Scholarly publishing depends on peer reviewers

The peer-review crisis is posing a risk to the scholarly peer-reviewed journal system. Journals have to ask many potential peer reviewers to obtain a minimum acceptable number of peers accepting reviewing a manuscript. Several solutions have been suggested to overcome this shortage. From reimbursing for the job, to eliminating pre-publication reviews, one cannot predict which is more dangerous for the future of scholarly publishing. And, why not acknowledging their contribution to the final version of the article published? PubMed created two categories of contributors: authors [AU] and collaborators [IR]. Why not a third category for the peer-reviewer?Scopu

Tunnel enlargement and recurrent graft tear after ACL reconstruction

A 24-year-old soccer player presented with right knee instability after a pivot shift trauma during soccer game. His past medical history included multiple Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) reconstructions (three times). Last revision was one year previously using allografts. Meticulous analysis of the plain radiographs demonstrates widening of the tibial bone tunnel and less marked widening of the femoral tunnel (Fig. A). Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) was performed for further evaluation. Coronal fatsuppressed T2- Weighted Imaging (WI) (Fig. B) and sagittal T1-WI (Fig. C) confirmed tunnel enlargement, particularly of the tibial tunnel (black arrows). Furthermore, no residual intact graft fibers could be visualized, in keeping with graft tear

Cyclops lesion of the knee

A 38-year-old patient had undergone Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) reconstruction after severe ACL injury in the past. He presented with decreased range of motion, anterior knee pain and inability to fully extend the knee. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) was performed to assess the cause of extension loss

Relationship between adherence to remote monitoring and patient characteristics: observational study in women with pregnancy-induced hypertension

BACKGROUND: Pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) is associated with high levels of morbidity and mortality in mothers, fetuses, and newborns. New technologies, such as remote monitoring (RM), were introduced in 2015 into the care of patients at risk of PIH in Ziekenhuis Oost-Limburg (Genk, Belgium) to improve both maternal and neonatal outcomes. In developing new strategies for obstetric care in pregnant women, including RM, it is important to understand the psychosocial characteristics associated with adherence to RM in order to optimize care. OBJECTIVE: Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore the role of patients’ psychosocial characteristics (severity of depression or anxiety, cognitive factors, attachment styles, and personality traits) in their adherence to RM. METHODS: Questionnaires were sent by email to 108 mothers the day after they entered an RM program for pregnant women at risk of PIH. The Generalized Anxiety Disorder Assessment (GAD-7) and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) were used to assess anxiety and the severity of depression, respectively; an adaptation of the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS) was used to assess cognitive factors; and attachment and personality were measured with the Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised Scale (ECR-R), and the Depressive Experiences Questionnaire (DEQ–A) and the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (MPS), respectively. RESULTS: The moderate adherence group showed significantly higher levels of anxiety and depression, negative cognitions and insecure attachment styles, especially compared with the high adherence group. The low adherence group scored significantly higher than the other groups on other-oriented perfectionism. There were no significant differences between the good and high adherence groups. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates the relationships between adherence to RM and patient characteristics in women at risk of PIH. Alertness towards the group of women who show less than optimal adherence is essential. These findings call for further research on the management of PIH and the importance of individual tailoring of RM in this patient group

Supplementary Material for: eEduHeart I: A Multicenter, Randomized, Controlled Trial Investigating the Effectiveness of a Cardiac Web-Based eLearning Platform - Rationale and Study Design

<p><b><i>Objectives:</i></b> Cardiac telerehabilitation includes, in its most comprehensive format, telemonitoring, telecoaching, social interaction, and eLearning. The specific role of eLearning, however, was seldom assessed. The aim of eEduHeart I is to investigate the medium-term effectiveness of the addition of a cardiac web-based eLearing platform to conventional cardiac care. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> In this prospective, multicenter randomized, controlled trial, 1,000 patients with coronary artery disease will be randomized 1:1 to an intervention group (receiving 1-month unrestricted access to the cardiac eLearning platform in addition to conventional cardiac care) or to conventional cardiac care alone. The primary endpoint is health-related quality of life, assessed by the HeartQoL questionnaire at the 1- and 3-month follow-ups. Secondary endpoints include pathology-specific knowledge and self-reported eLearning platform user experience. Data on the eLearning platform usage will be gathered through web logging during the study period. <b><i>Results:</i></b> eEduHeart I will be one of the first studies to report on the added value of eLearning. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> If the intervention is proven effective, current cardiac telerehabilitation programs can be augmented by including eLearning, too. The platform can then be used as a model for other chronic diseases in which patient education plays a key role.</p

Analysis of the human KCNH2(HERG) gene: identification and characterization of a novel mutation Y667X associated with long QT syndrome and a non-pathological 9 bp insertion

Analysis of the human KCNH2(HERG) gene: identification and characterization of a novel mutation Y667X associated with long QT syndrome and a non-pathological 9 bp insertion. Paulussen A, Yang P, Pangalos M, Verhasselt P, Marrannes R, Verfaille C, Vandenberk I, Crabbe R, Konings F, Luyten W, Armstrong M. Department of Pharmacogenomics, Janssen Research Foundation, Janssen Pharmaceutica, Belgium. Long QT (LQT) syndrome is a potentially life-threatening disorder, characterized by a distinct cardiac arrhythmia known as torsades de pointes. Mutations within a number of genes linked to the familial form, including that coding for a cardiac potassium channel called KCNH2 (HERG), have been described based on the characterized genomic organization. A standardized method was developed to screen the entire gene for gene variants. We report a single base pair substitution, introducing a premature STOP codon at codon 667 of the gene in a healthy individual with an extended QTc interval (460 msec). In vitro expression of the codon Y667X variant in Xenopus oocyte suggests that the autosomal dominant variant does not function in a dominant/negative manner and cannot co-assemble to form a channel, resulting in a reduction of the KCNH2 current, and an extension of the QT interval. This indicates that pathogenic LQT gene variants exist in the apparently normal population, the prognosis and clinical consequences of which remain to be determined. The assays described should facilitate future studies into this area. Copyright 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc