bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Urinary α 1-microglobulin and β 2-microglobulin as markers of early kidney injury in HIV-positive male patients on tenofovir-based antiretroviral therapy
Authors: Yu Xiao Li , Sun Wen , Liu Li , Hong Ke , Song Hui
Published: June 2024

Background

A retrospective study was conducted to explore the urinary expression of α 1-microglobulin (α1MG) and β2-microglobulin (β2MG) in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, aiming to evaluate their predictive capability for renal injury.

Method

One hundred and five male HIV-infected patients treated with Tenofovir (TDF) regimen (TDF+3TC or the third drug TDF/FTC+) were selected between March 1, 2021, and March 1, 2022, in Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital. Three months after TDF treatment, the renal function injury was evaluated with the standard creatinine clearance rate. The urinary levels of α1MG and β2MG were compared between the initiation of TDF treatment and three months thereafter. Spearman correlation was utilized to analyze the correlation between the urinary expression of α1MG and β2MG and renal injury in HIV patients. The logistic regression was used to analyze the predictive value of urinary α1MG and β 2-microglobulin expression in renal injury.

Results

Up to the first follow-up, 29 (27.6%) cases of the 105 male HIV patients had varying degrees of renal function injury, including 14 (13.3%) mild injury, 9 (8.6%) moderate injury, and 6 (5.7%) severe injury cases. Patients with severe renal injury had the highest levels of urinary α1MG and β2MG expression while those with mild injury demonstrated higher levels compared to the non-injury group (P < 0.05). Spearman correlation analysis indicated that urinary α1MG and β2MG were positively correlated with renal impairment in HIV patients (Rho = -0.568, and -0.732; P < 0.001). The ROC curve analysis demonstrated that the area under the curve (AUC) for urine α1MG and β2MG in predicting kidney damage among HIV patients were 0.928, 0.916, and 0.889, respectively. The sensitivity values were 96.55%, 82.76%, and 89.66% while the specificity values were 84.07%, 94.51%, and 89.29% for urine α1MG and β2MG, respectively.

Conclusion

The expression level of urinary α1MG and β2MG in HIV patients was significantly higher compared to normal people. Detection of these two indexes can enable early determination of renal injury and its severity in HIV patients.
Bi-level optimization of shared manufacturing service composition based on improved NSGA-II
Authors: Wang Ying , Liu Peng
Published: June 2024

To address the issue of insufficiently comprehensive representation of service composition indexes in the shared manufacturing environment, service reliability, confidence, and other indexes are decomposed in detail to establish a composition evaluation system, and a shared manufacturing service composition optimization model based on bi-level programming is proposed. The model takes Quality of Service (QoS) as the upper objective function and service reliability, service confidence and task fit as the lower objective function. The upper objective function needs to be minimized, while the lower objective function needs to be maximized. To achieve the optimal composition scheme of shared manufacturing services, the Criteria Importance Though Intercrieria Correlation (CRITIC) is used to determine the weights of the indicators, and the improved Fast Elitist Non-Dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm (Improved NSGA-II) is employed to solve the multi-objective optimization problem. Finally, the improved NSGA-II has a 23.33% increase in convergence speed and a 69.99% gain in operational efficiency when compared to the traditional NSGA-II. The viability and effectiveness of the improved NSGA-II have been demonstrated.
The light at the end of the tunnel? A systematic review of higher education student experiences of hope
Authors: Berry Clio , Acharya Nishi , Crowter Lucie
Published: June 2024

The most dominant model of hope is cognitive, in which hope is defined as goal-directed thinking, comprising self-agency and goal route identification. Nonetheless, competing theories about the fundamental nature of hope remain and further exploration of the construct is warranted. Little is known about whether the cognitive model aligns with how higher education students themselves think about hope. Understanding how “lay” populations conceptualise and experience psychological phenomena is as important as applying scientific theory. Personal beliefs impact on how people make sense of their life experiences and on their wellbeing. Research is specifically needed to explore the conceptualisation and experience of hope within diverse student populations. A systematic review was conducted to identify published scientific research and grey literature presenting qualitative accounts of hope from higher education students. A qualitative meta-synthesis of the eight eligible reports was conducted using thematic analysis and synthesis approaches to identify conceptualisations of hope and its associations with mental health and well-being. Nine themes were identified, reflecting that hope is: fundamental; self-construal over time; goal-directed; cognitive-emotional-behavioural; connection; resilience; dynamic and reciprocal; the inverse of depression; positive. These findings were identified as reflecting conclusions in which at least a moderate level of confidence may be placed. These findings clearly align with the cognitive model of hope, but emphasise the additional facets of fundamentality, self-construal, and negative origins. The implications for higher education institutions include to promote growth mindsets, to support students to learn skills for identifying and pursuing goals, and to provide hope-enhancing interventions as part of their student support provision.
UDBRNet: A novel uncertainty driven boundary refined network for organ at risk segmentation
Authors: Hassan Riad , Mondal M. Rubaiyat Hossain , Ahamed Sheikh Iqbal
Published: June 2024

Organ segmentation has become a preliminary task for computer-aided intervention, diagnosis, radiation therapy, and critical robotic surgery. Automatic organ segmentation from medical images is a challenging task due to the inconsistent shape and size of different organs. Besides this, low contrast at the edges of organs due to similar types of tissue confuses the network’s ability to segment the contour of organs properly. In this paper, we propose a novel convolution neural network based uncertainty-driven boundary-refined segmentation network (UDBRNet) that segments the organs from CT images. The CT images are segmented first and produce multiple segmentation masks from multi-line segmentation decoder. Uncertain regions are identified from multiple masks and the boundaries of the organs are refined based on uncertainty data. Our method achieves remarkable performance, boasting dice accuracies of 0.80, 0.95, 0.92, and 0.94 for Esophagus, Heart, Trachea, and Aorta respectively on the SegThor dataset, and 0.71, 0.89, 0.85, 0.97, and 0.97 for Esophagus, Spinal Cord, Heart, Left-Lung, and Right-Lung respectively on the LCTSC dataset. These results demonstrate the superiority of our uncertainty-driven boundary refinement technique over state-of-the-art segmentation networks such as UNet, Attention UNet, FC-denseNet, BASNet, UNet++, R2UNet, TransUNet, and DS-TransUNet. UDBRNet presents a promising network for more precise organ segmentation, particularly in challenging, uncertain conditions. The source code of our proposed method will be available at https://github.com/riadhassan/UDBRNet.
Factors associated with unintended pregnancy and contraceptive practices in justice-involved adolescent girls in Australia
Authors: Smith Helene , Wilson Mandy , Donovan Basil , Jones Jocelyn , Butler Tony , Nathan Sally , Simpson Paul
Published: June 2024

Introduction

Despite a decline in unintended teenage pregnancy in Australia, rates remain higher amongst justice-involved adolescent girls, who are more likely to be from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds, have histories of abuse, substance use and/or mental health issues. Furthermore, exposure to the criminal justice system may alter access to education and employment and opportunities, potentially resulting in distinct risk-factor profiles. We examine factors associated with unintended pregnancy, non-contraceptive use and Long-Acting Reversible Contraception (LARC) in a sample of sexually active, justice-involved adolescent girls from Western Australia and Queensland.

Methods

Data from the Mental Health, Sexual Health and Reproductive Health of Young People in Contact with the Criminal Justice System (MeH-JOSH) Study was analysed on 118 sexually active adolescent girls. Participants were aged between 14 and 17 years, purposefully sampled based on justice-system involvement and completed an anonymous telephone survey. We constructed two multivariate models taking reproductive outcomes as the dependent variables.

Results

Over one quarter (26%, 30/118) reported a past unintended pregnancy, 54 did not use any contraception at their last sexual encounter, and 17 reported LARC use. Following adjustments in the multivariate analysis, lifetime ecstasy use was associated with both unintended pregnancy (aOR 3.795, p = 0.022) and non-contraception use (aOR 4.562, p = 0.004). A history of physical abuse was also associated with both any contraception (aOR 3.024, p = 0.041) and LARC use (aOR 4.892, p = 0.050). Identifying as Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander, education/employment status and geographic location appeared to have no association.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that justice-involved adolescent girls have distinct risk factors associated with unplanned pregnancy and contraception use compared to the general population, but more research is required to understand the mechanisms and contexts underlying these risk factors. How exposure to physical violence may encourage contraception and LARC use, in particular, warrants further attention as does the association with ecstasy use.
Nefrotoxicidad asociada a la combinación de cisplatino e inhibidores del punto de control inmunitario. Estudio histopatológico
Authors: Ausin Julia , Tascón Javier , Casanova Alfredo G. , Vicente-Vicente Laura , Morales Ana I. , Prieto Marta
Published: June 2024

La introducción en terapéutica de los inhibidores del punto de control inmunitario (anti-CTLA-4 y anti-PD-1) como terapias dirigidas (inmunoterapia) han mejorado el perfil de eficacia y seguridad de los tratamientos oncológicos. Sin embargo, estos no están exentos de producir efectos adversos, entre los que se encuentran las lesiones renales. El objetivo de este trabajo fue la evaluación histológica del daño renal asociado a anti-CTLA-4 y anti-PD-1 en combinación con cisplatino, en un modelo murino. Se diseñó un modelo experimental en ratones C57BL/6 tratados con la terapia combinada de anti-CTLA-4 y anti-PD-1, así como terapia triple combinada de anti-CTLA-4, anti-PD-1 y cisplatino. Se incluyeron también grupos tratados con las monoterapias de los fármacos y un grupo control. Tras el sacrificio (día 6) se realizaron cortes histológicos renales y se tiñeron con hematoxilina-eosina. La evaluación del daño renal histológico se realizó de forma ciega siguiendo un protocolo de cuantificación de lesión tisular basado en una escala numérica. Los datos obtenidos fueron analizados con el programa estadístico SPSS. Los resultados mostraron daño renal tubular significativo asociado a la terapia combinada de cisplatino con anti-CTLA-4 y anti-PD-1, potenciando estos últimos el daño producido por el cisplatino en monoterapia. Este modelo permitirá investigar los mecanismos de toxicidad involucrados, así como identificar posibles biomarcadores urinarios que se asocien con el daño renal producido por estas terapias.
El hueco en la piedra
Authors: Pantaleón Panaro Carlos
Published: June 2024

Una visita reciente a la Hill House del arquitecto Rennie Mackintosh, en Helensburgh, Escocia, origina este artículo de reflexión. Los recorridos por sus diferentes ámbitos convocan recuerdos, ideas, asociaciones de imágenes de otras casas, otros tiempos y lugares.
El trabajo muestra un modo de habitar en el que ciertos comportamientos arquetípicos del ser humano parecen encontrar respuestas también arquetípicas en la arquitectura de la casa, manifestaciones espaciales paradigmáticas que siguen guiando el proyecto doméstico en nuestros días. Desde el antiguo castillo de Hedingham en Essex, Inglaterra, hasta el pequeño apartamento proyectado por Christian Pottgiesser en París, el itinerario no es solo a través de las habitaciones de la Hill House, sino de otras obras de la arquitectura, el cine y la pintura, que confluyen congregadas por una misma forma de vivir, sentir y crear el espacio doméstico. Mediante este itinerario se descubre una vía histórica argumental de transformaciones espaciales que podría explicar, provisionalmente, la persistencia de ciertos arquetipos domésticos en las arquitecturas contemporáneas, a la vez que remitirnos a sus orígenes más remotos y olvidados.
Extensión - Categoría B
Authors: VV. AA.
Published: June 2024

Premio ARQUISUR Extensión - Categoría B
Los trabajos presentados al Premio ARQUISUR Extensión son aquellos proyectos –en ejecución o ejecutados–, cuyo impacto pueda ser verificado, llevados a cabo por equipos disciplinarios e interdisciplinarios constituidos por alumnos, docentes y/o graduados, con el fin de permitir la integración, articulación y fortalecimiento de las distintas áreas disciplinares de las Universidades, así como la transferencia al medio de los conocimientos científicos, tecnológicos y culturales disponibles, como sistema de retroalimentación de la actividad académica.
La Categoría B contiene proyectos aprobados en el marco de la convocatoria de organismos nacionales (universidades, Facultades o Escuelas, etc.) indistintamente subsidiados o no.
Extensión - Categoría C
Authors: VV. AA.
Published: June 2024

Premio ARQUISUR Extensión - Categoría C
Los trabajos presentados al Premio ARQUISUR Extensión son aquellos proyectos –en ejecución o ejecutados–, cuyo impacto pueda ser verificado, llevados a cabo por equipos disciplinarios e interdisciplinarios constituidos por alumnos, docentes y/o graduados, con el fin de permitir la integración, articulación y fortalecimiento de las distintas áreas disciplinares de las Universidades, así como la transferencia al medio de los conocimientos científicos, tecnológicos y culturales disponibles, como sistema de retroalimentación de la actividad académica.
La Categoría C contiene proyectos que impliquen la asistencia y/o transferencia tecnológica al medio socioproductivo.
CONCEPTS FOR TIMBER-SPECIFIC MEP INSTALLATIONS AND SEALINGS IN BATHROOMS OF MULTI-STORY RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS
Authors: Fortmüller Petra , Monsberger Michael , Silly Gregor , Matzler Dominik , Thiel Alexandra , Schickhofer Gerhard
Published: June 2024

The European market for cross-laminated timber (CLT) is rapidly growing in the field of multi-story residential buildings. However, water leaks repeatedly lead to severe moisture damage in timber buildings. Undetected moisture damage may result in biological degradation of the CLT structure, is difficult to repair, and incurs high costs. Currently, there is a lack of awareness of the fact that timber buildings require different mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) installation methods than buildings made with mineral construction materials. In addition, too little attention is given to protecting the wooden structure by applying appropriate sealing measures that actually work in practice. Lack of planning and uncoordinated construction work exacerbate this problem. Presenting 2D drawings and 3D BIM models, the paper illustrates concepts that can be used to optimally design and safely integrate MEP installations in bathrooms in multi-story residential timber buildings. A special focus is placed on a holistic view of the topics structure, pipe installation, sealing, and fire protection. The concepts presented are based on an analysis and classification of over 1100 bathroom layouts. Therefore, they are applicable to a wide range of bathrooms in practice. The presented results were developed in the research project CLT_Plumbing_Design. They contribute to the development of standardized, timber-specific solutions for pipe installation and sealing in bathrooms, and can help reduce moisture damage in timber construction. In addition, these concepts form a basis for a new automated planning process in the area of bathroom planning, for which a brief outlook is given.
INTERACTION BETWEEN GEOGRID REINFORCEMENT AND STONE AGGREGATES MIXED WITH TIRE-DERIVED AGGREGATES
Authors: MODALAVALASA UPENDRA , AYOTHIRAMAN RAMANATHAN
Published: June 2024

The disposal of discarded tires creates a major problem, as they are non-biodegradable and occupy huge landfill space. The scrap tires can be utilized in civil engineering applications as an alternative material by partial or complete substitution of conventional materials. In many of these applications, scrap tires are not utilized directly; instead, they are shredded to produce a material known as tire-derived aggregate (TDA). In this study, an attempt is made to understand the interaction between geogrid reinforcement and stone aggregates mixed with TDA using a large-scale triaxial test with a specimen diameter of 150 mm and height (Hs) of 300. The geogrid reinforcement is placed at a spacing of Hs/2, Hs/3, Hs/4, and Hs/5 along the length of the sample. The results are analyzed to understand the effect of geogrid reinforcement on stone aggregate mixed with TDA, and it is noticed that the deviatoric stress increases with the inclusion of geogrid reinforcement in the mix proportion.
EFFECT OF DUNE SAND AND FLY ASH ON THE MICROSTRUCTURE OF FIBER REINFORCED CONCRETE
Authors: Hamada Hussein , Abed Farid
Published: June 2024

The current study investigates the effect of dune sand (DS) and fly ash (FA) on the microstructure of fiber-reinforced concrete (FRC). Concrete is a widely used construction material, and understanding its behavior under different conditions is important for optimizing its performance. The use of alternative materials, like FA and DS, in concrete production has gained attention due to their abundance and potential environmental benefits. The research methodology involved the preparation of FRC mixes with different combinations of FA and DS, along with varying fiber content. The microstructural analysis of the samples was conducted through scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. The findings revealed that the addition of FA and DS influenced the microstructure of the FRC. Furthermore, the inclusion of FA contributed to improved pore structure and enhanced the pozzolanic reaction, resulting in a denser microstructure. The incorporation of steel and basalt fibers demonstrated significant effects on the microstructure of the concrete. The results provide valuable insights for optimizing the design and performance of concrete structures in arid regions while considering sustainable materials.
LOAD-BEARING BEHAVIOR OF SHORT-FIBER-REINFORCED TEXTILE CONCRETE FOR A WRAPPING PROCESS
Authors: Kufner Fabian , Rucker-Gramm Petra , Horstmann Michael
Published: June 2024

In the research project WiFaPu (Wrapping Process for highly fiber-reinforced concrete using the example of a pump sump), a new manufacturing process for components made of Short-Fiber-Reinforced Textile Concrete is being developed. Wrapping concrete continuously around a formwork places high-level requirements on concrete and reinforcement properties. This paper presents the investigations on the load-bearing behavior of wrappable Short-Fiber-Reinforced Textile Concrete with uncoated textile reinforcement made of AR-glass in tensile tests. The placing of the concrete into the wrapped layers by casting, laminating or spraying as well as the short fiber content and warp/weft direction of the uncoated fabric have major influence on the load-bearing behavior of the tested specimens. Members produced in a spraying or laminating process showed low ultimate fabric stresses and unsatisfactory crack pattern in warp direction of the fabric due to the lacing of rovings leading to lower matrix penetration. Casting of specimens lead to significantly higher textile fracture stresses if textile fabrics are slightly tightened while installing in the formwork. Also vibrating the fine-grained concrete leads to better roving penetration compared to the spraying process. The addition of short fibers partially compensates negative effects of the textile weave in the warp direction.
COMPARATIVE EVALUATION OF LEED CERTIFIED HOSPITALS WITH “YES-TR” IN THE SCOPE OF "GREEN CERTIFICATION"
Authors: Büyükçınar Recep Ahmed , Kömürlü Rüveyda
Published: June 2024

Sustainability is a major concern for everyone. Diminishing resources and increasing pollution raise questions about, sustainability. This creates a pressure in the world to become more environmentally friendly. A green hospital is an organization that improves people's health and meets its share of the burden of disease by continuously reducing environmental impacts on sustainability. This sector is expected to grow several times over the next decade. Energy savings and water savings are tangible benefits of green hospitals. Increased daylight, faster patient recovery, natural connections, improved hygiene and health are just a few intangible benefits of green hospitals. Criteria have been set worldwide with certificates to qualify hospitals as green. In this context, in Turkey, the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change started the YeS-TR: In this study, a comparison of green certification standards in the world and YeS-TR: Green Certificate application was compared with the green certification standards in the World.
DESIGNING FOR SUSTAINABILITY: A SHOPPING MALL ANALYZING LIFE CYCLE IMPACT OF STRUCTURAL DESIGNS AND MATERIALS
Authors: Elgzeary Maryam , Gouda Hazem , Jaafar Kamal , Asghar Umar
Published: June 2024

The lifespan of construction projects entails significant consumption of resources, energy, and space. Due to sustainability awareness throughout all stages of construction projects, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is one of the tools used for examining the impacts of a product or process at all stages of the product or process's life cycle, including conception, production, use, and disposal. In order to gain a deeper understanding of the choice of design and construction materials, a case study was conducted for a shopping mall. It included a comparison of the environmental impacts of utilizing the LCA approach throughout their lifespan for two structural engineering designs: concrete and steel. The life-cycle environmental impacts of the structures are evaluated throughout their life cycle using SimaPro software and the midpoint technique of the ReCiPe method. Based on the results, it was concluded that the concrete structure design had a greater negative environmental impact over the course of its life cycle than the steel structure design. As a result, the study emphasizes the significant environmental effects of building material choices as well as the value of life cycle assessment in selecting between various design options prior to the construction phase.
Cnota umiarkowania w ujęciu Josefa Piepera
Authors: Jucewicz Antoni
Published: June 2024

Josef Pieper (1904-1997) to niemiecki, katolicki ﬁlozof, jeden z głównych popularyzatorów myśli św. Tomasza z  Akwinu w  XX wieku. W  artykule podjęta została analiza zagadnienia cnoty umiarkowania w ujęciu wspomnianego myśliciela. Zastosowane zostały następujące metody badawcze: krytyczna analizy źródeł oraz metoda dedukcyjna, aby następnie, za pomocą metody syntetycznej, uporządkować podjęte kwestie pod względem merytorycznym. Dla J. Piepera aktywność człowieka – ze względu na jego rozumność – winna być jednak ukierunkowana na dobro. Stąd konieczna jest dyscyplina wstrzemięźliwości. Osiągnięcie tego celu realizuje się poprzez czyn osoby. Wiąże się to z nieustannym wyborem dobra, opanowywaniem pożądliwości i niszczycielskiej siły grzechu. Całe życie człowieka jest związane z podejmowaniem trudu i zmagania na rzecz dojrzałości ludzkiej. Praktyka wstrzemięźliwości to w istocie realizacja osobowego ja, charakteryzującego się potrzebą zachowania swojej tożsamości jako bytu racjonalnego, duchowego. Praktykowanie umiarkowania prowadzi do wolności. Jest to wolność prawdziwej samorealizacji, wolność do spełnienia swego człowieczeństwa.
Spowiedź osób z zaburzeniem obsesyjno-kompulsyjnym (OCD)
Authors: Wąchol Grzegorz
Published: June 2024

Celem artykułu jest ukazanie mechanizmów działania zaburzenia obsesyjno-kompulsyjnego w kontekście sakramentu pokuty i pojednania oraz wskazań dotyczących pożądanego przebiegu tego sakramentu w  przypadku osób z  tą jednostką chorobową. Wierni Kościoła katolickiego, podobnie jak pozostałe grupy społeczne, są narażeni na zaburzenie obsesyjno-kompulsyjne, a sama spowiedź może, oprócz skutków duchowych, przynieść także korzyści psychiczne. Artykuł analizuje podstawowe cechy zaburzenia obsesyjno-kompulsyjnego oraz poszczególne etapy spowiedzi i prezentuje adekwatny sposób podejścia spowiednika do penitenta. Tekst podkreśla też konieczność przygotowania merytorycznego i praktycznego spowiedników. Dzięki temu spowiedź osób z omawianym zaburzeniem może być duchowym uzdrowieniem i spotkaniem z Bogiem bogatym w miłosierdzie, a nie kolejnym doświadczeniem lęku.
Stiffening of the human proximal pulmonary artery with increasing age
Authors: Manning Edward P. , Mishall Priti , Ramachandra Abhay B. , Hassab Abdulrahman H. M. , Lamy Jerome , Peters Dana C. , Murphy Terrence E. , Heerdt Paul , Singh Inderjit , Downie Sherry , Choudhary Gaurav , Tellides George , Humphrey Jay D.
Published: June 2024

Adverse effects of large artery stiffening are well established in the systemic circulation; stiffening of the proximal pulmonary artery (PPA) and its sequelae are poorly understood. We combined in vivo (n = 6) with ex vivo data from cadavers (n = 8) and organ donors (n = 13), ages 18 to 89, to assess whether aging of the PPA associates with changes in distensibility, biaxial wall strain, wall thickness, vessel diameter, and wall composition. Aging exhibited significant negative associations with distensibility and cyclic biaxial strain of the PPA (p ≤ 0.05), with decreasing circumferential and axial strains of 20% and 7%, respectively, for every 10 years after 50. Distensibility associated directly with diffusion capacity of the lung (R2 = 0.71, p = 0.03). Axial strain associated with right ventricular ejection fraction (R2 = 0.76, p = 0.02). Aging positively associated with length of the PPA (p = 0.004) and increased luminal caliber (p = 0.05) but showed no significant association with mean wall thickness (1.19 mm, p = 0.61) and no significant differences in the proportions of mural elastin and collagen (p = 0.19) between younger (<50 years) and older (>50) ex vivo samples. We conclude that age‐related stiffening of the PPA differs from that of the aorta; microstructural remodeling, rather than changes in overall geometry, may explain age‐related stiffening.
Rhodococcus equiandBrucellapulmonary mass in immunocompetent: A case report and literature review
Authors: Li Pengfei , Zhang Lifang , Li Xicheng , Zhang Xuejuan
Published: June 2024

Rhodococcus equi, predominantly recognized as an opportunistic pathogen affecting immunocompromised hosts, andBrucella, a widespread zoonotic bacterium, infrequently co-infect immunocompetent adults, thereby posing a distinctive diagnostic challenge. Here, we describe a case involving a 53-year-old male with a history of goat farming, who presented with persistent chest tightness, cough, and notable weight loss, absent fever. Radiological and bronchoscopic assessments showed a right hilar mass, extensive vertebral destruction, and bronchial lesions, deviating from the typical symptoms associated with either pathogen. Laboratory analyses confirmed a co-infection involvingR. equiandBrucella. Initial therapy with levofloxacin and vancomycin proved ineffective; however, a subsequent treatment regimen comprising azithromycin, etimicin, minocycline, and moxifloxacin resulted in substantial clinical improvement. This case accentuates the intricacies involved in diagnosing and managing atypical co-infections in immunocompetent individuals and underscores the importance of careful microbiological testing to inform effective therapeutic strategies.
Ethical Checklists for Clinical Research Projects and Laboratory Medicine: two tools to evaluate compliance with bioethical principles in different settings
Authors: Verona Julián , Yilmaz Gülsen , Zaninotto Martina , Munsaka Sody , Serdarevic Nafija , Datta Sudip K. , Wiencek Joesph , Fink Nilda
Published: June 2024

Objectives

To develop two ethical checklists to evaluate (i) management of ethical concerns in research projects and (ii) awareness of ethical conduct of healthcare laboratory professionals.

Methods

Comprehensive discussion among the members of IFCC Task Force on Ethics based on pertinent literature.

Results

This Checklist for Clinical Research Projects should be useful to evaluate research proposals from an ethical perspective before submitting it to an IRB or its equivalent, thereby diminishing rejection rates and resulting in more time-effective projects. The checklist designed to evaluate the ethical conduct in laboratory medicine could be useful for self evaluation (internal audits) and for certification/accreditation processes performed by third parties.

Conclusions

These checklists are simple but powerful tools useful to guide professionals to adhere to ethical principles in their practice, especially in developing countries where accredited ethics committees may be difficult to find.
Point-of-care testing: state-of-the art and perspectives
Authors: Plebani Mario , Nichols James H. , Luppa Peter B. , Greene Dina , Sciacovelli Laura , Shaw Julie , Khan Adil I. , Carraro Paolo , Freckmann Guido , Dimech Wayne , Zaninotto Martina , Spannagl Michael , Huggett Jim , Kost Gerald J. , Trenti Tommaso , Padoan Andrea , Thomas Annette , Banfi Giuseppe , Lippi Giuseppe
Published: June 2024

Point-of-care testing (POCT) is becoming an increasingly popular way to perform laboratory tests closer to the patient. This option has several recognized advantages, such as accessibility, portability, speed, convenience, ease of use, ever-growing test panels, lower cumulative healthcare costs when used within appropriate clinical pathways, better patient empowerment and engagement, and reduction of certain pre-analytical errors, especially those related to specimen transportation. On the other hand, POCT also poses some limitations and risks, namely the risk of lower accuracy and reliability compared to traditional laboratory tests, quality control and connectivity issues, high dependence on operators (with varying levels of expertise or training), challenges related to patient data management, higher costs per individual test, regulatory and compliance issues such as the need for appropriate validation prior to clinical use (especially for rapid diagnostic tests; RDTs), as well as additional preanalytical sources of error that may remain undetected in this type of testing, which is usually based on whole blood samples (i.e., presence of interfering substances, clotting, hemolysis, etc.). There is no doubt that POCT is a breakthrough innovation in laboratory medicine, but the discussion on its appropriate use requires further debate and initiatives. This collective opinion paper, composed of abstracts of the lectures presented at the two-day expert meeting “Point-Of-Care-Testing: State of the Art and Perspective” (Venice, April 4–5, 2024), aims to provide a thoughtful overview of the state-of-the-art in POCT, its current applications, advantages and potential limitations, as well as some interesting reflections on the future perspectives of this particular field of laboratory medicine.
Metasurface frequency reconfigurable antenna optimizes using neural network algorithm for wireless applications
Authors: D Vishnu , Shahul Hameed T. A. , O Sheeba , Barde Chetan , Ranjan Prakash
Published: June 2024

As the demand increases in the field of wireless communication system, the interest of researchers increases to develop and analyzes the antenna for these applications. This article present metasurface (MS) frequency reconfigurable antenna (FRA) which is optimized using neural network (NN) approach. The designed structure is a multilayer consists of three-layer patch antenna placed under the MS structure. The resonating patch is a rectangular shaped and substrate is a circular shaped show as to reduce the geometry of the antenna. The proposed structure is fabricated on FR-4 substrate of thickness 1.6 mm. The MS structure consists of split ring rectangular (SRR) strips made up of copper. The antenna reconfigured the operating frequency from 4.85 to 7 GHz having overall bandwidth of 2.15 GHz with wide range of tuning. The central frequency of rectangular patch antenna is 6.15 GHz. The MS is analyzed by using effective parameters i.e., effective permittivity (ε
r) & effective permeability (μ
r) and it is observed that the MS is behaving as a metamaterial in the desired range of frequency. The reconfigured operating frequency (ROF) is found at the anticlockwise rotation angles of 0°, 30°, 600 and 90°. The realized gain and radiation efficiency are calculated at each ROF. The validation of proposed MS based FRA is carried out first by simulating using Ansys HFSS and then measured inside the anechoic chamber. The proposed antenna is optimizes using NN model which shows minimum error during analysis and synthesis process.
Face detection method based on improved YOLO-v4 network and attention mechanism
Authors: Qi Yue , Wang Yiqin , Dong Yunyun
Published: June 2024

Due to insufficient information and feature extraction in existing face-detection methods, as well as limited computing power, designing high-precision and efficient face-detection algorithms is an open challenge. Based on this, we propose an improved face detection algorithm. First, through 1 × 1’s common convolution block (CBL) expands the channel for feature extraction, introduces a depthwise separable residual network into the YOLO-v4 network to further reduce the amount of model computation, and uses CBL to reduce the dimension, so as to improve the efficiency of the subsequent network. Second, the improved attention mechanism is used to splice the high-level features, and the high-level features and the shallow features are fused to obtain the feature vectors containing more information, so as to improve the richness and representativeness of the feature vectors. Finally, the experimental results show that compared with other comparative methods, our method achieves the best results on public face datasets, and our performance in personal face detection is significantly better than other methods.
“It feels like you have to choose one or the other”: a qualitative analysis of obstetrician focus groups on periviability counseling
Authors: Johnson Katherine M. , Delaney Kathryn , Fischer Melissa A.
Published: June 2024

Objectives

The objective of this study was to gain knowledge and ascertain challenges about periviability counseling among obstetricians to inform curricular development.

Methods

Focus groups were utilized. A series of open-ended questions was posed to each group of obstetricians; responses were audio recorded and transcribed. Transcriptions were analyzed by two coders using thematic analysis.

Results

Four focus groups were convened. Prominent themes included: (1) Obstetrician knowledge about neonatal outcomes is limited, (2) Periviability counseling is both time intensive and time-challenged, (3) Patient processing of information relies on the content, delivery and patient readiness, and (4) Obstetrician bias is toward advocating for maternal safety, which may run counter to parental instinct to “do everything.” The last theme was specifically focused on the role of cesarean delivery.

Conclusions

Curricula focused on improving obstetrician periviability counseling should focus on neonatal outcomes, the role of cesarean delivery, and utilization of shared decision-making.
Exploring polyetheretherketone in dental implants and abutments: A focus on biomechanics and finite element methods
Authors: Hanna Eddie Gazo , Amine Semaan , Prasad Benrose , Younes Khaled
Published: June 2024

This review article investigates the properties and applications of polyetheretherketone (PEEK) in the field of dental implantology. PEEK has emerged as a significant material of interest due to its mechanical strength, biocompatibility, and radiolucency. The article provides a detailed examination of PEEK’s biocompatibility and the various reinforcements that enhance its performance, including PEEK/HA, PEEK/β-TCP–TiO2, and CFR-PEEK. Focusing on dental applications, we discuss PEEK’s use in implant abutments, fixed dental prostheses, implants, and its commercial forms available for dental use. Further, the mechanical behavior of PEEK and its composites is analyzed, including its elastic behavior under various stress conditions and wear resistance. Moreover, the article conducts an integrative systematic review on the stress distribution in dental implants or abutments made from reinforced PEEK composites, assessed through finite element analysis. The aim of this review is to provide insights into the current state of research, the benefits, challenges, and future prospects of PEEK in implantology, and the biomechanical evaluation methods that underpin the development of this promising material.
Matrix equation representation of the convolution equation and its unique solvability
Authors: Satake Yuki , Sogabe Tomohiro , Kemmochi Tomoya , Zhang Shao-Liang
Published: June 2024

We consider the convolution equationF*X=BF* X=B, whereF∈R3×3F\in {{\mathbb{R}}}^{3\times 3}andB∈Rm×nB\in {{\mathbb{R}}}^{m\times n}are given andX∈Rm×nX\in {{\mathbb{R}}}^{m\times n}is to be determined. The convolution equation can be regarded as a linear system with a coefficient matrix of special structure. This fact has led to many studies including efficient numerical algorithms for solving the convolution equation. In this study, we show that the convolution equation can be represented as a generalized Sylvester equation. Furthermore, for some realistic examples arising from image processing, we show that the generalized Sylvester equation can be reduced to a simpler form, and we analyze the unique solvability of the convolution equation.
A Review of the MFS Regulatory Framework to Control IFF in Bangladesh
Authors: Huda MD. Nazmul , Sony M M Abdullah Al Mamun
Published: June 2024

Mobile financial services (MFS), with their focus on technology and ease of use, have emerged as a novel approach for developing countries to address the problem of adopting best practices to promote financial inclusivity. However, if there are no effective regulations or guidelines in place on a national and international level, the purpose of achieving full financial inclusion and the Sustainable Development Goals might go in vain. For instance, to prevent illicit financial flow (IFF) and ensure that this financial system operates properly, the central bank of Bangladesh, one of the world’s fastest-developing nations, implemented the most recent MFS rule. However, a number of MFS-related fraud incidents have prompted scholars to critically assess the Bangladesh Bank’s (BB) MFS regulatory system with a focus on the efficiency of IFF prevention. This study has demonstrated that the current regulatory system has a weak KYC verification system using a comparative methodology. Following that, if someone has access to someone’s personal information, they also have access to their MFS accounts. In general, the current MFS adheres to a risk-based regulatory paradigm that forces regulators to wait until a hazard occurs and limits them to this legal framework. Policy makers would then be advised by this study to implement a smart regulatory approach in order to establish a climate that is anti-IFF.
Questions of Interpretation of Certain Preconditions for Criminal Sanctions Against Legal Persons
Authors: Vajda Szabolcs
Published: June 2024

In this study, the author analyses the conditions for the application of criminal law measures against legal persons. Despite the fact that legal persons are often involved in criminal activities, relatively few legal persons are actually prosecuted. One possible reason for this, according to the author, is that Act CIV of 2001 on criminal measures against legal persons (CMALP Act) sets out a wide range of conditions for a legal person to be subject to criminal measures. In the present study, the author provides a practical analysis of each of these conditions, covering the scope of the CMALP Act and the conditions explicitly mentioned in the CMALP Act.
A Prelimbic Cortex-Thalamus Circuit Bidirectionally Regulates Innate and Stress-Induced Anxiety-Like Behavior
Authors: Zhang Sheng-Rong , Wu Ding-Yu , Luo Rong , Wu Jian-Lin , Chen Hao , Li Zi-Ming , Zhuang Jia-Pai , Hu Neng-Yuan , Li Xiao-Wen , Yang Jian-Ming , Gao Tian-Ming , Chen Yi-Hua
Published: June 2024

Anxiety-related disorders respond to cognitive behavioral therapies, which involved the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Previous studies have suggested that subregions of the mPFC have different and even opposite roles in regulating innate anxiety. However, the specific causal targets of their descending projections in modulating innate anxiety and stress-induced anxiety have yet to be fully elucidated. Here, we found that among the various downstream pathways of the prelimbic cortex (PL), a subregion of the mPFC, PL-mediodorsal thalamic nucleus (MD) projection, and PL-ventral tegmental area (VTA) projection exhibited antagonistic effects on anxiety-like behavior, while the PL-MD projection but not PL-VTA projection was necessary for the animal to guide anxiety-related behavior. In addition, MD-projecting PL neurons bidirectionally regulated remote but not recent fear memory retrieval. Notably, restraint stress induced high-anxiety state accompanied by strengthening the excitatory inputs onto MD-projecting PL neurons, and inhibiting PL-MD pathway rescued the stress-induced anxiety. Our findings reveal that the activity of PL-MD pathway may be an essential factor to maintain certain level of anxiety, and stress increased the excitability of this pathway, leading to inappropriate emotional expression, and suggests that targeting specific PL circuits may aid the development of therapies for the treatment of stress-related disorders.
East Asian Social Science: State of the Art or Next Big Thing?
Authors: Schmidt Volker H.
Published: June 2024

The paper offers a cursory overview of the state of social scientific knowledge production in East Asia. Conceptually, East Asia is strongly anchored in Eurocentric premises. These have been questioned not only by postcolonial critics but also by the globalization of social reality that has made them theoretically untenable. Steeped in epistemological conservatism and an empiricism inherited from the Anglophone world, East Asia does not yet seem ready to let go of the delusionary certainty these premises provide and of the short-term gratifications the construction of more of the same awards. Given its position in the world, the region should be poised to become a genuine social scientific innovator. But this presupposes coming to terms with an intellectual legacy that has run its course.
THE ROLE OF MODELING IN IMPROVING THE PROFESSIONAL SKILLS OF A TEACHER IN HIGHER EDUCATION
Authors: KOVALCHUK Vera
Published: June 2024

In the article scientific views on the definition of "modeling", "professional skill" were considered. The main approaches to understanding the essence of modeling in the modern scientific literature were analyzed. The scientist notes that modeling is inextricably linked with the design, motivational and activity spheres of personality. The author traces the relationship between the concepts of "modeling" and "design" and concludes that it is important to motivate students to use pedagogical modeling in the educational process. The activity will be more effective and efficient on condition of presence of strong and bright reasons  that will motivate to action.
Modeling is an important component of the professional skills of any specialist. Given the analysis of the concept of professional skill, it is argued that it covers motives, knowledge, skills, abilities. In each component, pedagogical skills are manifested at different levels of activity. It is proved that pedagogical skill is concretized by the author as a complex personal formation, covering the sphere of moral values, emotions, intellect. The author emphasized that pedagogical skills can be formed due to special conditions, the main of which is the motivation for creative activity. The professional training of a teacher of a higher education institution to use modeling in the educational process were considered.
MAIN FEATURES OF VERBAL INTERACTION OF TEACHER AND STUDENT IN THE EDUCATIONAL SPACE OF THE SCHOOL (FOLLOWING THE WORKS OF IVAN FRANKO)
Authors: MATKOVSKYI Mykhailo
Published: June 2024

The features of verbal interaction are explored, namely those between teacher and student in the educational space of the school in the context of Ivan Franko’s views. There has been explained the need to find new strategies and the most favorable conditions regarding the ways of supporting the processes of socialization, adaptation and self-realization of young people in society. It is emphasized that successful pedagogical communication between a teacher and a student requires certain psychological features and abilities as well as professional training. It has been argued on the relevance of the introduction of Ivan Franko’s pedagogical ideas in the process of teaching, education, and personal development.
SYLLABUS AND EDUCATIONAL AND METHODICAL COMPLEX OF DISCIPLINES: COMMONALITIES AND DIFFERENCES
Authors: YATSURA Mykhailo , GAMARNYK Anna , RACHIY Bohdan
Published: June 2024

The article presents a comparative analysis of the structures, content and significance of the syllabus and EMC of the general course of physics in the section Optics, developed for students majoring in "Physics and Astronomy". Based on it, it is concluded that if the EMC is supplemented with parts of the syllabus, which are absent in the EMC, then without the slightest harm to the organization of the educational process, you can do without the syllabus. A new (extended) EMC structure is proposed.
Why write about Stus or Continuing the beginning
Authors: Kozlyk Ihor
Published: June 2024

The article contains thoughts on the motivation of new appeals to the literary understanding of Vasyl Stus’s lyrical heritage (1938–1985). Aim. To focus on the need for a non-inertial approach to V. Stus’s lyric poetry as a living artistic phenomenon. Methods. Systematization and analysis of assessments of Stus’s lyric poetry in correlation with the poet's self-assessment of his own poetic works. Results and research novelty. The idea of a non-inertial approach to the lyrical poetry by V. Stus is substantiated. Practical meaning. The article can be used in the research of the methodological grounds of the scientific study of literary and artistic phenomena and in the process of studying V. Stus’s works in universities and schools.