Exclusive Use Research Articles

A Refutation of a Mosque Serving as a Zakat and Economic Centre During Prophethood

A mosque is a sacred place designated for the exclusive use of the Muslim community. In accordance with Indonesian and Malaysian scholars, mosques during the time of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) functioned as economic and zakat hubs. This appears to defy the prophetic teaching that prohibits any commercial activity from taking place in a mosque. Therefore, this research will investigate these claims. This study using genetic methodology and assess them based on historical methodology utilising hadith literature. The study’s findings contradict the belief that the mosque served as an economic and zakat distribution (charitable donations) hub during the time of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). No evidence from hadith or Islamic historical perspective substantiates either of the arguments. The scholars have not found any indication of a report or hadith associating the mosque as a hub for zakat. As for the economy centre, a genetic method revealed that experts had cited a statement indicating that the mosque served as a hub for developing Islamic economic concepts and systems instead of a trading centre. According to several evidence from the hadith, a mosque is more correctly described as a social welfare centre.

The Use of Premixed Drugs in Commodity Packets in the Population: Prevalence and Correlates Revealed by the 2018 National Survey of Substance Use in Taiwan.

Administering premixed drugs in commodity packets was first reported in Asia in 2015, but there continues to be a dearth of related population-based data. This study aimed at examining (1) the prevalence of drug-packet use in the population and (2) the sociodemographic profiles, particularly gender distribution, of drug-packet users. Data were derived from a survey of 18,626 Taiwanese civilians, aged 12-64 years, using stratified, multi-stage, random sampling in 2018. Participants anonymously completed a computer-assisted self-interview on tablet computers which covered the use and problematic use of illicit drugs/inhalants, prescription drugs, and other psychoactive substances. Approximately 1.46% of respondents had a lifetime use of illicit drugs, with drugs in commodity packets (0.18%) being ranked the fifth-most commonly used illicit drugs, higher than nitrous oxide (0.14%) and heroin (0.09%). Ten formats of drug packets were endorsed by users. Approximately 81.6% of persons with drug packet use had lifetime use of other illicit drugs. The correlates of the use of drugs in commodity packets were different from those of the exclusive use of other drugs, particularly concerning the lack of gender differences in the former category in the whole sample and the subgroups of various sociodemographic characteristics and other substance use. Drugs in commodity packets have become a common way of administering illicit drugs in the population in Taiwan, and there were no gender differences among users. Our findings have implications for more efficient drug testing and culturally appropriate intervention for drug-packet use.

Understanding networked family language policy: a study among Bengali immigrants in Australia

ABSTRACT Family language policy (FLP) impacts the maintenance of heritage language(s) in the family domain, where parents play a crucial role in making language-related decisions for their children. Globalisation, immigration, the COVID-19 pandemic, and digital communication have all affected FLP. Studies are now calling for examining how dispersed transnational families incorporate digital practices as a part of their FLP, given the shift from the exclusive use of traditional face-to-face communication to the inclusion of digital communication media such as Skype and WhatsApp. This research examines the viability of utilising Spolsky’s tripartite framework to study the new concept of ‘networked FLP,’ a term coined by Curdt-Christiansen and Huang, which acknowledges dispersed families and digital communication. We examine data from ten Bengali immigrant families in Australia with dispersed senior family members living abroad. Our findings enrich the concept of networked FLP by highlighting the digital affordances that networked FLP provides to dispersed transnational families and the importance of socio-cultural and emotional factors when applying Spolsky's framework to FLP with digital media. We show that family bonding, maintaining heritage culture, and emotional connections are the primary motivations for digital communication, while language learning is secondary. Our study finds that it is essential to incorporate sociocultural and emotional factors when investigating networked FLP.

Development and Psychometric Evaluation of a Novel Measure of Nicotine E-cigarette Withdrawal for use with Adolescents and Young Adults.

Nicotine withdrawal is a well-established construct that prompts continued nicotine product use and contributes to failed cessation efforts. Despite ongoing public health concerns about nicotine e-cigarette use in adolescents and young adults (AYAs), no psychometrically-sound measure of nicotine e-cigarette withdrawal exists for this population. A mixed methods approach comprising a literature review to identify existing nicotine withdrawal items; subject matter expert feedback on existing items and novel item generation; cognitive interviews assessing the measure's instructions, items, and response options; and a large quantitative validation survey (N = 997) was employed to develop the novel retrospective measure of nicotine e-cigarette withdrawal. A 25-item solution comprising four subscales - Negative Affect, Negative Physical Symptoms, Craving, and Appetite/Food - and an Overall Withdrawal score was supported. Internal reliability was excellent (mean alpha = 0.91), and scalar measurement invariance was reached for all subgroups tested (e.g., sex, age, exclusive e-cigarette use versus dual tobacco product use, daily versus non-daily nicotine vaping). Overall Withdrawal and its subscales evidenced concurrent validity with time to first vape in the morning, e-cigarette dependence, and previous vaping cessation attempts, although not each subscale was associated with each outcome. Importantly, cross-sectional incremental validity analyses indicated that retrospective withdrawal accounted for variance in each outcome above and beyond e-cigarette dependence. The novel retrospective AYA Nicotine E-cigarette Withdrawal Scale (AYA NEWS) evidenced strong psychometric properties for use in this population. Future research can determine whether the AYA NEWS can be used to assess acute e-cigarette nicotine withdrawal. While e-cigarette use remains the most prevalent form of nicotine product use among adolescents and young adults, there are limited options for psychometrically-sound measures of e-cigarette-related constructs in this population. Withdrawal from nicotine is associated with failed cessation attempts and continued use of nicotine-containing products, making it a critical construct within tobacco-related research. This study outlines the development and preliminary psychometric evaluation of a novel, retrospective measure of nicotine e-cigarette withdrawal. Study findings support using the Adolescent and Young Adult Nicotine E-cigarette Withdrawal Scale (AYA NEWS) to assess retrospective withdrawal from nicotine e-cigarettes in young people.

Clinical remission of moderate generalized myasthenia gravis through exclusive use of Buzhong Yiqi decoction: A case report

BackgroundMyasthenia gravis (MG) is a rare autoimmune neuromuscular disorder with significant morbidity and mortality. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) offers an alternative approach to standard pharmacological and surgical interventions, which are often associated with adverse side effects. This case report details the clinical remission of a 50-year-old male with moderate generalized MG following exclusive treatment with a modified Buzhong Yiqi decoction (BYD), a TCM formula, without the use of immunosuppressive agents. Case summaryThe patient presented with diplopia, bilateral ptosis, weakness in chewing, limb weakness, and other symptoms indicative of spleen and stomach qi deficiency. Modified BYD was prescribed, focusing on strengthening the spleen, nourishing qi and blood, and enhancing immune response. The treatment included ingredients such as Radix Astragali, Angelica sinensis, Atractylodes macrocephala, and others, aiming to restore balance and improve the patient's condition. After two weeks of TCM treatment, the patient showed significant improvement in symptoms of myasthenia. By the second month, all clinical symptoms had disappeared. The patient continued to receive the TCM regimen until the thirtieth month of treatment. At the time of writing this report, the patient has no clinical symptoms and has experienced no relapse. Notably, no obvious adverse effects were reported throughout the treatment. ConclusionThe success of this case suggests that TCM may serve as an independent treatment option for moderate MG, offering a steroid-free alternative, which would be particularly valuable for patients who are intolerant of or refuse steroid therapy, potentially with significant clinical implications. However it needs a randomized clinical trial comparing TCM to conventional Western medicine treatment to validate it.

Nanobody in a Double "Y"-Shaped Assembly: A Promising Candidate for Lateral Flow Immunoassays.

Derived from camelid heavy-chain antibodies, nanobodies (Nbs) are the smallest natural antibodies and are an ideal tool in biological studies because of their simple structure, high yield, and low cost. Nbs possess significant potential for developing highly specific and user-friendly diagnostic assays. Despite offering considerable advantages in detection applications, knowledge is limited regarding the exclusive use of Nbs in lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) detection. Herein, we present a novel double "Y" architecture, achieved by using the SpyTag/SpyCatcher and Im7/CL7 systems. The double "Y" assemblies exhibited a significantly higher affinity for their epitopes, as particularly evident in the reduced dissociation rate. An LFIA employing double "Y" assemblies was effectively used to detect the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 N protein, with a detection limit of at least 500 pg/mL. This study helps broaden the array of tools available for the development of Nb-based diagnostic techniques.

Exploring the impact of arginine-supplemented immunonutrition on length of stay in the intensive care unit: A retrospective cross-sectional analysis.

Arginine-supplemented enteral immunonutrition has been designed to optimize outcomes in critical care patients. Existing formulas may be isocaloric and isoproteic, yet differ in L-arginine content, energy distribution, and in source and amount of many other specialized ingredients. The individual contributions of each may be difficult to pinpoint; however, all cumulate in the body's response to illness and injury. The study objective was to compare health outcomes between different immunonutrition formulas. Real-world data from October 2015 -February 2019 in the PINC AI™ Healthcare Database (formerly the Premier Healthcare Database) was reviewed for patients with an intensive care unit (ICU) stay and ≥3 days exclusive use of either higher L-arginine formula (HAF), or lower L-arginine formula (LAF). Multivariable generalized linear model regression was used to check associations between formulas and ICU length of stay. 3,284 patients (74.5% surgical) were included from 21 hospitals, with 2,525 receiving HAF and 759 LAF. Inpatient mortality (19.4%) and surgical site infections (6.2%) were similar across groups. Median hospital stay of 17 days (IQR: 16) did not differ by immunonutrition formula. Median ICU stay was shorter for patients receiving HAF compared to LAF (10 vs 12 days; P<0.001). After adjusting for demographics, visit, severity of illness, and other clinical characteristics, associated regression-adjusted ICU length of stay for patients in the HAF group was 11% shorter [0.89 (95% CI: 0.84, 0.94; P<0.001)] compared to patients in the LAF group. Estimated adjusted mean ICU length of stay was 9.4 days (95% CI: 8.9, 10.0 days) for the HAF group compared to 10.6 days (95% CI: 9.9, 11.3 days) for the LAF group (P<0.001). Despite formulas being isocaloric and isoproteic, HAF use was associated with significantly reduced ICU length of stay, compared to LAF. Higher arginine immunonutrition formula may play a role in improving health outcomes in primarily surgical critically ill patients.

Bicycle use in the university community: Empirical analysis using MobiCampus-UdL data (Lyon, France)

Promoting sustainable mobility systems by encouraging the use of the bicycle as a transport mode is now a public policy objective. This political will is also pursued in France where the modal share of cycling is relatively low. However, young people and those with a high level of human capital, such as members of the university community, are observed to be more advanced in their adoption of cycling. An understanding of how cycling is used by university students and staff would therefore help to inform public decision-making and support more efficient targeted policies to develop this mode of transport. Using original data from the MobiCampus-UdL project, the aim of this article is to analyze the determinants of bicycle use by the university community at the University of Lyon, France. Two multivariate logistic regression models are estimated on the subsamples of students and staff: one explaining the probability of using the bicycle as an exclusive mode of transport to get to the campus and the other explaining the probability of using the bicycle in combination with other modes. Our results suggest that while socio-demographic characteristics have little influence within our two relatively homogeneous subsamples, access to mobility resources and the spatial characteristics of the campus and place of residence are crucial. We also find that access to bicycles is an important determinant of the utilization of cycling. Given that the adoption of cycling is still very low, our findings justify policies to increase the availability of bicycles and subsidize their purchase. More specifically, our results suggest that access to a shared bike station on campus encourages the exclusive use of bicycles by students and staff but has no effect when used in combination with other modes. On the other hand, good accessibility to public transport, whether from home or from campus, does not reduce the use of bicycles by either sub-population, either exclusively or in combination. Furthermore, while living far from the city center is an obstacle to the exclusive use of the bicycles, especially for staff, it does not in any way prevent their use in combination with other modes, such as the train. These results open up new avenues for anticipating the development of intermodality between public transport and cycling.

The Influence of Personality Traits on Postpartum Depression: A Systematic Review Based on the NEO-FFI Scale

Postpartum depression (PPD) is a significant global health concern with profound implications for mothers, families, and societies. This systematic review aims to synthesize current research findings to understand better how personality traits, as assessed by the NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI), contribute to the development and progression of PPD. Conducted in January 2024, this review searched major databases like PubMed, PsycINFO, and Scopus up to December 2023, focusing on the NEO-FFI’s role in evaluating PPD. Following PRISMA guidelines, studies were selected based on strict criteria, including the exclusive use of NEO-FFI for personality assessment and a focus on postpartum women. A total of seven studies were included after a rigorous two-step screening process, and their data were qualitatively synthesized. The review covered a total of 4172 participants, with a prevalence of clinically significant postpartum depression symptoms ranging from 10.6% to 51.7%. Notably, Neuroticism emerged as a significant predictor of PPD, with odds ratios ranging from 1.07 (95% CI: 0.96–1.20) in some studies to as high as 1.87 (95% CI: 1.53–2.27) in others. In contrast, traits like Extraversion and Conscientiousness generally showed protective effects, with lower scores associated with reduced PPD risk. For instance, Extraversion scores correlated negatively with PPD risk (Beta = −0.171) in one study. However, the impact of other traits such as Openness and Agreeableness on PPD risk was less clear, with some studies indicating negligible effects. The review highlights Neuroticism as a consistent and significant predictor of PPD risk, with varying impacts from other personality traits. The findings suggest potential pathways for targeted interventions in maternal mental health care, emphasizing the need for comprehensive personality evaluations in prenatal and postnatal settings.

Deep learning for discrimination of active and inactive lesions in multiple sclerosis using non-contrast FLAIR MRI: A multicenter study

BackgroundWithin the domain of multiple sclerosis (MS), the precise discrimination between active and inactive lesions bears immense significance. Active lesions are enhanced on T1-weighted MRI images after administration of gadolinium-based contrast agents, which brings about associated complexities. This study investigates the potential of deep learning to differentiate between active and inactive lesions in MS using non-contrast FLAIR-type MRI data, presenting a non-invasive alternative to conventional gadolinium-based MRI methods. MethodsThe dataset encompasses 9097 lesion images collected from 130 MS patients across four distinct imaging centers, with post-contrast T1-weighted images as the benchmark reference. We initially identified and labeled the lesions and carefully selected corresponding regions of interest (ROIs). These ROIs were employed as inputs for a convolutional neural network (CNN) to predict lesion status. Also, transfer learning was utilized, incorporating 12 pre-trained CNN models. Subsequently, an ensemble technique was applied to 3 of best models, followed by a systematic comparison of the results. ResultsThrough a 5-fold cross-validation, our custom designed network exhibited an average accuracy of 85 %, a sensitivity of 95 %, a specificity of 75 %, and an AUC value of 0.90. Among the pre-trained models, ResNet50 emerged as the most effective, achieving a specificity of 58 %, an accuracy of 75 %, a sensitivity of 91 %, and an AUC value of 0.81. Our comprehensive evaluations encompassed the receiver operating characteristic curve, precision-recall curve, and confusion matrix analyses. ConclusionThe findings underscore the efficacy of the proposed CNN, trained on FLAIR MRI data ROIs, in accurately discerning active and inactive lesions without reliance on contrast agents. Our multicenter study of 130 patients with diverse imaging devices outperforms the other single-center studies, achieving superior sensitivity and specificity. Unlike studies using multiple modalities, our exclusive use of FLAIR images streamlines the process, and our streamlined approach, excluding conventional pre-processing, demonstrates efficiency. The external validation conducted on diverse datasets, coupled with the analysis of dilated masks, underscores the adaptability and efficacy of our custom CNN model in discerning between active and inactive lesions.

Advanced forecasting of COVID-19 epidemic: Leveraging ensemble models, advanced optimization, and decomposition techniques

In the global effort to address the outbreak of the new coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19) pandemic, accurate forecasting of epidemic patterns has become crucial for implementing successful interventions aimed at preventing and controlling the spread of the disease. The correct prediction of the course of COVID-19 outbreaks is a complex and challenging task, mainly because of the significant volatility in the data series related to COVID-19. Previous studies have been limited by the exclusive use of individual forecasting techniques in epidemic modeling, disregarding the integration of diverse prediction procedures. The lack of attention to detail in this situation can yield worse-than-ideal results. Consequently, this study introduces a novel ensemble framework that integrates three machine learning methods (kernel ridge regression (KRidge), Deep random vector functional link (dRVFL), and ridge regression) within a linear relationship (L-KRidge-dRVFL-Ridge). The optimization of this framework is accomplished through a distinctive approach, specifically adaptive differential evolution and particle swarm optimization (A-DEPSO). Moreover, an effective decomposition method, known as time-varying filter empirical mode decomposition (TVF-EMD), is employed to decompose the input variables. A feature selection technique, specifically using the light gradient boosting machine (LGBM), is also implemented to extract the most influential input variables. The daily datasets of COVID-19 collected from two countries, namely Italy and Poland, were used as the experimental examples. Additionally, all models are implemented to forecast COVID-19 at two-time horizons: 10- and 14-day ahead (t+10 and t+14). According to the results, the proposed model can yield higher correlation coefficient (R) for both case studies: Italy (t+10 = 0.965, t+14 = 0.961) and Poland (t+10 = 0.952, t+14 = 0.940) than the other models. The experimental results demonstrate that the model suggested in this paper has outstanding results in various kinds of complex epidemic prediction situations. The proposed ensemble model demonstrates exceptional accuracy and resilience, outperforming all similar models in terms of efficacy.

A Survey of Techniques for Discovering, Using, and Paying for Third-Party IoT Sensors.

The Internet of Things (IoT) includes billions of sensors and actuators (which we refer to as IoT devices) that harvest data from the physical world and send it via the Internet to IoT applications to provide smart IoT services and products. Deploying, managing, and maintaining IoT devices for the exclusive use of an individual IoT application is inefficient and involves significant costs and effort that often outweigh the benefits. On the other hand, enabling large numbers of IoT applications to share available third-party IoT devices, which are deployed and maintained independently by a variety of IoT device providers, reduces IoT application development costs, time, and effort. To achieve a positive cost/benefit ratio, there is a need to support the sharing of third-party IoT devices globally by providing effective IoT device discovery, use, and pay between IoT applications and third-party IoT devices. A solution for global IoT device sharing must be the following: (1) scalable to support a vast number of third-party IoT devices, (2) interoperable to deal with the heterogeneity of IoT devices and their data, and (3) IoT-owned, i.e., not owned by a specific individual or organization. This paper surveys existing techniques that support discovering, using, and paying for third-party IoT devices. To ensure that this survey is comprehensive, this paper presents our methodology, which is inspired by Systematic Literature Network Analysis (SLNA), combining the Systematic Literature Review (SLR) methodology with Citation Network Analysis (CNA). Finally, this paper outlines the research gaps and directions for novel research to realize global IoT device sharing.

User gait biometrics in smart ambient applications through wearable accelerometer signals: an analysis of the influence of training setup on recognition accuracy

AbstractGait recognition can exploit the signals from wearables, e.g., the accelerometers embedded in smart devices. At present, this kind of recognition mostly underlies subject verification: the incoming probe is compared only with the templates in the system gallery that belong to the claimed identity. For instance, several proposals tackle the continuous recognition of the device owner to detect possible theft or loss. In this case, assuming a short time between the gallery template acquisition and the probe is reasonable. This work rather investigates the viability of a wider range of applications including identification (comparison with a whole system gallery) in the medium-long term. The first contribution is a procedure for extraction and two-phase selection of the most relevant aggregate features from a gait signal. A model is trained for each identity using Logistic Regression. The second contribution is the experiments investigating the effect of the variability of the gait pattern in time. In particular, the recognition performance is influenced by the benchmark partition into training and testing sets when more acquisition sessions are available, like in the exploited ZJU-gaitacc dataset. When close-in-time acquisition data is only available, the results seem to suggest re-identification (short time among captures) as the most promising application for this kind of recognition. The exclusive use of different dataset sessions for training and testing can rather better highlight the dramatic effect of trait variability on the measured performance. This suggests acquiring enrollment data in more sessions when the intended use is in medium-long term applications of smart ambient intelligence.

Beyond the glow: proving the unity of pheromones and bioluminescent signals in glow-worm firefly courtship

Abstract Sexual communication in nocturnal fireflies has been presumed to be facilitated exclusively by bioluminescence, which has replaced the pheromones used by diurnal species. Although some fireflies are suspected of using combined signalling, this view has so far not been supported by empirical evidence, and these species have been viewed more as outliers. In this study, we have investigated the visual and olfactory capability of sexual communication of a night-active glow-worm firefly Lamprohiza splendidula (Linnaeus, 1767). We recorded and categorized the behaviour of searching males in reaction to four different experimental treatments, in which the females could be located based solely on visual or olfactory cues or a combination of the two. The pheromone-only treatment attracted significantly more males than the control, thus confirming pheromone utilization in sexual communication of this species. This work represents the first direct evidence of combined pheromone and bioluminescence use in fireflies and refutes the hypothesis of exclusive use of light in courtship of the nocturnal species. We theorize that this life strategy is likely to be inherent in the whole genus and possibly common in all glow-worm firefly species.

Water Flows in Vilcanota river basin (Cuzco, Peru): An approach to value from ecological economics

In the last decade, the Vilcanota River sub-basin (Cusco, Peru) has shown high water vulnerability due to climate change and anthropogenic pressures typical of the economic model. In a context of pandemic and ecological crisis, addressing the complexity of the value of water becomes pertinent in order to overcome the exclusive use of mechanisms to calculate monetary value or sustain environmental governance based on cost-benefit analysis. The main objective of the study was to analyze water consumption rates in the Vilcanota River sub-basin to integrate management with a vision from ecological economics. To do this, the dynamic factors, impacts and responses of water governance were analyzed, and the problem of value was addressed through the analysis of hydrological flows with the ecological economy approach. A high consumption of the household sector was found (urban: 265151.71 m3/h, rural: 163087.50 m3/h), mainly due to urban expansion, change in land use and other local problems in a mainly agricultural area. where an analysis of the social metabolism in the Vilcanota River sub-basin and the inclusion of complexity management in environmental public policy is necessary.

Factors Associated with Exclusive Use of Hygienic Methods during Menstruation among Adolescent Girls (15–19 Years) in Urban India: Evidence from NFHS-5

BackgroundMenstrual hygiene is a critical public health concern for adolescent girls in urban India. However, there is a paucity of research on this subject, particularly on a national scale. To the best of our knowledge, this study diverges from previous research, as the majority of prior investigations in India have centered on rural locales, married individuals, and those aged between 15 and 24 years. Thus, this study aims to fill this gap by investigating the factors associated with the exclusive use of hygienic methods during menstruation among urban adolescent girls (15–19 years) in India. MethodA total of 25136 samples were included in this analysis from the National Family Health Survey 5 (NFHS-5). The Binary logistic regression model has been administered to determine the associated factors of the exclusive use of hygienic methods among adolescent girls. ResultsThe results of the multivariate model revealed significant positive associations between higher education levels and usage of menstrual hygiene management products (AOR: 1.860; 95 % CI: 1.418–2.439), (AOR: 2.110; 95 % CI: 1.553–2.867). Additionally, individuals in higher wealth quintiles were more likely to use MHM products, with the richest quintile showing the highest likelihood (AOR: 5.310; 95 % CI: 4.494–6.275). Attendance at cultural events such as cinema or theater was positively associated with MHM product utilization (AOR: 1.338; 95 % CI: 1.181–1.517).Conversely, Lack of access to sanitation facilities was inversely associated with MHM product utilization (AOR: 0.742; 95 % CI: 0.628–0.877). Muslim girls had lower odds than Hindus (AOR: 0.576; 95 % CI: 0.520–0.637). Substantial regional variations were evident, with the Western (AOR: 0.879; 95 % CI: 0.759–1.019), Eastern (AOR: 0.747; 95 % CI: 0.654–0.854), Central (AOR: 0.349; 95 % CI: 0.313–0.388), and North-eastern regions (AOR: 0.597; 95 % CI: 0.490–0.727) displaying diminished odds of MHM product usage relative to the southern region. General caste had higher odds compared to scheduled caste (AOR: 1.255, 95 % CI: 1.103–1.429), while other backward caste had lower odds (AOR: 0.858, 95 % CI: 0.771–0.955). ConclusionThese findings underscore the importance of addressing inequalities in access to menstrual hygiene products among urban adolescent girls in India. Targeted interventions and educational programs are essential to ensure equitable access and promote overall health and well-being.

Entrectinib as first-line vs. second-line therapy in ROS1 fusion-positive non-small cell lung cancer: a cost-effectiveness analysis.

The concept of cost-effectiveness is crucial for the optimal allocation of scarce healthcare resources. However, the cost-effectiveness of entrectinib in ROS1 fusion-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has not been evaluated. We aim to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of entrectinib as a first-line treatment compared to its reservation for second-line therapy or the exclusive use of chemotherapy in ROS1 fusion-positive advanced NSCLC. A Markov model was created to assess the clinical outcomes and healthcare costs associated with these three treatment approaches. Cost and utility values were obtained from established literature and cost databases. To test model robustness, probabilistic and univariate sensitivity analyses were conducted. In the first-line setting, where entrectinib was administered as the initial therapy, it yielded an extra 0.07 quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) at an incremental cost of $73,453, leading to an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of $1,090,594.30 per QALY compared to chemotherapy. Conversely, in the second-line setting, when entrectinib was used as a second-line therapy following chemotherapy, it provided an extra 0.11 QALYs at an incremental cost of $53,480, resulting in an ICER of $494,290.39 per QALY compared to chemotherapy. Furthermore, the analysis revealed that the cost of entrectinib and utility values of progressed disease were the most influential factors for the ICER. Considering the current pricing of entrectinib, it is not deemed cost-effective as a first-line or second-line therapy for patients with ROS1 fusion-positive advanced NSCLC when compared to chemotherapy. Alternatively, reserving entrectinib exclusively for second-line therapy might strike a balance between healthcare expenditures and patient outcomes.

CPU–GPU heterogeneous code acceleration of a finite volume Computational Fluid Dynamics solver

This research focuses on accelerating the finite-volume Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) solver, SENSEI, through concurrent CPU–GPU heterogeneous computing, leveraging multiple CPUs and GPUs. An overview of SENSEI, its discretization, and the heterogeneous computing workflow utilizing MPI and OpenACC are provided. A performance model for CPU–GPU heterogeneous computing, incorporating ghost cell exchange usually applied in stencil computations, is introduced to estimate the performance. This work explores the scaling performance of CPU–GPU heterogeneous computing in comparison to a pure multi-CPU/GPU setup using a supersonic inlet test case. The results emphasize the advantages of leveraging both CPU and GPU computational power concurrently. Highlighting the collaborative synergy of CPUs and GPUs as co-workers, this work shows improved performance over exclusive use of pure CPUs or GPUs, with the proposed performance model ensuring a fair estimation of these advantages. This work concludes by offering suggestions for application users interested in accelerating scientific computing simulations and providing feedback for hardware architects designing improved CPU–GPU heterogeneous systems for heterogeneous computing.

Magnetic refrigeration enhanced by magnetically-activated thermal switch: An experimental proof-of-concept

In the era of energy transition and climate change, environmentally safe refrigeration technologies are of utmost importance. Magnetocaloric refrigeration (MCR) is one of the most promising alternatives to the existing vapor-compression systems. Overcoming the primary challenges of the low heat dissipation and elevated device production costs is imperative for MCR development. This work provides the first demonstration of an MCR prototype that combines the magnetocaloric material (MCM) gadolinium with a ferrofluidic thermal switch (TS). The performance was assessed using dispersions of MnFe2O4/Ethylene Glycol:Water and Fe3O4/paraffin oil. For the first time, a strategic asymmetry was introduced into MCR cycles. The inclusion of the TS did not uncover any advantages in the Gd-alone system by using symmetrical cycles. However, by applying/removing the magnetic field asymmetrically, a remarkable temperature span of up to 0.6 °C was achieved within the TS+MCM prototype. This represents a substantial improvement, reaching up to 60% compared to the Gd-alone configuration. The prototype ensures that a single magnetic field, responsible for driving the magnetocaloric effect, also activates the TS, thereby streamlining system operability and improving performance. To validate our findings, we developed a 1D numerical model, which consistently confirmed that system optimization can be achieved through the exclusive use of asymmetric cycles. Consequently, the application of magnetically-activated fluidic TSs and asymmetric cycles emerge as important strategies for enhancing MCR across a diverse range of systems.

Протекционистская языковая политика в Министерстве обороны Российской федераци

The article substantiates the role of protectionist language policy in the light of modern problems of language safety and the need to preserve and maintain the Russian language as the state language. It is proposed to generalize positive experiences. As a part of this task, a set of measures is considered to maintain and use the Russian language, functioning as the state language, applied in the central apparatus of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation. The Regulations of the Russian Ministry of Defense, the Instructions for office work in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, methodological manuals for the preparation of documentation have been studied, and the everyday practice of submitting documents and the organizational component of the army language policy have been examined. The presence (and the compliance) of strict requirements for the normative use of the Russian language, the functioning and consistency and stability of terminology, the practice of documentation and genre features of texts, the difficulties of the Russian language, stable phrases and abbreviations has been established. The wording of the rules is concise and accompanied by detailed examples of their use. Particularly noted is the extremely significant resistance to translingualism (and, in fact, to pidginization) in the context of the globalization reduction of languages. Opposition to pidginization is expressed by a ban on foreign language inclusions in texts, a negligible number of borrowings, and the almost exclusive use of the Cyrillic alphabet. A conclusion is drawn about the positive role of the Ministry of Defense in preserving and maintaining the Russian language, functioning as a state language.The article substantiates the role of protectionist language policy in the light of modern problems of language safety and the need to preserve and maintain the Russian language as the state language. It is proposed to generalize positive experiences. As a part of this task, a set of measures is considered to maintain and use the Russian language, functioning as the state language, applied in the central apparatus of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation. The Regulations of the Russian Ministry of Defense, the Instructions for office work in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, methodological manuals for the preparation of documentation have been studied, and the everyday practice of submitting documents and the organizational component of the army language policy have been examined. The presence (and the compliance) of strict requirements for the normative use of the Russian language, the functioning and consistency and stability of terminology, the practice of documentation and genre features of texts, the difficulties of the Russian language, stable phrases and abbreviations has been established. The wording of the rules is concise and accompanied by detailed examples of their use. Particularly noted is the extremely significant resistance to translingualism (and, in fact, to pidginization) in the context of the globalization reduction of languages. Opposition to pidginization is expressed by a ban on foreign language inclusions in texts, a negligible number of borrowings, and the almost exclusive use of the Cyrillic alphabet. A conclusion is drawn about the positive role of the Ministry of Defense in preserving and maintaining the Russian language, functioning as a state language.