Respective Standard Deviations Research Articles

Relationship Between Short-Term Blood Pressure Variability and Choroidal-Retinal Thicknesses Assessed by Optical Coherence Tomography in Hypertensive Subjects.

Background/Objectives: The complications of hypertension depend not only on the mean blood pressure (BP) but also on its variability (BPV). Recent studies suggest that the choroid may serve as an indicator of systemic vascular damage. These studies have been made possible by the increased availability of optical coherence tomography (OCT). The aim of our study was to analyze the relationship between short-term BP variability (STBPV) and choroid-retinal thickness in hypertensive patients. Methods: A total of 98 patients with a mean age of 49 ± 12 years were enrolled in the study. All participants underwent 24 h blood pressure (BP) monitoring to measure 24 h mean systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), along with their respective standard deviations (SD), the weighted SD of 24 h SBP and DBP, and the average real variability (ARV) of 24 h SBP and DBP. The choroid-retinal region was assessed using Swept-Source OCT, with choroidal thickness (ChT) and retinal thickness divided into three concentric rings, and their mean choroidal thickness (ChT-or) was calculated. Results: The choroidal thickness of the concentric rings was found to be inversely correlated with all ARV values of the monitored blood pressure means. In particular, a correlation was observed between the ARV of daytime DBP and ChT-or. This correlation remained statistically significant (β = -0.34; p = 0.02) even after adjustment for various confounding factors. The ARV of daytime DBP was the only STBPV index to maintain a significant association, in the multivariate analysis, with the central ring mean thickness (β = -0.314; p = 0.001) and the inner choroidal ring mean thickness (β = -0.262; p = 0.003). Conclusions: Our study demonstrated an independent negative association between short-term BP variability (STBPV), when expressed as ARV of daytime DBP, and choroidal thickness. This finding confirms the value of choroidal thickness as a marker of cardiovascular risk.

Efficacy of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in Social Anxiety Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Background: Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is a novel third-wave therapy becoming popular in the management of various anxiety disorders. In this systematic review, we wish to gather the data that have been studied to determine the effectiveness of ACT in treating social anxiety disorder (SAD). Methods: This study followed standard systematic review guidelines and was registered with PROSPERO prior to undertaking the review. Databases, namely PubMed, PsycINFO, Ovid MEDLINE, and gray literature (ClinicalTrials.gov, BASE) with relevant keywords, were searched from inception to February 2024. Randomized controlled trials encompassing both clinical and nonclinical populations aged more than 10 years diagnosed with SAD were included. These trials compared ACT with wait list controls (n = 6) and cognitive behavioral therapy (n = 3). The primary outcome focused on the reduction of symptoms associated with social anxiety, while quality of life served as a secondary outcome. Measures of effect were determined through pre-test and post-test mean values, alongside their respective standard deviations. The random effect model was used to calculate pooled effect size. The quality of the included papers was assessed using Cochrane RoB-1. Covidence software was used for the initial selection of studies, and meta-analyses were performed using RevMan software. Results: From the initial 442 study records that were searched, finally 9 studies were included for the systematic review, of which 6 studies were found suitable for meta-analysis. The pooled estimate for studies comparing ACT with wait list found that the overall effect size for social anxiety symptoms was g = −1.28 (95% confidence interval of -1.88, -0.69) favoring ACT intervention significantly. Conclusion: This review found that ACT is efficacious in treating SAD. Most of the studies included were conducted in adolescent females. Varying ACT intervention modalities were incorporated, with the primary outcome assessed using a range of scales. The results of our meta-analysis should be interpreted with caution because of heterogeneity and smaller number of studies being included. ACT can be considered a psychotherapeutic option for the management of SAD.

Flexible Control Limits for Interval-Valued Data Using Mixture Probability Distributions

Availability of data in different forms is a boon or bane as it may require different approaches to deal with. In fact, while the construction of control charts is straightforward if the data are real-valued, in many practical situations data are essentially interval-valued with observations often represented by minimum and maximum values. While there are only fewer attempts to develop control charts for interval-valued data, no simple-to-use approaches have been proposed to deal with such type of data. In this paper, considering the idea of the development of control limits for multi-stream processes, we propose to make use of the mixture probability distributions approach to determine control limits for the interval-valued data. The resulting control limits are flexible in nature as they are linked to the control limits of the overall distribution that is based on the average of the means of two upper and lower populations along with their respective standard deviations. We have studied and numerically evaluated the average run length (ARL) properties of the proposed control chart to demonstrate the ways of determining the control chart coefficients. The proposed control chart is then illustrated using a dataset and conclusions are drawn based on the results.

#2539 Effects of relative blood volume and ultrafiltration volume on pulse wave characteristics during hemodialysis

Abstract Background and Aims Measures of non-invasive pulse wave (PW) analysis can help to assess the status of the central cardiovascular system and to predict clinical outcomes, including morbidity and mortality. During hemodialysis (HD), fluid is extracted from blood. The resulting reduction in relative blood volume (RBV) and collected ultrafiltration volume (UFV) were hypothesized to substantially influence PW characteristics during HD. Volume overload (VO) is common in HD patients and may affect the chance of improving the cardiovascular status of patients during HD. The present study aimed to explore associations between RBV, UFV, VO and a wide range of PW parameters. Method In a single center in Vienna, Austria, 24 patients on maintenance HD underwent four HD sessions each, with whole-body bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS) before, and automated, cuff-based PW measurements every 15 minutes, RBV- and UFV-monitoring throughout each session. Associations between RBV or UFV as independent variable and 26 different PW characteristics as dependent variables (52 separate models) were tested using confounder-adjusted generalized estimating equations with sandwich estimator and multilevel nested working covariance structure, reporting standardized effect estimates and drop-in-R² to assess variable importance. Sensitivity models including both RBV and UFV as predictors (26 models) were used to assess effects adjusted for confounding and mediation, respectively. The intra-patient correlation between BIS-derived VO and PW parameters at the start of sessions and PW parameter change by end of sessions was assessed using repeated measures correlation analysis. Results Data from 990 PW measurements were available for analysis from an 88% male cohort with median age of 66 years. In half of the PW parameters analyzed, each percent RBV was significantly associated with in summary about 4.3 to 5.7% (95% confidence intervals [CI] 0.9 to 10.46) of the PW parameter's respective standard deviation (SD), negatively so only in heart rate and R-Peak. UFV was negatively associated with a third of PW parameters (effects ranging from −2.5 to −5.47% SD [95% CIs −0.9 to −10.0]), mostly in classical peripheral and central pressures and peripheral resistance. In models including both predictors, RBV overall exhibited greater effect size and variance capture than UFV, except for peripheral resistance. On within-patient level, VO was positively correlated with initial medians of pressure excess (r=0.34, p=0.034), augmentation-index (0.34, p=0.031) and augmentation-pressure (0.32, p=0.042), increase in heart rate (0.32, p=0.04) and decreases in peripheral resistance (0.31, p=0.05), peripheral (systolic: 0.34, p=0.032; diastolic: 0.45, p=0.004; mean: 0.41, p=0.008) and central (diastolic: 0.46, p=0.003) blood pressures during HD. Conclusion The observed PW characteristics were associated with RBV and UFV during HD and may represent modifiable targets for intervention studies. Pressure excess, S-Peak, R-Peak, cardiac and preload parameters were more closely associated with RBV, while classic (especially diastolic) blood pressure parameters, ejection duration and S/D-Ratio were more associated with UFV, in models using both predictors. On average, blood pressure and peripheral resistance tended to decrease less when a patient began HD in a volume-expanded state, which may affect day-to-day feasibility of more classical pressure targets, but perhaps not of other PW parameters. Multiple PW characteristics have previously been shown to be associated with mortality and morbidity and are potential target parameters for future intervention trials. Utilizing RBV modification as an intervention may offer superior precision compared to UFV goals, requiring further studies. PW technology could also be adopted by HD-machine manufacturers at low cost, enabling more precise and individualized treatment options.

Pelvic Floor Dysfunction in Transgender Men on Gender-affirming Hormone Therapy: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study.

The objective of this research is to explore the effects of hormone therapy using testosterone on pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD) in transgender men. We hypothesize that PFD might be prevalent among transgender men undergoing hormone therapy. Therefore, this study was aimed at verifying the frequency of these dysfunctions. A cross-sectional study was conducted between September 2022 and March 2023 using an online questionnaire, which included transgender men over 18years old who underwent gender-affirming hormone therapy. Volunteers with neurological disease, previous urogynecology surgery, active urinary tract infection, and individuals without access to the internet were excluded. The questionnaire employed validated tools to assess urinary symptoms, such as urinary incontinence (UI), as well as sexual dysfunction, anorectal symptoms, and constipation. The data were analyzed descriptively and presented as frequencies and prevalence ratios with their respective confidence intervals (95% CI), mean, and standard deviation. A total of 68 transgender men were included. Most participants had storage symptoms (69.1%), sexual dysfunction (52.9%), anorectal symptoms (45.6%), and flatal incontinence (39.7%). Participants with UI symptoms reported moderate severity of the condition. Transgender men on hormone therapy have a high incidence of PFD (94.1%) and experience a greater occurrence of urinary symptoms (86.7%).

Investigation of Risk Factors Predicting Cataract Surgery Complications in Patients with Pseudoexfoliation Syndrome: A Systematic Review.

(1) Background: The present review aims to identify risk factors with predictive value for differentiating between pseudoexfoliation patients at risk of developing intra- or postoperative complications and those without operative risk during cataract surgery. (2) Methods: The review protocol was registered at PROSPERO, registration no. CRD42023417721. The following databases were searched for studies between 2000 and 2023: PubMed/Medline, Scopus, Springer, Science Direct, Web of Science, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, TRIP database, LILACS, Clinical Trials, and reference lists of articles. We included analytical studies of any design examining cataract surgery complications in pseudoexfoliation patients across two population groups, one who underwent uneventful cataract surgery and the other who experienced intra- or postoperative complications. The paper will follow PRISMA 2020 criteria for reporting. Effect measure was assessed using odds ratios (ORs) and corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) for qualitative variables and means with their respective standard deviation (SD) for quantitative variables. The risk of bias was assessed using the method presented in the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews. The GRADE scale was used for quality of evidence and certainty. (3) Results: The initial search of published and gray literature databases retrieved 1435 articles, six of which were included in this report. A total of 156 intra- or postoperative incidents were reported in 999 eyes with pseudoexfoliation. The identified predictive factors were a shallow anterior chamber, cataract grade, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, preoperative intraocular pressure, and symmetry of the exfoliation material. Limitations include heterogeneity of data and limited number of studies identified in our search. (4) Conclusions: These findings suggest the potential to refine risk stratification protocols in clinical settings and assist surgeons in personalized decision-making among individuals with pseudoexfoliation syndrome.

A deep learning-based global and segmentation-based semantic feature fusion approach for indoor scene classification

This work proposes a novel approach that uses a semantic segmentation mask to obtain a 2D spatial layout of the segmentation-categories across the scene, designated by segmentation-based semantic features (SSFs). These features represent, per segmentation-category, the pixel count, as well as the 2D average position and respective standard deviation values. Moreover, a two-branch network, GS2F2App, that exploits CNN-based global features extracted from RGB images and the segmentation-based features extracted from the proposed SSFs, is also proposed. GS2F2App was evaluated in two indoor scene benchmark datasets: the SUN RGB-D and the NYU Depth V2, achieving state-of-the-art results on both datasets.

INFLUENCE OF NEOADJUVANT THERAPY ON THE RATIO OF LYMPH NODES.

To evaluate the relationship between the ratio of affected lymph nodes (LNR) and clinical and anatomopathological variables in patients with rectal adenocarcinoma submitted or not to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy. The LNR was determined by dividing the number of compromised LNR by the total number of LNR dissected in the surgical specimen. Patients were divided into two groups: with QRT and without QRT. In each group, the relationship between LNR and the following variables was evaluated: degree of cell differentiation, depth of invasion in the rectal wall, angiolymphatic /perineural invasion, degree of tumor regression and occurrence of metastases. The LNR was evaluated in patients with more than 1, LNR (LNR >12) or less (LNR<12) in the surgical specimen with overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). The results were expressed as the mean with the respective standard deviation. Qualitative variables were analyzed using Fisher's exact test, while quantitative variables were analyzed using the Kruskal -Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests. The significance level was 5%. We evaluated 282 patients with QRT and 114 without QRT, between 1995-2011. In the QRT Group, LNR showed a significant association with mucinous tumors (P=0.007) and degree of tumor regression (P=0.003). In both groups, LNR was associated with poorly differentiated tumors (P=0.001, P=0.02), presence of angiolymphatic invasion (P<0.0001 and P=0.01), perineural (P=0.0007, P=0.02), degree of rectal wall invasion (T3>T2; P<0.0001, P=0.02); Compromised LNR (P<0.0001, P<0.01), metastases (P<0.0001, P<0.01). In patients with QRT, LNR<12 was associated with DFS (5.889; 95%CI1.935-19.687; P=0.018) and LNR>12 with DFS and OS (17.984; 95%CI5.931-54.351; P<0.001 and 10.286; 95%CI 2.654-39.854; P=0.007, respectively). LNR was associated with histological aspects of poor prognosis, regardless of the use of QRT. In the occurrence of less than 12 evaluated LNR, the LNR was associated only with the DFS. • Assessment of the lymph nodes during pathological analysis of the surgical specimen is crucial to determine treatment and prognosis. • Neoadjuvance therapy reduces the number of lymph nodes, being lower than recommended, therefore the lymph node ratio can be an alternative analysis for a better prognosis.

Efficient data generation for the determination of effective oxygen diffusion coefficients of cementitious materials

AbstractTo develop new cementitious materials with the goal of reducing the carbon footprint a rapid assessment of information about their resistance against damaging processes is of utmost importance to ensure long‐term durability. The Oxygen diffusion test is an efficient method to evaluate the ingress of gas in concretes and mortars without changing the porous structure of the specimen during testing. However, currently no standardized test method exists. We determined the effective Oxygen diffusion coefficient, De,O2 of mortar discs using a single diffusion cell method. Furthermore, we enhanced the procedure by extrapolating the oxygen saturation curves of the diffusion cells with a simple asymptotic function to identify a minimum required test duration where the extrapolated data still delivers reliable results and hence, shorten the overall required measurement time. In our case, we were able to significantly reduce the effort needed to obtain results that are within the range of the respective standard deviation of individual specimens. Our findings further strengthen the feasibility of time and cost efficient gas diffusion testing methods that could deliver complementary information for evaluating existing and designing new cementitious materials.

Development of a fast GC-response factor method to quantify total FAMEs in biodiesel from various fatty acid sources

Biodiesel is a renewable energy source that can be employed as an alternative fuel to fossil diesel. Monitoring samples in terms of fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) content using gas chromatography (GC) is a useful way to evaluate the quality of biodiesel produced. Fast GC can be used to reduce the time of analysis and consequently the costs, even though the equipment required for this may be expensive. Therefore, we developed and validated a Fast GC-response factor (Fast-GCRF) methodology using a low-priced nonpolar column, flame ionization detection (FID) and a standard chromatograph usually destined for conventional GC separations. The method was validated and applied to the quantification of FAMEs produced from various raw materials (soybean, cottonseed, canola, coconut, palm, sesame, sunflower, castor, corn, macauba, almond, peanut, chia seeds, residual frying oils, and chicken fat), being both selective and robust even when subjected to changes in sample preparation. The Fast GCRF method presented respective maximum relative standard deviation (RSD) values for instrumental precision, repeatability, and intermediate precision of 2.3 %, 3.6 %, and 2.8 %. When compared to conventional GC methodologies, accurate results with high degrees of agreement were obtained using the Fast-GCRF method, within an at least four times shorter analysis time.

Serum levels of bone turnover markers including calculation of Z-scores: Data from a Dutch healthy reference cohort

IntroductionBone turnover markers (BTM) are biochemical compounds reflecting different stages of bone metabolism. Their levels change with age and differ between males and females. This makes clinical interpretation and comparison more difficult. Therefore, our aim was to establish BTM reference values which can be used to calculate Z-scores for use in daily clinical practice. MethodsSerum markers of collagen resorption, bone formation/regulation, collagen formation and bone mineralization (sCTX, OC, PINP and BALP, respectively) were measured in non-fasting volunteers without bone-related abnormalities. Raw data was plotted and gender-specific age cohorts were established with their respective means and standard deviations (SD). Z-scores can be calculated using these reference values to correct for the influence of age and gender on BTM. ResultsIn total, 856 individuals were included of which 486 (57 %) were female. Individuals were aged between 7 and 70 years. Highest serum levels of BTM were found in childhood and puberty. Peak levels are higher in boys than girls and prevail at later ages. In adults, BTM levels decrease before reaching stable nadir levels. In adults, 10-year reference cohorts with means and SD were provided to calculate Z-scores. ConclusionWith our data, Z-scores of sCTX, OC, PINP and BALP can be calculated using reference categories (for age and gender) of Caucasian healthy volunteers. Clinicians can use BTM Z-scores to determine whether there are changes in bone turnover physiology beyond those expected during aging. BTM Z-scores facilitate harmonization of data interpretation in daily clinical practice and research.

Nurses' behavioural intentions towards intravenous fluid administration for pediatric patients: Application of the theory of planned behaviour

BackgroundFor pediatric patients, the demand for quality and safe Intravenous Fluid (IVF) therapy is huge. This is because, compared to adults, children have a lower tolerance for IVF therapy errors and present devastating physiological responses to errors. Nurses play a vital role in IVF administration; therefore, adequate knowledge, positive attitudes, positive perceived behavioural control, and good behavioural intentions are required to achieve effective and successful therapy, patient safety and prevention of complications, and overall positive patient outcomes. This study sought to assess the behaviour of nurses towards IVF administration for pediatric patients. MethodA cross-sectional facility-based study was designed and randomly recruited 112 nurses. The theory of planned behaviour was used as a conceptual framework to assess nurses' behavioural intentions towards IVF administration for pediatric patients. Mean scores and their respective standard deviations, reliability tests, exploratory factor analysis, and linear logistic regression were all performed using SPSS version 27, with the level of significance set at 0.05. ResultsNurses' behavioural intentions for IVF administration for pediatric patients were influenced by their knowledge of standards and protocols for IVF use (β = 0.320; p = 0.01), attitudes (β = 0.339; p = 0.006) subjective norms (β 0.240; p = 0.003) and perceived behavioural control (β = 0.26; p = 0.001). ConclusionNurses' behavioural intentions for IVF administration were significantly influenced by their knowledge of procedures and standards for IVF administration. Additionally, the nurses' subjective norms, perceived behavioural control, and attitude towards IVF administration have a significant effect on their behavioural intentions to administer IVFs to pediatric patients. For nurses to administer IVF effectively, safely, and successfully to pediatric patients, there is a need to enhance their knowledge of standards and guidelines for IVF administration. The nurses need to have good attitudes and positive support and influence from all others to be able to administer IVFs safely and successfully to their pediatric patients.

Importance of basic life support training in rural India.

Basic life support (BLS) provided right away can lower fatality rates. Cardiac arrest typically results in death within minutes if it is untreated. Therefore, it is of interest to assess how BLS training affected villagers. The pre-experimental one-group pre-test post-test design was chosen for the investigation. A non-probability volunteer sampling technique was adopted to collect a sample of 220 village residents who met the inclusion requirements. The participants received training in basic life support that is achieved by using a real-life role model, hands-on CPR instruction. Checklist served as a standardized method for assessing the BLS training program. The pre-test and post-test's means were 23.05 and 56.51, respectively, and their respective standard deviations were 11.89 and 8.27. The 'z test' calculation result is 12.36) The results showed that BLS training was more successful for villagers and that they required regular BLS training programs to maintain their BLS skill level.

Subject-specific timing adaption in time-encoded arterial spin labeling imaging

ObjectivesOne challenge in arterial spin labeling (ASL) is the high variability of arterial transit times (ATT), which causes associated arterial transit delay (ATD) artifacts. In patients with pathological changes, these artifacts occur when post-labeling delay (PLD) and bolus durations are not optimally matched to the subject, resulting in difficult quantification of cerebral blood flow (CBF) and ATT. This is also true for the free lunch approach in Hadamard-encoded pseudocontinuous ASL (H-pCASL).Material and methodsFive healthy volunteers were scanned with a 3 T MR-system. pCASL-subbolus timing was adjusted individually by the developed adaptive Walsh-ordered pCASL sequence and an automatic feedback algorithm. The quantification results for CBF and ATT and the respective standard deviations were compared with results obtained using recommended timings and intentionally suboptimal timings.ResultsThe algorithm individually adjusted the pCASL-subbolus PLD for each subject within the range of recommended timing for healthy subjects, with a mean intra-subject adjustment deviation of 47.15 ms for single-shot and 44.5 ms for segmented acquisition in three repetitions.DiscussionA first positive assessment of the results was performed on healthy volunteers. The extent to which the results can be transferred to patients and are of benefit must be investigated in follow-up studies.

Environmental science through orbiters. An example of Sentinel-5P on how the Covid-19 pandemic impacted the air quality

Due to the lockdown caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus disease (a.k.a. COVID-19) pandemic in 2020, most industrial and social activity drastically stopped. This drastic fall in human and industrial activity might have caused a drastic fall in the concentration of important atmospheric pollutants. This study investigates whether the atmospheric concentration of NO2, CO, HCOOH, CH4, SO2 and O3 changed during this extraordinary situation. Secondly, this manuscript demonstrates how orbiter data can be freely used to endeavour any research question and the usefulness of multivariate data analysis in analyzing such data. The data used was the European Space Agency Copernicus Sentinel-5P satellite (SP5). Besides, the molecular concentration found with S5P was compared with the ground meteorological stations of the Basque Government, Spain. Concerning the individual evolution of the molecular concentrations found with SP5, no significant differences were obtained for the abovementioned molecules for the same period (from January until June) in different years (2019 and 2020) using ANOVA. The average concentration between years and their respective relative standard deviations were in the same range. Nevertheless, Principal Component Analysis applied to the time series demonstrated significant changes in the overall behaviour of the monitored pollutants.

Assessment of Cardiovascular Risk and Arterial Stiffness in Patients With Human Immunodeficiency Virus.

Several studies suggest that patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) under highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) have a higher cardiovascular risk than the general population. Arterial stiffness is an independent predictor of cardiovascular events and can be measured through carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV). The objectives of this study were to characterize a sample of HIV-infected patients under HAART regarding cardiovascular risk, compare PWV values of this group with those of uninfected controls,and investigate predictors of PWV in the HIV-infected group. PWV was measured, and data was collected from a sample of 125 HIV-infected patients under HAART. PWV measurements in the study group were compared with those in a control group of 250 subjects similar in sex, age, prevalence of hypertension, and type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). A linear regression model was constructed to identify predictors of PWV in the HIV-infected group. In the HIV-infected group, composed mostly of men, the mean age and respective standard deviation were 48.6 ± 11.6 years. In this group, 112 individuals (89.6%) presented moderate to very high cardiovascular risk. Significant differences were found in median PWV between HIV-infected and control groups (8.56 vs. 8.00 m/s,p= .002). Age, peripheral systolic blood pressure, presence of DM, amount of alcohol consumed, and current CD4+T cell count were independent predictors of PWV in the HIV-infected group. Conclusions: The HIV-infected group showed higher cardiovascular risk and arterial stiffness measurements than the general population. PWV may be an important predictor of subclinical cardiovascular disease in HIV-infected patients.

Study on the Coupling System of Building Flexible Energy and Energy Storage on Power Grid Operation Performance

The flexible building energy storage coupling dispatching framework and optimal dispatching model have been established in this paper by using the multi-levels network dispatching analysis method of the grid system. It would include solving the optimization model with the objective function having the minimum standard deviation and the constraint conditions of charging and discharging power and capacity. Second, a simulation analysis who used an example is implemented based on the typical daily load of a Tianjin district. The findings indicate that: energy storage, construction, and flexible energy use The joint optimization’s respective standard deviations are 1.40, 1.59, and 1.24. The system’s power storage, peak-clipping, valley-filling, and other features have a greater impact than the flexible energy use of a standard structure. The building’s flexible energy use has a good peak shaving effect, which can compensate for the problems caused by the general battery energy storage system’s power and capacity limitations during the generation capacity period. In addition, the battery energy storage system can use the valley time to charge, resolving issues with valley filling optimization and the lack of flexible energy use in buildings. From this, it can be seen that the power storage system and the building’s flexible energy use jointly regulate the overall energy use performance of the structure, which not only achieves good peak load cutting and valley filling effect but also controls other issues such as frequent load fluctuations, large load peak valley difference, and other issues, ultimately leading to high energy utilization in China.

An Echocardiographic Insight Into Post-COVID-19 Symptoms.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2)infection has frequent acute cardiovascular manifestations, but long-term sequelae are yet to be described. Our main objective is to describe the echocardiographic findings of patients with a previous SARS-CoV-2 infection. A single-center prospective study was conducted. Patients who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 were selected and submitted to a transthoracic echocardiogram six months after infection. A complete echocardiographic assessment was performed, including tissue Doppler, E/E' ratio, and ventricular longitudinal strain. Patients were divided into two subgroups according to their need for admission to the ICU. A total of 88 patients were enrolled. The mean values and respective standard deviations of the echocardiographic parameters were as follows: left ventricular ejection fraction 60.8 ± 5.9%; left ventricular longitudinal strain 17.9 ± 3.6%; tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion 22.1 ± 3.6 mm; a longitudinal strain of the free wall of the right ventricle 19.0 ± 6.0%. We found no statistically significant differences between subgroups. At the six-monthfollow-up, we found no significant impact of past SARS-CoV-2 infection on the heart using echocardiography parameters.

SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS IN PHILIPPINE POLITICS AND GOVERNANCE

This thesis entitled, “Supplementary Materials in Philippine Politics and Governance.” Intended to find out answers to the following questions: 1. What is the level of validation of the Supplementary materials in Philippine Politics and Governance described in terms of parts as: objectives content activities and evaluation? 2. What is the level of Validity of Supplementary materials in Philippine Politics and Governance described in terms of characteristics to: suitability usability and consistency? 3. What is the mean performance of the students in terms of pretest, post-test? 4. What is the mean performance of the student in terms of performance task? 5. Is there any significant difference in the mean performance of the students in terms of pretest and post-test? and 6. Do Supplementary materials in Philippine Politics and Governance significantly affect the student performance task? The respondents for this particular research were teachers of Social Science and the student from General Academic Strand (GAS) and Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS) in the District of Magdalena. In this study, teachers will choose as a sample among the population of teachers, (10) teachers of Buenavista Integrated National High School, Cigaras, Magdalena, and (10) teachers of Magdalena Integrated National High School Magdalena, Laguna, with the total of twenty (20) teachers in District of Magdalena, and (50) students from HUMSS and (25) students from GAS, with a total of 75 students in the District of Magdalena. The level of validation for the supplementary materials in Philippine Politics and Governance received very high ratings from the respondents. This includes the objectives, content, activities, and evaluation. Additionally, the standard deviations were reported for each variable. The supplementary materials in Philippine Politics and Governance were deemed highly valid by the respondents in terms of their suitability, usability, and consistency. The ratings for each variable were reported as very high, along with their respective standard deviations. The pretest and post-test performance of 75 respondents showed that the highest frequency of pre-test scores fell within the range of 21-30, while the highest frequency of post-test scores fell within the range of 31 to 40. The mean and standard deviation for the pre-test score were reported as satisfactory, while the post-test score showed an improvement rated as very satisfactory. Out of 75 respondents, all of the respondents score range from “85 to 89” on practical task 1 and 2 and from “90 to 100” on practical task 3 and 4 received the highest frequency of seventy-five (75) or 100.00% of the total sample population. The mean and standard deviation for the practical task remarked as Outstanding improved based on the score. The pre-test and post-test showed a significant difference in the performance of the students after the use of the supplementary materials, as indicated by the computed t values which were greater than the critical t value. Additionally, the p-values obtained were less than the significance alpha 0.05, suggesting the presence of a significance. The supplementary materials have a significant effect on the students practical task performance which are all statistically significant. The beta coefficient indicates the strength and direction of the relationship between the supplementary materials and practical task performance, with a positive coefficient suggesting that the supplementary materials improve performance. The computed t values obtained from the practical task which were greater than the critical t value. Furthermore, the p-values obtained were less than the significance alpha 0.05, hence there is presence of a significance. From the findings above, we can infer that at 0.05 level of significance, the null hypothesis “There is no significant difference in the performance of the students in terms of pre-test and post-test” and “There is no significant effect on the supplementary materials in Philippine Politics and Governance in terms of performance task” is rejected. Results indicate that using supplementary materials had a significant impact on students performance, as demonstrated by the significant difference between the pre-test and post-test scores. This suggests that the supplementary materials were effective in improving the students understanding of the subject matter.

Describing the health-related quality of life of Māori adults in Aotearoa me Te Waipounamu (New Zealand)

PurposeIn Aotearoa me Te Waipounamu (New Zealand; NZ) there are considerable inequities in health status and outcomes for Māori, the Indigenous peoples of NZ. It is therefore important that the health status and preferences of Māori are specifically considered in healthcare policy and decision making. This paper describes the health-related quality of life of 390 Māori adults who took part in the NZ EQ-5D-5L valuation study.MethodsResponses on the five dimensions of the EQ-5D-5L were dichotomised into “no problems” and “any problems”, summarised and disaggregated by age group. Mean preference weights were reported by age group and overall. Mean utility values (calculated by applying each participant’s preference weights to their EQ-5D-5L profile) were summed and respective means and standard deviations reported by age, chronic disease status and disability.ResultsThe EQ-5D-5L dimensions with the highest proportion of participants reporting any problems were pain/discomfort (61.5%) and anxiety/depression (50%). The most commonly-reported chronic disease was mental illness/distress (24.6%). Anxiety/depression ranked as the most important dimension, with usual activities, the least important. The mean utility value was 0.83 with the lowest value (0.79) found in the 18–24 and 45–54 age groups. For participants with at least one chronic disease the mean utility value was 0.76 compared to 0.91 for those with none.ConclusionTo reduce inequities experienced by Māori it is crucial that the health status of Māori and the values Māori place on health-related quality of life are properly understood. This can only be achieved using Māori-specific data.