| 1. |
|
|
| 2. |
|
|
| 3. |
|
|
| 4. |
|
|
| 5. |
|
|
| 6. |
|
|
| 7. |
|
|
| 8. |
|
|
| 9. |
|
|
| 10. |
|
|
| 11. |
- Elhai, M, et al.
(author)
-
Outcomes of patients with systemic sclerosis treated with rituximab in contemporary practice: a prospective cohort study
- 2019
-
In: Annals of the rheumatic diseases. - : BMJ. - 1468-2060 .- 0003-4967. ; 78:7, s. 979-987
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- To assess the safety and efficacy of rituximab in systemic sclerosis (SSc) in clinical practice.MethodsWe performed a prospective study including patients with SSc from the European Scleroderma Trials and Research (EUSTAR) network treated with rituximab and matched with untreated patients with SSc. The main outcomes measures were adverse events, skin fibrosis improvement, lung fibrosis worsening and steroids use among propensity score-matched patients treated or not with rituximab.Results254 patients were treated with rituximab, in 58% for lung and in 32% for skin involvement. After a median follow-up of 2 years, about 70% of the patients had no side effect. Comparison of treated patients with 9575 propensity-score matched patients showed that patients treated with rituximab were more likely to have skin fibrosis improvement (22.7 vs 14.03 events per 100 person-years; OR: 2.79 [1.47–5.32]; p=0.002). Treated patients did not have significantly different rates of decrease in forced vital capacity (FVC)>10% (OR: 1.03 [0.55–1.94]; p=0.93) nor in carbon monoxide diffusing capacity (DLCO) decrease. Patients having received rituximab were more prone to stop or decrease steroids (OR: 2.34 [1.56–3.53], p<0.0001). Patients treated concomitantly with mycophenolate mofetil had a trend for better outcomes as compared with patients receiving rituximab alone (delta FVC: 5.22 [0.83–9.62]; p=0.019 as compared with controls vs 3 [0.66–5.35]; p=0.012).ConclusionRituximab use was associated with a good safety profile in this large SSc-cohort. Significant change was observed on skin fibrosis, but not on lung. However, the limitation is the observational design. The potential stabilisation of lung fibrosis by rituximab has to be addressed by a randomised trial.
|
|
| 12. |
- Sloot, Frea, et al.
(author)
-
Inventory of current EU paediatric vision and hearing screening programmes
- 2015
-
In: Journal of Medical Screening. - : SAGE Publications. - 0969-1413 .- 1475-5793. ; 22:2, s. 55-64
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective: To examine the diversity in paediatric vision and hearing screening programmes in Europe. Methods: Themes for comparison of screening programmes derived from literature were used to compile three questionnaires on vision, hearing, and public health screening. Tests used, professions involved, age, and frequency of testing seem to influence sensitivity, specificity, and costs most. Questionnaires were sent to ophthalmologists, orthoptists, otolaryngologists, and audiologists involved in paediatric screening in all EU full-member, candidate, and associate states. Answers were cross-checked. Results: Thirty-nine countries participated; 35 have a vision screening programme, 33 a nation-wide neonatal hearing screening programme. Visual acuity (VA) is measured in 35 countries, in 71% of these more than once. First measurement of VA varies from three to seven years of age, but is usually before age five. At age three and four, picture charts, including Lea Hyvarinen, are used most; in children over four, Tumbling-E and Snellen. As first hearing screening test, otoacoustic emission is used most in healthy neonates, and auditory brainstem response in premature newborns. The majority of hearing testing programmes are staged; children are referred after 1–4 abnormal tests. Vision screening is performed mostly by paediatricians, ophthalmologists, or nurses. Funding is mostly by health insurance or state. Coverage was reported as >95% in half of countries, but reporting was often not first-hand. Conclusion: Largest differences were found in VA charts used (12), professions involved in vision screening (10), number of hearing screening tests before referral (1–4), and funding sources (8).
|
|
| 13. |
|
|
| 14. |
|
|
| 15. |
|
|
| 16. |
- Durr, H. -B, et al.
(author)
-
Obstacle avoidance for an extremum seeking system using a navigation function
- 2013
-
In: Proceedings of the American Control Conference 2013. - : AACC American Automatic Control Council. - 9781479901777 ; , s. 4062-4067
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The problem of autonomously steering a vehicle to a destination point, while avoiding obstacles, is considered. The vehicle is modeled as a single-integrator in the plane and it is assumed that the obstacles are unknown a priori. The control law is an extremum seeking algorithm, which steers the vehicle to the minimum of a navigation function. In this framework, obstacle avoidance and practical uniform convergence to a destination point for almost all initial conditions is proven. The theoretic results are illustrated using numerical examples.
|
|
| 17. |
|
|
| 18. |
- Gavrilov, Nemanja, et al.
(author)
-
A study of ordered mesoporous carbon doped with Co and Ni as a catalyst of oxygen reduction reaction in both alkaline and acidic media
- 2018
-
In: Surface & Coatings Technology. - : Elsevier. - 0257-8972 .- 1879-3347. ; 349, s. 511-521
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The incorporation of trace amounts (< 0.2%) of Co and Ni noticeably enhanced the catalytic activity of nitrogen free ordered mesoporous carbon (OMC) towards oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). (Co,Ni)-doped OMCs were characterized by N-2-adsorption measurements, X-ray powder diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy methods, and their ORR activity was estimated by voltammetry on rotating disk electrode in acidic and alkaline media. (Co,Ni)-doped OMCs show modest activities in acidic media, while the catalytic activity in alkaline media is rather high. The measured activities are compared to the Pt-based and Pt-free ORR catalysts reported in the literature. The number of electrons consumed per O-2 in metal-doped OMCs was found to vary between 2 and 4, which is advantageous in comparison to metal-free OMC. Also, the mass activities of metal-doped OMCs were found to be up to 2.5 times higher compared to that of metal-free OMC. We suggest that the ORR activity is governed by a balance between (i) textural properties, which determine the electrochemically accessible surface of the catalyst and which are influenced by the addition of a metal precursor, and (ii) novel active sites formed upon the introduction of metals into the carbon structure. In particular, our Density Functional Theory calculations suggest that Co and Ni atoms embedded into the single vacancies of graphene can activate the O-2 molecule and contribute to the decomposition of peroxide.
|
|
| 19. |
|
|
| 20. |
- Mehta, Shamir R, et al.
(author)
-
Complete Revascularization vs Culprit Lesion-Only Percutaneous Coronary Intervention for Angina-Related Quality of Life in Patients With ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction : Results From the COMPLETE Randomized Clinical Trial
- 2022
-
In: JAMA cardiology. - : American Medical Association (AMA). - 2380-6583 .- 2380-6591. ; 7:11, s. 1091-1099
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- IMPORTANCE: In patients with multivessel coronary artery disease (CAD) presenting with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), complete revascularization reduces major cardiovascular events compared with culprit lesion-only percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Whether complete revascularization also improves angina-related health status is unknown.OBJECTIVE: To determine whether complete revascularization improves angina status in patients with STEMI and multivessel CAD.DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This secondary analysis of a randomized, multinational, open label trial of patient-reported outcomes took place in 140 primary PCI centers in 31 countries. Patients presenting with STEMI and multivessel CAD were randomized between February 1, 2013, and March 6, 2017. Analysis took place between July 2021 and December 2021.INTERVENTIONS: Following PCI of the culprit lesion, patients with STEMI and multivessel CAD were randomized to receive either complete revascularization with additional PCI of angiographically significant nonculprit lesions or to no further revascularization.MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Seattle Angina Questionnaire Angina Frequency (SAQ-AF) score (range, 0 [daily angina] to 100 [no angina]) and the proportion of angina-free individuals by study end.RESULTS: Of 4041 patients, 2016 were randomized to complete revascularization and 2025 to culprit lesion-only PCI. The mean (SD) age of patients was 62 (10.7) years, and 3225 (80%) were male. The mean (SD) SAQ-AF score increased from 87.1 (17.8) points at baseline to 97.1 (9.7) points at a median follow-up of 3 years in the complete revascularization group (score change, 9.9 [95% CI, 9.0-10.8]; P < .001) compared with an increase of 87.2 (18.4) to 96.3 (10.9) points (score change, 8.9 [95% CI, 8.0-9.8]; P < .001) in the culprit lesion-only group (between-group difference, 0.97 points [95% CI, 0.27-1.67]; P = .006). Overall, 1457 patients (87.5%) were free of angina (SAQ-AF score, 100) in the complete revascularization group compared with 1376 patients (84.3%) in the culprit lesion-only group (absolute difference, 3.2% [95% CI, 0.7%-5.7%]; P = .01). This benefit was observed mainly in patients with nonculprit lesion stenosis severity of 80% or more (absolute difference, 4.7%; interaction P = .02).CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In patients with STEMI and multivessel CAD, complete revascularization resulted in a slightly greater proportion of patients being angina-free compared with a culprit lesion-only strategy. This modest incremental improvement in health status is in addition to the established benefit of complete revascularization in reducing cardiovascular events.
|
|
| 21. |
|
|
| 22. |
- Sipeky, C, et al.
(author)
-
4th ESPT Conference: pharmacogenomics and personalized medicine - research progress and clinical implementation
- 2019
-
In: Pharmacogenomics. - : Future Medicine Ltd. - 1744-8042 .- 1462-2416. ; 20:15, s. 1063-1069
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The Fourth European Society of Pharmacogenomics and Personalized Therapy biennial conference was organized in collaboration with the Italian Society of Personalized Medicine (SIMeP) and was held at Benedictine Monastery of San Nicolò l’Arena in Catania, Sicily (Italy) on 4–7 October 2017. The congress addressed the research progress and clinical implementation in pharmacogenomics and personalized medicine. The Fourth European Society of Pharmacogenomics and Personalized Therapy congress brought together leading international scientists and healthcare professionals actively working in the fields of pharmacogenomics and personalized therapy. Altogether, 25 speakers in 15 session comprehensively covered broad spectrum of pharmacogenetics and pharmacogenomics research, clinical applications in different clinical disciplines attended by 270 delegates.
|
|
| 23. |
- Trbojević-Stanković, Jasna B., et al.
(author)
-
Employing machine learning to assess the accuracy of near-infrared spectroscopy of spent dialysate fluid in monitoring the blood concentrations of uremic toxins
- 2023
-
In: Archives of Biological Sciences. - 0354-4664. ; 75:3, s. 309-317
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Hemodialysis (HD) removes nitrogenous waste products from patients’ blood through a semipermeable membrane along a concentration gradient. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is an underexplored method of monitoring the concentrations of several molecules that reflect the efficacy of the HD process in dialysate samples. In this study, we aimed to evaluate NIRS as a technique for the non-invasive detection of uremic solutes by assessing the correlations between the spectrum of the spent dialysate and the serum levels of urea, creatinine, and uric acid. Blood and dialysate samples were taken from 35 patients on maintenance HD. The absorption spectrum of each dialysate sample was measured three times in the wavelength range of 700-1700 nm, resulting in a dataset with 315 spectra. The artificial neural network (ANN) learning technique was used to assess the correlations between the recorded NIR-absorbance spectra of the spent dialysate and serum levels of selected uremic toxins. Very good correlations between the NIR-absorbance spectra of the spent dialysate fluid with serum urea (R=0.91) and uric acid (R=0.91) and an excellent correlation with serum creatinine (R=0.97) were obtained. These results support the application of NIRS as a non-invasive, safe, accurate, and repetitive technique for online monitoring of uremic toxins to assist clinicians in assessing HD efficiency and individualization of HD treatments.
|
|
