Infected aortic and iliac aneurysms:Clinical manifestations in the emergency departments of two hospitals in southern Taiwan,China

BACKGROUND: Accurate diagnosis of infected aortic and iliac aneurysms is often delayed, hampering timely treatment and potentially resulting in a fatal consequence. The aim of this study was to discover useful clinical features that can help physicians to identify these patients.METHODS: We reviewed the discharge notes from two hospitals and identifi ed all patients who had a diagnosis of infected aneurysms of the thoracoabdominal aorta and iliac arteries between July 2009 and December 2013. Eighteen patients, aged from 41 to 93, were reviewed. Only 6 patients were diagnosed accurately in their fi rst visit to our ED.RESULTS: Most patients had at least one underlying illness, and it took 1 to 30(9.9±6.5) days for physicians to diagnose their infected aneurysm. Localized pain and fever were the two most commonly presented symptoms. The majority(92%) of isolated microorganisms were gram-negative bacilli, including Salmonella spp, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Escherichia coli. Two of the 3 patients who underwent non-operative therapy died, and all of the patients who underwent a combination of medical and operative therapies survived.CONCLUSION: We suggest that physicians liberally use computed tomography scans on patients with unknown causes of pain and inflammatory processes. A combination of surgical and medical treatments is indicated for all patients with infected aortic and iliac aneurysms.

Measurement of the Effective Dose Radiation at Radiology Departments of Some Hospitals in Duhok Governorate

During operating of the X-ray machines, if the protection of X-ray rooms is insufficient, not only the patient but also clinical staffs as well as public are exposed to high X-ray dosage and they are affected from X-ray related to the dose level. In the present survey, by testing the radiological leakage and scatter from X-rays machines in radiology departments of 7 randomly selected hospitals in Duhok governorate, the effects dose of X-ray to the both control panel area and the patients waiting or visiting area who are located near the radiography room, were measured. The dose was recorded for a range of peak kilovoltage (kVp) and mAs values to find efficiency of shielding materials (barriers) of radiography rooms for different X-rays level. The measurements were performed at one meter above the ground surface which was the same height of X-rays tube by using Gamma Scout dosimeter. From the measurement results, it was seen that the most hospitals barriers (doors and walls) were not appropriate to the standards except 2 hospitals. The maximum effective doses were measured in uncontrolled area of Khazer hospital which was 82.48 ± 0.73 mSv·yr-1 that was much more than the reference dose limits and in controlled area of Haval Banda Zaroka hospital which was 12.98 ± 0.16 mSv·yr-1. In result, the knowledge about the radiation dose affecting the radiologists and public in the selected hospitals was obtained, and by informing the radiologists and the hospitals managements, the necessary regulations would be planned.

Risk Factors for Breast Cancer: A Case-Control Study of 315 Women Followed in the Gynecology and Oncology Departments of Two University Teaching Hospitals in Yaounde, Cameroon

Introduction: Breast cancer is the most common cancer and the first cause of cancer-related deaths among women in Cameroon. The aim of the study was to investigate its risk factors for breast cancer at two University Teaching Hospitals in Yaoundé. Methodology: A case-control study was conducted for 5 months, from February 25th to July 25th 2015, at the Gynecology unit of the Yaoundé Gyneco-Obstetric and Pediatric Hospital (YGOPH) and the Medical Oncology unit of the Yaoundé General Hospital (YGH). One hundred and five patients with breast cancer (cases) were compared to 210 women who did not have breast cancer (controls). SPSS Version 18.0.0 software was used to analyze the data with a statistical significance considered at P-value 50 years (P three times per week (P = 0.002;OR = 2.14;CI = [1.33 - 3.45]), palm oil consumption > two times per week (P = 0.001;OR = 2.38;CI = [1.4 - 4.1]). After multivariate analysis, age > 50 years (aOR = 41.48;CI = [2.46 - 69.9]) and consumption of red meat > three times per week [aOR = 7.33;(1.49 - 36)] were the risk factors considered significant for breast cancer. Conclusion: Age > 50 years and red meat consumption are independent risk factors for breast cancer at the Yaoundé General Hospital and at the Yaoundé Gyneco-Obstetric and Pediatric Hospital.

Metabolic Syndrome: Epidemiological, Clinical and Biological Profiles in the Cardiology and Internal Medicine Departments of the Mother-Child CHU “Luxembourg”

Introduction: The metabolic syndrome is a clinical entity defined by the association in the same subject of four of the following five factors: abdominal obesity (or android), type 2 diabetes, hypertension, hypo HDL cholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia. The aim of the work was to study the epidemiological, clinical-biological profiles and complications of patients in the cardiology and internal medicine department of the Mother-Child CHU “Luxembourg”. Materials and Methods: We carried out a cross-sectional study, from September 2019 to June 2020 in the cardiology and internal department of the mother-child CHU “Luxembourg”. All patients with metabolic syndrome admitted to the two departments who agreed to participate during the study period were included in the study. These patients meet the 2009 harmonization attempt criteria (IDF 2009). The variables studied were: socio-demographic characteristics (sex, age, profession), pathological history, clinical signs (functional signs, BMI, waist size), paraclinical signs (ECG, cardiac ultrasound, laboratory assessment) and complications. Results: A total of 104 patients were included. The female sex represented 58.65% of cases. The 60 to 69 age group was the majority with 40.78%, housewives occupied 41.34% of cases. Diabetes, arterial hypertension and dyslipidemia were the most represented cardiovascular risk factors with respectively: 80.77%, 79.81% and 53.85%. Visual blurring was the most common functional sign with 23.08% of cases. Moderate obesity was observed in 34% of patients. Waist circumference was high in 39.53% of male patients and 37.70% of female patients. Cardiac ultrasound found a severely collapsed ejection fraction in 25% of patients. HDL-c levels were low in 64.52% of male patients and 75% of female patients. The most observed complications were: dyslipidemia (53.85%), stroke and renal failure with 23% respectively. Conclusion: The metabolic syndrome remains a real public health problem, constantly increasing in our populations and constitutes a danger by its constituent elements.

Management of Maxillofacial Gunshot Trauma in the Stomatology and Maxillofacial Surgery Departments of Ouagadougou

Introduction: Maxillofacial ballistic trauma is a serious injury that is difficult to manage, with significant complications and after-effects. The authors report their experience in managing this type of trauma in the context of insecurity linked to terrorism. Patients and Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study with retrospective data collection covering the period from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2022 in the stomatology and maxillofacial surgery departments of the university hospitals of Ouagadougou. Results: In 5 years, 52 patients were collected, i.e. 10.4 cases per year. The mean age of the patients was 31.46 ± 15.41 years, and the sex ratio was 3. In 67.31% of patients, these injuries were the result of shootings during terrorist attacks. The jugal (36.54%) and chin (32.69%) regions were the most affected. The mandible (36.54%) and zygomatic bones (28.85%) were the most injured bones in these traumas. All patients underwent surgical treatment, and 25% suffered secondary complications. All patients retained at least one sequela. Conclusion: Maxillofacial injuries caused by ballistic trauma are true emergencies that can be life-threatening and functionally disabling. Their management is delicate and the outcome is uncertain, hence, the prevention is important.

Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of the Health Personnel of the Pediatric and Gynecology-Obstetrics Departments of the BouakéUniversity Hospital Center (CHU) regarding the Intestinal Microbiota and the First 1000 Days of Life

Introduction: The harmonious development of the intestinal microbiota during the first 1000 days of life promotes the child’s immediate and future good health. The objective of the study was to evaluate the knowledge and practices of health personnel on the intestinal microbiota and the first 1000 days of life for the improvement of child health. Methods: Knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) type survey conducted among health personnel of the pediatric and gynecology-obstetrics departments of the Bouaké University Hospital from July 1 to 31, 2017. All consenting agents working in the said services and present at the time of the study were included. The parameters studied concerned socio-professional characteristics, knowledge of the intestinal microbiota, and knowledge and practice of the first 1000 days. The data analysis was descriptive and analytical with a significance threshold p ≤ 0.05. Results: Out of 224 active agents, 76 (30 men, 46 women) participated in the survey, i.e. 33.9%. The respondent came from the gynecology-obstetrics (54%) and pediatrics (46%) departments and had professional experience >5 years in 38%. Thirty-eight percent of the respondents had a good knowledge of the intestinal microbiota. Concerning the first 1000 days of life, 64.5% of the respondents had a good knowledge of the first 1000 days overall. They advised exclusive breastfeeding for up to 6 months in 95% of cases. When breastfeeding was not feasible, the main criterion for choosing the infant formula was the composition (57.1%). They proposed a standard infant formula (43%), enriched with prebiotic (29.4%), enriched with probiotic (21.6%), a symbiotic (6%). Good knowledge of the intestinal microbiota was associated with belonging to the paediatric service (p = 0.013), socio-professional category (p = 0.031), year of experience >5 years (p = 0.032) and the first 1000 days of life to year of experience >5 years (p < 0.01). Conclusion: The health personnel interviewed did not have a good knowledge of the intestinal microbiota and the first 1000 days. Capacity building is needed.

Synergetic role of integrating the departments of cancer registry and clinical research at an academic comprehensive cancer center

Integration of the cancer registry and clinical research departments can have a significant impact on the accreditation process of a Commission on Cancer(Co C) Program.Here in we demonstrate that the integration of both departments will benefit as there is increased knowledge, manpower and crossover in job responsibilities in our Co C-accredited Academic Comprehensive Cancer Center.In our model this integration has led to a more successful cooperative interaction among departments, which has in turn created an enhanced combined effect on overall output and productivity.More manpower for the cancer registry has led to increased caseloads, decreased time from date of first contact to abstraction, quality of data submissions, and timely follow-up of all patients from our reference date for accurate survival analysis along with completeness of data.In 2016, our Annual Facility report showed an additional 163 cases over prediction by the state of Maryland Cancer Registry and a 39% increase in case completeness.As proof of the synergetic effectiveness of our model within one year of its implementation, the cancer center was able to apply for, and was awarded membership from Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology, Central IRB, and in turn led to increased clinical trial accrual from 2.8% in 2014 compared to 13.2% currently.Our cancer registry in year one submitted over 150 more cases than predicted, improved quality outcome measures displayed by our Cancer Program Practice Profile reports and had more timely and complete data submissions to national and state registries.This synergetic integration has led to a better understanding, utilization and analysis of data by an integrated team with Clinical Research expertise.

Typology of Crop Residues and Energy Recovery in Heavily Agricultural Areas: Case of the Departments of Soubré, Daloa, Issia and Sassandra (Côte d’Ivoire)

The valorization of crop residues could constitute an energy source (biogas) allowing to reduce the energy needs of populations in agricultural regions, improve their living conditions and slow down deforestation as well as greenhouse gas emissions. This work aims to determine the typology of agricultural waste in the departments of Soubré, Sassandra, Daloa and Issia, to determine the number of residues generated in these departments, and to assess the biogas potential of these departments said residues. Field observations were made to identify the different types of waste, then, based on agricultural statistical data from the Ministry of Agriculture and biogas productivity indexes, the quantities of agricultural residues and biogas were estimated. Agricultural residues consist of pods (50%), stalks (19%), cobs (3%), Straws (8%), stalks (2%), shells (9%), fibers (7%), husks (1%), and bunches (1%). In addition, these localities have 465266.3 t of pods, 173583.2 t of stalks, 84280.0 t of shells, 75,857 t of straws, 12,000 t of husks, 10,987 t of bunches and 6793.0 t of fibers. The departments of Soubré, Sassandra, Daloa and Issia contain a total potential energy of 235.87 × 106 m3 of biogas. However, this is unevenly distributed among the localities. The volume of biogas recorded is higher in the department of Soubré (74.91 × 106 m3) which is followed respectively by the departments of Daloa (62.27 × 106 m3), Issia (52.77 × 106 m3 and Sassandra (45.93 × 106 m3). The departments of Soubré, Sassandra, Daloa and Issia have a very large potential for the production of agricultural residues that may be of interest to economic operators for recovery in biogas production units.

Paediatric-appropriate facilities in emergencydepartments of community hospitals in Ontario：A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: We assessed whether the paediatric-appropriate facilities were available at Emergency Departments(ED) in community hospitals in a Canadian province.METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of EDs in community hospitals in Ontario, Canada that had inpatient paediatric facilities and a neonatal intensive care unit. Key informants were ED chiefs, clinical educators, or managers. The survey included questions about paediatric facilities related to environment, triage, training, and staff in EDs.RESULTS: Of 52 hospitals, 69%(n=36) responded to our survey. Of them, 14% EDs(n=5) had some separated spaces available for paediatric patients. About 53%(n=19) of EDs lacked children activities, e.g., toys. Only 11%(n=4) EDs were using paediatric triage scales and 42%(n=15) had a designated paediatric resuscitation bay. Only half of the ED(n=18) required from their staff to update paediatric life support training. Only 31%(n=11) had a designated liaison paediatrician for the ED. Paediatric social worker was present in only 8%(n=3) of EDs in community hospitals.CONCLUSION: Most of the Ontario community hospital EDs included in this survey had inadequate facilities for paediatric patients such as specific waiting and treatment areas.

Inhibition of the NLRP3 inflammasome attenuates spiral ganglion neuron degeneration in aminoglycoside-induced hearing loss

Aminoglycosides are a widely used class of antibacterials renowned for their effectiveness and broad antimicrobial spectrum.However,their use leads to irreversible hearing damage by causing apoptosis of hair cells as their direct target.In addition,the hearing damage caused by aminoglycosides involves damage of spiral ganglion neurons upon exposure.To investigate the mechanisms underlying spiral ganglion neuron degeneration induced by aminoglycosides,we used a C57BL/6J mouse model treated with kanamycin.We found that the mice exhibited auditory deficits following the acute loss of outer hair cells.Spiral ganglion neurons displayed hallmarks of pyroptosis and exhibited progressive degeneration over time.Transcriptomic profiling of these neurons showed significant upregulation of genes associated with inflammation and immune response,particularly those related to the NLRP3 inflammasome.Activation of the canonical pyroptotic pathway in spiral ganglion neurons was observed,accompanied by infiltration of macrophages and the release of proinflammatory cytokines.Pharmacological intervention targeting NLRP3 using Mcc950 and genetic intervention using NLRP3 knockout ameliorated spiral ganglion neuron degeneration in the injury model.These findings suggest that NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis plays a role in aminoglycoside-induced spiral ganglion neuron degeneration.Inhibition of this pathway may offer a potential therapeutic strategy for treating sensorineural hearing loss by reducing spiral ganglion neuron degeneration.

Clinicopathological differences between patients with schistosomal appendicitis and non schistosomal appendicitis:A retrospectively study of past ten years

BACKGROUND Chronic schistosomiasis causes multiple organ and multiple system diseases,especially the digestive system.Schistosome eggs are mainly deposited in the stomach,liver and colorectal,but a few eggs are deposited in the appendix and cause disease.At present,there are few studies on schistosomal appendicitis.AIM To explore the differences in epidemiological,clinical and pathological characteristics between schistosomal appendicitis and non-schistosomal appendicitis over the past decade in order to assess the impact of schistosomiasis on appendicitis.METHODS The differences of general data,clinical data and laboratory examination data of patients with appendicitis from October 2013 to October 2023 were retrospectively analyzed.All patients were divided into two groups for analysis.There were 136 patients in schistosomal appendicitis group and 5418 patients in non-schistosomal appendicitis group.RESULTS Schistosomal appendicitis accounted for 2.45%of all patients with appendicitis,and the annual proportion in the past decade was 2.2%,2.9%,1.8%,1.9%,3.4%,3.1%,1.9%,1.6%,3%,2.6%,respectively.The prevalence of schistosomal appendicitis was middle-aged and elderly males,with an average age of 61.73±15.335 years.The main population of non-schistosomal appendicitis was middle-aged men,with an average age of 35.8±24.013 years(P<0.001).The distribution of pathological types of appendicitis was different between the two groups(P<0.001).The incidence of acute suppurative appendicitis in non-schistosomal appendicitis was higher than that in schistosomal appendicitis[odds ratio(OR)=0.504;95%confidence interval(CI):0.349-0.728;P<0.001].The proportion of acute attack of chronic appendicitis in schistosomal appendicitis was higher than that in non-schistosomal appendicitis(OR=2.614;95%CI:1.815-3.763;P<0.001).The proportion of schistosomal appendicitis patients complicated with colorectal cancer was higher than that of nonschistosomal appendicitis patients(OR=5.087;95%CI:1.427-18.132;P=0.012).There was no difference in clinical symptoms between the two groups.In the laboratory examination,there was a significant difference in white blood cells between schistosomal appendicitis and non-schistosomal appendicitis.The level of white blood cells in schistosomal appendicitis group was slightly higher than the upper limit of the normal range.Other statistically significant indicators were in the normal range.CONCLUSION Schistosomal appendicitis is a severe condition that is often associated with intestinal malignancies,potentially leading to a poor prognosis.Schistosomal appendicitis is more likely to be misdiagnosed and missed diagnosed in clinical work because of its nonspecific clinical manifestations and laboratory examination.It is crucial to differentiate schistosomal appendicitis in middle-aged and elderly male patients presenting with appendicitis,and to ensure early detection and treatment.

Polyethylene glycol fusion repair of severed rat sciatic nerves reestablishes axonal continuity and reorganizes sensory terminal fields in the spinal cord

Peripheral nerve injuries result in the rapid degeneration of distal nerve segments and immediate loss of motor and sensory functions;behavioral recovery is typically poor.We used a plasmalemmal fusogen,polyethylene glycol(PEG),to immediately fuse closely apposed open ends of severed proximal and distal axons in rat sciatic nerves.We have previously reported that sciatic nerve axons repaired by PEG-fusion do not undergo Wallerian degeneration,and PEG-fused animals exhibit rapid(within 2–6 weeks)and extensive locomotor recovery.Furthermore,our previous report showed that PEG-fusion of severed sciatic motor axons was non-specific,i.e.,spinal motoneurons in PEG-fused animals were found to project to appropriate as well as inappropriate target muscles.In this study,we examined the consequences of PEG-fusion for sensory axons of the sciatic nerve.Young adult male and female rats(Sprague–Dawley)received either a unilateral single cut or ablation injury to the sciatic nerve and subsequent repair with or without(Negative Control)the application of PEG.Compound action potentials recorded immediately after PEG-fusion repair confirmed conduction across the injury site.The success of PEG-fusion was confirmed through Sciatic Functional Index testing with PEG-fused animals showing improvement in locomotor function beginning at 35 days postoperatively.At 2–42 days postoperatively,we anterogradely labeled sensory afferents from the dorsal aspect of the hindpaw following bilateral intradermal injection of wheat germ agglutinin conjugated horseradish peroxidase.PEG-fusion repair reestablished axonal continuity.Compared to unoperated animals,labeled sensory afferents ipsilateral to the injury in PEG-fused animals were found in the appropriate area of the dorsal horn,as well as inappropriate mediolateral and rostrocaudal areas.Unexpectedly,despite having intact peripheral nerves,similar reorganizations of labeled sensory afferents were also observed contralateral to the injury and repair.This central reorganization may contribute to the improved behavioral recovery seen after PEG-fusion repair,supporting the use of this novel repair methodology over currently available treatments.

Predictors of first-pass success intubations in the emergency departments in Germany:analysis of the German Airway Registry between 2015 and 2022

In the field of airway management,there is no national registry in Germany that captures data on emergency airway management.To improve quality,one needs to know the data first.Examples include gender,age,indications for emergency airway management,level of education,the intubating department,the intubation method,and other factors that can serve as a basis for quality improvement changes.

miRNA-21-5p is an important contributor to the promotion of injured peripheral nerve regeneration using hypoxia-pretreated bone marrow-derived neural crest cells

Our previous study found that rat bone marrow–derived neural crest cells(acting as Schwann cell progenitors)have the potential to promote long-distance nerve repair.Cell-based therapy can enhance peripheral nerve repair and regeneration through paracrine bioactive factors and intercellular communication.Nevertheless,the complex contributions of various types of soluble cytokines and extracellular vesicle cargos to the secretome remain unclear.To investigate the role of the secretome and extracellular vesicles in repairing damaged peripheral nerves,we collected conditioned culture medium from hypoxia-pretreated neural crest cells,and found that it significantly promoted the repair of sensory neurons damaged by oxygen-glucose deprivation.The mRNA expression of trophic factors was highly expressed in hypoxia-pretreated neural crest cells.We performed RNA sequencing and bioinformatics analysis and found that miR-21-5p was enriched in hypoxia-pretreated extracellular vesicles of neural crest cells.Subsequently,to further clarify the role of hypoxia-pretreated neural crest cell extracellular vesicles rich in miR-21-5p in axonal growth and regeneration of sensory neurons,we used a microfluidic axonal dissociation model of sensory neurons in vitro,and found that hypoxia-pretreated neural crest cell extracellular vesicles promoted axonal growth and regeneration of sensory neurons,which was greatly dependent on loaded miR-21-5p.Finally,we constructed a miR-21-5p-loaded neural conduit to repair the sciatic nerve defect in rats and found that the motor and sensory functions of injured rat hind limb,as well as muscle tissue morphology of the hind limbs,were obviously restored.These findings suggest that hypoxia-pretreated neural crest extracellular vesicles are natural nanoparticles rich in miRNA-21-5p.miRNA-21-5p is one of the main contributors to promoting nerve regeneration by the neural crest cell secretome.This helps to explain the mechanism of action of the secretome and extracellular vesicles of neural crest cells in repairing damaged peripheral nerves,and also promotes the application of miR-21-5p in tissue engineering regeneration medicine.

Practice of Infection Prevention and Control Strategies in Risk Departments during the COVID-19 Epidemic

Objective: To explore the practice and application of infection prevention and control strategies in risk departments during the COVID-19 epidemic, and to formulate the infection prevention and control measures to provide advice and guidance in risk departments. Methods: According to the latest plan of diagnosis and treatment, prevention and control issued by the National Health Commission, expert advice and consensus, combined with the actual situation in our hospital, a series of infection prevention and control measures of COVID-19 in risk department was formulated. Results: During the epidemic period, the prevention and control measures of nine risk departments including emergency operation, anesthesiology, endoscopy center, blood purification center, otolaryngology, stomatology, medical imaging department, medical cosmetology department and pulmonary function room were established from six aspects, including pre-examination and screening, medical technology control, personnel management, personal protection, environmental disinfection, medical waste disposal, etc. Conclusion: During the epidemic period, the infection prevention and control strategy of risk departments is one of the key links to control the spread of the epidemic, and risk departments must pay attention to and strictly implement various infection prevention and control measures.

MicroRNAs as potential biomarkers for diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder

Post-traumatic stress disorder is a mental disorder caused by exposure to severe traumatic life events.Currently,there are no validated biomarkers or laboratory tests that can distinguish between trauma survivors with and without post-traumatic stress disorder.In addition,the heterogeneity of clinical presentations of post-traumatic stress disorder and the overlap of symptoms with other conditions can lead to misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment.Evidence suggests that this condition is a multisystem disorder that affects many biological systems,raising the possibility that peripheral markers of disease may be used to diagnose post-traumatic stress disorder.We performed a PubMed search for microRNAs(miRNAs)in post-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD)that could serve as diagnostic biomarkers and found 18 original research articles on studies performed with human patients and published January 2012 to December 2023.These included four studies with whole blood,seven with peripheral blood mononuclear cells,four with plasma extracellular vesicles/exosomes,and one with serum exosomes.One of these studies had also used whole plasma.Two studies were excluded as they did not involve microRNA biomarkers.Most of the studies had collected samples from adult male Veterans who had returned from deployment and been exposed to combat,and only two were from recently traumatized adult subjects.In measuring miRNA expression levels,many of the studies had used microarray miRNA analysis,miRNA Seq analysis,or NanoString panels.Only six studies had used real time polymerase chain reaction assay to determine/validate miRNA expression in PTSD subjects compared to controls.The miRNAs that were found/validated in these studies may be considered as potential candidate biomarkers for PTSD and include miR-3130-5p in whole blood;miR-193a-5p,-7113-5p,-125a,-181c,and-671-5p in peripheral blood mononuclear cells;miR-10b-5p,-203a-3p,-4488,-502-3p,-874-3p,-5100,and-7641 in plasma extracellular vesicles/exosomes;and miR-18a-3p and-7-1-5p in blood plasma.Several important limitations identified in the studies need to be taken into account in future studies.Further studies are warranted with war veterans and recently traumatized children,adolescents,and adults having PTSD and use of animal models subjected to various stressors and the effects of suppressing or overexpressing specific microRNAs.

Exploring the novel role of oligodendrocyte precursor cells in phagocytosis:beyond myelinogenesis

Roles of oligodendrocyte precursor cells in the central nervous system:Oligodendrocyte precursor cells(OPCs)have long been recognized for their critical role as precursors to oligodendrocytes,the primary myelin-producing cells.As precursors,OPCs mature and differentiate into oligodendrocytes,which contribute significantly to the formation of myelin sheaths around axons.This myelination,which is critical for the conduction of salutatory nerve impulses in the cerebral white matter,underscores the classical role of oligodendrocytes in central nervous system(CNS)functionality.Importantly,because oligodendrocytes are differentiated cells that cannot proliferate.

Modeling and Comprehensive Review of Signaling Storms in 3GPP-Based Mobile Broadband Networks:Causes,Solutions,and Countermeasures

Control signaling is mandatory for the operation and management of all types of communication networks,including the Third Generation Partnership Project(3GPP)mobile broadband networks.However,they consume important and scarce network resources such as bandwidth and processing power.There have been several reports of these control signaling turning into signaling storms halting network operations and causing the respective Telecom companies big financial losses.This paper draws its motivation from such real network disaster incidents attributed to signaling storms.In this paper,we present a thorough survey of the causes,of the signaling storm problems in 3GPP-based mobile broadband networks and discuss in detail their possible solutions and countermeasures.We provide relevant analytical models to help quantify the effect of the potential causes and benefits of their corresponding solutions.Another important contribution of this paper is the comparison of the possible causes and solutions/countermeasures,concerning their effect on several important network aspects such as architecture,additional signaling,fidelity,etc.,in the form of a table.This paper presents an update and an extension of our earlier conference publication.To our knowledge,no similar survey study exists on the subject.

A Synergistic Multi-Attribute Decision-Making Method for Educational Institutions Evaluation Using Similarity Measures of Possibility Pythagorean Fuzzy Hypersoft Sets

Due to the numerous variables to take into account as well as the inherent ambiguity and uncertainty,evaluating educational institutions can be difficult.The concept of a possibility Pythagorean fuzzy hypersoft set(pPyFHSS)is more flexible in this regard than other theoretical fuzzy set-like models,even though some attempts have been made in the literature to address such uncertainties.This study investigates the elementary notions of pPyFHSS including its set-theoretic operations union,intersection,complement,OR-and AND-operations.Some results related to these operations are also modified for pPyFHSS.Additionally,the similarity measures between pPyFHSSs are formulated with the assistance of numerical examples and results.Lastly,an intelligent decision-assisted mechanism is developed with the proposal of a robust algorithm based on similarity measures for solving multi-attribute decision-making(MADM)problems.A case study that helps the decision-makers assess the best educational institution is discussed to validate the suggested system.The algorithmic results are compared with the most pertinent model to evaluate the adaptability of pPyFHSS,as it generalizes the classical possibility fuzzy set-like theoretical models.Similarly,while considering significant evaluating factors,the flexibility of pPyFHSS is observed through structural comparison.

Assessing the Impact of Regulations on Radiation Safety Culture and Practices in Radiology Departments

Background: The need to establish a strong culture around radiation safety is derived from the assertion that medical practitioners, patients, and third parties should not be exposed to unnecessary radiation. Authorities have endeavored to enact policies to protect all employers and patients in radiology departments. Objectives: To assess the impact of radiation safety practices and regulations on the ongoing improvements in radiation safety culture and practices in radiology departments. This will be achieved through a subjective assessment of national and international rules and regulations by healthcare professionals. Materials and Methods: We conducted a questionnaire survey in the radiology departments of three JCI-accredited hospitals in the Riyadh region to identify and assess the impact of national radiation regulations and the accompanying processes on the improvement of radiation safety culture and practices in radiology departments. Results: There were statistically significant differences in the grading system results among various groups of respondents, based on their educational level. Also, there are statistically significant differences between the assessments of safety level results in the answers provided by various groups of respondents according to education level in favor of the master’s degree. Conclusion: The study concludes that technicians with a diploma degree require stricter regulation. Furthermore, the results of this study suggest that an exposure tracking system and a regulatory action supporting it may be useful in the ongoing task of improving patients’ radiation safety.