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Denmark is the sole member state of the European Union with a dominant Church. It is the only Nordic state that has not renounced this form of relationship with the Church, which does not necessarily align anymore with the needs and preferences of an increasingly secularized population. The causes of Danish exceptionalism can be attributed to the complexity of amending the Danish Constitution and the country’s historical context. The Danish Kingdom was established as a Christian state, a fact that is currently being utilized discursively by populists who equate Lutheranism with Danish national identity. However, this model of the relationship between the state and the Church is currently facing significant challenges due to the growth of religious diversity, particularly the relatively rapid increase in the number of Muslim immigrants.

Mao’s first trip to Moscow (December 1949 – February 1950) was an important step in the Sino-Soviet relations. The Beijing leader intended by his visit to obtain from Stalin a strategic alliance with the Soviet Union, perceived at that time as China’s only potential powerful ally. Although Stalin was not initially interested in concluding an alliance with the New China, mainly because he feared losing the strategic advantages he had obtained for the Soviet Union at Yalta, he eventually agreed with the signing of a Sino-Soviet Treaty of Friendship, Alliance and Mutual Assistance (signed on February 14, 1950), due to changes in the international context and especially due to the clarification of the United States’ new Asia policy, but also to Mao’s own manoeuvring in that direction. By this Treaty and its additional agreements, the PRC obtained from the Soviets major concessions, both strategic and economic, as the guaranteing of China’s security against the perceived US’ aggressiveness, important economic aid for the country’s reconstruction and the drastic and immediate diminishing of Soviet special privileges in Manchuria. Despite this, the lack of confidence between Mao Zedong and Stalin did nothing but grow during the visit, which eventually contributed, after a few years of rapprochement, to the later Sino-Soviet split.

Due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, medical schools have paused traditional clerkships, eliminating direct patient encounters from medical students’ education for the immediate future. Telemedicine offers opportunities in a variety of specialties that can augment student education during this time. The projected growth of telemedicine necessitates that students learn new skills to be effective providers. In this viewpoint, we delineate specific telehealth opportunities that teach core competencies for patient care, while also teaching telemedicine-specific skills. Schools can further augment student education through a variety of telemedicine initiatives across multiple medical fields. The explosion of telemedicine programs due to the pandemic can be a catalyst for schools to integrate telemedicine into their current curricula. The depth and variety of telemedicine opportunities allow schools to continue providing high-quality medical education while maintaining social distancing policies.

In the noisy intermediate-scale quantum era, mid-circuit measurement and reset operations facilitate novel circuit optimization strategies by reducing a circuit's qubit count in a method called resizing. This paper introduces two such algorithms. The first one leverages gate-dependency rules to reduce qubit count by 61.6% or 45.3% when optimizing depth as well. Based on numerical instantiation and synthesis, the second algorithm finds resizing opportunities in previously unresizable circuits via dependency rules and other state-of-the-art tools. This resizing algorithm, implemented in BQSKit, reduces qubit count by 20.7% on average for these previously impossible-to-resize circuits.

Digital communication is a great facilitator of human connection, positively contributing to life satisfaction and prosocial behavior. However, the existing findings also insist on the drawbacks of the digital communication, as low levels of wellbeing satisfaction, or happiness. Thus, aiming to reconciliate the two sets of assumptions and relying on the reality that textual communication is preferred to voice interaction, the present paper investigates the impact of using messaging apps on the emotional state. More specifically, the study explores if time spent texting, the general affinity towards technology, the perceived ease of use, the perceived usefulness, and the intentional behavior to use messaging applications are correlated with self-esteem, loneliness, anxiety, and wellbeing. An online opinion survey (N=147) with Romanian emerging adults is conducted between February and May 2022. The results show that a positive attitude towards technology is negatively correlated with the feelings of loneliness and anxiety. Moreover, a positive perception on the ease of use and usefulness of the messaging applications is linked with an increased wellbeing.

We demonstrate an application for learning multiplication problems with an adaptive algorithm that is based on a computational cognitive model of the learner's memory. The application helps learners automatise and memorise multiplications through repeated practice over three levels of difficulty. In a naturalistic setting involving more than 500 primary school students (ages 6-10) who together recorded over 300,000 responses, we observed that performance improved as learners using the application progressed through the levels. A model-based analysis of performance revealed that learners' estimated speed of forgetting decreased from the second to the third level. This is consistent with a shift towards stronger declarative knowledge and/or more efficient computation procedures. The model also identified consistent differences in the difficulty of individual multiplication facts that persisted across levels. This study demonstrates the feasibility of using an adaptive fact learning application to help young learners master multiplication, an essential mathematical skill.

Historic buildings represent an ensemble of related to architecture, materials and technology of the era in which they were built and contribute to the knowledge of contemporary ones. Materials resulting from the demolition of old buildings, such as: bricks, wood and vegetal materials, concrete, gravel, stone and sand, masonry and rubble, metals, plastic, glass, drywall, cardboard and paper, sanitary fixtures, fibers (asbestos, glass, steel, natural), can get a new life, becoming part of a new building, streets, facades or even a city, in the context of circular architecture and the Smart City concept. The case of the specimens based on polyurethane waste will be discussed in this paper, as partial substitutes in the composition of new building structures. Also, methods for characterization and testing of these new compositions will be discussed and evaluated.

Resilience within the diplomatic domain ensures sustained and adaptive efforts to manage and resolve conflicts, support humanitarian needs and maintain international cooperation and stability in regions affected by conflict. Long-term diplomatic engagements build trust among conflicting parties and the international community, which is essential for sustainable peace. Resilience in diplomatic efforts is essential for navigating the complexities of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, where deeply contrasting objectives between the two nations have made negotiations challenging. Despite the difficulties, sustained diplomatic engagements are critical for maintaining international cooperation and addressing humanitarian needs. Ukraine's persistent use of international organizations, such as the United Nations and the European Union, has been influential in garnering global support and isolating Russian Federation diplomatically, even when immediate resolutions to the conflict remained elusive.

The text explores the concept of resilience in the face of conflict, comparing Ukraine and Israel as case studies. Resilience is significantly influenced by psychological factors and the ability of societies to adapt to and recover from traumatic events. In Ukraine, national resilience was initially high due to a surge in national unity and international support but declined over time due to prolonged conflict, war fatigue and decreased trust in the government. Israel, on the other hand, has maintained a higher and more stable level of resilience due to its historical experience with conflict, strong governmental support, social cohesion and well-established mental health and social support systems. Key factors of resilience identified include trust in government, patriotism, social integration and trust in state institutions. Both countries demonstrate that government support, social cohesion and trust in institutions are crucial in fostering resilience during prolonged conflicts. Israel’s continuous state of preparedness and effective mental health infrastructure contribute to its consistently higher individual resilience and morale compared to Ukraine.

Aim of the study: Dentists frequently recommend panoramic radiographs (PR). Facial divergence is an indicator of the growth pattern, in relation to bite force and possible evolution of the VDO (vertical dimension of occlusion) over time. Materials and methods: Our study compared the measurement of the Frankfurt-mandibular plane angle (FMA) on the panoramic x-rays with the angle value measured on the profile tele-radiographs (lateral cephalograms). We have considered possible positioning errors caused by different head tilts while taking the PR. Results: Radiographs taken in disocclusion increased the determined FMA value by approximately 2° (2.28°). Conclusions: Even with some acceptable patient’s head tiltings and small positional asymmetries, the FMA measurements on the panoramic radiographs could be considered reliable.

Diabetes is a prevalent metabolic condition characterized by hyperglycemia, impacting various systems in the body, including oral health. This article aims to elucidate the complex relationship between diabetes and oral health, focusing on the mechanisms underlying this interaction and proposing strategies for prevention and management. The link between diabetes and oral health is multifactorial, involving factors such as chronic inflammation, poor immune response, and delayed tissue healing. People with diabetes are at increased risk of developing oral conditions such as periodontal disease, tooth decay, and oral infections, which can worsen systemic complications and compromise quality of life. Effective diabetes management plays an important role in preventing and mitigating oral complications. Blood sugar control, along with rigorous oral hygiene practices and regular visits to the dentist, are essential for maintaining oral health in diabetic patients. Moreover, interdisciplinary collaboration between dental practitioners and diabetes specialists is essential for patient care, facilitating early detection and intervention of oral problems and optimizing overall health outcomes.

Anesthesia and analgesia have a major impact on ensuring animal welfare and safety, resulting in reduced stress response and effective pain control, ensuring the comfort of the animal, promoting faster recovery, and reducing the risk of complications associated with various research procedures. Each stage of anesthesia in sheep is vital for maintaining the animal's welfare, ensuring procedural success, minimizing stress, risks, and complications, and optimizing the quality of research data. Proper attention to detail and adherence to best practices at each stage contribute to the overall success of anesthesia management in sheep. Anesthesia protocols should suit individual requirements for each sheep, in light of factors such as health status, procedure duration, and desired anesthesia depth. Meticulous monitoring, adherence to best practices, and prompt intervention are essential for minimizing the risks of complications during sheep anesthesia and ensuring the safety and welfare of the animals undergoing anesthesia for research purposes. This article presents the main key points that can improve anesthetic management for sheep involved in experimental research to minimize stress response and complications, enhancing animal safety, welfare, and comfort during and after procedures. Multimodal anesthesia approaches ensure effective pain relief, tailored to the specific needs of individual animals or procedures, optimizing outcomes and minimizing risks. Anesthesia management contributes to improved research data collection under conditions that enhance the validity and reliability of results. Sheep's impressive capacity to maintain homeostasis even during extended periods of anesthesia highlights the critical importance of upholding data quality in alignment with the universally accepted principles of Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement for ethical animal research. By adhering to these principles, researchers can minimize the number of animals used, reduce any potential discomfort or distress experienced by the animals, and refine procedures to optimize animal welfare while still achieving scientific objectives. [Open Vet J 2024; 14(9.000): 2129-2137]

Whether it is about literature, music, painting, graphic design, advertising, or other creative domains, Artificial Intelligence (AI) finds its way in. The present study aims to offer a pre-generative AI overview on AI creativity perception. It serves as a benchmark that enables future researchers to compare earlier and recent AI advances so to explore the profound technological shifts currently occurring. Focusing on domain comparative empirical dimension, the paper exploratory investigates perceptions on AI creativity, on AI-human co-creation potential, and AI creativity’s ethical and authorship considerations. A set of comparative semi-structured expert interviews with Romanian computer scientists and artists (N=33) is conducted. The data is analyzed using Atlas.ti software. As common grounds for computer scientists and artists, the results show that AI can provide original artworks due to its capacity to manage large amounts of data. However, it is deeply dependent on them. Within the creation process, AI is perceived as a partner or a tool that can augment human abilities. Ethical aspects should be considered both before and after the creation process. Artists, in comparison with computer scientists, emphasize more on the trivialization of the AI creation act and on the unfair and threatening competition. Although they believe that machines should not create, they also agree on machine-centric authorship.

Background. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the degree of mineralization as well of the chemical composition at the interface of failed dental implants with surrounding bone. Material and methods. The analysis was performed on human histological samples by the aid of a scanning electron microscope and an energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (ESEM-EDX). Results. The middle and the apical region of the implant surfaces had higher quantity of bone tissue deposition. A higher degree of mineralization was observed in these two regions as well. Conclusion. From the analysis performed by the aid of scanning electron microscopy, it appears that the bone tissue deposition is better represented in the middle and apical region of the implants.

Multiple myeloma, the disease characterized by the malignant proliferation of plasma cells that invades the bone marrow, produces osteolytic lesions and secretes monoclonal proteins. Several biomarkers have been shown to represent important tools in the pathogenesis of myeloma and offer insights into bone degradation and formation. The objectives of this current study were to assess the associations of modern biomarkers (TNF-α: tumor necrosis factor; IFN: Interferon; FreeRANKL: Free Receptor Activator for Nuclear Factor kappa B Ligand; RANKL: Receptor Activator for Nuclear Factor kappa B Ligand, Beta crosslaps, IL-6: Interleukin 6) with osteolytic lesions status after first-line treatment and to evaluate the correlations between modern and classical biomarkers (LDH: Lactate Dehydrogenase; VSH: Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate; Hgb: Hemoglobin, Calcium, Albumin, B2microglobulin) stratified by osteolytic lesions status. A total of 35 patients diagnosed with multiple myeloma divided into two groups according to the osteolytic bone lesions, were studied: (1) unchanged status of osteolytic lesions and (2) changed status of osteolytic lesions. After fist-line treatment, we found a significant difference in Albumin (p = 0.0029) and Calcium levels (p = 0.0304), patients with a changed status in osteolytic lesions having higher values of Albumin and Calcium compared to those without changes in status of osteolytic lesions. After first-line treatment, decreased IL-6 values were significantly correlated with elevated values of Albumin (ρ = −0.96, p = 0.0005) in the patients with changed status of osteolytic lesions. Post-treatment values of IFN showed a significant positive correlation with Hemoglobin (ρ = 0.47, p = 0.0124), IL-6 (ρ = 0.55, p = 0.0026) and TNF-alpha values (ρ = 0.54, p = 0.0029). The results obtained from patients with unmodified lytic lesions identified a significant correlation between the biomarkers IL-6, Free RANKL, and IFN-beta with the classical marker LDH. This association highlights the involvement of these markers in promoting bone destruction and the development of osteolytic lesions.

Infracțiunile de exercitare a atribuţiilor în sectorul public în situaţie de conflict de interese, prevăzute la art. 3261 din Codul penal al Republicii Moldova, posedă atât obiect material (imaterial), cât şi produs. Atingerea adusă obiectului juridic special al acestor infracțiuni se face prin intermediul obiectului material (imaterial) al infracțiunilor prevăzute la art. 3261 din Codul penal al Republicii Moldova. La rândul său, produsul apare în rezultatul comiterii acestor infracţiuni, din cauza atingerii aduse obiectului juridic special al infracţiunilor prevăzute la art. 3261 din Codul penal al Republicii Moldova.

Cosmin Iosif Trebuian,1,2 Daian Popa,3,4 Florina Buleu,5,6 Dumitru Sutoi,1,5 Carmen Gabriela Williams,3 Iulia Najette Crintea,1,3 Raul Daniel Chioibas,1 Aida Iancu,7 Livia Ciolac,8 Ovidiu Alexandru Mederle1,3 1Department of Surgery I, “victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timișoara, Romania; 2Emergency County Hospital, Reșita, Romania; 3Emergency Clinical Municipal Hospital, Timisoara, Romania; 4“victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timisoara, Romania; 5Emergency County Hospital “pius Brinzeu”, Timișoara, Romania; 6Department of Cardiology “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timisoara, Romania; 7Department of Radiology “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timisoara, Romania; 8Clinic of Obstetrics and Gynecology, ”pius Brinzeu” County Clinical Emergency Hospital, Timisoara, RomaniaCorrespondence: Florina Buleu, Email florina.buleu@umft.roIntroduction and Objectives: Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19)-related severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) differs pathophysiological from other pulmonary septic shock-related ARDS. Thus, we assessed whether all-cause in-hospital mortality differs for severe COVID-19-related and classical severe ARDS and which inflammatory biomarkers can predict mortality among these patients.Material and Methods: This single-center, retrospective, observational cohort study included pulmonary septic shock patients (n = 114) with COVID-19-related and classical severe ARDS admitted in the Intensive Care Unit.Results: Patients with a mean age of 73 (IQR 62– 82), predominantly male (63%), were divided into two groups based on outcomes: survivors (n = 50) and non-survivors (n = 64). COVID-19-related severe ARDS (n = 48) accounts for 75% of deaths. Present comorbidities like heart disease (p = 0.043), neurologic disorders (p = 0.018), and liver disease (p = 0.038) were associated with in-hospital mortality, as well. Regarding inflammatory biomarkers, the AUC/c-statistic was 0.656 (95% CI: 0.53– 0.759) for leukocytes, 0.613 (95% CI: 0.509– 0.717) C-reactive protein (CRP) and 0.651 (95% CI: 0.548– 0.753) for procalcitonin in predicting all-cause in-hospital mortality among patients with pulmonary septic shock and severe ARDS.Conclusion: Patients with pulmonary septic shock and with COVID-19-related severe ARDS had a higher incidence of in-hospital mortality than those with classical severe ARDS. The high value of leukocytes, C-reactive protein, and procalcitonin were predictive for all-cause in-hospital mortality in patients with pulmonary septic shock and ARDS. Infection with COVID-19 was an independent predictor of in-hospital mortality in the presence of ARDS.Keywords: pulmonary septic shock, severe ARDS, inflammatory biomarkers, COVID-19, outcomes

A viscous coupling is a simple device that transmits torque by shearing an oil film between one or more pairs of discs that are moving in relation to one another. Due to their many advantages, viscous couplings are studied in many applications such as fan transmissions in vehicles, pumps, winches, belt conveyors, wind turbines, tunnel boring machines. Using a CFD Software, this study examined how grooves affected the performance of a viscous coupling. The main objective of the reported work is to study the flow of the fluid film, the total temperature and the torque of a viscous coupling that is operating in different conditions.

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a common type of tumor that can develop in the kidney. It is responsible for around one-third of all cases of neoplasms. RCC manifests itself in a variety of distinct subtypes. The most frequent of which is clear cell RCC, followed by papillary and chromophobe RCC. RCC has the potential for metastasis to a variety of organs; nevertheless, bone metastases are one of the most common and potentially fatal complications. These bone metastases are characterized by osteolytic lesions that can result in pathological fractures, hypercalcemia, and other complications, which can ultimately lead to a deterioration in quality of life and an increase morbidity. While nephrectomy remains a foundational treatment for RCC, emerging evidence suggests that targeted therapies, including tyrosine kinase inhibitors and T cell checkpoint inhibitors, may offer effective alternatives, potentially obviating the need for adjuvant nephrectomy in certain cases of metastatic RCC Bone metastases continue to be a difficult complication of RCC, which is why more research is required to enhance patient outcome.