A Case of Cardiac Calcified Amorphous Tumor Presenting with Concomitant ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction and Occipital Stroke and a Brief Review of the Literature

Cardiac calcified amorphous tumor (CAT) is an extremely rare benign intracavitary tumor of the heart. It may mimic other cardiac tumors and can present with signs or symptoms of systemic embolization. There are limited data regarding CAT in the literature. We report a case of a 68-year-old woman with a cardiac CAT and mitral annular calcification (MAC), who presented with acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and occipital stroke. After extensive review of the literature, we believe that this case is possibly the first description of a cardiac CAT presenting with STEMI. The CAT was surgically removed, and the diagnosis was confirmed by histology. The patient tolerated the surgery and reported no events at 6-month follow-up

Building Back Better: Educational Development with Globalization in Post COVID-19

COVID-19 has disrupted the globe and is a pandemic health crisis affecting every sector of every country. The COVID-19 pandemic has also disrupted the normal teaching and learning environment. Due to the pandemic, all schools, colleges, and universities are shut down. It affected students, teachers, parents, and ways of instruction, resulting in an unprecedented push for online learning. Transforming offline to online learning is a new opportunity for teaching and learning environment; however, it has many challenges. Educational policymakers need to lay down policies related to education development with globalization post-COVID-19. The present paper addresses how to build back better educational development with globalization post-COVID-19. Keywords: Building Back Better, Post COVID-19, Curriculum, Pedagogy, Blended Learning DOI: 10.7176/JEP/14-9-02 Publication date:March 31st 202

A Rare Case of Carotid Web Presenting with Ischemic Stroke in a Young Woman and a Brief Review of the Literature

Carotid web is a radiological description of a shelf-like intraluminal filling defect in the carotid bulb. It is histologically defined as atypical fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD), with abnormal fibrosis and smooth muscle cell hyperplasia in the tunica intima. The spur-like intraluminal protrusion can serve as a nidus for thrombus formation, which could cause systemic embolism and ischemic strokes. We report a case of a 20-year-old female patient presenting with acute ischemic stroke in the ipsilateral middle cerebral artery (MCA) territory. We also discuss the incidence, the prevalence, the pathophysiology, the treatment, and the recurrence of carotid web based on the currently available literature

Caregiver experience and perceived acceptability of a novel near point-of-care early infant HIV diagnostic test among caregivers enrolled in the PMTCT program, Myanmar: A qualitative study

Background: The majority of HIV infection among children occurs through mother-to-child transmission. HIV exposed infants are recommended to have virological testing at birth or 4–6 weeks of age but challenges with centralized laboratory-based testing in Myanmar result in low test- ing rates and delays in result communication and treatment initiation. Decentralized point- of-care (POC) testing when integrated in prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) services, can be an alternative to increase coverage of early infant diagnosis (EID) and timely engagement in HIV treatment and care. Aim: This paper aims to explore experiences of caregivers of HIV-exposed infants enrolled in the PMTCT program in Myanmar and the perceived acceptability of point-of-care EID testing compared to conventional centralised laboratory-based testing. Methods: This is a sub-study of the cluster randomised controlled stepped-wedge trial (Trial registra- tion number: ACTRN12616000734460) that assessed the impact of near POC EID testing using Xpert HIV-1 Qual assay in four public hospitals in Myanmar. Caregivers of infants who were enrolled in the intervention phase of the main study, had been tested with both Xpert and standard of care tests and had received the results were eligible for this qualitative study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 23 caregivers. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim and translated into English. Thematic data analysis was undertaken using NVivo 12 Software (QSR International). Results: The majority of caregivers were satisfied with the quality of care provided by PMTCT ser- vices. However, they encountered social and financial access barriers to attend the PMTCT clinic regularly. Mothers had concerns about community stigma from the disclosure of their HIV status and the potential consequences for their infants. While medical care at the PMTCT clinics was free, caregivers sometimes experienced financial difficulties associated with out-of-pocket expenses for childbirth and transportation. Some caregivers had to choose not to attend work (impacting their income) or the adult antiretroviral clinic in order to attend the paediatric PMTCT clinic appointment. The acceptability of the Xpert testing pro- cess was high among the caregiver participants and more than half received the Xpert result on the same day as testing. Short turnaround time of the near POC EID testing enabled the caregivers to find out their infants’ HIV status quicker, thereby shortening the stressful wait- ing time for results. Conclusion: Our study identified important access challenges facing caregivers of HIV exposed infants and high acceptability of near POC EID testing. Improving the retention rate in the PMTCT and EID programs necessitates careful attention of program managers and policy makers to these challenges, and POC EID represents a potential solution

Operational experiences associated with the implementation of near point-of-care early infant diagnosis of HIV in Myanmar: a qualitative study

Background: Timely diagnosis and early initiation of life-saving antiretroviral therapy are critical factors in preventing mortality among HIV-infected infants. However, resource-limited settings experience numerous challenges associated with centralised laboratory-based testing, including low rates of testing, complex sample referral pathways and unacceptably long turnaround times for results. Point-of-care (POC) HIV testing for HIVexposed infants can enable same-day communication of results and early treatment initiation for HIV-infected infants. However, complex operational issues and service integration can limit utility and must be well understood prior to implementation. We explored and documented the challenges and enabling factors in implementing the POC Xpert® HIV-1 Qual test (Cepheid, Sunnyvale, CA, USA) for early infant diagnosis (EID) as part of routine services in four public hospitals in Myanmar. Methods: This sub-study was part of a randomised controlled stepped-wedge trial (Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, number 12616000734460) designed to investigate the impact of POC testing for EID in Myanmar and Papua New Guinea. Infants recruited during the intervention phase underwent POC testing at the participating hospitals as part of routine care. Semi-structured interviews with 23 caregivers, 12 healthcare providers and 10 key informants were used to explore experiences of POC-EID testing. The research team and hospital staff documented and discussed implementation challenges throughout the study. Results: Overall, caregivers and healthcare workers were satisfied with the short turnaround time of the POC test. Occasional delays in POC testing were mostly attributable to late receipt of samples by laboratory technicians and communication constraints among healthcare staff. Hospital staff valued technical assistance from the research group and the National Health Laboratory. Despite staff shortages and infrastructure challenges such as unreliable electricity supply and cramped space, healthcare workers and caregivers found the implementation of the POC test to be feasible at pilot sites. Conclusions: As plans for national scale-up evolve, there needs to be a continual focus on staff training, communication pathways and infrastructure. Other models of care, such as allowing non-laboratory-trained personnel to perform POC testing, and cost effectiveness should also be evaluated

Experimental and numerical analysis on the thermal performance of the aluminium absorber

The absorber is a vital part of a solar air collector and has a significant impact on the overall efficiency of a solar air heating unit. The objective of this research is to examine and compare the performance of two distinct aluminium absorbers with and without aluminium fins by using experimental and numerical (computational fluid dynamics – CFD) methods. The studies were conducted in Mandalay, Myanmar, which is located at latitude 21.98° N and longitude 96.1° E, during December 2022. A plate absorber solar air collector (PASAC) and finned absorber solar air collector (FASAC) with the same absorber area of 0.889 m2 are compared in terms of their thermal performance. At a mass flow rate of 0.0389 kg/s, the average thermal efficiency, as computed numerically, is 53.5 % for FASAC, and the experimental results show a thermal efficiency of 54.2 %. Similarly, for PASAC, the numerical computation yields an average thermal efficiency of 44.4 %, while the experimental results indicate a thermal efficiency of 47.3 %. The FASAC outperforms PASAC in terms of thermal performance. The improved thermal performance of the double-pass solar air collectors with aluminium-finned absorbers can be advantageous for employment as a drying process unit

X-ray Spectroscopy of a Rare-Earth Molecular System Measured at the Single Atom Limit in Room Temperature

We investigate the limit of X-ray detection at room temperature on rare-earth molecular films using lanthanum and a pyridine-based dicarboxamide organic linker as a model system. Synchrotron X-ray scanning tunneling microscopy is used to probe the molecules with different coverages on a HOPG substrate. X-ray-induced photocurrent intensities are measured as a function of molecular coverage on the sample allowing a correlation of the amount of La ions with the photocurrent signal strength. X-ray absorption spectroscopy shows cogent M4,5 absorption edges of the lanthanum ion originated by the transitions from the 3d3/2 and 3d5/2 to 4f orbitals. X-ray absorption spectra measured in the tunneling regime further reveal an X-ray excited tunneling current produced at the M4,5 absorption edge of La ion down to the ultimate atomic limit at room temperature.Comment: 19 pages, 4 figure

Caregiver experience and perceived acceptability of a novel near point-of-care early infant HIV diagnostic test among caregivers enrolled in the PMTCT program, Myanmar : a qualitative study

Background The majority of HIV infection among children occurs through mother-to-child transmission. HIV exposed infants are recommended to have virological testing at birth or 4–6 weeks of age but challenges with centralized laboratory-based testing in Myanmar result in low testing rates and delays in result communication and treatment initiation. Decentralized point-of-care (POC) testing when integrated in prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) services, can be an alternative to increase coverage of early infant diagnosis (EID) and timely engagement in HIV treatment and care. Aim This paper aims to explore experiences of caregivers of HIV-exposed infants enrolled in the PMTCT program in Myanmar and the perceived acceptability of point-of-care EID testing compared to conventional centralised laboratory-based testing. Methods This is a sub-study of the cluster randomised controlled stepped-wedge trial (Trial registration number: ACTRN12616000734460) that assessed the impact of near POC EID testing using Xpert HIV-1 Qual assay in four public hospitals in Myanmar. Caregivers of infants who were enrolled in the intervention phase of the main study, had been tested with both Xpert and standard of care tests and had received the results were eligible for this qualitative study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 23 caregivers. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim and translated into English. Thematic data analysis was undertaken using NVivo 12 Software (QSR International). Results The majority of caregivers were satisfied with the quality of care provided by PMTCT services. However, they encountered social and financial access barriers to attend the PMTCT clinic regularly. Mothers had concerns about community stigma from the disclosure of their HIV status and the potential consequences for their infants. While medical care at the PMTCT clinics was free, caregivers sometimes experienced financial difficulties associated with out-of-pocket expenses for childbirth and transportation. Some caregivers had to choose not to attend work (impacting their income) or the adult antiretroviral clinic in order to attend the paediatric PMTCT clinic appointment. The acceptability of the Xpert testing process was high among the caregiver participants and more than half received the Xpert result on the same day as testing. Short turnaround time of the near POC EID testing enabled the caregivers to find out their infants’ HIV status quicker, thereby shortening the stressful waiting time for results. Conclusion Our study identified important access challenges facing caregivers of HIV exposed infants and high acceptability of near POC EID testing. Improving the retention rate in the PMTCT and EID programs necessitates careful attention of program managers and policy makers to these challenges, and POC EID represents a potential solution

НЕПОСРЕДСТВЕННЫЕ И ОТДАЛЕННЫЕ РЕЗУЛЬТАТЫ ЭНДОПРОТЕЗИРОВАНИЯ ПРИ РАССЛОЕНИЯХ И АТЕРОСКЛЕРОТИЧЕСКИХ АНЕВРИЗМАХ ГРУДНОЙ АОРТЫ

Objective: to analyze the results of endovascular stent-graftingin dissections and atherosclerotic aneurysms of descending part of thoracic aorta.Material and method: in this analysis includes 28 patients with dissections and atherosclerotic aneurysms of descending part of thoracic aorta. Acute aortic dissection type 3 was occurred in 10 patients and two of them were complicated with rupture into the left pleural cavity. 10 patients with chronic aortic dissection type bunderwent operations and one of them was complicated with rupture into the left pleural cavity. Among 8 operated patients due to chronic aneurysms of descending part of thoracic aorta, 4 patients were manifested with symptoms of hemothorax. In 3 patients with aortic dissection type 1 in long-term period, endovascular stent-grafting was performed concerning with the dilatation of descending thoracic aorta and patent false lumen. During in-hospital and long-term periods immediate clinical results, serious clinical complications and long-term survival were compared.Results: technical success of endovascular stent-grafting was achieved in 100 % of cases. In-hospital mortality was 4 (14,2 %) and 30-day mortality was 3 (10,7 %). Events of paraplegia, TIA (Transient Ischemic Attack), prosthetic infection were not found in our research. Two clinical occurrences of vascular approach site complication were found; one case of endoleak type 1 and stent-graft dislocation which required repeated endovascular stent-grafting and one case of endoleak type 2 which was performed subclaviancarotid bypass and ligation of left subclavian artery. Prolong intubation was needed in 5 patients (18,5 %).conclusion: Endovascular stent-grafting in dissections and atherosclerotic aneurysms of descending part of thoracic aorta contributes good immediate clinical results associating with less quantity of serious complications.ЦЕЛЬ ИССЛЕДОВАНИЯ: анализ результатов эндопротезирования (ЭП) при расслоениях и атеросклеротических аневризмах нисходящего отдела грудной аорты.МАТЕРИАЛЫ И МЕТОДЫ: в анализ были включены 28 пациентов с расслоениями и атеросклеротическими аневризмами нисходящего отдела грудной аорты. Острое расслоение 3 типа было у 10 пациентов, из них у 2 пациентов имелось осложнение в виде прорыва в левую плевральную полость. С хроническим расслоением В типа прооперировано 10 пациентов, из них у 1 – прорыв в левую плевральную полость. Из 8 пациентов, оперированных по поводу хронической атеросклеротической аневризмы нисходящего отдела грудной аорты, у 4 симптомы манифестировали в виде гемоторакса. У 3 пациентов с расслоением аорты 1 типа в отдаленном периоде выполнялось эндопротезирование в связи с дилатацией нисходящей рудной аорты и функционирующим ложным просветом. В госпитальном и отдаленном периодах сравнивались непосредственные клинические результаты, серьезные клинические осложнения и отдаленная выживаемость.РЕЗУЛЬТАТЫ. Технический успех ЭП был достигнут в 100 % случаев. Госпитальная летальность составила 4 (14,2 %), 30-дневная летальность – 3 (10,7 %). Случаев параплегии, ОНМК, инфекции эндографта в нашем исследовании не было. Наблюдалось два клинических случая развития осложнений в месте сосудистого доступа; один случай эндолика 1 типа и дислокация стент-графта, требующего повторного эндопротезирования, и один эндолик 2 типа, проведено подключично-сонное шунтирование, перевязка левой подключичной артерии. Продленная интубация потребовалась у 5 пациентов (18,5 %).ВЫВОДЫ: эндопротезирование при расслоениях и атеросклеротических аневризмах нисходящего отдела грудной аорты дает хороший непосредственный клинический результат, сопровождается меньшим количеством серьезных осложнений

Robust neural network tracking controller based on simultaneous perturbation stochastic approximation

the robust neural controller based on the SPSA has been developed to obtain the guaranteed stability with a normalized learning algorithm. A three-layered neural network is used for the simulation study with 30 hidden layer neurons and two output neurons, which was trained by the standard back-propagation and SPSA training algorithm.Master of Science (Computer Control and Automation