bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of the diagnostic value of fine needle aspiration and ultrasound in thyroid pathology
Authors: Glushkov P. S. , Azimov R. Kh. , Aleshenko N. L. , Maruchak E. A. , Sych Y. P. , Minkova G. N. , Shemyatovsky K. A. , Gorsky V. A.
Published: January 2024

Fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy has been a powerful tool in the preoperative diagnosis of thyroid nodules for more than 60 years. The Bethesda scale standardizes the results of cytology and is a tool for interaction between the laboratory and the clinician. At the same time, there is a stratification of ultrasound signs of thyroid lesions according to the TI-RADS scale. In this regard, it became necessary to determine the diagnostic value of ultrasound signs of thyroid lesions, stratified by TI-RADS, in comparison with the results of a biopsy, classified by the Bethesda scale.

AIM: a comparative assessment of the results of FNA and ultrasound in determining indications for the surgical treatment of thyroid nodules.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: for 2018–2021 in the surgical department of the SCC №2 of the Petrovsky National Research Centre of Surgery, 859 FNA were performed. For comparative analysis, 141 patients who underwent surgery for thyroid nodules were selected. All patients at the preoperative stage underwent FNA with stratification of the results according to the Bethesda scale and ultrasound of the thyroid gland with stratification according to the EU-TI-RADS scale.

RESULTS: FNA showed high diagnostic accuracy and sensitivity, preoperative thyroid ultrasound had high specificity, but low sensitivity. The high diagnostic value of FNA was confirmed by statistical analysis of the obtained data (OR 31.29 95% CI 2.20–4.69, RR 13.28 95% CI 1.46–3.71). When analyzing preoperative ultrasound, it was not possible to obtain reliable statistical results (OR 2.99 95% CI 0.34-1.85, RR 1.97 95% CI 0.23-1.12).

CONCLUSION: Ultrasound of the thyroid gland cannot replace FNA in thyroid nodules. Biopsy remains the main diagnostic method for nodular goiter. The main objective of TI-RADS-stratified ultrasound is to select patients for subsequent FNA.
Quality of life in patients with hyperparathyroidism before and after surgical treatment
Authors: Ilyicheva E. A. , Bersenev G. A. , Roy T. A.
Published: January 2024

BACKGROUND: Hyperparathyroidism (HPT) is a syndrome characterized by excessive synthesis of parathyroid hormone (PTH), an imbalance of phosphorus-calcium metabolism, and damage to target organs. Radical treatment of any clinical variant of HPT is surgical. In this regard, the assessment of the quality of life (QoL) of patients before and after surgery is an indicator that reflects the impact of the disease on the patient’s health and the effectiveness of the treatment.

AIM: To study QoL of patients with various clinical variants of HPT before and after surgical treatment.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The single-center prospective study included patients operated on for primary (PHPT), secondary (SHPT) and tertiary HPT in 2019–2021. A comparison was made of preand postoperative QoL indicators with a sample comparable in sex and age from residents of the Irkutsk region.

RESULTS: The study included 100 patients, of which 13 had multiple lesions of the parathyroid glands (PTG) and 51 with solitary lesions in PHPT, 34 with SHPT and 2 with SHPT. Indicators QoL of patients with HPT before surgery is statistically significantly lower than in the region. The greatest decrease in QoL was found in the group of patients with multiple PTG lesions in PHPT. Improvement in QoL was achieved in 90% of the studied patients. Despite the identified complications, there was an improvement in QoL after surgery in case of achieving remission of the disease. Persistence of the disease is an outcome that does not allow for a statistically significant improvement in QoL after surgery for any type of HPT. Deterioration of QoL according to some indicators was found in 10% of patients. In patients with solitary PTG lesions in PHPT, deterioration in QoL is associated with postoperative hypocalcemia against the background of the «hungry bones» syndrome, and in patients with SHPT with a decrease in parathyroid hormone below population indicators.

CONCLUSION: The study demonstrates QoL of patients with various clinical variants of hyperparathyroidism before and after surgical treatment. The dynamics of QoL indicators depending on the nosology, volume, duration, outcome and complications of operations is shown.
A fotografia como porta de entrada para a cultura escolar: imagens de escolas da cidade de Londrina, Paraná (1950-1985)
Authors: Oliveira Sandra Regina Ferreira de , Marcolino Gabrieli de Assis
Published: January 2024

Apresentam-se os resultados de pesquisa realizada no acervo do Museu Escolar de Londrina – MEL, cujo objetivo foi identificar quais são as tipologias de ações fotografadas e as possibilidades para o estudo da Cultura Escolar. Foram analisadas onze coleções, totalizando 718 fotografias datadas de 1950 a 1985. O referencial teórico aproxima o conceito de Cultura Escolar do campo da História da Educação. Os resultados indicam cinco tipologias: ações políticas, cotidiano escolar, celebrações, datas comemorativas e gestão municipal. Conclui-se que o estudo possibilita adentrar no campo da Cultura Escolar e compreender a escola em suas dimensões mais complexas, isto é, por meio da percepção do que a escola guarda além do seu currículo oficial, assim como permite conhecer a relação sempre presente entre a Educação Escolar e os movimentos da cidade em todos os seus aspectos.
Cell Membrane-Derived Microvesicles in Systemic Inflammatory Response
Authors: Šibíková M. , Živný Jan , Janota Jan
Published: January 2024

Human body reacts to physical, chemical and biological insults with a complex inflammatory reaction. Crucial components and executors of this response are endothelial cells, platelets, white blood cells, plasmatic coagulation system, and complement. Endothelial injury and inflammation are associated with elevated blood levels of cell membrane-derived microvesicles. Increased concentrations of microvesicles were found in several inflammatory reactions and diseases including acute coronary syndromes, stroke, vasculitis, venous thromboembolism, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, anti-phospholipid antibody syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, viral myocarditis, sepsis, disseminated intravascular coagulation, polytrauma, and burns. Microvesicles can modulate a variety of cellular processes, thereby having an impact on pathogenesis of diseases associated with inflammation. Microvesicles are important mediators and potential biomarkers of systemic inflammation. Measurement of inflammatory cell-derived microvesicles may be utilized in diagnostic algorithms and used for detection and determination of severity in diseases associated with inflammatory responses, as well as for prediction of their outcome. This review focuses on the mechanisms of release of microvesicles in diseases associated with systemic inflammation and their potential role in the regulation of cellular and humoral interactions.
Epigenetic View on Interferon γ Signalling in Tumour Cells
Authors: Selinger E. , Reiniš Milan
Published: January 2024

IFN-γ is a pleiotropic cytokine crucial for both innate and adaptive immunity, which also plays a critical role in immunological surveillance of cancer. Genetic defects or gene silencing in the IFN-γ signal transduction pathways as well as in the expression of IFN-γ-regulated genes represent frequent mechanisms by which tumour cells can escape from immune responses. Epigenetic control of the IFN-γ signalling pathway activation associated with epigenetic changes in the corresponding regulatory gene regions, such as chromatin remodelling, histone acetylation and methylation, and DNA demethylation is frequently dysregulated in tumour cells. Epigenetic silencing of the IFN-γ regulatory pathway components, as well as of the IFN-γ-regulated genes crucial for tumour cell recognition or induction of anti-tumour immune responses, has been documented in various cancer models. Expression of both IFN-γ signalling pathway components and selected IFN-γ-regulated genes can be influenced by epigenetic modifiers, namely DNA methyltransferase and histone deacetylase inhibitors. These agents thus can mimic, restore, or boost the immunomodulatory effects of IFN-γ in tumour cells, which can contribute to their anti-tumour therapeutic efficacies and justifies their potential use in combined epigenetic therapy with immunotherapeutic approaches.
Evolutionary game analysis of government, businesses, and consumers in high-standard farmland low-carbon construction
Authors: Dai Yuting , Liu Jinbao , Du Yichun
Published: January 2024

Soil is an important carbon reservoir, and high-standard farmland construction projects have significant potential to promote low-carbon development. In order to study the management and implementation of low-carbon production in high-standard farmland construction projects, the tripartite evolution game model of government, business, and consumer is constructed based on the tripartite bounded rationality. Then, the behavior strategy of tripartite stakeholders is analyzed with the method of system dynamics. Finally, the evolution process of tripartite interaction behavior is simulated using the MATLAB tool. The results show that: (1) The subsidy and punishment mechanism of the government must be aligned. In addition, the net income of government regulation is higher than the sum of the government’s environmental governance fees and fines of non-regulation; (2) The government, business, and consumers all choose their own behavioral strategies based on their own interests. (3) When the government’s environmental governance fee reaches a particular value, the system will appear imbalanced. In light of this, it is suggested that the government should increase support for business and use media publicity, consumer subsidies, and other measures to promote the consumption of low-carbon products. The business should constantly reduce the cost of carbon emission reduction through technological innovation.
First albino white-eared opossums in the Caatinga, Northeastern Brazil: records of albinism in Didelphis albiventris (Lund, 1840)
Authors: Freire-Filho Robério , Lopes Alexandre Martins Costa , Câmara Tainara , Damasceno Calebe , Cordeiro José Luís Passos , Vilela Júlio Fernando
Published: January 2024

Unusual colorations are rare in Didelphis, but records are important to understand genetic aspects of the species. Albino individuals have a total absence of pigmentation throughout the body (skin and hair) and have eyes without traces of pigmentation, but with a red or pink color. We draw attention to the first two confirmed records of albinism in white-eared opossum (Didelphis albiventris) and their karyotype. This is the first record of albinism in D. albiventris in Northeastern Brazil. This calls attention to develop future research on the genetic diversity and the risk of inbreeding and consanguinity in populations of this region.
Risk assessment of hitch pins connecting tractor and trailer to enhance the safety of humans using strain life fatigue approach
Authors: Chopra S. , Kumar P. , Kumar M.
Published: January 2024

The hitch pin is a critical component between tractor and trailer. The failure of hitch pins is quite frequent and a serious issue which remains unaddressed to a great extent due to limited information on this topic. This paper presents a novel insight into substandard pins manufactured in the informal sector due to non-conformance to any established standard and opens up a new area for further research on this subject. In the present context, risk factors along with reasons of cracks of in-service hitch pins were assessed to enhance the safety of humans. The pin showed signs of a crack, corrosion, scratches, and dents. Notches and scratches acted as stress raisers. Cracks can be seen initiating from the tip of notches. The pin was made of non-standard mild steel and was not heat treated. The study further demonstrates the methods to improve the fatigue life of the pin using numerical simulation. The hardness method was used to collect the cyclic fatigue properties of the commercially available mild steel for different heat-treated samples using the strain life fatigue approach. The casehardened mild steel pin of a case depth of 1.3 mm with a hardness of 30 HRC had considerably increased fatigue properties. Recommendations have been provided to protect humans from these accidents.
A New Multiphase Apparatus for Testing Soil Permeated with Three Immiscible Fluids
Authors: Yu Jia-ren , Zhou Chao
Published: January 2024

Oil-contaminated unsaturated soil is a complex multiphase material. In this study, a new triaxial apparatus was developed to independently control/measure its air, oil, and water pressures. Therefore, the suctions associated with air–water, air–oil, and oil–water interfaces can be determined. The apparatus utilizes the hanging column and axis-translation techniques to control suctions in 0∼5 kPa and 5∼600 kPa. It is suitable for investigating water/oil retention, isotropic compression, and triaxial shear behavior of oil-contaminated soil. Using this new apparatus, five tests were conducted to analyze the saturation–pressure (S–P) relationship of sand and sandy silt at various oil and water contents and to evaluate the validity of the axis-translation technique for soil permeated with three nonimmersible fluids. Results showed that the artificial increase of air pressure in the axis-translation technique does not obviously alter the air–water and air–oil suctions at constant oil and water contents. A popular suction–saturation model, which was proposed based on test results of clean sands, showed a good prediction of the air–oil suction. However, the oil–water suction results of sandy silt do not align with the model prediction, suggesting that the model may need to be revised for soils with some silt and clay particles.
Measurements of the Limit of Detection for Electrochemical Gas Sensors
Authors: Saffell John R. , Martin Nicholas A.
Published: January 2024

Electrochemical amperometric gas cells are becoming the sensor of choice when measuring polluting gases using low-cost air quality networks. A number of technical issues remain to be resolved to deliver fit-for-purpose monitoring systems: humidity corrections are needed but not well understood, interfering gases such as ozone can have variable cross-sensitivity and calibration intervals, and procedures are still being investigated. Another unanswered question is the limit of detection (LOD) for electrochemical gas sensors. Estimates range from hundreds of equivalent parts per billion (ppbv) to single-digit ppbv concentrations. We discuss the LOD for nitrogen dioxide (NO2), an important gas when monitoring air quality. Multiple NO2 sensor systems were tested in an environmental chamber to determine, among other parameters, the LOD for NO2 electrochemical gas sensors. Low-noise electronics and battery powering further reduced electronic noise, allowing the intrinsic LOD of the electrochemical cell to be determined. Noise, quantified as the standard deviation in zero air in a very stable temperature and relative humidity–controlled chamber was <500 pA, which translated into 1.6 ppbv, so the LOD, 3 × standard deviation, was 4.8 ppb. Interestingly, the LOD calculated with 300 ppbv NO2 test gas was the same (±0.1 ppbv). Further tests with a higher resolution analog-to-digital converter resulted in the same LOD, further leading to the conclusion that for the Alphasense NO2-A43F NO2 sensor, the limiting value for LOD is 4.8 ppbv.
Liver Fibrosis Scores as Predictors of Long-term Outcomes in Patients with ST-segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Zhu Longyang , Chen Yinong , Li Qing , Wang Zhe , Jiao Siqi , Zheng Shuwen , Yang Furong , Sun Yihong
Published: January 2024

Background: Liver fibrosis scores (LFSs) are novel tools for predicting cardiovascular events in patients with coronary artery disease. This study was aimed at examining the prognostic value of LFSs in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).

Methods: Between 2015 and 2019, 866 patients diagnosed with STEMI were consecutively enrolled. The definition of major cardiovascular events (MACEs) was all-cause death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal ischemic stroke, and acute limb ischemia. We evaluated the predictive values of LFSs for MACEs with receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and restricted cubic spline (RCS) analysis. Kaplan-Meier (K-M) analysis was conducted to explore the relationship between LFSs and MACEs.

Results: During a median follow-up of 4 years, 155 MACEs were observed. K-M analysis of MACEs revealed significantly lower event-free survival rates in patients with intermediate or high, rather than low, NFS, FIB-4, BARD, and Forns scores. The multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (95% CI) for MACEs in patients with high versus low risk scores were 1.343 (0.822–2.197) for NFS, 1.922 (1.085–3.405) for FIB-4, 2.395 (1.115–5.142) for BARD, and 2.271 (1.250–4.125) for Forns. The ROC curve indicated that the predictive ability for MACEs was non significantly improved by addition of the NFS (AUC = 0.7274), FIB-4 (AUC = 0.7199), BARD (AUC = 0.7235), and Forns (AUC = 0.7376) scores into the basic model (AUC = 0.7181). RCS revealed a tendency toward a nonlinear positive association of MACEs with NFS, FIB-4, and particularly Forns scores.

Conclusion: LFSs have potential utility for predicting adverse outcomes in patients with STEMI, thus indicating the importance of managing metabolic dysregulation.
Astrocyte-Derived Exosomal miR-148a-3p Suppresses Neuroinflammation and Restores Neurological Function in Traumatic Brain Injury by Regulating the Microglial Phenotype
Authors: Qian Yan , Li Xin , Li Guiliang , Liu Huali , Li Qiaofen , Liu Xia , Zhang Yang , He Zongying , Zhao Ying , Fan Hong
Published: January 2024

Interactions between astrocytes and microglia play an important role in the regeneration and repair of traumatic brain injury (TBI), and exosomes are involved in cell–cell interactions. A TBI model was constructed in rats. Brain extract (Ext) was isolated 1 d after TBI. Astrocyte-derived exosomes were obtained by coculturing Ext with primary astrocytes, and the morphology of exosomes was observed by electron microscopy. The isolated exosomes were cocultured with microglia to observe phenotypic changes in M1 and M2 markers. Aberrant RNA expression was detected in necrotic brain tissue and edematous brain tissue. The role of miR-148a-3p in regulating microglial phenotype was explored by knocking down or overexpressing miR-148a-3p. Finally, the effect of miR-148a-3p on TBI was studied in a rat TBI model. Astrocyte-derived exosomes stimulated by Ext promoted the transition of microglia from the M1 phenotype to the M2 phenotype. MiR-148a-3p was highly expressed in TBI. Transfecting miR-148a-3p promoted the transition of microglia from the M1 phenotype to the M2 phenotype and inhibited the lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammatory response in pre-microglia. In a rat TBI model, miR-148a-3p significantly improved the modified neurological severity score and attenuated brain injury, which promoted the transition of microglia from the M1 phenotype to the M2 phenotype. MiR-148a-3p alleviated TBI by inhibiting the nuclear factor κB pathway. Astrocyte-derived exosomal miR-148a-3p regulates the microglial phenotype, inhibits neuroinflammation, and restores neurological function in TBI. These results provide new potential targets for the treatment of TBI.
Prawo do ochrony zdrowia a organizacja systemu opieki medycznej w Polsce powojennej (1945–1952)
Authors:   Collegium Witelona Uczelnia Państwowa w Legnicy (The Witelon Collegium State University, Płonka-Syroka Bożena ,   Legnica, Poland), Stych Marek ,   Uniwersytet Komisji Edukacji Narodowej w Krakowie (University of the National Education Commission inf Krakow, Poland)
Published: January 2024

The article discusses the formation of the health care system in Poland based on the assumption that every patient has a right to health protection, and the determinant factors of this process. The analysed period starts at the end of World War II in 1945 and finishes with the adoption of the Constitution of 22 July 1952. In 1945 the health care in Poland was based on the legal and organizational solutions developed in the Second Polish Republic. Soon it started to be modified, which eventually led to its nationalization. The years 1945–1952 were a “transitional period” in the Polish legislation and organization of health care. In the first post-war years, the functioning of the health care system in Poland was based on the Act of 28 March 1933 on social insurance and of 15 June 1939 on public health care. However, they did not ultimately become the basis for structural solutions introduced in Poland in the early 1950s. At that time, the so-called multisectoral system in health care was abandoned and almost all of its aspects were taken over by state institutions. The aim of the article is to present the determinant factors which governed the evolution of Polish medical law in post-war Poland and to analyse the legal regulations introduced from 1945 to 1952. In their analyses the authors used the dogmatic-legal method (an analysis of legal texts – the basic method) and the historical-legal method (an outline of the right to health protection and its evolution in the studied period). The article ends with final conclusions.
Systemic Agility: A Gauge to Measure Companies’ Adaptation to Their Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous Environment
Authors:   University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Southern Switzerland, Bronlet Xavier
Published: January 2024

In an always more Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous environment, companies must adapt to keep their context in check. The purpose of this paper is to share and discuss the Systemic Agility model, that explores the adaptation of an organization to its context. The model is rooted in the existing literatures and uses quantitative methods to investigate on organizations’ adaptation. Inner organization’s observations are used to position its culture in a continuum bounded by modern and postmodern perspectives. Outer observations are used to quantify the VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous) characteristics of the environment. The association of all the observations reveals the fit level of an organization to its context; the unfit consequences may be associated with tensions and stress that may impede efficacy. The model and the questionnaire appear consistent under the lenses of the gathered observations analyzed with the Confirmatory Factor Analysis. This suggests that the Systemic Agility may be used to further explore the adaptation of an organization to its context, the creation of wellbeing and the reductions of inner tensions.
Dėl būdvardžių jaunas ir jung semantinės struktūros
Authors: Kalendienė Danutė
Published: January 2024

В данной статье дается типологическая характеристика семантических структур многозначных прилагательных – литовского языка jaunas ‘молодой’ и немецкого jung. Главное внимание уделяется лексической сочетаемости, особенностям трансформации атрибутивных и предикативных словосочетаний, а также грамматическим признакам исследуемых прилагательных. Данные, полученные в ходе анализа, проверяются путем сопоставления парадигматических и деривационных отношений, в которые вступает каждое значение слова в отдельности. Наблюдения над упомянутыми факторами позволяют не только констатировать семантическую структуру исследуемых слов, устанавливать сходства, количественные и качественные различия значений, но и делать некоторые выводы о критериях выделения значений прилагательных в соответствующих языках.
К вопросу об аллофонических изменениях
Authors: Воронкова Г. В. , Лепкова Л. Н.
Published: January 2024

The article deals with the problem of reconstruction of phonological mutations. It is pointed out that changes in distribution of allophones usually forego phonemic mutation. This fact determines necessity of reconstruction of allophonic stages in diachronic researches. The fruitfulness of this method is shown by such reconstructions in West and North German languages.
Валентнocть существительных со значением “совокyпность множества” в современном английском языке
Authors: Астраускайте Даля
Published: January 2024

The aim of the present article is to investigate valency of nouns with the meaning of integral multitude in present-day English (assemblage, batch, collection, etc.). It is suggested that notion of valency refers to two levels of linguistic analysis. We should thus speak of syntactic valency and semantic valency. It is shown that semantic valency of nouns with the meaning of integral multitude depends on the degree of concreteness of their meaning. For certain nouns with more abstract meaning semantic valency is obligatory.
Теория фонологически существенных признаков и “фонетическая метонимия”
Authors: Раевский М. В.
Published: January 2024

In current theories of DFs a chiefly articulatory phonetic terminology is made use of. This leads inevitably to the substitution of the description of the elementary movements of the organs of speech for the real object of investigation, the DFs of phonemes. The inventory of the functionally relevant sound features may be established only on the basis of a detailed investigation of the processes of speech perception.
Dependence of primary stability of dental implant on the direction of the occlusal load
Authors:   Ishlinsky Institute for Problems in Mechanics, Dashevskiy Ilya , Shushpannikov Pavel ,   Ishlinsky Institute for Problems in Mechanics
Published: January 2024

Dental implantology practice shows that oblique load on the implant is more dangerous than the vertical one. Of particular importance is the study of the implant-jaw system under oblique load studying the primary stability of dental implants, when osseointegration has not yet occurred and there is no adhesion at the bone-implant interface. The damaging effect of excessive loads in this case is associated with the danger of superfluous micromotions on the bone-implant interface (mutual displacements of corresponding points) arising under their action, which leads to disruption of the osseointegration process. On the simplest model of a dental implant with a square thread profile, the influence of the load tilt angle on the primary stability of the implant in the jaw is examined. Calculations are carried out by the finite element method in the ANSYS package. Graphs of changes in micromotion along the bone-implant interface are presented, tables of magnitudes and localizations of micromotion maximums and graphs of their dependence on the loading angle are given. It is shown that for non-integrated implants, transition from vertical to horizontal loading leads to a sharp decrease in implant stability, which at sufficiently high occlusal loads impairs osseointegration.
Biomechanical analysis of new constructions of adhesive bridge prostheses
Authors:   National Research Center “Kurchatov Institute”, Krupnin Artur ,   N.E. Bauman Moscow State Technical University, Kharakh Yaser ,   A.I. Evdokimov Moscow State Medical and Dental University
Published: January 2024

The purpose of the study was a numerical analysis of the stress-strain state of novel designs of fixed adhesive dental bridges made of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) to replace the missing second premolar of the mandible with first premolar and molar as abutments. Three-dimensional models of dental bridges (with the traditional (vertical) (T) insertion direction, as well as those developed with the vestibulo-oral (VO) insertion direction and the oral-vestibular (OV) insertion direction) were obtained by scanning with 3D scanner S600 ARI (ZirkonZahn GmbH) and subsequent processing in the Modellier program (ZirkonZahn GmbH). To evaluate the stress-strain state of the adhesive dental bridges, the ANSYS FEM software was used. 100 N force acting in the oral-vestibular direction was applied at various angles to the nodes localized in the areas of enamel ridges to simulate the occlusal contacts of antagonistic teeth. It was established that the direction of the occlusal force vector has a significant effect on the values of equivalent (von Mises) stresses and displacements in the dental bridge. It was shown that the lowest displacements and stresses occurred in the type (T) adhesive bridge, while the highest displacements and stresses occurred in the type (OV) over the entire range of the load angle variation. An increase in the elastic modulus of the bridge material leads to a decrease in maximum displacements, while the stresses in the prosthesis change very slightly. The numerical calculation showed that the PMMA-manufactured dental bridges’ durability equals to 233 days for (OV), 780 days for (VO) and 1458 days for (T) with an average chewing load of 100 N, which indicates the possibility of using these novel designs as temporary dental bridges.
The study of the stress-strain state of the dental ceramic implants depending on their shape and bone mineralization degree
Authors:   M.A. Lavrentev Institute of Hydrodynamics, Fedorova Natalia ,   Novosibirsk State Technical University
Published: January 2024

The article deals with the models of dental implants of cylindrical, conical, cylindrical reverse-conical and conical reverse-conical shape, installed in the central part of the maxilla. The maxilla model is made in accordance with the sizes of the three-dimensional tomographic image of the patient's maxilla. The stress-strain state of the cortical and cancellous bones, depending on the shape of the implant, as well as the degree of bone mineralization is investigated. The isotropic model of bone material at normal and critical degree of bone mineralization, which depends on the patient's age, is considered. According to the results of the study, the use of the reverse-conical shape of implants significantly reduces stress not only in the cancellous bone, but also in the cortical bone, as well as in the implant during critical bone mineralization.
Left atrium wall deformation properties
Authors:   Perm State University, Svirepov Pavel , Aptukov Valery ,   Perm State University
Published: January 2024

Mitral regurgitation is the second most frequent indication for valve surgery. The problem of a therapeutic decision during mitral valve insufficiency is quite timely. The unfavorable prognosis for disease depends largely on left ventricular dysfunction and levels of ventricular dysfunction are thoroughly studied. High level of ventricular dilation during mitral valve insufficiency is one surgical indication. Due to the fact that it is impossible to separate the contribution of coronary insufficiency and volume overload components to the process of left ventricular remodeling such parameters as ventricular size and left ventricular ejection fraction can't be used as parameters of hemodynamically relevant regurgitation. The role of the left atrium in global dilation of the heart against the backdrop of the mitral insufficiency is poorly studied. Left atrial dilation is powerful mortality prediction. It is well known that the atria contribution is essential to a ventricular ejection in the course of the left ventricular dysfunction. The strain and the strain rate of the left atrium are the prior markers of volume overload versus the dimensional changes. The computer tomography experiment of the left atrium property investigation was set up in the Federal Center of Cardiovascular Surgery Named after S.G. Sukhanov in Perm. The experiment data technique was developed. Quantitative characteristics of displacement and strain of the left atrium wall were obtained as a result of data conditioning. The properties of the left atrium wall were analyzed and stress–strain curves were plotted along and across muscle fibers for different parts of the wall. The shear strain was found in the tangent plane of the left atrium.
Calculation and visualization of the enamel and dentin matrix of elastic parameters
Authors:   A.I. Evdokimov Moscow State Medical-Dental University of the Ministry of Health of Russian Federation, Muslov Sergey , Zaitseva Nataliya ,   A.I. Evdokimov Moscow State Medical-Dental University of the Ministry of Health of Russian Federation, Astashina Nataliya ,   Academician E.A. Wagner Perm State Medical University of Ministry of Health of Russian Federation, Arutyunov Sergey ,   Academician E.A. Wagner Perm State Medical University of Ministry of Health of Russian Federation, Nikitin Vladislav ,   Perm National Research Polytechnic University
Published: January 2024

The capabilities of the ELATE and MATLAB packages for visualization of the elastic properties of hard tooth tissues are demonstrated. A visual confirmation of the fact of the elastic anisotropy of the hard tissues of the tooth due to the crystal structure of their mineral component was obtained. The study of the indices of anisotropy of enamel and dentin as an inhomogeneous anisotropic medium becomes of practical importance when studying the problems of the strength of tooth tissues and the quality of restorations.
Assessment of biomechanical disorders of the shoulder joint in patients with cervical-shoulder syndrome after injuries to the upper arm
Authors:   I.M. Sechenev First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Kalinsky Evgeny , Chernyaev Anatoly , Slinyakov Leonid , Bogatov Victor , Goncharuk Yulia , Chekanov Andrey ,   National Medical Research Center for Rehabilitation and Balneology of the Ministry of Health of Russian  Federation, Kolyshenkov Vasily , Eremushkin Mikhail
Published: January 2024

The consequences of injuries and diseases of the shoulder joint can be either isolated or combined with pathology of the cervical spine. The polymorphism of the pathology significantly complicates the task of rehabilitation of such patients. The authors analyzed biomechanical disorders in the shoulder joint in cervical-brachial syndrome with three main types of injuries: articular, vertebrogenic, and mixed myofascial type. It was shown that the greatest difficulty in terms of violation of biomechanics and subsequent rehabilitation is represented by the articular variant, i.e. in patients who have suffered an injury to the capsular ligamentous apparatus of the shoulder joint.
Destruction simulation for the inhomogeneous body by finite element method using computed tomography data
Authors:   N.I. Lobachevsky Institute of Mathematics and Mechanics, Bolshakov Pavel , Sachenkov Oskar
Published: January 2024

The work is devoted to modelling the bone organ destruction using the finite element method and taking into account the CT data. In order to evaluate the model, the simulation results for the femur are presented. Such an approach allows to individualize the simulation of the organ and determines the relevance of the study. Numerical studies using the finite element method were performed, an eight-node finite element with linear approximation was used. A linear formulation for an inhomogeneous elastic body was considered. Young’s modulus and ultimate stress were determined using power functions. The dependence of mechanical properties on the optical density was assumed, which, in turn, was determined by linear relationships depending on the Hounsfield numbers. For discretization by the finite element method, the distribution of the mechanical properties of the material for each element was performed according to tomography data. After solving, the stress-strain state problem safety factor was calculated in each node. Based on the calculated safety factor, a decision is made either to thicken the mesh or to remove the finite element. The paper presents the results of calculations using the method for two problems: an inhomogeneous sample and specimen with averaged mechanical properties. The numerical results in these problems illustrate the significant differences in the results of the stress-strain state of the organ and allow us to judge the nature of the destruction of the organ.
Delineating geological structure utilizing integration of remote sensing and gravity data: a study from Halmahera, North Molucca, Indonesia
Authors: Aprina Patria Ufaira , Santoso Djoko , Alawiyah Susanti , Prasetyo Nugroho , Ibrahim Khalil
Published: January 2024

Halmahera Island is the result of the interaction between the Indo-Australian Plate, the Molucca Sea Plate, and the Philippine Plate, which gave rise to many active geological structures that are vulnerable to seismic activity around the island. The complexity of this geological structure makes Halmahera Island very interesting to study. This study aims to identify geological structures by integrating remote sensing and gravity satellite data. Surface lineament analysis using the remote sensing method was carried out based on Sentinel-1A imagery data. The gravity method uses GGMPlus satellite data to clarify the continuity of geological structures that cannot be clearly mapped on the surface. Lineament analysis on gravity data uses techniques such as fast sigmoid edge detection (FSED) and Euler deconvolution. The results of lineament interpretation based on integrating remote sensing and gravity satellite data show that the NE-SW structure controls the northern and northeastern arms of Halmahera.

In contrast, the southern arm is dominated by the NW-SE structure. The Euler depth estimation shows that the Halmahera area contributes to having geological structures at various depths. Deep structures reach 4 km, while shallow structures are found at depths of up to 2 km. Earthquake hypocenter data strengthen the interpretation of this geological structure. This comprehensive study yields an excellent correlation between gravity and remote sensing techniques in describing the general structural framework of the area. The new finding is an NE-SW trending geological structure on the northern Halmahera arm, which may be caused by two different tectonics first, the subduction of the Molucca Sea Plate with the Halmahera Plate in the west. Second, the strike-slip movement is trending NE-SW, which cuts the northern and northeastern arms due to the rotational movement of the thrust fault with the Philippine Plate to the west.
Planthoppers and leafhoppers (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha et Cicadomorpha) of urban lawns in Czestochowa
Authors: Walczak Marcin , Gębicki Cezary
Published: January 2024

The paper presents the results of research on planthoppers and leafhoppers, which were carried out on the urban lawns of Częstochowa in the zone of the strict city centre and under significant or direct impact of road traffic. The research covered 6 research plots which were classified as Diantho-Armerietum elongatae, Lolio-Polygonetum arenastri and Achillea millefolium-Taraxacum officinale communities. 99 species of planthoppers and leafhoppers (18% of Polish cicada-fauna) have been found on the urban lawns.
Scout, teaching and educational life and activity of scout friend, scoutmaster Jerzy Biczak (1926–2020)
Authors: Głowacki Marian
Published: January 2024

The study presents the professional life of Jerzy Biczak, a great teacher and tutor of several generations of future teachers and tutors of kindergartens. He also proved successful as headmaster of several schools. Most of all. However, he was in love with scouting. The second scoutmaster Jerzy Biczak was scouting instructor and an activist promoting scouting law and passionate patriotism He left behind a series of studies devoted to the history of the scout troop in Częstochowa. He was a brave but modest and sociable man and family, loving wife, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. A long illness took him away.
Assessing the quality of the integrated tutor model for student support in Open Distance Learning
Authors: Ntuli Cynthia H. S. , Gumbo Mishack T.
Published: January 2024

The demand for university education has put pressure on institutions of higher learning to provide access and quality student support because increased access to higher education should not compromise the quality of student support services. Tutorial support in Open Distance and e-Learning (ODeL) is one of the support services used by institutions to ensure increasing academic access, participation, and success. The Senate Teaching and Learning Committee (STLC) of the University of South Africa (Unisa) appointed a committee in 2012 to develop the Integrated Tutor Model (ITM) to enhance academic activities. We established that there is a need to inquire into the quality of the ITM on tutor support services. We developed this qualitative exploratory study from the first author's PhD study that assessed the quality of tutorial support services that Unisa offers through the ITM. The ITM model integrates face-to-face (F2F) and online tutor systems in Unisa. We purposively selected students who participated in the F2F tutorials of the first and second semesters in 2022 to participate in this study. We collected data through individual semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions (FGDs). We learned that the students hold positive views about the quality of tutorials in terms of time management and the quality of recordings on Microsoft Teams, the competency of the tutors offering the modules, and the communication that they receive from the tutors. There were, however, challenges that the students faced such as load-shedding, network-related problems, and personal issues. The tutors mitigated these challenges by sending the students the recordings of the sessions. The study shares knowledge about the tutors' skills and creativity in the use of the ITM to provide quality support of student learning in an ODL higher institutional environment.
High-throughput sequencing (HTS) oligos and methods to prepare oligos for HTS applications v1
Authors: B. Ridenour John
Published: January 2024

In this protocol, we provide sequences of oligos used for high-throughput sequencing (HTS) applications and describe methods for preparing the oligos for HTS applications. This protocol (including oligo sequences and oligo preparation) is based on previously described methods with minor modifications (Foley et al., 2019; Glenn et al., 2019; and Veeranagouda et al., 2019). REFERENCES Foley JW, Zhu C, Jolivet P, Zhu SX, Lu P, Meaney MJ, West RB (2019). Gene expression profiling of single cells from archival tissue with laser-capture microdissection and Smart-3SEQ. Genome research, 29(11), 1816-1825. https://doi.org/10.1101/gr.234807.118 Glenn TC, Nilsen RA, Kieran TJ, Sanders JG, Bayona-Vásquez NJ, Finger JW, Pierson TW, Bentley KE, Hoffberg SL, Louha S, Garcia-De Leon FJ, Del Rio Portilla MA, Reed KD, Anderson JL, Meece JK, Aggrey SE, Rekaya R, Alabady M, Belanger M, Winker K, Faircloth BC (2019). Adapterama I: universal stubs and primers for 384 unique dual-indexed or 147,456 combinatorially-indexed Illumina libraries (iTru & iNext).PeerJ,7, e7755. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.7755 Veeranagouda Y, Remaury A, Guillemot JC, Didier M (2019). RNA Fragmentation and Sequencing (RF‐Seq): Cost‐Effective, Time‐Efficient, and High‐Throughput 3′ mRNA Sequencing Library Construction in a Single Tube. Current Protocols in Molecular Biology, 129(1). https://doi.org/10.1002/cpmb.109
Quantification of area and optical density of intracellular neuromelanin with TruAI in H&E stained sections v1
Authors: Gonzalez-Sepulveda Marta
Published: January 2024

Quantification of area and optical density of intracellular neuromelanin with TruAI in H&E stained sections
α-Synuclein Protein Preparation (Large scale) v1
Authors: X. Henderon Michael
Published: January 2024

This protocol details α-synuclein protein preparation in a large scale.
A method to prepare Sera-Mag SpeedBeads for purification and size selection of nucleic acids v1
Authors: B. Ridenour John
Published: January 2024

In this protocol, we describe a method to prepare Sera-Mag Speedbeads for purification and size selection of nucleic acids. We additionally describe a method to validate speedbead preparations and a general method for purification of nucleic acids using speedbeads. This protocol is based on previously described methods (DeAngelis et al., 1995; Rohland and Reich, 2012; Glenn et al., 2019; Jolivet and Foley, 2020; and Möller et al., 2023). We use homebrewed speedbeads as a cost-effective substitute for commercial solid-phase reversible immobilization (SPRI) products (e.g., Mag-Bind TotalPure NGS Beads, AMPure XP) during the preparation of samples for high-throughput sequencing and other applications. The amounts of polyethylene glycol (PEG) and sodium chloride (NaCl), which drive SPRI activity, have been optimized to meet our needs. REFERENCES DeAngelis MM, Wang DG, Hawkins TL (1995). Solid-phase reversible immobilization for the isolation of PCR products. Nucleic Acids Research, 23(22), 4742. https://doi.org/10.1093/nar/23.22.4742 Glenn TC, Nilsen RA, Kieran TJ, Sanders JG, Bayona-Vásquez NJ, Finger JW, Pierson TW, Bentley KE, Hoffberg SL, Louha S, Garcia-De Leon FJ, Del Rio Portilla MA, Reed KD, Anderson JL, Meece JK, Aggrey SE, Rekaya R, Alabady M, Belanger M, Winker K, Faircloth BC (2019). Adapterama I: universal stubs and primers for 384 unique dual-indexed or 147,456 combinatorially-indexed Illumina libraries (iTru & iNext).PeerJ,7, e7755. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.7755 Jolivet P, FoleyJW (2020).SPRI bead mix.protocols.io https://dx.doi.org/10.17504/protocols.io.bnz4mf8w Möller M, Ridenour JB, Wright DF, Martin FA, Freitag M (2023). H4K20me3 is important for Ash1-mediated H3K36me3 and transcriptional silencing in facultative heterochromatin in a fungal pathogen. PLOS Genetics 19(9), e1010945. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1010945 Rohland, N., & Reich, D. (2012). Cost-effective, high-throughput DNA sequencing libraries for multiplexed target capture.Genome Research,22(5), 939-946. https://doi.org/10.1101/gr.128124.111
Intelligent Video Surveillance System Using Faster Regional Convolutional Neural Networks
Authors: OLANİYİ Olayemi , GANİYU Shefiu
Published: January 2024

Insecurity remains a major challenge in our society. Government, private organizations, and individuals strive to ensure their possessions are kept safe from intruders. Automated surveillance system plays a key role to ensure that the environment is safe with little human intervention. Therefore, object detection, classification, and tracking are vital in building a robust and remote intelligent video surveillance system to aid security in physical environments. Previous studies used enhanced background subtraction techniques for object detection which recorded notable achievements but performance issues in distinguishing humans, pets and vehicles. For insecurity to be solved more intelligently, deep neural network techniques are employed. In this paper, an intelligent video surveillance system that detects only human intrusion and sends an SMS notification to the user with the registered mobile number was developed. The results of the system performance evaluation recorded an accuracy of 96%, a precision of 94%, and a recall of 98%. The experimental results showed that the intelligent system was suitable for detecting human intrusion, thereby contributing to the safety of physical environments.