Laboratory Methods Research Articles

Sustainable Evaluation of E-Commerce Companies in Vietnam: A Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Framework Based on MCDM

This study aims to effectively support decision-makers in evaluating leading e-commerce companies in Vietnam from a sustainability perspective. In addition, this study evaluates and analyzes criteria that affect the performance of e-commerce companies in Vietnam to find the best practices for e-commerce implementation of managers. In this way, companies can save costs and increase marketing and promotion efficiency, helping to reach more customers. In doing so, an integrated framework based on MCDM is proposed for the first time in e-commerce industry assessment. In the first stage, the fuzzy decision making trial and evaluation Laboratory method is applied to determine the weights of 9 criteria based on collected data. This study lists prominent quantitative evaluation criteria, taking into account the sustainability aspect. In the second phase, ranking the top 12 e-commerce companies in Vietnam according to their performance based on these nine criteria was done by applying the neutrosophic fuzzy axiomatic design method. According to an analysis of the data, the external financial assistance coefficient (12.7%) is the most crucial factor determining how competitive international e-commerce businesses are. The results of this study can help underperforming companies make strategic decisions to improve their performance. Integrating these two techniques provides a new method for evaluating global trading companies that have hitherto remained unaddressed in the trading industry and, therefore, leave a gap that needs to be investigated.

Construction and application of economic resilience evaluation model for megacities.

Economic resilience provides a new perspective for megacities to achieve sustainable development when facing multiple shocks, and its accurate evaluation is an essential prerequisite for optimizing urban governance. There are currently no generally accepted methods for empirical evaluation or measuring economic resilience, and the present study aims to contribute to in both the research field and methodology. The present study sets dimensions and indicators based on economic resilience's theoretical and empirical research and used Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) and Interactive Structural Modeling (ISM) methods to exclude the effect indicators and divide the indicator hierarchy, respectively. Subsequently, the present study conducts model validation using Chinese megacities as a case study. The game theory weighting method, which combines the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Entropy methods, is used to calculate indicator weights, and the VIKOR (VIseKriterijumska Optimizacija i KOmpromisno Resenje) method is used to evaluate and compare economic resilience of megacities. The research findings indicate that the evaluation model constructed in the present study included 15 indicators (after excluding three effect indicators) divided into four levels. After merging the levels, they correspond to three dimensions: resistance, recoverability, and adaptability. In addition, using Chinese megacities as a case study, the evaluation results found that Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen have high economic resilience, Tianjin and Guangzhou have moderate economic resilience, Chengdu has low economic resilience, and Chongqing has the lowest economic resilience. This result is consistent with previous studies and verifies the model's effectiveness. The present study also found that megacities with lower levels of economic resilience exhibit a more significant upward trend, as well as the highest and higher proportion of economic resilience in Chinese megacities depending on time passes, indicating that megacities' economic resilience is weakening. The evaluation result obtained in the present study is more specific, precise, and focused on depicting the distribution differences and development trends of economic resilience at the urban level.

Tourists’ willingness to adopt government-led smart tourism platforms: A mixed-methods study

The diversity of demands in the mass tourism market together with the complexity of innovative technologies makes promoting smart tourism a challenge. In recent years, government-led smart tourism platforms have become a representative product of smart tourism in China, but tourists do not seem ready to embrace innovative products. The current research adopted a mixed-methods approach by employing a decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory method followed by a survey-based study to explore key factors driving Chinese tourists’ adoption of government-led smart tourism platforms. The results revealed that the elements influencing tourists’ willingness to adopt are complex and include tourists’ innovativeness, performance expectancy, perceived cost, perceived risk, and perceived playfulness. Among them, tourists’ innovativeness showed a positive impact on tourists’ willingness to adopt through the mediation effects of performance expectancy. Meanwhile, the positive effect of performance expectancy on their willingness to adopt can be mediated by perceived playfulness. The findings enhance our understanding of which factors impact tourists’ adoption theoretically thereby practically helping the government provide better tourism service experiences in both online and offline contexts.

Paraproteinemic neuropathies

Paraproteinemic polyneuropathies (PPN) occur generally infrequently and arise from diseases, associated with formation and accumulation of a pathological protein, commonly known as paraprotein, which is typically an immunoglobulin or its free light chain. Such diseases include the following: monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance, multiple myeloma, Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia, AL amyloidosis, POEMS syndrome, etc. Diagnosis of PPN is challenging due to nonspecific, indistinct or atypical clinical manifestation, and it is necessary to apply specialized laboratory methods, including immunochemical analysis of blood and urine. Moreover, medications can cause symptoms of polyneuropathy themselves. Thus, it is important to suspect the first symptoms of the disease in time, determine the mechanism of damage to nerve fibers, carry out differential diagnosis and initiate therapy targeting the suppression of pathological protein synthesis.

#996 Validation of peritoneal NGAL as a biomarker for peritonitis: a comparison between laboratory-base method and rapid stick test

Abstract Background and Aims Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) is a protein involved in iron homeostasis, inflammation, and fibrosis. Initially discovered in human granulocytes, NGAL is found in various tissues. In renal contexts, NGAL's small size (23-25 kDa) and positive charge aid glomerular filtration and absorption in the proximal tubule. Notably, elevated NGAL levels were identified in peritoneal fluids during peritonitis in 2009, establishing it as a biomarker for early Peritoneal Dialysis (PD)-associated peritonitis diagnosis for values more than 100 μg/L. While our medical centre currently relies on the lab-based NGAL assay (NGALlab), advancements introduce the NGAL dipstick test (NGALds), offering a rapid and semi-quantitative colorimetric assessment. This study compares NGALds with NGALlab in clinical practice, assessing NGALds's potential for early peritonitis detection in PD patients' peritoneal fluid. Method This study involves a validation of diagnostic accuracy conducted through a retrospective analysis of parallel samples obtained from peritoneal effluents. Samples were collected from both healthy patients during routine analysis and from cases with suspected or confirmed peritonitis. Both NGALlab and NGALds analyses were conducted on each sample. The analysis aimed to evaluate the performance of the new NGALds by comparing it with the established NGALlab. Peritoneal NGALlab quantification employed the standard BioPorto test (BioPorto Diagnostics, Hellerup, Denmark), utilizing a particle-enhanced turbidimetric immunoassay. The novel NGALds is a rapid semi-quantitative assay that measures NGAL levels in biological fluids through colourimetric test strips, utilizing an antibody sandwich lateral flow dipstick test. NGAL values were categorized into colour-coded levels: 25 μg/L, 50 μg/L, 100 μg/L, 150 μg/L, 300 μg/L, and 600 μg/L. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS Statistics 26.0 software. Spearman rank correlation coefficients (Rs) assessed categorical groups of NGAL values for peritoneal NGALds and NGALlab tests. A graphic comparison of these two tests was presented through a Bland-Altman plot Results Out of 301 peritoneal effluent samples, 156 were diagnosed with suspected peritonitis by ISPD Criteria. As Table 1 showed, NGALds showed a strong correlation with NGALlab categories (Rs = 0.876, P = 10−96), successfully diagnosing 96% (150 out of 156) peritonitis cases. Discrepancies between NGALlab and NGALds, visualized in the Bland-Altman plot (Fig. 1), were most notable when NGAL values exceeded the 600 μg/L threshold. However, this difference doesn't impact clinical significance, as high NGAL values remain diagnostically for peritonitis with both methods. Conclusion In conclusion, our study underscores a significant correlation between NGAL values measured by the laboratory method (NGALlab) and the NGAL dipstick test (NGALds). Importantly, NGALds exhibited a strong capability, correctly identifying 96% of peritonitis cases determined by NGALlab. Beyond statistical correlation, the NGAL dipstick emerges as a valid alternative for swift evaluation in patients presenting symptoms suggestive of peritonitis. Its ease of use, rapidity, and semi-quantitative colorimetric assessment make NGALds a patient-friendly tool. This user-friendly characteristic holds immense potential for streamlined clinical workflows, allowing for prompt and efficient peritonitis diagnosis.

Application of the DEMATEL method for quantitative analysis of risk factors for railway investments in Poland.

The paper presents the results of research on the influence of risk factors on the implementation of railway investments in Poland (build stage) and deals with a detailed diagnosis of relation between factors. The application of DEcision MAking Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) method for the analyses allowed to develop a cause-and-effect model of key factors and analyse the importance of the factors. Eleven factors identified in eariel studies as the most important risk factors were examined. It was found that the factors: errors in the preparation of tender documents (10.38%), errors in project documentation (10.02%), improperly estimated time of completion of the investment by the Employer (9.82%), internal regulations of PKP Polskie Koleje Państwowe S.A. (Polish State Railways) not coordinated with the provisions of contracts (9.51%) have the highest degree of importance. Factors: too many external institutions involved in the investment process and internal regulations of PKP Polskie Koleje Państwowe S.A. (Polish State Railways) not coordinated with the provisions of contracts, have the greatest net impact on the other factors. The relations between the factors and factors importance are valuable knowledge for engineers, enabling the project to be implemented according to the planned schedule and investment cost.

#2169 Transplant renal artery stenosis in recipients with resistant arterial hypertension

Abstract Background and Aims Transplant Renal Artery Stenosis (TRAS) is a vascular complication after kidney transplantation. It worsens the prognosis of the graft and the patient's life. The aim was to study the incidence of TRAS as a cause of resistant arterial hypertension in kidney transplant recipients in the Republic of Belarus and the efficiency of its endovascular treatment. Method The study included 187 kidney transplant recipients. Blood pressure of 72 (38.5%) patients was less than 130/80 mmHg without taking antihypertensive drugs. Arterial hypertension was diagnosed in 115 (61.5%) recipients. The study included clinical, laboratory and instrumental methods (24-hour blood pressure monitoring, Doppler ultrasound, graft scintigraphy with captopril). Results 31 (16.6%) recipients needed to take one antihypertensive drug, 43 (23.0%)—2 drugs, 41 (21.9%)—3 or more. 17 (9.1%) recipients did not have target blood pressure correction while taking more than 4 antihypertensive drugs. There was decreased blood flow in the graft artery with a peak systolic velocity > 200 cm/s in 14 (7.5%) cases. These patients were submitted to the graft nephroscintigraphy with caplopril where 8 grafts (4.3%) were diagnosed signs of TRAS. These recipients were submitted to the renal angiography with the injection of 150 (100; 200) ml of contrast agent. 5 (2.7%) recipients were diagnosed with hemodynamically significant TRAS of more than 70 (65; 75) % and received percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and stenting. All these patients had a decrease of glomerular filtration rate and resistant arterial hypertension before operation. The average age of the patients with TRAS was 57.4 ± 11.0 years, the period after transplantation was 11 ± 3 months. Their blood tests did not show dyslipidemia, but 4 out of 5 cases had diabetes mellitus. Their postoperative period had no complications. The patient was placed on dual antiplatelet therapy with aspirin and clopidogrel. There was an increase in glomerular filtration rate by 27 ± 7 ml/min/1.73 m2 and a decrease in systolic blood pressure by 40 (40; 45) mm Hg in the early postoperative period. Graft artery stenting allowed reducing the number of antihypertensive drugs to one tablet in 4 out of 5 patients. Conclusion Transplant Renal Artery Stenosis is a rare but significant complication of the late postoperative period that may cause resistant hypertension in kidney transplant recipients. Timely identification and stenting of the graft artery improves the graft functioning and reduces blood pressure.

#860 The role of immunocorrection in the treatment of patients chronic pyelonephritis

Abstract Background and Aims Chronic pyelonephritis in the structure of extragenital pathology in pregnant women occupies a leading place due to the high prevalence, complicated course of pregnancy and childbirth. Chronic pyelonephritis (CP) triggers a cascade of reactions, primarily immune, at the systemic and local levels. With HP the role of the immune system in pregnant women is not only a pathological process occurring in the kidneys, but also takes into account a number of changes in the restructuring of the immune system of a pregnant woman. In relation with the above, the study of the role of the immune system of pregnant women with chronic pyelonephritis is of great interest. To study the effectiveness of immunocorrective therapy in the complex treatment of patients with chronic pyelonephritis. Method 43 pregnant women with CP were examined, the average age was 28.3 ± 0.2 years. The study included clinical research methods (survey, questionnaire, objective examination). Of the laboratory methods a general analysis of blood, urine, urine analysis according to Nechiporenko, tank. urine culture, biochemical blood tests and instrumental (ultrasound) research methods. Cellular immunity was studied by monoclonal antibodies, humoral immunity was studied by Mancini immunodiffusion. Among the surveyed women, the first group of upp was pregnant women (n = 14) receiving traditional therapy. The second group of 13 pregnant women with CP on the background of traditional therapy received ozone therapy (basic treatment + 400 ml of saline solution ozonated to a concentration of ozone in a liquid of 4 mg/l, intravenously, drip). The third group of 15 pregnant women with CP - with traditional therapy received ozone therapy and immune-regulating therapy with polyoxidonium. Results The characterization of clinical and laboratory data on the background of therapy showed significant shifts, as lower back pain decreased by 85.71%, 92.31% and 93.33%, respectively, in both the first and second and third groups. Indicators such as dysuria decreased by 92.85%, 92% and 93% (respectively in the first, second and third groups). Leukocyturia decreased significantly on the fifth day by 71.43%, 84.62%, 86.67% (in the first, second and third groups, respectively). Results indicators of eradication of pathogens after treatment in combination with traditional therapy with ozone and immune-correcting therapy, they were significantly better than in the ozone therapy group against the background of traditional therapy and in the traditional treatment group (86.6%, 84.6% and 64.28%, respectively). As a result of the study, significant decreases in cellular immunity indicators, in particular CD3, CD4, were revealed before the treatment of patients and CD8 and revealed a significant increase in IgA, IgM. After the treatment in the treatment group in combination significant increases in the number of CD3, CD4 and CD8 were revealed by traditional therapy with ozone- and immune-regulating therapy (by 76.1%, 64.68% and 58.3%, respectively), compared with the group of women who received only ozone therapy against the background of traditional therapy and in the group of traditional treatment (66.23%, 59.54%, 54.2% and 61.12%, 54.68%, 51.4%, respectively), and normalization of immunoglobulins A was noted and M. Conclusion Along with the improvement of clinical and laboratory data in CP normalization of cellular and humoral immunity indicators was noted in pregnant women. Additional assignment to traditional therapy for chronic pyelonephritis of pregnant women, ozone therapy and therapy for correction of the immune system is a more effective treatment method.

#758 NGAL dipstick for peritonitis: bridging the gap between rapid assessment and clinical efficiency in peritoneal dialysis

Abstract Background and Aims Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) is a versatile protein known for its multifunctional roles, extending beyond its conventional use as a biomarker. It actively participates in crucial biological processes such as inflammation, proliferation, and migration. This study seeks to evaluate NGALds, a recently developed dipstick test, in comparison to the established laboratory method (NGALlab) for the early detection of peritonitis related to peritoneal dialysis (PD). The focus of the investigation lies in analyzing peritoneal fluid to develop a rapid and effective diagnostic tool, aiming to enhance the management of peritonitis. Method A retrospective analysis was undertaken to validate diagnostic accuracy, utilizing parallel samples obtained from peritoneal effluents. Samples were obtained from both PD stable patients undergoing routine analysis and from PD patients with suspected or confirmed peritonitis. The assessment of NGALds involved a direct comparison with the established NGALlab. Peritoneal NGALlab quantification was conducted using the BioPorto test, employing a particle-enhanced turbidimetric immunoassay. The NGALds, a rapid semi-quantitative assay, utilized colorimetric test strips and an antibody sandwich lateral flow dipstick test. The greatest value of NGAL detected by dipstick is 600 μg/L. Statistical analyses, including Spearman rank correlation coefficients (Rs), were performed with SPSS Statistics 26.0 software. Additionally, ROC analysis was carried out using white cell count and percentage of Neutrophils in peritoneal fluids as the gold standard. Results Among the 301 peritoneal effluent samples analyzed, 156 were diagnosed with suspected peritonitis using NGALlab and ISPD criteria. Each sample underwent analyses with both NGALlab and NGALds. As depicted in Fig. 1, NGALds exhibited a robust correlation with NGALlab categories (Rs = 0.876, P < 0.001), accurately identifying 96% (150 out of 156) of peritonitis cases. Discrepancies between NGALlab and NGALds were most evident when NGAL values exceeded the 600 μg/L threshold. Nevertheless, these variations did not impact clinical significance, as both methods consistently diagnosed elevated NGAL values indicative of peritonitis. After ROC analysis, which yielded an AUC of 0.82 (p < 0.001) (Fig. 2), the Youden Index was employed to identify a threshold value of 100 μg/L for the diagnosis of suspected peritonitis. Importantly, the application of this threshold to NGALds demonstrated a positive predictive value of 0.64 and a negative predictive value of 0.87. Conclusion In conclusion, our study reinforces the significant correlation between NGAL values obtained through the laboratory standard (NGALlab) and the novel NGAL dipstick test (NGALds). Notably, NGALds exhibited high efficacy, accurately identifying 96% of peritonitis cases diagnosed by NGALlab. This robust performance positions the NGAL dipstick as a valuable and accessible alternative for rapid assessment in patients exhibiting symptoms indicative of peritonitis. The user-friendly attributes of NGALds not only make it a practical diagnostic tool but also a patient-centric one. Furthermore, the high negative predictive value provides confidence in considering NGALds as a frontline diagnostic tool for suspected peritonitis. The ease of use and prompt results open a promising avenue for improving clinical workflows, offering an opportunity for expedited and efficient peritonitis diagnosis. For instance, NGALds could find utility in centres where NGAL is unavailable in the laboratory or at the patient's home.

Diagnostics and Treatment of Peptic Ulcer in Adults (Clinical Guidelines of the Russian Gastroenterological Association, the Russian Society of Colorectal Surgeons, the Russian Endoscopic Society and the Scientific Society for the Clinical Study of Human Microbiome)

Aim. The guidelines set out the modern methods of diagnostics and treatment of peptic ulcer and are created for gastroenterologists, primary care physicians, general practitioners, surgeons, endoscopists.Key points. The clinical guidelines contain modern views on the etiology and pathogenesis of peptic ulcer, its clinical features, methods of laboratory and instrumental diagnostics, the main approaches to conservative and surgical treatment. They include the criteria for assessment of the quality of medical care, the algorithm of the doctor's actions, as well as information for the patient.Conclusion. Knowledge of modern methods of diagnostics and therapy of peptic ulcers will contribute to improving the results of its treatment.

An MCDM analysis of critical success criteria for medium and large construction projects in Australia and New Zealand

PurposeThe global construction industry has a history of poor project success, with evident and frequent overruns in cost and schedule. This industry is a highly interconnected and complex system in which the components, i.e. suppliers, contractors, end-users, and stakeholders, are delicately linked to each other, the community, and the environment. Therefore, defining and measuring project success can be challenging for sponsors, contractors, and the public. To address this issue, this study develops and analyzes a more comprehensive set of success criteria for medium and large construction projects.Design/methodology/approachAfter reviewing the existing literature, this study identified 19 success criteria for medium and large construction projects, which were categorized into five groups. The fuzzy decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (fuzzy DEMATEL) method was used to gain further insight into the interrelationships between these categories and explain the cause-and-effect relationships among them. Next, this study applied the modified logarithmic least squares method to determine the importance weight of these criteria using the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process.Findings28 project managers working in the construction industries in Australia and New Zealand participated in this study. Results suggest that “project efficiency” and “impacts on the project team” are cause criteria that affect “business success,” “impacts on stakeholders,” and “impacts on end-users.” Effective risk management emerged as the most crucial criterion in project efficiency, while customer satisfaction and return on investment are top criteria in “impacts on end-users” and “business success.”Originality/valueAlthough numerous studies have been conducted on project success criteria, multicriteria analyses of success criteria are rare. This paper presents a comprehensive set of success criteria tailored to medium and large construction projects. The aim is to analyze their interrelationships and prioritize them thoroughly, which will aid practitioners in focusing on the most important criteria for achieving higher success rates.

Andrology laboratory technique for analysis of semen in men with azoospermia.

Discovery of spermatozoa during the 17th century led to developing technologies for semen analysis in the early 1900s, and then, standard techniques were implemented during the 20th century. Semen analysis has a pivotal role in the male infertility evaluation, and azoospermia is an important finding. Azoospermia is identified in 15% of infertile men. However, the accurate laboratory assessment of azoospermia poses certain technical challenges. Laboratories currently perform semen assessment with great variability; thus, a standard method should be used. Planning suitable management and determining the cause of infertility require a precise evaluation of azoospermia. This review aims to address the definition of azoospermia and highlight laboratory methods in the assessments of azoospermia. Basic methods such as centrifugation, repeat pellet analysis, and staining and advanced methods such as genetic testing and biomarkers have been discussed. These methods have helped in standardizing the protocol for accurate azoospermia assessments with less variability.

Two-Method Indoor Laboratory Instruction: How Effective Is It on Secondary School Students’ Performance in Physics?

This study probed the effectiveness of two-method indoor laboratory instruction on secondary school students’ performance in physics in Jos Metropolis, Nigeria. The quasi-experimental research design of the non-equivalent control group pre-test, post-test type was employed. The population for the study comprised 1,112 senior secondary two students offering physics in 18 schools in Jos metropolis, with the schools purposively obtained. The study sample consisted of 80 SSS II students obtained from two intact classes, one class each from two schools selected using simple random sampling technique. Two research questions were raised and two hypotheses were formulated. Physics Performance Test (PPT) was the instrument validated and used to gather data. The test-retest method was used to obtain the reliability of PPT and its coefficient was computed as 0.73 using Kuder-Richardson formula 21 (K-R 21). Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions while independent t-test of difference and Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) were the statistical tools used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 levels of significance. The results revealed that students taught concepts of simple harmonic motion and elasticity using group indoor laboratory method performed better than their counterparts taught using individual indoor laboratory method; although male students performed slightly higher than their female counterparts after exposure to the two methods, gender was found to have no interaction effect on their performance; there was a significant interaction effect of treatments and gender on students’ performance in the study area, with the methods as source of interaction effect. Based on the findings, recommendations were made, which include that curriculum developers should ensure that laboratory teaching methods are included in physics curriculum in order to enhance students’ performance in the subject.

Electric Vehicle Supply Chain Risk Assessment Based on Combined Weights and an Improved Matter-Element Extension Model: The Chinese Case

In order to meet energy and environmental challenges, many countries will implement the replacement of fuel vehicles for the future clean energy transition; so, the number of electric vehicles (EVs) operating in cities will grow significantly. It is crucial to assess the risks of the electric vehicle supply chain (EVSC) and prevent them. Based on this, this paper proposes an EVSC risk research framework with combined weights and an improved matter-element extension model: (i) Firstly, the EVSC evaluation index system is constructed from the six stages of supply chain planning, sales, procurement, manufacturing, distribution, after-sales, and external risks. (ii) The subjective and objective weights are calculated by the decision laboratory method and entropy weight method, respectively, and then the minimum deviation method is used for a combined design to overcome the defects of a single method. (iii) An improved matter-element extension model (MEEM) is constructed by introducing asymmetric proximity degree and risk bias. (iv) The model is applied to a case study and its feasibility and superiority are verified through sensitivity analysis and comparative analysis. The final results show that the method and framework proposed in this paper are in line with EVSC risk assessment standards and superior to other models, which can help EVSC managers to identify potential risks, formulate appropriate risk prevention measures, promote the stable development of electric vehicles, and provide a reference for the development of energy and environment.

Using attentional guidance methods in virtual reality laboratories reduces students’ cognitive load and improves their academic performance

Learning in virtual reality laboratories (VR labs) has become an important method in experimental teaching but can increase individuals’ cognitive load compared with traditional laboratories. This study analysed the effect of introducing an attentional guidance mechanism into a VR lab on students’ cognitive load and academic performance. We designed and developed two VR labs, one with and one without this attentional guidance stimulus (a 3D yellow arrow). A quasi-experimental design was adopted, and the data obtained were analysed using one-way ANOVA and linear regression. The experiment was conducted with 80 students majoring in digital media art at two universities. The results indicated that the students in the VR lab with the attentional guidance mechanism included exhibited lower cognitive load and higher academic performance than the control group. The regression analyses revealed that cognitive load negatively predicted learning outcomes; that is, academic performance improved as cognitive load decreased. In conclusion, as VR labs are increasingly used in education, supplementing them with attentional guidance stimuli can improve students’ academic performance by reducing their cognitive load.

Identification of Mycobacterium abscessus using the peaks of ribosomal protein L29, L30 and hemophore-related protein by MALDI-MS proteotyping

Mycobacteroides (Mycobacterium) abscessus, which causes a variety of infectious diseases in humans, is becoming detected more frequently in clinical specimens as cases are spreading worldwide. Taxonomically, M. abscessus is composed of three subspecies of M. abscessus subsp. abscessus, M. abscessus subsp. bolletii, and M. abscessus subsp. massiliense, with different susceptibilities to macrolides. In order to identify rapidly these three subspecies, we determined useful biomarker proteins, including ribosomal protein L29, L30, and hemophore-related protein, for distinguishing the subspecies of M. abscessus using the matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) profiles. Thirty-three clinical strains of M. abscessus were correctly identified at the subspecies-level by the three biomarker protein peaks. This study ultimately demonstrates the potential of routine MALDI-MS-based laboratory methods for early identification and treatment for M. abscessus infections.

Review of Laboratory Testing and Biomarker Screening for Preeclampsia

The purpose of this review is to elucidate the different laboratory and biomarker testing methods available for screening and diagnosis of preeclampsia. These include routine testing, such as blood pressure readings, qualitative and quantitative urine testing, complete blood count with platelets, serum creatinine levels, liver chemistries, and serum bilirubin levels. This review also details the use of non-routine testing, such as screening for angiogenic and anti-angiogenic markers, such as placental growth factor (PlGF) and soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1). Blood pressure measurements and proteinuria are the most routinely used screening tools used for preeclampsia and there are limited data on the utility of other screening techniques because of a greater focus on the etiology and treatment of preeclampsia. Similarly, serum angiogenic biomarkers are not routinely collected, so there is limited evidence regarding using them as screening tools for preeclampsia and more data are needed to determine their significance in the screening and diagnosis of preeclampsia.

TransFOL: A Logical Query Model for Complex Relational Reasoning in Drug-Drug Interaction.

Predicting drug-drug interaction (DDI) plays a crucial role in drug recommendation and discovery. However, wet lab methods are prohibitively expensive and time-consuming due to drug interactions. In recent years, deep learning methods have gained widespread use in drug reasoning. Although these methods have demonstrated effectiveness, they can only predict the interaction between a drug pair and do not contain any other information. However, DDI is greatly affected by various other biomedical factors (such as the dose of the drug). As a result, it is challenging to apply them to more complex and meaningful reasoning tasks. Therefore, this study regards DDI as a link prediction problem on knowledge graphs and proposes a DDI prediction model based on Cross-Transformer and Graph Convolutional Networks (GCN) in first-order logical query form, TransFOL. In the model, a biomedical query graph is first built to learn the embedding representation. Subsequently, an enhancement module is designed to aggregate the semantics of entities and relations. Cross-Transformer is used for encoding to obtain semantic information between nodes, and GCN is used to gather neighbour information further and predict inference results. To evaluate the performance of TransFOL on common DDI tasks, we conduct experiments on two benchmark datasets. The experimental results indicate that our model outperforms state-of-the-art methods on traditional DDI tasks. Additionally, we introduce different biomedical information in the other two experiments to make the settings more realistic. Experimental results verify the strong drug reasoning ability and generalization of TransFOL in complex settings. Data and code are available at https://github.com/Cheng0829/TransFOL.

Analysing hindrances to digital disruption with a focus on cleaner cloud manufacturing

PurposeThis study aims to identify and analyse critical barriers to cloud manufacturing (CM) adoption for achieving sustainability amongst manufacturing micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in an emerging economy.Design/methodology/approachInitially, through a literature survey and expert inputs, this study identified and finalized 21 critical barriers to CM adoption, which were further analysed by employing a hybrid multiple criteria decision-making (MCDM) approach. In this approach, the best–worst method (BWM) was used to rank the identified barriers. However, to analyse the interrelation amongst these barriers and classify them into the cause-effect group, the decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) method was employed. Furthermore, the study recommended various strategies that can help overcome high-priority barriers and enhance CM adoption within firms.FindingsThe results of the study show that organizational, legal and economic barriers are the high-priority barriers that need to be addressed to enhance CM adoption.Practical implicationsThe findings of the study will help managers and decision-makers in manufacturing MSMEs develop effective strategies and policies to enhance CM adoption.Originality/valueNotably, this investigation is one of the preliminary research activities to explore the sustainability aspect of CM adoption amongst MSMEs in an emerging economy.

The influence of undetected hemolysis on POCT potassium results in the emergency department.

This study aimed to evaluate discrepancies in potassium measurements between point-of-care testing (POCT) and central laboratory (CL) methods, focusing on the impact of hemolysis on these measurements and its impact in the clinical practice in the emergency department (ED). A retrospective analysis was conducted using data from three European university hospitals: Technische Universitat Munchen (Germany), Hospital Universitario La Paz (Spain), and Erasmus University Medical Center (The Netherlands). The study compared POCT potassium measurements in EDs with CL measurements. Data normalization was performed in categories for potassium levels (kalemia) and hemolysis. The severity of discrepancies between POCT and CL potassium measurements was assessed using the reference change value (RCV). The study identified significant discrepancies in potassium between POCT and CL methods. In comparing POCT normo- and mild hypokalemia against CL results, differences of-4.20 % and +4.88 % were noted respectively. The largest variance in the CL was a +4.14 % difference in the mild hyperkalemia category. Additionally, the RCV was calculated to quantify the severity of discrepancies between paired potassium measurements from POCT and CL methods. The overall hemolysis characteristics, as defined by the hemolysis gradient, showed considerable variation between the testing sites, significantly affecting the reliability of potassium measurements in POCT. The study highlighted the challenges in achieving consistent potassium measurement results between POCT and CL methods, particularly in the presence of hemolysis. It emphasised the need for integrated hemolysis detection systems in future blood gas analysis devices to minimise discrepancies and ensure accurate POCT results.