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'The Truth is Out There' was the tagline used by the popular TV series 'The X-Files,' about two FBI agents, Mulder and Scully, who investigate unsolved cases involving paranormal activity. [...]

Background Risk prediction in haemodialysis (HD) patients is challenging due to the impact of the dialysis regime on the patient's volume status and the complex interplay with cardiac function, comorbidities and hypertension. Cardiac function as a key predictor of cardiovascular (CV) mortality in HD patients is challenging to assess in daily routine. Thus the aim of this study was to investigate the association of a novel, non-invasive relative index of systolic function with mortality and to assess its interplay with volume removal. Methods A total of 558 (373 male/185 female) HD patients with a median age of 66 years were included in this analysis. They underwent 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, including wave intensity analysis [i.e. S:D ratio (SDR)]. All-cause and CV mortality served as endpoints and multivariate proportional hazards models were used for risk prediction. Intradialytic changes were analysed in tertiles according to ultrafiltration volume. During a follow-up of 37.8 months, 193 patients died (92 due to CV reasons). Results The SDR was significantly associated with all-cause {univariate hazard ratio [HR] 1.36 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.20–1.54], P  < .001} and CV [univariate HR 1.41 (95% CI 1.20–1.67), P  < .001] mortality. The associations remained significant in multivariate analysis accounting for possible confounders. Changes in the SDR from pre-/early- to post-dialytic averages were significantly different for the three ultrafiltration volume groups. Conclusion This study provides well-powered evidence for the independent association of a novel index of systolic function with mortality. Furthermore, it revealed a significant association between intradialytic changes of the measure and intradialytic volume removal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regulation has a key role for medical devices throughout their lifecycle aiming to guarantee effectiveness and safety for users. Requirements of Regulation (EU) 2017/745 (MDR) have an impact on novel and previously approved systems. Identification of key stakeholders' needs can support effective implementation of MDR improving the translation to clinical practice of vascular ageing assessment. The aim of this work is to explore knowledge and perception of medical device regulatory framework in vascular ageing field. A survey was developed within VascAgeNet and distributed in the community by means of the EUSurvey platform. Results were derived from 94 participants (27% clinicians, 62% researchers, 11% companies) and evidenced mostly a fair knowledge of MDR (despite self-judged as poor by 51%). Safety (83%), validation (56%), risk management (50%) were considered relevant and associated with the regulatory process. Structured support and regulatory procedures connected with medical devices in daily practice at the institutional level are lacking (only 33% report availability of a regulatory department). Regulation was recognized relevant by the VascAgeNet community and specific support and training in medical device regulatory science was considered important. A direct link with the regulatory sector is not yet easily available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common cardiac arrhythmia, is associated with adverse CV outcomes. Vascular aging (VA), which is defined as the progressive deterioration of arterial function and structure over a lifetime, is an independent predictor of both AF development and CV events. A timing identification and treatment of early VA has therefore the potential to reduce the risk of AF incidence and related CV events. A network of scientists and clinicians from the COST Action VascAgeNet identified five clinically and methodologically relevant questions regarding the relationship between AF and VA and conducted a narrative review of the literature to find potential answers. These are: (1) Are VA biomarkers associated with AF? (2) Does early VA predict AF occurrence better than chronological aging? (3) Is early VA a risk enhancer for the occurrence of CV events in AF patients? (4) Are devices measuring VA suitable to perform subclinical AF detection? (5) Does atrial-fibrillation-related rhythm irregularity have a negative impact on the measurement of vascular age? Results showed that VA is a powerful and independent predictor of AF incidence, however, its role as risk modifier for the occurrence of CV events in patients with AF is debatable. Limited and inconclusive data exist regarding the reliability of VA measurement in the presence of rhythm irregularities associated with AF. To date, no device is equipped with tools capable of detecting AF during VA measurements. This represents a missed opportunity to effectively perform CV prevention in people at high risk. Further advances are needed to fill knowledge gaps in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the spirit of the book Korzybski and... edited by Corey Anton and Lance Strate (in which various contributors explore Korzybski's relationship with different thinkers) let's look at Korzybski and... [...]

The article presents the discussion on unexpected reaction of the stock market to positive job market data released by the U.S. government in January 2023. Topics include paradox of market reactions to economic data, the role of deconstructive analysis in understanding economic narratives; and Alfred Korzybski's perspective on challenging false ideas.

BACKGROUND: Arterial stiffness, as measured by arterial pulse wave velocity (PWV), is an established biomarker for cardiovascular risk and target-organ damage in individuals with hypertension. With the emergence of new devices for assessing PWV, it has become evident that some of these devices yield results that display significant discrepancies compared with previous devices. This discrepancy underscores the importance of comprehensive validation procedures and the need for international recommendations. METHODS: A stepwise approach utilizing the modified Delphi technique, with the involvement of key scientific societies dedicated to arterial stiffness research worldwide, was adopted to formulate, through a multidisciplinary vision, a shared approach to the validation of noninvasive arterial PWV measurement devices. RESULTS: A set of recommendations has been developed, which aim to provide guidance to clinicians, researchers, and device manufacturers regarding the validation of new PWV measurement devices. The intention behind these recommendations is to ensure that the validation process can be conducted in a rigorous and consistent manner and to promote standardization and harmonization among PWV devices, thereby facilitating their widespread adoption in clinical practice. CONCLUSIONS: It is hoped that these recommendations will encourage both users and developers of PWV measurement devices to critically evaluate and validate their technologies, ultimately leading to improved consistency and comparability of results. This, in turn, will enhance the clinical utility of PWV as a valuable tool for assessing arterial stiffness and informing cardiovascular risk stratification and management in individuals with hypertension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Geographic and transportation barriers are associated with poorer HIV-related health outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa, but data on the impact of these barriers on prevention interventions are limited. We estimated the association between distance to clinic and other transportation-related barriers on pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) uptake and initial clinic visit attendance in a rural community in southwestern Uganda enrolled in the ongoing SEARCH study (NCT01864603). Methods: Community-wide HIV testing was conducted and offered to adult ([greater than or equal to]15 years) participants in Ruhoko. Participants were eligible for PrEP based on an empiric risk score, having an HIV-discordant partner, or self-referral at either the community health campaign or during home-based testing from March to April 2017. We collected data from PrEP-eligible households on GPS-measured distance to clinic, walking time to clinic and road difficulty. A sample of participants was also asked to identify their primary barriers to PrEP use with a semi-quantitative questionnaire. We used multivariable logistic regression to evaluate the association between transportation barriers and (1) PrEP uptake among PrEP-eligible individuals and (2) four-week clinic visit attendance among PrEP initiators. Results: Of the 701 PrEP-eligible participants, 272 (39%) started PrEP within four weeks; of these, 45 (17%) were retained at four weeks. Participants with a distance to clinic of [greater than or equal to]2 km were less likely to start PrEP (aOR 0.34; 95% CI 0.15 to 0.79, p = 0.012) and less likely to be retained on PrEP once initiated (aOR 0.29; 95% CI 0.10 to 0.84; p = 0.024). Participants who were deemed eligible during home-based testing and did not have the option of same-day PrEP start were also substantially ess likely to initiate PrEP (aOR 0.16, 95% CI 0.07 to 0.37, p < 0.001). Of participants asked to name barriers to PrEP use (N = 98), the most frequently cited were 'needing to take PrEP every day' (N = 18) and 'low/no risk of getting HIV' (N = 18). Transportation-related barriers, including 'clinic is too far away' (N = 6) and 'travel away from home' (N = 4) were also reported. Conclusions: Distance to clinic is a significant predictor of PrEP uptake and four-week follow-up visit attendance in a community in rural Uganda. Interventions that address geographic and transportation barriers may improve PrEP uptake and retention in sub-Saharan Africa. Keywords: HIV; PrEP; prevention; transportation barriers; implementation science, 1 INTRODUCTION Daily oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is an efficacious HIV prevention method recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) for persons at substantial risk of HIV infection [1]. However, [...]

This article challenges the concept of a fixed target weight in hemodialysis (HD) patients. The authors conducted a study with 25 HD patients and used bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS) measurements to analyze fluid status and body composition. They found that the patients' euvolemic body weight varied longitudinally, indicating that target weight might need to be adjusted in individual HD patients. The authors suggest that a soft target weight prescription could be more physiological and potentially reduce complications such as intradialytic hypotension. However, there are limitations to the study, including a small sample size and non-standardized recording of pre-dialysis weight. [Extracted from the article]

Assistive technologies have the potential for supporting people with memory complaints in their daily life. User-centered interaction design research helps developers to create systems that are suitable for users. The aim of this work is to describe the methodology and the results of the usability test for the first Memento prototype involving users. In each country, 5 subjects with different levels of cognitive reserve and technical proficiency were enrolled in Italy, Austria and Spain, respectively (15 subjects; 6 M; 9 F, age 72.8 ± 10.8 years, MMSE score 25.6 ± 1.6). Observation methods, performance metrics and the System Usability Scale were used to collect data. The results are presented in terms of design, technical problems, target-group-related challenges and usability perception from the participant perspective. Suggestions for improvement were pointed out by the users. Considering the usability scores interpretation, the first prototype was classified as "OK" and "Good" by users. The results of the Lab Trials provide important information on usability and the users' needs in order to improve the Memento prototype and to create a final system to be evaluated during the Field Trials phase of the project. The MEMENTO project mission is to improve the quality of life of people in the early and middle stages of dementia, by supporting the management of daily activities that are usually affected by the loss of memory and cognition. The Lab Trial phase is essential to have feedback on the usability of the Memento prototype to allow a better understanding of users' needs and expectations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arterial pulse waves (PWs) such as blood pressure and photoplethysmogram (PPG) signals contain a wealth of information on the cardiovascular (CV) system that can be exploited to assess vascular age and identify individuals at elevated CV risk. We review the possibilities, limitations, complementarity, and differences of reduced-order, biophysical models of arterial PW propagation, as well as theoretical and empirical methods for analyzing PW signals and extracting clinically relevant information for vascular age assessment. We provide detailed mathematical derivations of these models and theoretical methods, showing how they are related to each other. Finally, we outline directions for future research to realize the potential of modeling and analysis of PW signals for accurate assessment of vascular age in both the clinic and in daily life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes the UniversAAL platform, an open platform intended to facilitate the development, distribution, and deployment of technological solutions for Ambient assisted living (AAL). The platform is intended to benefit end users (i.e., assisted persons, their families, and caregivers), authorities with responsibility for AAL, and organizations involved in the development and deployment of AAL services. It consists of an extensive set of resources (some are software and some are models/architectures) aimed at these different groups. The resources are classified into three main groups: runtime support, development support, and community support. The article presents the benefits that can be expected from the widespread adoption of the platform. The article also describes progress on prototype implementations of some of the software resources, and the results of initial evaluations of the platform. The work is partially based on results from earlier European Union-funded research projects in the area.