A multidisciplinary perspective on the complex interactions between sleep, circadian, and metabolic disruption in cancer patients

Sleep is a basic need that is frequently set aside in modern societies. This leads to profound but complex physiological maladaptations in the body commonly referred to as circadian disruption, which recently has been characterized as a carcinogenic factor and reason for poor treatment outcomes, shortened survival, and reduced quality of life in cancer patients. As sleep and circadian physiology in cancer patients spans several disciplines including nursing science, neurology, oncology, molecular biology and medical technology, there is a lack of comprehensive and integrated approaches to deal with this serious and growing issue and at best a fractionated understanding of only part of the problem among researchers within each of these segments. Here, we take a multidisciplinary approach to comprehensively review the diagnosis and impact of sleep and circadian disruption in cancer patients. We discuss recent discoveries on molecular regulation of the circadian clock in healthy and malignant cells, the neurological and endocrine pathways controlling sleep and circadian rhythmicity, and their inputs to and outputs from the organism. The benefits and drawbacks of the various technologies, devices, and instruments used to assess sleep and circadian function, as well as the known consequences of sleep disruption and how sleep can be corrected in cancer patients, will be analyzed. We will throughout the review highlight the extensive crosstalk between sleep, circadian rhythms, and metabolic pathways involved in malignancy and identify current knowledge gaps and barriers for addressing the issue of sleep and circadian disruption in cancer patients. By addressing these issues, we hope to provide a foundation for further research as well as better and more effective care for the patients in the future.

Changes and Perspectives in Teacher Training Methodology

School closures induced by the COVID-19 crisis have led to the rethinking and reshaping of teacher training considering the norms of online and blended learning, and the pressure to embrace the possibilities offered by information and communications technology. We propose to examine the new perspectives and necessary changes related to three domains in which our institution – the Teacher Training Institute of Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania, Faculty of Technical and Human Sciences – offers training: foreign languages, social sciences, and engineering. Different areas of education have been affected in different ways by the pandemic. In language teaching, familiarity with pre-existing platforms and programs helped the transition to online education. In the field of social sciences, the transfer of theoretical information did not cause any particular problems, but the development of interpersonal relationships, interactivity, and communication became more difficult. In the domain of engineering, practical education has become nearly impossible, as in order to develop certain practical skills students need access to laboratories equipped with special tools, devices, and instruments. In our study, we will focus on ways of updating and developing our methodology courses based on new paradigms and good practices presented in the specialized literature, also reflecting on feedback received from our teacher trainees related to their difficulties and needs revealed by the shift to online teaching.

An Experimental Study of Nailed Soil Slope Models: Effects of Building Foundation and Soil Characteristics

A soil nailing system is a proven effective and economic method used to stabilize earth slopes from the external (factors increasing the shear stress) and internal (factors decreasing material strength) failure causes. The laboratory models with scales of 1:10 are used to study the behavior of nailed soil slope with different soil and building foundation parameters. The models consist of Perspex strips as facing and steel bars as a nailing system to increase the stability of the soil slope. The models of sand beds are formed using an automatic sand raining system. Devices and instruments are installed to monitor the behavior of soil-nailed slope during and after construction. The effect of the soil type, soil slope angle, foundation width and position on the force mobilized in the nail, lateral displacement of the slope, settlement of the foundation and the earth pressure at the slope face, under and behind the soil mass at various foundation pressures, has been observed. It is found that the increase of soil density reduces both slopes facing displacement and building foundation settlements. The slope face displacement and footing settlement will increase with an increase in the width of the foundation and foundation position near the crest of the slope.

Pullout Behavior of Nail Reinforcement in Nailed Soil Slope

The pullout resistance and displacement performance of reinforcement have significant effects on the safe and economic design of a reinforced-soil system. In this study, the nail pullout tests are conducted to assess the pullout behavior of soil nail reinforcement at different levels in the soil slope of granular materials. The similitude laboratory models of a reinforced soil system with a scale of 1:10 are prepared. The construction sequence used in a full scale slope was precisely followed in the laboratory model. The models consist of a Perspex wall box filled with sand and steel bars as a reinforcement. The models of sand beds are formed using an automatic sand raining system. Devices and instruments are installed to record the nails pullout resistance and displacement. The tests are carried out at variable footing pressures to get the pullout force of the nails based on a strain control technique. The finite element models of nailed soil slope are also analyzed to validate the laboratory model results. It infers from the numerical model results that the laboratory models underestimate the pullout behavior of nail reinforcement in nailed soil slope. The pull-out force in nail reinforcement increases as the displacement increases and then decreases slightly and becomes constant with an increase in displacement in the case of deeper placed nails, but it becomes constant immediately for upper nails.

AR/VR technologies in management and education

The potential of some technological innovations for a long period of time remains either not fully explored or underestimated. The article gives a brief description of the AR and VR technologies, shows the possibilities of their use in various sectors and industries of the modern world economy. The paper provides an overview of the positive aspects and competitive advantages that AR and VR technologies can bring to companies engaged in the development and production of devices and instruments that allow using these technologies. This is a growth in sales of products and services, a reduction in operating costs, an increase in customer satisfaction, an improvement in the quality of product, services and service. The study also considers the limitations of using AR and VR technologies in educational environments. According to the authors, there are more industries and areas where AR and VR technologies can be applied.The paper analyses the volume of investments in the field of VR / AR, gives the forecasts of possible improvements of VR and AR devices, leading to creating of wider opportunities for their utilization in industrial, financial and educational spheres. The article presents the most successful examples of the implementation of AR and VR technologies in 2012-2021 in foreign and Russian companies. For statistical confirmation of the obtained results the authors performed a correlation analysis of the forecast estimates of the development of AR and VR technologies in 2021–2023. The paper makes the forecast of sales of technologies and devices in some sectors of the economy by 2024. Based on the analysis, the study concludes that there is a significant relationship between the electronics market as a whole and the VR/AR market.

Development of patenting of domestic inventions for the surgical treatment of injuries of the shoulder joint

Domestic patents for inventions on surgical treatment of shoulder joint injuries are analyzed. The database of the Federal Institute of Industrial Property of Rospatent was searched. Eliminating the so-called search noise, we created an array of 215 patents for inventions for the surgical treatment of shoulder injuries (registration mainly from 01/01/1994 to 09/30/2020). The average annual number of patents for inventions was 7 1. Surgical treatment methods were presented in 74.3% of inventions, and devices (surgical instruments, endoprostheses, etc.) in 25.7%. In some inventions, both methods and devices were patented. Inventions for the surgical treatment of shoulder joint instability accounted for 23.4%, for the treatment of tendons and periarticular tissues 8.9%, for osteosynthesis of the bones of the shoulder joint 21.9%, for surgical devices and instruments 14.2%, for methods and shoulder arthroplasty devices 13.4%; other inventions (on assessment of lesions, the likelihood of a favorable outcome of surgery, pain relief, etc.) 18.2%. It is necessary to optimize the domestic inventive activity in areas of medicine to prevent a shotage of domestic medical equipment or tools in case of sanctions imposed by certain foreign states.

Thermo-osmotic metamaterials with large negative thermal expansion

Negative thermal expansion (NTE) is important for compensation of thermal dilatation effects and has significant applications in high-precision devices and instruments. Several materials with intrinsic negative expansion exist but are...

US sanctions and its consequences on orthopedic surgery on Iran

Background Health and medical services are fundamental demand in civilized nations. Sanctions have always been an obstacle for development, even in health and medical topics, since they aim to reduce the financial and economic power of a country, and their impacts on medical and health systems in the objected country are on inevitable. It is well-established that sanctions contribute to a shortage of supplies in medical devices, and instruments. The shortage of the unique resources of newly-introduced medical and surgical devices prohibits surgeons from implementing novel techniques, which are known to improve medical care service quality. However, considering the application of the sanctions, these products will not be accessible for Iranian patients, and less safe and more complicated approaches will replace them. Results In this study we surveyed opinion of 32 orthopedic surgeons about effect of sanction on orthopedic surgery. Our result showed in upper limb surgeries high cost of equipment have more answers between question, although in lower limb surgeon Changing of method due to lack of facilities with worse results than standard method has more frequency between answer. Both results indicate that sanction made more difficult feasibility of orthopedic surgeon. Conclusions We believe several actions are needed to take place in the current situation by the international organization, to stop this unreasonable and illogical sanction, to prevent devastating results of them.

Devices for non-destructive testing of building structures

This article has a goal - to give information about the conducted researches with the use of modern devices and instruments. Descriptions of автомaтизиpовaнной измepитeльной cиcтeмы are given for измepeния paзличных of types of дeфоpмaций иcпытывaeмых конcтpукций путeм peгиcтpaции and пpeобpaзовaния in инжeнepныe eдиницы in peaльном мacштaбe вpeмeни cигнaлов. Determination of defects and deformations in a transport building, condition of work.