| 1. |
- Sattui, Sebastian E., et al.
(författare)
-
Outcomes of COVID-19 in patients with primary systemic vasculitis or polymyalgia rheumatica from the COVID-19 Global Rheumatology Alliance physician registry : a retrospective cohort study
- 2021
-
Ingår i: LANCET RHEUMATOLOGY. - : Elsevier. - 2665-9913. ; 3:12, s. E855-E864
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background Patients with primary systemic vasculitis or polymyalgia rheumatica might be at a high risk for poor COVID-19 outcomes due to the treatments used, the potential organ damage cause by primary systemic vasculitis, and the demographic factors associated with these conditions. We therefore aimed to investigate factors associated with COVID-19 outcomes in patients with primary systemic vasculitis or polymyalgia rheumatica. Methods In this retrospective cohort study, adult patients (aged >= 18 years) diagnosed with COVID-19 between March 12, 2020, and April 12, 2021, who had a history of primary systemic vasculitis (antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody [ANCA]-associated vasculitis, giant cell arteritis, Behcet's syndrome, or other vasculitis) or polymyalgia rheumatica, and were reported to the COVID-19 Global Rheumatology Alliance registry were included. To assess COVID-19 outcomes in patients, we used an ordinal COVID-19 severity scale, defined as: (1) no hospitalisation; (2) hospitalisation without supplemental oxygen; (3) hospitalisation with any supplemental oxygen or ventilation; or (4) death. Multivariable ordinal logistic regression analyses were used to estimate odds ratios (ORs), adjusting for age, sex, time period, number of comorbidities, smoking status, obesity, glucocorticoid use, disease activity, region, and medication category. Analyses were also stratified by type of rheumatic disease. Findings Of 1202 eligible patients identified in the registry, 733 (61.0%) were women arid 469 (39.0%) were men, and their mean age was 63.8 years (SD 17.1). A total of 374 (31.1%) patients had polymyalgia rheumatica, 353 (29.4%) had ANCA-associated vasculitis, 183 (15.2%) had giant cell arteritis, 112 (9.3%) had Behcet's syndrome, and 180 (15.0%) had other vasculitis. Of 1020 (84. 9%) patients with outcome data, 512 (S0.2%) were not hospitalised, 114 (11.2%) were hospitalised and did not receive supplemental oxygen, 239 (23 - 4%) were hospitalised and received ventilation or supplemental oxygen, and 155 (15.2%) died. A higher odds of poor COVID-19 outcomes were observed in patients who were older (per each additional decade of life OR 1.44 [95% CI 1. 31-1- 571), were male compared with female (1.38 [1.05-1.801), had more comorbidities (per each additional comorbidity 1.39 [1- 23-1- 581), were taking 10 mg/day or more of prednisolone compared with none (2.14 [1.50-3.04J), or had moderate, or high or severe disease activity compared with those who had disease remission or low disease activity (2.12 [1.49-3.021). Risk factors varied among different disease subtypes. Interpretation Among patients with primary systemic vasculitis and polymyalgia rheumatica, severe COVID-19 outcomes were associated with variable and largely unmodifiable risk factors, such as age, sex, and number of comorbidities, as well as treatments, including high-dose glucocorticoids. Our results could be used to info rm mitigation strategies for patients with these diseases.
|
|
| 2. |
- Araujo, Mateus, et al.
(författare)
-
Tests of bell inequality with arbitrarily low photodetection efficiency and homodyne measurements
- 2012
-
Ingår i: Physical Review A. Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics. - 1050-2947 .- 1094-1622. ; 86:3, s. 030101-
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We show that hybrid local measurements combining homodyne measurements and photodetection provide violations of a Bell inequality with arbitrarily low photodetection efficiency. This is shown in two different scenarios: when one part receives an atom entangled to the field mode to be measured by the other part and when both parts make similar photonic measurements. Our findings promote the hybrid measurement scenario as a candidate for loophole-free Bell tests beyond previous expectations.
|
|
| 3. |
- Araujo, R., et al.
(författare)
-
New aristonectine elasmosaurid plesiosaur specimens from the Early Maastrichtian of Angola and comments on paedomorphism in plesiosaurs
- 2015
-
Ingår i: Netherlands Journal of Geosciences-Geologie en Mijnbouw. - : Cambridge University Press (CUP). - 0016-7746 .- 1573-9708. ; 94:1, s. 93-108
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- New elasmosaurid plesiosaur specimens are described from the Early Maastrichtian of Angola. Phylogenetic analyses reconstruct the Angolan taxon as an aristonectine elasmosaurid and the sister taxon of an unnamed form of similar age from New Zealand. Comparisons also indicate a close relationship with an unnamed form previously described from Patagonia. All of these specimens exhibit an ostensibly osteologically immature external morphology, but histological analysis of the Angolan material suggests an adult with paedomorphic traits. By extension, the similarity of the Angolan, New Zealand and Patagonian material indicates that these specimens represent a widespread paedomorphic yet unnamed taxon.
|
|
| 4. |
- dos Santos, Cristiane, et al.
(författare)
-
Excess of glucocorticoids during late gestation impairs the recovery of offspring’s β-cell function after a postnatal injury
- 2021
-
Ingår i: FASEB Journal. - 0892-6638. ; 35:8
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Since prenatal glucocorticoids (GC) excess increases the risk of metabolic dysfunctions in the offspring and its effect on β-cell recovery capacity remains unknown we investigated these aspects in offspring from mice treated with dexamethasone (DEX) in the late pregnancy. Half of the pups were treated with streptozotocin (STZ) on the sixth postnatal day (PN). Functional and molecular analyses were performed in male offspring on PN25 and PN225. Prenatal DEX treatment resulted in low birth weight. At PN25, both the STZ-treated offspring developed hyperglycemia and had lower β-cell mass, in parallel with higher α-cell mass and glucose intolerance, with no impact of prenatal DEX on such parameters. At PN225, the β-cell mass was partially recovered in the STZ-treated mice, but they remained glucose-intolerant, irrespective of being insulin sensitive. Prenatal exposition to DEX predisposed adult offspring to sustained hyperglycemia and perturbed islet function (lower insulin and higher glucagon response to glucose) in parallel with exacerbated glucose intolerance. β-cell-specific knockdown of the Hnf4α in mice from the DS group resulted in exacerbated glucose intolerance. We conclude that high GC exposure during the prenatal period exacerbates the metabolic dysfunctions in adult life of mice exposed to STZ early in life, resulting in a lesser ability to recover the islets’ function over time. This study alerts to the importance of proper management of exogenous GCs during pregnancy and a healthy postnatal lifestyle since the combination of adverse factors during the prenatal and postnatal period accentuates the predisposition to metabolic disorders in adult life.
|
|
| 5. |
- Peixoto, Mariana, et al.
(författare)
-
On Understanding How Developers Perceive and Interpret Privacy Requirements Research Preview
- 2020
-
Ingår i: Lecture Notes in Computer Science. - Cham : Springer. - 9783030444280 ; , s. 116-123
-
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- [Context and motivation] Ensuring privacy of users’ data has become a top concern in software development, either to satisfy users’ needs or to comply with privacy laws. The problem may increase by the time a new law is in the vacancy period, and companies are working to understand how to comply with it. In addition, research has shown that many developers do not have sufficient knowledge about how to develop privacy-sensitive software. [Question/problem] Motivated by this scenario, this research investigates the personal factors affecting the developers’ understanding of privacy requirements during the vacancy period of a data protection law. [Principal ideas/results] We conducted thirteen interviews in six different private companies. As a result, we found nine personal factors affecting how software developers perceive and interpret privacy requirements. [Contribution] The identification of the personal factors contributes to the elaboration of effective methods for promoting proper privacy-sensitive software development. © 2020, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
|
|
| 6. |
- Peixoto, Mariana, et al.
(författare)
-
The perspective of Brazilian software developers on data privacy
- 2023
-
Ingår i: Journal of Systems and Software. - : Elsevier. - 0164-1212 .- 1873-1228. ; 195
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context: Maintaining the privacy of user data is a concern in software development to satisfy customer needs or to comply with privacy laws. Recent studies have shown that software development approaches still neglect non-functional requirements, including privacy. Concern about privacy may increase in the period between when a privacy law is initially announced and when it is passed into law. During this period, companies will be challenged to comply with the new law. Research has shown that many developers do not have sufficient knowledge to develop privacy-preserving software systems.Objective: We investigate the level of knowledge and understanding that developers possess regarding privacy. We explore the personal, behavioural, and external environmental factors affecting a developer's decision-making regarding privacy requirements.Methods: We replicated a study by means of in-depth, semi-structured interviews with thirteen practitioners at six companies. Our data analysis is based on the principles of ‘grounded theory codification’.Results: We identified nine personal factors, five behavioural factors, and seven external environment factors that are relevant to how software developers make decisions regarding.Conclusion: Our identification of factors that influence the development of privacy-preserving software systems can be seen as a contribution to the specification of effective methods for securing privacy. © 2022 Elsevier Inc.
|
|
