A pilot study of novel multi-filter CNN layer.

Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have reached their peak of complex structures, but until now, few researchers have addressed the problem of relying on one filter size. Mainly a 3 × 3 filter is the most common one used in any structure. Only at the first layers of the CNN model, filters bigger than 3 × 3 could be partially used.

Phase behavior and atomic dynamics in RbNa: insights from machine learning interatomic potentials based onmolecular dynamics.

Liquid alkali metal alloys have garnered significant attention because of their potential applications in coolant systems and batteries, driven by the need for environmental conservation and technological development. However, research on these complex systems is limited, necessitating a deeper understanding to ensure their safe and effective utilization. This study presents a comprehensive investigation of the factors that determine the phase diagram of RbNa1-x.

Biological effect of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell- derived extracellular vesicles on the structure of alveolar bone in rats with glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis.

Background: Glucocorticoids are used for the treatment of autoimmune disorders; however, they can elicit several side effects such as osteoporosis. Several approaches can be made to treat glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis, including the use of stem cells. However, the therapeutic effect of mesenchymal stem cells depends on its released factors, including extracellular vesicles.

Reproductive health of Syrian refugee women in Lebanon: a descriptive analysis of the Sijilli electronic health records database.

Background: The Syrian conflict has been responsible for the highest exodus of refugees, with Lebanon hosting the greatest number of refugees per capita, which placed a significant strain on an already overburdened healthcare system. Women are the most vulnerable group in times of conflict and displacement, with sexual and reproductive health and rights often neglected. This study focuses on the obstetric characteristics and pregnancy outcomes of Syrian Refugee (SR) women in Lebanon, in Comparison to their pre-displacement data.

Predictors of surgical site infection following reconstructive flap surgery: A multi-institutional analysis of 37,177 patients.

Purpose: Rates of surgical site infection (SSI) following reconstructive flap surgeries (RFS) vary according to flap recipient site, potentially leading to flap failure. This is the largest study to determine predictors of SSI following RFS across recipient sites.

Methods: The National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database was queried for patients undergoing any flap procedure from years 2005 to 2020.

Defect-free and crystallinity-preserving ductile deformation in semiconducting AgS.

Typical ductile materials are metals, which deform by the motion of defects like dislocations in association with non-directional metallic bonds. Unfortunately, this textbook mechanism does not operate in most inorganic semiconductors at ambient temperature, thus severely limiting the development of much-needed flexible electronic devices. We found a shear-deformation mechanism in a recently discovered ductile semiconductor, monoclinic-silver sulfide (AgS), which is defect-free, omni-directional, and preserving perfect crystallinity.

A comparative histological study of the effect of TheraCal LC and biodentine on direct pulp capping in rabbits: an experimental study.

Objectives: This study histologically compared the effect of TheraCal LC and biodentine on direct pulp capping using a rabbit model.

Materials And Methods: A direct pulp capping procedure was performed on 40 mandibular central incisors of 20 healthy, male New Zealand white rabbits. TheraCal LC and biodentine were applied to exposed pulp and 10 randomly selected rabbits were euthanized after the first and second week.

The Togo national proficiency test pilot programme for basic clinical chemistry tests.

Background: A national proficiency test (PT) programme is not currently implemented in most low-income countries. However, participation in such PT programmes assists improves test performance and result accuracy.

Objective: This study assessed how well 11 government hospital laboratories performed 18 basic clinical chemistry tests and identified areas needing improvement.

Elective incisional hernia repair: lower risk of postoperative wound infection with laparoscopic versus open repair.

Introduction: The superiority of laparoscopic repair over open repair of incisional hernias (IHs) in the elective setting is still controversial. Our study aimed to compare the postoperative outcomes of laparoscopic and open elective IH repair in an Asian population.

Methods: This retrospective study was conducted in an acute general hospital in Singapore between 2010 and 2015.

Triggering the biosynthetic machinery of Taxol by Aspergillus flavipes via cocultivation with Bacillus subtilis: proteomic analyses emphasize the chromatin remodeling upon fungal-bacterial interaction.

Attenuating the Taxol biosynthesis by fungi with storage and subculturing is the major challenge that limits their further industrial applications. Aspergillus flavipes has been reported as a potent Taxol producer, with plausible increasing to its Taxol yield upon coculturing with the microbiome of Podocarpus gracilior (El-Sayed et al., Process Biochemistry 76:55-67, 2019a; Scientific Reports 9, 2019b; Enzyme and Microbial Technology 131, 2019c); however, the identity of these microbial inducers remains ambiguous.

[External Quality Assessment of Thick and Thin Blood Smear Slides for the Diagnosis of Malaria in the Lomé and Gulf Health Districts of Togo].

Objective: In sub-Saharan Africa where 90% of malaria cases are concentrated, the control of this disease constitutes a major challenge whose diagnosis by thick and thin smear deserves to be exact and reproducible. The purpose of this study is to assess the performance of thick/thin blood smear in order to improve its implementation process.

Material And Methods: This was a descriptive and analytical study that took place from May to June 2017 and involved participating laboratories (PL) coming from public, liberal and confessional sectors in Lomé.

The use of dried tube specimens of Plasmodium falciparum in an external quality assessment programme to evaluate health worker performance for malaria rapid diagnostic testing in healthcare centres in Togo.

Background: The use of rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) to diagnose malaria is common in sub-Saharan African laboratories, remote primary health facilities and in the community. Currently, there is a lack of reliable methods to ascertain health worker competency to accurately use RDTs in the testing and diagnosis of malaria. Dried tube specimens (DTS) have been shown to be a consistent and useful method for quality control of malaria RDTs; however, its application in National Quality Management programmes has been limited.

Computational and training requirements for interatomic potential based on artificial neural network for estimating low thermal conductivity of silver chalcogenides.

We examined the estimation of thermal conductivity through molecular dynamics simulations for a superionic conductor, α-AgSe, using the interatomic potential based on an artificial neural network (ANN potential). The training data were created using the existing empirical potential of AgSe to help find suitable computational and training requirements for the ANN potential, with the intent to apply them to first-principles calculations. The thermal conductivities calculated using different definitions of heat flux were compared, and the effect of explicit long-range Coulomb interaction on the conductivities was investigated.

Revisional One-Anastomosis Gastric Bypass After Restrictive Index Surgery-a Metaanalysis and Comparison with Revisional Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass.

Background: One-anastomosis gastric bypass (OAGB) was established as a recognized bariatric procedure in the 2018 International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders (IFSO) position statement. This study evaluates the outcomes of revisional OAGB (rOAGB) after a restrictive index procedure, and to compare it to revisional RYGB (rRYGB).

Methods: A literature search was performed according to the PRISMA guidelines on papers published from inception till February 2020.

Application of First-Principles-Based Artificial Neural Network Potentials to Multiscale-Shock Dynamics Simulations on Solid Materials.

The use of artificial neural network (ANN) potentials trained with first-principles calculations has emerged as a promising approach for molecular dynamics (MD) simulations encompassing large space and time scales while retaining first-principles accuracy. To date, however, the application of ANN-MD has been limited to processes. Here we combine first-principles-trained ANN-MD with multiscale shock theory (MSST) to successfully describe shock phenomena.

Intermediate range structure of amorphous CuGeTe: ab initio molecular dynamics study.

We have investigated the intermediate range structure of amorphous CuGeTe based on ab initio molecular dynamics simulations. The highest population of ring size is three, which makes the triangle structure. This ring consists of mainly CuTe.

Guidelines for creating artificial neural network empirical interatomic potential from first-principles molecular dynamics data under specific conditions and its application to α-AgSe.

First-principles molecular dynamics (FPMD) simulations are highly accurate, but due to their high calculation cost, the computational scale is often limited to hundreds of atoms and few picoseconds under specific temperature and pressure conditions. We present here the guidelines for creating artificial neural network empirical interatomic potential (ANN potential) trained with such a limited FPMD data, which can perform long time scale MD simulations at least under the same conditions. The FPMD data for training are prepared on the basis of the convergence of radial distribution function [g(r)].

Impact of bariatric surgery on serum uric acid levels and the incidence of gout-A meta-analysis.

Gout is characterized by high serum uric acid (SUA) levels and arthritis. It is associated with obesity and metabolic syndrome. Bariatric surgery has been associated with decreased SUA levels and overall gout incidence.

Pulsed dye laser in the treatment of basal cell carcinoma: A single session versus two sessions - a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Basal cell carcinoma is the most common form of skin cancer worldwide. It has a specialized microvasculature system that can be targeted by the pulsed dye laser using the theory of selective photothermolysis.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of single session versus two sessions of pulsed dye laser in the treatment of basal cell carcinoma.

A rare case of bipartite combined tumour of the oesophagus.

Background: Bipartite combined oesophageal tumours are an exceedingly rare entity and much less is known about the natural history of these tumours following curative surgery. The authors present a case of a bipartite combined oesophageal tumour comprising of sarcomatoid carcinoma and small cell carcinoma with early postoperative recurrence.

Case Presentation: A 63-year-old Chinese male with a smoking history presents with hemoptysis on a background of dysphagia and odynophagia for 1 month.

Outcomes After Metabolic Surgery in Asians-a Meta-analysis.

Background: Obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are now increasingly epidemic in Asia. As obesity and T2DM have different disease patterns in Asians compared to Westerners, outcomes after metabolic surgery may differ. The aim of this meta-analysis was to gather the current available evidence on the outcomes after metabolic surgery in Asians.

Laparoscopic versus Open Omental Patch Repair for Early Presentation of Perforated Peptic Ulcer: Matched Retrospective Cohort Study.

The aim of this study was to compare the outcomes between laparoscopic and open omental patch repair (LOPR versus OR) in patients with similar presentation of perforated peptic ulcer (PPU). The secondary aim was to evaluate the outcomes according to the severity of peritonitis. All patients who underwent omental patch repair at two university-affiliated institutes between January 2010 and December 2014 were reviewed.