bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Study on Sero-prevalence of IgG Antibody of Lyme Disease in Asymptomatic Population at Risk
Authors: Fatema K
Published: September 2024

Background: Borrelia burgdorferi infection is the most frequent tick-transmitted disease worldwide.Objective: The aim was to assess the sero-prevalence of B. burgdorferi infection among forestry workers and farmers inSylhet, the north-east region of Bangladesh.

Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study based on laboratory findings of sero-prevalance survey. Blood samplesfrom 44 forestry workers and farmers were obtained to determine the presence of antibodies to B. burgdorferi. The sera weretested by ELISA method. Demographic data regarding residence, age, gender, profession, tick bite history and contact with2animals were collected by questionnaire. All results were evaluated statistically using the χ test and Z test.

Results: Sero-prevalence rate was 9.09% for IgG Antibody of B. burgdorferi. Sero-prevalence rate of IgG antibody of B.burgdorferi in asymptomatic populations are statistically significant (p<0.05) in chi-square test. Seropositivity rates wererelated to age, gender, and common risk factors for the disease. Seropositivity of B. burgdorferi suggests infections by theorganisms and presence of Lyme disease in our country. Lyme disease may cause severe illness which can be cured byantibiotic treatment. Its high prevalence in this study warrants greater awareness among clinicians so that they can suspect thedisease on clinical grounds and either send them for diagnostic evaluation or initiate empirical treatment.

Conclusion: A large scale multilevel study is needed to get a clear picture of sero-positivity of Borrelia burgdorferi infection inevery region of Bangladesh. Additional public health measures to prevent tick exposure should be explored in this high riskpopulation, and further studies are needed to confirm and extend the sero-prevalence findings.
El Corte Inglés
Authors: Urrutia de Hoyos Ignacio
Published: September 2024

Introduction: El Corte Inglés (ECI) announced on March 12, 2022, the closure of retail buildings and the layoff of 3,000 workers. Financial reports highlighted the financial crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, competition from retailers, increased rental and wage costs, higher import costs due to the devaluation of the euro, increased debt due to business expansion, lack of investment in technology, and changes in consumer behavior.
Objective: What were the reasons behind El Corte Inglés' failure to anticipate the rise of e-commerce? How did it face the challenge of technological changes? How did it adapt to the new value propositions offered to its customers?
Methodology: The qualitative opinion research method is applied, encompassing variables such as barriers to technology implementation, the competitive talent of board members, and innovation in corporate culture.
Results: El Corte Ingles demonstrates how the lack of adaptation to e-commerce led to a brand crisis. Management preferred to maintain the original corporate culture, prioritizing stability over innovation and adaptation to the environment. This resistance to change and the focus on preserving hierarchical structures hindered innovation and market responsiveness, highlighting a conflict between the established culture and the need for strategic adaptation, driven solely by financial pressures.
Limitation: The difficulty in accessing key personnel for interviews is highlighted due to the organization's culture that highly values discretion. A case study with interviews of executives was initially planned, but these obstacles led to the adoption of a qualitative opinion methodology.
Contribution: The contribution and originality of this study lie in addressing an academic gap, given the scarcity of research examining crises stemming from the lack of foresight in the e-commerce sector. This analysis, considering the importance of the company studied, allows us to develop an analytical model that can be used in future research. Additionally, it addresses the barriers to technological change and environmental adaptation, providing a comprehensive understanding of these challenges.
Using recurrent neural network to estimate irreducible stochasticity in human choice behavior
Authors: Ger Yoav , Shahar Moni , Shahar Nitzan
Published: September 2024

Theoretical computational models are widely used to describe latent cognitive processes. However, these models do not equally explain data across participants, with some individuals showing a bigger predictive gap than others. In the current study, we examined the use of theory-independent models, specifically recurrent neural networks (RNNs), to classify the source of a predictive gap in the observed data of a single individual. This approach aims to identify whether the low predictability of behavioral data is mainly due to noisy decision-making or misspecification of the theoretical model. First, we used computer simulation in the context of reinforcement learning to demonstrate that RNNs can be used to identify model misspecification in simulated agents with varying degrees of behavioral noise. Specifically, both prediction performance and the number of RNN training epochs (i.e., the point of early stopping) can be used to estimate the amount of stochasticity in the data. Second, we applied our approach to an empirical dataset where the actions of low IQ participants, compared with high IQ participants, showed lower predictability by a well-known theoretical model (i.e., Daw’s hybrid model for the two-step task). Both the predictive gap and the point of early stopping of the RNN suggested that model misspecification is similar across individuals. This led us to a provisional conclusion that low IQ subjects are mostly noisier compared to their high IQ peers, rather than being more misspecified by the theoretical model. We discuss the implications and limitations of this approach, considering the growing literature in both theoretical and data-driven computational modeling in decision-making science.
Early moderate prenatal alcohol exposure and maternal diet impact offspring DNA methylation across species
Authors: Bestry Mitchell , Larcombe Alexander N , Kresoje Nina , Chivers Emily K , Bakker Chloe , Fitzpatrick James P , Elliott Elizabeth J , Craig Jeffrey M , Muggli Evelyne , Halliday Jane , Hutchinson Delyse , Buckberry Sam , Lister Ryan , Symons Martyn , Martino David
Published: September 2024

Alcohol consumption in pregnancy can affect genome regulation in the developing offspring but results have been contradictory. We employed a physiologically relevant murine model of short-term moderate prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) resembling common patterns of alcohol consumption in pregnancy in humans. Early moderate PAE was sufficient to affect site-specific DNA methylation in newborn pups without altering behavioural outcomes in adult littermates. Whole-genome bisulfite sequencing of neonatal brain and liver revealed stochastic influence on DNA methylation that was mostly tissue-specific, with some perturbations likely originating as early as gastrulation. DNA methylation differences were enriched in non-coding genomic regions with regulatory potential indicative of broad effects of alcohol on genome regulation. Replication studies in human cohorts with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder suggested some effects were metastable at genes linked to disease-relevant traits including facial morphology, intelligence, educational attainment, autism, and schizophrenia. In our murine model, a maternal diet high in folate and choline protected against some of the damaging effects of early moderate PAE on DNA methylation. Our studies demonstrate that early moderate exposure is sufficient to affect fetal genome regulation even in the absence of overt phenotypic changes and highlight a role for preventative maternal dietary interventions.
The function of juvenile–adult transition axis in female sexual receptivity of Drosophila melanogaster
Authors: Li Jing , Ning Chao , Liu Yaohua , Deng Bowen , Wang Bingcai , Shi Kai , Wang Rencong , Fang Ruixin , Zhou Chuan
Published: September 2024

Female sexual receptivity is essential for reproduction of a species. Neuropeptides play the main role in regulating female receptivity. However, whether neuropeptides regulate female sexual receptivity during the neurodevelopment is unknown. Here, we found the peptide hormone prothoracicotropic hormone (PTTH), which belongs to the insect PG (prothoracic gland) axis, negatively regulated virgin female receptivity through ecdysone during neurodevelopment in Drosophila melanogaster. We identified PTTH neurons as doublesex-positive neurons, they regulated virgin female receptivity before the metamorphosis during the third-instar larval stage. PTTH deletion resulted in the increased EcR-A expression in the whole newly formed prepupae. Furthermore, the ecdysone receptor EcR-A in pC1 neurons positively regulated virgin female receptivity during metamorphosis. The decreased EcR-A in pC1 neurons induced abnormal morphological development of pC1 neurons without changing neural activity. Among all subtypes of pC1 neurons, the function of EcR-A in pC1b neurons was necessary for virgin female copulation rate. These suggested that the changes of synaptic connections between pC1b and other neurons decreased female copulation rate. Moreover, female receptivity significantly decreased when the expression of PTTH receptor Torso was reduced in pC1 neurons. This suggested that PTTH not only regulates female receptivity through ecdysone but also through affecting female receptivity associated neurons directly. The PG axis has similar functional strategy as the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal axis in mammals to trigger the juvenile–adult transition. Our work suggests a general mechanism underlying which the neurodevelopment during maturation regulates female sexual receptivity.
Citizen engagement as a crisis response at higher education institutions in the Baltic states and Ukraine
Authors: Abolina Inese , Beitane Anna , Boichenko Kateryna , Dovidonytė Rasa , Gibson Catherine , Kondratyk Yurii , Oikonomou Stefania , Pranckutė Aistė , Tautkevičienė Gintarė , Teder Lianne , Vovk Nataliia , Shilinh Anna , Zourou Katerina
Published: September 2024

This publication presents social actions organised in Baltic universities in collaboration with policy, industry, and society, aiming to support Ukrainian populations in humanitarian crises. Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, many Ukrainians had to leave the war zone and emigrate to other countries in order to find a safe place to live. This humanitarian crisis imposed new challenges for Ukrainian people who became refugees in the Baltic states, as well as to the host societies. There was a lack of resilience mechanisms to cope with this new reality and provide support for Ukrainian refugees. To address these challenges, six partners (four Baltic universities, a Ukranian university and an organization in Greece) collaborated in the project ''Supporting Ukraine through citizen engagement at Baltic Universities'' (Baltics4UA) under the Erasmus+ Programme. The main goal of Baltics4UA project is to enhance Baltic universities’ social responsibility through civic engagement actions to address the Ukrainian humanitarian crisis in the Baltic states. A methodological approach that focuses on citizen engagement and emphasises social innovation and participation has been developed in the framework of this project prior to organising 23 university-driven social actions in every partner institution. Overall, 488 participants took part in social actions. Participants were asked to fill in a post-event evaluation form; this feedback was used to identify whether the social actions met the aims and objectives of the project. Moreover, the organisers of the social actions described the impact of each action by evaluating the aim and goal of the social action, as well as the level of citizen engagement. While planning, organising and implementing these social actions, project partners encountered a variety of challenges and learned lessons, which can serve as useful guidelines for those seeking to foster effective business, academia and society collaboration while providing support and engaging societies in the Ukrainian humanitarian crisis.
An empirical evaluation of link quality utilization in ETX routing for VANETs
Authors: Al-Qassas Raad , Qasaimeh Malik
Published: September 2024

Routing in vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs) enables vehicles to communicate for safety and non-safety applications. However, there are limitations in wireless communication that can degrade VANET performance, so it is crucial to optimize the operation of routing protocols to address this. Various routing protocols employed the expected transmission count (ETX) in their operation as one way to achieve the required efficiency and robustness. ETX is used to estimate link quality for improved route selection. While some studies have evaluated the utilization of ETX in specific protocols, they lack a comprehensive analysis across protocols under varied network conditions. This research provides a comprehensive comparative evaluation of ETX-based routing protocols for VANETs using the nomadic community mobility model. It covers a foundational routing protocol, ad hoc on-demand distance vector (AODV), as well as newer variants that utilize ETX, lightweight ETX (LETX), and power-based light reverse ETX (PLR-ETX), which are referred to herein as AODV-ETX, AODV-LETX, and AODV-PLR, respectively. The protocols are thoroughly analyzed via ns-3 simulations under different traffic and mobility scenarios. Our evaluation model considers five performance parameters including throughput, routing overhead, end-to-end delay, packet loss, and underutilization ratio. The analysis provides insight into designing robust and adaptive ETX routing for VANET to better serve emerging intelligent transportation system applications through a better understanding of protocol performance under different network conditions. The key findings show that ETX-optimized routing can provide significant performance enhancements in terms of end-to-end delay, throughput, routing overhead, packet loss and underutilization ratio. The extensive simulations demonstrated that AODV-PLR outperforms its counterparts AODV-ETX and AODV-LETX and the foundational AODV routing protocol across the performance metrics.
Validation and Transadaptation of Tinnitus Primary Function Questionnaire Into Central Kurdish Version (TPFQ-CK)
Authors: Hawramy Mohammed Subhan Mohammed , Zmnako Sherko Saeed F. , Baban Muaid Ismaiel Aziz
Published: September 2024

Background and Objectives: Tinnitus affects individuals’ quality of life, and multiple surveys have been conducted to assess this effect. One questionnaire used is the Tinnitus Primary Function Questionnaire. The aim of this study was to assess the reliability and validity of the Central Kurdish version of the Tinnitus Primary Function Questionnaire (TPFQ-CK).Subjects and Methods: We obtained permission from the originator of the TPFQ to proceed with this study. The English version was translated into Central Kurdish, following guidelines for the cross-cultural adaptation of health-related quality-of-life measures. A total of 205 participants who self-reported having subjective tinnitus for more than 3 months were included in this study. The TPFQ-CK and Tinnitus Handicap Questionnaire (THQ) were administered to all participants. Additionally, pure-tone audiometry was conducted.Results: Internal consistency of the TPFQ-CK was reflected in the total score (Cronbach’s alpha=0.933), and excellent consistency was present in test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient=1.000). The concordance correlation coefficient (concordance correlation coefficient=0.999) of the total TPFQ-CK score revealed high concordance and correlation between the two evaluations. The good construct validity of the TPFQ-CK was evidenced by the strong correlation (r=0.895) between the TPFQ-CK and THQ scores.Conclusions: The TPFQ-CK is a valid and reliable assessment tool for evaluating the influence of tinnitus on the quality of life of Central Kurdish speakers with tinnitus.
Spatio-temporal Modelling of Land-use/Landcover Dynamics in Owerri West, Imo State Using Geospatial Technique
Authors: U. E Ahuchaogu , U.U Duru , G.O Ikwuemesi , A.C Okoroji , I.G Uwandu , C.G Ogbonna
Published: September 2024

In recent times, the pressures from uncontrolled land use has resulted to several environmental problems including flooding, pollution, erosion etc. thereby posing a trait to environmental sustainability in Owerri west.  Therefore, this research evaluated Land-use and Landcover changes in Owerri west local LGA in Imo state using multi-dated satellite Imagery. The major aim of the study was to carry out analysis of land-use/land cover development trends, thereby detecting the changes that have taken place between the year 2000 to 2020. Software used include ERDAS Imagine, ArcGIS10.5 and Microsoft excel. Three Landsat images, 5(TM), 7 (ETM+) and 8 (OLI) images of 2000, 2010 and 2020were acquired, pre-processed and classified using supervised classification algorithm. Progressively, accuracy of the classified result and change detection analysis was performed to investigate the changes that has taken placebetween this period. The spatial and temporal analyses indicate that, all LULC classes altered from their initial state within these epochs. The result of the study shows that the built-up areas have been on a significant constant positive expansion covering 22.57% ,36.11% and50.30% of the study area in 2000, 2010 and 2020respectively. Forest decreased from 31.32% to 20.54% and finally to 13.03%.Sparse vegetation decreased from 23.86% to 23.35% and to 15.28%. Exposed surface decreased from 12.24% to 10.04% and increased to11.08%.Water body decreased gradually from9.99%, to 9.97% and 9,89%%. The study further predicted that beyond the year 2050 thick vegetation may vanish and replaced by urban expansion and this is of grave consequences to the eco-environment. Therefore, this study suggests the establishment of forest reserves and planting of trees within the study area.
Consolidation, Efficiency, and Corporate Performance of Insurance Companies in Nigeria
Authors: Ogboi Charles , Olurotimi Ogunwale , Olatunde Ogunwole Joshua
Published: September 2024

Consolidation and efficiency are important factors that can impact the corporate performance of insurance firms. While consolidation can lead to economies of scale and increased market power, efficiency can enhance the effectiveness of governance and regulatory frameworks. However, there is a lack of research on the specific effects of these factors on the performance of insurance firms in Nigeria. This study therefore examined the nexus amongst consolidation, efficiency and corporate performance of insurance companies in Nigeria using panel regression analysis for the periods 2010 to 2014; 2015 to 2019; 2010 to 2019 for pre-merger, post-merger, and combined periods respectively. Data analysed were obtained from published financial statements of purposively selected insurance companies. Return on Asset (ROA), and Earning Per Share (EPS) are proxies of endogenous variables, while shareholder funds and expense ratio are exogenous variables for consolidation and efficiency respectively. Empirical findings from the study showed that shareholder funds exert negative and significant impact on ROA during the pre-merger periods (β=-0.48, P=0.04). Expense ratio exert negative but insignificant impact on ROA in the pre-merger periods (β=0.02, P=0.90). Findings from the post-merger periods showed that shareholder funds have positive but insignificant impact on ROA (β= 0.01, P=0.85). Expense ratio has negative but insignificant impact on ROA (β= - 0.026, P= 0.6024). Shareholder funds have positive but insignificant impact on EPS (β= 0.01, P= 0.20), while expense ratio has negative but insignificant impact on EPS (β= -0,003, P= 0.43). Furthermore, findings from the combined period showed that shareholder funds have positive and significant impact on ROA (β= 0.025, P= 0.05). Expense ratio has negative but insignificant on ROA ((β= - 0.04, P= 0.06). Shareholder funds have positive but insignificant impact on EPS (β= 0.001, P= 0.80), while expense ratio exert negative and significant impact on EPS ((β= - 0.005, P= 0.00)). It is therefore recommended that managers of merged or acquired insurance firms adopt robust cost cutting measure in order to enhance profitability.
Modeling the Risk Factors of Miscarriage Using Survival Analysis Techniques
Authors: Chibayi John Olives , Ranyimbo Argwings Otieno , Akang’o Ayub Anapapa
Published: September 2024

Background: Miscarriage, also known as spontaneous abortion, is a significant adverse outcome of pregnancy. The risk factors associated with the transition from a normal pregnancy to a complete miscarriage before 28 weeks of gestational age have not been exhaustively established. Use of logistic regression to assess the factors associated with spontaneous abortion excludes the longitudinal and incompleteness aspects of miscarriage data. However, miscarriage is dynamical process where time until it occurs may be of interest.
Objectives: This paper modeled the risk factors associated with miscarriage using survival analysis, estimated and compared survivorship of levels of categorized variables, fitted proportional hazards and accelerated failure time models and compared their inferential capacity and their efficacy in identifying risk factors.
Methods: A retrospective study was conducted for pregnant women who were enrolled for antenatal care in Kakamega County General Teaching and Referral Hospital (KCGTRH) in Kakamega county, western Kenya. Pregnant women with recognized pregnancy and enrolled in the pre-natal care during the period from 1 January, 2019 up to 31 October, 2020 was recruited into the study. For descriptive analysis and estimation of survival functions, the study used Kaplan-Meier (K-M) and chi-squared test for independence. Comparison of survivorships in categorized variables was done using Kaplan-Meier curves and log-rank test. The Cox proportional hazards (PH) model and parametric models were used to analyze miscarriage data. All analysis were carried out using R software and SPSSv20. The level of significance was 5%.
Results: Of the total sample 248 mothers (4.1%) miscarried, while 5729 (95.9%) were censored. The significant factors identified by log rank test were ethnicity (P=.000), levels of education (P=.048), place of residence (P=.000), employment status (P=.004), malaria status (P=.000) and UTI status (P=.000). The covariates in categorized form found significant by log rank were number of previous stillbirths (P=.000) and number of ANC visits (P=.000). The factors ethnicity, place of residence, malaria status, number of previous miscarriages, number of previous stillbirths and number of ANC visits were identified as the risk factors associated with miscarriages using cox model, parametric proportional hazards model and accelerated failure time models. The study found equivalent hazard ratios for among Cox model, parametric proportional hazards (PH) models and accelerated failure time (AFT) models.
Conclusion: From the findings of this study it can be concluded that the Gompertz proportional hazards (PH) regression model demonstrates a more favorable level of conformity to the data in comparison to the Cox model and accelerated failure time (AFT) models and there is association between certain explanatory variables and the time to miscarriages. In this paper survival analysis was used to analyze miscarriage data.
Enzymatic Activity Profiles at Different Stages of the Development of Bulbils from “Dougou-Won” and "Won-Kpia," Two Varieties of Dioscorea bulbifera
Authors: Libra Michel Archange , Zoro Fabrice Armel , Kouassi Apolinaire Kouamé , Touré Abdoulaye , Soro René Yadé , Kouadio Jean Parfait N’guessan , Kouamé Licien Patrice
Published: September 2024

Two varieties of Dioscorea bulbifera (Dougou-won and Won-kpia) were grown to study the enzymatic profile of bulbils during their growth. For each variety, bulbils aged between 1 and 6 months were harvested. After being washed, peeled and cut into strips, the samples were ground in a 0.9% NaCl saline solution. The mixture obtained was centrifuged and the supernatant collected constituted the crude enzyme extract. The experimental conditions consisted of a reaction medium comprising a buffer solution, the enzyme extract and synthetic or natural substrates. The results showed that the bulbils of “Dougou-won” have high levels of polyphenol oxidase (PPO), peroxidase (POD), acid phosphatase and α-amylase, while the bulbils of “Won-kpia” showed high levels of α-D-mannosidase, β-fucosidase and inulase during growth. The study highlighted the enzymatic potential of bulbils of the “Dougou-won” and “Won-kpia” varieties, which could be a valuable source of enzymes for biotechnology and other industrial.
Prevalence of Select Vector Borne Diseases and Knowledge of the Preventive Measures: A Cross- Sectional Analytical Study in Communities in Anambra State, Nigeria
Authors: Okoye Chibuzo F. , Nnebue Chinomnso C. , Ezenyeaku Chijioke A. , Mbanuzuru Ahoma V. , Obi Darlington C. , Ezeama Nkiru N.
Published: September 2024

Background: Knowledge of vector-borne diseases (VBDs) its prevalence, attendant risk factors and effective control practice is a prerequisite for the containment of these disease.
Objective: To determine the prevalence and knowledge of preventive measures against select VBDs among communities in Anambra State, Nigeria.
Methods: This is a community-based cross-sectional analytical study conducted in Anambra State. Multistage sampling technique was used for subject selection. Data were collected using a pretested, semi-structured interviewer- administered, questionnaire. Data was exported from kobocollect into Statistical Package for Social Sciences (IBM SPSS) version 27. Descriptivestatistics were used to summarize data on socio-demographic variables. Tests of statistical significance were done using the Chi-square and Fisher tests for proportions as appropriate at p-value <0.05.
Results: While 68.24% reported having malaria, rare rarely, 407(95.76%) reported awareness of malaria and 12 (292%), of LF respectively. The commonest sources of awareness include: health institutions, friends. The mean percentage knowledge of respondents about preventive measures against malaria and LF were 53.92±11.51 (fair) and 14.86±24.43 (poor) respectively. There were statistically significant associations between knowledge about malaria and LF with highest level of education attained (p=0.732; p=0.732) and occupation (p<0.001; p<0.01) respectively.
Conclusions: This study reveals apparently high prevalence of malaria, good and poor levels of knowledge of preventive measures against malaria and LF respectively. There should be regular comprehensive health education programs on control of these diseases in health institutions and through peer education.
Agronomic Biofortification of Vegetable Crops–A Systematic Review
Authors: Behera Swagat Ranjan , Isha  , Pandey Riya , Dhathri Mondeddula , Negi Pragti , Jakhwal Riya , Sahoo Swapnashree , Bhatt Himanshu , Gairola Arti , Mohapatra Ankita
Published: September 2024

Mineral deficiency is prevalent in the diets of more than two-thirds of the world’s population. This problem can be solved by diversifying the diet, supplementing minerals, enriching foods or increasing the concentration and/or bioavailability of essential mineral elements in products (i.e., biofortification). Vegetables represent the backbone of good nutrition as they are a rich source of dietary fibre, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, and biofortification is a promising method of increasing the content of these compounds in vegetables. Given the significance of minerals in human diet and metabolism, the possibility of adding minerals to fresh vegetables through the use of specific agronomic methods has been considered. This review thoroughly examines the most recent research on agronomic biofortification of vegetable crops, with an aim of increasing the content of important micronutrients, such as iron, zinc, molybdenum and copper, in the edible parts, with an emphasis on the effects of this strategy. Although agronomic biofortification is considered a practicable technique, the approach is multifaceted due to several interactions occurring at the crop level, as well as the bioavailability of different minerals to plants and consumers.
Fundamentals of Biomedical Instrumentation (BMI): Principles and Application
Authors: Josephson Chukwuma Junior , Mobolanle Banwo Faridah , Odanibeh David Chukwuma , Egwuatu Donatus , Anene Peter Chidendu , Ojobor Jane-Frances Chinenye , Azubuike Eberechukwu Osinachi , Udensi Chukwuma Great , Nwokafor Chibuzo Valentine
Published: September 2024

Biomedical instrumentation is a cornerstone of modern healthcare, combining engineering, medicine and research to enhance diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment. This paper review aims to educate and inspire new researchers and professionals in this interdisciplinary field. It explores the foundational concepts of biomedical devices, with emphasis on measurements, sensors, and signal processing. Key components such as transducers, electrodes, and amplifiers are discussed alongside the classification and application of instruments in clinical settings. Despite their benefits, challenges like electrical safety and rapid technological change remain. We highlight innovations like wearable devices and telemedicine, which promise to advance healthcare delivery. Biomedical instrumentation enhances healthcare through precise diagnoses and therapies, with advancements like wearable technology and telemedicine improving accessibility. Fostering multidisciplinary cooperation and research will lead to customized, efficient treatments.
The Role of Biotechnology in the Future of Fruit Crop Production: A Review
Authors: T Sushmitha. , Ranganna G. , Gavhale KN , Singh Anshuman , Mali Vidhya Sagar , Diksha  , Shingade Danish Manoj , Khatri Ruchika
Published: September 2024

The integration of biotechnology into fruit crop production represents a transformative approach to addressing the challenges of global food security, climate change, and sustainable agriculture. This review highlights the pivotal role of biotechnological advancements, including genetic engineering, marker-assisted selection, and CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing, in enhancing fruit crop yield, quality, and resilience. Genetic engineering has enabled the development of transgenic fruit crops with improved traits such as pest and disease resistance, enhanced nutritional content, and extended shelf life. Marker-assisted selection accelerates the breeding process by allowing for the identification of desirable traits at the molecular level, thereby improving the efficiency and precision of breeding programs. The advent of CRISPR/Cas9 technology offers unprecedented opportunities for precise genome editing, facilitating the development of fruit crops that can withstand biotic and abiotic stresses, including drought, salinity, and temperature extremes. Moreover, biotechnology aids in the conservation of genetic diversity and the development of climateresilient fruit varieties, essential for adapting to changing environmental conditions. The commercial adoption of biotech fruit crops, however, faces regulatory, ethical, and public acceptance challenges that need to be addressed through comprehensive policy frameworks and transparent stakeholder engagement. Future research should focus on the integration of multi-omics technologies, such as genomics, transcriptomic, and metabolomics, to further elucidate complex trait mechanisms and optimize biotechnological interventions. In conclusion, biotechnology holds significant promise for the future of fruit crop production, contributing to sustainable agricultural practices and global food security.
Evaluation of Most Appropriate Propagation Media for Regeneration of Pineapple Seedlings from Pineapple Crown Leaves
Authors: Muti Simon , Ndiso James , Abdallah Bahati , Monthe Eunice , Nzau Serah , Kinoti Doreen , Amukhoye Rebecca
Published: September 2024

Pineapple cultivation is the main income generating activity in Magarini Sub-county and is grown under rain-fed conditions by small scale farmers. It significantly contributes to food security and sustenance of livelihoods in these marginal areas where rainfall reliability is a major challenge. It does well in specific soil niches found in certain natural vegetation that covers over 20,000Ha of which only less than 5% has been exploited. The land in these soil niches cannot sustainably support other annual crops except cassava due to limited rainfall and poor soils. It therefore became necessary to expand pineapple cultivation to fully utilize this enormous land potential. However, the main limiting factor was inadequate availability of clean pineapple planting material. Use of tissue culture for mass production of planting material was hindered by huge capital outlay for establishing a tissue culture laboratory. This necessitated introduction of technology on rapid mass regeneration of planting material from crown leaves which are plenty and a waste hazard. It therefore became necessary to find out the most appropriate locally available propagation media for raising seedlings from crown leaves at the comfort of farmers in their homes. A randomized complete block design experiment with four replications was set up among four pineapple growing farmer groups where each group was a replication. Each group tested four types of propagation media, namely Coir dust (as the standard propagation media), Soso and Sokoke soils (as the locally available soil media) and a mixture of Chitosan and coir dust, (being tested for its high nutrient content). Each media was contained in plastic propagation trays that constituted the experimental plots. The farmers cut and hived off at least two leaves with a bud from crowns earlier selected from healthy fruits in the market and farms. These leaves were treated with pesticides and fungicides against pests and disease pathogens then dipped in a solution of Auxin rooting hormone at 33% concentration, then planted in the respective test media in the plastic containers. The results, as evaluated by the participating farmers showed that Coir dust and Soso soil had the highest success rates of germination and emergence of pineapple seedlings, of between 50% to 75%, followed by Sokoke soil which resulted in success rates of between 14% to 60%, while Chitosan had the least at between 4% and 35%. However, farmers discounted Coir dust on account of its high cost and availability, settling on Soso soil as their best choice of propagation media for raising pineapple seedlings.
Impact of Saroglitazar on the Metabolic Profile in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients with Moderate to Severe Hypertriglyceridemia
Authors: Karkhanis Shefali , Sanghvi Ami , Shetty Manish , Jhaveri Kunal , Bhandari Aditi
Published: September 2024

Background: Saroglitazar is dual peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) α/γ agonist and approved for elevated triglyceride (TG) reduction in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in India. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of Saroglitazar in T2DM patients with moderate to severe hypertriglyceridemia to contribute to nationwide existing data of real time clinical practice.
Methods: It is a retrospective, observational study conducted from April 2023-2024, among T2DM participants with either moderate hypertriglyceridemia (200-499 mg/dl) or severe hypertriglyceridemia (>500 mg/dl) who were prescribed Saroglitazar 4 mg once daily and followed up for 6 months with laboratory parameters (blood sugar and lipid profile). 
Results: A total of 53 patients’ data on demographic and clinical profile was collected and analysed. Saroglitazar, in addition with oral antidiabetic and lipid lowering medication showed statically significant improvement in total cholesterol, triglyceride and HbA1c at 6 months follow-up without any serious adverse events.
Conclusion: In T2DM with moderate to severe hypertriglyceridemia, saroglitazar as an add on to statins is an effective and safe therapeutic option to reduce elevated TG and other lipid and glycemic parameters.
Effect of Elevated Levels of CO2 on Biological Parameters of Callosobruchus chinensis (L.) (Bruchidae: Coleoptera) in Stored Green Gram
Authors: Raghupathi B , Jayanth B V , Lakshmi K S Ishwarya , Gouthami Angoth , Rajarushi C N , Mahendra K R , Shashikala M
Published: September 2024

Green gram is a legume crop that provides essential nutrients and protein, especially in countries with a predominantly vegetarian population like India. However, post- harvest losses due to insect pests, particularly Callosobruchus chinensis, significantly affect stored green gram quality and quantity. In this context, an experiment was conducted to study the effect of elevated levels of CO2 on biology of Callosobruchus chinensis (L.) in stored green gram. The adult beetles were exposed to eight different concentrations of CO2 viz., 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, and 80%. The observations on fecundity, incubation period, larval-pupal period, adult emergence and adult longevity were recorded to assess the biology of C. chinensis. The results indicated that 80% CO2 was the most effective treatment for controlling the pulse beetle, yielding the lowest fecundity (1.20 eggs), adult emergences (1.66 adults), and the shortest adult lifespan (3.50 days). However, no significant differences were observed across the CO2 treatments for incubation period and larval-pupal periods.
Evaluation of Anti-Inflammatory and Analgesic Effects of Allophylus spicatus Leaf Extract in Mice
Authors: Idenyi Osunu M. , Orororo Osuvwe C. , Efejene Israel O. , Aisuodionoe Michael E. , Umoren Uboho F.
Published: September 2024

This study examined the analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity of an ethanolic extract of Allophylus spicatus leaves in albino mice, taking into account the socioeconomic impacts of pain and inflammation as well as the need to search for effective antipain and anti-inflammatory drugs with minimal side effects from traditional medicinal plants. The acetic acid writhing test and the hot plate method were used to assess the peripheral and central analgesic activity, while carrageenan-induced paw oedema and egg white-induced hind paw oedema were used to assess the anti-inflammatory activity. A. spicatus extract significantly (p<0.05) reduced discomfort in the acetic acid writhing test when 1% acetic acid (10ml/kg) was used to induce abdominal contractions. Similarly, in comparison to the control, the extract demonstrated noteworthy (p<0.05) analgesic effects in the hot plate method. Mice given different doses of the extract as well as those given indomethacin showed a substantial increase in the latency to pain response after 30 minutes when compared to the control group. In every time period tested, animals given 500 mg/kg of the extract showed the strongest analgesic effects. Gradual dosages of A. spicatus leaf extract and 10 mg/kg of standard Diclofenac sodium were administered after 0.1% carrageenan induced oedema, and after 120 and 180 minutes, respectively, the paw edema was significantly (p<0.05) reduced in control as equated. In a similar vein, graded dosages of A. spicatus leaf extract and conventional Diclofenac sodium dosed at 10mg/kg valuably decreases level of paw edema in the egg white-induced hind paw edema test as compared to the control. According to the study, ethanolic extract from A. spicatus leaves can effectively treat both centrally and peripherally caused pain. These findings validate reports of the plant's traditional usage in Nigerian communities for the treatment of inflammatory and analgesic ailments.
Dynamics of Drug Addiction and Abuse in India: Socio-economic Profiles of Individuals in Treatment for Drug Addiction in Northwest India
Authors: Karki Prakat
Published: September 2024

The book ‘Dynamics of Drug Addiction and Abuse in India’ by Ranjit Singh Ghuman, Jatinder Singh, and Gurinder Kaur was published in 2023 by Routledge India. It presented the results of an Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR- Government of India) funded research study conducted among 950 individuals (along with their households) with substance addiction, from five north western Indian states (Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Jammu and Kashmir). The results of the study were summarized across the chapters and arranged according to themes related to socio demographic profiles of the addicted individuals, the family and household factors in their substance initiation, pattern and types of substances used and the various negative consequences faced by them. The data for the same was collected through interviews, focus group discussions, case studies, literature review, etc. and involved not just the individuals with addictions, but also their family members, community stakeholders and various other parties involved in the efforts towards curbing illicit drug use. The results indicated that most of the addicted individuals were male, young, not highly educated, underemployed and had started using substances before age of 20. The most commonly used drugs were various derivatives of cannabis and opioid/opiates and this included both natural and synthetic forms of the drugs. The addicted individuals faced various negative consequences of their substance use and they were/ had received treatment in various government and private deaddiction and rehabilitation centers for their substance use issues. The study highlighted the issue of the changing drug cultures centered around Punjab and the authors also provided several recommendations in addressing the problems associated with drug abuse and addiction. In the efforts towards combatting the growing substance use epidemic in India, the research study summarized in this book has several important implications for family and community members, administrators, law enforcement agencies and policymakers in coming up with effective intervention strategies.
Unexpected capacity for organic carbon assimilation by Thermosynechococcus elongatus, a crucial photosynthetic model organism
Authors: Zilliges Yvonne , Dau Holger
Published: March 2016

Genetic modification of key residues of photosystems is essential to identify functionally crucial processes by spectroscopic and crystallographic investigation; the required protein stability favours use of thermophilic species. The currently unique thermophilic photosynthetic model organism is the cyanobacterial genus Thermosynechococcus. We report the ability of Thermosynechococcus elongatus to assimilate organic carbon, specifically d‐fructose. Growth in the presence of a photosynthesis inhibitor opens the door towards crucial amino acid substitutions in photosystems by the rescue of otherwise lethal mutations. Yet depression of batch‐culture growth after 7 days implies that additional developments are needed.
Inhibition of Src homology 2 domain‐containing phosphatase 1 increases insulin sensitivity in high‐fat diet‐induced insulin‐resistant mice
Authors: Krüger Janine , Wellnhofer Ernst , Meyborg Heike , Stawowy Philipp , Östman Arne , Kintscher Ulrich , Kappert Kai
Published: March 2016

Insulin resistance plays a crucial role in the development of type 2 diabetes. Insulin receptor signalling is antagonized and tightly controlled by protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs). However, the precise role of the PTP src homology 2 domain‐containing phosphatase 1 (SHP‐1) in insulin resistance has not been explored. Male C57BL/6J mice were fed a high‐fat diet (HFD, 60% kcal from fat), to induce insulin resistance, or a low‐fat diet (LFD, 10% kcal from fat) for 10 weeks. Afterwards, HFD‐fed mice were pharmacologically treated with the SHP‐1 (Ptpn6) inhibitor sodium stibogluconate and the broad spectrum pan‐PTP inhibitor bis(maltolato)oxovanadium(IV) (BMOV). Both inhibitors ameliorated the metabolic phenotype, as evidenced by reduced body weight, improved insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance, which was not due to altered PTP gene expression. In parallel, phosphorylation of the insulin receptor and of the insulin signalling key intermediate Akt was enhanced, and both PTP inhibitors and siRNA‐mediated SHP‐1 downregulation resulted in an increased glucose uptake in vitro. Finally, recombinant SHP‐1 was capable of dephosphorylating the ligand‐induced tyrosine‐phosphorylated insulin receptor. These results indicate a central role of SHP‐1 in insulin signalling during obesity, and SHP‐1 inhibition as a potential therapeutic approach in metabolic diseases.
Immunity to Parasitic Worms
Authors: Siracusa Mark C , Gause William C
Published: March 2016

Helminth parasites are responsible for some of the most common human infections and cause significant health problems and economic difficulties in the developing areas of the world. The type 2 immune response, characteristic of helminth infections, has been associated with the development of protective immunity and reduced worm burdens in infected humans. Further, animal model systems have demonstrated that type 2 cytokine production and signalling are necessary to promote inflammation and parasite clearance. Despite significant advances in our understanding of the mammalian immune response to helminths, the molecular and cellular mechanisms that promote type 2 immunity remain to be fully defined. Emerging studies suggest that a series of highly coordinated events including the production of epithelial cell‐derived alarmins, the activation of innate immune cells (innate lymphoid cells, haematopoietic progenitor cells, mast cells, basophils, eosinophils, neutrophils and macrophages) and the subsequent activation of lymphocytes are required to promote antihelminth immunity. This article will review these recent advances and highlight how these studies may inform the development of new therapeutic strategies to treat helminth infections and their associated morbidities.

Key Concepts

Helminths trigger a specific type of immune response different from that induced by microbial pathogens.

This response to helminths includes many of the same immune cell populations activated by microbial pathogens; however, the activation state and effector functions of the individual immune cell populations are quite different.

The immune cell effector functions stimulated by helminths include innate and adaptive components that mediate resistance and elimination of the parasite.

Effector functions of the helminth‐induced type 2 immune response also include tolerance mechanisms that mitigate tissue damage associated with trafficking of these large multicellular parasites.

The type 2 immune response is initiated through release of endogenous danger signals triggered by tissue damage and through release of specific parasite products that can modulate the immune response.