Cardiovascular risk assessment in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Nicolae Testemitanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy of the Republic of MoldovaIntroduction. Several studies have highlighted a significant association between rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and accelerated atherosclerosis. It has been found that high disease activity and the presence of cardiovascular risk factors play an important role in these patients

An Exposition and Analysis of Kant’s Account of Sublimity

I begin by providing an exposition of Kant’s cognitive and phenomenological trajectory during experiences of mathematical and dynamical sublimity. I use this moment of elucidation to highlight certain implications of Kant’s account which reveal a necessary crutch on sublimity’s self-preservationist motivations, concluding realization of the judging subjects as superior to the power intuited and emphasis on the feeling and apprehension of infinity. This skeletal view of Kant’s argument allows for the argument of my three main criticisms: (i) the incoherence of his sublime feeling with other recounted phenomenologies of the experience, (ii) the fallibility of his key premise which states that judgments of sublimity are necessarily based on sensorial, non-determinate apprehensions of power and domination in objects of nature and (iii) how the reality that humans can and have subjugated nature in our own ways complicates the sublime’s persistently affective nature. I conclude the essay with an attempt to briefly present my own theory of sublimity. I write that sublime experiences are, essentially, the discoveries of supersensible truths or ideas which fundamentally alter one’s sense of being in the world. Among the objects conducive to these types of emotional understanding are pieces of art (painting, sculpture, cinema, etc.), literature and objects of experience whose intuition carries with it ideas of supersensible associations or origin, properties of intrigue, and obscurity

Particularities of atrial septal defect in adults treated conservatively and surgically

Nicolae Testemitanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy of the Republic of MoldovaIntroduction. Atrial septal defect (ASD) represents 13% of congenital heart disease (CHD), with a prevalence of 2 cases per 1000 live births. ASD is often asymptomatic until adulthood, with potential presenting complications: arrthythmias, paradoxical embolization, right atrial (RA) dilatation and right ventricle (RV) dilatation, tricuspid regurgitation, right heart failure and pulmonary hypertension, which can become irreversible and lead to the development of right-toleft shunting (Eisenmenger syndrome)

Infective endocarditis in patients with congenital heart disease

Nicolae Testemitanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy of the Republic of MoldovaIntroduction. The congenital heart disease (CHD) has become a major risk factor for infective endocarditis (IE) due to a large number of children with CHD that survive until adulthood. The incidence of IE in children with CHD is reported to be approximately 4.1 cases per 10000 persons/year, but in adults – 11 per 10000 patients/year with a marked variation between different types of CHD. The progress in diagnostic and surgical field, as well as the use of intracardiac devices and prosthetic materials increases the risk of associated infections and developing IE. As for causative pathogens, streptococci species predominates over the staphylococci species

Adaptation of the diaphonization protocol and the highlight of some significant structures development in the chicken embryo (Gallus gallus) skeleton

Diaphonization is a technique used in developmental biology, anatomy, and comparative morphology to visualize and study the internal structures of small organisms. In this study, we used diaphonization to visualize the development of chicken embryos (Gallus gallus). Diaphonization was performed on chicken eggs at different stages of development, from 10 to 13 days of incubation, and the resulting specimens were analyzed using microscopy. The results suggest that for embryos older than 14 days, a longer storage time in 1% KOH is recommended (approximately 30% longer incubation time compared to the original protocol). In the case of more developed chicken embryos, it is also recommended to carry out evisceration. These results provide insight into the early stages of avian development and may have applications in the fields of developmental biology and anatomy. Article history: Received 14 February 2024; Revised 19 April 2024; Accepted 10 June 2024; Available online 30 June 2024

Applications of X-Ray Computed Tomography for Examining Soil Structure: A Review

In this paper we present a review of the application of X-ray computed tomography in soil science, a modern technique for structural analysis. The quantification of internal soil structure is the key in understanding the processes that lead to its development. The current analytical and traditional methods for exploring soil structure do not fully cover the needs of the researchers, in order to characterize the soil system and its properties. In the last decades, X-ray computed tomography has provided a non-destructive means in order to observe and quantify soils in 3D. It has been used in researches regarding the spatial distribution of soil pores, bulk density, macropore network structure, layer detection, permeability, calculated fractal properties, solute breakthrough, root system development etc. Compared to other analysis methods, the short time requiered for a CT scan (within the order of minutes) and the accuracy of the data provided, recommend this technique for the characterization of soil systems