bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Informed Consent and Risk Management
Authors: Moreschi C. , Leone E. , Sabot A.
Published: June 2018

In every relief run, both to the goals of medical performance quality and in the optics of a therapeutic alliance, it is fundamental to create a relationship of trust among the physician and the patient, in which communication assumes a fundamental role.

The informed consent is set as an integral part of the sanitary action as conclusive moment of that “therapeutic alliance” fundamental to face in a correct way every illness, and it legitimates the same sanitary action, as it is the demonstration of the constitutionally guaranteed right of patient's autodetermination.

The A.O.U.D. of Udine has undertaken a run of accreditation to the Joint Commission International that it foresees a revision of the informative runs and an updating of the forms of informed consent, with the purpose to overcome the traditional physician-patient relationship, recognizing to all the patients an active role in the exercise of the medical action and in the care process.

In fact the information must be lived as integral part of the sanitary action, with the awareness that this, private of such a part, would result incomplete and inaccurate, independently from the result. In such optics, the consent form, created absorbing legislative, ethical and deontological principles and jurisprudential orientations, will be illustrated and particular considerations about the type of information that must be given to the patient for treatments effected in day-surgery will be formulated.
Proposta di Follow-Up del Paziente con Neovescica Ortotopica
Authors: Destefanis P , Fontana D.
Published: June 2018

Today, the most widely employed “solution” after radical cystectomy is bladder substitution through the creation of an othotopic neobladder. Many kind of othotopic neobladders have been proposed and employed and, during the last 20 years, we have observed a continuous improvement of such techniques. Nevertheless, notwithstanding these technical improvements, patients with orthotopic neobladder can still report many various complications. Thus, a specific “functional” follow-up is mandatory; “functional” follow-up should be associated and integrated to oncological follow-up that these patients usually undergo. Functional follow-up should be lifelong.
Caratterizzazione Biologica del Carcinoma Renale Metastatico
Authors: Roncati L , Majorana A.
Published: June 2018

Renal cell carcinoma is the sixth leading cause of death for cancer in industrialized countries and one third of patients has metastases at the time of diagnosis. The three most common histological types of renal cell carcinoma are: clear cell carcinoma (70–80%), papillary carcinoma (10–15%) and chromophobe cell carcinoma (5%). The location of metastases vary according to histotype: lung metastases are found in 53.6% of cases in patients with clear cell carcinoma, whereas in patients with papillary carcinoma or chromophobe cell carcinoma in 33.3% and 28.2% of cases, respectively. In contrast, chromophobe cell carcinoma is more often associated with liver metastases (33.3%), compared with clear cell carcinoma (9.7%) or papillary carcinoma (18%). Patients with renal cell carcinoma metastatic to a single organ have a better prognosis than patients with metastases in multiple organs and the overall survival of patients with localized lung metastases is similar to that of patients with exclusive bone metastases. The overall survival, therefore, is related more to the number of organs involved by metastasis rather than by the location of metastases. The widespread use of abdominal non-invasive diagnostic procedures, with an incidental finding of renal cell carcinomas still in a low stage of development, and the refinement of surgical techniques for resection of metastatic disease (metastasectomy) have led to only a slight improvement in overall survival in the last 30 years for the resistance of the tumor to common chemo-radiotherapy Surgery remains the best therapeutic option and a rising in cutting-edge molecular therapies is strongly needed.
Which Factors allow to Anticipate the Diagnosis of Prostate Cancer in Pin Patients? A Study on 546 Patients
Authors: Antonelli Alessandro , Tardanico Regina , Giovanessi Luca , Pesenti Nicola , Gatti Lorenzo , Zambolin Tiziano , Zani Danilo , Simeone Claudio , Cunico Sergio Cosciani
Published: June 2018

Aim of the study

TO analyze which factors allow to assess the risk of finding a prostate cancer (PCa) at repeated biopsies in patients with diagnosis of prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN).

Patients and Methods

At our institute all patients with a diagnosis of PIN undergo a 6–monthly control biopsy until the achievement of a benign histology or up to a maximum of 4 consecutive biopsies. For this study a retrospective review of clinical and bioptic data of patients with a diagnosis of isolated PIN (i.e. without associated atypical small acinar proliferation or small cancer foci) was carried out. The correlation between these features and the probability to find PCa at the first re-biopsy or at a further re-biopsy was independently analyzed.

Results

The data of 546 patients subjected to a median number of 3 biopsies, (mean: 10.8 and 12.9 cores at initial biopsy and at first re-biopsy respectively), and with a mean “bioptic” follow-up time of 14.8 months, were analyzed. PCa was found in 174 cases (31.8%): for 116 of them it took place at the first re-biopsy with a mean latency of 7.8 months from PIN diagnosis, whereas for 58 at a further re-biopsy with a mean latency of 21.6 months. The risk of diagnosing PCa at the first re-biopsy was statistically correlated with the PSA value - for which a cut-off value of 7 ng/mL was identified - and with an anomalous rectal prostatic examination at the time of the initial biopsy. Differently, the risk of diagnosing PCa after the first re-biopsy correlated with the number of cores positive for PIN at the initial biopsy - for which a cut-off of 4 was identified - and to the ratio between these and the total number of cores, defined as PIN density - for which a cut-off of 50% was determined.

Discussion and Conclusions

It is possible to suggest a tailored protocol of controls in patients with a diagnosis of PIN on the basis of the data available at the initial biopsy: a) high PSA value and/or an anomalous prostatic rectal examination: the diagnosis of PCa is probably just unacknowledged by the initial sampling and it is advisable to carry out an early re-biopsy; b) number of cores with PIN equal to or higher than 4 and/or PIN density equal to or higher than 50%: a true transition from PIN to PCa is likely to happen with time and it is advisable to carry out a delayed re-biopsy; c) no risk factors: just clinical and PSA monitoring to establish the indication to re-biopsy.
Uric acid nephrolithiasis: An update
Authors: Cicerello Elisa
Published: June 2018

Uric acid nephrolithiasis appears to increase in prevalence. While a relationship between uric acid stones and low urinary pH has been for long known, additional association with various metabolic conditions and pathophysiological basis has recently been elucidated. Some conditions such as diabetes and metabolic syndrome disease, excessive dietary intake, and increased endogenous uric acid production and/or defect in ammoniagenesis are associated with low urinary pH. In addition, the phenomenon of global warming could result in an increase in areas with greater climate risk for uric acid stone formation. There are three therapeutic steps to be taken for management of uric acid stones: identification of urinary pH profiles, assessment of urinary volume status, and identification of disorders leading to excessive uric acid production. However, the most important factor for uric acid stone formation is acid urinary pH, which is a prerequisite for uric acid precipitation. This article reviews recent insights into the pathophysiology of uric acid stones and their management.
Post-Wage Politics and the Rise of Community Capitalism
Authors: van Dyk Silke
Published: June 2018

This article discusses new patterns of precariarization and informalization beyond waged labour. Against a backdrop of multiple social changes, there is a new era of social reproduction based on the interplay between a politics of post-waged work and a politics of community, involving activities outside the realms of market, state and family. Whereas the implications of family-based care work have long been highlighted, the community-based political economy of the ‘post-wage regime’ has yet to be analysed. Taking Germany as an example, the article describes how the state is actively involved in promoting and exploiting post-waged work. At the same time, community projects and grassroots activities contribute to the social reproduction of livelihoods, often becoming an active part of the precarious post-wage regime. The question is raised whether or not these interweaving developments herald a new era of community capitalism.
The ‘ideal perpetrator’: The French National Railways and the social construction of accountability
Authors: Federman Sarah
Published: June 2018

Mass atrocity requires the participation of numerous individuals and groups, yet only a few find themselves held accountable. How are these few selected? This article offers a framework that is useful for understanding how the condemned often embody attributes that keep them in the spotlight. Because norms used to identify perpetrators can set the context for future violence, long-term security requires interrupting both the actions of perpetrators and the discourses about them. A form of praxis, this study of the contemporary conflict over the French National Railways’ (SNCF) amends-making for its World War II transport of deportees towards death camps considers how certain perpetrators come to stand for the many. The SNCF remains in the spotlight not because of greater culpability or an unwillingness to make amends but because it embodies attributes of an ‘ideal’ perpetrator: it is (1) strong, (2) abstractable, (3) representative of the nature of the crime, and (4) has a champion-opponent who focuses attention on the perpetrator. Understanding the labeling process makes visible who and what we ignore at our own peril.
Evaluation of uncertainty effects to band gap behavior of circuitry-integrated piezoelectric metamaterial using order-reduced analysis
Authors: Pan Wangbai , Tang Guoan , Tang Jiong
Published: June 2018

Acoustic metamaterials with unit cells that are integrated with piezoelectric transducer circuitry exhibit interesting band gap behaviors that can be used for wave/vibration manipulation. This research reports the evaluation of uncertainty effects to a typical piezoelectric metamaterial, where uncertainties in geometry/configuration and in circuitry elements are taken into consideration. Monte Carlo–type analysis is performed to assess the band gap features under these uncertainties. In order to facilitate tractable computation in uncertainty analysis, order-reduced modeling of the electro-mechanically integrated system is formulated. The component mode synthesis–based order-reduced modeling increases the computational efficiency significantly while maintaining good accuracy. Results show that the band gap behavior is generally less sensitive to configuration uncertainty but can be greatly affected by circuitry parameter uncertainty. These results can be used to guide the design and synthesis of piezoelectric metamaterials, and the method developed can be applied to the uncertainty quantification of other types of metamaterials.
Hepatorenal Bypass for Renal Salvage: A Forgotten Option in the Endovascular Era
Authors: Salahia M. Ghali , White Richard D. , Gordon Andrew C. , Williams Ian M.
Published: June 2018

Introduction:

In this era of rapidly expanding endovascular techniques, the use of hepatorenal bypass as treatment for a critically compromised renal perfusion has largely been forgotten. This article highlights the benefits of the technique both as a bailout strategy following complications from angioplasty and as a primary treatment in cases deemed unsuitable for endovascular intervention.

Materials and Methods:

Two patients are described whose renal viability was threatened by vascular compromise. One patient had a single functioning kidney with significant renal artery stenosis secondary to severe atherosclerotic disease and developed acute renal function deterioration following unsuccessful angioplasty. The second patient developed renal artery occlusion 3 years following open thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm surgery. Both patients underwent successful hepatorenal bypass surgery and remain off dialysis 6 months after admission.

Results:

Both cases demonstrated the success of hepatorenal bypass with significant improvement in their renal function following open surgical repair.

Conclusion:

Hepatorenal bypass, although now seldom used because of available endovascular alternatives, remains an effective method of treating complicated cases of threatened kidney secondary to vascular insult.
Cardiac arrest as an age-dependent prognosticator for long-term mortality after acute myocardial infarction: the potential impact of infarction size
Authors: Sulzgruber Patrick , Schnaubelt Sebastian , Koller Lorenz , Goliasch Georg , Niederdöckl Jan , Simon Alexander , El-Hamid Feras , Rothgerber David-Jonas , Wojta Johann , Niessner Alexander
Published: June 2018

Background:

The development of cardiac arrhythmias resulting in cardiac arrest represents a severe complication in patients with acute myocardial infarction. While the worsening of the prognosis in this vulnerable patient collective is well known, less attention has been paid to its age-specific relevance from a long-term perspective.

Methods:

Based on a clinical acute myocardial infarction registry we analysed 832 patients with acute myocardial infarction within the current analysis. Patients were stratified into equal groups ( n=208 per group) according to age in less than 45 years, 45–64 years, 65–84 years and 85 years and older via propensity score matching. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was used to assess the age-dependent influence of cardiac arrest on mortality.

Results:

The total number of cardiac arrests differed significantly between age groups, demonstrating the highest incidence in the youngest population with 18.8% ( n=39), and a significantly lower incidence by increasing age (−11.6%; P=0.01). After a mean follow-up time of 8 years, a total of 264 patients (31.7%) died due to cardiovascular causes. While cardiac arrest was a strong and independent predictor for mortality within the total study population with an adjusted hazard ratio of 3.21 (95% confidence interval 2.23–4.61; P<0.001), there was no significant association with mortality independently in very young patients (<45 years; adjusted hazard ratio of 1.73, 95% confidence interval 0.55–5.53; P=0.35).

Conclusion:

We found that arrhythmias resulting in cardiac arrest are more common in very young acute myocardial infarction patients (<45 years) compared to their older counterparts, and were able to demonstrate that the prognostic value of cardiac arrest on long-term mortality in patients with acute myocardial infarction is clearly age dependent.
Elevated IL-6 and IL-1β are associated with temporal lobe epilepsy: A study in Chinese patients
Authors: Xia Li , Pan Song-Qing , Zhang Qiu-Min , Zhou Qin , Xia Lu , Lu Zu-Neng
Published: June 2018

Activation of proinflammatory cytokines in seizures has been well characterized. However, role of cytokines in epilepsy and association with different clinical phenotype has not been well investigated. Reports on possible link between proinflammatory molecules and epilepsy are very limited. In this study, we performed a hospital-based case control study to investigate the association of plasma cytokines and their expression with different clinical categories of epilepsy. Patients admitted to Neurology Department of Renmin Hospital were enrolled in this study after clinical investigations. In all, 92 patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) and 45 with extra-temporal lobe epilepsy (XTLE) were included in this study. Furthermore, we included 86 healthy controls from the similar geographical population. Plasma levels of interleukin (IL)-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and IL-1β were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). All plasma cytokines were elevated in TLE and XTLE compared to healthy controls ( P < 0.0001). Furthermore, IL-6 and IL-1β were significantly higher in TLE when compared to extra-temporal epilepsy. Incidentally, no difference in mean plasma TNF-α levels was noticed among TLE and XTLE. Positive correlations were observed between all plasma proinflammatory molecules (TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β) investigated in this study. Epilepsy patients displayed higher proinflammatory molecules, namely, IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α. Plasma IL-6 and IL-1β can be use as biomarkers for differentiation of TLE from XTLE.
The distribution of bone mineral density in the femoral heads of unstable intertrochanteric fractures
Authors: Uemura Keisuke , Takao Masaki , Otake Yoshito , Hamada Hidetoshi , Sakai Takashi , Sato Yoshinobu , Sugano Nobuhiko
Published: June 2018

Purpose:

Intertrochanteric fractures are usually treated with open reduction and internal fixation, but controversy still remains regarding the proper placement of the lag screw on the anteroposterior view. The stability of the lag screw has been shown to correlate with the bone quality around the screw, but the three-dimensional distribution of the bone mineral density (BMD) in the femoral head has not been studied in detail. Herein, the BMD along the femoral neck axis was measured to clarify the recommended position of the lag screw.

Methods:

Ten femoral heads acquired from intertrochanteric fractures were evaluated in this study. Each femoral head was scanned with micro computed tomography and the BMD along the femoral neck axis was measured in five regions: center, anterior, posterior, superior, and inferior. The BMD on the anteroposterior view (superior, center, and inferior) and the BMD on the lateral view (anterior, center, and posterior) were compared.

Results:

The BMD of the center region (173.0 ± 50.6 mg/cm3) was significantly higher than that of the inferior region (139.7 ± 50.1 mg/cm3) on the anteroposterior view ( p < 0.01). On the lateral view, the BMD was lower than the center region in the anterior region (165.7 ± 52.8 mg/cm3) and in the posterior region (157.5 ± 42.3 mg/cm3), but the difference was not significant.

Conclusion:

The BMD was higher in the center region of the femoral head than in the inferior region. Therefore, lag screws are recommended to be inserted into the center of the femoral head.
Insomnia and Mild Cognitive Impairment
Authors: Hamdy R. C. , Kinser A. , Dickerson K. , Kendall-Wilson T. , Depelteau A. , Copeland R. , Whalen K.
Published: June 2018

Insomnia is a common problem in older people, especially in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) whose circadian rhythm is often compromised. Insomnia exerts such a toll on caregivers that it is frequently the primary reason for seeking to institutionalize their loved ones. Three different types of insomnia are recognized: sleep-onset or initial insomnia, sleep maintenance or middle insomnia, and early morning awakening or late insomnia. Nocturnal hypoglycemia, as a cause of middle insomnia, is the main focus of this case study. Other types of insomnia are also briefly reviewed. The management of insomnia is then discussed including sleep hygiene, the usefulness and potential drawbacks of dietary supplements, nonprescription over-the-counter preparations and prescription hypnotics. Sleep architecture is then briefly reviewed, emphasizing the importance of its integrity and the role of each sleep stage.
Does the sex of the preterm baby affect respiratory outcomes?
Authors: Kotecha Sarah J. , Lowe John , Kotecha Sailesh
Published: June 2018

Being born very preterm is associated with later deficits in lung function and an increased rate of respiratory symptoms compared with term-born children. The rates of early respiratory infections are higher in very preterm-born subjects, which may independently lead to deficits in lung function in later life. As with very preterm-born children, deficits in lung function, increased respiratory symptoms and an increased risk of respiratory infections in early life are observed in late ­preterm-born children. However, the rates of respiratory symptoms are lower compared with very preterm-born children. There is some evidence to suggest that respiratory outcomes may be improving over time, although not all the evidence suggests improvements. Male sex appears to increase the risk for later adverse respiratory illness. Although not all studies report that males have worse long-term respiratory outcomes than females. It is essential that preterm-born infants are followed up into childhood and beyond, and that appropriate treatment for any lung function deficits and respiratory symptoms is prescribed if necessary. If these very preterm-born infants progress to develop chronic obstructive airway disease in later life then the impact, not only on the individuals, but also the economic impact on healthcare services, is immense.

Educational aims

To report the effect of the sex of the preterm baby on respiratory outcomes.

To explore the short- and long-term respiratory outcomes of preterm birth.
Conversion Disorder
Authors: Feinstein Anthony
Published: June 2018

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

This article provides a broad overview of conversion disorder, encompassing diagnostic criteria, epidemiology, etiologic theories, functional neuroimaging findings, outcome data, prognostic indicators, and treatment.

RECENT FINDINGS

Two important changes have been made to the recent Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) diagnostic criteria: the criteria that conversion symptoms must be shown to be involuntary and occurring as the consequence of a recent stressor have been dropped. Outcome studies show that the rate of misdiagnosis has declined precipitously since the 1970s and is now around 4%. Functional neuroimaging has revealed a fairly consistent pattern of hypoactivation in brain regions linked to the specific conversion symptom, accompanied by ancillary activations in limbic, paralimbic, and basal ganglia structures. Cognitive-behavioral therapy looks promising as the psychological treatment of choice, although more definitive data are still awaited, while preliminary evidence indicates that repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation could prove beneficial as well.

Symptoms of conversion are common in neurologic and psychiatric settings, affecting up to 20% of patients. The full syndrome of conversion disorder, while less prevalent, is associated with a guarded prognosis and a troubled psychosocial outcome. Much remains uncertain with respect to etiology, although advances in neuroscience and technology are providing reproducible findings and new insights. Given the confidence with which the diagnosis can be made, treatment should not be delayed, as symptom longevity can influence outcome.
Apraxia, Neglect, and Agnosia
Authors: Coslett H. Branch
Published: June 2018

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

In part because of their striking clinical presentations, disorders of higher nervous system function figured prominently in the early history of neurology. These disorders are not merely historical curiosities, however. As apraxia, neglect, and agnosia have important clinical implications, it is important to possess a working knowledge of the conditions and how to identify them.

RECENT FINDINGS

Apraxia is a disorder of skilled action that is frequently observed in the setting of dominant hemisphere pathology, whether from stroke or neurodegenerative disorders. In contrast to some previous teaching, apraxia has clear clinical relevance as it is associated with poor recovery from stroke. Neglect is a complex disorder with many different manifestations that may have different underlying mechanisms. Neglect is, in the author’s view, a multicomponent disorder in which impairment in attention and arousal is a major contributor. Finally, agnosias come in a wide variety of forms, reflecting impairments ranging from low-level sensory processing to access to stored knowledge of the world (semantics).

The classic behavioral disorders reviewed here were of immense interest to early neurologists because of their arresting clinical phenomenology; more recent investigations have done much to advance the neuroscientific understanding of the disorders and to reveal their clinical relevance.
Diagnosis and Management of Anxiety Disorders
Authors: Giacobbe Peter , Flint Alastair
Published: June 2018

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

This article provides a synopsis of the current understanding of the pathophysiology of anxiety disorders, the biological and environmental risk factors that contribute to their development and maintenance, a review of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) diagnostic criteria, and a practical approach to the treatment of anxiety disorders in adults.

RECENT FINDINGS

Despite the ubiquity of anxiety, the evidence is that most individuals with an anxiety disorder are not identified and do not receive guideline-level care. In part, this may be because of the manifold clinical presentations of anxiety disorders and clinicians’ lack of confidence in accurately diagnosing and treating these conditions, especially in nonpsychiatric settings. Anxiety disorders represent the complex interplay between biological, psychological, temperamental, and environmental factors. Converging lines of evidence point to dysfunction in regulating activity in the “threat circuit” in the brain as a putative common pathophysiology underlying anxiety disorders. Evidence-based treatments for anxiety disorders, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy and antidepressant medications, have been shown to regulate activity in this circuit, which consists of reciprocal connections between the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, insula, and amygdala.

Anxiety disorders are the most common class of emotional disorders and a leading cause of disability worldwide. A variety of effective treatment strategies are available, which may exert their therapeutic benefits from top-down or bottom-up modulation of the dysfunctional brain activity associated with anxiety disorders.
Primary Progressive Aphasia and Stroke Aphasia
Authors: Grossman Murray , Irwin David J.
Published: June 2018

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

This article summarizes the clinical and anatomic features of the three named variants of primary progressive aphasia (PPA): semantic variant PPA, nonfluent/agrammatic variant PPA, and logopenic variant PPA. Three stroke aphasia syndromes that resemble the PPA variants (Broca aphasia, Wernicke aphasia, and conduction aphasia) are also presented.

RECENT FINDINGS

Semantic variant PPA and Wernicke aphasia are characterized by fluent speech with naming and comprehension difficulty; these syndromes are associated with disease in different portions of the left temporal lobe. Patients with nonfluent/agrammatic variant PPA or Broca aphasia have nonfluent speech with grammatical difficulty; these syndromes are associated with disease centered in the left inferior frontal lobe. Patients with logopenic variant PPA or conduction aphasia have difficulty with repetition and word finding in conversational speech; these syndromes are associated with disease in the left inferior parietal lobe. While PPA and stroke aphasias resemble one another, this article also presents their distinguishing features.

Primary progressive and stroke aphasia syndromes interrupt the left perisylvian language network, resulting in identifiable aphasic syndromes.
Shooting Method to Study Mixed Convection Past a Vertical Heated Plate with Variable Fluid Properties and Internal Heat Generation
Authors: N Nalinakshi
Published: June 2018

Study of Mixed Convection past a vertical heated plate embedded in a sparsely packed porous medium with internal heat generation and variable fluid properties like permeability, porosity and thermal conductivity has been carried out numerically. In this analysis, the governing highly non-linear coupled partial differential equations are transformed into a system of ordinary differential equations with the help of similarity transformations and solved them numerically by using the shooting algorithm with Runge-Kutta-Fehlberg scheme and Newton Raphson method to obtain velocity, temperature and concentration distributions. The features of fluid flow, heat and mass transfer characteristics are analyzed by plotting the graphs and the physical aspects are discussed in detail to interpret the effect of various significant parameters of the problem. The results obtained show that the impact of buoyancy ratio parameter, Prandtl number Pr, Schmidt number Sc and other parameters plays an important role in the fluid flow through porous medium. The obtained results are compared with previously published work of
Polyphenol Composition and Antioxidant Activity of Andrographis paniculata L. Nees
Authors: N Praveen
Published: June 2018

The aim of the present study was to establish the polyphenolic profile and antioxidant activity of the leaves of Andrographis paniculata (kalmegh) that could be potentially used for the benefit of mankind. An ultra high performance liquid chromatographic method was used to identify and quantify the individual phenolic compounds of the kalmegh leaves. A total of 20 polyphenolic compounds were identified and quantified in kalmegh leaves, including hydroxybenzoic acids, hydroxycinnamic acids, flavonols and other group of phenolic compounds. The UPLC analysis of the phenolic compounds revealed that salicylic acid was the dominant phenolic compound present in the leaves extract followed by gallic acid, chlorogenic acid, veratric acid and protocatechuic acid. The kalmegh leaves were extracted with 4 different solvents (ethyl acetate, methanol, butanol and water) and screened for total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activity. The antioxidant activity of kalmegh was assessed by evaluating the 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), reducing power and phosphomolybdenum assay. Ethyl acetate and butanol extract exhibited the highest phenolic
Gene Therapy: The Current Codon Status
Authors: Sambasivam Ganesh
Published: June 2018

Scenes of scientists exploiting the genetic material from an amber trapped mosquito which had apparently sucked the blood of a ferocious dinosaur to finally create a monster had captured the imagination of audience world wide. Genetic engineering has since then gradually emerged from the shadows of fantastic and novelistic ideas depicted in the wildly successful Jurassic Park to the box-office flop Alien: Resurrection . The image of creating a seemingly flawless piece of genetic thread finely entwined following years of research spent in solving the genetic jigsaw has captured the imagination of the world. The implications are huge and often exaggerated but never thought to be beyond the reach of the ever-so impatient man. The impact of genetic engineering on the society is often debated but a final decision will unfortunately have to wait.
Distribution of amino acids in sediments of a mangrove ecosystem, west coast of India
Authors: N Chandramohanakumar Zeena Jayan
Published: June 2018

The seasonal variability of free and protein bound amino acids (AAs) in the sediments of mangrove ecosystem, west coast of India were studied. AAs exhibited significant variability with depths in the sediments of two mangrove ecosystems, Mangalavanam and Vypeen, situated on the west coast of India. Of the ten AAs detected, serine (Ser) was the most abundant followed by threonine (Thr), glycine (Gly), aspartic acid (Asp), tyrosine (Tyr), glutamic acid (Glu) and alanine (Ala). The trend in AA relative abundance in the sediment and leaves exhibits a close similarity indicating a major influence of plants in the supply of these compounds to the sediment. The most common AAs at both stations are Asp, which is abundant in sediments with a large organic inputs followed by Glu, which is abundant in phytoplankton and marine bacteria. Ser, Thr and Gly, which constitute diatom cell walls, were also found in significant concentration. The changes in relative abundance of various AAs with depth indicate significant seasonal variability. This may be due to the selective microbial utilization of these AAs at different depths. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that the first principal component, which is the degradative index (PC I ) has ca . 84 % of the variance at Mangalavanam and
Comparative Study of Various Metals in the Sewage Samples of Three Major Drains of the City-Patna, Bihar, India
Authors: Sayantan D , Shardendu S
Published: June 2018

Untreated sewage is a major water pollutant and widely used for irrigation in the agricultural fields of district Patna, Bihar, India. When sewage, containing heavy metals, irrigated into the agricultural fields, it enters into the human food chain by the process of bioaccumulation and biomagnification. In view of the above fact, the present study was conducted to determine the level of metals in the sewage samples of three major drains namely Mandiri, Rajapur and Pahari situated in the city Patna, Bihar, India, during March 2010 to February 2011. In comparison with other two drains, the metals were found in higher amount in the sewage of Pahari drain throughout the year.
"The Lie of the Land: Notes on Gender, Globalisim and the Nation-State "
Authors: Rassendren Etienne
Published: June 2018

This analysis of the contemporary "Indian" context is occasioned by the visible rise of new forms of cultural chauvinism concerning women's lives and their bodies; as also a proliferation of different modes of commodification of women's bodies in global culture. Despite the insertion of modernity during colonialism, with its enlightenment ethic of rationality and individuality, postcolonial "India" under globalizing capital only redeploys a rarefied pre-modernily. I argue that the sudden interest in the dominant media to re-deploy the woman's body as sexual self-representation submerges an insidious commodity-fetishism, predicated on consumerist masculinities. Indeed the figure of the women in this era of globalization and nationalist democracy, I argue, continues to collapse into the continuum between masculinist control and the male gaze. Liberal global culture today revisits traditional patriarchy largely to revise its forms than to dislodge its content. It is this contradictory process of contemporary culture, that of masculinist and male pleasure on the one hand and the discourse of self-assertion and emancipation on the other that I wish to track and delineate in this analysis. I also wish at the end to comment on sexual economy, gendered subalternity, masculinities and the cultural in order to expose its many serious cultural and political fault-lines.
"Assessment of Anxiety among Higher Education Students and Its Relationship with Spirituality "
Authors: Ghasemian Daryoush , Ebrahimi Sedigheh
Published: June 2018

The present study reports assessment of anxiety levels and its relationship with spirituality among postgraduate students of Mysore University. A total of 100 (66 male + 34 female) students studying in management and humanities were randomly selected for the study. They were administered IPAT anxiety scale (Cattel & Scheier, 1963) and Spirituality scale (Piedmont, 1999). Results revealed that an alarming 43% of the students suffer from morbid anxiety and only 4% of them were found to be secure. Demographic variables like gender, age and course did not have influence over anxiety. Further, students with different levels of anxiety did not differ in their spirituality scores. A general discussion on anxiety reduction techniques were also described at the end.
"Corporate Farming - A Source of Corporate Growth "
Authors: Kesavan Unni Ajith
Published: June 2018

Corporate Farming - A Source of Corporate Growth
"China and India: Macro Economic Prospects and Problems "
Authors: Huq B. Syed Fazlul
Published: June 2018

This paper draws on "China and India: Macroeconomic prospects and problems." China and India had similar development strategies prior to their breaking out of their deliberate insulation from the world economy and the ushering in of market-oriented economic reforms and liberalization. China began reforming its closed, centrally planned, non-market economy in 1978. India always had a large private sector and functioning markets, which were subject to rigid, state control until the hesitant and piecemeal reforms of the 1980s. These became systemic and far broader after India experienced a severe macroeconomic crisis in 1991. The political environment under which reforms were initiated and implemented in the two countries and their consequences were very different. India continues to be an open, participatory, multiparty democracy, while China has an authoritarian, one party regime, though it is liberalizing policies. China and India have a lot to gain, both from trading with each other and cooperating in the WTO. Each can learn from the other's policies, their successes and failures. This paper discusses a subset of economic issues common to both countries without touching on others, such as privatization of SOEs, reforms of the labour market (e.g., dealing with the "hokou" system in China and labour laws in India), financial sector reforms and, above all, political reforms. Although it may sound chauvinistic and naive, there is no doubt that China can learn a lot from the functioning of a vibrant, but somewhat chaotic, multiparty participatory democracy in India. After all, as the Chinese become richer and economically free, they are likely to demand personal and political freedoms. Hopefully, the Communist Party of China will anticipate and accommodate such demands, as it seems to have started doing already.
"Women Abuse: An Analysis of Cases at Family Counselling Centre "
Authors: M.N Vranda
Published: June 2018

Women Abuse: An Analysis of Cases at Family Counselling Centre
"Declining Sex Ratio in India: Causes and Consequences "
Authors: T Chandrasekarayya , Sujatha D. Sai
Published: June 2018

Sex ratio in the Indian population is becoming adverse to women. It has been rapidly declining decade by decade. It widely differs among states and union territories. The major causes for declining sex ratio are: sex ratio at birth, sex-selective abortions, sex ratio of children and sex-differentials in mortality etc. This in turn leads to several consequences to men and on the society.
"Relationship between Irrational Beliefs and Depression in Late Adolescence "
Authors: Jasmine Elizabeth , Kumar G. Venkatesh
Published: June 2018

The present study was aimed at examining the relationship between Irrational Beliefs and Depression among the late adolescent college students (N=502). Studies have found depression to be one of the most crippling disorders and the leading cause for suicide among all age groups and that this state is primarily being caused by wrong thinking and belief patterns such as irrational beliefs and further irrational beliefs are being maintained due to the depressed state of the individual. Hence the present study apart from analyzing the directions of possible relationship of Irrational Beliefs with Depression, reviews the existing literature to showcase how one causes and maintains the other.
"Knowledge Management Practices in Higher Education Institutes: A Different Approach "
Authors: Mourkani Gholamreza Shams
Published: June 2018

A wide variety of organizational practices have been proposed to support the creation, storage and transfer of knowledge, yet it is often unclear how these practices relate to one another in their contribution to organizational performance. This study develops a categorization system for knowledge management practices in higher education based on two dimensions: the practices' role in the problem-solving process, and the type of problem they address. Analysis of survey data supports the proposed framework and uncovers two higher order factors that correspond to the concepts of exploration and exploitation. By focusing attention on the importance of problem-solving in transforming knowledge into business value, this research suggests a new way to understand the connection between knowledge management practices and organizational goals.
"Social Exclusion and Common Property Resource Management in South India: An Analysis of Community Forest Management in Andhra Pradesh "
Authors: Kumar V M. Ravi
Published: June 2018

in the context of high growth driven economy, the concept of social exclusion and inclusion acquired significance in academic and public policy circles. Most of studies on social exclusion focused on urban based exclusion and rural developmental interventions are not being given due attention. This article attempts to assess the performance of community forest management scheme from the prescriptive of social seclusion. Attempt is being made to indentify the multiple sources and process of social exclusion in the operational process of community forest management scheme in Andhra Pradesh and thereby locating the spaces for inclusion of excluded. The general trend is sample villages is that social exclusion of people is explicitly visible and this is product of collaborative effort of the nexus between forest department, and dominant social groups in village.
Adolescent Development Education through Anganwadi Workers: A Study Report from Kerala
Authors: Wilson Preethy
Published: June 2018

Integrated Child Development Services Scheme (ICDS) has been a pioneering initiative of the Government of India for the betterment of adolescent girls and mothers. The current paper is an attempt to develop an intervention program for adolescent girls on enhancing their psychosocial competence through Anganwadi teachers and evaluate its outcome. The master trainers (Anganwadi workers) were trained and they conducted interventions for adolescents on four topics with 16 activities. The post assessment result on a control and intervention group shows that significant changes in adolescent girls can be effected through the intervention of Anganwadi workers. The paper also highlights that planners and the policy makers need to give serious thought to effective utilisation of the human resource available at the disposal of the ICDS programme for improved service delivery to adolescent girls under ICDS.
Man Slaving to Divine: A Socio-religious Custom Gleaned from the Nineteenth Century Palm Leaves
Authors: Payyappilly Ignatius
Published: June 2018

This paper is an attempt to explore and analyse the practice of the institution of slavery observed by the Syrian Christian communities in Kerala. There are eighteenth and nineteenth century palm leaf (manuscript) records in the Syrian Christian churches in Kerala establishing the same which needs to be understood in its secular and spiritual senses since these records are evidence of both the secular practice of slavery as a social custom and a religious practice of adima (slave) offering as a spiritual activity. So also, this paper is an attempt to explore and analyse the origin of adimappanam or adimakasu found in the Church records.

Keywords: Syrian Christians; Slavery; Palm leave records; Adima; Adimappanam; Slave offering
Professional Ethics of Teachers in Educational Institutions
Authors: Prakasha G. S. , H. R. Jayamma
Published: June 2018

This article dwells on the deteriorating value system inIndia. It presents a glimpse of the value system thatexisted in India during the Gurukul age, the British reignand also analyzes the present situation. It highlights fromvarious reviews that the education system in India has thepotential to nurture the desired value system.
Editorial
Authors: Issue Editor Editor
Published: June 2018

Editorial, Artha-Journal of Social Sciences 12(1) March 2013
An Evaluation of Psychosocial Rehabilitation Facilities for Homeless Mentally Ill in India
Authors: Anish K. R.
Published: June 2018

Homelessness due to chronic mental illness has become amajor burden for most of the resource poor countries. TheKerala State in India has witnessed the efforts from thefaith based organizations and religiously oriented familiesin the care and rehabilitation of the homeless mentally ill.This paper explores the processes used by these facilitiesfor the care and rehabilitation of homeless mentally ill.Data were collected from the chief functionary ofrehabilitation facilities, persons with mental illnessresiding in the rehabilitation centers, and volunteer careproviders using interview schedules for the study ofrehabilitation processes and profile of chief functionaryand care providers. Otehre tools were, WHO QoL tomeasure the quality of life and level of functioning scaleand Global Assessment of Functioning Scale formeasuring the functioning. The care providers’orientation to mental illness was assessed usingOrientation to Mental Illness Scale (Prabhu, 1983). 65% ofthe centers displayed above average patient care serviceswhereas 25% had poor overall quality of patient careservices. The residents showed moderate level of qualityof life in the area of physical health, psychological health,social relationships and high level of quality of life in the domain of environment. The research has also identifiedseveral gaps in functioning of the facilities.
Rehabilitation Needs of Persons with Schizophrenia and their Families
Authors: Pavithra S Raghava , Niveditha S , Dharitri R
Published: June 2018

Schizophrenia, a major mental illness, is associated withdisability in almost all areas of living.  A psychosocialrehabilitation programme that comprehensivelyaddresses the needs felt by users is essential for themanagement of this disability. This paper aims at givinginsights about the perceived rehabilitation needs ofpersons with schizophrenia and their primary caregivers.The sample consisted of 30 out-patients diagnosed withSchizophrenia (ICD-10 criteria), and their respectivecaregivers (30 in number). Perceived rehabilitation needswere assessed using the Rehabilitation Needs AssessmentSchedule (Nagaswami et al, 1985). The major needsidentified by patients as well as caregivers were attitudemodification, employment, and help for the family.Additionally, caregivers expressed a need for skillstraining and options for leisure time engagement for theirwards.  These findings have implications for planningpsychosocial rehabilitation programmes.
Schedule of Factors Influencing Adherence (SOFIA) to Psychiatric Treatment in Persons with Schizophrenia: Validity and Pilot Testing
Authors: Shanivaram Reddy K , Reddy N Krishna , Jagadisha Thirthalli , Naveen Kumar C , Renukadevi N. R. , Rawat Vikram Singh , Jayashree Ramkrishna , Gangadhar Bangalore N.
Published: June 2018

Qualitative research has highlighted the complexinterplay of multiple factors that preclude persons withschizophrenia in rural Indian settings for discontinuedpsychiatric treatment. In this context, this paper aims toestablish the face and content validities of an interviewschedule titled „Schedule of Factors InfluencingAdherence (SOFIA) to Psychiatric Treatment in Personswith Schizophrenia‟ which comprehensively assessesfactors for discontinued  psychiatric treatment and   thefeasibility of its administration of the schedule. SOFIAcontains 16 factors. This schedule involves three phases of interviewing patients and family members.  This wasgiven to twelve experts who used likert scales to rate eachitems wells as the dimensions of the schedule. Later on,fifteen persons with schizophrenia were interviewed withSOFIA to test the feasibility of administration. The resultsshowed that Fourteen items were rated as eithersatisfactory (score=4) or very much satisfactory (score=5)by all twelve experts; remaining two were rated as 4 or 5by 11 experts. Regarding comprehensiveness of thefactors, scoring methods and general instructions given tothe interviewers, all provided scores > 4; regardingmethod of interviewing, 11 provided score of > 4; withregard to overall interview schedule, all experts providedscores > 4. Pilot testing revealed that it took 60 minutes toadminister SOFIA.