Clinicopathological and genetic characterization of radiotherapy-induced undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma following breast cancer: a case series of three tumors and comprehensive literature review.

AIMS: Compared to primary breast sarcoma (BSs), radiotherapy-induced sarcoma (RIS) is a less frequent type of secondary breast sarcoma. Undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (UPS) is an even rarer occurrence within the RIS category. This study aimed to present the clinicopathologic and molecular features of breast radiotherapy-induced UPS. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University to analyze three patients with radiation-induced undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (UPS) following breast cancer, spanning from 2006 to 2023. The clinical and pathological variables were extracted from the medical records, while immunohistochemistry was employed to analyze the immunophenotypes of these tumors. Genomic characteristics were assessed through DNA and RNA sequencing techniques. Another 15 cases from the literature were also reviewed to better characterize the tumor. RESULTS: The affected areas encompass the chest wall and breasts, with an incubation period ranging from 6 to 17 years. The tumor cells exhibit pleomorphism and demonstrate a high degree of pathological mitosis. Notably, two cases displayed an accelerated disease progression, characterized by recurrent tumors and metastases occurring within short intervals of 48 and 7 months respectively subsequent to the initial diagnosis. The two prevailing identified genes were TP53 (2/3, 66.7%) and RB1 (1/3, 33.3%). Through analysis of somatic copy number variation (CNV), it was discovered that two oncogenes, MCL1 (1/3, 33.3%) and MYC (1/3, 33.3%), had experienced gains in CNV. The Tumor Mutational Burden (TMB) values for case 1, case 2, and case 3 were 5.9 mut/Mb, 1.0 mut/Mb, and 3.0 mut/Mb, respectively. Moreover, the analysis of RNA-NGS (next-generation sequencing) revealed the presence of a novel gene fusion, named COL3A1-GULP1, in case 2. CONCLUSIONS: Based on our thorough analysis of research findings and previous reports, it is evident that radiotherapy-induced UPS exhibits a highly diverse and frequently severe clinical and biological behavior. Identifying tumor formation using genome sequencing can help understand its biological behavior and determine personalized treatments.

Enhancing Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface-Enabled Cognitive Radio Networks for Sixth Generation and Beyond: Performance Analysis and Parameter Optimization.

In this paper, we propose a novel system integrating reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RISs) with cognitive radio (CR) technology, presenting a forward-looking solution aligned with the evolving standards of 6G and beyond networks. The proposed RIS-assisted CR networks operate with a base station (BS) transmitting signals to two users, the primary user (PU) and secondary user (SU), through direct and reflected signal paths, respectively. Our mathematical analysis focuses on deriving expressions for SU in the RIS-assisted CR system, validated through Monte Carlo simulations. The investigation covers diverse aspects, including the impact of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), power allocations, the number of reflected surfaces, and blocklength variations. The results provide nuanced insights into RIS-assisted CR system performance, highlighting its sensitivity to factors like the number of reflectors, fading severity, and correlation coefficient. Careful parameter selection, such as optimizing the configuration of reflectors, is shown to prevent a complete outage, showcasing the system's robustness. Additionally, the work suggests that the optimization of reflectors configuration can significantly enhance overall system performance, and RIS-assisted CR systems outperform reference schemes. This work contributes a thorough analysis of the proposed system, offering valuable insights for efficient performance evaluation and parameter optimization in RIS-assisted CR networks.

A hybrid PSO-GWO-based phase shift design for a hybrid-RIS-aided heterogeneous network system.

The effectiveness of developing reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS) for heterogeneous network (HetNet) systems has resulted in significant spectral efficiency (SE) gains. The majority of current research has not addressed effectively whether a hybrid metaheuristic technique may be used to create the hybrid RIS phase changes in HetNet. In this paper, we study a heterogeneous network (HetNet) assisted by a hybrid reconfigurable intelligent surface (H-RIS). Compared with the passive RIS, a hybrid RIS that has only 8% active elements is proposed to enhance by reflecting and amplifying incident signals. Hybrid RIS phase shift and SBS transmit beamforming are optimised. At the SBS, transmit beamforming based on zero-forcing is employed, whereas for hybrid RIS phase shift optimisation, the hybrid PSO-GWO (HPSOGWO) method is employed. The exploitation power of particle swarm optimisation (PSO) and the exploration power of the grey wolf optimizer (GWO) are combined in this hybrid approach. Simulation findings show that the suggested method, which uses only modest active RIS elements, can achieve a significant spectral efficiency improvement over both RIS-aided HetNet with totally passive RIS elements but with the SDR method to optimise the RIS phase changes and RIS-aided HetNet with entirely active RIS elements but with the Lagrange multiplier (LM) scheme to design the phase shift at the active RIS.

Specific reference interval for high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I among healthy children in Wuhan, China.

Background: Troponin (Tn) is of an important biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis of myocardial injury and for evaluating the severity of cardiac involvement due to other systemic diseases in children. Unfortunately, high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI) specific reference intervals (RIs) are extremely limited. This study aimed to establish a preliminary pediatric hs-cTnI RI for newborns, children, and adolescents in Wuhan, China. Methods: A total of 1,355 healthy participants (1 day to 19 years) were recruited from a cross-sectional study implemented in Wuhan Children's Hospital from September 2022 to August 2023. Serum hs-cTnI levels were detected via the Mindray automated chemiluminescence immunoassay analyzer (CL-6000i). Specific serum hs-cTnI RIs were established according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guidelines. The RIs were defined by the nonparametric median (P50), and 2.5th, 97.5th [P50 (P2.5-P97.5)] intervals. Results: Of the 1,355 pediatric participants, serum hs-cTnI concentrations of 1,332 children were measured. The serum overall P50 and 95% interval range (P2.5-P97.5) of serum hs-cTnI was 0.41 (0.00, 44.31) ng/L. This was higher in males of 0.47 (0.00, 44.90) ng/L than in females of 0.36 (0.00, 44.17) ng/L (P<0.01). Age- and sex-specific differences in hs-cTnI levels were observed. The levels were highly variable in children under 1 year of age (especially in newborns), deriving a P50 (P2.5-P97.5) of 22.06 (1.04, 154.22) ng/L, and gradually narrowed and decreased with increasing age, with a markedly lower established P50 (P2.5-P97.5) of 0.36 (0.00, 2.16) ng/L. However, the levels began to increase slightly at the age of 9-12 years and reached a small peak at the age range of 15 to 18 years in males with 0.71 (0.03, 3.29) ng/L, while females were less affected by puberty. Sex- and age-specific RIs for hs-cTnI were established: 5 age-specific RIs in males, 1 day-1 month: 30.16 (8.67, 171.81) ng/L; >1-12 months: 13.20 (0.63, 61.91) ng/L; >1-15 years: 0.36 (0.00, 1.86) ng/L; >15-18 years: 0.71 (0.03, 3.29) ng/L; >18-19 years: 0.52 (0.00, 1.92) ng/L; and 4 age-specific RIs in females, 1 day-1 month: 43.93 (18.82, 146.38) ng/L; >1-12 months: 5.22 (0.92, 42.54) ng/L; >1-6 years: 0.54 (0.00, 2.74) ng/L; >6-19 years: 0.23 (0.00, 1.56) ng/L. Conclusions: This study preliminarily established age- and sex-specific serum hs-cTnI RIs using the Mindray CL-6000i system in healthy children in Wuhan, China.

Downlink Transmissions of UAV-RIS-Assisted Cell-Free Massive MIMO Systems: Location and Trajectory Optimization.

In this paper, we investigate a cell-free massive multiple-input multiple-output (CF-mMIMO) system with a reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS) carried by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), called the UAV-RIS. Compared with the RIS located on the ground, the UAV-RIS has a wider coverage that can reflect all signals from access points (APs) and user equipment (UE). By correlating the UAV location with the Rician K-factor, we derive a closed-form approximation of the UE achievable downlink rate. Based on this, we obtain the optimal UAV location and RIS phase shift that can maximize the UE sum rate through an alternating optimization method. Simulation results have verified the accuracy of the derived approximation and shown that the UE sum rate can be significantly improved with the obtained optimal UAV location and RIS phase shift. Moreover, we find that with a uniform UE distribution, the UAV-RIS should fly to the center of the system, while with an uneven UE distribution, the UAV-RIS should fly above the area where UEs are gathered. In addition, we also design the best trajectory for the UAV-RIS to fly from its initial location to the optimal destination while maintaining the maximum UE sum rate per time slot during the flight.

RIS-Assisted D2D Communication over Nakagami-m Fading with RSMA.

In this study, we investigated reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS)-assisted device-to-device (D2D) communication systems over Nakagami-m fading channels. To enhance the reliability of RIS-assisted D2D communications, we utilized the rate-splitting multiple access (RSMA) technique to maximize the achievable ergodic rate for our considered systems. Specifically, both devices decoded the common symbol by treating private symbols as interference, and then each private symbol was decoded by treating the other as interference. In order to maximize the achievable ergodic rate at the destination, we analyzed the achievable ergodic rate of the RIS link and the D2D link, and the destination jointly decoded both symbols transmitted from the source and device by involving the maximum ratio combination (MRC). We obtained a closed-form expression for the achievable ergodic rate of the proposed RIS-assisted D2D communication system. Finally, we investigated the influence of power allocation factors and the number of reflective elements on the achievable ergodic rate. As seen by the numerical results, there was a good match between the analysis and simulation results, as well as significant superiority compared with existing works.

Cluster-Based Strategy for Maximizing the Sum-Rate of a Distributed Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface (RIS)-Assisted Coordinated Multi-Point Non-Orthogonal Multiple-Access (CoMP-NOMA) System.

This article proposes a distributed intelligent Coordinated Multi-Point Non-Orthogonal Multiple-Access (CoMP-NOMA) collaborative transmission model with the assistance of reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RISs) to address the issues of poor communication quality, low fairness, and high system power consumption for edge users in multi-cellular networks. By analyzing the interaction mechanisms and influencing factors among RIS signal enhancement, NOMA user scheduling, and multi-point collaborative transmission, the model establishes RIS-enhanced edge user grouping and coordinates NOMA user clusters based on this. In the multi-cell RIS-assisted JT-CoMP NOMA downlink transmission, joint optimization of the power allocation (PA), user clustering (UC), and RIS phase-shift matrix design (PS) poses a challenging Mixed-Integer Non-Linear Programming (MINLP) problem. The original problem is decomposed by optimizing the formulas into joint sub-problems of PA, UC, and PA and PS, and solved using an alternating optimization approach. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed scheme effectively reduces the system's power consumption while significantly improving the system's throughput and rates.

Plasma lipids paediatric reference intervals: Indirect estimation using a large 14-year database.

OBJECTIVES: Establishing direct reference intervals (RIs) for paediatric patients is a very challenging endeavour. Indirect RIs can address this problem, using existing clinical laboratory databases from real-world data research. Compared to the traditional direct method, the indirect approach is highly practical, widely applicable, and low-cost. Considering the relevance of dyslipidemia in the paediatric age, to provide better laboratory services to the local paediatric population, we established population-specific lipid RIs via data mining. METHODS: Our laboratory information system was searched for cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) of patients aged less than 18 years, performed from January 2009 until December 2022. RIs were estimated using RefineR algorithm. RESULTS: Values from 215,594 patients were initially collected. After refining data on the basis of specific exclusion criteria that left 17,933 patients, we determined the RIs for each analyte, including corresponding 95% confidence interval (95% CI). Age and sex partitions were required for proper stratification of the heterogenous subpopulations. Age-related variations in TC and TG values were observed mainly in children until 5 years. RIs were defined for children less than 3 years and for those of 3-18 years. In our population, the obtained RIs were comparable with those of the literature, but the upper TG limit in subjects under the age of 3 (2.03 mmol/L with 95% CI: 1.45-2.86) was lower than that previously reported. CONCLUSIONS: Our RIs, necessary for paediatric lipid monitoring, are tailored to the serviced patient population as should be done whenever possible.

Reference intervals for cardiometabolic risk factors in China: a national multicenter cross-sectional study on an adult population sample.

Background: The reference intervals (RIs) of adult blood lipid parameters currently used in China are not derived from the results of research in local populations and have not been adjusted for age and sex. In this study, we aimed to determine accurate RIs for blood lipid parameters and blood glucose (GluG) for Chinese adults using a national multicenter study. Methods: A total of 11,333 adults between 18 and 90 years of age were recruited in seven representative regions in China between June 2020 and December 2020. Hospitals participating in the study were regrouped into two geographical regions, southern China (Changsha, Chengdu, Hangzhou, and Nanning) and northern China (Beijing, Shenyang, and Ningxia), according to their geographical and administrative location. All samples were freshly collected and measured collectively in one laboratory on the Mindray full Automatic biochemical analyzer chemistry BS2000 analytical systems. Outliers were removed using the Tukey test. Three-level nested analysis of variance and scatter plot were used to explore the variations in sex, age, and region. Percentile curves of each indicator were plotted using the least mean square (LMS) method. The lower limit (2.5th percentile) and the upper limit (97.5th percentile) of the RI were determined by using nonparametric statistical methods. We also calculated the 90% confidence interval (CI) for the lower and upper limits. Results: A total of 8,283 participants were enrolled in the final analysis, with 3,593 (43.4%) men and 4,690 (56.6%) women. Regionality was observed in three analytes [small dense low density lipoprotein cholesterol (sd-LDLC), GluG, and apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1)]. In northern China, the sd-LDLC and GluG levels in Shenyang were significantly higher than those in Ningxia and Beijing (P<0.05). In southern China, the sd-LDLC and GluG levels in Nanning were significantly higher than those in the three other cities (P<0.05), whereas the sd-LDLC and GluG levels in Chengdu were significantly lower than those in the three other cities (P<0.05). The level of ApoA1 in Chengdu was significantly higher than that in the three other cities. The homocysteine (HCY) level in male participants was clearly higher than that in female participants [ratio of standard deviation (SDR)sex =0.56], whereas the levels of high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC) (SDRsex =0.40) and ApoA1 (SDRsex =0.27) in males were lower. The GluG and HCY level increased gradually with age. In females aged 45-55 years, there was an interesting change in scatter charts, where triglyceride (TG) and total cholesterol (TC) increased rapidly. We also found that for the age group of >55 years, the levels of TG and TC in females gradually surpassed those in males. Conclusions: The findings of this study may help establish age- and sex-specific reference values for the blood lipids of Chinese adults and serve as a valuable guide for the screening, diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and monitoring of cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Multiple Sclerosis: An Emergency Medicine-Focused Narrative Review.

BACKGROUND: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a rare but serious condition associated with significant morbidity. OBJECTIVE: This review provides a focused assessment of MS for emergency clinicians, including the presentation, evaluation, and emergency department (ED) management based on current evidence. DISCUSSION: MS is an autoimmune disorder targeting the central nervous system (CNS), characterized by clinical relapses and radiological lesions disseminated in time and location. Patients with MS most commonly present with long tract signs (e.g., myelopathy, asymmetric spastic paraplegia, urinary dysfunction, Lhermitte's sign), optic neuritis, or brainstem syndromes (bilateral internuclear ophthalmoplegia). Cortical syndromes or multifocal presentations are less common. Radiologically isolated syndrome and clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) may or may not progress to chronic forms of MS, including relapsing remitting MS, primary progressive MS, and secondary progressive MS. The foundation of outpatient management involves disease-modifying therapy, which is typically initiated with the first signs of disease onset. Management of CIS and acute flares of MS in the ED includes corticosteroid therapy, ideally after diagnostic testing with imaging and lumbar puncture for cerebrospinal fluid analysis. Emergency clinicians should evaluate whether patients with MS are presenting with new-onset debilitating neurological symptoms to avoid unnecessary testing and admissions, but failure to appropriately diagnose CIS or MS flare is associated with increased morbidity. CONCLUSIONS: An understanding of MS can assist emergency clinicians in better diagnosing and managing this neurologically devastating disease.

Obsessive-compulsive symptoms and brain lesions compatible with multiple sclerosis.

Autoimmune-mediated obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) can occur in multiple sclerosis (MS). Here, a well-studied case study of a patient with OCD and MS-compatible diagnostic findings is presented. The 42-year-old female patient had displayed OCD symptoms for 6 years. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) identified several periventricular and one brainstem lesion suggestive of demyelination. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analyses detected an increased white blood cell count, intrathecal immunoglobulin (Ig) G and IgM synthesis, CSF-specific oligoclonal bands, and a positive MRZ reaction. Neopterin was increased, but sarcoidosis was excluded. In the absence of neurological attacks and clues for MRI-based dissemination in time, a radiologically isolated syndrome, the pre-disease stage of MS, was diagnosed. Neurotransmitter measurements of CSF detected reduced serotonin levels. In the absence of visible strategic demyelinating lesions within the cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical circuits, OCD symptoms may relate to reduced intrathecal serotonin levels and mild neuroinflammatory processes. Serotonin abnormalities in MS should be studied further, as they could potentially explain the association between neuroinflammation and mental illnesses.

Joint Active and Passive Beamforming in RIS-Assisted Secure ISAC Systems.

This paper investigates joint beamforming in a secure integrated sensing and communications (ISAC) system assisted by reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS). The system communicates with legitimate downlink users, detecting a potential target, which is a potential eavesdropper attempting to intercept the downlink communication information from the base station (BS) to legitimate users. To enhance the physical-layer secrecy of the system, we design and introduce interference signals at the BS to disrupt eavesdroppers' attempts to intercept legitimate communication information. The BS simultaneously transmits communication and interference signals, both utilized for communication and sensing to guarantee the sensing and communication quality. By jointly optimizing the BS active beamformer and the RIS passive beamforming matrix, we aim to maximize the achievable secrecy rate and radiation power of the system. We develop an effective scheme to find the active beamforming matrix through fractional programming (FP) and semi-definite programming (SDP) techniques and obtain the RIS phase shift matrix via a local search technique. Simulation results validate the effectiveness of the proposed methods in enhancing communication and sensing performance. Additionally, the results demonstrate the effectiveness of introducing the interference signals and RIS in enhancing the physical-layer secrecy of the ISAC system.

Age-, season- and gender-specific reference intervals of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 for healthy children (0 ~ 18 years old) in Nanning area of China.

Establishing specific reference intervals (RIs) of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 [25(OH)D] for children is essential for improving the accuracy of diagnosis and prognosis monitoring of diseases such as rickets and growth retardation. The study including 6,627 healthy children was conducted to establish specific RIs of 25(OH)D for children in Nanning area of China. The results showed that there were statistically significant differences among age, season, and gender of serum 25(OH)D levels, and the age-specific RIs of serum 25(OH)D were 20.3 ~ 53.6 ng/mL for 0 ~ ≤ 1 year and 18.9 ~ 49.6 ng/mL for 2 ~ ≤ 3 years. The age-, season-specific RIs of serum 25(OH)D for 4 ~ ≤ 6 years in spring-summer and autumn-winter were 15.8 ~ 42.6 ng/mL and 15.2 ~ 37.7 ng/mL, respectively. The age-, gender-specific RIs of serum 25(OH)D for 7 ~ ≤ 18 years for males and females were 12.1 ~ 36.1 ng/mL and 10.8 ~ 35.3 ng/mL, respectively. This study successfully established the RIs of serum 25(OH)D, which may help to improve disease diagnosis and monitoring for children in the Nanning area of China.

Caracterización bibliométrica y temática de la investigación sobre VIH-sida en España (2010-2019) / Bibliometric and thematic characterization of the research on HIV-aids in Spain (2010-2019)

Introducción: La constitución de la Red de Investigación en Sida (RIS) constituyó un hito para el impulso de la investigación sobre el VIH en España. Se analiza la investigación española en el área, evaluando específicamente el papel que ha desempeñado la RIS en la misma. Métodos: Se identificaron las publicaciones sobre VIH-sida con la participación de instituciones españolas en la Web of Science a lo largo del período 2010-2019, caracterizando bibliométricamente la actividad investigadora e identificando mediante un análisis de clústeres los ámbitos temáticos de investigación. Resultados: Se han identificado 3.960 documentos (promedio de 396 documentos/año), el 42% de los cuales han sido firmados en colaboración internacional. Los investigadores de la RIS han participado en el 60% de los documentos, presentando una producción científica y citación sensiblemente superior a los autores no vinculados a la misma. Cinco clústeres temáticos articulan la investigación, centrados en el abordaje clínico y terapéutico de las personas que viven con el VIH, la coinfección y la comorbilidad con otras enfermedades, la caracterización genética del virus, el desarrollo de vacunas y el estudio de su transmisión en colectivos específicos o asociado a las conductas sexuales. Conclusión: La investigación española sobre el VIH, impulsada en gran medida por los grupos de la RIS ha alcanzado un estadio de madurez, con un notable incremento de la producción científica, la participación en redes cooperativas internacionales y un destacado impacto y visibilidad.(AU)

Introduction: The establishment of the Spanish AIDS Research Network (RIS) was a milestone for the promotion of HIV research in Spain. We analyse Spanish HIV research, assessing the role that RIS has played in it. Methods: We identified publications on HIV-aids with the participation of Spanish institutions in the Web of Science over the period 2010-2019, characterising research activity by means of bibliometrics and identifying the thematic areas of research through a cluster analysis. Results: A total of 3960 documents have been identified (average of 396 documents/year), 42% of which have been signed in international collaboration. RIS researchers have participated in 60% of the documents, presenting a scientific production and citation significantly higher than authors not linked to the RIS. Five thematic clusters articulate the research, focusing on the clinical and therapeutic approach to people living with HIV, co-infection and co-morbidity with other diseases, the genetic characterisation of the virus, the development of vaccines and the study of its transmission in specific groups or associated with sexual behaviour. Conclusion: Spanish HIV research, largely driven by RIS groups, has reached a stage of maturity, with a notable increase in scientific production, participation in international cooperative networks and an outstanding impact and visibility.(AU)

How Early Is Early Multiple Sclerosis?

The development and further optimization of the diagnostic criteria for multiple sclerosis (MS) emphasize the establishment of an early and accurate diagnosis. So far, numerous studies have revealed the significance of early treatment administration for MS and its association with slower disease progression and better late outcomes of the disease with regards to disability accumulation. However, according to current research results, both neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative processes may exist prior to symptom initiation. Despite the fact that a significant proportion of individuals with radiologically isolated syndrome (RIS) progress to MS, currently, there is no available treatment approved for RIS. Therefore, our idea of "early treatment administration" might be already late in some cases. In order to detect the individuals who will progress to MS, we need accurate biomarkers. In this review, we present notable research results regarding the underlying pathology of MS, as well as several potentially useful laboratory and neuroimaging biomarkers for the identification of high-risk individuals with RIS for developing MS. This review aims to raise clinicians' awareness regarding "subclinical" MS, enrich their understanding of MS pathology, and familiarize them with several potential biomarkers that are currently under investigation and might be used in clinical practice in the future for the identification of individuals with RIS at high risk for conversion to definite MS.

RIS-Assisted Cooperative Time-Division Multiple Access.

Reconfigurable intelligent surface-aided communication systems have been intensively investigated to improve capacity, coverage, and energy efficiency via optimal controlling of phase shifts for passive reflecting elements. However, there are few studies on cooperative transmission incorporating RIS in TDMA systems, because RIS reflects all the incident signals, and it inadvertently leads to a boost in interference signals. In this paper, we propose RIS-assisted cooperative time-division multiple access, in which the required SINR of all users is guaranteed as much as possible by opportunistic use of RIS for cooperative transmission. The proposed scheme's primary function is that some time slots, i.e., cooperative time slots, serve a pair of users, i.e., a strong- and a weak-channel-conditioned user, using RIS. To support this functionality, we propose scheduling for non-cooperative and cooperative time slots, user pairing for scheduled cooperative time slots, and transmit beamforming vector design for the pair of UEs in each cooperative time slot. The simulation and numerical results demonstrate that the proposed scheme guarantees QoS for all UE as much as possible and minimizes the remaining required capacity indicating the amount of capacity that was not achieved compared with the required capacity.

Sistema de Información Radiológica XAVIA RIS / Radiology Information System XAVIA RIS

El Sistema para el Almacenamiento, Transmisión y Visualización de Imágenes Médicas XAVIA PACS, desarrollado por la Universidad de las Ciencias Informáticas, se utiliza en múltiples instituciones de salud de Cuba. El propósito de estas herramientas es manejar la imagen médica, por lo que no gestionan la información que se capta en los servicios de diagnóstico por imágenes, entre los que se encuentran los datos del paciente, del estudio imagenológico y el informe diagnóstico. En este trabajo se exponen los resultados del desarrollo de un sistema informático para la gestión de la información imagenológica integrado al sistema XAVIA PACS para garantizar el control automatizado de la información en los servicios de diagnóstico por imágenes. Para el desarrollo previsto fue determinante la necesidad de reutilizar el código fuente ya implementado en el sistema XAVIA PACS; se seleccionó Microsoft.NET Framework, ASP.NET 3.5, C# 3.5 como lenguaje de programación, PostgreSQL como sistema de gestión de Base de Datos. Adicionalmente, fueron tenidos en cuenta la portabilidad, el procesamiento complejo interno, la facilidad de la instalación, y la facilidad del cambio. El sistema desarrollado automatiza la gestión de las listas de trabajo en los servicios de diagnósticos por imágenes, la gestión de la información del paciente, las citaciones, la planificación del trabajo de las modalidades médicas, y especialistas de radiología. La implantación del sistema desarrollado en diferentes instituciones de salud que emplean el sistema XAVIA PACS, validó la pertinencia y aplicabilidad del mismo(AU)

The XAVIA PACS Medical Images Storage, Transmission and Visualization System, developed by the University of Computer Sciences is used in multiple Cuban health institutions. The purpose of these tools is to manage the medical image, so they do not manage the information that is captured in the diagnostic imaging services, among which are the patient's data, the imaging study and the diagnostic report. This article presents a computer system for the management of imaging information integrated into the XAVIA PACS system to ensure automated control of information in diagnostic imaging services. For the planned development, the need to reuse the source code already implemented in the XAVIA PACS system was decisive; Microsoft.NET Framework, ASP.NET 3.5, C # 3.5 were selected as the programming language, PostgreSQL as the Database management system. Additionally, portability, complex internal processing, ease of installation, and ease of change were considered. The developed system automates the management of work lists in diagnostic imaging services, the management of patient information, appointments, work planning of medical modalities, and radiology specialists. The implementation of the system developed in different health institutions that use the XAVIA PACS system, validated its relevance and applicability(AU)

Dietas vegetarianas en la infancia / Vegetarian diets in childhood

Los padres que deciden cambiar la dieta habitual de sus hijos por otra más restrictiva deben conocer los riesgos y las ventajas de la alimentación escogida y recibir información que les ayude a ofrecerles una alimentación suficiente. Las dietas vegetarianas pueden realizarse siempre que sean planificadas por especialistas con la inclusión de una amplia variedad de alimentos vegetales y fortificados, y con el suplemento adecuado indicado en cada etapa.El objetivo de este documento es dar a conocer la postura del Comité de Nutrición de la Sociedad Argentina de Pediatría y brindar a los profesionales de la salud información adecuada que permita responder a las inquietudes de los padres y los pacientes que deciden escoger una dieta vegetariana como modalidad de alimentación. Se identifican los desafíos para tener en cuenta y se destaca que, sin dichas consideraciones y un seguimiento adecuado, estas dietas no pueden realizarse de manera segura en la infancia

Parents who decide to change the usual diet of their children for a more restrictive one should know the risks and advantages of the chosen diet and receive information that helps them to offer their children a sufficient diet. Vegetarian diets can be adopted as long as they are planned by specialists with the inclusion of a wide variety of plant foods and fortified foods with the appropriate supplementation indicated at each stage. The objective of this document is to present the position of the Nutrition Committee of the Argentine Society of Pediatrics and to provide health professionals with adequate information to respond to the concerns of parents and patients who decide to choose a vegetarian diet as a modality of feeding. The challenges to be taken into account are identified, highlighting that without these considerations and proper monitoring these diets cannot be carried out safely in childhood

Agronomic efficiency of Rhizobium strains from the Amazon region in common bean / Eficiência agronômica de estirpes de Rhizobium isoladas da Amazônia sobre o feijoeiro-comum

To maximize the contribution of biological nitrogen fixation in common bean, it is necessary to use bacterial strains that are more adapted, competitive, and efficient in the symbiotic process. In this regard, the aim of this study was to evaluate the agronomic efficiency (AE) of three bacterial strains isolated from acid soils with high Al content from the Amazon region in an Argissolo Vermelho Distrófico típico soil (Typic Rhodustults - USDA Classification) from the municipality of Formiga, MG, Brazil. We compared their AE to that of the reference strain CIAT 899T and of two controls without inoculation (one without and another with 80 kg ha-1 of N-urea). The results indicated that inoculation with the strains UFLA 02-100 and UFLA 02-127 provides grain yield equivalent to inoculation with the reference strain and to the control with mineral N. Thus, both have potential for recommendation as inoculants for common bean.

Para maximizar a contribuição da fixação biológica de nitrogênio no feijoeiro-comum é necessária a utilização de estirpes de bactérias mais adaptadas, competitivas e eficientes no processo simbiótico. Nesse sentido, objetivou-se avaliar, em um Argissolo Vermelho Distrófico típico do município de Formiga-MG, a eficiência agronômica (EA) de três estirpes isoladas de solos ácidos e com alto teor de Al da Amazônia e comparar suas EA à da estirpe referência CIAT 899T e à de dois controles sem inoculação (um sem e outro com 80 kg ha-1 of N-ureia). Os resultados indicaram que a inoculação com as estirpes UFLA 02-100 e UFLA 02-127 propicia rendimento de grãos equivalente ao da estirpe referência e ao do controle com N mineral e que por isso, ambas têm potencial para ser recomendadas como inoculantes para o feijoeiro-comum.

Investigation and analysis on frequencies of medical exposure in radiological diagnosis in Jiangsu province in 2015 / 中华放射医学与防护杂志

Objective To study the frequencies of diagnostic exposure and distribution of examined patients in Jiangsu province and to evaluate the frequencies of commom diagnostic exposure and CT examination by investigating public hospitals in Jiangsu. Methods Public hospitals in 4 counties ( districts) were sampled, and the information of examined patients on sex, age, diagnostic type and exposure category were gathered through radiology information system ( RIS ) of the sampled hospitals. Results A total of 728196 records of diagnostic procedures were gathered from the sampled hospitals. Among them 479024 records were on common diagnostic procedures, whereas 249172 records were on CT diagnostic procedures. The sex ratio was relatively balanced. the above 40 years of age group amounted for 62% the highest proportion, among the three age groups. The diagnostic frequencies in level Ⅱ hospitals contributed the highest proportion although 70% of the sampled hospitals were level I hospitals. Such diagnostic procedures as barium enema and mammography were highly distributed in level Ⅲ hospitals. Diagnostic frequencies were estimated in 2015 at 303 common diagnostic examinations and 173 CT diagnostic procedures per 1000 persons in Jiangsu province. Conclusions Frequencies of diagnostic radiology in Jiangsu became increased since the last investigation of medical exposure examinations during the Ninth Five-year Plan, which was a challenge for health care. It is important to mobilize more resources in protection against medical radiation exposure.