bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pulmonary Embolism Post-Femoral Neck Fracture Surgery: A Critical Predictor of Five-Year Mortality
Authors: Atzmon Ran , Dubin Jeremy , Shemesh Shai , Tamir Eran , Yaacobi Eyal , Palmanovich Ezequiel , Drexler Michael , Ohana Nissim
Published: September 2024

Objectives

This study examines the impact of pulmonary embolism (PE) on mortality among patients with femoral neck fractures, exploring the predictive value of preoperative PE for postoperative occurrences and associated mortality over a 5-year follow-up period.

Methods

We analyzed 2256 patients over 60 years old admitted with femoral neck fractures, focusing on those who developed DVT or PE postoperatively. Surgical intervention aimed within 48 hours without pharmacological thromboprophylaxis, utilizing mechanical prophylaxis instead. Postoperative management included Enoxaparin administration. Data analysis employed SPSS 21, with chi-squared tests, T-tests, and multivariate logistic regression to explore mortality and PE incidence.

Results

PE was diagnosed in 1.4% of patients, with a notable mortality contrast between patients with PE (87%) and those without (59.7%) over 5 years. A history of preoperative PE emerged as a significant risk factor for postoperative PE. Despite surgical variations, no significant correlation was found between surgery type and PE incidence. Early postoperative weight-bearing and institutional rehabilitation did not significantly alter PE incidence rates.

Conclusions

The study underscores the significant mortality risk associated with preoperative PE in femoral neck fracture patients. It highlights the necessity for vigilant PE risk assessment and management, challenging assumptions about the protective role of early mobility and rehabilitation in PE incidence. Further research is essential to refine patient care strategies and improve outcomes.
Foreign Experienced CFOs’ and Financial Reporting Quality
Authors: Ullah Irfan , Zeb Aurang , Wang Chunlin , Khan Muhammad Arif , Yousaf Umair Bin
Published: September 2024

This paper aims to empirically examine whether foreign experienced CFOs (FCFOs) affect financial reporting quality (FRQ). Analyzing Chinese listed firms from 2005 to 2018, this study employs methods such as ordinary least square, fixed effect model (FEM), generalized method of moment (GMM), two-stage least square (2SLS), propensity score matching method (PSM), and change analysis to find the relationship between FCFOs and FRQ. The results show that FCFOs significantly positively impact FRQ, which means that FCFOs improve FRQ in Chinese firms. We argue that international experience imprints CFO cognition, elevates his moral standards, and makes him more transparent in dealings, leading to a better information environment and robust corporate governance mechanism. In addition, this study indicates that the relationship between FCFOs and FRQ is significant in non-state-owned enterprises (NSOEs), suggesting that NSOEs outperform state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in terms of FRQ. Finally, we find that both foreign work and study experiences of CFOs affect FRQ. The findings suggest that asymmetric information problems can be alleviated by encouraging foreign experienced individuals to the firm’s CFO position. The study provides empirical evidence that a CFO’s foreign experience determines a firm’s FRQ.
Actuarial Evaluation of the Financial Backing Risk on Chinese Public Pension
Authors: Yang Zaigui , Chen Xiaohua
Published: September 2024

The Comprehensive Scheme on Reducing Social Insurance Contribution Rates (RSICR scheme) issued in 2019 had an important impact on the financial backing risk of the Chinese Public Pension for Enterprise Employees. We developed actuarial models for contribution revenues, benefit expenditures, and the balance of the public pension to analyze the impact of the RSICR scheme on the financial status of the Chinese Public Pension and the financial backing risk early warning after its implementation. This was done according to the State Council Documents and considering the interruption of participants’ contributions and the contribution salary being lower than the statistical salary. We found that (1) the RSICR scheme will worsen financial status in earlier years; however, it effectively slows down the trend of financial deterioration in most years of the forecasted period. (2) After implementing the RSICR scheme, four early warning indicators were selected and calculated. Since 2022, the financial backing risk of the Chinese Public Pension has increased rapidly, and four warning levels–blue, yellow, orange, and red–and their corresponding warning-year intervals were obtained. (3) According to sensitivity analyses, the key reverse early warning indicators’ influencing factors ranged from strong to weak: retirement age, firm contribution rate, and total fertility rate. In the same direction, from strong to weak, are the benefit growth rate, the bookkeeping interest rate, and the transitional coefficient. Finally, we propose policy suggestions to alleviate the financial backing risk.

JEL Classification: G22, G23, H83, P34.
Resilience Governance and Acceptance of Climate Change Policy in Taiwan Special Municipalities
Authors: Cheng Chun-Fa , Cheng Kuo-Tai , Chang Kirk , Tai Hsing-Wei
Published: September 2024

Resilience is a city’s continual ability to resist, adapt, change, and prepare for shocks and pressures, whether of environmental, social, institutional, or economic origin, in order to preserve city operations and improve responsiveness to future shocks. The goal of this research was to see how well each aspect of resilience governance (economic, social, environmental, and institutional) predicted acceptance of climate change policy (ACCP) in a Taiwan sample. A total of 1,089 employees from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from six special municipalities were included in the study (Taipei, New Taipei, Taoyuan, Taichung, Tainan, Kaohsiung). The analysis discovered that for all six cities, the economic dimension of resilience governance was significantly negatively correlated with the ACCP, while the social and institutional dimensions of resilience governance were significantly positively correlated with the ACCP. Furthermore, the institutional dimension of resilience governance was the only characteristic of resilience governance that consistently predicted EPA staffers’ ACCP across six Taiwanese special municipalities.
Evaluating Feedback Comments in Entrustable Professional Activities: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Andreou Vasiliki , Peters Sanne , Eggermont Jan , Schoenmakers Birgitte
Published: September 2024

INTRODUCTION

Competency-based medical education (CBME) has transformed postgraduate medical training, prioritizing competency acquisition over traditional time-based curricula. Integral to CBME are Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs), that aim to provide high-quality feedback for trainee development. Despite its importance, the quality of feedback within EPAs remains underexplored.

METHODS

We employed a cross-sectional study to explore feedback quality within EPAs, and to examine factors influencing length of written comments and their relationship to quality. We collected and analyzed 1163 written feedback comments using the Quality of Assessment for Learning (QuAL) score. The QuAL aims to evaluate written feedback from low-stakes workplace assessments, based on 3 quality criteria (evidence, suggestion, connection). Afterwards, we performed correlation and regression analyses to examine factors influencing feedback length and quality.

RESULTS

EPAs facilitated high-quality written feedback, with a significant proportion of comments meeting quality criteria. Task-oriented and actionable feedback was prevalent, enhancing value of low-stakes workplace assessments. From the statistical analyses, the type of assessment tool significantly influenced feedback length and quality, implicating that direct and video observations can yield superior feedback in comparison to case-based discussions. However, no correlation between entrustment scores and feedback quality was found, suggesting potential discrepancies between the feedback and the score on the entrustability scale.

CONCLUSION

This study indicates the role of the EPAs to foster high-quality feedback within CBME. It also highlights the multifaceted feedback dynamics, suggesting the influence of factors such as feedback length and assessment tool on feedback quality. Future research should further explore contextual factors for enhancing medical education practices.
Authoritarian environmentalism 2.0: An incremental transition of environmental governance in China
Authors: Xiang Chen , Lo Alex Y
Published: September 2024

The recent policy practice in China has shown nuanced differences from previous accounts of authoritarian environmentalism. The emerging discourse of green transformation shows dual tendencies for (re-)centralizing and decentralizing environmental institutions. Our understanding of authoritarian environmentalism in China requires an update. We review the recent policy practice and the scholarly literature to advance a modified framework of authoritarian environmentalism. Using the Central Environmental Inspection Teams and emissions trading schemes as examples, we highlight the coordinated practice of strengthening state control while strategically using mass mobilization and market mechanisms. We argue that non-state actors and bottom-up tools are being absorbed into the politics of (re-)centralization. The centralizing state accommodates a limited range of participatory and decentralizing elements in an attempt to modernize the governance system. Our modified framework recognizes the mutually reinforcing authoritarian and liberal elements, and sheds light on the broader trends of environmental governance in China.
Bilateral Diffuse Uveal Melanocytic Proliferation in the Setting of Ovarian Cancer
Authors: Olis Matthew , Weppelmann Thomas A. , Patel Mamta
Published: September 2024

Purpose: To describe a case of bilateral diffuse uveal melanocytic proliferation in the setting of metastatic ovarian cancer. Methods: A single case was analyzed and a literature review of treatment efficacy performed. Results: A 64-year-old woman presented to ophthalmology in July 2022 for evaluation of blurred vision in the setting of ovarian cancer and a possible reaction to chemotherapy. A comprehensive workup led to the diagnosis of bilateral diffuse uveal melanocytic proliferation. Treatment to potentially preserve the patient’s vision comprised a sub-Tenon triamcinolone injection and plasmapheresis. Conclusions: Plasmapheresis did not improve the visual acuity (VA) in the patient’s right eye; however, 6 months after the last treatment, the VA in the left eye improved from 20/50 to 20/30, corresponding to a decrease in macular edema. Given the rarity of bilateral diffuse uveal melanocytic proliferation, its uncertain pathogenesis, and its varied responses to treatment, it is imperative to establish a diagnostic management and treatment algorithm to improve visual outcomes.
Outcomes of Michigan Medicine's integrated patient safety and communication and resolution program, 2013–2022
Authors: Burney Richard E , Mckeown Ellen S , Zhang Yan , Anderson Susan G , Blackwell Amy C , Hebert Dale L
Published: September 2024

Background

Whether to manage malpractice claims by a proactive communication and resolution program or by the traditional adversarial legal process remains an important but unsettled question in health care risk management and the long-term durability of a communication and resolution program is unknown. We report here on the current outcomes of the Michigan Medicine communication and resolution program after 20 years in operation.

Methods

Deidentified data from the Michigan Medicine claims database for fiscal years 2013 through 2022 were analyzed to delineate the processes and outcomes of the Michigan Medicine communication and resolution program.

Results

During the period of study, patient safety event reports increased by 37.5% while the proportion of events associated with harm fell from 10.5% to 6.7%. The Clinical Care Review Committee, a multidisciplinary medical staff quality and safety oversight panel, deemed care reasonable in 638 of 989 claims (65%), guiding communication and resolution program discussions. 564 (88%) of these were closed or dismissed without payment. 288 (83%) of the 349 cases in which care was deemed unreasonable were settled. The rate of liability claims remained stable at 3.8/100,000 exposures per month. The median time to resolve claims was 11 months.

Conclusions

Analysis of the most recent 10 years of Michigan Medicine's communication and resolution program activity confirms that the program is well-integrated into its system-wide patient safety program and that its early success has proven durable. It also illustrates the benefits of integrating multidisciplinary quality review and improvement into a communication and resolution program. It may serve as a model for other health care systems.
Uniform Civil Code, Uttarakhand, 2024—Uniformizing Marriage Laws and Legalizing Live-in Relationships
Authors: Narayan Choudhary Laxmi , Narayan Mridula
Published: September 2024

The Uttarakhand Civil Code, 2024 has been passed by Uttarakhand Legislature and is now set to come into force after receiving Presidential assent and being notified to come into force. The Code seeks to enact a civil code applicable to all residents of the state irrespective of the religion, caste and creed of the person, except those belonging to the Scheduled Tribes. The conditions for marriage and grounds for divorce has been set in line with the Special Marriage Act, 1954. The Code provides for compulsory registration of all the marriage solemnised/ contracted within the territory of the state or performed outside the state where at least one of the parties is the resident of the state. All decree of nullity of marriage or divorce/ judicial separation are also required to be registered. Divorce in any other way than prescribed in the Code is prohibited and made punishable. Compelling or abetting any condition for divorce/ remarriage is also prohibited and punishable. One of the unique features of the Code is that it provides for legal recognition of the live-in relationships and stipulates for compulsory registration of such relationships. The Code also has provisions of protection of rights of woman in such relationships at par with a married woman. The Code also provides legitimacy to the children born out of such relationships.
Incidental Left Ventricular Hydatid Cyst in a Patient with Chest Pain: A Case Report
Authors: Shanmugam Karthik , U Kishor , Sadiq Abid M. , Govind Satish C. , Raj Vimal , Raut Barendra K.
Published: September 2024

Hydatid disease is an indolent parasitic infection caused by Echinococcus. The disease is transmitted through the ingestion of uncooked, contaminated vegetables and can infect almost any human organ, commonly the liver, followed by the lung, and rarely the heart. A computed tomography scan is the modality of choice for identifying hydatid cysts, and magnetic resonance imaging is for identifying complications. The definitive treatment includes surgery, with the possible use of antihelmintics in inoperable cases. To avoid fatal complications, hydatid disease must be treated as soon as it is diagnosed. This case highlights a peasant farmer rearing livestock who presented with chest pain and was incidentally found to have a mass in the left ventricle by transthoracic echocardiography. Further imaging found a large hydatid cyst in the left ventricular wall that was causing chest pain, possibly from the mass effect or compression of the left anterior descending artery.
Expanding infrastructure ontologies: Integrative and critical insights for coastal studies and governance
Authors: Foley Paul , Moro Lorenzo , Neis Barbara , Stephenson Robert , Mellin Robert , Singh Gerald , Hall Pamela , Kelly Rachel , Kulsum Umme
Published: September 2024

Diverse knowledge insights are essential to inform action on bringing about transformations in how societies live with changing Earth, ocean and coastal systems. However, knowledge forms typically used in governance systems are stubbornly limited. This paper analyses the extent to which an expanding ontology of the concept of ‘infrastructure’ can contribute to building more integrated knowledge for governance in ocean and coastal contexts. This paper asks: What can creative and critical engagement with infrastructure thinking offer to efforts to bring together diverse forms of knowledge and to develop more effective and ethical governance in changing coastal contexts? Employing a qualitative assessment of how the concept of infrastructure is defined in multiple disciplines and contexts, the paper identifies three heuristic types of structures, things and processes that can collectively inform interdisciplinary dialogue and governance dialogue: (i) built/physical infrastructure, (ii) environmental infrastructure, and (iii) societal/cultural infrastructure. Drawing on insights from critical infrastructure studies and more-than-human perspectives, the paper then identifies ontological and methodological challenges of integration, values, and power/agency for those who engage a multi-faceted conception of infrastructure to frame analysis and action. Bringing these insights together, the paper argues that infrastructure thinking provides a means to facilitate interdisciplinary dialogue, and a useful lens with which to analytically integrate diverse forms of knowledge about/in ocean and coastal contexts. However, cautious and critical perspectives are needed to support efforts in (re)thinking and integrating for collective action and governance.
Arthroscopic Mumford Procedure for AC Joint Arthritis
Authors: Gil Noriega Gustavo Antonio , Polanco Rosario Roberto , Herrera Huependo Gilberto Antonio , Llinás Hernández Paulo José
Published: September 2024

Background:

Acromioclavicular (AC) joint arthritis is a common cause of shoulder pain in young patients. Management has been focused on relieving pain mainly with conservative nonsurgical procedures such as corticoid injections, physical therapy and even, recently, orthobiological interventions with platelet-rich plasma and hyaluronic acid injections. However, failed conservative management opens the door to surgical interventions such as the arthroscopic distal third of the clavicle resection.

Indications:

Patients submitted to this surgery must have a confirmed diagnosis of an arthritic, painful AC joint that has not been properly responding to nonoperative management.

Technique Description:

The surgical procedure is done in the beach chair position with standard arthroscopic portals. After a proper intraarticular evaluation of the structures and ruling out any other causes of pain, the surgeon passes to the subacromial space. Identification of the AC joint is made by following the coracoacromial ligament medial and with manipulation of the clavicle from the patient's skin. Debridement should start by releasing the anterior and posterior ligaments to allow for proper visualization of the articulation. A bur or a 5.5-mm shaver is used to start resection of the distal third of the clavicle under visualization and with care to not create a vault. The procedure is considered done when a smooth articular surface is visualized and with at least 5 mm of space between the clavicle and the acromion.

Results:

The proposed technique, which is a variant of the classic distal clavicle excision, has shown improved functional outcomes with reproducible postoperative scores and low complications rates in the setting of patients with isolated AC joint arthritis.

Conclusion:

Surgical management of the painful, arthritic AC joint has been evolving alongside with the history of shoulder arthroscopy; the proposed arthroscopic approach is an easy and effective way of freeing the patient of pain and discomfort with quick return to activities and sports.

Patient Consent Disclosure Statement:

The author(s) attests that consent has been obtained from any patient(s) appearing in this publication. If the individual may be identifiable, the author(s) has included a statement of release or other written form of approval from the patient(s) with this submission for publication.
Drone-delivered automated external defibrillators for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: A simulation-based feasibility study
Authors: Smith Christopher M , Phillips Joe , Rees Nigel , Powell Carl , Sheehan Anthony , O’ Sullivan Mary
Published: September 2024

Background

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and defibrillation markedly increases survival following out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Members of the public can perform both before the ambulance service arrives. However, bystanders use a public-access Automated External Defibrillator (AED) in around 5% of cases. Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (‘drones’) to deliver AEDs may overcome many of the barriers preventing public-access AED use. The study team investigated how quickly and easily bystanders performing CPR could use drone-delivered AEDs.

Methods

The study team developed an AED-capable drone between May and November 2020 and conducted 18 OHCA simulations in July and September 2021. A single participant found a simulated patient inside a building and made a 999-call to a Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust call-handler. Once cardiac arrest was confirmed during the 999-call a nearby drone launched, reached hovering altitude and delivered the AED immediately outside the building. The participant retrieved the AED when instructed to do so, attached it to the patient and delivered a single shock. The primary outcome was hands-off CPR time. Secondary outcomes included ease of AED retrieval, by using a questionnaire adapted from the System Usability Scale and exploring participant behaviours via post-simulation interviews and reviews of audio and video recordings of the simulation.

Results

Hands-off CPR time was (median) 109 s (interquartile range 87–130 s). Participants spent 19 s (16–22 s) away from the patient's side when retrieving the AED. Participants found it easy to use the AED but often sought the call-handler's reassurance that it was appropriate to retrieve it.

Conclusion

Participants found it easy to retrieve and use an AED delivered by drone in simulated OHCAs. Hands-off CPR time was potentially clinically relevant in this lone bystander simulation, but there was only a small increase in hands-off time caused by retrieval of the drone-delivered AED.
Power and Influence in Leadership: A Discussion from the View of Collective Action
Authors: Faix Anna-Vanadis , Kisgen Stefanie
Published: September 2024

Power and influence are important factors and are closely linked to leadership and our acceptance of it. However, in the relatively recent systematic examination of these phenomena and their emergence and implementation, at least some facets remain underexamined. The focus is primarily on psychological incentive systems. In our article, we want to argue that this form of consideration is important, but not sufficient and sometimes even remains one-sided. This is due to the restriction of the incentive systems themselves, which primarily change the consequences of actions for the guided one or are related to the guided person’s lack of access to knowledge, for example. We, therefore, want to argue in favour of an extension of the theory and clarify as a core thesis why the power and influence of leadership also go hand in hand with the simplification of collective actions, fairness and cooperation. We want to realise this project at all levels on the basis of arguments from action theory (primarily decision and game theory).
Turbocharging protein binding site prediction with geometric attention, inter-resolution transfer learning, and homology-based augmentation
Authors: Lee Daeseok , Hwang Wonjun , Byun Jeunghyun , Shin Bonggun
Published: September 2024

Background

Locating small molecule binding sites in target proteins, in the resolution of either pocket or residue, is critical in many drug-discovery scenarios. Since it is not always easy to find such binding sites using conventional methods, different deep learning methods to predict binding sites out of protein structures have been developed in recent years. The existing deep learning based methods have several limitations, including (1) the inefficiency of the CNN-only architecture, (2) loss of information due to excessive post-processing, and (3) the under-utilization of available data sources.

Methods

We present a new model architecture and training method that resolves the aforementioned problems. First, by layering geometric self-attention units on top of residue-level 3D CNN outputs, our model overcomes the problems of CNN-only architectures. Second, by configuring the fundamental units of computation as residues and pockets instead of voxels, our method reduced the information loss from post-processing. Lastly, by employing inter-resolution transfer learning and homology-based augmentation, our method maximizes the utilization of available data sources to a significant extent.

Results

The proposed method significantly outperformed all state-of-the-art baselines regarding both resolutions—pocket and residue. An ablation study demonstrated the indispensability of our proposed architecture, as well as transfer learning and homology-based augmentation, for achieving optimal performance. We further scrutinized our model’s performance through a case study involving human serum albumin, which demonstrated our model’s superior capability in identifying multiple binding sites of the protein, outperforming the existing methods.

Conclusions

We believe that our contribution to the literature is twofold. Firstly, we introduce a novel computational method for binding site prediction with practical applications, substantiated by its strong performance across diverse benchmarks and case studies. Secondly, the innovative aspects in our method— specifically, the design of the model architecture, inter-resolution transfer learning, and homology-based augmentation—would serve as useful components for future work.
Prevalence and antibiotic susceptibility patterns of uropathogens in men with prostate cancer and benign prostate hyperplasia from Southwestern Nigeria
Authors: Akinpelu Sharon O. , Olasehinde Grace I. , Ikuerowo Stephen O. , Akinnola Olayemi O.
Published: September 2024

Background

Epidemiological investigations have revealed an important association between infection, inflammation and prostate cancer. Certain bacterial species, such as Klebsiella spp, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas spp, Proteus mirabilis, Chlamydia trachomatis have been linked to prostate cancer. This study aimed to examine the microbiota; specifically bacterial species that have been linked to prostate infections in the urine of individuals diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Results

Sixty-six prostate cancer patients and forty controls provided midstream urine samples. The urine samples were grown on suitable medium, and bacterial isolates were detected by standard microbiological methods. Additionally, the antibiotic sensitivity pattern of the bacterial isolates was analysed. A total of number of 72 bacterial isolates were obtained from the urine of study participants. The results showed the presence of Escherichia coli (50.0%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (18.1%), Klebsiella spp (15.3%), Staphylococcus aureus (8.3%), Enterobacter spp (4.2%), and Proteus mirabilis (2.8%) in the urine. The most common bacterial species isolated from prostate cancer patients was Escherichia coli, which was susceptible to levofloxacin (100%), tobramycin (91.7%), and amikacin (62.5%).

Conclusions

This study’s findings established the presence of bacteria previously linked to prostatitis. This report indicates a high prevalence of pro-inflammatory bacteria and uropathogens in the urinary tract of men diagnosed with prostate cancer.
Suspected poor-quality medicines in Kenya: a retrospective descriptive study of medicine quality-related complaints reports in Kenya’s pharmacovigilance database
Authors: Toroitich Anthony Martin , Armitage Rachel , Tanna Sangeeta
Published: September 2024

Poor-quality, substandard and falsified, medicines pose a significant public health threat, particularly in low-middle-income countries. A retrospective study was performed on Kenya's Pharmacovigilance Electronic Reporting System (2014–2021) to characterize medicine quality-related complaints and identify associations using disproportionality analysis. A total of 2767 individual case safety reports were identified, categorized into medicines with quality defects (52.1%), suspected therapeutic failure (41.6%), and suspected adverse drug reactions (6.3%). Predominantly reported were antineoplastic agents (28.6%), antivirals (11.7%), and antibacterial agents (10.8%) potentially linked to non-adherence to good manufacturing practices, inappropriate usage and supply chain degradation. Notably, analgesics (8.2%), and medical devices (3.5%) notified had quality defects, predominantly from government health facilities (60.0%). Antineoplastic agents (20.2%) and antivirals (3.7%) were frequently reported from suspected therapeutic failures and suspected adverse drug reactions, respectively, across both private for-profit facilities (26.5%) and not-for-profit facilities (5.4%). Underreporting occurred in unlicensed health facilities (8.1%), due to unawareness and reporting challenges. Pharmacists (46.1%), and pharmaceutical technicians (11.7%) predominantly reported quality defects, while medical doctors (28.0%) reported suspected therapeutic failures. Orally administered generic medicines (76.9%) were commonly reported, with tablets (5.8%) identified as potential sources of suspected adverse drug reactions, while quality defects were notified from oral solutions, suspensions, and syrups (7.0%) and medical devices (3.9%). The COVID-19 pandemic correlated with reduced reporting possibly due to prioritization of health surveillance. This study provides valuable evidence to supporting the use of medicine quality-related complaints for proactive, targeted regulatory control of high-risk medicines on the market. This approach can be strengthened by employing standardized terminology to prioritize monitoring of commonly reported suspected poor-quality medicines for risk-based sampling and testing within the supply chain.
Repeated LPS induces training and tolerance of microglial responses across brain regions
Authors: Kim Jennifer , Sullivan Olivia , Lee Kristen , Jao Justin , Tamayo Juan , Madany Abdullah Muhammad , Wong Brandon , Ashwood Paul , Ciernia Annie Vogel
Published: September 2024

Background

Neuroinflammation is involved in the pathogenesis of almost every central nervous system disorder. As the brain’s innate immune cells, microglia fine tune their activity to a dynamic brain environment. Previous studies have shown that repeated bouts of peripheral inflammation can trigger long-term changes in microglial gene expression and function, a form of innate immune memory.

Methods and results

In this study, we used multiple low-dose lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injections in adult mice to study the acute cytokine, transcriptomic, and microglia morphological changes that contribute to the formation of immune memory in the frontal cortex, hippocampus, and striatum, as well as the long-term effects of these changes on behavior. Training and tolerance of gene expression was shared across regions, and we identified 3 unique clusters of DEGs (2xLPS-sensitive, 4xLPS-sensitive, LPS-decreased) enriched for different biological functions. 2xLPS-sensitive DEG promoters were enriched for binding sites for IRF and NFkB family transcription factors, two key regulators of innate immune memory. We quantified shifts in microglia morphological populations and found that while the proportion of ramified and rod-like microglia mostly remained consistent within brain regions and sexes with LPS treatment, there was a shift from ameboid towards hypertrophic morphological states across immune memory states and a dynamic emergence and resolution of events of microglia aligning end-to-end with repeated LPS.

Conclusions

Together, findings support the dynamic regulation of microglia during the formation of immune memories in the brain and support future work to exploit this model in brain disease contexts.
Advanced fine-tuning procedures to enhance DNN robustness in visual coding for machines
Authors: Marie Alban , Desnos Karol , Mercat Alexandre , Morin Luce , Vanne Jarno , Zhang Lu
Published: September 2024

Video Coding for Machines (VCM) is gaining momentum in applications like autonomous driving, industry manufacturing, and surveillance, where the robustness of machine learning algorithms against coding artifacts is one of the key success factors. This work complements the MPEG/JVET standardization efforts in improving the resilience of deep neural network (DNN)-based machine models against such coding artifacts by proposing the following three advanced fine-tuning procedures for their training: (1) the progressive increase of the distortion strength as the training proceeds; (2) the incorporation of a regularization term in the original loss function to minimize the distance between predictions on compressed and original content; and (3) a joint training procedure that combines the proposed two approaches. These proposals were evaluated against a conventional fine-tuning anchor on two different machine tasks and datasets: image classification on ImageNet and semantic segmentation on Cityscapes. Our joint training procedure is shown to reduce the training time in both cases and still obtain a 2.4% coding gain in image classification and 7.4% in semantic segmentation, whereas a slight increase in training time can bring up to 9.4% better coding efficiency for the segmentation. All these coding gains are obtained without any additional inference or encoding time. As these advanced fine-tuning procedures are standard-compliant, they offer the potential to have a significant impact on visual coding for machine applications.
Ο ρόλος των δυναμικών συστημάτων φυσικού φωτισμού και σκιασμού στο σχεδιασμό
Authors: Κωνσταντόγλου Μαρία
Published: September 2024

Το κέλυφος λόγω του πολυδιάστατου χαρακτήρα του αποτελεί μέσο διαμεσολάβησης μεταξύ εσωτερικού και εξωτερικού περιβάλλοντος και επηρεάζει την περιβαλλοντική ενεργειακή συμπεριφορά των κτιρίων. Στόχος της παρούσας διατριβής είναι η ενσωμάτωση των λειτουργιών και των κριτηρίων απόδοσης στη μορφολογία του κελύφους καθώς και η μελέτης της απόδοσης τους. Η συστηματοποίηση και ο καταμερισμός του σε επιμέρους ζώνες ανάλογα με τις λειτουργίες που αυτές αντιπροσωπεύουν οδηγεί στο πλαίσιο της παρούσας διατριβής στις αρθρωτές προσόψεις και στα συστήματα προσόψεων. Ιδιαίτερη βαρύτητα δίνεται στα συστήματα φωτισμού και σκίασης με δυναμικό χαρακτήρα που αξιολογούνται προκειμένου να διεξαχθούν συμπεράσματα για τη βελτιστοποίηση τους αλλά και το βαθμό που επηρεάζουν την συνολική ενεργειακή κατανάλωση του κτιρίου και την άνεση των χρηστών.
Incorporating dendritic mechanisms in spiking neural networks through the Dendrify framework
Authors: Πάγκαλος Μιχαήλ
Published: September 2024

Η υπολογιστική μοντελοποίηση αποτελεί αναπόσπαστο μέρος της έρευνας για την κατανόηση του πώς οι ιδιότητες των νευρικών κυττάρων συμβάλλουν στη λειτουργία των νευρωνικών δικτύων. Παρόλα αυτά, ο ρόλος των ποικίλων δενδριτικών μηχανισμών σε διάφορες εγκεφαλικές λειτουργίες παραμένει σε μεγάλο βαθμό άγνωστος. Αυτό το θεωρητικό κενό υφίσταται εν μέρει λόγω της δυσκολίας ανάπτυξης ρεαλιστικών αλλά και αποδοτικών μοντέλων που να αναπαράγουν με ακρίβεια τις ιδιότητες των δενδριτών, χρησιμοποιώντας τα διαθέσιμα υπολογιστικά εργαλεία. Τα υπάρχοντα νευρωνικά δίκτυα, αν και αποδοτικά, είναι συνήθως υπερβολικά απλοποιημένα, παραβλέποντας βασικές δενδριτικές ιδιότητες. Αντίθετα, τα δίκτυα που αποτελούνται από νευρώνες με ρεαλιστικά μορφολογικά και βιοφυσικά χαρακτηριστικά είναι πολύπλοκα και υπολογιστικά δαπανηρά, καθιστώντας τα μη πρακτικά για προσομοιώσεις μεγάλης κλίμακας. Για να αντιμετωπίσουμε αυτό το πρόβλημα και να γεφυρώσουμε το χάσμα μεταξύ των δύο προσεγγίσεων, δημιουργήσαμε το Dendrify. Το Dendrify είναι ένα θεωρητικό πλαίσιο για την ανάπτυξη απλοποιημένων μοντέλων νευρώνων που διατηρούν όμως ρεαλιστικές δενδριτικές και συναπτικές ιδιότητες. Το πλαίσιο αυτό βασίζεται σε παγιωμένες θεωρητικές προσεγγίσεις και μπορεί εύκολα να υλοποιηθεί σε διάφορες γλώσσες προγραμματισμού και πλατφόρμες λογισμικού. Για καλύτερη προσβασιμότητα, διατίθεται επίσης ως ένα δωρεάν πακέτο Python ανοικτού κώδικα που λειτουργεί απρόσκοπτα με τον προσομοιωτή Brian 2. Μέσω φιλικών προς τον χρήστη εντολών, το Dendrify δημιουργεί αυτόματα απλουστευμένα μοντέλα νευρώνων, ενώ διαχειρίζεται όλες τις εξισώσεις και τις παραμέτρους που είναι απαραίτητες για τις προσομοιώσεις στον Brian. Παράλληλα, επωφελείται από τα ισχυρά χαρακτηριστικά του Brian, όπως η ευκολία χρήσης, η επιτάχυνση υλικού μέσω GPU και η ευρεία συμβατότητα με διαφορετικά λειτουργικά συστήματα.Τα απλουστευμένα μοντέλα που αναπτύσσονται μέσω του Dendrify συνδυάζουν την ευελιξία, την αποδοτικότητα και τη βιολογική συνάφεια, επιτρέποντας τη διερεύνηση της δενδριτικής συμβολής στις λειτουργίες νευρωνικών δικτύων. Με την ενσωμάτωση των δενδριτικών υπολογισμών σε νευρωνικά δίκτυα, το Dendrify υπόσχεται να ενισχύει την κατανόηση των νευρωνικών λειτουργιών και των κυκλωμάτων, ανοίγοντας το δρόμο για την ανάπτυξη πιο ρεαλιστικών και ισχυρών συστημάτων και αλγορίθμων εμπνευσμένων από τη βιολογία.
Ανάλυση πολυπλοκότητας αεροπορικών αποστολών και επιδράσεις στην ασφάλεια και στην επιχειρησιακή απόδοση
Authors: Ανδρουλάκης Γεώργιος
Published: September 2024

Τα τελευταία χρόνια, η χρήση εργαλείων διαχείρισης κινδύνου είναι υποχρεωτική σε όλους τους αεροπορικούς οργανισμούς σύμφωνα με τις ρυθμιστικές αρχές. Η αξιολόγηση του κινδύνου πτήσης έχει βασιστεί σε παραδοσιακά εργαλεία που είναι απλά στη χρήση αλλά δεν έχουν επικυρωθεί για την εξέταση όλων των σχετικών παραγόντων που συμβάλλουν στην πολυπλοκότητα Complexity Contributing Factors (CCFs). Αυτή η εργασία στοχεύει να βελτιώσει τη διαδικασία διαχείρισης κινδύνου των αποστολών στην Πολεμική Αεροπορία και να επιτρέψει μια πιο ενδελεχή εξέταση των παραγόντων που συμβάλλουν στην πολυπλοκότητα (CCFs). Μετά από μια σειρά δομημένων εργαστηρίων, αναπτύχθηκε ένα σύστημα ταξινόμησης 46 CCFs και δοκιμάστηκε σε μεγάλο αριθμό επιχειρησιακών αποστολών (n=227). Η ανάλυση κύριων συνιστωσών έχει επαληθεύσει τέσσερις κατηγορίες πολυπλοκότητας που παρείχαν μια δομή για τα CCFs, ενώ η ανάλυση πολλαπλής γραμμικής παλινδρόμησης έδειξε ότι οι τέσσερις κατηγορίες πολυπλοκότητας εξηγούσαν ικανοποιητικά τα αποτελέσματα επιτυχίας της αποστολής. Η μελέτη παρέχει στοιχεία ότι το σύστημα ταξινόμησης της πολυπλοκότητας λαμβάνει υπόψη μια ποικιλία παρατηρήσιμων δεικτών (CCFs) που μπορούν να χρησιμοποιηθούν για την αξιολόγηση της πολυπλοκότητας και την εισαγωγή αλλαγών αποστολών που δημιουργούν ένα περιβάλλον ασφαλείας για στρατιωτικές αποστολές.
Clinical use of Abemaciclib a cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) 4/6 inhibitor in patients with breast cancer — literature review
Authors: Krukar Katarzyna Maria , Pustelniak Martyna , Rudnicka Katarzyna , Sajkiewicz Ilona , Miga-Orczykowska Nadia , Jasiuk Ilona , Wójtowicz Justyna , Lemieszek Paulina , Łukaszewska Ewa , Kister Klaudia , Chrościński Kamil , Laskowski Jakub
Published: September 2024

Breast cancer is the most common neoplasma affecting women. Over, the past few years, the incidence of breast cancer has significantly increased, including among young women. Hormone receptor-positive (HR+) Her2 negative (HER2-) early stage breast cancer can be successfully treated using the currently available treatment methods based on endocrine theraphy (ET). However, if we consider early stage breast cancer with high risk of recurrence or metastatic disease, endocrine therapy alone may be insufficient. Unfortunately, resistance to drugs is observed in both adjuvant and palliative endocrine therapy, therefore there is a need for new treatments that are both effective and less toxic than conventional chemotherapy. One of the most successful applications of this strategy has been the use of cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) 4 and 6 inhibitors alongside endocrine therapy significantly enhance its effectiveness. This combination has been shown to substantially increase progression-free survival while maintaining relatively low levels of toxicity. One of them is abemaciclib, whose efficacy will be shown in this research work.
Role of Gut Microbiome in the Pathogenesis and Progression of Acute Pancreatitis
Authors: Miga-Orczykowska Nadia , Sajkiewicz Ilona , Lemieszek Paulina , Jasiuk Ilona , Wójtowicz Justyna , Pustelniak Martyna , Krukar Katarzyna , Łukaszewska Ewa , Rudnicka Katarzyna , Kister Klaudia
Published: September 2024

Introduction and purpose
Acute pancreatitis (AP) is one of the most common abdominal conditions leading to hospital admissions worldwide. It is characterized by an inflammatory reaction triggered by the premature activation of trypsinogen and other enzymes, resulting in pancreatic autodigestion. While most cases of AP are mild and self-limiting, approximately 15-20% of patients develop severe AP with organ failure, which is associated with a mortality rate of up to 30%. In recent years, the impact of intestinal microbiome dysregulation on various diseases has been increasingly debated. This study aims to summarize the current knowledge regarding the role of intestinal microbiota dysbiosis in the pathogenesis and progression of acute pancreatitis.
Material and methods
This review is based on materials collected from the PubMed database. We conducted a search using the following keywords: "acute pancreatitis," "microbiome," and "dysbiosis," focusing on articles published between 2018 and 2024.
Results
Studies have demonstrated a relationship between gut dysbiosis and various disorders, including digestive, metabolic, and even cancer-related conditions. It is well-established that the pancreas is closely connected to the intestines, and its exocrine function can influence the composition of the gut microbiome. This interaction is often referred to as the “gut–pancreas axis.”
Conclusion
The interaction between the pancreas and intestinal microbiota is believed to play a role in the pathophysiology of acute pancreatitis. Further research into this relationship could lead to the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.
Tirbanibulin as a Novel Treatment in Actinic Keratosis: A Literature Review
Authors: Sajkiewicz Ilona , Miga-Orczykowska Nadia , Lemieszek Paulina , Jasiuk Ilona , Pustelniak Martyna , Wójtowicz Justyna , Krukar Katarzyna , Rudnicka Katarzyna , Łukaszewska Ewa , Kister Klaudia
Published: September 2024

Introduction and purpose: Actinic keratosis (AK) is a common dermatological condition that primarily affects fair-skinned individuals due to cumulative ultraviolet light exposure, potentially leading to squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). AK therapy is divided into two main branches: lesion-directed therapy (cryotherapy, lasers, and surgical methods) and field cancerization-directed therapy (photodynamic therapy and topical agents). Unfortunately, the occurrence of local skin reactions (LSRs) and the therapy duration counted in weeks disrupt patient compliance. This study aims to review the clinical trials concerning the efficacy, safety, and adverse effects of tirbanibulin, a novel promising treatment for AK, which led to its approval and therapeutic development.
Materials and methods: Literature available in PubMed and GoogleScholar databases were reviewed using the following keywords: actinic keratosis; actinic keratosis treatment; tirbanibulin.
Results: Tirbanibulin's mechanism involves inducing apoptosis by inhibiting microtubule polymerization, which distinguishes it from other treatments that often cause significant inflammation. Clinical trials demonstrate its high efficacy in clearing AK lesions with a favorable safety profile, leading to regulatory approval. The ease of use and short therapy duration (5 days) ensure patient compliance and satisfaction with the treatment.
Conclusion: Further longitudinal studies are necessary to confirm the long-term benefits and positioning of tirbanibulin in AK therapy. Raising public awareness about AK and the importance of early treatment with effective options like tirbanibulin is crucial for improving public health outcomes.
Relacyjna przestrzeń społeczna wobec procesu odstąpienia od przestępczości na przykładzie funkcjonowania wspólnot motocrossowych
Authors: Posłowska Magdalena
Published: September 2024

badaczy z obszaru pedagogiki resocjalizacyjnej. W podejmowanych analizach poszukują oni odpowiedzi na pytanie: jak jednostki odstępują od przestępczości oraz jakie czynniki ten proces wspierają?
Głównym celem artykułu jest ukazanie znaczenia więzi społecznych i relacji interpersonalnych w procesie odstąpienia od przestępczości na przykładzie funkcjonowania stowarzyszeń motocrossowych. Wywód opiera się na wynikach badań przeprowadzonych z wykorzystaniem metody etnograficznej oraz technik wywiadu, a także obserwacji uczestniczącej. Grupę badaną tworzyli uczestnicy wspólnot motocrossowych posiadający przeszłość kryminalną. Ukazane w artykule zagadnienia nie zostały dotychczas wykorzystane w obszarze teorii, jak i praktyki resocjalizacyjnej. Ponadto wyprowadzone w pracy wnioski i ich aplikacja, w szczególności do praktyki, mogą stanowić alternatywę dla nieskutecznych dotąd metod pracy z osobami opuszczającymi placówki zamknięte.
Przedstawione w pracy wyniki badań stanowią fragment większego projektu realizowanego w ramach przygotowywanej dysertacji doktorskiej pt. Odstąpienie od przestępczości osób związanych z motocrossem. Pozyskane dane pozwalają na wyciągnięcie wniosku, że przestępcy wskazują na potrzebę wsparcia w budowaniu relacji ze środowiskiem, które wzmacniają działania związane z odstąpieniem od przestępczości, umożliwiając im tym samym prawidłową adaptację do otoczenia
Badanie C-PTSD w diagnozie osób dotkniętych przemocą – wstępna analiza kwestionariusza
Authors: Seredyńska Anna
Published: September 2024

Zaburzenia posttraumatyczne są jednymi z najczęściej diagnozowanych zaburzeń. Diagnozowane są za pomocą zarówno wywiadów, jak i narzędzi samoopisowych. Wśród zaburzeń posttraumatycznych, w rozdziale ICD-11 opisującym zaburzenia związane ze stresem, znajduje się złożony zespół stresu pourazowego. To zaburzenie pojawiające się między innymi u osób dotkniętych długotrwałą przemocą w rodzinie. Występuje ono również u uchodźców, osób poddawanych torturom, ofiar prześladowań oraz osób, które w wyniku choroby przewlekłej doświadczyły długiego i bolesnego leczenia. W artykule zostanie zaprezentowany utworzony przez autorkę kwestionariusz badania tego zaburzenia. Zostaną też opisane badania trafności tego kwestionariusza, analizujące korelacje jego skal ze zmiennymi opisującymi wymiary funkcjonowania człowieka, tj. rozwojem poznawczym, emocjonalnym i społecznym.
Przedmiotem badań była trafność i rzetelność kwestionariusza badającego C-PTSD (Złożony Zespół Stresu Pourazowego). Zamiarem autorki jest zaproponowanie tego kwestionariusza w diagnozowaniu zaburzeń C-PTSD do wykorzystania przez osoby pracujące głównie z ofiarami przemocy. Poza diagnozowaniem takich osób kwestionariusz może pomóc w diagnozowaniu problemów związanych z wchodzeniem w relacje z innymi osobami, również w relacje partnerskie. Metodą użytą w badaniach był sondaż diagnostyczny, narzędziami kwestionariusze badające zmienne, które według badań zastanych wchodzą w korelacje z objawami C-PTSD. Badania wykazały, że kwestionariusz jest wystarczająco trafny i rzetelny. Należy jednak poddać go dalszym badaniom na większych grupach.