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One of the most widely applied methods for evaluating a research paper's quality is the impact factor (IF). The term JUMPS was applied to the IF in an article published in PubMed in 2021, describing an increase of more than 40% of IF. In this study, we aimed to compare the growth rate of IF JUMPS in Radiology, Nuclear MedicineMedical Imaging in the last 6 years. This retrospective study calculated the growth rate (JUMP) in IF from 2015 to 2020. We used the Friedman and Wilcoxon signed ranks tests to calculate the statistically significant difference in IF from 2015 to 2020 and the 2019 to 2020 difference. We classified JUMPS in negative growth rate, quartiles, and journals with100%. Three journals had more than 100% IF growth rate during 2020 ( Zeitschrift fur Medizinische Physik , Journal of the Belgian Society of Radiology , and Ultrasound Quarterly ). A 76% to 100% growth rate was observed in another 4 journals (3.2%), and 8 journals (6.3%) depicted a 51% to 75% percentage of change. Repeated measures analyses showed a significant difference ( P0.001). During the COVID-19 pandemic, several journals in the Radiology, Nuclear MedicineMedical Imaging category increased their IF by 50%. Knowing the growing trends in this category might supplement the assessment of target journals for authors looking to submit their works.

Introduction Intracranial Pressure (ICP) can be continuously and reliably measured using invasive monitoring through an external ventricular catheter or an intraparenchymal probe. We explore Electroencephelograhy (EEG) to identify a reliable real time, non-invasive ICP correlate. Methods Utilizing a previously described porcine model of intracranial hypertension, we examine the cross correlation between ICP time series and the slope of the EEG power spectral density as described by Φ. We calculate Φ= tan−1(slope of PSD) and normalized it by π where slope is that of the power-law fit (log frequency versus log power) to the power spectral density of the EEG signal. Additionally, we explore the relationship between the Φ time series and cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP). A total of 11 intracranial hypertension episodes across three different animals are studied. Results Mean correlation between Φ-angle and ICP was -0.85 (0.15); mean correlation with CPP was 0.92 (0.02). Significant correlation occurred at zero lag. In the absence of intracranial hypertension, the absolute value of the Φ-angle was greater than 0.9 (mean 0.936 radians). However, during extreme intracranial hypertension causing cerebral circulatory arrest, the Φ-angle is on average below 0.9 radians (mean 0.855 radians). Conclusion EEG Φ-angle is a promising real-time noninvasive measure of ICP/cerebral perfusion using surface electroencephalography. While intra-species variation is presumably minimal, validation in human subjects is needed.

HIV cure strategies aim to eliminate viral reservoirs that persist despite successful antiretroviral therapy (ART). We have previously described that 9% of HIV-infected individuals who receive ART harbor low levels of provirus (LoViReTs).We selected 22 LoViReTs matched with 22 controls ART suppressed for more than 3 years with fewer than 100 and more than 100 HIV-DNA copies/10We found that LoViReTs harbored not only lower levels of total HIV-DNA, but also significantly lower intact HIV-DNA, cell-associated HIV-RNA, and ultrasensitive viral load than controls. The proportion of intact versus total proviruses was similar in both groups. We found no differences in the percentage of host factors. In peripheral blood, 71% of LoViReTs had undetectable replication-competent virus. Minimum levels of total HIV-DNA were found in rectal and lymph node biopsies compared with HIV-infected individuals receiving ART. The main contributors to the reservoir were short-lived transitional memory and effector memory T cells (47% and 29%, respectively), indicating an altered distribution of the HIV reservoir in the peripheral T-cell subpopulations of LoViReTs.In conclusion, LoViReTs are characterized by low levels of viral reservoir in peripheral blood and secondary lymphoid tissues, which might be explained by an altered distribution of the proviral HIV-DNA towards more short-lived memory T cells. LoViReTs can be considered exceptional candidates for future interventions aimed at curing HIV.

Background and Purpose: Mechanical thrombectomy (MT) in ischemic stroke patients with poor prestroke conditions remains controversial. We aimed to analyze the frequency of previously disabled patients treated with MT in clinical practice, the safety and clinical response to MT of patients with preexisting disability, and the disabled patient characteristics associated with a better response to MT. Methods: We studied all consecutive patients with anterior circulation occlusion treated with MT from January 2017 to December 2019 included in the Codi Ictus Catalunya registry—a government-mandated, prospective, hospital-based data set. Prestroke disability was defined as modified Rankin Scale score 2 or 3. Functional outcome at 90 days was centrally assessed by a blinded evaluator of the Catalan Stroke Program. Favorable outcome (to return at least to prestroke modified Rankin Scale at 90 days) and safety and secondary outcomes were compared with patients without previous disability. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association between prestroke disability and outcomes and to identify a disabled patient profile with favorable outcome after MT. Results: Of 2487 patients included in the study, 409 (17.1%) had prestroke disability (313 modified Rankin Scale score 2 and 96 modified Rankin Scale score 3). After adjustment for covariates, prestroke disability was not associated with a lower chance of achieving favorable outcome at 90 days (24% versus 30%; odds ratio, 0.79 [0.57–1.08]), whereas it was independently associated with a higher risk of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (5% versus 3%; odds ratio, 2.04 [1.11–3.72]) and long-term mortality (31% versus 18%; odds ratio, 1.74 [1.27–2.39]) compared with patients without disability. Prestroke disabled patients without diabetes, Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score >8 and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score Conclusions: Despite a higher mortality and risk of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage, prestroke-disabled patients return as often as independent patients to their prestroke level of function, especially those nondiabetic patients with favorable early ischemic signs profile. These data support a potential benefit of MT in patients with previous mild or moderate disability after large anterior vessel occlusion stroke.

Zika virus (ZIKV) infection is a public health problem in the Americas. We assessed ZIKV knowledge, attitudes, and future ZIKV vaccine intent among medical students. In this cross-sectional study, a convenience sample of medical students in San José, Costa Rica, were surveyed to assess knowledge, attitudes, vaccine intent, and sources of information about ZIKV. Knowledge and attitude scores were calculated. Factors associated with vaccine intent were determined by bivariate analysis using a chi-square test. Of 468 participants surveyed, majority were females (299, 63.8%) and lived in urban areas (411, 87%). The participant mean knowledge score was 12.2 (SD: 3.65) out of a possible 20. Students residing in suburban or rural areas (odds ratio [OR]: 0.432; CI: 0.24–0.78), first- or second-year students (OR: 0.423; CI: 0.27–0.67), and aged < 20 years (OR: 0.586; CI: 0.36–0.97) had significantly lower knowledge scores. The participant mean attitude score was 30.2 (SD: 4.76) on a scale of 13–65, with lower numbers indicating a concern for ZIKV severity. A majority of the participants indicated they would be likely or extremely likely to receive a ZIKV vaccine (420, 89.7%) and recommend the vaccine to their patients (439, 93.8%). Vaccine intent was not influenced by demographics, total knowledge, and attitude scores. Students (388, 83%) identified the Internet as their primary source of ZIKV information. A majority of students demonstrated a positive attitude toward ZIKV and willingness to accept and recommend a vaccine. Low knowledge scores underscore the need for ZIKV education, especially in the early years of medical school. Use of the Internet should be considered in dissemination of ZIKV education.

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a severe stroke with a high death rate (40% mortality). The prevalence of hemorrhagic stroke has increased globally, with changes in the underlying cause over time as anticoagulant use and hypertension treatment have improved. The fundamental etiology of ICH and the mechanisms of harm from ICH, particularly the complex interaction between edema, inflammation, and blood product toxicity, have been thoroughly revised by the American Heart Association (AHA) in 2022. Although numerous trials have investigated the best medicinal and surgical management of ICH, there is still no discernible improvement in survival and functional tests. Small vessel diseases, such as cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) or deep perforator arteriopathy (hypertensive arteriopathy), are the most common causes of spontaneous non-traumatic intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Even though ICH only causes 10%-15% of all strokes, it contributes significantly to morbidity and mortality, with few acute or preventive treatments proven effective. Current AHA guidelines acknowledge up to 89% sensitivity for unenhanced brain CT and 81% for brain MRI. The imaging findings of both methods are helpful for initial diagnosis and follow-up, sometimes necessary a few hours after admission, especially for detecting hemorrhagic transformation or hematoma expansion. This review summarized the essential topics on hemorrhagic stroke epidemiology, risk factors, physiopathology, mechanisms of injury, current management approaches, findings in neuroimaging, goals and outcomes, recommendations for lifestyle modifications, and future research directions ICH. A list of updated references is included for each topic.

Since very remote times, the Mexican health sector has been characterized by being segmented and containing various actors, which generates problems in the quality of care within the users due to the lack of data integration and interoperability. Recently, there have been modifications and updates in health matters derived from increased of use information and communication technologies in the health area. All of this has brought new challenges and opportunities. One of the new opportunities is the growing generation of further information on patients' health through wearable and highly interconnected biomedical devices that allow the health status of patients to be continuous checked. However, this also represents a considerable challenge in achieving the integration and interoperability of health data from various media. That is why in this paper, the authors pro-pose a methodology to integrate hospital data from multiple sources that can be homogenized through the storage of a data lake. The results suggest that the integration and interoperability of hospital data in real-time and online are possible through a data ingestion system.

An international consortium with a focus on Epilepsy Surgery Education was established with members from different centers in Latin America and Canada. All members of the consortium and attendees from different centers in Latin America and Canada have been meeting to discuss epilepsy surgery cases in a virtual manner. We surveyed all to assess the value of the meetings. The results and description of these meetings are being presented.

Background: There are few shared assistance programs with Primary Health Care (PHC) in PLWH. The aim was to develop a Pilot Program of shared HIV care in PLWH ensuring proper HIV control. Methods: Design: Prospective pilot project of a shared care intervention.Setting: HIV specialized outpatient consultations for HIV infection at Son Espases University Hospital which serves 2000 patients. Subjects: Patients who attended HIV specialized consultation between January 1st and June 30th, 2017. Intervention: Basal questionnaire on health services used by patients. HIV Training Program on HIV in Primary Health Care (PHC). Pilot Program of shared assistance (PPAC) with PHC. Main Outcomes: Maintenance of undetectable HIV viral load, antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence, AIDS and non-AIDS events, loss of follow up, and satisfaction questionnaire. Results: The basal questionnaire was filled out by 918 patients, with 108 (11.7%) patients reporting neither knowing nor having been visited by their GP. A total of 93 patients were included in the PPAC, with a mean age of 49.9 years (SD 11.7), and an average of 14.6 years since the HIV diagnosis. Eleven patients were followed up for less than six months and were excluded from the analysis. Median follow-up during the PPAC of the remaining 82 patients was 728 days (IQR 370-1070). Sixteen patients dropped out of the PPAC (19.5%), three died, three were lost to follow up, one was withdrawn due to medical criteria, and nine withdrew voluntarily.No patient presented any AIDS defining events, although eight patients presented non-AIDS events. All the patients had undetectable viral load (VL) and average ART adherence was 99.4% (SD1.4). The patient’s satisfaction score with PPAC was 8.64 (SD2.5).Conclusion: It is possible to establish shared care programs with PHC in selected patients with HIV infection, thereby reducing hospital visits while maintaining good adherence and virological control and achieving high patient satisfaction.

El presente trabajo estudia la asociación entre el nivel de competencia al que están sometidos las escuelas y la calidad de su gestión, utilizando para ello una base de datos de corte transversal que incluye 1.800 centros educativos de ocho países distintos y cuya propiedad abarca desde administraciones públicas, cooperativas de enseñanza, fundaciones o empresas de capital riesgo, entre otros. El interés de esta investigación se pone de manifiesto ya que otros trabajos han demostrado que la calidad de la gestión de los centros educativos afecta directamente al rendimiento de los alumnos y por ende al desarrollo social. Los resultados obtenidos confirman la principal hipótesis de que la competencia se relaciona positivamente con la calidad de la gestión del centro. Si bien esta conclusión es relevante desde el punto de vista de la política educativa, es preciso tener en cuenta que la literatura ha mostrado posibles consecuencias negativas derivadas de la competencia entre centros, como son la tendencia hacia la segmentación de los centros y la creciente polarización de los mismos.

Entrepreneurship is key in the growth of an economy. The rate of entrepreneurship has varied differently in recent years, in part, due to different factors: economic, social, cultural, etc. The international entrepreneurship, concretely, the differences between entrepreneurship in the different OECD countries have been widely analysed as well as the characteristics of entrepreneurship in certain areas. This study proposes an original international approach, mainly based on using a machine learning algorithm to predict the rate of international entrepreneurship according to a series of input variables: economic (gross domestic product, household savings rate, research and development spending, cost of starting a business, net household income, and unemployment rate), tax (income taxes, taxes on income, taxes corresponding to social security), and education (percentage of the population with tertiary education). The data sources used were the OECD database, the World Bank database and the GEM (Global Entrepreneurship Monitor) database. The results of this study determine a model that could serve, internationally, to the authorities responsible for creating national and international policies to identify how entrepreneurship will vary depending on the decisions taken in different fields, such as in economic matters, fiscal matters, international and foreign policies or educational matters.

Nowadays, the world is a highly interconnected and competitive place, presenting many opportunities but also many challenges to be faced. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) are the core subject areas that will develop innovations directly related to everyday life. There are a lot of products and services created from the knowledge of STEM. STEM competencies are key in a society that wishes to reach high levels of productivity and competitiveness. STEM skills support a range of high-end activities such as the discovery of new energy sources, improvement of supercomputing capabilities, and advances in artificial intelligence (AI). It also plays a role in enhancing the Internet of Things technology, which will improve a patient’s quality of life and ultimately, propose solutions to the most urgent and complex challenges of our time. The European Union is a global leader in gender equality, but there are still several stereotypes that need to be challenged. According to a report from the European Institute for Gender Equality, achieving gender equality in STEM topics could add 1.2 million jobs to the job market, increasing Europe’s GDP to between €610–820 billion by 2050. According to the State of Women-Owned Businesses Report 2019 (American Express), the number of female entrepreneurs has grown, with the number of businesses owned by women increasing by 114% over the past 20 years. STEM education has become a priority for leaders around the world as it creates a globalized economy based on knowledge and technology. According to OECD reports, engagement with STEM topics encourages innovation by educating young people in critical thinking and the use of evidence for decision-making purposes. In the near future, the most sought-after professionals in the job market will be trained in innovation, creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, problem solving, and the application of knowledge to real-life problems. This study is focused on analyzing the characteristics of women entrepreneurs in STEM fields in Europe. It will try to identify the main differences between the European countries in terms of their characteristics, policies, challenges, and barriers. The analysis will be covering a range of economic, social, psychological, and educational variables. A range of different sources was used, e.g., Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM), WDBD Database, and Eurostat.

Resumen: Objetivo: Durante el período de formación, el residente de cardiología ha de entrenarse en todo lo relacionado con la indicación, la interpretación y realización de imágenes en cardiología nuclear que usan la tomografía computarizada por emisión de fotón simple (SPECT). El objetivo del presente estudio fue analizar la relación existente entre la adecuación de las indicaciones del gated-SPECT de perfusión miocárdica y los años de experiencia desde la finalización de la residencia de cardiología. Método: Registro descriptivo, retrospectivo y unicéntrico, en el que se analizaron las indicaciones (uso adecuado e inadecuado), según las guías de la gated-SPECT de perfusión miocárdica, prescritas por cardiólogos de un hospital universitario. Resultados: Se analizaron un total de 950 pruebas de gated-SPECT de acuerdo a la indicación adecuada e inadecuada y se distribuyeron por cuartiles los años de finalización de la residencia del cardiólogo prescriptor. Los cardiólogos de menos de 10 años de experiencia clínica indican de forma inadecuada una mayor proporción de pruebas de gated-SPECT que los cardiólogos de mayor experiencia (87,6 vs. 9,3%: p

This paper presents a real-time simulation of a Luenberger observer for DC-DC converters. The Luenberger observer is applied to a Buck converter in order to detect failures in the input voltage and variations in the system parameters. The real-time simulation is programmed in LabVIEW FPGA allowing to generate an interactive user interface. The convergence of the observer is validated under different initial conditions, variations in the input voltage and load disturbances in real time, presenting good results. This system intends to provide a real-time estimation that can be applied to Fault Detection and Isolation (FDI) systems in DC-DC convertes.

We propose the use of green hydrogen as fuel for a seawater heater in a humidification/dehumidification (HDH) desalination plant to increase its productivity, to allow scaling to large dimensions without negative environmental effects, and to guarantee continuous operation. We develop a mathematical model of the proposed HDH configuration. For operating conditions that guarantee very low NO x production, the fuel consumption is ∼ 0.03 k g of H2 per kg of pure water produced. If the exhaust gases from the seawater heater are used for heat recovery, the GOR of the equipment may increase by up to 39% in relation to the same equipment operating without heat recovery. The operation cost of freshwater is comparable to the costs obtained by other equipment in the literature. If the water produced in the combustion of hydrogen is condensed during the heat recovery process and then added to the freshwater produced, the production cost is reduced by 20%. We found that an excess of air in the air + fuel mix beyond the minimum value appropriate for a low NO x generation does not provide significant benefits. The efficiency of the seawater heater has an impact on the production of pure water, but this impact is strongly mitigated by the heat recovery process. Fuel consumption increases proportionally with the decrease in the effectiveness of the heat recovery device, which is a key parameter for optimal performance. A hydrogen heater is also a good alternative as an auxiliary power source to guarantee continuous operation. In sunny hours a H2 heater may be used to increase productivity preheating the seawater, and at night the system could operate 100% based on H2.

This paper presents the design and the online implementation of a monitoring station for a distillation column. The purpose of the monitoring station is to supervise and ensure the quality of the distilled product, through the analysis of the process operation, which can reduce production costs. The monitoring station is designed for a distillation column pilot plant in a batch-type operation mode, it is based on temperature measurements. It has 7 Pt-100 RTD temperature sensors, located in the boiler, the condenser and in 5 plates of the column body.

In this work the design of a fuzzy observer with sliding modes for DC-DC power electronics converters is presented. The observer is based on a fuzzy Takagi-Sugeno model having two variable premises, inductor current and capacitor voltage. The observer is validated in simulation with a mathematical software analyzing the observer’s convergence in the transient state, under disturbances in the input voltage and in the load.

Renin-Angiotensin System (RAS) is involved with hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases. However, the association of RAS components to cancer still causes suspicion. To try to clarify this, here we aimed to show this association for three important components: Angiotensin Converting Enzyme 1 (ACE1), Angiotensin Type 1 Receptor (AGTR1) and Angiotensin Type 2 Receptor (AGTR2). The first articles show that association of RAS components with cancer dates back to the 70’s. ECA1 and AGTR1 have close association with cancer and ACE1 inhibitors or AGTR1 blockers are candidates to treatment of some tumors. Moreover, the action of AGTR2 is still controversial, but most studies show that the increased expression of AGTR2 can attack the cancer cells. In breast cancer, these components have also been widely studied and many works have shown that the correlation exists. Therefore specific target using these RAS components could be a beneficial, novel therapy to various tumors.

Este texto aborda os sistemas de saúde nos países do MERCOSUL e analisa se as medidas atuais sinalizam para a universalidade de atenção à saúde. Situa-se como um estudo comparativo e utiliza uma matriz de análise indicativa das intervenções estatais nas políticas de saúde. Para se apreciar as tendências universalistas, foram adotadas as três dimensões propostas pela OMS: amplitude da cobertura populacional, abrangência dos serviços e nível de cobertura por financiamento público. Apresenta as características demográficas e sociopolíticas dos países, as formas de organização, a prestação dos serviços, o financiamento e a regulação dos sistemas nacionais de saúde.

Background: ¡Si, Yo Puedo Controlar Mi Diabetes! (Sí, Yo Puedo) is a culturally appropriate diabetes self-management education program targeting underserved Hispanic/Latinos. Purpose: The purpose of this article is to report on our post-test focus group observations that elaborate upon quantitative evaluation results that are published elsewhere. Methods: Following a seven-week intervention, we conducted seven focus groups to capture participants’ perspectives about managing their diabetes before and after participating in classes. These sessions were held during a one-month post-intervention (reunion) session. Results: Participants were mostly female (77%; N=34) with a mean age of 58.8 years. Perceived improvements in eating habits, blood glucose testing, and physical activity were among the positive outcomes of attending the program. Barriers to diabetes self-management included struggles changing lifestyle habits, accepting disease diagnosis, and financial issues. Despite these concerns, participants found Sí, Yo Puedo to be beneficial, especially with psychosocial support. “Not feeling alone” was a prevailing sentiment expressed by participants. Conclusions: Overall, participants indicated the program was relevant to their needs. This study suggests that Sí, Yo Puedo is an effective program to reach Hispanic/Latinos and improve their health outcomes.

Sin financiación 4.638 JCR (2015) Q1, 20/124 Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems UEC

Background: Many types of cancer are associated with polymorphisms of the renin-angiotensin system. Our aim was to assess possible association between single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the angiotensin II receptor types 1 (A168G), and 2 (T1247G and A5235G) with breast cancer. Patients and Methods: 242 participating subjects were genotyped and allocated to case or control groups. Results: Genotype distribution (in %) was: for AGTR1 (A168G): AA, AG, GG = 61, 30, 09 for cases, and 69, 25, 06 for controls (p = 0.55); for AGTR2 (T1247G): TT, TG, GG = 84, 12, 04 for cases, and 81, 17, 02 for controls (p = 0.45); for AGTR2 (A5235G): AA, AG, GG = 32, 67, 01 for cases, and 53, 28, 19 for controls (p < 0.0001). Women carrying genotypes AA/AG in the intronic region of angiotensin II type 2 receptor had an 11-fold higher risk of breast cancer than GG carriers. Conclusions: Many types of cancer have been associated with polymorphisms of the renin-angiotensin system. For SNP A5235G, the GG genotype seems to be protective against breast cancer. The other 2 SNPs showed no association. However, SNPs T1247G and A5235G were associated with at least 1 clinical variable, with G being a predictor of better outcome. The use of SNPs A5235G and T1247G (the latter to a lesser degree) as genetic markers should be considered.

Cell-based therapy is a promising treatment for metabolic disorders such as type-1 diabetes. Transplantation protocols have investigated several anatomical sites for cell implantation; however, some of these procedures, such as intraportal infusion, can cause organ failure or thrombosis secondarily. Bio-artificial organs could be the choice, although concerns still remain. Using a subcutaneous device, we are able to preserve neonatal porcine islets without sertoli cells in healthy New Zealand rabbits. Devices were implanted in the back of the animals underneath the skin, and after 3 months the islets were transplanted. Histology showed the presence of inflammatory cells, predominantly eosinophils; however, insulin- and glucagon-positive cell clusters were identified inside the device at different time points for at least 90 days, and porcine C-peptide was also detected during the follow-up, indicating graft functionality. We have found that our device induces the deposition of a fibrous matrix enriched in blood vessels, which forms a good place for cell grafting, and this model is probably able to induce an immunoprivileged site. Under these conditions, transplanted porcine islet cells have the capability of producing insulin and glucagon for at least three months. [Arch Clin Exp Surg 2013; 2(2.000): 101-108]

Octopus vulgaris is a plastic species capable of adapting to different environmental conditions. The different phases of its life cycle seem to be highly influenced by such environmental variables. Therefore the reproductive season and the length of its embryonic and planktonic phases can differ substantially for different geographical areas. The Mediterranean Sea is one of the regions were the octopus life cycle is not yet well known. Biological data in the Alboran Sea (Western Mediterranean) in the present work show the existence of migration movements to coastal waters for the breeding season during spring and mainly during summer. Water temperature measurements show that the length of the embryonic and paralarval phases are around 120 days and new individuals incorporate to fisheries from autumn to winter. These results coincide with landings time series allowing the full description of the O. vulgaris life cycle.