Current Principles Research Articles

Management of patients with cognitive impairment in old age

Cognitive impairment (CI) is one of the most common disorders in elderly. As the population ages, the prevalence of cognitive impairment CI is also increasing. The importance of early identification of individuals with mild CI (MCI) lies in the fact that timely diagnosis of these disorders increases the potential for secondary prevention and therapeutic intervention, which can delay or even prevent the onset of occupational and social maladaptation due to the development of dementia. The current principles of classification of the MCI and the criteria for its diagnosis are presented. Current approaches to the treatment of patients with CI are discussed. It is shown that treatment should start as early as possible and include both non-pharmacological and pharmacological approaches to improve cognitive abilities and prevent CI progression. The possibilities of modern neuroprotective and symptomatic therapy of MCI and the role of choline alfoscerate in the treatment of MCI and dementia are presented. The results of the multicenter placebo-controlled ASCOMALVA study are discussed, in which the addition of choline alfoscerate to donepezil therapy in patients with Alzheimer's disease and cerebrovascular disease helped to slow the progression of CI, reduce the severity of the disease, and had a positive effect on the behavioral functions and emotional status of both patients and their caregivers. In addition, a decrease in the progression of cerebral atrophy was observed. A new form of choline alfoscerate (Cerpechol) for oral administration is reported that may increase patients' compliance and can be used in patients with dysphagia.

MORE: a multi-omics data-driven hypergraph integration network for biomedical data classification and biomarker identification.

High-throughput sequencing methods have brought about a huge change in omics-based biomedical study. Integrating various omics data is possibly useful for identifying some correlations across data modalities, thus improving our understanding of the underlying biological mechanisms and complexity. Nevertheless, most existing graph-based feature extraction methods overlook the complementary information and correlations across modalities. Moreover, these methods tend to treat the features of each omics modality equally, which contradicts current biological principles. To solve these challenges, we introduce a novel approach for integrating multi-omics data termed Multi-Omics hypeRgraph integration nEtwork (MORE). MORE initially constructs a comprehensive hyperedge group by extensively investigating the informative correlations within and across modalities. Subsequently, the multi-omics hypergraph encoding module is employed to learn the enriched omics-specific information. Afterward, the multi-omics self-attention mechanism is then utilized to adaptatively aggregate valuable correlations across modalities for representation learning and making the final prediction. We assess MORE's performance on datasets characterized by message RNA (mRNA) expression, Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) methylation, and microRNA (miRNA) expression for Alzheimer's disease, invasive breast carcinoma, and glioblastoma. The results from three classification tasks highlight the competitive advantage of MORE in contrast with current state-of-the-art (SOTA) methods. Moreover, the results also show that MORE has the capability to identify a greater variety of disease-related biomarkers compared to existing methods, highlighting its advantages in biomedical data mining and interpretation. Overall, MORE can be investigated as a valuable tool for facilitating multi-omics analysis and novel biomarker discovery. Our code and data can be publicly accessed at https://github.com/Wangyuhanxx/MORE.

Pediatric open-globe injury: Current perspectives, surgical principles, and literature review

Abstract Open-globe injury (OGI), referring to the full-thickness violation of the eye wall, is a severe consequence of ocular trauma which can lead to permanent vision loss. Here, we review the current literature on pediatric OGI including a focused review of studies published in the past 10 years. Scoring systems for final visual prognosis, important aspects of clinical examination, and imaging at the point of care are discussed. We furthermore provide an overview of primary and secondary surgical management of the initial OGI and sequelae. Amblyopia management differentiates pediatric from adult visual rehabilitation following OGI, and we discuss the current state-of-the-art approaches for the prevention of vision loss.

What you need to know: Current management of acute appendicitis in adults

ABSTRACT Acute appendicitis is one of the most common acute surgical diseases in the world today. Acute appendicitis can present with a well-recognized clinical presentation with abdominal pain which localize in the right lower quadrant. This presentation is more typical in men than in women of child baring age. Several clinical and laboratory calculations can be used to increase the likelihood of making a correct diagnosis. Various imaging modalities can be used to make the diagnosis which include ultrasound, computer tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging. Each study has well known sensitivity/specificity of positive predictive value of making the diagnosis of appendicitis. The management of acute appendicitis is based on the presentation of the patient and dividing it into uncomplicated and complicated disease. Each requires management with antibiotics and followed with timely appendectomy. Recent studies have demonstrated nonoperative management of uncomplicated appendicitis without no fecalith that can be managed with antibiotics alone. Complicated acute appendicitis should undergo timely surgical intervention. Patients presenting with a large appendiceal abscess or phlegmon should undergo percutaneous drainage and antibiotic management. There are certain patient populations that should be considered for surgical intervention. Pregnant patients as well as immunosuppressed patients should undergo timely surgical intervention to decrease the risk of complications. This review outlines the current principles of the diagnosis, imaging, and treatment of acute appendicitis based on the best available evidence of acute appendicitis in adults. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Original Review Article, Level III.

Neuromorphic Computing for Smart Agriculture

Neuromorphic computing has received more and more attention recently since it can process information and interact with the world like the human brain. Agriculture is a complex system that includes many processes of planting, breeding, harvesting, processing, storage, logistics, and consumption. Smart devices in association with artificial intelligence (AI) robots and Internet of Things (IoT) systems have been used and also need to be improved to accommodate the growth of computing. Neuromorphic computing has a great potential to promote the development of smart agriculture. The aim of this paper is to describe the current principles and development of the neuromorphic computing technology, explore the potential examples of neuromorphic computing applications in smart agriculture, and consider the future development route of the neuromorphic computing in smart agriculture. Neuromorphic computing includes artificial synapses, artificial neurons, and artificial neural networks (ANNs). A neuromorphic computing system is expected to improve the agricultural production efficiency and ensure the food quality and safety for human nutrition and health in smart agriculture in the future.

Current principles for the surgical treatment of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma

Current principles for the surgical treatment of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma

Tourism as a Tool for Strengthening the “Soft Power” of Azerbaijan

Abstract The relevance of this topic is due to the fact that tourism today is a powerful and effective tool of “soft power” in Azerbaijan. The current state, principles and main directions of state policy in the field of tourism are considered. The importance of an integrated approach in the field of tourism research is emphasized. Scientific novelty lies in the analysis of new aspects and trends in tourism development, the search for new solutions and approaches to improving the tourist experience, as well as the application of new methods and technologies for the analysis and management of the tourism industry. The article provides recommendations for the development of tourism in Azerbaijan, which contributes to the strengthening of “soft power”.

Design Principles for a Higher Education Course Focusing on Lifelong Learning

Lifelong learning for solving work assignments is essential for societal and personal development. Higher education is one natural part of lifelong learning and, therefore, needs to be re-focused from solely younger students to include professionals and their development goals. One problem related to giving a course for professionals is their struggle between work assignments and the course. Focusing on the added perspective of professionals for higher education, this study presents five design principles for courses for professionals. Design principles are guidelines based on experience and iterative development in higher education. The empirical data comes from a course in digitalisation and digital transformation, which was given thrice. The course participants were professionals from private and public organisations in Sweden. The empirical data originates from the professionals who made a check-in, mid-term evaluation, and evaluation after the course, resulting in 75 entries. Two researchers analysed the first two course entries inductively, forming the foundation for the first round of design principles. The course design for the third round was then revised according to its weaknesses. Based on the strengths and weaknesses found in empirical material from all three courses, the current design principles are professional pathways referring to new knowledge directly linked to real-world applications, knowledge evolution, meaning gradual integration of knowledge using seminars and examination assignments, preparedness protocol focusing on updated information and structured templates for the seminars. Further, the design principle of collaborative connection includes discussion where professionals exchange experiences, and the last principle, learning fusion, directs toward blended learning by combining face-to-face seminars and films. The revised course design, according to the design principles, implied that the number of professionals graduating and their grades increased. The findings of this study add theoretically to existing knowledge and practical implications by providing design principles that higher education teachers and other stakeholders can use to design or revise professional development courses. The design principles could be used stand-alone or combined to increase professionals' learning and satisfaction.

Modern alternative research methods in genetic toxicology (literature review)

The review represents the current principles of assessment of chemicals genotoxicity. The main attention is paid to alternative research methods. The international experience of the application of alternative approaches and prospects of their use for regulatory purposes are discussed. The data for this review were collected from the Russian and foreign literature, as well as Internet resources, concerning the development of the new alternative methods for testing chemicals for genotoxicity. The OECD database, Scopus, Medline, Google Scholar, RISC, CyberLeninka were used for the information retrieval. Although the evaluation of genotoxicity of chemical substances is the well-established and based on the battery of validated methods, the studies for improving the existing tests and developing new technologies, including the alternative approaches, continue unabated up to now. In general, three trends of development of genetic toxicology can be outlined, including creating of new methods based on the whole-genome sequencing and the application of genome editing technologies; implementation of quantitative system of effects assessment in addition to the existing qualitative approach (mutagenic/non-mutagenic) and testing of various combinations of genotoxicity evaluation methods to identify a battery of tests with a greater predictive activity regarding carcinogenic effects. To use the developed alternative models for regulatory purposes, it is necessary to provide convincing evidence that the data obtained are good predictors of the organism’s actual response to the effects of toxicants/genotoxicants, validation of methods, standardization, and harmonization of research protocols, and changes to the existing regulatory framework are required.

Robotic Surgery in Paediatric Oncology: Expanding Boundaries and Defining Relevant Indications

This article reviews the establishment and progress of the Multidisciplinary Paediatric Robotic Program in a high-volume paediatric surgery department at Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades, Paris, France. A major foundational principle of the program was to establish a safe and secure environment for patients and staff, both pre-operatively, intra-operatively and post-operatively. This founding principle when applied systematically has allowed increasing confidence across the program and service. The robotic platform allows for precision surgery when approaching tumours, with freedom of movement adapted to meticulous vascular and organ dissection. Surgical feasibility is based on tumour characteristics, pre-operative imaging, with a focus on vascular and organ involvement, considering goals of surgery and surgical experience. Case complexity has been gradually increased (where appropriate) through an iterative process. The future of surgery is robotic, and even more so image-guided surgery, and this synergy has been instrumental when approaching tumour surgery in children. The current principles that guide application of robot-assisted surgery in paediatric tumours are presented. With this blueprint, excellent oncological outcomes can be achieved while utilising a minimally invasive approach in children with selected endocrine, neuroblastic and renal tumours.

Design and Implementation of USB Key System Based on Dual-Factor Identity Authentication Protocol

With the increasing demand for information security, traditional single-factor authentication technology can no longer meet security requirements. To this end, this paper proposes a Universal Serial Bus (USB) Key hardware and software system based on a two-factor authentication protocol, aiming to improve the security and reliability of authentication. This paper first analyzes the current status and technical principles of USB Key-related research domestically and internationally and designs a two-factor authentication protocol that combines impact/response authentication and static password authentication. The system consists of a host computer and a USB Key device. The host computer interacts with the USB Key through a graphical user interface. The Secure Hash Algorithm 1 (SHA-1) and MySQL database are used to implement the authentication function. Experimental results show that the designed two-factor authentication protocol can effectively prevent replay attacks and information tampering, and improve the security of authentication. If the corresponding USB Key is not inserted, the system will prompt that the device is not found. Once the USB Key is inserted, user identity is confirmed through two-factor verification, which includes impact/response authentication and static password authentication.

Current principles of hybrid imaging of breast cancer: a review of the literature

Background. Breast cancer is a major global public health problem and is the most common malignancy affecting women. Bone metastases are a common complication of advanced breast cancer, with nearly 65% of patients developing bone metastases. The presence of bone metastases can cause severe morbidity and mortality, as well as impair quality of life and increase the risk of skeletal damage. Accuratedetection and reliable assessment of therapeutic responses to bone metastases are imperative to inform treatment decisions, preserve quality of life, and ultimately improve overall survival. Thus, early identification of bone metastases is essential for effective treatment strategies and improved patient outcomes. Purpose – describe the modern principles and capabilities of hybrid imaging used for diagnosis, staging and follow-up of breast tumors. Illustrations are provided to better summarize and demonstrate the main concepts. Materials and methods. The analysis of full-text publications, which were selected through a literature search in foreign databases (PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirectElsevier) for the period 2019–2023, was carried out. Results and discussion. During the analytical review of the literature, the experience of using modern methods of diagnosing breast tumors in Ukraine and abroad was analyzed. The selection of radiopharmaceutical drugs and tracers is considered. It has been established that the use of hybrid PET/CT and PET/MRI is the most promising imaging modality for the evaluation of breast cancer, providing a fully integrated morphological and functional imaging assessment. Conclusions. Hybrid imaging plays a key role in the diagnosis, staging, treatment selection, and follow-up of breast tumors. Awareness of this disease can reduce delay in diagnosis and facilitate interdisciplinary expert care.

Past and Present of Social Inequality: Analysing Structure and Future Trends

The purpose of the article is to highlight the peculiarities of fundamental and applied forms of social inequality in the context of cultural and historical experience and prospects of civilisational development. Social differentiation has a diverse character, which forms the diversity of parameters of this socio-cultural phenomenon. The purpose of scientific research is to unify social indicators that activate and determine the level of inequality in society. Social processes are marked by contradictions in the worldview and mental understanding, so the issue of inequality is regulated by clear and understandable theoretical, methodological, legal, and socio-cultural guidelines. The research methodology is focused on the scientific and sociological methodological cluster. A sociological study based on content analysis, monitoring, and expert opinions allows us to determine the structure and manifestations of social inequality. Long-term sociological observations and in-depth analytical descriptions form the constants of the fundamental nature of social inequality. The results of the study emphasise the need to correlate the fundamental understanding of social inequality and the applied manifestation of this phenomenon in the socio-cultural space. In today's dynamic world, traditional and sustainable interpretations of inequality are hardly accepted, since the current principles of social development involve rapid permanent changes that determine the parameters of social inequality almost online. Under such conditions, society needs new flexible parameters that will determine the quantitative and qualitative parameters of social inequality. Thus, social inequality is an integral element of cultural and historical experience, having formed the fundamental dimensions of this phenomenon, while its prospects require regulation by society to avoid and mitigate the negative impact of social inequality in the form of injustice, discrimination, chauvinism, etc. Promising areas of research on the problem of social inequality include focusing on the dynamics of the social structure, which fundamentally changes the fundamental and targeted understanding of social inequality, leading to inadequate assessments of threats associated with the direct manifestation of social inequality in society.

Implementing changing behaviour towards aerobic and strength exercise: Results of a randomised, phase I study determining the safety, feasibility, and consumer-evaluation of an online exercise program in persons with multiple sclerosis

BackgroundMany people with MS do not meet the recommended exercise regime to elicit health benefits. This study aimed to determine the feasibility, safety, acceptability, and appropriateness of an exercise intervention delivered online to persons with MS that meets current exercise recommendations and behaviour change principles. MethodsSeventy-two participants (age: 43.3 ± 13.3 years) with mild to moderate MS were stratified according to previous exercise behaviour and block-randomised into one of three groups: Control (CON; n = 24), General Exercise (GE; n = 24) who at screening did not meet current exercise recommendations, and Advanced Exercise, (AE; n = 24) who at screening met the current exercise recommendations. GE and AE groups received a four-month online-supervised, behaviour change theory-based exercise program and were assessed at baseline, four-months, five-months, and eleven-months for physical activity participation. The feasibility of process, resources, management, and scientific outcomes was assessed. ResultsOf 198 potential participants, 143 met the eligibility criteria (72 %), and 72 were randomised. Fifty-three participants completed the intervention (74 % immediate retention), and 44 were retained at the six-month follow-up (61 %). Personnel time was 369 h, and total per-participant cost was Au$1036.20. Adherence rate to ≥70 % of exercise sessions was 73 % (GE) and 38 % (AE). The GE group observed a small magnitude of improvement in physical activity (d = −0.23). ConclusionsAn online exercise program embedded with behaviour interventions for either GE or AE appears feasible, acceptable, appropriate and safe and may show long-term efficacy in increased exercise behaviours for persons with mild to moderate MS.Trial registration: ANZCRT number ACTRN12619000228189p.

Inferring cancer type-specific patterns of metastatic spread.

The metastatic spread of a cancer can be reconstructed from DNA sequencing of primary and metastatic tumours, but doing so requires solving a challenging combinatorial optimization problem. This problem often has multiple solutions that cannot be distinguished based on current maximum parsimony principles alone. Current algorithms use ad hoc criteria to select among these solutions, and decide, a priori, what patterns of metastatic spread are more likely, which is itself a key question posed by studies of metastasis seeking to use these tools. Here we introduce Metient, a freely available open-source tool which proposes multiple possible hypotheses of metastatic spread in a cohort of patients and rescores these hypotheses using independent data on genetic distance of metastasizing clones and organotropism. Metient is more accurate and is up to 50x faster than current state-of-the-art. Given a cohort of patients, Metient can calibrate its parsimony criteria, thereby identifying shared patterns of metastatic dissemination in the cohort. Reanalyzing metastasis in 169 patients based on 490 tumors, Metient automatically identifies cancer type-specific trends of metastatic dissemination in melanoma, high-risk neuroblastoma and non-small cell lung cancer. Metient's reconstructions usually agree with semi-manual expert analysis, however, in many patients, Metient identifies more plausible migration histories than experts, and further finds that polyclonal seeding of metastases is more common than previously reported. By removing the need for hard constraints on what patterns of metastatic spread are most likely, Metient introduces a way to further our understanding of cancer type-specific metastatic spread.

Organisation of the Work of Bioanalytical Laboratories according to the Principles of Good Clinical Laboratory Practice (Review)

INTRODUCTION. Bioanalytical laboratories in the Russian Federation should follow the requirements of both the Good Laboratory Practices (GLP), when performing tests for non-clinical studies, and the Good Clinical Practices (GCP), when analysing samples from clinical studies. The work of such laboratories requires a separate GxP system, the Good Clinical Laboratory Practices (GCLP). However, the GCLP system has not yet been created in the Russian Federation and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).АIM. This study aimed to compare the current Russian and EAEU principles regulating the work of bioanalytical laboratories with the international GCLP principles and formulate general requirements for national laboratories.DISCUSSION. The author analysed the current regulation of the work of bioanalytical laboratories, as well as the EAEU regulatory standards for the development and validation of analytical procedures. In addition, the study covered the international GCLP principles that govern the management of human resources, process record keeping, the development of standard operating procedures, the validation of analytical procedures, and the management of biological samples and reference standards in a laboratory. The author considered the key functions of a bioanalytical laboratory and suggested tools to manage them in compliance with the international GCLP principles and the EAEU requirements. It should be noted that scientific publications describe the international practice of applying the GCLP principles fairly well, and the experience of its implementation could be of use to Russian laboratories.CONCLUSION. A bioanalytical laboratory that implements the GCLP principles will increase its competitiveness in the EAEU market for bioanalytical testing services and mitigate its risks of obtaining invalid data.

Innovations in ion-selective optodes: a comprehensive exploration of modern designs and nanomaterial integration.

In recent years, ion-selective optodes (ISOs) have remarkably progressed, driven by innovative modern designs and nanomaterial integration. This review explored the development of modern ISO by describing state-of-the-art strategies to improve their sensitivity, selectivity, and real-time monitoring capacity. The review reported the traditional membrane based-optodes, and investigated the latest research, current design principles, and the use of essential components, such as ionophores, indicator dyes, polymer membranes, and nanomaterials, in ISO fabrication. Special attention was given to nanomaterials (e.g., quantum dots, polymer dots, nanospheres, nanorods and nanocapsules) and particularly on how rare earth elements can further enhance their potential. It also described innovative ISO designs, including wearable optodes, smartphone-based optodes, and disposable paper-based optodes. As the pursuit of highly sensitive, selective, and adaptable ion sensing devices continues, this summary of the current knowledge sets the stage for upcoming innovations and applications in different domains (pharmaceutical formulations, medical diagnosis, environmental monitoring, and industrial applications).

Perspectives on aqueous organic redox flow batteries

Aqueous organic redox flow batteries (AORFBs) have pioneered new routes for large-scale energy storage. The tunable nature of redox-active organic molecules provides a robust foundation for creating innovative AORFBs with exceptional performance. Molecular engineering endows various organic molecules with considerable advantages in solubility, stability, and redox potential. Advanced characterizations have enabled a comprehensive understanding of the redox reaction and degradation mechanisms of these organic molecules. Computational chemistry and machine learning have guided the development of new organic molecules. The practical application of AORFBs will depend on the complementary efforts of multiple parties. This paper consolidates the current design principles of molecular engineering, degradation mechanisms, characterization techniques, and the utilization of computational chemistry. It also offers perspectives and forecasts the necessary attributes and strategic efforts for the next-generation AORFBs, aiming to provide the research community with a deeper understanding.

Family Provision across Borders

It takes little for family provision claims to cross borders, whether state or national. The property may be located in different places — other states or countries; the personal representatives, claimants or beneficiaries under the will may be from different places; or the deceased may have had a strong personal connection with another place. Any one of those cross-border considerations raises questions of a court’s jurisdiction to deal with a family provision application, or of the law that will apply to it. In this article, we give an account of the principles of private international law — which in this area also apply in interstate matters — that affect family provision claims in Australia. In doing so, we explore recurrent complications with these cross-border family provision claims, including those arising under the cross-vesting scheme and in the federal jurisdiction. While we consider that the current equitable principles of choice of law remain best placed to address how provision should be made from different forms of property, reforms must be made to the equitable principles of jurisdiction if complications raised by the cross-vesting scheme and the possible exercise of federal jurisdiction in family provision claims are to be overcome.

Blockchain-Based Electronic Voting: Lessons from Estonia

Abstract The article explores the challenges and possibilities of blockchain-based elections, drawing comparisons with Estonia’s practical and legal experience in organizing and implementing such systems. On that basis, the article provides an assessment of the potential for electronic voting applications as well as recommendations on how to deploy this method for Vietnam to improve the effectiveness of election activities in a comprehensive and appropriate manner consistent with current Constitutional principles.