bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Medical Diagnosis through Chatbots
Authors: Iyer Purohit , Sarkar Arnab , Prakash Karthik , Fathimal P. Mohamed
Published: February 2023

Medical attention is critical to living a healthy life. If you have a health concern, however, it is quite difficult to seek medical help. The idea is to create a medical chatbot that can assess symptoms and provide a list of illnesses the user might have using AI and other biometric parameters. In medical diagnosis, artificial intelligence aids in medical decision making, management, automation, administration, and workflows. It can be used to diagnose cancer, triage critical findings in medical imaging, flag acute abnormalities, assist radiologists in prioritizing life-threatening cases, diagnose cardiac arrhythmias, predict stroke outcomes, and aid in chronic disease management. Medical chatbots were created with the goal of lowering medical costs and increasing access to medical information. Some chatbots act as medical guides, assisting patients in becoming more conscious of their ailment and improving their overall health. Users will undoubtedly profit from chatbots if they can identify a variety of illnesses and provide the necessary information that may help the user to understand the predicament, he/she might be facing. The main idea is to create a preliminary diagnosis chatbot that allows patients to participate in medical research and provide a customized analysis report based on their symptoms
Development of LSTM Model for Fall Prediction Using IMU
Authors: Chandramouleesvar V. , Swetha M.E. , Visalakshi P.
Published: February 2023

One of the major contributor leading to cause of unintentional injuries after motor vehicle crashes and poisoning, is Falls. The existing Fall Prediction Algorithms are used to predict falls in older or disabled people by analyzing their fall history, capturing their movements through visual sensors (cameras, thermal imaging etc.) in a fixed environment, using inertial sensors to identify the patterns of movements. These algorithms are monologues for each person as they learn from their history and predict falls specific only to that person. The algorithm proposed in this paper aims to predict falls using kinematic data such as accelerometer, magnetometer, and gyroscopic values, for any user. This work involves developing an algorithm capable of predicting falls and to achieve this, we use Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM). The benefit of this algorithm is to prevent trauma to the body or at least reduce the impact of fall and the fatality caused by it. In the future, this algorithm can be used to design a device to predict falls in real-time to scenario be used by everyone irrespective of gender, age, and health.
Surveillance Image Super Resolution Using SR - Generative Adversarial Network
Authors: Narayanan N. Venkat , Arjun T. , Logeshwari R.
Published: February 2023

A single-image-super-resolution (SISR) is the process of converting a single low-quality (LR) image to a high-quality (HR) image. This technology is utilised in a variety of industries, including medical and satellite imaging, to retrieve quality and required information from blurred or overexposed photos. Because of the lack of ability to extract important data and images due to poor quality surveillance photographs, this method can be utilised in the field of surveillance to produce high-quality images. We'd like to use General Adversarial Networks to handle low-quality photos because existing methods have resulted in slightly fuzzy and greasy images that look like oil paintings (GAN). We'd like to introduce Super Resolution General Adversarial Networks in particular (SRGAN). This method employs perceptual losses. In this case, PSNR, MSE, and SSIM values are shown to be superior to those obtained by standard approaches in this case. The SRGAN-processed photos are of excellent quality, allowing the images to be seen through hazy and misty areas.
Tomato Leaf Disease Detection Using Deep Convolution Neural Network
Authors: Arafath Muhammad , Nithya A. Alice , Gijwani Sanyam
Published: February 2023

Plants are a major and important food source for the world's population. Smart and sustainable agriculture should be capable of providing precise and timely diagnosis of plant diseases. This helps in preventing financial and other resource loss to the farmers. Since plant diseases show visible symptoms which a plant pathologist will be able to diagnose through optical observations. But this process is slow and requires continuous monitoring as well as the availability and successful diagnostic capability of the pathologist. To overcome this, in smart agriculture, computer-aided plant disease diagnostic/detection model is used to help increased crop yield production. Common diseases are found in tomatoes, potatoes and pepper plants, some of them are bacterial spot, early blight etc. If a farmer can detect these diseases early, and can apply an appropriate treatment then it will improve crop yield and prevent the economic loss. In this work, we train the dataset on three different deep convolution neural network architecture and found the best suitable model to detect tomato leaf diseases. In order to avoid overfitting of the mode, batch normalization layer and a drop out layer has been included. The proposed Deep CNN is trained with various dropout values and a suitable dropout value is identified to regularize the model. The experimental methodology tested on plant village dataset showed improved accuracy of 96%, even without performing pre-processing steps like noise removal. By introducing batch normalization and dropout layer training accuracy improved to 99% whereas validation and testing accuracy is found to be 98%.
A Prediction Model - Comparative Analysis and Effective Visualization for COVID-19 Dataset
Authors: Vishal S. , Uma M. , Florence S. Metilda
Published: February 2023

Covid-19 is a dangerous infection which is caused by SAR-COV 2 (stands for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2). The first known coronavirus case was found in Wuhan, China in 2019. On 11th March 2020 the World health organization declared covid-19 as an epidemic and from that point of time it has been mutated into various variants and thus causing a lot of health issues among the people. It has affected the people as well as the economy of the country in a negative way. Major symptoms which were recognize from the people who were affected from the covid includes cough, fatigue, constant fever, difficulty during breathing and loss of smell and taste. In this study, an overview of analysis of the variants of the coronavirus as well as impact of covid-19 in various countries has been studied in a detailed manner. In order to show the impact of Covid-19 on a clear picture, the study has been visualized with the help of various charts and figures in order to make it easy to understand. Techniques which provide effective visualization is discussed. A comparison of the prediction models with deep learning algorithms is also mentioned in this paper. This study would be helpful for covid-19 research as it gives a clear view of trends and different aspects of covid-19 as well as a detailed view on the variants which were formed.
Crime Analysis and Prediction Based on Machine Learning Algorithm
Authors: Dhakksinesh A. , Katherine Olivia R. , Pooja V.S.
Published: February 2023

Crime prediction is a unique approach to identify and to find pattern trends of crime. Prediction means, using analysis and learning techniques, to find predictive actions of a specific activity and this is found to be effective in doing predictive analysis for various tasks such as crime prediction. The aim of this paper is to implement an approach for the problem in predicting the number of cases of crime happening in different parts of India. During the research we considered the machine learning model Random Forest and used the same for the prediction for crime. The prediction metrics used in this model are taken from feature selection technique. This technique increases the efficiency and accuracy of the prediction and also to avoid the model from over fitting. This model was tested on the crime data of India.
Candidate Prioritization Using Automated Behavioural Interview with Deep Learning
Authors: Panjwani Hari Vilas , Phamila Asnath Victy  Y.
Published: February 2023

The objective of a project is to make an integrated technological solution to assist and help companies in their hiring process. We have come up with the concept for prioritization of candidates using automated behavioural interview. This is a web-based portal that will be supporting the recruitment operations by prioritizing candidates from a large pool of candidates based on skills and experiences relevant to the job. Facilitating an informed interview process for a candidate with systematic transparent procedure. Our project aims to apply our technical skills to facilitate interviewers and address the challenges faced by the organization in its hiring process. This has been addressed using recording the answers of random behavioural questions with limited time to prepare, then video will be analysed to find the behavioural aspect of the candidate. Behavioural analysis of the interview is done by applying facial emotion recognition based on VGG Net Architecture.
Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease Using CNN on MRI Data
Authors: Agarwal Pranay , Jagawat Vikhyat , Jathiswar B. , Poonkodi M.
Published: February 2023

Alzheimer’s disease is a delusional brain syndrome that causes hindrance in the functional ability of a person. This is progressively marked by shrinking of the brain and continuous loss of brain cells. Consequently, it leads to death and thus it becomes important to come up with a system that can catch this disease early on. MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) has evolved into a valuable medical diagnostic tool for the diagnosis of brain and other medical imaging over time. In the past a lot of data has been collected by different researchers and a variety of machine learning algorithms have been used to diagnose this disorder and label it into different classes. Through this project we are presenting a CNN based model trained on MRI images to diagnose this disease effectively. The use of CNN is a no-brainer as apart from being an excellent classifier, it is a very good feature extractor which reduces the overall cost of feature engineering. The proposed model takes an MRI image as input and classifies it into very mild, mild, moderate or no disease categories. The trained model has a 95 percent accuracy rate.
Feasibility of treatment-free remission with generic imatinib
Authors: Goni Deepak , Jain Arihant , Singh Charanpreet , Jindal Nishant , Nampoothiri Ram , Jandial Aditya , Lad Deepesh , Khadwal Alka , Prakash Gaurav , Naseem Shano , Varma Neelam , Malhotra Pankaj
Published: February 2023

Background & objectives:

Both innovator and generic imatinib are approved for the treatment of Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia-Chronic phase (CML-CP). Currently, there are no studies on the feasibility of treatment-free remission (TFR) with generic imatinib. This study attempted to determine the feasibility and efficacy of TFR in patients on generic Imatinib.

Methods:

In this single-centre prospective Generic Imatinib-Free Trial-in-CML-CP study, twenty six patients on generic imatinib for ≥3 yr and in sustained deep molecular response (BCR ABLIS ≤0.01% for more than two years) were included. After treatment discontinuation, patients were monitored with complete blood count and BCR ABLIS by real-time quantitative PCR monthly for one year and three monthly thereafter. Generic imatinib was restarted at single documented loss of major molecular response (BCR ABLIS>0.1%).

Results:

At a median follow up of 33 months (interquartile range 18.7-35), 42.3 per cent patients (n=11) continued to be in TFR. Estimated TFR at one year was 44 per cent. All patients restarted on generic imatinib regained major molecular response. On multivariate analysis, attainment of molecularly undetectable leukaemia (>MR5) prior to TFR was predictive of TFR [P=0.022, HR 0.284 (0.096-0.837)].

Interpretation & conclusions:

The study adds to the growing literature that generic imatinib is effective and can be safely discontinued in CML-CP patients who are in deep molecular remission.
Survival Benefit of Adjuvant Chemotherapy in Patients with Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Who Underwent Surgery Following Neoadjuvant FOLFIRINOX
Authors: Lee So Heun , Hwang Dae Wook , Yoo Changhoon , Kim Kyu-pyo , Kang Sora , Jeong Jae Ho , Oh Dongwook , Song Tae Jun , Lee Sang Soo , Park Do Hyun , Seo Dong Wan , Park Jin-hong , Song Ki Byung , Lee Jae Hoon , Lee Woohyung , Park Yejong , Kwak Bong Jun , Chang Heung-Moon , Ryoo Baek-Yeol , Kim Song Cheol
Published: February 2023

Purpose The benefit of adjuvant chemotherapy following curative-intent surgery in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) patients who had received neoadjuvant FOLFIRINOX is unclear. This study aimed to assess the survival benefit of adjuvant chemotherapy in this patient population.Materials and Methods This retrospective study included 218 patients with localized non-metastatic PDAC who received neoadjuvant FOLFIRINOX and underwent curative-intent surgery (R0 or R1) between January 2017 and December 2020. The association of adjuvant chemotherapy with disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) was evaluated in overall patients and in the propensity score matched (PSM) cohort. Subgroup analysis was conducted according to the pathology-proven lymph node status.Results Adjuvant chemotherapy was administered to 149 patients (68.3%). In the overall cohort, the adjuvant chemotherapy group had significantly improved DFS and OS compared to the observation group (DFS: median, 13.8 months [95% confidence interval (CI), 11.0 to 19.1] vs. 8.2 months [95% CI, 6.5 to 12.0]; p < 0.001; and OS: median, 38.0 months [95% CI, 32.2 to not assessable] vs. 25.7 months [95% CI, 18.3 to not assessable]; p=0.005). In the PSM cohort of 57 matched pairs of patients, DFS and OS were better in the adjuvant chemotherapy group than in the observation group (p < 0.001 and p=0.038, respectively). In the multivariate analysis, adjuvant chemotherapy was a significant favorable prognostic factor (vs. observation; DFS: hazard ratio [HR], 0.51 [95% CI, 0.36 to 0.71; p < 0.001]; OS: HR, 0.45 [95% CI, 0.29 to 0.71; p < 0.001]).Conclusion Among PDAC patients who underwent surgery following neoadjuvant FOLFIRINOX, adjuvant chemotherapy may be associated with improved survival. Randomized studies should be conducted to validate this finding.
Petrochronological study of chloritoid schist from the Medvednica Mts. (Croatia, Zagorje Mid-Transdanubian zone)
Authors:   Croatian Geological Survey, Zagreb, Croatia, Mišur Ivan , Balen Dražen ,   Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Croatia, Klötzli Urs ,   University of Vienna, Faculty of Earth Sciences, Geography and Astronomy, Department of Lithospheric Research, Wien, Austria, Belak Mirko ,   Croatian Geological Survey, Zagreb, Croatia, Massonne Hans-Joachim ,   University of Stuttgart, Faculty of Chemistry, Stuttgart, Germany; School of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China, Brlek Mihovil ,   Croatian Geological Survey, Zagreb, Croatia, Brčić Vlatko ,   Croatian Geological Survey, Zagreb, Croatia
Published: February 2023

A chloritoid schist from the Medvednica Mts. (Croatia, Zagorje-Mid-Transdanubian zone) is part of the metasedimentary succession of a Palaeozoic-Mesozoic Metamorphic Complex. The studied samples show the mineral association of chloritoid, chlorite, quartz and white mica. A P-T pseudosection, combined with modal and chemical isopleths, and classical thermobarometric calculations yield peak metamorphic conditions of 0.8 – 1.0 GPa at around 500 °C. Monazite in-situ dating with the electron microprobe results in an age of 156 ± 3 (2σ) Ma interpreted as dating monazite growth during prograde metamorphism. Laser ablation multicollector ICP mass spectrometry of U-Th-Pb isotope systematics in detrital zircon grains indicate a maximal deposition time of the sedimentary protolith in the Permian in accordance with published palaeontological records. The presented results are synchronous with the Late Jurassic obduction of a Neotethys-derived ophiolitic mélange onto a Permotriassic sedimentary sequence originated from the continental margin of Adria. This obduction caused regional collision metamorphism by thrusting Ophiolitic units (i.e. Neotethys) upon tectonic units of continental margin of Adria. Studied chloritoid schist is a part of the continental margin of Adria and is metamorphosed during collisional metamorphic event at upper greenschist-facies.
Stock Assessment of Red Mullet, Mullus barbatus Linnaeus, 1758 by Length-based and Catch-based Models in the Northeastern Mediterranean
Authors: Kilic Savas , Ozturk Suleyman , Sarigoz Suleyman , Erkan Serkan , Kanyilmaz Mahir , Tirasin E. Mumtaz , Vasconcellos Marcelo , Lelli Stefano , Demirel Nazli
Published: February 2023

Stock assessment for Mullus barbatus using catch-based (CMSY) and length based (LBB, LBSPR and LIME) data limited models were performed by using official catch statistics and commercial length frequency data from northeastern Mediterranean. The CMSY model results showed that the catch amount did not exceed MSY, and the fisheries reference points (B/BMSY and F/FMSY) indicated a healthy stock status in 2020. The LBB model results indicated that the biomass ratio was above safe biological limits (B<0.5 BMSY) but fishing mortality was slightly higher than natural mortality. Likewise, LBSPR results showed that SL50 for red mullet was higher than its Lm50, while the estimated median SPR was above the limit of 20% set as the biological reference point. The LIME results were more optimistic than those from the LBB and LBSPR and the estimated SPR was found above 40% which is the target reference point for a sustainable stock. According to the results of different assessment models, the red mullet stock was deemed sustainable in terms of biomass but observation of fishing pressure is required.
Assessing of Pontic Shad (Alosa immaculata, Bennett 1835) Stock Status from Romanian Black Sea Coast
Authors: George Tiganov , Daniel Grigoras , Aurel Nastase , Catalin Paun , Madalina Galatchi
Published: February 2023

With the growth of the human population, the need for food resources increases, so the pressure on living marine resources also increases. In addition to this aspect, the Black Sea ecosystem during recent decades suffered changes that determined the deterioration of all components of the marine ecosystem, which had direct impact on decreasing the biological diversity and productivity, affecting the quality of life and ecological balance.
The species Alosa immaculata (Bennet, 1835) - Pontic shad is of high commercial value and with an important role in the livelihoods of many local communities across the Black Sea coast. However, the status of Pontic shad fisheries is unknown, mainly because is a status of data-poor fish stocks. Thus, growth parameters were determined in a total of 783 individuals with a biomass of 194.5 kg from 9 fishing points of the Romanian Black Sea Coast. For the estimated parameters of length-weight relation the combined data and sexes have been used, coefficient of determination (r²) was 0.794 and b value 2.879. A negative allometric growth has been observed for the species where b<3. The virtual population analysis (VPA) by lengths was performed using the FISAT II software. Catch data previously determined were used to apply the model: length class frequency set, coefficients a=0.0134 (2021) and b=2.879 (2021) of the length-weight relationship, natural mortality M=1.12/year, L∞=37.8, k=0.87/year. The main aim of this paper is to provide an overview of the current status and trends of this valuable resource.
Локальная экстремальная интерполяция на полуоси с наименьшим значением нормы
линейного дифференциального оператора
Authors: Shevaldin Valerii Trifonovich
Published: February 2023

На равномерной сетке узлов полуоси $[0;+\infty)$ рассмотрено обобщение
задачи Ю. Н. Субботина локальной экстремальной функциональной
интерполяции числовых последовательностей $y=\{y_k\}_{k=0}^\infty$,
у которых обобщенные конечные разности, соответствующие линейному
дифференциальному оператору $\mathscr L_n$ порядка $n$, ограничены,
а первые члены $y_0,y_1,…,y_{s-1}$ заранее заданы. При этом
требуется найти $n$ раз дифференцируемую функцию $f$ такую, что
$f(kh)=y_k(k\in\mathbb Z_+, h>0)$, и имеющую наименьшую норму
оператора $\mathscr L_n$ в пространстве $L_\infty$. Для линейных
дифференциальных операторов с постоянными коэффициентами, все корни
характеристического многочлена которых действительны и попарно различны,
доказано, что эта наименьшая норма конечна только в случае $s\ge n$.
Библиография: 11 названий.
О многочленах, заданных дискретной формулой Родрига
Authors: Sorokin Vladimir Nikolaevich
Published: February 2023

Изучаются многочлены, заданные дискретной формулой Родрига, обобщающей аналогичную
формулу для многочленов Мейкснера. Такие многочлены связаны с теорией диофантовых
приближений. Методом перевала найдено предельное распределение нулей масштабированных
многочленов. Ответ получен в терминах мероморфной функции на компактной римановой поверхности
и интерпретирован с помощью векторной задачи равновесия теории логарифмического потенциала.
Библиография: 24 названий.
Global Health Impact: A Model to Alleviate the Burden and Expand Access to Treatment of Neglected Tropical Diseases
Authors: Hassoun Nicole , Cosler Leon
Published: February 2023

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) receive relatively little research and development but have a tremendous impact on lifespan and livelihood. Here, we use existing data on the need for drugs, their efficacy, and their treatment percentages to estimate the impacts of various regimens on the global burden of several NTDs: schistosomiasis, onchocerciasis, lymphatic filariasis, and three soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) over time. For an interactive visualization of our models’ results, see https://www.global-health-impact.org/. In 2015, our NTD models estimate that treatment averted 2,778,131.78 disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). Together, treatments targeting STHs together averted 51.05% of the DALYs averted from all NTD treatments, whereas schistosomiasis, lymphatic filariasis, and onchocerciasis medicines averted 40.21%, 7.56%, and 1.18%, respectively. Our models highlight the importance of focusing not just on the burden of these diseases but also on their alleviation in the effort to expand access to treatment.
Molecular Prevalence of Diarrheal Pathogens in Children with Acute Diarrhea in Southeastern Gabon
Authors: Ndjangangoye Nal Kennedy , Lekana-Douki Sonia Etenna , Oyegue-Liabagui Sandrine Lydie , Kouna Lady Charlene , Ndong Ndong Kerry Ance , Onanga Richard , Lekana-Douki Jean Bernard
Published: February 2023

Diarrheal diseases are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in infants and young children, particularly in sub-Saharan countries. In Gabon, there are few data on the prevalence of diarrheal pathogens in children. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of diarrheal pathogens in children with diarrhea in southeastern Gabon. Stool samples (n = 284) from Gabonese children 0 to 15 years of age with acute diarrhea were analyzed using polymerase chain reaction targeting 17 diarrheal pathogens. At least one pathogen was detected in 75.7% of samples (n = 215). Coinfection with multiple pathogens was observed in 44.7% of patients (n = 127). Diarrheagenic Escherichia coli was the most commonly detected pathogen (30.6%, n = 87), followed by adenovirus (26.4%, n = 75), rotavirus (16.9%, n = 48), Shigella sp. (16.5%, n = 47), Giardia duodenalis (14.4%, n = 41), norovirus GII (7.0%, n = 20), sapovirus (5.6%, n = 16), Salmonella enterica (4.9%, n = 14), astrovirus (4.6%, n = 13), Campylobacter jejuni/coli (4.6%, n = 13), bocavirus (2.8%, n = 8), and norovirus GI (2.8%, n = 8). Our study provides useful information on the possible causes of diarrheal diseases affecting children in southeastern Gabon. A similar study with a control group of healthy children is needed to assess the burden of the disease attributed to each pathogen.
Nutritional Profiles and Zinc Supplementation among Children with Diarrhea in Bangladesh
Authors: Alam Jinat , Nuzhat Sharika , Billal Shebab Md , Ahmed Tahmeed , Khan Azharul Islam , Hossain Md. Iqbal
Published: February 2023

Zinc supplementation is an added intervention with oral rehydration solution (ORS) for treating childhood diarrhea as per World Health Organization recommendations. Our study aimed to determine the prevalence of zinc administration in addition to ORS for childhood diarrhea before hospitalization and the nutritional profile of those children admitted to the outpatient department of the largest diarrheal facility in Bangladesh. This study used a screening dataset of a clinical trial (www.clinicaltrials.gov; NCT04039828) on zinc supplementation at a Dhaka hospital (International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh) between September 2019 and March 2020. A total of 1,399 children aged 3–59 months were included in our study. Children were divided into two groups (one group received zinc and another did not) and were analyzed accordingly; 39.24% (n = 549) children received zinc along with ORS for the current diarrheal episode prior to hospitalization. Percentages of underweight (weight-for-age z-score < −2 SD), stunting (length/height-for-age z-score < −2 SD), wasting (weight-for-length/height z-score < −2 SD), and overweight (weight-for-age z-score > +2 SD) among these children were 13.87% (n = 194), 14.22% (n = 199), 12.08% (n = 169), and 3.43% (n = 48), respectively. In logistic regression after adjusting age, sex, and nutritional status (underweight, stunting, wasting, and overweight), association of dehydration (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 0.06; 95% CI: 0.03–0.11; P < 0.01), bloody diarrhea (aOR: 0.18; 95% CI: 0.11–0.92; P < 0.01), and fever (aOR: 0.27; 95% CI: 0.18–0.41; P < 0.01) were less with children who received zinc at home. Bangladesh is one of the leading zinc coverage areas globally but lags behind the target for zinc coverage in diarrheal illness among under-five children. Policymakers should scale up and formulate guidelines with sustainable strategies to encourage zinc supplementation in diarrheal episodes in Bangladesh and elsewhere.
Risk Factors for Progression to Chronic Chagas Cardiomyopathy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Cutshaw Melissa K. , Sciaudone Michael , Bowman Natalie M.
Published: February 2023

Approximately one-third of people with chronic Trypanosoma cruzi infection develop Chagas cardiomyopathy, which carries a poor prognosis. Accurate prediction of which individuals will go on to develop Chagas cardiomyopathy remains elusive. We performed a systematic review of literature comparing characteristics of individuals with chronic Chagas disease with or without evidence of cardiomyopathy. Studies were not excluded on the basis of language or publication date. Our review yielded a total of 311 relevant publications. We further examined the subset of 170 studies with data regarding individual age, sex, or parasite load. A meta-analysis of 106 eligible studies indicated that male sex was associated with having Chagas cardiomyopathy (Hedge’s g: 1.56, 95% CI: 1.07–2.04), and a meta-analysis of 91 eligible studies indicated that older age was associated with having Chagas cardiomyopathy (Hedge’s g: 0.66, 95% CI: 0.41–0.91). A meta-analysis of four eligible studies did not find an association between parasite load and disease state. This study provides the first systematic review to assess whether age, sex, and parasite load are associated with Chagas cardiomyopathy. Our findings suggest that older and male patients with Chagas disease are more likely to have cardiomyopathy, although we are unable to identify causal relationships due to the high heterogeneity and predominantly retrospective study designs in the current literature. Prospective, multidecade studies are needed to better characterize the clinical course of Chagas disease and identify risk factors for progression to Chagas cardiomyopathy.
The Effect of Blood Transfusion on the Survival of Children with Both Severe Anemia and Bacterial Meningitis
Authors: Pelkonen Tuula , Roine Irmeli , Cruzeiro Manuel , Jahnukainen Kirsi , Peltola Heikki
Published: February 2023

In areas with suboptimal resources, blood transfusion may not be feasible even when mandatory for severely anemic children with a life-threatening disease. We evaluated how much not having received a transfusion affected the survival in 171 children with an admission blood hemoglobin level of < 6 g/dL and bacterial meningitis in Luanda, Angola. Of these children, 75% (128 of 171) had received a blood transfusion during hospitalization, but 25% (43 of 171) had not. Within the first week, 33% of patients (40 of 121) with transfusion and 50% (25 of 50) without a transfusion died (P = 0.04). Early transfusion (days 1–2 of hospitalization) prolonged the time of survival from a median of 132 hours [interquartile range (IQR), 15–168] to 168 hours (IQR, 69–168; P = 0.004), and had odds of 0.49 (95% CI, 0.25–0.97; P = 0.040) for death compared with no transfusion. The effect of transfusion/no transfusion at any time during hospitalization on mortality within 30 days, and prolongation of the time of survival were similar to early transfusion but showed even clearer benefits. Our results emphasize the value of timely transfusion in facilities that care for severely anemic children with severe infections to maximize their chances of survival.
Molecular docking and ADMET studies of the interaction of 4-carboxyl-2,6-dinitrophenylazohydroxynaphthalenes with bovine serum albumin
Authors: Thomas Olusegun E.
Published: February 2023

Previous spectrophotometric investigations revealed strong binding affinities between four potential monoazo colourants (code-named AZ-01 to 04) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) which could dictate the tissue distribution and toxicity of the additives. The molecular docking interactions of the dyes with BSA were analyzed using AutoDock vina and PatchDock in order to elucidate the functional groups involved in complex stabilization. Docking conformations confirmed the ligands preferentially inserted into the hydrophobic cavities of BSA site I. Structure-BSA binding relationships revealed the binding of AZ-02 was driven by hydrogen bond donation from its free phydroxynaphthalene substituent to Ser-479 while the predominantly hydrazone form of its positional isomer, AZ-01, increased its lipophilicity and tendency for hydrophobic interactions. The relatively higher C/H ratio of AZ-03 and - 04, which contain additional C-7 substituents, was responsible for their stronger binding and the extensive involvement of their aromatic rings in ligand-site I complex stabilization via Pi-Pi T-shaped, Pi-alkyl and alkyl-alkyl interactions. Moreso, AZ-01, -03 and -04 exist predominantly as hydrazone tautomers with an overall positive charge which provided complementary modes for interaction with negatively charged aspartic and glutamic acids. The structure-BSA binding relationships of the molecules, which can be employed in synthesis of safer congeners, have been elucidated.
Mapping of human displacement by Boko Haram in Nigeria from 2009 to 2021
Authors: OMOGUNLOYE Olusola Gabriel , IYASELE Nnamdi Samson , OLUNLADE Olufemi Ayoade , ABIODUN Oludayo Emmanuel , SALAMI Tosin Julius , ALABI Abiodun Olawale
Published: February 2023

Insurgencies by Boko Haram, a terrorist group operating in the north-west African states,   have negatively impacted the sense of national security in Nigeria. The activities of the sect have assumed political dimensions in that they have evaded all the possible technical and military solutions that have been implemented. The humanitarian crisis caused by incessant attacks by  Boko Haram sects has led to a growth in the population of internally displaced persons and the associated camps accommodating them. This research examined the activities of the Boko Haram sect and how they relate to internally displaced persons, as well as to the challenges faced by the latter from 2009 to 2021. The data used comprise data from the Armed Conflict and Location Event Data Database (ACLED), from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), and geospatial data from Diva-GIS. The method that was applied for this purpose incorporated the use of GIS techniques for mapping the activities of the sect from 2009 to 2021: Microsoft Excel was used for the purposes of data refinement and analysis; while ArcGIS was used for the mapping of the camps of internally displaced persons, as well as for the hotspot and directional analyses in this particular context.. The findings of this research study show that Borno state experiences a 77% frequency of insurgency attacks,  followed by Yobe state with 11%. Over the years under study, 2015 is the year recording the highest number of fatalities in Nigeria, with Adamawa recording the highest number of fatalities in a state in spite of it being the least of all the states susceptible to terrorism. Borno, the most terrorized of the states, hosts the largest number of IDP camps but the challenges that these state experiences are relatively limited.
Assessment of Land Use Efficiencies of Ghanaian Cities: Case Study of Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis
Authors: Aduah M. S. , Mantey S.
Published: February 2023

Urban land use efficiency is a key indicator of the resilience of a city and its sustainability. However, in Africa and Ghana, information on land use efficiency in cities is lacking. There is little to no understanding as to how urban development is affecting the lives of people, the economy and the environment. In this study, geospatial techniques were used to estimate urban land use efficiency (LUE), the changes in the built-up area per capita and urban sprawl speed (SS) for the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan area. Multi-temporal land use maps and population data were used for this purpose. The results indicate that generally land use efficiency in the city has improved since 2002, from a value of 0.67 between 2002 and 2008 to 0.88 between 2008 and 2016, and that it deteriorated slightly above one (1) between 2016 and 2021. The city has also become more built up over the period, with the rate of sprawling  also declining. However, the study shows that land in the city that was either agricultural land or grassland has been converted to built-up land use/land cover, which is indeed a challenge for urban agriculture. The results of this study can be used by city authorities as a guide to urban development.
Eriocalyxin B relieves kidney damage in a rat model of membranous nephropathy by inhibiting JAK/STAT3 pathway
Authors: Guo Shanmai , Guan Xi
Published: February 2023

Purpose: To investigate the function of eriocalyxin B (EriB) in membranous nephropathy (MN) in a rat model and the related mechanisms.

Methods: Cationic C-BSA was injected into Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats to generate a rat model of MN. The MN rats were treated with different concentrations of EriB (2.5, 5, and 10 mg/kg). After treatment, their kidneys were excised, sectioned, and hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stained to determine renal injury, while Masson's trichrome staining was performed to determine renal tissue fibrosis. Bradford assay was used to determine rat proteinuria and ELISA employed to determine blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and serum creatinine (SCr) levels. ELISA was also used to measure IL-1β, IL-6, and TGF-α levels, while immunoblot analysis was used to assess protein expressions of related indicators in JAK/STAT3 pathway.

Results: Compared with sham rats, MN rats showed increased the contents of proteinuria, BUN, and SCr (p < 0.01), induced serious renal injury, and increased expression of collagen I and III (p < 0.01), and fibrosis. It also elevated the levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and TGF-α (p < 0.01), causing inflammation and activation of the JAK/STAT3 pathway. EriB treatment alleviated renal injury, fibrosis, and inflammation in MN rats. With increase in EriB concentration, renal injury in MN rats was gradually alleviated.

Conclusion: EriB alleviates renal injury in MN rats by inhibiting JAK/STAT3 pathway. Thus, EriB is a potential drug for the management of MN.
Analgesic properties of newly synthesized N pyrrolyl hydrazide hydrazones
Authors: Nocheva Hristina , Vladimirova Stanislava , Tzankova Diana , Peikova Lily , Georgieva Maya
Published: February 2023

Purpose: To screen a series of newly synthesized N-pyrrolyl hydrazide hydrazones for analgesic activity via Paw-pressure (PP) test and hot plate test (HPT).

Methods: The compounds newly synthesized through the classical Paal-Knor cyclization, N-pyrrolyl hydrazide-hydrazones were administered intraperitoneally at a dose of 20 mg/kg. Paw pressure and hot plate tests were applied to assess the analgesic properties. In addition, stress-induced analgesia with naloxone as a non-selective opioid receptor antagonist was performed.

Results: The compound (DI-5g), containing an izatine carbonyl fragment, was the most promising. It presented the highest paw pressure threshold (25 AU at 30th min) by exceeding the analgesic activity of the referent metamizole (23 AU at 30th min). The relative effect from the hot plate test was consistent with the paw pressure results. Opioid receptors were involved in the analgesic activities of N-pyrrolyl hydrazide-hydrazones.

Conclusion: The N-pyrrolyl carboxylic acids are synthesized and identified as new compounds and their hydrazide-hydrazone derivatives as promising leads for future design and synthesis of drugs with possibly prolonged analgesic activity.
Efektivitas Penambahan Nanokitosan dalam Pakan Terhadap Kelangsungan Hidup dan Pertumbuhanan Ikan Nila (Oreochromis niloticus)
Authors: Lembang Miska Sanda , Cahyani Reni Tri , Nugraeni Christine Dyta
Published: February 2023

Budidaya ikan nila merupakan salah satu sumber mata pencaharian masyarakat di Kota Tarakan. Namun permasalahan lingkungan menyebabkan benih ikan nila mudah terserang penyakit akibat bakteri di perairan. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk meningkatkan potensi kitosan dengan ukuran nanopartikel, yang ditambahkan pada pakan untuk kelangsungan hidup dan pertumbuhan benih ikan nila. Nanokitosan adalah ekstrak dari limbah cangkang kepiting atau kulit udang, yang berfungsi sebagai immunostimulan. Penelitian dilakukan menggunakan metode eksperimental dengan dua perlakuan dan tiga kali ulangan. Perlakuan satu adalah tanpa pemberian nanokitosan dan perlakuan dua dengan pemberian nanokitosan dalam pakan. Hasil sintesis nanokitosan didapatkan ukuran berdasarkan jumlah dengan intensitas tertinggi pada ukuran 537,17 nm. Hasil kualitas air suhu dan pH dari dua perlakuan masih berada dalam kisaran optimal untuk budidaya ikan nila yaitu suhu 27-29°C, pH antara 7,3-7,8, kandungan oksigen terlarut (DO) sebesar 1,3-5,8 mg/L dan kisaran kadar amonia sebesar yaitu 0,1-3,5 mg/L. Berdasarkan hasil penelitian didapatkan bahwa perlakuan menggunakan nanopartikel kitosan dalam pakan lebih efektif daripada tanpa menggunakan nanopartikel kitosan dalam pakan terhadap pertumbuhan dan kelangsungan hidup benih ikan nila. Hasil uji T menunjukkan bahwa laju pertumbuhan spesifik harian (SGR) pada semua perlakuan tidak berbeda signifikan (P>0,05), tetapi pada kelangsungan hidup (SR) benih ikan nila pada semua perlakuan berbeda signifikan (P<0,05). Hasil ini dapat disimpulkan bahwa penambahan nanokitosan dalam pakan berpengaruh nyata meningkatkan kelangsungan hidup benih ikan nila.
Kibernetička sigurnost kao ključna determinanta nacionalne sigurnosti Republike Hrvatske
Authors: Prskalo Damir
Published: February 2023

U radu se elaborira što je kibernetička sigurnost te zašto ona postaje ključna determinanta nacionalne sigurnosti Republike Hrvatske. Rad je podijeljen u nekoliko cjelina: nakon uvoda, u drugome dijelu objašnjavaju se ključni pojmovi, kao što su nacionalna sigurnost, kibernetički prostor te kibernetička sigurnost. Treći dio rada govori o klasifikaciji prijetnji, odnosno o vrsti prijetnji za kibernetičku sigurnost, o kibernetičkom ratovanju, kibernetičkom terorizmu, kibernetičkoj špijunaži i kibernetičkom kriminalu. Zadnji dio rada govori o kibernetičkim napadima na državne institucije i gospodarske subjekte u Republici Hrvatskoj te se iznosi primjer napada.
THE INFLUENCE OF DIFFERENTIATED FERTILISATION ON THE SUGAR LEVEL IN THE MUST, FOR THE ALIGOTE AND FETEASCA ALBA VARIETIES, UNDER THE CONDITIONS OF THE IASI VINEYARD
Authors: PARASCHIV Nicoleta Luminita , VOLF Mariana , CHELARIU Elena Liliana
Published: February 2023

Wine soils from the country's main vineyards contain 0.05-0.25 g total N per 100 g soil, 0.9-20 mg P_2 O_5/100 g soil and 6.5-36 mg K_2 O/100 g soil. The amount of fertiliser that the plant will use - the degree of use - depends on the age of the stumps, the type of rootstock and the planned production. Acting as a factor for the intensification of production, mineral fertilisers, used as a complement to organic fertilisation, contribute not only to maintaining and increasing soil fertility but also to the quantitative and qualitative growth of production. Since the natural reserves of nutrients are limited, the application of natural and mineral fertilisers, scientifically based and differentiated according to the concrete pedoclimatic conditions, is of particular importance from an ecological and economic point of view. The research undertaken highlighted that the use of chemical fertilisers, in different dosages and ratios, favourably influenced the accumulation of sugar in the must for both varieties, with values that were between 178 g/L sugars for the Aligote variety and 170.7 g/L for Feteasca alba. The P-K relationship positively influenced the accumulation of sugars for both varieties, 177.4 g/L sugars for the Aligote variety and 171.3 g/L for Feteasca alba.
Speckled Worm-Lizard (Amphisbaena bassleri)
Authors: Vieira Jose , Arteaga Alejandro
Published: February 2023

This is the species account about the Speckled Worm-Lizard (Amphisbaena bassleri), a chapter in the Reptiles of Ecuador book. This account summarizes novel as well as historical information (recognition, natural history, distribution, conservation, etymology, and relevant literature) about the species and provides maps and images to facilitate identification of this reptile in the field.
Managing Breast Cancer Diagnosed in First Trimester Pregnancy: A Case Report
Authors: Wijaya Ramesh , Yong Wei Sean , Yeo Allen WY , See Diana TH
Published: February 2023

Introduction: Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in pregnant women, occurring at a rate of about 1 in 3000 pregnancies. Unfortunately, this will sometimes occur during the firsttrimester of pregnancy and this situation warrants discussion of management options with regard to the mother and child, especially with the current trend of deferring child bearing to a later age.

Clinical Picture: We present a 34-year-old primigravida who had a breast lump prior to confirmation of her pregnancy and received her diagnosis of invasive breast cancer at 7 weeks’ amenorrhoea. The oncologic management options of this pregnant patient with breast cancer are discussed.

Treatment: The patient eventually opted to undergo wide excision of the breast cancer with sentinel lymph node biopsy and possible axillary clearance together with termination of her pregnancy.

Results: The patient successfully underwent surgery for her breast cancer and was subsequently treated with adjuvant therapy as per normal protocol for a non-pregnant patient.

Conclusion: The management of breast cancer and pregnancy occurring concurrently is a
complex problem fraught with many dilemmas for both the medical team, the patient and her family. The option chosen must involve a multidisciplinary team and have full informed consent of the patient.

Key words: Adjuvant chemotherapy, Radiotherapy
Suprascapular Nerve Neuropathy Secondary to Spinoglenoid Notch Ganglion Cyst: Case Reports and Review of Literature
Authors: Lee Bernard CS , Yegappan Muthukaruppan , Thiagarajan Palaniappan
Published: February 2023

Introduction: Suprascapular nerve neuropathy secondary to ganglion cyst impingement has increasingly been found to be a cause of shoulder pain.
Clinical Picture: We present 2 patients who complained of dull, poorly localised shoulder pain, which worsened with overhead activities. Magnetic resonance imaging showed ganglion cysts in the spinoglenoid notch.
Treatment: Both patients failed conservative management with physiotherapy and underwent shoulder arthroscopy. One patient underwent arthroscopic decompression of the cyst and the other had open excision of the cyst.
Outcome: Both patients experienced resolution of symptoms within 6 months of surgery.
Conclusion: With appropriate treatment, suprascapular nerve neuropathy secondary to ganglion cyst impingement is a treatable condition with potentially good results.

Key words: Impingement, Shoulder
Measuring the Quality of Care of Diabetic Patients at the Specialist Outpatient Clinics in Public Hospitals in Singapore
Authors: Toh Matthias PHS , Heng Bee Hoon , Sun Chee Fang , Jong Michelle , Chionh Siok Bee , Cheah Jason TS
Published: February 2023

Introduction: This study aims to measure the quality of care for patients with diabetes mellitus at selected Specialist Outpatient Clinics (SOCs) in the National Healthcare Group.

Materials and Methods: The cross-sectional study reviewed case-records of patients from 6 medical specialties who were on continuous care for a minimum of 15 months from October 2003 to April 2005. Disproportionate sampling of 60 patients from each specialty, excluding those co-managed by Diabetes Centres or primary care clinics for diabetes, was carried out. Information on demographic characteristics, process indicators and intermediate outcomes were collected and the adherence rate for each process indicator compared across specialties. Data analysis was carried out using SPSS version 13.0.

Results: A total of 575 cases were studied. The average rate for 9 process indicators by specialty ranged from 47.8% to 70.0%, with blood pressure measurement consistently high across all specialties (98.4%). There was significant variation (P <0.001) in rates across the specialties for 8 process indicators; HbA1c, serum creatinine and lipid profile tests were over 75%, while the rest were below 50%. The mean HbA1c was 7.3% ± 1.5%. “Optimal” control of HbA1c was achieved in 51.2% of patients, while 50.6% of the patients achieved “optimal” low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol control. However, 47.3% of patients had “poor” blood pressure control. Adherence to process indicators was not associated with good intermediate outcomes.

Conclusions: There was large variance in the adherence rate of process and clinical outcome indicators across specialties, which could be improved further.

Key words: Assessment, Indicators, Outcome, Process