Outcomes Among Patients With Ischemic Stroke Treated With Intravenous tPA (Tissue-Type Plasminogen Activator) via Telemedicine.

Background and Purpose- Telemedicine is increasingly utilized for intravenous tPA (tissue-type plasminogen activator) delivery. The comparative safety of leaving tPA-treated patients at a presenting (spoke) hospital (drip-and-stay) or transferring patients to a central treating (hub) hospital (drip-and-ship) is not established. We sought to compare outcomes between drip-and-ship and drip-and-stay patients treated with tPA via telemedicine. We hypothesized that there would be no differences in short-term outcomes of in-hospital mortality, length of stay, or discharge disposition or in 90-day outcomes between groups. Methods- We retrospectively identified patients treated with tPA at 17 spoke hospitals between September 2015 and December 2016. Demographic, clinical, and outcome data were obtained from a prospective telemedicine registry. We used negative binomial, multinomial, and logistic regression analyses to evaluate length of stay, discharge disposition, and inpatient mortality, respectively. We compared the proportion of patients with 90-day modified Rankin Scale score <2 by group. Results- Among 430 tPA-treated patients, 232 (53.9%) were transferred to the hub after treatment. The median arrival National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score was higher for drip-and-ship (10; interquartile range, 5-18) compared with drip-and-stay patients (6; interquartile range, 4-10; P<0.001). Unadjusted length of stay was longer in drip-and-stay patients (incidence rate ratio, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.71-0.95). There were no significant differences in adjusted length of stay, hospital mortality, or discharge disposition. Among the 64% of patients with complete 90-day modified Rankin Scale score, the proportion with good outcomes (modified Rankin Scale score <2) did not differ between groups. Conclusions- We found no differences in measured outcomes between drip-and-ship and drip-and-stay patients treated in our network, although our study may be underpowered to detect small differences.

Challenges for a Massive Implementation of Phenomics in Plant Breeding Programs.

Due to climate change and expected food shortage in the coming decades, not only will it be necessary to develop cultivars with greater tolerance to environmental stress, but it is also imperative to reduce breeding cycle time. In addition to yield evaluation, plant breeders resort to many sensory assessments and some others of intermediate complexity. However, to develop cultivars better adapted to current/future constraints, it is necessary to incorporate a new set of traits, such as morphophysiological and physicochemical attributes, information relevant to the successful selection of genotypes or parents. Unfortunately, because of the large number of genotypes to be screened, measurements with conventional equipment are unfeasible, especially under field conditions. High-throughput plant phenotyping (HTPP) facilitates collecting a significant amount of data quickly; however, it is necessary to transform all this information (e.g., plant reflectance) into helpful descriptors to the breeder. To the extent that a holistic characterization of the plant (phenomics) is performed in challenging environments, it will be possible to select the best genotypes (forward phenomics) objectively but also understand why the said individual differs from the rest (reverse phenomics). Unfortunately, several elements had prevented phenomics from developing as desired. Consequently, a new set of prediction/validation methodologies, seasonal ambient information, and the fusion of data matrices (e.g., genotypic and phenotypic information) need to be incorporated into the modeling. In this sense, for the massive implementation of phenomics in plant breeding, it will be essential to count an interdisciplinary team that responds to the urgent need to release material with greater capacity to tolerate environmental stress. Therefore, breeding programs should (i) be more efficient (e.g., early discarding of unsuitable material), (ii) have shorter breeding cycles (fewer crosses to achieve the desired cultivar), and (iii) be more productive, increasing the probability of success at the end of the breeding process (percentage of cultivars released to the number of initial crosses).

On the data to know the prioritization and vulnerability of patients on surgical waiting lists.

The data presented in this article are complementary material to our work entitled "A decision support system for prioritization of patients on surgical waiting lists: A biopsychosocial approach". We prepared, together with physicians, a survey was used in the otorhinolaryngology unit of the Hospital of Talca for a period of five months, between February 05, 2018 and June 29, 2018. Two hundred and five surveys were collected through 20 biopsychosocial criteria, which allowed measuring the priority and vulnerability of patients on the surgical waiting list. The data allow choosing and preparing patients for surgery according to both a dynamic score and a vulnerability level.

Data extracted from olive oil mill waste exposed to ambient conditions.

Recent studies show that the process of extraction of olive oil results in a large amount of waste. Around 20% the oil is obtained in the process and the remaining 80% corresponds to mainly two types of waste, known as orujo and alperujo. These residues were stored in pools for 6 months in an uncontrolled environment. The reservoirs are open and generate Odorous Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) as products of waste decomposition. The data in this article corresponds of physical-chemical compounds of olive oil mill waste exposed to ambient conditions. The data was obtained from two different oil mills, namely, Almazara del Pacífico located in the Alto Pangue area, Talca, Chile; and Agricola y Forestal Don Rafael oil mill, Molina, Chile. Samples were extracted directly from the oil mills to fill 200 L plastic containers that simulated the waste storage in oil mill reservoirs. Each sample was identified and standardized to a mass of 150 kg and moved and stored under uncontrolled ambient conditions at the Universidad de Talca, Curicó, Chile.

Data for resistance and inductance estimation within a voltage source inverter.

Power converters are essential for the use of renewable energy resources. For example, a photovoltaic system produces DC energy that is transformed into AC by the voltage source inverter (VSI). This power is used by a motor drive that operates at different speeds, generating variable loads. Two parameters, namely, resistance and inductance are essential to correctly adjust the model predictive control (MPC) in a VSI. In this paper, we describe the data from a VSI that incorporates an MPC. We generate four datasets consisting of 399 cases or instances (rows) each one. Two data set comprises the simulations varying the inductance (continuous and discrete versions) and the other two varying the resistance (continuous and discrete versions). The motivation behind this data is to support the design and development of nonintrusive models to predict the resistance and inductance of a VSI under different conditions.

Rationale and design of a statewide telestroke registry: Lone Star Stroke Consortium Telestroke Registry (LeSteR).

INTRODUCTION: The Lone Star Stroke Consortium Telestroke Registry (LeSteR) currently consisting of 3 academic hub centres and 27 partner spokes is a statewide initiative organised by leading academic health centres in the State of Texas to understand practice patterns of acute stroke management via telestroke (TS) in Texas, a state with one of the largest rural populations in the USA. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: All patients who had presumed stroke for whom a TS consultation has been obtained in the network are entered into a web-based, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act-compliant database from September 2013 to present. Spokes were enrolled into LeSteR in a staggered approach in two data collection phases: a retrospective phase and a prospective phase. Basic clinical, demographic data and relevant time metrics are collected in the retrospective phase. Starting 1 September 2015, additional outcome data including 90-day modified Rankin score, readmission and 90-day disposition are obtained by a standard phone interview. From the registry initiation to 31 December 2017, there are 8089 patients who had suspected stroke in the registry. Over 60% of patients enrolled after 1 September 2015 have reported outcome data. Enrolment is still active for this registry. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: LeSteR is a statewide TS registry organised by academic health centres that will provide significant insight regarding the impact of TS in the State of Texas. Findings from LeSteR will provide data that can be analysed to improve the allocation of healthcare resources using TS to treat stroke in a state with one of the largest rural populations.

Assessing Wheat Traits by Spectral Reflectance: Do We Really Need to Focus on Predicted Trait-Values or Directly Identify the Elite Genotypes Group?

Phenotyping, via remote and proximal sensing techniques, of the agronomic and physiological traits associated with yield potential and drought adaptation could contribute to improvements in breeding programs. In the present study, 384 genotypes of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) were tested under fully irrigated (FI) and water stress (WS) conditions. The following traits were evaluated and assessed via spectral reflectance: Grain yield (GY), spikes per square meter (SM2), kernels per spike (KPS), thousand-kernel weight (TKW), chlorophyll content (SPAD), stem water soluble carbohydrate concentration and content (WSC and WSCC, respectively), carbon isotope discrimination (Δ13C), and leaf area index (LAI). The performances of spectral reflectance indices (SRIs), four regression algorithms (PCR, PLSR, ridge regression RR, and SVR), and three classification methods (PCA-LDA, PLS-DA, and kNN) were evaluated for the prediction of each trait. For the classification approaches, two classes were established for each trait: The lower 80% of the trait variability range (Class 1) and the remaining 20% (Class 2 or elite genotypes). Both the SRIs and regression methods performed better when data from FI and WS were combined. The traits that were best estimated by SRIs and regression methods were GY and Δ13C. For most traits and conditions, the estimations provided by RR and SVR were the same, or better than, those provided by the SRIs. PLS-DA showed the best performance among the categorical methods and, unlike the SRI and regression models, most traits were relatively well-classified within a specific hydric condition (FI or WS), proving that classification approach is an effective tool to be explored in future studies related to genotype selection.

Intimate partner violence and psychoemotional disturbance among pregnant women admitted to hospital with prenatal complications.

OBJECTIVE: To assess intimate partner violence (IPV) and psychoemotional disturbance among pregnant women in a low-income setting. METHODS: In total, 283 pregnant women with high-risk prenatal complications were surveyed via the 20-item Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20) and the Violence against Women screening tool. A total SRQ-20 score of at least 7 was defined as indicating psychoemotional disturbance. RESULTS: Median age of participants was 24 years, 65 (23.0%) came from marginal areas, 6 (2.1%) had no education, and 75 (26.5%) had fewer than 5 prenatal visits. Median gestational age at survey was 33 weeks, with 224 (79.2%) admitted for treatment of threatened preterm labor. Median age of partner was 27 years, and 72 (25.5%) consumed alcohol on a daily basis. Ninety-eight (34.6%) pregnant women experienced at least 1 type of physical abuse or violence during the current pregnancy. Median total SRQ-20 score was 7. Overall, 145 (51.2%) had scores of 7 or higher. Total SRQ-20 scores positively correlated with the presence of IPV (number of positive items) and parity, and inversely correlated with maternal education level and gestational age at survey. CONCLUSION: IPV was highly prevalent and significantly correlated with female psychoemotional disturbance.

Resilience and related factors during female Ecuadorian mid-life.

BACKGROUND: Studies reporting on resilience (capacity to overcome life adversity) and the menopausal transition are scarce. OBJECTIVE: To assess resilience and related factors in mid-aged Ecuadorian women. METHOD: This was a cross sectional study in which 904 women aged 40-59 completed the 14-item Wagnild and Young Resilience Scale (WYRS) and a general socio-demographic questionnaire containing personal and partner data. Lower total WYRS scores indicate less resilience. Internal consistency of the tool was also assessed. RESULTS: Median age of all surveyed women was 49 years. A 51.1% were postmenopausal, 43.8% lived high altitude, 43.5% were abdominally obese, 12.6% used hormone therapy and 80.8% had a partner. Internal consistency was high for the WYRS tool (Cronbach's alpha: 0.94). Multiple linear regression analysis determined that lower total WYRS scores (less resilience) correlated with high altitude residency, more severe hot flushes, sedentarism, higher abdominal circumferences and having a partner with erectile dysfunction. Contrary to this, higher WYRS scores correlated with higher parity and sexual activity. CONCLUSION: As assessed with the WYRS tool, lower resilience of this mid-aged Ecuadorian female sample was related to various female and partner lifestyle and health issues, not necessarily related per se to the ageing process. More research using the tool is warranted.

Polaridad de los comentarios y consistencia interna en los informes de arbitraje de artículos de investigación / Polarity of comments and internal consistency in peer review reports on scientific research articles / Polaridade dos comentários e consistência interna nos informes de arbitragem de artigos de pesquisa

El informe de arbitraje en los procesos de revisión por pares de artículos de investigación es un género clave para explicar cómo se construye colectivamente el conocimiento científico. En estos informes los evaluadores emiten, junto con una serie de comentarios, una recomendación de publicación. El análisis de la calidad del proceso de evaluación por pares se ha realizado a partir de indicadores, como las tasas de rechazo o el grado de acuerdo entre los evaluadores. Sin embargo, aún queda pendiente una evaluación cualitativa del proceso. El objetivo de este trabajo fue describir la proporción, según su polaridad (positiva, negativa y neutra), de los comentarios de 56 informes de evaluación de la Revista Onomázein y determinar si esa proporción era consistente con la recomendación de los evaluadores (Aceptado, Aceptado con enmiendas mayores o menores, y Rechazado). Del análisis de 1.472 comentarios se determinó que, independientemente de la decisión, la mayor proporción corresponde a comentarios negativos. Asimismo, podemos afirmar que los procesos analizados presentan un alto grado de consistencia. Mientras más favorable es la recomendación de los árbitros mayor es la proporción de comentarios positivos emitidos y, correspondientemente, menor es la proporción de comentarios negativos.

Peer review reports on scientific articles means a key genre to explain how scientific knowledge is collectively constructed. In these reports, reviewers write a recommendation for publication along with a series of comments. The quality analysis of the peer review process has been commonly conducted based on indicators, such as rejection rates and the agreement level among evaluators. However, a more qualitative investigation on the process still remains outstanding. This work aims at describing the polarity (positive, negative and neutral) of comments corresponding to 56 peer review reports belonging to the journal Onomázein and determining whether this proportion is consistent with the reviewers recommendation, i.e. Accepted, Accepted with major revisions, Accepted with minor revisions and Rejected). After the analysis of 1.472 comments, it was possible to determine that the highest proportion of comments is negative, independent of the decision. The analyzed processes also showed a high level of consistency. The more favorable the recommendation, the higher the proportion of positive comments, and, consequently, the less the proportion of negative comments.

O informe de arbitragem nos processos de revisão por pares de artigos de pesquisa é um gênero chave para explicar como se constrói coletivamente o conhecimento científico. Nestes informes os avaliadores emitem, junto com uma série de comentários, uma recomendação de publicação. A análise da qualidade do processo de avaliação por pares foi realizada a partir de indicadores, como as taxas de recusa ou o grau de acordo entre os avaliadores. No entanto, ainda resta pendente uma avaliação qualitativa do processo. O objetivo deste trabalho foi descrever a proporção, segundo a sua polaridade (positiva, negativa e neutra), dos comentários de 56 informes de avaliação da Revista Onomázein e determinar se essa proporção era consistente com a recomendação dos avaliadores (Aceito, Aceito com emendas maiores ou menores, e Recusado). Da análise de 1.472 comentários se determinou que, independentemente da decisão, a maior proporção corresponde a comentários negativos. Assim mesmo, podemos afirmar que os processos analisados apresentam um alto grau de consistência. Quanto mais favorável for a recomendação dos árbitros maior será a proporção de comentários positivos emitidos e, correspondentemente, menor é a proporção de comentários negativos.