Preliminary Report Research Articles

A novel finger brace for preventing finger stiffness after trauma or surgery: a preliminary report with a case series

Purpose: Finger stiffness is a common complication following hand trauma or surgery. Early finger range-of-motion (ROM) exercises have proven to be the most effective method for preventing finger stiffness. In this paper, we introduce a novel finger brace designed for safe and early active exercises and present preliminary results from a small case series.Methods: Our innovative brace is designed for direct insertion into the finger, ensuring enhanced comfort during use. This brace features hinges that facilitate unrestricted movement in the proximal and distal interphalangeal joints, with each phalangeal component having a rounded shape to prevent rotation. Furthermore, grooves are integrated at the top of the phalangeal components for inserting bars; a straight bar to immobilize and a silicone band to provide elastic resistance exercises within a limited range.Results: Among 26 patients, 17 presented with fractures, five had extensor tendon injuries, and three had dislocations. For patients not requiring surgery, we applied the brace as early as possible. In cases involving surgery, the brace was applied step by step. When fixation was necessary for the first time, a straight bar was applied, and when starting finger movement, a silicone band was applied. The silicone band was then released to allow free finger movement. Except for one patient necessitating extensor tendon reconstruction due to a neglected rupture, all patients achieved full ROM without any complications.Conclusion: Our novel ROM finger brace represents a safe and user-friendly option for effectively initiating finger ROM exercises.

ChatGPT takes on the european exam in core cardiology: an AI success story

Abstract Background ChatGPT, the trending novel artificial intelligence has triggered ongoing debate regarding its capabilities.Recently, preliminary reports showed that answered correctly in the majority of questions of the United States Medical License Examinations (USMLE). However, its ability to succeed a more precise, challenging and high-stakes post-graduate test, such as the final exam for the completion of medical residency , like the European Exam in Core Cardiology (EECC), is not known yet. Purpose We sought to evaluate the performance of ChatGPT on EECC, to test its capability on a more demanding, high-stakes post-graduate exam in Cardiology training. Methods A total of 488 publicly-available single-answer multiple choice questions (MCQs) were randomly obtained from three different MCQs sources that are traditionally used for the preparation for the EECC: 88 from the sample exam questions released since 2018 from the official ESC website, 200 from the 2022 edition of StudyPRN and 200 from the Braunwald's Heart Disease Review and Assessment (BHDRA). Questions containing audio or visual assets were excluded. After filtering, 362 MCQ items (ESC sample: 68, BHDRA:150, StudyPRN: 144) were included and considered as input source. False responses and indeterminate responses were considered as not correct. Results ChatGPT answered to 340 questions out of 362, with 22 indeterminate answers in total. The overall accuracy was 58.8% across all the question sources. More specifically, it demonstrated an accuracy for the ESC sample, BHDRA and StudyPRN of 61.7%, 52.6%, 63.8% respectively. It answered correctly 42/68 (4 indeterminate) of ESC sample questions, 79/150 (11 indeterminate) of the BHDRA and 92/144 (7 indeterminate) of the StudyPRN. Conclusion ChatGPT manages to correctly answer the majority of EECC’s questions and perform within the passing threshold range. Although it cannot yet process visual content, it can provide rational and correct answers to text-based inputs in most scenarios. The model may be able to efficiently handle a massive amount of acquired medical knowlededge, but the current approach may not substitue for critical thinkg, innovation and creativity; some of the key attibutes that doctors are expected to showcase.Performance of ChatGPT on EECCExample of MCQ input at ChatGPT

Fully automated quantitative stress perfusion cardiac MRI to assess myocardial perfusion in adult patients with convalescent Kawasaki disease and coronary aneurysms: an age and sex-matched analysis

Abstract Introduction Coronary aneurysms are a well-documented complication of childhood Kawasaki disease. They may persist into adulthood predisposing to impaired myocardial blood flow, symptoms, and adverse cardiovascular events. Preliminary reports suggest that Kawasaki disease may also be associated with coronary microvascular dysfunction. The effect of coronary involvement from Kawasaki disease on myocardial perfusion in convalescent asymptomatic adults has not been studied using fully automated inline quantitative perfusion MRI (CMR). Purpose To assess the effect of coronary artery abnormalities on quantitative myocardial perfusion in adult patients with convalescent Kawasaki disease compared to an age and sex-matched control cohort. Methods Retrospective single centre cohort analysis of adult patients with convalescent Kawasaki disease who have undergone fully automated inline quantitative myocardial stress perfusion CMR. All patients had coronary involvement during their acute childhood illness. An age and sex-matched group (n=14) with normal CMRs was selected for comparison. Rest MBF was corrected for heart rate by dividing by the scan heart rate and multiplying by the mean resting heart rate among all subjects. A per-vessel analysis was performed using a linear mixed effects model with pairwise comparisons to assess the effect of coronary abnormalities (normal, aneurysmal with or without thrombosis, revascularised) on myocardial perfusion reserve (MPR). Results 28 patients were included (14 Kawasaki; 14 controls). All patients in the Kawasaki cohort had assessment of coronary anatomy either by CT (93%) or invasive (7%) coronary angiography. A total of 84 vessels were analysed. Mean age and sex were well matched (Kawasaki: 27±6.2 years; 13 males : 1 female vs. controls: 27±6.4 years; 13 males : 1 female). In patients with Kawasaki disease, thrombosed aneurysmal arteries were associated with a significantly impaired MPR compared to normal (mean Δ: -0.817; P=0.003) and aneurysmal (mean Δ: -0.957; P<0.001) arteries. MPR in aneurysmal and revascularised arteries were not significantly different from normal arteries in patients with Kawasaki disease. There was no significant difference in MPR between normal coronary arteries in patients with Kawasaki compared to controls. Conclusions Thrombosis in coronary aneurysms was associated with a significant impairment of myocardial perfusion in adult patients with convalescent Kawasaki disease. There was no significant reduction in perfusion in territories supplied by normal or aneurysmal arteries which does not support coronary microvascular dysfunction in these patients. Further studies are needed to confirm these preliminary findings.

Traditional and Visual–Acoustic Biofeedback Treatment via Telepractice for Residual Speech Sound Disorders Affecting /ɹ/: Pilot Study

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the feasibility of telepractice delivery of a treatment package including visual–acoustic biofeedback (VAB) and motor-based treatment for residual speech sound disorder affecting /ɹ/ in school-age children. The overall study used a single-case randomization design; however, this preliminary report will simply quantify changes in accuracy before and after completion of the treatment package. The present analysis did not differentiate between the relative contributions of biofeedback and motor-based treatments. Method: Seven children aged 9–14 years received speech therapy for /ɹ/ distortions via telepractice. The study design consisted of three phases: baseline (four sessions), treatment (20 sessions), and posttreatment (three sessions). Treatment included two sessions weekly for a duration of 10 weeks. The participants received one motor-based/nonbiofeedback session and one VAB session per week. The order of treatment within each week was randomly determined prior to the start of therapy. Overall progress was assessed using untrained listeners' ratings of word probes administered in the baseline and posttreatment phases. Results: Findings revealed that six of the seven participants showed a clinically significant response to the overall treatment package, although the magnitude of individual responses varied across speech contexts (consonantal and vocalic) and participants. Conclusions: The present results suggest that an intervention combining VAB and motor-based treatment for residual /ɹ/ errors can be effectively delivered via telepractice. Considerations for technology setup and treatment protocols are provided.

Preliminary Report on the 2019 and 2020 Seasons of the New York University-ISAW Project at the Temple of Ramesses II in Abydos


 
 
 This preliminary report provides a general account of the fieldwork of the New York University-ISAW during the two seasons 2019 and 2020 at the temple of Ramesses II in Abydos. The results include the discovery of a temple palace, ten mud-brick magazines, and foundation deposits, as well as a pair of cartouches of Ramesses II carved on the sub-foundation on each side of the four corners of temple, the unusual burial of a bovine skeleton under the floor of the temple palace, and animal skulls and bones packed inside niches cut in some of the magazines’ walls.
 
 

Abstract 15351: Characteristics of Veterans Enrolled in a Nationwide Home Telemonitoring Blood Pressure (BP) Program

Background: Guidelines recommend home BP monitoring for the diagnosis and management of hypertension. The Veterans Affairs (VA) has a robust nationwide home BP monitoring telehealth (HT) program. Aims: We aimed to determine factors associated with being enrolled in the VA’s HT program using a nationwide cohort. Methods: Veterans with hypertension and a primary care (PC) visit between 4/2013 and 9/2015 were identified and classified as telehealth if they enrolled in the HT program and were issued a home-telehealth BP monitor. Control patients were not enrolled. Patient characteristics including the care assessment needs (CAN) score (validated probability for mortality or hospitalization in the following year) were extracted from the electronic health record (EHR). Results: Over 33 months, 29,927 (2.5%) veterans were enrolled in the HT program and 1,160,506 (97.5%) veterans with hypertension were not enrolled. Compared to controls, HT patients were of similar age (median 66 years), were more likely to be female (5.6% vs 4.6%), be of Black race (28.7% vs 20.1%), have a higher index median systolic BP (158.4 vs 153 mmHg), have a greater number of PC visits in the 2 years prior (11 vs 7 visits), have a higher median probability of a mortality or hospitalization event within 1 year (13% vs 7%) and were on a greater number of antihypertensive medications than those not enrolled (Table). These veterans were seen by 9,301 PC providers, who enrolled the following percentages of their hypertensive patients (% of patients by % of providers): 0% by 22%, <2% by 24.1%, 2-5% by 28.9%, 5-10% by 16.4%, 10-20% by 6.9% and >20% by 1.7%. Conclusion: The VA’s HT program is used by a limited number of Veterans. Those enrolled are sicker and have a greater burden of hypertension than those not enrolled. Most providers have a small percentage of their panel of patients enrolled. This preliminary report comes from a study evaluating the effect of HT on BP control, cardiovascular events, and non-cancer mortality.

416 Urgency to Address Infrastructure in Animal sciences–A Preliminary Report

Abstract The purpose of the ASAS Public Policy Committee (PPC) is to help ASAS shape public policy and public opinion on current issues affecting farms and companion animals. PPC sets goals to make federal agencies aware of the scientific expertise and resources available within ASAS that could be used to develop science-based federal policies affecting poultry and livestock production. Recent reports point to a poor state of agricultural facilities at public colleges of agriculture which puts research priorities related to adaptation to and mitigation of climate change, food safety, zoonotic disease preparedness, animal populations and their care, diet-health, nutrition, biosecurity, new biobased packaging, energy innovations, and advanced market analysis at risk (APLU, 2021). To ascertain input specific to the Animal Sciences (AS), an IRB approved ‘Survey About Infrastructure in Animal Sciences’ (#22-495) was offered by the PPC to department heads and faculty of Animal Science programs across the country. The survey instrument was constructed to allow open-ended responses as well as 5-point Likert scale questions regarding participants views about infrastructure (IF) and thereby learn what members closest to the animal sciences community perceive to be the strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for improvement in our research infrastructure. Analysis of coded responses in the open-ended questions among varied disciplinary arenas within AS revealed ‘facilities’ as the largest Grand Challenge. About 98% of respondents affirmed sustainable food and animal production is a critical national asset in terms of economic growth and development and 98% indicated an overlooked maintenance of IF in AS undermines national food security. Additionally, 68% indicated the state of core labs, at least for AS programs are only average or below. All respondents (100%) agreed that without comprehensive investment in infrastructure within AS, the USA will continue to fall behind in competing with other countries in areas of research. Study results provided insight into potential consequences of deferred maintenance which should elevate awareness of urgency to address the deficiencies. Since IF needs included future workforce development and working environments, an eroded IF and consequences of deferred maintenance threatens the capacity of AS to pursue Grand Challenges in research and ability to create future workforce readiness of graduates from AS programs.

Phenotypic similarity-based approach for variant prioritization for unsolved rare disease: a preliminary methodological report

Rare diseases (RD) have a prevalence of not more than 1/2000 persons in the European population, and are characterised by the difficulty experienced in obtaining a correct and timely diagnosis. According to Orphanet, 72.5% of RD have a genetic origin although 35% of them do not yet have an identified causative gene. A significant proportion of patients suspected to have a genetic RD receive an inconclusive exome/genome sequencing. Working towards the International Rare Diseases Research Consortium (IRDiRC)’s goal for 2027 to ensure that all people living with a RD receive a diagnosis within one year of coming to medical attention, the Solve-RD project aims to identify the molecular causes underlying undiagnosed RD. As part of this strategy, we developed a phenotypic similarity-based variant prioritization methodology comparing submitted cases with other submitted cases and with known RD in Orphanet. Three complementary approaches based on phenotypic similarity calculations using the Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO), the Orphanet Rare Diseases Ontology (ORDO) and the HPO-ORDO Ontological Module (HOOM) were developed; genomic data reanalysis was performed by the RD-Connect Genome-Phenome Analysis Platform (GPAP). The methodology was tested in 4 exemplary cases discussed with experts from European Reference Networks. Variants of interest (pathogenic or likely pathogenic) were detected in 8.8% of the 725 cases clustered by similarity calculations. Diagnostic hypotheses were validated in 42.1% of them and needed further exploration in another 10.9%. Based on the promising results, we are devising an automated standardized phenotypic-based re-analysis pipeline to be applied to the entire unsolved cases cohort.

New records of the white-cheeked macaque provide range extension for the endangered primate in Gaoligong Mountains.

White-cheeked macaque Macaca leucogenys is a recently described primate species discovered by camera-trap surveys in the Medog region in 2015. The species was thought to be narrowly distributed in southeastern Tibet. However, knowledge on the distribution and conservation of the species is quite limited. Based on a systematic camera-trapping survey, we report the occurrence of the species in the Gaoligong Mountains, over 350km southeast of the nearest known population. We recorded 3025 photographs of white-cheeked macaques representing 481 independent records from 59 camera-trap stations with total trapping efforts of 18,437 camera days. Notably, part of the newly discovered locations of the white-cheeked macaque are outside of nature reserves without any formal protection and management. Our survey also confirms the occurrence of ten primate species in the Gaoligong Mountains, accounting for 35.7% of China's primates, including the Skywalker hoolock gibbon Hoolock tianxing and the Myanmar snub-nosed monkey Rhinopithecus strykeri etc. These findings reveal a new distribution record for the white-cheeked macaque and further highlight the conservation values of Gaoligong Mountains for globally threatened primate species. We also provide a preliminary report on the daily activity patterns of this endangered species, which enriches the bio-ecological data of the poorly studied species. We believe the report has significant implications for understanding the ecology of the species and improving conservation planning.

Examining the neurodevelopmental and motor phenotypes of Bohring-Opitz syndrome (ASXL1) and Bainbridge-Ropers syndrome (ASXL3).

Chromatin Modifying Disorders (CMD) have emerged as one of the most rapidly expanding genetic disorders associated with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Motor impairments are also prevalent in CMD and may play a role in the neurodevelopmental phenotype. Evidence indicates that neurodevelopmental outcomes in CMD may be treatable postnatally; thus deep phenotyping of these conditions can improve clinical screening while improving the development of treatment targets for pharmacology and for clinical trials. Here, we present developmental phenotyping data on individuals with Bohring-Optiz Syndrome (BOS - ASXL1) and Bainbridge-Ropers Syndrome (BRS - ASXL3) related disorders, two CMDs highly penetrant for motor and developmental delays. To phenotype the motor and neurodevelopmental profile of individuals with ASXL1 and ASXL3 related disorders (BOS and BRS). To provide a preliminary report on the association of motor impairments and ASD. Neurodevelopmental and motor phenotyping was conducted on eight individuals with pathogenic ASXL1 variants and seven individuals with pathogenic ASXL3 variants, including medical and developmental background intake, movement and development questionnaires, neurological examination, and quantitative gait analysis. Average age of first developmental concerns was 4 months for individuals with BOS and 9 months in BRS. 100% of individuals who underwent the development questionnaire met a diagnosis of developmental coordination disorder. 71% of children with BOS and 0% of children with BRS noted movement difficulty greatly affected classroom learning. Participants with BRS and presumed diagnoses of ASD were reported to have more severe motor impairments in recreational activities compared to those without ASD. This was not the case for the individuals with BOS. Motor impairments are prevalent and pervasive across the ASXL disorders with and without ASD, and these impairments negatively impact engagement in school-based activities. Unique neurodevelopmental and motor findings in our data include a mixed presentation of hypo and hypertonia in individuals with BOS across a lifespan. Individuals with BRS exhibited hypotonia and greater variability in motor skills. This deep phenotyping can aid in appropriate clinical diagnosis, referral to interventions, and serve as meaningful treatment targets in clinical trials.

The Palamas Archaeological Project. A preliminary report of the 2022 fieldwork conducted by the ongoing Greek–Swedish archaeological field programme in Palamas, region of Karditsa, Thessaly

This paper presents the preliminary results from the 2022 fieldwork of the Palamas Archaeological Project, an ongoing Greek–Swedish collaboration in the region of Karditsa, Thessaly. Working over the course of two separate field seasons, the project team conducted aerial, architectural, fieldwalking, and geophysical surveys at a number of sites within the survey area, including at the important multi-phase fortified settlements at Metamorfosi and Vlochos. Limited excavations were also conducted at the latter site, producing new evidence for the Hellenistic and Early Byzantine phases of the ancient city, including a probable cemetery. The work continues to add to the knowledge of the archaeology of the region, highlighting the long and dynamic history of human habitation in western Thessaly.

MO72-6 Health-related quality of life in different states of Thai patients with breast cancer – preliminary report

MO72-6 Health-related quality of life in different states of Thai patients with breast cancer – preliminary report

Defense style and psychopathology in oncological patients: a preliminary report.

Previous studies shows that 30-40% of oncological and hematological patients report symptoms of distress compatible with a psychiatric disorder. The use of various and mostly unconscious defense mechanisms is implemented to cope with increased suffering after a cancer diagnosis. In this preliminary report, we explored the presence of defense mechanisms and their associations with psychopathological dimensions in a sample of late-stage cancer patients without history of psychiatric disorders. We recruited 50 patients (28 females, 18-64 years old) with cancer diagnosis without prior history of any substance use disorder or psychiatric disorders. All participants were given the following self-report questionnaires: the Symptom Checklist 90 (SCL-90) and the 40-item version of the Defense Style Questionnaire (DSQ-40). In our study we demonstrated significant psychiatric distress in a third of our patients (defined as SCL-90 ≥2 points). A Pearson correlation analysis on all patients shows that psychotic defense styles were correlated with hostility, obsessive-compulsive, anxiety, somatization, interpersonal sensitivity, and psychoticism, while neurotic defense styles correlated with somatization. Our results are in line with previous findings showing that one third of cancer patients suffers from a psychiatric disorder. Moreover, we found that somatization correlates with both psychotic and neurotic defense mechanism styles. This demonstrates the importance of assessing oncological patients coping mechanisms to achieve best possible treatment.

Preliminary report on Permian radiolarians from the Numakuma peninsula in Japan: Paleontological evidence for the presence of the Ultra-Tamba Belt

Preliminary report on Permian radiolarians from the Numakuma peninsula in Japan: Paleontological evidence for the presence of the Ultra-Tamba Belt

Effectiveness of dupilumab versus endoscopic sinus surgery for the treatment of type-2 chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps: a preliminary report.

Historically managed with intranasal corticosteroids (INCS) and endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS), type-2 Chronic RhinoSinusitis with Nasal Polyps (CRSwNP) treatment was revolutionized by the introduction of dupilumab but universally accepted guidelines are still lacking. Patients treated at our University Hospital for type-2 CRSwNP were enrolled. Demographic data were collected, as well as laboratory (eosinophils, total IgE), endoscopic [nasal polyps score (NPS), modified Lund-Kennedy score (mLKS)], radiological [Lund-Mackay score (LMS) at CT scan], SNOT-22, and olfactory [Sniffin' Sticks identification test (SSIT)] features. Patients were treated with dupilumab or ESS and re-evaluated after 3 and 12 months. At 3 and 12 months, patients undergoing ESS achieved a higher reduction of NPS and mLKS, while patients receiving dupilumab experienced a higher improvement at SNOT-22 and SSIT with a greater positive variation in the prevalence of anosmia (-57.7% vs -42.9%) and normosmia (+ 37.8 vs + 28.5%). Mean mLKS and LMS were quite similar. Results were independent of clinical features known to contribute to CRSwNP severity, except for patients with ≥ 2 prior ESS who had a significantly lower smell improvement. ESS and dupilumab were effective at reducing CRSwNP inflammatory burning. CRSwNP smell impairment cannot be attributed only to olfactory cleft obstruction and other mechanisms may be involved. Dupilumab acts systemically with poor correlation with NPS. As of today, dupilumab appears to be more suitable for elderly patients with anesthesiological contraindications and/or several previous surgeries, while ESS may represent the first-line choice in surgery-naive patients.

Expression of stathmin in asbestos-like fibers-induced mesothelioma: A preliminary report.

Mesothelioma is strongly associated with exposure to asbestos fibers, however, recent studies have also linked exposure to "naturally occurring asbestos" fibers with this disease. Fluoro-edenite, a silicate mineral found in the southeast of Biancavilla (Sicily, Italy), has been identified as a potential risk factor for mesothelioma. Unfortunately, this cancer often has a poor prognosis, and current diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers are inadequate. Histological subtype, gender, and age at diagnosis are the most significant parameters for mesothelioma. Stathmin, a cytosolic protein that regulates cell growth and migration and is overexpressed in many human malignancies, has not yet been linked to mesothelioma survival or clinical-pathological variables. The aim of this study was to investigate the immunohistochemical expression of stathmin in ten mesothelioma tissue samples with available clinical and follow-up data. Paraffin-embedded tissue samples from ten mesothelioma patients were processed for immunohistochemical analyses to evaluate stathmin expression. Our findings suggest that stathmin overexpression is associated with shorter overall survival in patients with mesothelioma. Furthermore, stathmin expression was significantly correlated with the survival time of mesothelioma patients. Our results suggest that stathmin expression may serve as a potential prognostic biomarker for mesothelioma. This biomarker could be used to promptly identify patients with poor prognosis and to guide clinicians in the selection of treatment options.

Introduction and preliminary application report for a novel 3D printed perforator navigator for fibular flap surgery

The aim of this study was to introduce and report on a 3D-printed perforator navigator and its clinical application.Integrated imaging and 3D printing techniques were employed for the design and manufacture of a perforator navigator. Key techniques included establishing a digital image coordinate system, localizing perforator fascia piercing points, creating a reference plane for the perforator course, and projecting the perforator course onto the body surface.All cases of maxillofacial defect repaired with free fibular myocutaneous flaps, from January 2019 to January 2022, were reinvestigated. Patients treated using traditional perforator localization methods were assigned into group Ⅰ, while those who had a navigator used during treatment were allocated to group Ⅱ. Outcome measurements included perforator positioning accuracy, perforator preparation time (PT), and flap growth score. Capillary refilling time and degree of flap swelling were recorded on the 1st, 3rd, and 7th days after surgery. On the 10th day after surgery, the flap survival situation was graded.In total, 25 patients were included in the study. Perforator preparation time for group Ⅱ was significantly less (p ＝ 0.04) than for group Ⅰ (1038.6 ± 195.4 s versus 1271.4 ± 295.1 s. In group Ⅱ, the mean positioning deviation for the perforator navigator was 2.12 cm less than that for the high-frequency color Doppler (p ＝ 0.001). Group Ⅱ also had a higher score than group Ⅰ for overall flap growth evaluation (nonparametric rank sum test, p ＝ 0.04).Within the scale of the study, it seems that perforator localization and navigation using a 3D-printed navigator is technically feasible, and helps to improve the clinical outcome of free fibular flaps. The perforator navigator will play a useful role in displaying the perforator course, improving the accuracy of perforator localization, reducing surgical injury, and ultimately enhancing flap success rate.

Preparing the Romanian National Archaeological Datasets for ARIADNE

The contribution of the Romanian National Institute of Heritage (NIH) to the ARIADNE catalogue consists of 22,298 cultural resources, 18,277 of which are archaeological sites and 4021 are fieldwork reports. The two types of data were extracted from the two repositories that INP manages: the National Archaeological Repertory and the Chronicle of Archaeological Research. In Romania, the legislation regarding the protection of archaeological heritage establishes the National Archaeological Repertory as the means of managing the scientific data relating to the archaeological heritage, and of mapping archaeological sites as well as the threats to them. In addition, the same legislation stipulates that preliminary excavation reports should be published in a volume edited by the National Archaeology Commission, if the research was financed by public funds. As a result, for better dissemination, the reports are uploaded to a database. Both the Repertory and the Chronicle are accessible online through the INP management web portal. In order to fulfil the NIH's obligations within the ARIADNEplus project, several corrections and changes were made to the structures of both repositories (RAN and Chronicle) and data had to be updated. First of all, a photo upload module that illustrates both an archaeological site, perceived as a landscape, and its various components was developed. At the same time, the NIH team carried out a campaign to map the archaeological sites using coordinates in the WGS84 system, using various cartographic resources, such as topographic maps, aerial photographs and satellite images. The third activity consisted of creating a hierarchical list of archaeological site types and their components to support a more accurate description and retrieval of database records. Conversion of the RAN archaeological records to AO-Cat compliant RDF data was the fourth activity conducted by NIIH in order to include the RAN records in the ARIADNE Knowledge Base. Subsequently, a hierarchical list of the archaeological periods used in Romanian archaeology was developed, where every period is described by three main components: name, time interval and geographical area. This list has been converted to the PeriodO format and will be imported into the gazetteer.

76 Follow-up of the Therapeutic Effects of Integrative Neuropsychological Training Model for Executive Functions Deficits in School-age Children Born Very Low Birth Weight with Normal Early Development-A Preliminary Report

Objective:The preschool children born very low birth weight(VLBW) still have executive functions(EFs) deficits even with normal early development(Ni, Huang, & Guo, 2011). Consequently, early intervention might be more important than expected. This study aims to investigate the follow-up outcome of the therapeutic effects of integrative neuropsychological training model(INTM) focused on EFs for school-age VLBW children with EFs deficits.Participants and Methods:The VLBW children, recruited from the Regional Cohort Network for premature infants who were admitted to neonatal intensive care units, had normal scores in Bayley and Wechsler Intelligence systems before 6 years old. They also received follow-up neuropsychological assessment for EFs at 6 or 8-year-old. The deficits of EFs were defined from the result of Digit Span Subtest of WISC-IV, Knox's Cube Test(KCT), Tower of London(ToL), Wisconsin Card Sorting Test(WCST), and Comprehensive Nonverbal Attention Test Battery(CNAT). A total of 8 VLBW children with EFs deficits were recruited and received EFs training at 6 or 8-year-old. The INTM combined with Comprehensive Memory Training System(CMTS), Executive FUNction Training(EFT), and multi-ecological materials focused on enhancing the four aspects of EFs, including working memory, planning, cognitive flexibility, and inhibition ability. Then, they received follow-up neuropsychological assessment for EFs at 8 or 10-year-old.Results:The results showed that all children got benefits from 20 hours of INTM and most of the EF aspects remained improved at follow-up. A total of 8 VLBW children with an average of 3.4 aspects EFs deficits had an average of 1.4 aspects of EFs deficits left at the follow-up. More precisely, 5 of them had 1 aspects of EFs deficits and 3 of them had 2 aspects of EFs deficits.Conclusions:This study revealed that such a short-term INTM had long-term effects in enhancing the EFs of those VLBW children who had normal early development but later grew into EFs deficits at school-age. Besides, their EFs are still improving even after two years of intervention. Further study on more subjects with longer follow-up might help VLBW children to achieve better neuropsychological function.

3 Newsround

‘Newsround’ offers a platform for new discoveries that do not appear within the specialist contributions of this year’s Archaeological Reports, but which nevertheless warrant emphasis, either as a result of their particular characteristics or for the contribution they make to broader archaeological narratives. This section is not intended to be exhaustive, but rather an overview of archaeological research in Greece. It comprises largely preliminary reports (results of excavations that took place up to and including August 2023, where possible) that complement the digital content made available through Archaeology in Greece Online (https://chronique.efa.gr). Due to the diachronic nature of a number of the sites, and for ease of reference, the material is organized geographically in the first instance and then chronologically (earliest to latest) within each section as far as possible.