bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
INSIDE PARTY HEADQUARTERS
Authors: Bergien Rüdiger
Published: October 2023

Everyday life in the East German Socialist Unity Party revolved heavily around maintaining the “party line” in all areas of society, whether through direct authority or corruption. Spanning a long period of the GDR’s history, from 1946 through 1989, Rüdiger Bergien presents the first study that examines the complexities of the central party’s communist apparatus. He focuses on their role as ideological watchdogs, as they fostered an underbelly and “inner life” for their employees to integrate the party’s pillars throughout East German society. Inside Party Headquarters reviews not only the party’s modes power and state interaction, but also the processes of negotiation and disputation preceding formal Politburo decisions, advancing the available detail and discourse surrounding this formative and volatile stretch of German history.
MADNESS, BUREAUCRACY AND GENDER IN MUMBAI, INDIA
Authors: Strauss Annika
Published: October 2023

Regional mental hospitals in India are perceived as colonial artefacts in need of reformation. In the last two decades, there has been discussion around the maltreatment of patients, corruption and poor quality of mental health treatment in these institutions. This ethnography scrutinizes the management of madness in one of these asylum-like institutions in the context of national change and the global mental health movement. The author explores the assembling and impact of psychiatric, bureaucratic, gendered and queer narratives in and around the hospital. Finally, the author attempts to reconcile social anthropology and psychiatry by scrutinising their divergent approaches towards ‘mad narratives’.
THE AMAZONIAN PUZZLE
Authors: Boyer Véronique
Published: October 2023

In the Brazilian Amazon region, cultural “mixture” is expressed in the interaction of city and hinterland, of Indigenous and Black, of religiosity and politics. By examining the multiple cultural and ethnic threads that traverse this landscape, The Amazonian Puzzle sets out to show how the category of caboclo (a powerful spiritual entity to some, and to others a despised peasant of mixed ancestry) reveals deep currents of ethnic recompositions, religious interpenetration, and social hierarchy. These Amazonian dynamics are explored through the lens of ethnography, sociology, and history.
OF HOARDING AND HOUSEKEEPING
Authors: Newell Sasha
Published: October 2023

Hoarding has largely been approached from a psychological and universal perspective, and decluttering from an aesthetic and ecological one, while little work has been done to think about the cultural and global economic aspects of these phenomena. Of Hoarding and Housekeeping provides an anthropological, global, and comparative angle to the understanding of hoarding and decluttering using cases from a variety of countries including US, Japan, India, Cameroon, and Argentina. Focusing on the house, with careful attention to material flows in and out, this book examines practices of accumulation, storage, decluttering, and waste as practices of kinship and the objects themselves as material kin.
AUDIENCES OF NAZISM
Authors: Weckel Ulrike
Published: October 2023

Through its focus on audiences and their reception of media in Nazi Germany, Audiences of Nazism inverts the typical top-down perspective employed in studies that concentrate on the regime’s regulation of media and propaganda. It thereby sheds new light on the complex character of the period’s media, their uses, and the scope for audience interpretation. Contributors investigate how consumers either appropriated or ignored certain messages of Nazi propaganda, and how some even participated in its production. The authors ground their studies on novel historical sources, including private diaries and letters, photographs and films, and concert programs, which demonstrate, amongst other things, how audiences interpreted and responded to regulated news, Nazi Party rallies, and the regime’s denunciation of modern works of art as ‘degenerate.’
Fully endoscopic posterior fossa decompression for Chiari malformation type I: illustrative case
Authors: Staribacher Daniel , Feigl Guenther C , Britz Gavin , Kuzmin Dzmitry
Published: October 2023

BACKGROUND

Surgery for symptomatic Arnold-Chiari malformation type I involves posterior fossa decompression. There are various approaches, including endoscope-assisted ones. New possibilities and fields of application of fully endoscopic techniques are currently being developed since new and advanced endoscopic equipment and instrumentation are available.

OBSERVATIONS

The authors describe the case of a fully endoscopic microsurgical procedure in a 30-year-old female patient with progressive vertigo who was diagnosed with Chiari malformation type I. Neuronavigation and neuromonitoring were used during the surgery.

LESSONS

Fully endoscopic surgery can be successfully performed in patients with Chiari malformation I. Intraoperative neuromonitoring and neuronavigation increase safety during this procedure.
Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty for persistent primitive hypoglossal artery stenosis: illustrative case
Authors: Iwaki Katsuma , Arimura Koichi , Fukuda Shunichi , Takagishi Soh , Kurogi Ryota , Nakamura Kuniyuki , Nakamizo Akira , Yoshimoto Koji
Published: October 2023

BACKGROUND

We report a case of symptomatic, progressive stenosis of a persistent primitive hypoglossal artery (PPHA), which was successfully treated with percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) of the origin of the PPHA. The PPHA is a type of carotid-basilar anastomosis with an incidence of 0.02% to 0.10%. It originates from the internal carotid artery (ICA), passes through the hypoglossal canal, and merges with the basilar artery. In many cases, the ipsilateral vertebral artery is hypoplastic; therefore, PPHA stenosis causes cerebral infarction in the posterior circulation territory, as in this case.

OBSERVATIONS

The patient’s right PPHA had severe and progressive stenosis; therefore, he experienced cerebral infarction despite medical treatment. Therefore, PTA for the stenosis was performed, which ceased the recurrence of cerebral infarction and dizziness by improving blood flow in the posterior circulation.

LESSONS

Several reports have described ICA stenosis accompanied by PPHA or PPHA stenosis in patients receiving endovascular treatments. Almost all cases were nonprogressive, and the treatment procedure was stenting. However, in our case, the PPHA stenosis was progressive, and we performed PTA because the patient experienced resistance to antiplatelet drugs and had poor collateral flow.
Erosion of the Principle of Mutual Recognition. European Arrest Warrant and the Principle of Mutual Recognition in the Light of the Recent CJEU Rulings
Authors: Sakowicz Andrzej
Published: October 2023

An effective implementation of mutual recognition in the Area of Freedom, Security, and Justice requires mutual trust between the Member State. Mutual trust has been eroded in some Member States due to the rule of law crisis. However, it is not only the rule of law crisis, but also the departure of the Member States from the shared values of respect for fundamental rights, as well as the differences in the prosecutorial systems of individual Member States, that have caused changes in the perception of the principle of mutual recognition. This paper will examine the evolving approach to the principle of mutual recognition based on the recent Court of Justice of the European Union rulings on the European arrest warrant. The analysis concludes that the CJEU attaches more importance to the protection of the principle of mutual recognition, the prosecution of perpetrators of crime, and the unwavering presumption of respect for fundamental rights by the Member states than to the effective protection of fundamental rights.
Translating and Interpreting the Letter of Rights
Authors: Klip André
Published: October 2023

This article focuses on the implementation of Directive 2012/13 on the Right to Information with reference to foreigners arrested in the Member State of the EU. In particular, the Author analyses whether foreigners provided with a Letter of Rights receive the same information despite their handicap of not understanding the language. Special attention is given to how the Netherlands and Poland deal with the Letter of Rights for foreigners. The picture that emerges concerning foreigners is that providing them with a Letter of Rights in their language is seriously handicapped in almost all aspects: the timing (availability), the linguistic quality, the accessibility and simplicity. This situation creates severe risks concerning the right to a fair trial for foreigners. They may not invoke rights because they do not know them. They may not come to their own trial because they did not understand.
Gloss on the Judgement of the Polish Supreme Court of 2 June 2022, I KZP 17/21
Authors: Kosowski Jakub
Published: October 2023

The article discusses the decision of the Polish Su­preme Court of 2 June 2022, I KZP 17/21. The ruling of the Su­preme Court was issued based on a legal question submitted by a common court in relation to the European Investigation Or­der (EIO). The Author refers to the ruling by discussing broadly both the issues of the legal question and the authority issuing the European Investigation Order within the framework of pre-trial proceedings. Of paramount importance are the characteristics of the subjective sphere, i.e. the authority empowered to issue a European Investigation Order from the point of view of legally protected confidential information, in particular bank secrecy constituting the subject matter that served the basis for the ruling of the Supreme Court being commented herein.
Judicial search for a legal definition of religion
Authors: Kříž Jakub
Published: October 2023

A prerequisite for the proper application of the law is a certain definition of the terms used in the law. A variable definition of a concept undermines the requirement of legal certainty, and an overly narrow or broad definition of a concept (compared with the general idea of its content) may lead to doubts about the fairness of legal regulation. Although the legal system uses the term “religion” relatively frequently, it does not generally define it explicitly. In most cases, this does not cause problems because there is no reasonable doubt as to whether we are dealing with a religious element. In hard cases, however, there is no choice but to decide where to draw the line between religion and other types of beliefs. The alternative is to stop distinguishing between them, thus depriving the religious element of its special legal status. The social sciences distinguish four basic approaches to the definition of a religious phenomenon. The substantive definition seeks to capture the content that a particular belief must satisfy in order to be labelled religious. The essentialist approach emphasises the experience of the believer. The functionalist definition notes the function that religion serves in the life of the believer. The analogical approach does not seek to capture the essence of religion but rather notes its manifestations and what different religions have in common. This article offers examples of the application of these theoretical approaches in jurisprudential practice. It also highlights the fact that courts work flexibly with the concept of religion and often give it a different content depending on the context under consideration.
Family Mediation: A Manifestation of Changes in Caring for Seniors
Authors: Rynkowska Dorota
Published: October 2023

Our society is aging and the attitudes of children toward caring for their elderly parents are becoming an increasingly frequent cause of family conflicts, especially between siblings. Potential family conflicts, increasingly often concern decisions on the type, extent, and time of caring for aging parents. Sharing responsibilities and organizing care for the parents is a cause of growing tension inside families. Problems include the lack of clarity about the division of duties related to helping with general household chores (cleaning, preparing meals, shopping) between siblings or duties related to personal and generalcare (feeding, bathing, administering medications, making medical appointments, and recreation). The main research problem in this article is to define the caring function of the family and family relations in the context of caring for parents with the use of mediation. The research method used in the text was content analysis. Mediation is an increasingly popular procedure implemented to restorenormal relations between conflicting parties, including family members. Apart from conciliation, arbitration, and negotiations, it is the most dynamically developing method of dispute resolution and an alternative to the existing procedures offered by the justice system. Family mediation can help families in making many difficult decisions. The advantages of this procedure result both from the fact that it offers a holistic approach to very complex problems that require an effective resolution, as well as from the involvement of a neutral third party facilitating and organizing the process of communication between family members.
Janusz Mariański, Godność ludzka a praca. Szkice ze społecznego nauczania Kościoła katolickiego, Wydawca: Wyższa Szkoła Nauk Społecznych z siedzibą w Lublinie, Lublin 2022, ss. 320.
Authors: Kowalczyk Stanisław
Published: October 2023

Recenzja książki: Janusz Mariański, Godność ludzka a praca. Szkice ze społecznego nauczania Kościoła katolickiego, Wydawca: Wyższa Szkoła Nauk Społecznych z siedzibą w Lublinie, Lublin 2022, ss. 320.
Sosialisasi dan Pelatihan Literasi Digital untuk Meningkatkan Pengetahuan dan Inovasi Produk Unggulan Masyarakat Desa Poleng Kabupaten Sragen
Authors: Husna Jazimatul , Wiratmo Liliek Budiastuti , Setyawan Imam , Indrahti Sri , Susanti Siti , Mardhiyani Nur Laili , Febriyani Arifa Rachma
Published: October 2023

This article discusses community service activities in Poleng Village, Gesi District, and Sragen Regency which focus on socialization and digital literacy training in an effort to increase knowledge and develop community superior product innovations. This service uses a Participatory Action Research (PAR) approach. The aims of this service is to motivate the people of Poleng to optimize their potential and increase innovation in regional superior products. This service answers the challenges of an increasingly sophisticated digital era and realizes the importance of empowering rural communities to explore their own potential and develop regional superior product innovations so as to increase the competitiveness and economic value of community products. Digital literacy socialization and training using the "SiBooky" digital library is the key in providing skills and literacy to the community for community empowerment and sustainable development. This application aims to realize community empowerment and economic independence, as well as expand access to digital technology for all levels of society. enable people to access information flexibly and easily. Through this program, it is hoped that village communities will be better prepared to face the ever-evolving digital era, be able to contribute to regional development in a sustainable manner, realize community empowerment and economic independence, and expand access to digital technology for all levels of society.
Optimization the Management of Tihu Village Resources to Increase the Income of Village Communities
Authors: Nashar La Ode Nashar , Novianita Novianita Achmad , Nisky Nisky Imansyah Yahya
Published: October 2023

Geographically Tihu village is located on the coast where the majority of its residents work as fishermen. Skipjack tuna is a type of fish that is abundant in Tihu village. The habit of fishermen distributing their catch to consumers causes the economic value of sales to be less than optimal. Processing skipjack tuna into shredded fish and nuggets will support the increased income of the society of Tihu village. This society service provides training to the Tihu village society to make floss, nuggets and coconut cookies according to BPOM standards as well as packaging and online marketing method. This training was carried out so that the Tihu village society could optimize their natural resources to increase their income.
Attracting Public with the Speaking Proficiency: Improving Formal Master Ceremony Skill for Teachers
Authors: Syafruddin  , Ananda Refisa , Dewi Hartati Rahma , Maulina Murni , Badriyah Ratu , Yunus Mohammad , Prakoso Teguh
Published: October 2023

Effective speaking skills are a crucial aspect in the world of education, especially for teachers as learning facilitators. However, there is a problem in terms of the lack of speaking skills that can attract the attention of the public and students in the class. This Community Service aims to overcome this problem by organizing formal emcee training for teachers. The solving method is carried out through intensive training that focuses on developing persuasive speaking skills, setting clear presentation structures, and increasing confidence when speaking in public. The training involves the active participation of teachers who wish to improve their speaking skills. The results of the service activities showed a significant increase in the speaking skills of the teachers after attending the training. They are able to captivate the public's attention with an attractive presentation style, deliver messages more effectively, and maintain positive interactions with listeners. In addition, the teachers also experienced an increase in self-confidence when appearing in public. In conclusion, formal presenter training is an effective method of improving speaking skills for teachers. Public speaking skills help create a more interactive learning environment and inspire students. It is hoped that the development of speaking skills will have a positive impact on the learning process and enhance the school's reputation in the educational community.
ІСТОРИЧНІ ТА СУЧАСНІ ОСОБЛИВОСТІ РОЗВИТКУ ТЕНІСНИХ ТУРНІРІВ В «ЕРУ ВІДКРИТОГО ТЕНІСУ»
Authors: ХІМЕНЕС Христина , БРІСКІН Юрій , ЕДЕЛЄВ Олександр , ЛЕЩАК Олександр , БАЛУШКА Людмила
Published: October 2023

Сучасний професійний теніс характеризується багаторівневою системою змагань, у структурі якої ключовими є турніри Grand Slam, котрі мають цікаву історію формування та розвитку в якості професійних турнірів починаючи з 1968 року. Мета: визначити динаміку структури та змісту ключових турнірів у тенісі в «еру Відкритого тенісу» та чинники, котрі впливали на їх формування у різні часові періоди. Матеріал. Стаття побудована на фактичних даних інформаційних ресурсів та публікацій. Методи дослідження: аналіз та синтез, історичний метод, системний підхід, порівняння. Результати. Структура і зміст турнірів Wimbledon, US Open, French Open, Australian Open зазнавали змін упродовж історії свого розвитку і сьогодні вони мають більше спільних ознак (учасники, формат проведення, кількість балів до рейтингу спортсменів тощо), аніж відмінних (покриття, призовий фонд). Для кожного історичного етапу становлення цих турнірів характерні різні чинники впливу. Найбільш вагомі –  економічний потенціал країн і міст, де вони локалізуються, місцеві традиції щодо виду спорту, популярність серед населення тощо. Турніри проводяться різними організаціями, проте під патронатом ITF, ATP та WTA, а тому є складовими узгодженого календаря змагань, котрий з року в рік залишається стабільним. Висновки. Професійні тенісні турніри Grand Slam розвивалися під впливом чинників зовнішнього серидовища та внутрішньополітичних і економічних особливостей регіонів, у яких проводяться і сьогодні – це одне з найбільш очікуваних спортивних видовищ в усьому світі, що дозволяє отримувати високі доходи як організаторам змагань, так і їх учасникам.
Challenging the Status Quo in Higher Education
Authors: Rižnar Igor
Published: October 2023

This article acknowledges the intricate nature of higher education, recognizing its complexities and the multiple interactions among various stakeholders such as teachers, students, policymakers, parents, professional associations, politicians, the economy, and society. While briefly touching upon the Bologna reforms, the article primarily focuses on several crucial aspects of education. First, it delves into the realm of brain science to explore learning and teaching. Second, it addresses prevailing myths and misconceptions about learning and thinking that continue to be widely believed by teachers. Third, it examines biases present among both teachers and education policy makers. Fourth, it discusses the working conditions experienced by academics, and fifth, it outlines a project and a teaching method that could ignite transformation of HEIs.
Assessment of the relationship between obstructive sleep apnea syndrome and sleep quality among dental students
Authors: GAŞ Selin , YILDIRIM Gülhan
Published: October 2023

Aims: Dental students are under the risk of developing sleep disorders due to intensive curriculum and long study hours. Hence, we aimed to assess the prevalance of obstuctive sleep apnea syndrome and its relation with sleep quality among Turkish dental students.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 314 dental students, who completed Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) to identify the sleep quality (SQ) and excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) and Berlin Questionnaire (BQ) for Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS). Demographic variables were also recorded. SPSS Version 23 (IBM Corporation, Armonk, NY, USA) was used for istatistical analysis. The statistical significance level was accepted as p
Is rheumatoid arthritis a neglected comorbidity in neurofibromatosis type 1?
Authors: ERTURK Adem , SARI Alper , AKÇİN Ali İzzet , UYSAL Ali Sadri , ELMAS Muhsin , TURAN Çağrı
Published: October 2023

Aims: Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF-1) is a relatively rare disorder with autosomal dominant inheritance. Despite current reports highlighting the association between NF-1 and some rheumatic diseases (e.g., systemic lupus erythematosus, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and antiphospholipid antibody syndrome), the literature seems to have missed focusing on its relationship with rheumatological disorders. Hence, the present study attempted to explore definite NF-1 molecular genetic mutation in association with accompanying rheumatic diseases, particularly rheumatoid arthritis.

Methods: The patients (n=23) aged 18 years who were diagnosed with NF-1 genetic mutation between 2010-2022 in the medical genetics department of our university were recruited for medical examination regarding rheumatic disorders in our rheumatology outpatient clinic.

Results: There were a total of 23 patients in this study, 14 (60.9%) males and 9 (39.1%) females, with a mean age of 27.4±9.2 years (18-51 years). As a result, 4 (17.3%) patients were diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), 3 with seropositive RA, and one with seronegative RA. Of the diagnoses, two were established RA, and two were early RA. All patients with RA had a positive metacarpophalangeal joint (MCP) squeeze test and experienced pain in bilateral hands and wrists and morning stiffness for more than 45 min.

Conclusion: While the community prevalence of RA is about 1%, it is noteworthy that we detected RA in 17.3% of our patients. In the follow-up of patients with NF-1, routine examinations for pain in bilateral hands and wrists, morning stiffness over 45 minutes, and positivity of the MCP squeeze test are thought to allow early diagnosis of RA and, thus, relevant therapies.
Miliary cerebral metastases: prevalence and radiological findings
Authors: YALTIRIK BİLGİN Ezel , ÜNAL Özkan
Published: October 2023

Aims: Miliary cerebral metastases, also known as carcinomatosis encephalitis, represent an unusual form of metastatic disease in the brain. Due to their rarity, limited literature is available, restricting our understanding of this condition. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and imaging characteristics of miliary cerebral metastases in a cohort of metastatic patients.

Methods: A retrospective review was conducted on approximately 618 contrast-enhanced MRI scans from patients with metastatic disease who had not undergone surgical intervention or received radiotherapy. Cases of miliary cerebral metastases were identified and analyzed. Demographic data, primary cancer types, non-contrast CT and MRI findings of miliary metastasis cases were evaluated.

Results: Miliary cerebral metastases were identified in 6 out of the 618 metastatic patients included in the study. The radiological features included small, disseminated hyperintense lesions visible on post-contrast T1-weighted images. These lesions were diffusely scattered throughout the brain, predominantly at the grey-white matter junction.

Conclusion: Our findings highlight the rarity of miliary cerebral metastases, supporting the limited cases reported in the literature. These findings underscore the need for increased clinical awareness and further research into this condition. High-resolution, contrast-enhanced MRI plays a vital role in detecting and characterizing miliary cerebral metastases, aiding in their management.
A detailed analysis of thyroid disorders in autoimmune liver diseases
Authors: KESKİN Çağlar , GÖKÇAY CANPOLAT Asena , CANLAR Şule , CİNEL Murat , DEMİR Özgür , ŞAHİN Mustafa , EMRAL Rıfat , KESKİN Onur , ÇORAPÇIOĞLU Demet
Published: October 2023

Aims: Extrahepatic autoimmune diseases are frequently encountered in patients with autoimmune liver diseases (AILD). There is a very limited data in the literature on the incidence of autoimmune thyroid diseases in AILD and the characterization of thyroid diseases in these patients. This study evaluated frequency and clinical features of thyroid disorders in AILD.

Methods: We compared clinical and laboratory data and thyroid ultrasonography findings of 100 patients with AILD and 48 healthy controls.

Results: The frequency of autoimmune thyroid disease and nodularity was higher in the AILD group compared to the control group (34 % vs 12.1 %; p
Assessing the effects of asthma attack simulation on cognitive, psychomotor, and affective learning in nursing students: a randomized controlled study
Authors: ÜNAL Eda
Published: October 2023

Aims: Asthma is a global health problem. Nursing students, who play a key role in managing asthma attack, should be capable of recognising and responding to asthma symptoms. This research aimed to assess the repercussions of asthma attack simulation training on nursing students cognitive, psychomotor, and affective learning domains.

Methods: A randomised controlled trial was used in this study. Fourth-year nursing students with no prior simulation training experience were recruited. This research randomly divided participants into two distinct groups: a simulation group, consisting of 53 members, and a control group, with 62 members. Each group received 100 hours of standard training, and only the simulation group received 210 hours of asthma attack simulation training instruction based on Bloom's taxonomy the following day. A knowledge questionnaire was used to evaluate nursing students' cognitive learning on asthma attacks right after theoretical training and three months afterwards. The Objective Structured Clinical Examination was used as a standardised evaluation instrument to evaluate students' psychomotor learning, and the emotional learning, empathy, motivation, self-efficacy, and anxiety levels of nursing students were assessed using a Likert scale ranging from 1 to 10 three months after their theoretical training.

Results: Asthma attack cognitive, psychomotor, and emotional learning of nursing students in the Simulation group improved after the intervention compared to the control group (p
Extra corporeal membrane oxygenation therapy in acute respiratory distress syndrome due to Coronavirus-2019 (COVID-19): a retrospective study
Authors: ERDOĞAN Cem , AYAR Işılay
Published: October 2023

Aims: Extra corporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has been used as a supportive treatment in ARDS due to COVID-19. Although different results have been reported in the literature regarding its efficacy, ECMO is recommended as a salvage therapy for severe forms of the disease after standard therapy fails. In our study,we aimed to evaluate the survival outcomes of patients supported with ECMO for COVID-19.

Methods: Our study was conducted by scanning the data of consecutive adult patients hospitalized in our intensive care unit due to COVID-19. The ECMO process was planned according to the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO) and Berlin criteria.

Results: 51 patients hospitalized for acute respiratory failure due to COVID-19 were taken to ECMO. Demographic data of patients; 39 (76.5%) men and 12 (23.5%) women. 46 (90.2%) of the patients died. The mean intubation time before ECMO is 3.9 days, and the mean time for non-invasive mechanical ventilation is 5.8 days. The mean PaO2 value before ECMO was79.09 mmHg, the mean PCO2 value was 63.62 mmHg and the mean PaO2/FiO2 ratio was 82.80.

Conclusion: The use of ECMO by considering prognostic factors and guidelines is seen as factors that increase the chance of success.Despite the fact that the patients were admitted to ECMO in accordance with the guidelines in our study, the high mortality rate suggests that there is a need for investigation of other supportive treatments and studies to reduce ECMO complications.
Histopathological evaluation of the effects of sildenafil on organ damage in a diabetic rat model
Authors: KARA Mehmet , BAYKAN Halit , ÖNAL Esra , YILDIRIM Ayşegül Burçin , KARABULUT Derya
Published: October 2023

Aims: In this study, it was aimed to show the effects of sildenafil on heart, liver and kidney tissues histopathologically by creating an experimental diabetes model with streptozocin.

Methods: Male adult Sprague dawley rat (48) was used in the study. The rats were first divided into three groups as control group, the diabetes group and the diabetes+sildenafil group. Each group was divided into two groups within itself. Streptozotocin 40 mg/kg was administered intraperitoneally to the rats in the groups that would develop diabetes and diabetes+sildenafil diabetes. Rats with blood glucose levels of 250 mg/dl and above after 48 hours were considered diabetic. Sildenafil citrate 10mg/kg/day was given by gavage to the diabetes+sildenafil group. At the end of the experiment heart, liver and kidney tissues were placed in formaldehyde solution. Hematoxylin-Eosin staining was applied to the sections taken. Histological changes in the stained sections were evaluated by a histologist. Histological evaluation was performed semi-quantitatively in heart, liver and kidney tissue. In the assessment, the findings of the tissues were scored and statistical analysis was performed.

Results: Histological findings of heart, liver and kidney tissues were examined. It was determined that less organ damage was seen in the diabetes+sildenafil group compared to the Diabetes group.

Conclusion: In our study, it has been demonstrated histologically that sildenafil can be a drug that has an antioxidant effect in tissue by helping to protect cell structure and architecture against heart, liver and kidney tissue damage caused by diabetes. It should not be overlooked that it is important to determine the appropriate dose and frequency of use of sildenafil in revealing these effects.
Individualized fluoroscopic lateral femoral neck view for fixation of hip fractures in the lateral decubitus position
Authors: UĞUR Fatih
Published: October 2023

Aims: The aim of this study is to evaluate whether displaced hip fractures can be reduced and nailed properly in the lateral decubitus position without using a traction table with Proximal Femoral Nail Antirotation as a fixation device with inlet flouroscopic view.

Methods: In this retrospective study, 58 patients with hip fractures who were treated with Proximal Femoral Nail Antirotation in a single center were evaluated to determine the efficacy of the inlet fluoroscopic image. The postoperative X-rays of the patients underwent a comprehensive evaluation including the tip-apex distance, the quality of fracture reduction, and the positioning of the screw. The length of hospital stay, postoperative, and total hospital stays were evaluated. We propose personalized fluoroscopy positioning method for the reduction and internal fixation of hip fractures, eliminating the need for a traction table.

Results: The mean age of the patients was 78.43±11.67 years. By inlet viewing of the hip the most common placement of the integrated compression screws on postoperative radiographs was found to be 63.8% in Cleveland zone 5 and an increase in the femoral neck angle mean was 133,6° resulted in a significant decrease in the postoperative hospital stay of which mean was 3.95 days . The tip-apex distance was 19 mm as a mean.

Conclusion: The nailing of proximal femoral fractures using a lateral decubitus position and neutral fluoroscopy view may not achieve optimal quadrant placement of the nail. However, by repositioning the C-arm fluoroscopy with a 45-degree inlet angulation from the initial reference point, aligned with the femur and considering individual adduction, an enhanced lateral visualization of the femoral neck can be achieved, which will also help reduce potential complications during surgery.
Full-Range Yaw Prediction: A Multi-View Approach for 3D Head Model Pose Estimation Using Convolutional Neural Networks
Authors: Heredia-Lidón Álvaro , Martínez-Abadías Neus , Sevillano Xavier
Published: October 2023

Head pose estimation, a crucial task in computer vision, involves determining the orientation of a person’s head in 3D space through yaw, pitch, and roll angles. While recent techniques present excellent results in estimating head pose from a single 2D RGB image when the head faces the camera directly, few methods exist for pose estimation from arbitrary viewpoints. This problem is emphasised when the input data is in 3D, such as heads reconstructed models from magnetic resonances, where an accurate estimation of the pose is necessary for diagnostic purposes. To overcome these limitations, we make a first step by proposing a method for fine-grained head pose estimation across the full-range of yaw angles using 3D head synthetic models. Our approach involves transforming the 3D pose estimation problem into a multi-class 2D image classification problem by representing 3D head models as multi-view projection images. Leveraging a fine-tuned ResNet50 convolutional neural network, we tackle the task of head pose estimation with fine granularity of 5°, effectively discretizing the 360° yaw orientations. For the evaluation of our proposal, we train and test our models with the publicly available FaceScape and 3D BIWI datasets obtaining promising results.
A Deep Learning-Based Pipeline for Computing Brain Biomarkers from MRI
Authors: Malé Jordi , Heuzé Yann , Fortea Juan , Martínez-Abadías Neus , Sevillano Xavier
Published: October 2023

This ongoing work outlines a computer vision and deep learning-based pipeline to identify and detect brain biomarkers of diagnostic potential from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. In this context, this paper describes and analyses two strategies for brain landmark detection, which is a key step in brain biomarker identification: one based on a single Deep Convolutional Neural Network (DCNN) that detects multiple landmarks, and the other based on an ensemble of DCNNs trained to detect one landmark each. Based on our evaluation using two distinct datasets, our preliminary findings demonstrate that the ensemble of DC-NNs achieves superior accuracy in landmarking. Specifically, it successfully detects 84% of the landmarks within a 3mm proximity to their actual locations, with an average error of less than 2mm. In contrast, a single DCNN exhibits an average error of approximately 3mm and locates only 59% of the landmarks within a 3mm distance from their true positions.
OPNet: A One-Shot Image Similarity Algorithm for Production Systems
Authors: Svensson Karl Fabian , Guerrero-Mosquera Carlos
Published: October 2023

The appearance of new trends in the field of cognitive neuroscience, for example object persistence, has paved the way for the evolution of deep CNNs into Siamese Neural Network architectures such as OPNet. These networks allow for image recognition without the need for expensive labelled data. In this work, we apply this technology to a small Spanish tech e-commerce struggling with the production of their customizable products. Our goal was to automatically identify each product’s order in the company’s internal system by matching photos of the products taken by workers with system-generated images. After testing various architectures, we achieved 91% accuracy with a triplet loss model using deep CNN embedding networks. The algorithm was trained on a dataset of 9696 unique product images captured in the company’s production department. The paper details the technical aspects of the Siamese Neural Network architecture, including the triplet loss and SoftMax distance function used to train it. Our results demonstrate the potential of these deep learning models to generate practical benefits for firms, since it reduces human errors, while improving the effectiveness and efficiency of the company’s internal processes.
Machine Learning in Particle Physics Experiments: The Case of LHCb
Authors: Bernet Andrés Sergi , Calvo Gómez Míriam , García Piquer Àlvaro , Golobardes Ribé Elisabet , Valls Canudas Núria , Vilasís-Cardona Xavier
Published: October 2023

Particle physics is a source of engineering challenges, also for Machine Learning techniques. We showcase three current uses of Machine Learning in the LHCb experiment, one of the four main experiments of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN. Two are in the Real Time Analysis framework, which is in charge of processing the detector 4TB/s dataflow in real time: one to locate the points where particles issued from the accelerator collisions decay, and the other to ensure a smooth choice in the data to be stored. A third use is about speeding the detector simulation with generative techniques. In all three cases, computing speed is the key factor for using Machine Learning algorithms.
A Bayesian Network Framework to Study Class Noise: Exploring the Filtering of Completely Random Noise
Authors: Martínez-Galicia David , Guerra-Hernández Alejandro , Limón Xavier , Cruz-Ramírez Nicandro , Grimaldo Francisco
Published: October 2023

Although the negative consequences of noise during induction have been widely studied, previous work often lacks the use of validated data to measure its impact. We propose a framework based on Bayesian Networks for modeling class noise and generating synthetic data sets where the kind and amount of class noise are under control. The benefits of the proposed approach are illustrated evaluating the filtering of noise completely at random in class labels when inducing decision trees. Unexpectedly, this kind of noise showed a low effect on accuracy and a low occurrence on real datasets. The framework and the methodology developed here seem promising to study other kinds of noise in class labels.
Automated Cleanliness Scoring and Digestive Content Segmentation for Capsule Endoscopy
Authors: Gilabert Pere , Malagelada Carolina , Wenzek Hagen , Vitrià Jordi , Seguí Santi
Published: October 2023

Accurate evaluation of capsule endoscopy videos plays a crucial role in diagnosing gastrointestinal disorders. One important aspect is the assessment of the cleansing quality, which indicates the visibility of the gastrointestinal mucosa during the examination. In this study, we propose a novel method for assigning a cleansing score to capsule endoscopy videos. Moreover, our system proposes a segmentation masks for each frame, highlighting the regions of the image that are not visible. This additional information aids in the interpretation and analysis of the videos, enabling more accurate diagnoses and improved patient care.
Longitudinal Segmentation of Multiple Sclerosis Lesions Using nnU-Net Architecture
Authors: Martínez-Heras Eloy , Vicente-Gomez Adrian , Vivó Francesc , Diaz-Hurtado Marcos , Kanber Baris , Casas-Roma Jordi , Llufriu Sara , Prados Ferran
Published: October 2023

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous systems. The detection of new lesions through conventional magnetic resonance imaging is particularly important in the management of people with multiple sclerosis. The advancements in machine learning technology in recent years have significantly transformed the analysis of medical images for multiple sclerosis, particularly in identifying and segmenting lesions., improving the accuracy and efficiency of this process. In this context, the objective of this work is to develop a system for the detection of new lesions in people with multiple sclerosis using consecutive magnetic resonance scans. The proposed system uses only pre-processed FLAIR images to train a nnU-Net, a type of deep learning architecture that has been proven very successful for image segmentation tasks. The resulting model is able to generate masks that highlight changes between baseline and follow-up images, identifying new lesions that may have appeared in the meantime. The model achieved an average Dice score coefficient of 0.58 on the evaluation set. Overall, this work demonstrates the potential of machine learning tools for improving the detection and monitoring of multiple sclerosis lesions in clinical practice, particularly in the context of longitudinal studies.
Resource Allocation in Home Care Services Using Reinforcement Learning
Authors: Salbanya Bernat , Unceta Irene , Nin Jordi
Published: October 2023

This paper proposes an innovative method based on reinforcement learning techniques to optimally allocates home care resources in controlled urban environments. We demonstrate the value of this approach when compared with traditional allocation heuristics by simulating a real-life scenario in the city of Barcelona. Our results show that the proposed tool can help home care services accommodate the increase in demand by optimizing human and time resources through more effective planning. In the long term, this will improve the overall quality of this service and positively affect the well-being of the elderly.
Assessing VTE Risk in Cancer Patients Using Deep Learning Synthetic Data Generation and Domain Adaptation Techniques
Authors: Bech Sergi , Lobato Bárbara , Pujol Oriol , Soria José Manuel , Muñoz Andrés
Published: October 2023

This article focuses on the use of deep learning synthetic data generation methods to assess the risk of future treatments and medication for preventing venous thromboembolism (VTE) in cancer patients, based on a small dataset of genetic and clinical variables. The study employs CopulaGANs to generate synthetic tabular data, which is then used to train a Deep Learning-based classifier using domain adaptation techniques. The trained model is fine-tuned using real data and performs better than current state-of-the-art medical scores in assessing VTE risk. Additionally, the resulting Precision-Recall curve offers flexibility in selecting different and better operational points for VTE risk assessment.
Hipertension Demand Forecasting Using Cross-Correlation and Lagged Multiple Linear Regression Models for Anticipating Health Resources Needs
Authors: Hernández Guillamet Guillem , López Beatriz , Estrada Oriol , López Seguí Francesc
Published: October 2023

This article presents an algorithm that uses a combination of cross-correlation analysis and lagged multiple linear regression models to predict the time-series of future demand for clinical visits associated with a certain diagnosis, specifically hypertension, in the Catalan health-care system. The algorithm aims to provide a robust and explainable feature selection set of predictors. The study demonstrates that it is possible to predict demand associated with a diagnosis through the demand for previous clinical visits, and identifies important predictors for example case hypertension-related visits. The data used is from the primary care services of the Catalan Institute of Health, and the methodology can be applied to optimize resource allocation in the healthcare system.
A Real-World Dataset for Benchmarking False Alarm Rate in Keyword Spotting
Authors: Sánchez Deutsch Sergi , Huerta Casado Ivan , Escrig Escrig Josep
Published: October 2023

Over the past few years, Keyword Spotting (KWS) has emerged as a popular area of research. Although numerous open-source KWS datasets have been recently released, there is a general lack of realism in benchmarking the false alarm rate (FAR) in real environments. This can produce models that achieve great accuracies but are not able to work on real-world conditions due to a high number of false triggers. In this work, we demonstrate that two recent KWS models report state-of-the-art accuracies on Google Speech Command dataset but suffer from high false alarm rates in presence of noisy environments. To this end, we propose an extensive benchmark dataset comprising various real-world noises and sounds to evaluate specifically the FAR across different acoustic environments.
Sentiment Analysis of Gastronomic Posts from Colour Palettes and Narrative Content
Authors: Casales-Garcia V. , Sanz I. , Museros L. , Falomir Z. , Gonzalez-Abril L.
Published: October 2023

This paper presents an approach for analysing gastronomic images and also their related comments published by the Getcookingcanada Instagram account, which belongs to a cooking school. Our approach processes the published images to calculate the moods that the image can generate depending on its colour palette, and also analyses the comments related to each publication for determining the positive or negative sentiment associated to them. A dataset containing all these data has been built, and then the correlations among the data has been developed in order to explain the relation between the mood adjectives and the result of the sentiment analysis of the comments of the food images. 673 food images were analysed; the data analysis was carried out using the Kruskal-Wallis one-way ANOVA test on ranks and Jonckheere-Terpstra’s test. Our results show that there is a significant difference between the different adjectives in terms of sentiment analysis.
General Boolean Formula Minimization with QBF Solvers
Authors: Calò Eduardo , Levy Jordi
Published: October 2023

The minimization of propositional formulae is a classical problem in logic, whose first algorithms date back at least to the 1950s with the works of Quine and Karnaugh. Most previous work in the area has focused on obtaining minimal, or quasi-minimal, formulae in conjunctive normal form (CNF) or disjunctive normal form (DNF), with applications in hardware design. In this paper, we are interested in the problem of obtaining an equivalent formula in any format, also allowing connectives that are not present in the original formula. We are primarily motivated in applying minimization algorithms to generate natural language translations of the original formula, where using shorter equivalents as input may result in better translations. Buchfuhrer and Umans have proved that the (decisional version of the) problem is Σp2-complete. We analyze three possible (practical) approaches to solving the problem. First, using brute force, generating all possible formulae in increasing size and checking if they are equivalent to the original formula by testing all possible variable assignments. Second, generating the Tseitin coding of all the formulae and checking equivalence with the original using a SAT solver. Third, encoding the problem as a Quantified Boolean Formula (QBF), and using a QBF solver. Our results show that the QBF approach largely outperforms the other two.