lab2clean: a novel algorithm for automated cleaning of retrospective clinical laboratory results data for secondary uses.

Background: The integrity of clinical research and machine learning models in healthcare heavily relies on the quality of underlying clinical laboratory data. However, the preprocessing of this data to ensure its reliability and accuracy remains a significant challenge due to variations in data recording and reporting standards.

Methods: We developed lab2clean, a novel algorithm aimed at automating and standardizing the cleaning of retrospective clinical laboratory results data.

Comprehensive insights into phosphorus solubility and organic matter's impact on black phosphate leaching.

The current study introduces groundbreaking insights into how organic matter (OM) of the black phosphate (RB-Ph) uniquely influences phosphorus (P) solubility during acetic acid (AA) leaching, expanding our understanding in this crucial area. To highlight such role, the OM of the RB-Ph was treated separately by different procedures including calcination at 550 ℃/4 h (CB-Ph), 30% hydrogen peroxide (HB-Ph) and intensive grinding to nano-sizes (NB-Ph). The mineralogical, chemical and morphological characteristics of phosphatic and non-phosphatic components of these phosphatic materials were carefully examined pre- and post-treatment via different techniques.

Analyzing laboratory test utilization trends in belgian primary care: a decade of insights with international perspectives.

Background: Clinical laboratory testing, essential for medical diagnostics, represents a significant part of healthcare activity, influencing around 70% of critical clinical decisions. The automation of laboratory equipment has expanded test menus and increased efficiency to meet the growing demands for clinical testing. However, concerns about misutilization remain prevalent.

Co/Ni/Cu-NHBDC MOF@natural Egyptian zeolite ore nanocomposite for calcium ion removal in water softening applications.

Water softening is a treatment process required to remove calcium (Ca(II)) and magnesium (Mg(II)) cations from water streams. Nanocomposites can provide solutions for such multiple challenges and have high performance and low application costs. In this work, a multimetallic cobalt, nickel, and copper 2-aminoterephthalic acid metal-organic framework ((Co/Ni/Cu-NHBDC) MOF) was synthesized by a simple solvothermal technique.

Establishing the Reportable Interval for Routine Clinical Laboratory Tests: A Data-Driven Strategy Leveraging Retrospective Electronic Medical Record Data.

Background: This paper presents a data-driven strategy for establishing the reportable interval in clinical laboratory testing. The reportable interval defines the range of laboratory result values beyond which reporting should be withheld. The lack of clear guidelines and methodology for determining the reportable interval has led to potential errors in reporting and patient risk.

Persistent Shortness of Breath in Post-COVID-19 Patients: Inducible Laryngeal Obstruction Can Be a Cause.

Background: Inducible laryngeal obstruction (ILO) is the adduction of the true vocal folds during inspiration or, less frequently, expiration. Its etiology is unknown.

Purpose: This study aimed to identify ILO as a possible cause of shortness of breath (SOB) in post-COVID-19 patients.

Efficient dye removal from industrial wastewater using sustainable activated carbon and its polyamide nanocomposite derived from agricultural and industrial wastes in column systems.

Sugar beet crown (SBC) waste was employed to produce sustainable activated carbon (AC) by a thermo-chemical activation procedure using a fixed ratio of HPO/SBC (1 : 1 w/w ratio) at 550 °C/2 h. An activated carbon/polyamide nano-composite (AC/PA) was also prepared through the polymerization of the fabricated AC (90%) with polyamide (PA, 10%) synthetic textile waste using a proper dissolving agent at a specified w/w ratio with the employed polymer (formic acid/PA = 82/18%). Both AC and its derivative AC/PA were employed in the remediation of dyes from industrial wastewater in column systems, and their efficiencies were compared at various applied experimental conditions.

Screening for oropharyngeal dysphagia in hospitalized COVID-19 patients: a prospective study.

Purpose: To screen for oropharyngeal dysphagia (OD) in hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

Methods: A descriptive longitudinal study was conducted on 500 adult patients with confirmed COVID-19 in the age range of 19-65 years who were admitted to the main university isolation hospital (whether admitted in the ward or the intensive care unit). Screening for OD was done using the Arabic version of the Eating Assessment Tool (EAT-10) and the Yale swallow protocol.

Radiation Attenuation Assessment of Serpentinite Rocks from a Geological Perspective.

Serpentinites are metamorphic rocks that are widely applied as aggregates in the production of radiation-shielding concrete. Different varieties of massive serpentinite mountains located in Egypt exist without real investment. Hence, this study aims to evaluate the radiation shielding efficacy of three varieties of serpentinite rocks from different geological perspectives: mineralogical, geochemical, and morphological characteristics.

Posterior pharyngeal wall augmentation in post-adenoidectomy velopharyngeal insufficiency.

Purpose: To assess the efficacy of posterior pharyngeal wall augmentation using septal or conchal cartilages with other bulks-according to the persistent gap and the individual anatomy of each patient-in improving velopharyngeal function in patients who acquired persistent velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI) post-adenoidectomy.

Methods: Observational descriptive prospective case series of 24 patients (their ages ranged between 3 and 26 years) who developed persistent VPI post-adenoidectomy (more than 3 months) although they had normal speech resonance before adenoidectomy.

Results: The present study demonstrated that statistically significant improvement in auditory perceptual assessment (APA) was found regarding all obligatory speech disorders and unintelligibility of speech.

Acoustic Features of Cry of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Infants.

Previous research has demonstrated differences in the acoustic features of crying signals between deaf and typical hearing (TH) infants. This study aims at comparing the acoustic parameters of cries of infants with different degrees of deafness versus TH infants. About 110 infants aged 6-12 months (61 TH infants, 34 infants with bilateral deafness of variable degrees and 15 infants with unilateral deafness) were enrolled in the study.

Carbon nanotube impregnated anthracite (An/CNT) as a superior sorbent for azo dye removal.

Raw anthracite was impregnated with a minute amount of multi-walled carbon-nanotubes at a solid/solid ratio of 50 : 1 calcination at 950 °C for 2 h to produce anthracite/carbon nanotube (An/CNT) composite with superior sorption efficiency. Both An/CNT composite and its precursor anthracite were characterized by XRD, SEM, FT-IR and BET surface area ( ). The removal efficiency of an azo dye methyl orange (MO) by the An/CNT composite was evaluated under different experimental parameters.

Enhancing adsorption capacity of Egyptian diatomaceous earth by thermo-chemical purification: Methylene blue uptake.

In the current study, calcination and thermo-chemical methods were applied in treatment of the processed diatomite fraction (<45 μm), which containing nearly 82.6 wt.% of the raw Egyptian diatomaceous earth.

Family Medicine in Egypt From Medical Students' Perspective: A Nationwide Survey.

Unlabelled: PHENOMENON: Attitudes of medical students toward family medicine as a specialty choice can provide information on the future supply of family physicians. Due to the current worldwide shortage of family physicians, these attitudes, with their subsequent effects on the state and dynamics of the healthcare system, are important to investigate.

Approach: A web-based questionnaire was sent to 600 medical students, selected by a systematic random sampling technique, in 7 Egyptian medical schools.