Applying Model-Driven Web Engineering to the Testing Phase of the ADAGIO Project

The Model-Driven Engineering (MDE) has been used in recent years to promote better results in the development of Web Applications, in the field that has been called Model-Driven Web Engineering (MDWE). One of the advantages of applying MDWE is that it offers a solution to reduce the cost of the tests without affecting their quality execution. This paper presents the application of a MDWE methodology (Navigational Development Techniques, NDT) that provides support for all the phases of the lifecycle of a software project development proposing transformations between these phases, to manage the test phase of a real-world case study named ADAGIO. This project, among other goals, proposes the development of a web application whose main objective is to offer researchers the possibility of integrating and consolidating heterogeneous data sources, showing a unified vision of them, allowing to simplify the search task in different repositories as well as the relationship between the sources found.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad TIN2016- 76956-C3-2-

Generación de pruebas del sistema en el desarrollo del proyecto ADAGIO mediante la aplicación de NDT

La ingeniería guiada por modelos (MDE) se ha utilizado en los últimos años para promover mejores resultados en el desarrollo de aplicaciones web, en el campo que se ha denominado ingeniería web guiada por modelos (MDWE). Una de las ventajas de aplicar MDWE es que ofrece una solución para reducir el coste de las pruebas sin afectar a su ejecución ni la calidad de las mismas. Navigational Development Techniques (NDT), es una metodología que proporciona soporte para todas las fases del ciclo de vida del desarrollo de un proyecto de software, proponiendo transformaciones automáticas entre dichas fases, sin embargo, en este trabajo, aunque se describe brevemente cómo se ha hecho uso de NDT para la definición de las fases de requisitos y análisis, se hace hincapié en el uso de la metodología para la definición de la fase de pruebas de un proyecto real denominado ADAGIO. La aplicación de esta metodología proporciona un mayor índice de cobertura de pruebas del sistema y, consecuentemente, un incremento en la calidad del producto

RENEB accident simulation exercise

Purpose: The RENEB accident exercise was carried out in order to train the RENEB participants in coordinating and managing potentially large data sets that would be generated in case of a major radiological event. Materials and methods: Each participant was offered the possibility to activate the network by sending an alerting email about a simulated radiation emergency. The same participant had to collect, compile and report capacity, triage categorization and exposure scenario results obtained from all other participants. The exercise was performed over 27 weeks and involved the network consisting of 28 institutes: 21 RENEB members, four candidates and three non-RENEB partners. Results: The duration of a single exercise never exceeded 10 days, while the response from the assisting laboratories never came later than within half a day. During each week of the exercise, around 4500 samples were reported by all service laboratories (SL) to be examined and 54 scenarios were coherently estimated by all laboratories (the standard deviation from the mean of all SL answers for a given scenario category and a set of data was not larger than 3 patient codes). Conclusions: Each participant received training in both the role of a reference laboratory (activating the network) and of a service laboratory (responding to an activation request). The procedures in the case of radiological event were successfully established and tested

Antimicrobial resistance among migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are rising globally and there is concern that increased migration is contributing to the burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe. However, the effect of migration on the burden of AMR in Europe has not yet been comprehensively examined. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and synthesise data for AMR carriage or infection in migrants to Europe to examine differences in patterns of AMR across migrant groups and in different settings. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus with no language restrictions from Jan 1, 2000, to Jan 18, 2017, for primary data from observational studies reporting antibacterial resistance in common bacterial pathogens among migrants to 21 European Union-15 and European Economic Area countries. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to report data on carriage or infection with laboratory-confirmed antibiotic-resistant organisms in migrant populations. We extracted data from eligible studies and assessed quality using piloted, standardised forms. We did not examine drug resistance in tuberculosis and excluded articles solely reporting on this parameter. We also excluded articles in which migrant status was determined by ethnicity, country of birth of participants' parents, or was not defined, and articles in which data were not disaggregated by migrant status. Outcomes were carriage of or infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms. We used random-effects models to calculate the pooled prevalence of each outcome. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016043681. FINDINGS: We identified 2274 articles, of which 23 observational studies reporting on antibiotic resistance in 2319 migrants were included. The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or AMR infection in migrants was 25·4% (95% CI 19·1-31·8; I2 =98%), including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (7·8%, 4·8-10·7; I2 =92%) and antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (27·2%, 17·6-36·8; I2 =94%). The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or infection was higher in refugees and asylum seekers (33·0%, 18·3-47·6; I2 =98%) than in other migrant groups (6·6%, 1·8-11·3; I2 =92%). The pooled prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms was slightly higher in high-migrant community settings (33·1%, 11·1-55·1; I2 =96%) than in migrants in hospitals (24·3%, 16·1-32·6; I2 =98%). We did not find evidence of high rates of transmission of AMR from migrant to host populations. INTERPRETATION: Migrants are exposed to conditions favouring the emergence of drug resistance during transit and in host countries in Europe. Increased antibiotic resistance among refugees and asylum seekers and in high-migrant community settings (such as refugee camps and detention facilities) highlights the need for improved living conditions, access to health care, and initiatives to facilitate detection of and appropriate high-quality treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections during transit and in host countries. Protocols for the prevention and control of infection and for antibiotic surveillance need to be integrated in all aspects of health care, which should be accessible for all migrant groups, and should target determinants of AMR before, during, and after migration. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College Healthcare Charity, the Wellcome Trust, and UK National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and Antimictobial Resistance at Imperial College London

Protocolo transdiagnóstico PsicAP de entrenamiento cognitivo-conductual en grupo para trastornos emocionales

Anxiety disorders and depression are highly prevalent today. The PsicAP clinical trial showed that adding 7 sessions of group cognitive-behavioural training with a transdiagnostic approach to the usual treatment of emotional disorders in adult primary care patients increased efficacy and cost-effectiveness in reducing symptom levels, reduced disability and improved quality of life. In this work, these 7 sessions of the PsicAP protocol of transdiagnostic treatment are described, aimed at intervening on the factors common to the different disorders: cognitive distortions and emotional regulation strategies. It is an intervention based on learning through psychoeducation, cognitive restructuring, relaxation, behavioural techniques and relapse prevention. It concludes by arguing about the usefulness of this protocol to reduce the gap between research and clinical practice, something necessary in today's societyLos trastornos de ansiedad y la depresión son altamente prevalentes en la sociedad actual. El ensayo clínico PsicAP demostró que añadir 7 sesiones de entrenamiento cognitivo-conductual en grupo con enfoque transdiagnóstico al tratamiento habitual de trastornos emocionales en pacientes adultos de atención primaria aumentó la eficacia y coste-efectividad para reducir los niveles de síntomas, redujo la discapacidad y mejoró la calidad de vida. En este trabajo se describen esas 7 sesiones del protocolo PsicAP de tratamiento transdiagnóstico, dirigido a la intervención sobre los factores comunes a los distintos trastornos: las distorsiones cognitivas y las estrategias de regulación emocional. Se trata de una intervención basada en el aprendizaje mediante psicoeducación, reestructuración cognitiva, relajación, técnicas conductuales y prevención de recaídas. Se concluye argumentando sobre la utilidad de este protocolo para reducir la brecha entre investigación y práctica clínica, algo necesario en la sociedad actua

O 6º objetivo da agenda dos ODS da ONU: Debates sobre água segura y saneamento básico universalizado.

El proyecto de Trabajo Comunal Universitario (TCU) No. 540: Procesos pedagógicos y didácticos para la enseñanza de los derechos humanos y la convivencia pacífica, coordinado por la Dra. Marcela Moreno Buján, con la cooperación académica del proyecto de extensión docente Grupo de Pesquisa Derecho y Sustentabilidad (GPDS), coordinado por el Dr. Carlos Peralta Montero, han unido esfuerzos para organizar y publicar la Colección “Comunidad Académica y COVID 19”. Esta colección, conformada por tres volúmenes, forma parte de la sistematización de experiencias relacionadas con las temáticas abordadas por el TCU No. 540 y el GPDS. Este volumen está compuesto por doce capítulos, desarrollados por veintiocho académicos costarricenses, brasileños y colombianos donde se reflexiona de manera interdisciplinaria sobre el sexto objetivo de la agenda de los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible (ODS) de la ONU en el contexto de pandemia actual.UCR::Vicerrectoría de Acción Social::Trabajo Comunal Universitario (TCU

Antidiabetic Drug Prescription Pattern in Hospitalized Older Patients with Diabetes

Objective: To describe the prescription pattern of antidiabetic and cardiovascular drugs in a cohort of hospitalized older patients with diabetes. Methods: Patients with diabetes aged 65 years or older hospitalized in internal medicine and/or geriatric wards throughout Italy and enrolled in the REPOSI (REgistro POliterapuie SIMI—Società Italiana di Medicina Interna) registry from 2010 to 2019 and discharged alive were included. Results: Among 1703 patients with diabetes, 1433 (84.2%) were on treatment with at least one antidiabetic drug at hospital admission, mainly prescribed as monotherapy with insulin (28.3%) or metformin (19.2%). The proportion of treated patients decreased at discharge (N = 1309, 76.9%), with a significant reduction over time. Among those prescribed, the proportion of those with insulin alone increased over time (p = 0.0066), while the proportion of those prescribed sulfonylureas decreased (p < 0.0001). Among patients receiving antidiabetic therapy at discharge, 1063 (81.2%) were also prescribed cardiovascular drugs, mainly with an antihypertensive drug alone or in combination (N = 777, 73.1%). Conclusion: The management of older patients with diabetes in a hospital setting is often sub-optimal, as shown by the increasing trend in insulin at discharge, even if an overall improvement has been highlighted by the prevalent decrease in sulfonylureas prescription

Prescription appropriateness of anti-diabetes drugs in elderly patients hospitalized in a clinical setting: evidence from the REPOSI Register

Diabetes is an increasing global health burden with the highest prevalence (24.0%) observed in elderly people. Older diabetic adults have a greater risk of hospitalization and several geriatric syndromes than older nondiabetic adults. For these conditions, special care is required in prescribing therapies including anti- diabetes drugs. Aim of this study was to evaluate the appropriateness and the adherence to safety recommendations in the prescriptions of glucose-lowering drugs in hospitalized elderly patients with diabetes. Data for this cross-sectional study were obtained from the REgistro POliterapie-Società Italiana Medicina Interna (REPOSI) that collected clinical information on patients aged ≥ 65 years acutely admitted to Italian internal medicine and geriatric non-intensive care units (ICU) from 2010 up to 2019. Prescription appropriateness was assessed according to the 2019 AGS Beers Criteria and anti-diabetes drug data sheets.Among 5349 patients, 1624 (30.3%) had diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. At admission, 37.7% of diabetic patients received treatment with metformin, 37.3% insulin therapy, 16.4% sulfonylureas, and 11.4% glinides. Surprisingly, only 3.1% of diabetic patients were treated with new classes of anti- diabetes drugs. According to prescription criteria, at admission 15.4% of patients treated with metformin and 2.6% with sulfonylureas received inappropriately these treatments. At discharge, the inappropriateness of metformin therapy decreased (10.2%, P < 0.0001). According to Beers criteria, the inappropriate prescriptions of sulfonylureas raised to 29% both at admission and at discharge. This study shows a poor adherence to current guidelines on diabetes management in hospitalized elderly people with a high prevalence of inappropriate use of sulfonylureas according to the Beers criteria

Clonal chromosomal mosaicism and loss of chromosome Y in elderly men increase vulnerability for SARS-CoV-2

The pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19) had an estimated overall case fatality ratio of 1.38% (pre-vaccination), being 53% higher in males and increasing exponentially with age. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, we found 133 cases (1.42%) with detectable clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations (mCA) and 226 males (5.08%) with acquired loss of chromosome Y (LOY). Individuals with clonal mosaic events (mCA and/or LOY) showed a 54% increase in the risk of COVID-19 lethality. LOY is associated with transcriptomic biomarkers of immune dysfunction, pro-coagulation activity and cardiovascular risk. Interferon-induced genes involved in the initial immune response to SARS-CoV-2 are also down-regulated in LOY. Thus, mCA and LOY underlie at least part of the sex-biased severity and mortality of COVID-19 in aging patients. Given its potential therapeutic and prognostic relevance, evaluation of clonal mosaicism should be implemented as biomarker of COVID-19 severity in elderly people. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, individuals with clonal mosaic events (clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations and/or loss of chromosome Y) showed an increased risk of COVID-19 lethality

SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility and COVID-19 disease severity are associated with genetic variants affecting gene expression in a variety of tissues

Variability in SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility and COVID-19 disease severity between individuals is partly due to genetic factors. Here, we identify 4 genomic loci with suggestive associations for SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility and 19 for COVID-19 disease severity. Four of these 23 loci likely have an ethnicity-specific component. Genome-wide association study (GWAS) signals in 11 loci colocalize with expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) associated with the expression of 20 genes in 62 tissues/cell types (range: 1:43 tissues/gene), including lung, brain, heart, muscle, and skin as well as the digestive system and immune system. We perform genetic fine mapping to compute 99% credible SNP sets, which identify 10 GWAS loci that have eight or fewer SNPs in the credible set, including three loci with one single likely causal SNP. Our study suggests that the diverse symptoms and disease severity of COVID-19 observed between individuals is associated with variants across the genome, affecting gene expression levels in a wide variety of tissue types