bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Systematic Literature Review on Studying Energy Consumption Assessment in Heritage Buildings
Authors: Al-Sakkaf Abobakr , Mohammed Abdelkader Eslam , El-Zahab Samer
Published: May 2022

Energy Consumption of Heritage Buildings (ECHBs) on construction sites has become essential in both the industry and academia as construction projects grow increasingly complex. With a prime goal of increasing its effectiveness, ECHBs research has witnessed tremendous growth over the past three decades. This research paper recruited a mixed-review method of scientometric and systematic reviews of 111 research papers on ECHBs published from 1994 to 2020 (as of mid of June). The scientometric review identified the most prolific journals, keyword correlations and geospatial connections between research countries in the ECHBs field. On the other hand, the systematic review analysis showed that there are five main research topics in ECHBs. These topics encompass energy efficiency, biodeterioration, environmental conditions in heritage sites, sustainability, and design for climatic conditions. Furthermore, the major approaches applied in ECHBs research were investigated. Potential research methodologies to address these research areas are also discussed.
Does Utilizing Online Social Relations Improve the Diversity of Personalized Recommendations?
Authors: He Xiaoyun
Published: May 2022

Personalized recommendations are widely used to improve customer experience and drive sales. Traditional recommender systems typically focus on using accuracy as the key metric to evaluate the performance of personalized recommendations. However, recent studies suggest that recommending a diverse list of products improves user satisfaction and is positively associated with customer retention rates. In this study, we propose to incorporate the product ratings from users’ online social relations into recommendation model to enhance the diversity of personalized recommendation list. The empirical results indicate that our proposed approach performs well in increasing the recommendation diversity while maintaining comparable level of accuracy. The findings offer practical implications for online businesses to leverage online social relations.
Food Certification
Authors: Ion Raluca Andreea , Popa Daniela , Sterie Cristina Maria , Tarhini Mahmoud
Published: May 2022

Increased awareness about the importance of a safe food together with human concerns about health have changed people approaches to food they consume and increased the demand for high quality food. Certification is a tools signalizing to consumers that food is safe and has high quality. A growing number of producers make more effort in certifying products they put on the market. In this respect, the goal of this paper is to highlight the importance of food certification, assessing its linkages to other terms. A literature review and a bibliometric analysis were undertaken in order to highlight the importance of food certification. The results show that food certification is a growing global concern because of its role in assuring food safety and, moreover, because of its positive impact on public health, international trade, farmers’ income and ensuring overall food security. The relevance of the research lies in its capacity to enrich literature on food certification and rising awareness about its impact on consumers, producers, government and communities.
Measurement of CSR Performance in Manufacturing Industries
Authors: Rashid Md. Harun Ur , Hamid Md. Abdul
Published: May 2022

The study aims to measure what factors influence corporate social responsibility (CSR) in manufacturing industries and how organizational strategic planning (OSP) instigates the factors to achieve better CSR performance. Structural equation modeling (SEM), along with exploratory factor analysis (EFA) has been used to analyze the data collected from the different levels of employees from the manufacturing industries of Bangladesh. The study finds that the OSP has a significant impact on social accountability and social investment (SASI), ethics and human resources (EHR), environmental protection and sustainability (EPS), and green practices and performance (GPP). The findings of the study suggest that the policymakers and stakeholders of the manufacturing industries should be more conscious of formulating sound strategic planning to ensure better CSR performance.
Drudgery Reduction by Adoption of New Practices
Authors: Mishra Debesh , Satapathy Suchismita , Rai Manish , Tiwari Anil Suresh , Swain Rashmi Ranjan , Soni Ajay , Upadhyay Aarti
Published: May 2022

Most of the agricultural-tasks are involved with considerable drudgery. So, it is preferable to utilize more developed tools in agriculture. In this study, an evaluation was made on the drudgery-levels of farmers during harvesting of paddy in Odisha (India) in two cases, such as use of serrated-sickles for manually harvesting, and use of power tiller reaper. A reduction of 26.61% in drudgery-level was observed based on the measured ergonomic-parameters by power tiller reaper as compared to serrated-sickles. Further, correlation-coefficient matrix was obtained by considering the ergonomic-parameters for both the cases. Moreover, an attempt was made for the evaluation of adoption practices of the farmers by the use of “Adoption and Diffusion Outcome Prediction Tool (ADOPT)” to provide the prediction of an expected rate of practices as well as peak level of adoption by determining the significance of diverse factors that influence it. Then, the SWOT analysis was done for the power tiller reaper, which was followed by the opinions of farmers in to assess the suitability of both cases.
A Review on Reactive Power Capability of Distributed Solar PV Inverter in Distribution Systems
Authors: Nazir Mohsina , Tyagi Arjun , Tyagi V. V. , Kumar Krishan , Krishan Ram
Published: May 2022

Due to the rapid increase in energy demand and associated environmental effects, renewable energy especially solar energy is being prioritized and promoted as the best choice for meeting energy demands and mitigating environmental issues. Solar energy is effectively utilized in the distributed generation (DG). The main component of the solar photovoltaic system used for converting produced DC power into AC power is the solar inverter. The solar inverter can supply both active and reactive power. However, conventional solar inverters are configured for producing only active power. Demand for reactive power is served by grid only. Therefore, the solar inverters can be upgraded to utilize their reactive power capability also. Which will decrease the reactive power requirement from the grid, resulting in the mitigation of various power quality issues. Reactive power compensation by a smart solar inverter does not require much additional cost or system resources. This article reviews various reactive power support and control techniques provided by the solar inverter.
An Action Research Case Study Concerning Deaf and Hard of Hearing Diversity and Inclusion in Healthcare Cybersecurity Consulting Organizations
Authors: Burrell Darrell Norman , Aridi Amalisha Sabie , Nobles Calvin , Richardson Kevin
Published: May 2022

The U.S. hospital Ransomware attacks during COVID-19 have highlighted the importance of cybersecurity workers and expertise in healthcare. These attacks are increasing when the US is experiencing a considerable cybersecurity workforce shortage. As everyone becomes increasingly hyper-connected and cybercrime intensifies in both scale and complexity, the need for experts in the field is dire. Innovative organizations realize that they need to tap into new employment talent populations that have historically been overlooked, especially deaf and hard of hearing. This action research study explores a management consulting intervention at an organization with an unfriendly culture for employees with disabilities but in need of workers with cybersecurity expertise.
Developing Accessible Websites for Differently Abled People Using Open Source Tools
Authors: Shirur Prajwal S. , Raghuvanshi Saksham , Bali Vikram
Published: May 2022

The Internet has revolutionized almost all aspects of life. Unfortunately, the potential of this platform is still not accessible by the differently-abled population. In this paper, a feasible solution is proposed to build a compact and efficient web architecture using open-source tools to address all disabilities on a single website. Three different categories of disabilities are targeted, and considering their active senses, and convenient tools are developed for human-computer interaction without using any external hardware. Resulting in a robust framework of web accessibility tools to enhance web traversal for differently-abled people. As a case study, 25 users tested the practicality of the proposed framework as demonstrated by implementing it on an Indian Government website. It was observed that the tools were appreciated as adequate by approximately 80% of users. This solution has been proposed to the Government of India and has received positive feedback on several tests.
Assigning the Test Case Priorities Using Butterfly Optimization Algorithm for Software Test
Authors: Dharwadkar Nagaraj V. , Shetgar Srikant , Patil Manoj , Shah Abhijeet P.
Published: May 2022

Software maintenance is the longest process of SDLC. It continues with the distribution of applications till the software is not in operation. Software modifications are an unavoidable aspect of the life cycle of software growth. The optimization of software testing is still an important task, as the average percentage of detected failures (APFD), the average percentage of Branch Coverage detection (APBCD), and output of time are unsatisfactory in priority test cases. We also suggested in this document to give priority to test cases using Butterfly Algorithms optimally. We use Butterfly Algorithm with a fitness function specified with a similitude-distance model to optimise the ordering of test cases. Three testing suites selected from the software testing case repository experimented with within 3 benchmarking programmes. Our Test Case Prioritization technique (TCP) was seen better than current works with the Butterfly APFD Algorithm as the output matrix. Overall APFD results show Butterfly Algorithm being a successful competitor in TCP applications.
Enhancement of Ethanol Production Using a Hybrid of Firefly Algorithm and Dynamic Flux Balance Analysis
Authors: Leong Wan Ting , Mohamad Mohd Saberi , Moorthy Kohbalan , Choon Yee Wen , Adli Hasyiya Karimah , Khairul Nizar Syazwan W. S. W.  , Wei Loo Keat , Zaki Nazar
Published: May 2022

Many high-demand industrial products are generated by microorganisms, including fuels, food, vitamins, and other chemicals. Metabolic engineering is the method of circumventing cellular control to manufacture a desirable product or to create a new product that the host cells do not normally need to produce. One of the objectives of microorganism metabolic engineering is to maximise the production of a desired product. However, owing to the structure of the regulatory cellular and metabolic network, identifying specific genes to be knocked out is difficult. The development of optimization algorithms often confronts issues such as easily trapping in local maxima and handling multivariate and multimodal functions inefficiently. To predict the gene knockout list that can generate high yields of desired product, a hybrid of Firefly Algorithm and Dynamic Flux Balance Analysis (FADFBA) is proposed. This paper focuses on the ethanol production of Escherichia coli (E. coli). The findings of the experiments include gene lists, ethanol production, growth rate, and the performance of FADFBA.
A Nature-Inspired Metaheuristic Optimization Algorithm Based on Crocodiles Hunting Search (CHS)
Authors: Kareem Shahab Wahhab
Published: May 2022

The increasing difficulty of actual-world optimization problems has prompted computer researchers to regularly produce additional process improvement techniques. Metaheuristic and evolutionary computing are very popular in nature-inspired optimization methods. This paper introduces the crocodile search algorithm (CHS), which is a revision of a new metaphorical algorithm based on the hunting behavior of crocodile herds. Various adaptive and arbitrary variables are combined within this algorithm to indicate the exploitation and investigation of the exploration area in various discoveries of optimization. The performance of the CHS is measured in different test phases. Initially, a collection of famous experiment events including unimodal, multi-modal, and composite functions are applied to examine exploitation, exploration, local optima avoidance, and convergence of CHS. The CHS algorithm achieves a regular frame for the airfoil with a pretty low drag, which explains that the methods can be efficient while working physical difficulties including restrained plus unknown search.
Domain Learning Particle Swarm Optimization With a Hybrid Mutation Strategy
Authors: Xie Zixuan , Huang Xueyu , Liu Wenwen
Published: May 2022

When traditional particle swarm optimization algorithms deal with highly complex, ultra-high-dimensional problems, traditional particle learning strategies can only provide little help. In this paper, a particle swarm optimization algorithm with a hybrid variation domain dimension learning strategy is proposed, which uses the domain dimension average of the current particle dimension to generate guiding particles. At the same time, an improved inertia weight is also used, which effectively avoids the algorithm from easily falling into local optimum. To verify the strong competitiveness of the algorithm, the algorithm is tested on nineteen benchmark functions and compared with several well-known particle swarm algorithms. The experimental results show that the algorithm proposed in this paper has a significant effect on unimodal functions, and has a better effect on multimodal functions. Guided particles, improved inertia weight and mutation strategy can effectively balance local search and global search, and can better converge to the global optimal solution.
DNA-Based E-Voting System
Authors: Gharib Hadj , Khobzaoui Abdelkader
Published: May 2022

Electronic voting, often referred to as "e-voting," has gained popularity in recent years because it reduces the cost and time of counting, increases voter participation, and reduces human resources, thereby reducing fraud and increasing transparency. In this paper, an e-voting system is designed and implemented using symmetric DNA encryption. The proposed scheme consists of using DNA-XOR as secret sharing operator for multi-authority secret ballot elections which enables end-to-end vote verification. The transmitted data is divided into segments and converted into DNA sequences. The main contributions of the resulting system are our proposal for secret sharing between authorities via DNA cryptosystem which ensures that no single authority can compromise the integrity of the ballot without the approval of the other authorities and the proposal's computational and architectural scalability, which makes it simple to implement.
A Comparative Review to Reform Urban Planning System in Pakistan
Authors: Ahmad Niaz
Published: May 2022

Abstract: Implementation of cities’ development plans is a continuous failure in Pakistan. Uncontrolled urbanization and an ineffective development plan system has placed enormous hurdles on the way to wholesome progress. Until now enough attention has not been paid to radically review the present system of physical planning or to ascertain reforms from a good practice. This research examines the development plan system of UK in order to find lacunae and gaps within the urban planning system of Pakistan. A list of parameters was developed from the contents and format of the key components of urban development plans of UK. Beside these parameters legal provision and institutional assessment were also made for deeper understanding in both cases. Consequently, many areas for reforms are identified in our system of urban planning. A reformation mechanism for the system is formed to enable urban planner to avoid further chaos in cities of Pakistan.
Policy Approaches in Affordable Urban Housing for Low-Income Earners
Authors: Kurebwa Jeffrey
Published: May 2022

This study provides a variety of theoretical approaches that have been used worldwide in the provision of affordable housing for low-income groups in society. Most housing initiatives for low-income groups have failed because of a lack of a systematic administrative and legal framework with little involvement of the beneficiaries. One of the reasons for such failure has been a communication gap between beneficiaries and the housing providers. In most countries, banks and formal housing agencies do not have adequate knowledge about the financial ability of the urban poor. This means that the low-income urban households are excluded from benefiting. Therefore, this study focuses on four main policy approaches that have been used by stakeholders in the provision of urban housing. These are Statist, World Bank, Mixed Social Market, and Collaborative policy approaches.
Urban Shrinkage and Depopulation Dynamics for Sustainable Urban Governance
Authors: Vargas-Hernández José G.
Published: May 2022

This analysis has the objective of addressing the shrinkage of the Municipality of Guadalajara in the state of Jalisco, México treated here as the counterpart of suburban expansion, which has been caused mainly by the depopulation the city and determines a tendency that defines the dynamics of the great contemporary metropolis in terms of urban sustainable governance. The methodology used consisted of tours to neighborhoods and communities, the observation of structure and the opinion of qualified informants, in addition to the review of documents of municipal government institutions and publications in the local press. The analysis concludes that the great challenges of the policy based on sustainable urban governance of territorial distribution of the population to reverse the depopulation and shrinkage of the municipality of Guadalajara are to achieve a balance of the same within the territory in accordance with a sustainable territorial order, and take advantage of the competitive advantages that the city offers, framed so much in the local economy as a state.
Efficient Prediction of Stock Price Using Artificial Neural Network Optimized Using Biogeography-Based Optimization Algorithm
Authors: Punjabi Hitesh , Kumar Chandar S.
Published: May 2022

Stock market price prediction has always draws more attention from researchers and analysts. Prediction of stock price is extremely tough task due to the nature of stock data. Therefore, it is needed to develop an efficient model for predicting stock price. This paper explored the use of Feed Forward Neural Network (FFNN) and bio inspired algorithms to develop two efficient models for prediction. The proposed model is based on the ten indicators derived from historical data. Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm which inspired from the behavior of bird flocking and Biogeography Based Optimization (BBO) algorithm driven by the geographical distribution of biological organisms is adopted to optimize the parameters of FFNN. Prediction ability of the proposed models is evaluated by using statistical measures. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed BBO-FFNN is superior to PSO-FFNN and existing methods taken for comparison in terms of prediction accuracy. It is proved that the proposed BBO-FFNN can effectively enhance stock prediction and reduce the prediction error.
How Do People View COVID-19 Vaccines
Authors: Chang Victor , Ng Chun Yu , Xu Qianwen Ariel , Guizani Mohsen , Hossain M. A.
Published: May 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has been the most devastating public health crisis in the recent decade and vaccination is anticipated as the means to terminate the pandemic. People's views and feelings over COVID-19 vaccines determine the success of vaccination. This study was set to investigate sentiments and common topics about COVID-19 vaccines by machine learning sentiment and topic analyses with natural language processing on massive tweets data. Findings revealed that concern on COVID-19 vaccine grew alongside the introduction and start of vaccination programs. Overall positive sentiments and emotions were greater than negative ones. Common topics include vaccine development for progression, effectiveness, safety, availability, sharing of vaccines received, and updates on pandemics and government policies. Outcomes suggested the current atmosphere and its focus over the COVID-19 vaccine issue for the public health sector and policymakers for better decision-making. Evaluations on analytical methods were performed additionally.
Exploring Performance Management in China's Family SMEs Based on Structural Equation Modelling and Back-Propagation Neural Network
Authors: Sun Kaiyang , Tan Alvin , Wang Ying Xian , Wickramasekera Rumintha
Published: May 2022

Because of the growing competition and challenges within the global business environment, understanding performance management has become essential to small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as they have traditionally dominated the Chinese economy. In recognition of the limited studies with a specific focus on Chinese family SMEs, this study modelled and tested performance management by analysing four factors and eighteen indicators using structural equation modelling (SEM) and back-propagation neural network (BPNN). Secondary data from the Chinese Stock Market and Accounting Research (CSMAR) database were collected for this study. The results provide a better understanding of the proposed relationships between these variables through a review of their impact and correlations. This study suggested that four factors, including financial performance, external environment, internal environment, and enterprise development potential, will significantly impact performance management.
Deep Learning Hybrid Models for COVID-19 Prediction
Authors: Yu Ziyue , He Lihua , Luo Wuman , Tse Rita , Pau Giovanni
Published: May 2022

COVID-19 is a highly contagious virus. Blood test is one of effective methods for COVID-19 diagnosis. However, the issues of blood test are time-consuming and lack of medical staff. In this paper, four deep learning hybrid models are proposed to address these issues (i.e., CNN+GRU, CNN+Bi-RNN, CNN+Bi-LSTM, CNN+Bi-GRU). In addition, two best models, CNN and CNN+LSTM, from Turabieh et al. and Alakus et al., are implemented, respectively. Blood test data from Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein is used to train and test six models. The proposed best model, CNN+Bi-GRU, is accuracy of 0.9415, precision of 0.9417, recall of 0.9417, F1-score of 0.9417, AUC of 0.91, which outperforms the best models from Turabieh et al. and Alakus et al. Furthermore, the proposed model can help patients to get blood test results faster than traditional manual tests without errors caused by fatigue. The authors can envisage a wide deployment of proposed model in hospitals to alleviate the testing pressure from medical workers, especially in developing and underdeveloped countries.
Digital Transformation
Authors: Shi Lin , Mai Yingping , Wu Yenchun Jim
Published: May 2022

This paper aims to provide an overview of academic research within the field of digital transformation. The authors conduct a bibliometric analysis using VOSviewer, Harzing’s Publish or Perish, and SciMAT to evaluate and visualize the bibliographic materials. The analysis focuses on journals, papers, researchers, institutions, and countries, using bibliometric indicators such as productivity, citations, H-index values, and TLS values. Graphical analyses illustrate co-authorship, co-occurrence of keywords, evolution of research topics, and network of influential researchers within digital transformation. The results complement each other and show that Germany, the United States, and the Russian Federation are the most influential countries in digital transformation research. Additionally, the results suggest that collaboration within this field is still weak, and many research topics are just beginning to emerge. This research provides a summary of most of the key aspects in digital transformation research and helps lay groundwork to shape the future of this growing field.
Individual Decision Model for Using Technology of Health Crowdsensing in the Digital Era
Authors: Li Li , Cai Xuliang , He Xin , Yu Xi , Li Haoran , Liu Yanhong
Published: May 2022

Digital transformation has brought about great social changes, and individuals are constantly facing the challenge of using emerging technologies. This article, for the first time, combines the Diffusion of Innovation Theory and Contract Theory to build a decision model to solve the above challenge. The decision model is constructed according to the key factors that influence the individual decision process, including technological relative advantages, intrinsic motivation, risk-taking, use-cost, technological complexity and compatibility. Through the analysis of the cost utility of each party in Health CrowdSensing technology, the question of whether individuals use the technology is transformed into the question of cost utility. In the experiments, the validity of the decision model is verified by numerical analysis. The decision model proposed in this article provides theoretical basis and experimental verification for further research on how an individual decides whether to use technology or not.
Evolving Grantmaking Methods for Funding Evidence-Based Projects
Authors: Hofman-Graham Sarah
Published: May 2022

This paper examines the evolving expectations of evidence building and evaluation in competitive grant funding, specifically examining the impact of the Government Performance and Results (GPRA) Modernization Act of 2010 and the Foundations of Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018 (Evidence Act) on the federal grantmaking process. The implementation of these acts, including the publication of agency learning agendas, will continue to strengthen evaluation requirements, capacity, and funding in federal Legislation. They also have changed government operations and increased the emphasis on data gathering and evidence-based programs. As federal agencies build on the precedent set by the GPRA Modernization Act and incorporate the new requirements of the Evidence Act into their operations, evidence building through grant making will likely become a more robust practice. grantmaking.
Forty Acres for the Modern Day: The Economic Implications of Reparations for African Americans
Authors: Roehm Patrick
Published: May 2022

As part of the national racial reckoning in the United States, reparations for African Americans have been proposed to correct the injustices of slavery and discrimination. The main economic goal of reparations is to close the racial wealth gap. While the gap is substantial, uncertainties remain about the program’s scope, magnitude, method, financing, effectiveness, and equity. Potential methods include lump sum or monthly cash payments, targeted investment in the Black working class, college scholarships, health care subsidies, favorable home loans, a trust fund for borrowing, and institutions to promote community building. Design of the reparations program is crucial to ensure recipients do not transfer the benefit back to payers when spending the benefit on goods and services. For this reason, reparations must invest in African American workers’ productive capacity, job skills, and training. Despite the potential economic benefits, concerns remain regarding equity and political feasibility. Policymakers should carefully weigh the benefits and costs of a reparations program and pay attention to how the design impacts its effectiveness and equity.
Alle cose stesse. Un contributo del pensiero di Martin Heidegger alla meta-teoria dell’Io-soggetto
Authors: Milanesi Paolo
Published: May 2022

L’Autore sostiene che nel corso dell’analisi lo psicoanalista ricerchi implicitamente (seguendo teorie implicite) l’essere del paziente e ciò sarebbe auspicabile ma, seguendo il pensiero di Heidegger, lo ritiene anche difficile o forse impossibile a causa di un oblio dell’essere operato attraverso i secoli dalla metafisica tradizionale fondata sul pensiero cartesiano. Quindi espone, in estrema sintesi, parte del pensiero del filosofo e ipotizza di portare l’ontologia Heideggeriana all’interno della stanza d’analisi. Attraverso l’apertura del proprio essere l’uomo ‘esiste’ e l’esistenza indica unicamente l’ex-sistere della vita umana, il suo carattere ‘estatico’ nel senso del suo ‘stare fuori’ ed essere esposta a ‘possibilità’, al suo ‘non ancora’, che esige di essere ‘progettato’ e deciso. L’Autore propone un parallelismo con alcuni concetti della meta-teoria dell’Io-soggetto di Michele Minolli e accenna anche ad una rivisitazione del concetto di investimento inteso come significazione ed espressione d’essere; infine, si chiede se nel processo analitico la coppia paziente e analista possa divenire in contatto con il reciproco ‘essere’ o se ciò sia invece pura utopia.
Commento al caso clinico: Stati alterati di coscienza
Authors: Cozzaglio Paolo
Published: May 2022

Non disponibile
The Genetic Landscape of Polymicrogyria
Authors: James Jesmy , Iype Mary , Surendran Mithran Omana , Anitha Ayyappan , Thomas Sanjeev V.
Published: May 2022

Polymicrogyria (PMG) is a relatively common complex malformation with cortical development, characterized by an exorbitant number of abnormally tiny gyri separated by shallow sulci. It is a neuronal migration disorder. Familial cases of PMG and the manifestation of PMG in patients with chromosomal aberrations and mutations indicate their important role of genetics in this disorder. The highly stereotyped and well-conserved nature of the cortical folding pattern in humans is suggestive of the genetic regulation of the process. The chromosomal abnormalities observed in PMG include deletions, duplications, chromosomal rearrangements, and aneuploidies. Two of the most common deletions in PMG are 22q11.2 deletion and 1p36 deletion. Further, mutations in several genes such as GPR56, TUBB2B, SRPX2, PAX6, EOMES, WDR62, TUBA8, KIAA1279, and COL18A1 are known to be associated with PMG. Intriguingly, these genes are responsible only for a small number of cases of PMG. The protein products of these genes are implicated in diverse molecular and cellular functions. Taken together, PMG could be the result of the disruption of several biological pathways. Different modes of Mendelian inheritance and non-Mendelian inheritance are seen in PMG. We have suggested a gene panel that can be used for the detection of malformations of cortical development.
Epididymis cell atlas in a patient with a sex development disorder and a novel NR5A1 gene mutation
Authors: Shi Jian-Wu , Zhou Yi-Wen , Chen Yu-Fei , Ye Mei , Qiao Feng , Tian Jia-Wei , Zhang Meng-Ya , Lin Hao-Cheng , Xie Gang-Cai , Fok Kin Lam , Jiang Hui , Liu Yang , Chen Hao
Published: May 2022

This study aims to characterize the cell atlas of the epididymis derived from a 46,XY disorders of sex development (DSD) patient with a novel heterozygous mutation of the nuclear receptor subfamily 5 group A member 1 (NR5A1) gene. Next-generation sequencing found a heterozygous c.124C>G mutation in NR5A1 that resulted in a p.Q42E missense mutation in the conserved DNA-binding domain of NR5A1. The patient demonstrated feminization of external genitalia and Tanner stage 1 breast development. The surgical procedure revealed a morphologically normal epididymis and vas deferens but a dysplastic testis. Microfluidic-based single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) analysis found that the fibroblast cells were significantly increased (approximately 46.5%), whereas the number of main epididymal epithelial cells (approximately 9.2%), such as principal cells and basal cells, was dramatically decreased. Bioinformatics analysis of cell–cell communications and gene regulatory networks at the single-cell level inferred that epididymal epithelial cell loss and fibroblast occupation are associated with the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process. The present study provides a cell atlas of the epididymis of a patient with 46,XY DSD and serves as an important resource for understanding the pathophysiology of DSD.
Dr. Vidya Sagar (1909–1978)
Authors: Maheswari S. Uma
Published: May 2022

Dr. Hoch, Consultant, WHO, on his visit to Mental Hospital, Amritsar, in November 1964 said, “You have here at Amritsar a sea of nectar of human kindness and also a Dr. Vidya Sagar, a sea of wisdom. May they never dry up.” He was talking about Dr. Vidya Sagar Diwan, a legendary figure in Psychiatry. Dr. Vidya Sagar was a pioneer in community psychiatry, showing how modern psychiatry can be adapted to local conditions. During the horrific times of partition, when a huge number of patients with mental illness were sent to Amritsar and kept in army barracks, Dr. Vidya Sagar's devotion to the service of these patients was phenomenal. Community Psychiatry has come a long way in India. The building blocks were laid by Dr. Vidya Sagar, in 1950, by constructing tents and involving family members in the treatment of persons with mental illness in Amritsar.
Sodium valproate-induced necrotizing pancreatitis in a patient with bipolar mania
Authors: Goud Sripathi Santhosh , Indla Vishal
Published: May 2022

Bipolar disorder is a chronic complex disorder that requires lifelong maintenance treatment. Sodium valproate is an effective first-line drug for bipolar mania. Adverse effects associated with valproate are typically benign, but there are serious adverse effects that are less frequently seen. Acute pancreatitis is a very rare side effect seen with valproate use with a high mortality rate. We report the case of a 24-year-old male patient with bipolar mania who developed acute necrotizing pancreatitis with sodium valproate.
Nonparaneoplastic anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor encephalitis with subclinical hyperthyroidism associated with thyroid antibodies
Authors: Busi Sukeerthi , Kadiyala Pavan Kumar , Pushparaju N.
Published: May 2022

Anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (anti-NMDAR) encephalitis is an autoimmune disorder with neuropsychiatric symptoms. It is most often misdiagnosed initially as a primary psychiatric disorder. Young women in the background of ovarian teratomas, viral infections are most commonly impacted. Recently, the coexistence of anti-thyroid antibodies with anti-NMDAR antibodies in nonparaneoplastic anti-NMDAR encephalitis has come to light. A 32-year-old married female presented with sudden onset of disruptive and ritualistic behavior, decreased need for sleep, preceded by spikes of high-grade fever, chills, and rigor. Later, she developed episodes of catatonia alternating with spontaneous speech associated with shouting and crying spells. Blood investigations (except for hyperthyroidism and anti-thyroid antibodies), brain imaging, electroencephalogram, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis were normal. She was treated with lorazepam (to a maximum of 16 mg), antipsychotics, antidepressants, anticonvulsants, dopaminergic, and steroid drugs with no significant improvement. CSF analysis was repeated for the encephalitis panel and revealed anti-NMDAR encephalitis. The patient was started with intravenous immunoglobulin for 5 days which led to significant clinical improvement. Screening for encephalitis is considered necessary in patients with altered behavior, not responding to symptomatic psychotropic and neurological treatments.
Depression, anxiety, and stress among domestic migrants during COVID-19 pandemic in Hyderabad
Authors: Thatavarthi Lakshmi Keerthana , Modala Vijay Kumar , Kondaparthi Phanikanth
Published: May 2022

Context:

In the current pandemic, migrants face specific stressors like separation from family, un-sanitized housing, overcrowded conditions, financial instability resulting in poor coping strategies and making them more prone to mental illness. It is crucial to address their psychological needs and contribute to the literature.

Aim:

The study was done to assess depression, anxiety, and stress in domestic migrants along with domestic migration stress and COVID 19-related anxiety.

Materials and Methods:

It was a cross-sectional study conducted in Hyderabad, Telangana among 70 individuals who have migrated from their home states, chosen after obtaining informed consent. Domestic migration stress questionnaire to evaluate migration stress, depression anxiety stress scale-21 to evaluate depression, anxiety and stress, and the corona anxiety scale to evaluate anxiety-related to pandemic were used. Data were analyzed using the statistical package for the Social Science Version 25.0.

Results:

The study population was screened and was found to experience symptoms of severe depression (mean 21.43), severe anxiety (mean = 16.80), and moderate stress (20.43). They had considerable domestic migration stress (mean = 41.03) and COVID related anxiety (mean = 9.78). Domestic migration stress and COVID anxiety together had significantly impact on depression, anxiety, and stress. COVID anxiety alone affected depression and anxiety significantly. Domestic migration stress alone when analyzed had impact on the stress experienced.

Conclusion:

Depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms among the domestic migrant population are very prevalent currently. The mental health of migrants should be made a priority and active awareness programs and screening should be done. Further large-scale studies with adequate funding from the government and appreciable concern from the mental healthcare providers should be done.
A qualitative study regarding stress and coping in frontline postgraduate trainee doctors working at a COVID hospital
Authors: Netto Ivan Stanley , Abhivant Niteen , Shewale Kunal , Muchala Nirali
Published: May 2022

Context:

There are few studies regarding stress and coping in postgraduate trainee doctors (PGTDs) working with COVID-19 patients during the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Indian setting.

Aims:

This qualitative study examines the causes of stress, the stress experience, and the coping methods in PGTDs working with COVID-19 patients.

Setting:

This study was conducted at a tertiary referral hospital with an attached medical college and a COVID-19 hospital in India.

Materials and Methods:

This qualitative study used in-depth audio interviews with PGTDs.

Statistical Analysis:

Content analysis was used to identify direct and latent themes.

Results:

Thematic saturation was achieved with 13 participants. The major themes were related to the causes of stress, the stress experiences, and the coping with stress in PGTDs while working with COVID-19 patients.

Conclusions:

There are various causes of stress reported by PGTDs while doing their COVID duties. The stress was due to external and internal stressors. Most experience some degree of stress while working in COVID-19 wards. This was more during their first duties, but subsequent ones are less stressful. Most use healthy coping mechanisms to cope with the stress. The advice they have for other COVID-19 HCWs has also been reported.

Implications:

This will be useful to plan suitable interventions, training, research, and policy for PGTDs working with COVID-19 patients in the Indian setting.
Major reproductive disorders and seroprevalence of brucellosis in dairy cows of Kembata-Tembaro zone, Southern Ethiopia.
Authors: Mitiku Mulatu , Megersa Bekele , Sheferaw Desie
Published: May 2022

A cross-sectional study was conducted from October 2016 to May 2017 in Kembata-Tembaro Zone, Ethiopia to estimate the prevalence of major reproductive disorders and brucellosis in dairy cattle. A total of 733 dairy cows were selected from Kedida-Gambella and Damboya districts by a systematic random sampling technique. Clinical examination for reproductive disorders (n=733 cows) was carried out to investigate reproductive problems. From each cow, about 10 ml blood sample was collected and serum separated. Serum samples were screened for Brucella antibody by Rose Bengal plate test (RBPT) and positive samples were further tested by Complement Fixation Test (CFT). Results showed that the overall seroprevalence of brucellosis using RBPT and CFT were 2.0% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.15 – 3.35%) and 0.8% (95% CL 0.2-1.5%)., respectively. About 61% of the study cows had exhibited one or more of the reproductive disorders. The major reproductive disorders identified during this study were anoestrus (34.2%), repeat breeding (19.8%), dystocia (12.4%), retained placenta (8.5%), metritis (4.8%), abortion (3.8%), vaginal prolapse (1.8%) and stillbirth (0.9%). Reproductive disorders were significantly associated with the management system, body condition, watering point, and age of the animals (p< 0.05). Accordingly, the disorders were more frequent in the extensive management system, in cows with poor body conditions, and among those using communal watering points. The problems of reproductive disorders were found to increase with age, especially in cows older than eight years of age. The overall seroprevalence of brucellosis reflects a low level of Brucella infection in the study area. In general, reproductive disorders are widely prevalent in dairy cows of the study area and undoubtedly hinder the production performances of dairy farms. Thus, there is a need for further study on the causes of clinical reproductive disorders in the study areas.
Occurrence and antimicrobial susceptibility of Salmonella in feces and milk samples of lactating dairy cows in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Authors: Mekonnen Habtamu , Alemayehu Haile , Girma Musse , Eguale Tadesse
Published: May 2022

Salmonella is one of the major causes of foodborne diseases that remained important public health concerns worldwide. Antimicrobial resistance in Salmonella is also a global concern. Establishing the status of Salmonella in dairy farms and antimicrobial susceptibility of circulating isolates particularly where animals and humans live in close proximity is vital to devise appropriate intervention. A cross-sectional study was conducted from December 2019 to May 2020 to determine the prevalence of Salmonella and antimicrobial susceptibility of isolates among lactating dairy cows in Addis Ababa. A total of 151 fecal and 151 milk samples were collected from lactating dairy cows and cultured for Salmonella. Salmonella isolation and identification was conducted using standard microbiological techniques and further confirmation was carried out using Salmonella genus-specific PCR. An antimicrobial susceptibility test was performed using the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion technique. Salmonella was isolated from 4 fecal samples (4/151) (2.7%) whereas none of the 151 milk samples were positive for Salmonella. One isolate was multidrugresistant (MDR) to seven antimicrobials namely: ampicillin, amoxicillin, ceftriaxone, cephalothin, tetracycline, and sufamethoxazole+ trimethoprim and    two isolates were resistant to either tetracycline or sulfisoxazole. All Salmonella isolates were susceptible to ciprofloxacin, amikacin, chloramphenicol, nalidixic acid, and gentamicin. In conclusion, a low prevalence of Salmonella among lactating dairy cattle was recorded in this study and it was not detected in milk samples. However, the observed resistance to commonly used antimicrobials particularly third-generation cephalosporin, ceftriaxone in one of the isolates pose a public health concern. Thus, appropriate measures should be instituted to protect the public and animals from infection with multidrug-resistant strains of Salmonella.
Prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in raw cow’s milk in Gojo and Shukute towns, central Ethiopia
Authors: Gudisa Mulata Bekele , Anberber Manyazewal , Gebremedhin Endrias Zewdu , Marami Lencho Megersa
Published: May 2022

Escherichia coli O157:H7 is one of the most important emerging foodborne pathogens and cause life-threatening disease condition in consumers worldwide. A cross-sectional study was carried out from February 2020 to August 2020 in Gojo and Shukute towns, Jeldu district, West Shewa Zone, Oromia region, Ethiopia to isolate and identify E. coli O157:H7 from raw cow’s milk samples and determine antimicrobial susceptibility of the isolates. A total of 262 milk samples (127 from Gojo and 135 from Shukute towns) were collected from dairy cows (126 from udder, 115 from milking bucket) and 21 from collection tanks and examined bacteriologically. The isolates were tested with a series of biochemical tests followed by a latex agglutination test for identification and confirmation of E. coli O157:H7. The antimicrobial susceptibility profile of the isolated E. coli O157:H7 was performed using the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method. The study revealed 1.5% (95% Confidence interval [CI]: 0.4–3.8%) of the collected raw milk was contaminated with E. coli O157:H7. The isolates showed 100% susceptibility to azithromycin, norfloxacin, nitrofurantoin, amikacin, chloramphenicol, tetracycline, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. In contrast, the isolates showed 75% and 100% resistance to ampicillin and cefotaxime, respectively. In conclusion, the consumption of raw milk may constitute a public health hazard due to contamination with E. coli O157:H7. Farmers and farmworkers should be trained on milk hygiene and proper milk handling practices.
Short communication : Isolation and identification of Clostridium tetani from tetanus suspected equine and their environment in selected sites of central Ethiopia
Authors: Mamo Gezahegne , Kedir Eskendir , Waktole Hika , Abunna Fufa , Ashenafi Debebe , Tassew Asmelash , Tekle Muluken , Ameni Gobena
Published: May 2022

A cross-sectional study was carried out from November 2016 to May 2017 to isolate and identify Clostridium tetani. A total of 71 samples (equine deep wound swabs, feces, soil from the feces contaminated environment) were collected. Isolation of Clostridium tetani was carried out using an anaerobic Viande et Foie (VF) medium. Out of the 71 samples cultured on VF medium, 27 (38%) of them were grown and all were confirmed to be Clostridium tetani using spore staining and biochemical tests. Study site and sample type had a statistically significant association (p<0.05) with C. tetani isolation in which higher occurrences were from the Bishoftu area, environmental, and feces samples. The present study showed the widespread occurrence of tetanus in the equine population inquiring about the need for designing feasible control strategies.
Assessment of phenotypes, physiological and behavioural responses associated with heat tolerance among Galla goats in North Eastern Kenya.
Authors: Mutindi E. , Ogali I. , Kuria S. , Moraa G. , Too E. , Kingoo J. , Ommeh S.
Published: May 2022

Galla goats have great adaptation vigor to different environments. However, the outcomes of the ongoing climate change have subjected livestock including the Galla goats to harsh environmental conditions like high ambient temperatures. In this study, Galla goats were characterized in the selected areas based on phenotypic, physiological, and behavioural responses to high environmental temperature. One hundred and forty-nine Galla goats selected from Isiolo, Garissa and Tana River were scored for various features such as coat colour, horn colour, skin colour, horn shape, horn length, ear orientation, ear length, wattles and horn circumference. Data collected were entered in an excel spread sheet then analyzed in R statistical software version 4.0.4. White was found to be the dominant coat colour with a percentage frequency greater than 60.0% in the studied counties. The study revealed that both male and female Galla goats possess horns with more than 88.9% of goats being horned across the three counties. There was a strong relationship between horn presence and the environmental temperature with p=0.05. A positive correlation was also observed between environmental temperature and rectal temperature, horn length, ear length and horn circumference. The findings show the presence of an important gene pool from which guidelines on conservation of heat stress phenotypes as a result of the ongoing climate change can be put in place.