[Surgery of pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms: state of the art]. / Chirurgie bei neuroendokrinen Neoplasien des Pankreas: State of the Art.

Pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (pNEN) have a rising incidence and are increasingly diagnosed at early and thus potentially resectable stages. Due to the rarity of these neoplasms the recommendations of currently available guidelines are mainly based on retrospective data. Surgical and oncological treatment of these rare diseases should only be performed at specialized centers. In cases of resectability without indications of diffuse metastases, complete resection with curative intent should be the treatment of choice. For small nonfunctional pNENs < 2 cm watch and wait strategies are recommended as an alternative to surgical treatment. Recent data, however, also showed an increased survival even of small (1-2 cm) pNENs after resection. For benign insulinomas and small nonfunctional well-differentiated pNENs parenchyma-sparing procedures, such as enucleation and segmental resection are available. The question of the influence of lymph node metastases on long-term disease-free survival and overall survival and consequently the role of systematic lymphadenectomy is still a matter of debate. In pNENs > 2 cm formal resection with lymphadenectomy is considered the gold standard. Minimally invasive and robotic-assisted procedures are of increasing importance also for formal pancreatic resection.

[Importance of surgery in distant metastatic pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms]. / Stellenwert der Chirurgie bei fernmetastasierten neuroendokrinen Neoplasien des Pankreas.

The majority of patients with pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (pNEN) already present with distant metastases at diagnosis. The heterogeneity of pNEN and the broad spectrum of treatment options make adequate patient selection and an evidence-based strategy essential. In metastatic pNEN both primary resection and resection of liver metastases have been shown to improve overall survival. Surgical treatment of liver metastases can also be carried out with palliative intent, especially for symptomatic pNEN and can have a positive effect on disease-free survival and overall survival. Classical hepatectomy techniques and innovative techniques (two-stage resections, liver transplantation) are available to the surgeon. In complex growth types of liver metastases, there is increasing evidence for a combination of surgery and ablative methods. Due to a relevant risk of recurrence following liver resection, pNEN patients need to be included in multimodal treatment concepts. Current areas of interest in the treatment of metastatic pNEN are the use of adjuvant/neoadjuvant chemotherapy and surgery in G3-NEN and G3-NEC patients. The aim of this review is to give an overview on the impact of surgery in the situation of distant metastatic NEN of the pancreas.

Education increases decision-rule use: An investigation of education and incentives to improve decision making.

Robust scientific evidence shows that human performance predictions are more valid when information is combined mechanically (with a decision rule) rather than holistically (in the decision-maker's mind). Yet, information is often combined holistically in practice. One reason is that decision makers lack the knowledge of evidence-based decision making. In a performance prediction task, we tested whether watching an educational video on evidence-based decision making increased decision-makers' use of a decision rule and their prediction accuracy immediately after the manipulation and a month later. Furthermore, we manipulated whether participants earned incentives for accurate predictions. Existing research showed that incentives decrease decision-rule use and prediction accuracy. We hypothesized that this is the case for decision makers who did not receive educational information about evidence-based decision making, but that incentives increase decision-rule use and prediction accuracy for participants who received educational information. Our results showed that educational information increased decision-rule use. This resulted in increased prediction accuracy, but only immediately after receiving the educational information. In contrast to the existing literature, incentives slightly increased decision-rule use. We did not find evidence that this effect was larger for educated participants. Providing decision makers with educational information may be effective to increase decision-rule use in practice. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

How soccer scouts identify talented players.

Scouts of soccer clubs are often the first to identify talented players. However, there is a lack of research on how these scouts assess and predict overall soccer performance. Therefore, we conducted a large-scaled study to examine the process of talent identification among 125 soccer scouts. Through an online self-report questionnaire, scouts were asked about (1) the players' age at which they can predict players' soccer performance, (2) the attributes they consider relevant, and (3) the extent to which they predict performance in a structured manner. The most important results are as follows. First, scouts who observed 12-year-old and younger players perceived they could predict at older ages (13.6 years old, on average) whether a player has the potential to become a professional soccer player. This suggests that scouts are aware of the idea that early indicators of later performance are often lacking, yet do advise on selection of players at younger ages. Second, when identifying talented players, scouts considered more easily observable attributes, such as technical attributes. However, scouts described these often in a broad sense rather than in terms of specific predictors of future performance. Finally, scouts reported that they assess attributes of players in a structured manner. Yet, they ultimately based their prediction (i.e. final score) on an intuitive integration of different performance attributes, which is a suboptimal strategy according to existing literature. Taken together, these outcomes provide specific clues to improve the reliability and validity of the scouting process. HighlightsBased on a large sample of soccer scouts, we examine three issues that are important in the process of identifying talented soccer players: The age at which good performance predictions can be made, which attributes are relevant predictors, and how performance predictions are formed.Scouts who observe players in young age cohorts believe that the age at which they can predict performance is older than the players they typically scout, suggesting that they are aware that early indicators of performance are often lacking.Technical performance attributes are considered as most important performance predictors by scouts, but these are often described in a broad - rather than specific - sense.Scouts indicate that they predict performance in a structured manner, but form their overall performance prediction on an intuitive integration of different performance attributes, which can be a suboptimal approach.

The validity of small-sided games in predicting 11-vs-11 soccer game performance.

Predicting performance in soccer games has been a major focus within talent identification and development. Past research has mainly used performance levels, such as elite vs. non-elite players, as the performance to predict (i.e. the criterion). Moreover, these studies have mainly focused on isolated performance attributes as predictors of soccer performance levels. However, there has been an increasing interest in finer grained criterion measures of soccer performance, as well as representative assessments at the level of performance predictors. In this study, we first determined the degree to which 7-vs-7 small-sided games can be considered as representative of 11-vs-11 games. Second, we assessed the validity of individual players' small-sided game performance in predicting their 11-vs-11 game performance on a continuous scale. Moreover, we explored the predictive validity for 11-vs-11 game performance of several physiological and motor tests in isolation. Sixty-three elite youth players of a professional soccer academy participated in 11 to 17 small-sided games and six 11-vs-11 soccer games. In-game performance indicators were assessed through notational analysis and combined into an overall offensive and defensive performance measure, based on their relationship with game success. Physiological and motor abilities were assessed using a sprint, endurance, and agility test. Results showed that the small-sided games were faster paced, but representative of 11-vs-11 games, with the exception of aerial duels. Furthermore, individual small-sided game performance yielded moderate predictive validities with 11-vs-11 game performance. In contrast, the physiological and motor tests yielded small to trivial relations with game performance. Altogether, this study provides novel insights into the application of representative soccer assessments and the use of continuous criterion measures of soccer performance.

Methodological Issues in Soccer Talent Identification Research.

Talent identification research in soccer comprises the prediction of elite soccer performance. While many studies in this field have aimed to empirically relate performance characteristics to subsequent soccer success, a critical evaluation of the methodology of these studies has mostly been absent in the literature. In this position paper, we discuss advantages and limitations of the design, validity, and utility of current soccer talent identification research. Specifically, we draw on principles from selection psychology that can contribute to best practices in the context of making selection decisions across domains. Based on an extensive search of the soccer literature, we identify four methodological issues from this framework that are relevant for talent identification research, i.e. (1) the operationalization of criterion variables (the performance to be predicted) as performance levels; (2) the focus on isolated performance indicators as predictors of soccer performance; (3) the effects of range restriction on the predictive validity of predictors used in talent identification; and (4) the effect of the base rate on the utility of talent identification procedures. Based on these four issues, we highlight opportunities and challenges for future soccer talent identification studies that may contribute to developing evidence-based selection procedures. We suggest for future research to consider the use of individual soccer criterion measures, to adopt representative, high-fidelity predictors of soccer performance, and to take restriction of range and the base rate into account.

A Tutorial on Mechanical Decision-Making for Personnel and Educational Selection.

In decision-making, it is important not only to use the correct information but also to combine information in an optimal way. There are robust research findings that a mechanical combination of information for personnel and educational selection matches or outperforms a holistic combination of information. However, practitioners and policy makers seldom use mechanical combination for decision-making. One of the important conditions for scientific results to be used in practice and to be part of policy-making is that results are easily accessible. To increase the accessibility of mechanical judgment prediction procedures, we (1) explain in detail how mechanical combination procedures work, (2) provide examples to illustrate these procedures, and (3) discuss some limitations of mechanical decision-making.

Selection procedures in sports: Improving predictions of athletes' future performance.

The selection of athletes has been a central topic in sports sciences for decades. Yet, little consideration has been given to the theoretical underpinnings and predictive validity of the procedures. In this paper, we evaluate current selection procedures in sports given what we know from the selection psychology literature. We contrast the popular clinical method (predictions based on overall impressions of experts) with the actuarial approach (predictions based on pre-defined decision rules), and we discuss why the latter approach often leads to superior performance predictions. Furthermore, we discuss the "signs" and the "samples" approaches. Taking the prevailing signs approach, athletes' technical-, tactical-, physical-, and psychological skills are often assessed separately in controlled settings. However, for predicting later sport performance, taking samples of athletes' behaviours in their sports environment may result in more valid assessments. We discuss the possible advantages and implications of making selection procedures in sports more actuarial and sample-based.

Admission testing for higher education: A multi-cohort study on the validity of high-fidelity curriculum-sampling tests.

We investigated the validity of curriculum-sampling tests for admission to higher education in two studies. Curriculum-sampling tests mimic representative parts of an academic program to predict future academic achievement. In the first study, we investigated the predictive validity of a curriculum-sampling test for first year academic achievement across three cohorts of undergraduate psychology applicants and for academic achievement after three years in one cohort. We also studied the relationship between the test scores and enrollment decisions. In the second study, we examined the cognitive and noncognitive construct saturation of curriculum-sampling tests in a sample of psychology students. The curriculum-sampling tests showed high predictive validity for first year and third year academic achievement, mostly comparable to the predictive validity of high school GPA. In addition, curriculum-sampling test scores showed incremental validity over high school GPA. Applicants who scored low on the curriculum-sampling tests decided not to enroll in the program more often, indicating that curriculum-sampling admission tests may also promote self-selection. Contrary to expectations, the curriculum-sampling tests scores did not show any relationships with cognitive ability, but there were some indications for noncognitive saturation, mostly for perceived test competence. So, curriculum-sampling tests can serve as efficient admission tests that yield high predictive validity. Furthermore, when self-selection or student-program fit are major objectives of admission procedures, curriculum-sampling test may be preferred over or may be used in addition to high school GPA.

Drooling is no early sign of dysphagia in Parkinson's disease.

BACKGROUND: Dysphagia is frequent and clinically highly relevant in Parkinson's disease (PD). For a rational dysphagia screening predictors are required. Previous investigations suggested that drooling correlates with dysphagia and may serve as its early sign. The aim of this study was to clarify the interrelationship of drooling and dysphagia. METHODS: In a controlled, cross-sectional, observational study, a total of 119 Parkinson outpatients and 32 controls were examined clinically and by flexible-endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES). Drooling, dysphagia including retained pharyngeal secretions, and cognitive function were assessed by established evaluation scales. KEY RESULTS: Fifty percent of all PD patients but only 9% of controls had drooling (P < .001). Drooling and dysphagia were related in PD (P = .027) but the data do not support to view drooling as a hallmark symptom for critical dysphagia. Thirty-nine percent of the patients with critical aspiration had no drooling. In contrast, 41% of the patients with severe drooling had no clinically relevant dysphagia in FEES. The oral, but not the pharyngeal secretion management was impaired in PD patients and there was no clear association between drooling and pharyngeal secretion accumulation. Cognitive impaired patients had significantly more drooling (P = .005). CONCLUSIONS & INFERENCES: Although frequent in PD, drooling and dysphagia are only weakly related and drooling cannot be viewed as an early sign of dysphagia. Our data further suggest that the underlying cause of drooling is located in the voluntary oral phase, which is negatively influenced by cognitive deficits.

On the Use of Broadened Admission Criteria in Higher Education.

There is an increasing interest in the use of broadened criteria for admission to higher education, often assessed through noncognitive instruments. We argue that there are several reasons why, despite some significant progress, the use of noncognitive predictors to select students is problematic in high-stakes educational selection and why the incremental validity will often be modest, even when studied in low-stakes contexts. Furthermore, we comment on the use of broadened admission criteria in relation to reducing adverse impact of testing on some groups, and we extend the literature by discussing an approach based on behavioral sampling, which showed promising results in Europe. Finally, we provide some suggestions for future research.

Selection of medical students on the basis of non-academic skills: is it worth the trouble?

In this article, we discuss the practical usefulness of selecting future medical students on the basis of increasingly popular non-academic tests (eg multiple mini-interviews, situational judgment tests) in addition to academic tests. Non-academic tests assess skills such as ethical decision making, communication and collaboration skills, or traits such as conscientiousness. Although other studies showed that performance on non-academic tests could have a positive relationship with future professional performance, we argue that this relationship should be interpreted in the context of the base rate (the proportion of suitable candidates in the applicant pool) and the selection ratio (the proportion of selected applicants from the applicant pool). We provide some numerical examples in the context of medical student selection. Finally, we suggest that optimising training in non-academic skills may be a more successful alternative than selecting students on the basis of these skills.

Predicting Performance in Higher Education Using Proximal Predictors.

We studied the validity of two methods for predicting academic performance and student-program fit that were proximal to important study criteria. Applicants to an undergraduate psychology program participated in a selection procedure containing a trial-studying test based on a work sample approach, and specific skills tests in English and math. Test scores were used to predict academic achievement and progress after the first year, achievement in specific course types, enrollment, and dropout after the first year. All tests showed positive significant correlations with the criteria. The trial-studying test was consistently the best predictor in the admission procedure. We found no significant differences between the predictive validity of the trial-studying test and prior educational performance, and substantial shared explained variance between the two predictors. Only applicants with lower trial-studying scores were significantly less likely to enroll in the program. In conclusion, the trial-studying test yielded predictive validities similar to that of prior educational performance and possibly enabled self-selection. In admissions aimed at student-program fit, or in admissions in which past educational performance is difficult to use, a trial-studying test is a good instrument to predict academic performance.

A Practical Guide to Check the Consistency of Item Response Patterns in Clinical Research Through Person-Fit Statistics: Examples and a Computer Program.

Although there are many studies devoted to person-fit statistics to detect inconsistent item score patterns, most studies are difficult to understand for nonspecialists. The aim of this tutorial is to explain the principles of these statistics for researchers and clinicians who are interested in applying these statistics. In particular, we first explain how invalid test scores can be detected using person-fit statistics; second, we provide the reader practical examples of existing studies that used person-fit statistics to detect and to interpret inconsistent item score patterns; and third, we discuss a new R-package that can be used to identify and interpret inconsistent score patterns.

A trial studying approach to predict college achievement.

We argue that using trial studying is a reliable and valid way to select students for higher education. This method is based on a work sample approach often used in personnel selection contexts. We discuss that this method has predictive validity for study success, has high acceptance by stakeholders, and measures self-regulation in a high-stakes testing context that cannot be measured through self-report questionnaires. We suggest further research to implement this method to select students.

Evaluation of a quality-of-life tool for dogs with diabetes mellitus.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes mellitus (DM) management primarily focuses on improvement in blood glucose concentrations and clinical signs. A tool to assess the psychological and social impact of DM and its treatment on quality of life (QoL) previously has only been validated for feline DM. HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES: To validate a diabetic pet and owner-centered individualized measure of impact of DM (DIAQoL-pet) for diabetic dogs and their owners. ANIMALS/SUBJECTS: A total of 101 owners of insulin-treated diabetic dogs were recruited to complete the DIAQoL-pet. METHODS: Discussions and pilot surveys with clinicians and owners of diabetic pets led to the design of 29 specific DM-associated QoL questions. Each item was scored according to impact frequency and perceived importance. An Item-Weighted-Impact-Score (IWIS) for each item was calculated, as was an Average-Weighted-Impact-Score (AWIS) by averaging all IWISs. Principal component analysis and Cronbach's α calculation assessed the measure's reliability. RESULTS: The DIAQoL-pet showed high reliability (Communalities ≥0.5; Cronbach's α 0.85). The AWIS was -2.74 ± 1.7 (mean ± SD). Areas reported as most negatively impacting QoL included: "worry" (IWIS ± SD: -5.92 ± 4.3), "difficulties leaving dog with friends or family" (-5.68 ± 5.1), "worry vision" (-5.58 ± 4.6), "boarding difficulties" (-5.18 ± 5.2), "worry hypoglycemia" (-4.95 ± 4.3), "social life" (-4.82 ± 4.4), "costs" (-4.11 ± 4.7), and "future care"(-4.07 ± 4.6). Eighty-four percent of owners reported negative impact of DM on QoL. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: The DIAQoL-pet proved robust when used by owners of insulin-treated diabetic dogs and identified specific areas most negatively impacting dogs' and their owners' QoL. This tool could be used as an additional assessment parameter in clinical and research settings.

Evaluation of a quality-of-life tool for cats with diabetes mellitus.

BACKGROUND: Success in management of diabetes mellitus (DM) is defined as improvement of blood glucose concentrations and clinical signs. However, the psychological and social impact of DM and its daily treatment regimen on quality of life (QoL) of both animal and owner is uncertain. HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES: To design, validate, and apply a diabetic pet and owner-centered, individualized measure of impact of DM (DIAQoL-pet). ANIMALS/SUBJECTS: Two hundred and twenty-one owners of insulin-treated diabetic cats were recruited to complete the DIAQoL-pet. METHODS: Discussions and pilot surveys with clinicians and owners of diabetic cats led to the design of 29 specific DM-associated QoL questions. Owners of diabetic cats completed the finalized survey. Each item was scored according to impact frequency and perceived importance. An item-weighted impact score (IWIS) for each item was calculated, as was an average-weighted impact score (AWIS) by averaging all IWISs. Principal component analysis and Cronbach's α calculation assessed the measure's reliability. Two overview questions measured overall QoL and diabetes-dependent QoL. RESULTS: The DIAQoL-pet showed high reliability (Cronbach α 0.83). The AWIS was -1.76 ± 2.4 (mean ± SD). Areas reported as most negatively impacting QoL included: "boarding difficulties" (IWIS ± SD: -4.67 ± 5.3), "owner wanting more control" (-4.34 ± 4.7), "difficulties leaving cat with friends or family" (-4.21 ± 4.7), "worry" (-4.10 ± 3.9), "worry hypo" (-3.67 ± 3.5), "social life" (-3.48 ± 3.9), "costs" (-3.04 ± 3.8), and "work life" (-3.03 ± 3.7). Forty-one percent of owners believed their cat's life would be "a little better" without DM. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: The DIAQoL-pet proved robust and identified specific areas most negatively impacting on diabetic cats and their owners' QoL. This tool warrants further investigation for use in clinical or research settings.