EPIdemiology of Surgery-Associated Acute Kidney Injury (EPIS-AKI) : Study protocol for a multicentre, observational trial

More than 300 million surgical procedures are performed each year. Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common complication after major surgery and is associated with adverse short-term and long-term outcomes. However, there is a large variation in the incidence of reported AKI rates. The establishment of an accurate epidemiology of surgery-associated AKI is important for healthcare policy, quality initiatives, clinical trials, as well as for improving guidelines. The objective of the Epidemiology of Surgery-associated Acute Kidney Injury (EPIS-AKI) trial is to prospectively evaluate the epidemiology of AKI after major surgery using the latest Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) consensus definition of AKI. EPIS-AKI is an international prospective, observational, multicentre cohort study including 10 000 patients undergoing major surgery who are subsequently admitted to the ICU or a similar high dependency unit. The primary endpoint is the incidence of AKI within 72 hours after surgery according to the KDIGO criteria. Secondary endpoints include use of renal replacement therapy (RRT), mortality during ICU and hospital stay, length of ICU and hospital stay and major adverse kidney events (combined endpoint consisting of persistent renal dysfunction, RRT and mortality) at day 90. Further, we will evaluate preoperative and intraoperative risk factors affecting the incidence of postoperative AKI. In an add-on analysis, we will assess urinary biomarkers for early detection of AKI. EPIS-AKI has been approved by the leading Ethics Committee of the Medical Council North Rhine-Westphalia, of the Westphalian Wilhelms-University Münster and the corresponding Ethics Committee at each participating site. Results will be disseminated widely and published in peer-reviewed journals, presented at conferences and used to design further AKI-related trials. Trial registration number NCT04165369

Surface modifications for antimicrobial effects in the healthcare setting: a critical overview

The spread of infections in healthcare environments is a persistent and growing problem in most countries, aggravated by the development of microbial resistance to antibiotics and disinfectants. In addition to indwelling medical devices (e.g. implants, catheters), such infections may also result from adhesion of microbes either to external solid–water interfaces such as shower caps, taps, drains, etc., or to external solid–gas interfaces such as door handles, clothes, curtains, computer keyboards, etc. The latter are the main focus of the present work, where an overview of antimicrobial coatings for such applications is presented. This review addresses well-established and novel methodologies, including chemical and physical functional modification of surfaces to reduce microbial contamination, as well as the potential risks associated with the implementation of such anticontamination measures. Different chemistry-based approaches are discussed, for instance anti-adhesive surfaces (e.g. superhydrophobic, zwitterions), contact-killing surfaces (e.g. polymer brushes, phages), and biocide-releasing surfaces (e.g. triggered release, quorum sensing-based systems). The review also assesses the impact of topographical modifications at distinct dimensions (micrometre and nanometre orders of magnitude) and the importance of applying safe-by-design criteria (e.g. toxicity, contribution for unwanted acquisition of antimicrobial resistance, long-term stability) when developing and implementing antimicrobial surfaces

Aphids (Homoptera: Aphididae) of Kahramanmaraş Province, Turkey

This study aimed to identify 68 aphid species and subspecies in Kahramanmaraş from 1998 to 2001. It was found that these species and subspecies were from 35 genera and the subfamilies Aphidinae, Chaitophorinae, Lachninae, Myzocallidinae, Pemphiginae and Pterocommatinae (Aphididae: Aphidoidea). Sixty-eight species, belonging to the tribes Aphidini-Aphidina, Aphidini-Rhopalosiphina, Macrosiphini, Chaitophorini, Cinarini, Lachnini, Myzocallidini, Eriosomatini, Fordini, Pemphigini and Pterocommatini, were examined. Aphis acetosae L., Aphis fabae mordvilkoi Borner and Janich, Cinara cupressi (Buckton) and Nurudea meitanensis (Tsai and Tang) are reported for the first time from Turkey. © Tübi·tak

A survey of aphid parasitoids in Kahramanmaras, Turkey (Hymenoptera: Braconidae, Aphidiinae; and Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae)

A list of aphid parasitoids found in a survey conducted between 1999 and 2001 in Kahramanmaras Province of Turkey is presented. Nineteen taxa of aphid parasitoids were found on 30 hosts. Pauesia picta (Haliday) is reported for the first time from Turkey. Two check-lists are presented, by host aphids and by plant species.Academy of Sciences Republic of Uzbekistan: Z5007907 A6007105, $5007102Thanks are expressed to the authorities of the C.U. Agricultural Faculty, Plant Protection Department, for support of our research (M.M. Aslan). The research work (E Star3~) was also partially supported by grants A6007105 and$5007102 (Grant Agency of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic) and from the Entomology Institute Project Z5007907 (Academyo f Sciences of the Czech Republic)

Effect of bayesian student modeling on academic achievement in foreign language teaching (university level english preparatory school example) [İnternet üzerinden yabanci{dotless} dil ögretiminde bayes ögrenci modellemesi yaklaşi{dotless}mi{dotless}ni{dotless}n akademik başari{dotless}ya etkisi (üniversite i·ngilizce hazi{dotless}rli{dotless}k örnegi)]

Considering the increasing importance of adaptive approaches in CALL systems, this study implemented a machine learning based student modeling middleware with Bayesian networks. The profiling approach of the student modeling system is based on Felder and Silverman's Learning Styles Model and Felder and Soloman's Index of Learning Styles Questionnaire. The questionnaire was adapted to Turkish for this experimental study conducted with respect to the visual/verbal and active/reflective dimensions of the model. A topic in EFL was chosen for the learning content design, which was also carried into the digital domain and remastered as separate learning scenes for different learning styles. Computer software was also implemented to carry out the experimental learning processes. A quasi-experimental pre-test, post-test design was conducted with 46 volunteers, with 23 students assigned each to a control and an experimental group to compare academic achievement between student-based learning and conventional computer-based learning. No significant difference was found in academic achievement between the control and experimental groups after the experimental treatment. The diagnostic performance of the proposed student modeling system was also compared with performances from similar studies. This student modeling system had a successful prediction rate of 41% on the visual/verbal dimension and 54% on the active/reflective dimension, respectively. © 2014 Educational Consultancy and Research Center

Electrical characterization of solar sensitive zinc oxide doped-amorphous carbon photodiode

A new solar-sensitive zinc oxide doped-amorphous carbon diode was fabricated using the electrochemical deposition technique. The current-voltage characteristics of the fabricated Al/ZnO-a:C/p-Si/Al diode were investigated under dark and various lighting intensities using both I-V and C-V methods. The fabricated diode was characterized by XRD, SEM-EDS, FTIR and XPS analysis. Through the analysis, it was determined that the photocurrents increased with increasing intensity of incident light. The capacitance-voltage (C-V) characteristics revealed that the capacitance of the diode depended on voltage, frequency and illumination, indicating the existence of a continuous distribution of interface states. It was found that the capacitance changed drastically with changing frequency and separation was observed in different frequencies, as identified in the reverse bias region. The ideality factor obtained was found to be higher than unity, with the average barrier height and ideality factor of the diode were found to be 0.528 ± 0.0069 eV and 5.24 ± 0.39, respectively. The newly fabricated ZnO-doped amorphous carbon (Al/ZnO-a:C/p-Si/Al) photodiode exhibited good solar sensitivity. The overall results indicated that the fabricated Al/ZnO-a:C/p-Si can be used as a solar sensitive diode in optoelectronic device applications as an alternative to graphene-based materials. © 2018 Elsevier GmbHFirat University Scientific Research Projects Management Unit 0046The authors extend their appreciation to the International Scientific Partnership Program ISPP at King Saud University for funding this research work through ISPP# 0046 . Also the part of this project was funded by the Scientific Research Projects Coordination Unit of Munzur University (Project No. MFTUB015-25 )

La sentenza della Corte internazionale di giustizia relativa al caso Germania c. Italia: profili di diritto intertemporale

The author comments on the judgment delivered by the ICJ on 3rd February 2012 in the case of Germany v. Italy, concerning jurisdictional immunity of the State against actions for compensation in respect of crimes committed during World War II. The article focuses on the intertemporal law aspects of the case, commenting that the ICJ, while correctly identifying State immunity rules as having a procedural nature, failed in clarifying that whenever their application requires a qualification of the relevant facts, this is to be performed pursuant to the law in force at the time they were committed. Arguably, at the time of the conflict, the category of jus cogens norms had not yet been sufficiently established, nor had a special regime of State responsibility for international crimes or for serious breaches of peremptory rules of general international law developed yet. Therefore, the supposed prevalence of the breached norms on State immunity rules, which the ICJ has correctly excluded due to the different nature of either set of rules, arguably was to be excluded for intertemporal reasons altogether

SATEN III - Splitting Adjuvant Treatment of stage III ENdometrial cancers: An international, multicenter study

Introduction: The purposes of this study were to compare adjuvant treatment modalities and to determine prognostic factors in stage III endometrioid endometrial cancer (EC). Methods: SATEN III was a retrospective study involving 13 centers from 10 countries. Patients who had been operated on between 1998 and 2018 and diagnosed with stage III endometrioid EC were analyzed. Results: A total of 990 women were identified; 317 with stage IIIA, 18 with stage IIIB, and 655 with stage IIIC diseases. The median follow-up was 42 months. The 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) of patients with stage III EC by adjuvant treatment modality was 68.5% for radiotherapy (RT), 54.6% for chemotherapy (CT), and 69.4% for chemoradiation (CRT) (p=0.11). The 5-year overall survival (OS) for those patients was 75.6% for RT, 75% for CT, and 80.7% for CRT (p=0.48). For patients with stage IIIA disease treated by RT versus CT versus CRT, the 5-year OS rates were 75.6%, 75.0%, and 80.7%, respectively (p=0.48). Negative peritoneal cytology (HR: 0.45, 95% CI: 0.23 to 0.86; p=0.02) and performance of lymphadenectomy (HR: 0.33, 95% CI: 0.16 to 0.77, p=0.001) were independent predictors for improved OS for stage IIIA EC. For women with stage IIIC EC treated by RT, CT, and CRT, the 5-year OS rates were 78.9%, 67.0%, and 69.8%, respectively (p=0.08). Independent prognostic factors for better OS for stage IIIC disease were age <60 (HR: 0.50, 95%CI: 0.36 to 0.69, p<0.001), grade 1 or 2 disease (HR: 0.59, 95% CI: 0.37 to 0.94, p=0.014; and HR: 0.65, 95%CI: 0.46 to 0.91, p=0.014, respectively), absence of cervical stromal involvement (HR: 063, 95% CI: 0.46 to 0.86, p=0.004) and performance of para-aortic lymphadenectomy (HR: 0.52, 95% CI: 0.35 to 0.72, p<0.001). Discussion: Although not statistically significant, CRT seemed to be a better adjuvant treatment option for stage IIIA endometrioid EC. Systematic lymphadenectomy seemed to improve survival outcomes in stage III endometrioid EC. © 2019 IGCS and ESGO