bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Investigation the Effect of Encapsulated Bromelain Enzyme in Magnetic Carbon Nanotubes on Colorectal Cancer Cells
Authors: Montazeri Ardalan , Ramezani Mina , Mohammadgholi Azadeh
Published: July 2021

Background: Bromelain (BL) is an enzyme extracted from Ananas comosus, which has been known for its therapeutic properties. Objectives: The anticarcinogenic activity of BL was examined with and without the presence of magnetic carbon nanotubes (MCNTs) against HT-29 colorectal cancer cells. Methods: The operational factors affecting BL adsorption, such as contact time (30, 60, 90, 120, and 180 min), adsorbent dosage (1 g/L and 5 g/L), initial bromelain concentration (50, 150, and 300 mg/L), and temperature (35 and 50°C) were studied in details. Then, cancer cells were exposed to various BL concentrations (0.1, 1, 10, and 100 μg/mL), and the cell viability was determined by methylthiazol tetrazolium (MTT) assay after 24, 48, and 72 h. Results: The highest adsorption of BL on nanotubes was at 41.62 mg/L and achieved at 35°C and 90 min at the initial concentration of 50 mg/L and 1 g/L of MCNTs. The adsorption followed the Freundlich model and second-order kinetics. The results indicated that MCNTs could be a potential effective adsorbent for the removal of BL. Conclusions: MTT assay indicated that BL at a concentration of 100 μg/mL alone and in combination with MCNTs efficiently inhibited the HT-29 cancerous cells. However, encapsulated BL had a considerable advantage of slow delivery, which is favorable for cancer treatment.
Evaluation of Reliability and Validity of Persian Version of Children’s Dermatology Life Quality Index (CDLQI) Questionnaire and Practical Use
Authors: Mohammadi Saman , Khalili Maryam , Farajzadeh Saeedeh , Safizadeh Hossein , Amiri Rezvan , Aflatoonian Mahin , Shahabi Salilah
Published: July 2021

Background: Atopic dermatitis is a common skin disease in children. Severe pruritus and eczematous lesions may interfere with the quality of life of the patients. Objectives: This study was designed to assess the validity and reliability of the Persian version of the children’s dermatology life quality index questionnaire. Methods: After obtaining final acceptance by the first developers of the questionnaire for developing a Persian version, it was distributed to 100 children affected with atopic dermatitis aged 5 to 15 years. We analyzed data by SPSS18. Then, we evaluated the validity and reliability of the questionnaire by Kaiser criterion and Cronbach’s alpha. Results: Questions number 1 (itching) and 6 (sports activities) achieved the highest and the lowest scores, respectively. Cronbach’s alpha was assessed as 0.87, demonstrating good reliability. Inter-item correlation coefficients ranged from 0.24 to 0.69. A one-factor structure was achieved by Kaiser criterion and scree plot. Conclusions: Our study demonstrated good reliability and validity of the Persian version of the children’s dermatology Life Quality Index Questionnaire. There was a significant positive relationship between the severity of the disease and the score of quality of life. However, there was no relationship between the quality of life and the demographic features of the participants.
Metaphor Abuse in the Time of Coronavirus
Authors: Ralston Shane J. ,   Southwestern Philosophical Society
Published: July 2021

In the time of Coronavirus, it is perhaps as good a time as any to comment on the use and abuse of metaphors. One of the worst instances of metaphor abuse—especially given the recent epidemiological crisis—is Lynne Tirrell’s notion of toxic speech. In the foregoing reply piece, I analyse Tirrell’s metaphor and reveal how it blinds us to the liberating power of public speech. Lynne Tirrell argues that some speech is, borrowing from field of Epidemiology, toxic in the sense that it harms vulnerable listeners. In this response piece, I summarize the main points of Tirrell’s toxic speech argument, map the underlying conceptual metaphor and pose three objections.
Utilitarian Aggregation
Authors: Rogerson Ken ,   Southwestern Philosophical Society
Published: July 2021

I want to tackle a central thesis of contemporary Utilitarianism. Utilitarianism holds what has come to be called the Aggregation Thesis. The Aggregation Thesis claims, roughly, that several individual harms (or benefits) can be “added up” to represent a larger harm (or benefit). One controversial aspect of this view is that, seemingly, one large harm to a single individual (or smaller group) could be justified if such a harm spared a significantly smaller harm dealt out to a much larger number of other individuals. I will argue that on Utilitarian’s own grounds, the aggregation thesis is not warranted.
Why Moral Rights of Free Speech for Business Corporations Cannot Be Justified
Authors: Wright Ava Thomas ,   Southwestern Philosophical Society
Published: July 2021

In this paper, I develop two philosophically suggestive arguments that the late Justice Stevens made in Citizens United against the idea that business corporations have free speech rights. First, (1) while business corporations conceived as real entities are capable of a thin agency conceptually sufficient for moral rights, I argue that they fail to clear important justificatory hurdles imposed by interest or choice theories of rights. Business corporations conceived as real entities lack any interest in their personal security; moreover, they are incapable of exercising innate powers of choice. Second, (2) I argue that the structure and functionally individualized purpose of a business corporation—to increase value for its shareholders—undermines the implicit joint commitment necessary to derive corporate rights of free speech from non-operative shareholder-member rights. Since one cannot transfer innate moral rights such as free speech, any exercise of this right on behalf of another must be limited in scope.
miR-1 coordinately regulates lysosomal v-ATPase and biogenesis to impact proteotoxicity and muscle function during aging
Authors: Schiffer Isabelle , Gerisch Birgit , Kawamura Kazuto , Laboy Raymond , Hewitt Jennifer , Denzel Martin Sebastian , Mori Marcelo A , Vanapalli Siva , Shen Yidong , Symmons Orsolya , Antebi Adam
Published: July 2021

Muscle function relies on the precise architecture of dynamic contractile elements, which must be fine-tuned to maintain motility throughout life. Muscle is also plastic, and remodeled in response to stress, growth, neural and metabolic inputs. The conserved muscle-enriched microRNA, miR-1, regulates distinct aspects of muscle development, but whether it plays a role during aging is unknown. Here we investigated Caenorhabditis elegans miR-1 in muscle function in response to proteostatic stress. mir-1 deletion improved mid-life muscle motility, pharyngeal pumping, and organismal longevity upon polyQ35 proteotoxic challenge. We identified multiple vacuolar ATPase subunits as subject to miR-1 control, and the regulatory subunit vha-13/ATP6V1A as a direct target downregulated via its 3′UTR to mediate miR-1 physiology. miR-1 further regulates nuclear localization of lysosomal biogenesis factor HLH-30/TFEB and lysosomal acidification. Our studies reveal that miR-1 coordinately regulates lysosomal v-ATPase and biogenesis to impact muscle function and health during aging.
Dynamically linking influenza virus infection kinetics, lung injury, inflammation, and disease severity
Authors: Myers Margaret A , Smith Amanda P , Lane Lindey C , Moquin David J , Aogo Rosemary , Woolard Stacie , Thomas Paul , Vogel Peter , Smith Amber M
Published: July 2021

Influenza viruses cause a significant amount of morbidity and mortality. Understanding host immune control efficacy and how different factors influence lung injury and disease severity are critical. We established and validated dynamical connections between viral loads, infected cells, CD8+T cells, lung injury, inflammation, and disease severity using an integrative mathematical model-experiment exchange. Our results showed that the dynamics of inflammation and virus-inflicted lung injury are distinct and nonlinearly related to disease severity, and that these two pathologic measurements can be independently predicted using the model-derived infected cell dynamics. Our findings further indicated that the relative CD8+T cell dynamics paralleled the percent of the lung that had resolved with the rate of CD8+T cell-mediated clearance rapidly accelerating by over 48,000 times in 2 days. This complimented our analyses showing a negative correlation between the efficacy of innate and adaptive immune-mediated infected cell clearance, and that infection duration was driven by CD8+T cell magnitude rather than efficacy and could be significantly prolonged if the ratio of CD8+T cells to infected cells was sufficiently low. These links between important pathogen kinetics and host pathology enhance our ability to forecast disease progression, potential complications, and therapeutic efficacy.
Fosfomycin Sensitivity Pattern among Uropathogens Isolated from Patients Visiting Day Care Facility of Sushila Tiwari Hospital in Kumaun Region, Uttarakhand, India
Authors: Sharma Shraddha , Verma Pankaj Kumar , Rawat Vinita , Negi Umesh, Vikrant
Published: July 2021

Introduction: Urinary Tract Infections (UTI) are one of the most common infections responsible for antibiotic resistance. There are limited antibiotics options for treating the cases due to Multi Drug Resistant (MDR) bacteria. Fosfomycin is being used for treating UTIs and has shown promising results even against MDR pathogens. Aim: To determine the fosfomycin sensitivity pattern along with Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) against uropathogens by agar dilution method. Materials and Methods: The present cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Microbiology, Government Medical College Haldwani, Uttarakhand, India, between August 2017 to September 2019. Clean catch, mid stream urine samples were inoculated on Cystine Lactose Electrolyte Deficient (CLED) agar and incubated. The significant growths of pathogenic bacteria were subjected to antibiotic susceptibility testing. Fosfomycin (200 μg) disc was used in Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion testing. Fosfomycin trometamol MIC was determined by agar dilution method as per Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guidelines. The data collected in the study were analysed by using Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS) software version 20.0. Results: Significant growth of pathogenic bacteria was observed in 365 out of total 2725 urine samples. E.coli (72.32%) was the leading isolate followed by Enterococcusspecies (10.41%). Fosfomycin was recorded as the most active antibiotic against all the bacterial pathogen with 85-100% susceptibility except Proteus species (40%) in disc diffusion method. The MIC of fosfomycin was recorded between 4-64 against most of the isolates by agar dilution method. Conclusion: Fosfomycin is the most active antibiotic against all the uropathogens in the study setup and can be included in empirical treatment of day care patients along with nitrofurantoin.
Evaluation of IgG Antibody Responseto Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 in Healthcare Workers in aTertiary Care Centre, Chennai, India
Authors: Dhason Therese Mary , Manikesi Suganthi , Krishnan Usha , Hamani Vasant , Hemalatha . , Devi C , Nishat . , Manjula B
Published: July 2021

Introduction: Globally, the Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic poses a high risk for Healthcare Workers (HCWs) who are among the population that is most vulnerable of being infected with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). With a prevailing pandemic such as COVID-19, it becomes important to understand the presence and persistence of antibodies in the serum of HCW, testing positive for COVID-19 on Reverse transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR). An understanding of the prevalence of IgG antibodies against COVID-19 and the duration for which they are present in the serum will help in predicting the immune response of individuals against the disease. Aim: To study the prevalence of COVID-19 IgG antibodies in laboratory confirmed COVID-19 RT-PCR positive symptomatic, asymptomatic and RT-PCR negative subjects. Materials and Methods: The present longitudinal study was conducted from April to December 2020 with a sample size of 90 participants based on a pilot study. Blood sample was collected and serum was separated. Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) was done to detect the presence of COVID-19 IgG antibody in serum. Chi-square test and Pearson correlation were used to find out the statistical significance of COVID-19 IgG antibodies in COVID-19 positive and negative HCWs and the relationship between Cycle threshold values (Ct) and antibody levels, respectively. Results: Fever with sore throat was the most common (33%) symptom. Chi-square test done to compare IgG among RT-PCR positive and negative subjects showed p-value of <0.0001 which was significant. However, statistical significance was not found (p-value 0.9973) with respect to COVID-19 IgG antibodies in RT-PCR positive COVID-19 asymptomatic and symptomatic subjects. Mean antibody index in symptomatic and asymptomatic was 3.7743±1.9834 and 3.571±1.7961, respectively. Average number of days, the antibodies persisted was 25 days-266 days. Conclusion: The prevalence of COVID-19 antibodies among RT-PCR positive symptomatic, asymptomatic and RT-PCR negative subjects was 87.8%, 66.7% and 26.7%, respectively. The maximum number of days antibodies persisted was 266days. Further studies will elucidate whether these antibodies prevent re-infection.
Prevelance ofHepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV Infections among People Who Inject Drugs- A Study from Tertiary Care Centre of Kashmir Valley, India
Authors: Wani Sanam Rasool , Farhana Anjum , Pandith Danish Zahoor , Dar Mohammad Maqbool
Published: July 2021

Introduction: Drug addiction one of the greatest challenges face across the glob. The parenterally transmitted viruses like Hepatitis B Virus (HBV), Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) occur more frequently in this high-risk group of population as compared with the general population. Aim: To find the prevalence of HBV, HCV and HIV in People Who Inject Drugs (PWIDs) attending a tertiary care hospital in Kashmir valley, India. Materials and Methods: A prospective descriptional study was conducted from October 2017 to October 2020 in the Department of Microbiology of a tertiary care hospital in Kashmir. Subjects included 200 (PWIDs) who voluntarily presented themselves at the drug clinic. Participants were tested for HBV, HCV and HIV infections. For HBV, surface antigen was detected using Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA), HCV was detected by HCV antibody test using ELISA and HIV was detected using combination of three rapid kits, COMBAIDS-RS ADVANTAGE ST, MERISCREEN HIV 1-2 WB and TREDRO HIV 1-2 Ab. Demographic data was collected from all the PWIDs. Results: Among 200 PWIDs,138 (69%) were in the age group of 16-25 years and none of them was more than 35 years of age. The mean age of PWIDs was 22.9 years. Out of 200, 20(10%) PWIDS had HCV antibodies, 7 (3.5%) were positive for HBV, and 1 (0.5%) had anti-HIV antibodies. A 73.5% of PWIDs belonged to urban Kashmir and majority of them (62.5%) were college going students. Conclusion: From present study, authors report a high prevalence of hepatitis C and B in PWIDs of Kashmir. It is also the fact that these figures are just the tip of the iceberg. Targeted intervention programs should make HBV/HCV testing, prevention and care more accessible for PWIDs.
The Impact of Viewers’ Behavior and YouTubers’ Credibility in Advertainment on Building Consumer Trust
Authors: Wickramasinghe S. P. , Welgama S. D. , Rajapakse R. P. M. L. , Jayasuriya N. , Munasinghe A. A. S. N.
Published: July 2021

Advertainment is an upcoming concept in the current scenario combining two concepts called Advertising and Entertainment. This concept has helped modern day YouTubers to reach maximum customers within a short period. This study can facilitate spotting the factors of advertainment that have influenced on building client trust by YouTubers in Sri Lanka. In the recent years, YouTuber advertainment has become a trending advertising concept in Sri Lanka to grab the viewer’s attention as people are extremely tired of TV commercials and they tend to ignore them. However, the TV commercials were able to build the consumer trust by showing them repeatedly on traditional media. Therefore, will the YouTuber’s advertainment would also help to build consumer trust. In order to measure the impact of YouTuber advertainment on building consumer trust, viewers’ behavior and YouTubers credibility were selected as two variables. A quantitative approach was used as the research approach and data were collected via internet questionnaires and snowball sampling was used as the sampling method. The target population will be the young adults in Sri Lanka age 15 to 34 year olds who follow YouTubers content online. The results of this research revealed that viewers’ behavior has no impact on building consumer trust whereas YouTuber’s credibility has an impact on building consumer trust. Therefore, the YouTubers in Sri Lanka should maintain their Credibility among the community when creating their content of advertainment
The effect of Red Paprika Extract (Capsicum Annuum) in Feed on the Color Intensity Level of Comet Fish (Carassius auratus)
Authors: Haetami Kiki , Lili Walim , Grandiosa Roffi , Destiyantara Freddy Aditya
Published: July 2021

This study aims to analyze the effect of red paprika flour in fish feed to increase the color intensity of the Comet fish juvenile. The research method used a Complete Randomized Design experiment consist of four treatments and three replicates. The treatments consisted of various levels of addition red pepper extract, namely treatment A (0%), B (3%), C (5%) and D (7%). The investigation includes color intensity of the fish. Survival rate and water quality parameters data were also taken. The color observation data were analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis analysis, if there was a significant difference, the Z test was performed. The results of this study indicated that the addition of 5% red paprika extract to the feed was the best treatment with an increase in the color intensity level of comet fish at 4.71. While the comet fish Survival Rate (SR) data in all treatments were observed to be 100% and the water quality during the maintenance period was in the optimal range and met the standards. The average temperature value was 24.7-26.4ºC, DO 5.6-5.8 mg/L and pH 6.67-7.53.
Selection of Perspective Varieties of Cornelian Cherry in the Area of Tuzla Canton
Authors: Salkić Besim , Avdić Kemal , Salkić Ensar , Huseinović Samira , Salkić Ahmed , Noćajević Sead
Published: July 2021

Organic food production contributes to the preservation of human health, preservation and protection of the environment and increase of soil fertility, reduction of all forms of pollution as a consequence of intensive agricultural production and animal husbandry. Hence by purchasing products that carry the label organic product consumers indirectly affect the protection and preservation of the environment Organic food is food that is worth investing in due to the smaller amount of harmful substances in the products.

Cornel cherry (Cornus mas L.) is one of the most suitable species for organic production. It is adaptable to various abiotic factors and is resistant to numerous pests and diseases.

Aims: The aim of the study was to select promising dogwood phenotypes from the natural population for further reproduction by grafting.

Study Design: The subject of the research was selected 6 self-growing dogwoods from a rural area.

Place and Duration of Study: Samples of fruit were collected at the site of Ćehaje, City of Srebrenik,Tuzla Canton, BiH in the spring of 2019.

Methodology: In order to determine the best traits, the measurement of physical quantities, determination of coefficients of variation and analysis of chemical characteristics of dogwood fruits harvested from trees of 6 wild phenotypes marked as DKA1, DKA2, DKA3, DKA4, DKA5 and DKA6 were performed.

Results: Based on the analyzed indicators, the DKA6 phenotype showed the best results.
Probing the Crisis of Regional Connectivity Instigated by the Natural Disasters, Mizoram, India
Authors: Mishra Siba Prasad , Puhan Jyoti Prakash , Mishra Saswat
Published: July 2021

Mizoram, in eastern Himalayas of India, is educated but thinly populous young state of area 21081sq km with hilly forest cover of (≈90.68%) The major connectivity is by roads of length 8912km (2019) that connects India’s mainland, Myanmar and Bangladesh and about no rail tracks. The state is housed in various folds and faults over Indo-Burmese tectonic zone (Indo Eurasian plate tectonics), and housed adjacent to 950 Ridges. The booming craggy state is combatting with its road network progress due to frequent low magnitude tremors, landslides, floods, and heavy rainfalls.

The data of earthquakes, landslides, rainfall, and road progress were collected, and analyzed. The connectivity growth is reported tough and challenging within forests, broken relief, frequent ghats roads, and deep gorges, in topography that hinders the progress in pavement growth. Present study focuses on the ameliorative measures of hill road construction in Mizoram by adhering to the IRC: 52-2019, changing modus operandi of national contract bids, amateurish engineering design, procurement policies, bidder’s expertise and commitment for execution.

The non-availability menial labours and technocrats have stemmed many legal issues & disputes between the government and the contractors. Faulty planning, engineering design, executant’s approach, procurement policies and the contractor’s skill, contract administration and construction management, road safety challenges, contract documentation, and inability of deployed bidders needs to be improved in Mizoram. To cater the  needs  of  up-gradation/  new  constructions, the hurdles warrant cutting edge impulses through EIA, EMP, DPR, amateurish design, and updating procurement policies that should supersede the orthodox practices.
Burning Season: Challenges to Conserve Biodiversity and the Critical Points of a Planet Threatened by the Danger Called Global Warming
Authors: Júnior Diniz Pereira Leite , Dantas Elisangela Santana de Oliveira , Souza Roseli de , Souza Marcelo Henrique de , Ramos Lucas Hudson Durigon , Sehn Monaliza , Siqueira Valmir Silvano , Oliveira Maria Madalena de , Silva Anagela Maria Acel
Published: July 2021

Aim: Due to their biological richness and threat levels, the Cerrado and the Atlantic Forest of Brazil, along with other regions located in different parts of the planet, are identified a global hotspots and need greater attention due to the problems generated by global warming.

Objective: This article addresses general aspects of the planet's biodiversity, the improvement of ecosystem conservation in Brazil and in the world.

Methodology: We carried out an approach on the environmental situation in relation to global warming, the problems generated to the fauna and flora and the conditions in which the biomes of the Midwest region of Brazil are found.

Results: The State of Mato Grosso, located in the heart of South America, Brazil, encompasses in its territory the biodiversity of three large biomes: the Amazon, the Cerrado and the Pantanal. The cerrado, a savanna mosaic biome with 38.9% of the state's territory, is home to 30% of Brazilian biodiversity and 5% of the planet's species. In Mato Grosso Amazonia, the main anthropic pressure is caused by exploration, deforestation, crops and livestock. In the Pantanal of Mato Grosso, one of the largest continuous wetlands on the planet, it is marked by peculiarities, such as dry and flood seasons, low fertility soils, difficult access, among others, which restricted its occupation and human interference.

Conclusion: Finally, these biomes are areas of relevant interest for conservation and for environmental and ecosystem services, these biomes in the state are under threat and need attention from civil society and government in different spheres. General aspects of the biodiversity of biomes distributed in the territory of Mato Grosso/Brazil, socio-environmental challenges, conservation units and public and private policy initiatives that affect conservation, require active conservation intervention measures to harmonize investment activities with the priorities of biodiversity conservation.
Calibration and Validation of HEC-HMS Model for Chalakudy River Basin
Authors: Gopi Gudidha , Rema K. P.
Published: July 2021

Prediction of flood prone areas in a basin and evolution of the impact of climate change on water resources needs a correct estimation of the availability of water which will solely be achieved by hydrological modelling of the basin. However, modelling the hydrology of a basin is a complex task and models should be well calibrated to increase user confidence in its predictive ability which in turn makes the application of the model effective. In this study rainfall-runoff simulation model viz., Hydrologic Modelling System, developed by the Hydrologic Engineering Centre USA (HEC-HMS) has been calibrated and validated for Chalakduy river basin in Kerala, in Sothern India for prediction of its hydrologic response. The result shows Curve Number (CN), Lag time and initial abstraction (Ia) to be the sensitive parameters for the simulated stream flow. The statistical analysis of Nash-Sutcliffe model efficiency criteria, the percentage error in peak, percentage error in volume, and net difference of observed and simulated time to peak, which were used for performance evaluation, have been found to range from (0.70 to 0.87), (4.39 to 19.47%), (1.9 to 19%) and (0 to 1day) respectively, indicating a very good performance of the model for simulation of stream flow.
Morphometric and Genomic Characterization of Toxigenic Aspergillus Isolates Associated with Poultry Feeds and Feed Ingredients from Five Agro-Ecological Zones of Nigeria
Authors: Oyekemi Akinmusire, Olubamise , Olawale Omomowo Israel
Published: July 2021

Introduction: Toxigenic aspergilli are storage contaminants of poultry feeds and feed ingredients which produce secondary metabolites known as mycotoxins in these products. This research is aimed at detecting and characterizing mycotoxin producing aspergillus species present in feeds given to poultry birds and in the ingredients used in the production of these feeds.

Method: A total of 102 samples of feed (n=30) and feed ingredients (n=72) were collected across 5 agro-ecological zones of Nigeria and analyzed for toxigenic Aspergilli using morphometric and molecular genomic characterization techniques. Different mycological media was used for isolation, by deploying pour plate method. The Aspergilli isolates morphometric identity were characterized using macroscopic and microscopic observed features. The isolated Aspergillus species were further characterized molecularly using genomic characterization protocols.

Results: The results of the morphometric characterization indicated that nine (9) Aspergillus species were detected in the feed and feed ingredients, with Aspergillus flavus having the highest rate of occurrence among the isolates. Furthermore, the genomic typing using internal transcribe spacer (ITS) as a barcode, as well as comparison of the fungal isolates with other Aspergillus species in the genebank showed 99-100% similarity. Also, toxigenic gene typing indicated that some of the A. flavus were toxigenic with the detection of the following genes Nor-1, ver-1, OmtB and AflR.

Conclusion: The findings of this study showed that toxigenic Aspergilli isolates are present in both poultry feed and feed ingredients from 5 agro-ecological zones in Nigeria and poses great public health issues.
Chronic Post-Inguinal Herniorrhaphy Pain in a Setting in Rural Africa
Authors: Wismayer Richard
Published: July 2021

Introduction: In Africa, inguinal hernia is a common surgical condition with an incidence of 175 inguinal hernias per 100,000 people each year. Pain that persists for at least a duration of 3 months postoperatively following repair of an inguinal hernia defines chronic groin pain. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of chronic groin pain in a group of patients in a hospital setting in rural Africa.

Methodology: A descriptive retrospective study was carried out between 1st April 2008 to the 31st July 2012 on all patients ≥15 years of age that underwent an inguinal hernia repair were eligible in this study. Data was retrieved from patients’ clinical notes and theatre log books on age, sex, recurrence of hernia and post-operative pain lasting at least 3 months. Data obtained in the interview questionnaire included duration of pain, pain at the operation site, type of postoperative analgesia and a physical examination to determine recurrence was performed in the surgical-out-patients clinic.

Results: One hundred and fifty eight patients following repair of inguinal hernia using the modified Bassini technique were analysed. Mean age was 44.84 years. The male:female ratio was 3.65:1 with a male predominance. Chronic groin pain/discomfort was reported in 22(13.92%) and this pain/discomfort lasted for at least 3 months post-operatively.

Conclusions: The low incidence of chronic groin pain in our study may be due to the majority of them being operated as elective procedures under local anaesthesia with routine identification of the ilioinguinal nerve. However, a study with a larger sample size and a longer follow up may be required to ascertain the true prevalence of chronic groin pain following inguinal hernia surgery in rural Africa.
Narrative Literature Review on Risk Factors Involved in Lung Cancers, Breast Cancers, Brain Cancers, Gastrointestinal Cancers, Gynecologic Cancers, and Urogenital Cancers
Authors: Vaillant Angel Justiz , Gardiner Lyvan , Mohammed Maryam , Surajbally Matthew , Maharaj Luke , Ramsingh Luke , Simon Makeisha , Seegobin Mark , Niles Masud , Vuma Sehlule
Published: July 2021

In this study, we described the most critical risk factors for different malignancies including breast, prostate, lung, and colorectal carcinoma among others, with an emphasis on modifiable risk factors. We revised the literature review about risk factors involved in the genesis of cancer in various databases, including articles indexed in PUBMED, SCOPUS, PMC, and Google Scholar. Awareness of risk factors enables conscious decisions to be made in an effort to combat malignancies. Knowing risk factors is a mode of fighting malignancy. Diet, lifestyle, practises, and laboratory/clinical interventions were among risk factors of diverse malignancy. Diet, lifestyle, laboratory/clinical interventions all contribute to the genesis and prognosis in a variety of malignancies. We concluded that abstaining from risk factors can prevent the development of many malignancies in a century where this conundrum is raising disproportionately. By informing the public about modifiable risk factors cancer mortality rates can be reduced. It is treated here is to make the public aware of the modifiable risks of cancers.
A Cross-sectional Study to Assess the Nutritional Status of Cancer Clients at Selected Hospitals of Mangaluru – A Pilot Study
Authors: Shambhavi . , Shanthi S.
Published: July 2021

Aims: Malnutrition is an overlooked and undertreated problem among the cancer population. It is necessary to identify at-risk patients early and provide appropriate and effective nutritional interventions which in turn help the cancer patients to improve treatment tolerance and prognosis. Hence, the study was undertaken with the aim to assess the nutritional status of cancer clients admitted in the hospital.

Study design: A cross sectional descriptive survey was used.

Place and Duration of Study: Oncology wards of the AJ Institute of Medical Science and Research Centre, Mangalore between December 2019 to March 2020, then again December 2020 to February 2021.

Methodology: We included 100 cancer patients (39 males and 61 females). Participants were selected purposively. Head, neck and breast cancer patients who are aged above 18 years, admitted in the wards were included in the study. Data were collected by using demographic proforma and Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) scale.

Results: Data were analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings of the study revealed that more than half (56%) of the cancer clients are malnourished and 43% are at risk for malnutrition. Study found that there is a significant association of degree of malnutrition with demographic variables such as education and family income (at p=.05)

Conclusion: Based on the result, it was concluded that the patients with cancer should undergo nutrition screening at the early so that appropriate nutrition intervention could be planned to have positive outcomes.
Satisfaction Affecting Factors of Mohalla Clinic Services in the Times of COVID -19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Parmar Akshay , Singh Ankit , Jadhav Sammita
Published: July 2021

The Delhi government has launched the Mohalla clinic concept in the year 2015 to make health universal and strengthen the primary care system of Delhi. The basic aim was to provide primary care to people located in remote and poor areas of Delhi. This study was conducted from April 2020 to July 2020 to determine the community dwellers' perception and satisfaction level towards Mohalla clinics and their role in the situation of the COVID-19 pandemic. An online survey was conducted with pretested and validated questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of 28 items, which were identified with the help of a literature review. The responses were collected from 100 respondents selectively from the ones who have availed the Mohalla clinic's service. The analysis of the results revealed that the perception of the community toward the Mohalla clinic is positive. Moreover, out of all the identified factors impacting satisfaction, the availability factor, which includes the availability of doctors and medicines, had the highest influence on the perception of satisfaction from Mohalla Clinics. Additionally, 58 % of the current users have shown willingness to utilize the Mohalla clinic services, even in the times of COVID-19. This is an important finding. It postulates that the Delhi government should focus on the availability of medicines and medical staff to improve satisfaction and render healthcare services in COVID-19.
Quality of Life in Recent Stroke Patients and Burden on Caregivers in Gujarat state of Western India
Authors: Kumar Palani , Nagar Preksha , Parmar Lata
Published: July 2021

Background: Stroke is a global health problem. Patients with stroke may be damaged in many aspects of life, which affects the physical, psychological and social dimensions of quality of life. These factors lead to burden on the caregivers. This burden on the caregivers negatively affects the rehabilitation of the stroke patients.

Objective: To study the quality of life of stroke patients and burden on caregivers.

Methods: Stroke patients fulfilling the inclusion criteria were assessed for the quality of life by the Stroke Specific Quality Of Life Scale and the burden on caregivers was measured using the Zarit Burden Interview on one to one interview basis. The data were analysed using the SPSS software.

Results: The quality of life and burden scores were weakly correlated (r= -0.558 and p= 0.001). The quality of life and burden scores were also weakly correlated to the MMSE scores.

Conclusion: There is a negative correlation of the burden on caregivers with the quality of life of the stroke patients. There is also a positive correlation of MMSE score with the quality of life. Whereas, there is no correlation of the quality of life and burden scores with the patient’s age and sex, type of stroke, duration post stroke and whether any treatment has been taken.
Woman Mental Health - Midlife
Authors: Behere Prakash B. , Sinha Anagha Abhoy , Chowdhury Debolina , Behere Aniruddh P , Yadav Richa , Nagdive Amit , Fernandes Rouchelle
Published: July 2021

Woman’s mental health, is an important issue and easily one of the most neglected domains, especially so for a woman in her middle age full of physiological and psychological turmoil. Mental health problems occur in higher frequency in women in general. Depression is more common in women as compared to men, women are twice as likely to experience anxiety as men and about 60 % of persons suffering from an OCD or a phobia are women. The greater gender predisposition necessitates an in-depth analysis of the biological and environmental factors of women which cause them to be more predisposed to mental illnesses. A recent report on Women of Tomorrow, reported women in India to be the most stressed female population of the world. Overall, the women of the developing nations were found to be more stressed than their sisters in the developed world. This led us to think about the cultural and environmental influences on the disorders, along with attitudes and perceptions of the society in the mental make-up of a woman. The contributing factors discussed in this article need extensive research to help modulate the implicated factors and in turn amount to primordial prevention. This article emphasizes the priorities to be studied in the context of a woman’s mental health, explores deeper issues and interrelationship of multi factorial determinants.
UV Spectrophotometric Methods to Quantify Alogliptin Benzoate and Pioglitazone Hydrochloride
Authors: Sen Dhanya B. , Sen Ashim K. , Zanwar Aarti S. , Pandey Harshita , Maheshwari Rajesh A.
Published: July 2021

Three new, precise, accurate and sensitive UV-Spectrophotometric methods namely Ratio Difference Spectroscopic Method (RDSM), First Derivative of Ratio Spectra Method (DR1) and Area Under Curve Method (AUC) were developed and validated for simultaneous assessment of alogliptin benzoate (ALO) and pioglitazone hydrochloride (PIO) in tablet dosage form. In RDSM, ratio spectra of both the drugs were recorded by dividing the mixtures using interfering drug as divisor. Then the difference between the amplitudes of obtained ratio spectra was measured at 288 and 291 nm for ALO and 236 and 245 nm for PIO. The second method DR1, where the first derivative of ratio spectra of both the drugs were recorded and the first derivative signal was measured at 290 nm for ALO and 276.8 nm for PIO. The scaling factor was fixed as 1 and wavelength interval (Δλ) as 2 for recording the first derivative of ratio spectra.  In the third method (AUC), peak area of recorded zero order spectra was measured at 276 ± 10 nm for ALO and 267.8 ± 10 nm for PIO. All three proposed methods were validated according to “International Conference on Harmonization” (ICH) guidelines parameters. For all three methods, ALO and PIO obeyed Beer’s law in the range of 0.5-5 & 1.8-18 µg/ml, respectively. The % RSD of repeatability of measurement, intra-day and inter-day precision were found to be less than 2 for all three methods. Limit of detection (LOD) and Limit of quantification (LOQ) of the drugs were calculated which proved the sensitivity of the methods. The accuracy ranged between 98-101% for all three methods. No interference from pharmaceutical excipients present in the formulation was observed.  These proposed methods were found to be simple, sensitive, accurate and precise and can be applied to the simultaneous estimation of ALO and PIO in combined tablet formulation and also appropriate for routine quality control analysis.
Cloning, expression, and in silico structural modeling of cholesterol oxidase of Acinetobacter sp. strain RAMD in E. coli
Authors: Mahmoud Hoda E. , El‐Far Shaymaa W. , Embaby Amira M.
Published: July 2021

Cholesterol oxidases (CHOXs) are flavin‐adenine dinucleotide‐dependent oxidoreductases with a range of biotechnological applications. There remains an urgent need to identify novel CHOX family members to meet the demands of enzyme markets worldwide. Here, we report the cloning, heterologous expression, and structural modeling of the cholesterol oxidase of Acinetobacter sp. strain RAMD. The cholesterol oxidase gene was cloned and expressed in pGEM®‐T and pET‐28a(+) vectors, respectively, using a gene‐specific primer based on the putative cholesterol oxidase ORF of Acinetobacter baumannii strain AB030 (GenBank [gb] locus tag: IX87_05230). The obtained nucleotide sequence (1671 bp, gb: MK575469.2), translated to a protein designated choxAB (556 amino acids), was overexpressed as inclusion bodies (IBs) (MW ˜ 62 kDa) in 1 mm IPTG‐induced Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) Rosetta cells. The optimized expression conditions (1 mm IPTG with 2% [v/v] glycerol and at room temperature) yielded soluble active choxAB of 0.45 U·mL−1, with 56.25‐fold enhancement. The recombinant choxAB was purified to homogeneity using Ni2+‐affinity agarose column with specific activity (0.054 U·mg−1), yield (8.1%), and fold purification (11.69). Capillary isoelectric‐focusing indicated pI of 8.77 for choxAB. LC‐MS/MS confirmed the IBs (62 kDa), with 82.6% of the covered sequence being exclusive to A. baumannii cholesterol oxidase (UniProtKB: A0A0E1FG24). The 3D structure of choxAB was predicted using the LOMETS webtool with the cholesterol oxidase template of Streptomyces sp. SA‐COO (PDB: 2GEW). The predicted secondary structure included 18 α‐helices and 12 β‐strands, a predicted catalytic triad (E220, H380, and N514), and a conserved FAD‐binding sequence (GSGFGGSVSACRLTEKG). Future studies should consider fusion to solubilization tags and switching to the expression host Pichia pastoris to reduce IB formation.
AAPM MEDICAL PHYSICS PRACTICE GUIDELINE 2.b.: Commissioning and quality assurance of X‐ray‐based image‐guided radiotherapy systems
Authors: McCullough Steven P. , Alkhatib Hassaan , Antes Kyle J. , Castillo Sarah , Fontenot Jonas D. , Jensen Andrew R , Matney Jason , Olch Arthur J.
Published: July 2021

The American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) is a nonprofit professional society whose primary purposes are to advance the science, education, and professional practice of medical physics. The AAPM has more than 8000 members and is the principal organization of medical physicists in the United States. The AAPM will periodically define new practice guidelines for medical physics practice to help advance the science of medical physics and to improve the quality of service to patients throughout the United States. Existing medical physics practice guidelines will be reviewed for the purpose of revision or renewal, as appropriate, on their fifth anniversary or sooner. Each medical physics practice guideline represents a policy statement by the AAPM, has undergone a thorough consensus process in which it has been subjected to extensive review, and requires the approval of the Professional Council. The medical physics practice guidelines recognize that the safe and effective use of diagnostic and therapeutic radiology requires specific training, skills, and techniques, as described in each document. Reproduction or modification of the published practice guidelines and technical standards by those entities not providing these services is not authorized.
Direct energy spectrum measurement of X‐ray from a clinical linac
Authors: Suda Yuhi , Hariu Masatsugu , Yamauchi Ryohei , Miyasaka Ryohei , Myojoyama Atsushi , Chang Weishan , Saitoh Hidetoshi
Published: July 2021

A realistic X‐ray energy spectrum is essential for accurate dose calculation using the Monte Carlo (MC) algorithm. An energy spectrum for dose calculation in the radiation treatment planning system is modeled using the MC algorithm and adjusted to obtain acceptable agreement with the measured percent depth dose (PDD) and off‐axis ratio. The simulated energy spectrum may not consistently reproduce a realistic energy spectrum. Therefore, direct measurement of the X‐ray energy spectrum from a linac is necessary to obtain a realistic spectrum. Previous studies have measured low photon fluence directly, but the measurement was performed with a nonclinical linac with a thick target and a long target‐to‐detector distance. In this study, an X‐ray energy spectrum from a clinical linac was directly measured using a NaI(Tl) scintillator at an ultralow dose rate achieved by adjusting the gun grid voltage. The measured energy spectrum was unfolded by the Gold algorithm and compared with a simulated spectrum using statistical tests. Furthermore, the PDD was calculated using an unfolded energy spectrum and a simulated energy spectrum was compared with the measured PDD to evaluate the validity of the unfolded energy spectrum. Consequently, there was no significant difference between the unfolded and simulated energy spectra by nonparametric, Wilcoxon's rank‐sum, chi‐square, and two‐sample Kolmogorov–Smirnov tests with a significance level of 0.05. However, the PDD calculated from the unfolded energy spectrum better agreed with the measured compared to the calculated PDD results from the simulated energy spectrum. The adjustment of the incident electron parameters using MC simulation is sensitive and takes time. Therefore, it is desirable to obtain the energy spectrum by direct measurement. Thus, a method to obtain the realistic energy spectrum by direct measurement was proposed in this study.
MVCT versus kV‐CBCT for targets subject to respiratory motion: A phantom study
Authors: Baran Geoffrey , Dominello Michael M. , Bossenberger Todd , Paximadis Peter , Burmeister Jay W.
Published: July 2021

The use of kilovoltage cone‐beam computed tomography (kV‐CBCT) or megavoltage computed tomography (MVCT) for image guidance prior to lung stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) is common clinical practice. We demonstrate that under equivalent respiratory conditions, image guidance using both kV‐CBCT and MVCT may result in the inadequate estimation of the range of target motion under free‐breathing (FB) conditions when standard low‐density window and levels are used. Two spherical targets within a respiratory motion phantom were imaged using both long‐exhale (LE) and sinusoidal respiratory traces. MVCT and kV‐CBCT images were acquired and evaluated for peak‐to‐peak amplitudes of 10 or 20 mm in the cranial‐caudal direction, and with 2, 4 or 5 s periods. All images were visually inspected for artifacts and conformity to the ITV for each amplitude, period, trace‐type, and target size. All LE respiratory traces required a lower threshold HU window for MVCT and kV‐CBCT compared to sinusoidal traces to obtain 100% volume conformity compared with the theoretical ITV (ITVT). Excess volume was less than 2% for all kV‐CBCT contours regardless of trace‐type, breathing period, or amplitude, while the maximum excess volume for MVCT was 48%. Adjusting window and level to maximize conformity with the ITVT is necessary to reduce registration uncertainty to less than 5 mm. To fully capture target motion with either MVCT or kV‐CBCT, substantial changes in HU levels up to −600 HU are required which may not be feasible clinically depending on the target's location and surrounding tissue contrast. This registration method, utilizing a substantially decreased window and level compared to standard low‐density settings, was retrospectively compared to the automated registration algorithm for five lung SBRT patients exposed to pre‐treatment kV‐CBCT image guidance. Differences in registrations in the super‐inferior (SI) direction greater than the commonly used ITV to PTV margin of 5 mm were encountered for several cases. In conclusion, pre‐treatment image guidance for lung SBRT targets using MVCT or kV‐CBCT is unlikely to capture the full extent of target motion as defined by the ITVT and additional caution is warranted to avoid registration errors for small targets and patients with LE respiratory traces.