250 results on '"Buja A."'
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2. Performance Evaluation of MLI Based DVR in Grid Fed EV Fast Charging Station
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Rao, S. Manmadha, Satputaley, R. J., Keshri, R. K., and Buja, Giuseppe
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This article proposes a power quality (PQ) solution for the compensation of voltage sag on grid fed electric vehicle fast charging stations (EVFCS) using a T-type 5-level inverter based dynamic voltage restorer (DVR). In this work, a lithium-ion battery pack with a rating of 48 V, 10 Ah, and 5 A is used as an electric vehicle (EV) battery. Firstly, the voltage sag shows a significant effect on the performance of EVFCS. The analysis of the effect of voltage sag on different characteristics of EVFCS, such as DC-bus voltage, battery current, state-of-charge (SOC), and battery voltage, is carried out in MATLAB/Simulink and through experimentation. Further, the design of the charging system is carried out using a 1-
rectifier and DC-DC converter with closed loop current control. The performance of a closed loop current controlled buck converter is investigated experimentally for different magnitudes of sag (0%, 25% and 50%). Furthermore, the$ \phi$ to dq transformation based synchronous reference frame (SRF) theory operated closed loop voltage controller is employed for 1-$ \alpha \beta$ DVR to mitigate a voltage sag of 50%. This DVR maintains rated DC-bus voltage (110 V) and rated battery current (5 A) under a severe voltage sag condition of 50%. Also, DVR protects the PCC (grid) from voltage harmonics generated by the EVFCS, reducing the PCC voltage THD to 2.42% from 9.8%. Moreover, the control strategies of both the buck converter and DVR are developed on the hardware platform using the STM32 microcontroller. The simulation results are validated mathematically and experimentally. Lastly, simulation and experimental results confirm the beneficial use of T-type 5-level DVR for better performance of EVFCS.$ \phi$ - Published
- 2024
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3. Optimization of Reflux Power in Triple Active Bridge With Online Particle Swarm Optimization and Exponential Weighted Moving Average Algorithm
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Wang, Qingsong, Zhao, Xiaokai, Xi, Haoyu, Yan, Shuo, and Buja, Giuseppe
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Phase shift control is one of the most common strategies used for the control of a triple active bridge (TAB) converter, including single-phase shift (SPS) control, extended-phase shift (EPS) control, dual-phase shift (DPS) control, and triple-phase shift (TPS) control. Among them, there are two free variables for the SPS control, three free variables for the EPS and DPS controls, and five free variables for the TPS control, respectively. When the power of TAB is transmitted from port I to port II and port III, some portion will flow from port II and port III back to port I, which is also known as reflux power. The presence of reflux power causes the waste of transmission power and reduces the overall efficiency of a TAB converter. Compared to SPS, EPS, and DPS, TPS has a smaller reflux power, but the traditional mathematical methods adopted to optimize the TAB operation are complex in solving the phase shift ratios of TPS. This article proposes an intelligent control strategy based on online particle swarm optimization combined with exponential weighted moving average (PSO-EWMA) algorithm, which can effectively reduce the reflux power of TAB under TPS control. Simulation and experimental results show that the minimum reduction in reflux power is about 58.1%, and the converter efficiency remains around 95%, verifying the effectiveness of the proposed control algorithm.
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- 2024
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4. Palliative care quality measures: an exploratory study
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Buja, Alessandra, Rivera, Michele, Baldo, Vincenzo, Soattin, Marta, Rizzolo, Ylenia, Zamengo, Giuseppe, Boscolo, Sarah, Ghiotto, Maria Cristina, and Damiani, Gianfranco
- Abstract
ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to investigate how palliative care service structures and processes correlate with their outputs and outcomes, measuring the latter respectively in terms of intensity of care and death at home.MethodsThe Veneto Regional Health Authorities collected a set of 37 quality indicators for the year 2016, covering the following five dimensions: service integration, service structure, accessibility, professional processes and organisational processes. Their validity was assessed by a panel of 29 palliative care experts. A score was assigned to each indicator on the basis of its relevance. Non-parametric correlations between the care quality indicators and the measures of the palliative care outputs and outcomes were investigated, along with the presence of a monotonic trend in the performance of the local health units (LHU) grouped by ‘low’, ‘medium’ or ‘high’ scores and differences between these groups of LHUs.ResultsThe data showed that palliative care service structure and professional processes were the dimensions correlating significantly with the intensity of care coefficient. An increasingly significant statistical trend was found in both the intensity of care coefficient and the proportion of deaths at home for the three groups of LHUs in terms of the professional processes dimension.ConclusionsDespite its limitations, this study brought to light some statistically significant findings that are worth investigating in larger samples. To achieve improvements in the quality of palliative care, it is important for healthcare providers to know which variables most affect the output and especially the outcomes of the services offered.
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- 2024
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5. A Topology of Current-Fed DC Electric Spring
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Wang, Qingsong, Pan, Yuhang, Ding, Hao, Dong, XiaoFeng, Cheng, Ming, Yan, Shuo, and Buja, Giuseppe
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Renewable energy generation becomes the trend of power industry. However, its consumption is hitting a bottleneck. Electric spring (ES) is one of the effective means to solve the issue. A current-fed direct current electric spring (CF-DCES) topology is proposed in this article, which consists of a current-fed three port converter (TPC) and a bidirectional Buck-Boost converter (BBC). The modal analysis of the CF-DCES is carried out by means of the current-type three-port equivalent circuit, and the corresponding small signal model is solved. The input current and critical load voltage are taken as control variables, and the duty ratio on the input side and that on the critical load side are taken as output variables. The output variables are decoupled according to the small signal model. Non-critical load is set to absorb input power fluctuation. A group of batteries is set at BBC port to ensure the power requirements of the critical load. A type of battery energy management system is also proposed. Finally, the proposed CF-DCES is validated by both simulation and experimental results.
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- 2024
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6. Association of religiosity and spirituality with survival among older adults: a systematic review
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Buja, Alessandra, Grotto, Giulia, and Vo, Daniele
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Aim: In a world where the aging population and prevalence of chronic degenerative diseases and life-threatening conditions have been increasing, identifying factors that can improve the living conditions of these populations is of paramount importance. The aim of the present research was to conduct a systematic literature review to investigate the impact of religion and spirituality on longevity. Subject and methods: Studies published in English that assessed the association between religiosity or spirituality and survival were identified by searching electronic databases (PubMed, PsycINFO, and CINAHL) and were independently reviewed by two authors. Results: A total of 13 prospective cohort studies were included in this review, including seven that found a negative association between religiosity and mortality and six that showed mixed results. Conclusion: Most studies highlighted the reduction in the risk of mortality, particularly among subjects who engaged in religious activities with an active social component. The linkage between religiosity and longevity might be mediated by the social support of the religious community, better health behavior, and mental health. However, most studies found a reduction in all-cause mortality even after adjusting for these mediating factors, indicating that other important mechanisms might have been involved.
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- 2024
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7. Effects of Triangular Wave Injection and Current Differential Terms on Multiparameter Identification for PMSM
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Wang, Qingsong, Zhao, Xiaokai, Yang, Pengfei, Hua, Wei, and Buja, Giuseppe
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Permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) has been widely used in industry in recent years because of its simple structure, high power density, and high efficiency. Accurate electromagnetic parameters of PMSM are of great significance in many fields, such as control system design, fault diagnosis, and condition monitoring. However, when the motor is in steady-state operation, the traditional identification method will have the issues, such as model accuracy, rank deficient, and the incompletely observable. Therefore, a parameter identification method based on biased triangular wave injection and current differential term is proposed in this article to solve them. In addition, the influence of triangular wave injection and current differential term on motor parameter identification is comparatively analyzed and verified by comparative experiments. Finally, the experimental results show that the proposed method can realize the multiparameter identification of motor resistance, inductance, and flux linkage in steady-state operation.
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- 2024
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8. Analysis and Experimentation of a Novel Modulation Technique for a Dual-Output WPT Inverter
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Bertoluzzo, Manuele, Buja, Giuseppe, and Dashora, Hemant Kumar
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Dynamic wireless power transfer systems require to supply many transmitting coils deployed under the road surface and arranged along the so-called track. This layout entails the use of a large number of inverters or of devices that switch the power to the proper coils. This article presents a technique that uses a single three-phase inverter to supply two coils with voltages having different and independently adjustable amplitudes of their first harmonic component. Differently from the well-known phase shift technique, the amplitude and the phase of the voltages are not correlated. Moreover, the presented technique has the ability of inherently reducing the phase difference between the two output currents when the supplied loads are partially reactive. This feature enhances the power transfer capability of the inverter when both the track coils are coupled with the same pickup. After presenting this technique, this article analyzes the functioning of the dual-output inverter in different load conditions recognizing the boundaries of four different modes of operation. For each of them the analytical expression of the amplitude and phase of the generated voltages are given. The theoretical findings are validated by experiments performed on a prototypal setup that implements the presented modulation technique.
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- 2023
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9. Circadian Oscillations of Minimal Erythema Dose (MED) are Also Influenced by Diet in Patients with Psoriasis: A Chronomedical Study.
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Damiani, Giovanni, Pacifico, Alessia, Scoditti, Egeria, di Gregorio, Sara, Del Fabbro, Massimo, Cozzolino, Claudia, Buja, Alessandra, Mercuri, Santo R., Bianchi, Vittoria G., Grada, Ayman, Garbarino, Sergio, and Bunick, Christopher G.
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- 2023
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10. The Relevant Oral Burden of Patients with Hidradenitis Suppurativa.
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Damiani, Giovanni, Poli, Pierpaolo, Pacifico, Alessia, Rosi, Elia, Allocca, Giovanni, Berti, Emilio, Taschieri, Silvio, Tumedei, Margherita, del Fabbro, Massimo, Mercuri, Santo R., Bindi, Marino, Francetti, Luca, Buja, Alessandra, Prignano, Francesca, and Maiorana, Carlo
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- 2023
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11. The Prevalent Comorbidome at the Onset of Psoriasis Diagnosis.
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Buja, Alessandra, Miatton, Andrea, Cozzolino, Claudia, Brazzale, Alessandra Rosalba, Lo Bue, Roberta, Mercuri, Santo Raffaele, Proft, Fabian Nikolai, Kridin, Khalaf, Cohen, Arnon Dov, and Damiani, Giovanni
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- 2023
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12. Estimated Direct Costs of Renal Cancer by Stage of Disease at Diagnosis and Phase of Its Management: A Whole-Disease Model
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Buja, Alessandra, De Luca, Giuseppe, Gatti, Maura, Bonaldi, Filippo, Gardi, Mario, Bortolami, Alberto, Sepulcri, Matteo, Bimbatti, Davide, Baldo, Vincenzo, Scioni, Manuela, Maruzzo, Marco, Basso, Umberto, and Zagonel, Vittorina
- Abstract
Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the seventh most common neoplasm in high-income countries. New clinical pathways have been developed to deal with this tumor, which includes costly drugs that pose an economic threat to the sustainability of healthcare services. This study provides an estimate of the direct costs of care for patients with RCC by stage of disease (early vs.advanced) at diagnosis, and disease management phase along the pathway recommended by local and international guidelines.
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- 2023
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13. A conceptual design of smart queueing management system for multiple organizations in urban transformation centre (UTC) Melaka
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Rashid, N. N. A., Zain, S. M. M., Halim, S. A., Sharip, A. A., and Buja, A. G.
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- 2023
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14. Review of Salazar-Orvig, de Weck, Hassan & Rialland (2021): The Acquisition of Referring Expressions. A dialogical approach
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Buja, Elena
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- 2023
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15. A Novel Topology for DC Electric Spring With Parallel Structure
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Wang, Qingsong, Ding, Hao, Zhu, Han, and Buja, Giuseppe
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Direct current electric spring (DCES), as a new solution for the power quality issue caused by the unstable output of photovoltaic (PV) and wind power integrated into the DC microgrid, has the advantages of flexible configuration, smart and small size. This paper proposes an improved topology based on the recent proposed DCES with parallel structure, defined as DCES-3, for residential rooftop PV power generation, and proposes a control strategy based on the small-signal modeling. The proposed topology consists of a triple active bridge (TAB) and a Buck-Boost converter (BBC), and adopts the overall control scheme of three-dimensional decoupling based on single phase-shifting (SPS) control, and uses the BBC to connect the non-critical load (NCL) in parallel to form an equivalent variable load. The DCES passes the power fluctuations to this variable load by changing the duty cycle of the BBC, while ensuring the power on the CL stable. Compared with DCES-3, it has the advantages of clearer concept of ‘spring’, easier analysis of transmission power and zero-voltage switching condition, controllable power quality of the NCL, lower scene transformation and production costs. Finally, the correctness and effectiveness of the proposed DCES topology and its control have been validated by both simulation and experimental results.
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- 2023
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16. A Novel Diagnosis Strategy for Switches With Common Electrical Faults in Modular Multi-Level Half-Bridge Energy Storage Converter
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Wang, Qingsong, Hong, Zhouliang, Deng, Fujin, Cheng, Ming, and Buja, Giuseppe
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In this article, a novel diagnosis strategy including both open-circuit faults (OCFs) and short-circuit faults (SCF) is proposed for the switches in modular multilevel converter topology based on half-bridge energy storage submodules. The OCF diagnosis strategy is to analyze the current flow path of the open-circuit submodule in each OCF state, and then deduce the output voltage expression of the submodule under each OCF state. Finally, by analyzing the expression of output voltage, the average value of half cycle of sampled output voltage is proposed to diagnose all OCF states. The SCF diagnosis strategy is based on the carrier phase-shift (CPS) modulation strategy, using the characteristics that the fault of the power switching device mainly occurs at the turn-
on and turn-off instants, combined with redundant submodules to replace the diagnosed submodule and interrupt its driving signal. Finally, the SCF diagnosis is carried out according to the output voltage of the submodule measured under the condition of interrupted drive signal. The diagnosis of SCF is transformed into a diagnosis similar to OCF, which greatly improves the security of the system. In addition, the interruption time point of the drive signal of each diagnosed submodule of the converter is deduced according to the improved CPS modulation diagram. besides, the corresponding fault-tolerant control strategy is also proposed, which uses redundant sub modules to replace fault submodules. Finally, the simulation and experimental results verify the feasibility of the fault diagnosis strategy.- Published
- 2023
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17. Design and analysis on different functions of battery energy storage system for thermal power units frequency regulation
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Wang, Qingsong, Yang, Pengfei, and Buja, Giuseppe
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Currently, as more and more new energy sources are connected to the power grid, the pressure on the frequency regulation (FR) of thermal power units (TPU) is increasing. The battery energy storage system (BESS) is used in the scene of auxiliary TPU-FR with its rapid response and accuracy, which has attracted many scholars to study it. However, most scholars only studied the system under normal operating conditions, and did not involve too much on the operating strategy of the system in the event of a failure. In this article, a simulation model of energy storage battery auxiliary FR is built in MATLAB/Simulink, which not only analyzes the response characteristics of the system during normal operation, but also verifies the operation strategy of the system during faults. It is revealed that the existence of energy storage battery reduces the grid frequency offset by 38.1% and increases the power response speed by at least 25 times at normal operation. In addition, the total harmonic distortion of grid-connected voltage and current are 2.54% and 1.72%, respectively, which implies high power quality. When a fault occurs, the energy storage battery is protected by reasonably connecting or removing the BESS based on certain boundary conditions to prolong its life and reduce equipment maintenance costs.
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- 2022
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18. Governance for Patient Safety: A Framework of Strategy Domains for Risk Management.
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Buja, Alessandra, Damiani, Gianfranco, Manfredi, Mariagiovanna, Zampieri, Chiara, Dentuti, Elena, Grotto, Giulia, and Sabatelli, Giuseppe
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- 2022
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19. Malignant Melanoma: Direct Costs by Clinical and Pathological Profile.
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Buja, Alessandra, Rugge, Massimo, De Luca, Giuseppe, Zorzi, Manuel, De Toni, Chiara, Cozzolino, Claudia, Vecchiato, Antonella, Del Fiore, Paolo, Tropea, Saveria, Spina, Romina, Baldo, Vincenzo, Rossi, Carlo Riccardo, and Mocellin, Simone
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- 2022
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20. Clinical performance indicators for monitoring the management of cutaneous melanoma: a population-based perspective
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Buja, Alessandra, Rugge, Massimo, De Luca, Giuseppe, Zorzi, Manuel, Cozzolino, Claudia, Vecchiato, Antonella, Del Fiore, Paolo, Tropea, Saveria, Bortolami, Alberto, Benini, Patrizia, Rossi, Carlo Riccardo, and Mocellin, Simone
- Abstract
The prognosis of cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM) is based on disease progression. The highly heterogeneous clinical-pathological characteristics of CMM necessitate standardized diagnostic and therapeutic interventions tailored to cancer’s stage. This study utilizes clinical performance indicators to assess the quality of CMM care in Veneto (Northeast Italy). This population-based study focuses on all incidences of CMMs registered by the Veneto Cancer Registry in 2015 (1279 patients) and 2017 (1368 patients). An interdisciplinary panel of experts formulated a set of quality-monitoring indicators for diagnostic, therapeutic, and end-of-life clinical interventions for CMM. The quality of clinical care for patients was assessed by comparing the reference thresholds established by experts to the actual values obtained in clinical practice. The prevalence of stage I-CMM decreased significantly from 2015 to 2017 (from 71.8 to 62.4%; P< 0.001), and almost all the pathology reports mentioned the number of nodes dissected during a lymphadenectomy. More than 90% of advanced CMMs were promptly tested for molecular BRAF status, but the proportion of patients given targeted therapies fell short of the desired threshold (61.1%). The proportion of stage I–IIA CMM patients who inappropriately underwent computerized tomography/MRI/PET dropped from 17.4 to 3.3% (P< 0.001). Less than 2% of patients received medical or surgical anticancer therapies in the month preceding their death. In the investigated regional context, CMM care exhibited both strengths and weaknesses. The evaluated clinical indicators shed essential insight on the clinical procedures requiring corrective action. It is crucial to monitor clinical care indicators to improve care for cancer patients and promote the sustainability of the healthcare system.
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- 2022
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21. Preventing Cholesterol-Induced Perk (Protein Kinase RNA-Like Endoplasmic Reticulum Kinase) Signaling in Smooth Muscle Cells Blocks Atherosclerotic Plaque Formation
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Chattopadhyay, Abhijnan, Guan (关蒲骏), Pujun, Majumder, Suravi, Kaw, Kaveeta, Zhou (周桢), Zhen, Zhang, Chen, Prakash, Siddharth K., Kaw, Anita, Buja, L. Maximillian, Kwartler, Callie S., and Milewicz, Dianna M.
- Published
- 2022
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22. Governance for Patient Safety: A Framework of Strategy Domains for Risk Management
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Buja, Alessandra, Damiani, Gianfranco, Manfredi, Mariagiovanna, Zampieri, Chiara, Dentuti, Elena, Grotto, Giulia, and Sabatelli, Giuseppe
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- 2022
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23. Label-Free Visualization and Quantification of Biochemical Markers of Atherosclerotic Plaque Progression Using Intravascular Fluorescence Lifetime.
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Bec, Julien, Vela, Deborah, Phipps, Jennifer E., Agung, Michael, Unger, Jakob, Margulies, Kenneth B., Southard, Jeffrey A., Buja, L. Maximilian, and Marcu, Laura
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This study aimed to systematically investigate whether plaque autofluorescence properties assessed with intravascular fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIm) can provide qualitative and quantitative information about intimal composition and improve the characterization of atherosclerosis lesions. Despite advances in cardiovascular diagnostics, the analytic tools and imaging technologies currently available have limited capabilities for evaluating in situ biochemical changes associated with luminal surface features. Earlier studies of small number of samples have shown differences among the autofluorescence lifetime signature of well-defined lesions, but a systematic pixel-level evaluation of fluorescence signatures associated with various histological features is lacking and needed to better understand the origins of fluorescence contrast. Human coronary artery segments (n = 32) were analyzed with a bimodal catheter system combining multispectral FLIm with intravascular ultrasonography compatible with in vivo coronary imaging. Various histological components present along the luminal surface (200-μm depth) were systematically tabulated (12 sectors) from each serial histological section (n = 204). Morphological information provided by ultrasonography allowed for the accurate registration of imaging data with histology data. The relationships between histological findings and FLIm parameters obtained from 3 spectral channels at each measurement location (n = 33,980) were characterized. Our findings indicate that fluorescence lifetime from different spectral bands can be used to quantitatively predict the superficial presence of macrophage foam cells (mFCs) (area under the receiver-operator characteristic curve: 0.94) and extracellular lipid content in advanced lesions (lifetime increase in 540-nm band), detect superficial calcium (lifetime decrease in 450-nm band area under the receiver-operator characteristic curve: 0.90), and possibly detect lesions consistent with active plaque formation such as pathological intimal thickening and healed thrombus regions (lifetime increase in 390-nm band). Our findings indicate that autofluorescence lifetime provides valuable information for characterizing atherosclerotic lesions in coronary arteries. Specifically, FLIm can be used to identify key phenomena linked with plaque progression (e.g., peroxidized-lipid–rich mFC accumulation and recent plaque formation). [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2021
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24. Promotion of Physical Activity Among University Students With Social Media Or Text Messaging: A Systematic Review
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Buja, Alessandra, Lo Bue, Roberta, Mariotti, Federico, Miatton, Andrea, Zampieri, Chiara, and Leone, Giovanni
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Regular physical exercise lowers the risk of all-cause mortality and various chronic diseases. New technologies, such as smartphones and social media, have been used successfully as health promotion tools in college populations. The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review of studies examining the effectiveness of interventions that used modern technologies, as with social media or text messaging, to promote physical activity or reducing sedentary behavior in college students. The systematic review was conducted on the PubMed and SCOPUS databases, considering studies published from 2012 to 2022. For a total of 19 articles selected, an evidence table was drawn up, and the quality of the studies was assessed using the PRISMA checklist. The interventions differed enormously in design, from the strategies implemented to the types of outcome considered. Fifteen of the 19 studies demonstrated an improvement in participants’ physical activity levels, 3 studies found no such improvement, and 1 reported a worsening of baseline activity levels. Interventions to improve college students’ physical activity levels through the use of social media and/or text messaging tend to be effective. However, many factors can influence the effectiveness of such interventions. For example, a gender-related difference emerged in student participation, and the interventions proved more effective if they were accompanied by the creation of social groups.
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- 2024
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25. C19-SmartQ: Applying Real-Time Multi-Organization Queuing Management System Using Predictive Model to Maintain Social Distancing.
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Halim, Syafnidar Abdul, Othman, Mohd Hikmi, Buja, Alya Geogiana, Rahid, Nurul Najwa Abdul, Sharip, Anis Afiqah, and Zain, Siti Maisarah Md.
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SOCIAL distancing ,COVID-19 pandemic ,PREDICTION models ,INTERNET servers ,MACHINE learning - Abstract
COVID-19 is a pandemic crisis that has introduced new norm to the world where we are not encouraged to be in 3C areas, namely crowded place, confined space, and close conservation. We must also ensure that we are at least one meter apart from one another at all time even while queuing. The queuing process can be seen at any organization that offer services. Adhering to the new norm can be a challenge for organization such as banks, hospitals, and government offices when the number of clients waiting in queue increases while in confined space. On the client's side, they must go through the queue process of obtaining a queue number ticket and then wait to be served in confined and sometimes crowded space every time they require a service. The queue process will be repeated at different premise. This study proposes real-time multi-organizationsC19-SmartQ system which use predictive modelling to generate single or consecutive queue number tickets for any client requiring services from two different organizations located within the same building. C19-SmartQsystemmanages queues thus administer social distancing and streamline queues to reduce waiting periods and improve service efficiency. To ensure operability of C19-SmartQ system, itwas tested on the functionality and web server speed performance. The web server speed performance results show that data transfer and web loading were stable since there was only an increase of 0.2 seconds or 0.08% as the number of users per session increases. In the future, the system can be designed to accommodate queuing for more organizations located within the same building. Machine learning can also be integrated in the system to improve the predictive modelling based on current environment at each organization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2021
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26. Health care service use and costs for a cohort of high-needs elderly diabetic patients.
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Buja, Alessandra, Caberlotto, Riccardo, Pinato, Carlo, Mafrici, Simona Fortunata, Bolzonella, Umberto, Grotto, Giulia, Baldovin, Tatjana, Rigon, Stefano, Toffanin, Roberto, and Baldo, Vincenzo
- Abstract
Aims: To describe the impact of diabetes comorbidities on the health care services use and costs of a cohort of elderly patients with diabetes and high health care needs (HHCN), based on real-world data.Methods: We focused on a cohort of diabetic patients with HHCN belonging to Resource Utilization Bands 4 and 5 according to the Adjusted Clinical Group (ACG) system. Their comorbidities were assessed using the clinical diagnoses that the ACG system assigns to single patients by combining different information flows. Regression models were applied to analyze the associations between comorbidities and health care service use or costs, adjusting for age and sex.Results: Our analyses showed that all health care service usage measures (e.g. access to emergency care; number of outpatient visits) and the total annual costs and pharmacy costs are associated significantly with comorbidity class. Instead, no differences in hospitalization rates by comorbidity class were revealed.Conclusion: The association between a larger number of comorbidities and higher total health care service usage and costs was seen mainly for primary care services. This underscores the need to strengthen primary care for today's aging and multimorbid population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2021
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27. Mind the Gap: On the Relationship Between Automatically Measured and Self-Reported Productivity
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Beller, Moritz, Orgovan, Vince, Buja, Spencer, and Zimmermann, Thomas
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Two separate schools of thought to measure software engineers' productivity have coexisted: for a long time: on the one hand, using automated product or process measures and, on the other hand, using self-reported or perceived productivity. In this article, we start to bridge the gap between them with an empirical study of 81 software developers at Microsoft.
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- 2021
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28. The Texas Society of Pathologists: molded by the legacy of pathology and focused on excellence in medicine for 100 years and beyond.
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Buja, L. Maximilian
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In 1921, 16 Texas pathologists gathered in Dallas, Texas, to found the Texas Society of Pathologists (TSP). The TSP is now the oldest state pathology society in the USA with continuity traced back to its founding 100 years ago. This article aims to both commemorate the TSP centennial and to provide context for the remarkable success of the society. The article takes a look back and a look forward from 1921. The look back focuses on the development of the field of pathology and the maturation of medicine and pathology in the USA and Texas. The look forward encompasses developments in science, technology, American health care policy, and medicine that have impacted Texas pathologists and influenced proactive initiatives of the TSP. The review of the life and times of the TSP highlights the importance of leaders and leadership in shaping outcomes. Complexities and uncertainties of the contemporary health care scene point to the need for continued strong leadership. The successful past century and hopeful future of the TSP are inextricably linked to the guiding principle of the TSP, which is a focus on continual striving for excellence in medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2021
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29. Differences in direct costs of patients with stage I cutaneous melanoma: A real-world data analysis.
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Buja, Alessandra, Rivera, Michele, De Polo, Anna, Zorzi, Manuel, Baracco, Maddalena, Italiano, Irene, Vecchiato, Antonella, Del Fiore, Paolo, Guzzinati, Stefano, Saia, Mario, Baldo, Vincenzo, Rugge, Massimo, and Rossi, Carlo Riccardo
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DATA analysis ,NATIONAL health services ,KRUSKAL-Wallis Test - Abstract
Clinical factors, such as tumor thickness, ulceration and growth phase have a role as prognostic factors for stage I melanoma. However, it is still under debate whether these variables influence the related direct costs. We aimed to investigate which clinical factors represent direct health care "cost drivers" for stage I melanoma. Analyses were conducted on a cohort of patients diagnosed with stage I melanoma. Differences in the costs incurred by different groups of patients were examined using Mann-Whitney or Kruskal-Wallis non-parametric tests. Log linear multivariate analysis was used to identify the clinical drivers of the total direct costs one and two years after diagnosis. The study was conducted from the perspective of Italy's National Health care System. One year after diagnosis, patients whose melanomas had a Breslow thickness ≥0.8 mmin (compared with those with lower thickness) and a vertical growth phase (compared with those with radial growth) incurred higher costs for hospitalization, as well as higher overall costs. One year after their diagnosis, treatment of patients with stage I melanoma in the vertical growth phase costs 50% more (95% CI: 22–85%) than their counterparts with a radial growth pattern, resulting in an estimated absolute increase of € 256.23. Having a tumor thicker than 0.8 mm prompted an increase of 91% (95% CI: 43–155%) in the costs (€955.24 in absolute terms). Our data indicate a heterogeneity in the direct costs of stage I melanoma patients during the first year after diagnosis, which can be partly explained by clinical prognostic factors, like tumor thickness and growth pattern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2020
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30. RATING THE LEGAL SYSTEM: A STEP CLOSER TO THE FUTURE?
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DIANU-BUJA, Livia and LOSPA, Cristian Paul
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LEGAL judgments ,ARTIFICIAL intelligence ,DEONTOLOGICAL ethics ,OBLIGATIONS (Law) ,LEGISLATIVE amendments - Abstract
Today we have almost everything at the tip of our fingers, or to be more precise, just one click away. Whether calling a cab, ordering food, making a reservation or booking a flight, you just have to log onto an online platform, and you are settled. The great thing is that, after the service is provided, you can - and are encouraged - to leave a comment speaking you mind, praising or complaining, with valid arguments. Imagine a "platform" where you can not only leave a review of a restaurant, but a "platform" where you can even "rate" the quality of the judicial proceedings by some given criteria's involving the court (waiting room, courtroom's space, public timetable), the court's clerks (manners, efficiency) or, why not, the judges (law knowledge, duration of the process, commitment and celerity). Would this be an infringement to the judge's independency, or would it bring a benefit to the judicial system by making the judges more aware of how their court decisions affect the people involved in their rulings? This study is intended to create awareness on the modern changes that can be seen as challenges associated with the benefits or downsides of using the online platforms in the judicial system. The objective is to provide some practical and deontological recommendation which the Superior Council of Magistracy and the National Association of Bars might consider to include (if relevant to the circumstances of their respective jurisdiction) in guidance to their members. Besides highlighting some deontological considerations, this study also explains the challenges that are of a more technical nature, including those related to maintaining the independency of the judge, the security of personal information and those related to specific ways that a "rate" given can be categorised as being accurate or being given in bad faith. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2019
31. Waveguide-based absorption measurement system for visible wavelength applications
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Neutens, P., Jansen, R., Woronoff, G., Rutowska, M., Hosseini, N., Buja, F., Humbert, A., Colle, F., Stakenborg, T., and Van Roy, W.
- Abstract
We present a miniaturized waveguide-based absorption measurement system operating at a wavelength of 635 nm, based on a silicon nitride integrated photonic platform, suitable for lab-on-chip applications. We experimentally demonstrate a high correlation between the bulk dye concentration and the measured absorption loss levels in the waveguides. We explain a photonic design process for choosing the ideal waveguide to minimize the coefficient of variation on the analyte concentration. The approach is designed for camera readout, allowing multiple readouts and easy integration for lab-on chip cartridge approach.
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- 2021
32. The Texas Society of Pathologists: molded by the legacy of pathology and focused on excellence in medicine for 100 years and beyond
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Buja, L. Maximilian
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AbstractIn 1921, 16 Texas pathologists gathered in Dallas, Texas, to found the Texas Society of Pathologists (TSP). The TSP is now the oldest state pathology society in the USA with continuity traced back to its founding 100 years ago. This article aims to both commemorate the TSP centennial and to provide context for the remarkable success of the society. The article takes a look back and a look forward from 1921. The look back focuses on the development of the field of pathology and the maturation of medicine and pathology in the USA and Texas. The look forward encompasses developments in science, technology, American health care policy, and medicine that have impacted Texas pathologists and influenced proactive initiatives of the TSP. The review of the life and times of the TSP highlights the importance of leaders and leadership in shaping outcomes. Complexities and uncertainties of the contemporary health care scene point to the need for continued strong leadership. The successful past century and hopeful future of the TSP are inextricably linked to the guiding principle of the TSP, which is a focus on continual striving for excellence in medicine.
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- 2021
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33. Cross-sectional study on hospitalizations related to herpes zoster in an Italian region, 2008-2016.
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Cocchio, Silvia, Baldovin, Tatjana, Furlan, Patrizia, Bertoncello, Chiara, Buja, Alessandra, Saia, Mario, Fonzo, Marco, and Baldo, Vincenzo
- Abstract
Introduction: To assess the burden of herpes zoster (HZ) by analyzing HZ-related hospital admissions.Methods: We conducted a population-based descriptive cross-sectional study on all hospitalizations for HZ among the resident population admitted to all public and accredited private hospitals in the Veneto Region (north-east Italy) during the years 2008-2016. HZ hospitalizations were identified from the International Classification of Diseases codes in the hospital discharge records.Results: During the period considered, we identified 3566 HZ-associated admissions, 194 (5.4%) of which were readmissions within 30 days. A complicated HZ diagnosis was mentioned for 44.4% of the patients admitted once and for 65.9% of those admitted twice. In the sample as a whole, 27.0% of patients had at least one comorbidity. Overall, our analysis revealed a gradual increase in hospitalizations with age for both genders, reaching a hospitalization rate for the population over 80 years old of 51.2 × 100,000 for males and 52.8 × 100,000 for females. The average hospitalization rate for HZ-related conditions during the years 2008-2016 was 7.7 per 100,000 population. Postherpetic neuralgia was diagnosed in 8.2% of hospitalizations, with no difference between the genders. The estimated overall cost of HZ-related conditions was approximately €2.7 million a year.Conclusions: This study suggests that the burden of HZ and its impact on quality of life are of critical relevance to public health decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
34. Automated Coronary Plaque Characterization With Intravascular Optical Coherence Tomography and Smart-Algorithm Approach: Virtual Histology OCT.
- Author
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Baruah, Vikram, Zahedivash, Aydin, Hoyt, Taylor, McElroy, Austin, Vela, Deborah, Buja, L. Maximilian, Cabe, Andrew, Oglesby, Meagan, Estrada, Arnold, Antonik, Piotr, Milner, Thomas E., and Feldman, Marc D.
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- 2020
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35. Effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on patients with chronic temporomandibular joint disorders: A case serie.
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Buja, Sergio, Baroni, Andrea, Straudi, Sofia, Pavarelli, Claudia, Galiè, Manlio, and Basaglia, Nino
- Published
- 2018
36. Perception and knowledge of HPV-related and vaccine-related conditions among a large cohort of university students in Italy
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Baldovin, T., Bertoncello, C., Cocchio, S., Fonzo, M., Gazzani, D., Buja, A., Majori, S., and Baldo, V.
- Abstract
ABSTRACTHPV is involved in cervical, anal, penile, vulvar and oropharyngeal cancers, as well as genital warts. It is important to investigate knowledge and attitudes among university students, considering in this age a shift in healthcare decision-making from parents to students themselves. The aim of this study was to estimate knowledge and perception of HPV in terms of potential shame for HPV-related conditions, trust in vaccine efficacy and worry for potential side effects.The study involved students (18–25 years old) from the Universities of Padua and Verona, Italy. Socio-demographic and behavioural characteristics were collected with a questionnaire (n = 9988).Female gender and older age were positively associated with higher knowledge. The adjusted logistic regression showed an association between the set of perceptions investigated and the vaccination status, while a direct connection with knowledge was not found. However, another adjusted linear regression showed that a good set of perceptions could be partially explained by a high level of knowledge. Perceptions seem to fill an intermediate position between the knowledge and the decision to get vaccinated. The potential shame deriving from asking for HPV-vaccination was not identified as a relevant barrier. Having received information from healthcare workers, family and school showed to be positively associated with the adhesion to the vaccination policy.This study identifies university students as a possible target for HPV vaccination and pinpoints specific areas that might be targeted as first to encourage vaccine uptake. Primary prevention together with screening programmes remains essential in further reducing the burden of HPV-related diseases.
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- 2019
- Full Text
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37. Cross-sectional study on hospitalizations related to herpes zoster in an Italian region, 2008–2016
- Author
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Cocchio, Silvia, Baldovin, Tatjana, Furlan, Patrizia, Bertoncello, Chiara, Buja, Alessandra, Saia, Mario, Fonzo, Marco, and Baldo, Vincenzo
- Abstract
Introduction: To assess the burden of herpes zoster (HZ) by analyzing HZ-related hospital admissions. Methods: We conducted a population-based descriptive cross-sectional study on all hospitalizations for HZ among the resident population admitted to all public and accredited private hospitals in the Veneto Region (north-east Italy) during the years 2008–2016. HZ hospitalizations were identified from the International Classification of Diseases codes in the hospital discharge records. Results: During the period considered, we identified 3566 HZ-associated admissions, 194 (5.4%) of which were readmissions within 30 days. A complicated HZ diagnosis was mentioned for 44.4% of the patients admitted once and for 65.9% of those admitted twice. In the sample as a whole, 27.0% of patients had at least one comorbidity. Overall, our analysis revealed a gradual increase in hospitalizations with age for both genders, reaching a hospitalization rate for the population over 80 years old of 51.2 × 100,000 for males and 52.8 × 100,000 for females. The average hospitalization rate for HZ-related conditions during the years 2008–2016 was 7.7 per 100,000 population. Postherpetic neuralgia was diagnosed in 8.2% of hospitalizations, with no difference between the genders. The estimated overall cost of HZ-related conditions was approximately €2.7 million a year. Conclusions: This study suggests that the burden of HZ and its impact on quality of life are of critical relevance to public health decision-making.
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- 2019
- Full Text
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38. Identifying molecular targets for rational immunosuppressive strategies in patients with immune checkpoint therapy-induced myocarditis and myositis.
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Siddiqui, Bilal Ahmed, Palaskas, Nicolas, Basu, Sreyashi, He, Zhong, Sheth, Rahul, Buja, Maximillian, Bhattacharjee, Meenakshi, Mancuso, James, Fu, Tihui, Iliescu, Cezar, Deswal, Anita, Rawther-Karedath, Anishia, Yadav, Shalini S., Allison, James Patrick, Sharma, Padmanee, and Subudhi, Sumit Kumar
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- 2023
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39. Characterization of Thermal Expansion Coefficient of LPCVD Polycrystalline SiC Thin Films Using Two Section V-beam Actuators.
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Thomas, S., Jovic, A., Morana, B., Buja, F., Gkouzou, A., Pandraud, G., and Sarro, P.M.
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THERMAL expansion ,SILICON carbide thin films ,POLYCRYSTALLINE silicon ,CHEMICAL vapor deposition ,FINITE element method - Abstract
In this paper we present the characterization of the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of in-situ doped polycrystalline SiC thin films, obtained by low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD). The material is characterized using V-beam actuators on which the temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) and the in-plane displacement versus current are measured. A CTE value of 4.3 ± 0.4 ppm/K is obtained in the temperature region of 20 °C to 300 °C. This value is used in a finite element modeling (FEM) simulation of vertical SiC-SiO 2 bimorph beams. For an actuator length of 700 μm, width of 100 μm and layer thickness of 2 μm, a displacement up to 200 μm can be obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2016
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
40. Prevention of perioperative vascular prosthetic infection with a novel triple antimicrobial-bonded arterial graft.
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Aboshady, Ibrahim, Raad, Issam, Vela, Deborah, Hassan, Mohamed, Aboshady, Yara, Safi, Hazim J., Buja, L. Maximilian, and Khalil, Kamal G.
- Abstract
Objective Previously, we investigated a locally developed technique of bonding arterial grafts with three antimicrobials to protect against early (within 2 weeks) perioperative bacterial contamination encountered occasionally during aortic graft prosthetic reconstruction. Vascular graft infections are classified by their appearance time (early [<4 months] vs late [>4 months] after graft implantation), degree of incorporation into the surrounding vessel wall, connectivity to the postoperative wound, and extent of graft involvement. In the current phase of testing, we evaluated the ability of our novel triple antimicrobial-bonded graft to prevent infection in the first 8 weeks after implantation. Methods In nine Sinclair miniature pigs, we surgically implanted a 6-mm vascular Dacron patch graft in the infrarenal abdominal aorta. Five pigs received grafts chemically bonded with a 60-mg/mL solution of rifampin, minocycline, and chlorhexidine, and four pigs received unbonded grafts. Before implantation, the five bonded grafts and three of the unbonded grafts were immersed for 15 minutes in a 2-mL solution containing 1-2 × 10 7 colony-forming units (CFUs)/mL of Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 29213); the fourth unbonded graft served as a control. Results At week 9, all of the grafts were explanted. All S aureus -inoculated bonded grafts (n = 5) showed no bacterial growth. The unbonded, uninoculated graft (n = 1) showed low-level bacterial growth (<1.2 × 10 3 CFUs); S cohnii spp urealyticus , but not S aureus , was isolated, which suggested accidental direct perioperative contamination. Two pigs that received S aureus -inoculated, unbonded grafts were euthanized because of severe S aureus infection (<6.56 × 10 8 CFUs per graft). Results of histopathologic analysis were concordant with the microbiologic findings. Most intergroup differences were observed in the inflammatory infiltrate in the aortic wall at the site of graft implantation. In all pigs that received bonded grafts, Gram staining showed no bacteria. Conclusions Our triple-bonded aortic graft prevented perioperative aortic graft infection for at least 8 weeks in a porcine model. The synergistic antimicrobial activity of this graft was sufficient to prevent and/or eradicate infection during that period. Further studies are needed to assess the graft's ability to combat early-onset vascular graft infection for up to 4 months. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2016
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
41. Assessment of Visual Acuity in Children Using Crowded Lea Symbol Charts
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Sailoganathan, Ananth, Rou, Leong Xin, Buja, Kenny Anak, and Siderov, John
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- 2018
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42. Home-based exercise for elderly patients with intermittent claudication limited by osteoarticular disorders – feasibility and effectiveness of a low-intensity programme
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Lamberti, Nicola, Straudi, Sofia, Lissia, Efisio, Cavazzini, Lorenza, Buja, Sergio, Manfredini, Roberto, Basaglia, Nino, and Manfredini, Fabio
- Abstract
Abstract.Background:Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a common cardiovascular pathology affecting mobility in elderly. Osteoarticular diseases (ODs), responsible for functional limitations and confounding leg symptoms, may interfere with exercise therapy. This study evaluates the feasibility and effectiveness of a structured home-based exercise programme on rehabilitative outcomes in a cohort of elderly PAD patients with and without coexisting ODs. Patients and methods:Patients were enrolled from 2002 to 2016 in an exercise programme prescribed and controlled at the hospital and based on two daily 10-minute home walking sessions below the self-selected speed. The presence and localization of ODs at baseline were derived from consultation of medical documents. The ankle-brachial index and functional outcomes, defined as speed at the onset of claudication and attainable maximal speed by an incremental treadmill test, were assessed at baseline and discharge. Feasibility was determined according to dropout rate, number of visits, duration of the programme, and adherence. Results:A total of 1,251 PAD patients were enrolled (931 men; 71 ± 9 years; 0.63 ± 0.19 ankle-brachial index). Eight hundred sixty-four patients were free of ODs (ODfreePAD, 69 %), whereas 387 were affected by ODs (ODPAD, 31 %), predominantly located in the spine (72 %). In the logistic regression models, the presence of ODs was associated with female sex, overweight, sedentary and/or driving professions. At discharge, ODPADand ODfreePADdid not differ in dropout rates (12 % each), programme duration (378 ± 241 vs. 390 ± 260 days), number of visits (7 ± 3 each), and adherence (80 % each). Similar improvements for ODPADand ODfreePADwere observed for the ankle-brachial index (0.06 ± 0.12 each), the speed at onset of claudication (0.7 ± 0.7 vs. 0.7 ± 0.8 kmh-1; p = 0.70), and maximal speed (0.4 ± 0.6 vs. 0.4 ± 0.6 kmh-1; p = 0.77). Conclusions:Equally satisfactory rehabilitative outcomes were observed in elderly patients with claudication limited by ODs who completed a well-tolerated, low-impact structured exercise programme.
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- 2018
- Full Text
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43. Diagnosis of Thin-Capped Fibroatheromas in Intravascular Optical Coherence Tomography Images Effects of Light Scattering.
- Author
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Phipps, Jennifer E., Hoyt, Taylor, Vela, Deborah, Tianyi Wang, Michalek, Joel E., Buja, L. Maximilian, Ik-Kyung Jang, Milner, Thomas E., and Feldman, Marc D.
- Abstract
Background--Intravascular optical coherence tomography (IVOCT) images are recorded by detecting light backscattered within coronary arteries. We hypothesize that non-thin-capped fibroatheroma (TCFA) causes may scatter light to create the false appearance of IVOCT TCFA. Methods and Results--Ten human cadaver hearts were imaged with IVOCT (n=14 coronary arteries). IVOCT and histological TCFA images were coregistered and compared. Of 21 IVOCT TCFAs (fibrous cap <65 μm, lipid arc >1 quadrant), only 8 were true histological TCFA. Foam cell infiltration was responsible for 70% of false IVOCT TCFA and caused both thick-capped fibroatheromas to appear as TCFA, and the appearance of TCFAs when no lipid core was present. Other false IVOCT TCFA causes included smooth muscle cell-rich fibrous tissue (12%) and loose connective tissue (9%). If the lipid arc >1 quadrant (obtuse) criterion was disregarded, 45 IVOCT TCFAs were identified, and sensitivity of IVOCT TCFA detection increased from 63% to 87%, and specificity remained high at 92%. Conclusions--We demonstrate that IVOCT can exhibit 87% (95% CI, 75%-93%) sensitivity and 92% specificity (95% CI, 86%-96%) to detect all lipid arcs (both obtuse and acute, <1 quadrant) TCFA, and we also propose new mechanisms involving light scattering that explain why other plaque components can masquerade as TCFA and cause low positive predictive value of IVOCT for TCFA detection (47% for obtuse lipid arcs). Disregarding the lipid arc >1 quadrant requirement enhances the ability of IVOCT to detect TCFA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2016
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
44. Intermediate Clinical and Hemodynamic Outcomes After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation.
- Author
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D’Onofrio, Augusto, Facchin, Michela, Besola, Laura, Manzan, Erica, Tessari, Chiara, Bizzotto, Eleonora, Bianco, Roberto, Tarantini, Giuseppe, Napodano, Massimo, Fraccaro, Chiara, Buja, Paolo, Covolo, Elisa, Yzeiraj, Ermela, Pittarello, Demetrio, Isabella, Giambattista, Iliceto, Sabino, and Gerosa, Gino
- Abstract
Background Concerns still exist regarding long-term results and freedom from valve-related adverse events in transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). The aim of this single-center retrospective study was to assess intermediate-term (up to 5-year) clinical and hemodynamic outcomes in patients undergoing TAVI. Methods From 2007 through 2013, 338 consecutive patients underwent TAVI at our institution. Preoperative variables were defined according to the European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation (EuroSCORE) definitions, and outcomes were reported according to the Valve Academic Research Consortium (VARC)-2 definitions. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify independent predictors of mortality at follow-up. Results transfemoral (TF) and transapical (TA) TAVI were performed in 233 (69%) and 105 (31%) patients, respectively. All-cause 30-day mortality was 4.4%, with no differences between TA and TF procedures. Thirty-day cardiovascular death, stroke, and myocardial infarction were not different between groups. The acute kidney injury (AKI) rate was higher in the TA group (30.5% versus 11.2%; p < 0.001). Access-related complications were more frequent in the TF group (36.1% versus 11.4%; p < 0.001). Mean follow-up was 22.3 ± 17.8 months (range, 1–74 months). Overall survival rates at 1, 3, and 5 years were 85.5% ± 2.1%, 69.9% ± 3.2%, and 61% ± 4.3%, respectively. Independent predictors of all-cause mortality at follow-up were previous myocardial infarction (odds ratio [OR], 2.7), any grade of paravalvular leak (PVL) (OR, 2.5), and AKI (OR, 3.1). Mean gradient and effective orifice area at follow-up were 10.7 ± 12.0 mm Hg and 1.1 ± 0.9 cm 2 /m 2 , respectively. Conclusions Our data show that TAVI has good early and intermediate-term clinical and hemodynamic outcomes in high-risk or inoperable patients with severe symptomatic aortic valve stenosis. PVL of any grade has a significant impact on survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2016
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45. A Method for Web Application Vulnerabilities Detection by Using Boyer-Moore String Matching Algorithm.
- Author
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Saleh, Ain Zubaidah Mohd, Rozali, Nur Amizah, Buja, Alya Geogiana, Jalil, Kamarularifin Abd., Ali, Fakariah Hani Mohd, and Rahman, Teh Faradilla Abdul
- Subjects
WEB-based user interfaces ,MATCHING theory ,ALGORITHMS ,INTERNET ,SQL - Abstract
Internet have become a great medium of communication as it is free, supportive, entertaining and easily for reachable to millions of people today. The usage of Internet among people become higher day by day, thus also increase the number of web application. Nevertheless, most of the web application exists have some vulnerability as there are some irresponsible people known as hacker that able to interrupt the peace of it. Some of well-known web application vulnerabilities are SQL Injection, Buffer Overflow, Cross Site Scripting and Cross Site request Forgery. In order to overcome this vulnerabilities, it is important to detect first the problem before prevent it. At present, there are a lot of web application vulnerabilities scanner that have been proposed by researcher for detecting web application vulnerabilities such as Acunetix WVS by Acunetix, Netsparker by Mavituna Security, w3af by w3af.org and Firefuzzer. However, these scanners have some limitation such as higher false negative although some of it has no false positive. Therefore, this paper proposed a technique aim to solve these issues by developing a detection method for detect the web application vulnerabilities by using Boyer-Moore String Matching Algorithm. Numerous experiments have been conducted in order to evaluate the performance. The result shows that proposed method has performed well in terms of the ability to accurately detect vulnerabilities based on false negative and have no false positive with low processing time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2015
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
46. The Direction of Lightweight Ciphers in Mobile Big Data Computing.
- Author
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Buja, Alya Geogiana and Latip, Shekh Faisal Abdul
- Subjects
MOBILE computing ,BIG data ,INFORMATION storage & retrieval systems ,CIPHERS ,INTERNET ,CLOUD computing - Abstract
It is too fast. The advances of the computing technology are moving very fast and far from the era of gigantic machine. This advanced technology offers easy, fast and wide range of computing activities particularly users who want to use the Internet, regardless of time and place. In addition, this advanced technology can also connect more communication tool. At the same time, greater storage platform is also available as mobile computing cloud computing architecture adopted to carry out computer activities. However, the larger the network which is connected to a computer, the more susceptible the computer to the outside threats. Indirectly, the communication system and the information stored in the computer are also exposed. Therefore, in this paper, we has discussed on the evolution of the computing which begin with the distributed system until recent computing technology which we called Mobile Big Data Computing. Besides, in this paper, we define the term Mobile Big Data Computing. Our discussion focuses on the information security aspects for the security of storage and transmitted data. Ultimately, this paper discusses the direction of the lightweight cipher design consideration towards Mobile Big Data Computing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2015
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
47. Angled-MMI-based wavelength splitters on silicon nitride waveguide platforms for fluorescence sensing
- Author
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Song, Jeong Hwan, Kongnyuy, Tangla D., Hosseini, Naser, Neutens, Pieter, Buja, Federico, Jansen, Roelof, and Rottenberg, Xavier
- Abstract
Compact wavelength splitters based on angled multimode interferometers (AMMIs) on silicon nitride platforms working in visible lights are reported for fluorescence sensing applications. A diplexer and triplexer with different footprints are designed and experimentally demonstrated. The diplexer and triplexer have the insertion loss of ∼1.7 and ∼2.7 dB/channel with cross talks of less than −22 dB and −17 dB on target wavelengths, respectively. These splitters are used to distinguish the signals collected from two fluorescent dyes that give different emission spectra when excited with an excitation source, due to their different Stokes shifts. In the case of the triplexer, a third port is to collect the excitation light, both to monitor the remaining excitation power and to reduce the interference at the signal ports. A termination structure at the end of the AMMIs and input and output tapering waveguides as a part of the wavelength splitters are designed and their performances are presented.
- Published
- 2017
48. Isolated rectal cancer surgery: a 2007–2014 population study based on a large administrative database
- Author
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Saia, Mario, Buja, Alessandra, Mantoan, Domenico, Sartor, Gino, Agresta, Ferdinando, and Baldo, Vincenzo
- Abstract
Rectal resection is technically one of the most demanding laparoscopic procedures, requiring additional training and expertise of both surgeons and institutions. The literature has shown that laparoscopic procedures can be appropriate for the treatment of rectal cancer (RC), in terms of safety, outcome and efficiency, but results may not always be directly transferable to the general population. This study aimed to investigate the use of laparoscopic rectal cancer resections in a north-eastern Italian region (the Veneto) and to see how the characteristics of patients and hospitals are associated with the use of laparoscopy. This was a retrospective cohort study based on administrative data collected from 2007 to 2014 in the Veneto region (north-east Italy). In the period considered (2007–2014), 4953 rectal resections were performed for RC in Veneto hospitals, accounting for 35% of the total 14,243 surgical procedures involving the rectum, and resulting in 76,739 days in hospital [mean length of stay—post-operative (MLOS) 15.5 ± 11.1 days]. Patients were a mean 67.9 ± 11.7 years old (68 ± 12.7 for women, 67.9 ± 11 for men), while the subgroup of patients undergoing laparoscopic procedures was on average 2 years younger (66.5 ± 11.8 vs 68.8 ± 11.5; p< 0.05). The four main findings of this study are: (1) the increasing rates of laparoscopic procedures for RC resection at all the hospitals in our geographical area, rising up to 52% in 2014. This is probably related to not only to availability of better equipment but surely to a growing expertise of surgeons; (2) the esteem of proportion of laparoscopically treated RC; (3) the significant difference between the laparoscopic and open surgical approach in terms of mean length of hospital stay after RC resection, making the laparoscopic approach cost-effective generally speaking; and (4) the disparities in hospitals’ use of laparoscopy by patients’ age group: Laparoscopic surgery is safe also in the elderly population but it is not so widely offers in Veneto Region hospitals, and it’s probably due to the lack of experience about this approach in frail/old patients.
- Published
- 2017
- Full Text
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49. Association between air pollution and ventricular arrhythmias in high-risk patients (ARIA study): a multicentre longitudinal study
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Folino, Franco, Buja, Gianfranco, Zanotto, Gabriele, Marras, Elena, Allocca, Giuseppe, Vaccari, Diego, Gasparini, Gianni, Bertaglia, Emanuele, Zoppo, Franco, Calzolari, Vittorio, Suh, Rene Nangah, Ignatiuk, Barbara, Lanera, Corrado, Benassi, Alessandro, Gregori, Dario, and Iliceto, Sabino
- Abstract
Although the effects of air pollution on mortality have been clearly shown in many epidemiological and observational studies, the pro-arrhythmic effects remain unknown. We aimed to assess the short-term effects of air pollution on ventricular arrhythmias in a population of high-risk patients with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) or cardiac resynchronisation therapy defibrillators (ICD-CRT).
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- 2017
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50. Treatment of Multiple Myeloma in a Heart Transplant Recipient: Focus on the Immunomodulatory Effects of Lenalidomide
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Xie, Lola, Jozwik, Bartosz, Weeks, Phillip, Buja, L. Maximilian, Brown, Robert, Nathan, Sriram, Rajagopal, Keshava, Paruthi, Christina, Kar, Biswajit, Loyalka, Pranav, and Rajapreyar, Indranee
- Abstract
Malignancy following solid organ transplant remains a significant threat to the survival of cardiac transplant recipients. Plasma cell dyscrasias including multiple myeloma have been encountered in this population, and medication treatments traditionally used to treat these disorders demonstrate immunomodulatory effects that may have implications on the transplanted allograft. Lenalidomide is an immunomodulatory agent that has been used to treat plasma cell disorders, including light-chain amyloidosis (AL) and multiple myeloma, and represents such a class of medications in which the risks and benefits in the solid organ transplant population remain to be fully elucidated. This report highlights a clinical practice issue where the treatment of a patient’s multiple myeloma with lenalidomide may have potentiated an episode of severe acute cellular rejection and further demonstrates the need for future investigation of the optimal treatment of plasma cell disorders including AL amyloidosis and multiple myeloma following solid organ transplantation.
- Published
- 2017
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
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