bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Learning domain-heterogeneous speaker recognition systems with personalized continual federated learning
Authors: Chen Zhiyong , Xu Shugong
Published: September 2023

Speaker recognition, the process of automatically identifying a speaker based on individual characteristics in speech signals, presents significant challenges when addressing heterogeneous-domain conditions. Federated learning, a recent development in machine learning methods, has gained traction in privacy-sensitive tasks, such as personal voice assistants in home environments. However, its application in heterogeneous multi-domain scenarios for enhancing system customization remains underexplored. In this paper, we propose the utilization of federated learning in heterogeneous situations to enable adaptation across multiple domains. We also introduce a personalized federated learning algorithm designed to effectively leverage limited domain data, resulting in improved learning outcomes. Furthermore, we present a strategy for implementing the federated learning algorithm in practical, real-world continual learning scenarios, demonstrating promising results. The proposed federated learning method exhibits superior performance across a range of synthesized complex conditions and continual learning settings, compared to conventional training methods.
RETRACTED ARTICLE: Application of deep learning in Mandarin Chinese lip-reading recognition
Authors: Xing Guangxin , Han Lingkun , Zheng Yelong , Zhao Meirong
Published: September 2023

Lip-reading is an emerging technology in recent years, and it can be applied to the field of language recovery, criminal investigation, identity authentication, etc. We aim to recognize what the speaker is saying without audio but only video. Because of the different mouth shapes and the influence of homophones, the current Mandarin Chinese lip-reading network is proposed, an end-to-end model based on long short-term memory (LSTM) encoder-decoder architecture. The model incorporates the LSTM encoder-decode architecture, the spatiotemporal convolutional neural network (STCNN), Word2Vec, and the Attention model. The STCNN captures continuously encoded motion information, Word2Vec converts words into word vectors for feature encoding, and the Attention model assigns weights to the target words. Based on the video dataset we built, we completed training and testing. Experiments have proved that the accuracy of the Mandarin Chinese lip-reading model is about 72%. Therefore, MCLRN can be used to identify the words spoken by the speaker.
Energy efficient resource allocation for re-configurable intelligent surface-assisted wireless networks
Authors: Bidabadi Samaneh , Ahmed Ouameur Messaoud , Bagaa Miloud , Massicotte Daniel
Published: September 2023

This paper focuses on energy-efficient resource allocation in reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS)-assisted multiple-input-single-output (MISO) communication systems. Specifically, it revisits the solution to the energy efficiency (EE) problem using the alternating optimization (AO) approach. In each AO iteration, the RIS phase optimization is achieved using the gradient descent method, which unfortunately does not guarantee convergence. To overcome this limitation, we propose two alternatives: the Wolfe-based gradient-descent (GAW) EE maximization Algorithm and the trust region (TR)-based EE maximization algorithm. Additionally, we use Dinkelbach’s algorithm to obtain the optimal transmit power allocation. Our results demonstrate that the proposed methods outperform the existing approach that uses sequential fractional programming (SFP) for phase optimization and the traditional relay-based method.
Guilty or not guilty by reason of insanity? a comparative study of murderers referred for psychiatric examination by court order
Authors: Antar Anat Yaron
Published: September 2023

Background

Some murders are committed under the influence of a psychotic state resulting from a mental disorder, mainly schizophrenia. According to the law in many countries, people with mental disorders do not have criminal responsibility. They are defined as not guilty due to insanity (insanity defense) and therefore cannot be punished. In Israel, in recent years, more lawyers are requesting psychiatric opinions for the murder defendants they represent. This study aims to explore the differences between two groups of murderers: individuals who committed murder and were found not guilty by reason of insanity (NGRI) and individuals who committed murder and were found responsible and guilty. The comparison is made from a broad perspective by examining sociodemographic factors and psychiatric factors as well as criminological and forensic factors.

Methods

This study, conducted in Israel, analyzes the sociodemographic and forensic differences between 72 individuals who committed murder and were found not guilty by reason of insanity (NGRI) and 56 individuals who committed murder and were found responsible for their actions and fit to stand trial (guilty).

Results

The findings show that NGRI participants were more likely to be from central areas, to be Jewish (rather than Arab), to be diagnosed with schizophrenia and have a background of hospitalizations before committing the murder, to have remained at the murder scene and/or called for help, and to be less likely to have committed the murder with a partner.

Conclusions

The study’s findings are explained and the limitations discussed. The findings add to the existing knowledge base about murder by reason of insanity and the differences between NGRI and criminal murderers. The characteristics of the NGRI group found here can help to identify risk groups and to develop and implement prevention programs for people with mental disorders who are at risk of violent behavior.
A novel approach to determining augmented bone volume in intraoral bone block augmentation using an intraoral scanner: an in vitro study
Authors: Frederic Weichel , Lukas Kalchthaler , Reinald Kühle , Christopher Büsch , Oliver Ristow , Michael Engel , Christian Freudlsperger , Jürgen Hoffmann , Christian Mertens
Published: September 2023

Introduction

Bone augmentation procedures are established tools for reshaping the alveolar ridge and increasing bone volume. Different approaches are being used to measure postoperative bone volume gain. This study aimed to develop an objective and automated volume measurement tool equally as precise as manual slice-by-slice annotation.

Materials and methods

To evaluate the proposed workflow, we performed an in vitro study with 20 pig mandibles that were grafted using three different grafting techniques—autogenous full block, split block bone and shell augmentation. The pig jaws were scanned pre- and postoperatively using an intraoral scanner. The resulting surface files (baseline, full block, split block, shell) were processed using the new volume-measuring workflow as well as using manual slice-by-slice annotation at baseline (t0) and at 6 months (t1) using the same population. Two TOSTs (Test of One-Sided Significance) and NHSTs (Null Hypothesis Significance Test) were used to compare the two workflows. The intra-rater reliability between t0 and t1 was determined using intraclass correlation coefficients.

Results

The mean difference for the full block augmentation technique was − 0.015 cm3 (p < 0.001); for the split block technique, it was − 0.034 cm3p = 0.01, and for the shell technique, it was − 0.042 cm3. All results were statistically not different from zero and statistically equivalent to zero. The results also showed an excellent absolute intra-rater agreement.

Conclusions

The semiautomatic volume measurement established in this article achieves comparable results to manual slice-by-slice measuring in determining volumes on STL files generated by intraoral scanners and shows an excellent intra-rater reliability.

Graphical Abstract
Heat exposure and hospitalizations for chronic kidney disease in China: a nationwide time series study in 261 major Chinese cities
Authors: Wang Fu-Lin , Wang Wan-Zhou , Zhang Fei-Fei , Peng Su-Yuan , Wang Huai-Yu , Chen Rui , Wang Jin-Wei , Li Peng-Fei , Wang Yang , Zhao Ming-Hui , Yang Chao , Zhang Lu-Xia
Published: September 2023

Background

Climate change profoundly shapes the population health at the global scale. However, there was still insufficient and inconsistent evidence for the association between heat exposure and chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Methods

In the present study, we studied the association of heat exposure with hospitalizations for cause-specific CKD using a national inpatient database in China during the study period of hot season from 2015 to 2018. Standard time-series regression models and random-effects meta-analysis were developed to estimate the city-specific and national averaged associations at a 7 lag-day span, respectively.

Results

A total of 768,129 hospitalizations for CKD was recorded during the study period. The results showed that higher temperature was associated with elevated risk of hospitalizations for CKD, especially in sub-tropical cities. With a 1 °C increase in daily mean temperature, the cumulative relative risks (RR) over lag 0–7 d were 1.008 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.003–1.012] for nationwide. The attributable fraction of CKD hospitalizations due to high temperatures was 5.50%. Stronger associations were observed among younger patients and those with obstructive nephropathy. Our study also found that exposure to heatwaves was associated with added risk of hospitalizations for CKD compared to non-heatwave days (RR = 1.116, 95% CI 1.069–1.166) above the effect of daily mean temperature.

Conclusions

Short-term heat exposure may increase the risk of hospitalization for CKD. Our findings provide insights into the health effects of climate change and suggest the necessity of guided protection strategies against the adverse effects of high temperatures.
Large-scale energy storage system: safety and risk assessment
Authors: Moa Ernest Hiong Yew , Go Yun Ii
Published: September 2023

The International Renewable Energy Agency predicts that with current national policies, targets and energy plans, global renewable energy shares are expected to reach 36% and 3400 GWh of stationary energy storage by 2050. However, IRENA Energy Transformation Scenario forecasts that these targets should be at 61% and 9000 GWh to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050 and limit the global temperature rise within the twenty-first century to under 2 °C. Despite widely known hazards and safety design of grid-scale battery energy storage systems, there is a lack of established risk management schemes and models as compared to the chemical, aviation, nuclear and the petroleum industry. Incidents of battery storage facility fires and explosions are reported every year since 2018, resulting in human injuries, and millions of US dollars in loss of asset and operation. Traditional risk assessment practices such as ETA, FTA, FMEA, HAZOP and STPA are becoming inadequate for accident prevention and mitigation of complex energy power systems. This work describes an improved risk assessment approach for analyzing safety designs in the battery energy storage system incorporated in large-scale solar to improve accident prevention and mitigation, via incorporating probabilistic event tree and systems theoretic analysis. The causal factors and mitigation measures are presented. The risk assessment framework presented is expected to benefit the Energy Commission and Sustainable Energy Development Authority, and Department of Standards in determining safety engineering guidelines and protocols for future large-scale renewable energy projects. Stakeholders and Utility companies will benefit from improved safety and reliability by avoiding high-cost asset damages and downtimes due to accident events.
How to manage a scientific project in biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) and the topics that needed to be searched?
Authors: Shamseldin Abdelaal
Published: September 2023

Planning to have a good scientific project generally or specifically in BNF is a main target for young scientists and PhD students worldwide. Therefore, it is hardly urgent to well manage the project, which defined the use of knowledge, skills and methods to achieve objectives of the project in the determined time without delay. Consequently, in this letter I will explain the main points that needed to be covered to manage a research project in BNF and which subjects of research are requested to be covered in the future.
Effects of a novel, non-invasive pre-hatch application of probiotic for broilers on development of cecum microbiota and production performance
Authors: Villumsen Kasper Rømer , Sandvang Dorthe , Vestergård Gisle , Olsen Mia Son Räfle , Juul Johanne , Dencker Morten , Kudsk Johannes , Poulsen Louise Ladefoged
Published: September 2023

Background

Probiotics are used in the broiler industry to increase production performance. Most often a probiotic is applied by mixing it in the feed, but studies have shown that earlier application may be advantageous. Therefore, in ovo application where the probiotic is administrated into the egg before hatch has been investigated as an alternative application method. However, in ovo application may impact hatchability negatively and may not be feasible at all hatcheries. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of a novel non-invasive method for mass application before hatch. The probiotic (E. faecium 669) was applied as a single dose by spray on the unhatched eggs and production performance and development of the cecal microbiota until slaughter was compared with a control flock. Through 16S rRNA sequencing of cecal samples from 25 broilers at day 7, 21 and 37 we compared the microbiota composition and richness for each group. The study was repeated for additional recording of production performance and re-isolation of the probiotic E. faecium from the intestine.

Results

In both trials the probiotic E. faecium could be re-isolated from the yolk sac and intestine at hatch and at day 7. Broilers in the probiotic treated groups had a higher performance in terms of bodyweight at day 34 and European production efficiency factor. Finally, a significant reduction of first-week and overall mortality was observed in the probiotic group in the first trial. Based on 16S rRNA profiling, significant differences in alpha diversity were found exclusively at day 37. Estimation of beta diversities, however, identified significant differences in microbiota composition between the control and probiotic group at day 7, 21 and 37.

Conclusion

The probiotic E. faecium strain successfully colonized broilers before/during hatch after a single spray application at day 18 of incubation. Positive effects of the probiotic were observed in multiple production parameters, including reduced mortality in trial 1, and microbiota analyses indicate significantly different microbiota compositions throughout the experimental phase. Taken together, the novel low-tech mass administration of E. faecium (669) may be considered a feasible strategy for improvements of production parameters in broiler production.
Intertrochanteric curved varus osteotomy for subchondral fracture of the femoral head: a case series
Authors: Otaka Keiji , Osawa Yusuke , Takegami Yasuhiko , Seki Taisuke , Imagama Shiro
Published: September 2023

Although favorable results have been reported with total hip arthroplasty, joint-preserving treatment should be the first choice for subchondral fracture of the femoral head (SFF) in young patients. This study reviewed four young male patients with SFF who underwent intertrochanteric curved varus osteotomy (CVO). The patients had a mean age of 32.3 years (range: 18–49 years). Conservative treatment was initially attempted in all cases, but failed to alleviate the pain, leading to surgical intervention at an average time of 6 months (range: 4–10 months) after symptom onset. As the fracture sites were located medial to the lateral edge of the acetabulum in all cases, CVO was performed to achieve a postoperative intact ratio of ≥ 34% in the weight-bearing region of the femoral head. The average follow-up period after surgery lasted 4.3 years (range: 2–7 years). Clinical and radiographic assessments were performed pre- and postoperatively. At the latest follow-up, the mean Harris hip score improved from 67.3 preoperatively to 99.5 postoperatively. The average preoperative intact ratio of the weight-bearing region of the femoral head was 12.3%, which increased to 44.3% postoperatively. No progression to femoral head collapse or joint space narrowing was observed on the plain radiographs. CVO is a simple, less-invasive, and beneficial approach for treating SFF in young patients whose fractures occur medial to the lateral edge of the acetabulum.
Quantitative analysis of the importance and correlation of urban bridges and roads in the study of road network vulnerability
Authors: Xiao Qinghua , Huang Hongwei , Tang Chao
Published: September 2023

The city development is closely related to the performance of the transportation network system. Bridges and roads are important parts of the transportation system, and are also inseparable components of the transportation network. However, the effect of the correlation between bridges and roads on the network system has not been studies thoroughly in the literature. Therefore, it is necessary to analyse the vulnerability of the road network when both bridges and roads are involved. In this paper, the urban road network is modeled into the form of network connection and node, based on the analysis of the related research results of road network vulnerability in the literature. Taking the urban roads at all levels as the connection and the transportation hubs (including bridges) as the nodes, the paper puts forward the corresponding measurement indexes and calculation methods, and establishes the importance and correlation analysis model of roads and bridges in the urban road network. At last, the model is applied to the road network which is 5 × 3 km2  besides Yangpu Bridge of Shanghai for verification, the importance and correlation of specific roads and bridges in the analyzed urban road network are calculated, which provides a certain basis for dealing with various emergencies leading to the decline of urban road network vulnerability. In this paper, the importance analysis of urban road network is extended to the bridge correlation analysis, so that the proposed model of the vulnerability assessment of the urban road network system is more suitable for the increasingly demand of road and bridge construction in China, and provides a certain basis for dealing with the decline of road network vulnerability caused by various emergencies.
Intracranial pressure for clinicians: it is not just a number
Authors: Cucciolini Giada , Motroni Virginia , Czosnyka Marek
Published: September 2023

Background

Invasive intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring is a standard practice in severe brain injury cases, where it allows to derive cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP); ICP-tracing can also provide additional information about intracranial dynamics, forecast episodes of intracranial hypertension and set targets for a tailored therapy to prevent secondary brain injury. Nevertheless, controversies about the advantages of an ICP clinical management are still debated.

Findings

This article reviews recent research on ICP to improve the understanding of the topic and uncover the hidden information in this signal that may be useful in clinical practice. Parameters derived from time-domain as well as frequency domain analysis include compensatory reserve, autoregulation estimation, pulse waveform analysis, and behavior of ICP in time. The possibility to predict the outcome and apply a tailored therapy using a personalised perfusion pressure target is also described.

Conclusions

ICP is a crucial signal to monitor in severely brain injured patients; a bedside computer can empower standard monitoring giving new metrics that may aid in clinical management, establish a personalized therapy, and help to predict the outcome. Continuous collaboration between engineers and clinicians and application of new technologies to healthcare, is vital to improve the accuracy of current metrics and progress towards better care with individualized dynamic targets.
Propagation dynamics of elliptical super-Gaussian bullets in nonlinear metamaterial waveguide
Authors: Abuzaid Dina , Asma Mir
Published: September 2023

The characteristics of an optical beam propagating in a medium should be preserved for many applications related to fiber optic communication. The phenomenon of self-trapping due to adequate balance among linear and nonlinear effects may preserve the characteristics of an optical beam. In this work, we perform a theoretical investigation on the propagation of a spatiotemporal elliptical super-Gaussian beam in a Kerr nonlinear metamaterial waveguide. We follow the Lagrangian variational method and numerical analysis using the appropriate trial function for the input elliptical super-Gaussian beam and analyze the self-trapping and deformation of the propagating beam in metamaterials. We obtain special conditions to observe the self-trapping and stabilize the dynamics of the elliptical super-Gaussian beam in both negative and positive index regimes of the metamaterial. It is found that in the negative index regime of metamaterial, the phenomenon of self-trapping may exist in the normal dispersion regime with defocusing Kerr nonlinearity. However similar to the conventional medium, the robust balance among the anomalous dispersion and focussing Kerr nonlinearity supports the self-trapping in the positive index regime. There is a critical optical power for the input beam to observe the pulse trapping phenomena. This power is found to be a function of the super-Gaussian parameter as well as the ellipticity of the input beam. The period of self-trapping is also a function of the super-Gaussian parameter and the ellipticity of the input beam.
Prognosticators of Functional Outcome After Supratentorial Minimally Invasive Intracranial Hemorrhage Evacuation With Tubular Retractor Systems
Authors: Kashkoush Ahmed Ismail , El-Abtah Mohamed E. , Achey Rebecca , Winkelman Robert , Glauser Gregory , Patterson Thomas E. , Moore Nina Z. , Kshettry Varun R. , Gomes Joao A. , Bain Mark
Published: September 2023

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES:

Prognosticators of good functional outcome after minimally invasive surgical (MIS) intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) evacuation are poorly defined. This study aims to investigate clinical and radiographic prognosticators of poor functional outcome after MIS evacuation of ICH with tubular retractor systems.

METHODS:

Single-center retrospective review of adult (age ≥18 years) patients who underwent surgical evacuation of a spontaneous supratentorial ICH evacuation using tubular retractors from 2013 to 2022 was performed. Clinical and radiographic factors, such as antiplatelet/anticoagulant use, initial NIH Stroke Scale, ICH score, premorbid modified Rankin Scale (mRS), intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) severity according to the modified Graeb scale, and preoperative/postoperative ICH volume, were collected. The main outcome was poor functional outcome, defined as mRS score of 4–6 within 1 year postoperatively.

RESULTS:

Eighty-eight patients were included. Clinical follow-up data were available for 64 (73%) patients. Of those, 43 (67%) had a poor functional outcome. On multivariate Cox regression, postoperative ICH volume ≥15 mL (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.46 [95% CI: 1.25-4.87]; P = .010) and higher modified Graeb score (HR = 1.04 [95% CI: 1-1.1]; P = .035] significantly increased the risk of poor functional outcome. Elevated postoperative ICH volume was predicted by the presence of lobar ICH (vs nonlobar, OR = 3.32 [95% CI: 1.01-11.55]; P = .043) and higher preoperative ICH volume (OR = 1.05 [1.02-1.08]; P < .001). A minimum of 60% ICH evacuation yielded an improvement in mRS 4–6 rates (HR 0.3 [95% CI: 0.1-0.8], P = .013). In patients without IVH and with a >80% ICH evacuation, the rate of mRS 4–6 was 42% compared with 67% in the whole patient sample (P = .017).

CONCLUSION:

Increased IVH volumes and residual postoperative ICH volumes are associated with poor functional outcome after MIS ICH evacuation. Postoperative ICH volume was associated with lobar ICH location as well as preoperative ICH volume. These factors may help to prognosticate patient outcomes and improve selection criteria for MIS ICH evacuation techniques.
Selective Tibial Neurotomy for Spastic Equinovarus Foot: Operative Technique
Authors: Thum Jasmine , Bazarek Stanley , Sten Margaret , Friedman Gabriel , Mandeville Ross , Brown Justin M.
Published: September 2023

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES:

Spastic equinovarus foot (SEF) is a common complication of stroke and other upper motor neuron injuries. It is characterized by a plantigrade and inverted foot, often with toe curling, causing significant disability from pain, gait, and balance difficulties. Management includes physical therapy, antispasticity drugs, orthoses, chemical neurolysis, or botulinum toxin, all of which may be insufficient, sedating, or transient. Selective tibial neurotomy (STN) provides a surgical option that is effective and long-lasting. Our goal is to provide a concise description of our technique for performing the STN for treatment of SEF. We discuss the standard posterior approach with surgical variations used by other groups and a medial approach, should the posterior approach be insufficient.

METHODS:

A posterior leg approach allows access to the tibial nerve and its branches to the bilateral gastrocnemius muscles, soleus, posterior tibialis, and extrinsic toe flexors. A medial approach is used if the toe flexors cannot be accessed sufficiently from the posterior approach. Nerve branch targets identified by preoperative functional assessment are carefully exposed and fully neurolysed distally to identify all terminal branches to each muscle of interest before neurotomy.

RESULTS:

The STN is a powerful tool for treating SEF, with an immediate and lasting effect. Approximately 80% of the target muscle should be denervated to ensure long-term efficacy while maintaining adequate function of the muscle through collateral innervation.

CONCLUSION:

The STN is a safe and effective outpatient procedure that can be performed by an experienced nerve surgeon to improve balance and ambulation and reduce pain for patients with SEF. Large clinical trials are necessary to further establish this underutilized procedure in the United States.
Paxillin regulates liver fibrosis via actin polymerization and ERK activation in hepatic stellate cells
Authors: Hijazi Nour , Shi Zengdun , Rockey Don C.
Published: September 2023

Liver injury leads to fibrosis and cirrhosis. The primary mechanism underlying the fibrogenic response is the activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), which are ‘quiescent’ in normal liver but become ‘activated’ after injury by transdifferentiating into extracellular matrix (ECM)-secreting myofibroblasts. Given that integrins are important in HSC activation and fibrogenesis, we hypothesized that paxillin, a key downstream effector in integrin signaling, might be critical in the fibrosis pathway. Using a cell-culture-based model of HSC activation and in vivo models of liver injury, we found that paxillin is upregulated in activated HSCs and fibrotic livers. Overexpression of paxillin (both in vitro and in vivo) led to increased ECM protein expression, and depletion of paxillin in a novel conditional mouse injury model reduced fibrosis. The mechanism by which paxillin mediated this effect appeared to be through the actin cytoskeleton, which signals to the ERK pathway and induces ECM protein production. These data highlight a novel role for paxillin in HSC biology and fibrosis.
Η εικόνα της μοντέρνας αρχιτεκτονικής στον κινηματογράφο μυθοπλασίας μετά το 1980
Authors: Ανδρονίκου Μαρία
Published: September 2023

Η διατριβή αναλύει την μοντέρνα αρχιτεκτονική στον χολλυγουντιανό κινηματογράφο μετά το 1980, περίοδο κατά την οποίαν ο μοντέρνος σχεδιασμός συνδέεται με αρνητικούς, κυρίως ανδρικούς χαρακτήρες, που συχνά συμπεριφέρονται βίαια στους γυναικείους. Έχουν επιλεχθεί 7 ταινίες από την συγκεκριμένη περίοδο καθώς και μια εκτός περιόδου, η οποία λειτουργεί εν είδει αντιπαραδείγματος. Οι ταινίες αναλύονται εκτενώς με έμφαση στο production design και στα συμπεράσματα ερμηνεύεται το υπό εξέταση φαινόμενο της ενοχοποίησης του μοντερνισμού.
The genome sequence of the flavous nomad bee, Nomada flava (Panzer, 1798)
Authors: Falk Steven , Monks Joseph ,   University of Oxford and Wytham Woods Genome Acquisition Lab,   Darwin Tree of Life Barcoding collective,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Tree of Life programme,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Scientific Operations: DNA Pipelines collective,   Tree of Life Core Informatics collective,   Darwin Tree of Life Consortium
Published: September 2023

We present a genome assembly from an individual male Nomada flava (the flavous nomad bee; Arthropoda; Insecta; Hymenoptera; Apidae). The genome sequence is 308.4 megabases in span. Most of the assembly is scaffolded into 14 chromosomal pseudomolecules. The mitochondrial genome has also been assembled and is 31.29 kilobases in length.
Anabolic-androgenic steroids. Mechanism of action and clinical effects
Authors: Matyja Daria , Abod Leila , Ilnicka Natalia , Sadlik Maria , Zuziak Patrycja
Published: September 2023

Introduction and aim. Anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) are used for the rapid enhancement of muscular mass and optimization of athletic performance. Their administration is frequently linked with a plethora of adverse health implications. The primary objective of this study is to provide a comprehensive analysis of multifaceted impacts of anabolic-androgenic steroids on the human body.
Material and methods. A review of literature was performed by searching PubMed and GoogleScholar databases using the following key words: anabolic-androgenic steroids, muscular hypertrophy, female masculinization.
Analysis of the literature. Anabolic-androgenic steroids are synthetically manufactured derivatives of testosterone. Given the widespread distribution of the androgen receptor, the effects of these steroids are broad, influencing almost all bodily functions. Their impacts include, promoting muscular hypertrophy including that of the cardiac muscle, premature epiphyseal closure, liver diseases, masculinization in females, feminization in males, and degradation in sperm quality.
Conclusion. AAS consumption is a significant public health problem. While they may appeal to users by enhancing their physical attractiveness they carry multiple health consequences. Patients should be educated about the adverse effects of taking AAS so they can make informed decision about starting or stopping their use.
wind of change – PCSK9 inhibitors in hypolipidemic treatment. The Polish perspective
Authors: Ilnicka Natalia , Zuziak Patrycja , Sadlik Maria , Matyja Daria , Abod Leila
Published: September 2023

Introduction and aim. Cardiovascular diseases are the main cause of mortality in the world. One of the alterable risk factors of ischaemic heart disease is dyslipidemia. Discovery and usage of a new group of drugs - PCSK9 (proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9) inhibitors lead to a decrease of LDL-C (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol) levels in patients who are resistant to standard hypolipidemic therapy. The aim of this paper is to introduce PCSK9 inhibitors and describe their usage in medicine. 

Material and methods. A review of the available literature was performed by searching the PubMed and GoogleScholar databases using the following key words: PCSK9 inhibitors; alirocumab; evolocumab; inclisiran. 

Analysis of the literature. According to the European Society of Cardiology guidelines for dyslipidemias from year 2019, the main aim of dyslipidemia treatment is LDL-C reduction to target values depending on patient risk levels. It may be achieved in 2 ways, namely, by lifestyle modification or by pharmacological treatment with statins, fibrates and cholesterol absorption inhibitors. However, a therapy with PCSK9 inhibitors may be considered the most effective in certain groups of patients. Evolocumab and alirocumab are 2 representatives of those new drugs, which are allowed for use in 3 scenarios – in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia, in those with high risk of cardiovascular incident, and in those with statin intolerance. The major advantage of the aforementioned drugs is their safety. Since 2021 inclisiran (the first drug in siRNA class) is available for use as a new type of PCSK9 blocker. 

Conclusion. PCSK9 inhibitors can be life-saving for patients with a high risk of cardiovascular incidents associated with an elevated level of LDL-C. They reduce LDL-C more efficiently and have fewer side effects in comparison with the other hypolipidemic drugs. Therefore, PCSK9 inhibitors play a very important role in the lipid-lowering treatment.
Los Sistemas Nacionales de Partidos durante la Crisis Económica. El caso de Portugal (2009-2022).
Authors: Díaz-Montiel Alberto
Published: September 2023

Uno de los efectos clásicos de las crisis económicas es su impacto en la estabilidad del sistema de partidos políticos en las sociedades democráticas, pero en el caso de Portugal los datos iniciales sobre la crisis de 2008 apuntan a que se trata de una excepción. El objetivo de este estudio es analizar el grado de estabilidad del sistema de partidos portugués a lo largo de las últimas 5 elecciones generales (2009, 2011, 2015, 2019 y 2022), generando hipótesis para interpretar sus particularidades. La metodología aplicada consiste en realizar un análisis estadístico, elaborando indicadores de evolución electoral, competitividad, volatilidad y fragmentación con los datos que ofrece el Ministerio de Administración Interna del Gobierno de Portugal. Entre los resultados destaca que la crisis del 2008 favoreció alternancia en el gobierno entre los dos grandes partidos, pero se mantuvo la estabilidad del sistema de partidos. Se concluye como hipótesis interpretativa de la estabilidad, la alta capacidad de pacto que los partidos lusos mantuvieron.
No Name, no Fame: A Bibliometric Analysis of Publications of Giftedness in Adults.
Authors: Infante Rejano Eduardo , Scurtu Tura Maria Claudia , Jiménez Soto Annabel , Santana Mónica
Published: September 2023

The aim of the present study is to conduct a systematic review and analysis of the literature on gifted adults to explore the state of research in this area. A bibliometric science mapping tool, based on co-word analysis and h-index, is applied using the Science Mapping Analysis Software Tool (SciMAT). Initially, 661 articles published between 1948 and 2022 were retrieved from the Web of Science (WoS). Refined by English language and specific descriptors, 376 results were considered, and 28 themes and 32 clusters were identified as significant in the giftedness literature. Supported by life-span studies and earlier work on ability, data analysis revealed that adult giftedness is an emerging topic of research with a tentative development only a decade ago. The emergence of studies on giftedness in adults appears to be driven not only by cognitive testing (i.e., intelligence studies) or achievement research, but also, and more recently, by life satisfaction studies and the use of qualitative methodologies.
Origen del protocolo: la cooperación humana.
Authors: Delmás Martín Daniel
Published: September 2023

Cualquier disciplina científica que quiera consolidarse necesita conocer sus orígenes. Este es el objetivo del presente artículo, la búsqueda de indicios y datos que nos lleven a establecer el origen del protocolo. Vamos a poner un punto de partida, y, bajo nuestro punto de vista, abrir una línea de investigación clara para la disciplina de la organización de eventos. Para desarrollar este trabajo hemos empleado el método hipotético-deductivo y la herramienta de la revisión bibliográfica. Nuestra hipótesis de partida era la socialización humana, pero una vez descartada esta opción, la cooperación humana junto a la llamada revolución cognitiva, serán los hitos de la evolución del homo sapiens que permitirán el nacimiento del protocolo tal y como lo entendemos hoy en día. El lenguaje simbólico permitirá al ser humano crear mitos y leyendas que supondrán el elemento que mantenga unido a grupos numerosos de individuos. El protocolo (y los eventos) es la herramienta que articulará la celebración de los símbolos haciendo tangible aquello que pertenece a la imaginación colectiva humana.
Política, ceremonial y protocolo en la Italia Moderna: el doge Veneciano como símbolo de poder.
Authors: Rubio Calero Diana
Published: September 2023

El dogo en la República de Venecia era una figura de gran importancia política y ceremonial. Conocido también como doge o dux, su liderazgo encarnaba el poder y la autoridad de la ciudad, y su papel abarcaba aspectos tanto gubernamentales como simbólicos. Desde la ceremonia de toma de posesión hasta su funeral, la figura del dogo estaba rodeada de rituales y eventos que enfatizaban su estatus y legitimidad, dando sentido a la escenificación del poder en la Italia Moderna. A través de su participación en eventos públicos, liturgias religiosas y actos de representación diplomática, este personaje era símbolo de la grandeza y el prestigio de la denominada Serenísima. Estos aspectos ceremoniales y simbólicos añadían un aire de majestuosidad y solemnidad a la figura del dogo, consolidando así su importancia como líder supremo de Venecia. El ceremonial, el protocolo y la etiqueta fueron herramientas de comunicación indispensables para su imagen e influencia, en una época en la que esta ciudad dominó el mar Mediterráneo. En este trabajo, a través de un exhaustivo análisis de obras y manuales, se van a exponer aquellos aspectos relativos a la escenificación del poder ejercido por este personaje histórico a través del ceremonial y la etiqueta; particularmente en aquellos actos que suponen su ciclo político, desde su ascensión al poder, hasta su funeral.
Społeczeństwo staropolskie: Studium kultury i mentalności
Authors: Kurkowski Mateusz
Published: September 2023

Społeczeństwo staropolskie. Studium kultury i mentalności otwiera serię wydawniczą Studia Historica Iuvenum Investigatorum związaną ze Studenckim Kołem Naukowym Historyków Uniwersytetu Wrocławskiego im. Szymona Askenazego. Badania nad historią kultury, a w dalszej kolejności – nad historią mentalności stanowią ważny nurt we współczesnych rozważaniach nad historią. W ten właśnie nurt historiografii wpisują się prace wielu historyków polskich zajmujących się czasami nowożytnymi, a poruszane przez nich zagadnienia mają na celu pogłębienie wiedzy na temat społeczeństwa staropolskiego. Takie też założenia przyświecały autorom niniejszej publikacji: studentom i doktorantom z Wrocławia i Warszawy. Zamierzeniem autorów było zwrócenie uwagi na znaczenie badań nad kulturą oraz na wartość dociekań dotyczących tego zakresu dla pogłębiania wiedzy o minionych epokach.
„Dziatkom moim dla informacyjej przyszłego wieku”. Motywacje i pobudki pamiętnikarskie żołnierzy staropolskich w świetle wybranych przykładów
Authors: Różycki Marcin
Published: September 2023

The paper focuses on silhouettes of several particular authors of memoirs in the17th century. All of them share noble background and years of military service,as well as literary sensibility required for creation such specific kind of literature.Their works, although created without influencing each other, have a lotin common, although the text mostly highlights their differences – differentmotivations for writing them in the first place. Study through the mentionedmemoirs allows us to describe at least several sources of such motivations, varyingfrom concern over offspring and their financial stability to sever life traumaswhich needed to be expressed in words. This catalogue, however, remains open,since the study requires continuation and more historical sources taken intoconsideration. The author hopes this paper will serve as a proposition of furtherresearch in this field.
Simultaneous multifocal intracranial haemorrhages associated with staphylococcus aureus endocarditis: a plausible role for diclofenac administration
Authors: Tvivo Ariella , Rokach Ariel , Ben-David Eliel , Simons Moshe , Heyman Samuel Noam
Published: September 2023

Introduction: Intracranial haemorrhage may complicate infective endocarditis, caused by ruptured mycotic aneurysms or haemorrhagic transformation of brain septic emboli. The risk of intracranial bleeding may increase with the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agent (NSAIDs). Case description: We report on a 53-year-old male patient with a past history of intravenous drug abuse, who was treated with diclofenac (75 mg IM) for a few hours of preceding fever and arthralgia. Seven hours later he was hospitalised with impaired consciousness and hemiparesis. Evaluation revealed multiple intracranial haemorrhages, at least one originating from a mycotic aneurysm. Repeated blood cultures grew methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and echocardiography revealed a vegetation on the mitral valve, establishing the diagnosis of bacterial endocarditis. Conclusion: The abrupt simultaneous multifocal intracranial bleeds shortly following the administration of NSAIDs for a few hours of febrile disease, one clearly originating from a mycotic aneurism, are exceptional. This raises a possibility of a role for diclofenac the intracranial bleeding diathesis in this unique clinical presentation. Intracranial haemorrhage in the set-up of undiagnosed infective endocarditis (IE) might be added to the long list of potential adverse outcomes of NSAID administration, and the possibility of IE should be considered before their administration for febrile disease of undetermined cause.
Severe headache in primary Sjögren’s syndrome responded to rituximab
Authors: Kudsi Maysoun , Haidar Ghina , Hadid Batoul , Roumieh Enas , Al-Sayed Safaa
Published: September 2023

Introduction: Primary Sjögren syndrome (pSS) is an immune systemic disease, that may affect the central nervous system. A severe headache unresponsive to treatment is the headache which is persistently nonresponsive to narcotic analgesics. Case presentation: A 48-year-old woman with a 10-year history of pSS was seen in January 2021, complaining of a headache one week previously. The headache was characterised by a dull persistent pressing intensity and was not responding to paracetamol, NSAIDs or codeine. She had no previous history, nor family history. Physical examination revealed bilateral parotid glands enlargement. Laboratory tests showed anaemia, and elevated levels of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP), with positive anti-La and anti-Ro antibodies. She was given topical treatment and different doses of Predlone, in addition to methotrexate10 mg/week. She had received three pulses of methylprednisolone and was started on azathioprine with a mild response to the headaches, so she received two initial IV doses of rituximab 375 mg/m2, then every 2 weeks, with a clinical and laboratory response. Two years later, she had no headache. Discussion: Headache that may presented in pSS are tension headaches, migraines and cluster headaches. The therapy is disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, hydroxychloroquine, glucocorticoids and biotherapeutics. Rituximab is used in the treatment of some patients with pSS, especially where it can affect systemic symptoms. Conclusion: Rituximab treatment may be an option for severe headache in patients with pSS. The mechanism is unknown but may be due to depletion of brain auto-reactive B cells. Further research is needed.
Water hammer detection based on FIV online analysis using a distributed fiber optic sensor
Authors: Zheng Jian , Sha Zhou , Feng Hao , Lu Heng , Wu Xiaonv , Chen Shuainan
Published: September 2023

In long-distance oil pipelines, the abnormal flow state of the fluid in the pipeline can cause continuous water hammer effects, which can damage the pipeline and even cause leakage or collapse. Based on this phenomenon, this paper proposes a new, to the best of our knowledge, detection method based on sensing optical fiber and phase-sensitive optical time-domain reflectometry (φ-OTDR) system to solve the problem of continuous water hammer detection in long-distance pipelines. The method uses a non-invasive, low-cost, real-time approach to monitor pipeline wall deformation characteristics and assess flow-induced vibration (FIV) intensity by statistically distinguishing water hammer signals from normal vibration signals and calculating the peak-to-average ratio (PAR) of these signals. Experimental results show that the FIV status of different types of pipelines can be effectively monitored by calculating the PAR of water hammer signals and vibration signals. The measured PAR based on the φ-OTDR system has high consistency with the PAR variation trend of simulation results, the distributed fiber optic sensor is less affected by environmental factors, and its detection distance and anti-interference ability are better than those of high-precision commercial triaxial acceleration sensors.
Unsupervised-learning-based calibration method in microscopic fringe projection profilometry
Authors: Yuan Quan , Wu Jingjing , Zhang Huanlong , Yu Jinmiao , Ye Yunpeng
Published: September 2023

Microscopic fringe projection profilometry (MFPP) technology is widely used in 3D measurement. The measurement precision performed by the MFPP system is closely related to the calibration accuracy. However, owing to the shallow depth of field, calibration in MFPP is frequently influenced by low-quality target images, which would generate inaccurate features and calibration parameter estimates. To alleviate the problem, this paper proposes an unsupervised-learning-based calibration robust to defocus and noise, which could effectively enhance the image quality and increase calibration accuracy. In this method, first, an unsupervised image deblurring network (UIDNet) is developed to recover a sharp target image from the deteriorated one. Free from capturing strictly paired images by a specific vision system or generating the dataset by simulation, the unsupervised deep learning framework can learn more accurate features from the multi-quality target dataset of convenient image acquisition. Second, multi-perceptual loss and Fourier frequency loss are introduced into the UIDNet to improve the training performance. Third, a robust calibration compensation strategy based on 2D discrete Fourier transform is also developed to evaluate the image quality and improve the detection accuracy of the reference feature centers for fine calibration. The relevant experiments demonstrate that the proposed calibration method can achieve superior performance in terms of calibration accuracy and measurement precision.