bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Is the cost-effectiveness threshold cost-effective in cancer therapy?
Authors: Kaczyński Łukasz , Prząda-Machno Patrycja , Kaczor Marcin
Published: July 2023

Introduction: To compare availability of innovative cancer drugs in countries with established cost-effectiveness threshold (Great Britain, Czech Republic, Sweden and Poland) and where this criterion is not used (Germany, France, Italy), and to assess the relationship between the reimbursement system and the expenditures and health outcomes. Methods: The analysis of reimbursement decisions concerning innovative cancer drugs approved by the European Medicines Agency in the years 2012-2013 and the available data concerning incidence, 5-year relative survival rate and the treatment costs of breast, lung, colon and prostate cancer. Results: The assessment included 19 innovative drugs. Most of them were covered by reimbursement in countries without a cost-effectiveness threshold — 80.7%, compared to the countries with a cost-effectiveness threshold — 59.6% (48.7% including Poland). Three products were financed in all reimbursement systems, with the exception of Poland: Perjeta, Xalkori and Xtandi. In countries without the cost-effectiveness threshold the health outcomes expressed as 5-year relative survival were better compared to EU in general or to most of countries which use the cost-effectiveness threshold, whereas expenditures per capita in most cancers were diversified — large (15-27 €, Germany) or similar to the countries with the cost-effectiveness threshold (6-13 €, France and Italy). In Poland for most evaluated cancers the lowest 5-year relative survival was noted, with the lowest expenditure per capita (5-9 €) simultaneously. Conclusions: The percentage of reimbursed innovative cancer drugs is higher in countries without the cost-effectiveness threshold, where better health outcomes are observed. Limited access to innovative therapies resulting from restrictive financial criteria may have a significant impact on health outcomes in cancer treatment.
Assessment of Quality of life (QoL) in postmenopausal osteoporosis in the Lublin region
Authors: Drozd Mariola , Szkultecka-Dębek Monika , Bułaś Lucyna , Jesiotr Maria , Filip Rafał
Published: July 2023

Introduction: Postmenopausal osteoporosis is related to the changes in female body during menopause. The aim was to assess the quality of life of women in the Lublin region suffering from postmenopausal osteoporosis. Methods: Data was obtained from standardized osteoporosis QoL questionnaire – Qualeffo-41. The survey was conducted in April 2013 in a group of women with postmenopausal osteoporosis treated in ambulatory setting. Results: In total 55 QoL questionnaires were collected. The mean age was 70 years. The last declared menstruation was between 40 and 56 years. City inhabitants included 41 women, while 14 women inhabited rural areas. There were 28 married women, 25 widows and 2 maidens. The respondents’ weight was between 42 - 102 kg. The shortest subject was 147 cm tall and the tallest - 170 cm. The results of QoL were at 49.38. The results of the individual domains of the questionnaire indicate that the lowest rating was for physical function – mean of 39.41. Mental functions were assessed on average at 53.03. Pain assessment resulted on average at 53.45. The functioning during free time and opportunities for social contact were rated on average at 56.66. The highest result was for overall health with a mean value of 79.55. Conclusion: The analysis showed that Polish women suffering from postmenopausal osteoporosis have a low quality of life. The results suggest further research to test QoL at the beginning of the therapy and to monitor it during treatment, analyzing the domains that need the most improvement.
Approach to uncertainty in health technology assessment in a Central and Eastern European country: appraisal of cancer drugs by a Polish HTA agency in presence of high crossover rates in clinical trials
Authors: Panasiuk Anna , Pawlik Dariusz , Prząda-Machno Patrycja , Kaczor Marcin
Published: July 2023

Background: Health technology assessment (HTA) plays an important role in reimbursement decision making in Poland and its principles are similar to those used in other countries. However, specific inter-country differences, such as substantial divergence in budgetary resources, may lead to variation in actual HTA practices, e.g. in the approach to uncertainty. Cancer drug reimbursement is a decision-taking area associated with substantial uncertainty. One of its important sources is the presence of crossover (treatment switching) in clinical trials. Objectives: To review the appraisal processes completed for cancer drugs by the Polish HTA agency (AOTMiT) and to compare AOTMiT to the British, Australian and Canadian HTA bodies with respect to strategies of addressing crossover-related uncertainty. Methods: Cancer drug assessment processes in AOTMiT, where a substantial crossover took place were reviewed and subsequently matched with the assessments conducted by NICE, PBAC and pCODR. Ways to approach the crossover-related uncertainty, the influence of uncertainty on the recommendation and uncertainty management strategies were examined. Results: 29 HTA processes related to 6 drugs were included. The crossover rate ranged from 51% to 85% and ITT analyses did not show statistically significant survival benefit. AOTMiT more often yielded negative recommendation, showed less consistent approach to crossover-related uncertainty and a narrower scope of adopted uncertainty management strategies. Conclusions: Crossover constitutes a vital source of uncertainty in the assessments of new cancer therapies. The lack of consistent standards decreases the transparency of assessment processes and can contribute to undertaking suboptimal reimbursement decisions.
The disposal of unused and/or out of date medications in the community pharmacy setting in Poland – a challenge for pharmaceutical public health and pharmaceutical care
Authors: Merks Piotr , Cwalina Natalia , Słomiak Krzysztof , Jaguszewski Miłosz
Published: July 2023

It has been proven that even small concentrations of certain drugs in the environment can be toxic to plants, but also fatal for animals and humans. The only proper way to prevent this phenomenon is to minimize the adverse effects due to improper waste management of medications. In developed countries, the Ministry of Health, other authorities or academic bodies set up guidelines or recommendations for the proper management of unused and/or outdated medications in the community pharmacy setting. Unfortunately, no such regulations (in the form of standard operational procedures) exist in Poland. This lack of adequate guidelines can lead to the improper and uncontrolled circulation of harmful substances, both at the level of the community pharmacy and other places disposing of medicines, as well as in the environment. The aim of this paper is to introduce the concept of medicine disposal around the world and to suggest recommendations for the proper removal of pharmaceuticals in Poland
Mepolizumab: a new drug programme for patients with severe eosinophilic asthma
Authors: Kucharczyk Aleksandra
Published: July 2023

Biological treatment involves more and more fields of medicine. This also applies to severe asthma for which a therapy with omalizumab (anti-IgE antibodies for patients with allergic asthma) has been available since 2013, completed by mepolizumab since 1st November 2017 - available in a new drug programme. Mepolizumab is a humanised monoclonal antibody (IgG1, κ), against human interleukin-5 (IL-5), which significantly impacts proliferation, maturation in bone marrow and recruitment and activation of eosiniphils at inflammatory site. It is also considered to be the only eosinophilopoietic factor. It has been confirmed in a number of studies that mepolizumab, used by patients suffering from eosinophillic asthma, decreases the number of exacerbations and reduces systemic glucocorticoid doses. The approval of mepolizumab therapy to trading in Poland is regulated by provisions of the drug programme, discussed in detail further in this paper.
Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) for Health Care Decision Making – overview of guidelines
Authors: Niewada Maciej , Zawodnik Aleksandra
Published: July 2023

Multidimensional context of decision making in health care implies the need for structured approach which can be supported by Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA). Despite the fact that MCDA is more widely discussed and used in health care decision making there are still only a few publications available on guidelines and best practice on conducting good quality research. This paper aims to compare the published guidelines for conducting and implementing MCDA in health care decision making. Five most recent publications (either guidelines or reviews) were identified. All publications framed MCDA into a continuous step-by-step process, which should start with defining the decision problem followed by selecting criteria, measuring the performance, choosing the method and conducting scoring and weighting, aggregating values and weights, conducting sensitivity analysis and presenting the results. This review identifies key steps and methods used in MCDA as reported in guidelines. We aimed to compare publications and report on well recognized and most often adopted approaches and tools in MCDA.
Emergency access to drug technologies - vandetanib case study
Authors: Sobczak Paweł , Wepsięć Katarzyna , Czajka Grzegorz , Lis Joanna , Wrona Witold
Published: July 2023

This review aimed to present the mechanism of action and the advantages and disadvantages of emergency access to drug technologies (RDTL) based on vandetanib case study. RDTL is a procedure allowing individual consent to cover the cost of a drug, which in a given indication is not reimbursed, if it is necessary to save the patient's life or health. Often, prior opinion of the Agency for Health Technology Assessment (AHTAPol) is necessary to issue a decision. In the case of a positive opinion, the pharmaceutical company whose product has been assessed is invited to participate in standard reimbursement process. The first medicine that has passed the entire process from RDTL funding to recommendations under the standard reimbursement procedure is vandetanib - a drug indicated in the treatment of aggressive and symptomatic, inoperable, locally advanced or metastatic medullary thyroid cancer, an indication in which currently there is no medicine reimbursed. Vandetanib received AHTAPol's positive opinion in the standard reimbursement procedure on October 2018, but the Minister of Health has not yet decided to made this medicine available for patients within reimbursement list. According to conducted retrospective study, applications for initiation of therapy with vandetanib within RDTL were submitted for 24 patients, and for 13 of which applications for continuation of therapy were submitted. Patients using vandetanib within RDTL benefit clinically in terms of treatment response according to RECIST and calcitonin reduction. Continuation of therapy within the RDTL procedure can be considered as a potential determinant of treatment benefit. Therefore, it seems that the only barrier for vandetanib to be formally listed on reimbursement list in Poland is to allocate the budget for the treatment of patients with MTC as part of the drug programme.
https://www.jhpor.com/article/2246-the-role-of-minimal-residual-disease-mrd-and-fixed-time-duration-ftd-on-the-example-of-venetoclax-in-chronic-lymphocytic-leukemia-cll---clinical-and-systemic-perspective#
Authors: Kordecki Mariusz , Borowiack Monika , Klaś Katarzyna
Published: July 2023

In recent years, haematologic treatment has undergone significant progress associated with the introduction of new drug technologies characterised by significant efficacy expressed by a deep response. At the same time the need for conducting and standardising MRD (minimal residual disease) evaluation, which can be used as an indicator for treatment discontinuation, is being debated. The aim of this paper is to indicate the significance of MRD in the assessment of treating CLL (chronic lymphocytic leukaemia) and discussing FTD (fixed time duration) treatment from a clinical and systemic perspective. Current evidence confirms that a negative end-of-treatment MRD status is a strong predictive factor for PFS (progression-free survival) and OS (overall survival) regardless of the type of first-line treatment used and the risk factors. Some new technologies used in CLL treatment (such as venetoclax) are characterised by very high efficacy and can lead to obtaining a deep response, and thus the possibility of using the treatment for a FTD. Obtaining MRD(-) means reducing the number of cancer cells, which decreases the risk of clonal resistance, and thus gives the patients a better prognosis. Administration of the most effective therapy at disease onset is particularly important in CLL treatment. It is underlined that the adopted therapeutic regimen can impact subsequent treatment lines. The greatest benefits of using highly efficacious therapies are reported in first-line treatment, which increases the chances of longer PFS and helps delay the use of subsequent treatment regimens. FTD therapies constitute a beneficial (clinical and systemic) perspective of CLL treatment.
Teleconsultation – Legal Aspects
Authors: Patryn Rafał
Published: July 2023

In the context of the recently adopted law, teleconsultation is a new solution for mutual communication between the doctor and the patient. The introduced legal provisions are to improve contact with the doctor and his or her availability for the patient as a person in need of help. Such form of advice, or consultation is right now a health service provided by the doctor over distance using electronic communication channels (online, telephone). The epidemic safety means and the recommendations concerning caution in contacts with others during the ongoing COVID – 19 pandemic are key. The doctor, owing to the specific nature of the profession, is particularly exposed to the risk of infection from the patients or the places where he or she must stay. In order to counteract the COVID – 19 pandemic, new legislation has been introduced such as the Act of 2 March 2020 on special solutions related to preventing, counteracting and combating COVID-19, other infectious diseases and crisis situations caused by them and its later amendment of 31 March 2020, as well as the Regulation of the Minister Health of 12 August 2020 on the organizational standard of a teleconsultation within primary health care. The legal provisions included in these acts are related to the principles of providing health services by doctors in the form of a teleconsultation. The act determines and clarifies what a teleconsultation is, as a form of a mutual communication channel between the doctor and the patient, and the regulation applies to health services provided in this way within primary health care (POZ, family doctors), by POZ doctors. For the doctor, the changes introduced in the law are important, because they determine the new formula of providing health services, the way they are provided and the manner this fact is recorded in the medical documentation.
LOANet: a lightweight network using object attention for extracting buildings and roads from UAV aerial remote sensing images
Authors: Han Xiaoxiang , Liu Yiman , Liu Gang , Lin Yuanjie , Liu Qiaohong
Published: July 2023

Semantic segmentation for extracting buildings and roads from uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) remote sensing images by deep learning becomes a more efficient and convenient method than traditional manual segmentation in surveying and mapping fields. In order to make the model lightweight and improve the model accuracy, a lightweight network using object attention (LOANet) for buildings and roads from UAV aerial remote sensing images is proposed. The proposed network adopts an encoder-decoder architecture in which a lightweight densely connected network (LDCNet) is developed as the encoder. In the decoder part, the dual multi-scale context modules which consist of the atrous spatial pyramid pooling module (ASPP) and the object attention module (OAM) are designed to capture more context information from feature maps of UAV remote sensing images. Between ASPP and OAM, a feature pyramid network (FPN) module is used to fuse multi-scale features extracted from ASPP. A private dataset of remote sensing images taken by UAV which contains 2431 training sets, 945 validation sets, and 475 test sets is constructed. The proposed basic model performs well on this dataset, with only 1.4M parameters and 5.48G floating point operations (FLOPs), achieving excellent mean Intersection-over-Union (mIoU). Further experiments on the publicly available LoveDA and CITY-OSM datasets have been conducted to further validate the effectiveness of the proposed basic and large model, and outstanding mIoU results have been achieved. All codes are available on https://github.com/GtLinyer/LOANet.
The quality of the fossil record across higher taxa: compositional fidelity of phyla and classes in benthic marine associations
Authors: Tyler Carrie , Kowalewski Michał
Published: July 2023

Although the fossil record preserves a wealth of historical data about past ecosystems, the current paradigm, which postulates that fossils provide faithful archives of ecological information, stems from research primarily focused on a single group of organisms known for their high fossilization potential: molluscs. Here, we quantify the fidelity of higher taxa (six phyla and 11 classes) by comparing live communities and sympatric dead remains (death assemblages) using comprehensive surveys of benthic marine invertebrates from coastal habitats in North Carolina (U.S.A). We found that although community composition differed between the two assemblages across phyla and classes, these differences were predictable with an overabundance of robust and more preservable groups. In addition, dead molluscs appear to be an excellent proxy for all taxa when tracking spatio-temporal patterns and shifts in community structure using a variety of ecological metrics, including measures of α, γ, and β diversity/evenness. This suggests that despite filters imposed by differential preservation of taxa and time-averaging, the fossil record is likely to be reliable with respect to relative comparisons of composition and diversity in shallow benthic marine paleocommunities. This is consistent with previous work indicating that shallow marine death assemblages can yield robust ecological estimates adequate for assessing the variability of ecosystems that existed under natural, pre-anthropogenic conditions.
A novel immunogenic cell death signature for the prediction of prognosis and therapies in glioma
Authors: Zhang Jianhua , Du Jin , Jin Zhihai , Qian Jiang , Xu Jinfa
Published: July 2023

Glioma is a primary cranial malignancy with high recurrence rate, poor prognosis and high mortality. However, the roles of immunogenic cell death (ICD) in glioma remain unclear. Twenty ICD genes were analyzed to be differentially expressed between glioma tissues and non-tumor tissues in 371 glioma patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Patients were classified into three subgroups via unsupervised clustering. Interestingly, the features of cell-infiltrating from three clusters were matched with three immune phenotypes. An applied scoring system was built depending on the expression of hub ICD-related genes. Notably, the ICD-related score was linked with immune checkpoints and the prognosis of glioma patients. In addition, the applied risk model could be used for the prediction of the effect of chemotherapy and immunotherapy for glioma patients. Furthermore, MYD88 was identified to play key roles in the risk model for glioma patients. MYD88 was specifically expressed in malignant cells and validated to correlate with cell proliferation and invasion. Ligand–receptor pairs are determined as novel communications indicating between immunocytes and malignant cells. Therefore, our research established an ICD-related score to investigate the potential effect to chemotherapy and immunotherapy for glioma patients and indicated that MYD88 was a key role in this risk model.
Evaluation of Stability of Implants Placed Simultaneously with Lateral Window Sinus Augmentation using Putty Alloplastic Bone Substitute: A Prospective Interventional Study
Authors: Prakash Chander , Tanwar Nishi , Bhagavatheeswaran Subramony
Published: July 2023

Introduction: Lateral window sinus augmentation is done to augment the vertical sinus height for implant placement. Putty alloplasts have been used due to their longer resorption time and provide resistance to implant insertion. Although, widely used, the stability and bone loss around implants placed simultaneously following sinus augmentation with putty bone graft has not been evaluated. Aim: To evaluate the effect of putty alloplastic bone substitute on implant stability. Materials and Methods: This prospective interventional study was conducted in the Outpatient Department (OPD) of Oral and Maxillofacial surgery at SGT Dental College and Research Institute, Gurugram, Haryana, India. The duration of the study was two years and 11 months, from December 2014-November 2016. A total of 15 implants were placed simultaneously after lateral window sinus augmentation. Primary implant stablity measurements were done using Resonance Frequency Analysis (RFA). Vertical Bone Height (VBH), Maximum Insertion Torque (MIT) and Crestal Bone Loss (CBL) were measured till six months of follow-up. The data was analysed using standard statistical analyses with Shapiro-Wilk-test, Wilcoxon signed-rank test and Spearman’s correlation co-efficient. Results: The mean age of the study participants was 58±3.04 years. A total of 15 implants were placed in 12 patients. Adequate primary stability was achieved with MIT >36 N/cm2 in 9/15 patients whereas, in 6/15 patients the MIT was ≤36 N/cm2 . The implants showed 100% survival rate. Postoperative bone gain obtained was in the range of 7.89 mm to 11.9 mm, with a mean of 9.92 mm. Acceptable levels of implant stability were obtained after six months. Conclusion: Within the limitations of the study, it can be concluded that, putty bone alloplast can serve as an adequate bone substitute in simultaneous implant placement after lateral window sinus augmentation and help in achieving stability.
Evaluation of the Type and Authenticity of Information on Instagram Posts Related to Hepatitis: A Cross-sectional Study
Authors: Ghadwaje Gayatri , Babu Alexis Tressa , Jose Anna Mary , Kaur Japleen
Published: July 2023

Introduction: Hepatitis is a major public health concern. The social media platform, allows for the unregulated dispersion of information related to many public diseases, even by unverified accounts that are easily accessible to the population. Dispersion of unverified and unregulated information about major health conditions like “Hepatitis” by Instagram, an easily-accessible and popular social media platform, can put public health at risk. Aim: To evaluate the type and authenticity of the information available on Instagram related to the disease “Hepatitis”. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted virtually over a period of ten days in August 2022. Top four “Hepatitis” related hashtags on Instagram identified by the maximum number of posts- (#hepatitis, #hepatitisawareness, #hepatitistreatment, and #hepatitisa) were taken into this study. Posts in language “English” or “Hindi” and containing information about the disease “Hepatitis” were included in the study. A questionnaire was made for assessment of these posts based on various pre-determined categories- type of post, type of information circulated and to assess if it is “true”, “false” or “cannot be determined” using World Health Organisation (WHO) factsheet on hepatitis and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines. Results: Out of the top 400 posts analysed, 388 (97%) were found relevant to the study. These posts had information related to the description {274 (70.62%)}, prevalence {95 (24.48%)}, aetiology {233 (60.05%)}, prevention {172 (44.33%)}, treatment {75 (19.33%)} and mortality {72 (18.56%)} of the disease “hepatitis.” A large number of posts {314 (80.93%)}, had authentic information about the disease. Conclusion: Although a large number of Instagram posts related to the disease “ Hepatitis” has authentic information and were posted by doctors and the health and wellness industry, these accounts could not be verified. Government and the national medical association should join hands to create a platform to deliver authentic information to the population related to “Hepatitis” and verify the already available information.
Prediction of Semitendinosus Graft Length and Girth using Anthropometric Parameters: A Prospective Study in North Kerala Population
Authors: Gopi Jipin , Anil Mahesh , Prabhash Krishna , Jayan Aarabhy
Published: July 2023

Introduction: Semitendinosus, Gracilis and Bone-Patellar Tendon-Bone (BPTB) graft are the most popular grafts for Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) reconstruction. Although bone-to-bone patellar tendon grafting improves knee stability and healing rates, there are drawbacks, including donor site morbidity, patellar tendinopathy, anterior knee pain, flexion contracture, and patellar fracture. The advantages of semitendinosus graft include preservation of bone stock, the ability to triple graft length when needed, and the ability to take Gracilis graft through the same incision if graft diameter is too small. Aim: To predict the semitendinosus graft length and diameter using anthropometric parameters (height, weight, Body Mass Index (BMI), waist circumference, thigh circumference and thigh length). Materials and Methods: This prospective descriptive study was conducted in the Department of Orthopaedics, Malabar Medical College, Calicut, Kerala, India for a period of one year (from October 2021 to October 2022). A total of 50 patients in the age group 15-60 years with ACL insufficiency planned for hamstring autograft reconstruction were examined. A number of preoperative factors, including age, gender, height, weight, BMI, thigh length, thigh circumference and waist circumference were assessed. A 2-tailed test and Pearson correlation was used to identify relationships between outcome variables (semitendinosus graft length and quadrupled tendon diameter) and predictor variables (age, gender, height, weight, BMI, thigh length, thigh circumference and waist circumference). Results: A total of 68% of patients had a semitendinosus graft diameter ≥8 mm, while 32% percent were <8 mm. Compared to males, females had a lower body weight and height and their hamstring grafts were shorter with smaller diameter. Correlation analysis indicated that there was a significant positive relation between height and weight on graft length and diameter (p<0.005). Conclusion: The study concluded that both hamstring diameter and length was related to height and weight of the person. Patients who were taller and heavier might be anticipated to have grafts with longer length and larger diameter. Also, thigh and waist parameters had no impact on hamstring tendon size.
A Virtual DBT Group for High-Risk Youth: An Asynchronous Learning Approach
Authors: Radford Joyce , Pacholec Emilia , Chiodo Deb
Published: July 2023

The challenge of providing a virtual Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) group to high-risk youth involves managing the neurodiverse needs and attention struggles of participants. This initiative focused on enhancing youth engagement in a DBT virtual group program by developing an asynchronous learning approach to a DBT skills program and including a parent/guardian component.
A REVIEW ON LEECH THERAPY (TA‘LIQ AL-‘ALAQ): HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE AND POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS IN MODERN MEDICINE
Authors: Ahmad Ashfaque , Khan Abrar Mohd , Safdar Mohd
Published: July 2023

The Unani system of medicine, rooted in the principle of balancing the body's humours, has long believed that imbalances in these humours lead to various illnesses. Restoring the equilibrium of humours is considered vital for promoting good health. Classical texts on Unani medicine delineate three distinct methods for treating diseases: pharmacotherapy, regimenal therapy, and surgery. Among regimenal therapies, leech therapy (Ta‘liq al-‘Alaq) has emerged as an exceptionally effective and distinctive method of bloodletting. By utilizing this traditional technique, leech therapy facilitates the evacuation of morbid humours from the body, addressing the underlying cause of ailments. Over time, leech therapy has transitioned from a traditional practice to gaining recognition as a valuable treatment modality in evidence-based medicine. The safety and efficacy of leech therapy have been supported by clinical reports and pharmacological experiments, demonstrating its potential in healing chronic wounds and managing various ailments. This study explores the historical perspective and potential applications of leech therapy in modern medicine.
IMPACT OF DIFFERENT DRUGS OR MEDICATION ON COVID-19: A REVIEW
Authors: Tripathi Ankita , Singh Ibhya , Pandey Priya , Chaurasia Pooja , Jain Swati , Raj Sristi , Pandey Akanksha , Singh Tanika
Published: July 2023

SARs CoV-2 was first reported in Wuhan, China and from there it spread to different parts of the world in 2019. Hence, the second name COVID-19 was given to this disease the main organ which was primarily affected by it was lungs and other organs which are affected are liver, kidney, immune system, heart, etc. Interestingly, the COVID-19 shows genetic similarity with the SARs and MERs which were in past responsible for the epidemic. Some studies also shows that the genetic information of COVID-19 to some extent match with the bats SARs virus which according to WHO explained that the potential origins of SARS-CoV-2 was inconclusive because it did not explicitly describe the origin of the virus. Due to the rapid spread of the virus in different parts of the world and non-availability of the treatment options the death toll reached to 6 million. However, due to the advancement in the research and development many medicine and treatment options were devised such as plasma therapy, ivermectin, remdesivir, dexamethasone, and many more. In the article we will thoroughly detail the etiology, clinical characteristics, and most recent novel therapies used to control COVID-19.
An Environmentally Safe Production of Xylanases by Fusarium sp. EA 1.3.1 Using Agroindustrial Residues: Biochemical Characterization and Potential Applications
Authors: Marinho Gessica O. , Nogueira Eloísa A. , Pasin Thiago Machado , Oliveira Tássio Brito de , Roa Juan Pedro Bretas , Nelson David Lee , Benassi Vivian M.
Published: July 2023

Renewable energy-related biotechnologies such as biofuels produced from low-cost residual sources that represent clean technologies have become a partial solution to environmental problems. We sought to optimize the cultivation parameters of the fungus Fusarium sp. EA1.3.1 and biochemically characterize the naturally produced xylanases from the fungus. The development of the fungus was analyzed considering the variations in the resources available and by biochemical analysis of the crude extract. The composition and duration of the cultivation, nitrogen source, carbon source, salt solution, and initial pH of the medium were evaluated. The maximum xylanolytic production was obtained in Khanna medium enriched with a CP salts solution during four days of culture using yeast extract, wheat bran, and an initial pH of 8.5 for the culture medium. The optimum temperature and pH were 65°C and 6.5, respectively, for the xylanase activity from Fusarium sp. EA 1.3.1. The enzymatic extract presented general stability at 50°C, keeping 75% of its activity after 90 minutes of incubation, and its activity decreased to 20-40% with exposure to higher temperatures (60-70°C). The enzyme also presented high stability at pH 5.0 after 90 minutes, maintaining 85% of its relative activity. Thus, the isolated fungus presents high potential for xylanase production with desired biochemical and biophysical properties for industrial application.
Histopathological Analysis of Hexavalent Chromium Toxicity to Ovary and Testis of Freshwater Food Fish, Channa punctatus (Bloch. 1793)
Authors: Kashyap Anjali , Kumar Vivek
Published: July 2023

A major issue nowadays is aquatic contamination by heavy metals like Chromium as a result of industrial, agricultural and domestic activities and cause threat to the aquatic ecosystem. This study's objective was to evaluate the toxicological effects of chromium (VI) in freshwater food fish, Channa punctatus. For the experiment, a medium-sized fish (10 ± 2 cm, 30 ± 5 g) was collected from local aquatic habitat and acclimatised in a lab under controlled conditions. There were one control and three exposed groups having different sublethal concentrations of chromium (LC50/5 = 15.378 mg/l, LC50/10 = 7.689 mg/l, and LC50/20 = 3.844 mg/l). Fish sacrificed to create slides after the desired duration. Compared to control, fish exposed to different subletal concentrations showed substantial alterations in their gonads. The highest adverse effects were seen in the ovary and testes in group 4 (LC50/5) compared to the lower in group 2 (LC50/20) in contrast to the control (group 1), Large intrafollicular gaps and nuclear membrane rupture in stage IInd oocytes were seen in the ovary, whereas intralobular edoema, disruption of the germinal epithelium, and severe vacuolization were recorded in the testes. According to the findings of the current research, chromium (VI) has a negative impact on fish reproductive tissue and disturbs ecological balances.
Determination of Some Physical Properties and Electrical Conductivity of Loamy Soil with Additives
Authors: Onwuka M. , Bubu A. , Nwabuzor P. O.
Published: July 2023

In this study, the electrical conductivity and physical properties of loamy soil samples with various additives is determined. The electrical conductivity meter was used to obtain the electrical conductivity and some standard methods have been adopted to obtain other properties. It is observed that the soil combined with NPK had the highest electrical conductivity with the least coming from the soil (control). It is concluded that NPK raises the electrical conductivity of the soil. This goes forth to show a measure of the amount of salts in soil (salinity of soil), which is an important indicator of soil health. It affects crop yields, crop suitability, plant nutrient availability, and activity of soil microorganisms which in turn influences key soil processes including the emission of greenhouse gases such as nitrogen oxides, methane, and carbon dioxide. It is recommended that soil with organic manure should be used in order to maintain low salinity and good soil health.
A note on Yamazakia pusilla (Willd.) from Jamtara Forest Division, Jamtara, Jharkhand, India
Authors: Mishra Sweta , Devidas Bankar Ajinkya , Kumar Sanjeet
Published: July 2023

Yamazakia pusilla has been collected from Jamtara Forest Division, Jamtara, Jharkhand. Earlier, it was known as Lindernia pusilla. Very less studies and reports are available on it from Jharkhand state. In the initial observation and literature review, it appeared that it might be a new addition from the genus Lindernia to the floral wealth of Jharkhand state, but the e-flora of the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) has listed its synonyms. It is an unexplored plant of Jharkhand state and less idea about its identification, habitat, ecological significance and uses. Therefore, keeping this in mind, a taxonomic note, habitat and uses are presented here along with photographs for easy identification in the field. Plant is identified using flowers and published literature. The communication highlights the importance of exploration works for highlighting the unexplored species of Jharkhand state from Jamtara Forest Division, Jamtara.
Storage Stability of Vacuum Packaged Traditional Pork Product Incorporated with Silam (Perilla frutescens [L] Briton) Seeds at Refrigeration Temperature (4±1°C)
Authors: Sangtam H. M. , Laskar S. K. , Das A. , Gogoi P. , Choudhury S. , Mali A.
Published: July 2023

The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of vacuum packaging on the physicochemical, microbial and sensory properties of ready-to-eat pork curry with silam (Perilla frutescens [L] Britton) seeds, a traditional cuisine from Nagaland. The parameters were studied at regular intervals of 0, 5, 10 and 15 days with refrigerated storage at (4 ±1 °C). A significant (p<0.01) decrease in pH, moisture and crude protein was observed with increasing storage time. A significant (p<0.01) increase in TBARS and tyrosine levels was observed with increasing storage time. The microbiological numbers increased with increasing storage time. However, throughout the storage period, all bacterial counts were within the acceptable limits of pork curry with silam. The product showed no symptoms on the 15th day of storage and was acceptable in terms of sensory quality up to 15 days under vacuum packaging. Thus, the present study shows that vacuum packaging could be useful to improve the shelf life of pork curry with silam without compromising the physico-chemical, microbiological and sensory properties of the product.
Analysis of an Electrical Transmission Tower by CFD: A Comparison to the Mexico Standards
Authors: Valdez Josue Alejandro Espinoza , Rangel Jaime Moisés Horta , Hernandez Miguel Ángel Pérez Lara Y. , Zaragoza Juan Bosco Hernández , Rea María Luz Pérez , García Enrique Rico , Lara Teresa Lopez , Gonzalez Eduardo Rojas
Published: July 2023

Place and duration of Study: Faculty of Engineering, Autonomous University of Queretaro, January 2022 to May 2023.

This study analyzed wind pressures in two ways: first, according to current Mexican standards, and second, by performing a dynamic wind analysis using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD).

The present study focused on analyzing the transmission tower E71W21, which is commonly used as a suspension tower in Mexico. This tower has a height of 46.9 m and a base of 12 m, and is similar to the type of towers that collapsed in the city of Los Cabos, Mexico, by the passage of Hurricane Odile in 2014.

Current regulations establish that transmission line towers may be out of scope and must be designed with particular specifications for each case, by numerical models and experimental studies in the wind tunnel.

Two models were made, the first model which consisted of dividing the tower into 5 parts, in order to reduce the computational cost. The model was detailed by modeling the bars with their corresponding section and simplified to the most predominant thickness of the section. The second model is the complete tower as a rigid solid without distinction between the elements.

The wind pressure values obtained using the current standards in Mexico and according to specification J100-50 were found to be 15-20% lower than the values obtained from the CFD simulation results. The difference can be presented by the mesh quality, turbulence model used, or simplifications by the need to reduce the computational cost. The analysis results are presented graphically as pressure and velocity contours, as well as streamlines.

Computational fluid dynamics is a very useful tool for simulating physical experiments such as in a wind tunnel, although it cannot replace the need for physical experimentation. With the help of high-performance computers, Computational fluid dynamics models offer a detailed exploration of physical phenomena.
Effect of Harvesting Stage and Drying Method on Cowpea Leaf Nutrient Composition
Authors: Wanjiku Gitau Jane , Kingori Gathungu Geofrey , Kirimi Kiramana James
Published: July 2023

Cowpea leaves are lost annually due to infestation and spoilage when being transported to clients and the losses at the local markets are brought on by inadequate postharvest handling procedures and market glut, particularly during peak seasons. High moisture content from the cowpea leaves at harvest stage may contribute to increased spoilage hence lowering quantity and quality. The choice of appropriate harvesting stage and drying method can help to reduce this problem. The aim of this study was to determine the best harvesting stage and efficient drying method that would maintain high leaf nutrient composition. Cowpeas variety M66 was used for the research and the treatments included three harvesting stages (21, 35 and 49 days after sowing [DAS]), three drying methods (open sun, solar dryer and oven. Data was collected on iron, calcium, crude fibre, beta carotene, protein and moisture content. The data was subjected for variance using Statistical Analysis System 9.2 edition and significantly different means separated using least significant difference at 5%. The results indicated significant (p<0.05) differences in moisture, calcium, proteins, beta carotene and crude fibre content in both trials. Harvest stage and drying method did not significantly (p<0.05) influence the iron content. Oven and solar drying methods showed better nutrient and mineral retention in the three harvesting stages when compared to the open sun drying method.
Influence of Socio-Economic Conditions on the Effect of Covid-19 in Some Selected Areas of Bangladesh
Authors: Abdullah Md. Masum , Mondal Tanushree , Monalesa Nipa , Das Debashish , Hussain Md. Nazmul
Published: July 2023

Aims: The enduring COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a new era in the efficacy of the agricultural sectors. Farmers in Bangladesh are directly affected by COVID-19. Considering the farmers’ condition regarding the pandemic, the study was designed to investigate the influence of socio-economic conditions on the effect of covid-19 in some selected areas of Bangladesh.

Study Design:  Descriptive research design.

Place and Duration of Study: Data were collected from the 107 respondents selected from the intervention area (5 villages) of Jhenaidah district, Bangladesh. The duration was between June 2021 and July 2022.

Methodology: The data obtained from the interview schedule were coded and tabulated in a data sheet. All personal traits were categorized and arranged in simple tables for descriptions. Statistical tools such as frequency distribution, percent, range, mean and standard deviation were used to interpret data. Data analysis was done using the concerned software Microsoft Excel and Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) Version 26.0. The effect was measured by different descriptive statistics and multiple regression.

Results: The majority (71.80%) of the farmers faced a medium effect of COVID-19. Among the variables age, source of drinking water, and problems faced by the farmers in crop cultivation during COVID-19 had a positive significant contribution, and sanitation practiced by the farmers had a negative contribution to the effect of COVID-19 on their socio-economic conditions. Among these, problems faced by the farmers in crop cultivation had the highest contribution (42.2%). All the factors cooperatively contribute 51.3% of the variance of the effect of COVID-19 (R2 =0.513).

Conclusion: It is concluded that the effect of COVID-19 on farmers’ socio-economic conditions was moderate and needed further advancement.
Optimizing Plant Growth and Crop Productivity through Hydroponics Technique for Sustainable Agriculture: A Review
Authors: Dutta D. , Sharma V. , Guria S. , Chakraborty S. , Sarveswaran S. , Harshavardhan D. , Roy P. , Nandi S. , Thakur A. , Kumar S. , Sonar S. S. , Khadka N. , Lakshmi M. , Shah Md. N. S.
Published: July 2023

A promising, economically viable and profitable form of cultivation is hydroponics.  The findings of the present study indicate that the productivity as well as quality of different leafy vegetables and high valuable fruit crops (litchi etc) was significantly improved by adopting hydroponic techniques. The pH and EC of nutrient solution play an important role in this technique which directly affects the plant response. Article discusses how hydroponics can produce sustainable food while addressing issues such as climate change, lack of arable land and poor soil quality. The article highlights several hydroponic growing media and the importance of pH and dissolved solids (TDS) in a hydroponic fertilizer solution. The potential of hydroponics for Indian farmers and the need for education to facilitate their adoption is discussed at the end of the article. Presently the different substances are used to support plants, aerate them, promote maximum root growth and implement various hydroponic cultivation techniques. This paper also describes the different hydroponic techniques like nutrient film technique (NFT), deep water culture (DWC) and Ebb and flow etc and their mechanisms, applicability and advantages. Along with different hydroponics techniques the effectiveness of hydroponic growing media has also been investigated, with the best results obtained from nutrient film technique along with coconut peat as a growing media.
Impact of Long-Term Application of FYM and Fertilizer Nitrogen on Soil Aggregation and Aggregate Bound Nitrogen Fractions and Nitrogen Mineralization Pattern in Different Size Soil Aggregates: A Review
Authors: Yadav Saloni , Kumari Usha , Raj Dev , Sharma Mohit
Published: July 2023

This review highlights the impact of long-term application of FYM and fertilizer nitrogen on soil aggregation and aggregate bound nitrogen fractions and nitrogen mineralization pattern in different size soil aggregates. Organic manures are an important factor to maintain the soil fertility level because soil organic matter is regarded as a key indicator when assessing soil quality. The integrated application of inorganic and organic amendments leads to increase in both the inorganic fractions (ammonical and nitrate nitrogen) as compare to their alone application. Organic manures and residues that are added to the soil increase the total nitrogen content of the soil by protecting it chemically and physically against microbial degradation. Through FYM and crop root biomass (rhizodeposition), organic matter and fertilizers have been added to the soil on a regular basis during the past 41 years, and the building of nitrogen shows that nitrogen is physically protected within macro aggregates.
Effect of Different Inorganic Fertilizers on Growth and Development of Philodendron scandens Grown Under Shade Net Condition
Authors: Divya Kurakula , Prasanth P. , Kumar A. Kiran , Salma Zehra , Vijaya D.
Published: July 2023

Owing to the importance of foliage plants in indoor gardening, the experiment was carried out to determine the effect of different levels of NPK on growth and development of Sweet--heart plant (Philodendron scandens). The study was carried out at the College of Horticulture, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad, Sri Konda Laxman Telangana State Horticultural University. This was during Kharif season of the year 2019-20 in Completely Randomized Design with seven treatments and replicated thrice. There was an increase in growth parameters like plant height (44.00 cm), stem diameter (37.46 mm), number of leaves per plant (49.50) when Philodendron plants treated with N:P:K (1:1:1) – 2 g per poly bag at 30 days interval (T1). Whereas, application of N:P:K (1:1:1) – 2 g per poly bag at 45 days interval - T2  significantly resulted maximum plant spread (E-W) (49.67 cm), plant spread (N-S) (52.33 cm). Contrary to this among the treatments, T7- Control (without fertilizers) plants showed shorter plant height (36.83 cm), lower plant spread (E-W) (36.33 cm), plant spread (N-S) (42.67 cm), stem diameter (30.33 mm), significantly minimum number of leaves per plant (42.00).