A review of neurocognitive functioning of children with sex chromosome trisomies: Identifying targets for early intervention

Sex chromosome trisomies (SCT) are among the most common chromosomal duplications in humans. Due to recent technological advances in non-invasive screening, SCT can already be detected during pregnancy. This calls for more knowledge about the development of (young) children with SCT. This review focused on neurocognitive functioning of children with SCT between 0 and 18 years, on domains of global intellectual functioning, language, executive functioning, and social cognition, in order to identify targets that could benefit from early treatment. Online databases were used to identify peer-reviewed scientific articles using specific search terms. In total 18 studies were included. When applicable, effect sizes were calculated to indicate clinical significance. Results of the reviewed studies show that although traditionally, the focus has been on language and intelligence (IQ) in this population, recent studies suggest that executive functioning and social cognition may also be significantly affected already in childhood. These findings suggest that neuropsychological screening of children diagnosed with SCT should be extended, to also include executive functioning and social cognition. Knowledge about these neurocognitive risks is important to improve clinical care and help identify targets for early support and intervention programs to accommodate for the needs of individuals with SCT.     

Barriers and Facilitators for Return to Work from the Perspective of Workers with Common Mental Disorders with Short,Medium and Long-Term Sickness Absence: A Longitudinal Qualitative Study

Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation - Purpose Although common mental disorders (CMDs) highly impact individuals and society, a knowledge gap exists on how sickness absence can be prevented in...     

Effects of Combined Vitamin K2 and Vitamin D3 Supplementation on Na[18F]F PET/MRI in Patients with Carotid Artery Disease: The INTRICATE Rationale and Trial Design

INTRICATE is a prospective double-blind placebo-controlled feasibility study, assessing the influence of combined vitamin K2 and vitamin D3 supplementation on micro-calcification in carotid artery disease as imaged by hybrid Sodium [¹⁸F]Fluoride (Na[¹⁸F]F) positron emission tomography (PET)/ magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Arterial calcification is an actively regulated process and results from the imbalance between calcification promoting and inhibiting factors. Considering the recent advancements in medical imaging, ultrasound (US), PET/MRI, and computed tomography (CT) can be used for the selection and stratification of patients with atherosclerosis. Fifty-two subjects with asymptomatic carotid artery disease on at least one side of the neck will be included in the study. At baseline, an Na[¹⁸F]F PET/MRI and CT examination will be performed. Afterwards, subjects will be randomized (1:1) to a vitamin K (400 µg MK-7/day) and vitamin D3 (80 µg/day) or to placebo. At the 3-month follow-up, subjects will undergo a second Na[¹⁸F]F PET/MRI and CT scan. The primary endpoint is the change in Na[¹⁸F]F PET/MRI (baseline vs. after 3 months) in the treatment group as compared to the placebo arm. Secondary endpoints are changes in plaque composition and in blood-biomarkers. The INTRICATE trial bears the potential to open novel avenues for future large scale randomized controlled trials to intervene in the plaque development and micro-calcification progression.     

The impact of policy on hospital productivity: a time series analysis of Dutch hospitals

The health care industry, in particular the hospital industry, is under an increasing degree of pressure, by an ageing population, advancing expensive medical technology a shrinking labor. The pressure on hospitals is further increased by the planned budget cuts in public spending by many current administrations as a result of the economic and financial crises. However, productivity increases may alleviate these problems. Therefore we study whether productivity in the hospital sector is growing, and whether this productivity growth can be influenced by government policy. Using an econometric time series analysis of the hospital sector in the Netherlands, productivity is estimated for the period 1972–2010. Then, productivity is linked to the different regulation regimes during that period, ranging from output funding in the 1970s to the current liberalized hospital market. The results indicate that the average productivity of the hospital sector in different periods differs and that these differences are related to the structure of regulation in those periods.     

New and Recurrent Colorectal Cancers After Resection: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Endoscopic Surveillance Studies

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