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Anaesthesia Jun 2024
Topics: Pilot Projects; Humans; Feasibility Studies; Writing; Research Design
PubMed: 38489827
DOI: 10.1111/anae.16283 -
CNS Neuroscience & Therapeutics Dec 2023In this randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled trial, we explored the effect of 20 Hz transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) on gait impairments... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
OBJECTIVE
In this randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled trial, we explored the effect of 20 Hz transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) on gait impairments in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients and investigated the underlying neural mechanism.
METHODS
In total, 22 PD patients and 14 healthy controls were enrolled. PD patients were randomized (1:1) to receive active or sham taVNS (same position as active taVNS group but without releasing current) twice a day for 1 week. Meanwhile, all subjects were measured activation in the bilateral frontal and sensorimotor cortex during usual walking by functional near-infrared spectroscopy.
RESULTS
PD patients showed instable gait with insufficient range of motion during usual walking. Active taVNS improved gait characteristics including step length, stride velocity, stride length, and step length variability compared with sham taVNS after completion of the 7-day therapy. No difference was found in the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale III, Timed Up and Go, Tinetti Balance, and Gait scores. Moreover, PD patients had higher relative change of oxyhemoglobin in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, pre-motor area, supplementary motor area, primary motor cortex, and primary somatosensory cortex than HCs group during usual walking. Hemodynamic responses in the left primary somatosensory cortex were significantly decreased after taVNS therapy.
CONCLUSION
taVNS can relieve gait impairments and remodel sensorimotor integration in PD patients.
Topics: Humans; Parkinson Disease; Vagus Nerve Stimulation; Pilot Projects; Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation; Gait; Vagus Nerve
PubMed: 37311693
DOI: 10.1111/cns.14309 -
Current Opinion in Ophthalmology Sep 2023The average number of applications per ophthalmology residency applicant continues to rise. The present article reviews the history and negative impacts of this trend,... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE OF REVIEW
The average number of applications per ophthalmology residency applicant continues to rise. The present article reviews the history and negative impacts of this trend, the dearth of effective solutions and the potential promise of preference signalling as an alternative strategy to address this and potentially improve match outcomes.
RECENT FINDINGS
Application inflation adversely impacts applicants and programmes and undermines holistic review. Most recommendations to limit volume have been largely unsuccessful or undesirable. Preference signalling does not restrict applications. Early results from initial pilots in other specialties are promising. Signalling has the potential to facilitate holistic review, reduce interview hoarding and promote equitable distribution of interviews.
SUMMARY
Preliminary data suggest preference signalling could be a useful strategy to address current issues with the Match. Building upon the blueprints and experiences of our colleagues, Ophthalmology should conduct its own investigation and consider a pilot project.
Topics: Humans; Internship and Residency; Ophthalmology; Pilot Projects
PubMed: 37326225
DOI: 10.1097/ICU.0000000000000973 -
Annals of Dyslexia Oct 2023We conducted a realist review of state-authorized dyslexia pilot projects to understand how they have been implemented and evaluated, and the extent to which they adhere... (Review)
Review
We conducted a realist review of state-authorized dyslexia pilot projects to understand how they have been implemented and evaluated, and the extent to which they adhere to best practice recommendations. We found that states have piloted broadly similar policy programs minimally consisting of professional development, universal screening, and instructional intervention. However, none of the pilot report documents we reviewed included explicit logic models or theories of action, which makes it difficult to understand the pilot projects and their results. Officially, most of the pilot project evaluations sought to establish the effectiveness of their programs. However, only two states used evaluation designs that are well-suited to making causal inferences about program effects, which complicates the interpretation of pilot project results. To make future pilot projects more useful to evidence-based policymaking, we make recommendations to improve their design, implementation, and evaluation.
Topics: Humans; Dyslexia; Pilot Projects; Reading
PubMed: 37300716
DOI: 10.1007/s11881-023-00284-6 -
The Journal of Nursing Education Sep 2023
Topics: Humans; Pilot Projects
PubMed: 37672495
DOI: 10.3928/01484834-20230712-03 -
European Journal of Surgical Oncology :... Sep 2023Multidisciplinary and multi-professional collaboration is vital in providing better outcomes for patients The aim of the INTERACT-EUROPE Project (Wide Ranging... (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION
Multidisciplinary and multi-professional collaboration is vital in providing better outcomes for patients The aim of the INTERACT-EUROPE Project (Wide Ranging Cooperation and Cutting Edge Innovation As A Response To Cancer Training Needs) was to develop an inter-specialty curriculum. A pilot project will enable a pioneer cohort to acquire a sample of the competencies needed.
METHODS
A scoping review, qualitative and quantitative surveys were undertaken. The quantitative survey results are reported here. Respondents, including members of education boards, curriculum committees, trainee committees of European specialist societies and the ECO Patient Advisory Committee, were asked to score 127 proposed competencies on a 7-point Likert scale as to their value in achieving the aims of the curriculum. Results were discussed and competencies developed at two stakeholder meetings. A consultative document, shared with stakeholders and available online, requested views regarding the other components of the curriculum.
RESULTS
Eleven competencies were revised, three omitted and three added. The competencies were organised according to the CanMEDS framework with 13 Entrustable Professional Activities, 23 competencies and 127 enabling competencies covering all roles in the framework. Recommendations regarding the infrastructure, organisational aspects, eligibility of trainees and training centres, programme contents, assessment and evaluation were developed using the replies to the consultative document.
CONCLUSIONS
An Inter-specialty Cancer Training Programme Curriculum and a pilot programme with virtual and face-to-face components have been developed with the aim of improving the care of people affected by cancer.
Topics: Humans; Pilot Projects; Clinical Competence; Curriculum; Europe; Neoplasms
PubMed: 37556988
DOI: 10.1016/j.ejso.2023.106989 -
Nature Methods Oct 2023Long-read sequencing technologies substantially overcome the limitations of short-reads but have not been considered as a feasible replacement for population-scale...
Long-read sequencing technologies substantially overcome the limitations of short-reads but have not been considered as a feasible replacement for population-scale projects, being a combination of too expensive, not scalable enough or too error-prone. Here we develop an efficient and scalable wet lab and computational protocol, Napu, for Oxford Nanopore Technologies long-read sequencing that seeks to address those limitations. We applied our protocol to cell lines and brain tissue samples as part of a pilot project for the National Institutes of Health Center for Alzheimer's and Related Dementias. Using a single PromethION flow cell, we can detect single nucleotide polymorphisms with F1-score comparable to Illumina short-read sequencing. Small indel calling remains difficult within homopolymers and tandem repeats, but achieves good concordance to Illumina indel calls elsewhere. Further, we can discover structural variants with F1-score on par with state-of-the-art de novo assembly methods. Our protocol phases small and structural variants at megabase scales and produces highly accurate, haplotype-specific methylation calls.
Topics: Humans; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Haplotypes; Genome, Human; Nanopore Sequencing; Methylation; Pilot Projects; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing
PubMed: 37710018
DOI: 10.1038/s41592-023-01993-x -
The Journal of Rheumatology Nov 2023The Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis (GRAPPA) pilot grant awards help support young researchers starting their careers while also...
The Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis (GRAPPA) pilot grant awards help support young researchers starting their careers while also encouraging them to develop a focus on psoriatic disease. In this brief report, winners of the 2020 and 2021 awards present the results of their pilot projects.
Topics: Humans; Arthritis, Psoriatic; Dermatology; Rheumatology; Psoriasis; Pilot Projects
PubMed: 37419628
DOI: 10.3899/jrheum.2023-0524 -
Studies in Health Technology and... Oct 2023The pilot project of pre-anesthetic evaluation through telemedicine at the Pedro Ernesto University Hospital (HUPE) of the State University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ) is a...
The pilot project of pre-anesthetic evaluation through telemedicine at the Pedro Ernesto University Hospital (HUPE) of the State University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ) is a commendable initiative that aims to address the challenges faced by patients in accessing preoperative care. The objective of this study was to reduce the waiting time between the surgical recommendation and its clinical clearance for the procedure. A service flow was established to enable patients to undergo a comprehensive evaluation, including examination and complementary tests, during a single visit with a general practitioner. Based on the type of surgery and the patient's comorbidities, the Teleconsultants Center assessed the case and provided the necessary guidance. A total of 20 patients were attended to in face-to-face sessions during morning shifts, with the participation of Internal Medicine and Anesthesiology. Subsequently, these patients' evaluations were scheduled for teleconsultation to assess their surgical risk. There has been a significant reduction in the time between the surgical recommendation and the clearance for the procedure with a notable improvement compared to the previous protocol. These initial outcomes demonstrate the project's potential to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the preoperative evaluation process through teleassistance.
Topics: Humans; Outpatients; Pilot Projects; Preoperative Care; Remote Consultation; Telemedicine
PubMed: 37869867
DOI: 10.3233/SHTI230806 -
Special Care in Dentistry : Official... 2023Postdoctoral dental education in caring for older adults lacks didactic and clinical training in mentation topics, one of the core elements of the Age-Friendly Health...
OBJECTIVE
Postdoctoral dental education in caring for older adults lacks didactic and clinical training in mentation topics, one of the core elements of the Age-Friendly Health Systems (AFHS) framework. Our primary goal was to launch a pilot project in clinical geriatrics focusing on older adults' mentation concerns, with a secondary goal to improve dental residents' confidence and competence in dental care and oral health.
BACKGROUND
Age-friendly care elements are not routinely incorporated into the dental education of residents caring for older adults with cognitive impairment or dementia. Therefore, we implemented a pilot educational project, providing the missing educational opportunity for residents in geriatric training covering cognitive impairment and focusing on Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
We designed educational sessions through a needs assessment, focus group discussions, and expert validation. We developed three e-Learning modules covering mentation concerns and dementia screening. We tested the modules in a pilot study of 15 dental postdoctoral residents as an essential part of their clinical practice.
RESULTS
The dementia dental learning module increased the residents' satisfaction with didactic preparedness (4.45 0.97) and knowledge acquisition (4.36 0.84). Residents strongly believed that learning about the AFHS-mentation topic would improve patient care.
CONCLUSION
Our pilot study is a pioneer project in support of a new AFHS-themed dental curriculum for clinical education. Further expansion of the age-friendly principles to include mobility, medications, and what matters to older adults will establish a model framework of redesigned geriatric dental education for academic centers.
Topics: Humans; Aged; Internship and Residency; Pilot Projects; Curriculum; Educational Measurement; Dementia
PubMed: 37147183
DOI: 10.1111/scd.12871