Fetuin A concentration in the second trimester amniotic fluid of fetuses with Trisomy 21 appears to be lower: phenotypic considerations

Objective: We investigated whether the concentration of the glycoprotein fetuin A is altered in the second trimester amniotic fluid of trisomy 21 pregnancies compared with euploid pregnancies. Methods. 25 pregnancies with an extra chromosome 21 were matched for maternal and gestational age with 25 pregnancies with normal karyotype. Levels of fetuin A in amniotic fluid were measured by a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit. Results: The median concentration of fetuin A in amniotic fluid of trisomy 21 pregnancies (5.3 ng/ml) was statistically significantly lower (P value = 0.008) compared with that in euploid pregnancies (6.8 ng/mL). Conclusion: Lower levels of fetuin A in trisomy 21 may indicate an association with altered metabolic pathways in this early stage that could potentially be associated with features of the syndrome, such as growth restriction or impaired osteogenesi

The Greek Government's Pandemic Policy towards Covid-19 as a Parameter of Political Competition through Different Media Channels. Game Theory Application as a Conceptual Framework for the Decision Making Process

This research is initially a conceptual framework of how we can use game theory as a tool to represent the Greek government's pandemic policy towards Covid-19. With this approach, we can investigate the political competition in different units of time (periods) and understand the differences and the decision-making process as a result of a general strategic political marketing plan and leadership style. We can also assess how citizens viewed the handling of the pandemic and how public opinion was formed about prevention and protection measures, and we can understand how the positive outcome evolves over time, taking into account other measurements such as public opinion surveys. We give an example of how we combine the data and use it in the game theory representation in matrix tables

The Greek Government's Pandemic Policy towards Covid-19 as a Parameter of Political Competition through Different Media Channels. Game Theory Application as a Conceptual Framework for the Decision Making Process

This research is initially a conceptual framework of how we can use game theory as a tool to represent the Greek government's pandemic policy towards Covid-19. With this approach, we can investigate the political competition in different units of time (periods) and understand the differences and the decision-making process as a result of a general strategic political marketing plan and leadership style. We can also assess how citizens viewed the handling of the pandemic and how public opinion was formed about prevention and protection measures, and we can understand how the positive outcome evolves over time, taking into account other measurements such as public opinion surveys. We give an example of how we combine the data and use it in the game theory representation in matrix tables

Accessible art in healthcare facilities: exploring perspectives of healthcare art for visually impaired people

Introduction: Art in healthcare facilities shows promising results in improving patients' health and well-being and, as such, meets the WHO's definition of health technology. Yet, it remains unclear if healthcare art equally benefits all users. Given the growing number of visually impaired people (VIP), it is valuable to determine whether healthcare art is accessible to VIP and to explore strategies for improving it.// Methods: This study employed a mixed methodology, which included (1) secondary research of 25 cases of healthcare art programmes to identify the presence of accessible art in healthcare facilities and the practices that influence it; (2) review of thirty-one Health Building Notes and four supplementary British guidelines on healthcare art to discover if the accessibility of art is required and identify which recommendations influence it; and (3) interview surveys of healthcare art practitioners from three London NHS Trusts to identify opportunities to increase arts accessibility.// Results and discussion: The evidence showed that healthcare art programmes were mostly inaccessible to VIP. Most healthcare art programmes did not involve VIP in the commissioning process and, thus, lacked procedures that could facilitate accessibility. There were not enough recommendations in the healthcare facility guidelines to support the accessibility of arts for VIP. The recommendations on artwork in healthcare facility guidelines could increase accessibility if particular conditions were met. Interviews with NHS trusts in London revealed numerous opportunities to improve arts accessibility for healthcare art programmes

Transtelephonic Electrocardiographic Transmission in the Preparticipation Screening of Athletes

Transtelephonic electrocardiographic transmission (TET) is the most widespread form of telecardiology since it enables clinicians to assess patients at a distance. The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy and effectiveness of TET either by fixed telephone line (POTS) or by mobile phone in the preparticipation screening of young athletes. A total of 506 players, aged 20.5 ± 6.2 years, from 23 soccer clubs in the prefecture of Thessaloniki, Greece, were physically examined in their playfields by a general practitioner (GP) and had their ECG recorded. In 142 cases, and on the judgment of the GP, the ECG was transmitted via POTS and/or global system for mobile communications (GSM) to a specialised medical centre where it was evaluated by a cardiologist. The mean total time for recording, storing, and transmitting the ECG was four minutes per subject. It was found that the success rate for transmission at first attempt was similar for both fixed and mobile networks, that is, 93% and 91%, respectively. The failure rate in the GSM network was correlated to the reception level at the site of transmission. Only in about half (n = 74) of the transmitted ECGs did the cardiologist confirm “abnormal” findings, although in 16, they were considered to be clinically insignificant. Consequently, 58 athletes were referred for further medical examination. Our results indicate that TET (either by fixed telephone line or by mobile phone) can ensure valid, reliable, and objective measurements, and significantly contribute to the application of medical screening in a great number of athletes. Therefore, it is recommended as an alternative diagnostic tool for the preparticipation screening of athletes living in remote areas

Non-Isothermal Crystallization Kinetics of PBSu/Biochar Composites Studied by Isoconversional and Model Fitting Methods

Non-isothermal crystallization of Poly(butylene succinate) (PBSu)/biochar composites was studied at various constant cooling rates using differential scanning calorimetry. The analysis of the kinetics data revealed that the overall crystallization rate and activation energy of the PBSu polymer were significantly influenced by the addition of biochar. Specifically, the PBSu/5% biochar composite with a higher filler content was more effective as a nucleation agent in the polymer matrix, as indicated by the nucleation activity (ψ) value of 0.45. The activation energy of the PBSu/5% biochar composite was found to be higher than that of the other compositions, while the nucleation activity of the PBSu/biochar composites decreased as the biochar content increased. The Avrami equation, which is commonly used to describe the kinetics of crystallization, was found to be limited in accurately predicting the non-isothermal crystallization behavior of PBSu and PBSu/biochar composites. Although the Nakamura/Hoffman–Lauritzen model performed well overall, it may not have accurately predicted the crystallization rate at the end of the process due to the possibility of secondary crystallization. Finally, the combination of the Šesták–Berggren model with the Hoffman–Lauritzen theory was found to accurately predict the crystallization behavior of the PBSu/biochar composites, indicating a complex crystallization mechanism involving both nucleation and growth. The Kg parameter of neat PBSu was found to be 0.7099 K2, while the melting temperature and glass transition temperature of neat PBSu were found to be 114.91 °C and 35 °C, respectively, very close to the measured values. The Avrami nucleation dimension n was found to 2.65 for PBSu/5% biochar composite indicating that the crystallization process is complex in the composites