoost, demonstrates promising results. The inclusion of diverse classifiers, such as RF, XGBoost, and ET, enables the model to capture both linear and nonlinear relationships within the heart rate data, significantly enhancing the prediction accuracy. This powerful predictive tool empowers healthcare providers to identify individuals at a high risk for heart disease, thus facilitating timely interventions. This article underscores the pivotal role of ML and hybrid methodologies in advancing health research, particularly in cardiovascular disease prediction. By addressing the class imbalance and incorporating robust algorithms, our research contributes to the ongoing efforts to improve predictive modeling in healthcare. The findings presented here hold significance for medical practitioners and researchers striving for the early detection and prevention of cardiovascular diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: We expect that the issue discussed in this article will contribute to this academic debate and reveal the question of publishing scientific research results in one of the extremely important social areas of knowledge, namely medicine. In our opinion, it will provide arguments to answer the question concerning the ways in which institutional and environmental pressure influenced the publication activity of scientists in this scientific discipline at Polish medical universities. Aim of the research: The aim of this article is to present the results of a survey of the intensity of publication activity among medical science researchers at Polish universities. This intention was accomplished using bibliometric analysis based on quantitative indices depicting the publication activity of medical university employees in Poland who located the results of their research efforts in the field of "medicine", which were published between 2017 and 2023. Additionally, we wish to unveil the main topic clusters. Material and methods: The bibliometric study included publications that were published between 2017 and 2023 by employees of public medical universities in Poland, and at the same time these entities are included in the World University Rankings 2024 in the field of clinical and health for the region of Poland, which is commonly used in such studies. Results and conclusions: The results of our research in this area completed a subset of the broad scientific landscape associated with the 'publishing game'. In medicine, as in other socially high-status disciplines, competition for prestige is the norm and publishing is a way to gain recognition in the community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer, a pervasive global health challenge, necessitates chemotherapy or radiotherapy treatments for many prevalent forms. However, traditional follow-up approaches encounter limitations, exacerbated by the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Consequently, telemonitoring has emerged as a promising solution, although its clinical implementation lacks comprehensive evidence. This report depicts the methodology of a randomized trial which aims to investigate whether leveraging a smartphone app called Contigo for disease monitoring enhances self-reported quality of life among patients with various solid cancers compared to standard care. Secondary objectives encompass evaluating the app's impact on depressive symptoms and assessing adherence to in-person appointments. Randomization will be performed independently using an allocation sequence that will be kept concealed from clinical investigators. Contigo offers two primary functions: monitoring cancer patients' progress and providing educational content to assist patients in managing common clinical situations related to their disease. The study will assess outcomes such as quality of life changes and depressive symptom development using validated scales, and adherence to in-person appointments. Specific scales include the EuroQol Group's EQ-5D questionnaire and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). We hypothesize that the use of Contigo will assist and empower patients receiving cancer treatment, which will translate to better quality of life scores and a reduced incidence of depressive symptoms. All analyses will be undertaken with the intention-to-treat principle by a statistician unaware of treatment allocation. This trial is registered in ClinicalTrials under the registration number NCT06086990. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Neurological disorders (NDs) have unique biopsychosocial-spiritual features that impact patients and their families. As a result, the subspeciality of neuropalliative care (NPC) emerged within the past decade and has grown exponentially in research and practice. Given the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral changes associated with NDs, psychosocial components (eg, coping skills) of NPC interventions are essential for improving the quality of life for patients and families. However, psychosocial components of NPC interventions warrant more rigorous testing to improve their evidence base and their likelihood of implementation and dissemination. Aim: In this commentary, we provide methodological recommendations with the goal of improving scientific knowledge and rigor for psychosocial components of multicomponent NPC interventions in clinical trials. Results: We emphasize the need for transparent reporting of psychosocial intervention components; using established models of intervention development to guide the development and testing of multicomponent NPC interventions; identifying mechanisms of action for psychosocial outcomes; and choosing psychometrically sound measures for mechanisms and outcomes. Conclusions: Given the importance of psychosocial care to the holistic NPC model, rigorous testing of psychosocial components of NPC interventions is a high priority for clinical investigators to advance the evidence base and practice of NPC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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AbstractWhat is the educational challenge? The Medical Education Research Study Quality Instrument (MERSQI) is widely used to evaluate the quality of quantitative research in medical education. It has strong evidence of validity and is endorsed by guidelines. However, the manual appraisal process is time-consuming and resource-intensive, highlighting the need for more efficient methods. What are the proposed solutions? We propose to use ChatGPT to evaluate the quality of medical education research with the MERSQI and compare its scoring with those of human evaluators. What are the potential benefits to a broader global audience? Using ChatGPT to evaluate medical education research with the MERSQI can decrease the resources required for quality appraisal. This allows faster summaries of evidence, reducing the workload of researchers, editors, and educators. Furthermore, ChatGPTs’ capability to extract supporting excerpts provides transparency and may have the potential for data extraction and training new medical education researchers. What are the next steps? We plan to continue evaluating medical education research with ChatGPT using the MERSQI and other instruments to determine its feasibility in this realm. Moreover, we plan to investigate which types of studies ChatGPT performs best in. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]