bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Gospodarka odpadami Odpady medyczne
Authors: Wieczorek Anna , Siekierski Maciej
Published: May 2022

Artykuł jest kolejnym z serii artykułów poświęconych gospodarce odpadami autorstwa A. Wieczorek i M. Siekierskiego. Przyczynkiem do jego napisania stała się pandemia COVID-19. Autorzy zwracają uwagę na jedną z jej licznych negatywnych konsekwencji, o której jak do tej pory się nie mówi – zwiększenie ilość odpadów, w tym odpadów medycznych, w stosunku do stanu z 2019 r. Celem artykułu jest: przekazanie podstawowych informacji o odpadach medycznych; zasugerowanie zmian prawa, które usprawniłyby gospodarowanie tymi odpadami, w szczególności zwiększyły możliwości odzysku energii; apel, aby produkty lecznicze i wyroby medyczne generowały jak najmniejszą ilość odpadów. Im mniej odpadów tym lepiej dla środowiska, a tym samym zdrowia ludzi. Zmniejszanie ilości odpadów medycznych to wyzwanie dla szeroko rozumianego świata medycznego, przede wszystkim dla twórców i producentów produktów leczniczych. W pracach nad tymi produktami z oczywistych względów liczy się przede wszystkim to, czy są skuteczne w leczeniu danej choroby lub jej zapobieganiu. Autorzy niniejszego artykułu nie mają zamiaru tego negować. Uważają jednak, że wskazane byłoby branie pod uwagę również ilości i rodzaju odpadów, które dany produkt leczniczy generuje. Nie jest zamiarem autorów lobbowanie za jakąkolwiek metodą przetwarzania odpadów. Słowa kluczowe: odpady medyczne, produkty lecznicze, odpady, gospodarka odpadami, termiczne przekształcanie odpadów, pandemia COVID-19
Samorząd terytorialny a „strefy wolne od LGBT”
Authors: Wieczorek Anna
Published: May 2022

Kilkadziesiąt samorządów terytorialnych – rad gmin i powiatów oraz sejmików województw podjęło uchwały i deklaracje w sprawie sprzeciwu wobec ideologii LGBT. Twórcy tych dokumentów podkreślali chęć ochrony rodziny opartej na tradycyjnych wartościach oraz obronę systemu oświaty przed propagandą/ideologią LGBT. Przeciwnicy ostrzegali przed stygmatyzacją osób nieheteronormatywnych. Wytyczną dla powyższych dokumentów stała się upubliczniona w 2019 r. „Samorządowa Karta Praw Rodzin”. Przy wjazdach na tereny zarządzane przez samorządy, które przyjęły takie deklaracje czy uchwały, pojawiły się tabliczki z napisem „Strefa wolna od LGBT”. Spór zaczął zataczać coraz szersze kręgi, włączyły się media, sądy, prokuratura, Rzecznik Praw Obywatelskich, Parlament Europejski i Komisja Europejska. Autor artykułu nie opowiada się po żadnej z polemizujących stron. Uważa jedynie, że niepotrzebne kłótnie szkodzą naszemu krajowi. Dla wykazania absurdalności sporu o „strefy wolne od LGBT”, w artykule odniesiono się do: wybranych dokumentów dotyczących samorządu terytorialnego (deklaracje, uchwała, wyrok sądu) oraz „Samorządowej Karty Praw Rodzin” (załącznik 1, 2, 3 i 4); powszechnie obowiązujących aktów prawa odnoszących się do zadań własnych samorządu terytorialnego, rodziny oraz oświaty; biografii osób (np. pisarzy), które zapisały się pozytywnie w historii Polski i świata, mimo pogmatwanego życia rodzinnego. Dobór analizowanych danych można uznać za subiektywny. Autor wybrał dokumenty samorządów Małopolski i Beskidów, bo zarządzane przez nie tereny uważa za bardzo atrakcyjne dla turystów – lubi spędzać wakacje w Krakowie, Zakopanem oraz Beskidzie Śląskim i Żywieckim, np. w Koniakowie i Żywcu. Wykaz lektur dla szkół ponadpodstawowych, przyjęty przez Ministra Edukacji Narodowej, zadecydował o doborze biografii pisarzy. O wyborze pozostałych osób przesądziła niezwykłość ich życiorysów oraz wpływ na historię Polski i świata. Kończąc pracę nad artykułem w marcu 2022 r. autor świadomie wprowadził wątek Ukrainy. Słowa kluczowe: LGBT, „Strefa wolna od LGBT”
Extracting Multiple Worries From Breast Cancer Patient Blogs Using Multilabel Classification With the Natural Language Processing Model Bidirectional Encoder Representations From Transformers: Infodemiology Study of Blogs
Authors: Watanabe Tomomi , Yada Shuntaro , Aramaki Eiji , Yajima Hiroshi , Kizaki Hayato , Hori Satoko
Published: May 2022

Background

Patients with breast cancer have a variety of worries and need multifaceted information support. Their accumulated posts on social media contain rich descriptions of their daily worries concerning issues such as treatment, family, and finances. It is important to identify these issues to help patients with breast cancer to resolve their worries and obtain reliable information.

Objective

This study aimed to extract and classify multiple worries from text generated by patients with breast cancer using Bidirectional Encoder Representations From Transformers (BERT), a context-aware natural language processing model.

Methods

A total of 2272 blog posts by patients with breast cancer in Japan were collected. Five worry labels, “treatment,” “physical,” “psychological,” “work/financial,” and “family/friends,” were defined and assigned to each post. Multiple labels were allowed. To assess the label criteria, 50 blog posts were randomly selected and annotated by two researchers with medical knowledge. After the interannotator agreement had been assessed by means of Cohen kappa, one researcher annotated all the blogs. A multilabel classifier that simultaneously predicts five worries in a text was developed using BERT. This classifier was fine-tuned by using the posts as input and adding a classification layer to the pretrained BERT. The performance was evaluated for precision using the average of 5-fold cross-validation results.

Results

Among the blog posts, 477 included “treatment,” 1138 included “physical,” 673 included “psychological,” 312 included “work/financial,” and 283 included “family/friends.” The interannotator agreement values were 0.67 for “treatment,” 0.76 for “physical,” 0.56 for “psychological,” 0.73 for “work/financial,” and 0.73 for “family/friends,” indicating a high degree of agreement. Among all blog posts, 544 contained no label, 892 contained one label, and 836 contained multiple labels. It was found that the worries varied from user to user, and the worries posted by the same user changed over time. The model performed well, though prediction performance differed for each label. The values of precision were 0.59 for “treatment,” 0.82 for “physical,” 0.64 for “psychological,” 0.67 for “work/financial,” and 0.58 for “family/friends.” The higher the interannotator agreement and the greater the number of posts, the higher the precision tended to be.

Conclusions

This study showed that the BERT model can extract multiple worries from text generated from patients with breast cancer. This is the first application of a multilabel classifier using the BERT model to extract multiple worries from patient-generated text. The results will be helpful to identify breast cancer patients’ worries and give them timely social support.
The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgical Services in Singapore: Retrospective Quantitative Study (Preprint)
Authors: Teo Zhe Hao Timothy , Huey Cheong Wei Terence , Low Jee Keem , Junnarkar Sameer Padmakumar , Shelat Vishalkumar G
Published: May 2022

BACKGROUND

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the hepatopancreatobiliary (HPB) unit had to reorganize its surgical case volume due to the rationing of health care resources. We report on a local audit evaluating the impact of COVID-19 on the HPB unit and the HPB surgical oncology practice.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to review the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the HPB unit’s elective and emergency surgical cases. The secondary aims were to investigate the impact on the HPB surgical oncology operative case volume.

METHODS

We performed a comparative audit of the HPB unit surgical case volume for January-June 2019 (baseline) and 2020 (COVID-19). Elective and emergency cases performed under general anesthesia were audited. Elective cases included hernia and gallbladder operations and liver and pancreatic resections. Emergency cases included cholecystectomies and laparotomies performed for general surgical indications. We excluded endoscopies and procedures done under local anesthesia. The retrospective data collected during the 2 time periods were compared. This study was registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR2000040265).

RESULTS

The elective surgical case volume decreased by 41.8% (351 cases in 2019 compared to 204 cases in 2020) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of hernia operations decreased by 63.9% (155 in 2019 compared to 56 in 2020; P<.001) and cholecystectomies decreased by 40.1% (157 in 2019 compared to 94 in 2020; P=.83). The liver and pancreatic resection volume increased by 16.7% (30 cases in 2019 compared to 35 cases in 2020; P=.004) and 111.1% (9 cases in 2019 compared to 19 cases in 2020; P=.001), respectively. The emergency surgical workload decreased by 40.9% (193 cases in 2019 compared to 114 cases in 2020). The most significant reduction in the emergency workload was observed in March (41 to 23 cases, a 43.9% reduction; P=.94), April (35 to 8 cases, a 77.1% reduction; P=.01), and May (32 to 14 cases, a 56.3% reduction; P=.39); however, only April had a statistically significant reduction in workload (P=.01).

CONCLUSIONS

The reallocation of resources due to the COVID-19 pandemic did not adversely impact elective HPB oncology work. With prudent measures in place, essential surgical services can be maintained during a pandemic.

CLINICALTRIAL

Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR2000040265); https://tinyurl.com/ms9kpr6x
Korea's Response to COVID-19 According to Set Time Frames, With a Focus on the Network Between the Government and Responding Agencies: Social Network Analysis (Preprint)
Authors: Cho Jungyun , Kang Wook , Lee Julak
Published: May 2022

BACKGROUND

In December 2019, COVID-19 was first confirmed in Wuhan, China, and as the respiratory disease spread around the globe, there was a spike in interest worldwide in combating such contagious diseases. When such disasters occur, the central government of South Korea and its affiliated local governments—together with nongovernmental organizations—play a crucial role in crisis management systems.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this paper is to corroborate the characteristics government ministries and domestic and foreign institutions exhibit through their interconnection when the parties are undergoing a disease-related catastrophe such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

Using the social network analysis technique, the span of the COVID-19 pandemic was segmented into 3 time frames, and the relational characteristics of the COVID-19 contagious disease response department and related agencies at home and abroad were analyzed based on 3 centralities.

RESULTS

Evidence from the second and third time frames indicates that the agents reacting to contagious diseases do not necessarily hold the central position in the network. From this, it can be inferred that it is not only the primary host that plays a pivotal role but the key to a successful response to various disasters also lies in cooperation with the relevant parties.

CONCLUSIONS

The incongruency between the findings of this paper and the existing disaster response system gives rise to the corollary that both the essential parties and the adjoining ones need to collaborate for a coordinated crisis response in disaster situations. Furthermore, much significance lies in the fact that this paper explores the various aspects that could surface among the host and relevant parties in a real-life pandemic.
Prevalence and Associated Factors of Problematic Use of Smartphones Among Adults in Qassim, Saudi Arabia: Cross-sectional Survey (Preprint)
Authors: Al-Mohaimeed Abdulrahman , Alharbi Mansour , Mahmud Ilias
Published: May 2022

BACKGROUND

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) ranks third globally in smartphone use. Smartphones have made many aspects of life easier. However, the overuse of smartphones is associated with physical and psychosocial problems.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this paper is to estimate the prevalence and associated factors of problematic use of smartphones among adults in the Qassim region of KSA.

METHODS

We enrolled 715 participants using cluster random sampling for this cross-sectional survey. We assessed the problematic use of smartphones using the short version of the Smartphone Addiction Scale.

RESULTS

We estimated the prevalence of problematic smartphone use among adults at 64% (453/708). Multivariable logistic regression analysis suggested that students are 3 times more likely to demonstrate problematic use compared with unemployed individuals (P=.03); adults using more than five apps are 2 times more likely to demonstrate problematic use compared to those using a maximum of three apps (P=.007). Protective factors against problematic smartphone use include using apps for academic (odds ratio [OR] 0.66; P=.04) or religious needs (OR 0.55; P=.007) and having a monthly family income of 5001-10,000 SAR (Saudi Riyal; US $1300-$2700; OR 0.46; P=.01) or 10,001-20,000 SAR (US $2700-$5400; OR 0.51; P=.03) compared to the <1501 SAR (US $400) income group.

CONCLUSIONS

We reported a very high prevalence of problematic use of smartphones in KSA. Considering its negative impact on physical and psychosocial health, public health programs should develop preventive strategies.
mHealth applications for low back pain self-management: A systematic scoping review (Preprint)
Authors: Rintala Aki , Rantalainen Roy , Kaksonen Anu , Luomajoki Hannu , Kauranen Kari
Published: May 2022

BACKGROUND

The role of self-management in health promotion and its preventive and/or rehabilitative role is increasing through the use of mobile health applications (mHealth apps). Such mHealth apps are also increasingly used for self-management in low back pain (LBP), but their effectiveness has not been sufficiently explored.

OBJECTIVE

Aim of this systematic scoping review was to provide a literature overview of mHealth apps including a self-management component and their effects on pain and disability in people with LBP.

METHODS

We applied the Preferred Reporting Items of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR) methodology, including a priori research questions. A literature search was conducted in two databases (PubMed and PEDro) for studies published until 17th June 2021. Studies were included if the mHealth app included an in-built self-management content, the app was used for self-management for people with low back pain, and the study reported outcomes on pain and disability in people with LBP.

RESULTS

Seven studies were selected for the review with overall 2,314 persons with low back pain, of which 57% were females. The majority of participants had chronic LBP, however, some studies did not report the duration of LBP at baseline. A total of 5 different mHealth apps were identified which all contributed to a statistically significant reduction of low back pain and clinically meaningful changes. Four studies used 4 different assessments for disability, of which three out of four showed statistically significant improvements in the level of functional ability.

CONCLUSIONS

This systematic scoping review found preliminary evidence that people suffering from LBP may benefit from mHealth apps providing self-management content. However, the generalizability of the findings is diminished due to heterogeneity in the pain characterization of included participants and intervention durations. More high-quality studies with longer follow-up periods to investigate personalized mHealth approaches are recommended for LBP self-management.
Exploring and understanding the sexual, reproductive and mental health needs among adolescents and young people with Spina bifida and Hydrocephalus disability in Uganda: a qualitative study protocol. (Preprint)
Authors: Ssemata Andrew Sentoogo , Ndekezi Denis , Ganshanga Ambrose , Nalugya Ruth
Published: May 2022

BACKGROUND

The sexual, reproductive and mental health needs among adolescents and young people living with Spina bifida and Hydrocephalus disability is still poorly understood. Additionally, it remains unknown what impact these disabilities have on the siblings and caregiver’s mental health and wellbeing in a resource constrained setting like Uganda.

OBJECTIVE

To explore and understand the sexual, reproductive and mental health needs among adolescents and young people with Spina bifida and Hydrocephalus disability in Uganda.

METHODS

This is a cross-sectional study involving collection of qualitative data. We will conduct semi-structured interviews with young people with Spina bifida and Hydrocephalus disability; siblings and parents/ caregivers who care and support them. We will use purposive sampling and the criterion of theoretical saturation. The interviews will be audio recorded for later transcription. Data will be manually coded and later analysed through content-thematic analysis approach and discussed in light of the socio-ecological model framework, with the production of categories that answer the proposed research questions.

RESULTS

N/A

CONCLUSIONS

This study has been approved by the Mildmay Uganda Research Ethics Committee (REC Ref# 0710-2020) and the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology (SS703ES). Dissemination activities will involve community and stakeholder dissemination meetings, publications in peer-reviewed journals and presentations at regional and international conferences

CLINICALTRIAL

N/A
Medicare Bundled Payment Policy on Anemia Care, Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events, and Mortality among Adults Undergoing Hemodialysis
Authors: Park Haesuk , Desai Raj , Liu Xinyue , Smith Steven M. , Hincapie-Castillo Juan , Henry Linda , Goodin Amie , Gopal Saraswathi , Pepine Carl J. , Mohandas Raj
Published: May 2022

Background and objectives

In 2011, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services implemented bundling of all services for patients receiving dialysis, including erythropoietin-stimulating agents use, and the Food and Drug Administration recommended conservative erythropoietin-stimulating agent dosing.

Design, setting, participants, & measurements

This retrospective cohort study investigated anemia care and clinical outcomes before and after the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services bundled payment and the revised Food and Drug Administration–recommended erythropoietin-stimulating agent labeling for Medicare-insured adults receiving hemodialysis using data from the United States Renal Data System from January 1, 2006 to December 31, 2016. Clinical outcomes included major adverse cardiovascular event (stroke, acute myocardial infarction, and all-cause mortality), cardiovascular mortality, and heart failure. Measurements were compared between prepolicy (2006–2010) and postpolicy (2012–2016) implementation using interrupted time series and Cox proportional hazards regression models.

Results

Of 481,564 patients, erythropoietin-stimulating agent use immediately decreased by 84.8 per 1000 persons (P<0.001), with a significant decrease in the slope of the trend line (both P=0.001). Blood transfusion use rapidly increased by 8.34 per 1000 persons in April 2012 and then gradually decreased (both P=0.001). The percentage of patients with hemoglobin >11 g/dl decreased from 68% in January 2006 to 28% in December 2016, whereas those with hemoglobin <9 g/dl increased from 5% to 9%. Overall major adverse cardiovascular event (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.95; 95% confidence interval, 0.94 to 0.96), stroke (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.83; 95% confidence interval, 0.80 to 0.86), all-cause mortality (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.87; 95% confidence interval, 0.86 to 0.89), cardiovascular mortality (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.81; 95% confidence interval, 0.79 to 0.83), and heart failure (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.86; 95% confidence interval, 0.84 to 0.88) risks were lower. Acute myocardial infarction risk (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.04; 95% confidence interval, 1.01 to 1.06) was higher after policies changed.

Conclusions

The Medicare reimbursement policy and Food and Drug Administration–recommended erythropoietin-stimulating agent dosing changes were associated with lower erythropoietin-stimulating agent use and lower hemoglobin levels. These changes in anemia care were associated with lower risks of major adverse cardiovascular event, stroke, mortality, and heart failure but higher risk of acute myocardial infarction among adults receiving hemodialysis.
Modeling Energy Recovery in (Distributed) Wastewater Treatment Systems
Authors: Lasode Aduramo A. , Northrop William F.
Published: May 2022

Energy recovery from biogas generated during waste treatment offers an opportunity to leverage a recurring source for public good. Effectively utilizing wastewater helps to achieve sustainable energy goals, addresses emissions challenges, and incentivizes innovative solutions like distributed waste treatment. When implementing energy recovery in distributed systems, there is a need for technological advancements to provide a smooth transition from centralized systems through resolving issues of membrane efficiency and low gas yield from the system on smaller scales. The technology, or otherwise referred to as innovation, needed can be optimally identified through data mining and modeling that seeks to address the challenges of these distributed systems. This article discusses a developing path of innovation within waste treatment and presents preliminary investigations that inform the author’s perspective on the need to leverage data in navigating the challenges (US EPA & CHP, 2012) that accompany distributed waste treatment.
Cost readiness: Analysis of pre-implementation mobile banking
Authors: Abdullh Pakhshan Omer , Othman Amanj Younis , Mahmood Rozhgar Khorsheed
Published: May 2022

An examination and analysis of the cost readiness element in relation to mobile banking deployment in Kurdistan is the major objective of this research. The research is presented here as an abstract. The study will investigate the aspects of cost preparedness and cost efficiency that have an impact on the effective adoption of a mobile banking system, and it will provide prospective and long-term solutions that would go a long way toward overcoming cost barriers in the future. In order to ascertain whether or not pre-implementation mobile banking will be financially viable, the researchers turned to a quantitative study approach. There were a total of 516 individuals from different private banks in Kurdistan that took part in this survey. The findings indicated that cost readiness possesses a significant predictive value for mobile banking and will have a direct and positive link with it in the future. One of the drawbacks of the study is that the survey questions may not necessarily generalize to the larger community of teachers and administrative workers at private banks. This is one of the limitations of the survey questions.
Planeación democrática territorial y urbana en México. Un análisis a los planes nacionales de desarrollo, 1983-2019
Authors: Rodríguez Calzadíaz David Arturo , Bass Zavala Sonia
Published: May 2022

Objetivo: estudiar la implementación del ordenamiento territorial y del desarrollo urbano en el marco del Sistema Nacional de Planeación Democrática en los planes nacionales de desarrollo mexicanos. Metodología: revisión hermenéutica de dichos planes con la referencia del marco teórico de la planeación democrática. Resultados: se observan tres periodos de incorporación de la planeación democrática con implementaciones insuficientes en todos los casos. Limitaciones:  el análisis solo considera los planes, no su aplicación efectiva. Valor: se estudian la intersección y la transformación del tema territorial y urbano, en la planeación democrática a través de siete planes sucesivos. Conclusiones: la implementación tiene limitaciones y se requiere una mayor institucionalización de la planeación democrática.
Advocaciones del ensayo. El género ensayístico como fundamento de la formación crítica en los estudiantes universitarios en el bachillerato
Authors: Hernández Otañez Joel ,   Dirección general del Colegio de Ciencias y Humanidades, Lara Covarrubias Arcelia ,   Dirección General del Colegio de Ciencias y Humanidades, Cruz Sánchez Paola María del Consuelo ,   Dirección General del Colegio de Ciencias y Humanidades, Soria Fuentes Netzahualcóyotl ,   Dirección General del Colegio de Ciencias y Humanidades
Published: May 2022

El ensayo es uno de los géneros discursivos más pertinentes y útiles que todo estudiante universitario debe conocer y dominar; en principio, porque le permite tomar decisiones sobre los saberes a los que da prioridad (preferencias tanto temáticas como de perspectiva en el análisis), desarrolla la escritura crítica a través de la emisión de juicios y argumentos (lo que fomenta la organización lógica de los textos que ha de producir) y lo anima a la explicitación de un respaldo suficiente de información especializada (que en términos académicos suele denominarse como aparato crítico).
La Historia universal en caricatura. Del mundo medieval al actual
Authors:   Dirección General del Colegio de Ciencias y Humanidades, Valencia Castrejón Sergio , Vázquez Toledano Jocelyn Paola ,   Dirección General del Colegio de Ciencias y Humanidades, Palomares Torres Elisa Silvana ,   Dirección General del Colegio de Ciencias y Humanidades, Valdés Quintero Rocío ,   Dirección General del Colegio de Ciencias y Humanidades
Published: May 2022

La Historia universal en caricatura. Del mundo medieval al actual, es un discurso visual crítico que recrea personajes, hechos y situaciones significativas de distintos procesos históricos que han configurado la dinámica de la historia mundial, desde la sociedad feudal hasta el presente.
Trayectorias Escolares Generaciones 2016, 2017, 2018 Y 2019
Authors:   Dirección General del Colegio de Ciencias y Humanidades, Santillán Reyes Dulce María Enriqueta , López y López Diana Alicia ,   Dirección General del Colegio de Ciencias y Humanidades, Barajas Sánchez Benjamín ,   Dirección General del Colegio de Ciencias y Humanidades
Published: May 2022

La presente investigación estudia los antecedentes, el ingreso, la trayectoria escolar y el egreso de cuatros generaciones de jóvenes alumnas y alumnos del Colegio de Ciencias y Humanidades (CCH), cuyo tránsito por nuestro bachillerato está marcado por un periodo anterior a la pandemia, que corresponde a los ciclos 2016 y 2017, mientras que los otros dos, 2018 y 2019, padecieron el confinamiento sanitario, lo cual nos permite hacer una serie de comparaciones para valorar su desempeño académico, la eficiencia terminal y la calidad del egreso.
Food Board: A Restaurant Management System
Authors: Panneerselvam Karthick
Published: May 2022

Abstract: The Restaurant Management System provides necessary services for the typical fast food restaurant to manage all the day-to-day activities. The restaurant management system is there to help communication between all teams within a restaurant by minimizing the probability of human error and getting more efficient and effective information. This system has a built-in POS system with order management solutions and kitchen management to handle all the food production efficiently to get the orders to the customer Keywords: Restaurant Management, Menu, Pos, Billing, Kitchen
Flight Fare Prediction System Using Machine Learning
Authors: Bhosale Neel , Gole Pranav , Handore Hrutuja , Lakde Priti , Arsalwad Gajanan
Published: May 2022

Abstract: The Flight ticket prices increase or decrease every now and then depending on various factors like timing of the flights, destination, duration of flights. In the proposed system a predictive model will be created by applying machine learning algorithms to the collected historical data of flights. Optimal timing for airline ticket purchasing from the consumer’s perspective is challenging principally because buyers have insufficient information for reasoning about future price movements. In this project we majorly targeted to uncover underlying trends of flight prices in India using historical data and also to suggest the best time to buy a flight ticket. The project implements the validations or contradictions towards myths regarding the airline industry, a comparison study among various models in predicting the optimal time to buy the flight ticket and the amount that can be saved if done so. Remarkably, the trends of the prices are highly sensitive to the route, month of departure, day of departure, time of departure, whether the day of departure is a holiday and airline carrier. Highly competitive routes like most business routes (tier 1 to tier 1 cities like Mumbai-Delhi) had a non-decreasing trend where prices increased as days to departure decreased, however other routes (tier 1 to tier 2 cities like Delhi - Guwahati) had a specific time frame where the prices are minimum. Moreover, the data also uncovered two basic categories of airline carriers operating in India – the economical group and the luxurious group, and in most cases, the minimum priced flight was a member of the economical group. The data also validated the fact that, there are certain time-periods of the day where the prices are expected to be maximum. The scope of the project can be extensively extended across the various routes to make significant savings on the purchase of flight prices across the Indian Domestic Airline market. Keywords: Flight ticket, Optimal timing, historical data, competitive routes, Indian Domestic Airline market
THE ANALYSIS OF AGE-SPECIFIC DATA OF THE INCIDENCE OF MALIGNANT LARYNX NEOPLASMS IN RESIDENTS OF THE REPUBLIC OF BELARUS
Authors:   Gomel State Medical University, Shlyaga I.D. , Kolyadich Zh.V. ,   N.N. Alexandrov National Cancer Centre of Belarus, Ivanov S.A. ,   Gomel State Medical University, Evmenenko A.A. ,   N.N. Alexandrov National Cancer Centre of Belarus
Published: May 2022

Objectives. To analyze the main age-specific data of the incidence of malignant neoplasms of the larynx in the Republic of Belarus during 2000-2019. Material and methods. The age indicators of the incidence were compared for the entire population and differentiated by sex and area of residence in 2000-2004 and 2015-2019. The distribution according to the stages was studied during 2000-2019 for the entire population and differentiated by sex and area of residence, as well as separately for people of working age. Results. The highest incidence was observed in age groups from 55 to 74 years for the entire population both in 2000-2004 and in 2015-2019. The peak incidence was noted in the age groups from 60 to 64 years both in 2015-2019 (23.3 per 100,000) and in 2000-2004 (19.8 per 100,000). The increase of the incidence occurred in the age groups 55 years and older. The largest increase of the incidence was 1.3 in the group of people aged 60-64 years in 2015-2019 compared to 2000-2004. The growth rate was more pronounced among rural residents in comparison with the urban ones. The average age of patients in 2000-2004 was 60.1 years, whereas in 2015-2019 it was 61.2 years. The average proportion of cases of malignant larynx neoplasms diagnosed at stages I-II made up 46% with some regional fluctuations. Conclusions. The age-specific distribution of the incidence of malignant neoplasms of the larynx in the Republic of Belarus did not undergo any significant changes during 2000-2019. The highest incidence rates were noted in the age groups from 55 to 74 years. An increase of the incidence was noted in people aged 55 and over. The proportion of cases of malignant neoplasms of the larynx of stage III-IV exceeded that of cases of stage I-II throughout the whole study period.
NEW ALGORITHM FOR DETERMINING THE REMODELLING OF THE HEART IN CHRONIC HEART FAILURE WITH PRESERVED EJECTION FRACTION
Authors:   Belarusian Medical Academy of Post-Graduate Education, Zherko O.M. , Mikhaylov A.N. ,   Belarusian Medical Academy of Post-Graduate Education, Shkrebneva E.I. ,   Minsk Scientific-Practical Center of Surgery, Transplantation and Hematology
Published: May 2022

Objectives. To develop an algorithm for determining the remodelling of the heart in chronic heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Material and methods. In 2017-2019, on the basis of the Healthcare Institution «1st City Clinical Hospital» in Minsk, a one-stage (cross-sectional) comparative clinical and instrumental study of a stratified random sample consisting of 175 patients aged 71.0 (64.0; 78.0) years was performed. In 2019-2021, the State Institution «Minsk Scientific-Practical Center of Surgery, Transplantation and Hematology» performed an independent reproductive (examination) clinical and instrumental study of a stratified random sample, which included 129 patients aged 64.5 (58.0; 70.0) years. Criteria for inclusion in the study: sinus rhythm; essential arterial hypertension; chronic ischemic heart disease; HFpEF; the presence of voluntary informed consent of the patient to participate in the study. Exclusion criteria: primary mitral regurgitation, mitral stenosis, mitral valve repair or replacement, congenital heart defects, cardiomyopathies, acute and chronic respiratory diseases. Echocardiography and 2D Speckle Tracking were performed using ultrasound devices Siemens Acuson S1000 (Germany), Vivid E9 (GE Healthcare, USA). Results. An algorithm for determining heart remodelling in HFpEF is based on the concept of a comprehensive, targeted echocardiographic assessment of the leading risk factors, pathofunctional mechanisms of the heart failure development, structural, functional abnormalities, intracardiac and pulmonary hemodynamics, contains scientifically based ultrasound signs characterized by high diagnostic efficiency. The application of the 2D Speckle Tracking echocardiography technology in the algorithm is aimed at determining subthreshold systolic ventricular dysfunction, mechanical dispersion and myocardial dyssynergy. Conclusions. The developed algorithm for determining heart remodelling in HFpEF is characterized by reproducibility and high accuracy (93.8%), as has been shown in an independent examination sample, which makes it possible to recommend its practical use in the clinical and instrumental determination of HFpEF.
Needle stick injury among the dental students in the Qassim University, KSA: It’s Prevalence, student’s Knowledge and attitude
Authors: Eltahir Manal Abdalla , Almutauiry Huda Salman
Published: May 2022

Needle stick injuries (NSI) are the commonest route by which blood borne viruses and/or infections such as HIV, Hepatitis B and C are transmitted from patients to health care workers (HCW) dental students are also at risk of such infections and injuries due to accidental contamination during their practical occupational exposure. There is hardly any information regarding the knowledge and experiences of NSI among dental students in Saudi Arabia

Aim: To assess the knowledge, attitude, and prevalence of NSIs among dental students in Qassim university.

Design: Descriptive cross-sectional study.

Setting: dental clinics of Qassim University. The population included undergraduate students (3rd ,4th,5th year) and intern’s dentists/College of Dentistry /Qassim University.

Result: In the present study. A total number of 98 student participated 56.1% were female and 43.9% were male. A total of 27.6% participants had an NSI during their clinical training. Also, 83% of the students considered hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV to be transmitted by NSIs.

Conclusion: Although the level of knowledge on the risk of cross-infection from NSI was high, there was decreased awareness on the means of prevention and protocol.

Keywords: NSI, Awareness, cross infection, prevalence, hazard.
Relationship of Stress to Recurrence of Atopic Dermatitis in Adults
Authors: Achmad Luana Nantingkaseh , Cahyawari Dartri
Published: May 2022

Atopic Dermatitis is a chronic disease common in children but can also reoccur in adults. Atopic dermatitis cases in Indonesia is five of the most common skin disease. Atopic Dermatitis is mainly caused by genetic factors and specific environments, including neurological and immunological factors. Of the many factors associated with atopic dermatitis, psychological stress can cause a recurrence of atopic dermatitis in adults and could cause an increase in the severity of atopic dermatitis symptoms. This research aims to find out if stress is related to the recurrence of atopic dermatitis in adults. This research is a correlation study done in February 2017 with 53 respondents that have passed the restriction criteria made by the researcher. The results from the statistical test show that p=0.003 (p<0,05) and r=0,398, which means that there is a significant correlation between stress and the recurrence of atopic dermatitis in adults, with low correlation strength.Keywords: Stress, Atopic Dermatitis
Drug Prescription Pattern in a Primary Care Clinic, Southwest, Nigeria
Authors: Ilori Temitope , Odeyinka Oladipo
Published: May 2022

Background: Rational drug use is of the utmost importance in a region such as West Africa, where the prevalence of drug resistance is increasing due to inappropriate use of medications. 

Objective: This study aimed to assess the pattern of prescription drug use at the General Outpatient Clinic of the University College Hospital, Ibadan. This study also assessed the knowledge and attitude toward rational drug use among prescribing physicians in the Clinic. 

Design: The study was a retrospective cross-sectional review of patients' records over three years. The medical records were selected by systematic random sampling and subjected to the WHO core drug use indicators. Prescribers at the study site had their knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of rational drug use assessed with a self-administered questionnaire. 

Results: A total of 795 medical records were analyzed for drug use indicators. The mean number of drugs per encounter was 2.64 ±1.23. The percentage of encounters in which an antibiotic was prescribed was 20.4%, while 71.6% of all drugs prescribed were in the generic form. From the KAP survey, 64% of physicians routinely prescribed both generic and brand names, and 68% admitted they needed further education on rational drug use. 

Conclusion: Using the WHO core drug use indicators, this study identified some degree of polypharmacy and poor adherence to the generic prescription of drugs. Continuing Medical Education for health workers is encouraged to stem the irrational prescription of medications in the African sub-region. 

Keywords: Prescription Drugs Use, Rational Use of Medicines, Physician's knowledge, Nigeria
Comparative study of Qurs-e-kafoor and Sharbat-e-bazoori motadil with Norfloxacin in the treatment of Urinary tract infection
Authors: Akhtar Shahnawaz , Siddiqui M.M.H. , Siddiqui M.Y.
Published: May 2022

Urinary tract infection occurs predominately in females, especially during child bearing age characterized by both microbial colonization of the urine and tissue invasion of any structure of the urinary tract, most commonly caused by Gram –ve bacteria i.e. E.coli, predisposed by various conditions like presence of foreign bodies e.g. calculi or catheter in the urinary tract, obstructive lesions in the urinary tract, pregnancy etc. This comparative study was carried out on 20 patients in each group A&B of either sex between 20-60 years. Qurs-e-kafoor and Sharbat-e-bazoori motadil were used in group A for 15 days and Norfloxacin 400mg in group B for 7 days. Promising results of Unani formulations Qurs-e-kafoor and Sharbat-e-bazoori motadil were found in relieving the symptoms after 15 days of treatment.

Keywords: Urinary tract infection, Tadiya majra-e-baul, Qurs-e-kafoor, Sharbat-e-bazoori motadil, Norfloxacin.
Historical Archive of Blood Pressure and Evolution of Hypertension
Authors: Tengiz Istemihan , Fıcı Francesco , Ercan Ertugrul , Grassi Guido , Robles Nicolas Roberto , Faikoglu Gokhan
Published: May 2022

Blood pressure is the pressure of the blood within the arteries of the circulatory system. The pulse is the feeling of the heartbeat in some arteries. Hypertension also known as high blood pressure, is the name given to a common medical condition in which the force exerted by the blood carried from the heart to the body against the walls of the arteries is high enough to cause health problems such as heart disease. Hypertension has been known since antiquity. Descriptions have been found in the Egyptian papyri, in ancient Chinese and Indian medical literature, as well as, in the work of ancient Greek physicians such as Galen and Hippocrates and Muslim scientists into Latin in Andalusia and Sicily. When we come to the 17th century, we see that blood circulation was experimentally proven by William Harvey. The important work of the 18th century, blood pressure was first recognized and first attempts were made to measure this pressure. The clinical sphygmomanometer that could measure systolic pressure over the radial artery is defined by Samuel von Basch in 1880. 20th century has witnessed changes in terminology, discovery of the measurement method that is recently used and emergence of pathogenetic definitions and by the middle of the twentieth century, checking BP by sphygmomanometer became part of the routine physical examination in hospitals and clinics. It was considered necessary to treat hypertension after the detrimental effects of high blood pressure on the body were noticed. So reserpine, hydralazine, ganglion blocking agents, peripheral adrenergic inhibitor, oral diuretics, beta blocker, ACE inhibitors, calcium channel blockers drugs such as were synthesized. While the use of some drugs is limited due to their side effects, some are still used in the treatment of hypertension today. Additionally the potential for gene therapy in hypertension is one that will be watched with interest.The search for new antihypertensive drugs are still ongoing. The potential for gene therapy in hypertension is one that will be watched with interest.

Keywords: History of blood pressure, pulse, hypertension, antihypertensive drugs
Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma and Spondylitis in Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Rare Geriatric Case Report
Authors: Pattanshetti Aishwarya , Bali Prasad N
Published: May 2022

Purpose- Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a metabolic condition characterized by organ failure. In patients with type 2 diabetes, maintaining tight glycaemic control requires timely adjustments and changes in therapy. In children and adolescents, spondylolysis is a common cause of back pain. Spondylitis is more common in men than in women, and it is caused by a congenital defect. T-cell Non-Hodgkin lymphomas are a rare cancer of the lymphatic system. NHL are lymphoid tumours caused by chromosomal translocations, infections, immunodeficiency states, environmental causes, or persistent inflammation.

Methods- A 65 years old male patient admitted to the tertiary care hospital. Past medical history of patient includes he was suffering from lower back pain along with increased blood sugar level since1 month. Past medical history of patient was Type-2 diabetes mellitus since 3years, spondylitis since 6month along with newly detected Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. T-cell Non-Hodgkin lymphomas are a rare cancer of the lymphatic system. There are 9 different clinics pathologic peripheral T-cell NHLs recognized by the current WHO/EORTC classification.

Result and Conclusion- Early diagnosis is important for effective and curative therapy management. Early investigations include MRI, Chest X-ray and Ultrasonography. MRI examination of the spine is particularly helpful to diagnose and treatment of this rare disease.

Keywords- Oral Anti-Diabetic Drugs, Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, Spondylitis, Diabetes mellitus, spondylolisthesis
Preliminary Phytochemical screening, In vitro antioxidant activity and acute oral toxicity study of polyherbal formulation for chronic kidney disease
Authors: MC Kamaraj , Ramakrishnan Akshaya , V Bhanu Deepthi
Published: May 2022

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is an increasing public health problem in developing countries with poor health outcomes. There is a constant demand to develop new, effective and affordable drugs for chronic kidney diseases (CKD). The Indian traditional medicinal system, Ayurveda is a valuable and alternative resource for identifying novel drugs for kidney diseases. The aim of the present study is to investigate the phytochemical screening, in vitro antioxidant activity, and in vivo acute oral toxicity study of polyherbal formulation for chronic kidney disease. All the experiments were conducted by using standard procedures. The results of the phytochemical screening revealed the presence of different types of secondary metabolites like alkaloids, phenols, saponins, flavonoids, steroids, tannins, and glycosides. The antioxidant activity of the formulation was evaluated      by DPPH free radical scavenging assay. Rutin was used as a reference compound. The IC50 value of the formulation was found to be 7.39071 % and the standard rutin was 5.69024 %. The acute toxicity study was conducted in Wister albino rats. The formulation was administered as a single dose of 2000 mg/kg body weight. In this study, no visible behavioral changes and mortality was observed up to 2000 mg/kg body weight. We conclude that the polyherbal formulation did not exhibit any toxic effects on rats in terms of liver and renal functions, 15 days after administration. Taken together, these results provide scientific validation for the use of the polyherbal formulation as a potential treatment against chronic kidney disease.    

Keywords: Polyherbal formulation, Ayurveda, Phytochemical screening, in vitro antioxidants,   acute oral toxicity, albino rats.
Evaluation of antibacterial and antifungal activities of N-benzylthienopyrimidinone derivatives
Authors: DIEDHIOU Adama , BALDE Mamadou , NDOYE Idrissa , THIAM Mouhamadou , TIRERA Harouna , DIOP Abdoulaye , GUEYE Rokhaya Sylla , TINE Yoro , DIENG Assane , NDOYE Samba Fama , SECK Insa , SECK Matar , WELE Alassane , FALL Djibril , GRAVIER Denis , LEMBEGE Martine , HOU Géneviève , BESTEL Isabelle
Published: May 2022

This study is part of the biological investigation of the chemical library of molecules already described by the Laboratory of Organic Chemistry and Therapeutic Chemistry of the University of Bordeaux. The main objective was to explore the contribution of a thienyl moiety attached to the pyrimidinone nucleus, in the expression of an antimicrobial activity.

The structural modifications mainly concerned the conservation or not of  the  benzo fragment attached to the thienyl, the saturation or not in position-1,2 of the pyrimidinone ring, the substitution on N-benzyl with more or less lipophilic units, the modification of the orientation of the thienyl fragment with, on  the one hand, the compounds in which the sulfur is located near the N1 nitrogen (series of thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidin-4-ones) and on the other hand, compounds in which the sulfur is located near the ketone group (series of thieno[3,2-d]pyrimidin-4-ones).

In general, thienyl fragment with sulfur located near the ketone group and the unsaturated pyrimidinone nucleus in the 1,2-position, seem to promote a broad spectrum of antibacterial activity, with compound 9c which is active on both Gram + bacteria and Gram – bacteria studied. The same pattern was observed for antifungal activity, which is maximum with the compounds of the thieno[3,2-d]pyrimidin-4-ones series for an MIC of 31.25 μg/ml on the strains of Candida albicans and Candida kruzei studied.

Keywords: Thienopyrimidinones, antibacterial activity, antifungal activity.