Interdisciplinary Specialists Research Articles

Evaluation of the neuromotor ability of the tongue in pediatric patients using a stereognostic examination.

The term "stereognosis" comes from neurology and describes the capacity to distinguish objects solely by touch. The aim of this research study was to compare the neuromotor ability of the tongue in patients with malocclusion and tongue dysfunction with and without superficial anesthesia on the tip of the tongue and hard palate. The study included 132 patients aged 6-13 years. Using a spatula for speech therapy and a visual evaluation while swallowing saliva, all individuals were identified as having swallowing dysfunctions and divided into three groups: study group (children with malocclusions and tongue dysfunctions) - 44 patients, comparator group (children with malocclusions and without tongue dysfunctions) - 44 patients, and control group (children without malocclusions or tongue dysfunctions) - 44 patients. The Koczorowski methods were used for the stereognostic tests. Age, sex, and malocclusion were taken into account during the differential analysis. The study and comparison groups, study and control groups, and the comparator and control groups all showed statistically significant differences from one another. According to the results, tongue dysfunction affects patients' ability to coordinate their movements with their senses at a developing stage. Patients with malocclusions that are made worse by tongue dysfunctions have poorer oral stereognostic sensibility. Speech therapy and interdisciplinary specialist orthodontic treatment are required for individuals with impaired oral perception who are still in the developmental stage and have abnormal tongue position and function.

Scholarly activity among economists at liberal arts colleges: A life cycle analysis

The authors of this article introduce a database of scholarship among liberal arts college (LAC) economists. Capturing publications across the life cycle, the data speak to questions unexplored in existing work and point to answers often contrary to popular wisdom. First, limited evidence of a rising tenure bar is found. Moreover, while some claim that LAC macroeconomists face particular publication hurdles, the authors observe similar levels of scholarship across the micro/macro divide. Finally, authors of publications outside ECONLIT are not interdisciplinary specialists. Rather, LAC economists who produce the greatest amount of work in indexed venues also make the largest contributions outside the discipline’s traditional boundaries.

En coup de sabre linear scleroderma – diagnostic difficulties. Case report

Frontal linear scleroderma (morphea en coup de sabre) is a rare disease from the group of limited connective tissue diseases, most often affecting children. Due to the fact that it is not a common dermatosis, diagnosis and treatment may be difficult. Therefore, we believe it is advisable to present the diagnostic difficulties in a patient of the Provincial Integrated Hospital in Elbląg. It is also noteworthy that the patient’s neurological symptoms preceded the appearance of skin lesions. Clinical symptoms and imaging studies led us to observe progressive hemifacial atrophy. The patient requires interdisciplinary specialist care and diagnosis in the field of neurology, dermatology, rheumatology and ophthalmology.

RAZVOJ MUZIČKOG TEATRA NA UNIVERZITETU U SARAJEVU / DEVELOPMENT OF MUSICAL THEATRE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SARAJEVO

The paper presents a historical overview of the development of musical theatre at the University of Sarajevo through the education of students at the Music Academy and the Academy of Performing Arts, whom participated in music and stage projects in the period from 2013 to 2021, produced by the Sarajevo Institute for music, theatre and multimedia. Research includes detailed review and comparison of theatre projects through quantitative analysis, that shows their importance for the development of the field and through the teaching process on the subject Voice, on the I and II cycle of studies at the Department of Acting of the Academy of Performing Arts. The aim of this paper is to point out the need to start the first regional interdisciplinary specialist master study for music theatre modeled on world higher education institutions, for which there is student interest, and which as such can be offered as part of internationalization projects at the University of Sarajevo. Finally, through the first art research project "Voice as an actor tool in musical theatre" of the Academy of Performing Arts, which will, in 2022, result in a theoretical template for this study, the author draws attention to the contextualization of artistic research processes as scientific research in education for the performing arts.

Establishing a multidisciplinary specialist centre for fetal alcohol spectrum disorders-Lessons learned from a model project in Germany.

Inadequate coordination between relevant professionals hampers the provision of appropriate care for individuals with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). Integrated, multidisciplinary care is thus urgently required. Hence, we aimed at establishing the first university-bound, interdisciplinary specialist centre for FASD in Germany, systematically collecting data on its utilisation and evaluation by attendees. After our centre started to provide consultation and support services in July 2019 until May 2021, we collected 233 questionnaires on the centre's utilisation (including attendees' sociodemographic characteristics and the topics on which they requested consultation, e.g., general information about FASD, consultation on therapy options, and educational consultation). Ninety-four of 136 individuals who received consultation at our centre submitted an evaluation questionnaire that recorded attendees' satisfaction with the support they had received (e.g., the extent to which the consultation met their needs). Of 233 participants who completed the utilisation questionnaire, 81.8% were female, and 56.7% were aged 40 to 60 years. Moreover, 42% were foster parents, while 38% were professionals. Most attendees had questions on FASD in general as well as on a specific child or adolescent with FASD. Almost three quarters of the attendees requested consultation on adequate therapies for FASD patients, while 64% had questions on parenting issues. The overall quality of the consultation was rated very well. Our service was used by both caregivers and professionals who reported numerous and complex concerns and needs. Professionally sound and multidisciplinary services are viable instruments to meet those needs, bearing the potential for quick and notable relief among individuals affected. We propose further advancement of networking and coordination between care providers, the expansion of multidisciplinary services, and securing early diagnosis and consistency of care as relevant steps to even better support children and adolescents with FASD and their families in the future.

Effects of Multidisciplinary Specialized Nursing Care on the Short and Long-term Postoperative Quality of Life in Patients with Pancreatic Cancer: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Objective: To analyze the effects of multidisciplinary specialized nursing care on the short and long-term postoperative quality of life in patients with pancreatic cancer. Methods: This is a randomized controlled trial. In this study, 88 patients with pancreatic cancer who were treated at our hospital between January 2021 and January 2022 were recruited and allocated 1:1 either to receive into routine nursing care (n=44, routine group) or interdisciplinary specialist nursing care (n=44, study group). The outcome measures in both groups included surgery-related indices, short and long-term quality of life, and adverse responses. Results: There were no participants who dropped out of this study due to treatment intolerance, nor were there any additional participants. Patients in the study group had significantly shorter recovery time from gastrointestinal function, bed rest and hospital stay than those in the conventional group (P<0.05). Before the intervention, there was no significant difference in the quality of life between the two groups (P>0.05); 3 months and 1 year after the intervention, the quality of life of patients in the study group was higher than that of patients in the conventional group (P<0.05). The overall incidence of adverse reactions was significantly lower in the study group than in the conventional group (P<0.05). Conclusion: Multidisciplinary specialized nursing care produces an ideal clinical outcome for postoperative patients with pancreatic cancer. It substantially reduces recovery time, boosts short and long-term postoperative quality of life, and diminishes the incidence of adverse reactions in patients. This protocol merits clinical application.

RESEARCH OF THE CONVERTING STAGES FOR THE VOLUME MODEL OF THE PRODUCT INTO THE CONTROL CODE FOR A 3D PRINTER IN THE CONTEXT OF AUTOMATED CONSTRUCTION OF 3D PRINTING TECHNOLOGY

Problem statement. The integration of the latest technologies in the field of software at the stages of construction appears as one of the main tasks for designers. Creating objects based on 3D printing technology requires the use of appropriate high-tech solutions. One of these solutions is the analysis of the converting process a three-dimensional model into a control code for 3D printing − it is precisely from this analysis that the degree of construction efficiency for building structures by the 3D printing method depends. The purpose of the article. Based on the analysis of 3D printing concepts and modern software, form a conceptual diagram of the converting stages for the product three-dimensional model into a control code for 3D printers. Determine shortcomings that can complicate the implementation of this process. Conclusions. The working process of 3D printing is complex and requires in-depth knowledge of both the software and hardware of the system as a whole. A detailed study of this issue will further optimize the planning of construction processes, which in turn plays an important role in the overall efficiency of the 3D printing system. The use of 3D computer graphics programs may not include models’ specific features that will be key importance for 3D printing. Surface tessellation done in CAD for modeling often ends up with errors in the *.STL data structure in the form of gaps and holes, resulting in open loops in cross-sections that cannot be fabricated as layers in practice. When converting 3D models to *.STL format automatically, with the help of specialized software packages, you should take the time to thoroughly check the STL format. G-code is the first step towards understanding the digital software control of a 3D printer. It can be generated automatically, which can lead to a large number of errors. At the converting stage of the 3D model into *.STL format and in the direct process of G-code generation, highly qualified interdisciplinary specialists who are able to combine these technologies in practice.

Exploring the implementation of an outreach specialist program for nursing home residents in Macao: A multisite, qualitative study.

BackgroundThe “Specialist Medical Outreach Project (SMOP)” involving inter-disciplinary hospital-based healthcare professionals is a government initiative that aims to provide integrative specialist care to high-risk residents at the nursing homes. However, research exploring the implementation and impact of SMOP is lacking. This study aimed to evidence the impact of SMOP on the quality of care at the nursing home and the key contextual determinants influencing SMOP outcomes.MethodSemi-structured key informant audio-recorded face-to-face interviews were conducted with eight managers, six doctors, 28 nursing staff, and seven pharmacy staff at the nursing homes participating in the SMOP to collect insights about how SMOP was operated and performed, and the impact of SMOP as observed and expected. Participants were recruited with purposive sampling. A thematic analysis approach was employed and key themes were identified using open coding, grouping, and categorizing.ResultsForty-nine interviews were conducted. Thematic analysis identified three principal themes: the overall perception about SMOP, the benefits as observed; and the areas of improvement. Together with the 10 subthemes, the results highlighted the expectations for SMOP to address the unmet needs and promote patient-centered care, and the benefits of SMOP in supporting effective use of resources for the nursing home, reducing the risks of adverse events for the residents, promoting communication and capacity building for the healthcare providers and facilitating efficient use of healthcare resources for the health system. Requests for more frequent visits by a larger inter-disciplinary specialist team were raised. Careful staff and workflow planning, and mechanisms for data-sharing and communication across care settings were deemed the most important actions for improvement.ConclusionIt is a general perception that the SMOP is beneficial in enhancing the quality of care for high-risk residents in the nursing home in Macao. Cross-sector inter-disciplinary collaboration and efficient data-sharing and communication mechanism play a crucial role in ensuring the success of the program. A robust assessment framework to monitor and evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the program is yet to be developed.

Combining Fish Passage and Sediment Bypassing: A Conceptual Solution for Increased Sustainability of Dams and Reservoirs

Sedimentation is one of the main eco-morphological and technological challenges associated with reservoirs. Sedimentation not only reduces the functional capacity of a reservoir by filling it, but also changes downstream sediment dynamics and habitat availability for the aquatic biota. Additionally, dams hinder free bi-directional fish passage, emerging as a major threat to species of migratory fish. In the past decades, mitigation measures aimed at reducing such environmental and technological impacts have been developed. Sediment bypass tunnels (SBTs) have been shown to successfully help prevent reservoir sedimentation, whereas fish passages have been found to be potential solutions to facilitate bi-directional passage of fish. However, the construction of such structures, in particular of SBT, can be extremely costly. The development of design solutions that can function both for downstream sediment transport and up- and downstream fish passage should be considered as they can mitigate ecological deficiencies of reservoir operations while accounting for economic feasibility. Possibilities and challenges of combining SBT and fish passage were explored by bringing together a team of interdisciplinary specialists on hydraulics, sediment transport and continuity, bypassing, hydraulic structures, hydropower engineering, aquatic biology, and fish passage in a two-day workshop. Here, we present potential solutions identified during the workshop for integrating SBT and fish passage.

Differentiation of shots from hunting weapons with threaded barrels depending on the type of projectiles - forensic opinions.

The paper presents the basic principles of judicial review in cases of shooting people or animals on hunting with rifled long weapons, including deaths with a fatal outcome. Such opinions are issued on the basis of the collected evidence and the knowledge of an expert in the field of weapons and ammunition, ballistics as well as in the field of anatomopathological medicine. This type of comprehensive analysis allows for the issuance of a detailed and at the same time precise opinion as a special means of evidence, having the most important importance in the course of the entire trial. Therefore, it is extremely important to properly secure the evidence in the form of a bullet or its fragments and to confront these elements with the assessment of the gunshot wound, and above all the shape and size of the gunshot canal and the momentary gunshot cavity. These types of proceedings are quite complicated, as they require a broad spectrum of knowledge from an expert, therefore, in order to solve the complicated subject matter of the opinion, it is often necessary to issue an opinion even by several experts. Forensic opinions in cases related to gunshots, including fatal ones, require an expert to have interdisciplinary specialist knowledge. All analyzes in this regard should be based on ballistic expertise in the aspect of gunshot wound assessment. The combination of these two elements determines the issuance of an objective and unquestionable interpretation.

Телереабилитация пациентов, перенесших инсульт: современные тенденции в системе здравоохранения России

With age, the risk of stroke increases significantly, but at the same time, there are tendencies for an increase in its prevalence in young and middle-aged people, which determines the urgency of the problem of rehabilitation treatment after stroke both in the world and in Russia. The use of digital technologies in neurorehabilitation can be very multifaceted and extensive. Telerehabilitation as an innovative direction of telemedicine is an important aspect within the framework of the national project «Healthcare» and the program «Digital Economy of the Russian Federation». P u r p o s e of the study is to analysis of the Russian experience of organizing and conducting telerehabilitation of post-stroke period in the context of the digital transformation of the healthcare system in Russia. M a t e r i a l s a n d m e t h o d s . The article used technologies for searching and selecting information using search engines (www.google.ru, www.yandex.ru), specialized and bibliographic databases (PubMed, eLIBRARY.RU), methods of analysis and synthesis, analytical data processing. R e s u l t s . The study showed that telerehabilitation has a high clinical value of adherence to the treatment of patients of post-stroke period and is not a separate type of medical activity, but an innovative therapeutic and prophylactic method that expands the possibilities of therapy and improves the process of interaction in the «doctor-patient» and «doctor-doctor» communication systems. This technology of restorative telemedicine makes it possible to increase the level of scientific knowledge, skills and abilities of healthcare organizers and medical workers in order to strengthen the national healthcare system of Russia, as well as to rationally use the scientific and practical potential of digital solutions in interdisciplinary interaction of specialists dealing with medical neurorehabilitation, significantly expanding the coverage of the population telerehabilitation services after a stroke. F i n d i n g s . Despite the positive experience of some medical organizations in Russia in the use of telerehabilitation, this direction is still in its infancy and is likely to develop in the coming years for the rehabilitation of many stroke patients, which will help healthcare organizers, doctors and patients and other interdisciplinary specialists effectively and interact seamlessly in the digital health ecosystem in the context of the development of patient-centered medicine.

Light Design In Russian Universities: What and How to Teach?

Light design as a prominent and self-sufficient branch of design has appeared and developed abroad and is a rather new part of Russian design practice. Along with solving practical problems, it is time to think on the aspects of training of light design specialists in Russian design universities. Engineering and technical, and partially artistic aspects in light design education, have international nature to a great extent, but the new specialty has been acquiring its own distinctions in Russia, which are mainly related to aesthetical problems of the profession and specific understanding of the cultural and historical context. These national distinctions have first appeared in practice and theoretical studies and then they began being translated into the educational sphere, turning into authorial education programmes and techniques and predetermining selection of design problems and their implementation methods. Light design implies training of interdisciplinary specialists, which requires a comprehensive approach to development of the educational process including innovative-technological as well as humanitarian sections, forming an unconventional model of the educational process. The Environment Design sub-department of Moscow State Stroganov Academy of Design and Applied Arts, the oldest Russian art and industry school, has gained a rich experience in artistic design in the field of light design, which comprises all leading professional trends. The methods of conventional artistic design, computer modelling, and animation skills as well as the knowledge included in the new discipline “The Basics of Light Design” have allowed developing of term and graduation projects having consideration for specific practical requirements and aiming at their future implementation.

СУЧАСНИЙ ПІДХІД ДО ПРОЦЕСУ ОХОРОНИ МАТЕРІАЛЬНОЇ КУЛЬТУРНОЇ СПАДЩИНИ УКРАЇНИ В КОНТЕКСТІ ВИБРАНИХ ПРИКЛАДІВ ЄВРОПЕЙСЬКОГО ДОСВІДУ

Cultural property is the heritage that defines and constructs our identity. We share responsibility for its protection. The important thing is the approach to cultural property and its respective protection and restoration. This article tries to understand the mechanisms used to prepare facilities for restoration properly. Trends and examples of countries that have faced similar challenges in protecting the cultural heritage we face in Ukraine are discussed. The article describes a new holistic approach to researching and preserving cultural property called 'restoration design.' The role of the art restorer as an interdisciplinary specialist, who can be a link between representatives of different disciplines of science and art in restoration, has been determined. This new approach to protecting and preserving cultural property, which has existed for many years in Western Europe, was also applied and discussed in concrete examples of restoration projects in Western Ukraine. It has been determined that such a model certainly improves the overall approach to the preparatory process and the implementation of works related to the protection of material heritage. The increasing role of the art restorer is perfectly consistent with this pattern. The restorer ensures a holistic approach to the cultural heritage object concerning its historical and artistic values. Proven models from other countries can be the basis for further discussion of the future of restoration in Ukraine.

Органосохраняющие методы лечения пациенток с миомой матки и аномалией развития мочевой системы (клиническое наблюдение)

Congenital anomalies of the urogenital system constitute approximately 20 to 30% of all birth defects. Renal dystopia means a congenital abnormal location of one or both kidneys. The authors present a clinical case report, demonstrating the efficacy of uterine artery embolization as an alternative method of treatment for patients with uterine fibroids and renal dystopia. Uterine artery embolization is not only an organ- preserving treatment option for women who wish to retain the reproductive organ but also offers a clear visualization of the individual anatomical variations. Taking into consideration a strong patient’s wish to preserve the uterus and her individual vascular anomalies (absence of the left uterine and renal arteries), uterine artery embolization was an alternative treatment option which enabled to preserve both the uterus and the left kidney. The scheduled examination findings demonstrated a 1.87-fold reduction of the uterine volume and a 12.8-fold reduction of the fibroid size from baseline, and color doppler ultrasonography revealed that the uterine fibroid was avascular. For patients with diagnosed congenital anomalies of the urogenital system, the authors recommend using computer tomography and referrals to interdisciplinary specialists for choosing the appropriate uterine fibroid treatment options KEYWORDS: uterine fibroids, pelvic kidney dystopia, uterine artery embolization, organ-preserving treatment methods, congenital anomalies of the urogenital system, computer tomography. FOR CITATION: Antropova E.Yu., Sharafutdinov B.M., Mazitova M.I. et al. Organ-preserving approach to the treatment of patients with uterine fibroids and congenital anomaly of the urinary system (a clinical case). Russian Journal of Woman and Child Health. 2022;5(4):320–325 (in Russ.). DOI: 10.32364/2618-8430-2022-5-4-320-325.

Development of an interdisciplinary specialist facial pain management programme.

This article aims to describe the development of a specialist chronic facial pain (CFP) management programme within an already well-established pain management service, including the content from a multidisciplinary perspective, and present preliminary descriptive 6-month outcomes from patients who have attended the programme. Authors used their clinical experience of working with people who have a diagnosis of CFP. They researched available literature, liaised with CFP support organisations and visited an existing UK-based CFP programme. Programme content was designed based on findings. The roles of pain interdisciplinary team members involved in delivering the programme are described, as well as a brief description of the structure of the programme and programme sessions provided by each discipline. Clinical outcomes from programme participants were collected at assessment, end of treatment and 6 months post-treatment, which measured relevant outcomes for a pain management programme (PMP). Outcomes from 36 participants at both end of programme and 6 months following completion of programme demonstrate promising improvements. Qualitative data from patient satisfaction questionnaires completed at the end of programme suggest that providing a CFP-specific programme was beneficial for participants, with the main critique being that the programme sessions should be longer than 45 minutes. Attending a CFP-specific programme demonstrated positive 6-month changes in relevant outcome measures for people with CFP. With a small sample size, there is a need for further research into the effectiveness. It would also be beneficial to compare outcomes from the usual PMP treatment with people who have CFP, with outcomes from a CFP-specific programme.

Detection of Angioectasias and Haemorrhages Incorporated into a Multi-Class Classification Tool for the GI Tract Anomalies by Using Binary CNNs

The proposed deep learning algorithm will be integrated as a binary classifier under the umbrella of a multi-class classification tool to facilitate the automated detection of non-healthy deformities, anatomical landmarks, pathological findings, other anomalies and normal cases, by examining medical endoscopic images of GI tract. Each binary classifier is trained to detect one specific non-healthy condition. The algorithm analyzed in the present work expands the ability of detection of this tool by classifying GI tract image snapshots into two classes, depicting haemorrhage and non-haemorrhage state. The proposed algorithm is the result of the collaboration between interdisciplinary specialists on AI and Data Analysis, Computer Vision, Gastroenterologists of four University Gastroenterology Departments of Greek Medical Schools. The data used are 195 videos (177 from non-healthy cases and 18 from healthy cases) videos captured from the PillCam(R) Medronics device, originated from 195 patients, all diagnosed with different forms of angioectasia, haemorrhages and other diseases from different sites of the gastrointestinal (GI), mainly including difficult cases of diagnosis. Our AI algorithm is based on convolutional neural network (CNN) trained on annotated images at image level, using a semantic tag indicating whether the image contains angioectasia and haemorrhage traces or not. At least 22 CNN architectures were created and evaluated some of which pre-trained applying transfer learning on ImageNet data. All the CNN variations were introduced, trained to a prevalence dataset of 50%, and evaluated of unseen data. On test data, the best results were obtained from our CNN architectures which do not utilize backbone of transfer learning. Across a balanced dataset from no-healthy images and healthy images from 39 videos from different patients, identified correct diagnosis with sensitivity 90%, specificity 92%, precision 91.8%, FPR 8%, FNR 10%. Besides, we compared the performance of our best CNN algorithm versus our same goal algorithm based on HSV colorimetric lesions features extracted of pixel-level annotations, both algorithms trained and tested on the same data. It is evaluated that the CNN trained on image level annotated images, is 9% less sensitive, achieves 2.6% less precision, 1.2% less FPR, and 7% less FNR, than that based on HSV filters, extracted from on pixel-level annotated training data.

Социальные вызовы цифровой экономики: Россия в глобальном контексте

The subject of the research is the challenges of the digital economy for the employment sector in Russia. The need to reduce costs in the face of a deteriorating situation in the global economy is a factor in accelerating the digital transformation of employment in the country. The transformation is carried out through the automation of the main business processes, as well as through the development of platform employment formats. Specific features of the process of digital transformation of employment form the shape of the development of the Russian labor market in the post- Soviet period. Its main factor was the country’s entry into the global system of division of labor, which led to the formation of the modern structure of employment. The economy of Russia, recognized as raw material, turned out to be “commercial” in terms of employment, since it was this industry that created the bulk of jobs during that period. The commerce sector, which had high growth potential in the early 1990s in Russia, provided jobs for all those labor resources that were released from the industry. However, at the moment this source has been exhausted. Digitalization threatens the most labor-intensive sectors of the Russian economy. Commerce turns out to be the first industry to undergo automation and digitalization of jobs. At the same time, the most massive professions (accountants, bank employees, HR specialists, salesmen, cashiers, couriers, security guards, secretaries, packers, call center workers, drivers) are under the threat of “disappearance”, while new ones in demand by the market are more likely “unique” and they are mostly associated with robotization, digitalization and biotechnology. The unmet demand for these professions is a reflection of the complexities of training highly qualified interdisciplinary specialists and not a physical shortage of labor resources, and this is a serious challenge for the vocational education system. The study aims to gain a deeper understanding of the processes taking place in the social and labor sphere in Russia, to create a conceptual basis for the development of a socio-economic policy of the state that adequately responds to the challenges of the digitalization of the economy. Acknowledgements. The article was prepared within the project “Post-crisis world order: challenges and technologies, competition and cooperation” supported by the grant from Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation program for research projects in priority areas of scientific and technological development (Agreement № 075-15-2020-783).

Using Moodle as a Solution to Interdisciplinary E-collaboration Issues

Rapid technological development in recent years has contributed to numerous changes in many areas of life, including education and communication. Establishing interdisciplinary collaboration brings many benefits, it is, however, often associated with numerous problems and inconveniences, as well as the need for constant improvement, lifelong learning, professional development (CPD) and finding an effective way of information transfer. Living in a constant rush makes the logical order of information transfer become a key aspect, as more and more operations are being done chaotically, using multiple online tools. Although collaboration happens to be complicated even for colleagues specializing in different aspects of the same profession, establishing cooperation between specific groups of interdisciplinary specialists, such as engineers and physicians, has a significant impact on modern diagnostics and medical treatment development. Based on some selected case studies investigated at Gdańsk University of Technology andMedical University of Gdańsk, supported by an overview of available education and collaboration tools, a solution based on the Moodle LMS platform has been proposed, implemented, and analyzed.

Sexual and reproductive health in cystic fibrosis

With improving life expectancy and quality of life, sexual and reproductive health (SRH) has become an increasingly important aspect of patient-centered cystic fibrosis care. This review aims to describe advances in cystic fibrosis-related SRH and highlight optimal practices. Recent publications suggest that people with cystic fibrosis follow a similar trajectory of sexual development and activity as their noncystic fibrosis peers, although contraception use is lower. Although fertility is reduced in patients with cystic fibrosis, improved survival and assisted reproductive technologies have led to an increasing pursuit and incidence of pregnancy. Cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator modulators that correct the underlying cystic fibrosis defect might improve fertility and thus far appear safe in pregnancy, though data are limited.Despite medical knowledge of SRH in cystic fibrosis, patients continue to report they lack sufficient education about these aspects of their healthcare, and cystic fibrosis multidisciplinary teams are ill prepared to counsel their patients. Understanding of the effects of cystic fibrosis on SRH continues to improve, although many questions remain regarding optimal care from the choice of contraception to the safety of cystic fibrosis-specific medications in pregnancy. Further development of cystic fibrosis-informed interdisciplinary specialist networks and a wider framework of practice would both enhance health outcomes and better support patients.

Positive youth development as an improvement resource in odds-beating secondary schools

This multiple case study examines practices of educators in high schools called “odds-beaters”. These schools are exemplary in that they consistently achieve better-than-predicted graduation outcomes among economically disadvantaged, African-American/Black, Hispanic/Latino, and English language learners. Findings from this study revealed that these schools are characterized in part by educators’ priorities for an interdisciplinary specialization known as positive youth development (PYD). These priorities are expressed in how educators talk about young people; their use of PYD practices as a school improvement resource; and their strategies for facilitating students’ engagement, agency, and identity development. The PYD practices evidenced in these schools offer insights for others and serve as a source for those struggling to improve college and career readiness among their diverse students.