A framework for reuse of multi-view UML artifacts

Abstract-Software is typically modeled from different viewpoints such as structural view, behavioral view and functional view. Few existing works can be considered as applying multi-view retrieval approaches. A number of important issues regarding mapping of entities during multiview retrieval of UML models is identified in this study. In response, we describe a framework for reusing UML artifacts, and discuss how our retrieval approach tackles the identified issues

Burnout among surgeons before and during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: an international survey

Background: SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has had many significant impacts within the surgical realm, and surgeons have been obligated to reconsider almost every aspect of daily clinical practice. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study reported in compliance with the CHERRIES guidelines and conducted through an online platform from June 14th to July 15th, 2020. The primary outcome was the burden of burnout during the pandemic indicated by the validated Shirom-Melamed Burnout Measure. Results: Nine hundred fifty-four surgeons completed the survey. The median length of practice was 10 years; 78.2% included were male with a median age of 37 years old, 39.5% were consultants, 68.9% were general surgeons, and 55.7% were affiliated with an academic institution. Overall, there was a significant increase in the mean burnout score during the pandemic; longer years of practice and older age were significantly associated with less burnout. There were significant reductions in the median number of outpatient visits, operated cases, on-call hours, emergency visits, and research work, so, 48.2% of respondents felt that the training resources were insufficient. The majority (81.3%) of respondents reported that their hospitals were included in the management of COVID-19, 66.5% felt their roles had been minimized; 41% were asked to assist in non-surgical medical practices, and 37.6% of respondents were included in COVID-19 management. Conclusions: There was a significant burnout among trainees. Almost all aspects of clinical and research activities were affected with a significant reduction in the volume of research, outpatient clinic visits, surgical procedures, on-call hours, and emergency cases hindering the training. Trial registration: The study was registered on clicaltrials.gov "NCT04433286" on 16/06/2020

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Medical students’ perceptions towards implementing case-based learning in the clinical teaching and clerkship training

Abstract Background Depending on the subject area and the ‘case’ used, many methods can be used to describe case-based learning (CBL). The majority of health professional education is patient-centered. As a result, clinical presentations and diseases are combined with social and clinical sciences, and student learning is linked to real-world applications. The purpose of this study was to evaluate how medical students at the Faculty of Medicine, National Ribat University, felt about the implementation of CBL. Methods This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 171 final-year medical students (100 females and 71 males). Students were voluntarily invited to complete a self-administered questionnaire consisting of 15 closed-ended questions with 5-point Likert scale responses, covering data on perception, awareness, and barriers to CBL. Results The CBL satisfaction rate among medical students was 92.4%. The mean value of the medical student’s perception was 3.7 out of 5. Regarding perceptions of CBL, 65.5% of students agreed with the positive impact of CBL on their academic performance. “8.2%” (14/171) of students strongly concur that CBL improved teamwork, while “31.6%” (54/171) strongly disagree. “36.3%” of students strongly believe that CBL improved their ability to use clinical reasoning. Regarding CBL barriers, 53% of medical students considered a group of twenty participants per session to be a barrier. (69%) of students refused to consider physical presence as a barrier. “76.6%” of the students agreed that the moderator’s approach and style can have a big influence on the CBL session’s outcome. Conclusion Overall, students had positive perceptions of CBL. Academic performance, clinical reasoning, teamwork, and information retention and retrieval were all improved by incorporating CBL into training modules. Students agreed that the group size of 20 students per session was a barrier, despite their moderate to excellent knowledge of CBL. Preparation for CBL is both time-consuming and tiring. Despite this, students agree that CBL has a positive impact on the learning process

The Sudden Development of Multi-Organ Lesions in a Patient With Pulmonary Sarcoidosis: A Case Report

Introduction . Sarcoidosis is a systemic granulomatous inflammatory disease that can involve almost any organ system in the human body. It most frequently presents with pulmonary infiltrates, hilar lymphadenopathy, and skin lesions. Clinical and subclinical involvement of other organ systems is not uncommon. However, the simultaneous development of clinically apparent multisystem sarcoidosis is very rare. Case Description . This 44-year-old Caucasian man presented to an outpatient clinic with a 2-month history of fatigue, night sweats, weight loss, loss of appetite, and mild abdominal discomfort. Initial laboratory finding showed elevated liver enzymes. Imaging studies revealed cirrhotic liver with steatosis, few enhancing hepatic masses, and multiple enlarged periaortic and portocaval lymph nodes. Liver biopsy revealed scattered necrotizing granulomatous hepatitis. Positron emission tomography scan showed extensive hepatic uptake, diffuse lymphadenopathy, as well as numerous fluorodeoxyglucose-avid osseous lesions. After extensive workup to rule out malignancy and infectious etiologies, a diagnosis of diffuse multi-organ sarcoidosis was made. He was ultimately treated with methotrexate and steroids, resulting in marked improvement in symptoms and liver function, with stable disease on repeat imaging. Conclusion . Diffuse multi-organ sarcoidosis is often associated with widespread lymphadenopathy and osseous lesions, which appear indistinguishable from malignancy on imaging. The angiotensin converting enzyme levels and inflammatory markers may be normal. Clinicians should be aware of the possibility of diffuse systemic sarcoidosis in any patient with a remote sarcoidosis history and the simultaneous development of multi-organ–related symptoms

Epidemiology of surgery associated acute kidney injury (EPIS-AKI): a prospective international observational multi-center clinical study

Purpose: The incidence, patient features, risk factors and outcomes of surgery-associated postoperative acute kidney injury (PO-AKI) across different countries and health care systems is unclear. Methods: We conducted an international prospective, observational, multi-center study in 30 countries in patients undergoing major surgery (> 2-h duration and postoperative intensive care unit (ICU) or high dependency unit admission). The primary endpoint was the occurrence of PO-AKI within 72 h of surgery defined by the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) criteria. Secondary endpoints included PO-AKI severity and duration, use of renal replacement therapy (RRT), mortality, and ICU and hospital length of stay. Results: We studied 10,568 patients and 1945 (18.4%) developed PO-AKI (1236 (63.5%) KDIGO stage 1500 (25.7%) KDIGO stage 2209 (10.7%) KDIGO stage 3). In 33.8% PO-AKI was persistent, and 170/1945 (8.7%) of patients with PO-AKI received RRT in the ICU. Patients with PO-AKI had greater ICU (6.3% vs. 0.7%) and hospital (8.6% vs. 1.4%) mortality, and longer ICU (median 2 (Q1-Q3, 1-3) days vs. 3 (Q1-Q3, 1-6) days) and hospital length of stay (median 14 (Q1-Q3, 9-24) days vs. 10 (Q1-Q3, 7-17) days). Risk factors for PO-AKI included older age, comorbidities (hypertension, diabetes, chronic kidney disease), type, duration and urgency of surgery as well as intraoperative vasopressors, and aminoglycosides administration. Conclusion: In a comprehensive multinational study, approximately one in five patients develop PO-AKI after major surgery. Increasing severity of PO-AKI is associated with a progressive increase in adverse outcomes. Our findings indicate that PO-AKI represents a significant burden for health care worldwide

Acute kidney disease beyond day 7 after major surgery: a secondary analysis of the EPIS-AKI trial

Purpose: Acute kidney disease (AKD) is a significant health care burden worldwide. However, little is known about this complication after major surgery. Methods: We conducted an international prospective, observational, multi-center study among patients undergoing major surgery. The primary study endpoint was the incidence of AKD (defined as new onset of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eCFR) < 60 ml/min/1.73 m2 present on day 7 or later) among survivors. Secondary endpoints included the relationship between early postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI) (within 72 h after major surgery) and subsequent AKD, the identification of risk factors for AKD, and the rate of chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression in patients with pre-existing CKD. Results: We studied 9510 patients without pre-existing CKD. Of these, 940 (9.9%) developed AKD after 7 days of whom 34.1% experiencing an episode of early postoperative-AKI. Rates of AKD after 7 days significantly increased with the severity (19.1% Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes [KDIGO] 1, 24.5% KDIGO2, 34.3% KDIGO3; P < 0.001) and duration (15.5% transient vs 38.3% persistent AKI; P < 0.001) of early postoperative-AKI. Independent risk factors for AKD included early postoperative-AKI, exposure to perioperative nephrotoxic agents, and postoperative pneumonia. Early postoperative-AKI carried an independent odds ratio for AKD of 2.64 (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.21-3.15). Of 663 patients with pre-existing CKD, 42 (6.3%) had worsening CKD at day 90. In patients with CKD and an episode of early AKI, CKD progression occurred in 11.6%. Conclusion: One in ten major surgery patients developed AKD beyond 7 days after surgery, in most cases without an episode of early postoperative-AKI. However, early postoperative-AKI severity and duration were associated with an increased rate of AKD and early postoperative-AKI was strongly associated with AKD independent of all other potential risk factors