bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Identifying and Ranking the Factors Influencing the Performance of Human Resources in Mostazafan Foundation Using Fuzzy Delphi‐AHP and BSC Methods
Authors: Shojaie Morvarid , Mojibi Toraj , Ashrafi Ali Mehdizadeh
Published: September 2022

The presented study evaluates the performance with the balanced scorecard approach and fuzzy Delphi in the Mostazafan Foundation. The main goal of the present study is to consider the most important key indicators of human resource performance for designing a business dashboard based on multi‐criteria decision‐making in the Mostazafan Foundation. For this, the main contributions of the article are (1) identifying the main effective human resource performance indicators using the Delphi method and (2) presenting an integration framework using multi‐criteria decision‐making according to the determined indicators. The target population of the study was the senior and middle managers of the Mostazafan Foundation. The questionnaire was completed by 30 experts and Cronbach’s coefficient for the questionnaire was calculated to be 0.87. Finally, after using the fuzzy Delphi method, the key indicators for evaluating the performance of the Mostazafan Foundation were obtained and ranked using AHP. The results show the ranking of indicators from the financial perspective: the organization’s profit per employee (per capita profit), the organization’s income per employee (per capita income), and the cost of compensation for total services per employee; from the customer’s point of view: the level of commitment and belonging of employees to the organization; the client’s complaint rate and employees’ perceptions of using their capabilities in the organization; in terms of internal processes: agility in hiring the right staff, key employees by market standards; and in terms of growth and learning, the percentage of key employees with a development plan, the rate of staff with a coach, and the rate of trained staff.
A Rare Cardiac Cavernous Hemangioma Treated with Radiotherapy
Authors: Wang Pule , Chapman Daniel , Siddiqui Farzan
Published: September 2022

Background. Although cardiac hemangiomas, as rare benign cardiac tumors, have been described in previous case reports, the role of radiation therapy in an unresectable cardiac hemangioma in adult has not been reported. We present a case report of a rare unresectable cardiac cavernous hemangioma treated with radiotherapy. Case Presentation. A 45-year-old female with new onset of coughing and worsening shortness of breath was found to have a biopsy proven cardiac cavernous hemangioma. Surgery was aborted due to excessive bleeding, and she was then treated with radiotherapy. A total dose of 30 Gy in 15 fractions was given using intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) to the mass with a modified 1 cm margin. Complete clinical symptomatic relief was achieved with reduction of the mass posttreatment. Ten-year follow-up revealed a stable, reduced hemangioma with no recurrence of symptoms. Conclusions. This is a rare example of cardiac hemangioma that developed in the right ventricle and compressed several major vessels. Radiotherapy may be safely used for treatment of unresectable cardiac hemangioma.
Prevalence of Risk Factors of Retinal Diseases among Patients in Madang Province, Papua New Guinea
Authors: Owusu-Afriyie Bismark , Baimur Isabelle , Gende Theresa , Baia Thomas
Published: September 2022

Purpose. To explore the prevalence of risk factors of retinal diseases among patients seeking services from Madang Provincial Hospital Eye Clinic in Papua New Guinea. Materials and Methods. A hospital-based retrospective study was conducted at the only eye clinic serving the entire Madang province of Papua New Guinea. Purposive sampling was used to obtain data from patients’ record cards at the eye clinic from January to June 2021. The data collected included gender, age, presenting visual acuity, blood pressure, blood sugar level, body mass index, smoking habits, and history of cataract surgery. The data was analyzed using the International Business Machines Corporation’s Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 21. A

p

-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results. Two hundred and fifty-five (255) patients went through diabetes and hypertension screening during the period of the study (January to June 2021). The mean age of the patients was 53.14 ± 11.20 years and there were more males (56.86%) than females. Nearly half of the patients (43.6%) were either visually impaired or blind. More than half (52.6%) had diabetes mellitus. Majority of the patients (73.3%) were hypertensive and more than half (57.0%) of the patients had unhealthy body mass index (BMI <18.525 kg/m2 or > 25 kg/m2). Overweight was significantly associated with hypertension (

p
<
0.001

) and diabetes mellitus (

p
<
0.001

). A few of them were smokers or had a history of cataract surgery (13.7% and 2.0%, respectively). Conclusion. There is a high prevalence of diabetes, hypertension, and overweight among ophthalmic patients in Madang. It is important that measures are put in place to eliminate barriers to health care and to strengthen eye care services in Papua New Guinea.
Modeling Social Network of Professional Sports Athletes Based on Machine Learning Algorithms
Authors: Ma Ying
Published: September 2022

With the progress of society and the development of science, the competition of competitive sports has become extremely fierce, and the talents of competitive sports have gradually shown their strong vitality. Elite athletes are an important group for the development of China’s competitive sports industry. To continue to progress and develop, it is inseparable from the careful training of elite athletes. In order to closely integrate the needs of China’s socialist modernization and the training of elite athletes, sports schools that focus on cultivating elite athletes need to strengthen their sense of urgency and mission. It is necessary to meet new challenges at the height of social development and constantly optimize the construction of the curriculum system and the reform of the teaching operation mechanism. The discussion and research of the current elite athlete’s talent training model has become a real problem faced by sports colleges, education departments, and sports departments. This paper conducts an experiment on the modeling of the sports athlete’s social network based on machine learning, and the experimental data are shown as follows: among the athlete social network pictures optimized by machine learning, there are 1,200 male athletes, accounting for 48%, and 1,000 female athletes, accounting for 40%. Before the optimization, male athletes accounted for 70.58% and female athletes accounted for 16.3%, which was a decrease of 22.58% for male athletes and an increase of 23.7% for female athletes. From the above data, it can be seen that after the research on the social network of sports athletes through machine learning, it has a positive effect on the development of the social network of athletes.
Skeleton of Implementing Voice Control for Building Automation Systems
Authors: Dweik Waleed , Abdalla Musa , AlHroob Yazan , AlMajali Anas , Mustafa Suad Alhaj , Abdel-Majeed Mohammad
Published: September 2022

Building automation is one of the most popular trends in the 21st century, as it provides buildings with modern and luxurious touches. Furthermore, voice-controlled automation systems are very convenient for the current fast-paced life style as people need to quickly, efficiently, and safely control everything around them. The goal of this article is to provide a skeleton for implementing voice control to a building automation system. The article also presents and evaluates a use case of the proposed skeleton integrated with a KNX-based office automation system. Through the integrated system, lights and blinds are controlled and sensors are polled using voice commands from an authorized personal. This article serves as an educational reference for engineering students interested in applying authorized voice control capability to automation systems.
Prevalence of Caries among School Children in Saudi Arabia: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Adam Tasneem R. , Al-Sharif Abdullah I. , Tonouhewa Aretas , AlKheraif Abdulaziz A.
Published: September 2022

Introduction. Children’s dental health has become the primary concern, because of the increase in the prevalence of caries amongst school children in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, a meta-analysis was conducted to assess the prevalence and severity of dental caries among school children in Saudi Arabia. Method. A systematic search of Scopus, ISI Web of Science, EMBASE, Saudi digital library, Google Scholar, and MEDLINE via Ovid for cross-sectional studies with healthy participants between 5and –15 years. Two authors independently extracted the prevalence of caries. With 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using a random-effects model, we calculated caries prevalence. Results. Dental caries prevalence data were extracted from 18 cross-sectional studies (n = 56,327 children). The pooled estimate for the caries prevalence among 5–7 years’ children was 84% (95% CI: 0.81–0.87%; I2 = 91%) while among 12–15 years’ children was 72% (95% CI: 0.63–0.79; I2 = 96.2%). Discussion. In this systematic review, the summary estimate of the prevalence of dental caries among children of 5–7 years and 12–15 years were 84% and 72%, respectively. Further research is required to identify approaches for preventing and treating dental caries in schoolchildren.
Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment in Mangrove-Dependent Communities of Manoka Island, Littoral Region of Cameroon
Authors: Fongnzossie Evariste , Sonwa Denis Jean , Mbevo Philippes , Kentatchime Fabrice , Mokam Aurelie , Tatuebu Tagne Claude , Rim Lydie Flora Essamba A.
Published: September 2022

This study was conducted on Manoka Island (Littoral Region of Cameroon) with the aim of analyzing climate change vulnerability and local adaptation strategies based on the local community’s perceptions and biophysical evidence. We used household surveys, focus group discussions, field observation, GIS, and remote sensing to collect data on variables of exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity. Historical changes in rainfall and temperature, mangrove cover, and the occurrence of extreme climatic events were used as indicators of exposure. Property losses and income structure were used as indicators of sensitivity, while human, natural, social, financial, and physical assets represented adaptive capacity. 89 households were interviewed in the nine settlements of the island. Results show that Manoka Island is experiencing irregular rainfall patterns (with average annual values deviating from the mean by −1.9 to +1.8 mm) and increasing temperature (with annual values deviating from the mean by −1.2 to +3.12). The dynamics of the coastline between 1975 and 2017 using EPR show average setbacks of more than ±3 m/year, with erosion levels varying depending on the period and location. The number of households perceiving extreme climatic events like seasonal variability, flood, and rain storm was higher. From respondents’ perception, housing and health are the sectors most affected by climate change. The reported high dependence of households on fishing for income, their overall low livelihood diversification, and their poor access to climate information reported by 65% of respondents portray their poor adaptive capacity. Local response initiatives are ineffective and include among others constructing buildings on stilts and using car wheels to counter the advancement of seawater inland. The study concludes that households on Manoka Island are vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Income diversification, mangrove reforestation, the development of sustainable supply chains for wood fuel, and sustainable fish smoking devices are the main pathways for adaptation planning in this area.
Path-Based Approach for Expanding Rail Transit Network in a Metropolitan Area
Authors: Li Anjun , Wang Dian , Peng Qiyuan , Wang Lisha
Published: September 2022

Rail transit network design is an important strategic problem in determining the layout of infrastructure and improving operating performance. A core transit network with multiclass rail transit systems has been constructed in many metropolitan areas worldwide. In this study, we aimed to expand an existing network to shorten travel time and improve service quality under the restriction of limited transport supply. We formulate the studied problem as a mixed-integer linear model to obtain optimal construction links, the number of trains required on each link, and the path selected by each traveler such that the weighted sum of total costs from the perspective of travelers, operators, and investors is minimized. The formulated model is path-based, where feasible paths for each traveler are generated to describe the full door-to-door journey, including the first/last mile, transfers, and multiclass transit modes. Owing to the complexity of the network design problem and because it is impractical to enumerate all feasible paths for each traveler in real-size problems, we propose a column generation-based algorithm to find both tight lower bounds and good-quality solutions efficiently by considering only a subset of feasible paths. We prove that the pricing subproblem in column generation can be decomposed into multiple shortest path problems, which can be solved efficiently and separately, based on O/D pairs instead of individual travelers. A rail transit network along a metropolitan corridor was studied as an example. Multiple computational experiments were conducted, and the results illustrate the validity and practicality of the proposed methodology for solving the problem.
A Personalized Recommendation Method for Ethnic Music Teaching Resources Based on Video Tags
Authors: Jiang Mingyun
Published: September 2022

In order to improve the effect of ethnic music teaching and improve the recommendation accuracy of teaching resources, this paper proposes a personalized recommendation method for ethnic music teaching resources based on video tags. A national music teaching resource library is constructed as the resource source, and the K-nearest neighbor (KNN) algorithm is used to classify the teaching resources in the resource library. According to the results of resource classification, describe the characteristics of teaching resources, so as to recommend suitable teaching resources to corresponding students to meet individual needs. According to the main characteristics of tags, a tagging system is established, and at the same time, the decay of user interest over time is considered, and weights are assigned to user video interest tags in descending order of time, and the total user interest tag vector is calculated. In this paper, the obtained user total interest label vector is normalized. The vector space model is used to represent teaching resources and user interests, so as to realize personalized recommendation of teaching resources. The experimental results show that the accuracy rate of the proposed method is higher than 90%, the recall rate is more than 97%, and the F1 value is larger, and the convergence is better, reflecting the better recommendation effect of the method.
[Retracted] Influence of HP Financial Economic Effect on Environmental Visualization under Sustainable Development
Authors: Yu Jiayi
Published: September 2022

With the proposal of a sustainable development strategy, HP Finance has received extensive attention in the market, and its economic effects have also promoted the vitality of social development. However, the core of sustainable development is to achieve a two‐dimensional balance between economic effects and the environment. In recent years, ecological and environmental problems have become more and more prominent and continue to bring challenges to the sustainable development of society. Environmental visualization plays an increasingly important role in the development of the times. Only by understanding the influencing factors of environmental visualization and promoting the healthy development of environmental visualization can social development goals be achieved. In the context of the social implementation of sustainable development strategies, this article deeply studies the impact of HP's financial economic effects on environmental visualization. Based on analyzing the development characteristics and status quo of the two, a fixed‐effect model and a spatial model were constructed, and the specific impact of economic effects on environmental visualization was further explored. It was found through regression analysis that the breadth of coverage of economic effects and the depth of use improved the development efficiency of environmental visualization at the significance level of 0.05, respectively. However, the degree of opening to the outside world and the industrial structure in the economic effect hindered the development of environmental visualization. Its regression coefficients were −0.142, −0.134 and −0.527, −0.537. In the regression analysis of the spatial effect with a significance level of 0.01, the HP financial economic effect could promote the development of local environmental visualization, but it also hindered the development of adjacent environmental visualization. It shows that only the balanced development of economic efficiency among various regions can promote the positive improvement of the level of environmental visualization.
Effects of Foliar Fertilization on Nutrient Uptake, Yield, and Fruit Quality of Pomelo (Citrus grandis Osbeck) Grown in the Mekong Delta Soils
Authors: Van Dang Le , Phuong Ngoc Ngo , Hung Ngo Ngoc
Published: September 2022

Foliar application is a popular technique to supply mineral nutrients to crops. It also enhances nutrient use efficiencies, especially under limited soil fertility or restricted environmental conditions. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of foliar application of phosphorus (P) with potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), and zinc (Zn) on the nutrient uptake, yield, and fruit quality of pomelo. The experiments were conducted between 2018 and 2021 in three different sites of alluvial soils, including four treatments, namely, control (without foliar fertilization), FF1 (containing P, K, and Mg), FF2 (P, K, Mg, and Zn), and FF3 (Zn). The results indicated that the P, K, and Mg concentrations in leaves and fruits were significantly enhanced after the spraying of solutions FF1 and FF2 compared with the control and FF3. The application of FF1 and FF2 greatly improved the fruit quality, and the fruit yield response was as high as 4.0-5.0 t ha−1. Foliar Zn application (FF3) increased the Zn concentration in leaves, but there was no improvement in fruit Zn content, fruit quality, and yield compared to the control treatment. The results indicate that FF1 or FF2 could be used as a sustainable fertilizer strategy for pomelo trees because of its ability to improve the leaf and fruit nutrient concentration and enhance the fruit quality and productivity of pomelo.
Public Health Risk Assessment and Prevention Based on Big Data
Authors: Zhang Hua-ying , Pan Tiande
Published: September 2022

In order to improve the ability of public health risk assessment in the context of community collaborative prevention and control, a mathematical model of public health risk assessment in the context of community collaborative prevention and control based on the integration and balanced allocation of big data features in the prevention horizon is proposed. The constraint parameter model of public health risk assessment under the background of community collaborative prevention and control is constructed, the method of dynamic feature analysis of joint prevention and control is adopted to realize the dynamic risk point detection of public health risk assessment data and the integration of constraint mechanism related feature points, and the fuzzy dynamic statistical feature matching method is adopted to carry out the adaptive dynamic statistics and resource balanced allocation analysis of public health risk assessment set under the background of community collaborative prevention and control. A public health risk parameter fusion model is established under the background of community collaborative prevention and control, the methods of balanced resource allocation and joint management and control are combined to realize balanced scheduling and prevention area block matching in the process of dynamic parameter estimation of public health risk evaluation data under the background of community collaborative prevention and control, the correlation distribution of public health risk under the background of community collaborative prevention and control is taken as the cost function, and balanced allocation is realized according to the statistical information sampling results of public health risk evaluation data under the background of community collaborative prevention and control. Combined with differential clustering analysis, the data clustering and attribute merging of public health risk assessment under the background of community collaborative prevention and control are realized, and the mathematical modeling optimization of public health risk assessment under the background of community collaborative prevention and control is realized. The simulation results show that this method has good adaptability, high degree of parameter fusion, and strong ability of matching risk prevention areas and balancing resource allocation in the context of community collaborative prevention and control.
[Retracted] A Novel English Translation Model in Complex Environments Using Two‐Stream Convolutional Neural Networks
Authors: Zhang Lijuan
Published: September 2022

Although translation is an essential component of learning English, it does not receive the attention it merits in the modern English classroom. Teachers and students primarily emphasize listening, reading, and writing while neglecting the development of translation skills. The English test in China now reflects the fact that there are now very specific requirements for students’ translation skills. As a result, we should emphasize developing students’ translation skills when teaching them English. The following experimental data can be obtained following the study and experiment on the English translation simulation model based on the two‐stream convolutional neural network: English vocabulary and grammar have passing and excellent rates of 90 and 57 percent, respectively, while reading has passing and excellent rates of 69 and 8 percent, respectively. The ability of students to translate into English has significantly improved after using the English translation simulation model based on the two‐stream convolutional neural network.
Influence of Drying Methods on Jackfruit Drying Behavior and Dried Products Physical Characteristics
Authors: Nansereko Sophie , Muyonga John , Byaruhanga Yusuf B.
Published: September 2022

Drying processes including solar, oven, and refractance window were studied to determine their influence on the drying behavior of jackfruit slices and properties of resultant jackfruit powders. The loss of sample mass, converted to the ratio between the water content at time

t

and the initial water content (moisture ratio), was used as the experimental parameter for modelling drying processes. Fifteen thin layer drying models were fitted to the experimental data using nonlinear regression analysis. Based on the highest

R

2

and lowest SEE values, the models that best fit the observed data were Modified Henderson and Pabis, Verma et al., and Hii et al. for RWD, oven, and solar drying, respectively. The effective moisture diffusivity coefficients were

5.11
×

10

−
9

,

3.28
×

10

−
10

, and

2.55
×

10

−
10

for RWD, oven and, solar drying, respectively. The solubility of freeze-dried jackfruit powder (75.7%) was not significantly different from the refractance window dried powder (73.2%) and was higher than oven-dried jackfruit powder (66.1%). Oven-dried jackfruit powder had a lower rehydration ratio and porosity. Differences in rehydration ratio and porosity under different drying methods could be explained by the microstructure. Fractal dimension (FD) and lacunarity were applied to study the structure and irregularities of jackfruit dried with the different methods. FD was significantly (

P
<
0.05

) affected by the drying method. FD ranged from 1.809 to 1.837, while lacunarity ranged between 0.258 and 0.404.
A Novel Cuprotosis‐Related Gene FDX1 Signature for Overall Survival Prediction in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma Patients
Authors: Zhang Wei-Tong , Gong Yi-Ming , Zhang Chao-yang , Pan Jia-shan , Huang Tao , Li Yong-Xiang
Published: September 2022

Background. Ferredoxin 1 (FDX1) is a newly discovered gene regulating cuprotosis. However, the effect of FDX1 expression on clear renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is unknown. Methods. Gene expression profiles and clinical data of ccRCC patients were downloaded from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. The differences in FDX1 expression between ccRCC and nonneoplastic tissues adjacent to cancer were analyzed by R software. The results were validated by GEO data, quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR), western blotting (WB), and immunohistochemistry (IHC). Chi‐square test was used to analyze the clinical pathological parameters. Kaplan‐Meier survival analysis and Cox proportional hazard regression model selection were used to evaluate the effect of FDX1 expression on overall survival. Protein interaction networks were used to analyze other proteins that interact with FDX1. Signal pathway analysis was performed for possible FDX1 enrichment using GSEA and ssGSEA algorithms. Pan‐cancer analysis of FDX1 was carried out through TCGA database. Results. The FDX1 expression in nontumor tissues was significantly higher than that in ccRCC, and the expression difference was verified by GEO data, qRT‐PCR, WB, and IHC. The high expression of FDX1 was significantly related to the well overall survival rate (P < 0.05). The chi‐square test showed that the high expression of FDX1 was related to gender, TNM stage, T stage, lymph node metastasis, and pathological grade. Additionally, the FDX1 expression level was different in groups classified based on pathological grade, gender, TNM stage, T stage, lymph node metastasis, and distant metastasis (P < 0.05). The multivariate analysis revealed the high expression of FDX1 as an important independent predictor for overall survival. STRING database results showed that LIAS and LIPT1 may interact with FDX1 in the PPI network, which are also involved in the regulation of cuprotosis. The GSEA and ssGSEA results showed that the FDX1 was enriched in the anticancer pathway. The FDX1 high expression is associated with better prognosis in many cancers, as revealed by pan‐cancer analysis. Conclusion. FDX1 may play a role in the progression of ccRCC as a tumor suppressor gene. It can be used as a potential prognostic indicator and therapeutic target of ccRCC. However, the cuprotosis regulatory role in the development of ccRCC needs to be further verified.
Influence of Nano‐/Microfiller Addition on Mechanical and Morphological Performance of Kenaf/Glass Fibre‐Reinforced Hybrid Composites
Authors: Karthick L. , Rathinam R. , Kalam Sd. Abdul , Loganathan Ganesh Babu , Sabeenian R. S. , Joshi S. K. , Ramesh L. , Ali H. Mohammed , Mammo Wubishet Degife
Published: September 2022

Natural‐based composite’s progress as carriers has revealed many benefits in biomedicine, notably in the construction field, synthetic biology, and genetic engineering. Compared to analogous composites without nanoparticles, incorporating nanoparticles into polymeric materials improved architectural performance, physiological connections, and ecological features. The major goal of the current investigation is to determine the impact of nano‐/micro‐TiO2 on the mechanical characteristics of kenaf/glass/epoxy hybrids. The samples have been created using a hand layup method and a variety of filler loading and stacking sequences. The addition of nano‐/microfiller significantly improved the mechanical performance of the epoxy/hybrid composite material. It was discovered that nanofiller‐added composite materials fared better when composites were compared to and without microfilter‐added composites. SEM was used to investigate the microstructure of the interfaces to ensure a good understanding of interfacial adherence between the reinforcement and their matrix. Compared to pure epoxy resin, the 15 wt% of microfiller additions of glass‐kenaf‐kenaf‐glass type composites exhibit a 39.48% improvement in tensile and a 42.88% improvement in flexural. Similarly, 5 wt% nanofiller addition reveals a 44.214% improvement in tensile and a 50.50% improvement in flexural.
[Retracted] Using Sociological Theories and Methods to Analyze the Solutions and Measures of Environmental Pollution Problems
Authors: Chen Suqin
Published: September 2022

In order to further improve the effectiveness of environmental pollution control and improve the quality of the atmospheric ecological environment, this article discusses regional environmental pollution control from the perspective of sociological theories and methods. Therefore, the article starts with the characteristics of environmental air pollution, combined with linear regression analysis and PSR model principal component analysis, focuses on the impact factors of environmental pollution, and concludes that the weights of pressure layer, state layer, and response layer for the impact of environmental state are 0.4824, 0.261, and 0.1207, respectively. On this basis, from the perspective of social, collaborative governance, and public management, this article focuses on the political measures of environmental pollution.
Reassessment of a Decade of Experience on Testicular Torsion: Are We Making a Mistake?
Authors: Cigsar Kuzu Emine Burcu , Oztan Mustafa Onur , Guney Neslihan , Koyluoglu Gokhan
Published: September 2022

Introduction: Testicular torsion is a serious surgical emergency of children. Prompt recognition and exclusion of other acute scrotal causes are essential for avoiding testicular loss. The aim of this study was to evaluate 10 years of experience with testicular torsion, point out our pitfalls in diagnosis and management, determine our likelihood of performing orchiectomy for potentially reversible injury. Material and Method: Records of patients operated for testicular torsion in the last decade were reviewed retrospectively. Clinical findings, symptoms, type of surgery, accuracy of radiological evaluation, and the outcome were analyzed. Orchiectomy specimens were reevaluated and histologically graded to determine the existence of previously undetermined low-grade injury. Results: In total, 107 children were operated for testicular torsion. Presentation included pain 96 (89.7%), scrotal swelling 48 (44.8%). Doppler ultrasonography was performed in 96 patients with false-negative results in 26 (27%). Testicular salvage occurred in 65 (60.7%) patients of which 6 (9.2%) developed subsequent testicular atrophy. Forty-two (33.9%) patients were treated with orchiectomy and histologic reevaluation, and grading of the specimens revealed 4 (9.7%) low-grade injury which indicates a potential of reversible injury. Seventeen (13.7%) patients had normal testicular anatomy in surgery. Conclusion: Surgical exploration is mandated in case of clinical suspicion for testicular torsion even with a normal flow Doppler ultrasound. Macroscopic evaluation does not always correlate with microscopic findings, and a decision according to it may result in excision of potentially viable testis. Further studies are required to determine the actual risk of contralateral autoimmune damage and increase the rate testicular salvageability after testicular torsion.
Six Cases of Erythrodermic Pemphigus Foliaceus: A Case Report
Authors: Norikawa Natsumi , Igari Shohei , Ishikawa Masato , Mori Tatsuhiko , Hiraiwa Tomoko , Kikuchi Nobuyuki , Hanami Yuka , Yamamoto Toshiyuki
Published: September 2022

Pemphigus foliaceus (PF) is one of the causes of erythroderma; however, to date, there have been relatively few reported cases. We herein describe 6 cases of erythrodermic PF. In all 6 cases, PF was a direct cause of erythroderma because the patients had not undergone any medical treatments and neither had any other skin diseases nor were taking any drugs that typically cause erythroderma. Serum levels of IgE and thymus and activation-regulated chemokine were elevated in 5 of the 6 cases, whereas soluble interleukin-2 receptor and squamous cell carcinoma-related antigen were markedly increased in all cases, suggesting that those markers are strong indicators of skin surface damage. All patients were treated with predonisolon (PSL), of which PSL pulse was added in 4 patients and intravenous immunoglobulin was added in 4 patients. Furthermore, all patients except for one were older adults, among whom 2 cases developed Kaposi’s varicelliform eruption, and died, and another 2 patients, respectively, died of gastrointestinal bleeding and sepsis. Kaposi’s varicelliform eruption is a complication of erythrodermic PF associated with poor prognosis, and thus caution is necessary when considering the diagnosis. Furthermore, elderly people are more likely to have complications due to PSL, which may result in death. Inappropriate treatment and delay in treatment may cause erythroderma, so early diagnosis and treatment are necessary.
Recovery from 3 Years of Daily Olfactory Distortions after Short-Term Treatment with GABA-Analogue
Authors: Fjaeldstad Alexander Wieck
Published: September 2022

This case report describes a healthy 47-year-old man with a 3 years history of daily unpleasant olfactory distortions with severe negative effects on the quality of life. The distorted smoke-like smell occurred every day and was most prominent in the evenings resulting in severe discomfort as the patient felt suffocated by the smoke when falling asleep. The distorted smell had no odour triggers and was classified as phantosmia. Patient history, nasal endoscopy, neurological and otolaryngological examination, depression screening, cognitive testing, and CT scan revealed no obvious aetiology, resulting in the diagnosis of idiopathic phantosmia. Quantitate olfactory function was normal. Based on anecdotal evidence in the literature, the patient was treated with a GABA-analogue (pregabalin 50 mg × 3) for 4 weeks. During this treatment, the olfactory distortions completely disappeared for the first time in 3 years and had not reoccurred after 7 months of follow-up. GABA-analogues may be a potential treatment for some of the patients suffering from olfactory distortions. While this constitutes a single case report without controls and phantosmia can disappear spontaneously, there is no proof of causality. However, given the long duration of symptoms, temporal relationship with treatment on the sudden disappearance of phantosmia, and long follow-up without recurrence, this highlights the need for further studies on GABA-analogues as a potential treatment of idiopathic phantosmia. Consequently, larger studies and systematic evaluation of potential effects in different patient groups are warranted before routine treatment with GABA-analogues is advised.
ПАТОГЕНЕТИЧНА РОЛЬ ЕНДОТОКСИКОЗУ В РОЗВИТКУ ТЯЖКИХ ФОРМ COVID-19: КЛІНІКО-ПАТОМОРФОЛОГІЧНЕ ДОСЛІДЖЕННЯ
Authors: Циганков К. В. , Шостакович-Корецька Л. Р. , Павленко В. М. , Кужевський І. В. , Логвиненко В. О.
Published: September 2022

Мета роботи – на підставі клініко-морфологічного дослідження особливостей уражень легень і шлунково-кишкового тракту на різних стадіях запального процесу обґрунтувати гіпотезу ендотоксикозу як ключового патогенетичного фактора системної ендотеліальної дисфункції і вторинного ураження легень при COVID-19.

Матеріали і методи. Дослідження базується на клініко-патоморфологічному вивченні 52 випадків смерті від COVID-19, з яких для ретельного гістологічного дослідження був відібранний аутопсійний матеріал від 18 померлих. У частині випадків був задіяний імерсійний метод мікроскопії, виконували імуногістохімічне дослідження.

Результати. Основним проявом альтеративного фактора розвитку дифузного альвеолярного пошкодження (ДАП) був мікротромбоз на фоні лейкоцитарних пасток, що формувались нетозом гіперактивованих поліморфноядерних лейкоцитів. Встановили відсутність ознак попереднього запального процесу і ознак міграції лейкоцитів через стінки капілярів у просвіт альвеол. Одночасно гістологічна картина змін в тонкій кишці відповідала гострому десквамативно-ерозивному запальному процесу вірусно-бактерійної етіології з ознаками активної транслокації ендотоксину. В запальному інфільтраті слизової оболонки тонкої кишки формувались гіперергічні вогнищеві лімфоїдні інфільтрати, як в стадії ранньої ексудації (p<0,005), так і в стадії проліферації ДАП (p<0,001).

Продемонстровано достовірно низький показник імунорегуляторного індексу (ІРІ) CD4/CD8 у гістологічних зразках запального інфільтрату легень порівняно з ІРІ у запальному інфільтраті тонкої кишки (p<0,001). Запропоновано модель патогенезу COVID-19, згідно з якою ураження легень може виникати вторинно, за механізмом гепатопульмонального синдрому.

Висновки. Є підстави вважати, що вхідними воротами для збудника при тяжкому перебігу COVID-19, поряд з дихальною системою, є слизова оболонка дистальних відділів тонкої кишки. Виявлені морфологічні прояви тяжкої ендотеліальної дисфункції з пошкодженням ендотелію свідчать більше про ураження ендотоксином за механізмом параалергічної реакції, а не про пряме вірусне ураження.
КЛІНІЧНІ ОСОБЛИВОСТІ COVID-19 У ДІТЕЙ
Authors: Павлишин Г. А. , Лабівка О. В.
Published: September 2022

Мета дослідження – проаналізувати клініко-лабораторні особливості COVID-19 у дітей різного віку.

Матеріали та методи. Ретроспективно оцінено особливості клінічного перебігу COVID-19 у 175 дітей віком від 1 місяця до 18 років. Для оцінки клінічного перебігу захворювання пацієнти були поділені на групи залежно від віку, при цьому оцінювали супутню коморбідну патологію, клінічні та лабораторні особливості захворювання, тривалість стаціонарного лікування. При статистичному аналізі розраховували 95 % довірчий інтервал (95 % ДІ) для середніх значень та критерій Пірсона для порівняльного аналізу таблиць частот.

Результати дослідження та їх обговорення. Встановлено, що найчисленнішою групою дітей, хворих на COVID-19, були діти від 1 до 5 років. Найпоширенішими симптомами у всіх дітей були гарячка ≥38,5°С, кашель, закладеність та виділення з носа, біль у горлі; у немовлят до 1 року частими проявами були порушення ШКТ, а у дітей ≥10 років – астенічний синдром. На основі клінічних, лабораторно-інструментальних даних у 139 дітей (79,4 %) діагностовано легкий перебіг захворювання, у 24 дітей (13,7 %) – середньотяжкий, а у 12 дітей (6,9 %) – тяжкий перебіг.

Висновки. Діти всіх вікових груп можуть хворіти на COVID-19 з провідними cимптомами респіраторної вірусної інфекції, при чому у немовлят <1 року переважав легкий ступінь тяжкості захворювання, а середньотяжкий та тяжкий – у дітей старше 15 років.
Кардіопротективна дія метформіну при експериментальному ізопротереноліндукованому інфаркті міокарда
Authors: Анінго Д. Ч. , Левенець О. О. , Коваль Д. Б. , Островерха К. Л. , Лой Г. Я. , Кланца М. П. , Черняшова В. В. , Олещук О. М.
Published: September 2022

Резюме. Інфаркт міокарда (ІМ) у пацієнтів із цукровим діабетом (ЦД) виникає частіше, ніж у популяції, та характеризується більш несприятливим прогнозом. «Метформін» – препарат першої лінії для лікування ЦД 2 типу, який відомий вираженою кардіопротективною дією.
Мета дослідження – вивчити кардіопротективні ефекти метформіну, зокрема антигіпертрофічного та антифібротичного, та його вплив на експресію прогіпертрофічного білка BNP за умов інфаркту міокарда, індукованого ізопротеренолом.
Матеріали і методи. Дослідження проведено на 50 білих статевозрілих щурах-самцях. ІМ моделювали за допомогою 2 ін’єкцій Iso (100 мг/кг) з інтервалом у 24 год. Лікування метформіном (200 мг/кг) проводили упродовж 7 днів, починаючи з першого дня експерименту. Гістологічні зрізи міокарда забарвлювали гематоксиліном та еозином. Експресію BNP досліджували за допомогою набору реагентів Rat BNP ELISA Kit (Elabscience). Статистичну обробку проводили методом однофакторного дисперсійного аналізу ANOVA з попарним порівнянням груп за критерієм Бонфероні.
Результати. У щурів, які отримували ін’єкції Isо, відбувалося двократне збільшення площ кардіоміоцитів з (230,30±3,64) мкм2 у (С) групі до (490,6±8,93) мкм2 у групі (Iso). Лікування метформіном попередило гіпертрофічні зміни у кардіоміоцитах при ІМ, оскільки їх площа залишалася на 58 % меншою. У щурів з ІМ концентрація BNP сироватки крові зростала на 77 %: (191,90±8,20) пг/мл в групі (Iso) проти (108,0±8,36) пг/мл у групі контролю (С). Лікування метформіном сприяло зниженню концентрації BNP на 29 % до (136,10±2,76) пг/мл у тварин з ІМ. Введення Isо призвело до масивного фіброзування у міокарді з (0,19±0,01) % у (С) групі до (32,08±2,46) % у групі (Iso). Метформін зменшив накопичення фіброзної тканини у щурів з ІМ майже у 10 разів.
Висновки. При ізопротереноліндукованому ІМ у щурів метформін запобігає серцевій гіпертрофії, пригнічує експресію прогіпертрофічного маркера BNP та зменшує накопичення фіброзної тканини.
Досвід надання допомоги внутрішньо переміщеним особам, які лікувалися у КНП «Тернопільська обласна клінічна психоневрологічна лікарня» ТОР
Authors: Венгер О. П. , Шкробот В. В. , Іваніцька Т. І. , Дуве Х. В. , Герасимюк К. О.
Published: September 2022

Резюме. Після початку повномасштабного вторгнення росії в Україну Тернопільщина стала однією з областей, де тисячі наших співвітчизників знаходять прихисток та намагаються повернутися до звичайного життя, а отже, потребують соціальної та психологічної підтримки.
Мета дослідження –­ ­вивчити фізіологічні, психоемоційні, соціально-психологічні та інформаційні чинники, які спричинили психологічний дискомфорт у внутрішньо переміщених осіб.
Матеріали і методи. Ми опитали 426 внутрішньо переміщених осіб (166 чоловіків та 260 жінок), при цьому використали: загальну анкету, що оцінювала соціально-демографічні дані та інформацію про наявність в анамнезі психічних розладів, шкалу депресії, тривоги та стресу (DASS-21), методику визначення стресостійкості та соціальної адаптації Т. Холмса і Р. Раге, методи математичної статистики.
Результати. Встановили, що у внутрішньо переміщених осіб, які не мали психічних порушень до початку повномасштабної війни, спостерігалася поступова адаптація до різних стресогенних чинників у всіх досліджуваних підгрупах. У жінок фізіологічні, психоемоційніта соціально-психологічні чинники були активніше виражені у всіх часових проміжках, аніж у чоловіків. У групі умовно здорових осіб, у яких були визначені окремі психічні симптоми, що не сягали клінічного рівня, соціально-психологічний чинник значною мірою почав впливати на стресостійкість респондентів через деякий час після того, як дані респонденти покинули зону бойового конфлікту. В групі осіб, які страждали від психічних розладів, спостерігали поступове погіршення стресостійкості під впливом соціально-психологічних чинників після втечі із зони бойових дій, а вплив психоемоційних чинників після переїзду в умовно безпечне місце залишився значущим.
Висновоки. Найменша опірність до стресогенних чинників спостерігалася у внутрішньо переміщених осіб, в яких були виявлені психічні порушення. У жінок фізіологічні, психоемоційні та соціально-психологічні чинники були активніше виражені у всіх групах в жінок, аніж у чоловіків. Високий рівень опірності стресовим подіям був притаманний внутрішньо переміщеним особам, які не мали порушень у психічній сфері, а низький – особам із психічними розладами. Для пришвидшення адаптаційних процесів психокорекційну роботу варто розпочинати у перші дні після переїзду і використовувати техніки когнітивно поведінкової, раціональної психотерапії та допоміжні техніки.
Clinical Characteristics of Patients Undergoing Right Heart Catheterizations in Community Hospitals
Authors: Jansen Samara M. A. , Huis in ’t Veld Anna. E. , Tolen Peter Hans C. G. , Jacobs Wouter , Willemsen H. M. , Grotjohan Hans P. , Waskowsky Marc , van der Maten Jan , van der Weerdt Arno , Hoekstra Romke , Pérez Matos Ana J. , Overbeek Maria J. , Mollema Sjoerd A. , El Bouazzaoui Lahssan H. Hassan , Vriend Joris W. J. , Roorda J. Milena M. , de Nooijer Ramon , van der Lee Ivo , Voogel A. J. , Post Johannes C. , Macken Thomas , Aerts Jacqueline M. , van de Ven Marjo J. T. , Bergman Heidi , Bakker‐de Boo Mirjam , de Boer Roline C. , Vonk Noordegraaf Anton , de Man Frances S. , Bogaard Harm Jan
Published: September 2022

Background

Recognition of precapillary pulmonary hypertension (PH) has significant implications for patient management. However, the low a priori chance to find this rare condition in community hospitals may create a barrier against performing a right heart catheterization (RHC). This could result in misclassification of PH and delayed diagnosis/treatment of precapillary PH. Therefore, we investigated patient characteristics and echocardiographic parameters associated with the decision whether to perform an RHC in patients with incident PH in 12 Dutch community hospitals.

Methods and Results

In total, 275 patients were included from the OPTICS (Optimizing PH Diagnostic Network in Community Hospitals) registry, a prospective cohort study with patients with incident PH; 157 patients were diagnosed with RHC (34 chronic thromboembolic PH, 38 pulmonary arterial hypertension, 81 postcapillary PH, 4 miscellaneous PH), while 118 patients were labeled as probable postcapillary PH without hemodynamic confirmation. Multivariable analysis showed that older age (>60 years), left ventricular diastolic dysfunction grade 2–3, left atrial dilatation were independently associated with the decision to not perform an RHC, while presence of prior venous thromboembolic events or pulmonary arterial hypertension‐associated conditions, right atrial dilatation, and tricuspid regurgitation velocity ≥3.7 m/s favor an RHC performance.

Conclusions

Older age and echocardiographic parameters of left heart disease were independently associated with the decision to not perform an RHC, while presence of prior venous thromboembolic events or pulmonary arterial hypertension‐associated conditions, right atrial dilation, and severe PH on echocardiography favored an RHC performance. As such, especially elderly patients may be at an increased risk of diagnostic delays and missed diagnoses of treatable precapillary PH, which could lead to a worse prognosis.