Spearman's Coefficient Research Articles

Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Ecosystem Services Driven by Human Modification over the Past Seven Decades: A Case Study of Sihu Agricultural Watershed, China

Understanding the effects of human modification on ecosystem services is critical for effectively managing multiple services and achieving long-term sustainability. The historical dynamics of ecosystem services are important for detecting the impacts before and after intensive modification and deserve further study. To this end, we quantified the spatiotemporal dynamics of 11 ecosystem services across the Sihu agricultural watershed in 1954, 1983, 2001, and 2018. We used the Spearman coefficient, self-organized maps clustering, and redundancy analysis to explore the spatial patterns and potential modification drivers of temporal variations of ecosystem service provision. The results revealed the following: (1) The spatial correlations among ecosystem services in a single year were inconsistent with the ecosystem service change associations during two-time steps. The snapshot correlations at one time led to misunderstandings (such as water yield and runoff control or soil carbon sequestration, and habitat quality changed direction from synergy to trade-off) and missed synergies (such as water purification and recreational potential); (2) Most ecosystem services could be synergetic in one bundle with multifunctionality before intensive modification, but later transformed to single or limited services dominated bundles, especially in lake-polder areas; (3) Lake reclamation and hydraulic infrastructure were the most significant modification indicators explaining the variation of ecosystem services (30.9% of variance explained by lake reclamation in 1954, 38.2% of variance explained by hydraulic infrastructure in 2018). Meanwhile, changes in dominant drivers also indicated the transition from lake-based ecosystem service supply to engineered service. An improved understanding of the spatiotemporal pattern of ecosystem services and the underlying human modification influence is vital for realizing the sustainability and multifunctionality of agricultural watershed.

Knowledge and attitude on bruxism among International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) students

Bruxism is an oral habit of clenching and grinding teeth. In 2014, the prevalence of bruxism among youth has been increased to 51.2% which is higher than previous studies. Effects of bruxism can affect the quality of life. Hence, this study aimed to examine the level of knowledge and attitude among IIUM Kuantan students by developing a questionnaire as a research tool in this study, identifying the level of knowledge and attitude, determining the sociodemographic characteristics that contribute to the level of knowledge and attitude, and determining the correlation between the knowledge and attitude on bruxism. The domains such as type, symptom, risk factor, effect, prevention, and treatment on bruxism was assessed in the questionnaire. Data from 129 respondents was collected through Google form by using convenience sampling. As the result, the development of questionnaire as the research tool was completed by literature review, and pilot study (?=0.844). Both of knowledge and attitude on bruxism were poor. Significant differences were detected using Kruskal Wallis test in term of knowledge between respondents’ age (p=0.008), faculty (p=0.009), and level of study (p=0.024). Similarly sociodemographic characteristics which were age (p=0.001), kulliyyah (p<0.001), and level of study (p=0.002) detected significant differences in term of attitude on bruxism. A fair positive correlation was determined by Spearman coefficient between knowledge and attitude on bruxism among the respondents (r=0.461, p<0.001). In conclusion, it is recommended for the healthcare authorities conducting an educational program to increase the level of knowledge and attitude on bruxism among the population.

Wearable sensors for assessing disease severity and progression in Progressive Supranuclear Palsy

IntroductionProgressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is an atypical parkinsonism characterized by prominent gait and postural impairment. The PSP rating scale (PSPrs) is a clinician-administered tool to evaluate disease severity and progression. More recently, digital technologies have been used to investigate gait parameters. Therefore, object of this study was to implement a protocol using wearable sensors evaluating disease severity and progression in PSP. MethodsPatients were evaluated with the PSPrs as well as with three wearable sensors located on the feet and lumbar area. Spearman coefficient was used to assess the relationship between PSPrs and quantitative measurements. Furthermore, sensor parameters were included in a multiple linear regression model to assess their ability in predicting the PSPrs total score and sub-scores. Finally, differences between baseline and three-month follow-up were calculated for PSPrs and each quantitative variable. The significance level in all analyses was set at ≤ 0.05. ResultsFifty-eight evaluations from thirty-five patients were analyzed. Quantitative measurements showed multiple significant correlations with the PSPrs scores (r between 0.3 and 0.7; p < 0.05). Linear regression models confirmed the relationships. After three months visit, significant worsening from baseline was observed for cadence, cycle duration and PSPrs item 25, while PSPrs item 10 showed a significant improvement. ConclusionWe propose wearable sensors can provide an objective, sensitive quantitative evaluation and immediate notification of gait changes in PSP. Our protocol can be easily introduced in outpatient and research settings as a complementary tool to clinical measures as well as an informative tool on disease severity and progression in PSP.

Clues of incomplete reversal of heparin in cardiac surgery.

In our center, an unusual rate of patients had abnormalities of hemostasis in immediate postoperative period of cardiac surgery. Our objectives were to identify the cause of these sudden hemostasis abnormalities and to evaluate the performances of point of care coagulation testing. In this prospective and descriptive study, we included 33 consecutive patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery for 1month. Heparin-induced anticoagulation and calculation of the protamine dose were tested by the Hemostasis Management System Plus device (Medtronic, Minneapolis, MN, USA). Fifteen minutes after the end of the protamine infusion, activated clotting time (ACT), activated partial thromboplastin time and anti Xa activity were measured. In case of unusual clinical bleeding, a Quantra analysis (Stago, HemoSonics LLC, Charlottesville, VA) was added. Residual antiXa activity >0.2 IU/mL after neutralization was present in 44% of patients. Our investigation concluded incomplete heparin reversal. There was no association between cellular reinfusate and the presence of heparin. The unusual rate of hemostasis abnormalities was explained by a less efficient protamine reversal of heparin. ACT and Clot Time Ratio (CTR, Quantra system) correlated with AntiXa with Spearman's coefficients of 0.85 (p < .0001) and 0.95 (p = .0012), respectively. About ACT, a threshold of 150 seconds had a sensitivity of 85% [58-97] and a specificity of 85% [58-97%] for detection of AntiXa>0.2. For CTR, a threshold of 1.4 had a sensitivity of 67% [30-94] and a specificity of 100% [18-100]. The use of point of care coagulation testing is effective in detecting incomplete reversal of heparin.

Psycho-Emotional Burnout of the Personality in the Conditions of War

A common cause of health disorders in war is psychotraumatic situations that lead to psycho-emotional burnout of military personnel.&#x0D; The purpose of the article is to conduct an empirical study of the psycho-emotional burnout of military personnel. Tasks are set: to determine the emotional reactions and states of military personnel; to assess the level of manifestation of emotional burnout of military personnel.&#x0D; Research Methods: The study used valid methods, "Diagnosis of the level of emotional burnout", "Determination of mental "burnout", and «Burnout Syndrome» in the professions of the «man-man» system, for the non-parametric data correlation variables, the Spearman coefficient.&#x0D; Results: The study revealed the military personnel's inability to manage their emotions, which leads to depersonalization, personal alienation, and distance. The inadequate selective emotional response has 94.0%, which is an indisputable "sign of burnout". The peculiarities of emotion management of military personnel and their role in the genesis of emotional response in professional activity are revealed. It is established that the "economic manifestation of emotions" of military personnel can be manifested both in an excessively cheerful mood and aggression, which is frustrating behavior.&#x0D; Conclusion: In order to prevent psycho-emotional burnout, it is necessary to develop anti-stress skills, skills of controlling the manifestation of emotions based on critical analysis of the situation, and the ability not to throw out negative emotions on other people. To work with the military, it is necessary to substantiate the content of psychosocial counseling within the framework of a comprehensive system of psychological rehabilitation of servicemen.

A Sustainable Method for Evaluating the Activity of Logistics Service Providers (LSPs) in a Turbulent Environment—Case Study Analysis (2020–2021)

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the ongoing war and the implementation of the so-called Mobility Package there are profound changes taking place in the Polish LSP sector. The competitive struggle on the market is intensifying, and it mobilizes the management to diagnose the condition of companies with the use of effective comparative tools. This article aims to present the conclusions of the study of 46 entities on the Polish LSP market. It uses an original, multi-faceted evaluation method. The authors hope to popularize this method for evaluating LSPs by making it cyclical. The comparative evaluation of LSPs was carried out with the use of economic (index) and statistical analysis tools. A model of rank correlation was used for the values of all variables (ten economic parameters and one greening parameter). LSPs were grouped up based on the average value of the economic variables and according to investment attractiveness and then clustered. Sets of the most correlated characteristics in the assessment of the LSPs were developed based on the k-means method and the Spearman coefficient. A collective ranking of LSPs has been prepared.

Antiseizure medication withdrawal risk estimation and recommendations: A survey of American Academy of Neurology and EpiCARE members.

Choosing candidates for antiseizure medication (ASM) withdrawal in well-controlled epilepsy is challenging. We evaluated (a) the correlation between neurologists' seizure risk estimation ("clinician predictions") vs calculated predictions, (b) how viewing calculated predictions influenced recommendations, and (c) barriers to using risk calculation. We asked US and European neurologists to predict 2-year seizure risk after ASM withdrawal for hypothetical vignettes. We compared ASM withdrawal recommendations before vs after viewing calculated predictions, using generalized linear models. Three-hundred and forty-six neurologists responded. There was moderate correlation between clinician and calculated predictions (Spearman coefficient 0.42). Clinician predictions varied widely, for example, predictions ranged 5%-100% for a 2-year seizure-free adult without epileptiform abnormalities. Mean clinician predictions exceeded calculated predictions for vignettes with epileptiform abnormalities (eg, childhood absence epilepsy: clinician 65%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 57%-74%; calculated 46%) and surgical vignettes (eg, focal cortical dysplasia 6-month seizure-free mean clinician 56%, 95% CI 52%-60%; calculated 28%). Clinicians overestimated the influence of epileptiform EEG findings on withdrawal risk (26%, 95% CI 24%-28%) compared with calculators (14%, 95% 13%-14%). Viewing calculated predictions slightly reduced willingness to withdraw (-0.8/10 change, 95% CI -1.0 to -0.7), particularly for vignettes without epileptiform abnormalities. The greatest barrier to calculator use was doubting its accuracy (44%). Clinicians overestimated the influence of abnormal EEGs particularly for low-risk patients and overestimated risk and the influence of seizure-free duration for surgical patients, compared with calculators. These data may question widespread ordering of EEGs or time-based seizure-free thresholds for surgical patients. Viewing calculated predictions reduced willingness to withdraw particularly without epileptiform abnormalities.

Rapid, Digital Dietary Assessment in Association with Cardiometabolic Biomarkers.

To examine the associations between dietary intake as assessed by a rapid, image-based digital tool and biomarkers of cardiometabolic health. Retrospective analysis of adults with blood biomarkers performed by Boston Heart Diagnostics (BHD) between December 2020 and March 2022. Outpatient centers serviced by BHD. 546 adults, excluding those taking relevant medications and/or supplements known to affect blood test results. Laboratory assays of blood specimens were performed by Boston Heart Diagnostics. Nutrient intake and diet quality data were obtained using Diet Quality Photo Navigation (DQPN®; US Patent #11,328,810 B2) technique via Diet ID™ tool. Pearson correlation coefficients (for continuous variables) and Spearman coefficients (for ordinal variables) were used to evaluate associations between nutrient intake data and laboratory data for the full study sample. Two-sided P-values < .05 were considered statistically significant. Both continuous and ordinal measures of diet quality correlated significantly with HDL-C and triglycerides (n = 485; P < .0 01); with hs-CRP (n = 441; P < .001); with HgbA1c (n = 345; P < .01); with fasting insulin (n = 372; P < .001); and with HOMA-IR (n = 319; P < .001). Findings affirm that rapid, digital diet quality and composition assessment by pattern recognition rather than recall tracks significantly with key biomarkers of cardiometabolic health.

The influence of technology on the academic performance of students at the “Uruguay” fiscal educational unit for the 2021-2022 school year

The objective of this research is to analyze the influence of technology on the academic performance of the students of the "Uruguay" Fiscal Educational Unit for the 2021-2022 school year. The methodology that was used is of a qualitative-quantitative type, with a descriptive design, it is field, correlational, and non-experimental. The population is made up of 1,200 students from the "Uruguay" Fiscal Educational Unit, obtaining a sample of 291 students to be surveyed. With the SPSS® statistical program and Cronbach's Alpha coefficient, a reliability of 0.824 was obtained; In addition, with the results obtained from Spearman's Rho coefficient of 0.778 in the general hypothesis, it is verified that students are clear that technology currently has a positive impact on the educational environment, since it improves educational effectiveness and didactic methods, contributing to the teaching-learning process and strengthening academic performance.

Effect of lymphoid volume irradiation on radiation-induced lymphopenia in head and neck cancers

PurposeRadiotherapy induces significant and prolonged lymphopenia in head and neck cancer patients with poorer outcomes and reduced survival. Irradiated volumes may be correlated with lymphopenia with a potential impact on immunotherapy efficacy. We assessed associations between volumes treated with radiotherapy and the nadir of the lymphocyte count in patients with head and neck cancer. Materials and methodsWe conducted a monocentric retrospective study in patients with head and neck cancer treated with radiation. Univariate analysis used regression analysis to model nadir lymphocyte count and radiotherapy volumes; multivariate analysis then modelled factors associated with nadir lymphocyte count. ResultsOf the 77 included patients, 97% presented lymphopenia during radiotherapy with an average nadir of 431 cells/mm3 at a median of 40 days after the beginning of treatment. The volume of high-risk radiotherapy and gross tumour volume were correlated with nadir lymphocyte count with a Spearman coefficient of −0.267 (P=0.019) and −0.387 (P=0.001), respectively. After multivariate linear regression, high-risk radiotherapy was significantly associated with nadir lymphocyte count with a regression coefficient of −0.32 (per cubic centimetre) [95% CI=−0.60; −0.03] (P=0.028). ConclusionHigh-risk radiotherapy was significantly associated with nadir lymphocyte count in patients with head and neck cancer treated with radiation. Sparing lymphoid volumes from irradiation by elective nodal irradiation or proton therapy may limit lymphopenia and needs to be investigated in combination with immunotherapy.

The Utility of THC Cutoff Levels in Blood and Saliva for Detection of Impaired Driving.

Background: Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the psychoactive component in cannabis and a relationship of THC to driving impairment is expected. Despite this, there are discrepant findings with respect to the relationship of blood THC to driving. This study investigated the relationship of blood, urine, and saliva THC/THC-COOH levels to "weaving," as measured by a driving simulator. Methods: Participants smoked cannabis alone or with alcohol. THC/THC-COOH levels in blood, urine, and saliva were correlated with standard deviation of lateral position (SDLP), measuring "weaving." In addition, SDLP after cannabis and/or alcohol were compared with SDLP after placebo when THC/THC-COOH levels were above or below specified thresholds in blood (5 ng/mL), urine (50 ng/mL), or saliva (25 ng/mL). Results: A clear linear relationship between blood THC concentration and SDLP was not observed based on calculation of Spearman coefficients. When compared with placebo, SDLP was significantly increased after cannabis and cannabis combined with alcohol when THC in the blood was above the legal limit. SDLP was increased in drug conditions when saliva cutoffs were above the legal limit. Conclusions: The findings of this study suggest that specified thresholds for THC in blood and saliva may be able to detect driving impairment, but future studies are needed. ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT03106363.

Relación entre ansiedad, dolor y satisfacción con el cuidado en mujeres operadas de artroplastia en Guatemala

IntroductionArthroplasty is a commonly used surgical procedure for the functional recovery of patients with impaired mobility and displacement. The post-surgical process implies dealing with pain and anxiety, a situation that must be addressed during hospitalization by the nursing staff, to guarantee pertinent and effective care that favours the processes of rehabilitation and patient satisfaction. ObjectiveTo identify the relationship between satisfaction with nursing care and the presence of anxiety and pain in women who underwent arthroplasty. Materials and methodsCross-sectional quantitative, with 63 patients undergoing arthroplasty at the Dr. Jorge Von Ahn National Hospital of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation in León, Guatemala. The variables level of anxiety, pain, and satisfaction with nursing care were measured. Data were analysed with non-parametric statistics using Spearman's coefficient correlation test. International ethical considerations and informed consent were taken into account. ResultsThe variable satisfaction with nursing care was related to low level of anxiety and null relationship with pain and the sociodemographic variables sex, age, ethnicity, level of education, and days of stay. ConclusionIt is necessary to implement therapeutic nursing strategies that continue to humanize the hospital stay and recovery processes, and to conduct mixed studies that deepen the relationship between satisfaction with nursing care variables and anxiety and non-associated sociodemographic variables.

Student-Produced Guides alongside First-Year Medical Curriculum: How Peer-Produced Textbooks Change Student Success within Neurology, Cardiopulmonary, and Mixed Systems Courses.

In the United States, medical schools do not have a unified curricular plan that integrates basic sciences and organ-based systems in undergraduate medical education. Instead, institutions rely on independently created lecture material during the first-year medical school curriculum. The drawback to this approach is that no commercial or organizational resources cater to this individualized study plan. This study explored whether students who use student-produced "course guides" experience increased first-year success and improved skills. First-year students at an allopathic medical school completed anonymous surveys about their reference guide usage, time management, organization, stress level, and examination scores. Statistical analysis was performed using Spearman's coefficient of correlation and χ2 tests. All of the tests were performed with a significance level of α = 0.05 and a 95% confidence interval. In total, 186 total students received the survey three times immediately after completing each organ system-based course. A total of n = 49 viable responses were received. One-fourth of the respondents used the guides for ≥3 hours/week. Respondents who used the reference guides reported improved time management, organization, self-confidence, and reduced student stress levels during the first year of medical school, but examination scores were unaffected. Access to student-produced guides increased confidence in self-rated measures of time management skills, organizational ability, and ability to balance medical course expectations. Because of the small sample size, future work will expand the survey population to increase the power to detect differences in these factors.

The Assessment of the Quality of Life in Patients with Rheumatoid Foot.

The negative effects of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are multi-dimensional. Foot deformities lead to disability, pain, and impaired quality of life. Identifying the difficulties in functioning rheumatoid foot and assessing the quality of life in this aspect. The material included 50 patients of Rheumatology Policlinic of the Central Clinical Hospital of Interior Affairs in Warsaw and a matched control group of 50 individuals without RA. The degree of foot joint damage was assessed using the Manchester scale, lower limb movement and quality of life using the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society Score and HAQ. The duration of symptoms was 16.0 ± 8.9 years. High activity of RA measured by the DAS was observed in 20% of patients, moderate in 26%, and low in 54%. The most common foot deformities were: hammer toes (82%), longitudinal flat feet (74%), and hyperkeratosis (56%). The least frequent were: stiff toe (38%) and overlapping fingers (28%). In the RA group, the outcomes of the FAOS questionnaire were statistically significantly worse than in the control group in all categories (p<0.001). The worst-rated domain was the sport and recreation subscale (median 55.0), the best daily activity (median 86.8). The strongest relationship was demonstrated between the FAOS and HAQ indices. Spearman's HAQ correlation coefficient with the ADL subscale was r=-0.85, p<0.001; with the QOL, sport/recreation and pain subscales moderate, it was r=-0.72; r= 0.71, p <0.001. Lower limb movement function and quality of life are worse in RA patients; pain accompanies climbing and descending stairs; running and jumping require effort.

Research on short-term power load forecasting method based on multi-factor feature analysis and LSTM

In order to improve the accuracy of short-term power load forecasting and fully consider the influence of weather factors on power load, a short-term power load forecasting model based on multi-factor analysis and Long-Short Term Memory (LSTM) neural network is proposed. Firstly, the correlation between different weather factors and load is analysed using the Spearman coefficient method to extract the weather features that have a greater impact on power load. Then the original time series data are reconstructed using the sliding window method. Finally, the forecasting model is established by using LSTM. The proposed model is validated by using the power load data from the 2016 Electrician’s Cup modelling competition, and compared with other models. The results show that the average absolute percentage error of the forecasting model proposed in this paper reaches 7.41% and the average absolute value error is 380.67 MW, which is better than the other models mentioned in the paper.

DOP66 Ileal resections from fibrotic-CD patients present microbiota dysbiosis, altered metabolomic profiles and metabolite-sensing GPCRs expression

Abstract Background Crohn’s Disease (CD) is a subtype of IBD characterized by a chronic transmural inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract associated with several complications being intestinal fibrosis the most frequent. CD patients present microbiota dysbiosis and altered metabolomic profiles. GPCRs constitute a family of receptors which could be involved in inflammatory and fibrotic processes associated to CD. We aim to characterize microbiota composition, tissue metabolomic profile and metabolite-sensing GPCRs expression in ileal resections from fibrotic CD patients. Methods Ileal resections from B2-CD (n=21) and non-IBD (n=13) patients were obtained. Microbiota characterization was performed by 16S rRNA gene Illumina Miseq sequencing. Bioinformatic analysis of sequencing data was performed using constrained correspondence analysis and non-parametric Wilcoxon test to compare species proportions. Bacterial load was estimated by qPCR. Metabolomic analysis was performed by NMR. Results are expressed as μg metabolite/g tissue. Murine intestinal fibrosis was induced in C67BL/6 mice by: a) the heterotopic intestinal transplant model and b) chronic administration of 4 cycles of increasing DSS percentages. Gene expression of GPCRs was analyzed by qPCR. Data were expressed as fold induction vs control (mean±SEM) and compared by a t-test. Correlations were analyzed with the Spearman coefficient. Results First, microbiota analysis revealed a reduction in bacterial diversity and load in fibrotic CD patients. Then, in B2-CD samples we found at genus level Enterococcus genera significantly decreased and at species level Ruminococcus bromii and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii also reduced compared to controls. From the metabolomic analysis, altered levels of metabolites were found in ileal resections from fibrotic CD patients as summarized in Table 1. Next, B2-CD patients exhibited differential expression of metabolite-sensing GPCRs vs non-IBD as shown in Table 2. Moreover, gene expression of fibrotic markers was analyzed in B2-CD patients and significantly increased levels of COL1A1 (13.22±4.38), COL3A1 (1.84±0.52), and COL4A1(7.75±2.19), were found vs controls. Of interest, GPR81, GPR84, GPR4 and GPR68 positively correlated with profibrotic markers, specifically with COL1A1 and COL4A1. Finally, in line with human results, we also analyzed the expression of metabolite-sensing GPCRs in two different murine colitis models and results obtained are represented in Table 3. Conclusion Fibrotic CD patients exhibit microbial dysbiosis, joined with altered levels of metabolites and gene expression of metabolite-sensing GPCRs, which are also affected in murine colitis models. Their correlation with profibrotic markers points them as protagonists of intestinal fibrosis.

P122 External validation of the Picasso Histological Remission Index (PHRI) to assess endoscopic and histological remission and predict long-term outcome in Ulcerative Colitis: A multicentre prospective study.

Abstract Background The PICaSSO Histological remission Index (PHRI) is a simple histological index for assessing ulcerative colitis (UC) based only on the presence or absence of neutrophils in the lamina propria, superficial and cryptal epithelium (Table 1), which can be implemented in artificial intelligence (AI) systems.1 We aimed to externally validate its correlation with endoscopy and its prognostic value. Methods Patients with UC underwent colonoscopy in Birmingham, UK using white light+NBI, and in Milan, Italy, using white light+BLI/LCI. Participants were followed up for 2 years and occurrence of major adverse outcomes (UC-related hospitalization, UC treatment change/optimization, need for steroids, and colectomy) were recorded. We measured the correlation (Spearman coefficient) between histological scores (PHRI, Nancy [NHI] and Robarts [RHI]) and endoscopic scores (Mayo Endoscopic Score [MES]; Ulcerative Colitis Severity Endoscopic Index of Severity [UCEIS], and Paddington International virtual ChromoendoScopy ScOre [PICaSSO]). Vice versa, ROC curves were plotted for endoscopic scores to assess histological remission. Outcome analysis at 24 months was performed according to the Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel method, Kaplan-Meier curves were plotted and hazard ratios were calculated. Results 159 patients were enrolled, 79 in the NBI cohort and 81 in the BLI/LCI cohort. Demographic characteristics are detailed in Table 2. PHRI correlated with all endoscopic scores regardless of the type of virtual chromoendoscopy. In particular, in the NBI cohort correlations were 0.86, 0.83 and 0.81 for MES, UCEIS and PICaSSO, respectively; and 0.69, 0.65 and 0.58 in the BLI/LCI cohort. Correlation with endoscopy was also similar between PHRI, Nancy and Robarts. Table 3. The area under the ROC curve (AUROC) in the NBI cohort for MES, UCEIS and PICaSSO were 0.95 (95% CI 0.91-1.00), 0.95 (95% CI 0.90-1.00), and 0.93 (95% CI 0.87-0.99), respectively. Similarly, in the BLI/LCI cohort AUROCs were 0.86 (95% CI 0.78-0.94), 0.88 (95% CI 0.81-0.95) and 0.85 (95% CI 0.77-0.94). At survival analysis (Figure 1), Kaplan Meier curves appeared similar, and the hazard ratio (HR) between patients histologically active or in remission in the NBI cohort were 3.11 (95% CI 1.47-6.57), 2.93 (95% CI 1.36-6.32) and 2.19 (95% CI 1.07-4.53) for PHRI, RHI and NHI, respectively; and 2.82 (95% CI 1.54-5.15), 2.82 (95% CI 1.54-5.16) and 2.82 (95% CI 1.54-5.15) in the BLI/LCI cohort. Conclusion We confirmed PHRI’s correlation with endoscopy, its similar performance with RHI and NHI, and its prognostic value in two independent cohorts. Neutrophil-only assessment of UC is a simple reliable alternative to current histological scores and a useful tool for AI systems. Reference: 1 Gui X. et al. Gut, 2022

P057 Development and evaluation of the i-Tracker Certolizumab and i-Tracker Anti-Certolizumab kits: rapid and innovative tests intended for monitoring patients treated with Certolizumab.

Abstract Background Certolizumab is a human monoclonal antibody directed against TNFα. This drug is commonly used for the treatment of patients with inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis or even psoriatic arthritis. Currently, monitoring of Certolizumab plasma levels is available and provides clinicians with relevant information to improve treatment efficacy. Theradiag has just developed new rapid (results in less than 40 minutes) and innovative assays allowing the quantification of Certolizumab: these tests are available on the new innovative i-Track10 chemiluminescence platform and allow the rapid quantification of Certolizumab as well as anti-antibody antibodies. -Certolizumab induced by the patient. Methods Analytical performance was studied using two types of samples: human serum samples spiked with Certolizumab or anti-Certolizumab antibodies, and human serum samples from patients with inflammatory diseases treated with Certolizumab (n=56 ). For drug assay, Certolizumab was captured using TNFα-coupled magnetic microspheres and detected using an acridinium ester-conjugated anti-Certolizumab polyclonal antibody. For the assay of anti-Certolizumab antibodies, microspheres coupled to Certolizumab were used. The anti-Certolizumab antibodies thus captured were detected by Certolizumab conjugated to the acridinium ester. Light emission from acridinium ester conjugates is directly related to the amount of Certolizumab or anti-Certolizumab antibodies present in the sample. Results The quantification of Certolizumab by the i-Tracker Certolizumab kit shows very good accuracy (the percentages of recovery are between 84% and 102%). The intra-test and inter-test reproducibility is very good (CV &amp;lt;4.8% for the Certolizumab assay and CV &amp;lt;10.6% for the anti-Certolizumab antibody assay). No interference from biological agents (bilirubin, hemoglobin, triglycerides, rheumatoid factors) was detected. The assay measurement ranges are 3 µg/mL to 100 µg/mL for Certolizumab and 10 AU/mL to 1500 AU/mL for anti-Certolizumab antibodies. i-Tracker assays were compared to ELISA-based Lisa-Tracker assays. The correlations are excellent: the Certolizumab assay presents an R² = 0.94 and a slope of 0.92, the anti-Certolizumab antibody assay presents a Spearman coefficient of 0.94. Conclusion The i-Tracker Certolizumab and anti-Certolizumab kits are rapid tests (results obtained in less than 40 minutes) and highly accurate. Very good correlations were observed with the Lisa-Tracker tests (ELISA method) already used routinely. i-Tracker kits are effective tools for monitoring patients treated with Certolizumab.

Comparison of Three β-Glucan Tests for the Diagnosis of Invasive Candidiasis in Intensive Care Units.

The (1→3)-β-d-glucan (BDG) is a marker of invasive fungal infection that can be detected in serum by different commercial kits. In this study, we compared the performance of the Fungitell assay (FA), the Fungitell STAT assay (STAT), and the Wako β-glucan test (WA) for the diagnosis of invasive candidiasis (IC) in the intensive care unit (ICU). Patients for whom at least one BDG testing was required for a clinical suspicion of IC were retrospectively enrolled. A total of 85 serum samples from 56 patients were tested by the three BDG tests. The rate of IC was 23% (13/56) with a predominance of noncandidemic (intra-abdominal) IC. STAT and WA results exhibited overall good correlation with those obtained by FA (Spearman's coefficient R = 0.90 and R = 0.89, respectively). For the recommended cutoffs of positivity, sensitivity and specificity for IC diagnosis were 77%/51% (FA, 80 pg/mL), 69%/53% (STAT, ratio 1.2), and 54%/65% (WA, 7 pg/mL), respectively. Optimal performance was obtained at 50 pg/mL (FA), ratio 1.3 (STAT), and 3.3 pg/mL (WA) with sensitivity/specificity of 85%/51%, 69%/57%, and 77%/58%, respectively. Overall, the three BDG tests showed comparable but limited performance in this setting with positive and negative predictive values for an estimated IC prevalence of 20% that were in the range of 30 to 35% and 85 to 95%, respectively.

Vaginal changes, sexual functioning and distress of women with locally advanced cervical cancer treated in the EMBRACE vaginal morbidity substudy

ObjectiveThe EMBRACE-vaginal morbidity substudy prospectively evaluated physician-assessed vaginal changes and patient-reported-outcomes (PRO) on vaginal and sexual functioning problems and distress in the first 2-years after image-guided radio(chemo)therapy and brachytherapy for locally advanced cervical cancer. MethodsEligible patients had stage IB1-IIIB cervical cancer with ≤5 mm vaginal involvement. Assessment of vaginal changes was graded using CTCAE. PRO were assessed using validated Quality-of-Life and sexual questionnaires. Statistical analysis included Generalized-Linear-Mixed-Models and Spearman's rho-correlation coefficients. Results113 eligible patients were included. Mostly mild (grade 1) vaginal changes were reported over time in about 20% (range 11–37%). At 2-years, 47% was not sexually active. Approximately 50% of the sexually active women reported any vaginal and sexual functioning problems and distress over time; more substantial vaginal and sexual problems and distress were reported by up to 14%, 20% and 8%, respectively. Physician-assessed vaginal changes and PRO sexual satisfaction differed significantly (p ≤ .05) between baseline and first follow-up, without further significant changes over time. No or only small associations between physician-assessed vaginal changes and PRO vaginal functioning problems and sexual distress were found. ConclusionsMild vaginal changes were reported after image-guided radio(chemo)therapy and brachytherapy, potentially due to the combination of tumors with limited vaginal involvement, EMBRACE-specific treatment optimization and rehabilitation recommendations. Although vaginal and sexual functioning problems and sexual distress were frequently reported, the rate of substantial problems and distress was low. The lack of association between vaginal changes, vaginal functioning problems and sexual distress shows that sexual functioning is more complex than vaginal morbidity alone.