December 2024

John Rawls's "A Theory of Justice" posits justice as a fair framework where free people with equal rights work together in an economic system that is equitable to all. The Liberty Principle and the Equality Principle are two cornerstones of Rawls's theory, which advocates for just equity and individual liberty. Rawls believes humans should not be seen as mere tools to achieve social goals but as rational beings capable of reasoned choice. He advocates for a more equitable society where everyone has the chance to achieve their dreams. The "veil of ignorance," a thought experiment, suggests that society should be designed without knowing one's place in it, guaranteeing equitable distribution of rights and resources. However, Rawls's principles have faced criticism from communitarian thinkers Michael Sandel and Alasdair MacIntyre, who question their practicality and ethical coherence. Sandel argues that Rawls's theory promotes an "a social individualism" that damages the interdependence of people and their communities, while MacIntyre contends that morality is open to personal interpretation and cannot be universally rationalized. Despite these objections, Rawls's theory is still widely used, particularly in promoting democracy and reducing economic inequality through pre-distribution rather than post-hoc redistribution. However, concerns arise regarding the theory's applicability to modern capitalist systems, where it could impede innovation and productivity. Despite its intellectual strength, there is still debate over how to apply Rawls's theory of justice in a capitalist society, as it may fail to reconcile the complex realities of economic and social life with the abstract principles of fairness due to its conflict with economic imperatives and criticisms from communitarian and subjectivist viewpoints.

Introduction: Sacrococcygeal teratoma (SCT) occurs commonly in neonates and infants and poses significant obstetric and fetal challenges, especially in resource-strained settings. SCT affects 1 in every 35,000–40,000 live births. Prompt diagnosis and effective management of SCT improve obstetric and neonatal outcomes. Case presentation: A 25-year-old gravida 2 para 1+0 at 27 weeks gestation was admitted to the hospital with complaints of intermittent lower abdominal pain and reduced fetal movements. Physical examination revealed bilateral pitting oedema up to the knees and a fundal height of 38 weeks, suggesting a large-for-gestational-age (LGA) fetus. Obstetric ultrasonography showed a single live fetus in cephalic presentation with a sacrococcygeal mass measuring 11.44 × 9.87 × 12.70 cm and mild polyhydramnios. Biochemical investigations were normal. After stabilisation and counselling, the patient was referred to a tertiary facility for advanced obstetric, oncology and surgical management. Clinical discussion: SCT arises from totipotent germ cells and is classified by histology and anatomy. Antenatal ultrasound is the primary diagnostic tool, although CT/MRI is superior in defining tumor extent. Complications such as fetal hydrops and obstructive effects are common. Complete surgical excision remains the definitive treatment, with the prognosis depending on tumor size, malignancy, and recurrence risk. Resource limitations impede timely interventions in such settings. Conclusion: This case demonstrates the critical role of antenatal diagnosis and prompt referral in managing SCT. Multidisciplinary coordination and early intervention can improve outcomes, even in resource-constrained environments.

This paper introduces Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) as a requisite solution for increasing the interpretability and trustworthiness of ML systems. This paper explores the importance of XAI through case studies in two key sectors: manufacturing and healthcare. The first case relates to a predictive maintenance application that uses XAI to anticipate the likelihood of machinery failure using a gradient-boosting decision tree, which provides detailed recommendations for optimizing productivity. The second case study is based on the healthcare sector. LIME and SHAP tools for AI model explanation enhance trust in the effectiveness of diabetes predictions by AI-aided medical diagnosis. Both cases prove that XAI helps better understand the workings of exhibited machine learning models and aligns with ethical decision-making and regulatory requirements. Therefore, in the last part of the paper, the authors discuss some of the drawbacks of current forms of XAI and potential advancements in this field, including horizontality and better incorporation into the systems that use AI. This discovery supports using XAI to foster more transparent, responsible, and trustful AI applications in numerous industries.

This manuscript raises numerous questions regarding the extraordinary structural and functional complexity of neural networks, and aims to be a starting point for orienting us toward possible answers. Starting from the fundamental premise that matter is the result of the interaction between the particles that form it, I extend this principle to the neural networks that have specialized, over the course of evolution, in increasingly refined and effective interaction/communication activities. I briefly describe the evolution of excitable systems, starting from primitive molecules to more complex ones, and then proceed to the equally brief description of cellular and neuronal evolution, and I also highlight the supposed mechanisms that underlie them. The mechanisms that I have identified in my analysis are the same morphogenetic forces that form celestial bodies and maintain universal order. I have highlighted the concentric and columnar arrangement of neural networks, which is the plastic representation resulting from their stratified superposition, along phylogenetic evolution and embryonic development. In the review of Artificial Intelligence, AI, I highlight the limitations inherent in this new approach, and I criticize it for having been adopted as a new paradigm in neurobiological research. And, I try to demonstrate, that it is a misleading vision that loses sight of the peculiarity of the essence of life and of the organ that seeks to know it, the brain. Finally, this article aims to occupy the territory that few researchers frequent, and that is the one between research at the molecular and instrumental level, and experimental research. It is the space that I claim to be founded on pure logical speculation, which wants to restore the fundamental primacy of the brain in the interpretation of all investigations. Because, in my opinion, all research is reduced to the processing of our brain of experimental and instrumental results obtained with any method. Based on these premises, the objective that I set myself is to present a description based on the logical and realistic exposition of the elementary morphogenetic mechanisms and processes that shape matter, in order to be able to grasp them with our hands and observe them in their concreteness, understand them and therefore make them plastically part of our being and feeling. Which is the highest meaning of knowledge.

Background: It is theoretically presumed that TLIF will provide the same advantages as circumferential fusion, but with a higher level of safety than other inter body fusion methods, as it does not involve direct traction on the spine. TLIF technology preserves the interspinal ligament and supraspinal ligament in terms of spinal integrity. Goal and objectives: We aimed to evaluate the clinical outcomes, complications, and advantages of transforaminal lumbar inter body fusion in degenerative lumbar spine diseases. Subjects and methods: The orthopedic department of Menoufia University Hospital conducted a study between November 2018 and December 2020 on 30 patients who were experiencing persistent low back discomfort as a consequence of degenerative lumbar spine disorders.. The patients underwent transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion with a PEEK Banana cage and pedicle screw fixation, with a minimum follow-up of 9 months. Result: All of the patients under investigation had a severe Oswestry disability index (ODI) at the preoperative stage (100%). On the initial postoperative day, they are all incapable of being evaluated at a 100% level. The majority of the patients who were examined had experienced a moderate ODI, in addition. The Oswestry disability index (ODI) demonstrated a significant linear improvement in the patients under investigation, with the most considerable improvement occurring within the first three months following the operation. In summary, TLIF generates favorable clinical and radiological outcomes in the management of lumbar instability after a one-year follow-up period. Dural rupture and operational complications are substantially diminished by the TLIF technique. TLIF has the potential to reduce the duration of the operation and the volume of blood loss.