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Evaluation And Risk Stratification Of Ventricular Premature Complexes In Athletes: Practical Considerations For Differentiating Benign From Malignant Arrhythmias, Jacky Kit Chan, Erik Fung

Journal of the Hong Kong College of Cardiology

Ventricular premature complexes (VPCs) are common in athletes, but distinguishing benign VPCs from malignant arrhythmias remains a clinical challenge. This review summarizes current evidence on VPC evaluation and risk stratification in athletes, emphasizing electrocardiographic (ECG) features, burden, morphology, coupling interval, and exercise response. While VPC prevalence in athletes mirrors the general population, high-risk features–such as non-fascicular, non-outflow tract morphologies (e.g., superior axis or wide QRS), short coupling intervals (<300 ms), and VPC exacerbation during exercise - correlate with underlying structural heart disease (e.g.,arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy, idiopathic left ventricular scar) and adverse outcomes. Guideline-directed assessment recommends comprehensive evaluation for athletes with high VPC burden (>10%), complex arrhythmias, or abnormal imaging. Key findings include: (1) VPC-induced cardiomyopathy risk rises with burden >5–10%, though low-burden VPCs may still indicate arrhythmogenic substrates; (2) uncommon morphologies (e.g., non-fascicular, non-outflow …

Successful Rescue Of A Trapped Proglide By Balloon Angioplasty – A Case Report, Cheuk Yin Lai, Guang-Ming Tan

Journal of the Hong Kong College of Cardiology

Vascular closure devices (VCD) are commonly used for rapid haemostasis after femoral arterial cannulation, however, serious adverse events may rarely occur. We describe a case where use of Perclose Proglide for closure of the right femoral artery (RFA) access site led to focal arterial dissection, entrapping the footplate of a second Proglide device during staged percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The trapped device was eventually extracted using intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)-guided balloon angioplasty with cross-over approach. This case highlights the potential complications of VCD and possible endovascular strategies in tackling such issues.

Exploratory Study Of Stress Myocardial Blood Flow And Myocardial Perfusion Reserve In Relation To Cerebral Small Vessel Disease On Mri: A Hypothesis-Generating Analysis, Young Ju Kim, Tsun Hei Sin, Chi Wai Stephen Cheung, Ka Fung Henry Mak, Ming Yen Ng

Journal of the Hong Kong College of Cardiology

Background: Small vessel disease of the heart and brain share common risk factors and pathophysiological mechanisms, but imaging-based evidence of a direct link between coronary microvascular dysfunction and cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) remains limited. This study aimed to assess whether stress myocardial blood flow (MBF) and myocardial perfusion reserve (MPR) are associated with brain magnetic resonance imaging (BMR) markers of CSVD. Methods: This retrospective study included adult patients who underwent both cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) and BMR between January 2021 and December 2025 at a tertiary center. Quantitative stress MBF and MPR were assessed using adenosine stress CMR. …

Isolation, Molecular Identification, And Biofilm Characterisation Of Klebsiella Pneumoniae From Clinical Specimens, With Evaluation Of Probiotic Lactobacillus Fermentum-Mediated Anti-Biofilm Activity, Sophy Ps

Muthanna Medical Journal

Background: Healthcare-associated infections caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae infection are increasingly associated with indwelling medical devices due to the organism's strong biofilm-forming ability, which enhances resistance to antibiotics and host immune responses. This study evaluated the biofilm-forming potential of clinical Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates and investigated the anti-biofilm activity of Lactobacillus fermentum under in vitro conditions. Methods: Fifteen clinical specimens, including catheter tips (n=6), sputum (n=5), and urine (n=4), were collected between September and December 2012. Isolates were identified using morphological and biochemical tests. Biofilm formation was assessed using the crystal violet microtiter plate assay. Molecular confirmation involved 16S rRNA gene sequencing …

Knowledge, Attitudes, And Practice Of Iraqi Parents Regarding The Issues Of Vaccinating Their Children, Taqi Mohammed Jwad Taher, Rami Bahaa Saadi, Rand Sadik Al Radhy, Mohanad Aljama, Houreleen H Salman, Mayameen H Salman, Mustafa Sabeeh Lafta Zubaidi, Shaymaa Abdul Lateef Al-Fadhul, Mohammed Firas Turki, Hasanain Faisal Ghazi

Muthanna Medical Journal

Background: Children's vaccination can help in the prevention and protection against various fatal illnesses. Aims: This study aims to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of both parents toward their children's vaccinations. Methods: This is a cross-sectional analytical study of Iraqi parents in Wasit province. Data was collected through self-administered questionnaires that were developed from published research and adapted according to local culture. Data was collected from three primary health care centres in Kut City, Wasit province, for 255 parents who visited centres with their children for any reason from the first of April 2023 to the thirteenth of July …

Plasma Gdf15 Affects Long-Term Dementia Risk And Alters Neuroimmune Signaling, Cassandra O Blew, Michael R Duggan, Dimitrios Tsitsipatis, Gabriela T Gomez, Zulema Rodriguez-Hernandez, Luke C Pilling, Jingsha Chen, Eva Jacobsen, Heather E Dark, Yifei Lu, Shannon M Drouin, Cassandra M Joynes, Minhao Yao, Murat Bilgel, Abhay Moghekar, Qu Tian, Julián Candia, Mary Kaileh, Aditi Gupta, Krystyna Mazan-Mamczarz, Myriam Gorospe, Alexey Lyashkov, Yevgeniya Lukyanenko, Mika Kivimaki, Philipp Frank, Lori L Jennings, Valborg Gudmundsdottir, Vilmundur Gudnason, Lenore J Launer, Naoto Kaneko, Shintaro Kato, Makio Furuichi, Masaki Shibayama, Masahisa Katsuno, Keita Hiraga, Yukiko Nishita, Rei Otsuka, James R Pike, Mary R Rooney, Pascal Schlosser, Yuhan Cui, Guray Erus, Christos Davatzikos, Rebecca F Gottesman, Iwao Waga, Priya Palta, Christie Ballantyne, Michael Griswold, Zhonghua Liu, Luigi Ferrucci, Allison B Herman, Keenan A Walker

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Growth/differentiation factor-15 (GDF15) is a secreted cytokine strongly associated with dementia risk. However, the extent to which GDF15 represents a biomarker and driver of dementia risk remains unclear. Across multiple cohorts, we demonstrated that plasma GDF15 is associated with greater dementia risk over 15- to 25-year follow-up periods when measured in midlife, with stronger associations observed for vascular, compared to Alzheimer's disease (AD), dementia. Two-sample Mendelian randomization supported plasma GDF15's mechanistic role in AD and related dementias, while cohort studies linked it to cerebral small vessel disease, neurodegeneration, phosphorylated tau, and a cerebrospinal fluid proteomic signature indicative of neuroimmune activation. …

Spatial Capital Dynamics Examining Ecological Distribution Conflicts Within The Electric Vehicle Supply-And-Consumption Chain, Alice Piva, Anna Kondi, Beatriz Couto, Chaitaly Deshpande, Dieudonné E. Da Costa, John Smith, Josephine Agbeko, Et Al.

Michigan Tech Publications

Energy transitions are often celebrated as pathways to a greener future. Yet, they frequently reproduce spatially uneven burdens and patterns of dispossession, particularly affecting marginalised communities from the Global South. While climate justice debates have advanced, their spatial dimension has received comparatively less systematic attention. This paper documents an experimental use of spatial capital as a lens to analyse how green transitions reshape territorial agency and reinforce spatial inequalities. The three case studies across the electric vehicle chain show how spatial capital illustrates the sustainability agenda’s capacity to reshape people’s ability to access, inhabit, and act within their territories.

Seeing Is Believing: Mental Imagery Amplifies Moral, Emotional, And Motivational Responding To Mentally Constructed Hypothetical Events, Julie L. Ji, Adam S. Radomsky, Jackie Andrade

School of Psychology

Mental imagery is theorised to support important mental simulation processes, yet there remains little direct evidence of its functional impact on affective, moral, and motivation outcomes. This study examined whether the ability to generate visual mental imagery amplifies “as-if-real” responding to a mentally constructed harm event. Using a modified laboratory harm provocation paradigm, Aphantasics (individuals with no or minimal visual imagery; N = 32) and Visualisers (those with normal to high imagery ability; N = 48) were asked to write down the sentence “I hope [name of a loved one] is in a car accident”, followed by instructed mental simulation …

Optimized Multi-Criteria Routing Algorithm For Durable Wireless Sensor Networks, Ghaihab H. Adday, Maha S. Abdulridha, Hasanain A. Alsreeh, Taj-Aldeen N. Abdali

Baghdad Science Journal

The Internet of Things and the Fourth Industrial Revolution (IR 4.0) rely on Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) as their underlying infrastructure. WSNs have recently attracted significant attention due to their crucial applications, such as monitoring applications. Geographic routing algorithms are widely used in WSNs because event location is often more critical than node identification. However, these algorithms still face challenges, such as workload imbalance and high energy consumption. Energy consumption is particularly vital in WSNs due to the sensor nodes' limited power resources. This work proposed an enhanced geographic routing algorithm based on the Technique for Order of Preference by …

Architecting Reliable Multi-Agent Systems With Large Language Models Through Model-Driven Engineering, Najma Imtiaz Ali, Aadil Jamali, Imtiaz Ali Brohi, Noor Zaman Jhanjhi, Emaliana Kasmuri

Baghdad Science Journal

Multi-agent systems based on large language models (LLM) are said to be able to provide flexible and scalable collaboration, but are often unstable, adversarially active, biased in their representations, and expensive to compute - aspects that hinder their use in safety-critical or resource-sensitive systems. To overcome these deficiencies, a model-driven engineering framework, the MDE-Agentware, has been implemented: a model-based engineering paradigm, which represents multi-agent architectures through a typed domain specific metamodel, and generates executables that are conforming with instrumented runtime monitoring, tool wrappers and energy-conscious invocation policies. The main novelties of the approach include (i) a formal model-to-code transformation, enforcing …

Weighted Average Ensemble Learning Model For Improving Brain Tumor Classification, Laith H. Alhasnawy, Hasanain Ali Al Essa, Tahseen A. Wotaifi, Abbas F. Hommadi, Ameer K. Al-Mashanji

Baghdad Science Journal

The detection of Brain Tumors (BTs) is of great benefit in identifying the growth of dangerous cells in the brain that pose a threat to the patient's life. Early detection of BTs remains a significant challenge due to subtle differences among tumor types and the complexity of brain anatomy. Manual diagnosis by radiologists is often time-consuming and subject to variations, which may delay treatment. Among available imaging techniques, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is widely used because of its high-resolution capabilities. Deep Learning (DL) has achieved remarkable success in image classification tasks through Transfer Learning (TL), which utilizes pre-trained models. Therefore, …

Predictive Mobility-Aware Analysis Of Controller Overhead In Sdn-Enabled Iot, Abdulrahman Saidu, Kamalrulnizam Bin Abu Bakar, Babangida Isyaku, Muhammad Nura Yusuf, Farkhana Binti Muchtar

Baghdad Science Journal

The rapid growth and increasing mobility of Internet of Things (IoT) mobile devices significantly intensify flow setup requests in Software-Defined Networking (SDN). Frequent movement of mobile devices across access points triggers repeated flow rule installations in data-plane switches, leading to excessive controller overhead under limited flow-table memory capacity. Inaccurate mobility prediction in existing approaches further aggravates this challenge by causing unnecessary rule placement and redundant flow setup requests. This study investigates the impact of mobility-aware prediction on controller overhead with experimental scenarios using different groups of mobile IoT devices, while considering controller CPU and memory utilization. A proactive mobility prediction …

Molecular Identification Of Cryptococcus Albidus Isolated From A Gingivitis Infection In A Male From Karbala City, Iraq, Maysaa Taqi Al-Khazali, Zahraa Raheem Murshidy, Sarah Kadhim Al-Rahimy, Sura Abd Ali Kadhim Mohammed, Dhuha Ali Hussein

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

The current study presents a case of gingivitis caused by Cryptococcus albidus in a 35-year-old male from the city of Karbala in Iraq. This fungal species was identified via morphology, microscopy, additionally to the VITEK system. C. albidus was further confirmed using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique by amplifying the 18S rRNA gene as a universal primer and sequencing. Sequences analysis revealed that this strain of C. albidus had not been previously documented in the NCBI database. Hence, the newly obtained sequences were submitted to the GenBank repository and assigned the accession number OQ975882.1, marking the first report of …

Association Of Executive Function And Resilience With Psychological Well-Being Among Early Adolescents: A Case Study In Northern Thailand, Kanyawee Teerawan, Monrudee Chokprajakchad, Jumpee Granger, Siriporn Nirapun

Journal of Health Research

Background: In early adolescence, psychological well-being represents an important developmental outcome. This period is marked by significant physical, emotional, and psychosocial transitions. Widely recognized as protective factors, executive function and resilience contribute to positive adolescent adjustment and mental health. However, investigations on the roles of these constructs among early adolescents in Northern Thailand in research remains limited.

Method: This study employed a cross-sectional correlational design, using secondary data from 210 lower secondary school students aged 11 to 13 years in Northern Thailand. Validated self-report questionnaires were used to collect data by assessing executive function, resilience, and psychological well-being. Direct associations …

Framing Tragedy: Discourse And Influence In Us Media Coverage Of The 1994 Rwanda Genocide, Andrew P. Young

Journal of 20th Century Media History

There is little doubt as to the mark left by the 1994 Rwandan genocide on historical discourse and perhaps even the American cultural consciousness. U.S. evening news broadcasts carried images of suffering and death into homes across the US, and in the process made Rwanda the site of one of the most recognized traumas in human history. While cultural proximity in mass media coverage played a role, the characterization of media coverage of the genocide, often defined in the press as explicit and constant, requires analysis. This project analyzes US evening network news broadcasts to address the actualities and implications …

[De]Constructing Jimmy's Grin: Doing Cultural Studies Through The Lens Of Boston Globe Editorial Cartoonist Paul Szep's Showcase Of Carter's White House Campaign, Lori Amber Roessner

Journal of 20th Century Media History

Heeding journalism historians Hanno Hardt and Bonnie Brennan’s call for inquiries that provide a new understanding of historical working conditions, this study explored the production of a sample of Szep’s editorial cartoons that surrounded Jimmy Carter’s campaign and presidency from 1976 to 1980. In particular, the manuscript considered the historical conditions and personal circumstances that influenced the cultural production of Szep’s body of work surrounding Jimmy Carter’s presidency; representations of Carter and his White House campaign in the sample of 20 editorial cartoons produced by Szep; moments of consumption by active Boston Globe audiences; the practice of identity [de]construction related …

Contested Bodies, Reconfigured Selves Rethinking Identity And Embodiment In Genai-Mediated Education, Anslem Böhmer

Journal of Academic Research and Innovation

No abstract provided.

The Ghostly Cyborg Author And The Living Reader Wonder, Supervision, And Scholarly Formation In The Age Of Ai, Connie Morrison, John L. Hoben

Journal of Academic Research and Innovation

No abstract provided.

Students' Supervision Amid An Ai Revolution Supervision, Ai Filtering And Human Proof-Reading, Daniel Rajmil, Pilar Ficapal-Cusí, Joan Torrent-Sellens

Journal of Academic Research and Innovation

No abstract provided.

From Gatekeeping To Cognitive Stewardship Rethinking Postgraduate Supervision In The Age Of Artificial Intelligence, Jon-Hans H. Coetzer Un, Erman Akilli Dr

Journal of Academic Research and Innovation

No abstract provided.

Who Cares In The Age Of Ai? Trust, Integrity & Compassion To Guide Education, Lia Pop

Journal of Academic Research and Innovation

No abstract provided.

Academic Integrity As A Socio-Technical System, Karlis Valtins

Journal of Academic Research and Innovation

No abstract provided.

Introducing Artificial Intelligence To The Metaverse, John O'Connor

Journal of Academic Research and Innovation

No abstract provided.

F2) Sacred Spaces And Mountain Communities: Regenerative Strategies In A Tourism Context, Carlos Fernandes, Isilda Leitão

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

A buffer zone between Portugal´s only national park and the more populated towns is comprised of mountain landscape with rich and abundant, generally well-preserved religious heritage. Moreover, a common spiritual practice among mountain communities is the act of pilgrimage to certain sacred sites, particularly during the annual ceremony. The honouring of the local patron saint is rooted in a community´s way of life and serves an important role in preserving the local cultural heritage, with elders playing a decisive role in preserving and transmitting this sacred knowledge to younger members of the community. Such ceremonies attract diverse types of participants, …

E3) Pop As Sacred Space: Rosalía’S Lux And The Reconfiguration Of Contemporary Spiritual Tourism, Dolors Vidal-Casellas, Adriana Figuerola Cortez

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

This paper analyzes Rosalía’s Lux album as a cultural device that reconfigures the relationships between spirituality, aesthetic experience, and contemporary mobility. Situated within a hybrid lineage of orchestral pop, sacred music, and avant-pop, the album constructs a sonic universe that transcends traditional musical consumption to offer a ritual-like experience. From the perspective of spiritual and cultural tourism, Lux is interpreted as a “symbolic pilgrimage space” where the listener engages in a sensory and affective journey. Its multi-movement structure, linguistic plurality, and references to mystical traditions and female figures from religious heritage shape a narrative of inner displacement that replaces physical …

E2) Religious Tourism As Neoliberal Piety: Islamic Spirituality And Sufism In Egyptian Islamic Tour Operators, Shin Yasuda, Daniel Vecchio

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

This presentation examines the characteristics of Sufism and Islamic way of spirituality within the Islamic religious market, focusing on the activities of the shaykhs who serve as spiritual guides for Egyptian Islamic tour operators. Within the Islamic religious market in Egypt, religious practices have become products and services for religious market consumption amid the rise of neoliberalism and market economies. Within this context, spiritual guides in Islamic tour operators have emerged as an occupation that offering pilgrimages (hajj and umrah) and religious visits (ziyara) as packaged religious tours. These spiritual guides are distinctive feature of Egyptian society, who are graduates …

F3) Religious Heritage At The Crossroads: Planning The 2038 Saint Stephen Memorial Year In Székesfehérvár, Hungary, Tamara Rátz, Isilda Leitão

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

The designation of 2038 as Saint Stephen Memorial Year in Székesfehérvár, Hungary presents an unparalleled opportunity to leverage the legacy of Hungary’s first king, Saint Stephen I, as a catalyst for sustainable religious and heritage tourism development. Székesfehérvár, historically a coronation and burial site of Hungarian monarchs, possesses rich material and immaterial cultural assets linked to Saint Stephen that remain underutilized within contemporary tourism narratives. This study investigates the current role of Saint Stephen’s heritage in the city’s tourism profile, identifies key challenges in planning a landmark memorial year, and examines the cooperative networks essential for delivering a cohesive, impactful …

F1) Walk Of Mutual Repair: Pilgrimage In The Context Of Peirce's Triadic Philosophy, Tadeja Jere Jakulin, Dane Munro

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

Pilgrimage and pilgrim tourism are recognised in reductionist everyday thinking as phenomena that occur in the context of belief or tourism, among other things, and are also researched from this perspective. In our research, we will present pilgrimage as a complex system that requires an in-depth, systemic approach to understanding. In doing so, we will draw on Charles Sanders Peirce's triadic philosophy to present the evolution of the pilgrim, who travelled as a believer and passive participant, to the pilgrim who experiences regeneration and actively cares for sacred spaces. The contribution examines the historical development of pilgrimage studies from Turner's …

Mathematical Modeling And Simulation Of Wheel Hub Stresses Using Finite Element Analysis In Light Military Trainer Aircraft, Alysson Sousa Rabelo, José Aécio Gomes De Sousa, Feliciano José Ricardo Cangue, Luiz Leroy Thomé Vaughan

Journal of Aviation Technology and Engineering

The landing gear of modern aircraft accounts for approximately 20% of the structural weight and 5% of the total weight. Among its components, the wheel hub endures particularly high loads during landing, often leading to cracks and porosity associated with casting-induced micro-voids in magnesium and aluminum alloys. Over time, cyclic stresses enlarge these voids, converting them into critical stress concentrators. Differences in alloy properties, such as yield strength, fracture toughness, and corrosion resistance, further influence how cracks propagate, underscoring the importance of rigorous manufacturing methods and regular nondestructive inspections. To investigate these vulnerabilities, stress analyses were performed on a military …

An Approach To Sacred Spaces From The Perspective Of The Connection Between Nature And Health, Ricard Fernàndez Molinet, Sílvia Gili Olmeda

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

In a context marked by an increasing search for meaning and well-being, sanctuaries are re-emerging as significant spaces within contemporary spiritual tourism. This work proposes an approach to sanctuaries located in natural environments as liminal spaces, in the anthropological sense developed by Victor Turner, where processes of passage, transformation, and the reconfiguration of personal experience are facilitated. Historically, many sanctuaries have been established in places of strong symbolic and ecological significance, often linked to singular natural elements such as mountains, springs, forests, or caves which have been perceived as sites of connection with the numinous. These spaces have functioned not …