The annual recurrence risk model for tailored surveillance strategy in patients with cervical cancer

Purpose: Current guidelines for surveillance strategy in cervical cancer are rigid, recommending the same strategy for all survivors. The aim of this study was to develop a robust model allowing for individualised surveillance based on a patient's risk profile. Methods: Data of 4343 early-stage patients with cervical cancer treated between 2007 and 2016 were obtained from the international SCCAN (Surveillance in Cervical Cancer) consortium. The Cox proportional hazards model predicting disease-free survival (DFS) was developed and internally validated. The risk score, derived from regression coefficients of the model, stratified the cohort into significantly distinctive risk groups. On its basis, the annual recurrence risk model (ARRM) was calculated. Results: Five variables were included in the prognostic model: maximal pathologic tumour diameter; tumour histotype; grade; number of positive pelvic lymph nodes; and lymphovascular space invasion. Five risk groups significantly differing in prognosis were identified with a five-year DFS of 97.5%, 94.7%, 85.2% and 63.3% in increasing risk groups, whereas a two-year DFS in the highest risk group equalled 15.4%. Based on the ARRM, the annual recurrence risk in the lowest risk group was below 1% since the beginning of follow-up and declined below 1% at years three, four and >5 in the medium-risk groups. In the whole cohort, 26% of recurrences appeared at the first year of the follow-up, 48% by year two and 78% by year five. Conclusion: The ARRM represents a potent tool for tailoring the surveillance strategy in early-stage patients with cervical cancer based on the patient's risk status and respective annual recurrence risk. It can easily be used in routine clinical settings internationally

Requirement Analysis for the Design of Smart Logistics in SMEs

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Aligned nanofibres made of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) grafted to hyaluronan for potential healthcare applications

In this work, a hybrid copolymer consisting of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) grafted to hyaluronic acid (HA) was synthesised and characterised. Once formed, the P(3HB)-g-HA copolymer was soluble in water allowing a green electrospinning process. The diameters of nanofibres can be tailored by simply varying the Mw of polymer. The optimization of the process allowed to produce fibres of average diameter in the range of 100-150 nm and low polydispersity. The hydrophobic modification has not only increased the fibre diameter, but also the obtained layers were homogenous. At the nanoscale, the hybrid copolymer exhibited an unusual hairy topography. Moreover, the hardness and tensile properties of the hybrid were found to be superior compared to fibres made of unmodified HA. Particularly, this reinforcement was achieved at the longitudinal direction. Additionally, this work reports the use in the composition of a water-soluble copolymer containing photo cross-linkable moieties to produce insoluble materials post-electrospinning. The derivatives as well as their nanofibrous mats retain the biocompatibility of the natural polymers used for the fabrication

New trends in the economic systems management in the context of modern global challenges

New trends in the economic systems management in the context of modern global challenges: collective monograph / scientific edited by M. Bezpartochnyi, in 2 Vol. // VUZF University of Finance, Business and Entrepreneurship. – Sofia: VUZF Publishing House “St. Grigorii Bogoslov”, 2020. – Vol. 1. – 309 p

The Physiology and Proteomics of Drought Tolerance in Maize: Early Stomatal Closure as a Cause of Lower Tolerance to Short-Term Dehydration?

Understanding the response of a crop to drought is the first step in the breeding of tolerant genotypes. In our study, two maize (Zea mays L.) genotypes with contrasting sensitivity to dehydration were subjected to moderate drought conditions. The subsequent analysis of their physiological parameters revealed a decreased stomatal conductance accompanied by a slighter decrease in the relative water content in the sensitive genotype. In contrast, the tolerant genotype maintained open stomata and active photosynthesis, even under dehydration conditions. Drought-induced changes in the leaf proteome were analyzed by two independent approaches, 2D gel electrophoresis and iTRAQ analysis, which provided compatible but only partially overlapping results. Drought caused the up-regulation of protective and stress-related proteins (mainly chaperones and dehydrins) in both genotypes. The differences in the levels of various detoxification proteins corresponded well with the observed changes in the activities of antioxidant enzymes. The number and levels of up-regulated protective proteins were generally lower in the sensitive genotype, implying a reduced level of proteosynthesis, which was also indicated by specific changes in the components of the translation machinery. Based on these results, we propose that the hypersensitive early stomatal closure in the sensitive genotype leads to the inhibition of photosynthesis and, subsequently, to a less efficient synthesis of the protective/detoxification proteins that are associated with drought tolerance

Undergraduate dissertations and student performance in business studies and marketing, 2004-2009: evidence from an English business school

This report analyses the relationship between final year full-time students’ overall marks and their dissertation marks. A literature review identifies a number of previous studies of factors influencing undergraduate student achievement in higher education. However there is a paucity of studies which have included the role of the dissertation in their analyses. In the light of the extant literature, various factors that might impact on the dissertation marks of undergraduate students are identified. These factors are subject to empirical analysis via a data-set of full-time undergraduate students in Business Studies and Marketing attending the University of Huddersfield Business School between 2004 and 2009. It is found that there is no statistical difference in the performance of the (Business Studies) students for whom the dissertation is compulsory and those (Marketing) students for whom it is optional. The dissertation mark and the work placement are found to be major influences on the final year average mark. Gender is much less important. Second year marks are a good predictor of dissertation marks and final year marks

Geometrical imagination and knowledge of triangles at elementary schools

A pilot study concerning rudimentary knowledge of triangles and spatial imagination is submitted to 7th-grade pupils of an elementary school and students of the same age at a grammar school. The theory is important but practical problems are more interesting for students. Problems in spatial imagination allow a teacher to specify the level of students' mathematical abilities. The aim of this pre-research is to compare knowledge of pupils of an elementary school and a grammar school

Knowledge of quadrilateral at elementary school

Quadrilaterals are more difficult than triangles for some students of elementary schools. This pilot study compares knowledge of quadrilateral of pupils of elementary schools and pupils of the same age at grammar schools. Some students prefer algebra to geometry, because it includes practical problems. The aim of this pre-research is to find out differences in knowledge of quadrilaterals between pupils of elementary and grammar schools

Testing of geometrical imagination

The article deals with the geometric imagination in relation to intelligence tests. During an exploratory investigation of geometric imagination of pupils aged 15-18 years, a non-standardized test was created and evaluated, testing the partial and combinative abilities of students of this age group. The test consists of 40 tasks, and its evaluation process also contains a comparison of the results based on gender and mathematics mark