Imperial Valley College

Background Both medical and surgical techniques have been reported to manage canine discospondylitis, although data on clinical effectiveness and long-term prognosis remain limited.Methods A systematic review of studies on treatment approaches, follow-up data and investigation methods was conducted. Each study was evaluated for evidence quality (study design, sample size, disease characterisation, healing assessment and risk of bias) and outcome measures (treatment success, follow-up methods and long-term outcomes) using the Cochrane risk of bias tool.Results Forty-eight studies on medical and surgical management were included. All were classified as low-quality evidence with a high risk of bias. Medical and surgical interventions had success rates of 68.75% and 75%, respectively.Limitations All studies had a high risk of bias and low-quality evidence due to their retrospective design and lack of randomisation.Conclusion Antibiotics should be considered the first-line treatment when vertebral instability or disc extrusion is absent, guided by culture and sensitivity testing to ensure appropriate selection, with a mean treatment duration of 105 days. Surgical intervention is reserved for cases of failure of medical management and spinal instability, while percutaneous discectomy represents a promising adjunctive option in selected patients.

Background Human opisthorchiasis caused by Opisthorchis viverrini infection is a well‑established risk factor for cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) in Southeast Asia, particularly in Northeast Thailand. Targeted screening and treatment of populations at high risk of O. viverrini infection are central to CCA prevention strategies. Recent studies have demonstrated that urine antigen detection exhibits superior diagnostic accuracy, compared to conventional fecal examination. Moreover, a rapid diagnostic test for O. viverrini (OV‑RDT), has recently been developed and reported to be promising for point‑of‑care use. The present study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of the OV‑RDT under field conditions in Northeast Thailand, in comparison to urine antigen detection, coproantigen‑antigen detection, and conventional fecal examination methods for the diagnosis of opisthorchiasis. Methods The prevalence of opisthorchiasis and the diagnostic accuracy of OV-RDT, urine antigen ELISA, coproantigen ELISA, and quantitative fecal examination using the formalin–ethyl acetate concentration technique (FECT) were comparatively assessed for sensitivity, specificity and accuracy in a sample population ( n =1,355) from communities in Northeast Thailand. Results The prevalence of O.viverrini infection varied substantially depending on the diagnostic method used: 6.2% by FECT, 62.2% by OV-RDT, 62.8% by urine antigen ELISA, and 64.4% by coproantigen ELISA. The diagnostic sensitivity of OV-RDT ranged from 84.5% to 94.5% when compared with either the primary reference or composite reference standards, demonstrating moderate to high diagnostic accuracy (AUC: 0.59–0.94). Antigen detection assays, including urine antigen ELISA, coproantigen ELISA, and OV-RDT, showed strong agreement between methods, with kappa values ranging from 0.71 to 0.86. Furthermore, OV-RDT positivity was significantly associated with antigen levels in both urine and fecal samples, as well as fecal egg counts ( P < 0.05). Conclusion Field application of the OV‑RDT demonstrated superior diagnostic accuracy compared to conventional fecal examination in the current low‑endemicity setting of opisthorchiasis. The OV‑RDT showed high qualitative and quantitative concordance with urine antigen ELISA and strong agreement with coproantigen‑antigen ELISA for screening O. viverrini infection. These findings support the potential of OV‑RDT as a point‑of‑care test (POCT) to facilitate rapid, non‑invasive large‑scale screening, avoiding labor‑intensive stool microscopy in opisthorchiasis control programs.

The rapid advancement of nanotechnology has revealed the significant potential of microscopic characteristics inherent in nanosystems for applications across various high-tech fields. This paper primarily investigates the microscopic properties of nanosystems, including surface and interface effects, small size effects, quantum confinement effects, and macroscopic quantum tunneling effects. It further explores the specific applications of these characteristics in superconducting technology and the automotive industry. The research aims to systematically analyze the role of nanoscale features in enhancing superconducting performance and their contributions to automotive lightweighting, energy efficiency, and intelligent sensing systems. The study concludes that nanostructures can effectively increase the critical current density and thermal stability of superconducting materials. Simultaneously, they play a pivotal role in developing lightweight composite materials and high-efficiency catalysts for vehicles. The findings of this paper provide a theoretical reference and practical guidance for the further development of interdisciplinary engineering applications of nanotechnology.

This study intends to analyze the effect of export barriers on the export performance of export firms in Myanmar after the 2021 military coup. There are two specific objectives for this study. The first one is to analyze the effect of internal barriers on export performance, and the second one is to examine the effect of external barriers on export performance. This study used primary and secondary data to achieve the research objectives. The primary data was obtained by the survey method. The 130 respondents who are owners and senior/mid-level managers of 70 exporting firms participated in this research. A stage sampling method was applied for primary data. The World Bank data site provides the secondary data for this study. This research extracted the data from 2011 to 2023 as the basic time frame for the study period. The descriptive statistical analysis and multiple linear regression analysis method were applied as major data analysis techniques in this study. The research found that informational barriers and functional barriers have a significant effect on the export performance of export firms in Myanmar on the internal barriers side. On the other hand, macro factor barriers and procedural barriers have positively positive effect on export performance. The study suggested that policymakers of Myanmar should align the macroeconomic policies by reflecting the real trade situation. At the firm level, individual firms should emphasize their export strategies that are relevant in the regional and the rest of the world. Moreover, the study suggests to the academic world for further exploration in the research field of export barriers and export performance in the context of developing countries.