bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Finding the Right Distribution for Highly Skewed Zero-inflated Clinical Data
Authors: Gupta Resmi , Marino Bradley S. , Cnota James F. , Ittenbach Richard F.
Published: April 2023

Discrete, highly skewed distributions with excess numbers of zeros often result in biased estimates and misleading inferences if the zeros are not properly addressed. A clinical example of children with electrophysiologic disorders in which many of the children are treated without surgery is provided. The purpose of the current study was to identify the optimal modeling strategy for highly skewed, zeroinflated data often observed in the clinical setting by: (a) simulating skewed, zero-inflated count data; (b) fitting simulated data with Poisson, Negative Binomial, Zero-Inflated Poisson (ZIP) and Zero-inflated Negative Binomial (ZINB) models; and, (c) applying the aforementioned models to actual, highlyskewed, clinical data of children with an EP disorder. The ZIP model was observed to be the optimal model based on traditional fit statistics as well as estimates of bias, mean-squared error, and coverage.
Confounding adjustment through front-door blocking in longitudinal studies
Authors: Sjölander Arvid , Bellocco Rino
Published: April 2023

A common aim of epidemiological research is to estimate the causal effect of a particular exposure on a particular outcome. Towards this end, observed associations are often ‘adjusted’ for potential confounding variables. When the potential confounders are unmeasured, explicit adjustment becomes unfeasible. It has been demonstrated that causal effects can be estimated even in the presence of umeasured confounding, utilizing a method called ‘front-door blocking’. In this paper we generalize this method to longitudinal studies. We demonstrate that the method of front-door blocking poses a number of challenging statistical problems, analogous to the famous problems associ- ated with the method of ‘back-door blocking’.
Bevacizumab for advanced ovarian cancer treatment. A GRADE based approach
Authors: Pappagallo Giovanni L. , Torri Valter
Published: April 2023

Background: in advanced ovarian cancer, over the last 10 years no studies have demonstrated more appropriate therapeutic options compared to the current standard Carboplatin-Paclitaxel (Cb-P) regimen. Two phase III randomized studies (GOG-218 36 and ICON-7 37) have recently demonstrated the efficacy of bevacizumab (recombinant monoclonal antibody that binds with a high affinity to VEGF-A) in adjunct to Cb-P, with 12-15 months maintenance treatment.

Methods: the quality of evidence provided was assessed by the use of the GRADE method. Each outcome (deemed to be essential for the purpose of evaluation of the intervention) was assessed to express the degree of confidence in the entity of the beneficial and/or harmful effects of the intervention. Thus, limitations in the quality of conducting the studies (risk of bias), direct applicability/relevance of results to the target population, and precision of results were taken into account.

Results: the GOG-218 and the ICON7 study (high-risk subgroup) demonstrated with MODERATE confidence an improvement in critical outcomes PFS and OS, with an absolute reduction of 96 (GOG-218) – 103 (ICON-7) episodes of progression, and 40 (GOG-218) – 135 (ICON-7) deaths per 1 000 patients. A marked increase in risk of hypertension of Grade ≥3 was observed, with an absolute increase of 59 episodes per 1 000 patients in the ICON-7 study, and 157 episodes in the GOG-218 study, respectively, the majority of which were controlled by means of appropriate treatment. The increased risk of other adverse events considered was negligible.

Conclusions: the positive effects produced should be viewed as taking prevalence over the negative effects (FAVOURABLE benefit/harm ratio).
Digit preference in Nigerian censuses data of 1991 and 2006
Authors: Dahiru Tukur , Dikko Hussaini G.
Published: April 2023

Background: censuses in developing countries are prone to errors of age misreporting due to ignorance, low literacy levels and other social, economic and cultural factors. Ages are commonly rounded with great affinity for 0 or 5. This tendency to digit preference and/or avoidance results in age heaping or concentration of ages at certain digits. This study examined the extent of digit preference in the Nigerian census data of 1991 and 2006.

Methods: this study utilized age data from the 1991 and 2006 Nigerian censuses reported in single years. The Whipple and Myers indices were used to determine the extent of digit preference.

Results: both the 1991 and 2006 census data showed the expected pattern of errors, with Whipple and Myers indices being beyond acceptable levels. The Whipple index for 1991 and 2006 was 293 and 251 respectively, while the Myers index was 62.3 and 67.1 respectively. There was a strong preference for terminal digits 0 and 5, followed by 8 whereas terminal digits 1 and 9 were strongly avoided.

Conclusions: the quality of age data in Nigerian census data is poor as a result of misreporting and no significant improvement or difference was observed between 1991 and 2006 censuses.
Two-stage re-estimation adaptive design: a simulation study
Authors: Galli Francesca , Mariani Luigi
Published: April 2023

Background: adaptive clinical trial design has been proposed as a promising new approach to improve the drug discovery process. Among the many options available, adaptive sample size re-estimation is of great interest mainly because of its ability to avoid a large ‘up-front’ commitment of resources. In this simulation study, we investigate the statistical properties of two-stage sample size re-estimation designs in terms of type I error control, study power and sample size, in comparison with the fixed-sample study.

Methods: we simulated a balanced two-arm trial aimed at comparing two means of normally distributed data, using the inverse normal method to combine the results of each stage, and considering scenarios jointly defined by the following factors: the sample size re-estimation method, the information fraction, the type of group sequential boundaries and the use of futility stopping. Calculations were performed using the statistical software SAS™ (version 9.2).

Results: under the null hypothesis, any type of adaptive design considered maintained the prefixed type I error rate, but futility stopping was required to avoid the unwanted increase in sample size. When deviating from the null hypothesis, the gain in power usually achieved with the adaptive design and its performance in terms of sample size were influenced by the specific design options considered.

Conclusions: we show that adaptive designs incorporating futility stopping, a sufficiently high information fraction (50-70%) and the conditional power method for sample size re-estimation have good statistical properties, which include a gain in power when trial results are less favourable than anticipated.
New indicators of illegal drug use to compare drug user populations for policy evaluation
Authors: Fabi Francesco , Mammone Alessia , Rossi Carla
Published: April 2023

Background: New trends in drug consumption show a trend towards higher poly-use. Epidemiological indicators presently used are mostly based on the prevalence of users of the “main” substances and the ranking of harm caused by drug use is based on a single substance analysis.

Methods: In this paper new indicators are proposed; the approach consider the segmentation of the population with respect to the frequency of use in the last 30 days and the harm score of the various substances used by a poly-user. Scoring is based on single substance score table reported in recent papers and principal component analysis is applied to reduce dimensionality. Any user ischaracterized by the two new scores: frequency of use score and poly-use score.

Results: The method is applied to the drug user populations interviewed in Communities and Low Threshold Services within the Problem Drug Use 2012 survey in four different European countries. The comparison of the poly-use score cumulative distributions gives insight about behavioural trends of drug use and also evaluate the efficacy of the intervention services. Furthermore, the application of this method to School Population Survey 2011 data allows a definition of the expected behaviour of the poly-drug score for the General Population Survey to be representative.

Conclusions: In general, the method is simply and intuitive, and could be applied to surveys containing questions about drug use. A possible limitations could be that the median is chosen for calculating the frequency of use score in questionnaires containing the frequency of drug use in classes.
Ernst L. Wynder: A Pioneer of No Tobacco World
Authors: Bucci Roberto , Colamesta Vittoria , La Torre Giuseppe
Published: April 2023

Ernst L Wynder was a great epidemiologist who devoted his career to investigate harmful effects of tobacco smoke, in particular his studies represent a landmark in the history of epidemiological research on lung cancer.

The commitment of Ernst Wynder was not limited to the risk factors related to tobacco. In fact, he studied also the role of nutritional factors in the incidence of tumors.

His talent, enthusiasm and tireless energy have allowed him to obtain a complete victory despite the difficulties and the initial loneliness.
Decision support in Down’s syndrome screening using multi-criteria decision analysis: a pilot study
Authors: Erenbourg Anna , Stephenson Judith , Pandya Pranav , Jones Patricia , Dowie Jack
Published: April 2023

Background: the aim of the study was to develop and pilot use of a decision support system (DSS) to help women choose the option that best respects their personal values among the different screening/diagnostic tests for Down’s syndrome.

Methods: value-bearing considerations were elicited through qualitative interviews. Ten women post-birth and ten health professionals working in the Obstetric Department at UC LH were interviewed. Performance data for the various possible screening strategies on these attributes were entered into a Multi-criteria Decision Analytic model using the Annalisa implementation. Participants piloted the DSS, entering necessary weights for the attributes and observing the resulting scores. Main outcome measures were DSS clarity, usefulness and feasibility in a clinical setting.

Results: most participants found the DSS valuable because it stimulated women to seek information about testing and helped them focus on the main issues affecting their decisions. Annalisa proved a user-friendly DSS that helps women understand the issues around Down’s screening and diagnosis. There was unanimity that its use should be complementary to health professionals’ consultation. Most favoured offering it before consultation so that women could be better informed about options before attending the antenatal booking.

Conclusions: the overall positive comments confirm that a user-friendly decision analysis-based support system can be a valuable instrument at supporting health decisions in this area. Further research is needed to assess whether the intention to make an informed choice is always best addressed by a decision support system, or these remain useful tools only to women more inclined to seek information anyhow.
Treatment of elevated cholesterol in a representative cross-sectional sample of 4 892 Germans: is there a social gradient?
Authors: Laaser Ulrich , Breckenkamp Juergen , Sauzet Odile , Bjegovic-Mikanovic Vesna
Published: April 2023

Background: effective control of cardiovascular risk factors remains low in most countries and also in Germany. We investigate whether socio-economic status has an impact on the level of medical treatment and control (normalized values) of total cholesterol.

Methods: data on blood lipids from 4 892 participants in the last German Health Survey of 1998 are analysed, adjusting for key determinants in logistic regression analyses. Socio-economic status is not determined by educational achievement alone but also including occupation and household income.

Results: the actual prevalence of total cholesterol of ≥240 mg/dl was 53.4%. Only 3.6% of prevalent cases are under effective treatment. Less favourable values of total cholesterol and HDL are displayed by males and in lower social groups, while the middle groups are in an intermediate position. Chances to be treated for hypercholesterolemia are significantly less favourable for females (odds ratio (OR) estimate: 0.70) and better for the age bands ≥50 (OR 2.37) and ≥60 (OR 3.57), if a general practitioner is visited (OR 1.77), and if living in Eastern Germany (OR 1.89). However, chances are not significantly different according to social status.

Conclusions: statistically significant social group differences cannot be detected at the present low level of effective treatment. This may be different if higher levels of control are achieved.
Open Access, impact and quality: an even harder future for gatekeepers?
Authors: Turone Fabio
Published: April 2023

With the advent of open access publishing, coupled with easy electronic access to journals, many of the historical constraints towards access to the litterature – both as an author and as a reader – have recently been reshaped, and are still changing, raising among others issues about the quality of what is published. Many aspects are being looked at very carefully, but so far the role of the media has only occasionally been investigated. On one side, more and more scholars oppose the current use of...
If you must use embargoes, here’s how to do it right
Authors: Oransky Ivan
Published: April 2023

Embargoes - often used by scientific institutions such as medical societies and scientific journals to give access to reporters before material is published - can inspire heated arguments. Some journalists love them, while others say they - along with Ingelfinger Rule, which prohibits pre-publication publicity of results before they appear in a peer-reviewed journal - discourage original reporting [1]. Journals find them helpful in “choreographing” the dance of medical news [2], but some have eschewed them completely [3]. Despite all of this debate,…
Quality appraisal of documents producing recommendations for breast, colorectal and cervical cancer screening
Authors: Giorgi Rossi Paolo , Ferroni Eliana , Barca Alessandra , Pantano Pamela , Camilloni Laura , Cogo Carla , Ferri Marica
Published: April 2023

Background: Breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening are evidence-based interventions recommended by most governmental agencies and scientific societies. The aim of this review is to assess the quality of guidelines on screening and to describe differences according to the context in which they were produced.

Methods: A literature search of the main databases, websites on health care, and guidelines, as well as the websites of several scientific societies was carried out in order to identify the most recent guidelines (since 2000) on cervical, breast, and colorectal cancer screening. Only documents written in Italian or English were included. Two investigators independently assessed quality by using the AGREE (Appraisal of Guidelines, Research and Evaluation in Europe) instrument.

Results: Thirty-three, 32, and 18 relevant documents for cervical, breast, and colorectal cancer, respectively, were identified. Only some documents (19, 12 and 13 for cervical, breast, and colorectal cancer, respectively) could be evaluated with AGREE. Items included in the domain “scope and purpose” obtained the highest scores, followed by “clarity of presentation” domain, while “applicability”, “patient involvement,” and “conflict of interest disclosure” domains obtained the lowest scores. The quality did not improve in more recent documents. Documents produced by governmental agencies, on average, had higher scores than documents by scientific societies, particularly for “stakeholder involvement” and “applicability”.

Conclusions: Documents from different countries and health systems differ in terms of the main recommendations given and in the quality of the documents. Those produced by governmental agencies have a more multidisciplinary authorship and pay more attention to applicability than do those produced by scientific societies.
Analyzing socioeconomic related health inequality in mothers and children using the concentration index
Authors: Amirian Hossein , Poorolajal Jalal , Roshanaei Ghodratollah , Esmailnasab Nader , Moradi Ghobad
Published: April 2023

Background: The effect of socioeconomic inequity on major public health indices such as maternal and child mortality rates in low- and middle-income countries are less understood and needs to be evaluated through the concentration index.

Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2012 in Hamadan City, the west of Iran, and 1400 households were enrolled through a stratified cluster random sampling method. The effect of inequity on health outcomes was investigated via a three-stage procedure including: (a) definition of health outcomes; (b) measuring socioeconomic status using an asset index; and (c) measuring inequality of health outcome using concentration index (CI).

Results: There was inequality for all outcomes of interest. The CI was negative for low birth weight, underweight, stunting, wasting, minor injuries, moderate injuries, consanguineous marriage, child with disability, short birth spacing, and adolescent pregnancy indicating the disproportionate concentration of the health outcomes among the poor. On the other hand, CI was positive for preterm birth, Nonexclusive breastfeeding, severe injuries, incomplete health care, cesarean section, and advanced maternal age indicating opposite conclusion.

Conclusion: According to our results, there is a health inequality between the poor and the rich subgroups which may increase the risk of mothers and infant mortality and morbidity rates among the poor while the majority of the conditions related to the health outcomes are preventable.
Challenges in dental statistics: survey methodology topics
Authors: Pizzo Giuseppe , Milani Silvano , Spada Elena , Ottolenghi Livia
Published: April 2023

This paper gathers some contributions concerning survey methodology in dental research, as discussed during the first Workshop of the SISMEC STATDENT working group on statistical methods and applications in dentistry, held in Ancona on the 28th September 2011.

The first contribution deals with the European Global Oral Health Indicators Development (EGOHID) Project which proposed a comprehensive and standardized system of epidemiological tools (questionnaires and clinical forms) for national data collection on oral health in Europe. The second contribution regards the design and conduct of trials to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of toothbrushes and mouthrinses. Finally, a flexible and effective tool used to trace dental age reference charts tailored to Italian children is presented.
Assessment of Patient Safety Culture in Primary Health Care Settings in Kuwait
Authors: Ghobashi Maha Mohamed , Ghani El-ragehy Hanan Abdel , Mosleh Hanan , Al-Doseri Fatma Abdullah
Published: April 2023

Background Patient safety is critical component of health care quality. We aimed to assess the awareness of primary healthcare staff members about patient safety culture and explore the areas of deficiency and opportunities for improvement concerning this issue.

Methods: This descriptive cross sectional study surveyed 369 staff members in four primary healthcare centers in Kuwait using self-administered “Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture” adopted questionnaire. The total number of respondents was 276 participants (response rate = 74.79%).

Results: Five safety dimensions with lowest positivity (less than 50%) were identified and these are; the non – punitive response to errors, frequency of event reporting, staffing, communication openness, center handoffs and transitions with the following percentages of positivity 24%, 32%, 41%, 45% and 47% respectively. The dimensions of highest positivity were teamwork within the center’s units (82%) and organizational learning (75%).

Conclusion: Patient safety culture in primary healthcare settings in Kuwait is not as strong as improvements for the provision of safe health care. Well-designed patient safety initiatives are needed to be integrated with organizational policies, particularly the pressing need to address the bioethical component of medical errors and their disclosure, communication openness and emotional issues related to them and investing the bright areas of skillful organizational learning and strong team working attitudes.
Cross-National comparison of antiepileptic drug use: Catalonia, Denmark and Norway, 2007-2011
Authors: Ferrer-Argeles Pili , Rafaniello Concita , Sabaté Mònica , Ballarín Elena , Coma Anna , Zara Corinne , Capuano Annalisa , Rossi Francesco , Laporte Joan-Ramon , Ibáñez Luisa
Published: April 2023

Background: Antiepileptic drug  (AED)consumption has increased in recent years mainly from those AEDs marketed since 1990. The purpose is to describe and compare AED consumption in Catalonia, Denmark and Norway.

Methods: Population-based descriptive study set in the outpatient healthcare sector. Data were retrieved from the Norwegian Prescription Register, Danish Register of Medicinal Product Statistics and DATAMART® in Catalonia, for 2007-2011.

We calculated defined daily doses/1000 inhabitants/day (DID), by age and gender. AEDs were defined according to the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical classification (N03A). We reviewed the population covered by the databases, the drug data source and the definition of outpatient healthcare sector to compare the results across the three settings.

Results: Total AED use steadily increased over the study period in the three settings. In 2011, consumption was highest in Catalonia (15.20 DID), followed by Denmark (15.06 DID) and Norway (14.24 DID). The “other AEDs” (N03AX) subgroup represented 60% of all AED use. The N03A pattern by gender did not differ across the three settings. Marked differences by age and gender appeared when studying lamotrigine, topiramate, gabapentin, pregabalin and levetiracetam.  Differences among the databases were mainly in the definition of outpatient healthcare setting.

Conclusions: There was a rapid increase in “other AEDs” in all three settings. Although we did not have information on the indication for the use of AEDs, the drug data source, population coverage of the database and definition of the healthcare setting helped us interpret the results.
Austin Bradford Hill: simply the best
Authors: Bucci Roberto , Colamesta Vittoria , La Torre Giuseppe
Published: April 2023

Austin Bradford Hill was born on July 8, 1897, third son of Sir Leonard Erskine Hill, a distinguished medical physiologist, Professor of Physiology at The London Hospital. He grew up in an upper class Victorian family. Sir Leonard, who created an ingenious instrument for blood pressure measuring, had a deep influence on his son. In fact, Bradford decided to follow his father example. He attended Chigwell Grammar School, which was established in 1629, but unfortunately, Bradford’s decision to join the Faculty of Medicine coincided with a really big event: First World War. Bradford entered British naval aviation and...
«Trust, but verify»: easier said than done
Authors: Turone Fabio
Published: April 2023

Few weeks after the journal Science published a very unusual investigation by science journalist John Bohannon showing how many open access journals – among those asking for a submission or publication fee – don't really care about quality and accept for publication studies containing obvious and macroscopic mistakes, collecting money...
Using Logistic Regression to Model New York City Restaurant Grades Over a Two-Year Period
Authors: Nadler David
Published: April 2023

A knowledge gap exists in the role of restaurant type on the prediction of attaining the highest grade possible from the local health inspection agency. This study identified disparities using logistic regression between the issuance of a Grade A and restaurant type and location. This study tested the eight most inspected types of restaurants within the City of New York and calculated the odds ratios of their receiving the highest inspection grade by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. A fitted equation has been proposed for the prediction of receiving the highest inspection grade based upon the citywide results of these eight restaurant types from calendar years 2011 and 2012. The results suggest that certain styles of restaurants have lower odds of receiving the highest grade in comparison to American-style restaurants
A note of thanks
Authors: Boccia Stefania , La Vecchia Carlo
Published: April 2023

The editors-in-chief, editors, members of the editorial board and publisher of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Public Health wish to express their sincere gratitude to the referees of the articles considered for the 2013 volume of the Journal. 

Giuseppe Arbia

Fabio Barbone

Joana Bastos

Stefania Boccia

Anna Bossi

Silvio Brusaferro

Chiara Cadeddu

Caterina Caminiti

Giovanni Capelli

Guido Citoni

Gianfranco Damiani

Antonio De Belvis

Emma De Feo

Elisabetta De Vito

Chiara de Waure

Domitilla Di Thiene

Ana Duarte

Bruno Federico

Monica Ferraroni

Alessandra Frustaci

Carlotta Galeone

Silvano Gallus

Maurizio Genuardi

Guglielmo Giraldi

Maria Rosaria Gualano

Carolina Ianuale

Farhad Islami

Giuseppe La Torre

Patrizia Laurenti

Laura Lauria

Carlo La Vecchia

Emanuele Leoncini

Alice Mannocci

Walter Mazzucco

Silvia Miccoli

Cristina Montomoli

Eva Negri

Nicola Nicolotti

Caterina Palazzo

GianCarlo Paradisi

Patrizio Pasqualetti

Claudio Pelucchi

Brunella Posteraro

Delphine Praud

Gianluigi Quaranta

Luca Sbrogiò

Benedetto Simone

Giuliana Solinas

Maria Lucia Specchia

Annamaria Tortorano

Fabio Turone

Brigid Unim

Maria Assunta Veneziano

Francesco Vitale

Antonella Zambon

Alessandro Zanetti.
Archie’s beautiful adventure
Authors: Bucci Roberto , Colamesta Vittoria , La Torre Giuseppe
Published: April 2023

Archibald “Archie” Cochrane is the brilliant creator of the evidence-based medicine (EBM). His book “Effectiveness and Efficiency: random reflections on health services” is one of the fundamental texts of Medicine today. For his influence on the progress of medicine, Cochrane may be considered one of the greater physicians of all time. He gave an exceptional boost to the improvement of medical practice worldwide. Cochrane’s vision of medicine and his great scientific achievements are still alive through the Cochrane Collaboration, an organization which provides valuable impulses to improving the quality of medical care. Also he was a great epidemiologist, very proud of his epidemiological work, and his life is interesting for adventurous events and extraordinary examples of righteousness and generosity.
Serum-epidemiological survey in a group of illegal immigrates for the evaluation of immunity against vaccine-preventable diseases in Italy
Authors: Bruno Stefania , Donno Stefania , Bruno Federico , Geraci Salvatore , Maisano Bianca , Monteduro Maria Donata , Oryakhail Arif , Boccia Stefania , Damiani Gianfranco , Ricciardi Walter
Published: April 2023

Background

During the period May 2004 – December 2005 a serum epidemiological survey for preventable diseases through compulsory vaccination in Italy (diphtheria, tetanus, poliovirus, hepatitis B) and rubella in women was performed in a group of adult and illegal immigrants living in Rome, to evaluate the relationship between vaccination coverage and socio-demographic characteristics.

Methods

It was carried out by Elisa test (for rubella, tetanus, diphtheria and hepatitis B) and by neutralizing antibody titration (Poliovirus).

Both descriptive analyses (calculation of mean, median, standard deviation, percentage) and inferential statistics (hypothesis tests) were used.

Results

Six hundred and sixty-seven immigrants were invited to participate and 318 of them performed the analysis (participation rate = 47.6 %).

The percentages of immunized individuals were: 39.1% for diphtheria (basic immunization 59.3%), 74.8% for tetanus, 74.1% for poliomyelitis, and 94.7% for rubella. Only 2.8% was vaccinated against hepatitis B.

Conclusion

Most immigrants would need a booster dose for diphtheria and tetanus. Among Eastern European subjects Poliovirus vaccination coverage was lower than 70%, implying that the maintenance of high levels of it is strongly necessary. With regard to rubella, African women had the lowest coverage (87.5%) and their young age exposes to congenital rubella. Over half of immigrants were healthy carriers for HBV.
Computed tomography and nuclear medicine for the assessment of coronary inflammation: clinical applications and perspectives
Authors: Guaricci Andrea Igoren , Neglia Danilo , Acampa Wanda , Andreini Daniele , Baggiano Andrea , Bianco Francesco , Carrabba Nazario , Conte Edoardo , Gaudieri Valeria , Mushtaq Saima , Napoli Gianluigi , Pergola Valeria , Pontone Gianluca , Pedrinelli Roberto , Mercuro Giuseppe , Indolfi Ciro , Guglielmo Marco
Published: April 2023

There is increasing evidence that in patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) under optimal medical therapy, a persisting dysregulation of the lipid and glucose metabolism, associated with adipose tissue dysfunction and inflammation, predicts a substantial residual risk of disease progression and cardiovascular events. Despite the inflammatory nature of ASCVD, circulating biomarkers such as high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and interleukins may lack specificity for vascular inflammation. As known, dysfunctional epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) and pericoronary adipose tissue (PCAT) produce pro-inflammatory mediators and promote cellular tissue infiltration triggering further pro-inflammatory mechanisms. The consequent tissue modifications determine the attenuation of PCAT as assessed and measured by coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA). Recently, relevant studies have demonstrated a correlation between EAT and PCAT and obstructive coronary artery disease, inflammatory plaque status and coronary flow reserve (CFR). In parallel, CFR is well recognized as a marker of coronary vasomotor function that incorporates the haemodynamic effects of epicardial, diffuse and small-vessel disease on myocardial tissue perfusion. An inverse relationship between EAT volume and coronary vascular function and the association of PCAT attenuation and impaired CFR have already been reported. Moreover, many studies demonstrated that 18F-FDG PET is able to detect PCAT inflammation in patients with coronary atherosclerosis. Importantly, the perivascular FAI (fat attenuation index) showed incremental value for the prediction of adverse clinical events beyond traditional risk factors and CCTA indices by providing a quantitative measure of coronary inflammation. As an indicator of increased cardiac mortality, it could guide early targeted primary prevention in a wide spectrum of patients. In this review, we summarize the current evidence regarding the clinical applications and perspectives of EAT and PCAT assessment performed by CCTA and the prognostic information derived by nuclear medicine.
RENGHUB: MEMPERBARUI BANGUNAN MATI FUNGSI DI AREA MRT LEBAK BULUS GRAB
Authors: Widjanarko Ayala Jayanegara , Santoso J.M. Joko Priyono
Published: April 2023

The construction of the flyover and Lebak Bulus Grab MRT Station, along the Jakarta-Bogor street, South Jakarta, has had an impact in the form of the death of trade and other activities (the Friday market area, football community, and the Lebak Bulus bus transit area), especially around the station area. MRT. Physical deterioration and activity on these sections must be injected with activity in the hope of being able to restore the dynamics of life, such as building Renghub. Aims to update the function of a dead building. The method used is descriptive qualitative by making direct observations in the field. Data can be obtained by utilizing what is already there (secondary data) and searching for new data (primary data). The results achieved are in the form of interaction activities between MRT users and other means of transportation, which are accommodated in a building with the characteristics of the past, Lebak Bulus and Friday markets. The results achieved still require development in other sectors which in the end can synergize with Renghub, and be able to restore environmental dynamics to the way they were before.
Keywords: MRT; mass rapid transit;  death of activities; deterioration; update the function
Abstrak
Pembangunan jalan layang dan Stasiun MRT Lebak Bulus Grab, di sepanjang jalan Jakarta-Bogor Lebak Bulus, Jakarta Selatan, memberikan dampak dalam bentuk matinya aktivitas perdagangan dan aktivitas lain (area pasar jumat, komunitas bola, dan area transit bus Lebak Bulus) khususnya di sekitar area stasiun MRT. Disebabkan terjadinya degradasi fisik dan aktivitas pada ruas tersebut maka harus disuntikan program dengan harapan mampu mengembalikan dinamika kehidupan, seperti membangun Renghub. Bertujuan untuk memperbaiki fungsi bangunan yang sudah mati. Metode yang digunakan adalah deskriptif kualitatif dengan menyandingkan antara data dan konsep Urban Acupuncture. Data dapat diperoleh dengan melakukan pengamatan di lapangan secara langsung, apa yang sudah ada (data sekunder) dan pencarian data baru (data primer). Hasil yang dicapai dalam bentuk aktivitas interaksi antar pengguna MRT dan alat transportasi lain, yang ditampung dalam sebuah bangunan dengan karakter masa lalu Lebak Bulus dan Pasar Jumat dengan memasukan konsep arsitektur berkelanjutan. Untuk mencapai hasil yang sempurna masih diperlukan pengembangan pada sektor-sektor lain yang pada akhirnya dapat bersinergi dengan Renghub, dan mampu mengembalikan dinamika lingkungan yang berkembang.
PASAR TEMATIK JALAN SURABAYA, JAKARTA: MENGHIDUPKAN KAWASAN JALAN SURABAYA SEBAGAI LOKAWISATA
Authors: Safitri Farah Aulia Rahma , Gandha Maria Veronica
Published: April 2023

Surabaya Street is one of tourist attraction areas in Menteng, Central Jakarta which was famous for its Antique Market. But now, its name starts to fade. Surabaya Street as a tourist attraction area has lost its appeal. The Thematic Market is expected to restore the attractiveness of Surabaya Street as one of the tourist attraction areas in Menteng, where The Food Market acts as a supporting attractor for The Antique Market which is the main attractor of Surabaya Street. The Food Market design concept in collaboration with The Antique Market,so The Food Market as a support is designed more simply. The two markets are visually and physically connected by a bridge. As an urban acupuncture, this connectivity plays a role in maintaining the continuity of activity. The activities at Food Market will not shut off The Antique Market, but rather with The Food Market’s alive there will be interaction with The Antique Market, and vice versa. It is hoped that the two markets can liven up each other and grow together economically too.
Keywords: antique market; connectivity; food market; tourist attraction; urban acupuncture
Abstrak
Jalan Surabaya merupakan salah satu kawasan wisata di Menteng, Jakarta Pusat yang terkenal karena pasar antiknya. Namun saat ini nama tersebut kian meredup.  Jalan Surabaya sebagai kawasan wisata menjadi kehilangan daya tariknya. Dengan adanya Pasar Tematik ini diharapkan mampu mengembalikan daya tarik Jalan Surabaya sebagai salah satu kawasan wisata di Menteng, di mana pasar makanan berperan sebagai penunjang Pasar Antik yang merupakan atraktor utama kawasan. Konsep desain Pasar Makanan adalah berkolaborasi dengan Pasar Antik, sehingga Pasar Makanan sebagai penunjang didesain lebih sederhana. Kedua pasar terkoneksi secara visual dan fisik dengan adanya jembatan yang saling menghubungkan. Sebagai urban akupunktur, konektivitas ini berperan untuk menjaga keberlanjutan aktivitas. Aktivitas pada Pasar Makanan tidak akan mematikan Pasar Antik, melainkan dengan Pasar Makanan hidup maka akan terjadi interaksi dengan Pasar Antik, begitu pula sebaliknya. Sehingga diharapkan kedua pasar dapat saling menghidupkan dan tumbuh bersama secara ekonomi.
PENGEMBANGAN TEMPAT PELELANGAN IKAN SEBAGAI ATRAKTOR DAN FASILITAS HIBURAN KOTA
Authors: Crown Nicholas Edgar , Hadiwono Alvin
Published: April 2023

Indonesia is one of the countries that has a very wide sea area, from this vast ocean comes various and useful marine products for the community. These marine products are usually stored and sold in a place called the Fish Auction Place, where this place has a function as a distributor and container for marine products, including in the Indonesian Capital City, DKI Jakarta. DKI Jakarta, which is located in the northern part of the island of Java, has several Fish Auction Places that only operate as a medium for distributing and storing marine products, this creates an impression that Fish Auction Places are only for workers. Based on the fact that research on Fish Auction Places in an area is often used as a tourist destination for the city, therefore it is not uncommon to find a Fish Auction Place or commonly called TPI which also functions as a place of entertainment because there are entertainment facilities that can entertain the audience. visitors who come to the TPI. The phenomenon of the presence of entertainment facilities at a TPI has proven to be effective in improving the quality of life of the community and the area so that regional growth becomes more positive and healthy. Besides being able to increase the growth and development of a TPI, the presence of entertainment facilities at TPI can provide visitors with a new experience that is not found in other entertainment facilities.
Keywords:  attractor; entertainment facility; fish auction place
Abstrak
Indonesia merupakan salah satu negara yang memiliki wilayah laut yang sangat luas, dari luas lautan tersebut muncullah hasil-hasil laut yang beragam dan bermanfaat untuk para masyarakat. Hasil laut tersebut biasanya ditampung dan dijual di sebuah tempat yang bernama Tempat Pelelangan Ikan, dimana tempat ini memiliki fungsi sebagai penyalur dan penampung hasil laut, termasuk di Ibukota Negara Indonesia, yakni DKI Jakarta. DKI Jakarta yang terletak di bagian utara pulau jawa memiliki beberapa Tempat Pelelangan Ikan yang hanya beroperasi sebagai media penyalur dan penampung hasil laut saja, hal ini menimbulkan sebuah kesan dimana Tempat Pelelangan Ikan hanya untuk para pekerja saja. Berdasarkan fakta penilitian Tempat Pelelangan Ikan yang terdapat di suatu daerah sering dijadikan salah satu destinasi wisata dari kota tersebut maka dari itu tidak jarang ditemukan sebuah Tempat Pelelangan Ikan atau yang biasa disebut TPI juga berfungsi sebagai salah satu tempat hiburan karena terdapat fasilitas penghibur yang bisa menghibur para pengunjung yang datang ke TPI tersebut. Fenomena hadirnya fasilitas hiburan di sebuah TPI terbukti ampuh dalam meningkatkan kualitas hidup masyarakat dan daerah tersebut sehingga pertumbuhan daerah pun menjadi semakin positif dan sehat. Selain dapat meningkatkan pertumbuhan dan perkembangan sebuah TPI, hadirnya fasilitas hiburan di TPI dapat memberikan pengunjung sebuah pengalaman baru yang tidak ditemukan pada fasilitas hiburan lainya.
PUSAT KUCING JATINEGARA DENGAN PENDEKATAN URBAN AKUPUNKTUR
Authors: Nurandini Putri , Setiawan Timmy
Published: April 2023

Physical degradation in the Jatinegara animal market area can be seen from the stalls that occupy the sidewalks. As a result, the sidewalks become dirty, smelly, and damp because animal waste is also jammed, causing pedestrians and motorists to suffer. Acupuncture urban planning is carried out to produce impact and quality for large scale urban areas by producing a chain reaction, where one project or design made at one point can have an impact or positive effect on other areas. Macro, meso, micro analyzes were carried out to understand more about the Jatinegara Animal Market. Data collection was taken from print media, interviews and observations. The design method uses an urban acupuncture approach. In the Jatinegara Animal Market area, several issues were found in the animal market area, namely the stalls of traders who eat the pedestrian street, so that it becomes dirty and slippery and causes traffic jams. The concept of "Architecture for Animals and Humans", Jatinegara Cat Center is a forum for the pet trade, requiring comfortable buildings that can bring out the original characters of the pets being sold.
Keywords:  Degradation; urban acupuncture; architecture for animal and human
Abstrak
Degradasi fisik pada kawasan pasar hewan Jatinegara dapat dilihat dari kios-kios yang menempati trotoar akibatnya trotoar menjadi kotor, bau, lembab karena kotoran hewan dan juga macet sehingga pejalan kaki dan pengendara terganggu. Penataan urban Akupunktur dilakukan untuk menghasilkan dampak dan kualitas bagi lingkup skala kota yang besar dengan menghasilkan reaksi berantai (chain react), dimana dari satu proyek atau rancangan yang dibuat di satu titik dapat memberikan pengaruh atau efek positif bagi area lainnya. Analisis makro, meso, mikro dilakukan untuk memahami lebih lanjut mengenai Pasar Hewan Jatinegara. Pengumpulan data diambil dari media cetak, wawancara dan observasi. Metode perancangan menggunakan pendekatan urban akupuntur. Kawasan Pasar Hewan Jatinegara, ditemukan beberapa isu di kawasan pasar hewan yaitu kios-kios pedagang yang memakan jalan pedestrian, sehingga menjadi kumuh dan licin dan menimbulkan kemacetan. Konsep "Architecture for Animal and Human", Jatinegara Cat Center merupakan sebuah wadah untuk perdagangan hewan peliharaan, membutuhkan kenyamanan bangunan yang dapat memunculkan karakter asli dari hewan peliharaan yang dijual.
STUDI PERUBAHAN FUNGSI RUANG DI KORIDR NUSA LOKA, BSD CITY
Authors: Akram Muhammad Rafi , Suryadjaja Regina
Published: April 2023

South Tangerang City is one of the municipalities in Banten Province, which is one of the supporting cities for DKI Jakarta. The developments that have taken place in the City of South Tangerang have been quite rapid. One of the developments is the housing sector, and the housing sector in Nusa Loka Housing, and in this study the object of study is along the Main Street of the Nusa Loka BSD housing corridor, such as Jl. Kalimantan-Jl. Batam. The Nusa Loka BSD residential corridor, and this location has its own criteria based on the activities in the road corridor, ranging from trading and services or commercial to having offices. In this final project, the Nusa Loka BSD corridor located on Jl.Kalimantan, Rawa Mekar Jaya Village is the object of study in this research, because recently there has been a change in land use that should have been residential to commercial, but in this case it was not accompanied by physical conditions. the corridor itself. What makes this corridor change from residential to commercial is because the authority is not from the management but has become the authority of the South Tangerang City Government, so that control over land use in the RTRW is not specifically regulated regarding business activities and other more in-depth criteria. This final project will focus on the study of changes in function in the Nusa Loka BSD corridor.
Keywords:  Housing; nusa loka bsd; corridor; rtrw
Abstrak
Kota Tangerang Selatan merupakan salah satu kota madya yang berada di Provinsi Banten, yang merupakan salah satu kota penyangga DKI Jakarta. Perkembagan yang terjadi di Kota Tangerang Selatan ini sudah cukup pesat. Salah satu perkembangannya yaitu sektor perumahan, dan sektor perumahan yang terdapat di Perumahan Nusa Loka.  Objek studi pada penelitian ini yaitu pada sepanjang Jalan Utama koridor perumahan Nusa Loka, Jalan Kalimantan sampai dengan jalan Batam. Koridor perumahan Nusa Loka BSD ini memiliki kriterianya masing-masing berdasarkan kegiatan yang ada di koridor jalan tersebut, mulai dari perdagangan dan jasa atau komersial hingga terdapat perkantoran. Dalam tugas akhir ini, koridor Nusa Loka BSD yang berada di Jl.Kalimantan, Kelurahan Rawa Mekar Jaya menjadi objek studi pada penelitian ini, karena belakangan ini mengalami perkembangan perubahan penggunaan lahan yang seharusnya perumahan menjadi komersial, namun dalam hal ini  tidak di iringi kondisi fisik koridornya itu sendiri. Yang membuat koridor ini berubah dari hunian ke komersial dikarenakan adanya kewenangan bukan dari pihak pengelola tetapi sudah menjadi kewenangan dari Pemerintah Kota Tangerang Selatan, sampai pengendalian pada penggunaan lahan pada RTRW tidak diatur secara spesifik tentang kegiatan usaha dan kriteria lainnya yang lebih mendalam. Tugas akhir ini akan berfokus pada studi perubahan fungsi di koridor Nusa Loka BSD.
Assessing the Current Status and Proposing Solutions for Heavy Metal Management in the Saigon River Basin Sediments
Authors: Tong Nguyen Xuan , Thi Bich Van Pham , Hung Anh Le
Published: April 2023

The sediment is the final environment where heavy metals accumulate and directly impact the health of aquatic systems and humans.Therefore, the study was carried out to determine the total content and forms of heavy metals in the sediments at 13 locations in the Saigon River basin in rain and dry seasons of 2022. In addition, this research also assesses the pollution risk level and the correlation between heavy metals and physicochemical properties in the sediments. Chemical analysis was applied to determine the contributors of heavy metals while the geochemical calculation methods (hazard quotient (HQ), geo-accumulation index (Igeo), pollutant load index (PLI), individual contamination factors (ICF) and global contamination factors (GCF), risk assessment code (RAC)) were used to assess the pollution risk level in river sediments. The results show that Ag, Ba, Mn and Zn were metals with high pollution risks, especially in rain season. The results showed that the total concentration of heavy metals in sediments in rain season ranges from 109.92 to 4591.01 mg.kg–1 (Mn > Zn > Li > Ba > Ag > Cr > Cu > Pb) and in dry season from 0 to 3117.8 mg.kg–1 (Mn > Ag > Zn > Li > Ba > Cr > Cu > Pb). Applying the sequential extraction method, the metal forms of Ba, Cr, Cu and Li in the sediment samples are mainly residues (F5) (up to 76.53%), proving these elements dominated by natural sources. In contrast, the Mn extract composition was strongly influenced by human activity with exchange (F1) (>50%) and carbonate (F2) (>20%) components predominating. For Ag, Pb and Cu were mainly in organic form (F4). In dry season, the river sediments didn’t contain Pb because it didn’t carry away rainwater. In particular, Zn had a strong fluctuation between the extracted forms in rain and dry seasons, showing impacts from nature and humans sources. Besides, the statistical analysis results showed that pH affected Cu and Zn contents with a negative correlation, but did not detect the correlation between heavy metals and sand, clay, electrical conductivity (EC) in Saigon river sediments. The research results are foundational for the implementation and design of effective remediation strategies to prevent risks of river sediments degradation in the future.