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BACKGROUND: Teaching professionalism in medical schools is central to medical education and society. We evaluated how medical students view the values of the medical profession on their first day of medical school and the influence of a conference about the competences of this profession on these students' levels of reflection. METHODS: We studied two groups of medical students who wrote narratives about the values of the medical profession and the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on these values. The first group wrote the narratives after a conference about the competences of the medical profession (intervention group), and the second group wrote the same narratives after a biochemistry conference (control group). We also compared the levels of reflection of these two groups of students. RESULTS: Among the 175 medical students entering in the 2022 academic year, 159 agreed to participate in the study (response rate = 90.8%). There were more references to positive than negative models of doctor‒patient relationships experienced by the students (58.5% and 41.5% of responses, respectively). The intervention group referred to a more significant number of values than the control group did. The most cited values were empathy, humility, and ethics; the main competences were technical competence, communication/active listening, and resilience. The students' perspectives of the values of their future profession were strongly and positively influenced by the pandemic experience. The students realized the need for constant updating, basing medical practice on scientific evidence, and employing skills/attitudes such as resilience, flexibility, and collaboration for teamwork. Analysis of the levels of reflection in the narratives showed a predominance of reflections with a higher level in the intervention group and of those with a lower level in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that medical students, upon entering medical school, already have a view of medical professionalism, although they still need to present a deeper level of self-reflection. A single, planned intervention in medical professionalism can promote self-reflection. The vision of medical professional identity was strongly influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic, positively impacting the formation of a professional identity among the students who decided to enter medical school.

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The consequences of mass radiological events, particularly those involving the activation of a radiological dispersion device (RDD), have been extensively studied by scientific groups. However, the critical initial period of such an event, usually spanning the first 100 h, can be characterized by a scarcity of information, potentially leading to delays in mitigating strategies. In response, a research group utilized computer simulations to generate solid, conservative analytical details that can aid decision-making and guide the prioritization of initial care based on variables such as age, sex, location, and local atmospheric stability conditions. The study estimates the Lost Life Expectancy (LLE) and provides relevant information to increase support for decision-making and allow evaluation of data closer to the lay public. The research team behind the study has been granted funding by the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), and further simulations will be conducted utilizing codes that implement numerical models, specifically in atmospheric data forecasting. The methodology used to evaluate the LLE can be applied to any location, provided that the relevant variables are updated accordingly. Overall, this study offers critical insights into the impact of mass radiological events and enhances simulations' predictive capacity and precision.

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BACKGROUND: The triglyceride/HDL cholesterol (TG/HDL-C) ratio and the Lipoprotein Insulin Resistance (LP-IR) score are lipid markers of insulin resistance. Their associations with carotid intima media thickness (cIMT; subclinical atherosclerosis) and incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) have not been thoroughly investigated. METHODS: In a cross-sectional cohort (89 subjects without type 2 diabetes (T2D) and 81 subjects with T2D we determined cIMT (ultrasound), homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and the TG/HDL-C ratio. The LP-IR score, based on 6 lipoprotein characteristics determined by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, was measured in 123 participants. A prospective study was carried out among 6232 participants (Prevention of REnal and Vascular ENd-stage Disease study). RESULTS: Cross-sectionally, the adjusted associations of HOMA-IR, the TG/HDL-C ratio and the LP-IR score with cIMT were approximately similar (standardized ß = 0.34 (95 % CI 0.19-0.48), 0.24 (95 % CI 0.09-039) and 0.41 (95 % CI 0.23--0.59), respectively). Prospectively, 507 new cases of CVD were observed after a median follow-up of 8.2 (interquartile range 7.5-8.8) years. HOMA-IR, the TG/HDL-C ratio and LP-IR were each associated with incident CVD independent of potential confounders (HR 1.12, 95 % CI 1.02-1.24;1.22, 95 % CI 1.11-1.35 and 1.15. 95 % CI 1.01-1.31, respectively). The association of the TG/HDL-C ratio with incident CVD was somewhat stronger than that of HOMA-IR. CONCLUSION: Lipoprotein-based markers of insulin resistance are at least as strongly associated with subclinical atherosclerosis and clinical atherosclerosis development as HOMA-IR, obviating the need to measure insulin to determine the impact of insulin resistance. For practical purposes, the easily obtainable TG/HDL-C ratio may suffice.

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BACKGROUND: Low disease activity state (LDAS) has been linked to a significant reduction in flares and damage accrual in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE); however, the effect of LDAS on the risk of vertebral fractures (VFs) in subjects with SLE is unknown, considering that low bone mineral density (BMD) and VF are frequent in SLE. OBJECTIVE: to evaluate whether achieving LDAS ≥50% of the observation time prevents new VF and BMD changes in Mestizo women. METHODS: We carried out a longitudinal, observational, and retrospective study. Mestizo women with SLE were included for a median of an 8-year follow-up. LDAS was described as Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index 2000 (SLEDAI-2K) score ≤4, prednisone ≤7.5 mg/day, and stable immunosuppressive therapies. BMD measurements and lateral thoracic and lumbar radiographs for a semiquantitative analysis for VF were assessed at baseline and during the follow-up. Uni- and multivariable interval-censored survival regression models were carried out. RESULTS: We included 110 patients: 35 (31.8%) had new VF. A total of 56 patients (50.1%) achieved LDAS ≥50% of the time during the follow-up and achieved a significantly lesser risk of incident VF (HR = 0.16; 95% CI, 0.06-0.49). After adjusting by age, BMI, menopause, prevalent VF, baseline BMD, cumulative glucocorticoid use, and anti-osteoporotic therapy, LDAS-50 was significantly related to a decrease in the risk of a new VF (HR = 0.39; 95% CI, 0.16-0.98). There was no association between LDAS and BMD measurement changes. When only patients on LDAS but not in remission (n = 43) were evaluated for the risk of incident VF, both uni- and multivariate analyses were significant (HR = 0.12; 95 CI, 0.04-47; p = 0.001, and HR = 0.26; 95% CI, 0.7-0.88; p = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: LDAS ≥50% of the time was significantly associated with a diminished risk of new VF in Mestizo women with SLE, even in patients not in remission. However, LDAS did not help modify BMD changes over time.

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This study aims to investigate the influence of overweight/obesity and change in weight or body mass index (BMI) on incident fractures among Chinese postmenopausal women. According to BMI, 754 postmenopausal women were categorized into normal weight (NW), overweight (OW), and obesity (OB) groups, respectively. We used data from the baseline and the second survey for statistical analysis, including anthropometric data, clinical fractures, and morphometric vertebral fractures (MVFs) assessed by X-rays. The prevalence of previous MVFs was 32.7% and 21.8% in the OB and NW groups, respectively (p < 0.05). All incident fractures and incident MVFs accounted for 10.7 and 6.3% among all participants within five years. Overweight/obesity and increase in weight or BMI during the follow-up had no associations with all incident fractures, incident MVFs, and incident clinical non-VFs among all participants. However, after multivariate adjustment, the increased BMI at baseline was the risk factor of incident MVFs in the OW group (odds ratio, OR 2.06, 95% confidence interval, 95% CI 1.16-3.66, p = 0.014), and increase in weight (OR 0.89, 95% CI 0.79-0.99, p = 0.036) or BMI (OR 0.77, 95% CI 0.59-0.99, p = 0.045) during the follow-up were the protective factors of all incident fractures in the NW group. Overweight/obesity and change in weight or BMI do not correlate with fracture risk in postmenopausal women, but an increase in weight is the protective factor against incident fractures in normal-weight participants. Overweight postmenopausal women with a higher BMI should pay attention to the risk of MVFs.

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Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious morbidity that commonly occurs in people living with HIV (PWH) and increases the progression of HIV disease, as well as the risk of death. Simple markers of progression are much needed to identify those at highest risk for poor outcome. This study aimed to assess how baseline severity of anaemia and associated inflammatory profiles impact death and the incidence of TB in a cohort of PWH who received TB preventive therapy (TPT). Methods: This study is a secondary posthoc analysis of the AIDS Clinical Trials Group A5274 REMEMBER clinical trial (NCT0138008), an open-label randomised clinical trial of antiretroviral-naïve PWH with CD4 <50 cells/µL, performed from October 31, 2011 to June 9, 2014, from 18 outpatient research clinics in 10 low- and middle-income countries (Malawi, South Africa, Haiti, Kenya, Zambia, India, Brazil, Zimbabwe, Peru, and Uganda) who initiated antiretroviral therapy and either isoniazid TPT or 4-drug empiric TB therapy. Plasma concentrations of several soluble inflammatory biomarkers were measured prior to the commencement of antiretroviral and anti-TB therapies, and participants were followed up for at least 48 weeks. Incident TB or death during this period were primary outcomes. We performed multidimensional analyses, logistic regression analyses, survival curves, and Bayesian network analyses to delineate associations between anaemia, laboratory parameters, and clinical outcomes. Findings: Of all 269 participants, 76.2% (n = 205) were anaemic, and 31.2% (n = 84) had severe anaemia. PWH with moderate/severe anaemia exhibited a pronounced systemic pro-inflammatory profile compared to those with mild or without anaemia, hallmarked by a substantial increase in IL-6 plasma concentrations. Moderate/severe anaemia was also associated with incident TB incidence (aOR: 3.59, 95% CI: 1.32-9.76, p = 0.012) and death (aOR: 3.63, 95% CI: 1.07-12.33, p = 0.039). Interpretation: Our findings suggest that PWH with moderate/severe anaemia display a distinct pro-inflammatory profile. The presence of moderate/severe anaemia pre-ART was independently associated with the development of TB and death. PWH with anaemia should be monitored closely to minimise the occurrence of unfavourable outcomes. Funding: National Institutes of Health.

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The discriminative and predictive power of a continuous-valued marker for survival outcomes can be summarized using the receiver operating characteristic and predictiveness curves, respectively. In this paper, fully parametric and semi-parametric copula-based constructions of the joint model of the marker and the survival time are developed for characterizing, plotting, and analyzing both curves along with other underlying performance measures. The formulations require a copula function, a parametric specification for the margin of the marker, and either a parametric distribution or a non-parametric estimator for the margin of the time to event, to respectively characterize the fully parametric and semi-parametric joint models. Estimation is carried out using maximum likelihood and a two-stage procedure for the parametric and semi-parametric models, respectively. Resampling-based methods are used for computing standard errors and confidence bounds for the various parameters, curves, and associated measures. Graphical inspection of residuals from each conditional distribution is employed as a guide for choosing a copula from a set of candidates. The performance of the estimators of various classification and predictiveness measures is assessed in simulation studies, assuming different copula and censoring scenarios. The methods are illustrated with the analysis of two markers using the familiar primary biliary cirrhosis data set.

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During a rugby match, teams are continually trying to cause instabilities of different magnitudes on each other. Once a perturbation occurs, a phase transition emerges. Markov chain analysis has the potential to investigate emerging patterns in rugby union. This study examined the probability of a critical incident (CI; penalties and tries) occurring during Rugby Union matches, and whether differences would exist between winning and losing. The Markov chain analysis was used to identify the probability of a transition from a game state to a further state, due to the analysis of the preceding state. A game phase was defined as a technical and tactical match action which occurred between two consecutive advantage lines. Contingency tables were assembled from 280 phases registered during 11 matches of Brazilian Rugby Union XV A Series Championship. The results showed that previous technical and tactical actions made from rucks had the highest probability of generating a transition phase leading to a CI. The results suggest that the winning teams adopt a more flexible approach to the environmental changes that occur throughout a game and demonstrated more flexibility during transitional state occurrences, with higher variability in technical and tactical actions related to a previous game phase.

The Markov chain analysis showed that previous technical and tactical actions made from rucks had the highest probability of generating a transition phase leading to a CI.Winning teams may adopt a more flexible approach to the environmental changes that occur throughout a game.Higher variability in technical and tactical actions related to a previous game phase was observed in winning teams.The game action leading to CI moments for winning teams involved forwards and backs, while losing teams mainly depended on the involvement of forwards and eventually on opponent errors.Markov chain analysis may be a useful and valid tool to rugby match-play analysis considering the complex system framework.

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O aumento das Infecções Sexualmente Transmissíveis e dos casos de contágio pelo HIV/AIDS na população idosa reflete aspectos da prática sexual e vulnerabilidades que podem estar sendo enfrentadas por essas pessoas em seu convívio social e familiar. Objetivo: descrever, por meio de incidentes críticos, as situações, comportamentos e consequências relacionadas à descoberta do HIV/AIDS por pessoas idosas soropositivas. Método: estudo descritivo, com abordagem qualitativa, realizado no Centro de Infectologia de um município da região sul do estado do Ceará, utilizando a Técnica de Incidente Crítico (TIC), nos meses de fevereiro a setembro de 2020. Participaram 25 idosos cadastrados no serviço, com idades entre 55 e 77 anos. Os dados foram coletados por meio de entrevista semiestruturada e o conteúdo analisado com auxílio do software IRaMuTeQ por meio de categorias temáticas. Resultados: os dados empíricos contendo as situações, comportamentos e consequências (incidentes críticos) elucidaram quatro categorias empíricas: descoberta do diagnóstico de HIV/AIDS; sentimentos, estigmas e preconceitos vivenciados; soropositividade e reflexos no convívio familiar e social; e mudanças no comportamento sexual após diagnóstico de HIV/AIDS. Conclusão: as relações familiares e sociais vivenciadas e os desafios enfrentados pelas pessoas idosas com HIV/AIDS constituíram incidentes críticos complexos, afetando-as desde o momento do diagnóstico, com impactos negativos sobre seus modos de vida familiar e social, que dificultam a convivência inclusiva e não estigmatizante dentro e fora de casa.

The increase of Sexually Transmitted Infections and cases of HIV/AIDS in the elderly population reflects aspects of sexual practice and vulnerabilities that may be faced by these people in their social and family life. Objective: to describe, through critical incidents, the situations, behaviors and consequences related to the discovery of HIV/AIDS by seropositive elderly people. Method: a descriptive study with a qualitative approach, conducted at the Infectious Diseases Center of a city in the southern region of the state of Ceará, using the Critical Incident Technique (CIT), from February to September 2020. Twenty-five elderly people enrolled in the service, aged 55 to 77 years, participated. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews and the content analyzed with the help of IRaMuTeQ software through thematic categories. Results: The empirical data containing situations, behaviors and consequences (critical incidents) elucidated four empirical categories: discovery of the HIV/AIDS diagnosis; feelings, stigmas and prejudices experienced; seropositivity and reflections on family and social life; and changes in sexual behavior after the diagnosis of HIV/AIDS. Conclusion: the family and social relationships experienced and the challenges faced by elderly people with HIV/AIDS constituted complex critical incidents, affecting them from the moment of diagnosis, with negative impacts on their family and social lifestyles, which hinder inclusive and non-stigmatizing coexistence inside and outside the home.

El aumento de las Infecciones de Transmisión Sexual y de los casos de VIH/Sida en la población anciana refleja aspectos de la práctica sexual y vulnerabilidades que pueden enfrentar estas personas en su vida social y familiar. Objetivo: describir, a través de incidentes críticos, las situaciones, comportamientos y consecuencias relacionadas con el descubrimiento del VIH/SIDA por personas mayores seropositivas. Método: estudo descritivo, com abordagem qualitativa, realizado no Centro de Infectologia de um município da região sul do estado do Ceará, utilizando a Técnica de Incidente Crítico (TIC), nos meses de fevereiro a setembro de 2020. Participaron 25 ancianos registrados en el servicio, con edades comprendidas entre 55 y 77 años. Os dados foram recolhidos através de entrevistas semiestructuradas e o conteúdo foi analisado com a ajuda do software IRaMuTeQ através de categorias temáticas. Resultados: los datos empíricos que contienen las situaciones, comportamientos y consecuencias (incidentes críticos) elucidaron cuatro categorías empíricas: descripción del diagnóstico de VIH/SIDA; sentimientos, estigmas y preconceptos vividos; seropositividad y reflejos en la convivencia familiar y social; y cambios en el comportamiento sexual tras el diagnóstico de VIH/SIDA. Conclusão: as relações familiares e sociais vividas e os desafios enfrentados pelos idosos com HIV/AIDS constituem incidentes críticos complexos, afetando-as desde o momento do diagnóstico, com impactos negativos sobre seus modos de vida familiar e social, que dificultam a convivência inclusiva e não estigmatizante dentro e fora de casa.

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ABSTRACT Objectives: to investigate the reasons for low patient safety incident reporting among Indonesian nurses. Methods: this qualitative case study was conducted among 15 clinical nurses selected purposively from a public hospital in Lampung, Indonesia. Interview guidelines were used for data collection through face-to-face in-depth interviews in July 2022. The thematic approach was used to analyze the data. Results: in this present study, seven themes emerged (1) Understanding incident reporting; (2) The culture; (3) Consequences of reporting; (4) Socialization and training; (5) Facilities; (6) Feedback; and (7) Rewards and punishments. Final Considerations: these findings should be considered challenges for the patient safety committee and hospital management to increase patient safety incident reporting, particularly among nurses in the hospital.

RESUMO Objetivos: investigar os motivos da baixa notificação de incidentes de segurança do paciente entre enfermeiros indonésios. Métodos: este estudo de caso qualitativo foi conduzido entre 15 enfermeiros clínicos selecionados intencionalmente de um hospital público em Lampung, Indonésia. Utilizou-se roteiro de entrevista para a coleta de dados por meio de entrevistas presenciais em profundidade em julho de 2022. A abordagem temática foi utilizada para análise dos dados. Resultados: neste estudo, emergiram sete temas: (1) Compreender a comunicação de incidentes; (2) A cultura; (3) Consequências da notificação; (4) Socialização e treinamento; (5) Instalações; (6) Comentários; e (7) Recompensas e punições. Considerações Finais: esses achados devem ser considerados desafios para o comitê de segurança do paciente e a gestão hospitalar para aumentar a notificação de incidentes de segurança do paciente, principalmente entre os enfermeiros do hospital.

RESUMEN Objetivos: investigar las razones de la baja notificación de incidentes de seguridad del paciente entre las enfermeras de Indonesia. Métodos: este estudio de caso cualitativo se llevó a cabo entre 15 enfermeras clínicas seleccionadas intencionalmente de un hospital público en Lampung, Indonesia. Se utilizó un guión de entrevista para la recolección de datos a través de entrevistas presenciales en profundidad en julio de 2022. Se utilizó el enfoque temático para el análisis de datos. Resultados: en este estudio surgieron siete temas: (1) Comprender la notificación de incidentes; (2) La cultura; (3) Consecuencias de la notificación; (4) Socialización y capacitación; (5) Instalaciones; (6) Comentarios; y (7) Recompensas y Castigos. Consideraciones Finales: estos hallazgos deben ser considerados desafíos para el comité de seguridad del paciente y la gerencia del hospital para aumentar la notificación de incidentes de seguridad del paciente, especialmente entre las enfermeras del hospital.

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OBJECTIVE: Abnormal ankle-brachial index (ABI) determinations may be associated with an increased risk of incident strokes. However, the impact of previous strokes in this relationship is unknown. We estimated the role of previous strokes on the association between abnormal ABI determinations and incident stroke risk in community-dwelling older adults. METHODS: Atahualpa residents aged ≥60 years received ABI determinations, cardiovascular risk factors assessment, and brain MRIs. ABIs were classified as abnormal if ≤0.9 or ≥1.4. Incident strokes were diagnosed by a certified neurologist with the aid of a post-event MRI. Poisson regression models were fitted to estimate stroke incidence rate ratio (IRR) according to categories of ABI. RESULTS: Analysis included 389 participants (mean age: 68.2 ± 8.1 years). Eighty-six persons (22%) had abnormal ABI determinations. Incident strokes occurred in 38 (9.8%) individuals after a mean follow-up of 6.1 ± 1.9 years. Abnormal ABIs were associated with incident strokes in unadjusted analyses (p = 0.002) as well as in a Poisson regression model adjusted for demographics and clinical covariates (IRR: 2.57; 95% C.I.: 1.29-5.13), but not when the model was adjusted for neuroimaging covariates (IRR: 1.46; 95% C.I.: 0.67-3.20). Interaction models showed that having both abnormal ABI and non-lacunar strokes at baseline made the individual 9.7 times more likely to have an incident stroke (95% C.I.: 3.87-24.4). The risk was reduced to 2.2 (95% C.I.: 0.96-5.13) for those who only had an abnormal ABI. CONCLUSIONS: An abnormal ABI is associated with a doubling the risk of incident strokes, but its importance is superseded by history of non-lacunar strokes.

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Introducción: El cuidado de enfermería en áreas clínicas requiere conocimiento, habilidad y experiencia. El tratamiento de una persona hospitalizada usualmente necesita un acceso venoso, en este procedimiento pueden presentarse complicaciones, siendo la flebitis e infiltración las principalmente reportadas. Objetivo: Determinar la incidencia de flebitis en pacientes pediátricos con catéter corto periférico de acuerdo con el grado de la misma y diversos factores implicados en su aparición. Materiales y métodos: Estudio cuantitativo, prospectivo, observacional y documental realizado entre octubre 2018 a febrero 2019. Resultados: Se encontró una tasa de incidencia de flebitis de 18,5%. De 849 niños con catéter venoso periférico, 157 reportaron flebitis; de ellos 52,2% presentaron flebitis grado I; 29,9%, grado II; 15,3% grado III y 2,5% grado IV. El 78% de los niños presentó peso y talla adecuados para la edad. La flebitis identificada se relacionó al catéter preventivo y asociado a medicamentos como cefalotina y dipirona, así como la presentación en la etapa de infancia y adolescencia de flebitis grado I. Conclusiones: La identificación de la flebitis, sus grados y correlación con las variables sociodemográficas y clínicas, permiten establecer acciones de cuidado y fomento de estrategias para mejorar la atención y los estándares de alta calidad.

Introduction: Nursing care in clinical areas requires knowledge, skills, and experience. Treatment of a hospitalized person usually requires venous access, which carries frequently reported complications such as phlebitis and infiltrations. Objective: To determine the incidence of phlebitis in patients with short peripheral catheter according to its grade and various factors involved in its appearance. Materials and methods: Quantitative, prospective, observational, and documentary study carried out between October 2018 and February 2019. Results: An incidence rate of phlebitis of 18.5% was observed. Phlebitis was reported in 157 out of 849 children with peripheral venous catheter. Grade I, II, III, and IV phlebitis was documented in 52.2%, 29.9%, 15.3%, and 2.5%. respectively. 78% of the children showed adequate weight and height for their age group. These cases of phlebitis were related to preventive catheter and associated with the use of medications such as cephalothin and dipyrone. In the case of grade I phlebitis, it was more frequent in childhood and adolescent populations. Conclusions: The identification of phlebitis, its grades, and its correlation with sociodemographic variables is necessary to establish health care actions and promote strategies in order to improve care and achieve high quality standards.

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The incidence angle of solar irradiance is an important parameter for sizing and locate photovoltaic systems, which affects the installation design and has a high influence in the power production of photovoltaic panels. This angle is traditionally estimated considering the geographical position, however, this approach ignores the existence of local elements that affect the generation, such as weather conditions, topography, constructions with high reflection, among others. Therefore, this work presents the design and construction of a measurement device with nine irradiance sensors, which are located at different angles on two orthogonal axes within a semisphere. Since the angles of the sensors are known, a model to determine the direction of the maximum incidence irradiance, at each instant of time, can be calculated from the on-site measurements. In this way, it is also possible to calculate the panel inclination and orientation producing the maximum power for a particular location. The device acquires the irradiance magnitude in the nine sensors in real time, and it is transmitted using the Internet to simplify data recollection. Finally, the device uses a low-cost platform, which makes possible the adoption of this solution in a wide range of applications, e.g. design, diagnostic or reconfiguration of PV arrays.

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The development and optimization of renewable energy systems are some of the most necessary topics to advance towards secure and sustainable energy models. Photovoltaic energy is one of those sustainable options that could contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The optimal angle of solar incidence producing the highest absorption in a day is an important parameter to install photovoltaic systems. This value is often estimated using simulation models based on geographic location; however, those models ignore the influence of nearby obstruction objects, albedo, and local weather conditions. Such a problem is addressed in this work by designing a system to estimate the optimum angle of solar incidence for the photovoltaic panels. The system is based on an arrangement of 33 measurement points spaced in arcs every 45 degrees in azimuth and every 22.5 degrees in elevation, which provides a wide range for analysis. The light captured by each optical fiber is transmitted to a flat array where the power is measured using a single RGB camera.

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Background: The pandemic of COVID-19 has been shaping economic developments of the world. From the standpoint of government measures to prevent and control the epidemic, the lockdown was widely used. It is essential to access the economic losses in a lockdown environment which will provide government administration with a necessary reference for decision making in controlling the epidemic. Methods: We introduce the concept of "standard unit incident" and an economic losses assessment methodology for both the standard and the assessed area. We build a "standard unit lockdown" economic losses assessment system and indicators to estimate the economic losses for the monthly lockdown. Using the comprehensive assessment system, the loss infected coefficient of monthly economic losses during lockdown in the 40 countries has been calculated to assess the economic losses by the entropy weighting method (EWM) with data from the CSMAR database and CDC website. Results: We observe that countries in North America suffered the most significant economic losses due to the epidemic, followed by South America and Europe, Asia and Africa, and Oceania and Antarctica suffered relatively minor economic losses. The top 10 countries for monthly economic losses during lockdown were the United States, India, Brazil, France, Turkey, Russia, the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, and Germany. The United States suffered the greatest monthly economic losses under lockdown ($65.3 billion), roughly 1.5 times that of China, while Germany suffered the least ($56.4 billion), roughly 1.3 times that of China. Conclusion: Lockdown as a control and mitigation strategy has great impact on the economic development and causes huge economic losses. The economic impact due to the pandemic has varied widely among the 40 countries. It will be important to conduct further studies to compare and understand the differences and the reasons behind.

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BACKGROUND: Preterm birth (PTB) is a syndrome resulting from a complex list of underlying causes and factors, and whether these risk factors differ in the context of prior PTB history is less understood. The aim of this study was to explore whether PTB risk factors in a second pregnancy were different in women with versus without previous PTB. METHODS: We conducted a population-based cohort study using data from the birth cohort of the Center for Data and Knowledge Integration for Health (CIDACS) for the period 2001 to 2015. We used longitudinal transition models with multivariate logistic regression to investigate whether risk factors varied between incident and recurrent PTB. RESULTS: A total of 3,528,050 live births from 1,764,025 multiparous women were analyzed. We identified different risk factors (Pdifference <0.05) between incident and recurrent PTB. The following were associated with an increased chance for PTB incidence, but not recurrent: household overcrowding (OR 1.09), maternal race/ethnicity [(Black/mixed-OR 1.04) and (indigenous-OR 1.34)], young maternal age (14 to 19 years-OR 1.16), and cesarean delivery (OR 1.09). The following were associated with both incident and recurrent PTB, respectively: single marital status (OR 0.85 vs 0.90), reduced number of prenatal visits [(no visit-OR 2.56 vs OR 2.16) and (1 to 3 visits-OR 2.44 vs OR 2.24)], short interbirth interval [(12 to 23 months-OR 1.04 vs OR 1.22) and (<12 months, OR 1.89, 95 vs OR 2.58)], and advanced maternal age (35-49 years-OR 1.42 vs OR 1.45). For most risk factors, the point estimates were higher for incident PTB than recurrent PTB. CONCLUSIONS: The risk factors for PTB in the second pregnancy differed according to women's first pregnancy PTB status. The findings give the basis for the development of specific prevention strategies for PTB in a subsequent pregnancy.

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The microcirculation is composed of blood vessels with mean internal diameter smaller than 100 µm. This structure is responsible for survival of cells and in the last 50 years its study has become increasingly interesting because it often participates in the pathophysiology of several diseases or can determine better or worse prognosis for them. Due to the growing importance of knowing more about the microcirculation, several techniques have been developed and now it is possible to study its structure or function. In the last 25 years, the cutaneous microcirculation has emerged as an accessible and representative portion of generalized vascular bed allowing the examination of mechanisms of microcirculatory function and dysfunction. This mini review presents several techniques used for non-invasive access to skin microcirculation, such as Nailfold Videocapillaroscopy, Orthogonal Polarization Spectral Imaging, Sidestream Dark Field Imaging, Incident Dark field Illumination, Laser Doppler Flowmetry, and Laser Speckle Contrast Imaging applied. The techniques presented will describe which types of variables (structural or functional) can be evaluated, their limitations and potential uses.

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INTRODUCTION: Health personnel who care for patients with COVID-19 are at great risk of contagión, unless they learn and properly implement the procedure for donning and doffing personal protective equipment (PPE). OBJECTIVES: To evalúate the use of PPE (donning and doffing) using the CUSUM method in health personnel who care for hospitalized patients with a pre- sumptive or confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19. Use the CUSUM curves as an appropriate method for the meaningful learning and psychomotor skills of these professionals. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cross-sectional study carried out in 10 health profes- sionals from the National University Hospital. Measurements were made for one hour per participant from July 13 to 29, 2020, and in each one checklists were used to evaluate compliance with the protocol. In the formative evaluation using the CUSUM, an acceptable failure rate of 20% (Po) was considered and an unacceptable one of 40% (P1), with an error parameter a and p of 10%. RESULTS: 40% reached H0, the goal; 20% approached the target and 40% and 20% were distanced from the target with regard to donning and doffing the PPE. CONCLUSIONS: Proper use of PPE is a strategy for the prevention of contagion of COVID-19 in health personnel; The study found that less than half demonstrated adequate use, so training these professionals in the placement and removal of PPE according to an institutional protocol based on constant feedback and strict monitoring is essential to achieve the acquisition of skills, which will considerably reduce your risk of infection in clinical practice.

INTRODUCCIÓN: El personal de salud que atiende a pacientes con COVID-19 está en un gran riesgo de contagio, a menos que aprenda e implemente apropiadamente el procedimiento de colocación y retiro de los elementos de protección personal (EPP). OBJETIVOS: Evaluar el uso de EPP (colocación y retiro) mediante el método CUSUM en personal de la salud que presta atención a pacientes hospitalizados con diagnóstico presuntivo o confirmado de COVID-19. Utilizar las curvas CUSUM como método apropiado para el aprendizaje significativo y las habilidades psicomotoras de estos profesionales. MATERIALES Y MÉTODOS: Estudio transversal realizado en 10 profesionales de la salud del Hospital Universitario Nacional. Las mediciones se realizaron por dos horas por participante del 13 al 29 de julio de 2020, y en cada una se utilizaron listas de chequeo para la evaluación del cumplimiento del protocolo. En la evaluación formativa mediante las CUSUM, se consideró un porcentaje de fallo aceptable del 20% (P0) y uno inaceptable del 40% (P1), con un parámetro de error a y p del 10%. RESULTADOS: 40% alcanzó el H0 el objetivo; 20% se acercó al objetivo y 40% y 20% estuvieron distanciados del objetivo con respecto a la colocación y retiro del EPP. CONCLUSIONES: El uso apropiado de EPP es una estrategia de prevención de contagio de COVID-19 en personal de la salud; el estudio encontró que menos de la mitad demostraron un uso adecuado, por lo que la capacitación de estos profesionales en la colocación y retiro de PPE según un protocolo institucional basado en la retroalimentación constante y un seguimiento estricto, es fundamental para lograr la adquisición de las habilidades, lo que reducirá considerablemente su riesgo de contagio en la práctica clínica.

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OBJECTIVES: Considering the pediatric peculiarities and the difficulty of assisting this population in mass-casualty situations, this study aims to identify the main topics regarding children's health care in mass-casualty incidents (MCIs) that are discussed in the Emergency Medicine area. METHODS: This systematic review was performed according to the recommendations of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) and registered with the PROSPERO database of systematic reviews with the number CRD42021229552. The last update of the search in the databases was on May 27, 2021 and resulted in 45 documents to be analyzed. The inclusion criteria included the peer-reviewed academic papers in English, Portuguese, Spanish, and Italian languages; the databases used were PubMed, Scopus, MEDLINE/Bireme (Virtual Library of Health - VLH), and Web of Science, which execute the query on the topic, keywords, or abstracts. Also, to be included, documents that were available with full-text access through CAPES, Google, or Google Scholar. Books, non-academic research, and content in languages other than the presented ones were represented as exclusion criteria. RESULTS: From the resulting papers, 21 articles served as the basis for this analysis. Revealed were the year of publication, the first author's institution nationality, topic, and disaster management phase for each study, which allow other researchers to understand the main topics regarding children's health care in MCIs. CONCLUSIONS: The topics regarding child's health care in MCIs found in the primary studies of this review, in order of frequency, were: Disaster Response (including the following sub-topics: simulation, education, quality of care, use of technological tools, and damage analysis); Triage; and Disaster Planning. The Emergency Medicine operation was focused on harm reduction after the occurrence of an MCI. Further studies focusing on the pre-disaster and post-disaster phases are needed.

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El objetivo del presente manuscrito fue describir los incidentes clínicos que fueron enviados al sistema de reporte voluntario durante el año 2020, que funciona en el Hospital Nacional de Niños de Costa Rica, perteneciente a la Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social. Se realizó un estudio observacional descriptivo de los datos consolidados que se enviaron durante los meses de enero a diciembre del año 2020. Durante el año 2020 el 1,6% de los pacientes atendidos en el hospital experimentó algún tipo de incidente clínico. El total de egresos disminuyó un 38,4% en comparación con los egresos del año 2019, sin embargo, los incidentes clínicos reportados aumentaron en el año 2020 un 37,6%, especialmente a partir del mes de agosto. No se reportaron eventos centinela en este año. Los servicios que realizaron mayor cantidad de reportes fueron Cuidados Intensivos (14,3%), Cirugía General (12%), Neonatología (9,8%) e Infectología (9%). El día en el cual se reportaron más incidentes fue el miércoles (27,8%), en el primer turno hospitalario se reportaron la mayoría de los casos (48,1%) y estos incidentes ocurrieron predominantemente a individuos masculinos (66%). Respecto de la edad de los pacientes, la mayoría estuvo en el rango de edad de 1 año a menos de 5 años (36,1%), seguido por el rango de edad de mayores de 29 días a menores de 1 año (24,1%). La mayor parte de los casos estuvieron relacionados con el cuidado que se brindaba al paciente (63,9%). El 41,4% de los incidentes requirieron medidas clínicas pero las secuelas fueron transitorias. El 51,1% de los casos ameritó algún tipo de cuidado médico adicional a su esquema terapéutico al ingreso. El 96% de los incidentes clínicos fueron reportados por personal de enfermería. La mayoría de los incidentes clínicos (35,3 %) en este período fueron errores relacionados con notas en el expediente digital.

The objective of this manuscript was to describe the clinical incidents that were sent to the voluntary reporting system during 2020 at the National Children's Hospital of Costa Rica, belonging to the Costa Rican Social Security Fund.A descriptive observational study of the consolidated data that was sent during the months of January to December of the year 2020 was carried out.During 2020, 1.6% of the patients treated in the hospital experienced some type of clinical incident. The total discharges decreased by 38.4% compared to the discharges of the year 2019, however, the reported clinical incidents increased in the year 2020 by 37.6%, especially from the month of August. Sentinel events were not reported this year. The services that made the highest number of reports were Intensive Care (14.3%), General Surgery (12%), Neonatology (9.8%) and Infectiology (9%). The day on which the most incidents were reported was Wednesday (27.8%), in the first hospital shift most of the cases were reported (48.1%) and these incidents occurred predominantly to male individuals (66%). Regarding the age of the patients, the majority were in the age range from 1 year to less than 5 years (36.1%), followed by the age range from over 29 days to under 1 year (24, 1%). Most of the cases were related to the care provided to the patient (63.9%). 41.4% of the incidents required clinical measures but the sequelae were transitory. 51.1% of the cases merited some type of additional medical care to their therapeutic scheme upon admission. 96% of clinical incidents were reported by nursing staff. Most of the clinical incidents (35.3%) in this period were errors related to notes in the digital file.

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