Qualitative Assessment Methods Research Articles

Utilizing rapid qualitative assessment and thematic analysis methods to identify and share promising case investigation and contact tracing practices with people in refugee, immigrant, and migrant communities during COVID-19.

In the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic The National Resource Center for Refugees, Immigrants and Migrants (NRC-RIM) was established. NRC-RIM initially sought to rapidly identify promising case investigation and contact tracing (CICT) practices within refugee, immigrant, and migrant communities. Between September 2020 and April 2021, the team conducted 60 interviews with individuals from cross-sector organizations (i.e., public health, health systems, community experts/organizations) working with refugee, immigrant and migrant communities in health and public health capacities related to COVID-19. The overarching aim was to identify and amplify innovative promising and best practices for CICT with refugee, immigrant, and migrant communities, including an exploration of barriers and facilitators. We utilized layered methods to rapidly assess, summarize and disseminate promising practices while simultaneously completing four thematic analyses including: (1) public health organizations; (2) health system organizations; (3) community leaders and organizations; and (4) vaccine planning and access across the three sectors. The primary objective of this article is to describe the project design, applied methods, and team science approach we utilized. We found that rapid identification and dissemination of promising practices, and barriers and facilitators for CICT with refugee, immigrant and migrant communities was feasible during a public health emergency. This approach was essential for identifying and widely sharing culturally and linguistically concordant public health practices.

Deep Learning-based Thigh Muscle Investigation Using MRI For Prosthetic Development for Patients Undergoing Total Knee Replacement (TKR).

A prosthetic device is designed based on the quantitative analysis of muscle MRI which will improve the muscle control achieved with functional electrical stimulation/ guided robotic exoskeletons. Electromyography (EMG) provides muscle functionality information while MRI provides the physiological and functionality of muscles. The sensor feedbacks were used for the bionic prosthesis, but the length of muscle using image processing was not correlated. To investigate and perform qualitative and quantitative assessment of thigh muscle using MRI. The objective of the work is to improve the existing VAG signal classification method to diagnose abnormality using MRI for patients undergoing Total knee replacement (TKR). A deep learning method for qualitative and quantitative assessment of thigh muscle is done using MRI. In existing prosthetic devices, electrical measurements of a person's muscles are obtained using surface or implantable electrodes. Several methods were used for the classification and diagnostic processes. The existing methods have drawbacks in feature extraction and require experts to design the system. This work combines medical image processing and orthopaedic prosthetics to develop a therapeutic method. This design provides much more precise control of prosthetic limbs using the image processing technique. The hybrid CNN swarm-based method measures the muscle structure and functions. Along with the sensor readings, these details are combined for prosthetic control. The implementation was carried out in MATLAB, Sketchuppro, and Arduino IDE. A combined swarm intelligence and deep learning method were proposed for qualitative and quantitative assessment of thigh muscle. The prosthetic device choice was done from the scanned MRI image like Humerus-T prosthetics, segmental prosthesis and arthrodesis prosthesis. The investigation was done for the Total knee replacement (TKR) approach.

Quality Text Book Assessment System

The Quality Textbook Assessment System (QTAS) is a sophisticated methodology aimed at rigorously evaluating the quality and appropriateness of textbooks utilized within educational contexts. With the proliferation of educational materials and the pivotal role textbooks play in shaping students' learning experiences, there arises a critical need for a systematic approach to assess their efficacy and alignment with educational standards. QTAS addresses this need by providing educators, curriculum developers, and policymakers with a structured framework for textbook evaluation. The primary objectives of QTAS are multifaceted. Firstly, it seeks to ensure the accuracy and reliability of information presented in textbooks across various subjects and grade levels. Through meticulous fact- checking and content validation processes, QTAS identifies and rectifies inaccuracies, misconceptions, and biases that may compromise the integrity of educational materials. Additionally, QTAS evaluates the clarity and coherence of textbook content, assessing its ability to facilitate comprehension and knowledge retention among students. Moreover, QTAS places a strong emphasis on the alignment of textbooks with established educational standards and learning objectives. By scrutinizing the curriculum relevance and instructional coherence of textbooks, QTAS helps educators select materials that seamlessly integrate with existing teaching practices and educational frameworks. Furthermore, QTAS evaluates the inclusivity and diversity of textbook content, ensuring representation and recognition of diverse perspectives, cultures, and identities. Incorporating both qualitative and quantitative assessment methods, QTAS employs a combination of expert reviews, stakeholder feedback, and statistical analyses to evaluate textbooks comprehensively. This holistic approach enables QTAS to generate nuanced insights into the strengths and weaknesses of educational materials, guiding informed decision-making regarding textbook adoption, adaptation, or supplementation..

Prediction of Cerebral Palsy and Other Motor Developmental Trajectories in High-Risk Neonate Using the Rapid Neurodevelopmental Assessment (RNDA) and Prechtl’s Method of Qualitative Assessment of General Movement (GMsA)

Background: The integration of the RNDA and Prechtl's Method offers a promising approach to identify high-risk neonates and predict their motor developmental trajectories. This early identification can guide clinicians in providing timely interventions, improving the long-term outcomes and quality of life for infants affected by CP and other motor disorders. Objective: The study investigates the predictive potential of the Rapid Neurodevelopmental Assessment (RNDA) and Prechtl’s Method of Qualitative Assessment of General Movement (GMsA) in high-risk neonates. Method: This longitudinal cohort study at Dhaka Shishu Hospital (January 2016-December 2017) enrolled 16 high-risk neonates. GMsA and RNDA were conducted from birth to 20 weeks post-term age. Muscle tone, primitive reflexes, gross and fine motor skills were evaluated. Impending CP diagnosis was at 1 year. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 23.0. Results: The study investigates the association between various developmental markers and the risk of cerebral palsy (CP) in infants. Results reveal a higher prevalence of muscle tone impairment in impending CP cases across preterm, term, and post term ages. Sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values for CP prediction based on muscle tone are presented, showing significant associations. Primitive reflexes also demonstrate higher impairment rates in impending CP cases across different age points, with corresponding sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values. Gross motor and fine motor impairments exhibit significant associations with impending CP, along with predictive values. The distribution of categorical scores for GMsA and RNDA across various age points emphasizes the prevalence of impairments in impending CP cases. Findings indicate a strong association between GMsA scores and CP risk, with significant predictive capabilities across different visits. Overall, the study highlights the utility of these developmental markers in predicting CP ....

Sustainable Urban Design Model for Residential Neighborhoods Utilizing Sustainability Assessment-Based Approach

The sustainable urban design of residential neighborhoods plays an important role in the efforts to achieve the sustainable development goals and alleviate the effects of climate change. This paper aims to develop a model for the sustainable urban design of residential neighborhoods, taking into account the local condition in Palestinian territories. This model is built on various international neighborhood sustainability assessment (NSA) tools, based on the review of existing assessment tools, to study the sustainability status of Palestinian neighborhoods, and to develop a sustainable indicator model for local sustainable neighborhood assessment. Computer tools like Urbano and GIS tools as well as qualitative assessment methods are used. Results from the case study showed that the satisfaction of the preferred location indicator was not sufficient to maintain its sustainability. The assessment of measured indicators found that weaknesses were almost double the count of the satisfactory indicator. Moreover, some indicators from the (NSA) tools were partially or completely met, and some gaps appeared because of the lack of strengths in the selected indicators of the international tools when used for local social, ecological and governmental aspects, and there are issues in the inclusion of economic and environmental elements in current urban configurations. The proposed local model offers valuable insights for local governments, municipalities, and construction developers.

Assessment of the Adsorption Activity of Bacterial Cells Using Yersinia pseudotuberculosis Model

Currently, the Russian Anti-Plague Institute “Microbe” produces diagnostic immunoglobulins used in laboratory diagnostics of plague pathogen. One of the important stages in obtaining this category of drugs is the process of adsorption and removal of cross-reacting antibodies to increase the specificity of the drug. For this purpose, inactivated cells of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis strains are used.The aim of the work was to assess the possibility of using immunochemical methods to analyze the adsorption properties of bacterial cells, followed by an assessment of the impact of cultivation method and conditions, and the variant of the strain used on the adsorption properties of bacterial cells.Materials and methods. Cultivation was carried out on solid and liquid nutrient media; cells were inactivated by temperature and chemical exposure. Adsorption activity was assessed using immunoblotting and inhibitory enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Statistical processing of the results was performed using two-factor analysis of variance.Results and discussion. The suitability of immunoblotting and inhibitory ELISA methods for qualitative and quantitative assessment of the adsorption properties of bacterial cells has been demonstrated. It has been established that the adsorption properties of bacterial cells are influenced by the method of inactivation and the application of substrate feeding; the method of cultivation does not affect the adsorption properties of cells.

Results of Quantitative and Qualitative Assessment of Color Vision in Patients with Congenital Partial Atrophy of the Optic Nerve

Background. Congenital partial atrophy of the optic nerve is one of the main causes of blindness and low vision in patients with fundus pathology, and the study of color vision is important in diagnosis and monitoring visual functions in patients with this disease.Purpose: to study the possibilities of using the own developed method of quantitative and qualitative assessment of color vision in patients with partial optic nerve atrophy.Materials and methods. 55 patients aged from 8 to 20 years with congenital partial atrophy of the optic nerve (PAON) with a typical fundus pattern and EFI indicators for this disease were observed. The control group included 116 people of the same age without fundus pathology and with normal visual acuity. To study color vision in both groups, the classic FarnsworthMunsell Dichotomous D15 Test and the own developed method for quantitative and qualitative assessment of color vision were used.Results. The method developed by us made it possible to identify color perception disorders of varying severity in the majority (about 90 %) of patients with PAON. In the control group, no color perception disorders were detected in more than 70 % of the subjects. Quantitative assessment of color vision conducted using the method developed by us demonstrates significantly higher indicators of the total error of perception of color tones in patients with PAON (35.6 ± 3.2 degrees for a better-seeing eye and 39.9 ± 3.3 degrees for a worse-seeing eye) in comparison with the subjects of the control group (6.2 ± 1.1 degrees for a better-seeing eye and 7.5 ± 1.3 degrees for a worse-seeing eye). The severity of color perception disorders in patients with PAON does not depend on age, but has a significant inverse relationship with visual acuity. In the group of patients with PAON, when examining both better-seeing eye and worse-seeing eye, perception disorders of all color tones are detected with a slight predominance of disorders of perception of red, green and blue. The method developed by us has sufficiently higher sensitivity and specificity in comparison with the classic Farnsworth-Mansell D-15 test.Conclusion. The method developed by us makes it possible to effectively carry out a quantitative and qualitative assessment of the state of color perception in patients with PAON.

Features of the development of the agricultural marketing system using information technologies

Forecasting prices for agricultural products is a complex, end-to-end and dynamic task of agricultural marketing. With constant development and changes in data sources, data types, data quality, data processing methods, model building methods, and model evaluation methods, agricultural price forecasting methods will also be updated and improved. An overview of the use of digital technologies is proposed, leading to profound changes in the functioning of economic factors, including in the agro-industrial complex. The article shows that the digital transformation (digitalization) of the agro-industrial market will lead to a change in the sectoral structure of the agro-industrial complex due to the replacement of traditional industries with new ones based on forecasts obtained using artificial intelligence systems. The paper provides an overview of specialized applied software products that are available on the Internet and are used to analyze financial data. An overview of modern information technologies, which allow convenient processing, systematization and visualization of data, as well as forecasting the movement of asset prices, was carried out. Scientific abstraction, analysis and synthesis methods, quantitative and qualitative assessment methods, which were used to determine the content of marketing concepts and its features in the activities of agro-industrial enterprises, as well as the method of source analysis served as the scientific and theoretical basis for deepening the research. When selecting sources for analysis, a search was made in open databases available in the global information network Internet, on the basis of which neural network training was carried out. The main functionalities of the created system are described, including a visual comparison of historical data, price movement forecasting using machine learning, and recommendations on the optimal content of the investment portfolio. The results obtained in the work substantiate the following basic propositions: - digitalization leads not only to technological, but also to organizational transformations in the agro-industrial complex; - the result of digital transformation will be a profound change in the model of the organization of the agro-industrial complex and its role in the national economy; - agribusiness needs to take measures to support the digital transformation of the agro-industrial market and the adaptation of the agro-industrial complex to the new digital system.

A 4D-CBCT correction network based on contrastive learning for dose calculation in lung cancer

ObjectiveThis study aimed to present a deep-learning network called contrastive learning-based cycle generative adversarial networks (CLCGAN) to mitigate streak artifacts and correct the CT value in four-dimensional cone beam computed tomography (4D-CBCT) for dose calculation in lung cancer patients.Methods4D-CBCT and 4D computed tomography (CT) of 20 patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer were used to paired train the deep-learning model. The lung tumors were located in the right upper lobe, right lower lobe, left upper lobe, and left lower lobe, or in the mediastinum. Additionally, five patients to create 4D synthetic computed tomography (sCT) for test. Using the 4D-CT as the ground truth, the quality of the 4D-sCT images was evaluated by quantitative and qualitative assessment methods. The correction of CT values was evaluated holistically and locally. To further validate the accuracy of the dose calculations, we compared the dose distributions and calculations of 4D-CBCT and 4D-sCT with those of 4D-CT.ResultsThe structural similarity index measure (SSIM) and peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) of the 4D-sCT increased from 87% and 22.31 dB to 98% and 29.15 dB, respectively. Compared with cycle consistent generative adversarial networks, CLCGAN enhanced SSIM and PSNR by 1.1% (p < 0.01) and 0.42% (p < 0.01). Furthermore, CLCGAN significantly decreased the absolute mean differences of CT value in lungs, bones, and soft tissues. The dose calculation results revealed a significant improvement in 4D-sCT compared to 4D-CBCT. CLCGAN was the most accurate in dose calculations for left lung (V5Gy), right lung (V5Gy), right lung (V20Gy), PTV (D98%), and spinal cord (D2%), with the relative dose difference were reduced by 6.84%, 3.84%, 1.46%, 0.86%, 3.32% compared to 4D-CBCT.ConclusionsBased on the satisfactory results obtained in terms of image quality, CT value measurement, it can be concluded that CLCGAN-based corrected 4D-CBCT can be utilized for dose calculation in lung cancer.

Sustainable Dyeing of Wool and Silk with Conocarpus erectus L. Leaf Extract for the Development of Functional Textiles

Natural dyes derived from plants offer a sustainable alternative to synthetic dyes for textile coloration. This study examined the extraction of natural dyes from Conocarpus erectus L. leaves and their application on wool and silk fabrics. Aqueous extraction in an alkaline medium was used to obtain dyes from raw leaves, which were then applied to pre-mordanted silk and wool fabrics by applying the ultrasonic-assisted exhaust dyeing method. The dyed fabrics were evaluated for color strength (K/S) and CIELAB color coordinates. The color fastness (washing, rubbing, and light), ultraviolet protection factor, mosquito repellency, and antibacterial activity were established using standard testing protocols. The surface morphologies of silk and wool were examined using scanning electron microscopy. Interestingly, the dyed fabrics displayed good color strength and color fastness properties. Moreover, the dyed wool samples revealed satisfactory antibacterial activity against Gram-negative (E. coli) and Gram-positive (S. aureus) in both qualitative and quantitative assessment methods, good ultraviolet protection in terms of UPF, and good mosquito repellency against Aedes aegypti. This study for the first time presented the application of a medicinal plant (Conocarpus erectus L.) in the field of textile dyeing and finishing. Hence, the use of Conocarpus erectus L. leaf dyes offers significant results on wool and silk fabrics and contributes to sustainable functional textile production.

Measuring digital intervention user experience with a novel ecological momentary assessment (EMA) method, CORTO

Digital interventions often suffer from low usage, which may reflect insufficient attention to user experience. Moreover, the existing evaluation methods have limited applicability in the remote study of user experience of complex interventions that have expansive content and that are used over an extensive period of time.To alleviate these challenges, we describe here a novel qualitative Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) method: the CORTO method (Contextual, One-item, Repeated, Timely, Open-ended). We used it to gather digital intervention user experience data from Finnish adults (n = 184) who lived with interview-confirmed major depressive disorder (MDD) and took part in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) that studied the efficacy of a novel 12-week game-based digital intervention for depression. A second dataset on user experience was gathered with retrospective interviews (n = 22).We inductively coded the CORTO method and retrospective interview data, which led to four user experience categories: (1) contextual use, (2) interaction-elicited emotional experience, (3) usability, and (4) technical issues. Then, we used the created user experience categories and Template Analysis to analyze both datasets together, and reported the results qualitatively. Finally, we compared the two datasets with each other. We found that the data generated with the CORTO method offered more insights into usability and technical categories than the interview data that particularly illustrated the contextual use. The emotional valence of the interview data was more positive compared with the CORTO data. Both the CORTO and interview data detected 55 % of the micro-level categories; 20 % of micro-level categories were only detected by the CORTO data and 25 % only by the interview data.We found that the during-intervention user experience measurement with the CORTO method can provide intervention-specific insights, and thereby further the iterative user-centered intervention development. Overall, these findings highlight the impact of evaluation methods on the categories and qualities of insights acquired in intervention research.

Minding the margins: Evaluating the impact of COVID-19 among Latinx and Black communities with optimal qualitative serological assessment tools.

COVID-19 disproportionately affected minorities, while research barriers to engage underserved communities persist. Serological studies reveal infection and vaccination histories within these communities, however lack of consensus on downstream evaluation methods impede meta-analyses and dampen the broader public health impact. To reveal the impact of COVID-19 and vaccine uptake among diverse communities and to develop rigorous serological downstream evaluation methods, we engaged racial and ethnic minorities in Massachusetts in a cross-sectional study (April-July 2022), screened blood and saliva for SARS-CoV-2 and human endemic coronavirus (hCoV) antibodies by bead-based multiplex assay and point-of-care (POC) test and developed across-plate normalization and classification boundary methods for optimal qualitative serological assessments. Among 290 participants, 91.4% reported receiving at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, while 41.7% reported past SARS-CoV-2 infections, which was confirmed by POC- and multiplex-based saliva and blood IgG seroprevalences. We found significant differences in antigen-specific IgA and IgG antibody outcomes and indication of cross-reactivity with hCoV OC43. Finally, 26.5% of participants reported lingering COVID-19 symptoms, mostly middle-aged Latinas. Hence, prolonged COVID-19 symptoms were common among our underserved population and require public health attention, despite high COVID-19 vaccine uptake. Saliva served as a less-invasive sample-type for IgG-based serosurveys and hCoV cross-reactivity needed to be evaluated for reliable SARS-CoV-2 serosurvey results. The use of the developed rigorous downstream qualitative serological assessment methods will help standardize serosurvey outcomes and meta-analyses for future serosurveys beyond SARS-CoV-2.

Оцінювання впливу ризиків зовнішньоекономічної діяльності

Risk is an integral part of the economic activity of any organizations that operate on the market in conditions of competition under the influence of external and internal environments. The word risk is often synonymous with loss, failure, which leads to negative consequences. However, no matter how many scientific or practical works are devoted to this issue, it will continue to be rele-vant, as the world becomes more changeable and threats have become an integral part of our lives. Therefore, assessing the impact of risks is an important component of management activities. The purpose of the article is to analyze the essence of the concept of risk, to define the types of risks in foreign economic activity and to present the recommended stages of the process of assessing the impact of foreign economic activity risks of domestic companies through the formation of a sys-tem of indicators. The article considers different approaches to the essence of the interpretation of the concept of "risk". Different types of risks that can affect the enterprise during its foreign economic activities are characterized. The process of assessing the impact of risks of foreign economic activity of do-mestic companies through the formation of a system of indicators has been formed. Each separate step of the recommended process is described. The qualitative and quantitative methods of assess-ment are described. It is emphasized that the choice of risks and, accordingly, their assessment indi-cators depends on the object of the study, the obtained information and its purpose. Based on the results of the research, it was concluded that there are a large number of types of risks that cannot be covered in the research process. Therefore, in the process of managing risks in the field of foreign economic activity and assessing their impact, it is necessary to identify first the risks that are most acceptable in a specific situation, taking into account the type of activity, the po-litical and economic situation, the level of cooperation with an external counterparty, etc. And on the basis of the selected list and evaluation tasks, decide on the evaluation methods and directly the types of indicators. The recommended process will allow not only to reduce the labour intensity of work related to risk management, but also to obtain operational information for solving the key problem.

Unveiling the hidden struggles: Exploring the profound impact of advanced stage cutaneous T-cell lymphoma on quality of life.

Erythrodermic mycosis fungoides and Sézary syndrome are chronic, relapsing-remitting diseases that greatly impacts patients' quality of life (QoL). Mogamulizumab-kpkc (Mogamulizumab) is a novel therapeutic agent for cutaneous T-cell lymphomas with a notable impact on progression-free survival. Qualitative assessment methods allow a broader exploration and greater insight in individual patient experience than quantitative studies. However, there is limited data on the impact of mogamulizumab on health-related QoL. To investigate the impact of erythrodermic cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (E-CTCL) on QoL and the effect of mogamulizumab on the QoL. Semi-structured interview were conducted with seven patients with E-CTCL that were receiving mogamulizumab treatment. Five major themes arose: Diagnosis and the diagnostic delay and uncertainty experienced by participants; Physical functioning due to the high symptom burden; Psychological and social functioning considering the significant impact on daily life; Treatment and the effect of mogamulizumab; and Support by family, friends and health professionals. Mogamulizumab therapy resulted in a significant decrease of symptoms. The small sample size should also be taken into account although data saturation was reached. This study gives a broad insight into the large impact of E-CTCL and the major consequences on the physical functioning as well as on the emotional/psychological and social well-being. Mogamulizumab appears to have a positive effect on symptoms.

State-of-the-art methods of qualitative and quantitative assessment of eye microcirculation

Circulatory disorders in eye vessels play an important role in the development of ophthalmic pathologies, in particular socially significant diseases such as glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and retinal vascular occlusion. Eye hemodynamics features are an important diagnostic criterion for both ocular and systemic diseases. A comprehensive assessment of blood flow in various structures of the eyeball offers additional information on the pathogenesis of the diseases and helps develop new approaches to monitoring the effectiveness of treatment and vascular pathology prognostication. Thanks to the improved technologies, we have today a variety of invasive and non-invasive techniques for examining ocular hemoperfusion, including those intended for retrobulbar blood flow and intraocular blood circulation evaluation. The review article is focused on the state-of-the-art techniques: fluorescein angiography, ultrasound examination involving blood flow assessment by colour Doppler mapping and Dopplerography, optical coherence tomography in the angiographic mode and laser speckle flowgraphy. The role of these techniques in the diagnosis of vascular pathology and their advantages and disadvantages when used in ophthalmological practice is considered.

Outcomes of right heart dysfunction in the acutely and severely unwell: protocol for a prospective, longitudinal observational study using multimodal assessment

IntroductionThe relationship of acute right heart dysfunction (RHD) with long-term cardiopulmonary dysfunction and its’ associated morbidity has not been clearly elucidated. We propose a prospective, observational study to assess the...

НАУКОВО-ПРАКТИЧНИЙ ІНСТРУМЕНТАРІЙ ОЦІНЮВАННЯ РІВНЯ ЦИФРОВОЇ ТРАНСФОРМАЦІЇЇ, ІННОВАЦІЙНОГО РОЗВИТКУ СИСТЕМИ ЕКОНОМІЧНОЇ БЕЗПЕКИ ПІДПРИЄМСТВ СФЕРИ ІНФОРМАЦІЙНИХ ТЕХНОЛОГІЙ

The article discusses the scientific and practical tools for assessing the level of digitalization, innovative development of the system of economic security of enterprises in the sphere of information technology. The task of rating the indicators of evaluation of innovative development of the system of economic security of enterprises has been solved. The use of cognitive information technology POLYHEDR as a software platform for the formation of an information-analytical assessment system has been adapted. To conduct the study, general methods of analysis and synthesis research, methods of mathematical modeling, methods of quantitative and qualitative assessment, cognitive, systemic, structural and other scientific approaches were used. As a result of the study, a description of the subject areas in an ontological form and the processes carried out within the framework of the tasks is carried out; structuring of large arrays of weakly structured information with the presentation of results in an ontological form is carried out; transdisciplinary integration of large arrays of spatially distributed information (both structured and unstructured) is ensured; formation of specialized user interfaces for displaying information in a form convenient for perception within the framework of a specific task; made it possible to solve analytical problems with the formation of generalized descriptions (models) of classes of objects on the basis of samples for training, classification of objects, prediction of properties of objects. The use of scientific and practical tools for assessing the level of digitalization, innovative development of the system of economic security of enterprises in the field of information technology solved the problem of information support for managerial decision-making and made it possible to assess digitalization and innovative development of the system of economic security of enterprises.

Shielding the Nerve: A Systematic Review of Nerve Wrapping to Prevent Adhesions in the Rat Sciatic Nerve Model.

Peripheral nerve pathology is frequently encountered in clinical practice among peripheral nerve and extremity surgeons. One major factor limiting nerve regeneration and possibly leading to revision surgeries is the development of traumatic or postoperative adhesions and scarring around nerves. In experimental models, different materials have been studied to limit scar tissue formation when wrapped around nerves. A systematic review of studies describing nerve-wrapping materials in a non-transectional rat sciatic nerve model was performed following the PRISMA guidelines. Literature describing nerve-wrapping methods for the prevention of peripheral nerve scarring in rat sciatic nerve models was identified using PubMed and Web of Science, scanned for relevance and analyzed. A total of 15 original articles describing 23 different materials or material combinations for nerve wrapping were included. The heterogeneity of the methods used did not allow a meta-analysis, thus, a systematic review was performed. Out of 28 intervention groups, 21 demonstrated a preventive effect on scar tissue formation in at least one qualitative or quantitative assessment method. The analyzed literature describes a variety of materials from different origins to limit peripheral nerve scarring and adhesions. Thus, a scar-preventive effect by wrapping peripheral nerves as adhesion prophylaxis seems likely. However, a quantitative comparison of the studies to identify the optimal material or technique is not possible with the diversity of used models and study designs. Therefore, further research needs to be performed to identify the optimal nerve wraps to be used routinely in clinical practice.

Magnetic Resonance Volumetric Quantification of Vestibular Endolymphatic Hydrops in Patients with Unilateral Definite Meniere's Disease Using 3D Inversion Recovery with Real Reconstruction (3D-REAL-IR) Sequence.

The 3D-REAL-IR MRI sequence allows for an in vivo visualization of endolymphatic hydrops. Qualitative assessment methods of the severity of vestibular and cochlear hydrops are the most commonly used. A quantitative volumetric measurement of vestibular EH in patients with definite unilateral Ménière's disease using the 3D-REAL-IR sequence and the calculation of the endolymphatic ratio (ELR) was intended. Volumetric calculations of the vestibules, vestibular endolymph and vestibular ELR are performed in 96 patients with unilateral Ménière's disease and correlated with classic qualitative grading scales. Quantitative volumetric measurement of vestibular hydrops using the 3D-REAL-IR sequence is feasible and reproducible in daily clinical practice. Vestibular ELR values exceeding 60% defined radiologically significant vestibular hydrops, while values below 30% defined radiologically non-significant vestibular hydrops.

Understanding polysubstance use at the daily and event levels: protocol for a mixed-methods qualitative and ecological momentary assessment study in a community-based sample of people who use illicit drugs in Oakland, California, USA

IntroductionPolysubstance use is extremely common among people who use illicit opioids in the USA. It is associated with poor substance use treatment outcomes, infectious disease risk and alarming rates of...