Helping Made Easy: Ease of Argument Generation Enhances Intentions to Help

Previous work has shown that self-generating arguments is more persuasive than reading arguments provided by others, particularly if self-generation feels easy. The present study replicates and extends these findings by providing evidence for fluency effects on behavioral intention in the realm of helping. In two studies, participants were instructed to either self-generate or read two versus ten arguments about why it is good to help. Subsequently, a confederate asked them for help. Results show that self-generating few arguments is more effective than generating many arguments. While this pattern reverses for reading arguments, easy self-generation is the most effective strategy compared to all other conditions. These results have important implications for fostering behavioral change in all areas of life

Preoperative inhibition in patients with irresectable locally advanced stage III melanoma

Aim: Neoadjuvant treatment of locally advanced disease with BRAF inhibitors is expected to increase the likelihood of a R0 resection. We present six patients with stage III unresectable melanoma, neoadjuvantly treated with BRAF inhibitors. Methods: Patients with unresectable, BRAF-mutated, stage III melanoma, were treated with BRAF inhibitors between 2012 and 2015. Unresectability was determined based on clinical and/or radiological findings. At maximal response, resection was performed. The specimen was reviewed to determine the degree of response. Results: In five of six patients a radical resection was achieved. Postoperative complications were unremarkable. In five of six resected specimens, vital tumor tissue was found. Conclusion: Neoadjuvant BRAF inhibitor treatment of locally advanced melanoma is feasible and has the potential to facilitate an R0 resection

Senescent Cells:A Potential Target for New Cancer Therapies in Older Oncologic Patients

Cellular senescence is a complex process and is one of the key elements of ageing [...]

Live bedside music in daily clinical practice of a surgical hospital ward among older patients:A controlled study design of an innovative practice

OBJECTIVE: There is an increasing interest in the role of the arts, particularly music, in healthcare. Music seems an attractive non-pharmacological intervention for older patients to improve postoperative outcomes. Although live music elicits more meaningful responses from an audience than recorded music, the use of live music is still rare on hospital wards. In view of the positive effects of recorded music on older surgical patients, we designed, in collaboration with a conservatoire, an innovative practice named Meaningful Music in Health Care (MiMiC). The aim is to determine whether live bedside music implements into daily practice and allows improves patient outcomes. METHOD: This manuscript provides an overview of a trial evaluating if live bedside music can improve postoperative outcomes in older patients. The MiMiC initiative is a non randomized controlled trial study among older surgical patients on three hospital wards. Live bedside music is performed by professional musicians, once a day for six or seven consecutive days. The primary outcome is experienced pain; secondary outcomes are anxiety, relaxation and physical parameters (heart rate, heart rate variability, blood pressure, respiratory rate and oxygenation). Measurements of these variables are collected before the intervention, 30 min afterwards and again after three hours. Daily evaluations determine whether this innovative practice can be implemented in daily practice. CONCLUSION: This manuscript describes a new practice, live bedside music by professional musicians, on surgical hospital wards aiming to improve patient outcomes. It offers a new field of interprofessional collaboration for the benefit of patients. Further research must be conducted focussing on patient outcomes, including cost-effectiveness and the experiences of patients and healthcare professionals

Twenty-five years of experience with patient-reported outcome measures in soft-tissue sarcoma patients:a systematic review

PURPOSE: As the importance of the patient's perspective on treatment outcome is becoming increasingly clear, the availability of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) has grown accordingly. There remains insufficient information regarding the quality of PROMs in patients with soft-tissue sarcomas (STSs). The objectives of this systematic review were (1) to identify all PROMs used in STS patients and (2) to critically appraise the methodological quality of these PROMs.METHODS: Literature searches were performed in MEDLINE and Embase on April 22, 2024. PROMs were identified by including all studies that evaluate (an aspect of) health-related quality of life in STS patients by using a PROM. Second, studies that assessed measurement properties of the PROMs utilized in STS patients were included. Quality of PROMs was evaluated by performing a COSMIN analysis.RESULTS: In 59 studies, 39 PROMs were identified, with the Toronto Extremity Salvage Score (TESS) being the most frequently utilized. Three studies evaluated methodological quality of PROMs in the STS population. Measurement properties of the TESS, Quick Disability of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (QuickDASH) and European Organization for Research and Treatment for Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC-QLQ-C30) were reported. None of the PROMs utilized in the STS population can be recommended for use based on the current evidence and COSMIN analysis.CONCLUSION: To ensure collection of reliable outcomes, PROMs require methodological evaluation prior to utilization in the STS population. Research should prioritize on determining relevant content and subsequently selecting the most suitable PROM for assessment.</p

Live and Recorded Music Interventions to Reduce Postoperative Pain:Protocol for a Nonrandomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND: Postoperative patients who were previously engaged in the live musical intervention Meaningful Music in Healthcare reported significantly reduced perception of pain than patients without the intervention. This encouraging finding indicates a potential for postsurgical musical interventions to have a place in standard care as therapeutic pain relief. However, live music is logistically complex in hospital settings, and previous studies have reported the more cost-effective recorded music to serve as a similar pain-reducing function in postsurgical patients. Moreover, little is known about the potential underlying physiological mechanisms that may be responsible for the reduced pain perceived by patients after the live music intervention.OBJECTIVE: The primary objective is to see whether a live music intervention can significantly lower perceived postoperative pain compared to a recorded music intervention and do-nothing control. The secondary objective is to explore the neuroinflammatory underpinnings of postoperative pain and the potential role of a music intervention in mitigating neuroinflammation.METHODS: This intervention study will compare subjective postsurgical pain ratings among 3 groups: live music intervention, recorded music intervention, and standard care control. The design will take the form of an on-off nonrandomized controlled trial. Adult patients undergoing elective surgery will be invited to participate. The intervention is a daily music session of up to 30 minutes for a maximum of 5 days. The live music intervention group is visited by professional musicians once a day for 15 minutes and will be asked to interact. The recorded music active control intervention group receives 15 minutes of preselected music over headphones. The do-nothing group receives typical postsurgical care that does not include music.RESULTS: At study completion, we will have an empirical indication of whether live music or recorded music has a significant impact on postoperative perceived pain. We hypothesize that the live music intervention will have more impact than recorded music but that both will reduce the perceived pain more than care-as-usual. We will moreover have the preliminary evidence of the physiological underpinnings responsible for reducing the perceived pain during a music intervention, from which hypotheses for future research may be derived.CONCLUSIONS: Live music can provide relief from pain experienced by patients recovering from surgery; however, it is not known to what degree live music improves the patients' pain experience than the logistically simpler alternative of recorded music. Upon completion, this study will be able to statistically compare live versus recorded music. This study will moreover be able to provide insight into the neurophysiological mechanisms involved in reduced pain perception as a result of postoperative music listening.TRIAL REGISTRATION: The Netherlands Central Commission on Human Research NL76900.042.21; https://www.toetsingonline.nl/to/ccmo_search.nsf/fABRpop?readform&amp;unids=F2CA4A88E6040A45C1258791001AEA44.INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): PRR1-10.2196/40034.</p

Shared Decision-Making in Patients with an Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm or Peripheral Artery Disease:A Scoping Review

Background: This review provides an overview of the literature on shared decision-making (SDM) in patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) or peripheral artery disease (PAD) and identifies barriers and facilitators. Methods: A systematic scoping review was conducted, in which 4 databases were systematically searched for the period January 2007 to November 2024. All articles were reviewed by 2 independent authors and asses for quality using the mixed-methods appraisal tool (MMAT). Results: The literature search yielded 15,738 articles, of which 50 met the inclusion criteria. Quality assessment via MMAT showed good quality in 70% of the studies. Various influencing factors were revealed on SDM in patients, physicians, consult content, and the system or organization of care. Conclusions: Despite increased attention, implementing SDM in AAA and PAD patients remains challenging due to healthcare professionals' limited understanding of SDM. Patients seek active involvement but often feel inadequately engaged. There is a notable lack of research focusing on health care professionals and systemic influences on SDM.</p

Application of CO2 laser evaporation in locally advanced melanoma

Aim: This study aims to investigate the role of CO(2)laser evaporation in the treatment of melanoma patients with satellite or in-transit metastases. Materials & methods: Patients who underwent CO2 laser evaporation were retrospectively included between November 2002 and August 2018. The Sharplan 40C CO2 laser was used with a high pulse wave mode. Data concerning patient and tumor characteristics, CO2 laser evaporation and subsequent therapies were collected. Results:A total of 26patients were included. Median duration of local control was 5.5 months. The median number of lesions evaporated per treatment was three (1-16); patients received a median of three (1-19) treatments. Conclusion: In a selected group of melanoma patients with satellite or in-transit metastases, CO2 laser evaporation should be considered as treatment for local control

The Mass of HD 38529 c from Hubble Space Telescope Astrometry and High-Precision Radial Velocities

(Abridged) Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Fine Guidance Sensor astrometric observations of the G4 IV star HD 38529 are combined with the results of the analysis of extensive ground-based radial velocity data to determine the mass of the outermost of two previously known companions. Our new radial velocities obtained with the Hobby-Eberly Telescope and velocities from the Carnegie-California group now span over eleven years. With these data we obtain improved RV orbital elements for both the inner companion, HD 38529 b and the outer companion, HD 38529 c. We identify a rotational period of HD 38529 (P_{rot}=31.65 +/- 0.17 d) with FGS photometry. We model the combined astrometric and RV measurements to obtain the parallax, proper motion, perturbation period, perturbation inclination, and perturbation size due to HD 38529 c. For HD 38529 c we find P = 2136.1 +/- 0.3 d, perturbation semi-major axis \alpha =1.05 +/-0.06$mas, and inclination$i$= 48.3 deg +/- 4 deg. Assuming a primary mass M_* = 1.48 M_{sun}, we obtain a companion mass M_c = 17.6 ^{+1.5}_{-1.2} M_{Jup}, 3-sigma above a 13 M_{Jup} deuterium burning, brown dwarf lower limit. Dynamical simulations incorporating this accurate mass for HD 38529 c indicate that a near-Saturn mass planet could exist between the two known companions. We find weak evidence of an additional low amplitude signal that can be modeled as a planetary-mass (~0.17 M$_{Jup}) companion at P~194 days. Additional observations (radial velocities and/or Gaia astrometry) are required to validate an interpretation of HD 38529 d as a planetary-mass companion. If confirmed, the resulting HD 38529 planetary system may be an example of a "Packed Planetary System".Comment: Accepted by The Astronomical Journa