228 research outputs found

    Time Prediction on Multi-perspective Declarative Business Processes

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    Process-aware information systems (PAISs) are increasingly used to provide flexible support for business processes. The support given through a PAIS is greatly enhanced when it is able to provide accurate time predictions which is typically a very challenging task. Predictions should be (1) multi-dimensional and (2) not based on a single process instance. Furthermore, the prediction system should be able to (3) adapt to changing circumstances and (4) deal with multi-perspective declarative languages (e.g., models which consider time, resource, data and control flow perspectives). In this work, a novel approach for generating time predictions considering the aforementioned characteristics is proposed. For this, first, a multi-perspective constraint-based language is used to model the scenario. Thereafter, an optimized enactment plan (representing a potential execution alternative) is generated from such a model considering the current execution state of the process instances. Finally, pre-dictions are performed by evaluating a desired function over this enactment plan. To evaluate the applicability of our approach in practical settings we apply it to a real process scenario. Despite the high complexity of the considered problems, results indicate that our approach produces a satisfactory number of good predictions in a reasonable time.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad TIN2016-76956-C3-2-RMinisterio de Economía y Competitividad TIN2015-71618-

    Phenotypic Characterization of Macrophages from Rat Kidney by Flow Cytometry

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    There is increasing evidence suggesting the important role of inflammation and, subsequently, macrophages in the development and progression of renal disease. Macrophages are heterogeneous cells that have been implicated in kidney injury. Macrophages may be classified into two different phenotypes: classically activated macrophages (M1 macrophages), that release pro-inflammatory cytokines and promote fibrosis; and alternatively activated macrophages (M2 macrophages) that are associated with immunoregulatory and tissue-remodeling functions. These macrophage phenotypes need to be discriminated and analyzed to determine their contribution to renal injury. However, there are scarce studies reporting consistent phenotypic and functional information about macrophage subtypes in inflammatory renal disease models, especially in rats. This fact may be related to the limited macrophage markers used in rats, contrary to mice. Therefore, novel strategies are necessary to quantify and characterize the renal content of these infiltrating cells in a reliable way. This manuscript details a protocol for kidney digestion and further phenotypic and quantitative analysis of macrophages from rat kidneys by flow cytometry. Briefly, kidneys were incubated with collagenase and total macrophages were identified according to the dual presence of CD45 (leukocytes common antigen) and CD68 (PAN macrophage marker) in live cells.This was followed by surface staining of CD86 (M1 marker) and CD163 (M2 marker). Rat peritoneal macrophages were used as positive control for macrophage marker detection by flow cytometry. Our protocol resulted in low cellular mortality and allowed characterization of different intracellular and surface protein markers, thus limiting the loss of cellular integrity observed in other protocols. Moreover, this procedure allows the use of macrophages for further techniques, including cell sorting and mRNA or protein expression studies, among others.This work was supported by grants from FIS/FEDER (Programa Miguel Servet: CP10/00479, PI13/00802 and PI14/00883), Spanish Society of Atherosclerosis, Spanish Society of Nephrology and Fundaciòn Renal Iñigo Alvarez de Toledo (FRIAT) to Juan Antonio Moreno. FIS/FEDER funds PI14/00386 and Instituto Reina Sofìa de Investigaciòn Nefrològica to Jesús Egido. Fundaciòn Conchita Rabago to Melania Guerrero Hue. Fundaciòn Renal Iñigo Alvarez de Toledo (FRIAT) to Alfonso Rubio Navarro.S

    Epidemiological and virological surveillance of mumps, Spain 2005-2022

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    Artículo[ES]Introducción: La parotiditis es una enfermedad frecuente, que sigue causando brotes incluso en poblaciones bien vacunadas. El objetivo de este estudio ha sido describir el patrón epidemiológico de la enfermedad y la calidad de la vigilancia de la parotiditis en España. Método: Fuentes: casos notificados a Red Nacional de Vigilancia Epidemiológica (RENAVE) entre 2005-2022 y resultados del programa de vigilancia microbiológica de parotiditis (PVMP) del Centro Nacional de Microbiología (CNM) entre 2016-2021. Se analizaron los casos por año, comunidad autónoma, sexo, edad, tipo de caso, vacunación e investigación de laboratorio. Se calcularon tasas anuales y de periodo. Del PVMP se analizaron muestras y determinaciones realizadas. Se analizó la cumplimentación de variables y la integración de la información de laboratorio en los casos notificados. Resultados: Se describen tres ondas epidémicas: 2005-2009, 2010-2014 y 2015-2020. La incidencia fue mínima en 2021 recuperándose ligeramente en 2022. La parotiditis afectó fundamentalmente a adolescentes y adultos jóvenes. El 32% de todos los casos estaban vacunados con dos dosis. Solo El 48% de los casos sospechosos investigados se confirmaron La saliva presentó la mayor tasa de positividad de PCR. La cumplimentación es adecuada para variables sociodemográficas, baja para la vacunación y muy baja para la gravedad. La información de laboratorio obtenida en el CNM en general no se notifica a RENAVE. Conclusiones: la parotiditis es una enfermedad frecuente que se debe monitorizar. Toda la información generada en actividades de vigilancia debe integrarse en un mismo sistema que sirva para la acción en salud pública. [EN] Introduction: mumps is a common disease, which continues to cause outbreaks even in well-vaccinat-ed vaccinated populations. The objective is to describe the surveillance of mumps in Spain. We present the analysis of cases reported to RENAVE (National epidemiological surveillance network) between 2005 and 2022 and the results of the mumps microbiological surveillance programme (PVMP) of the CNM (National Center of Microbiology) between 2016 and 2021. The completion of the variables and the integration of laboratory information in the reported cases are analysed.Method: Sources: cases reported to RENAVE and cases and samples from the CNM’s PVMP. Cases are analysed by year, autonomous community, sex and age, type of case, vaccination and laboratory data. Annual and period rates are calculated. Samples and determinations are analysed for PVMP.Results: Three epidemic waves are described: 2005-2009, 2010-2014 and 2015-2020. Incidence was minimal in 2021, recovering slightly in 2022. Mumps mainly affects adolescents and young adults. 32% of cases are vaccinated with two doses. Only 48% of investigated cases are confirmed. Saliva has the best PCR positivity rate. Completion is adequate for sociodemographic variables, low for vaccination and very low for severity. Information on laboratory studies performed in CNM is generally, not re-ported to RENAVE.Conclusions: Mumps is a common disease that should be monitored. All information generated in surveillance activities should be integrated into a single system devoted for public health action.N

    Comparison of seven prognostic tools to identify low-risk pulmonary embolism in patients aged <50 years

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    Viral RNA load in plasma is associated with critical illness and a dysregulated host response in COVID‑19

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    Background. COVID-19 can course with respiratory and extrapulmonary disease. SARS-CoV-2 RNA is detected in respiratory samples but also in blood, stool and urine. Severe COVID-19 is characterized by a dysregulated host response to this virus. We studied whether viral RNAemia or viral RNA load in plasma is associated with severe COVID-19 and also to this dysregulated response. Methods. A total of 250 patients with COVID-19 were recruited (50 outpatients, 100 hospitalized ward patients and 100 critically ill). Viral RNA detection and quantification in plasma was performed using droplet digital PCR, targeting the N1 and N2 regions of the SARS-CoV-2 nucleoprotein gene. The association between SARS-CoV-2 RNAemia and viral RNA load in plasma with severity was evaluated by multivariate logistic regression. Correlations between viral RNA load and biomarkers evidencing dysregulation of host response were evaluated by calculating the Spearman correlation coefficients. Results. The frequency of viral RNAemia was higher in the critically ill patients (78%) compared to ward patients (27%) and outpatients (2%) (p < 0.001). Critical patients had higher viral RNA loads in plasma than non-critically ill patients, with non-survivors showing the highest values. When outpatients and ward patients were compared, viral RNAemia did not show significant associations in the multivariate analysis. In contrast, when ward patients were compared with ICU patients, both viral RNAemia and viral RNA load in plasma were associated with critical illness (OR [CI 95%], p): RNAemia (3.92 [1.183–12.968], 0.025), viral RNA load (N1) (1.962 [1.244–3.096], 0.004); viral RNA load (N2) (2.229 [1.382–3.595], 0.001). Viral RNA load in plasma correlated with higher levels of chemokines (CXCL10, CCL2), biomarkers indicative of a systemic inflammatory response (IL-6, CRP, ferritin), activation of NK cells (IL-15), endothelial dysfunction (VCAM-1, angiopoietin-2, ICAM-1), coagulation activation (D-Dimer and INR), tissue damage (LDH, GPT), neutrophil response (neutrophils counts, myeloperoxidase, GM-CSF) and immunodepression (PD-L1, IL-10, lymphopenia and monocytopenia). Conclusions. SARS-CoV-2 RNAemia and viral RNA load in plasma are associated with critical illness in COVID-19. Viral RNA load in plasma correlates with key signatures of dysregulated host responses, suggesting a major role of uncontrolled viral replication in the pathogenesis of this disease.This work was supported by awards from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Canadian 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Rapid Research Funding initiative (CIHR OV2 – 170357), Research Nova Scotia (DJK), Atlantic Genome/Genome Canada (DJK), Li-Ka Shing Foundation (DJK), Dalhousie Medical Research Foundation (DJK), the “Subvenciones de concesión directa para proyectos y programas de investigación del virus SARS‐CoV2, causante del COVID‐19”, FONDO–COVID19, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (COV20/00110, CIBERES, 06/06/0028), (AT) and fnally by the “Convocatoria extraordinaria y urgente de la Gerencia Regional de Salud de Castilla y León, para la fnanciación de proyectos de investigación en enfermedad COVID-19” (GRS COVID 53/A/20) (CA). DJK is a recipient of the Canada Research Chair in Translational Vaccinology and Infammation. APT was funded by the Sara Borrell Research Grant CD018/0123 funded by Instituto de Salud Carlos III and co-fnanced by the European Development Regional Fund (A Way to Achieve Europe programme). The funding sources did not play any role neither in the design of the study and collection, not in the analysis, in the interpretation of data or in writing the manuscript

    Rate and duration of hospitalisation for acute pulmonary embolism in the real-world clinical practice of different countries : Analysis from the RIETE registry

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    Children’s and adolescents’ rising animal-source food intakes in 1990–2018 were impacted by age, region, parental education and urbanicity

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    Animal-source foods (ASF) provide nutrition for children and adolescents’ physical and cognitive development. Here, we use data from the Global Dietary Database and Bayesian hierarchical models to quantify global, regional and national ASF intakes between 1990 and 2018 by age group across 185 countries, representing 93% of the world’s child population. Mean ASF intake was 1.9 servings per day, representing 16% of children consuming at least three daily servings. Intake was similar between boys and girls, but higher among urban children with educated parents. Consumption varied by age from 0.6 at <1 year to 2.5 servings per day at 15–19 years. Between 1990 and 2018, mean ASF intake increased by 0.5 servings per week, with increases in all regions except sub-Saharan Africa. In 2018, total ASF consumption was highest in Russia, Brazil, Mexico and Turkey, and lowest in Uganda, India, Kenya and Bangladesh. These findings can inform policy to address malnutrition through targeted ASF consumption programmes.publishedVersio

    Incident type 2 diabetes attributable to suboptimal diet in 184 countries

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    The global burden of diet-attributable type 2 diabetes (T2D) is not well established. This risk assessment model estimated T2D incidence among adults attributable to direct and body weight-mediated effects of 11 dietary factors in 184 countries in 1990 and 2018. In 2018, suboptimal intake of these dietary factors was estimated to be attributable to 14.1 million (95% uncertainty interval (UI), 13.8–14.4 million) incident T2D cases, representing 70.3% (68.8–71.8%) of new cases globally. Largest T2D burdens were attributable to insufficient whole-grain intake (26.1% (25.0–27.1%)), excess refined rice and wheat intake (24.6% (22.3–27.2%)) and excess processed meat intake (20.3% (18.3–23.5%)). Across regions, highest proportional burdens were in central and eastern Europe and central Asia (85.6% (83.4–87.7%)) and Latin America and the Caribbean (81.8% (80.1–83.4%)); and lowest proportional burdens were in South Asia (55.4% (52.1–60.7%)). Proportions of diet-attributable T2D were generally larger in men than in women and were inversely correlated with age. Diet-attributable T2D was generally larger among urban versus rural residents and higher versus lower educated individuals, except in high-income countries, central and eastern Europe and central Asia, where burdens were larger in rural residents and in lower educated individuals. Compared with 1990, global diet-attributable T2D increased by 2.6 absolute percentage points (8.6 million more cases) in 2018, with variation in these trends by world region and dietary factor. These findings inform nutritional priorities and clinical and public health planning to improve dietary quality and reduce T2D globally.publishedVersio

    A922 Sequential measurement of 1 hour creatinine clearance (1-CRCL) in critically ill patients at risk of acute kidney injury (AKI)

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    Search for dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks in √s = 13 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

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    A search for weakly interacting massive particle dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks is presented. Final states containing third-generation quarks and miss- ing transverse momentum are considered. The analysis uses 36.1 fb−1 of proton–proton collision data recorded by the ATLAS experiment at √s = 13 TeV in 2015 and 2016. No significant excess of events above the estimated backgrounds is observed. The results are in- terpreted in the framework of simplified models of spin-0 dark-matter mediators. For colour- neutral spin-0 mediators produced in association with top quarks and decaying into a pair of dark-matter particles, mediator masses below 50 GeV are excluded assuming a dark-matter candidate mass of 1 GeV and unitary couplings. For scalar and pseudoscalar mediators produced in association with bottom quarks, the search sets limits on the production cross- section of 300 times the predicted rate for mediators with masses between 10 and 50 GeV and assuming a dark-matter mass of 1 GeV and unitary coupling. Constraints on colour- charged scalar simplified models are also presented. Assuming a dark-matter particle mass of 35 GeV, mediator particles with mass below 1.1 TeV are excluded for couplings yielding a dark-matter relic density consistent with measurements
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