Behavior of Masonry Walls with Respect to Seismic Stress, Analysis and Recommendation

Structures with masonry infill panels and reinforced concrete frame are widely used structural systems and by lack of knowledge considered secondary, masonry infill walls are considered until now as non-load-bearing elements, therefore the role of taking and transmitting vertical and horizontal loads (seismic)  is  ensured  only  by  the  reinforced  concrete  structure.  However, experience from past earthquakes around the world has shown that this calculation approach is simplifying and approximate, because we have found during the analysis of earthquake damage that the neglect of masonry walls in calculations can decisively influence and even upset the response of structures to seismic forces. The tests carried out in our research and the numerical modelling carried out on several cases have shown that the effect of shear stress on gantry masonry structures can be taken into account by replacing in the numerical modelling the masonry with equivalent diagonals  whose  thickness  will  be  calculated  according  to  the  physical  and mechanical characteristics of the gantry and the masonry

Behavior of Masonry Walls with Respect to Seismic Stress, Analysis and Recommendation

Structures with masonry infill panels and reinforced concrete frame are widely used structural systems and by lack of knowledge considered secondary, masonry infill walls are considered until now as non-load-bearing elements, therefore the role of taking and transmitting vertical and horizontal loads (seismic)  is  ensured  only  by  the  reinforced  concrete  structure.  However, experience from past earthquakes around the world has shown that this calculation approach is simplifying and approximate, because we have found during the analysis of earthquake damage that the neglect of masonry walls in calculations can decisively influence and even upset the response of structures to seismic forces. The tests carried out in our research and the numerical modelling carried out on several cases have shown that the effect of shear stress on gantry masonry structures can be taken into account by replacing in the numerical modelling the masonry with equivalent diagonals  whose  thickness  will  be  calculated  according  to  the  physical  and mechanical characteristics of the gantry and the masonry

Modified Dismembered Technique of Laparoscopic Transperitoneal Pyeloplasty in Children

Background: Laparoscopic pyeloplasty in children gained more and more popularity over the past two decades. However, it remains technically challenging with the most steps of the procedure are ureteric spatulation, DJ insertion, and intracorporeal anastomosis. Many modifications have been proposed to address these issues. In this article, we present our surgical approach to laparoscopic transperitoneal modified dismembered pyeloplasty highlighting some tips to make it easy. Objectives: This study was conducted to evaluate the outcomes of laparoscopic management of ureteropelvic junction obstruction children. Patients and Methods: This was a prospective study carried out on patients who presented with UPJO to our center from May 2019 to October 2021. All the cases underwent laparoscopic transperitoneal modified dismembered pyeloplasty where complete dismembering is deferred after the ureteropelvic anastomosis to prevent ureteral torsion and to use the redundant pelvis as a handle for ureteric manipulation. We used 3 simple techniques for antegrade insertion of DJ. Results: The study included 25 patients (19 males and 6 females) The mean age at operation was 30.88 ± 27.48 months. The mean time needed for the anastomosis was 80 minutes while the mean total operative time was 155 minutes. No conversion was needed. Apart from 2 cases, all other patients showed significant improvement of the degree of hydronephrosis and renal split function. Conclusion: The described modifications facilitated performing the procedure rendering laparoscopic pyeloplasty to be a less demanding and much easier procedure than the conventional technique

Transforming the Capabilities of Artificial Intelligence in GCC Financial Sector: A Systematic Literature Review

Identity and access management is a business process framework that makes it easier to maintain genuine user identities and regulate access to sensitive assets. The word "access control"refers to an organization's policy for authorizing access procedures, the mechanisms that implement and enforce the policy, and the model that the policy and procedures are built on. Adopting new technology may give rise to specific cyber threats that decrease or degrade business operations. The paper has designed to discuss the artificial intelligence-based access control system as a necessary component of governing and safeguarding the financial sector's information assets in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. Due to the dynamic and complicated nature of security rules for access control, organizations that employ web-enabled remote access in conjunction with applications access deployed over several networks face various obstacles, including increased operational complexity and monitoring concerns. Organizations spend a vast budget on securing their business. As the industry trend has shifted to intelligent internet-based companies on the same side, the cyber threat has become a challenge for the researcher to find the solution. A systematic research is conducted to fill the gaps in the existing literature by picking the most relevant research papers (126) from the four most reputable online repositories based on the four research questions specified. These research topics aim to evaluate the current situation from many perspectives and provide new avenues for future study to be studied soon to maintain high security and authenticity inside financial sectors of the GCC's countries

Serum anti-endometrial antibodies as a biomarker for implantation rate in patients with endometriosis who had recurrent implantation failure and prepared for Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection

Background: Endometriosis is a common disease that affects 10% of reproductive-age women, which extrapolates to approximately 190 million women worldwide. Objectives: we aimed to assess the prognostic value of serum anti-endometrial antibodies estimation in connection to the implantation rate in endometriosis patients with recurrent implantation failure who underwent intracytoplasmic sperm injection cycles (ICSI). Patients and Methods: A prospective cohort study examined infertile patients with endometriosis who underwent ICSI cycles after recurrent implantation failure at assisted reproduction units, Obstetrics and Gynecology departments, South Valley University, and Cairo University. All patients were evaluated and serum anti-endometrial antibodies were measured, followed by an ICSI procedure, and the implantation rate was recorded Results: 32 patients were included; 24 (75%) had primary infertility, and 8 (25%) had secondary infertility. Antiendometrial antibodies were positive in 21 (65.62%) patients, with a significant negative correlation between anti-endometrial antibodies and implantation rate in patients with recurrent implantation failure (P= 0.010). Conclusion: Serum anti-endometrial antibodies exhibited a negative association with implantation rate and oocyte quality, suggesting a potential use as a biomarker in endometriosis patients with recurrent implantation failure undergoing ICSI cycles

Digital watermarking : applicability for developing trust in medical imaging workflows state of the art review

Medical images can be intentionally or unintentionally manipulated both within the secure medical system environment and outside, as images are viewed, extracted and transmitted. Many organisations have invested heavily in Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS), which are intended to facilitate data security. However, it is common for images, and records, to be extracted from these for a wide range of accepted practices, such as external second opinion, transmission to another care provider, patient data request, etc. Therefore, confirming trust within medical imaging workflows has become essential. Digital watermarking has been recognised as a promising approach for ensuring the authenticity and integrity of medical images. Authenticity refers to the ability to identify the information origin and prove that the data relates to the right patient. Integrity means the capacity to ensure that the information has not been altered without authorisation. This paper presents a survey of medical images watermarking and offers an evident scene for concerned researchers by analysing the robustness and limitations of various existing approaches. This includes studying the security levels of medical images within PACS system, clarifying the requirements of medical images watermarking and defining the purposes of watermarking approaches when applied to medical images

Surgical site infection after gastrointestinal surgery in high-income, middle-income, and low-income countries: a prospective, international, multicentre cohort study

Background: Surgical site infection (SSI) is one of the most common infections associated with health care, but its importance as a global health priority is not fully understood. We quantified the burden of SSI after gastrointestinal surgery in countries in all parts of the world. Methods: This international, prospective, multicentre cohort study included consecutive patients undergoing elective or emergency gastrointestinal resection within 2-week time periods at any health-care facility in any country. Countries with participating centres were stratified into high-income, middle-income, and low-income groups according to the UN's Human Development Index (HDI). Data variables from the GlobalSurg 1 study and other studies that have been found to affect the likelihood of SSI were entered into risk adjustment models. The primary outcome measure was the 30-day SSI incidence (defined by US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria for superficial and deep incisional SSI). Relationships with explanatory variables were examined using Bayesian multilevel logistic regression models. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02662231. Findings: Between Jan 4, 2016, and July 31, 2016, 13 265 records were submitted for analysis. 12 539 patients from 343 hospitals in 66 countries were included. 7339 (58·5%) patient were from high-HDI countries (193 hospitals in 30 countries), 3918 (31·2%) patients were from middle-HDI countries (82 hospitals in 18 countries), and 1282 (10·2%) patients were from low-HDI countries (68 hospitals in 18 countries). In total, 1538 (12·3%) patients had SSI within 30 days of surgery. The incidence of SSI varied between countries with high (691 [9·4%] of 7339 patients), middle (549 [14·0%] of 3918 patients), and low (298 [23·2%] of 1282) HDI (p < 0·001). The highest SSI incidence in each HDI group was after dirty surgery (102 [17·8%] of 574 patients in high-HDI countries; 74 [31·4%] of 236 patients in middle-HDI countries; 72 [39·8%] of 181 patients in low-HDI countries). Following risk factor adjustment, patients in low-HDI countries were at greatest risk of SSI (adjusted odds ratio 1·60, 95% credible interval 1·05–2·37; p=0·030). 132 (21·6%) of 610 patients with an SSI and a microbiology culture result had an infection that was resistant to the prophylactic antibiotic used. Resistant infections were detected in 49 (16·6%) of 295 patients in high-HDI countries, in 37 (19·8%) of 187 patients in middle-HDI countries, and in 46 (35·9%) of 128 patients in low-HDI countries (p < 0·001). Interpretation: Countries with a low HDI carry a disproportionately greater burden of SSI than countries with a middle or high HDI and might have higher rates of antibiotic resistance. In view of WHO recommendations on SSI prevention that highlight the absence of high-quality interventional research, urgent, pragmatic, randomised trials based in LMICs are needed to assess measures aiming to reduce this preventable complication

Impact of opioid-free analgesia on pain severity and patient satisfaction after discharge from surgery: multispecialty, prospective cohort study in 25 countries

Background: Balancing opioid stewardship and the need for adequate analgesia following discharge after surgery is challenging. This study aimed to compare the outcomes for patients discharged with opioid versus opioid-free analgesia after common surgical procedures.Methods: This international, multicentre, prospective cohort study collected data from patients undergoing common acute and elective general surgical, urological, gynaecological, and orthopaedic procedures. The primary outcomes were patient-reported time in severe pain measured on a numerical analogue scale from 0 to 100% and patient-reported satisfaction with pain relief during the first week following discharge. Data were collected by in-hospital chart review and patient telephone interview 1 week after discharge.Results: The study recruited 4273 patients from 144 centres in 25 countries; 1311 patients (30.7%) were prescribed opioid analgesia at discharge. Patients reported being in severe pain for 10 (i.q.r. 1-30)% of the first week after discharge and rated satisfaction with analgesia as 90 (i.q.r. 80-100) of 100. After adjustment for confounders, opioid analgesia on discharge was independently associated with increased pain severity (risk ratio 1.52, 95% c.i. 1.31 to 1.76; P &lt; 0.001) and re-presentation to healthcare providers owing to side-effects of medication (OR 2.38, 95% c.i. 1.36 to 4.17; P = 0.004), but not with satisfaction with analgesia (beta coefficient 0.92, 95% c.i. -1.52 to 3.36; P = 0.468) compared with opioid-free analgesia. Although opioid prescribing varied greatly between high-income and low- and middle-income countries, patient-reported outcomes did not.Conclusion: Opioid analgesia prescription on surgical discharge is associated with a higher risk of re-presentation owing to side-effects of medication and increased patient-reported pain, but not with changes in patient-reported satisfaction. Opioid-free discharge analgesia should be adopted routinely

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Mortality of emergency abdominal surgery in high-, middle- and low-income countries

Background: Surgical mortality data are collected routinely in high-income countries, yet virtually no low- or middle-income countries have outcome surveillance in place. The aim was prospectively to collect worldwide mortality data following emergency abdominal surgery, comparing findings across countries with a low, middle or high Human Development Index (HDI). Methods: This was a prospective, multicentre, cohort study. Self-selected hospitals performing emergency surgery submitted prespecified data for consecutive patients from at least one 2-week interval during July to December 2014. Postoperative mortality was analysed by hierarchical multivariable logistic regression. Results: Data were obtained for 10 745 patients from 357 centres in 58 countries; 6538 were from high-, 2889 from middle- and 1318 from low-HDI settings. The overall mortality rate was 1⋅6 per cent at 24 h (high 1⋅1 per cent, middle 1⋅9 per cent, low 3⋅4 per cent; P < 0⋅001), increasing to 5⋅4 per cent by 30 days (high 4⋅5 per cent, middle 6⋅0 per cent, low 8⋅6 per cent; P < 0⋅001). Of the 578 patients who died, 404 (69⋅9 per cent) did so between 24 h and 30 days following surgery (high 74⋅2 per cent, middle 68⋅8 per cent, low 60⋅5 per cent). After adjustment, 30-day mortality remained higher in middle-income (odds ratio (OR) 2⋅78, 95 per cent c.i. 1⋅84 to 4⋅20) and low-income (OR 2⋅97, 1⋅84 to 4⋅81) countries. Surgical safety checklist use was less frequent in low- and middle-income countries, but when used was associated with reduced mortality at 30 days. Conclusion: Mortality is three times higher in low- compared with high-HDI countries even when adjusted for prognostic factors. Patient safety factors may have an important role. Registration number: NCT02179112 (http://www.clinicaltrials.gov)