bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hepatitis B vaccination status and associated factors among students of medicine and health sciences in Wolkite University, Southwest Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Haile Kassahun , Timerga Abebe , Mose Ayenew , Mekonnen Zebene
Published: September 2021

Background

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a significant global public health problem. Health care providers and medical students in developing countries including Ethiopia are at an increased risk of contracting HBV due to the high burden of this infection. The most effective way of prevention against HBV infection is vaccination of health care providers. However, there is a paucity of data on the HBV vaccination coverage among students of health science in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aimed to determine HBV vaccination coverage and associated factors, level of knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) towards HBV among students of medicine and health science at Wolkite University.

Materials and methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted at Wolkite University among 417 study participants from November to December 2020. The study participants were recruited by using a simple random sampling technique. Data were collected using a self-administered structured questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS version 21. A binary logistic regression model was used to determine the factors associated with full-dose vaccination status. Statistical significance was set at P-value <0.05.

Results

Out of the 417 study participants, 5.8% (95%CI: 3.8–7.9) received a full-dose of the HBV vaccine in this study. Unavailability and high cost of the vaccine were frequently mentioned reasons for not being vaccinated against HBV. About 73.6%, 36.2%, and 47% of participants had good knowledge, positive attitudes, and good practices towards HBV, respectively. Being male gender (AOR: 8.8; 95%CI: 2.9–27), rural residence (AOR: 3.6; 95%CI:1.2–10.6), positive attitude (AOR: 0.44; 95%CI: 0.1–1.1), good practice (AOR: 0.17; 95%CI: 0.05–0.5), medicine department (AOR: 5.9; 95%CI: 1.2–29), being second-year student (AOR: 11.7; 95%CI: 2.7–50.9), third-year student (AOR: 19; 95%CI: 4.25–45), and fourth-year student (AOR: 27; 95%CI: 5.8–56) were significantly associated factors with full-dose vaccination status.

Conclusion

Our study revealed that only small proportions (5.8%) of study participants received full-dose HBV vaccination. Vaccinations of students before starting clinical attachments, provisions of training for students on infection prevention mechanism and universal precautions particularly on HBV, increasing the uptake of the HBV vaccine, creating awareness on attitude and practice of students towards HBV to enhance uptake of the vaccine are recommended.
Nanook: He Is Coming: A dystopian young adult novel from Brazil1
Authors: Ferreira Eliane Aparecida Galvão Ribeiro , da Rocha Guilherme Magri
Published: September 2021

This article discusses Nanook: ele está chegando (‘Nanook: He Is Coming’) (2016), written by Brazilian author Gustavo Bernardo, a Brazilian dystopian apocalyptic young adult (YA) novel influenced by an Inuit legend that mixes science with mysticism and human subjectivity. In this book, 15-year-old Bernardo emerges as a harbinger of events that will occur in the narrative, when he affirms that ‘Nanook is coming’. From that point onwards, climatic and supernatural events happen, which affect the whole world, with consequences for Ouro Preto, the former capital of the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, where the story takes place. These consequences include snowfalls, increasingly intense cold and the disappearance of some animals. Nanook: He Is Coming was selected by the Brazilian National Textbook Program (PNLD – Programa Nacional do Livro Didático) for high school students. This programme is designed to evaluate didactic, pedagogical and literary works and make them available for free to Brazilian students what are studying at public schools. This article concludes with an analysis of the text, using critical tools, which include Reception Theory to examine the communicability of the novel with its implicit reader, the dialogical relationship with that reader and the novel’s language, stylistic characteristics, the constitution of its narrative operators and its ideological discourse.
Slow Storytelling and hybridity: Re-staging community storytelling as a tool for co-thinking
Authors: Wilson Michael
Published: September 2021

Since the early 2000s social media has transformed the internet into a site for the exchange of stories through the mass democratization of publishing. And yet, new forms of digital and online storytelling have at the same time compromised one of the core functions of storytelling, namely its social aspect, the ability to build community when two or more people share stories in the same space, at the same time, breathing the same air. Somewhat ironically the advent of social media may have broadened the audience for any one person’s storytelling, whilst diminishing the social intimacy of the storytelling experience. As part of its research work into storytelling as a means of engaging people in the public debate around environment, the Storytelling Academy at Loughborough University has been developing new forms and processes of digital storytelling to promote wider engagement and dissemination of environmentally driven personal stories. ‘The Reasons’, first staged in Cambridgeshire in 2016, was an attempt to create a live, community social event that provided a public forum for storytelling as a way of debating issues around drought and water governance in the Fens. Inspired by a re-staging of La Rasgioni in Sardinia in 2015, a traditional form of conflict resolution, whereby a ‘mock’ court provides the means for the community to publicly tell its stories to each other, ‘The Reasons’ was co-designed for the Fenland context and was performed twice in 2016. It was then further adapted for use in the Korogocho slum in Nairobi for an event to discuss the issue of waste management with members of the local community, as part of an initiative with UN Live. ‘The Reasons’ is an attempt to bring together the advantages of digital storytelling as a reflective process with the social intimacy of the live storytelling event. The result is a new form of hybrid storytelling that seeks to build community and establish co-thinking processes to build resilience to environmental change. This article reflects critically upon the development and evolution of this work over the past five years.
Platformized book prosumption on Wattpad: Reading and writing in the case of a pandemic diary
Authors: Stollfuß Sven
Published: September 2021

This article investigates how readers and writers engage on the Wattpad platform. As examples of the digitalization of book culture, platforms such as Wattpad allow converging practices of reading and writing by means of collaborative community actions of prosumption in a data-driven environment of communication and cultural exchange. Following the concepts of prosumption, communities of practice and the platformization of media cultural production, I refer to Wattpad’s converging practices of reading and writing as ‘platformized book prosumption’. To understand how platformized book prosumption works on the Wattpad platform, I will analyse the reading and writing of the most frequently read COVID-19 online diary as a case study. In doing so, I will discuss the mutual relationship between author reflection and community engagement in social reading and writing on the Wattpad platform.
‘Quarantine Quatrains’, Malcolm Guite (2020)
Authors: Gowar Mick
Published: September 2021

Review of: Quarantine Quatrains, Malcolm

https://malcolmguite.wordpress.com/2020/05/02/the-quarantine-quatrains-the-complete-poem
Correlation between macroalgae diversity and water quality in Southwest Maluku waters
Authors: Rugebregt Marsya Jaqualine , Arfah Hairati , Pattipeilohy Ferdinand
Published: September 2021

Macroalgae play an important role in the ecosystem of the coastal area, serving as a shelter ground, nursery ground, and feeding ground. Macroalgae communities are directly influenced by water quality. This study aim was to determine the correlation between the macroalgae diversity and water quality in southwest Maluku waters. This research was conducted in September 2019 at seven research stations. Macroalgae samples were collected by transect method, while seawater quality was measured using Van Dorn Water Sampler. The macroalgae diversity, species composition, and dominance were determined. Water quality parameters analyzed were temperature, salinity, pH, phosphate, nitrate, and ammonia. Correlations between macroalgae diversity and water quality were determined using principal component analysis. This study recorded 45 species of macroalgae consisting of 15 species of red algae (Rhodophyta), 6 species of brown algae (Phaeophyta), and 24 species of green algae (Chlorophyta). Diversity Index varied ranged from low to moderate categories (0.969 - 2.345). Water quality in general is still quite good for macroalgae life. Macroalgae diversity and water quality correlate and influence each other.
Comparison of Atomised Sublingual Dexmedetomidine and Oral Midazolam as Preanaesthetic Medication in Children - A Prospective, Double Blind, Randomised Control Trial
Authors: Devendra Kamath Pooja Bola Rajendra , Udupa Ashwin , Nileshwar Anitha , Rao Madhu
Published: September 2021

BACKGROUND Pre-operative anxiety is common in children and its relief is an important concern for the anaesthesiologist. Oral midazolam has good sedative and anxiolytic properties. Dexmedetomidine, an alpha-2 agonist, produces sedation like natural sleep, in addition to having analgesic, anxiolytic and anaesthetic-sparing properties, making it a near ideal sedative. Alleviating this anxiety using minimally invasive and painless routes for sedative drugs is of paramount importance. The purpose of this study was to compare the sedation, child-parent separation, and mask acceptance between sublingual atomised dexmedetomidine and oral midazolam, along with the haemodynamic changes associated with these drugs. METHODS This prospective, double-blind, randomised control trial was conducted in a tertiary hospital setting. Using computer-generated randomisation, sixty paediatric patients were divided into one of two groups. Group - D received sublingual dexmedetomidine 1.5 µg/kg using a mucosal atomisation device, and Group - M, oral midazolam 0.5 mg/kg, 45 minutes before anaesthetic induction. Sedation status, child-parent separation, mask acceptance scores, haemodynamics and oxygen saturation were measured at baseline and every 15 minutes till induction. Quantitative data were compared with student’s t-test and repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA), and qualitative data using chi-square test. RESULTS Demographic data were comparable between the two groups. Children in Group - D were significantly more sedated (P < 0.0001), with lower heart rate at 30 and 45 minutes (P = 0.003, < 0.0001 respectively) than Group - M. However, mask acceptance score was significantly better (P = 0.007) in Group - M. Child-parent separation score was comparable. CONCLUSIONS Atomised sublingual dexmedetomidine produced significantly greater sedation and low-normal heart rate, but poorer mask acceptance than with oral midazolam. Child-parent separation was comparable. We conclude that sublingual atomised dexmedetomidine 1.5 µg/kg, is not a suitable alternative to oral midazolam 0.5 mg/kg for paediatric premedication. KEY WORDS Anaesthesia, Dexmedetomidine, Midazolam, Anti-Anxiety Agents, Premedication, Paediatric
Comparative Evaluation of Extrusion of Apical Debris and Irrigant from Curved Root Canals Using Three Different Ni-Ti Instruments with Conventional Needle Irrigation Methods - An In Vitro Study
Authors: Hora Baljeet Singh , Dondulkar Yadnesh Arun , Jain Vaibhav Suresh , Sahu Shailendra Kumar , Jogad Nitin Prakash Chand , Maurya Neetu
Published: September 2021

BACKGROUND Extrusion of debris, bacteria, and irrigant effect the inter-appointment flare ups and post-operative outcome of the endodontic treatment. So, it is necessary to make every effort to minimize such extrusion during cleaning and shaping of the canals. The present study was done to compare and evaluate debris and irrigant extrusion from curved root canals using different Ni-Ti systems. METHODS 30 mesial roots of mandibular molars were used in this study. Crown were decoronated, working length and initial apical diameter was established. 1.5 % agar gel model was used in this study. Samples were assigned randomly into 3 groups (n = 10 teeth per group). ProTaper Next, One Shape, FANTA AF BLUE F ONE files were used according to the manufacturer’s instructions for canal instrumentation. Apically extruded debris and irrigant was computed after the biomechanical preparation and their comparative analysis for each of the instruments and experimental models was performed. RESULTS Statistically significant difference was found between the three experimental groups. (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS All the instruments produced apically extruded debris and irrigant, but least was seen with FANTA AF BLUE F ONE and maximum with One Shape among the experimental groups. KEY WORDS Apical Debris, Irrigant, NiTi Files
Study of Acute Effect of Caffeine on Cognition among Adults - A Cross Sectional Study from Puducherry, India
Authors: S Krishnan , Mohan Smisha , T Jeneth Berlin Raj , S Manikandan
Published: September 2021

BACKGROUND Information processing has substantial role in performing intellectual activities such as thinking, reasoning, remembering, imagining, or learning. Caffeine being a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant, improves mental performance, especially on alertness, attention, concentration and learning depending on the quantity of intake. In the present study, an attempt was made to study the effect of caffeine on cognitive processing in healthy individuals. METHODS This cross-sectional study was conducted on 50 subjects at Mahatma Gandhi Medical College & Research Institute. Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA) questionnaire was utilized to assess the level of cognition of each subject. Visual reaction time (VRT), auditory reaction time (ART) and critical fusion frequency (CFF) prior and after consumption of 75 mg of caffeine in 200 ml of milk, pre and post reaction time measurement were taken from the subject to address the difference in reaction time. RESULTS Both visual and auditory reaction time were significantly reduced (P < 0.001) after intake of caffeine. The ability of the subject to appreciate the flickering light stimuli to be steady (critical flicker fusion frequency) had significantly improved to 15 % after caffeine intake. CONCLUSIONS Decrease in visual and auditory reaction and increase in critical flicker fusion frequency values indicate that caffeine increases alertness thereby it may enhance performance efficiency in reasoning, planning, judgment, organizing, concept formation, and problem solving. KEY WORDS Visual Reaction Time, Auditory Reaction Time, MoCA
A Study of QTc Prolongation as a Screening Tool for Cardiovascular Disease in Type 2 Diabetes Patients of Karad, India
Authors: Thorat Sanjay Tukaram , Mankar Parikshit Gajanan , Kaila Niyati , Damle Avanti Jaywant , Bajaj Radhika Ratanlal , Rane Vaibhav Vijay
Published: September 2021

BACKGROUND The occurrence of QT interval prolongation is higher in subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Duration of QT interval corrected (QTc) for heart rate is independently related with severity of cardiovascular diseases in diabetics. This study was proposed to assess the QTc prolongation as a diagnostic tool for cardiovascular disease in T2DM patients. METHODS This study included 100 diabetic patients admitted in wards of a tertiary care center. A thorough clinical examination was carried out for all the patients. Patients were investigated for the fasting blood glucose level, glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), lipid profile & electrocardiogram (ECG). Data was represented as percentage. Mean and standard deviation (SD) of quantitative variables were tabulated, t test was used for correlation and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used for evaluating area under curve. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS Male preponderance was observed. All the study subjects had a prolonged period of diabetes with various metabolic complications. The area under the curve estimation of QTc > 400 ms with respect to HbA1c and duration of diabetes showed significant correlation between longer duration of diabetes and raised HbA1c associated with raised QTc interval (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Diagnosis of prolonged QTc interval could be utilized for estimating cardiovascular risk in diabetes patients. It can be easily assessed on ECG besides being a noninvasive investigation which is also affordable in evaluating the cardiovascular risk in T2DM patients. KEY WORDS Blood Glucose, Cardiovascular Diseases, Electrocardiography, Glycated Haemoglobin A, Long QT Syndrome, Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
Fabrication of Hollow Maxillary Complete Denture Using Silicon Putty and Double Flask Technique
Authors: Bhatnagar Mohit , Khanna Gagan , Saxena Pramiti , Singh Arti , Sharma Veenuka
Published: September 2021

This article describes the fabrication of a hollow maxillary complete denture using silicone putty and a double flask technique. A successful complete denture directly depends on retention, stability and support accompanied by good aesthetics. However, in case of atrophic edentulous ridges the challenge lies in the fact that there is a significantly lesser denture bearing area that can lead to a number of problems. The most important of these is an increased interarch space resulting from excessive resorption of upper or lower arch. This can lead to a resulting heavy complete denture that further deteriorates the bone condition due to excessive and continuous load, accelerating bone resorption. Moreover, there is no effective support to deal with any kind of harmful lateral forces and this can lead to dislodgment of the denture. The operator’s efficiency lies in applying the basic principles of fabricating a denture and innovating various steps to counter critical situations. Various methods such as asbestos, silicone putty, modelling clay, thermocol, salt, wax have been used for creating a hollow space inside the denture. Out of the various methods that have been used for fabrication of a hollow space inside a complete denture, silicone putty method is one of the more convenient and accurate method for achieving the objective, thereby rendering a lighter prosthesis. A hollow maxillary denture is highly advantageous as it reduces the weight of acrylic resin, thereby preserving the residual alveolar ridge. It also helps in stability of the denture by indirectly reducing the lateral forces.
Predominance of Bacterial Flora Causing Lower Respiratory Tract Infections Following Tracheostomy in Patients of Chettinad Hospital & Research Institute, Chennai, India
Authors: Thirumurthi Swetha , Kanagamuthu Priya , Srinivasan Rajasekaran , Dhanasekaran Bhalaji
Published: September 2021

BACKGROUND The term tracheostomy refers to forming an opening in the trachea.1,2 Its advantages include easy and direct access to lower respiratory tract, reduced risk of aspiration, faster weaning from ventilation support and improved physical and psychological comfort. But a common problem in tracheostomised patients is increased risk of colonisation of lower respiratory tract by exogenous bacteria because of direct exposure.1,3 This study was done to recognise pathogens in tracheal secretions collected from tracheostomised patients and their antibiotic sensitivity to treat them with appropriate antibiotics. METHODS This prospective study was done in 138 tracheostomised patients from October 2020 to March 2021 in intensive care unit (ICU) of Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute. Under sterile aseptic precautions, Day 0 and Day 7 cultures posttracheostomy was obtained and their antibiotic sensitivity was studied. Data was analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 19) and presented in proportion, mean and standard deviation (Descriptive statistics). RESULTS In this study, of the 56 cases who had growth in their culture and sensitivity reports on day 0, the most common organism was Pseudomonas aeruginosa (33.9 %) sensitive to imipenem (94.7 %) followed by klebsiella (25 %) sensitive to teicoplanin, vancomycin, amikacin, cefoperazone/tazobactam, linezolid and piperacillin/tazobactam. On day 7, the growth of organisms isolated in tracheal culture got reduced from 56 cases to 16 cases. The prevalence of Pseudomonas reduced to 18.8 % in day 7 whereas Klebsiella pneumonia and Acinetobacter remained almost same from day 0 to day 7. CONCLUSIONS This study concludes the predominant pathogen as Pseudomonas aeruginosa with sensitivity to imipenem followed by Klebsiella with sensitivity to teicoplanin, vancomycin, amikacin, cefoperazone/tazobactam, linezolid and piperacillin/tazobactam on day 0 with reduction in the number of organisms on day 7 due to the fact that all our patients were admitted in ICU several days prior to tracheostomy and were started on antibiotics soon after admission as per choice of the treating physician. Hence, a clear understanding of bacterial colonisation post tracheostomy and its change in course is essential for timely intervention with empirical antibiotics for reducing the incidence of lower respiratory tract infections after tracheostomy in future. KEY WORDS Tracheostomy, Lower Respiratory Tract Infections, Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, Empirical Antibiotics.
To Compare the Efficacy of Oral Midazolam and Triclofos Sodium as Oral Premedication in Children of Sawangi, Maharashtra, India
Authors: Chandak Aruna Vijay , Bhuyan Deepjit , S. Krishnendu , Chandak Vijay
Published: September 2021

BACKGROUND The perioperative habits contemplate showing that kids are in more danger of encountering fierce sedative enlistment and unfriendly social sequelae. In paediatric sedation, decent premedication is fundamental to lessen tension and disturbance in youngsters. Parental partition and odd operating room environment as a rule bring about blustery acceptance while giving general sedation. Narcotic premedication is vital for making kids quiet and cooperative in a weird environment. Our study was done to compare the efficacy of midazolam 0.5 mg / kg and triclofos sodium 100 mg / kg as oral premedications in children undergoing elective surgery. METHODS In this prospective randomised comparative study, sixty children posted for elective surgery were enrolled. The patients were randomly divided into midazolam group (Group M) and triclofos sodium group (Group T) of thirty each. Group M received oral midazolam 0.5 mg / kg 30 min before induction, and Group T received oral triclofos sodium 100 mg / kg 60 min before induction. All children were evaluated for level of sedation after premedication, behaviour at the time of separation from parents and at the time of mask placement for induction of anaesthesia. RESULTS Oral midazolam showed satisfactory sedation in children after premedication when compared to oral triclofos (P = 0.003). Both the drugs had a successful separation from parents, and the children were very cooperative during induction. No adverse effects attributable to the premedicants were seen. CONCLUSIONS Oral midazolam is better than triclofos sodium as a sedative anxiolytic in the paediatric population. KEY WORDS Anaesthesia, Hypnotics and Sedatives, Midazolam, Paediatrics, Premedication, Triclofos sodium
Profile of Aerobic Bacteria in Surgical Site Infection Following Caesarean Section and Antibiotic Susceptibility Pattern in Silchar Medical College, India
Authors: Choudhury Nazrana , Ahmed Abul Barkat Fuzayel , Chanda Debadatta Dhar , Borthakur Achinta Kumar
Published: September 2021

BACKGROUND Caesarean section is one of the most common surgeries performed in women of reproductive age group. Postoperative surgical site infection (SSI) is the third most frequently reported nosocomial infection. Recovery after caesarean section can be more demanding for a woman who develops a post-operative surgical site infection that can even lead to death. Surveillance of surgical site infection is an important infection control activity. A better understanding of the spectrum of pathogens causing SSI as well as their susceptibility pattern is important for prompt management of patients. The main objectives of this study were to identify the bacterial agents causing postoperative wound infection in caesarean section, as well as determine the in-vitro antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of different bacterial isolates and also to examine the risk factors of postoperative caesarean infection. METHODS This is an observational (cross sectional study) where 100 cases of postoperative caesarean section wound infection admitted in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology ̦ Silchar Medical College were studied. Pus samples were collected and cultured, and the pathogenic isolates were tested against different antimicrobial agents by standard disc diffusion method (Kirby-Bauer method) as per the recommendation of Clinical and Laboratory Standard Institute (CLSI) guidelines. RESULTS The study revealed Staphylococcus aureus 38.1 % of which 21.9 % were methicillin resistant (MRSA), as the most common organism responsible for SSI followed by Escherichia coli 23.8 % and Klebsiella pneumoniae 16.7 %. Staphylococcus aureus was 100 % sensitive to vancomycin and linezolid 78.1 % and 71.9 % sensitive to erythromycin and ciprofloxacin respectively. The most sensitive antimicrobials for Gram negative isolates were polymyxin B 96.2 %, imipenem 94.2 % and ciprofloxacin 76.9 %. Emergency C-section (83 %), premature rupture of membranes (PROM) 30 %, prolong labour 26 %, history of previous caesarean section 22 %, anaemia 15 % cases and BMI ≥ 25 (16 %) were found to be risk factors. CONCLUSIONS The findings of preponderance of Staphylococcus aureus and Gram negative bacilli in this study with good antibiotic sensitivity against the fluoroquinolone and aminoglycosides is of local clinical relevance. KEY WORDS Caesarean Section, Surgical Site Infection, Antimicrobial Susceptibility Pattern, Bacterial Isolates, MRSA Strains
Diagnostic Accuracy of Doppler Ultrasound Compared to Surgical Exploration in Torsion Testis
Authors: Thekeveetil Murali , Krishnadas Sajitha , Vishwambharan , JayaKoothupalakal
Published: September 2021

BACKGROUND Twisting of the spermatic cord resulting in ischemia of the testicles known as testicular torsion is a surgical emergency. Delay in diagnosis or surgery results in loss of testicles. Doppler ultrasound of scrotum is used in evaluating acute scrotum to support or rule out a diagnosis of torsion testis. Our study compares Doppler results with findings at exploration to finding out the accuracy of Doppler diagnosis in this scenario. METHODS This was a record based observational cross-sectional study. Out of all cases of acute scrotum presented to a tertiary care hospital over 14 months time, those patients with Doppler evaluation done were identified (n = 52) and their surgical findings were compared to the Doppler findings. Diagnostic accuracy of Doppler in diagnosing torsion testis was measured using sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and predictive values. RESULTS Out of these 52 cases, 44 (84.6 %) were testicular torsion on exploration while remaining cases were epididymo-orchitis four (7.7 %) and testicular appendage torsion four (7.7 %). Among 44 cases of torsion testis, 31 (70.5 %) patients underwent orchiectomy (70.45 %) and in remaining 13 (29.5 %) orchiopexy was done. Sensitivity of Doppler to diagnose testicular torsion was 86.4 %, specificity was 87.5 % and accuracy was 86.54 %. Positive predictive value (PPV) was 97.4 % and negative predictive value (NPV) was 53.8 %. CONCLUSIONS Doppler ultrasound can be used as an adjunct to clinical findings in acute scrotum. High positive predictive value suggest that all Doppler diagnosed torsion should undergo emergency exploration as it will be correct in 97.5 % cases. If performing a Doppler study delays the definitive management, and if clinical findings are highly suggestive of testicular torsion, treating doctor can proceed to surgery without Doppler evaluation. KEY WORDS Doppler, Torsion Testis, Scrotum
Response of Bowenoid Papulosis to Combination Treatment of Oral Isotretinoin and Topical 1% 5-Fluorouracil
Authors: Rimmalapudi Shravya , Jawade Sugat , Madke Bhushan , Singh Adarsh Lata
Published: September 2021

Bowenoid papulosis (BP) is a rare benign disease which can have spontaneous regression but can sometimes turn malignant.1 It is characterised by solitary or multiple verruca-like papules or plaques usually present on genitalia having a close histological resemblance to Bowen's disease and a predilection for sexually active young adults.2 It affects all races equally and has almost same male to female ratio. There are an estimated 5 cases per 100000 women. The exact prevalence is unknown.3 We hereby present a case report of bowenoid papulosis. Bowenoid papulosis is an uncommon form of intraepithelial neoplasia. It is caused by human papilloma virus (HPV) infection and clinically resembles viral wart while histologically resembling in situ squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). We hereby report a case of an adult male with multiple verrucous lesions on penis and scrotum. The histopathology showed features of bowenoid papulosis. The patient was treated with oral isotretinoin and topical 1 % 5 - fluorouracil following which the lesions reduced remarkably in the span of 3 weeks.
Acute Pancreatitis with Large Infected Pseudo Pancreatic Cyst in a Post-Partum Female – Case Report
Authors: Dronamraju Sameera , Gupte Yash , Pawar Twinkle , Acharya Sourya , Kumar Sunil
Published: September 2021

A frequent cause for patient presentation to the emergency department and the most serious gastrointestinal condition resulting in admission is acute pancreatitis. Pancreatitis is an inflammatory process within the pancreas. Although the disease is mostly mild, the mortality rate of severe forms may be up to 30 percent. Two of the following three criteria are required for diagnosis: epigastric abdominal pain, elevated lipase, and pancreatic inflammation on imaging.1 The occurrence of acute pancreatitis is approximately 1 in 1000 to 5000 births and is commonly seen in the last weeks of gestation or in post-partum period. Cholelithiasis, which accounts for more than 65 percent of cases, is the most common cause of acute pancreatitis in pregnancy.2 Pancreatic ascites results from persistent leakage of pancreatic secretions in the peritoneum from pancreatic duct injury. The extent of pancreatic ascites varies, depending on the site and degree of ductal damage and infection.3 The complications of acute or chronic pancreatitis are pancreatic pseudocysts. Initial diagnosis is mostly done by imaging. Endoscopic ultrasound with fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) has become the standard test to help differentiate pseudocyst from other cystic lesions of the pancreas. With supportive treatment, most pseudocysts resolve spontaneously. Poor predictors for the potential of pseudocyst resolution or complications are the size of the pseudocyst and the length of time the cyst has been present, but larger cysts in general are more likely to be symptomatic or cause complications.4 We report a case of young female presenting with jaundice and ascites two days post-partum, who was eventually diagnosed as a case of pancreatic ascites with large pancreatic pseudocyst.
Therapeutic creativity and the lived experience of grief in the collaborative fiction film Lost Property
Authors: Dawson Lesel , Hay Jimmy , Rosling Natasha
Published: September 2021

This collaborative project aimed to represent the embodied experience of grief in a fiction film by drawing on research, and on the personal and professional experience of all involved: academics; an artist; bereavement therapists and counsellors; and professional actors, cinematographers, sound engineers and other film crew. By representing grief in a more phenomenologically minded manner, the project sought to capture the lived experience of loss on screen while contributing meaningfully to the discourse on practice-as-research. Hay, Dawson and Rosling used a collaborative fiction film and participatory action research to investigate whether storying loss, and representing it through narrative, images and embodied movement, is therapeutic. Participatory action research was beneficial in facilitating changes in the co-researchers’ thinking, feeling and practice, and in enabling participants to inhabit multiple roles in a manner that expanded their disciplinary boundaries. However, while the project’s effect on some of the participants demonstrated the ways that creativity and meaning making can support adaptive grieving, it also revealed the risks of using participatory action research and fiction film to investigate highly emotive topics such as grief.
Public engagement with research: Citizens’ views on motivations, barriers and support
Authors: Dreyer Marion , Kosow Hannah , Bauer Anja , Chonkova Blagovesta , Kozarev Ventseslav , Timotijevic Lada
Published: September 2021

Responsible research and innovation (RRI) approaches that have emerged in the past ten years point to the importance of engaging the public in dialogues about research. The different variants of RRI share the notion that societal actors, including citizens, need to work together – that is, engage in two-way communication during the research and innovation process – in order to better align both the process and its outcomes with the values, needs and expectations of society. Yet, sponsors and organizers of dialogues about research often face difficulties in recruiting sufficient numbers of participants or ensuring a sufficient level of diversity of participants. This paper asks what motivates or hinders individual citizens as members of the broader public to participate in such dialogues. It presents empirical findings of the European Union-funded project Promoting Societal Engagement Under the Terms of RRI (PROSO), which aimed to foster public engagement with research for RRI. PROSO used a quasi-experimental, qualitative approach directly involving citizens to address this question. The core of the innovative methodology were focus group discussions with European citizens about hypothetical opportunities to take part in dialogues about research. Three hypothetical scenarios of different dialogue formats (varied by whether they seek to inform the participants, consult or enable deeper collaboration on a scientific issue) were used as stimuli to explore the participants’ willingness (motivations and perceived barriers) to engage with scientific research. Our findings show a preference towards dialogue formats that give citizens a more active role and a greater say in research policy or research funding. They further suggest that those who seek to broaden citizen participation in dialogues about research should consider the role of relevance, impact, trust, legitimacy, knowledge, and time and resources as factors that can motivate or discourage citizens to take part. Based on our findings, we discuss possibilities to promote citizen participation in dialogues about research as part of putting RRI into practice.
Evaluating the short-term and long-term impact of an interactive science show
Authors: Sadler Wendy J.
Published: September 2021

Science shows as a medium for communicating science are used widely across the UK, yet there is little literature about the long-term impact they may have. This longitudinal study looks at the short-term and long-term impact of the science show Music to Your Ears, which was initially performed throughout the UK on behalf of the Institute of Physics in 2002, and which has since been offered at schools and events through the enterprise Science Made Simple. The impact was measured using the immediate reaction to the show, the number (and type) of demonstrations (demos) recalled over the long term, and the applied use of any memories from the show. Quantitative and qualitative data were gathered using questionnaires immediately after the show and focus groups held two and a half years later. To enrich the data, and minimize bias, interviews with professional science presenters were also included in the data analysis. Data from the questionnaires were used to develop a framework of five demonstration categories to describe their essence, or main purpose. The categories used in this study were: curiosity (C), human (H), analogy (A), mechanics (M) and phenomena (P). It was found that even after two and a half years, almost 25 per cent of demos from the show could be recalled without prompting. When prompted with verbal and visual clues, over 50 per cent of the demos from the show could be recalled by the group tested. In addition, around 9 per cent of the demos were recalled and related to an alternative context to the show, suggesting that some cognitive processing may have happened with the most memorable elements of the show. The ‘curiosity’ type of demo was found to be the most memorable in both the short term and long term.
Patient and public involvement and engagement: Practice case study with reflections and learnings from a small rural district general hospital
Authors: Sheppard Zoë A. , Williams Sarah , Lawson Richard , Appleby Kim
Published: September 2021

The notion of patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE) in research has been around for some time, and it is considered essential to ensure high-quality relevant research that is shared and that will make a difference. This case study of practice aims to share the PPIE practice from Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, a small rural district general hospital. It describes the process of recruiting patients and members of the public as research volunteers, as well as the plethora of engagement and involvement activities with which they have been involved to date. This is followed by a reflection on the process and an overview of plans for the future, highlighting key challenges as well as learnings. A dedicated role to support/oversee PPIE activities is recommended to coordinate large groups of research volunteers, as well as to monitor the important impact of their input, which is considerable. Increasing diversity and access to under-served groups, and embedding the research volunteer role within the wider clinical research team, are also highlighted as fundamental challenges, as well as opportunities to make the most from this valuable resource. The case study of practice puts forward a recommendation to all research departments to embed PPIE in all of the work that they do.
Manuele Crisolora a Costantinopoli
Authors: Acerbi Fabio , Bianconi Daniele , Gioffreda Anna
Published: September 2021

The identification of a “new” handwriting of Manuel Chrysoloras allows to assign to him a number of hitherto unpublished witnesses, all preceding his teaching activity in Florence from 1397. This new dossier illustrates Chrysoloras’ youth in Constantinople, providing precious and so far unknown information on his family, his father John, his studies in the anti-Palamite milieux with Isaac Argyros and Demetrios Kydones, and, of course, his books, his graphic education, and his readings. Among these, a special place is occupied by Aristotle’s logic: particular attention is therefore paid to a mock-up of a manuscript containing Aristotle’s Organon with a marginal commentary, here attributed to Chrysoloras and realized in a well-known manuscript by his master Argyros.
Der Islam-Diskurs bei Niketas von Byzanz
Authors: Ulbricht Manolis
Published: September 2021

The article analyzes the anti-Islamic polemical discourse of Nicetas of Byzantium (9th/10th c.), one of the most important Byzantine apologists and polemicists flourishing in the intellectual-theological context of Patriarch Photios in Constantinople. This paper crystallizes the main topics of discussion in Nicetas’ Refutation of the Qur’an (Vat. gr. 681) and presents his argumentation against Islam.To structure and evaluate the wayNicetas perceives Islam, I have developed a methodology of four thematic categories (Theology, Ethics, History, Physiology) with correspondent polemical subcategories. This research approach may also serve as a paradigm enhancing further studies on other sources related to Christian-Muslim interfaith dialogue.
Towards Harmonised Frameworks for the Liquidation of Non-Systemically Relevant Credit Institutions in the EU?
Authors: Binder Jens-Hinrich
Published: September 2021

As part of its ongoing consultation on the European crisis management and deposit insurance framework currently available for the management of bank failures within the EU generally and the Banking Union in particular, the European Commission has called for the respondents’ views as to the need for further harmonisation of resolution arrangements for banks that currently do not qualify for resolution under the auspices of the Single Resolution Mechanism. In this respect, the consultation takes up a broader discussion on the need for harmonised bank insolvency regimes within the EU, which also ties in with an earlier international debate on the functional characteristics of optimal bank insolvency regimes initiated by international standard setters in the early 2000s. Against this backdrop, the paper analyses the case for further reform, and identifies potential impediments (both technical and political) to be expected in this regard. It argues that, while a full harmonisation of resolution powers and the centralisation of decision-making powers can be expected to address relevant concerns regarding the status quo, a comprehensive harmonisation can also be expected to meet with substantial political opposition, which in turn requires a better understanding of the functional requirements to be met by less ambitious reforms.
Geochemical and petrographic characteristics of sediments along the transboundary (Kenya–Tanzania) Umba River as indicators of provenance and weathering
Authors: Kimeli Amon , Ocholla Oliver , Okello Judith , Koedam Nico , Westphal Hildegard , Kairo James
Published: September 2021

The Umba River basin is one of the smaller-scale hydrological basins in the East African region. It traverses two countries, with its catchment in the Usambara mountains in Tanzania, while it drains its waters to the Indian Ocean in Vanga, Kenya. The chemical and mineralogical compositions of the riverbank and bottom sediments of the Umba River were analyzed and evaluated to describe their source characteristics and provenance. The dominant minerals include quartz, K-feldspars, plagioclase, hornblende, pyroxenes, muscovite, biotite, and likely presence of clays such as kaolinite. The chemical index of alteration of the sediments indicate a moderate to high degree of alteration. They reflect a dominant mafic to intermediate igneous provenance consistent with the geology of the Umba River catchment that is characterized by the outcrops of the granitic Precambrian basement and the quartz-dominated Paleozoic Karoo Supergroup, overlain by Mesozoic and Cenozoic sediments dominated by both mafic and felsic minerals. The similarity of the chemical and mineralogical compositions of the Umba River sediments from source to mouth further indicates a uniform source in the upper course of the river and only subordinate contributions from the lower course where it passes the Karoo and the younger sediments.
A novel approach to increase the share of renewable purchase obligation for planning of distribution network including grid scale energy storage
Authors: Bhadoriya Jitendra Singh , Gupta Atma Ram
Published: September 2021

In recent times, producing electricity with lower carbon emissions has resulted in strong clean energy incorporation into the distribution network. The technical development of weather-driven renewable distributed generation units, the global approach to reducing pollution emissions, and the potential for independent power producers to engage in distribution network planning (DNP) based on the participation in the increasing share of renewable purchasing obligation (RPO) are some of the essential reasons for including renewable-based distributed generation (RBDG) as an expansion investment. The Grid-Scale Energy Storage System (GSESS) is proposed as a promising solution in the literature to boost the energy storage accompanied by RBDG and also to increase power generation. In this respect, the technological, economic, and environmental evaluation of the expansion of RBDG concerning the RPO is formulated in the objective function. Therefore, a novel approach to modeling the composite DNP problem in the regulated power system is proposed in this paper. The goal is to increase the allocation of PVDG, WTDG, and GSESS in DNP to improve the quicker retirement of the fossil fuel-based power plant to increase total profits for the distribution network operator (DNO), and improve the voltage deviation, reduce carbon emissions over a defined planning period. The increment in RPO and decrement in the power purchase agreement will help DNO to fulfill round-the-clock supply for all classes of consumers. A recently developed new metaheuristic transient search optimization (TSO) based on electrical storage elements’ stimulation behavior is implemented to find the optimal solution for multi-objective function. The balance between the exploration and exploitation capability makes the TSO suitable for the proposed power flow problem with PVDG, WTDG, and GSESS. For this research, the IEEE-33 and IEEE-69 low and medium bus distribution networks are considered under a defined load growth for planning duration with the distinct load demand models’ aggregation. The findings of the results after comparing with well-known optimization techniques DE and PSO confirm the feasibility of the method suggested.
Synthetic plasmonic lattice formation through invariant frequency comb excitation in graphene structures
Authors: Jalali-Mola Zahra , Asgarnezhad-Zorgabad Saeid
Published: September 2021

Nonlinear surface-plasmon polaritons (NSPPs) in nanophotonic waveguides excite with dissimilar temporal properties due to input field modifications and material characteristics, but they possess similar nonlinear spectral evolution. In this work, we uncover the origin of this similarity and establish that the spectral dynamics is an inherent property of the system that depends on the synthetic dimension and is beyond waveguide geometrical dimensionality. To this aim, we design an ultralow loss nonlinear plasmonic waveguide, to establish the invariance of the surface plasmonic frequency combs (FCs) and phase singularities for plasmonic peregrine waves and Akhmediev breather. By finely tuning the nonlinear coefficient of the interaction interface, we uncover the conservation conditions through this plasmonic system and use the mean-value evolution of the quantum NSPP field commensurate with the Schrödinger equation to evaluate spectral dynamics of the plasmonic FCs (PFCs). Through providing suppressed interface losses and modified nonlinearity as dual requirements for conservative conditions, we propose exciting PFCs as equally spaced invariant quantities of this plasmonic scheme and prove that the spectral dynamics of the NSPPs within the interaction interface yields the formation of plasmonic analog of the synthetic photonic lattice, which we termed synthetic plasmonic lattice (SPL).