bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
PENDEKATAN DISCOVERY UNTUK MENINGKATKAN AKTIVITAS BELAJAR DAN PENGUASAAN KOSAKATA PADA SISWA KELAS B2 TK MUTIARA INSANI BANDAR LAMPUNG
Authors: Aryani Titi
Published: March 2021

The purpose of this study was to describe the improvement of vocabulary learning achievement by applying the discovery approach of B2 grade students of Mutiara Insani Kindergarten, Bandar Lampung. The method used in this research is Classroom Action Research (PTK). The research subjects were students of class B2 even Semester TK Mutiara Insani Bandar Lampung, totaling 20 students. Data obtained from observer observation sheet notes on the learning process planned by the researcher, learning activity sheet, and test sheet to determine learning achievement. The data were analyzed using simple statistics, namely the percentage. The action was carried out from January to March 2019. The results of the study were 65% active cycle 1 learning activity, 75% active cycle II increased 10%, 85% active cycle III, increased 10%. While learning achievement in cycle I completed 65%, cycle II completed 75%, increased by 10%, cycle III completed 95%, increased by 20%, and records of observers who partnered with researchers showed good average criteria. The conclusion of this research is that the application of discovery learning approach can increase vocabulary learning activity and achievement in class B2 students of Mutiara Insani Kindergarten, Bandar Lampung.
Equitable academic preparation: A structured onboarding program for incoming graduate nursing students
Authors: Pajarillo Edmund J.Y. , Korn Kimberly H.
Published: March 2021

Background and objective: Nurses who return to school to obtain higher education come with varying levels of professional, educational and technological competencies. Some are new graduates, others have not been in school for a decade, and several find educational technology difficult to navigate. Returning to school can be challenging because graduate programs require complex skills in order for students to succeed. Onboarding, the process of organizational socialization, also known as the orientation process, is a relevant element in the retention and progression of students in graduate education. Onboarding differs from school to school, ranging from half a day to a weeklong on-campus orientation. This research is about a structured onboarding program built into a graduate nursing course and specifically addresses the needs of students in order to succeed in their studies. This research presents insights into the Graduate Student Onboarding – Professional Development Program (GSO-PDP), a structured onboarding designed to assist graduate nursing students with their adjustment back to school, enhance their learning, and achieve their graduate degree successfully. It is built into the Nursing Informatics class and is a month-long process. The research offers some understanding of the usefulness of the GSO-PDP to incoming graduate nursing students.Methods: The study uses the qualitative paradigm, in particular, a case study design. This is an examination of the four modules of the GSO-PDP: Elements of Research, Scholarly Writing and Nursing Documentation, Academic Support Services, and Student Life. Student volunteers participated in focus group interviews to evaluate the program. Results: The following were recurring themes identified from focus group interviews: “APA Refresher Overload,” “Bridging the Gap,” “Relearning English Grammar,” “Navigating the Learning and University Maze,” and “Not Really Computer Savvy.” It is evident that most of the elements of the GSO-PDP are beneficial to students in enhancing their adjustment and return to school for further education. The onboarding program also facilitates and enhances student learning. Focus group participants offered some helpful recommendations to improve the program.Conclusions & Implications: This is an innovative and structured onboarding approach to help students with diverse backgrounds to succeed in the Master’s program. Participants generally described the program favorably, but did make suggestions for improvement.
Risk factors for the delayed diagnosis of extrapulmonary TB
Authors: Lee M. K. , Moon C. , Lee M. J. , Kwak Y. G. , Lee E. , Jeon J. H. , Park W. B. , Jung Y. , Kim E. S. , Lee J. H. , Chun J. Y. , Park S. W.
Published: March 2021

BACKGROUND: Extrapulmonary TB (EPTB) is more difficult to diagnose than pulmonary TB. The delayed management of EPTB can lead to complications and increase the socio-economic burden.METHODS: Patients newly diagnosed with EPTB were retrospectively enrolled from 11 general
hospitals in South Korea from January 2017 to December 2018. The basic characteristics of patients were described. Univariable and multivariable analyses were performed between early and delayed diagnosis groups to identify risk factors for delayed diagnosis and treatment in EPTB.RESULTS:
In total, 594 patients were enrolled. Lymph node TB (28.3%) was the predominant form, followed by abdominal (18.4%) and disseminated TB (14.5%). Concurrent lung involvement was 17.8%. The positivity of diagnostic tests showed no significant difference between the two groups. Acute clinical
manifestations in disseminated, pericardial and meningeal TB, and immunosuppression were associated with early diagnosis. Delayed diagnosis was associated with outpatient clinic visits, delayed sample acquisition and diagnostic departments other than infection or pulmonology.CONCLUSION:
The delay in diagnosis and treatment of EPTB was not related to differences in microbiological characteristics of Mycobacterium tuberculosis itself; rather, it was due to the indolent clinical manifestations that cause referral to non-TB-specialised departments in the outpatient clinic
and delay the suspicion of TB and diagnostic testing.
Characterization of Anxiety, Depression, and their Comorbidity from Texts of Social Networks
Authors: Souza Vanessa Borba de , Nobre Jéferson Campos , Becker Karin
Published: March 2021

Depression has become a public health issue, and the high comorbidity rate with anxiety worsens the clinical picture. Early identification is crucial for decisions on the proper line of treatment. The use of social networks to expose personal difficulties has enabled works on the automatic identification of specific mental conditions, particularly depression. This paper explores deep learning techniques to develop an ensemble stacking classifier for the automatic identification of depression, anxiety, and their comorbidity, using a self-diagnosed dataset extracted from Reddit. At the lowest level, binary classifiers make predictions about specific disorders, outperforming all baseline models. A meta-learner explores these weak classifiers as a context for reaching a multi-label decision, achieving a Hamming Loss of 0.29 and Exact Match Ratio of 0.47. We performed a qualitative analysis using SHAP, which confirmed the relationship between the influential features and symptoms of these disorders.
Criteria for choosing the number of dimensions in a principal component analysis: An empirical assessment
Authors: Silva Renata B. , Oliveira Daniel de , Santos Davi P. , Santos Lucio F. D. , Wilson Rodrigo E. , Bedo Marcos
Published: March 2021

Principal component analysis (PCA) is an efficient model for the optimization problem of finding d' axes of a subspace Rd' ⊆ Rd so that the mean squared distances from a given set R of points to the axes are minimal. Despite being steadily employed since 1901 in different scenarios, e.g., mechanics, PCA has become an important link in machine learning chained tasks, such as feature learning and AutoML designs. A frequent yet open issue that arises from supervised-based problems is how many PCA axes are required for the performance of machine learning constructs to be tuned. Accordingly, we investigate the behavior of six independent and uncoupled criteria for estimating the number of PCA axes, namely Scree-Plot %, Scree Plot Gap, Kaiser-Guttman, Broken-Stick, p-Score, and 2D. In total, we evaluate the performance of those approaches in 20 high dimensional datasets by using (i) four different classifiers, and (ii) a hypothesis test upon the reported F-Measures. Results indicate Broken-Stick and Scree-Plot % criteria consistently outperformed the competitors regarding supervised-based tasks, whereas estimators Kaiser-Guttman and Scree-Plot Gap delivered poor performances in the same scenarios.
Chinese Foundations and Grassroots Social Organizations
Authors: Ji Min
Published: March 2021

This study explores how Chinese foundations interact with grassroots social organisations (SO) and why Chinese foundations act the way they do. In addition to involving well-documented empirical investigations in China, the study was conducted using anecdotal evidence accumulated over a 10-year period from 2008 to 2019, when Chinese foundations started their interaction with other SOs.

The findings show that Chinese foundations interact with grassroots SOs in six different ways, namely special funds, joint fundraising, high-engagement grantmaking, and awarding grants to projects, organisations and individuals. However, Chinese foundations’ grantmaking logic does not overlap with the needs of grassroots SOs, because they do not fully understand each other’s difficulties and because their focus and development paths are not the same, which results in less interaction.

This book provides new and inspiring insights for scholars and students of China’s emerging and flourishing third sector. It will not only interest those in academia, but will also appeal to those working in China’s third sector.
Glacifluviálně-glacilakustrinní sekvence u Vidnavy na severním okraji Žulovské pahorkatiny
Authors: Hanáček Martin , Adameková Katarína
Published: March 2021

Glaciofluvial and glaciolacustrine sediments were discovered in a small sandpit situated 800 m SE from Vindava (the Polský kopec Site). Sediments fill two channels located in superposition. Three facies associations (FA) were distinguished in this sedimentary section. The base of the lower channel is formed by gravel lag overlain by gravel-sandy sediments of 3-D dunes and a side bar (FA1). The upper channel infill begins also by basal lag and grades to a fining-upwards sequence from sand to silt (FA2). The sequence is formed from the base up by sediments of small 3-D dunes, A-type ripples, B-type ripples, C-type ripples, and horizontally laminated sediments. The sequence reveals a vertical transition from glaciofluvial (sand) to glaciolacustrine (silt) sedimentation. The sedimentary section is terminated by flat glaciofluvial bedforms (FA3) deposited under upper plane bed conditions. These bedforms arose after the restoration of glaciofluvial conditions. The base of the glaciolacustrine sequence is located at an altitude of ~ 275 m as well as the Old Kaolin Mine Site (850 m SW from the Polský kopec Site) where very similar sediments have been already described. The sediments of both localities represent a proglacial outwash plain in front of the retreating ice sheet (FA1 consists of ~ 23% of erratic rocks), where a relatively large lake, or a system of smaller lakes evolved at the same time.
A Controlled Vocabulary for an Electronic Resources Problem Reporting System: Creation, Implementation and Assessment
Authors: Foster Anita K.
Published: March 2021

The Ohio State University Libraries’ Serials and Electronic Resources team tracked reports of problems with electronic resources through a ticketing system, but had not used the system functions to articulate the work involved in supporting such resources. When a new Electronic Resources Officer was hired, the librarian reviewed the type of statistics provided to management and identified an opportunity to more fully document reported problem and staff effort. With the help of team members, a mechanism was created to highlight different types of problems through the application of a controlled vocabulary developed specifically for that environment. Once the vocabulary was available and in use, after some time, terms were evaluated for efficacy, and for how the use of the vocabulary enabled analysis of the trouble-shooting process. Following an analysis by the Electronic Resources Officer of the terms after being in use for some time, the ways that staff were involved in the workflow was changed, leading to faster responses and more consistent communication of information to patrons and vendors. This paper describes the process of developing the controlled vocabulary, the insights found following implementation, and the changes to the workflow that came from that analysis.
Wheelchair Basketball World Championships 2018 –player survey on training environment and health complaints
Authors: Kluge S , Zech A , Richarz P , Riepenhof H , Junge A , Hollander K
Published: March 2021

Problem: Little is known about health complaints and their prevention in elite wheelchair basketball. The study aimed to survey training environment and health complaints of elite wheelchair basketball players in the 12 months prior to the Wheelchair Basketball World Championships 2018 (WBWC). Methods: Players answered an anonymous retrospective questionnaire on match and training exposure, daily training environment, injury prevention as well as health problems and their implications in the 12 months before the WBWC. Results: In the 12 months prior the WBWC, 46.2% of athletes struggled at least sometimes with physical complaints, and 15.9% played often/always with pain or health complaints. Half of the players (50.8%) did not modify the volume of their training when having health complaints. Sixty percent of the athletes reported that injury prevention exercises were often or always part of their training. The overall training environment and national team support was rated as good or very good by 89.7% and 69.1% of players, respectively. Discussion: Prior to the world championships, wheelchair basketball players reported a high rate of pre-competition health complaints despite good training environment and the use of preventive strategies. Most players indicated they continued to play with pain and health complaints. Frequently playing with health complaints is known from other Olympic sports or pedestrian basketball. Prospective surveillance systems are needed to identify health complaints early and to examine efficiency of preventive measures in order to improve health and probably performance of wheelchair basketball players. Key Words: Paralympic Sports, Sports Injury, Injury Prevention, Trainings Conditions, Elite Athletes
Teor de mercúrio em peixes do Nordeste brasileiro: uma revisão integrativa
Authors: Rodrigues Sarah Lopes , Assis Renata Carmo de , Celedônio Roberta Freitas , Valentim Ashley Brito , Maia Carla Soraya Costa
Published: March 2021

Essa pesquisa consiste em uma revisão integrativa visando discutir sobre a concentração de mercúrio presente em peixes da região Nordeste do Brasil e identificar suas implicações na saúde. A revisão foi composta por seis etapas distintas: 1) elaboração a pergunta norteadora; 2) busca ou amostragem na literatura; 3) coleta de dados; 4) análise crítica dos estudos incluídos; 5) discussão dos resultados e 6) apresentação da revisão integrativa. A leitura dos títulos e resumos foi realizada de forma independente por dois revisores nas bases de dados Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO), Portal de Periódicos da Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES), ScienceDirect e buscador Google Acadêmico. A coleta de dados foi realizada entre Abril e Agosto de 2018, incluindo os termos mercúrio, peixe, concentração, Nordeste e Brasil para a busca.  Selecionou-se seis estudos observacionais. Os maiores níveis de Mercúrio (Hg) foram encontrados nas espécies S. cavalla (444,8 ± 519,9 ng/g-1), R. porosus (509 ng/g-1) e G. cirratum (500 ± 330 ng/g-1). Em quatro estudos incluídos nesta revisão verificou-se a concentração de Hg em peixes e sua relação com o comprimento e o peso. Concluiu-se que os peixes da região nordeste do Brasil apresentam, em média, concentrações totais de mercúrio abaixo do limite considerado seguro para consumo estabelecido pelas normas do Mercosul.
Star Wars Uncut: la victoria de los Padawans
Authors: Roig Antoni
Published: March 2021

Casey Plugh es un joven de 25 años, de Brooklin, experto en el desarrollo de plataformas de vídeo en la web. Esto le lleva a pensar en impulsar algún proyecto como hobby que estimule la participación de los usuarios de Internet, siempre que sea divertido y gire alrededor de una de sus obsesiones, Star Wars. Crea Star Wars Uncut. Gana un Emmy.
Memoria y desmemoria organizativa
Authors: Cobarsí-Morales Josep
Published: March 2021

Las organizaciones van acumulando con el tiempo activos de información y de conocimiento. La adecuada gestión de la memoria y el conocimiento organizativo en un entorno dinámico incluye tanto la preservación como la eliminación de estos activos.
Inteligencia competitiva, creando el puzle de la información fragmentada
Authors: Ortoll Eva
Published: March 2021

De todos es conocido que desde la eclosión de Internet se ha popularizado el acceso a la información y que las herramientas para la búsqueda y recuperación de información se han sofisticado enormemente. En este escenario las organizaciones se han dado cuenta –o no– que necesitan, más que nunca, monitorizar, vigilar y analizar la información del entorno para tomar mejores decisiones, ser más competitivas e innovadoras, o, sencillamente, para sobrevivir en un mundo cambiante y en constante evolución.
Una mirada a la prensa, una instantánea a la historia
Authors: Martínez Martínez Silvia
Published: March 2021

El vínculo entre historia y periodismo se hace presente en no pocas ocasiones. Trabajar sobre hechos, pasados o actuales respectivamente, y aplicar técnicas similares para indagar sobre los acontecimientos son algunos de los argumentos empleados por aquellos que intentan justificar la existencia de lazos entre ambas disciplinas. Sin embargo, una mirada detallada nos permite comprobar que, más allá de los contenidos reflejados en las noticias, la prensa ofrece una imagen de la sociedad: acciona el disparador realizando una instantánea a la historia.
Xurxo Torres: "Reivindica que quieres trabajar en lo que te gusta y como te gusta"
Authors: Estanyol i Casals Elisenda
Published: March 2021

“Tengo 44 años. Soy un gallego que trabaja en Madrid. Aunque no soy nacionalista, mi nombre es Xurxo, no Jorge. Estudié Periodismo en la Complutense, por aquel entonces masificada y cosmopolita". Así se autodefine Xurxo Torres, director general de la consultora de relaciones públicas Torres y Carrera. Ésta es la segunda y última entrega de la entrevista que le ha realizado Elisenda Estanyol.
El grifo de la música
Authors: Ibañez Cantí Anna
Published: March 2021

Con la llegada del CD comenzó el proceso de la digitalización de la música, y con ello un cambio en cómo la distribuimos y la consumimos. Este rápido proceso de cambio ha sacudido las industrias discográficas, que se han visto amenazadas y han reaccionado asustando a todos aquellos que aman la música al decir –suavemente– que sin ventas de CD la música se acabaría porque los artistas no podrían vivir de ella: como si las discográficas se hubieran preocupado alguna vez por los músicos.
Twitter, el detective colectivo
Authors: Sánchez-Navarro Jordi
Published: March 2021

En poco más de un lustro desde su creación, Twitter se ha convertido en una plataforma muy usada y, sobre todo, muy controvertida. El hecho de que la regulación sobre su uso sea escasa y poco formalizada hace que el servicio sea diferente para cada usuario. Twitter es fuente de información indispensable, foro de entretenimiento y cotilleo, herramienta de trabajo, campo de batalla.
Asteroide B 612
Authors: Creus Amalia
Published: March 2021

"Todas las personas mayores fueron al principio niños. (Aunque pocas de ellas lo recuerdan)”. La cita, por si lo has olvidado, es de El principito (Le petit prince), entrañable e inspirador libro del escritor francés Antoine de Saint-Exupéry que celebra este año su 70 aniversario.
Marketing viral y avistamientos de opnis en la Red
Authors: Sivera Sílvia
Published: March 2021

No se dejan ver muy a menudo, pero existen. Yo los denomino opnis, objetos publicitarios no identificados. Son piezas comunicativas que nos cautivan, como las luces de colores que dicen que se divisan sobre la montaña de Montserrat los días once de cada mes. No sabemos de dónde vienen, ni siquiera intuimos que nos quieren vender algo, pero nos producen tal fascinación que no podemos evitar compartirlos con nuestras redes de contactos. Entramos en la galaxia del marketing viral.
¡Con ilusión!
Authors: Aira Toni
Published: March 2021

El gran gurú del marketing, Philip Kotler, ha proclamado su muerte. La del concepto. O más concretamente la del concepto antiguo de la cosa. Dice que parte de la base del marketing tal y como la conocemos está acabada y que es necesario que evolucione en un mundo hiperacelerado. Una advertencia que también vale para el marketing político y sus técnicas. Y la inmensa mayoría de políticos, está claro, todavía no se han dado por enterados. Kotler ya apunta a la fase 3.0, cuando los grandes partidos nos demuestran que en la red todavía no han interiorizado ni el sentido del 2.0. La carrera por las elecciones del 20N es una nueva prueba de ello.
Antagonistic roles for Ataxin-2 structured and disordered domains in RNP condensation
Authors: Singh Amanjot , Hulsmeier Joern , Kandi Arvind Reddy , Pothapragada Sai Shruti , Hillebrand Jens , Petrauskas Arnas , Agrawal Khushboo , RT Krishnan , Thiagarajan Devasena , Jayaprakashappa Deepa , VijayRaghavan K , Ramaswami Mani , Bakthavachalu Baskar
Published: March 2021

Ataxin-2 (Atx2) is a translational control molecule mutated in spinocerebellar ataxia type II and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. While intrinsically disordered domains (IDRs) of Atx2 facilitate mRNP condensation into granules, how IDRs work with structured domains to enable positive and negative regulation of target mRNAs remains unclear. Using the Targets of RNA-Binding Proteins Identified by Editing technology, we identified an extensive data set of Atx2-target mRNAs in the Drosophila brain and S2 cells. Atx2 interactions with AU-rich elements in 3′UTRs appear to modulate stability/turnover of a large fraction of these target mRNAs. Further genomic and cell biological analyses of Atx2 domain deletions demonstrate that Atx2 (1) interacts closely with target mRNAs within mRNP granules, (2) contains distinct protein domains that drive or oppose RNP-granule assembly, and (3) has additional essential roles outside of mRNP granules. These findings increase the understanding of neuronal translational control mechanisms and inform strategies for Atx2-based interventions under development for neurodegenerative disease.
Multiple decisions about one object involve parallel sensory acquisition but time-multiplexed evidence incorporation
Authors: Kang Yul HR , Löffler Anne , Jeurissen Danique , Zylberberg Ariel , Wolpert Daniel M , Shadlen Michael N
Published: March 2021

The brain is capable of processing several streams of information that bear on different aspects of the same problem. Here, we address the problem of making two decisions about one object, by studying difficult perceptual decisions about the color and motion of a dynamic random dot display. We find that the accuracy of one decision is unaffected by the difficulty of the other decision. However, the response times reveal that the two decisions do not form simultaneously. We show that both stimulus dimensions are acquired in parallel for the initial ∼0.1 s but are then incorporated serially in time-multiplexed bouts. Thus, there is a bottleneck that precludes updating more than one decision at a time, and a buffer that stores samples of evidence while access to the decision is blocked. We suggest that this bottleneck is responsible for the long timescales of many cognitive operations framed as decisions.
eIF2B conformation and assembly state regulate the integrated stress response
Authors: Schoof Michael , Boone Morgane , Wang Lan , Lawrence Rosalie , Frost Adam , Walter Peter
Published: March 2021

The integrated stress response (ISR) is activated by phosphorylation of the translation initiation factor eIF2 in response to various stress conditions. Phosphorylated eIF2 (eIF2-P) inhibits eIF2’s nucleotide exchange factor eIF2B, a twofold symmetric heterodecamer assembled from subcomplexes. Here, we monitor and manipulate eIF2B assembly in vitro and in vivo. In the absence of eIF2B’s α-subunit, the ISR is induced because unassembled eIF2B tetramer subcomplexes accumulate in cells. Upon addition of the small-molecule ISR inhibitor ISRIB, eIF2B tetramers assemble into active octamers. Surprisingly, ISRIB inhibits the ISR even in the context of fully assembled eIF2B decamers, revealing allosteric communication between the physically distant eIF2, eIF2-P, and ISRIB binding sites. Cryo-electron microscopy structures suggest a rocking motion in eIF2B that couples these binding sites. eIF2-P binding converts eIF2B decamers into ‘conjoined tetramers’ with diminished substrate binding and enzymatic activity. Canonical eIF2-P-driven ISR activation thus arises due to this change in eIF2B’s conformational state.
Short-term variation in abundance of four Acartia species (Copepoda, Calanoida) in a eutrophic bay
Authors: Choi Seo Yeol , Seo Min Ho , Soh Ho Young
Published: March 2021

The short-term variation in the abundance of Acartia copepods in the eutrophic Gamak Bay of South Korea was investigated with weekly measurements from October 2007 to September 2008. During this period, four Acartia species (A. erythraea, A. ohtsukai, A. omorii, and A. sinjiensis) were recorded as showing seasonally different peak abundance. The abundance of A. erythraea and A. sinjiensis was high in autumn, whereas that of A. omorii was high from winter to spring. In summer, A. erythraea, A. ohtsukai, and A. sinjiensis coexisted at peak abundance significantly related to water temperature and salinity. Results from the response curves of the four Acartia species to water temperature and salinity suggest that A. erythraea and A. sinjiensis increased in abundance at water temperatures >18 °C, whereas A. ohtsukai increased in abundance at water temperatures >27 °C. The occurrence of A. erythraea, A. ohtsukai, and A. sinjiensis decreased with increasing salinity, but chlorophyll-a concentration showed no effect on occurrence. Despite these findings, the coexistence of the three ecologically similar species may be due to prey abundance in summer and autumn (chlorophyll-a concentration >10 µg L−1). Notably, the wide range of the response curve of A. omorii indicates its occurrence at higher salinity levels than other species.
In silico candidate variant and gene identification using inbred mouse strains
Authors: Munz Matthias , Khodaygani Mohammad , Aherrahrou Zouhair , Busch Hauke , Wohlers Inken
Published: March 2021

Mice are the most widely used animal model to study genotype to phenotype relationships. Inbred mice are genetically identical, which eliminates genetic heterogeneity and makes them particularly useful for genetic studies. Many different strains have been bred over decades and a vast amount of phenotypic data has been generated. In addition, recently whole genome sequencing-based genome-wide genotype data for many widely used inbred strains has been released. Here, we present an approach for in silico fine-mapping that uses genotypic data of 37 inbred mouse strains together with phenotypic data provided by the user to propose candidate variants and genes for the phenotype under study. Public genome-wide genotype data covering more than 74 million variant sites is queried efficiently in real-time to provide those variants that are compatible with the observed phenotype differences between strains. Variants can be filtered by molecular consequences and by corresponding molecular impact. Candidate gene lists can be generated from variant lists on the fly. Fine-mapping together with annotation or filtering of results is provided in a Bioconductor package called MouseFM. In order to characterize candidate variant lists under various settings, MouseFM was applied to two expression data sets across 20 inbred mouse strains, one from neutrophils and one from CD4+ T cells. Fine-mapping was assessed for about 10,000 genes, respectively, and identified candidate variants and haplotypes for many expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) reported previously based on these data. For albinism, MouseFM reports only one variant allele of moderate or high molecular impact that only albino mice share: a missense variant in the Tyr gene, reported previously to be causal for this phenotype. Performing in silico fine-mapping for interfrontal bone formation in mice using four strains with and five strains without interfrontal bone results in 12 genes. Of these, three are related to skull shaping abnormality. Finally performing fine-mapping for dystrophic cardiac calcification by comparing 9 strains showing the phenotype with eight strains lacking it, we identify only one moderate impact variant in the known causal gene Abcc6. In summary, this illustrates the benefit of using MouseFM for candidate variant and gene identification.
Automatic Sorting Machine Based on Vision InspectionAutomatic Sorting Machine Based on Vision Inspection
Authors:   University Politehnica of Bucharest., Bucharest, Romania, Ciobanu Robert , Rizescu Dana , Rizescu Ciprian
Published: March 2021

This work describes detailed an automatic vision system for quality control of small conveyed mechatronic components. The vision measurement has the advantages of non-contact measurement, high precision and high automation degree, thus it has become one of the important trends of development in modern measurement technique. The system highlighted in this paper sorts automatically the components inspected depending on the fabrication fault type detected by means of an electro mechanic system controlled through a serial port. The proposed system has been tested for a series of 608ZZ bearings which have been evaluated through a completely automated process. The proposed system can improve the control efficiency and can be integrated in to an existing fabrication line.
Prevalence of Iron Deficiency Anaemia among the Reproductive Age Group Women Attending the Unani Hospital, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
Authors: Islam Mazharul , Khan Atiya , Sherwani Arish Mohammad Khan
Published: March 2021

Introduction: Iron Deficiency Anaemia (IDA) is the most widespread micronutrient deficiency. Globally, nearly two billion people are affected by anaemia. This disease most often affects children, women of child-bearing age, and pregnant women. Nearly half of the pregnant women in the world are estimated to be anaemic. Its prevalence varies according to region and socio-economic conditions. The majority of those who are anaemic live in developing countries where the problem is exacerbated by limited access to inadequate resources and appropriate treatment. Aim: To find out the prevalence of IDA in the reproductive age group women and its associated factors. Materials and Methods: This hospital based, cross-sectional study was conducted among 400 females, of age group 15-49 years. After obtaining the written informed consent, eligible subjects were inquired about socio-demographic variables, socio-economic status, anthropometric measurements and risk factors. Required investigations were done. All the information was recorded on the semi-structured schedule form. Chi-square/Fisher’s-exact test was used to find the significance of study parameters on categorical scale between two or more groups. Results: Prevalence of IDA was found to be 42% (168/400). Prevalence of IDA was significant with habitat (p=0.0180), exercise (p=0.0004), amount of blood loss during menstruation (p<0.0001), duration of flow during menstruation, (p=0.0020), consumption of fish (p=0.0002), consumption of legumes (p=0.002), consumption of green leafy vegetable (p<0.0001). Conclusion: Results confirmed an increased prevalence of IDA in women of reproductive age group.
Human Exposure to Lead, Mechanism of Toxicity and Treatment Strategy- A Review
Authors: Sangeetha KS Sridevi , Umamaheswari S
Published: March 2021

Lead is one of the earliest metals discovered by humans. It has a number of unique properties such as softness, high malleability, ductility, low melting point, resistance to corrosion and low cost. This has made its widespread usage in different industrial sectors, which in turn has led to its manifold occurrence in free form in biological systems and the inert environment. Over the last few decades, with the adverse effects of lead coming to the forefront, nations across the world have started to recognise lead toxicity. This review covers the history behind the usage of lead, sources of lead exposure, absorption, distribution and excretion of lead, toxic signs and symptoms of lead toxicity and methods to evaluate the lead levels and the current treatment regimen. This also covers the details of current research work going on in the area of herbal remedies against lead induced liver damage.
Comparative Study of Clinicopathologic Features of Apocrine Carcinoma of Breast with Invasive Breast Carcinoma of No Special Type- A Tertiary Care Centre Experience
Authors: Nayak Sunanda , Nahak Snigdha Rani , Agrawal Kailash Chandra
Published: March 2021

Introduction: Apocrine Carcinoma (AC) of breast is a rare breast cancer comprising only 0.3-1.0% of all breast cancers. Microscopically, Invasive Duct Carcinoma of No Special Type (IDC-NST) and AC have similar architecture, but they differ in cell morphology. Immunohistochemistry for both the tumour types is also different. Aim: This study was undertaken to know the incidence of AC and analyse them with respect to different clinicopathological features and compare them with that of IDC-NST. Materials and Methods: This was an observational study conducted in Department of Pathology, Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Science and Research, Burla from March 2010 to February 2019. Patients diagnosed as invasive breast carcinoma were taken as study group. Breast cancer in male patients and female patients taking neoadjuvant chemotherapy were excluded from study group. Clinical features, pathological features and immunohistochemical findings of IDC-NST and AC were studied and statistical data were analysed by SPSS version 23.0 for windows. Comparison of data was done by using Pearson’s Chi-square test. Results having p-value <0.05 were accepted as significant. Results: During the 10 years, 05 cases of AC and 560 cases of IDC-NST were found. Mean age of presentation of AC was 59.5 years and that of IDC-NST was 50.4 years. Most cases of AC and IDC-NST presented with breast lump of size >5 cm. Low grade (grade 1) carcinoma was seen in 20% of AC. Immunohistochemistry showed 3 (60%) cases of AC as triple negative, whereas 213 (38.2%) of IDC-NST were triple negative. All the cases of AC were Gross Cystic Disease Fluid Protein (GCDFP-15) and CK-7 positive. Conclusion: AC is a rare category of breast cancer. Although prognosis of AC and IDC are almost similar, correct diagnosis of AC is important as antiandrogenic therapy can be given to Androgen Receptor (AR) positive AC cases.
COVID-19: An Epidemiological Puzzle
Authors: Baidya Subrata , Paul Debosmita , Chowdhury Purvita
Published: March 2021

A cluster of pneumonia cases of unknown aetiology was reported from Wuhan, Hubei province of China on 31st December, 2019. The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on 30th January, 2020. Thereafter, it has spread through China and reached the level of a pandemic expanding to 210 countries with 77.9M confirmed cases and 1.71M deaths as per Corona virus Disease (COVID-19) situation report issued by WHO based on data received upto 23rdDecember, 2020. A number of questions remain unanswered regarding pathogen-associated variables for amplification dynamics, host environment and agent interaction. This short communication makes an effort to compile the information gathered from published articles of renowned journals and newsletters to explore the epidemiological characteristics of COVID-19. Hereby in this article, authors have tried to assemble the epidemiological lacunae created by the novel characteristics of the SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Corona Virus-2) which presently pose a rather puzzling transmission dynamics of COVID-19 that still remain unanswered.
Rieger’s Anomaly without Posterior Embryotoxon: A Rare Presentation
Authors: Shrinkhal . , Mahesh Mood , Agrawal Ajai , Samanta Ramanuj , Singh Anupam
Published: March 2021

Rieger’s anomaly is a rare congenital ocular defect with autosomal dominant inheritance, characterised by dysgenesis of the anterior segment. Ocular features of typical Reiger’s anomaly include a prominent anteriorly displaced Schwalbe's line (posterior embryotoxon), iris stromal hypoplasia, corectopia, and glaucoma. An atypical presentation of Rieger’s anomaly is described in the current case report. A 26-year-old female presented with diminution of vision in right eye and mild photophobia in both eyes, since childhood. On examination, it was recognised as an atypical isolated case of Rieger’s anomaly with several classical features including segmental full thickness iris defect and ectropion uveae. This was associated with total cataract in right eye and persistent pupillary membrane in left eye, without posterior embryotoxon and glaucoma. There were no other associated ocular or systemic anomalies. Patient was operated for cataract surgery in right eye under guarded visual prognosis. The postoperative visual acuity was 3/60, signifying pre-existing amblyopia. The patient was kept on close follow-up for the development of glaucoma. This is a rare case of Anterior Segment Dysgenesis (ASD) manifesting as atypical Rieger’s anomaly without posterior embryotoxon and any systemic association, signifying the fact that posterior embryotoxon is not an essential diagnostic criterion.
Study to Assess the Prescription Pattern and Quality of Life in Osteoarthritis Patients at a Tertiary Care Hospital
Authors: Subramanian Ansha , Adhimoolam Mangaiarkkarasi , Gnanasegaran Selvalaxmi , Mohammed Meher Ali Raja
Published: March 2021

Introduction: Osteoarthritis (OA) often called wear and tear arthritis is a chronic progressive musculoskeletal joint disease with multifactorial aetiology, affecting millions of people around the world. It is one of the leading causes of morbidity, having major impact on Quality of Life (QoL) of the patient with substantial economic and social burden. OA can have a negative impact on health related QoL and psychological well-being of the individual. Aim: To evaluate the prescribing trends of drugs in the management of OA in a tertiary care teaching hospital and to assess the effect of pharmacotherapy on QoL of OA patients in terms of subjective and functional status using Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis index scale (WOMAC)-modified Centre for Rheumatic Disease (CRD) Pune version OA patients. Materials and Methods: Prospective observational study conducted among the OA patients in Orthopaedic Department over the period of one year between November 2014-December 2015. Adult patients of either gender diagnosed with OA for minimum period of three months were enrolled for the study. Out of 285 eligible patients, drug therapy of 256 patients’ data were analysed and they were given treatment by the treating orthopaedician. All the patients were asked to personally complete the WOMAC index scale during their first visit. They were followed-up for one month of pharmacotherapy in order to assess change in the WOMAC index scale. Data were analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software 16.0 version. The p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Among 256 patients who completed the study, the most frequently prescribed drug class was NSAIDs (82.1%). Acelofenac with Paracetamol combination (117) and Diclofenac monotherapy (44) were most commonly prescribed. Statistically significant reduction in the WOMAC (pain, stiffness and physical function) score was observed in the follow-up visit when compared to first visit (p<0.0001) after one month of pharmacotherapy in patients taking Diclofenac and Aceclofenac with Paracetamol combination. Conclusion: This study highlighted the significant improvement in QoL and significant reduction in WOMAC scores with Aceclofenac-Paracetamol combination and Diclofenac monotherapy in OA patients.
Telemedicine: A Paradigm Shift in Healthcare in the wake of COVID-19 in India
Authors: Saha Ria , Chellaiyan Vinoth Gnana
Published: March 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has severely affected the delivery of essential healthcare services in India. The massive disruption of the routine healthcare services had been circumvented to a certain extent with the application of telemedicine. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government of India has issued regulatory guidelines and approved Registered Medical Practitioners (RMP) to adopt the usage of teleconsultation service which can be real-time or asynchronous to minimise the risk of disease transmission. The commentary provides an in-depth review of the regulatory guidelines implemented by the Government of India and discusses the inherent structural and fundamental challenges associated with its wide scale adoption, accessibility, and utilisation. Though the Government of India had issued national guidelines to promote safe and effective usage of telemedicine practice, there remains certain primary structural, technical and institutional challenges regarding expansion of uninterrupted services to periurban and rural peripheral health facilities and its nationwide sustainability. The article demands the attention of the policymakers and relevant stakeholders to identify the inherent bottlenecks intrinsic to the guidelines and amend the regulatory framework accordingly to ensure its long-term sustainability.
Clinical Characteristics of Pigment Dispersion Syndrome and Pigmentary Glaucoma Patients: A Cross-sectional Study
Authors: Tomar Vijay Pratap Singh , Sharma Sandeep , Bhardwaj Rahul , Singh Sindhuja , Pal Virendra Kumar , Jaiswal Nikita , Chaudhary Prakhar , Sumanglam Saurabh
Published: March 2021

Introduction: Pigmentary Glaucoma (PG) and Pigment Dispersion Syndrome (PDS) are two different spectrums of a single disease. Since the disease is seen in younger population and is rapidly progressive blinding disease, therefore early diagnosis and treatment will reduce the burden of the disease and improve the quality of life. Aim: To evaluate clinical characteristics of PDS and PG patients in eastern part of Uttar Pradesh. Materials and Methods: This was a two years (1st January 2018 to 31st December 2019) hospital‑based retrospective cross‑sectional study of patients who attended the glaucoma clinic. Diagnosis of PDS was made when they had normal optic disc, normal visual field {with or without increased Intra Ocular Pressure (IOP)} and at least two of the following three signs were found clinically: Krukenberg spindle, homogenous moderate‑to‑heavy (≥Spaeth 2+) Trabecular Meshwork (TM) pigmentation, and any degree of zonular and/or lenticular pigment granule dusting. Patients with PDS were diagnosed with PG, if they had two or more of the following findings: initial IOP >21 mmHg, glaucomatous optic nerve damage or glaucomatous visual field loss. Various parameters such as influence of demographics, IOP, Best‑Corrected Visual Acuity (BCVA), Central Corneal Thickness (CCT), Mean Deviation (MD), Visual Field Index (VFI %), spherical equivalent and clinical finding of anterior segment of study patients were analysed. Mean, standard deviation and percentage were calculated using GraphPad Instat version 3.0. Results: Among 40 patients, nine eyes of the six patients had myopia of ‑0.5D or greater, with mean refractive error of ‑3.55±4.72 spherical equivalent. The average baseline IOP in study patients (PDS+PG), was 30.21±11.42 mmHg. Twenty four (60%) patients, either in one or both eyes had glaucoma, secondary to PDS at the initial diagnosis. Thirty three (82.5%) patients had Krukenberg spindles. Homogeneous TM pigmentation was seen in all patients. Typical spoke‑like radial Iris Transillumination Defects (ITDs) were not observed in any of the patients except in one patient, who had isolated short slit‑like trans‑illumination defects in iris crypts. Conclusion: PDS patients with normal optic disc and visual field and raised IOP, should be started prophylactic treatment and needs to be monitored more closely. Thus, the finding of PDS in Indians should alert the ophthalmologist to look for glaucoma during the initial examination.
Pharmacokinetics, Biodistribution and Toxicity Studies for Nanocarrier of Antitubercular Agent- Rifabutin
Authors: Patil Swapnil , Gattani Surendra , Nirbhavane Pradip , Patil Kiran , Pal Amit Kumar
Published: March 2021

Introduction: Rifabutin (RFB) is a lipophilic, semi-synthetic antibiotic given for the treatment of atypical mycobacterial infections along with drug susceptible tuberculosis infections. The major challenges in its usage include low oral bioavailability (~20%) mainly due to its low solubility and extensive first pass metabolism. Aim: The present study aims to explore the pharmacokinetics, biodistribution and toxicity of nanocarrier of RFB. Materials and Methods: An experimental animal study was carried out in Institute for Industrial Research and Toxicology, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India. RFB nanocarriers were formulated by using solvent diffusion evaporation method with minor modifications and characterised for its physicochemical properties by using various techniques like Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) method, High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), X-ray Diffractometry (XRD), in-vitro release study etc. Further nanocarriers were also studied for in-vivo analysis using pharmacokinetics, biodistribution and toxicity studies. GraphPad Prism Software (Version 5.02) was used for the statistical analysis. Results: Nanocarriers of RFB were developed and evaluated for its safety and efficacy. The results of evaluation of nanocarrier for physical and chemical attributes revealed that its particle size obtained was 305-325 nm with low Poly Dispersity Index (PDI) of 0.26-0.36 and the high drug encapsulation efficiency (62.45-70.15%). The nanocarrier formulation showed a sustained release pattern in Simulated Intestinal Fluid (SIF) upto 48 hours and in Physiological Buffer System (PBS) upto 7 days. The in-vivo study showed that the nano-lipoidal drug has significant higher Tmax and Cmax plasma value with higher t1/2(h) values in comparison to plain drug. Moreover, the slow elimination rate (Kel) resulted in significant (p<0.001) prolonged half-life (t1/2), which was many fold higher than the plain drug. No significant change was observed in haematological and liver enzyme profile of rats in plain drug and drug with nano-lipoidal carrier. Nanocarriers showed that there was an increase cell survival rate in MTT assay as compared to normal drug. Conclusion: By using nanotechnology based formulations, dose and dosing frequency of drug administration can be reduced. Thus, RFB drug can be administered in more efficacious manner reducing its toxic side effects, which ultimately improves patient compliance.