bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The rhythmic and tonal musical abilities in the functional-learning music kindergarten children
Authors: Snoj Mirna
Published: December 2022

Musical abilities include a number of abilities developed under the influence of innate dispositions, environment, maturity, informal music learning experience and formal music education. The paper aims to identify the potential difference between the musical abilities of preschool and early school-age children at the initial and final testing stages and whether there is any difference between the rhythmic and tonal component of their musical abilities in terms of their sex. The survey was conducted on a sample of 70 respondents. The respondents were second-year students of the Elly Bašić Functional-Learning Music Kindergarten in Zagreb. A general information questionnaire was used in the survey, as well as the Gordon Primary Measures of Music Audiation (PMMA) test, as an indispensable measuring tool used to identify the key music potential variables in a timely, reliable and objective manner.The obtained results indicate that the tonal and rhythmic aptitude of the participants in the survey were substantially higher at the final stage of testing with respect to the initial one. Moreover, the sex of the participants in the survey did not prove to be a significant musical aptitude predictor.The author calls for changes to the music school curriculum aimed at integrating preschool music education into the formal music education system.
Is The Effect of Cooperative Learning on Social, Emotional and Moral Development?
Authors: TURAN Serhat , ALEMDAR Uğur
Published: December 2022

It has been seen that the effect of cooperative learning is not handled with a holistic perspective in spaces such as honesty, self-development, self-control and prosocial behavior, and due to this deficiency in the literature, it is aimed to examine the effect of cooperative learning on social, emotional and moral development. A total of 48 students, 24 male and 24 female, studying in the 7th grade of secondary school participated in the study. In the study, pretest-posttest experimental design with control group is used. Students are divided into experimental and control groups. While the jigsaw technique, one of the techniques of the 8-week cooperative learning model, is applied to the experimental group, the direct instruction model is applied to the control group. “Social-Emotional and Moral Development Scale”, which is developed by Ji et al. and adapted into Turkish by Bozgün and Baytemir, is applied to both groups before the training started and 8 weeks after the training. "Independent t test" and "paired sample t test" are used in the study. In the study, it is observed that there is no meaningful difference between the dimensions in the experimental and control groups at the beginning of the experiment. However, as a result of the training; according to the group to which the cooperative learning model is used, the group to which the direct instruction model is applied, it is determined that the scores of prosocial behavior, honesty, self-development, self-control, respect at school and respect at home showed a statistically significant difference.
Spor Lisesi Öğrencilerinin Bazı Değişkenlere Göre Öz Yeterlilik Düzeylerinin İncelenmesi
Authors: AYTAÇ Kürşat Yusuf , YETİŞ Ümit , ÖZ Kaan Akın
Published: December 2022

Bu çalışmada spor lisesinde öğrenim gören farklı yaş gruplarındaki öğrencilerin genel öz yeterlik seviyelerinin farklı değişkenlere bakarak araştırılıp incelenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Malatya ilindeki 306 öğrenci üzerinde, istekli katılım esas alınarak belirlenmiş 60 kadın ve 246 erkek toplam 306 öğrenci oluşturmuştur. Araştırma sonucunda, aylık gelir düzeyi, cinsiyet, spor yapma durumu sınıf ve fiziki görünümlerinden memnun olma değişkenlerinde spor lisesi öğrencilerinin öz yeterlik düzeyleri arasında anlamlı fark tespit edilmiştir Sonuçta spor lisesi öğrencilerinde, fiziki görünümünden memnun olmanın, spor lisans yılının ve sınıf düzeyinin artmasının öğrencilerin öz yeterlik düzeyleri olumlu yönde etkilediği ve öğrencilere bu konuda katkı sağladığını söyleyebiliriz.
Az egyes felekezetek börtönlelkészi gyakorlatának és eredményeinek bemutatása
Authors: Erdélyi Csaba
Published: December 2022

Aim: Based on my own observations and experiences, I present the operation of the Prison Chaplaincy Service, which operates within the framework of the penitentiary organization, with an overview of historical antecedents, state and church motivations and opportunities, as well as practical activities.Methodology: As a prison chaplain, I have the opportunity to make long-term observations, which I structure using literary sources, legal interpretation tools and theological methods.Findings: Historical antecedents, church motivations and legal frameworks give the Prison Chaplain Service the opportunity to effectively contribute to the realization of the goals of the penitentiary organization. At the same time, a reinterpretation of the openness to reconsider the prison mission goals is necessary on the part of all stakeholders.Value: The Prison Chaplain Service has a very precisely defined place in the penitentiary organization. Broadly understood ecumenical thinking provides an opportunity for learning and comparison. The realization possibilities of church services within the state framework are presented in the light of the self-identity of different denominations.
EVALUATION OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SMART SPECIALISATION STRATEGY IN LITHUANIAN INDUSTRY
Authors: Augustinaitis Arūnas , Kaivo-oja Jari , Lauraeus Theresa , Kiškienė Austė , Bzhalava Levan , Roth Steffen
Published: December 2022

This article provides data-driven analyses of Lithuanian foreign trade activities. We combine Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) and Lauraéus-Kaivo-oja Index (LKI) measures to identify key changes and trends in export and import structures of the Lithuanian economy. The findings suggest that the export and import portfolios of the Lithuanian economy have been successfully diversified and the Lithuanian Smart Specialisation Strategy (S3) successful implemented in years 2015 through 2020. Presented in the form of HHI and LKI time series, our findings and the corresponding conclusions will be relevant to both the Lithuanian export and import industry and to industrial and economic policymakers in Lithuania and in international export and import agencies.
Sampling and curation of rove beetles (Insecta, Coleoptera, Staphylinidae) for comprehensive and DNA-grade collections to enhance biodiversity exploration in Northern Eurasia
Authors: Salnitska Maria , Solodovnikov Alexey , Orlov Igor
Published: December 2022

Staphylinidae beetles form a major portion of terrestrial biodiversity globally and, in particular, in Northern Eurasia, a large area with a historically better known north temperate, subarctic and arctic biota. However, even here, rove beetles remain amongst the so-called “dark taxa” with a high fraction of taxonomically unknown lineage diversity. The propagation of DNA-based technologies in systematic entomology in recent decades has brought new opportunities for biodiversity exploration, true also for Staphylinidae. Simultaneously, new methods have revealed limitations of specimens sampled and curated by traditional practices, as existing legacy collections, whether institutional or private, unfortunately do not always qualify as a source of DNA-grade material. In addition, both legacy and newly-collected DNA-grade material of Staphylinidae remain highly biased towards Central Europe, a region with a traditionally well-developed scientific infrastructure and long-established culture for the maintenance of entomological collections. To increase the degree of biodiversity knowledge for our target organismal group across the globe, efficient sampling of DNA-grade material and, in particular, the development of comprehensive local collections in under-studied regions is highly desirable. To facilitate that, here we provide a practical guide for collecting and curation of Staphylinidae with a focus on capacity building for DNA-grade collections in Siberia and elsewhere in Northern Eurasia.
Investigation of the nephroprotective activity of Moringa peregrina leaves aqueous extract in mice
Authors: Hasan Abdulhakeem , Issa Reem , Al-Halaseh Lidia , Abbas Manal A. , Al-Jawabri Nariman , Al-Suhaimat Rawan
Published: December 2022

Traditional remedies for Moringa peregrina leaves have a variety of uses with confirmed biological and therapeutic effects, as per published reports. The current study aims to evaluate the ability of the leaves aqueous extract to protect from nephrotoxicity in gentamicin-treated mice. Phytochemical analysis for the aqueous extract was performed using DPPH (2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) assay for antioxidants, Folin-Ciocalteu, AlCl3 and HPLC- MS/MS analysis, focusing on phenol and flavonoid content. The nephroprotective activity of the prepared extract was evaluated by means of variable biochemical parameters including Creatinine (Cr), Uric Acid (UA), and Urea (Ur). In addition, histological examination of renal tissues was performed in all mice groups (control, gentamicin-induced (150 mg/Kg i.p) and aqueous extract-orally treated groups (500 and 1000 mg/Kg)). Findings reveal that the prepared extract has total phenols (555.57±0.92mg/g, equivalent to gallic acid), flavonoids (40.08±1.56 mg/g, equivalent to quercetin), and DPPH IC50 (3.10 µg/ml). HPLC-MS/MS analysis revealed the presence of 10 phenols and flavonoids compounds. In vivo studies showed a significant (P < 0.05) reducing effect for the high-dose treatment, on serum and urine concentrations for UA, Cr, and U, among the nephrotoxicity induced mice. Low-dose treated group showed significant reduction on serum concentration of UA, Cr and U, but only for Cr concentration in urine. The histological examination showed an improvement in the image of the renal tissue among the induced-nephrotoxicity mice, which was treated with high-dose extract. In conclusion, leaves aqueous extract of M. peregrina have shown potential protective effect to counteract some of the gentamicin consequences on kidney functions.
Social capital as a containment factor of the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Nikishina Elena N. , Korobkova Natalia Y.
Published: December 2022

Effectiveness of the pandemic containment can depend upon both actions of governments and willingness of the population to follow the introduced rules, which is heavily dependable upon the social capital structure in society. This article analyzes relationship between various components of social capital and changes in mobility during the COVID-19 pandemic. The article is based on data from the World Values Survey, Google COVID-19 Community Mobility Reports, Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker, etc. The study hypotheses have been empirically tested on a sample of 61 countries, as well as subsamples of countries with high- and low-quality institutions. The results show that high levels of trust in the government, police and courts, as well as developed norms of cooperation in society (in particular, dislike of free riding), other things being equal, contribute to lower mobility during the pandemic. This effect is particularly pronounced in countries with high-quality institutions. A high level of generalized trust, on the contrary, is not associated with a lower mobility during the pandemic, which may limit its containment, especially in countries with low-quality institutions. The results obtained can be used for developing socio-economic policy aimed at containing the pandemic.
Effect of age on the prognosis of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma
Authors: Kim Jung Hun , Cheon Young Koog , Lee Tae Yoon , Lee Sang Hoon , Chung Hyunji
Published: December 2022

Background/Aims: Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) is a subgroup of cholangiocarcinoma and is the second- most-common primary hepatic tumor. Several predictive and prognostic factors have been analyzed; however, in this study we focused on the influence of age. Our aim was to use real-world results to determine the influence of age in iCCA patients.Methods: A retrospective analysis of patients treated between 2005 and 2016 at Konkuk University Medical Center. In total, 133 patients with iCCA were identified. The mass-forming, periductal-infiltrating, and intraductal-growth types were included; patients with extrahepatic or hilar-type cholangiocarcinoma were excluded. We defined two groups: a younger group, age < 65 years, and an older group, age ≥ 65 years. Statistical analyses using univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses, including the Kaplan-Meier method, were conducted.Results: In total, 114 patients were enrolled. The two groups differed with regard to treatment options such as surgery with adjuvant chemotherapy or palliative chemotherapy (p = 0.012, p < 0.001). The younger group had significantly longer survival than the older group (p = 0.017). In the younger group, patients who received therapy had longer survival than those who did not (hazard ratio, 3.942; 95% confidence interval, 2.053 to 7.569; p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis indicated that younger age, lower bilirubin, low CA 19-9, and no lymph-node involvement were independent factors for improved survival.Conclusions: Younger patients and those who underwent surgery with adjuvant chemotherapy had longer survival. The younger the patient, the more treatments received, including palliative chemotherapy.
Excursion poétique dans l’arrondissement de Montreuil-sur-Mer, Boulogne-sur-Mer et les environs (1909) de François Havet
Authors: Leroy Christian
Published: December 2022

Excursion poétique dans l’arrondissement de Montreuil-sur-Mer, Boulogne-sur-Mer et les environs (1909) est un recueil poétique de François Havet, héritier d’une dynastie de maîtres tanneurs de Montreuil-sur-Mer. Entre inspiration satirique visant les « républicains » de la municipalité et confidences lyriques, le livre se présente surtout comme un essai de donner au tourisme de la Belle Époque, en plein essor, ses lettres de noblesse poétiques, à la faveur de récits historiques et de descriptions des sites les plus remarquables du Montreuillois.
Colette et Le Crotoy
Authors: Zeisler-Decout Marie-Claude
Published: December 2022

Colette aussi passe de nombreux étés au Crotoy à partir de 1906 et la baie de Somme lui inspire plusieurs chapitres du recueil Les Vrilles de la vigne. Dans ce même dossier, Marie-Claude Zeisler rappelle les séjours de Colette et les pages que le port et la baie lui ont inspirées.
Roger Allard et ses relations nordistes
Authors: Deparis Pierre-Marie
Published: December 2022

Lié à la revue lilloise Le Beffroi, Roger Allard fréquente Ault et le Bois de Cise qui commencent à attirer les touristes au début du XX e  siècle. Pierre-Marie Deparis s’appuie sur un document récemment retrouvé pour en rappeler les circonstances.
Le lien école-famille au risque de l’altérité linguistique et culturelle
Authors: Goï Cécile
Published: December 2022

Un enfant est avant tout l’enfant d’une famille, avec ses empreintes culturelles, ses usages linguistiques tout comme ses représentations et ses pratiques éducatives. Construire le lien entre l’école et les familles, autour d’un élève et de l’enfant qu’il est, ne va jamais aisément de soi. Lorsque les familles ont migré, l’exil met particulièrement à mal leurs repères et leur mode de parentalité antérieur. Les représentations des enseignants eux-mêmes sont à réinterroger face à ces parents étrangers qui questionnent leur façon d’envisager le lien famille/école. Ce texte de synthèse se propose de montrer comment les relations des parents à l’école sont rendues plus complexes du fait d’un manque de familiarité avec les codes sociaux et culturels du pays qui les accueille d’une part ; du fait de la non-reconnaissance de leurs ancrages culturels et linguistiques d’autre part.
Maltraitances des personnes vulnérables en France
Authors: Czernichow Pierre
Published: December 2022

Les maltraitances correspondent à de multiples dommages (sur la santé, les droits, les biens), d’origine individuelle ou institutionnelle, subis par des personnes vulnérables. Leur classification est difficile. En l’absence de données pour la France, elles semblent massivement sous-estimées, l’ensemble des alertes ou signalements reçus étant inconnu. La Fédération contre les maltraitances, dispositif soutenu par les pouvoirs publics en France, a reçu 8 830 alertes en 2021 pour maltraitances d’adultes, en majorité des femmes (67 %) et des personnes de plus de 70 ans (68 %), pour des situations à domicile (73 %) ou en établissement (27%). Les maltraitances les plus fréquentes étaient psychologiques, physiques, et les négligences. Les caractéristiques des situations diffèrent selon le lieu de survenue et le statut des victimes. La réponse aux alertes, reçues surtout par la plateforme téléphonique 3977, implique une écoute attentive pour analyser les situations, déterminer les actions les plus appropriées et accompagner les victimes, en proximité, avec leur accord, vers l’un ou l’autre des multiples intervenants concernés. Ces suites sont assurées dans les départements par un réseau d’associations de bénévoles. La prévention primaire des maltraitances porte sur les multiples facteurs favorisants ou protecteurs connus. La détection précoce des maltraitances concerne les professionnels de l’aide et des soins et les proches aidants. En France, une politique publique contre les maltraitances vise à articuler les actions de l’État et des collectivités territoriales, et celles de nombreux autres intervenants.
O eclipse solar total de 1919. Assimetrias geopolíticas e eclipses narrativos
Authors: Simões Ana
Published: December 2022

L’auteure analyse les voyages des deux expéditions britanniques organisées en vue de l’observation de l’éclipse solaire totale du 29 mai 2019. Il s’agit ici de rendre visibles certains aspects découlant des contextes géopolitiques des lieux d’observation (Sobral et Príncipe) qui diffèrent, et qui sont liés au statut du Portugal, puisssance coloniale. Or, ces aspects ont été, jusqu’à maintenant, éclipsés des récits historiques sur cette éclipse.
Cyber security control selection based decision support algorithm under single valued neutrosophic hesitant fuzzy Einstein aggregation information
Authors: Kamran Muhammad , Ashraf Shahzaib , Salamat Nadeem , Naeem Muhammad , Botmart Thongchai
Published: December 2022

The single-valued neutrosophic hesitant fuzzy set (SV-NHFS) is a hybrid structure of the single-valued neutrosophic set and the hesitant fuzzy set that is designed for some incomplete, uncertain, and inconsistent situations in which each element has a few different values designed by the truth membership hesitant function, indeterminacy membership hesitant function, and falsity membership hesitant function. A strategic decision-making technique can help the decision-maker accomplish and analyze the information in an efficient manner. However, in our real lives, uncertainty will play a dominant role during the information collection phase. To handle such uncertainties in the data, we present a decision-making algorithm in the SV-NHFS environment. In this paper, we first presented the basic operational laws for SV-NHF information under Einstein's t-norm and t-conorm. Furthermore, important properties of Einstein operators, including the Einstein sum, product, and scalar multiplication, are done under SV-NHFSs. Then, we proposed a list of novel aggregation operators' names: Single-valued neutrosophic hesitant fuzzy Einstein weighted averaging, weighted geometric, order weighted averaging, and order weighted geometric aggregation operators. Finally, we discuss a multi-attribute decision-making (MADM) algorithm based on the proposed operators to address the problems in the SV-NHF environment. A numerical example is given to illustrate the work and compare the results with the results of the existing studies. Also, the sensitivity analysis and advantages of the stated algorithm are given in the work to verify and strengthen the study.
A Novel Deep Learning Model for Recognition of Endangered Water-Bird Species
Authors: Redjati Abdelghani , Boulmaiz Amira , Boughazi Mohamed , Boukari Karima , Meghni Billel
Published: December 2022

Given its location on the migration route of the Western Palearctic, the complex of wetlands of El-Kala (North-East Algeria) forms the most important and diverse area of the Mediterranean for migratory birds in the Maghreb. The knowledge of these birds allows one to acquire crucial information on the state of health of considered environments as well as annual statistics of this population. Some of which are threatened with extinction. Because of the dense vegetation, the main feature characterizing the birds' habitat, the identification of bird species from their images is made a complicated task. In addition, there is a high degree of similarity between classes and features. In this paper and in order to solve these problems, a new method named DarkBirdNet based on deep learning has been developed. This method is derived from the predefined DarkNet53 model and aims at detecting and classifying bird species in Algeria.
The Effect of Capital Adequacy Requirements on Profitability: An Empirical Study on Licensed Finance Companies in Sri Lanka
Authors: Ranaweera Y.Y.
Published: December 2022

Licensed Finance Companies (LFCs) in Sri Lanka are recognized as authorized and regulated financial institutions to accept public deposits. However, with the recent collapse of a few LFCs in Sri Lanka, a serious concern has been raised about whether the LFC sector in Sri Lanka does not expose its shareholders to excessive levels of risk. Accordingly, the primary objective of this study is to examine the relationship between capital adequacy and the profitability of LFCs in Sri Lanka. This study is classified into the quantitative research approach based on secondary data of 18 LFCs in Sri Lanka from 2011 to 2020. The Core Capital Adequacy Ratio (CCAR), Total Capital Adequacy Ratio (TCAR), and LFC size (SIZE) were used as independent variables and as measures of profitability of LFCs, Net Interest Margin (NIM), Return on Assets (ROA) and Returns on Equity (ROE) were considered as dependent variables. The empirical results indicated that NIM, ROA, and ROE are positively related to CCAR, but none was significant. Further, NIM and ROA show a positive relationship with TCAR; however, only a significant relationship between ROA and TCAR was observed. Accordingly, this study recommends that since ROA would be increased in the capital adequacy level of LFC, all LFCs need to develop their internal policies to ensure that they have a clear set of capital adequacy expectations in place.
Acknowledgement to Reviewers
Authors: Office Editoial
Published: December 2022

No abstract available.
Diagnostic accuracy of commercially available immunochromatographic rapid tests for diagnosis of dengue in India
Authors: Mahajan Raman , Nair Mohit , Saldanha Ana-Maria , Harshana Amit , Pereira Alan De Lima , Basu Nandita , Goswami Rama Prasad , Bhattacharya Nemai , Bandyopadhay Bhaswati , SenGupta Manideepa , Day Moutusi , Flevaud Laurence , Boelaert Marleen , Burza Sakib
Published: December 2022

Background & objectives: There is limited evidence regarding the accuracy of dengue rapid diagnostic kits despite their extensive use in India. We evaluated the performance of four immunochromatographic Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDTs) kits: Multisure dengue Ab/Ag rapid test (MP biomedicals; MP), Dengucheck combo (Zephyr Biomedicals; ZB), SD bioline dengue duo (Alere; SD) and Dengue day 1 test (J Mitra; JM).

Methods: This is a laboratory-based diagnostic evaluation study. Rapid tests results were compared to reference non-structural (NS1) antigen or immunoglobulin M (IgM) enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) results of 241 dengue-positive samples and 247 dengue-negative samples. Sensitivity and specificity of NS1 and IgM components of each RDT were calculated separately and in combination (either NS1 or IgM positive) against reference standard ELISA.

Results: A total of 238, 226, 208, and 146 reference NS1 ELISA samples were tested with MP, ZB, SD, and JM tests, respectively. In comparison to the NS1 ELISA reference tests, the NS1 component of MP, ZB, SD, and JM RDTs demonstrated a sensitivity of 71.8%, 85.1%, 77.2% and 80.9% respectively and specificity of 90.1%, 92.8%, 96.1 %, and 93.6%, respectively. In comparison to the IgM ELISA reference test, the IgM component of RDTs showed a sensitivity of 40.0%, 50.3%, 47.3% and 20.0% respectively and specificity of 92.4%, 88.6%, 96.5%, and 92.2% respectively. Combining NS1 antigen and IgM antibody results led to sensitivities of 87.5%, 82.9%, 93.8% and 91.7% respectively, and specificities of 75.3%, 73.9%, 76.5%, and 80.0% respectively.

Interpretation & conclusion: Though specificities were acceptable, the sensitivities of each test were markedly lower than manufacturers’ claims. These results also support the added value of combined antigen-and antibody-based RDTs for the diagnosis of acute dengue.
Circulating cardiac biomarkers and echocardiographic abnormalities in patients with scrub typhus
Authors: Pannu Ashok K , Debnath Manoj K , Sharma Navneet , Biswal Manisha , Vijayvergia Rajesh , Bhalla Ashish , Kaur Jyotdeep , Kumar Susheel
Published: December 2022

Background & objectives: Cardiac injury in scrub typhus is uncommonly reported. We studied the incidence and clinical significance of cardiac involvement among seventy consecutive adult patients of scrub typhus, using circulating cardiac biomarkers, including N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-pro-BNP), troponin T, creatine kinase-muscle/brain isoenzyme (CK-MB) and 2D-echocardiography.

Methods: This was a hospital-based prospective cohort study conducted in the medical emergency of PGIMER, Chandigarh, India. Seventy consecutive patients aged 12 years and above with the diagnosis of scrub typhus were enrolled.

Results: Elevations of NT pro-BNP, troponin T, and CK-MB levels were observed in 70 (100%), 51 (72.8%), and 29 (41.4%) patients, respectively. Echocardiography detected reduced ejection fraction (EF) in 30 patients (42.8%) with mild reduction (EF 45-54 %) in 20 (28.5%) and moderate reduction (EF 30-44%) in 10 (14.3%). The age showed a significant difference with EF (p-value 0.003), and the patients with moderate reduction were younger (mean age of 20.7 ± 5.6 years). Pericardial effusion was found in nine patients (12.9%). Increased circulating levels of all the three cardiac biomarkers showed statistically significant association with a systolic dysfunction on echocardiography, and elevated CK-MB level further predicted a longer duration of hospital stay (p-value 0.002). No statistically significant association was observed between cardiac biomarkers or reduced EF and mortality.

Interpretation & conclusion: Cardiac injury is a common condition among patients with scrub typhus admitted in a medical emergency; however, it does not influence in-hospital mortality.
A structure-based virtual screening and molecular docking by using potent inhibitors against nucleoprotein of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus
Authors: Nayab Hina , Ali Roshan , Sarwar Tahir , Khan M. Asif , Ul Hassan Mehreen , Ur Rehman Tayyab
Published: December 2022

Background & objectives: Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus (CCHFV) is a vector borne pathogen, well-known for causing endemic hemorrhagic fever in Asia, Europe and Africa. There is no specific drug or vaccine available against CCHFV. The recent upsurge of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever around the globe has made it a major health issue and this demands investigation for specific inhibitors to viral proteins. The objective of this study was to assess inhibitors that may have the potential to dock CCHFV nucleoprotein which plays an important role in viral assembly.

Methods: We performed structure-based virtual screening and molecular docking by using potent inhibitors against nucleoprotein of CCHFV. Screening was performed by a webserver, MtiOpenScreen which gave 1000 drug-like molecules from PubChem. PyRx Autodock vina was utilized to dock the protein. The docking poses were observed for interaction analysis by LigPlot+. This study provided ten potential candidates capable of binding to the active site of NP of CCHFV. The selected hits were then subjected to toxicity prediction by ProTox-II.

Results: Four hits were identified that specifically dock nucleoprotein at the presumed binding site. Furthermore, these compounds have less binding energy i.e., 9.7 kcal/mol, 9.8 kcal/mol and 10.4 kcal/mol and with equal toxicity measures when compared to an FDA approved drug.

Interpretation & conclusion: This study illustrates that virtual screening is an efficient in silico approach to identify target-specific inhibitors. Researchers in this area who investigate drugs or synthesize agents against CCHFV with better efficacy could utilize reported inhibitors rather than trying random compounds ambivalently.
A case of co-infection with malaria and chikungunya in a returning traveler from Nigeria
Authors: Gaviria Rafael Ruiz , Santhekadur Prashanth
Published: December 2022

Due to globalization, physicians have to be prepared with knowledge and understanding of cases and diseases from all over the world. Vector-borne diseases are a particular group of diseases for which the clinician should be prepared, especially in the context of returning travelers with tropical fever, as the symptoms are very similar among some of the pathogens. In this report we present a case of a returning traveler from Nigeria with fever as her chief complaint and with a final diagnosis of malaria and chikungunya. We discuss how co-infection with different pathogens could change the natural history or modify the clinical course of the disease.
Detection of recombinant dengue virus 2 NS1 protein in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes using commercial Dengue NS1 ELISA kit
Authors: Abraham Philip Raj , Sankari T , Kumar Pradeep N , Kumar Ashwani
Published: December 2022

Dengue, a vector-borne disease remains as one of the most serious public health problems globally. Incidence of this disease is on an increasing trend and currently over a billion people in tropical and subtropical regions are at risk. In the absence of an operational vaccine, prevention of dengue virus (DENV) is primarily focused upon controlling mosquito vectors. Mosquito vector surveillance programmes require simple and rapid tools to detect mosquitoes infected with DENV. Here, we tested the commercially available DENV Detect™ NS1 ELISA kit (InBios International, Inc.) for detection of recombinant DENV-NS1 protein in Aedes mosquito samples. The kit was evaluated to find out the minimum detection limit of recombinant DENV-2 NS1 protein following the manufacturer’s instructions. Initially, the NS1 protein detection threshold of the kit was determined and later the assay was standardized for detection of NS1 protein in Aedes aegypti mosquito pools containing 5, 10 and 25 mosquitoes. The ELISA kit displayed high sensitivity towards detection of recombinant dengue virus-2 NS1 protein in mosquito pools (up to 25 mosquitoes per pool) at 25 pico gram concentration. Since the commercial NS1 ELISA is highly sensitive and follows a very simple procedure, it could be employed for DENV surveillance in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, after carrying out laboratory and field bioassays with DENV infected specimens.
Zika virus vertical transmission in mosquitoes
Authors: Dahiya Nisha , Yadav Mahima , Yadav Ashwani , Sehrawat Neelam
Published: December 2022

Zika virus disease is a great concern in different parts of the world, and it has become a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. The global pandemic of ZIKV in 2015 prompted concern among scientific community. Zika is a flavivirus of the family Flaviviridae transmitted by mosquitoes. Natural vertical transmission is an ecological strategy that arboviruses adopt to ensure their survival inside the mosquito vector during harsh conditions or interepidemic periods when horizontal transmission is difficult. ZIKV is vertically transmitted from infected females to its offspring. This review has concluded various studies regarding the vertical transmission ability of different mosquito species for ZIKV. Previously Aedes aegypti was considered to be a major vector, however Aedes albopictus and Culex quinquifasciatus are discovered to have the similar vertical transmission potential. Different studies shown that natural vertical transmission has been detected in mosquito species which are not implicated as possible vectors. It leads to the possibility that many other mosquito species may be potential ZIKV vectors.
Inhibitory Interaction and Pharmacological Analyses of Berries Phenolics Against Listeria monocytogenes Virulent Protein Internalin B
Authors: Kumar Abhishek , Vimal Archana , Kumar Awanish
Published: December 2022

Background:

Traditional plants, their parts, and phytochemicals obtained from them are beneficial for human beings. They are used as potent antimicrobials, but very little research is conducted on the use of traditional medicine against food-borne infection. Different berry plants are rich in phenolic compounds and conventionally known to have many properties such as antioxidants, anti-carcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and anti-diabetics. However, only limited polyphenols are known for their antilisterial effect. The present study aimed to explore the antimicrobial efficacy of phenolic compounds of berries for the treatment of food-borne infection caused by the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes.

Materials and Methods:

Molecular docking studies employing the SwissDOCK server were performed to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of phenolic compounds obtained from different varieties of berries. Internalin B (InlB), a virulence protein of L. monocytogenes was selected as a target. The absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity profiling of each test ligand was done through the SwissADME tool.

Results:

Among all the test ligands, p-coumaric acid, epicatechins, chlorogenic acid, and quercetin showed better binding efficiency with the target protein InlB. The binding energy obtained for quercetin, p-coumaric acid, chlorogenic acid, and epicatechins was-8.93,-8.23,-8.18,-7.58, kcal/mol, respectively. Quercetin and p-coumaric acid were forming 4 H-bonds, whereas chlorogenic acid and epicatechins were forming 3-H bonds inside the binding pocket.

Conclusion:

In a nutshell, analyses indicated that identified ligands have the potential to block the virulent protein InlB of L. monocytogenes and help combat Listeria infection. These phenolic compounds could be a substitute for synthetic antimicrobials and can be used in food preservation and combat food-borne diseases. However, future in-depth in vitro and in vivo analysis is needed to get more information on these four phenolic ligands of berries.
Development of Intelligent Acupuncture Applications and Related Technologies
Authors: Bao Yun-Fan , Zhang Zhi-Han , Yu Hui-Ying , Huo Xiang-Ning , Lu Yang , Xu Tian-Cheng
Published: December 2022

The study focuses on developing mobile applications based on intelligent acupuncture, classified into education and intelligent diagnosis and treatment. The mobile application function is divided into two directions: assisting acupoint positioning and perfecting acupoint knowledge system. The study does a relative review on Android and IOS, showing that the number of Android users is rather more prevailing than IOS. It suggests that intelligent acupuncture mobile applications should comply with the trend of acupuncture globalization in the future, developing multilingual versions. Further, the content should be characterized by the experience of different famous doctors to avoid homogenization. Technically, intelligent applications should continue to develop three-dimensional and augmented reality technology, to optimize the accuracy of acupoint positioning.
Systemic thrombolytic therapy in treatment of acute limb ischemia
Authors: Attia Khaled , Moawad Mahmoud , Khereba Walied
Published: December 2022

Background and aim

Owing to the increased risk of morbidity and mortality, the treatment of acute limb ischemia (ALI) is challenging. The authors aimed to investigate the outcomes of thrombolysis in the treatment of ALI and limb salvage.

Patients and methods

A retrospective observational study was conducted to revise the data of 49 patients who underwent catheter-direct thrombolysis for ALI. A total of 33 cases were at lower limb and 16 cases were at upper limb. The assessed outcomes were primary and secondary patency, survival, amputation-free survival, and conversion to surgery.

Results

The patients were classified according to the Rutherford classification into class I (52%), class IIa (38%), class IIb (8%), and class III (2%). The primary patency was present in 34% of the patients after the first year and 22% after the second year. On the contrary, 28% of the patients were subjected to conversion to open surgery, 8% were subjected to reintervention, and 6% were subjected to amputation within the first month. The mortality rate within 1 month was 6%. The worst primary and secondary patency rates were seen in the prosthetic grafts in addition to vein bypasses, whereas the native artery was the most successful one regarding the primary patency, secondary patency, and amputation-free survival (P<0.05 for each).

Conclusion

The thrombolysis of vein bypass and prosthetic grafts did not show technical success as that seen with native artery. Additional treatment at the time of thrombolysis was shown to be associated with better outcomes.
Wet Laboratory Training in Ophthalmology as a Tool for Formative Assessment
Authors: Bhagat Purvi Raj , Jethva Jignesh
Published: December 2022

Surgical skills training and assessment have always remained a critical issue for both trainees and trainers. Ophthalmology being a microsurgical specialty, its training in the operating theater further faces a lot of challenges. Wet laboratory training and simulation training were, therefore, developed so that residents acquired certain basic skills in controlled laboratory settings before they could operate on patients and patient safety could thereby be ensured. Unfortunately, most literature focuses on the benefits such practice has on operating room performance; but not much attention has been paid to the use of such training for formative assessment, feedback, and its importance in effective learning. In this article, we highlight the challenges faced in surgical skill transfer and also give an insight into how wet or dry laboratory training can be of formative value in postgraduate training.
Management of no Reflow during Percutaneous Transcoronary Angioplasty with Catheter-Directed Intracoronary Thrombolysis: A Retrospective Observational Study
Authors: Singh Rakendra , Singla Sanjeev Kumar , Singla Ankush , Manchanda Surbhi , Kaur Manjot
Published: December 2022

Background:

Intracoronary thrombus is common in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is the treatment of choice for these patients. Intracoronary thrombus is still a challenge during PCI in STEMI, even with dual antiplatelets, glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor, and anticoagulation. Intracoronary thrombus can cause distal or nonculprit vessel embolization and no-reflow state. No reflow results in large infarct size, adverse left ventricular remodeling, arrhythmias, and death. Recently, catheter-directed intracoronary thrombolysis (ICT) is gaining acceptance in patients with no-reflow due to a large thrombus burden.

Aim:

Evaluation of catheter-directed ICT in patients with acute STEMI who develop no reflow due to large thrombus burden during PCI.

Materials and Methods and Results:

This was a retrospective observational study conducted after approval of the institutional ethics committee in a tertiary care hospital of north India from April 15, 2021 to April 14, 2022, included 1020 adult patients who had undergone coronary evaluation. 37.25% patients had PCI, among these 10% had PCI for acute STEMI. Thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) Grade 5 in 79.17% and Grade 4 in 20.83%. ICT was done with low-dose tenecteplase (15 ± 5 mg). The TIMI flow III in 91.67% and II in 8.33% of patients was achieved after intracoronary thrombolysis. Major risk factor was tobacco smoking in 41.67%, and the major complication was left ventricular failure in 33.33%.

Conclusions:

Catheter-directed ICT is safe and effective in reducing thrombus burden, thus improving myocardial reperfusion in STEMI. This condition has a grave prognosis and can lead to adverse cardiac outcomes. There are many drugs that have been tried to manage no reflow. The use of ICT to treat no-reflow state can be life saving with minimal systemic side effects.
Sustainability, criticality, transition, fragility; pandemics, war, climate change and resource restriction – A recipe for the end
Authors: Raina Sunil K. , Kumar Raman
Published: December 2022

ABSTRACT

The criticality of the system or processes is in the values that the system or process represents. The acceleration to transition point, to fragility and ruin is dependent on our acceptance of an understanding of criticality. Pandemics, wars or climate change; as diverse as situations can be, point to this lack of a collective understanding of criticality of real-world situations.
Case series of invasive lung infections by Aspergillus species and zygomycosis among post COVID-19 and post-transplant individuals
Authors: Mahajan Mayuri , Prasanna S , Das Nikunja Kumar , Mahajan Nikhil
Published: December 2022

ABSTRACT

Airborne pathogens like Aspergillus bring the lungs in the frontline for defense. Pulmonary diseases caused by Aspergillus species are broadly classified as aspergilloma, chronic necrotizing pulmonary aspergillosis, invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA), and bronchopulmonary aspergillosis. Intensive care unit (ICU) admission is required for a large number of patients associated with IPA. It is not yet known whether patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are at a similar risk for IPA as for influenza. However, usage of steroids plays a leading role in COVID-19. The family Mucoraceae includes filamentous fungi of the order Mucorales, causing a rare opportunistic fungal infection known as mucormycosis. The most commonly reported clinical presentations of mucormycosis are rhinocerebral, pulmonary, cutaneous, gastrointestinal, disseminated, and others. Here, we report a case series of invasive pulmonary infection by various fungi like Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus fumigatus, Rhizopus oryzae, and Mucor species. Specific diagnosis was made based on microscopy, histology, culture, lactophenol cotton blue (LPCB) mount, and chest radiography and computed tomography (CT). To conclude, opportunistic fungal infections like those due to Aspergillus species and mucormycosis are most commonly associated with hematological malignancies, neutropenia, transplant patients, and diabetes. Therefore, early diagnosis by direct microscopy, surgical interventions, and effective antifungal treatment form the ideal management for invasive fungal infections like aspergillosis and mucormycosis, instead of waiting for the culture reports.
Comparison of master two-step exercise stress test versus six-min walk test in patients tested positive for SARS-CoV-2
Authors: Kumar Ankit , Hegde Naveen , Kumaravel J , Mohindra Ritin , Soni Roop Kishor , Rathod Ramya , Kumar Mohan , Muthu Valliappan , Gamad Nanda , Patil Amol N , Sharma PL
Published: December 2022

ABSTRACT

Background and Aim:

There has been a lack of uniformity on how to triage coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients visiting the emergency units of hospitals. Triage tools are themselves spreading the pandemic in hospital areas. The present study compared a master two-step (M2ST) exercise stress test versus a 6-min walk test (6MWT) in COVID-19–positive patients visiting the emergency unit of a hospital.

Materials and Methods:

Thirty-nine patients underwent 6MWT followed by M2ST, while another set of 38 patients underwent M2ST followed by 6MWT in this randomized, crossover, open-label, and noninferiority study. The exercise tests assessed the change from baseline in SpO2, heart rate (HR), respiratory rate, blood pressure, exertion, and dyspnea on the modified-Borg scale.

Results:

Noninferiority was established for SpO2 (P < 0.05), systolic blood pressure (SBP; P < 0.001), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP; P < 0.05), but not for HR (P = 0.3) and respiratory rate (P = 0.6). The difference between the pretest and posttest (delta change) values for the parameters SpO2, respiratory rate, HR, SBP, and DBP correlated significantly (P < 0.001) with Pearson correlation coefficient (r = 0.764, 0.783, 0.473, 0.838, and 0.783, respectively). The delta change values of modified-Borg scale for dyspnea (P = 0.291) and exertion (P = 0.208) were statistically insignificant between the two exercise tests. However, the correlation between the tests was statistically significant (P < 0.001).

Conclusion:

M2ST, a timesaving, cost-effective, and easy to perform exercise stress test, has been identified as a reliable alternative for 6MWT.
Family medicine residents’ knowledge and attitudes towards biostatistics, Taif, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Authors: Alotaibi Wejdan Abdulraheem , Alosaimi Ameera Mishal , Alsulaimani Nada Hamed
Published: December 2022

ABSTRACT

Background:

It is essential for practicing clinicians to have core knowledge of biostatistics. However, surveys indicated that clinicians’ attitudes towards biostatistics are negative. Despite its importance, little is known about the knowledge of and attitudes towards statistics among trainees in family medicine, particularly in Saudi Arabia. The current investigation attempts to evaluate knowledge and attitudes held by family medicine trainees in Taif and explore their correlates.

Materials and Methods:

This was a descriptive, questionnaire-based, cross-sectional study of residents in family medicine training programme in Taif, Saudi Arabia. We used Poisson regression modelling to evaluate the effect of background factors on knowledge and attitudes towards biostatistics.

Results:

The study included 113 family medicine trainees at different levels of training. Only 36 (31.9%) of the participating trainees expressed positive attitudes towards biostatistics. On the other hand, 30 (26.5%) participating trainees were found to have good biostatistics knowledge, compared to 83 (73.5%) trainees whose knowledge level was found to be poor. Upon adjusting for all background factors simultaneously, only younger age, level R4 training, publishing one or three papers were found to be associated with poorer attitudes towards biostatistics. Older age was associated with worsening of attitudes (adjusted odds = 0.9900, P = 0.00924), and so also was being a senior R4 trainee (adjusted odds = 0.9045, P = 0.01301). Publishing one paper (compared to publishing over three papers) was associated with poorer attitudes towards biostatistics (adjusted odds = 0.8857, P = 0.03525). Also, having published three papers (compared to publishing over three papers) was still associated with worse attitudes towards biostatistics (adjusted odds = 0.8528, P = 0.01318).

Conclusion:

The main finding of our current study is the poor level of knowledge and overtly negative attitudes held by family medicine trainees in Taif towards biostatics. Knowledge was particularly poor about advanced statistical concepts such as survival analysis and linear regression modelling. However, poor levels of knowledge about biostatistics could be a function of poor research productivity among family medicine trainees. Age, seniority in training and involvement in research also impacted positively on attitudes towards biostatistics. Therefore, it is recommended that the training curriculum for family medicine trainees should first cover essential biostatistics in a creative and accessible way and secondly encourage engagement research and publication from an early stage of training.