bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
¿Qué factores inciden en la formación inicial del profesorado de Educación Básica en Chile?: una aproximación desde la Evaluación Nacional Diagnóstica
Authors: Rodríguez-Alveal Francisco , Vásquez Claudia
Published: February 2022

A Formação inicial de professores de pedagogia na Educação Básica no Chile, desempenha um papel fundamental no desenvolvimento de conhecimentos e habilidades das futuras gerações de alunos que ingressam no sistema escolar a cada ano; É por isso que a formação disciplinar e pedagógica que os futuros professores recebem nas diferentes instituições de formação é um problema do país. A partir das informações fornecidas pelo Ministério da Educação chileno, cerca de 1.800 futuros professores que fizeram a Avaliação Nacional e através de um desenho inferencial, revela-se que a avaliação é vista a partir de dois pólos: pedagógico e disciplinar, sem correlação entre eles. Por outro lado, existem diferenças estatisticamente significativas entre estudantes pertencentes a instituições do Conselho de Reitores de Universidades Chilenas (CRUCH) e Privadas, apesar de algumas instituições privadas terem reforçado os requisitos de entrada para suas carreiras. Os anos de acreditação inferiores a 5 anos não são um fator que afete os resultados médios dos alunos das instituições CRUCH e Privadas, neste sentido, apenas oito instituições possuem seis ou mais anos de acreditação. Ou seja, há um baixo percentual de carreiras que se poderia dizer que oferecem formação de qualidade, porém as instituições privadas possuem um maior número de práticas que tendem a aproximar seus alunos do sistema escolar, diferenças que são estatisticamente significativas.
La formación estadística de los profesores de matemáticas. Caso Venezuela.
Authors: Salcedo Audy
Published: February 2022

O objetivo desta pesquisa é analisar a proposta de formação estatística para professores de matemática na Venezuela. A utilização da estatística no quotidiano e a sua utilidade nas diferentes áreas do conhecimento tem levado ao reconhecimento do seu valor para a educação geral de todos os cidadãos. Por esta razão, já há várias décadas, a maioria dos países incluiu estatísticas como parte do currículo de matemática do ensino fundamental e médio. Em qualquer mudança curricular, o papel do professor é essencial para o seu sucesso. Mas as instituições de formação também são importantes, que devem fazer ajustes nos currículos para formar as novas gerações de professores para ensinar os novos conteúdos. Por isso, este trabalho relata a análise dos planos de estudos para a formação de professores de matemática de duas universidades venezuelanas, com vistas a estabelecer como eles aspiram a prepará-los para o ensino de estatística e probabilidade. Os resultados indicam que a proposta de formação não parece adequada para que os futuros professores lecionem estatística no ensino médio.
Transit Route Planning for Megacities Based on Demand Density of Complex Networks
Authors: PANG Mingbao , WANG Xing , MA Lixia
Published: February 2022

The aim of this work is to investigate the simplifica-tion of public transport networks (PTNs) for megacities and the optimisation of route planning based on the de-mand density of complex networks. A node deletion rule for network centre areas and a node merging rule for net-work border areas in the PTN are designed using the de-mand density of complex networks. A transit route plan-ning (TRP) model is established, which considers the demands of direct passengers, transfer passengers at the same stop and transfer passengers at different stops, and aims at maximising the transit demand density of a PTN. An optimisation process for TRP is developed based on the ant colony optimisation (ACO). The proposed method was validated through a sample application in Handan City in China. The results indicate that urban PTNs can be simplified while retaining their local attributes to a great extent. The hierarchical structure of the network is more obvious, and the layer-by-layer planning of routes can be effectively used in TRP. Moreover, the operating efficiency and service level of urban PTNs can be en-hanced effectively.
A Two-Phase VIKOR Model for Track Layout Evaluation of Passenger Rail Stations
Authors: BELOŠEVIĆ Ivan , JOVANOVIĆ Predrag , PAVLOVIĆ Norbert , MILINKOVIĆ Sanjin
Published: February 2022

Passenger stations are transit hubs where several railway lines interchange. They have important roles in providing train operations and passenger services. Interrelations between track layouts and technological performances are important for reducing bottleneck effects and raising the operational effectiveness of rail networks. To the best of our knowledge, in previous research the assessment of track layouts has not been considered with respect to various technological aspects including railway operations, safety, and passenger services but rather as a single criterion for analysis of different individual performance indicators. We propose a new two-phase decision making approach for the complex evaluation of track layout alternatives. The first phase model is a VIKOR method for ranking track layouts by criteria related to: railway capacity, safety issue, and passenger-pedestrian fluctuations. Next, in the second phase, we use marginal analysis to find Pareto front and compare the alternatives ratings by calculating performance-benefit coefficients. To show the applicability of the proposed model, we employ an illustrative example of a passenger rail station and evaluate six different track layout alternatives. The effectiveness of the proposed model is demonstrated comparing the proposed two-phase model with traditional VIKOR.
Forecasting High-Speed Railway Demand in the Absence of Air Competition – A Case Study
Authors: BARZEGAR TILENOIE Amine , KHADEM SAMENI Melody , HABIBIAN Meeghat
Published: February 2022

The main competitor of air transportation is High-Speed Railway (HSR). However, in an oil-exporting country with low fuel prices and strong car dependence, HSR can face fierce competition with private cars and even buses. There is little previous research that forecast modal share in this situation. The case study of this research is the Tehran-Hamedan route in Iran that has high travel demand due to several historical and economic reasons and in the absence of air transportation, building the HSR in this route attracted foreign investment. To analyse the travel behaviour of passengers after the introduction of HSR, 409 stated and revealed preferences were collected in a self-designed questionnaire. Multinomial logit (MNL) model and mixed logit (ML) model were developed and modal share of each mode of transportation were forecasted up to 2045. HSR modal share is compared with other routes of the world to see the impact of air competition. The overall modal share of railway in this route is estimated to reach 64%, which is close to the average of major HSR routes globally (around 60%). Therefore, private cars can be a fierce competitor for HSR when there is no air link on the route and fuel is rather cheap.
Assessment of Risk-Taking Behaviour of Young Motorcyclists at Un-Signalised Intersections – A Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modelling Approach
Authors: ABDUL BASIT Hafiz , KHATTAK Afaq , ABBAS Qalab , ARSALAN ABBAS Sardar , HUSSAIN Arshad
Published: February 2022

At un-signalised at-grade intersections or roundabouts, motorcyclists have to make a quick decision to manoeuvre and avoid crash. Many studies show that risk-taking behaviour is the major cause of accidents in young motorcyclists. In this study, we analysed various factors that are involved in the risk-taking behaviour of young motorcyclists at un-signalised intersections. Online questionnaires were distributed among university and college students in Islamabad and Rawalpindi. The data of 490 respondents were collected to test the research model. Partial least square structural equation modelling approach was used to evaluate the measurement model, structural model and importance-performance map analysis. In this study, we assumed that risk-taking behaviour of young motorcyclists at un-signalised intersections could be influenced by several factors, i.e., demographic, past crash involvement, and peer influence. The results revealed that past crash involvement, confidence level, and peer influence were the significant factors that affect the risk-taking behaviour. Peer influence has the highest effect on the risk-taking behaviour. The person whose friends encourage them to take risk and accept challenges is more likely to exhibit the risk-taking behaviour. Those people who are more confident while riding a motorcycle are more likely to take risks.
Undersampled magnetic resonance image reconstruction based on support prior and deep image prior without pre-training
Authors: Zhao Di , Zhao Li-Zhi , Gan Yong-Jin , Qin Bin-Yi ,   Guangxi Colleges and Universities Key Laboratory of Complex System Optimization and Big Data Processing, Yulin Normal University, Yulin 537000, China,   School of Information Engineering, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China,   School of Physics and Telecommunication Engineering, Yulin Normal University, Yulin 537000, China
Published: February 2022

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) method based on deep learning needs large-quantity and high-quality patient-based datasets for pre-training. However, this is a challenge to the clinical applications because it is difficult to obtain a sufficient quantity of patient-based MR datasets due to the limitation of equipment and patient privacy concerns. In this paper, we propose a novel undersampled MRI reconstruction method based on deep learning. This method does not require any pre-training procedures and does not depend on training datasets. The proposed method is inspired by the traditional deep image prior (DIP) framework, and integrates the structure prior and support prior of the target MR image to improve the efficiency of learning. Based on the similarity between the reference image and the target image, the high-resolution reference image obtained in advance is used as the network input, thereby incorporating the structural prior information into network. By taking the coefficient index set of the reference image with large amplitude in the wavelet domain as the known support of the target image, the regularization constraint term is constructed, and the network training is transformed into the optimization process of network parameters. Experimental results show that the proposed method can obtain more accurate reconstructions from undersampled k-space data, and has obvious advantages in preserving tissue features and detailed texture.
A kind of single trench 19-core single-mode heterogeneous fiber with low crosstalk and anti-bending performance
Authors: Ma Li-Ling , Li Shu-Guang , Li Jian-She , Meng Xiao-Jian , Li Zeng-Hui , Wang Lu-Yao , Shao Peng-Shuai ,   State Key Laboratory of Metastable Materials Science and Technology, Key Laboratory for Microstructural Material Physics of Hebei Province, School of Science, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, China
Published: February 2022

The rapid growth of the demand for optical communication capacity promotes optical fiber communication technology. As a method to break through the capacity limitation of conventional single-mode fiber, multi-core fiber based on space division multiplexing technology has attracted extensive attention. In order to respond to the capacity of traditional single-mode fiber positively, we design a scheme of single-mode multi-core fiber combining the arrangement of heterogeneous fiber cores with secondary structure of low refractive index trench. The scheme consists of nineteen fiber cores arranged in a hexagonal closed-packed structure. Heterogeneous trench-assisted multi-core fiber (Hetero-TA-MCF) has low inter-core crosstalk and excellent anti-bending performance. Compared with conventional single-mode fiber, the Hetero-TA-MCF has the large transmission capacity and average effective area of each core of about 80 μm2. The transmission capacity of 19 cores is equivalent to the sum of the transmission capacities of 19 single-core single-mode fibers. We use COMSOL Multiphysics to simulate the fiber structure, finding the parameters that affect the properties of the fiber, selecting parameters and structures for optimal performance. Then we calculate the transmission characteristics by the finite element method,and the results of substantive simulating compute are as follows. The Hetero-TA-MCF achieves a low inter-core crosstalk (XT) of about –39 dB/100 km so that each core can be transmitted as a separate channe. It meets the standard of multi-core fiber long distance transmission. The XT of the heterogeneous 19-core single-mode fiber is suitable for multi-core fiber long distance transmission standards. The bending loss of the outermost fiber core is –7.7×10–5 dB/m when the bending radius is 10 cm, which reflects the low loss characteristics of the structure. The nonlinear coefficients of three kinds of core are 1.28 W–1·km–1, 1.31 W–1·km–1, and 1.30 W–1·km–1 respectively, reducing the nonlinear effect of optical fiber effectively; the dispersions of three kinds of cores are less than 24 ps/(nm·km). In addition, the steady single-mode transmission is achieved in C+L band. Compared with traditional single-mode fiber and single-trench homogeneous fiber, the proposed fiber in this work has low crosstalk, good bending resistance and large mode field area, which is suitable for long distance and large capacity transmission in space division multiplexing system.
Investigation of granular capillary rising under vertical vibration
Authors: Yu Tian-Lin , Fan Feng-Xian ,   School of Energy and Power Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, China,   Shanghai Key Laboratory of Multiphase Flow and Heat Transfer in Power Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, China
Published: February 2022

The phenomenon of granular capillary rising under vertical vibration provides a novel technical route for hoisting, transporting and collecting granular materials. However, there are still obvious deficiencies in the existing studies of the granular capillary rising behavior, especially the intensive investigation on the effects of gravitational acceleration, horizontal vibration component and particle size distribution are still lacking. To address these problems, the discrete element method is used to numerically simulate the granular capillary rising phenomenon under different operating conditions. The final capillary rising height and average capillary rising velocity of the granular matter are computed and analyzed based on the numerical simulations. The results show that the granular capillarity can also occur under low gravity conditions, and that the final capillary rising height and the average capillary rising velocity first increase and then decrease with the gravitational acceleration. It is also found that the final capillary rising height is insensitive to the variation of horizontal vibrational component, whereas the average capillary rising velocity increases with the augmentation of horizontal vibrational component. Compared with the mono-sized particles, the particles with the same mean size but having a Gaussian size distribution exhibit a maximal capillary rising height at a larger critical tube diameter. Meanwhile, the average capillary rising velocity of the particles having a Gaussian size distribution is faster in the tube diameter range where the granular capillary dynamics for both size distributions is dominated by the jamming effect.
Propagation properties of circularly symmetric Airy beam modulated by spectral asymmetric envelope
Authors: Ning Xiao-Kun , Geng Tao ,   Shanghai Key Lab of Modern Optical System, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, China
Published: February 2022

An asymmetric envelope function for modulating the spectrum of circular Airy beam is proposed in this work. The propagation properties of the modified circular Airy beam are investigated in both theory and experiment. The three parameters of the asymmetric hyperbolic secant function can be used to adjust the ratio of the high frequency components to the low frequency components in Fourier space, and thus tuning the propagation properties of this modified circular Airy beam. The results demonstrate that the focal position is affected mainly by the high frequency components. The maximum focal intensity will not be enhanced continuously by increasing the proportion of the high frequency components. It depends on the ratio of the high frequency components to the low frequency components when the center frequency is determined. Therefore, using an asymmetric envelope in Fourier space is much more reasonable than using the high pass filtering or symmetric Gaussian envelope. The FWHM decreases significantly with the increase of center frequency. When the parameters are chosen appropriately, the size of focal spot will be reduced significantly, the maximum focal intensity, especially the abruptly autofocusing property will be enhanced greatly and the focal position can remain almost the same as the focal position of the common circular Airy beam. The maximum focal intensity of the proposed beam is 3.4 times that of the common circular Airy beam and the abruptly autofocusing property of the proposed beam is much better than that of the beam using the symmetric Gaussian envelope. The phase-only encoding method in Fourier space is used to generate the proposed beam in experiment. The experimental results are in reasonable agreement with the simulation results. It indicates that the modified beam can be generated conveniently by using the same method as that used to generate the common circular Airy beam.
Environmentally sensitive hotspots in the methylome of the early human embryo
Authors: Silver Matt J , Saffari Ayden , Kessler Noah J , Chandak Gririraj R , Fall Caroline HD , Issarapu Prachand , Dedaniya Akshay , Betts Modupeh , Moore Sophie E , Routledge Michael N , Herceg Zdenko , Cuenin Cyrille , Derakhshan Maria , James Philip T , Monk David , Prentice Andrew M
Published: February 2022

In humans, DNA methylation marks inherited from gametes are largely erased following fertilisation, prior to construction of the embryonic methylome. Exploiting a natural experiment of seasonal variation including changes in diet and nutritional status in rural Gambia, we analysed three datasets covering two independent child cohorts and identified 259 CpGs showing consistent associations between season of conception (SoC) and DNA methylation. SoC effects were most apparent in early infancy, with evidence of attenuation by mid-childhood. SoC-associated CpGs were enriched for metastable epialleles, parent-of-origin-specific methylation and germline differentially methylated regions, supporting a periconceptional environmental influence. Many SoC-associated CpGs overlapped enhancers or sites of active transcription in H1 embryonic stem cells and fetal tissues. Half were influenced but not determined by measured genetic variants that were independent of SoC. Environmental ‘hotspots’ providing a record of environmental influence at periconception constitute a valuable resource for investigating epigenetic mechanisms linking early exposures to lifelong health and disease.
Cellular organization in lab-evolved and extant multicellular species obeys a maximum entropy law
Authors: Day Thomas C , Höhn Stephanie S , Zamani-Dahaj Seyed A , Yanni David , Burnetti Anthony , Pentz Jennifer , Honerkamp-Smith Aurelia R , Wioland Hugo , Sleath Hannah R , Ratcliff William C , Goldstein Raymond E , Yunker Peter J
Published: February 2022

The prevalence of multicellular organisms is due in part to their ability to form complex structures. How cells pack in these structures is a fundamental biophysical issue, underlying their functional properties. However, much remains unknown about how cell packing geometries arise, and how they are affected by random noise during growth - especially absent developmental programs. Here, we quantify the statistics of cellular neighborhoods of two different multicellular eukaryotes: lab-evolved ‘snowflake’ yeast and the green alga Volvox carteri. We find that despite large differences in cellular organization, the free space associated with individual cells in both organisms closely fits a modified gamma distribution, consistent with maximum entropy predictions originally developed for granular materials. This ‘entropic’ cellular packing ensures a degree of predictability despite noise, facilitating parent-offspring fidelity even in the absence of developmental regulation. Together with simulations of diverse growth morphologies, these results suggest that gamma-distributed cell neighborhood sizes are a general feature of multicellularity, arising from conserved statistics of cellular packing.
Telencephalic outputs from the medial entorhinal cortex are copied directly to the hippocampus
Authors: Tsoi Sau Yee , Öncül Merve , Svahn Ella , Robertson Mark , Bogdanowicz Zuzanna , McClure Christina , Sürmeli Gülşen
Published: February 2022

Complementary actions of the neocortex and the hippocampus enable encoding and long-term storage of experience dependent memories. Standard models for memory storage assume that sensory signals reach the hippocampus from superficial layers of the entorhinal cortex (EC). Deep layers of the EC on the other hand relay hippocampal outputs to the telencephalic structures including many parts of the neocortex. Here, we show that cells in layer 5a of the medial EC send a copy of their telencephalic outputs back to the CA1 region of the hippocampus. Combining cell-type-specific anatomical tracing with high-throughput RNA-sequencing based projection mapping and optogenetics aided circuit mapping, we show that in the mouse brain these projections have a unique topography and target hippocampal pyramidal cells and interneurons. Our results suggest that projections of deep medial EC neurons are anatomically configured to influence the hippocampus and neocortex simultaneously and therefore lead to novel hypotheses on the functional role of the deep EC.
Parallel evolution of Pseudomonas aeruginosa phage resistance and virulence loss in response to phage treatment in vivo and in vitro
Authors: Castledine Meaghan , Padfield Daniel , Sierocinski Pawel , Soria Pascual Jesica , Hughes Adam , Mäkinen Lotta , Friman Ville-Petri , Pirnay Jean-Paul , Merabishvili Maya , de Vos Daniel , Buckling Angus
Published: February 2022

With rising antibiotic resistance, there has been increasing interest in treating pathogenic bacteria with bacteriophages (phage therapy). One limitation of phage therapy is the ease at which bacteria can evolve resistance. Negative effects of resistance may be mitigated when resistance results in reduced bacterial growth and virulence, or when phage coevolves to overcome resistance. Resistance evolution and its consequences are contingent on the bacteria-phage combination and their environmental context, making therapeutic outcomes hard to predict. One solution might be to conduct ‘in vitro evolutionary simulations’ using bacteria-phage combinations from the therapeutic context. Overall, our aim was to investigate parallels between in vitro experiments and in vivo dynamics in a human participant. Evolutionary dynamics were similar, with high levels of resistance evolving quickly with limited evidence of phage evolution. Resistant bacteria—evolved in vitro and in vivo—had lower virulence. In vivo, this was linked to lower growth rates of resistant isolates, whereas in vitro phage resistant isolates evolved greater biofilm production. Population sequencing suggests resistance resulted from selection on de novo mutations rather than sorting of existing variants. These results highlight the speed at which phage resistance can evolve in vivo, and how in vitro experiments may give useful insights for clinical evolutionary outcomes.
P2Y1 purinergic receptor identified as a diabetes target in a small-molecule screen to reverse circadian β-cell failure
Authors: Marcheva Biliana , Weidemann Benjamin J , Taguchi Akihiko , Perelis Mark , Ramsey Kathryn Moynihan , Newman Marsha V , Kobayashi Yumiko , Omura Chiaki , Manning Fox Jocelyn E , Lin Haopeng , Macdonald Patrick E , Bass Joseph
Published: February 2022

The mammalian circadian clock drives daily oscillations in physiology and behavior through an autoregulatory transcription feedback loop present in central and peripheral cells. Ablation of the core clock within the endocrine pancreas of adult animals impairs the transcription and splicing of genes involved in hormone exocytosis and causes hypoinsulinemic diabetes. Here, we developed a genetically sensitized small-molecule screen to identify druggable proteins and mechanistic pathways involved in circadian β-cell failure. Our approach was to generate β-cells expressing a nanoluciferase reporter within the proinsulin polypeptide to screen 2640 pharmacologically active compounds and identify insulinotropic molecules that bypass the secretory defect in CRISPR-Cas9-targeted clock mutant β-cells. We validated hit compounds in primary mouse islets and identified known modulators of ligand-gated ion channels and G-protein-coupled receptors, including the antihelmintic ivermectin. Single-cell electrophysiology in circadian mutant mouse and human cadaveric islets revealed ivermectin as a glucose-dependent secretagogue. Genetic, genomic, and pharmacological analyses established the P2Y1 receptor as a clock-controlled mediator of the insulinotropic activity of ivermectin. These findings identify the P2Y1 purinergic receptor as a diabetes target based upon a genetically sensitized phenotypic screen.
Optimal Constraints on Arabic-English Translation: a Case Study of Translating Surat AlFatiHa ‘The Opening’
Authors: A. AlBzour Baseel
Published: February 2022

To add a useful brick to the huge mansion of translation theory in its modern scientific sense, this paper intrinsically endeavors to reduce the wide hiatus between the premises of conventional translation studies and modern linguistic theories in general and Optimality Theory (OT) in particular, in a very earnest hope that translation methods and techniques can find a solid and robust systematic ground that may enable professional translators and institutionalized translation agencies to conduct their translation quality assessment more accurately. Drawing on the assumptions and the mechanism of linguistically-channeled theory of Optimality in phonology, syntax and semantics, this researcher, therefore, banks on setting and implementing major OT constraints that specify the range of choices translators may opt for while oscillating between the clashing Faithfulness and Markedness principles in their vehement quest to achieve optimally the least detrimental effects to the source text and to the target text, instead of looking for the myth of closest equivalence, while translating Arabic texts into English and vice versa. Four different translations have been examined and optimally evaluated. The study shows how any choice that translators make must, therefore, be deliberately rationalized and precisely prioritized over other possible choices and candidates in light of universal violable constraints. Therefore, translation studies should be descriptively constraint-oriented and motivated instead of being prescriptively rule-controlled.
Teachers’ Perceptions Towards the Usefulness of Lesson Plan Manuals in the Teaching of Language Arts at the Junior Secondary School level
Authors: Challay Saidu , Kanneh Vandi S.
Published: February 2022

This paper examined the perceptions of teachers regarding the use of Lesson Plan Manuals (LPMs) in the teaching of Language Arts at the Junior Secondary School level within Bo using data from an MA dissertation. Since the introduction of the Lesson Plan Manuals in 2016, a study to assess the impact of their use in schools has not been done. It is based on this that an assessment was carried out to seek the opinion of Language Arts teachers with regards the use of the Lesson Plan Manuals. It was also intended to investigate whether pupils’ performance in Language Arts has improved or not since the introduction of the Lesson Plan Manuals. The study adopted a qualitative study design and non-probabilistic sample design paradigms. A total of forty (40) Language Arts teachers at the Junior Secondary School level were purposefully selected to serve as respondents for this study. Twenty-five(25) respondents completed and returned the five-pointLikert scale that was used for data collection. Respondents were also interviewed in focused group discussions on some key issues that were not captured in the questionnaires. The results indicate that Lesson Plan Manuals in Language Arts are available in most schools. However, not all pupils have access to these manuals, which makes it difficulfor most of the learners to follow the steps and actively participate in the lessons. It was also revealed that with the use of the Lesson Plan Manuals, the performance of pupils has gradually improved, although some teachers need training in the use of these Lesson Plan Manuals.
Genome-wide identification and characterization of laccase family members in eggplant (Solanum melongena L.)
Authors: Wan Faxiang , Zhang Linqing , Tan Mengying , Wang Xiaohua , Wang Guang-Long , Qi Mengru , Liu Bingxin , Gao Jun , Pan Yu , Wang Yongqing
Published: February 2022

Laccase, as a copper-containing polyphenol oxidase, primarily functions in the process of lignin, anthocyanin biosynthesis, and various abiotic/biotic stresses. In this study, forty-eight laccase members were identified in the eggplant genome. Only forty-two laccase genes from eggplant (SmLACs) were anchored unevenly in 12 chromosomes, the other six SmLACs were mapped on unanchored scaffolds. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that only twenty-five SmLACs were divided into six different groups on the basis of groups reported in Arabidopsis. Gene structure analysis revealed that the number of exons ranged from one to 13. Motif analysis revealed that SmLACs included six conserved motifs. In aspects of gene duplication analysis, twenty-one SmLACs were collinear with LAC genes from Arabidopsis, tomato or rice. Cis-regulatory elements analysis indicated many SmLACs may be involved in eggplant morphogenesis, flavonoid biosynthesis, diverse stresses and growth/development processes. Expression analysis further confirmed that a few SmLACs may function in vegetative and reproductive organs at different developmental stages and also in response to one or multiple stresses. This study would help to further understand and enrich the physiological function of the SmLAC gene family in eggplant, and may provide high-quality genetic resources for eggplant genetics and breeding.
Comparative Evaluation of Passive Tactile Sensibility Associated with Osseointegrated Implants in Various Regions of Partially Edentulous ArchA Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Jenny Naorem , Krishnan Murugesan , Srinivasan Suganya , Balasubramanium Muthukumar , Balasubramanian Gayathrie , Pushparaj Aparna
Published: February 2022

Introduction: The extremely sensitive tactile sensors periodontal mechanoreceptors play a key role in sensory innervation of teeth. The oral kinaesthetic perceptual abilities in the absence of periodontal mechanoreceptive input can be achieved by osseointegrated prosthesis. Aim: To evaluate the passive tactile sensibility associated with osseointegrated dental implant in various regions of the maxillary and mandibular arch. Materials and Methods: A prospective cohort study was performed in SRM Dental College, Chennai, India between August 2013 to February 2015. Fifty patients who had single tooth replacement with functioning implants loaded six months before were included. A compressive force was applied along the long axis of the implant supported prosthesis using a push type force measuring gauge until the subject felt the first sensation of pressure and subsequently it displayed the magnitude of force that provided the tactile sensation. The force measuring gauge used was Model: FG 5000 A form Lutron electronic enterprises co., ltd. The procedure was repeated thrice. The patient was guided to record the force perception on visual analogue scale with continuous force. The visual analogue scale has values 0-4 starting from no sensation, mild, moderate, intense and pain and the average force measured. The values of the force recorded were statistically analysed using the t-test, SPSS Windows version 17.0 was used. The p-value of 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The overall mean value of maxilla was 23.12 N and the standard deviation was ±2.88 N. The overall mean value of mandibular was 22.44 N and the standard deviation of ±2.06 N and there was no significant difference in the threshold for passive tactile perception between maxilla and mandible. Conclusion: The results showed that mandibular anterior teeth had least threshold for force applied than any other region of the mouth and the maxillary posterior had the highest threshold. The anterior region exhibited better passive tactile threshold measure when compared to posterior region.
Whole Brain CT Perfusion Evaluation in Transient Ischaemic Attack: A Cross-sectional Study from a Tertiary Care Centre, New Delhi, India
Authors: Madaan Prateek Kumar , Ghasi Rohini Gupta
Published: February 2022

Introduction: Few studies exist in current literature regarding imaging features in Transient Ischaemic Attack (TIA) and most of the previous studies on Computed Tomography Perfusion (CTP) have used old generation scanners with limited brain coverage. Aim: To study the spectrum of whole brain CTP parameters in patients presenting with TIA using a 256 slice CT scanner. Materials and Methods: This cross -sectional observational study was conducted at tertiary care centre in New Delhi, India over a period of 18 months from October 2017 till March 2019. All patients presenting with the first episode of TIA were evaluated with Non Contrast Computed Tomography (NCCT), Whole brain CTP, and Color doppler of carotid vessels. Quantitative assessment and statistical analysis of the alteration of CT perfusion parameters was done in areas of visualized Focal Perfusion Abnormalities (FPA) and seven predefined locations in bilateral hemispheres on perfusion maps. Results: Five out of 15 patients had FPAs in the colour maps and there was a significant elevation of Cerebral Blood Flow (CBF) and Cerebral Blood Volume (CBV) in the FPA region (p-value= 0.018) suggestive of postischaemic hyperperfusion. The mean hemispheric CBF was increased in the abnormal hemisphere compared to the normal hemisphere (p-value=0.04). Conclusion: CTP parameters are significantly altered in the patients with TIA with predominant increase in CBF and CBV in the patients who have FPA on CTP. CTP shows postischaemic hyperperfusion changes in the form of increased CBF in the hemisphere corresponding to the symptoms.
Protective Role of Vitamin C Against Biochemical Enzymes Alterations Induced by Exposure of Allethrin Based Mosquito Coil Smoke on Cerebellum of Male Albino RatsAn Experimental Study
Authors: Sachan Ranjana
Published: February 2022

Introduction: Among synthetic pyrethroids allethrin is widely used as active ingredient in mosquito coils. Many experimental studies have proved that pyrethroids cause neurotoxicity and result into derangements of biochemical enzymes including oxidative stress markers and antioxidant levels in brain. Aim: To study alterations in biochemical markers (oxidative and antioxidant enzymes) in cerebellum of male albino Wistar rats induced by the exposure of allethrin based mosquito coil smoke along with protective role of withdrawal and exogenously administered vitamin C on these markers. Materials and Methods: This experimental study was conducted in the Department of Anatomy, King George's Medical University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India, during October 2014-September 2015. Total 42 male albino Wistar rats were divided into four groups. The first group contained 12 rats was used as control, group II with 12 rats was given 8 hours daily exposure of allethrin based mosquito coil smoke via whole body inhalation for 6 days in a week for a total of 12 weeks. Group III contained eight rats and was given exposure same as group II and were further kept for 8 weeks to see the withdrawal effect. Group IV with 10 rats was given same exposure as group II, along with oral administration of 20 mg/kg body weight vitamin C. After 12 weeks of exposure cerebellum was dissected and then sent for biochemical enzyme estimation. Rats in group III were dissected after 8 weeks post 12 weeks of exposure. Comparisons were made between groups by using one way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). Results: The exposure Group II showed significant rise (p<0.001) in level of oxidative stress marker enzyme Malondialdehyde (MDA) and significant (p<0.001) reduction in activities of antioxidants Glutathione Peroxidase (GPO), reduced Glutathione (GSH), Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) and Catalase (CAT) in comparison to Group I, III and IV. In vitamin C administered group IV the above parameters were found to be less affected. Intergroup comparison of oxidative stress markers level showed significant intergroup difference between Group I, II, group II, III and group II, IV. Conclusion: Allethrin based mosquito coil smoke causes oxidative stress in cerebellum of albino Wistar rats and vitamin C has ameliorative effect on biochemical alterations induced by sub-chronic whole body exposure of mosquito coil smoke.
Body Weight as a Major Determinant Section of Thyroxine Sodium Dosage in the Treatment of Primary Hypothyroidism
Authors: Kumar Surendra
Published: February 2022

Introduction: Several formulae have been proposed for optimising the dosage prerequisites of levothyroxine (LT4), and body weight and Body Mass Index (BMI) have been suggested to broadly dependent on the formulae range. Aim: To evaluate the role of body weight as a determinant of LT4 dosage in the treatment of primary hypothyroidism. Materials and Methods: The present study was a prospective observational study conducted at Outpatient Department (OPD) Endocrinology, Patna Medical College Hospital, Patna, Bihar, India, on 100 patients diagnosed with untreated primary hypothyroidism between February 2020 and January 2021. Demographic details, anthropometric measurements, vital signs, and details of types and dosage of treatment received were collected. LT4 dose requirement for each individual patient was then generated as mcg per kg/body weight per day. Estimation of serum Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH), FT4, creatinine and thyroid peroxidase levels were carried out as per standard diagnostic protocols and the dosage adjustment was conducted based on target TSH levels. Population characteristics were expressed as mean±standard deviation. The Python version 3.4.5 with the package seaborn was used for statistical analyses and preparation of figures, distribution and correlation plots. Results: The study enrolled 100 individuals (88 women and 12 men) with mean age of 40.69 years (age range 17 to 72 years). A significant positive correlation was noted between the LT4 dose and total body weight (p-value <0.001). The association was also significant when the LT4 dose was correlated with BMI (p-value <0.001) and FT4 (p-value <0.001). However, the correlation of Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies (TPO Ab), TSH, height and age with the LT4 daily dose (p-value >0.05) was found to be statistically non significant. Conclusion: There exist a significant positive correlation between LT4 dosage and body weight. Hence, body weight should be considered as a key determinant while prescribing LT4 therapy for the treatment primary hypothyroidism.
Bacteriological Profile of Sepsis among Low Birth Weight Neonates: A Hospital-based Cross-sectional Study from Northern India
Authors: Singh Neeraj , Singh Rupa R , Maini Baljeet , Gaur Bablu Kumar
Published: February 2022

Introduction: Septicaemia in neonates is characterised by the generalised bacteriological infection which is characterised with a blood culture positivity after 28 days of birth along with clinical presentation of systemic infection. It is one of the common causes of death among Low Birth Weight (LBW) neonates. Incidence of sepsis varies based on different variables, such as hospitals, obstetric and nursing procedures, gender, period of gestation, weight of the baby at birth, place of delivery status, mother’s health and nutrition and perinatal care. Aim: To know the bacteriological profile and antibiotic susceptibility patterns of organisms causing sepsis in LBW neonates. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional hospitalbased observational was conducted in tertiary care hospital, Moradabad, Western Uttar Pradesh, India. LBW newborns (Birth weight <2.5 kg) hospitalised in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) over a period of one year from June 2019 to May 2020 with a diagnosis of clinical sepsis were enrolled. Relevant investigations and treatment were started as per our NICU protocol. Data was entered sequentially in Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and analysed in Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) (version 20.0) using Chi-square test. Results: During the study period, total 145 LBW neonates were admitted in NICU. Out of whom, 83 neonates were admitted with clinical sepsis. A 87.9% of LBW neonates were preterm. Blood culture reports were positive in 30 (36.2%) LBW neonates. In culture proven sepsis, 20 (67%) neonates had early onset neonatal sepsis and 10 (33%) had late onset neonatal sepsis. In culture proven early onset neonatal sepsis, 13 (65%) LBW neonates had gram negative sepsis and 7 (35%) had gram positive sepsis. The most frequently isolated organisms were Acinetobacter baumannii (23.3%) and Klebsiella pneumoniae- (16.7%). These organism were resistance to cefotaxime, ampicillin, amikacin and ciprofloxacin. Conclusion: Acinetobacter sepsis in LBW neonates is surging rapidly and is associated with high degree of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). Therefore, knowledge and awareness of multidrug resistant organism causing sepsis in LBW neonates and their latest antimicrobial sensitivity pattern is essential to choose most appropriate antibiotics.
Learning Motivation and Self-Efficacy towards Improved Clinical Performance in Undergraduate Nursing Students: A Cross-sectional Study
Authors: Bahari Ghareeb , Alharbi Kholoud N , Alenazi Latifah
Published: February 2022

Introduction: Learning motivation promotes academic achievement, satisfaction and education of students. Self-efficacy helps students overcome challenges associated with clinical nursing education. A gap remains in the literature related to learning motivation and selfefficacy in undergraduate nursing programs. Aim: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between learning motivation and self-efficacy among undergraduate nursing students. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted on undergraduate nursing students from a public university in Saudi Arabia from February 2021 to April 2021. The Science Motivation Questionnaire II (SMQ-II) to assess motivation and General Self-Efficacy (GSE) scale to assess selfefficacy were used for data collection. Data was analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 26.0, bivariate analyses were used where needed and multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to examine the relationship between motivation levels and self-efficacy while controlling for demographic variables. Results: A total of 110 undergraduate nursing students participated in the study. Most of the sample reported a slightly high level of both learning motivation with a mean of 75.5, range: 8-100 and self-efficacy with a mean of 29.3, range: 1-40. None of the demographic variables were significantly associated with either learning motivation or self-efficacy (p-value>0.05). Learning motivation was found to have a strong, positive and significant correlation (r-value=0.663, p-value<0.001) with selfefficacy. In regression, learning motivation was the only variable significantly associated with self-efficacy (β=0.655, p-value <0.05). Conclusion: The findings demonstrated that motivation is critical in explaining attitudes, predicting consequences of actions, and directing behavior to fulfill the goals of clinical courses. Selfefficacy is another important factor in student nurses’ progress.
Changing Dynamics of Global Cotton Trade
Authors: Devikarani K. T. , Mahendran K. , Ashok K. R. , Palanichamy N. Venkatesa
Published: February 2022

This article discusses about the changes in the cotton production, consumption, stocks, exports and imports between countries over the years and the possible reasons leading to the observed changes. This helps researchers to have a glimpse of what have happened in the past with respect to global cotton scenario. The understanding of the changes in global cotton trade helps in making assumptions used to predict future production or price. The main factors determining the cotton trade are labour charges, adoption of technological developments in cotton processing, trade relationship between major cotton producers and consuming countries and government policies within the country.
COVID-19 Induced Secondary Hemophagocytic Lymphohsitocytosis: A Case Series
Authors: I. Elbanoni Omelkhir , Elhashmi Haloom A. , Madani Mariam M. , Elabbud Huda A. , Alougly Shirin I. , Elghariani Nourz A.
Published: February 2022

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a lethal and rapidly progressive hyper-inflammatory state that lead to development of fulminant multi-organ failure. HLH is divided into primary or familial HLH (FHL) and secondary HLH (sHLH). It can be triggered by a variety of agent that affect the immune system, infection is a common triggering agent. Recently, Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has spread all over the world and was declared a pandemic. COVID-19 infection in children can induce serious hyper-inflammatory syndrome termed multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C). Clinically MIS-C patients present with features that resemble Kawasaki’s disease or toxic shock syndrome and the clinical and laboratory manifestations may also similar to that of secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, or macrophage activation syndrome (MAS).

The reported HLH syndrome in children with COVID-19 increased during 2020-2021. In this case series we present two pediatric patient diagnosed as sHLH post- COVID-19 infection with a brief literature review of similar pediatric patients.
Indicator Plants of Perennial Streams: Ecological Approach for the Wildlife Management in Mining Areas
Authors: Kumar N. Sanath , Aradhana Sinu , Marndi Sugimani , Kumar Sanjeet
Published: February 2022

Mining activities create lot of ecological imbalance, including destruction of wildlife habitat. It also gives a negative impact on perennial stream. In near future, we have to restore them using ecological keys. Bio – indicator of perennial stream is very important for restoration and act like ecological keys. Keeping this in view, an attempt has been made to enumerate the plant species growing in and around perennial stream of Koira range, Bonai Forest Division, Odisha, India. Koira range comes under mining impacted areas. Results revealed that about 21 plant species are commonly available in 10 streams of Koira range. Enumerated species could be the indicators of perennial streams which would be fruitful for future restoration strategies.
What a Clinical Hematologist should Know about B Cells?
Authors: Sharma Sanjeev Kumar
Published: February 2022

B cells are very crucial part of our immune system. They protect us from various infections by secreting antigen-specific antibodies, which neutralize the infectious agents. It is important for a clinical hematologist to know about the B cell development, function and the diseases developing from the quantitative or qualitative defects in B cells. This simple and short review is focused on the basic understanding and clinical hematologist’s perspective of B cells.