Periodic Updates Research Articles

Diagnosis and treatment of infectious vaginitis: Proposal for a new algorithm.

Vaginitis is the most common gynecologic diagnosis in primary care, and most women have at least one episode during their lives. The need for standardized strategies to diagnose and treat vaginitis, both in primary care and among gynecologists, is emphasized. The Brazilian Group for Vaginal Infections (GBIV, acronym in Portuguese) aimed to update the practical approach to affected women by reviewing and discussing recent literature, and developing algorithms for diagnosis and treatment of vaginitis. A literature search within biomedical databases PubMed and SCieLo was conducted in January 2022. The available literature was evaluated by three experienced researchers, members of the GBIV, to summarize the main data and develop practical algorithms. Detailed algorithms were developed with the main goal to improve gynecological practice considering different scenarios and access to diagnostic tools, from the simplest to the most complex tests. Different age groups and specific contexts were also considered. The combination of anamnesis, gynecological examination, and complementary tests remains the basis of a proper diagnostic and therapeutic approach. Periodic updates of these algorithms are warranted as new evidence becomes available.

A 30-year Patch Testing Experience at Siriraj Dermatology

Objective: To identify trends of contact allergy and patch testing amendments at the Contact Dermatitis Clinic, Department of Dermatology, Siriraj Hospital.
 Materials and Methods: Medical records of 6,862 patients referred to our clinic between January 1992 and December 2021for patch testing were reviewed.
 Results: The number of patients patch tested increased and reached a peak of 600 patients/year in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic. The most frequently used series was baseline, while the most used specific series was cosmetics. The overall positivity rate was 69%. The highest positivity rate was in the cosmetics series (70.2%). Nickel sulfate was the most common contact allergen found (24.2%).
 Conclusion: Our patch test service has been growing in the last 30 years. The series of allergens used for patch testing has been amended every few years to be up-to-date with current global trends of contact allergies. Continual surveillance of contact prevalence and periodic updating of those series are necessary to enhance our ability to detect culprit contact allergens, which could help us improve care of our patients.

Improving LIGO calibration accuracy by using time-dependent filters to compensate for temporal variations

The response of the Advanced Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (Advanced LIGO) interferometers is known to vary with time (Tuyenbayev et al 2017 Class. Quantum Grav. 34 015002). Accurate calibration of the interferometers must therefore track and compensate for temporal variations in calibration model parameters. These variations were tracked during the first three Advanced LIGO observing runs, and compensation for some of them has been implemented in the calibration procedure. During the second observing run, multiplicative corrections to the interferometer response were applied while producing calibrated strain data both in real time and in high latency. In a high-latency calibration produced after the second observing run and during the entirety of the third observing run, a correction requiring periodic filter updates was applied to the calibration–the time dependence of the coupled cavity pole frequency . This paper describes the methods developed to compensate for variations in the interferometer response requiring time-dependent filters, including variable zeros, poles, gains, and time delays. The described methods were used to provide compensation for well-modeled time dependence of the interferometer response, which has helped to reduce systematic errors in the calibration to 2% in magnitude and 2∘ in phase across LIGO’s most sensitive frequency band of 20–2000 Hz (Sun et al 2020 Class. Quantum Grav. 37 225008; Sun et al 2021 arXiv:2107.00129 [astro-ph.IM]). Additionally, this paper shows how such compensation is relevant for astrophysical inference studies by reducing uncertainty and bias in the sky localization for a simulated binary neutron star merger.

The Importance of Teaching English for Medical Students in Kurdistan: A Critical Review

The significance of English in Kurdistan medical education for gathering information, pursuing information, and presenting research efforts to international audiences necessitates that programmes for teaching and learning English pay particular attention to the significance of English. This is required because of the importance of English is essential for the accumulation of knowledge, the pursuit of information, and the presentation of research efforts to international audiences. This is necessary because the importance of English cannot be overstated when it comes to the accumulation of knowledge, the quest for information, and the presentation of research efforts to audiences from across the world. Students interested in learning English as a second language will benefit from this review article since it explains several fundamental topics associated with teaching English for medical reasons and is thus recommended reading for such students. Reading this post benefits students interested in learning English as a second language and will help them in their studies. Some of the academic variables that have an impact include the promotion of instructors' understanding, the periodic updating of the English medical curriculum, and the value of reviewing the material, analyzing the needs of students, and evaluating the relevance of assessing the requirements of students. Other relevant elements are as follows: The research is brought to a close by the presentation of several recommendations that instructors of English as a foreign language (EFL) and other members of the Kurdish educational system might put into action to improve the level of English as EFL instruction that is provided within medical degree programmes in the region.

The translation into Portuguese of the 11th International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-11).

The 11th International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-11) represents an advance in the focus on knowledge and new disease approaches. The ICD is used for different practical purposes, enabling assessment of progress in the global health agenda, resource allocation, patient safety, health care qualification, and health insurance reimbursement. It is entirely digital, with technological resources that allow periodic updating. In early 2022, ICD-11 entered into official force, having been made available in several official ICD languages such as Arabic, Chinese, Spanish, French, and English. The translation process into Brazilian Portuguese, coordinated by the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), with support from the Brazilian Ministry of Health (MS) and PAHO/WHO, is presented here. The work was carried out in three stages between August 2021 and December 2022 by translators with different backgrounds: medical specialists (49), physiotherapists (1), pharmacologists (1), and dentists (1). Thismethodological article aims to broaden the discussion of perspectives on implementing the ICD-11 in Brazil and build an opportunity for its adaptation and use by other Portuguese-speaking countries.

Tradução para a língua portuguesa da 11a Classificação Estatística Internacional de Doenças e Problemas Relacionados à Saúde (CID-11)

ABSTRACT The 11th International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-11) represents an advance in the focus on knowledge and new disease approaches. The ICD is used for different practical purposes, enabling assessment of progress in the global health agenda, resource allocation, patient safety, health care qualification, and health insurance reimbursement. It is entirely digital, with technological resources that allow periodic updating. In early 2022, ICD-11 entered into official force, having been made available in several official ICD languages such as Arabic, Chinese, Spanish, French, and English. The translation process into Brazilian Portuguese, coordinated by the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), with support from the Brazilian Ministry of Health (MS) and PAHO/WHO, is presented here. The work was carried out in three stages between August 2021 and December 2022 by translators with different backgrounds: medical specialists (49), physiotherapists (1), pharmacologists (1), and dentists (1). This methodological article aims to broaden the discussion of perspectives on implementing the ICD-11 in Brazil and build an opportunity for its adaptation and use by other Portuguese-speaking countries.

Influence of e-auditing on credibility and reliability of financial information within public shareholding companies

The current study aimed to find out the role of electronic auditing (e-auditing) in the positive impact on the reliability and credibility of financial information by adopting the dimensions and specifications of e-auditing (relevance, competence, sufficiency, and timeliness) and demonstrating the ability of these specifications to impart reliability and credibility to the financial information. The quantitative approach was adopted for this purpose and a questionnaire was distributed to a sample of 117 financial managers in public shareholding organizations in various sectors in Jordan. Relying on Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), the study concluded that all e-audit variables have a positive impact on increasing the reliability and credibility of financial statements, and the most influential was timeliness with a value of R = 0.851. The study recommended intensifying the possibility of using external expertise with better knowledge in the field of software and technology, if there is a need to do so, and focused on the need for a periodic and permanent update of the accounting audit systems. Further recommendations were presented in the study.

Верифікація коефіцієнтів масштабування, призначених для радіологічної характеризації твердих радіоактивних відходів АЕС за методологією МАГАТЕ. Огляд сучасних підходів

To ensure the safety of repositories used for final disposal of solid radioactive waste (SRW) of nuclear power plants and other nuclear installations, the compliance of their radionuclide contamination levels with valid acceptance criteria has to be monitored. Scaling factors (SF) are used in many world countries to quickly solve the problems with radiological characterization of SRW subject to burial. To ensure the reliability of SF application in different countries, episodic or periodic verification and update of SF values is conducted. The purpose of work is to substantiate the global experience of SF verification, which, according to the IAEA methodology, is used for certification of specific and total activity of difficult-to-measure radionuclides (DTM) in SRW batches destined for disposal. The work addresses the current state of SF methodology application, and analyzes the main steps of its implementation. It was stated that current IAEA recommends declare the need for their verification and update of previously established SFs only, without offering any clear algorithms for implementation of this procedure and terms of its realization. However, in practice, such a procedure is used for radiological characterization of SRW in order to ensure quality guarantees in obtaining information regarding their radiation and other characteristics. This work also examines in detail the experience in applying the SF verification on the examples of several world countries. It was concluded that the verification should be a needed element in ensuring the reliability of SF use for radiological characterization of SRW. The experience of verification by means of SF validation using quantitative criteria is summarized. An algorithm is defined, according to which, and based on obtained results, it is possible to come to a statistically justified decision regarding the further use of existing SFs or recognition of a need in their updating for radiological characterization of new batch of waste

CENÁRIO DA LESÃO ARTICULAR EM EXERCÍCIOS AERÓBICOS E ESTRATÉGIAS DE RECUPERAÇÃO

ABSTRACT Introduction: Rehabilitation training and recovery strategies are very important for repairing joint injuries in aerobic exercise practitioners, requiring periodic updates on the state of the art for their trainers and rehabilitation professionals. Objective: Verify the current status of joint injuries in aerobic exercise practice and explore the means practiced for rehabilitation training. Methods: 90 aerobics athletes were selected as experimental subjects, and the experiment lasted 12 weeks. Injuries were recorded, and joint rehabilitation training was performed, according to the updated literature survey. Results: The total static resting parameters of the unaffected limbs of the experimental group showed changes from 2.90 ± 0.55 to 2.81 ± 0.52, the anterior and posterior axial static parameters increased from 2.03 ± 0.71 to 2.14 ± 0.73, the lateral axial static parameters showed no significant changes, following the parameters of the control group. The total static parameters at the rest of the injured limb in the experimental group showed changes from 3.76 ± 0.73 to 2.73 ± 0.72, while the control group parameters showed no significant changes. Conclusion: The joint rehabilitation training for aerobics athletes currently practiced has shown to be satisfactory for the recovery of knee joint injuries in aerobic exercise practitioners. Level of evidence II; Therapeutic studies - investigation of treatment outcomes.

AoI Minimization for WSN Data Collection With Periodic Updating Scheme

In this paper, we consider the design of a wireless sensor network (WSN) that aims at monitoring the environment and collecting data periodically. In view of the limited energy and computational capability of the sensor nodes, a mobile edge computing (MEC) server is deployed in the WSN as a data processing unit. The goal of the design is to maintain the freshness of the data, which is characterized by the criterion of the age of information (AoI). Therefore, we analyze the long-term average AoI of the considered network. Then, the energy and time constraints for the WSN are modeled with consideration of transmission and computation. Next, a non-convex average AoI minimization problem is formulated subject to the energy and time constraints by jointly optimizing the sampling rate, computing scheduling, and transmit power. To tackle the challenging problem, the geometric programming and successive convex approximation (SCA) technique are applied to develop an algorithm with convergence guarantee. Moreover, to exhibit the benefits of the MEC server, a joint design is investigated for the WSN without the MEC server. Finally, the numerical results demonstrate the efficiency of our proposed SCA-based algorithm and show the impact of the sampling rate on the AoI performance.

Scientific basis for the development of structural and technological devices made of modern domestic materials to ensure the functional reliability and safe operation of surface water intakes

The article provides a classification list of a large number of heuristic techniques for solving various problems of designing a class of hydraulic structures, taking into account the conditions of functional operation of soft floating structures (MNCs) as water intake structures. The concept of rational use of surface water resources provides for an ecosystem approach that allows us to consider a water body together with the catchment area of the hydrographic river network, the surface layers of the atmosphere above it, measures taken to select the calculated water flow rate (Q m3/s), taking into account the consideration of environmental safety in the zones of influence of water intake - as a single system in as a whole. Providing EC in VTK puts forward a number of main tasks to improve existing structural and technological devices and create new ones using modern domestic materials, for example, high-strength synthetic fabric materials. When creating environmentally acceptable design solutions to provide EC in the zones of influence of VTK, one of the most promising areas at present is the methodological basis for the synthesis of soft-coated structures in the composition of VTK. The reliable functioning of both a separate structural element and the structure as a whole should be conditioned by the possibility of periodic updating of its constituent structural elements.

Smart Monitoring of Wireless Environments with Real-Time Aggregation and Analysis

A distributed network monitoring system has been designed and implemented for smart monitoring of complex indoor wireless environments to support management of wireless communications. In particular, it makes possible real-time monitoring and analysis in smart factories using commodity hardware and open-source software. The system collects data from distributed wireless receivers, aggregates the data in spatial cells and time bins, and computes space-time wireless metric data frames. A prototype monitoring system was implemented with two types of wireless interface sensors, packet-capture and spectral sensors, and automatic online data collection, indexing, aggregation and analysis. The prototype system reports wireless quality metrics with one-meter spatial resolution and periodic update times of 1 to 10 seconds.

Two New Records for the Fish Fauna of Simenlik-Akgöl Lagoon in Yeşilırmak River Basin (Samsun-Turkey)

In this study, two new freshwater fish species, Gambusia holbrooki Girard, 1859 and Petroleuciscus borysthenicus (Kessler, 1859) were reported from Simenlik-Akgöl Lagoon in Yeşilırmak Basin (Samsun). Turkey has a rich biodiversity in terms of freshwater fish. Because of climate change, periodic ichthyofauna monitoring and updating of fish fauna are critical. Gambusia holbrooki, Eastern mosquitofish, is an invasive fish species and has a widespread range because of biological struggle against mosquitoes in many water sources. However, simultaneously feeding with fish eggs presents a significant threat to biodiversity. And also, Petroleuciscus borysthenicus, Dnieper chub, is a small bodied-fish from the genus Petroleuciscus with a wide range. Dnieper chub and Eastern mosquitofish were assessed as Least Concern (LC) species according to the IUCN criteria. The minimum and maximum total lengths of P. borysthenicus and G. holbrooki are 4.5 cm-5.7 cm and 2.5 cm-5.3 cm, respectively. The results of this study reveal that the existence of new fish species has been recorded for the fish fauna of Simenlik-Akgöl Lagoon, and the distribution area of both these fish species have reached a different location in Yeşilırmak Basin.

Application of text mining to the development and validation of a geographic search filter to facilitate evidence retrieval in Ovid MEDLINE: An example from the United States.

Given the increasing volume of published research in bibliographic databases, efficient retrieval of evidence is crucial and represents an opportunity to integrate novel techniques such as text mining. To develop and validate a geographic search filter for identifying research from the United States (US) in Ovid MEDLINE. US and non-US citations were collected from bibliographies of evidence-based reviews. Citations were partitioned by US/non-US status and randomly divided to a training and testing set. Using text mining, common one- and two-word terms in title/abstract fields were identified, and frequencies compared between US/non-US citations. Common US-related terms included (as ratio of frequency in US/non-US citations) US populations and geographic terms [e.g., 'Americans' (15.5), 'Baltimore' (20.0)]. Common non-US terms were non-US geographic terms [e.g., 'Japan' (0.04), 'French' (0.05)]. A search filter was developed with 98.3% sensitivity and 82.7% specificity. This search filter will streamline the identification of evidence from the US. Periodic updates may be necessary to reflect changes in MEDLINE's controlled vocabulary. Text mining was instrumental to the development of this search filter. A novel technique generated a gold standard set comprising >20,000 citations. This method may be adapted to develop subsequent geographic search filters.

Towards self-recovering construction schedules: a new method for periodically updating project plans and optimizing recovery actions

ABSTRACT It is common for a construction schedule to deviate from its original-planned baseline, as uncertainty is inherent in all construction activities. Accordingly, planners are required to perform periodic schedule updates that learn from retrospective progress to more accurately schedule remaining activities and draw optimum recovery plans. This research proposes a method that utilizes a neural network regression model to forecast upcoming productivity rates based on retrospective progress and accordingly updates the schedule on a regular time interval with the required resource adjustments to meet the planned end date of the project with optimal cost. The method was tested on brickwork activities at a residential complex construction project in the UAE, using retrospective progress data of 1487 working days for 132 masons, and was found to be 98% accurate in predicting labor productivity, which was thus used as a basis to draw schedule recovery plans according to the proposed framework. In essence, this research provides a platform toward an automated self-recovering scheduling system, which serves construction managers in proactively preventing potential schedule deficiencies.

External validation of a model to predict future chronic opioid use among hospitalized patients.

Previous research demonstrates an association between opioid prescribing at hospital discharge and future chronic opioid use. Various opioid guidelines and policies contributed to changes in opioid prescribing practices. How this affected hospitalized patients remains unknown. Externally validate a prediction model to identify hospitalized patients at the highest risk for future chronic opioid therapy (COT). Retrospective analysis of health record data from 2011 to 2022 using logistic regression. Hospitalized adults with limited to no opioid use 1-year prior to hospitalization. A statewide healthcare system. Used variables associated with progression to COT in a derivation cohort from a different healthcare system to predict expected outcomes in the validation cohort. The derivation cohort included 17,060 patients, of whom 9653 (56.6%) progressed to COT 1 year after discharge. Compared to the derivation cohort, in the validation cohort, patients who received indigent care (odds ratio [OR] = 0.40, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.27-0.59, p < .001) were least likely to progress to COT. Among variables assessed, opioid receipt at discharge was most strongly associated with progression to COT (OR = 3.74, 95% CI = 3.06-4.61, p < .001). The receiver operating characteristic curve for the validation set using coefficients from the derivation cohort performed slightly better than chance (AUC = 0.55). Our results highlight the importance of externally validating a prediction model prior to use outside of the derivation population. Periodic updates to models are necessary as policy changes and clinical practice recommendations may affect model performance.

Rapid Fault Detection with Periodic Update Feature for Transmission Line Parameters in HVDC Grids

Far distant wind farms are integrated nowadays with the help of Voltage Source Converter (VSC)-based HVDC grids. Rapid fault current is very common in VSC-based HVDC grids and, therefore, quick fault detection and fast executing protection methods are critical for the existence of the HVDC grids. This paper proposes a rise time-based fault detection method using local measurement data and Travelling Wave (TW) characteristics of incoming fault TW. Dominating frequency of the primary wavefront is computed by the rise time of incoming fault TW. With the help of auto-updating transmission line parameters and the dominating frequency of incoming TW, the fault location is identified. The performance of the proposed method has been observed in PSCAD Simulation with a 4-Terminal HVDC test grid in multiple scenarios and compared with the existing fault detection methods on multiple levels. The results show that the proposed method is very fast, and accurate and can complete the whole Fault Location process within a few microseconds just after the Inception of the fault.

Economic Analysis of P2G Green Hydrogen Generated by Existing Wind Turbines on Jeju Island

Every wind turbine is subject to fluctuations in power generation, depending on climatic conditions. When electricity supply exceeds demand, wind turbines are forced to implement curtailment, causing a reduction in generation efficiency and commercial loss to turbine owners. Since the frequency and amount of curtailment of wind turbines increases as the amount of renewable energy become higher on Jeju Island in South Korea, Jeju is configuring a Power to Gas (P2G) water-electrolysis system that will be connected to an existing wind farm to use the “wasted energy”. In this study, economic analysis was performed by calculating the production cost of green hydrogen, and sensitivity analysis evaluated the variance in hydrogen cost, depending on several influential factors. Approaches to lower hydrogen costs are necessary for the following reasons. The operating company needs a periodical update of hydrogen sale prices by reflecting a change in the system margin price (SMP) with the highest sensitivity to hydrogen cost. Technical development to reduce hydrogen costs in order to reduce power consumption for producing hydrogen and a decrease in annual reduction rate for the efficiency of water electrolysis is recommended. Discussions and research regarding government policy can be followed to lower the hydrogen cost.

Assessment of knowledge attitude and practice of pharmacovigilance by leaders in public health pharmaceutical supply chain in Nigeria.

Pharmacovigilance involves the spontaneous reporting of adverse drug reactions (ADR) and ensuring the post-marketing surveillance of the quality and safety of medicines including phytomedicines and other pharmaceuticals used in the management of diseases. Its success depends on the awareness, attitude, and voluntary participation of healthcare personnel, patients, and institutions. This study aimed at examining the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of key pharmacovigilance actors in the public health pharmaceutical supply chain management in Nigeria. Consequently, a cross-sectional approach was used in the survey of 209 leaders of selected public health organizations. Purposive sampling technique was applied to administer validated semi-structured questionnaire electronically. Questions were drawn from the Nigerian national pharmacovigilance policy. Overall, response rate was 55%. Among the responders, medical doctors and medical laboratory scientists had better knowledge and practice of pharmacovigilance than pharmacists. Factors associated with practice of pharmacovigilance include awareness of policy (OR =1.90; P-value =0.1140), training provided by respondents' organizations (OR =1.34; P-value =0.4801), respondents' organization receiving periodic updates from the National Pharmacovigilance Center (OR =1.11; P-value =0.8525) and respondents independently receiving periodic updates (OR =0.83; P-value =0.7279). In conclusion, the study suggests pharmacovigilance outcomes could improve through increased awareness of the policy, training, and periodic safety communications.

High-Performance Actionable Knowledge Miner for Boosting Business Revenue

This research proposes a novel strategy for constructing a knowledge-based recommender system (RS) based on both structured data and unstructured text data. We present its application to improve the services of heavy equipment repair companies to better adjust to their customers’ needs. The ultimate outcome of this work is a visualized web-based interactive recommendation dashboard that shows options that are predicted to improve the customer loyalty metric, known as Net Promoter Score (NPS). We also present a number of techniques aiming to improve the performance of action rule mining by allowing to have convenient periodic updates of the system’s knowledge base. We describe the preprocessing-based and distributed-processing-based method and present the results of testing them for performance within the RS framework. The proposed modifications for the actionable knowledge miner were implemented and compared with the original method in terms of the mining results/times and generated recommendations. Preprocessing-based methods decreased mining by 10–20×, while distributed mining implementation decreased mining timesby 300–400×, with negligible knowledge loss. The article concludes with the future directions for the scalability of the NPS recommender system and remaining challenges in its big data processing.