Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Agricultural Innovation and the Protection of Traditional Rice Varieties: Kerala a Case Study

In an endeavor to promote agricultural innovation, the Government of India introduced two pieces of legislation: (i) the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights Act, 2001, which provide for the registration of traditional crop varieties as farmers' varieties, and for the sharing of benefits when those varieties are incorporated into new commercial varieties; and (ii) the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act 1999, which provides for the registration of indications to promote the marketing of goods which derive their quality and characteristics from their geographical origin. This article tests the effectiveness of this legislation in promoting agricultural innovation, reporting on a survey of 401 farmers of traditional rice varieties in Kerala, South West India. The study revealed that farmers were either unaware of the legislation, or unaware of its functions. They have not been much involved in the registration of farmers' varieties and have not made any benefit-sharing claims in relation to the varieties which have been registered. They have tended to confuse the registration of geographical indications with the registration of farmers' varieties. This suggests, as a first step, the necessity for awareness raising about the purposes of both pieces of legislation with Indian farmers.
The effect of chlorhexidine application on the microtensile bond strength and durability of a total-etch adhesive

Abstract Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of chlorhexidine (CHX) on resin–dentin microtensile bond strength (μTBS) after 6-month aging and to compare with sodium hypochlorite. Materials and Methods: A total of 40 extracted human third molar teeth were mounted in the acrylic resin. Flat occlusal surfaces of dentin were exposed, and after acid etching, the samples were divided randomly into four groups as follows: (a) Control group: Single Bond adhesive resin was applied. (b) The dentin surfaces were exposed to 2% CHX, and then, Single Bond was applied. (c) Dentin surfaces were treated by 5.25% sodium hypochlorite; after rinsing and drying, Single Bond was applied. (d) At first, 5.25% sodium hypochlorite was applied for 30 s, and then, 2% CHX and Single Bond adhesive were applied. Finally, Filtek P60 composite was bonded on the dentin surface. The samples of each group were divided into two subgroups of 24 h and 6 months. μTBS tests were performed using universal testing machine. Afterward, modes of failures were investigated. The statistical analyses were carried out using ANOVA, t-test, and Dunnett’s test. Results: The mean of μTBS for the 24-h and 6-month groups was 15.19 and 10.99 MPa, respectively. Bond strength of all groups except Group D decreased after 6 months, and this bond strength reduction in Group C was more than other groups. Most failure modes were in adhesive type. Conclusions: The use of CHX did not have better preservation of μTBS when compared to control group. Use of hypochlorite is not recommended.
Detection of Overexpression of Efflux Pump Expression in Fluoroquinolone-Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa Isolates

Context: Fluoroquinolones are the most effective antibiotics against Pseudomonas aeruginosa; many strains, however, have shown resistance due to mutations in DNA gyrase, topoisomerase IV, or in the efflux pumps. Little is known about P. aeruginosa efflux pump resistance mechanisms in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Aim: The aim was to study efflux pump-mediated fluoroquinolone resistance among P. aeruginosa isolates using phenotypic (E-test and agar dilution) and genotypic (real-time-polymerase chain reaction [RT-PCR]) methods. Materials and Methods: Fifty ciprofloxacin-resistant P. aeruginosa isolates were included in this study. Genus and species of P. aeruginosa were confirmed by conventional PCR. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of ciprofloxacin with and without carbonyl cyanide 3-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP) was determined by E-test and agar dilution test. The overexpression of genes MexB, MexD, MexF, and MexY was measured by RT-PCR. Results: All isolates were confirmed as P. aeruginosa. Among the fifty isolates, four showed reduction in ciprofloxacin MIC after addition of CCCP. These four isolates showed upregulation of expression of at least one of the four genes by RT-PCR. The mean gene expression of MexB, MexD, MexF, and MexY increased by 1.6, 4.65, 3.4, and 3.68-fold, respectively. Conclusion: The results demonstrate the presence and type of efflux pump overexpression, mandating for large multicentric studies.
Glycogen Accumulation in Neutrophil Can Be a Marker of Sepsis

Background: Sepsis, a systemic inflammatory reaction to infection, is the leading cause of death in the world. The early detection and identification of pro-inflammatory changes in overall metabolism and functioning can help in the proper intervention and control of the inflammatory state, and it will improve the prognosis. Aim: In a resource-limited setting where the biomarkers are not easily accessible, this simple technique is required that can help in the early identification of infection and inflammation. Methodology: The present study was conducted to find the change in glycogen accumulation and morphological changes during inflammation by preparing a peripheral smear and periodic acid–Schiff (PAS) staining. Results: This study shows that the neutrophil accumulates glycogen granules throughout the cytoplasm with the presence of vacuoles in the cytoplasm, thus increasing the neutrophil size and chromatin dispersion. Conclusion: PAS staining can be used as a diagnostic method to detect sepsis.
Burdened by the bag: A school-based cross-sectional survey

Background: The demands of education in our country have led to an increase in the loads children carry on a daily basis to school. Research evidence confirms that excessive loads lead to musculoskeletal problems in children, predisposing them to chronic back pain in adulthood. This problem becomes pertinent in primary school children, owing to the development of the spine at this age. Objectives: This study aims to assess the magnitude of the issue of heavy schoolbags, by measuring schoolbag weights and the factors affecting the ≤10% of body weight recommendation, and the children's perception of discomfort and pain. Study Design: Cross-sectional survey design was chosen for the research. Methods: Two schools with different syllabi, Indian Certificate of Secondary Examination and Central Board of Secondary Examination were approached and the schoolbags of children from Grades 1 to 5, aged 6-12-year (n = 776; boys = 402 and girls = 374), were weighed, and followed up over a week. Children were asked to rate their pain on the Faces Pain Scale-Revised and teachers' responses were collected through a teacher reported questionnaire prepared by the authors, which assessed their knowledge and control regarding the issue. Results: Majority of children carried a backpack and a separate lunch bag to and from school. A large percentage, 97.8% of schoolbags, weighed more than the recommended limit of ≤ 10% of the body weight. The mean weight of schoolbags carried was 5.9 ± 1.5 kg. Boys carried on an average 5.91 ± 1.48 kg and girls 5.98 ± 1.55 kg. Forty-eight percent of the children reported that carrying the schoolbag was causing discomfort and musculoskeletal pain and 77% of them reported discomfort at the shoulder region. Faces Pain Scale-Revised score ranged from 2 to 9 with 8 as an average intensity. Eighteen children reported absenteeism from school ranging from 1 to 5 days over the last term. The perception of teachers regarding the problem of schoolbag weights was mixed. Conclusion: This study concludes that heavy schoolbags are a problem in both the schools, with different syllabi. Being forced to carry heavy bags may lead to “schoolbag syndrome” in children. Thus, stringent measures need to be undertaken to reduce the bag burden and protect the health of children.
Primary Aldosteronism Complicated by Hypokalemic Rhabdomyolysis. A Clinical Case

Abstract Primary aldosteronism (PA) is one of the most common causes of secondary hypertension, which in less than half of cases is manifested by hypokalemia. In cases where hypokalemia becomes significant, it can lead to muscle weakness or even paralysis. Such patients are often unsuccessfully treated by neurologists or rheumatologists. In our clinical case a 61 year old patient had rapidly developing symptoms, which were interpreted by ambulance paramedics as an acute cerebrovascular accident. Since the patient was admitted to a multidisciplinary hospital, he was examined by doctors of different specialties, the diagnostic direction was set correctly and rhabdomyolysis was already detected at the initial stage. We excluded various causes of myopathy, which ultimately led us to the most likely cause of this condition - hypokalemia, and explained muscle symptoms. As a result, it helped us to identify the correct diagnosis - aldosteronism. The patient quickly recovered due to the prescribed therapy and felt good, and therefore refused surgical treatment (adrenalectomy), which, perhaps, would allow him to fully recover. Thus, a rare clinical case of differential diagnosis and successful drug treatment of PA with hypokalemia, which is manifested by rhabdomyolysis, is presented.
The Philippines and Vietnam’s Responses to the Permanent Court of Arbitration’s Final Award on the Arbitration Case Initiated by the Philippines Against China over the South China Sea (July 2016)

Abstract In July 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) issued its final award on the South China Sea dispute between the Philippines and China that caught the attention of the international community. Since this was the first time that a claimant in the South China Sea had ever referred the case to an international juridical body in an effort to settle the dispute, the responses of both claimant and non-claimant stakeholders were awaited. Realising the relevance of the issue, I conduct a comparative study of the responses to the PCA’s final award to two major claimants with similar positions on the South China Sea—the Philippines and Vietnam. The main aim of this study is to indicate the similarities and/or differences in the way these two states responded to the final decisions of the PCA. The study finds that even though both the Philippines and Vietnam reacted to the award in a similar manner, the motives behind their responses were different. In general, the South China Sea policy of the Philippines has always been less consistent than that of Vietnam, which can be explained through each state’s foreign policy tendencies.
Time management among undergraduate medical students: A study from a tertiary health-care teaching institution in Puducherry

Background: Time is a nonrenewable resource and effective time management is the key to better academic performance. Objective: To assess the time management skills of undergraduate medical students of a tertiary care health instituMethodology: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 243 undergraduate medical students of a tertiary healthcare institution in Puducherry. The time management skill was assessed using a time management questionnaire (TMQ) which has 18 items in 5-point Likert scales. A score of ≥58 on TMQ was considered as good time management skill. Results: The mean (standard deviation) of the TMQ score was 52.7 (9.8) overall, and 18.2 (5.8), 19.4, (3.5) and 15.1 (3.4), respectively in short-range planning, time attitude, and long-range planning domains. More than two-third of the students were found to have poor to average time management skills. Students with high readiness for self-directed learning were found to have significantly higher TMQ score [55.7(9.9) Vs 50.1 (8.9), P=0.000]. Conclusion: Majority of the students possess poor to average time management skills. Further study relating time management with academic performance may be conducted and counseling/workshops should be organized for students to improve their time management skills.
Prevalence of Dengue Fever in Western Uttar Pradesh, India: A Gender-Based Study

Objective: Gender-based serologic differences for nonstructural protein 1(NS1) antigen (Ag) and IgM antibody (Ab) detection have been reported among cases of dengue in few studies. However, to understand its distribution with patient's gender and their demographic profile, this study is designed to fill the gaps in the available gender based data, and is the first from this region. Materials and Methods: A total of 4252 blood samples were collected aseptically during the outbreaks of 2016–17. Serum was separated and processed for dengue ELISA (NS1Ag and IgM Ab). All the relevant clinical data and variables such as gender and their demographic profile were recorded and statistically analyzed. Results: A total of 978 (23%) patients were found seropositive either by NS1 Ag or IgM Ab ELISA. The proportion of male was higher than female among all seropositive cases, with the ratio of (M:F) 1.54:1 (P < 0.0001). The males were predominately more affected compared to females among rural (P = 0.001) and semi-urban (P = 0.016) areas. The positive NS1 (P = 0.004) and IgM (P = 0.0001) both results were significantly associated with male gender. Conclusion: Every case of dengue must be screened for NS1Ag and IgMAb to increase the diagnostic precision, despite the males being more affected as compared to females due to sociocultural differences.
Sexual dysfunction in men on buprenorphine – naloxone-based substitution therapy

Background: The literature on sexual dysfunction in patients on buprenorphine-naloxone (BNX) substitution is limited. Materials and Methods: This research aimed to study the prevalence and correlates of sexual dysfunction in men on BNX substitution therapy. We recruited consecutive forty men from BNX clinic, who had received BNX for at least 6 months, who were free from any recent illicit drug use (confirmed by urine chromatographic immune assay), and who were either married or had a stable sexual partner. Men with other psychiatric and substance use disorders (except tobacco) were excluded from the study. Data for the control group were obtained from a published study (with similar selection criteria) from our center. We assessed sexual dysfunction with two cross-culturally validated instruments: Arizona Sexual Experience Scale (ASEX) and International Index of Erectile Function. Results: The sample had a mean age of 31.6 (±8) years; the mean duration of BNX treatment was 9 (±4.2) months and the mean BNX dose was 4.5 (±1.6) mg. ASEX showed the prevalence of sexual dysfunction to be 40%. The IIEF demonstrated intercourse dissatisfaction (95%) and hypoactive sexual desire (92.5%) as almost universal, while 77.5% of the participants reported erectile dysfunction. In comparison to the published data, these figures were significantly more than among the controls. We found no correlation of sexual dysfunction with marital status, age, duration or dose of BNX, duration of illicit opioid use, the severity of opioid dependence, and tobacco dependence. Conclusion: All men on BNX maintenance therapy must be screened for sexual dysfunction. With the rapid scaling up of office-based BNX substitution, assessment and management of sexual dysfunction ought to be incorporated in the training curriculum.
Abstract to publication rate: Do all the papers presented in conferences see the light of being a full publication?

Background: Every year the scientific sessions of Annual National Conference of Indian Psychiatric Society (ANCIPS) are marked by presentation of free papers, posters, and award paper sessions, which are usually meant for presentation of new research which is not yet published. Hence, it is expected that these papers will be published in near future so that the scientific literature is distributed and shared with wider audience. Aim: This paper aims to evaluate the abstract to publication rate of papers presented during ANCIPS in the years 2012–2014. Materials and Methods: For this study, all the free papers, posters, and award papers presented during the ANCIPS of 2012–2014 were listed, and electronic searches were carried out to search for published articles. In addition, one of the authors of papers not found in the electronic searches were contacted through E-mail. Results: A total of 1081 papers were presented during the ANCIPS in the 3 year period under study. Of these, 64 were award papers, 622 were free papers, and 395 were posters. Majority (n = 807; 74.6%) of these could be categorized as research data-based presentations; this was followed by case reports/series (203; 18.8%), review of literature (n = 35; 3.3%), and others (n = 36; 3.3%). Overall, only 27% of the papers were published after at least 5 years of the presentation. Of all the award papers, 69.6% of papers were published, whereas only 26.8% of free oral papers and 22.5% of free posters were published. About half (45.6%) of the papers were published in national journals. In terms of indexing, among those which were published, 62.8% were published in Medline-indexed (PubMed-listed) Journals with a mean impact factor of 1. Conclusion: The present study shows that only 27% of the abstracts presented during the ANCIPS are ultimately published as full text articles in the next 5 years.
Open surgery for pheochromocytoma: Current indications and outcomes from a retrospective cohort

Introduction: Minimally invasive approaches are the current standard of care for pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma (PC/PG) surgery. However, a number of patients still undergo open surgery for these tumors. We evaluated the current indications and outcomes of open surgery for PC/PG to define the role of this approach. Methods: Data of patients undergoing PC/PG surgery between July 2008 and July 2017 were retrieved from our prospectively maintained electronic database and hospital records. Tumor characteristics, operative and recovery parameters, and complications were evaluated for indications of open procedure and outcomes. Results: During the study period, 106 patients underwent 124 procedures for PC/PG, including 18 simultaneous bilateral procedures. Surgeries included 102 adrenalectomies, 18 PG excisions, one partial adrenalectomy, and three partial cystectomies. Twenty-five (23.6%) patients (mean age 38.2 ± 16.1 years) underwent an open procedure, including four bilateral procedures. This included 16 adrenalectomies and 9 PG excisions. The indications for open surgery were unilateral large tumours (5; size 8–16, mean 11 cm), bilateral large tumours (2; size 6–10, mean 8.2 cm), retrocaval tumour extension (4), inter aortocaval PGs (8), Retro-mesenteric PG (1), concomitant procedures (3), and conversion from laparoscopy (2). Mean operative time was 217 ± 63.8 min, blood loss was 868 ± 734.2 ml, 11 patients required blood transfusion, and hospital stay was 6.44 ± 2.4 days. All these parameters were higher than for minimally invasive surgery (MIS) in this cohort. Three patients (12%) suffered a postoperative complication, and the rate of complications was not higher than MIS cohort (16%). Conclusions: Open surgery was most often indicated for large tumors or those located in the inter-aortocaval region. Most such procedures require large incisions and possible hepatic mobilization on the right side. The procedures can be safely completed with few complications.
Clinical correlates of obsessive-compulsive disorder comorbidity in patients with schizophrenia

Background/Aim: The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical correlates of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) comorbidity in patients with schizophrenia. Materials and Methods: This study included fifty schizophrenia patients with an existing OCD comorbidity and 200 schizophrenia patients who did not have an OCD diagnosis for a lifetime. The participants were administered Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), Clinical Global Impressions Severity Scale (CGI-S), Scale for the Assessment of Positive and Negative Symptoms (SAPS/SANS), Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia (CDSS), Yale–Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale, and Global Assessment of Functioning Scale. Results: Patients with OCD comorbidity had higher BPRS, SANS, and CGI-S scores compared to patients without OCD. In addition, patients with OCD showed worse functional impairment; however, sociodemographic variables, SAPS, CDSS, and insight scores did not show a significant difference depending on the presence of OCD. The present study also showed higher negative and depressive symptoms in patients with preexisting OCD compared to those manifesting OCD during the course of schizophrenia. Conclusions: In this study, patients with schizophrenia and OCD comorbidity showed different clinical features compared to those not showing an OCD presence for a lifetime. In this study, positive symptoms were not determinative in the differentiation of patients with and without OCD. It is important to assess OCD symptoms in patients with schizophrenia, and psychosocial therapies should be provided in patients with OCD to improve negative symptoms and functionality. Patients with preexisting OCD displayed more severe symptoms and seemed to require a different clinical approach in treatment.
Malaria and human immunodeficiency virus coinfection in febrile patients attending the Regional Hospital of Buea, Southwest region, Cameroon

Background: Malaria and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) account for significant morbidity and mortality in Cameroon. Studies on malaria and HIV coinfection in the Southwest Region of the country are few. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of malaria and HIV coinfection as well as the association between HIV and severe malaria (SM), in febrile patients attending the Regional Hospital of Buea. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 218 febrile patients were enrolled from the Outpatient Department/Emergency Unit of the Regional Hospital of Buea. Their vital signs were collected, and the consulting physician examined them. Their HIV and malaria statuses were determined by serology and Giemsa microscopy, respectively. SM was classified according to the WHO criteria. Results: The participants' age ranged between 2 weeks and 79 years, and the majority were females (59.2%). The prevalence of malaria, HIV, and coinfection with malaria and HIV were 30.7%, 6.9%, and 2.3%, respectively. Malaria prevalence was significantly higher in children 10 years and below (P = 0.018); meanwhile, HIV prevalence was significantly higher in participants between 31 and 40 years (P = 0.005). The mean hemoglobin concentration was significantly lower while the malaria parasite density was significantly higher in malaria and HIV-coinfected group. The rate of SM was 13.8%, and this was higher in children ≤10 years (P = 0.037). The association between HIV and SM was not statistically significant (P = 0.308). Conclusion: In general, a low prevalence of coinfection with malaria and HIV was observed, and HIV infection was not found to be associated with SM in this study. Further studies in other populations from Cameroon are required to shed more light.