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Understanding stigma in multiple sclerosis: workplace discrimination, social challenges and psychological impacts
No full textBackground Stigmatization in MS patients is an important problem that affects social interaction, work life and daily life. In this study, we investigated the prevalence, severity and especially the effects of stigmatization on work life in MS patients. Methods A cross-sectional study of 420 people living with MS (PwMS) assessed stigma using the NeuroQoL Stigma Short Form and a direct stigma survey. Demographic, clinical, workplace, and social data were collected through an online survey. Statistical analyses were performed.ResultsStigma was prevalent, with 77% reporting stigma in direct surveys and 67.6% scoring > 8 on the NeuroQoL Stigma Short Form. Stigma was more severe in patients with progressive MS and higher EDSS scores. The most disturbing symptoms were fatigue (73.3%), imbalance (46.7%) and attention deficit 50.5%). The most prominent complaint affecting work life was fatigue (41.2%). Only 7.3% of the patients had sought psychological support for this issue. 57.4% of patients had disclosed their illness to their employer and 68.1% to their coworkers.ConclusionsStigma in MS is pervasive, linked to clinical severity, workplace challenges, and social withdrawal. Interventions targeting stigma's psychological and social dimensions, along with workplace education and support are essential
Advancing heart disease diagnosis with vision-based transformer architectures applied to ECG imagery
No full textCardiovascular disease, a critical medical condition that affects the heart and blood vessels, requires timely detection for effective clinical intervention. This includes coronary artery disease, heart failure, and myocardial infarction. Our goal is to improve the detection of heart disease through proactive interventions and personalized treatments. Early identification of at-risk individuals using advanced technologies can mitigate disease progression and reduce adverse outcomes. Using recent technological advancements, we propose a novel approach for heart disease detection using vision transformer models, namely Google-Vit, Microsoft-Beit, Deit, and Swin-Tiny. This marks the initial application of transformer models to image-based electrocardiogram (ECG) data for the detection of heart disease. The experimental results demonstrate the efficacy of vision transformers in this domain, with BEiT achieving the highest classification accuracy of 95.9% in a 5-fold cross-validation setting, further improving to 96.6% using an 80-20 holdout method. Swin-Tiny also exhibited strong performance with an accuracy of 95.2%, while Google-ViT and DeiT achieved 94.3% and 94.9%, respectively, outperforming many traditional models in ECG-based diagnostics. These findings highlight the potential of vision transformer models in enhancing diagnostic accuracy and risk stratification. The results further underscore the importance of model selection in optimizing performance, with BEiT emerging as the most promising candidate. This study contributes to the growing body of research on transformer-based medical diagnostics and paves the way for future investigations into their clinical applicability and generalizability
Reliability Analysis of Electricity Grid Integrated With PV System and BESS at Distribution Level: A Case Study of Ntongwe and Gatumba Feeders at Rwanda's Electricity Network
No full textThe escalating energy demand in today's world underscores the need for a consistent and continuous power supply. There is a push towards promoting renewable energy sources to address this demand because of their positive impact on the environment and their widespread accessibility. Particularly in Rwanda, for the radial distribution network, the reliability improvement in electricity supply requires rectifications of power system infrastructure, including transmission, distribution system, and an increase in energy generation capacity. To evaluate the influence of renewable energy sources (RES) on the reliability of Rwanda's power grid, Solar Photovoltaic (PV) systems combined with Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) are introduced into the Gatumba and Ntongwe feeders. For the reliability enhancement of the grid to the feeders where the solar PV system and BESS are connected, protection switches are configured so that the PV systems and BESS supply the load demand in the absence of the grid, thereby increasing the generation capacity and reducing interruption frequency and duration. This study assesses how the integration of solar PV plants with BESS can improve the reliability of Rwanda's electricity grid, specifically at the Gatumba and Ntongwe feeders. Simulation results from DigSILENT and PV*SOL simulation tools showed that by integrating solar PV systems with BESS to Gatumba and Ntongwe feeders, the system reliability ameliorates by 71.6% and 95.5% for system average interruption frequency and duration, respectively
Tandem Emzirme Yapan Annelerin Süt Kompozisyonlarının Tek Bebek Emziren Annelerin Süt Kompozisyonları İle Karşılaştırılması: Vaka Kontrol Çalışması
No full textModern çevresel hareket yaklaşımlarının doğuşu bağlamında eko-marksizm-eko-sosyalizm-eko-anarşizmin karşılaştırmalı analizi: Latin Amerika örneği
No full textExploring Advanced Weighted Integral Inequalities via Extended Fractional Calculus Approaches
No full textThis paper investigates weighted Milne-type (M-t) inequalities within the context of Riemann-Liouville (R-L) fractional integrals. We establish multiple versions of these inequalities, applicable to different function categories, such as convex functions with differentiability properties, bounded functions, functions satisfying Lipschitz conditions, and those exhibiting bounded variation behavior. In particular, we present integral equalities that are essential to establish the main results, using non-negative weighted functions. The findings contribute to the extension of existing inequalities in the literature and provide a deeper understanding of their applications in fractional calculus. This work highlights the advantage of the established inequalities in extending classical results by accommodating a broader class of functions and yielding sharper bounds. It also explores potential directions for future research inspired by these findings
Development of Epoxy-Based Flooring Containing Poppy Capsule Waste
No full textEpoxy resins are widely used in construction and coating applications due to their excellent adhesion, corrosion resistance, and mechanical properties. Reinforcement using natural or industrial waste has gained attention due to its potential to improve performance and support sustainability. This study utilized poppy capsule waste (PCW) in a DGEBA epoxy-amine system at 0.5-10 wt%. The resulting composite coatings were systematically evaluated for adhesion, mechanical properties, thermal stability, water repellency, and water absorption. Pull-off adhesion tests revealed that adhesion strength improved up to a 1% PCW level but declined at higher concentrations. Cross-cut adhesion tests showed that unreinforced and 0.5% PCW samples achieved 5B (no detachment), while >= 1% PCW samples received 4B, indicating minor flaking without significant performance loss. With increasing filler content, decreases were observed in both the tensile stress at maximum load and the tensile strain at break (%). Impact resistance testing revealed no cracking or delamination for coatings with up to 5% reinforcement, while surface delamination was observed at 10%. Contact angle measurements confirmed that coatings retained hydrophobic characteristics up to 5%. These results show that adding small quantities of PCW can improve or maintain epoxy coating key properties while promoting the development of sustainable materials