bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
2021 Guideline for the Management of COPD Exacerbations
Authors: Doğan Nurettin Özgür , Varol Yelda , Köktürk Nurdan , Aksay Ersin , Alpaydın Aylin Özgen , Çorbacıoğlu Şeref Kerem , Aksel Gökhan , Baha Ayşe , Akoğlu Haldun , Karahan Sevilay , Şen Elif , Ergan Begüm , Bayram Başak , Yılmaz Serkan , Gürgün Alev , Polatlı Mehmet
Published: October 2021

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an important public health problem that manifests with exacerbations and causes serious mortality and morbidity in both developed and developing countries. COPD exacerbations usually present to emergency departments, where these patients are diagnosed and treated. Therefore, the Emergency Medicine Association of Turkey and the Turkish Thoracic Society jointly wanted to implement a guideline that evaluates the management of COPD exacerbations according to the current literature and provides evidence-based recommendations. In the management of COPD exacerbations, we aim to support the decision-making process of clinicians dealing with these patients in the emergency setting.
The effects of synthetic cannabinoids on the cardiovascular system
Authors: Yeniocak Selman , Kalkan Asım , Yamanoğlu Adnan , Öztürk Semi , Söğüt Özgür , Metiner Merve
Published: October 2021

OBJECTIVES:

Limited clinical studies have investigated the effects of synthetic cannabinoids (SCs) on the cardiovascular system (CVS). The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of SCs on the CVS.

METHODS:

The patient group of this single-center, prospective, case–control study consisted of adult patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with symptoms of SC use. Vital signs and electrocardiogram (ECG) after use of SC of patients were followed. A control group with a similar number of patients and patient demographics were formed following the patient admission process. Pulse rate, arterial blood pressure (ABP), and ECG of patient and control groups were compared using Mann–Whitney U and Chi-squared tests.

RESULTS:

A total of 148 people were included in the study, 74 in the patient group and 74 in the control group. Systolic and diastolic ABPs of patient group were statistically significantly lower than those of the control group (P < 0.001). P-wave width and amplitude in the patient group were significantly higher compared to the control group (P: 0.027 and P: 0.004, respectively). QRS width on patient group ECGs was significantly higher than in the control group, while T-wave amplitude was significantly lower (P: 0.045 and P < 0.001, respectively). ST elevation was seen in 12 (16.2%) subjects in the patient group, while no ST elevation was seen in the control group (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION:

SCs can reduce systemic tension and SCs may cause changes in ECG, especially P wave, ST segment, T wave, and QRS. Further large-scale studies are needed to show whether these changes are associated with fatal arrhythmias or myocardial infarction.
Patients with Neurological Illnesses and Their Experience During the Lockdown
Authors: Gupta Pranjal , Misra Biswamohan , Sudheer Pachipala , Bhatia Rohit , Singh Mamta B. , Srivastava M. V. P. , Tripathi Manjari , Srivastava Achal K. , Prasad Kameshwar , Vibha Deepti , Vishnu V. Y , Rajan Roopa , Pandit Awadh K. , Singh Rajesh K. , Gupta Anu , Elavarasi A , Das Animesh , Divya M. R , Ramanujam Bhargavi , Agarwal Ayush
Published: October 2021

Background:

Governments have imposed lockdowns in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hospitals have restricted outpatient clinics and elective services meant for non-COVID illnesses. This has led to patients facing unprecedented challenges and uncertainties. This study was carried out to assess patients’ concerns and apprehensions about the effect of the lockdown on their treatments.

Materials and Methods:

An ambispective, observational cross-sectional single centre study was conducted. Patients were contacted telephonically and requested to answer a structured questionnaire. Their responses were documented and summarized as frequency and proportions.

Results:

A total of 727 patients were interviewed. Epilepsy (32%) was the most common neurological illness in our cohort followed by stroke (18%). About half the patients and/or their caregivers reported health-related concerns during the lockdown. The primary concern was how to connect with their treating neurologist if need arose. Forty-seven patients (6.4%) had drug default. Among patients on immunomodulatory treatments, only eight patients had drug default. High compliance rates were also observed in the stroke and epilepsy cohorts. Of the 71 patients who required emergency care during the lockdown, 24 could reach our hospital emergency. Fourteen patients either had a delay or could not seek emergency care. Two-thirds of our patients found the telemedicine experience satisfactory.

Conclusion:

The ongoing pandemic will continue to pose challenges to both physicians and patients. Patients in follow-up may need to be contacted regularly and counselled regarding the importance of maintaining drug compliance. Telemedicine can be used to strengthen the healthcare delivery to patients with non-COVID illnesses.
Interleukin-2 gene expression and its relation to red blood cell indices and T lymphocytes in anemic Egyptian children
Authors: Maha Anani M. , Amani El-Kelani , Asmaa Hashem A. , Mona Salama I.
Published: October 2021

Context

Iron-deficiency anemia (IDA) is a health problem affecting children, females, and the aged. Increased knowledge about the etiology and cytokines of IDA can aid early detection and management.

Aims

The objectives of this research to assess interleukin-2 (IL-2) gene expression by real-time PCR and examine its relation to red blood cell indices and T lymphocytes in IDA in children.

Settings and design

This was a case–control study. A total of 60 children was included, and two groups were identified: group 1 (latent iron-deficiency anemia) and group 2 (IDA). Moreover, 30 healthy children were included as a control group.

Patients and methods

Complete blood count, serum ferritin, and immunophenotyping of the T lymphocyte subtypes were performed.

Statistical analysis used

Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) for Windows (version 16.0) software program was used for statistical analysis.

Results

A total of 21 (70%) patients of IDA group showed a low IL-2 gene expression. There is a significant positive correlation between IL-2 gene expression and T lymphocyte cell count (CD3+), cytotoxic T lymphocyte cells count (CD3+CD8+), and mean fluorescence intensity of CD3+CD8+ cells.

Conclusions

There was a significant positive correlation between IL-2 gene expression and red blood cell count, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, serum ferritin level, serum iron level, T lymphocyte cells count (CD3+), cytotoxic T lymphocyte cells count (CD3+CD8+), and mean fluorescence intensity of CD3+CD8+ cells.
Methylation status of galectin-12 gene promoter in acute myeloid leukemia
Authors: Helbawi Fatma M. , Ahmed Sohair M. , Mahmoud Maged S. , Assem Magda M. , Kamal Taghreed M. , Abdou Madleen Adel A.
Published: October 2021

Intro

duction Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a hematopoietic stem cell disorder, characterized by a block in differentiation of hematopoiesis, which results in the growth of a clonal population of neoplastic cells or blasts. In a previous study, the expression profiling of cancer-related galectins in AML showed upregulated expression of galectin-12 leading to cell cycle arrest. This observation pointed to the possibility that galectin-12 in AML could be a tumor-suppressor gene and a potential prognostic marker.

Objective

The aim was to study the methylation status of galectin-12 gene promoter in AML and its correlation with the expression of the gene and its potential effect on overall survival of patients.

Patients and methods

This study was carried out on 28 newly diagnosed AML cases. Expression of gal-12 gene was detected by reverse transcriptase-PCR, and the methylation status was examined by bisulfite genomic sequencing.

Results

Our results showed that 23/28 (82.1%) cases were negative for mRNA expression. The same group (82.1%) showed hypermethylated CpG island in the promoter region of LGALS12.

Conclusion

There is an association between LGALS12 expression and promoter hypermethylation [refers to the addition of a methyl group (CH3) covalently to the base cytosine (C) in the dinucleotide 5[Combining Acute Accent]-CpG-3[Combining Acute Accent]]. The mean survival of patients with unmethylated LGALS12 gene is significantly higher than methylated gene.
Comparison of Illustrative Handouts and Self-Drawing on Learning Outcomes from Anatomy Lectures
Authors: Narayanan Suresh , Shankar Nachiket
Published: October 2021

Background:

Illustrative handouts and self-drawing have been shown to improve learning outcomes from lectures. The objective of this study was to compare the test scores among students taught using these two methods in anatomy lectures and to assess the students' perceptions about the same.

Methodology:

This was a quasi-experimental pre- and post test study done among 1st-year medical undergraduates to evaluate the effectiveness of illustrated handouts. For two of the lectures (Group 1 lectures), students were asked to draw along with the teacher, while for the other two lectures (Group 2 lectures), they were given illustrative handouts and were required to progressively color and label. The multiple-choice questions were administered prior to the lectures and 4 months after completion of the lectures. The paired t-test, Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and Mann–Whitney U-test were used to estimate score differences. Students' perceptions were assessed using a questionnaire.

Results:

There was a significant improvement in post test scores for both handout and self-drawing sessions. The score improvement was significantly higher for the handout session when compared to the self-drawing session. No significant gender differences were noted. More than 80% of the students had positive opinions about all aspects of the handouts that were assessed.

Conclusion:

Supplementing lectures with illustrative handouts resulted in higher knowledge retention when compared to self-drawing. Students felt that illustrated handouts facilitated their learning from lectures.
Renal Fascia in Normal and Ectopic Pelvic Kidneys
Authors: Ramachandran Kalpana , Krishnamoorthy Sriram
Published: October 2021

The natural location of the kidney is the loin and the fascial sheaths around it gives it inherent protection against trauma and various other diseases. While there is enough evidence for fascia around well ascended normally located kidneys, there is very little evidence for its presence in ectopic pelvic kidneys. This evidence-based review discusses the recent changes in concepts regarding renal and perirenal fascia in normal and ectopic kidneys. The perirenal fascia was described as anterior and posterior layers that fuse laterally to form the lateral conal fascia. However, subsequent studies have shown that these fasciae are multi-laminated structures that blend and fuse with underlying muscles. However, in pelvic kidneys, the anterior and posterior renal fascia is not so well-documented. The medial extension of the enlarged kidney enables an easy cross-over to the opposite side. A subcapsular urinoma or a perirenal hematoma is usually self-contained in a closed space, owing to the attachments of the renal capsule and the perirenal fasciae. The hematoma in such closed space acts as a self-tamponade, preventing further blood loss or hemodynamic instability. Computed tomography has enhanced the understanding of perirenal space and pathologies. Tri-compartmental theory formed the basis for a clear understanding of these fasciae. A better knowledge of these fascial planes helps the surgeons to identify the avascular planes, better. A larger prospective study is needed to get further insights into renal fascia in pelvic kidneys.
Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in Indian Children at a Tertiary Care Center
Authors: Jha Shweta , Kumar Dinesh
Published: October 2021

Background:

Leukemia is a varied group of hematological malignancies due to uncontrolled proliferation of blast cells. Among childhood leukemias, acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) comprise 70%–80% of all childhood leukemias in India. The current study aims to report the various prognostic markers of disease severity.

Methodology:

Bone marrow and peripheral blood samples from 20 patients of ALL were subjected to cytogenetic and flow cytometric analysis after recording clinical history and laboratory findings. Patients were classified according to immunophenotyping markers.: For risk stratification, patients were divided into two subgroups B ALL and T ALL. The age group of majority of patients was 1–9 years (90%) with 5% each belonging to <1 and >9 years. Male: female ratio was 1.1:1.

Results:

Hepatosplenomegaly, lymphadenopathy, and mediastinal involvement was found in 45%, 40%, and 5% of patients, respectively. Hemoglobin levels <5 g/dl and >5 g/dl were seen in 50% of patients in each range. White blood cell counts >50,000 were seen in 3 (15%) of patients. Cytogenetic analysis revealed hypodiploid karyotype for majority (64%) of cases, normal karyotype in 28% and hyperdiploidy in rest (7%). Structural aberrations like t (21;4), del (5p), dic (5) were found all in B ALL subgroup. Patients were stratified into high and standard risk groups based on good and prognostic factors.

Conclusions:

This study reinforces the significance of immunophenotyping cytogenetics, clinical presentation as a prognostic tool, and their significance in risk stratification.
Analyzing the Attitude of Medical Students Toward Class Absenteeism
Authors: Rashid Saima , Ul Hassan Ashfaq , Bhat Ishfaq Hussain , Bhat Ghulam Mohammad
Published: October 2021

Background:

Class attendance is very important to improve academic performance in medical education. National Medical Commission has made it mandatory to have 75% attendance to appear in the university examination. Classroom teaching is necessary to develop competence in cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains. The purpose of the present study was to analyze the causes of absenteeism in medical education.

Methodology:

This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted from phase 1 to phase III MBBS students of Government Medical College Srinagar, J and K, India. The response was collected through a structured, pretested, and prevalidated questionnaire. The attitude of medical students towards class absenteeism was obtained using the Likert scale. The response was analyzed using SPSS 22 software.

Results:

The results showed that major reasons for student absenteeism were poor teaching skills of teachers (mean 3.85), students studying through Self directed learning (SDL) (mean 3.75), unfavorable learning environment (mean 3.43), lack of sleep (mean 3.28), distraction due to concentration problems (mean 3.26) not interested with that subject (mean 3.09), ill-health (mean 2.57), traffic jams (mean 2.53), social media (mean 2.45), climatic conditions (mean 2.37), availability of online resources (mean 2.84), too much self-confidence (mean 2.61), lectures, not enough informative (mean 2.49), family issues (mean 2.01).

Conclusion:

The causes of student absenteeism are varied. Teachers have to be friendly and cooperative so that students can overcome their inhibitions and weaknesses. Constructive feedback and mentoring programs should be part of the curriculum.
Cytogenetic Evaluation of Orofacial Clefts
Authors: Sabnis Anjali Satyen , Natrajan Srivalli
Published: October 2021

Background:

Orofacial cleft (OFC) is one of the common congenital anomalies of the face which includes cleft lip and or cleft palate that causes abnormal appearance of the face. It leads to difficulty in speech and feeding, especially in new-borns. Genetic and nongenetic factors may lead to OFCs. An association of OFC to genetic cause was assessed in the study.

Methodology:

Conventional karyotyping was done in 133 patients of all the age groups with OFCs (syndromic and nonsyndromic) to find out chromosomal aberrations (CAs) in OFCs, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, MGM Dental College, Navi Mumbai directed patients to cytogenetic laboratory. Project was started after taking consent and ascent from the patient and institutional ethical approval.

Results:

The incidence of CAs is 2.2%, and polymorphic variations are 3.7%. Out of 133 patients 47, XXY was seen in one case and trisomy 21 was seen in two cases, polymorphic variations like pericentric inversion in chromosome 9, 16qh + and 22 pstk + were observed in one case each and 9qh+ was seen in two cases.

Conclusion:

The incidence of genetic involvement in terms of CAs and polymorphic variations to OFC is low. The application of molecular technique in patients with OFC will help to find out genetic involvement. Genetic counseling and precise prenatal diagnosis will prevent the incidence of OFC.
Portal Annular Pancreas
Authors: Ravi Praveen Kumar , Mishra Pravash Ranjan , Singh Sudipta Ranjan
Published: October 2021

Portal annular pancreas (PAP) is a rare congenital anomaly due to abnormal fusion of ventral pancreatic bud left to the developing portal vein. Its incidence is 1.1%–3.4% in the literature. PAP is commonly involving the uncinate process; complete encircling is relatively rare. Proposed hypothesis for the congenital PAP is (1) hypertrophied ventral pancreatic bud fuses with the body of the pancreas left to the portal vein and (2) malformation of the portal vein. We found a bulky pancreas in a 51-year-old male during an autopsy. After careful dissection, we observed that the pancreas was completely encircling around the portal vein cranial to its formation. The encircled tissue was confirmed as normal pancreatic tissue by H & E and immunohistochemical staining. Pancreatic ductal pattern was observed anterior to the portal vein. This condition is usually asymptomatic; most of the time, the same was diagnosed incidentally during surgery. However, in cases of the malignant lesion in the head of the pancreas, the PAP is usually confused as the tumor's extension (pseudotumor). The management of posttransection pancreatic stump is challenging and usually results in complications such as pancreatic fistula. Knowledge about the PAP is necessary for the surgeon and radiologist for accurate diagnosis and prior planning to prevent the postoperative complications.
Histomorphometric Study of Renal Corpuscles of Human and Goat
Authors: Rasool Gulam , Jaiswal Pratima , Jain Aarushi , Sharma Shiv K.
Published: October 2021

Background:

The nephron is the functional and structural unit of the kidney and greatly varies in its structure among different vertebrates; also the formation of nephron shows a variable degree of differences among species. This study was done to compare the size of the renal corpuscle, glomerulus, and urinary space between human and goat kidneys.

Methodology:

This observational descriptive type of the study was done in the Department of Anatomy, Government Medical College, Kota from December 2019 to January 2021, after seeking proper approval from the Institutional Review Board and Ethical Committee for the study. Seventy human and 70 goat kidney tissues were taken for this study. The stained sections were studied under light microscopy for the diameter of renal corpuscles and glomeruli were measured in ×400 by MICAPS camera and software attached on microscope. The observed data were analyzed, and calculated by MedCalc software version 20.0.3. Data were subjected to independent sample t-test and results were compared and were considered significant at P < 0.05.

Results:

The renal corpuscles had the mean greatest and least diameter of 131.57 μ and 131.49 μ in humans. While respective values were 157.95 μ and 142.61 μ in goats. The glomeruli had mean maximum and minimum diameter of 112.80 μ and 111.60 μ in humans and 128.20 μ and 119.59 μ in goats. Mean urinary space distance that was 9.66 μ and 13.19 μ in humans and goats, respectively.

Conclusions:

The present is useful for anatomists and veterinary doctors, comparative anatomists, anthropologists, and histologists.
Learning Human Anatomy Amid COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Albalushi Halima , Al Mushaiqri Mohamed , Al Jabri Ruqaiya
Published: October 2021

Introduction:

Many countries adopted remote teaching upon the declaration of COVID-19 pandemic. Like many universities around the world, Sultan Qaboos University in the Sultanate of Oman shifted to emergency remote teaching (ERT) to contain the spread of the virus. In addition, anatomy classes were shifted to be taught online completely. This study aimed to explore students' perspective about the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on anatomy learning.

Methodology:

Students enrolled in anatomy courses during spring 2020 semester were asked to fill a questionnaire within 6 weeks of the end of online classes. The questionnaire included questions about students' perceptions and preferences about learning anatomy during ERT.

Results:

Findings indicated that coronavirus pandemic was disruptive to students' anatomy learning. Fulfilling courses requirements, home environment, internet connection, the anatomy knowledge without exposure to cadavers, and other resources in the lab were their main concerns. The reliability of internet connection was a major factor affecting their way of studying anatomy and selecting learning resources. Social media platforms were helpful in assisting students in their study and communication between themselves and their instructors. However, assessment and practical part teaching were not satisfactory to the students and they urge improvement.

Conclusion:

COVID-19 pandemic was disruptive to anatomy education. Internet connection was the major obstacles for the students, while the social media platforms were helpful tools in study and communication. Students urged improvement in the practical part teaching and assessment of the anatomy courses.
Neonatal dengue as never before - A case series
Authors: Madireddi Alimelu , Mandala Vinod Kumar , Bapanpally Narahari , Kotha Rakesh , Konda Kalyan Chakravarthy , Haripriya R
Published: October 2021

Dengue is a Flavivirus, affecting about 100 million people annually and mainly in the tropical and subtropical countries. Neonatal dengue is uncommon and usually by vertical transmission or, in the postnatal period, by horizontal transmission. We describe the clinical profile, management and outcome of neonates with dengue infection. Ten patients were prospectively recruited from August to November 2019 during dengue epidemic season at Niloufer Hospital, Hyderabad, India. Four babies had vertical mode of transmission while 6 had horizontal mode of transmission. All babies were positive for Ns1 antigen and IgM dengue serology, confirming dengue infection. Fever, flushing and thrombocytopenia were observed in all the babies while 2 babies had hypotension requiring inotropes. Oxygen supplementation was required in 8 babies. There was no recorded mortality. We conclude that neonatal dengue should be considered as a differential diagnosis in a neonate with sepsis and thrombocytopenia especially in endemic regions. Judicious use of fluids (avoid excessive) and inotropes (dopamine) form the cornerstone of dengue management in neonates.
Acceptance of repeat cesarean section and its determinants among a Nigerian pregnant women population
Authors: Maduka Roy Ngozi , Enaruna Nosakhare Osasere
Published: October 2021

Background:

Many women who need caesarian section in most sub Saharan Africa do not get it or do so too late, thereby resulting in an unnecessary increase in maternal and perinatal adverse outcome. Refusal of caesarian section has been attributed to poverty and sociocultural factors.

Objective:

The objective of the study was to determine the level of acceptance of repeat cesarean section (CS) among pregnant women attending care in a government-funded health facility with a policy of free maternity care services.

Materials and Methods:

This cross-sectional study surveyed 157 consecutive consenting antenatal clinic clients with previous CS presenting for booking in Central Hospital, Agbor, Delta State, Nigeria. The women completed a questionnaire with sections on sociodemographic attributes, inquiry about previous CS outcome and associated factors, a desire to accept a repeat CS if clinically indicated in index pregnancy, as well as reasons to decline a repeat CS.

Results:

The acceptance rate of repeat CS was 54%. Women with two or more previous CS were more likely to accept repeat CS (71.8% vs. 48.3%, prevalence ratio: 1.5; P = 0.02). There was no sociodemographic variable or any event related to the previous CS which was significantly associated with the women's choice regarding repeat CS. The rejection of repeat CS was mainly due to concerns about postoperative pain and being tagged with “failure of womanhood.”

Conclusions:

The level of acceptance of repeat CS in Central Hospital, Agbor, is low despite the policy of free maternity care. Along with the increasing effort to make health care affordable, attention needs to be paid to the role of patient and community engagement in the form of health education and continuous counseling to address noncost barriers to achieving improved maternal and perinatal health indices.
Disease mortality audit in a Nigerian tertiary care center
Authors: Uchendu Obiora Jude
Published: October 2021

Background:

Mortality audit is in developing countries is sparse despite its importance in guiding decision-making toward reversing the present high death rate.

Objective:

The study aims to study the profile of in-hospital mortality in a Nigerian hospital.

Materials and Methods:

This is a retrospective review of the records of all in-hospital mortalities at Delta State University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria, from 2016 to 2018. Information extracted from the records included age, sex, year, and cause of death. The causes were further classified with Global Burden of Disease 2017 classification. Analysis was with SPSS version 21.

Results:

A total of 1044 mortalities were recorded during the 3-year period, giving a mortality rate of 12.6%, with a male to female ratio of 1.3:1 and a mean age of 42.36 ± 25.23. The peak fatality were in early neonatal and 50–54 years of age group accounting for 96 (9.1%) and 87 (8.3%) cases, respectively. Communicable, maternal and nutritional diseases, noncommunicable diseases and injuries accounted for 276 (26.4%), 642 (61.5%), and 126 (12.1%) fatalities, respectively. The leading causes of fatality are stoke (17.1%), road injuries (7.7%), neonatal disorders (7.6%), HIV/AIDS (6.0%), chronic kidney disease (5.7%), diabetes mellitus (4.6%), chronic liver disease (4.4%), maternal disorders (2.6%), upper digestive system diseases (2.3%), and breast cancer (2.3%).

Conclusion:

The mortality pattern show male predominance, peak at neonatal period and preponderance of noncommunicable diseases, road injury and HIV/AIDS-related deaths. Increased government funding, universal health coverage, public education, and lifestyle modification are paramount to reducing mortality.
Management of patients with patent ductus arteriosus
Authors: Mohammed Ismail Inuwa , Ahmad Jameel Ismail , Nurein Tunde Oyebanji , Ishaq Naseer Ahmad , Aliyu Ibrahim
Published: October 2021

Background:

Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is quite a common acyanotic congenital heart disease (CHD). Its ligation in Sub-Saharan Africa is challenging due to lack of adequate cardiothoracic surgeons. We, therefore, present our experience and our challenges in our center with limited resources.

Objectives:

To determine the challenges and outcome of surgical ligation of PDA in our center.

Methods:

This was a retrospective review of all PDA ligations done from January 2012 to December 2017. Data were extracted from the operation theater register and patients files. Information such as age, sex, symptoms at presentation, intraoperative findings, and outcome of surgery were analyzed. Discordances between echocardiography and intraoperative finding of PDA were noticed in only two cases, and these were excluded from the study because PDA was not seen intraoperatively and they were referred for further evaluation. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 16 was used for data entry and analysis.

Results:

Twenty-five patients had PDA ligation during the study period; the subjects comprised 17 females and 8 males with a male-to-female ratio of 1:2. Two adult cases were recorded. Three cases had other associated CHD. All surgeries were carried out successfully and only a single case of complication was reported (4%, chylothorax).

Conclusion:

PDA ligation is relatively safe if properly done with successful outcome.
Middle Miocene serial killers: Drilled gastropods from the south-western margin of the Central Paratethys, Croatia
Authors:   Croatian Natural History Museum, Zagreb, Bošnjak Marija , Sremac Jasenka ,   Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Croatia, Karaica Bojan ,   The Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development, Zagreb, Croatia, Mađerić Ivan , Jarić Anja
Published: October 2021

This paper focuses on traces of drilling predation in the middle Miocene gastropod assemblage of the Zaprešić Brijeg locality, Croatia, which provides further insight into the palaeoecology of the south-western margin of the Pannonian Basin System during the Badenian. The analyzed gastropod shells were collected in the first half of the 20th century, and are housed in the Croatian Natural History Museum (CNHM) in Zagreb. The CNHM Zaprešić Brijeg collections contain 11063 gastropod shells, of which 1024 have been identified as drilled (9.3% of the sample), with 633 successfully drilled, 113 unsuccessfully drilled, and 278 multiply drilled shells. The most represented families are Potamididae, Nassariidae, Clavatulidae, Turritellidae, Cerithiidae, Muricidae and Naticidae. The gastropod families Naticidae and Muricidae are recognized as the probable predators based on the shape of the drill holes. Middle Miocene (Badenian) gastropods drilling frequency at Zaprešić Brijeg is 5.72%, which is lower than the recorded Badenian gastropods drilling frequency in the Central Paratethys, while the overall gastropod prey effectiveness from the studied locality (15.15%) is higher than the average of the neighbouring Badenian localities in the Central Paratethys. Among the most represented gastropods at this locality, the highest drilling frequency occurs in the infaunal suspension feeders Turritellidae (14.45%), which mostly show traces of the naticid drilling.
Mitigating COVID-19 effects on farmers: The role of commissioners of agriculture in Nigeria
Authors: Idu M.A. , Onyenekwe C.S.
Published: October 2021

In Nigeria, agriculture plays a critical role in the economy and remains the key to the country’s economic diversification plan. However, the agricultural sector is facing numerous challenges such as climate change, widespread insecurity, price volatility, poor government policies and the emergence of COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated the already existing problems. This paper reviews the state of the COVID 19 pandemic in Nigeria and its effects on the agricultural sector and outlines the role of commissioners of agriculture in mitigating the effects of the pandemic on farmers with a view to catalyzing sustainable agricultural development in Nigeria. When the first case of COVID-19 was reported in February, 2020, the Federal government of Nigeria took some measures to help curb the spread of the virus. Although, these measures were critical to saving lives, they also significantly caused a disruption in agricultural activities and food systems in several ways such as decline in availability of farm labour and mechanization, limited availability of agricultural inputs, decline in food imports and exports, reduction in food supply, decline in household income and food consumption, increased food insecurity, panic buying and sharp price spikes. This paper suggests that commissioners of agriculture have important roles to play to help mitigate these negative impacts on agricultural livelihoods and food systems. These include a push for a bill to integrate social protection mechanisms into the Nigerian legal framework, lobby for increased budgetary allocation to the agricultural sector, formulation of good agricultural policies and provision of adequate infrastructures, organization of these farmers into farming clusters to help stimulate agglomeration economies by integrating agricultural value chains and development strategies, and frameworks and initiatives that will ensure a seamless transition from emergency response to resilience building.

Key words: Coronavirus disease, government interventions, agrarian development, food production
Privacy enforcement on subscribers data in cloud computing
Authors: Akinboro S.A. , Asanga U.J. , Abass M.O.
Published: October 2021

Data stored in the cloud are susceptible to an array of threats from hackers. This is because threats, hackers and unauthorized access are not supported by the cloud service providers as implied. This study improves user privacy in the cloud system, using privacy with non-trusted provider (PNTP) on software and platform as a service model. The subscribers encrypt the data using user’s personal Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) symmetric key algorithm and send the encrypted data to the storage pool of the Cloud Service Provider (CSP) via a secure socket layer. The AES performs a second encryption on the data sent to the cloud and generates for the subscriber a key that will be used for decryption of previously stored data. The encryption and decryption keys are managed by the key server and have been hardcoded into the PNTP system. The model was simulated using the Stanford University multimedia dataset and benchmarked with a Privacy with Trusted cloud Provider (PTP) model using encryption time, decryption time and efficiency (brute force hacking) as parameters. Results showed that it took a longer time to access the user files in PNTP than in the PTP system. The brute force hacking took a longer time (almost double) to access data stored on the PNTP system. This will give subscribers a high level of control over their data and increase the adoption of cloud computing by businesses and organizations with highly sensitive information.
Electrical power supply consumption in education sector and energy audit: Case study of University of Jos
Authors: Gwaivangmin B.I.
Published: October 2021

Electricity supply has been identified as the key constraint to industrialization and economic development in Nigeria. The unbundling of the power sector was aimed at boosting electricity supply, this effort has yielded some appreciable results, but not very significant. As a result of the low power generation and distribution, Nigeria’s federal government is working towards solving the prevailing problems of inadequate power in some key sectors by building power generating plants in some of the institutions of learning in the country. This paper looks at the determinants of electrical energy consumption and electrical energy audit, a case study of the University of Jos. The load profiles demand survey, load demand forecast and other important factors were investigated. The result revealed that there is available power of 22–23 hours from the national grid and the balance 1–2 hours of power is supplied by the generating sets, good savings in the cost of diesel and maintenance. An annual excess of 2,199,900 kWH is enjoyed by the university over the national per capita power consumption.
Performance evaluation of a Compression Ignition Engine using Sand Apple (Parinari polyandra B.) ethyl ester (biodiesel)
Authors: Saleh A. , Akande F.B. , Adeyemi D.T. , Oniya O.O.
Published: October 2021

The quest for non-edible oil for the production of alternative fuel (bio-fuel) using homogeneous catalysts continues to supplement and replace in totality the traditional transportation fuels that are not environmentally friendly. The use of biodiesel in Compression Ignition Engines (CIE) to evaluate the engine performance is a norm and blends of biodiesel and Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) are also used in the engine performance processes to ascertain its usage in the CIE. Therefore, this study evaluated the performance of a compression-ignition engine (CIE) fuelled with biodiesel produced from sand apple oil using eggshell as a heterogeneous catalyst. Transesterification of Sand Apple Oil (SAO) with ethanol to produce ethyl ester and glycerol was optimized. Sand Apple Ethyl Esters (SAEE) was blended with Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) at 5 – 25% mix to evaluate the performance of a 3.68 kW diesel engine at five loading conditions (0, 25. 50, 75, 100%). Performance tests were carried out to determine torque, speed, exhaust gas temperature and fuel consumption rate. Data obtained were analyzed using ANOVA at P < 0.05 significant level. Results of parameters tested ranged from 6.50 – 6.60 Nm, 2795 – 2950 rpm, 385 – 400 °C and 2.93 – 5.00 × 10−6 kg/s, respectively for all the blends. The study established that the performance of the diesel engine using 5 – 25% SAEE-AGO blends was similar to using AGO alone and SAEE is therefore suitable for use in the CIE.
Enhancement of mobile scissor lifting system for windy environments
Authors: Jack K.E. , Essien U.A. , Bamisaye O.S. , Paul K.O. , Ozoemela E.E. , Okpo C.N.
Published: October 2021

This paper focuses on the enhancement of mobile scissor lifting system for windy environments. This study was necessitated in order to address the lack of support arm problem on the mobile scissor lifting system for the strong wind environment such as Minna in Niger State Nigeria. The outstation broadcasting operations in Minna metropolis are usually challenging during windy days as wind often affects the stability and efficiency of the outstation broad-casting platforms. This research employs electronic control circuit to control mechanical hydraulic actuated scissor lifting system in response to variations in wind speed. The mechanical components were designed using solidworks software. The control unit was remodeled using Proteus 8.0 software with the code written in Arduino integrated development environment (IDE). The model simulation results for both electronic and mechanical system reveal the possibility of achieving system stability with the resultant signal fidelity in outstation telecommunication broad-cast within windy areas. The experiment result shows that the system was capable of lifting the telecommunication platform 2 meters high within 20 seconds considering the load range of 500 to 1000 kg. An overload alert mechanism was incorporated to signal the operators of excessive loading. Then, the system automatically deploys its support arms to counter the attendant consequences of the strong wind thereby restoring the stability of the mobile scissor lift. Therefore, the authors conclude that the enhanced mobile scissor lifting system would be deployed in the windy environment for the maximum attainment of stability objectives while physical model from this design should be subsequently fabricated in the near future.
Performance characterization of polycrystalline silicon photovoltaic modules installed in Kumasi, Ghana
Authors: Takyi G.
Published: October 2021

The focus of this study is on the assessment of the performance of 14 polycrystalline silicon PV modules installed in Kumasi, Ghana after 22 years of field exposure. Visual inspection was carried out to ascertain any observable defects. Current-Voltage performance data was taken using a non-invasive characterization technique able to predict performance at standard test conditions (using TRI-KA and TRI-SEN) followed by Infrared (IR) Imaging tests. The results of the I-V tests showed average Pmax degradation rate of 1.38%/yr for all 14 modules. This is higher than the acceptable limit of (0.7–1.0%/year). In terms of the individual modules, M1 recorded the worst Pmax rate of degradation of 1.74%/yr, and the lowest values for efficiency and fill factor. This is consistent with the IR images and temperature difference that were recorded in the IR tests. A higher temperature difference of 25°C was recorded indicating the presence of a hot spot and a defective cell which was confirmed by the hue white colour observed in the IR test. Power Performance Factor (PPF) range of 61.8–76.5% was recorded which is below the limit of 80% often quoted in warranty statements. The drops in PPF indicate that the modules have degraded.
Design and implementation of a biometric students’ time and attendance logging system
Authors: Onyishi D.U. , Igbinoba C.K.
Published: October 2021

Every tertiary academic institution has the obligation of recording and taking the attendance of its students during lecture periods. Over the years the process and accuracy of this attendance has been marred by many challenges which range from the cumbersome nature of paper sheets used in recording, to the manipulation of attendance by unscrupulous students and so on. This paper is aimed at designing and implementing a biometric students’ time and attendance logging system that helps in mitigating these challenges. This biometric student time and attendance logging system uses the fingerprint biometric characteristics to accurately identify the student. The system also generates a report showing the number of times a particular student was present or absent in a semester. This feat was achieved through the use of an atmega328P microcontroller, a fingerprint RS305 module, a liquid crystal display (LCD), a Red Green Blue (RGB) light emitting diode (LED) and a Personal Computer (PC) amongst others. The software used in this work was developed using visual studio C# and MySQL2008, and the final work was simulated using proteus before it was constructed and tested. The results of the test show a significant improvement over the manual attendance system.
Pigments extraction of treated hybrid microalgae-activated sludge
Authors: Dabai A.I. , Mohammed K.
Published: October 2021

Microalgae have the ability to grow in wastewater, remove heavy metal ions and pollutants, and can be used to produce renewable energy alternatives such as biofuels, biogas, biomethane and biohydrogen. Algae can also produce high-value non-energy pigments such as chlorophylls and carotenoids that are used in feeds, colorants, textiles, nutraceutical and pharmaceutical industries. Methanol extraction method was employed to extract the pigments from microalgal specie Chlorella vulgaris spectrophotometrically after bioremediation of synthetic tannery wastewater (STWW) in stirred-tank photobioreactors (STPBRs) operated at about 580 μmol.m-2.s-1 and 100 rpm for 12:12 light-dark cycles. The maximum Chl a, Chl b, total carotenoids and total pigments were determined to be 35.5091, 8.6315, 1.9521 and 41.850 μg/L, respectively and highest content increment of 66.91, 66.97, 69.11 and 69.38% in reactor A, B, C and D, respectively, was achieved during the bioremediation process.
Optimization of Blended Guava and Fluted Pumpkin Leaves extract as corrosion inhibitor of mild steel in 0.5 m hydrochloric acid
Authors: Nwachukwu C.F , Dagwa I.M. , Ugheoke B.I.
Published: October 2021

There are many plant extracts that have been studied for possible use as corrosion inhibitors in the oil and gas industries. Hence, this work is focused on optimization of blended Guava and Fluted Pumpkin Leaves extract as corrosion inhibitor of mild steel in HCI using Weight loss method. Response Surface Methodology of Design Expert trial version 12 StatEase was used to design and analyze the result of the 35-run experiments. Three factor-three level was adopted in the design. Time, Temperature and Inhibitor Quantity were the independent variables, while the acid concentration of 0.5M was constant throughout the experiments and Inhibition Efficiencies were measured using IE formula. Intervals of 1 hr, 0.2g, and 10°C were chosen for the immersion time, inhibitor quantity and temperature, respectively. Phytochemical analysis carried out on the Guava and Fluted Pumpkin Leaves shows that each leaf extract contains phytochemicals which are responsible for inhibiting corrosion. Weight loss result shows that the Blended extract reduces the corrosion rate of mild steel in 0.5M HCl. Additionally, 4 experiments for Blended Extract, Fluted Pumpkin, Guava Extract and Industrial Inhibitor were carried out at optimal conditions as predicted by the software at time 4.036 hr, temperature 49.5°C, inhibitor quantity 0.487g and ratio of 59.21GE:FP40.79 Inhibition Efficiencies of the Blended, Fluted Pumpkin, Guava Extracts and Industrial Inhibitor were 93.70%, 78.14%, 63.7% and 95.18%, respectively. The results show that the blended and Industrial Inhibitor compared well with the software predicted IE of 96.085%. Therefore, the blended extract could serve as good substitute to the industrial inhibitor.
Investigating the impact of 5G radiation on human health using machine learning
Authors: Aru O.E. , Adimora K.C. , Nwankwo F.J.
Published: October 2021

The advent of 5G has improved greatly the speed of data transmission in wireless mobile technology. On the other hand, it has put society in suspense due to ailments that came along with its deployment. Many attributed the emission of 5G radiation as the main cause of cancer today and that has led to the writing of this article paper. The research study employed a machine learning technique that is based on an artificial neural network in modeling the 5G wireless technology. MATLAB, Simulink was used to analyze the absorption and penetration level of 5G electromagnetic energy pattern into biological tissue Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA). Our research result revealed that the energy produced by 5G radiation at the non-ionizing region of the electromagnetic spectrum is small and cannot break into the chemical bonds of biological tissue Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) or cause changes to cells that will result in either cancer or viral disease.
Database management system for mobile crowdsourcing applications
Authors: Dahunsi F.M. , Joseph A.J. , Sarumi O.A. , Obe O.O.
Published: October 2021

The evaluation of mobile crowdsourcing activities and reports require a viable and large volume of data. These data are gathered in real-time and from a large number of paid or unpaid volunteers over a period. A high volume of quality data from smartphones or mobile devices is pivotal to the accuracy and validity of the results. Therefore, there is a need for a robust and scalable database structure that can effectively manage and store the large volumes of data collected from various volunteers without compromising the integrity of the data. An in-depth review of various database designs to select the most suitable that will meet the needs of a real-time, robust and large volunteer data handling system is presented. A non-relational database was proposed for the mobile- end database: Google Cloud Firestore specifically due to its support for mobile client implementation, this choice also makes the integration of data from the mobile end-users to the cloud-hosted database relatively easier with all proposed services being part of the Google Cloud Platform; although it is not as popular as some other database services. Separate comparative reviews of the Database Management System (DBMS) performance demonstrated that MongoDB (a non-relational database) performed better when reading large datasets and performing full-text queries, while MySQL (relational) and Cassandra (non-relational) performed much better for data insertion. Google BigQuery was proposed as an appropriate data warehouse solution. It will provide continuity and direct integration with Cloud Firestore and its Application Programming Interface (API) for data migration from Cloud Firestore to BigQuery, and the local server. Also Google BigQuery provides machine learning support for data analytics.