bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Selective Laser Melting Parametric Optimization for Microhardness of 17-4 PH Stainless Steel
Authors: Sahadevan Priya , Selvan Chithirai Pon , Bhaumik Amiya , Lakshmikantha Avinash
Published: April 2024

The 17-4 PH stainless steel is a structural material possessing inherent properties suitable for employment in industrial applications. Selective Laser Melting (SLM) technology has overcome many shortcomings of conventional processing routes to fabricate structural parts possessing higher hardness and strength. Hardness is the most dominant factor that affects the quality of structural parts. Laser power, scan speed, and hatch distance affect the microhardness of 17-4 PH stainless steel parts. Taguchi method is applied to conduct experiments and perform statistical analysis and optimization for higher microhardness of SLM parts. Laser power showed the highest contribution equal to 87.76%, followed by a scan speed of 12.05% and hatch distance of 0.18% towards microhardness. The Taguchi method determined the optimal conditions (laser power: 300 W, scan speed: 1000 mm/s and hatch distance: 0.08 mm) resulting in a higher microhardness value equal to 351.2 HV.
A Study of Banded Hematite Quartzite (BHQ) in Mallasamudra Area, Gadag Schist Belt, Karnataka, India
Authors: Agasnalli Chandrashekharappa , Lakkundi T. K. , Natikar Ramaling D. , Nerlikar Dhanashree
Published: April 2024

Mineral raw material plays a very important role in the manufacturing industry as well as the country's economic growth. The iron ore, especially the Banded Iron Formations (BIFs) are unique rock formations in geological history. The Mallasamudra area, Gadag Schist Belt (GSB), is having good exposures of iron ores. Most of the outcrops of BHQ are located on the top of the hills whereas metabasalts occur on either side of the hills in the area. The BHQ were delineated during field mapping. In the Banded Hematite Quartzite (BHQ) of Mallasamudra area, SiO2 varies from 48.22% to 52.12% and Fe2O3 varies from 29.23% to 33.21% indicating that the BHQ is of low-grade.
Research on the Performance of Biodiesel using Diesel Engines with Different Combustion Chamber Shapes
Authors: Patil Prashant , Kardekar Nitin , Pawar Rohini , Kamble Dhanapal
Published: April 2024

The performance dynamics of diesel engines powered by biodiesel are examined in this study, with a focus on the impact of various combustion chamber configurations. Understanding how diverse combustion chamber designs impact engine performance, emissions profiles, and combustion efficiency under varied operating situations is the main goal. The study used a 25% blend of Corn Oil Methyl Ester (COME25) biodiesel to test two types of engines: a Toroidal Cavity Piston (TCP) engine and a regular Hemispherical Cavity Piston (HCP) engine. When compared to the COME25 HCP engine, the TCP engine exhibits a notable 2.14% gain in Brake Thermal Efficiency (BTE) at maximum power. This improvement is attributable to the TCP engine's capacity to produce more cylinder swirl and turbulence, which leads to more effective combustion. This efficiency improvement comes with trade-offs, too, since full-power operation results in a simultaneous 28% reduction in Carbon Monoxide (CO) and a 25% reduction in Hydrocarbon (HC) emissions, but a 14% rise in nitrous oxide (NOx) emissions. These results demonstrate the intricate relationship between emissions control and combustion chamber shape. Along with the TCP engine and COME25 blend, the study also examines changes in Compression Ratio (CR). It finds that optimising both CR and combustion chamber geometry can result in a 9.6% decrease in Brake-Specific Fuel Consumption (BSFC) and a 2.31% rise in BTE. This illustrates the possible advantages of optimising engine settings to increase performance. The study offers insightful information for optimising diesel engines using biodiesel mixes, presenting a viable path for raising combustion efficiency and lowering emissions.
Future of Multifunctional/Multigrade Materials – A Review
Authors: Bharathi V. , Ramji B. R. , Shashikumar G.
Published: April 2024

When functions exclude each other, embedding multiple functions in one material system is a basic challenge. To develop a competence system approach for multifunctionality to enable different applications for the improvement of quality of life and to address worldwide challenges, a basic understanding of structure–function relationships is necessary. The first demand for FGM’s came from Space shuttles for high-temperature applications. The conventional materials were found inefficient in meeting this requirement. They have a variety of applications like coating, aerospace, automotive, biomaterials, cutting tools etc.; hence an attempt has been made in this research paper to review the futuristic scope of FGM considering their structure, design criteria, properties, functions and manufacturing and experimental methods.
Numerical Investigation of Flow Hydrodynamics in a Flow Field and Porous Substrate Configuration for Redox Flow Battery Application
Authors: Krishnappa Rakesh Basavegowda , Gowreesh Subramanya S. , Deshpande Abhijit
Published: April 2024

In the recent past, most of the literature reported that the electrolyte circulations in parallel flow field configurations exhibit severe non-uniformity with higher Pressure Drop (Δp). The present work proposes a three-dimensional computational design of flow field configurations to achieve a single-phase uniform flow with minimal pump power and flow dispersion over an active cell area of 131cm2 for All Iron Redox Flow Battery (AIRFB). Computational investigation of the Pressure Drop (Δp), electrolyte flow velocity and uniform flow distribution in the channels and through the graphite felt electrode under various flow conditions was conducted using the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) tool. It is observed from the results that the Multi-Channel Serpentine Flow Field (MCSFF) has the least pressure drop among the other flow fields. However, the Cross-Split Serpentine Flow Field (CSSFF) resulted in better flow circulation and dispersion over the entire active cell area with a high uniformity index, operating at a wide range of flow rates with a reasonable Pressure Drop (Δp). The porous media permeability and a strong function of Compression Ratio (CR) were numerically validated from the well-known correlation existing in the literature. At CR 50% it was observed that the volume uniformity index of the felt was 69%, which would correspondingly enhance the rate of mass transfer and electro-kinetics at electrode felt and ion conductivity across the membrane. The CSSFF configuration is predominant in terms of uniform flow distribution and wettability at the defined operating conditions resulting in enhanced cell performance.
Physicochemical Modifications on Fibre Reinforced Polymer Composites for Mining Applications
Authors: Thomas Lijin , Sebastian Joseph , Santhosh Aditya , Vijay Renjish , Ajukumar V. N. , Hameed Sultan Mohamed Thariq Bin Haji , Mubarak Ali M.
Published: April 2024

Polymer composites are mainly employed as an industrial material because of their chemical and corrosion resistance, especially in mining applications. As a result of the growing demand for biodegradable, ecological, and recyclable materials, organic fibres are widely used as reinforcement in polymer composites in recent years. The challenges arising from polymer composites, like environmental impact, moisture absorption, Thermomechanical property deterioration, lower durability in mining applications are discussed in this review. This work analyses the influence of certain physicochemical modifications on the reinforcement and matrix in polymer composites for mining purpose. This investigation was to understand the effectiveness of physicochemical modifications, specifically cryogenic treatment, on reinforcements and matrix to overcome the above mentioned challenges. This study also highlights the morphological and thermal changes due to the modifications. Results show the effect of these modifications on the composite and its constituents, cryogenic treatment on the organic fibre reinforcements showed increased moisture resistance, higher cellulose composition and mechanical properties, exposing the potential of using organic fibre-reinforced polymer composite in Mining applications.
Studies on Tamarind Seed Kernel-Based Bio Composites for Fire Performance and Degradability to Enhance Shelf Life, Under the Influence of Additives
Authors: Ambli Kushal G. , Vanarotti Mohan B.
Published: April 2024

Natural fibre reinforced composites have received a lot of interest in recent years as prospective building components for low-cost applications. Natural fibers offer good opportunity as composite reinforcement, as they are strong, light, cheap and renewable. Numerous experiments have been conducted to emphasize the use of bio-based materials for various applications. Considering environmental aspects, the current research is concentrated on bio-based binder and reinforcement. The objective here is to conduct various experiments for fire behaviour to justify its insulation property, fungal behaviour for degradability, moisture absorption and mechanical properties in order to tabulate results and to quantify the variations. Justify optimal composition and parameter responsible for variation by DOE-Taguchi technique. Experimental results presented reduction in burning rate with increase in Tamarind Seed Kernel Gum (TSG), attaining lowest of 8.29 mm/min at 60% Paper Cellulose (PC) and 40% TSG falling within the class of UL94HB for horizontal testing, 26.92 mm/min for vertical testing. The PC in combination with TSG influenced development of ‘Mucore’ category fungus resulting in rapid degradation, this is addressed by additives namely ‘Boric Acid’ and ‘Turmeric Powder’. Poor performance observed in terms of moisture behaviour hampering the sustainability of composites.
Hexagonal Boron Nitride Nanoplatelets Filled Polyphenylene Sulphide Nanocomposites: Influence on Thermal and Dielectric Properties
Authors: Tambe Pankaj , Sharma Ambuj , Kulkarni Hrushikesh , Panda Biswajit , Pandey Mayank
Published: April 2024

The Hexagonal Boron Nitride (hBN) nanoplatelets are synthesized using a wet chemical method. X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) shows the hBN nanoplatelets exfoliates along the (002) plane. Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) observation shows the exfoliated hBN nanoplatelets. The hBN nanoplatelets and polyphenylene suulfiude (PPS) physical mixture are solvent processed using ethyl alcohol. It involves two step processing with the first step of ultrasonic treatment of hBN nanoplatelet in ethyl alcohol followed by mixing it with PPS powder and further sonication. This mixed powder of PPS and hBN nanoplatelets are hot pressed using a compression moulding machine. With more addition of hBN nanoplatelets in PPS matrix shows the enhancement in dielectric constant. In addition, the dispersion of hBN nanoplatelets in the PPS matrix increases the crystallinity and thermal stability.
Effects of MHD, Forchheimer and Heat Transfer in Annular Region between Porous and Impervious Concentric Cylinders - DTM Approach
Authors: Sushma T. C. , Dinesh P. A. , Nalinakshi N. , Jayalakshmamma D. V. , Harichandra B. P.
Published: April 2024

Significant increase of numerous applications in engineering, biological and industrial purpose as metallic extrusion motivated this communication. This paper proposes unique computational procedure is Method of Differential Transforms (DTM) to get an exact solution for electrified conducting fluid over a semi-porous cylinder in an impermeable cylinder with effects of Joule heating and convection term. A key finding of study reports the different dimensionless parameters influences the variations in velocity and heat transport on the fluid flow are presented graphically. The graph reveals an interesting result of Nusselt number, Skin-friction and stream lines elucidates the flow characteristics. A qualitative agreement is found in the present paper and are well matched with earlier work.
Implementation of E-office: A Pragmatic Study on Employees Attitude in R&D Institutions of Power Sector in India
Authors: Satish K. H. , Rizwana M.
Published: April 2024

Eoffice is a technology that has emerged in India as open source software, and the National Informatics Centre (NIC) provides a comprehensive variety of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) to make Eoffice practice and implementation more convenient for everyone. Because it serves as the backbone of the networking infrastructure, it has given outstanding services to all significant government organisations across India. To examine the relationships between various aspects of technology, their integration, and the provision of services to society, electronic office modules (EOMs) can be utilized in research contexts. The study is exploratory in nature and uses a structured questionnaire. Keeping in view the small population at 10% margin of error and 95% confidence level a sample size of [n=67] users of Eoffice application were determined using the Cochran formula. The questionnaires were distributed through online medium. Descriptive statistics are used to summarize the data collected using the SPSS Software. As part of an effort to better understand employee attitude toward Eoffice implementation, it has been found that employees are generally supportive of the initiative. It is possible that this attitude has played a key role in the success of the Eoffice implementation at Central Power Research Institute (CPRI). According to the confirmatory factor analysis, Eoffice adoption is influenced by both positive and negative attitudes. However, the positivity serves as a catalyst for embracing Eoffice and bringing together manufacturers, academics, and government research institutes on a single platform to accomplish this goal.
Politikai fejlődés: mi, miért, hogyan?
Authors: Csizmadia Ervin
Published: April 2024

The essay focuses on the comparative analysis of Hungarian political development before 1989–90. Instead of dealing with the 32 years since the change of regime, the author is interested in how many different interpretations of political development can be identified. The author singles out examples of political development in developed countries (for example the United States) as well as developing countries (those countries which have become decolonized in the 1960s). The starting point of the analysis is that Hungary cannot be described by either the categories used for developed countries or those that are used for developing ones. While the essay recognizes that the measure of progress at all times for Hungarian development is the example of Western development, it does not accept the approach according to which Hungarian development is a “dead-end” because it differs from Western development in many ways. The essay puts forward the hypothesis of the “normality” of Hungarian political development.
AI in Nuclear Medical Applications: Challenges and Opportunities
Authors: Izadpanahkakhk Mahdieh , Jalili Ahmad , Ghaderzadeh Mustafa , Gheisari Mehdi
Published: April 2024

The Article Abstract is not available.
Parotidectomy Surgical Simulation and Education with a Three-Dimensional Printed Face Model for Iraqi Surgeons
Authors: Lafta Hassanain Ali , Madlol Ali Adel
Published: April 2024

Purpose: Parotidectomy is usually suggested for many persons with parotid gland tumors. Facial nerve weakening is the most concerning of the potential consequences related to parotidectomy, resulting in a significantly reduced patient quality of life. With preoperative preparation and surgical training and simulation, a three-Dimensional (3D) printed human face anatomical model has just been designed and fabricated.
Materials and Methods: Fifteen surgeons from Iraqi teaching hospitals evaluated the simulator model by using a Likert scale survey. The model is composed of a silicon based human face replica with an incorporated parotid gland replica and a closed electrical circuit of the facial nerve course to show when contact is made between the surgical instrument and the nerve to provide feedback.
Results and Conclusion: All participants gave favorable feedback. Significant levels of satisfaction with the designed simulator have been relatively achieved. In comparison to experts, novice surgeons scored less for skin realism and handling. Such a difference suggests that the proposed simulator appears to have the potential to contribute to the advancement of surgical simulation, education, and planning.
Analysis of the Prevalence of Lumbar Annular Tears in Adult Patients Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging Data
Authors: Davoudi Mohammad , Zabibah Rahman S. , Ramírez-Coronel Andrés Alexis , Al-Khafaji Ali Hussein Demin , Iswanto Acim Heri , Ataei Gholamreza , Yousefi Elham , Nosrati Fatemeh Zahra , Fazilat-Panah Danial
Published: April 2024

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the lumbar annular tears prevalence regarding the patient’s history factors, and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) recorded data.
Materials and Methods: In this study, 218 patients (106 men and 112 women) were evaluated; 136 cases (63 men and 73 women, 20-80 years, mean: 45.4±14.8 years) with Lower Back Pain (LBP) and High-Intensity Zone (HIZ) were diagnosed based on MR images. The diagnosed annular tears from the MRI data, Body Mass Index (BMI, kg/m2), and physical activity of the patients were recorded, and the prevalence of lumbar annular tears was evaluated regarding the mentioned parameters.
Results: The prevalence of annular tears was 31.6% at L5/S1 (43/136 patients), 43.4% at L4/L5 (59/136 patients), 16.9% at L3/L4 (23/136 patients), 4.4% at L2/L3 (6/136 patients), and 3.7% at L1/L2 spinal disc space (5/136 patients). Most patients with annular tears had LBP (>60%). Based on the patient's history, 25% of patients had BMI above 30, 8.8% had post-traumatic history, 15.4% had a history of falling down, 19.1% had slipped down history, 16.2% were athletes, and 15.4% performed heavy work.
Conclusion: The prevalence of lumbar annular tears was higher in patients having LBP and a BMI over 30, which should be considered possible risk factors. This study demonstrated that annular tears are more likely to occur in lower lumbar discs, especially in L4/L5 and L5/S1 discs.
Grading the Dominant Pathological Indices in Liver Diseases from Pathological Images Using Radiomics Methods
Authors: Zamanian Hamed , Shalbaf Ahmad
Published: April 2024

Purpose: This study aims to diagnose the severity of important pathological indices, i.e., fibrosis, steatosis, lobular inflammation, and ballooning from the pathological images of the liver tissue based on extracted features by radiomics methods.
Materials and Methods: This research uses the pathological images obtained from liver tissue samples for 258 laboratory mice. After preprocessing the images and data augmentation, a collection of texture feature sets extracted by gray-level-based algorithms, including Global, Gray-level Co-Occurrence Matrix (GLCM), Gray-level Run length Matrix (GLRLM), Gray-level Size Zone Matrix (GLSZM), and Neighboring Gray Tone Difference Matrix (NGTDM) algorithms. Then, advanced methods of classification, namely Support Vector Machine (SVM), Random Forest (RF), Quadratic Discriminant Analysis (QDA), K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN), Logistic Regression (LR), Naïve Bayes (NB), and Multi-layer Perceptrons (MLP) are employed. This procedure is provided separately for each of the four indices of fibrosis level in 6 grading classes, steatosis in 5 grading classes, inflammation in 4 grading classes, and ballooning in 3 grading classes. For a comparison of the output of these algorithms, the accuracy value obtained from the evaluation data is presented for the performance of different methods.
Results: The results showed that, compared to other methods, the Gaussian SVM algorithm provides a better response to the classification of the grading of liver disease among all the indices from the pathological images due to its structural features. This value of accuracy was calculated at 84.30% for fibrosis, 90.55% for steatosis, 81.11% for inflammation, and 95.98% for ballooning.
Conclusion: This fully automatic framework based on advanced radiomics algorithms and machine learning from pathological images can be very useful in clinical procedures and be considered as an assistant or a substitute for pathologists’ diagnoses.
The Benson Complex Figure Test: Normative Data for the Healthy Iranian Population
Authors: Sisakhti Minoo , Hosseini Helia , Batouli Seyed Amir Hossein , Farrahi Hassan
Published: April 2024

Purpose: Visual-related abilities such as visual memory and visuo-constructional skills are among the cognitive abilities with fundamental importance for normal cognitive function, and their impairment is manifested in many neurological and psychiatric disorders. The present study aimed to generate normative data for the Benson Complex Figure Test (BCFT), a well-known simplified version of the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test, in Iran and to assess the effect of demographic variables of age, gender, and education on its various measures.
Materials and Methods: The present study was conducted in 2017-2018 as part of the Iranian Brain Imaging Database (IBID) project. The study sample consisted of 300 normal individuals in the age range of 20 to 70 years, with an equal number of participants and an equal proportion of genders in each age decade (#60). Independent and dependent variables, respectively, were age (classified by five decades including 20-30-year-olds, 31-40-year-olds, 41-50-year-olds, 51-60-year-olds, and 61-70-year-olds) and performance in the BCFT (defined in terms of 3 scores on a copy, recall, and recognition of the geometric figure and 2 scores on time of copy and recall).
Results: The correlation matrix among the variables showed that age and education have a significant correlation with most of the BCFT scores, while gender only has a significant correlation with recognition score. Multivariate analysis of variance showed the effect of age, gender, and their interaction on scores, while education did not make a significant difference in the BCFT scores. Also, the t-test showed a significant difference between men and women in recall and recognition, so women and men showed better performance in recall and recognition, respectively.
Conclusion: In summary, our results suggest that demographic variables of age, gender, and education affect visual memory and visuospatial abilities, and it is essential to generate normative data for research or clinical settings.
A Deep Learning Approach for Detecting Atrial Fibrillation using RR Intervals of ECG
Authors: Rao S.K Shrikanth , H Kolekar MaheshKumar , Martis Roshan Joy
Published: April 2024

Purpose: Atrial Fibrillation (AF) is one of the most common types of heart arrhythmias observed in clinical practice. AF can be detected using an Electrocardiogram (ECG). ECG signals are time-varying and nonlinear in nature. Hence, it is very difficult for a physician to manually perform accurate and rapid classification of different heart rhythms.
Materials and Methods: In this paper, we propose a method using Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) with db6 as the basis function for denoising ECG signal.
Results: The denoised ECG is smoothened using the Savitzky- Golay filter. Deep learning methods, such as a combination of Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) and Long Short Term Memory (LSTM) (CNN-LSTM) and ResNet18 are used for the accurate classification of ECG signals using Physionet Challenge 2017 database.
Conclusion: With a 10-fold cross-validation method the model provided overall accuracy of 98.25% with the CNN-LSTM classifier.
Evaluation of the Status of Knowledge, Attitude, and Performance of Radiology Department Staff Regarding Radiation Safety Principles at Hospitals in the North and Northeast of Iran
Authors: Younesi Heravi Mohammad Amin , Keshtkar Mohammad , Khoshdel Emad , Pishgadam Morteza , Poorbarat Salar , Jafarzadeh Hesari Mahsa
Published: April 2024

Purpose: Although ionizing radiation is useful in diagnosing various diseases, it can cause potential biological damage such as cancer, cataracts, and fetal damage for patients and staff working in radiology departments. Therefore, knowledge and practice about applying radiation protection principles are essential. This research investigates radiology personnel's knowledge, attitude, and performance regarding radiation protection in the north and northeast of Iran.
Materials and Methods: This descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study was conducted using a 30-item questionnaire among 435 radiology personnel in North Khorasan, Razavi Khorasan, Golestan, and Mazandaran provinces. This questionnaire included questions related to demographic information and the level of knowledge, attitude, and performance of radiology personnel regarding radiation protection. Data was also analyzed using SPSS-19 software.
Results: The participation rate of radiology personnel was 80.55%, and the mean and standard deviation of their knowledge, attitude, and performance regarding radiation protection were 45.9907 ± 1.294, 78.1531 ± 4.707, and 44.9368 ± 6.88, respectively. Based on the results of the study, there is no significant relationship between gender and knowledge (P = 0.781), attitude (P = 0.156), and performance of personnel (P = 0.87); however, a significant relationship was observed between education degree and attitude of personnel (P = 0.026), between working years and knowledge of personnel (P = 0.019), and also between job title and attitude of personnel (P = 0.003).
Conclusion: The results of this study revealed that there is a significant relationship between education degree and attitude of personnel, working years, and knowledge of personnel, and also between job title and attitude of the personnel. According to these results, our population, both personnel and patients have relatively poor performance and poor knowledge about radiation safety principles. Therefore, formal training in the use of ionizing radiation equipment is necessary for radiation safety.
Antibody Response before and after the Booster Dose of Inactivated Corona Vaccine in Antibody Deficient Patients
Authors: Movahedi Mahshid , Movahedi Masoud , Parvaneh Nima , Abolhassani Hassan , Mahdavi Mohadese , Alizadeh Fatemeh , Shokri Mehdi , Kalantari Arash
Published: April 2024

Patients with inborn errors of immunity (IEI) are among the high-risk groups regarding COVID-19. Receiving booster doses (third and fourth) in addition to the standard doses is recommended in these patients. This study investigated the antibody response before and after a booster dose of Sinopharm vaccine in IEI patients.
Thirty patients (>12 years) with antibody deficiencies, referred to Imam Khomeini Hospital and Children's Medical Center in Tehran, were enrolled in this prospective cross-sectional study. All patients were fully vaccinated with the BBIBP-CorV vaccine (2 doses of Sinopharm). Initial measurements of anti-receptor-binding domain (anti-RBD) and anti-nucleocapsid (anti-N) IgG antibody responses were conducted by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Subsequently, all patients received a booster dose of the vaccine. Four to six weeks after booster injection, the levels of antibodies were re-evaluated.
Twenty patients with common variable immunodeficiency (CVID), 7 cases with agammaglobulinemia and 3 patients with hyper IgM syndrome were studied. Anti-RBD IgG and anti-N IgG antibodies increased in all patients after the booster.
Our results indicated the need of receiving booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine in patients with antibody deficiencies, even for enhancing humoral immune response specially in patients with CVID.
Trial of Cardiovascular Risk Factor Assessment and Transthoracic Echocardiography Results in Patients with Primary Antibody Deficiency
Authors: Napiórkowska-Baran Katarzyna , Grześk Grzegorz , Błażejewski Jan , Ziętkiewicz Marcin , Więsik-Szewczyk Ewa , Matyja-Bednarczyk Aleksandra , Tykwińska Marta , Grześk Elżbieta , Lubański Jakub , Schmidt Oskar , Szymczak Bartłomiej , Zacniewski Robert , Szynkiewicz Ewa , Owsiany Michał , Bartuzi Zbigniew
Published: April 2024

The life expectancy and the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases in patients with inborn errors of immunity are systematically increasing.
The aim of the study was to assess cardiovascular risk factors and to evaluate the heart in echocardiography in patients with primary antibody deficiency (PAD). Cardiac echography and selected cardiovascular risk factors, including body mass index, sedentary lifestyle, nicotine, glucose, C-reactive protein, lipid profile, uric acid level, certain chronic diseases, and glucocorticoid use, were analyzed in 94 patients >18 years of age with PAD.
Of the patients,25.5% had a cardiovascular disease (mostly hypertension, 18%), 10.5% smoked, 17% were overweight, 14% were obese, and 15% were underweight. Abnormal blood pressure was found in 6.5% of the patients. Lipid metabolism disorders were found in 72.5% of in the studied cohort, increased total cholesterol (45.5%), non-high-density lipoprotein (HDL) (51%),
low-density lipoprotein (LDL) (47%), and triglycerides (32%) were observed. Furthermore, 28.5% had a decrease in HDL and 9.5% had a history of hyperuricemia. The average number of risk factors was 5 ± 3 for the entire population and 4 ± 2 for those under 40 years of age. Elevated uric acid levels were found de novo in 4% of participants. In particular, 74.5% of the patients had never undergone an echocardiogram with a successful completion rate of 87% among those tested. Among them, 30% showed parameters within normal limits, primarily regurgitation (92.5%). New pathologies were identified in 28% of patients.
Prevention in patients with PAD, aimed at reducing cardiovascular risk, should be a priority.
low-density lipoprotein (LDL) (47%), and triglycerides (32%) were observed. Furthermore, 28.5% had a decrease in HDL and 9.5% had a history of hyperuricemia. The average number of risk factors was 5 ± 3 for the entire population and 4 ± 2 for those under 40 years of age. Elevated uric acid levels were found de novo in 4% of participants. In particular, 74.5% of the patients had never undergone an echocardiogram with a successful completion rate of 87% among those tested. Among them, 30% showed parameters within normal limits, primarily regurgitation (92.5%). New pathologies were identified in 28% of patients.
Prevention in patients with PAD, aimed at reducing cardiovascular risk, should be a priority.
Altered Expression of B Cell Receptor Signaling Pathway Genes in Peripheral Blood of Patients with Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: Jalili Shirin , Shirzad Hadi , Mousavi Nezhad Seyed Amin
Published: April 2024

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune neurodegenerative disease and has adverse implications. The exact mechanism of its pathogenesis is not fully understood and remains to be elucidated. In the current study we aimed to identify key genes that can serve as potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for MS and shed light on pathogenesis mechanisms involved in MS.
We analyzed a gene expression dataset (GES21942) and found 266 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) including 183 upregulated and 83 downregulated genes in MS patients compared to controls. Then we conducted pathway enrichment on DEGs and selected the top enriched pathway i.e., B cell receptor signaling pathway, and 5 genes of this pathway (CR2, BLK, BLNK, RASGRP3, and KRAS) for further investigation in our clinical samples. We recruited 50 MS patients and 50 controls and assessed the expression of selected genes in the circulation of patients versus controls.
Expression of CR2, BLK, BLNK, and RASGRP3 were significantly higher in MS cases compared with controls. There was no significant difference in expression of KRAS between patients and controls. All of the selected genes with differential expression had noticeable diagnostic power and CR2 was the most robust gene in differentiating MS cases from controls. Additionally, a combination of genes resulted in enhanced diagnostic power.
Collectively our results suggest that the B cell receptor signaling pathway and the selected genes from this pathway may be implicated in the pathogenesis of MS and each of these genes can be considered as potential diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets.
Phenotypic and genotypic evaluation of aminoglycoside resistance in Escherichia coli isolated from patients with blood stream infections in Tehran, Iran
Authors: Ghamari Mahsa , Emaneini Mohammad , Hemmati Saeed , Jabalameli Fereshteh , Beigverdi Reza
Published: April 2024

Background and Objectives: Escherichia coli is a significant causative agent of bloodstream infections (BSIs). Aminogly- coside antibiotics play a crucial role in treating severe infections such as sepsis and pneumonia. However, resistance to these antibiotics often occurs due to the production of aminoglycoside-modifying enzymes (AMEs). This study was conducted to assess antimicrobial susceptibility patterns against various aminoglycosides and to determine the prevalence of common AME genes in E. coli strains isolated from BSIs.
Materials and Methods: Sixty-five E. coli isolates were obtained from blood samples in a referral hospital in Tehran, Iran. The susceptibility patterns of aminoglycosides were determined using disk diffusion method and AMEs genes were investi- gated using PCR assay.
Results: Resistance to aminoglycosides was observed in 64.6% (42/65) of the isolates.  The most frequent resistance rate was found for kanamycin (44.6%) and gentamicin (38.5%), followed by tobramycin (29.2%) and amikacin (4.6%). The most frequent AME gene was aac(3)-IVa, which detected in 49.2% isolates, followed by aac(6)-Ib (40%), aac(3)-IIa (32.3%), and ant(2)-Ia (30.8%), respectively.
Conclusion: Athough the findings of this survey are based on specimens collected from a single hospital, our study shows that the high prevalence of aminoglycoside resistance is primarily attributed to the presence of the aac(3)-Iva, aac(6)-Ib and aac(3)-IIa genes. The low rate of resistance to amikacin makes this antibiotic a good candidate for treatment of BSIs due to E. coli.
Study of behavioral and psychosocial factors relating to needle stick injuries in nursing staff of a tertiary care cancer hospital of Punjab, India
Authors: Arora Ananya , Biswas Sanjay , Pahwa Vandita , Bansal Naveen , Verghese Sneha , Rodrigues Nancy , Gulia Ashish , Divatia Jigeeshu , Brar Rahat , Sancheti Sankalp , Singh Charu , Saxena Aman
Published: April 2024

Background and Objectives: Needle stick injury (NSI) is the most dreaded occupational health hazard affecting a health- care worker (HCW) psychologically and physically. The risk of infection post needle stick injury ranges between 1.9% to greater than 40% for HBV infections, 2.7-10% for HCV and 0.2-0.44% for HIV infections. As per National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) records, nursing staff is at highest risk (43%) followed by physicians (28%). The main objective of this study was to evaluate knowledge of nursing staff about needle stick injuries and to study factors leading to such incidents in their working areas, impart them knowledge regarding the same and fill gaps in knowledge.
Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional retrospective analysis involving nursing staff and students. p values were calculated using SPSS software.
Results: Overall NSI prevalence among nursing staff and students was 51.6% whereas in more exposed and less exposed group was 47.45% and 10.16% respectively (p=0.2056). The most common cause of NSI incident was recapping of needle (38.5%) followed by transferring needle to sharp container (35%).
Conclusion: Consequences of NSI are serious and this study has tried to emphasize on the need to study the factors leading to NSI.
Risk analysis of candidemia and its effect on mortality in COVID 19 and non COVID 19 patients
Authors: Özmerdiven Gülşah Ece , İrvem Arzu , Şahin Ayça Sultan
Published: April 2024

Background and Objectives: Candidemia is the most common serious fungal infection in critically ill patients in intensive care units (ICU). It series fourth among bloodstream infectious agents. In this study, candidemia risk analysis was examined in COVID 19  and non-COVID 19 patients during the pandemic period.
Materials and Methods: COVID 19 and non-COVID 19 cases who were followed up with candidemia in the ICU of our hospital were retrospectively screened. Demographic data, intubation, central venous catheter (CVC), medications, and to- tal parenteral nutrition (TPN) status were evaluated in terms of risk between the two groups. Isolated Candida species and susceptibilty were evaluated.
Results: When age, gender, medication, intubation, TPN and CVC were evaluated, no difference was seen in terms of risk. Differences were detected in terms of comorbidities. While the most frequently identified Candida species was C. albicans, the most frequently detected species in the COVID19 patient group was C. parapsilosis.
Conclusion: There was no difference in candidemia incidence and risk factors between the two groups. Since candidemias were evaluated in terms of comorbidities, it was determined that Diabetes Mellitus (DM) and chronic obstructive pulmoner disease (COPD) were more common in patients with COVID 19 and less common in coronary artery disease (CAD) and malignancy.
Molecular characterization and evolutionary dynamics of influenza A(H1N1) strains isolated from 2015 to 2017 in North India
Authors: Srivastava Sonakshi , Ratho Radha Kanta , Singh Mini P , Sarkar Subhabrata , Pati Binod K
Published: April 2024

Background and Objectives: The influenza A(H1N1) virus is known for large outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics world- wide owing to its genome plasticity which evolves constantly. In the year 2015 and then in 2017, India witnessed an upsurge in cases.
Materials and Methods: The study was carried out in this period (2015-2017) with samples from 5 states across north India. The hemagglutinin 1 (HA1) and non-structural 1 (NS1) gene segments of the viral genome were characterised by phylogenetic analysis, selection pressure analysis, prediction of potential glycosylation sites and phylodynamic analysis of the study strains.
Results: The study strains belonged to genogroup 6B. A total of 12 mutations were observed, half of which were located on the key receptor binding region of the HA1 protein. Established virulence markers D222G, S183P were observed in 2017 samples. Acquisition of an extra glycosylation site was observed in few strains from 2017 and 2016. Selection pressure analysis found the average dN/dS (v) ratio of 0.2106 and few codon sites in particular showed significant evidence of being under negative selection.
Conclusion: The genogroup 6B continues to be the dominant circulating strain in Indian subcontinent region however the presence of pathogenic mutations in the 2017 strains from north India underlines the importance of continued molecular surveillance.
In vitro anti-HSV1 activity of aqueous extract of Areca catechu L.
Authors: Zamanian Mahsa , Asgari Emad , Afaridoon Sahar , Akbarzadeh Tahmineh , Sharifi Zohreh , Saeedi Mina
Published: April 2024

Background and Objectives: HSV-1 is known as a very contagious virus and the main cause of cold sores or fever blisters. Herein, the aqueous extract of Areca catechu L. was evaluated for its anti-HSV-1 activity, compared to the standard control (acyclovir). Also, the effect of extract on the expression of UL46 and US6 genes that accumulate late in viral infection, was studied.
Materials and Methods: The aqueous extract was obtained by the maceration of powdered plant in boiling water. Its anti- viral activity was evaluated on Vero cells infected with HSV-1 at different times: 2 h pre-infection, simultaneous infection, and 4 h post-infection, using MTT assay. The effect of extract on the expression of genes was investigated with quantitative real-time PCR.
Results: The aqueous extract of A. catechu induced the inhibition of infection with the IC value of 110.52 ± 1.36 μg/ml. Also, it reduced the expression of UL46 when it was added 2 h pre-infection at 100 μg/ml. Moreover, reduction of expression of US6 was observed at the same concentration when the extract was used simultaneously with the occurrence of infection and 4 h post-infection.
Conclusion: A. catechu can be considered an essential element of natural-based anti-HSV-1 agents.
A Simulation Study on a Premixed-charge Compression Ignition Mode-based Engine Using a Blend of Biodiesel/Diesel Fuel under a Split Injection Strategy
Authors: Cao Dao Nam , Johnson Anish Jafrin Thilak
Published: April 2024

Environmental pollution from transportation means and natural resource degradation are the top concern globally. According to statistics, NOx and PM emissions from vehicles account for 70% of total emissions in urban areas. Therefore, finding solutions to reduce NOx and PM emissions is necessary. Changing the engine's internal combustion method is considered promising and influential among the known solutions. One of the research directions is a combustion engine using the Premixed Charge Compression Ignition (PCCI) method combined with biofuels to improve the mixture formation and combustion process, reducing NOx and PM emissions. Therefore, this study presents the mechanism of the formation of PM and NOx emissions in the traditional combustion and the low-temperature combustion process of internal combustion engines. Besides, the theoretical basis of flame spread during combustion is also introduced. The key feature of this research is that it has modeled the combustion process in diesel engines under the PCCI modes. This was accomplished using blends of waste cooking oil (WCO)-based biodiesel and diesel fuel, as well as the ANSYS Fluent software. The results showed that PCCI combustion using B20 fuel can significantly reduce NOx and PM emissions, although HC and CO emissions tend to increase, and thermal efficiency tends to decrease. In further studies, different modes of the PCCI combustion process should be thoroughly examined so that this process can be implemented in practice to reduce pollutant emissions.
Policy responses to food insecurity in Africa
Authors:   WHO Regional Office for Africa Brazaville, Congo, Gomes Luis
Published: April 2024

Africa is faced with chronic food insecurity, with attendant effects of consumption of unsafe food and inadequate nutrient intake. Despite this dire situation, food security, food safety and nutrition are not adequately reflected in national development plans and there is insufficient capacity and resources for interventions. The impact of adequate, safe and nutritious food on the health status of people remains underappreciated, resulting in low prioritization for the food safety and nutrition and inadequate financial investment. According to the latest FAO estimates [1], the increase in food prices between 2007 and 2009 has plunged an additional 24 million people into hunger in sub-Saharan Africa, thus making Africa home to 15 of the 16 countries where the prevalence of hunger exceeds 35 per cent.
G8’s New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition: Is Africa ready for all this attention it is receiving?
Authors:   African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development, Oniang'o Ruth
Published: April 2024

The New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition was launched at Camp David (USA)in May 2012, at a G8 conference, under the chairmanship of US President Barack Obama. Also hosted during that time at a Chicago Council forum were 4 African heads of state, from Tanzania, Benin, Ethiopia (late Prime Minister Meles) and Ghana (late President Atta Mills). This was deliberate and intentional. This new initiative was to target Africa, and to get start-up countries on board, as they needed to understand the issues. There is no doubt this strategy worked. A year later, President Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania is talking food and nutrition security, Ghana has become a favoured country by donors and very welcoming of this attention and the new Prime Minister of Ethiopia (now the Chairman of Africa Union) is spearheading the efforts of his predecessor. Remember, there are 54 countries in the AU, about 45 South of the Sahara. We need all these countries to be on the same page.
In Memory of Nelson Mandela
Authors:   African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development, Oniang'o Ruth
Published: April 2024

“Take it to the farmer”; those are said to be some of the last words of Dr Norman Borlaug, a scientist who is credited with saving billions from starvation as his technologies led to a huge increase in food grains across the world and especially in Asia. That is what was called the GREEN REVOLUTION. As the world marks the centenary of Dr Borlaug’s birth in 2014, Africa is still looking for its own green revolution. It is no point restating that in the continent, many still go hungry, many are micronutrient deficient and child malnutrition still poses a major challenge. Dr Borlaug committed many years of his life in research, looking for solutions to world hunger because he just did not see why children should be left to go hungry. His pursuit for answers took personal sacrifice.
“My Personal Reflections of Dr. Borlaug’s Work and It’s Global Impact”
Authors:   IFDC, Roy Amit
Published: April 2024

Dr. Norman Borlaug’s tireless research and resilient spirit sparked a wave of agricultural productivity that is credited with saving the lives of 1 billion people. I am proud to have called him my adviser and mentor. As a valued member of the IFDC board of directors from 1994 to 2003, Dr. Borlaug helped guide us out of the research laboratory and into the field, promoting efforts across the agricultural value chain.
A sporting nation should also be a nutritionally healthy nation
Authors:   African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development, Oniang'o Ruth
Published: April 2024

I would like to use this issue 71 of our journal to celebrate two key events that have changed the face of Kenya now and in the recent past. One is the just concluded IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations) World Championships in Beljing and the other is the visit to Kenya by President Barack Obama ( August 24-26, 2015). For as long as I can remember, Kenya has always been a world class sporting country; I recall the legendary Kipchoge Keino doing us proud and inspiring many of us to want to run.
Improving the doing business conditions and fostering entrepreneurship: A challenge for Africa and African rural communities
Authors:   Network for Governance, Entrepreneurship & Development, Freymond Jean
Published: April 2024

Governments in Africa and elsewhere dream to see the number of jobs dramatically improve. Results are far from what they envision. They tend to forget that jobs are created largely by entrepreneurs and particularly the very small ones. They also incline to minimize the importance of providing appropriate framework conditions when fostering entrepreneurship. The recent release of the World Bank Doing Business 2016 Report (http://www.doingbusiness.org/reports/global-reports/doing-business-2016) once more underlines the centrality of those conditions.
Genetic Modification of Crops and Africa
Authors:   Cornell University, Regenstein Joe
Published: April 2024

As the co-author of the recent book, “Genetic Modification and Food Quality: A Down to Earth Analysis”, I had the opportunity to work with Dr. Robert Blair as he carefully reviewed almost all of the peer reviewed literature concerning the food and feed-related issues that may be of concern with respect to modern genetic modification of food crops.