This paper presents a review of the literature concerning the clinical application of modern semiconductor (CZT) gamma cameras in the radioinuclide diagnosis of coronary artery disease. It contains ...information on the diagnostic efficacy of myocardial perfusion studies performed with those cameras compared with the widely used scintillation (Anger) cameras, an overview of their effectiveness in comparison with coronary angiography (also fractional flow reserve) and currently available clinical results of a myocardial flow reserve measured with a dynamic SPECT study. Introduction of this imaging modality to the measurement of a myocardial flow reserve aims to facilitate access to this type of study compared to the less available and more expensive PET method used so far.
There are many frameworks available in the IT environment that differ in performance, security, complexity, and speed. The user who wants to start working with the selected framework should know ...whether it will meet the architectural requirements and business assumptions. The aim of this work is to compare the performance and complexity of web applications built using different lightweight frameworks for the Java language. Spring Boot, Micronaut, Quarkus and Javalin frameworks will be compared. At the beginning of the work, the main problems related to the creation of modern applications were discussed. In the following sections, basic analysis of the complexity of the syntax and conventions of the selected skeletons was performed. Then, experiments were conducted to compare performance - response and build times and memory consumption during application development and use. A wide cross-section of efficiency has been obtained in selected lightweight framework usages. The prepared comparison can be used to select the appropriate framework for the project.
A new generation of triazine-based coupling reagents (TBCRs), designed according to the concept of “superactive esters”, was obtained by treatment of ...4-(4,6-dimethoxy-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl)-4-methylmorpholinium (DMTMM) chloride with lithium or silver tetrafluoroborate. The structure of 4-(4,6-dimethoxy-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl)-4-methylmorpholinium tetrafluoroborate was confirmed by X-ray diffraction. Activation of carboxylic acids by using this reagent proceeds via triazine “superactive ester”. The coupling reagent was successfully used for the synthesis of Z-, Boc-, and Fmoc-protected dipeptides derived from natural and unnatural sterically hindered amino acids and for fragment condensation, in 80−100% yield and with high enantiomeric purity. The manual SPPS of the ACP(65−74) peptide fragment (H-Val-Gln-Ala-Ala-Ile-Asp-Tyr-Ile-Asn-Gly-OH) proceeded significantly faster than with TBTU or HATU, as well as the automated SPPS of the same fragment gave a purer product than by using TBTU or PyBOP. The reagent was also demonstrated to be efficient in on-resin head-to-tail cyclization of constrained cyclopeptides, in SPPS synthesis of Aib peptides, and in the synthesis of esters from appropriate acids, alcohols, and phenols. The high efficiency and versatility of this new generation of TBCRs confirm, for the first time, the usefulness of the concept of “superactive esters” in rational design of the structure of coupling reagents.
Nowadays, the world has been dominated by digital information exchange. The commonness of the Internet access and lack of regulations restricting freedom of information exchange and creation make new ...challenges in the context of copyrights. The aim of presented study is to verify if users approach to illegal downloading and sharing has changed along with the development of digital platforms offering legal digital content and if this kind of platforms affect copyrights violation. For this purpose, authors have compared results of researches performed in years 2014 and 2018. The researches concerned the awareness and behaviors of Internet users in the context of downloading and sharing of illegal multimedia as well as games and other software. Attention was also paid to issues related to the ethical point of view of such behaviors. The conclusions from the research present how the perception of copyrights has changed within 4 years.
The study analyses the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on work models and explores managerial perspectives on remote work compared to stationary work. A survey was conducted among companies, ...resulting in a sample of respondents. An additional research methodology used to validate the hypotheses was a market basket analysis. The findings indicate a significant change in work models, with a majority of companies adopting fully remote work or hybrid models with remote work as the predominant mode. Managers generally perceive remote work as having a significantly worse outcome compared to stationary work. Concerns about remote work include difficulties in supervising remote workers, maintaining effective communication with the team, and potential negative effects on employee motivation and well-being due to limited interaction. Preferences for work models varied, with a notable proportion favoring fully remote work or hybrid models. Reasons for considering a long-term change to stationary or remote work include coordination needs, control and supervision requirements, physical presence demands, and impacts on organizational culture and atmosphere. Benefits of remote work include employee flexibility, talent attraction, and alignment with employee demands and the labor market. This study provides insights into the evolving work landscape and informs strategies for effectively managing remote work environments.
Some events in world history have affected global social and economic processes significantly. One such event was undoubtedly the commencement of the COVID-19 pandemic. Being in lockdown with access ...to the Internet and tools that enable remote working enabled and, in fact, forced a change in the form of work to be fully remote, which was previously difficult to imagine in many organisations. As part of this study of the above phenomenon, research was conducted on employees of the IT sector in Poland. An analysis of survey data showed the impact of individual work modes on productivity ratings and collaboration with other team members; additionally, the findings may indicate behaviour changes among employees caused by employer enforcement of changes in work mode, and the importance of the work mode for employees when taking up employment. Although the end of the COVID-19 pandemic has been officially announced in Poland, its impact on the labour market has been significant. The present study shows the popularisation of remote working and a change in attitude towards this form of performing professional duties.
Abstract Dynamic assessment of myocardial blood flow (MBF) and myocardial flow reserve (MFR) provides additional information that can improve diagnostic accuracy of radionuclide myocardial perfusion ...imaging in some clinical situations. This study assessed processing repeatability of these parameters calculated using two models—net retention (RET) and one compartment (1CM) in dynamic SPECT studies, using the latest version of Corridor 4DM software (v2024). Data of 107 patients were analyzed retrospectively (57 of whom were assessed in our previous study using 4DM v2015). Dynamic SPECT studies were carried out using a routine two-day rest-dipyridamole protocol. Data was processed in 4DM v2024 twice by one operator and once by another operator. Automatic heart image positioning during post-processing in 4DM v2024 was significantly improved compared to v2015, reducing the number of studies requiring extensive manual corrections from 41 to 12%. This significantly improved interobserver processing repeatability of MFR values in RCA territory compared to our previous study using v2015—from r = 0.67 to 0.85 ( p = 0.0034). Interobserver processing repeatability of MBF and MFR in all 107 patients was significantly better in RET model compared to 1CM model. In conclusion, RET model is more reliable for calculating MBF and MFR values based on dynamic SPECT studies.
Background Depressive disorder is common among haemodialysis patients. The purpose of this study was to explore approaches to diagnosing depression in the context of a real-life setting, with the ...view of creating practical recommendations. It also aimed to evaluate the prevalence of depression and dementia. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study in two Dialysis Centres in Poland. Cognitive functions were evaluated using Mini–Mental State Examination (MMSE). The screening for depressive symptoms was assessed using Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II). The diagnosis of major depressive disorder was confirmed by a psychiatrist using Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5 (DSM-5). Sociodemographic and clinical data were also collected. Results Initially, 136 patients agreed to participate in the study. Dementia was found in 13% of the study group. Sixty-two patients did not agree to perform all the proposed tests and were not included in the analysis, which eventually consisted of 70 patients. According to BDI-II, depressive symptoms were present in 35.7% of patients, while the diagnosis of major depressive disorder (MDD) was confirmed by the psychiatrist in 25.7%. According to the ROC analysis the optimal cut-off score for diagnosing MDD using BDI-II was ≥13 points. Conclusions This study suggests that the regular screening for depressive symptoms, followed by a psychiatric consultation in selected patients, might improve diagnosing depression with the goal of achieving a higher quality of life and a lower mortality rate. It may also be a cost-effective model for the management of depression among the haemodialysis population.
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is one of the most common psychiatric issues in hemodialysis population. However, the research on proper diagnostic tools and its treatment is still insufficient. The ...study was performed to investigate the safety and effectiveness of sertraline and agomelatine in a group of hemodialysis patients.
78 adult patients from one dialysis centre in Poland were included into the study. The Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II) was used to screen for depressive symptoms and was followed by the clinical interview with the psychiatrist. Nine patients diagnosed with major depressive disorder received antidepressant treatment with sertraline or agomelatine, according to the best clinical practice. The additional treatment with vortioxetine was used if the initial one was not effective. The time of observation was 24 weeks. The psychiatric follow up as well as the laboratory data were obtained during the course of observation.
All patients receiving sertraline achieved remission of depressive symptoms. In patients receiving agomelatine no remission was observed despite dose augmentation. The side effects of antidepressants were mild and did not result in treatment discontinuation. No abnormalities in liver enzymes levels were observed. In five cases the significant decrease of haemoglobin level was noticed, with no cases of bleeding reported.
In patients receiving sertraline the antidepressant effect was satisfactory. No remission of depressive symptoms was observed in patients taking agomelatine. The side effects of antidepressants were mild and transient. Further research on depression treatment in hemodialysis patients is needed, including newer medications.
Background: Myocardial blood flow (MBF) and flow reserve (MFR) examination, especially useful in the diagnosis of multivessel coronary artery disease (CAD), can be assessed with a ...cadmium-zinc-telluride (CZT) SPECT gamma camera, as an alternative to the expensive and less available PET. However, study processing is not free from subjective factors. Therefore, this paper aims to evaluate intra- and interobserver repeatability of MBF and MFR values obtained by the same operator and two independent operators. Methods: This study included 57 adult patients. MBF and MFR were assessed using a Discovery NM530c camera in a two-day, rest/dipyridamople protocol, using 99mTc-MIBI. Data were processed using Corridor4DM software, twice by one operator and once by another operator. Results: The repeatability of the assessed values was quite good in the whole myocardium, LAD and LCX vascular territories, but was poor in the RCA territory. Conclusions: The poor repeatability of MBF and MFR in RCA vascular territory can be explained by poor automatic orientation of the heart axis during post-processing and a so-called “cardiac creep” phenomenon. Better automatic heart orientation and introduction of automatic motion correction is likely to drastically improve this repeatability. In the present state of the software, PET is better for patients requiring assessment of MFR in the RCA territory.
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