bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
MEASUREMENT OF GLOMERULAR FILTRATION RATE (GFR) (by Iohexol plasma level determination) v1
Authors: Cugini Daniela
Published: July 2023

Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR) value is widely accepted as the best overall index of kidney function in health and disease. The aim of this standad operative procedure (SOP) is to determine the GFR by utilizing the plasma clearance of iohexol, a non-radioactive contrast agent. Briefly, on the morning of renal function evaluation, 5 ml of iohexol solution (Omnipaque 300, GE Healthcare, Milan, Italy) is injected intravenously over 2 minutes. According to the expected GFR estimated by the CKD-Epi equation (eGFR), blood samples are taken at 120, 180, 240, 300, 360, 420, and 480 min for patients with eGFR ≤40 mL/min/1.73m2, and at 120, 150, 180, 210, and 240 min for those with eGFR >40 mL/min/1.73m2. Iohexol plasma levels are measured by high-performance-liquid chromatography (HPLC). The clearance of the marker is first calculated according to a one-compartmentmodel (CL1) by the formula: CL1 = injected dose of iohexol/AUC where AUC is the area under the curve of the plasma concentration of iohexol. Then the value obtained is corrected according to Bröchner-Mortensen, in order to estimate the corrected GFR (plasma clearance).
to run v1
Authors: Gulyakina Maria
Published: July 2023

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Proyecto Urbano Integral Colaborativo como construcción territorial en la vereda Granizal del municipio de Bello, Antioquia
Authors: Vallejo Ortiz Yexia Xiomara , Murillo Merino Maria Camila
Published: July 2023

La vereda Granizal del municipio de Bello, Antioquia, es considerada como el segundo asentamiento informal más grande de Colombia. Las complejidades que allí se encuentran navegan desde lo físico hasta lo social; por lo cual es indispensable estudiar y analizar el ordenamiento espacial en todas sus dimensiones, como lo son: origen, topografía, densidad, servicios básicos, vivienda, equipamientos, movilidad y espacio público, y cómo es la relación de la comunidad como actor determinante bajo estas condiciones físicoespaciales. Así pues, el presente artículo aborda el territorio en su conjunto a partir del diseño participativo como herramienta clave para el proceso de concepción y ejecución de una intervención territorial en Granizal. Este enfoque permite una metodología acorde con las realidades del lugar, de tal forma que se dignifique el espacio colectivo, y que esté, a su vez, tenga incidencia en las condiciones de vida de quienes lo habitan.
evaluación de la biblioteca digital académica desde el enfoque teórico de la aceptación tecnológica
Authors: Medina Hernández Ana Isabel
Published: July 2023

Este artículo presenta una investigación sobre la intención de los usuarios para aceptar la biblioteca digital académica en Puerto Rico.  Se utiliza como modelo la teoría unificada de aceptación y uso de la tecnología (UTAUT) de Venkatesh et al. (2003). Esta teoría establece que la intención de uso está influenciada por cuatro factores: expectativa de funcionamiento, expectativa de esfuerzo, influencia social y condiciones facilitantes.  La investigación se realizó en la Biblioteca Conrado F. Asenjo del Recinto de Ciencias Médicas (RCM) de la Universidad de Puerto Rico (UPR). La metodología aplicada al entorno bajo estudio fue la cuantitativa y el método de recolección de datos fue la encuesta.  La población participante fueron estudiantes de las Escuelas de Enfermería, Farmacia, Medicina, Medicina Dental, Profesiones de la Salud y Salud Pública del RCM de la UPR. El estudio encontró que los constructos expectativa de funcionamiento, influencia social y condiciones facilitantes tienen un efecto directo, positivo y significativo sobre la intención de los usuarios de la biblioteca digital.  Los resultados indican que el efecto de la expectativa de esfuerzo sobre la intención fue negativo y no significativo.
Effects of Hardening by Annealing and Softening by Additional Plastic Deformation in Ultrafine-Grained Al and Al-Based Alloys: Brief Review
Authors:   Ioffe Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia, Orlova T.S. ,   ITMO University, Russia, Gutkin M.Yu. ,   ITMO University, Russia,   Institute of Problems of Mechanical Engineering, Russian Academy of Sciences
Published: July 2023

This is a brief review of recent experimental and theoretical results on the influence of low temperature annealing and subsequent small plastic deformation on microstructure, strength and ductility of ultrafine-grained Al and Al-based alloys structured by high pressure torsion. Some earlier results on this problem for ultrafine-grained Al and Al-based alloys structured by different methods of severe plastic deformation are also shortly presented. The reasons for the effects of hardening by annealing and softening by additional small plastic deformation of the materials are suggested and discussed in detail. Moreover, the influence of the temperature of mechanical testing and the alloying elements are in the focus of the review. It is shown that in the physical origin of these effects are the transformations of the defect structure of grain boundaries in the process of low temperature annealing and subsequent small plastic deformation of the ultrafine-grained Al and Al-based alloys structured by high pressure torsion.
Global Digital Peripheries: The Social Capital Profile of Low‐Adopter Countries
Authors: Füzér Katalin , Völgyi Bence , Erát Dávid , Szerb László
Published: July 2023

As digital transformations have the potential to reinforce longstanding inequalities and create novel ones within and among societies, it is vital to understand how this process is socially embedded. This article contributes to the study of macro‐level patterns of cross‐country differences in digitalization by providing a global comparative analysis of 76 countries in three different clusters, with a focus on the almost 30 countries with the lowest rates of adoption. Going beyond the “access, use, outcome” perspective of the digital divide approach, this empirical analysis addresses the social embeddedness of digitalization in the framework of the three types of social capital. In contrast to the digitalized and the digitalizing country clusters, the findings on the social capital profile of low‐adopter societies reveal their consistently low status on bridging and linking social capital, as well as their strengths in the trust and ties dimensions of bonding social capital. These results have alarming implications for digital inclusion in low‐adopter societies.
What Would an Inclusive City for Gender and Sexual Minorities Be Like? You Need to Ask Queer Folx!
Authors: Duplan Karine
Published: July 2023

From fights against racism to women’s inclusion, from access to education to integration of migrants: “Inclusion” and the “inclusive city” have been used in many ways and at different scales, running the risk of becoming a kind of catchall. Following increasing use by public authorities, media, and urban professionals, the inclusive city now serves as a normative framework for urban development. Although it is aimed at social cohesion, one nevertheless wonders whether it has not become more of a buzzword that obfuscates the reproduction of power relations. Moreover, while being somehow mainstreamed into institutional discourses, the inclusive city has been quite overlooked so far by academics, and an effort is needed to clarify its conceptualisation and democratic potential. This article provides a theoretical and critical perspective on how the concept of inclusion is used in urban public policies in relation to gender, by examining the public these policies address. Using a multiscalar analysis and drawing on Warner’s framework of publics and counterpublics, I examine more specifically which public is targeted in inclusive policies, concerning gender and sexualities, and how this participates in the reshaping of (urban) citizenship and sense of belonging, as well as the implications this has for social justice. Thus, I argue that while the inclusive city has become a normative idiom imbued with the neoliberal grammar of public politics, it also offers a paradoxical framework of democratic cohesion that promotes consumption‐based equality. A focus on (counter)publics serves to highlight the need for a more queerly engaged planning practice—one that draws on insurgent grassroots movements—to seek to destabilise neoliberalism’s attempt at pacification in its use of inclusion and citizen participation.
Invariant surfaces for certain classes of systems of the second-order to stochastic diﬀerential equations with jumps
Authors:   Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kyiv, Ukraine, Mishura Yu. S. , Kushnirenko S. V. ,   Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kyiv, Ukraine, Voloh L. V. ,   Kyiv National University of Technologies and Design
Published: July 2023

In this paper, we consider the concept of invariant sets of inhomogeneous stochastic diﬀerential equations with jumps. For certain classes of systems of the second order of inhomogeneous stochastic diﬀerential equations with jumps the necessary and suﬃcient conditions for the invariance of the corresponding surfaces are established. The obtained results provide opportunities to ﬁnd the invariant surfaces and conditions of their invariance for the speciﬁed classes of stochastic diﬀerential equations.
LATERAL THINKING IN TEACHING UKRAINIAN EDITING TO HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
Authors:   Taras Shevchenko national University of Kyiv, Liubashenko Olesia , Zaitseva Oleksandra ,   Taras Shevchenko national University of Kyiv, Drahinda Olha ,   Taras Shevchenko national University of Kyiv
Published: July 2023

Background. Teaching editing, being an effective tool of building up students’ text competence, faces a number of challenges. To foster high school students’ mastering the skills of effective text creation and written production, Ukrainian language teachers are searching for teaching strategies to improve their students’ literacy, increase motivation and induce thinking. Lateral thinking techniques are viewed as a powerful instrument to develop students’ text competence through teaching editing. Purpose: The aim of the article is to present the strategy of teaching the Ukrainian language text editing to 10-11graders using lateral thinking techniques; to analyze how lateral thinking techniques stimulate the interest of students in editing activities and build up their text competence. Methodology. The study was conducted in November-December 2022; the participants were 10th-grade (n=25) and 11th-grade (n=24) students of specialist philology-oriented school No 98 of Kyiv. The authors of the article designed the research framework; its implementation involved interviewing five Ukrainian language and literature teachers of the above-mentioned school with 9-17 years of teaching experience to specify the problem areas; selecting texts and designing tasks for the students to practice correcting and editing the suggested texts. Results and discussion. The study confirmed the effectiveness of introducing lateral thinking techniques into the Ukrainian language teaching editing; resulted in designing sample exercises with instructions to be included in the high school curriculum for developing the skills of text production and editing. Translations as a variety of texts to edit have proven to stimulate students’ interest and creativity. Further steps are to be taken to compile a manual for teachers to implement lateral thinking techniques into the Ukrainian language teaching editing to foster high schoolers building up their text production and editing competences.
FLIPPED BLENDED LEARNING IN AN ENGLISH CLASSROOM: TEACHING ORAL PRODUCTION TO FOLKLORE STUDIES MAJORS
Authors:   Taras Shevchenko national University of Kyiv, Shovkovy Vyacheslav , Druzhchenko Tetiana ,   Taras Shevchenko national University of Kyiv
Published: July 2023

Background. The dynamic societal development requires flexible, adaptive, autonomous, and analytical skills in graduates who cannot rely solely on the knowledge and abilities acquired in higher education institutions. Continuous learning, acquiring new knowledge, skills, and abilities are essential for successful professional development. Integrating autonomous and classroom work using internet resources and educational technology, particularly blended learning, provides an optimal approach for meeting these needs. However, further research is needed to explore effective ways of combining face-to-face, independent, online, and distance learning to develop language and communication competencies, especially among folklore studies majors. Purpose. The purpose of the article is to provide a theoretical justification, develop a methodology, and implement blended learning techniques for enhancing oral English production among folklore studies majors using the «Flipped Classroom» technology. Methodology. Conceptually, the study relies on the concept of continuing education, which involves educational autonomy and educational strategies that enable the continuity of education. Practically, the research was implemented in experimental training of Folklore studies majors. The participants of the research were 9 Bachelor students and an English teacher (17 years of experience). Results and Discussion. The applied technology has demonstrated positive outcomes by optimizing classroom time, enabling individualized learning trajectories, and enhancing students’ cognitive engagement through well-planned independent work. Specifically, it has contributed to developing skills such as listening to authentic texts within the field, independently selecting appropriate materials for listening exercises based on predetermined criteria and engaging in dialogues and monologues related to folklore topics. Furthermore, blended learning has also improved folklore studies majors overall oral English proficiency. The educational potential of the «Flipped Classroom» technology extends beyond this spectrum, and further research can explore practical strategies for self-regulation, self-monitoring, and students’ motivation in developing their communicative competence through the «Flipped Classroom» technolohy in higher education settings
Law in the Social Regulators System: Is its Future Cloudless?
Authors: Kashanina T. V.
Published: July 2023

A developing system of social norms is based on such a criterion as a way of regulation or a way of ordering, normalizing and stabilizing the society. At the same time, an evolutionary key is used, i.e., the historical time of the appearance of a particular type of norms, which makes it possible to see how the relay race of social norms took place, to trace the entire path of development of social regulation. The society in its development has passed two epochs: the pre-state period (the era of the primitive system and the transition of society from anthropology gathering to production) and the state period that in turn, is divided into three stages: agrarian, industrial, post-industrial (information) society. In a pre-agrarian society, there were: 1) myths, 2) rituals, 3) ceremonies, 4) customs. The agrarian society enriched the mankind with such norms as: 5) traditions, 6) religious norms, 7) business habits. The industrial society consolidated: 8) legal norms, 9) political norms that declared themselves to the utmost. In the information society, the following norms become significant: 10) etiquette norms, 11) aesthetic norms, 12) moral standards.The author draws the following conclusions. The system of social regulators is quite extensive. In the process of economic transformation, the humanity has been developing more and more effective ways of regulation that correspond to social reality. Social norms did not arise simultaneously, but matured gradually accumulating their potential. In the future, when more progressive norms enter the arena of human existence, the previously arisen norms will not disappear, but will recede into the background and perform a secondary role in ordering the life of the society. Law today is the main means of regulation. However, law is by no means guaranteed a leading role in the future, since norms with a more powerful regulatory potential (for example, morality) have been created.
The concept of responsible artificial intelligence as the future of artificial intelligence in medicine
Authors: Germanov Nikolai S.
Published: July 2023

Active deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) systems in medicine creates many challenges. Recently, the concept of responsible artificial intelligence (RAI) was widely discussed, which is aimed at solving the inevitable ethical, legal, and social problems. The scientific literature was analyzed and the possibility of applying the RAI concept to overcome the existing AI problems in medicine was considered. Studies of possible AI applications in medicine showed that current algorithms are unable to meet the basic enduring needs of society, particularly, fairness, transparency, and reliability. The RAI concept based on three principles accountability for AI activities and responsibility and transparency of findings (ART) was proposed to address ethical issues. Further evolution, without the development and application of the ART concept, turns dangerous and impossible the use of AI in such areas as medicine and public administration. The requirements for accountability and transparency of conclusions are based on the identified epistemological (erroneous, non-transparent, and incomplete conclusions) and regulatory (data confidentiality and discrimination of certain groups) problems of using AI in digital medicine [2]. Epistemological errors committed by AI are not limited to omissions related to the volume and representativeness of the original databases analyzed. In addition, these include the well-known black box problem, i.e. the inability to look into the process of forming AI outputs when processing input data. Along with epistemological errors, normative problems inevitably arise, including patient confidentiality and discrimination of some social groups due to the refusal of some patients to provide medical data for training algorithms and as part of the analyzed databases, which will lead to inaccurate AI conclusions in cases of certain gender, race, and age. Importantly, the methodology of the AI data analysis depends on the program code set by the programmer, whose epistemological and logical errors are projected onto the AI. Hence the problem of determining responsibility in the case of erroneous conclusions, i.e. its distribution between the program itself, the developer, and the executor. Numerous professional associations design ethical standards for developers and a statutory framework to regulate responsibility between the links described. However, the state must play the greatest role in the development and approval of such legislation. The use of AI in medicine, despite its advantages, is accompanied by many ethical, legal, and social challenges. The development of RAI has the potential both to solve these challenges and to further the active and secure deployment of AI systems in digital medicine and healthcare.
Ethical issues associated with the use of virtual reality in medicine
Authors: Grebnyakova Darya A. , Shilkina Yaroslava  I.
Published: July 2023

Due to improvements in the medical techniques used, virtual reality technologies are increasingly used to treat various diseases. Simultaneously, various ethical issues emerged. Knowing exactly what problems the treating physician and the patient may be facing is important to increase the effectiveness of therapy. This will help minimize or at least prevent negative consequences. A qualitative secondary study was conducted on the ethical issues arising from the application of virtual reality technologies in treatment. Papers suitable for analysis were searched using the keywords virtual reality, ethical issues, and medicine. The works of the last 10 years were selected, most of the sources being at most 5 years old. After analyzing papers and studies which describe the experience of applying virtual reality technologies in medicine, the range of ethical problems that are currently relevant was determined most accurately. Firstly, the vulnerability of patients is evident, which arises from the realism of the avatars and the deep immersion in the virtual world. Without the physicians supervision, the patient may experience a high degree of psychological pressure, which has a negative effect. Secondly, strong emotional involvement is possible, which may develop attachment to the artificial intelligence and cause derealization, depersonalization, and other mental disorders. Thirdly, active interaction with the virtual world may be accompanied by long-lasting effects, such as gaming disorder. Finally, patients may have difficulties in distinguishing between reality and simulation, which affects autonomous choice and compromises informed consent. Virtual reality technologies may potentially change the lives of trauma patients and improve their quality of life. However, these changes are accompanied by ethical issues that must be addressed with respect to the vulnerability and nature of trauma.
Automated assessment of facial nerve dysfunction
Authors: Dembovskiy Maxim V. , Boiko Andrey  A.
Published: July 2023

BACKGROUND: Facial neuropathy at the peripheral level (unilateral muscular weakness of the entire half of the face) is a common neurological disorder. Assessment of the facial nerve dysfunction grade is necessary to track the dynamics of treatment and monitor the effectiveness of rehabilitation. For this purpose, worldwide clinical practice uses grading systems, the most popular of which are the House-Brackmann, Yanagihara, and Nottingham scales. Such methods are non-universal and based on visual diagnosis, which relies solely on the subjective experience of the physician. Consequently, objective measurements and automation are needed to track the dynamics of recovery. With the use of image processing and computer vision techniques, this task became feasible.
AIM: To develop a method of automated assessment of the facial nerve dysfunction grade by biometric facial analysis to monitor the patients recovery dynamics.
METHODS: As part of the collaboration with the Herzen Moscow Research Institute of Oncology, a database of target group patients with grades IV (4 people), V (4 people), and VI (11 people) of facial nerve disfunction according to the Haus-Brackmann scale was compiled. A control group consisted of 20 students from the Bauman Moscow State Technical University. During registration, subjects were asked to perform a series of following mimic tests: raising the eyebrows, closing the eyes, smiling, smiling with effort, inflating the cheeks, pouting the lips, and articulating with effort. Control points of the eyebrow, eye, and mouth areas were used to assess the degree of facial asymmetry. The two-dimensional MultiPIE model, implemented in the dlib library and containing 68 control points, was used as a facial model. A program code in Python was written, which calculates asymmetry coefficients based on changes in the coordinates of control points when the patient performs mimic tests.
RESULTS: A study was conducted to determine statistically significant differences between asymmetry coefficients in the control group and patients. Based on the Mann-Whitney criterion, asymmetry parameters during some mimic tests showed statistically significant differences (p 0.05). Thus, asymmetries in the forehead when raising the eyebrows (0.00 0.05), in the mouth when smiling (0.026 0.05), in the mouth when smiling with effort (0.00 0.05), in the mouth when pouting the lips (0.039 0.05), and in the mouth when articulating with effort (0.004 0.05) were revealed.
CONCLUSIONS: The results prove the performance of the proposed method and show the need for additional research, particularly the search for differences between groups of patients with different severity and the development of a classification model for machine learning.
Quality of life and adherence to therapy in patients with chronic heart failure who were remotely monitored by chatbot compared to the standard follow-up group for 3 months
Authors: Emelianov Aleksei V. , Zheleznykh Elena  A. , Kozhevnikova Maria  V. , Ageev Anton  A. , Zektser Vita  Y. , Belenkov Yuri  N.
Published: July 2023

BACKGROUND: Chronic heart failure (CHF) is one of the leading causes of death. Telemedicine and remote monitoring (RM) are a way to increase life expectancy and quality of life in patients with CHF. Methods based on messengers familiar to patients promote adherence and do not require additional training.
AIM: To compare quality of life and adherence to therapy in patients with CHF who were on RM using a chatbot compared to the standard follow-up (SFU) group for 3 months.
METHODS: Patients with CHF on optimal drug therapy discharged from the hospital were included in the study. Comparison groups were formed according to the method of observation, particularly, RM and SFU. A chatbot was set up for patients in the RM group. Monitoring was done using a seven-question survey sent daily. The signs of decompensation (red flags [RF]) were increased edema, dyspnea, body weight 2 kg per week, and changes in individual parameters of heart rate and blood pressure. If a RF was detected, telephone contact was made, and the therapy was corrected if necessary. Quality of life was assessed according to the Minnesota Quality of Life Questionnaire for patients with CHF (highest, 0 points; lowest, 105 points), and adherence was assessed using the Adherence Scale of the National Society for Evidence-based Pharmacotherapy.
RESULTS: A total of 60 patients were included in the study; 37 patients completed a 3-month follow-up. The RM group (n=17, 13 men, 76.5%; median age 61 [51; 62]) and comparison group (n=20, 14 men, 70%; mean age 64.98.9) were comparable according to the functional class (New York Heart Association), but differed in ejection fraction (42.813% versus 53.210.4% [p 0.05]). Adherence to the chat-bot was 67.2%. Adherence to therapy was not significantly different between the RM and SFU groups accounting for (17 [100%]) and (18 [90%], respectively, (p=0.62). In the RM group, RF was detected in 7 (41%) patients. Only one patient required correction of therapy. Patients in the RM group required no referral to a medical facility, whereas 2 patients in the SFU group required medical care. Quality of life was statistically significantly higher in the RM group, reaching 28.713.9 points compared to 37.717.9 points in the SFU group (p=0.04).
CONCLUSIONS: After 3 months, patients in the RM group were committed to the chatbot, with adherence to therapy comparable to the SFU group. Quality of life was statistically significantly higher in the RM group. Patients in the RM group did not go to medical facilities, in contrast to the SFU group. The limitations of the study were the small sample size and short follow-up period. The results require further research to obtain additional data.
Magnetic resonance imaging for non-invasive diagnosis of various forms of endometriosis in women with infertility
Authors: Efimova Alena A. , Sergienya Olga  V. , Maschenko Irina  A. , Zazerskaya Irina  E.
Published: July 2023

BACKGROUND: Endometriosis is one of the most common causes of infertility, affecting approximately 6%10% of women of reproductive age. For many decades, laparoscopic surgery has been considered the gold standard for diagnosing various forms of endometriosis. However, diagnostic laparoscopy, despite its widespread use, is an invasive and expensive procedure with certain risks. Current scientific literature increasingly shows that the methods of radiological diagnosis (ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging [MRI]) are the main and most promising for verification of endometriosis. The advantages of MRI over ultrasound are multiplanar images, high tissue contrast, and smaller size of detectable heterotopias.
AIM: To assessing the sensitivity and specificity of MRI for diagnosing different forms of endometriosis.
METHODS: A retrospective analysis of the medical histories and instrumental studies of 129 women of reproductive age (mean age of the participants was 30.54.6 years) with a clinical diagnosis of infertility and suspected genital endometriosis was conducted. At the first stage of the study, the patients underwent a comprehensive MRI with one-stage magnetic resonance hysterosalpingography to assess the pelvis and tubal patency. Further, laparoscopic surgery (LS) was performed to confirm/refute the diagnosis of genital endometriosis, provide surgical treatment, or further search for possible causes of infertility. The results obtained with MRI and LS were compared, and the sensitivity and specificity of MRI for diagnosing external and internal genital endometriosis were assessed.
RESULTS: According to the data obtained, the specificity of MRI for diagnosing peritoneal endometriosis was 74% (95% confidence interval [CI], 57%85%), and the sensitivity was 94% (95% CI, 87%99%). Diagnostic accuracy of the technique was 86% (95% CI, 79%91%). The most frequent localization of endometrioid heterotopias was retrocervical (41%). The specificity of this technique for diagnosing endometrioid ovarian cysts was 92% (95% CI, 82%97%), and the sensitivity amounted for 98% (95% CI, 90%100%). Diagnostic accuracy of the technique was 94% (95% CI, 88%96%). The specificity and sensitivity of MRI for the diagnosis of adenomyosis were 96% (95% CI, 92%99%) and 99% (95% CI, 87%100%), respectively. Diagnostic accuracy of the technique was 97% (95% CI, 93%99%). Our results were consistent with the literature data on the accuracy of MRI for diagnosing endometriosis.
CONCLUSIONS: Based on the results, MRI is a promising non-invasive method for diagnosing various forms of endometriosis. The performance of a comprehensive MRI allows obtaining sufficiently accurate information about the condition of the pelvic organs, detecting the manifestations of genital endometriosis, and reducing the time for examining women with infertility.
Analysis of retinoblastoma-associated genes using bioinformatic methods
Authors: Klimov Kirill Yu.
Published: July 2023

BACKGROUND: Retinoblastoma is a common neoplasia that affects the visual organ in young children. The mortality rate is approximately 15%. In 91% of cases, surgery with enucleation is required, which significantly reduces the patients quality of life. Early diagnosis of the disease may help to correct approaches to treatment of retinoblastoma, significantly increasing the chances of preserving vision. This is important since approximately 95% of retinoblastoma cases are diagnosed before the age of 5. Using bioinformatic methods, a comprehensive analysis of the patterns and connections between the retinoblastoma-associated genes was conducted, which may further form the basis of molecular genetic testing for diagnosing this oncology.
AIM: The study aimed to comprehensively analyze the genes and their products associated with retinoblastoma to reveal patterns of oncologic development.
METHODS:

Obtaining and sorting the list of genes using the OMIM and COSMIC databases (https://omim.org/; https://cancer.sanger.ac.uk/cosmic).
Calculating gene ontology categories using DAVID and PANTHER services (https://david.ncifcrf.gov/; http://pantherdb.org/).
Reconstructing the gene network using the GeneMANIA service (https://genemania.org/).
Analyzing the three-dimensional (3D) structure of proteins using the PDB (RCSB) database (https://www.rcsb.org/).

RESULTS: After sorting retinoblastoma-associated genes, the OMIM.org database generated a list of 139 elements. After sorting and comparison with the results of a similar query in the COSMIC database, RB1, KRAS, SYK, MYCN, and BCOR retinoblastoma-associated key genes were identified. The resulting list was analyzed for gene ontology categories using DAVID and PATHER services. The most significant categories for retinoblastoma genes were cell cycle regulators, in particular regulators of the transition from G to S phase and regulators of transcription from the RNA polymerase II promoter. Gene network structure analysis for retinoblastoma genes using the GeneMANIA service showed the existence of dense and linked gene clusters with cell cycle and transcriptional regulator genes at the center. Using the PDB database, 3D structures of key gene expression products were obtained.
CONCLUSIONS: The development of molecular genetic testing of retinoblastoma for the activity of expression of associated genes and their products in the prenatal and/or postnatal period is required to improve the retinoblastoma monitoring system. The results of the study may serve as input data for this testing.
Comparison of the duration of generating radiological protocols with keyboard and voice input
Authors: Kudryavtsev Nikita  D. , Sharova Daria  E. , Vladzymyrskyy Anton  V.
Published: July 2023

BACKGROUND: Speech recognition is becoming increasingly common in the national healthcare system. One of the first specialties to implement this technology on a large scale was radiology. However, the efficiency of voice input and its effect on the length of time required to complete medical records remain unresolved.
AIM: To assess the efficiency of speech recognition in generating radiological protocols of different modalities and types.
METHODS: The retrospective study was conducted at the Moscow Reference Center of the Research and Practical Clinical Center for Diagnostics and Telemedicine Technologies of the Moscow Department of Health. A total of 12,912 radiological reports on fluorography, mammography, chest computed tomography (CT), contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain, and contrast-enhanced CT of the abdomen and pelvis were included in the study by simple random sampling. The size of all samples exceeded 766 reports, calculated with regard to the size of the general population of over 100,000 reports. The Voice2Med software was used to fill in the radiological protocols. Intergroup comparison was performed using the MannWhitney U-test with a statistical significance level of 0.05.
RESULTS: The average duration of generating fluorographic protocols in the keyboard and voice input groups was 189.9 s (0:03:09) and 236.2 s (0:03:56), respectively (p 0.0001). For mammographic reports, the duration was 387.1 s (0:06:27) and 444.8 s (0:07:24), respectively (p 0.0001). For radiographic reports, it amounted to 247.8 s (0:04:07) and 189.0 s (0: 03:09), respectively (p 0.0001), and for chest CT, it was 379.7 s (0:06:19) and 382.7 s (0:06:22), respectively (p=0.12). For MRI of the brain, the protocols were generated for 709.9 s (0:11:49) and 559.9 s (0: 09:19), respectively (p 0.0001), and for contrast-enhanced chest, abdominal, and pelvic CT scans, it took 2714.6 s (0:45:15) and 1778.4 s (0:29:38), respectively. Voice input slowed down the preparation time of mammographic and fluorographic protocols. This is due to the use of a structured electronic medical document in medical facilities to describe the results of the examinations. Speech recognition showed the greatest efficiency in generating MRI and CT protocols. Such reports contain a large number of pathological changes, both target and incidental findings, which requires a detailed description by the radiologist in the examination protocol.
CONCLUSIONS: Speech recognition in generating radiological protocols showed different efficiency depending on the modality and type of the radiological protocol filled in using the voice input system. This approach is optimal for describing CT and MRI scans.
Use of surgical templates in the daily practice of the oral surgeon
Authors: Logunkova Valeria G. , Mezhlumyan Arman  A.
Published: July 2023

BACKGROUND: Three-dimensional (3D) technology allows for the creation of individual surgical templates. This is a special construction, providing precise placement of dental implants in the jaw tissue. Templates are divided by the type of fixation into bone pins and screws and dental and gingival pins. The surgical template is made by 3D printing from a special resin. The technology allows the computer modeling to be transferred precisely to the patients jaw. The optimal angle for implant insertion and free overlapping of the template, which has holes for positioning and cooling the mucosa, is important to consider. The goals of template making are the correct positioning of the implant and the accuracy of placement, which affects the success of further prosthetics. The template is the link between surgery and prosthetics. Proper positioning of the implants increases the accuracy of the orthopedic prosthesis.
AIM: The study was aimed to compare the standard implantation protocol and implant placement using a 3D-printed surgical template.
METHODS: Comparative assessment of two groups of patients was conducted. Group 1 was implanted using a surgical template, whereas Group 2 was implanted according to the standard technique, without a template. In total, 35 patients with partial adentia and 10 patients with complete adentia were examined. The effectiveness of surgical templates during the placement of dental implants and the risks of complications were assessed.
RESULTS: In Group 1, where surgical templates were used, a 40% decrease in the duration of surgery, a 90% reduction in the gingival incision area, and accurate positioning of the construct were observed. Postoperative complications such as pain, swelling, bleeding, and numbness developed less frequently by 70%. Group 2 was implanted according to the standard technique; however, the implant deviation from the planned position was observed in 35% of patients. The effectiveness of surgical templates lies in the accuracy of implant positioning and denture fabrication and reduction of complications.
CONCLUSIONS: The use of surgical templates is indicated in complicated clinical cases, critical bone atrophy, and for avoiding damage to anatomically important areas. The planning of the surgical template is simultaneous with the placement of the implant and with consideration of the subsequent prosthetic construction, since the accuracy of positioning affects the accuracy of the prosthetic construction. The use of advanced technologies increases the effectiveness of dental implantation.
Quality control of fat fraction quantification in magnetic resonance imaging: A two-center phantom study
Authors: Panina Olga  Yu. , Ignatyeva Varvara  A. , Monakhova Alyona A.
Published: July 2023

BACKGROUND: Assessment of quantitative parameters using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a relevant trend. Fat fraction (FF) calculation provides new opportunities for accurate diagnosis and will replace invasive methods such as biopsy in the future. Quantification will enable reliable dynamic monitoring and assessment of drug therapy. However, radiologists and clinical specialists must be confident in the accuracy and reliability of the quantitative measures.
AIM: To assess the accuracy of quantitative FF measurement using phantom simulation in the range of 0% to 60%.
METHODS: Emulsions of the oil-in-water type were chosen to simulate the objects of the study. Concentrations of vegetable oil-based emulsions were presented in the range of 0% to 60%. Tubes containing the emulsions were placed in a cylindrical phantom. Scans were performed on an Optima, MR450w 1.5 Tesla (GE) tomograph in Lava Flex mode and on an Ingenia, 1.5 Tesla (Philips) tomograph in DIXON mode. FF was determined by formulas using images in In-phase and Out-phase based on signal characteristics (FF=[InOut]/2∙In∙100) and images weighted by Water and Fat data (FF=Fat/[Fat+water]∙100.
RESULTS: The accuracy of the fat percentage measurement with the DIXON technique was identical to that of the Lava Flex. The data of the measured fat concentration were systematically overestimated in relation to the target values by an average of 57.6% with an average absolute difference of 17.2%. In addition, an irregular underestimation in the range of 20% to 40% was detected.
CONCLUSIONS: Phantom simulation using direct oil-in-water emulsions allowed to control the performance of the Dixon sequences in quantifying the FF. For correct FF quantification, calculation from Water and Fat image data using the formula FF=Fat/(Fat+water)∙100 is preferable. Calculations based on In-phase and Out-phase images provide ambiguous results. The FF calculation in the Lava Flex and DIXON modes must be performed with a correction factor. The use of the phantom allows proper quality control and calibration of the MRI scanner and makes quantitative fat measurement widely available.
Development of a portable spectrophotometer using artificial neural networks for non-invasive determination of glycated hemoglobin in blood by Raman spectroscopy
Authors: Poliker Ekaterina E. , Zemskikh Boris  L. , Koshechkin Konstantin  A.
Published: July 2023

BACKGROUND: Non-invasive diagnosis of diabetes is one of the major problems of contemporary medicine. The system being planned could be a new technology for measuring hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) accurately and non-invasively. Therefore, a series of studies are to be conducted to assess the efficiency of the method under study and determine its potential for medical diagnosis and monitoring of HbA1c.
AIMS:

Investigation of the feasibility of Raman spectroscopy for non-invasive measurement of HbA1c.
Development and design of a portable analyzer using this technology.
Assessment of the efficiency and accuracy of the developed device.

METHODS: Neural network creation requires collecting a training sample of measurements for subsequent application of TensorFlow library tools and performing laboratory measurements to calibrate the system for determining HbA1c. The device will use a 785-nm laser to take spectra according to the Raman spectroscopy. The obtained data will be fed to the input of the neural network based on the architecture of convolutional neural networks. Experiments will be conducted to train the model to determine the accuracy and efficiency of the device. A two-step data collection procedure is planned. First, a preliminary test will be done on 50 patients to see how the proposed method handles different age and gender groups and different HbA1c levels. Later, the data will continue to be collected on a larger scale, including patients with different types of diabetes and healthy individuals. Data will be collected using a portable spectrophotometer and monitored by high-performance liquid chromatography. Various metrics will be used to assess the efficiency and accuracy of the device such as accuracy, precision, recall, and F1-score.
RESULTS: An analysis of the available literature was conducted and the following conclusions were drawn. In addition, a neural network model was developed using HbA1c measurements. Currently, our model is optimized to improve the accuracy and reliability of the results.
CONCLUSIONS: The non-invasive Raman spectroscopy-based method has several advantages in measuring HbA1c levels. The procedure is faster and non-traumatic, and HbA1c levels can be monitored continuously. In particular, the non-invasive method eliminates errors associated with protein leakage outside the bloodstream.
Complicated infectious endocarditis in a patient with human immunodeficiency virus: A case report
Authors: Potemkina Tatyana V. , Ylanov Ivan  A. , Petrova Ekaterina  B.
Published: July 2023

INTRODUCTION: Infectious endocarditis (IE) in injecting drug patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is manifested predominantly by damage to the tricuspid valve (TV). The pathogen of the disease is Staphylococcus aureus. The IE peculiarities of the TV in this category of patients are multiple septic emboli in the small circulation, which may result from flotation vegetations, and predominance of pulmonary symptomatology over cardiac phenomena.
CASE PRESENTATION: A 30-year-old female HIV-infected injecting drug user was dynamically monitored for the laboratory-confirmed IE development by transthoracic echocardiography during a year. The patient was twice admitted to the intensive care unit in a serious condition with purulent-septic complications in the lungs in the form of bilateral polysegmental destructive (septic) pneumonia confirmed by X-ray and multispiral computed tomography. After intensive therapy, the patient refused further ARV treatment and consultations with a cardiac surgeon. A clinical follow-up demonstrated IE of the TV and right-sided lower lobe pneumonia in an HIV-infected drug-dependent patient after a cesarean section. Immunodeficiency without appropriate ARV therapy had a negative impact on the course of the disease. According to transthoracic echocardiography, an increase in TV vegetations from 7 mm to 16 mm and regurgitation were observed, whereas left ventricular ejection fraction decreased from 60% to 47% during the follow-up. Complications of cesarean section, immunodeficiency, and absence of ARV therapy could be the trigger factors of the IE development. Injection drug use with possible violations of asepsis and circulation of microorganisms of the causative agents in the blood contributed to the rapid development of the disease and was a determining factor of the infectious process in the TV.
CONCLUSIONS: Echocardiography remains the primary radiological diagnostic method for examining HIV-infected drug-dependent patients with fever and/or after medical manipulations. However, this group of patients more frequently clinically manifests the disease with bright pulmonary pathology. Therefore, radiological methods should necessarily be a priority during the diagnostic search. The sources of septic embolism in the small circulation in IE may be loose and floating TV vegetations.
X-ray signs of congenital diaphragmatic hernias in term newborns
Authors: Khanaliyeva Nargiz F. , Garayeva Sabina  Z.
Published: July 2023

BACKGROUND: Imaging plays a major role in the initial diagnosis, treatment, and subsequent assessment of congenital diaphragmatic hernias. Chest X-ray is still of great importance in newborns due to the availability and relative ease of use.
AIM: To reveal radiological signs determining congenital diaphragmatic hernias in term newborns.
METHODS: The study was conducted at the K. Faradzheva Research Institute of Pediatrics. The study group consisted of 7 term newborns with diaphragmatic hernias. All children underwent chest X-ray. The comparison group included 18 children without congenital anomalies of the respiratory system.
RESULTS: Congenital diaphragmatic hernias, which occur during intrauterine development, were found in term newborns in our study. Hernia of the diaphragmatic esophagus is more common in newborns. Hernia of the diaphragm is the second most frequent, while hernias of the anterior diaphragm in newborns are extremely rare. The bronchus was visualized in 50% of term newborns with diaphragmatic hernias (2=27.329; p 0.001). Impaired diaphragmatic integrity was visualized in all term patients with diaphragmatic hernias and in 20% of those with congenital anomalies (p 0.001). In the same patients, X-ray showed the stomach and/or intestinal loops in the thoracic cavity.
CONCLUSIONS: The radiological picture of a diaphragmatic hernia is characterized by a decreased lung volume, impaired visualization of the bronchi, impaired diaphragmatic integrity, impaired clarity of diaphragmatic contours, and the presence of stomach/intestinal loops in the thoracic cavity.