Appropriateness criterion

Objectives: Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) has gained increasing attention in supporting drug risk-benefit assessment, pricing and reimbursement, as well as optimization of clinical interventions. The objective of this study was to systematically collect and categorize evaluation criteria and techniques of weighting and scoring of MCDA for drug value assessment. Methods: A systematic review of the literature was conducted across seven databases to identify articles utilizing the MCDA frameworks for the evaluation of drug value...

INTRODUCTION: Skull density ratio (SDR) is the ratio between the mean Hounsfield units of marrow and cortical bone, impacting energy transmission through the skull. Low SDR has been used as an exclusion criterion in major trials of magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) thalamotomy for medication-refractory essential tremor (ET). However, some studies have suggested that patients with low SDR can safely undergo MRgFUS with favorable outcomes. In this case-matched study, we aim to compare the characteristics, sonication parameters, lesion sizes, and clinical outcomes of patients with low SDR vs...

In unfractionated heparin (UFH) monitoring during extracorporeal circulation, the traditional measures of activated clotting time (ACT) or activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) may diverge, confounding anticoagulant adjustments. We aimed to explore the factors explaining this discrepancy in children and young adults. This retrospective observational study, conducted at an urban regional tertiary hospital, included consecutive pediatric patients who received UFH during extracorporeal circulation (continuous kidney replacement therapy or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) between April 2017 and March 2021...

Rating scales are susceptible to response styles that undermine the scale quality. Optimizing a rating scale can tailor it to individuals' cognitive abilities, thereby preventing the occurrence of response styles related to a suboptimal response format. However, the discrimination ability of individuals in a sample may vary, suggesting that different rating scales may be appropriate for different individuals. This study aims to examine (1) whether response styles can be avoided when individuals are allowed to choose a rating scale and (2) whether the psychometric properties of self-chosen rating scales improve compared to given rating scales...

BACKGROUND: Shoulder instabilities constitute a large proportion of shoulder injuries and have a wide range of presentations. While evidence regarding glenohumeral dislocations and associated risk factors has been reported, less is known regarding the full spectrum of instabilities and their risk factors. PURPOSE: The purpose of this systematic review was to identify modifiable risk factors to guide patient management decisions with regards to implementation of interventions to prevent or reduce the risk of shoulder instability...

BACKGROUND: Identifying molecular biomarkers for predicting responses to anti-cancer drugs can enhance treatment precision and minimize side effects. This study investigated the novel cancer-targeting mechanism of combining SH003, an herbal medicine, with docetaxel in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells. Also, the present study aimed to identify the genetic characteristics of cancer cells susceptible to this combination. METHODS: Cell viability was analyzed by WST-8 assay...

INTRODUCTION: The deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flap is widely considered as the gold standard in breast reconstruction. The inset technique of the DIEP flap is crucial in determining the overall aesthetic outcome; however, to date no systematic review is available that comprehensively assesses the various techniques. Evaluation of topic: A systematic review was performed according to the PRISMA guidelines. The methodology is outlined within our published protocol (Prospero CRD42023449477)...

The purpose of the present study was to revise and update the MMPI-2-RF personality disorder (PD) syndrome scales for the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-3 (MMPI-3). Study 1 describes the development of the MMPI-3 PD syndrome scales in three separate samples of community participants (n = 1,591), university students (n = 1,660), and outpatient mental health patients (n = 1,537). The authors independently evaluated each of the 72 new MMPI-3 items and rated them for appropriateness for scale inclusion and used various statistical procedures for final item selection...

BACKGROUND: Various factors are involved in the initiation of drug abuse, such as genetic and social factors. Among the factors that can be mentioned in associated with the tendency to addiction in children is the role of family prediction. This study aimed to explore the relationship between parenting styles and addiction tendency in Iran. METHODS: We searched Persian database included Magiran, SID, IranDoc and Noormagz for articles from 2007- 2022 in Iran. Seven articles with 1734 subjects were ultimately included in the qualitative and quantitative syntheses...

In clinical practice, the administration of adjuvant chemotherapy (ACT) following tumor surgical resection raises a critical dilemma for stage II colon cancer (CC) patients. The prognostic features used to identify high-risk CC patients rely on the pathological assessment of tumor cells. Currently, these factors are considered for stratifying patients who may benefit from ACT at early CC stages. However, the extent to which these factors predict clinical outcomes ( i.e . recurrence, survival) remains highly controversial, also uncertainty persists regarding patients' response to treatment, necessitating further investigation...

The COVID-19 pandemic caused by the novel SARS-COV-2 virus poses a great risk to the world. During the COVID-19 pandemic, observing and forecasting several important indicators of the epidemic (like new confirmed cases, new cases in intensive care unit, and new deaths for each day) helped prepare the appropriate response (e.g., creating additional intensive care unit beds, and implementing strict interventions). Various predictive models and predictor variables have been used to forecast these indicators...

Inherited cardiovascular diseases are rare diseases that are difficult to diagnose by non-expert professionals. Genetic analyses play a key role in the diagnosis of these diseases, in which the identification of a pathogenic genetic variant is often a diagnostic criterion. Therefore, genetic variant classification and routine reinterpretation as data become available represent one of the main challenges associated with genetic analyses. Using the genetic variants identified in an inherited cardiovascular diseases unit during a 10-year period, the objectives of this study were: 1) to evaluate the impact of genetic variant reinterpretation, 2) to compare the reclassification rates between different cohorts of cardiac channelopathies and cardiomyopathies, and 3) to establish the most appropriate periodicity for genetic variant reinterpretation...

OBJECTIVES: In medical research, the study's design and statistical methods are pivotal, as they guide interpretation and conclusion. Selecting appropriate statistical models hinges on the distribution of the outcome measure. Count data, frequently used in medical research, often exhibit over-dispersion or zero inflation. Occasionally, count data are considered ordinal (with a maximum outcome value of 5), and this calls for the application of ordinal regression models. Various models exist for analyzing over-dispersed data such as negative binomial, generalized Poisson (GP), and ordinal regression model...

In recent years, filamentous algae blooms and microplastics (MPs) pollution have become two major ecological and environmental problems in urban water systems. In order to solve these two problems at the same time, this study explored the loading capacity of MPs on fresh filamentous algae, and successfully synthesized magnetic filamentous algae biochar loading with Fe3 O4 by hydrothermal method, with the purpose of removing MPs from water. The magnetic filamentous algal biochar was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and so on...

Myelodysplastic neoplasms (MDS) with ring sideroblasts (RS) are diagnosed via bone marrow aspiration in the presence of either (i) ≥15% RS or (ii) 5-14% RS and an SF3B1 mutation. In the MEDALIST trial and in an interim analysis of the COMMANDS trial, lower-risk MDS-RS patients had decreased transfusion dependency with luspatercept treatment. A total of 6817 patients with suspected hematologic malignancies underwent molecular testing using a next-generation-sequencing-based genetic assay and 395 MDS patients, seen at our centre from 1 January 2018 to 31 May 2023, were reviewed...

We consider a constructive definition of the multivariate Pareto that factorizes the random vector into a radial component and an independent angular component. The former follows a univariate Pareto distribution, and the latter is defined on the surface of the positive orthant of the infinity norm unit hypercube. We propose a method for inferring the distribution of the angular component by identifying its support as the limit of the positive orthant of the unit p -norm spheres and introduce a projected gamma family of distributions defined through the normalization of a vector of independent random gammas to the space...

INTRODUCTION: Cannulation with a central venous catheter (CVC) is a common procedure used in critical care. One of the main complications is occlusion, which can lead to delayed treatment, prolonged hospital stay, and increased health care costs. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this project was to promote evidence-based practice for nurses caring for patients with a CVC in a Spanish intensive care unit. The project also aimed to reduce CVC occlusion and ensure CVC patency...

BACKGROUND: Treatment of femoral neck fractures in patients who are nongeriatric (≤ 60 years) is challenging because of high failure rates. Anatomic parameters influence the biomechanical environment for fracture healing, but their associations with clinical prognosis remains unclear. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES: (1) Which anatomic parameter that is identifiable on pelvic radiographs shows a statistical correlation with a higher risk of clinical failure defined as nonunion, avascular necrosis (AVN), reoperation, and functional failure (decrease in Harris hip score reaching the minimum clinically important difference) in the screw fixation of femoral neck fractures among nongeriatric patients? (2) How does the influence of anatomic parameters on clinical prognosis manifest: directly or mediated by additional mechanisms? METHODS: This retrospective, multicenter study used a nationwide database in China...

BACKGROUND: Improving the clinical outcome of people with type 2 diabetes mellitus by modifying their eating behavior through nutrition education is an important element of diabetes self-management. Significant data from the literature supports this idea, however in the Ethiopian setting, there is a practice gap. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess how patient-centered nutrition education affected the eating behavior and clinical outcomes of people with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes mellitus...

BACKGROUND: Many adolescents experience depression that often goes undetected and untreated. Identifying children and adolescents at a high risk of depression in a timely manner is an urgent concern. While the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) is widely utilized in China, it lacks a localized revision or simplified version. With its 27 items requiring professional administration, the original CDI proves to be a time-consuming method for predicting children and adolescents with high depression risk...