bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Voces simbólicas y procesos de adaptación de las jóvenes migrantes haitianas en Chile
Authors: Pavez-Soto Iskra , Poblete-Godoy Daniela , Ortíz-López Juan , Voltarelli Monique Ap. , Villegas Pamela , Grandón Nicolás , Ansaldo Manuel , Molina Andrea , Leonelli Giselle , Andrades Karen
Published: March 2023

En este artículo se presentan los resultados de un estudio cualitativo e interdisciplinario cuyo objetivo general fue comprender las experiencias migratorias de dos jóvenes haitianas desde una perspectiva interseccional. Se analiza críticamente el concepto de ‘voz simbólica’ (Dovetto 2012) en el acto comunicativo a partir de la subjetividad situada que emana de diversos cruces de poder (edad, sexo-género, nacionalidad-‘raza’, idioma, clase). La ‘voz’ se analiza en su dimensión comunicativa y simbólica, como metáfora de la acción de ‘estar expresadas’. El método utilizado fue el estudio de caso múltiple a través de entrevistas semiestructuradas en formato de videoconferencia. Se concluye que las mujeres haitianas participantes en el estudio tenían motivaciones económicas para la migración internacional, producto de un contexto de origen marcado por frecuentes crisis. Además, las jóvenes migrantes tienen una autopercepción del volumen de su voz que podría derivar en eventuales procesos de exclusión, debido a una acústica diferente. En este sentido, se observa una gran capacidad adaptativa en las jóvenes haitianas, ya que deben acomodarse a un nuevo contexto cultural y, además, aprender otro idioma (su lengua materna es el creole). Sin embargo, como en estudios previos, se constató la sensación de temor por no demostrar eficacia lingüística. Tras finalizar la educación media, las jóvenes migrantes ingresaron al mercado de trabajo, tuvieron acceso a dinero y consumo, cuestión interpretada por ellas como una forma de obtener independencia económica y autonomía personal. Aunque su volumen de voz y habla se adapta al contexto chileno, igualmente se percibe riesgo de racialización. Entonces, el concepto de ‘voz simbólica’ articula la dimensión concreta de la voz acústica y simbólica, como la necesidad de expresión. El artículo finaliza con algunas recomendaciones para favorecer procesos de inclusión social.
Multifilter Time-series Observations of Eleven Blue Short-period ATLAS Variable Stars
Authors: Koen C. , Schaffenroth V. , Kniazev A.
Published: March 2023

Eleven periodic variable stars were observed photometrically through two to four filters from the set UBVR

C

I

C
. Phase-folded data for each star cover full cycles of variation. Spectral energy distributions, based on absolute photometry extracted from the literature, are used to inform models of the stars. The stars include four eclipsing systems with hot subdwarfs of spectral type O or B (sdO/B). Periods are in the range 1.8–2.2 hr. Four reflection-effect binaries, with amplitudes as large as 0.5 mag in the R

C
filter were observed; periods range from 1.6 to 2.4 hr. In two of these latter systems, the primary stars are also sdB stars, while two have white-dwarf components. In all eight of these binaries the companion stars are probably M dwarfs. The remaining three stars are pulsators: one large-amplitude δ Scuti star previously misclassified as an eclipsing system; one field SX Phe star near the Galactic plane; and one multiperiodic high-luminosity star of unknown type. The amplitude is usually a strong function of the wavelength in pulsating stars, but this is not the case for the high-luminosity variable. One possible explanation is that the luminous star has a pulsating companion. The SX Phe and high-luminosity star are both heavily reddened (A

V
> 5 mag).
The Mid-infrared Molecular Inventory toward Orion IRc2
Authors: Nickerson Sarah , Rangwala Naseem , Colgan Sean W. J. , DeWitt Curtis , Monzon Jose S. , Huang Xinchuan , Acharyya Kinsuk , Drozdovskaya Maria N. , Fortenberry Ryan C. , Herbst Eric , Lee Timothy J.
Published: March 2023

We present the first high spectral resolution mid-infrared survey in the Orion BN/KL region, covering 7.2–28.3 μm. With SOFIA/EXES, we target the enigmatic source Orion IRc2. While this is in the most prolifically studied massive star-forming region, longer wavelengths and molecular emission lines dominated previous spectral surveys. The mid-infrared observations in this work access different components and molecular species in unprecedented detail. We unambiguously identify two new kinematic components, both chemically rich with multiple molecular absorption lines. The “blue clump” has v
LSR = −7.1 ± 0.7 km s−1, and the “red clump” has 1.4 ± 0.5 km s−1. While the blue and red clumps have similar temperatures and line widths, molecular species in the blue clump have higher column densities. They are both likely linked to pure rotational H2 emission also covered by this survey. This work provides evidence for the scenario that the blue and red clumps are distinct components unrelated to the classic components in the Orion BN/KL region. Comparison to spectroscopic surveys toward other infrared targets in the region show that the blue clump is clearly extended. We analyze, compare, and present in-depth findings on the physical conditions of C2H2, 13CCH2, CH4, CS, H2O, HCN,

H

13

CN

, HNC, NH3, and SO2 absorption lines and an H2 emission line associated with the blue and red clumps. We also provide limited analysis of H2O and SiO molecular emission lines toward Orion IRc2 and the atomic forbidden transitions [Fe ii], [S i], [S iii], and [Ne ii].
Searching for TeV Dark Matter in Irregular Dwarf Galaxies with HAWC Observatory
Authors: Alfaro R. , Alvarez C. , Arteaga-Velázquez J. C. , Rojas D. Avila , Solares H. A. Ayala , Babu R. , Belmont-Moreno E. , Caballero-Mora K. S. , Capistrán T. , Carramiñana A. , Casanova S. , Chaparro-Amaro O. , Cotti U. , Cotzomi J. , De la Fuente E. , Diaz Hernandez R. , Dingus B. L. , DuVernois M. A. , Durocher M. , Díaz-Vélez J. C. , Espinoza C. , Fan K. L. , Fraija N. , García-González J. A. , Garfias F. , González M. M. , Harding J. P. , Hernández-Cadena S. , Huang D. , Hueyotl-Zahuantitla F. , Iriarte A. , Joshi V. , Kaufmann S. , Kieda D. , Lee J. , Vargas H. León , Linnemann J. T. , Longinotti A. L. , Luis-Raya G. , Malone K. , Martinez O. , Martínez-Castro J. , Matthews J. A. , Moreno E. , Mostafá M. , Nayerhoda A. , Nellen L. , Omodei N. , Araujo Y. Pérez , Pérez-Pérez E. G. , Rho C. D. , Rosa-González D. , Salazar H. , Salazar-Gallegos D. , Sandoval A. , Serna-Franco J. , Son Y. , Springer R. W. , Tibolla O. , Tollefson K. , Torres I. , Torres-Escobedo R. , Turner R. , Ureña-Mena F. , Villaseñor L. , Wang X. , Willox E. , Zhou H. , de León C. ,   The HAWC Collaboration, Gammaldi V. , Karukes E. , Salucci P.
Published: March 2023

We present the results of dark matter (DM) searches in a sample of 31 dwarf irregular (dIrr) galaxies within the field of view of the HAWC Observatory. dIrr galaxies are DM-dominated objects in which astrophysical gamma-ray emission is estimated to be negligible with respect to the secondary gamma-ray flux expected by annihilation or decay of weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs). While we do not see any statistically significant DM signal in dIrr galaxies, we present the exclusion limits (95% C.L.) for annihilation cross section and decay lifetime for WIMP candidates with masses between 1 and 100 TeV. Exclusion limits from dIrr galaxies are relevant and complementary to benchmark dwarf Spheroidal (dSph) galaxies. In fact, dIrr galaxies are targets kinematically different from benchmark dSph, preserving the footprints of different evolution histories. We compare the limits from dIrr galaxies to those from ultrafaint and classical dSph galaxies previously observed with HAWC. We find that the constraints are comparable to the limits from classical dSph galaxies and ∼2 orders of magnitude weaker than the ultrafaint dSph limits.
A Study of the Pulsation Properties of 57 Non-Blazhko Ab-type RR Lyrae Stars with Homogeneous Metallicities from the LAMOST–Kepler/K2 Survey
Authors: Zong Peng , Fu Jian-Ning , Wang Jiaxin , Cang Tian-Qi , Wang HaoTian , Ma Xiao-Yu , Zong Weikai
Published: March 2023

Homogeneous metallicities and continuous high-precision light curves play key roles in studying the pulsation properties of RR Lyrae stars. By cross matching LAMOST DR6 with the Kepler and K2 fields, we have determined seven and 50 non-Blazhko RRab stars, respectively, that have homogeneous metallicities determined from low-resolution spectra of the LAMOST–Kepler/K2 survey. The Fourier decomposition method is applied to the light curves of these stars provided by the Kepler space-based telescope to determine the fundamental pulsation periods and parameters. The calculated amplitude ratios of R
21, R
31 and the phase differences of ϕ
21, ϕ
31 are consistent with the parameters of RRab stars in both globular clusters and the Large Magellanic Cloud. We find a linear relationship between the phase differences ϕ
21 and ϕ
31, which is in good agreement with the results in the literature. As far as the amplitude, we find that the amplitude of primary frequency A
1 and the total amplitude A
tot follow either a cubic or linear relationship. For the rise time, we do not find its relevance with the period of the fundamental pulsation mode P1, or A
tot and ϕ
21. However, it might follow a linear relationship with R
31. Based on the homogeneous metallicities, we have derived a new calibration formula for the period–ϕ
31–[Fe/H] relation, which agrees well with previous studies.
Biofilm formation by E. coli and S. aureus on cellphone cover: sensitivity to commercially available sanitizers
Authors: Alsharedeh Rawan H. , Alshraiedeh Nid’a H. , Masadeh Majed M. , Alzoubi Karem H. , Al-Fandi Mohamed G. , Hayajneh Rawan H. , Atawneh Farah H. , Shubair Zaina A.
Published: March 2023

Presence of pathogens on the cellphones and their accessories poses a significant risk for public health. This study aimed to determine the biofilm-forming capability of S. aureus and E. coli on pieces made from a different commercially available cell phone and aadditionally to test the effectiveness of the most common commercially available sanitizers. Therefore, bacterial biofilm biomasses were quantitatively determined on cellphone covers using crystal violet assay in the presence and absence of common sanitizers. This study revealed that S. aureus and E. coli could form biofilms on the surfaces of all cellphones covers. Additionally, the sanitizers that contain sodium hypochlorite 5.25% and those composed of 38.9% ethanol and 0.05% dodecyl dimethyl ammonium chloride showed the highest log reduction in the number of viable cells after 5 minutes of exposure against biofilms formed by both E. coli and S. aureus compared to other tested sanitizers (chloroxylenol 4.8%, 2-propanol 64%, and ethanol 70%). Moreover, 4.8% chloroxylenol and 70% ethanol-based sanitizers showed log reductions significantly higher than 2-propanol-based ones. In conclusion, cellphone covers were shown to be suitable surfaces for microbial biofilm formation produced by S. aureus and E. coli. The antimicrobial activity of commercially available sanitizers against these bacterial biofilms was variable, with sodium hypochlorite and ethanol/dodecyl dimethyl ammonium chloride sanitizer being the most effective.
Croisement des niveaux organisationnels et des échelles géographiques dans l’analyse de la dynamique concurrentielle : Application au secteur brassicole en Afrique
Authors: Cheriet Foued , Duquesnois Franck , Dikmen Laure
Published: March 2023

L’Afrique constitue un terrain important de confrontation entre les principaux acteurs brassicoles mondiaux. Notre travail vise à élargir les analyses de la dynamique concurrentielle en croisant les échelles géographiques et les niveaux organisationnels. En nous basant sur un recueil de données secondaires, nous illustrerons à travers cette recherche exploratoire, cinq exemples d’actions coopétitives des principaux acteurs des secteurs de la bière et des boissons en Afrique. Nos résultats témoignent de la complexité des situations compétitives, de la pertinence de croisements des niveaux d’analyse et plaident pour une approche globale et multidimensionnelle des dynamiques concurrentielles en cours.
Multinationales : en finir avec l’impunité ?
Authors: Rivera Humberto Cantú , Arassus Pauline , Leroy Aurélie
Published: March 2023

Les atteintes aux droits humains commises par des entreprises nationales ou transnationales peuvent relever de procédures civiles, pénales ou constitutionnelles. En Amérique latine, pour que les victimes puissent obtenir justice et accéder à des recours effectifs, d’importants obstacles d’ordre juridique, cognitif et pratique doivent toutefois être dépassés.
Multinationales : en finir avec l’impunité ?
Authors: Asia Floor Wage Alliance  , Arassus Pauline , Leterme Cédric
Published: March 2023

Le modèle économique des grandes enseignes de vêtements favorise et entretient les inégalités hommes-femmes, créant ainsi les conditions pour le développement de violences basées sur le genre à l’encontre des travailleuses dans et hors de la production. Avec la pandémie et la récession qui en a découlé, la situation s’est encore dégradée. L’Asia Floor Wage Alliance lutte pour que cela change.
Multinationales : en finir avec l’impunité ?
Authors: Berrón Gonzalo , Brennan Brid , Arassus Pauline , Delcourt Laurent
Published: March 2023

Depuis 2015, un traité international contraignant pour les entreprises transnationales est en voie de négociation au sein des Nations unies. Pour les mouvements et les organisations des droits humains qui dénoncent depuis des années l’impunité de ces sociétés et l’inutilité des codes de bonne conduite volontaires, l’ouverture de cette négociation constitue en soi une avancée historique, même si de nombreux obstacles entravent encore le processus.
Linear barycentric rational collocation method to solve plane elasticity problems
Authors: Li Jin
Published: March 2023

A linear barycentric rational collocation method for equilibrium equations with polar coordinates is considered. The discrete linear equations is changed into the matrix forms. With the help of error of barycentrix polar coordinate interpolation, the convergence rate of the linear barycentric rational collocation method for equilibrium equations can be obtained. At last, some numerical examples are given to valid the proposed theorem.
Classification of Alzheimer's disease using robust TabNet neural networks on genetic data
Authors: Jin Yu , Ren Zhe , Wang Wenjie , Zhang Yulei , Zhou Liang , Yao Xufeng , Wu Tao
Published: March 2023

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases and its onset is significantly associated with genetic factors. Being the capabilities of high specificity and accuracy, genetic testing has been considered as an important technique for AD diagnosis. In this paper, we presented an improved deep learning (DL) algorithm, namely differential genes screening TabNet (DGS-TabNet) for AD binary and multi-class classifications. For performance evaluation, our proposed approach was compared with three novel DLs of multi-layer perceptron (MLP), neural oblivious decision ensembles (NODE), TabNet as well as five classical machine learnings (MLs) including decision tree (DT), random forests (RF), gradient boosting decision tree (GBDT), light gradient boosting machine (LGBM) and support vector machine (SVM) on the public data set of gene expression omnibus (GEO). Moreover, the biological interpretability of global important genetic features implemented for AD classification was revealed by the Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) and gene ontology (GO). The results demonstrated that our proposed DGS-TabNet achieved the best performance with an accuracy of 93.80% for binary classification, and with an accuracy of 88.27% for multi-class classification. Meanwhile, the gene pathway analyses demonstrated that there existed two most important global genetic features of AVIL and NDUFS4 and those obtained 22 feature genes were partially correlated with AD pathogenesis. It was concluded that the proposed DGS-TabNet could be used to detect AD-susceptible genes and the biological interpretability of susceptible genes also revealed the potential possibility of being AD biomarkers.
Reducing Unnecessary Organ Discards: Utilizing Best Case/Worst Case to Improve Conversations Regarding ‘Increased Risk’ Kidney Donors with Patients
Authors: Gomez-Rexrode Amalia Elvira , Cassidy Devon , Highet Alex , Kirsch Michael J , Santos-Parker Jessica , Santos-Parker Keli , Bishop Ruth , Deda Linda Camaj , Brown Craig , Englesbe Michael J , Eton Ryan
Published: March 2023

In 1994, to guide patients and surgeons in making informed decisions about organ transplantation and reduce transplant-mediated infectious disease transmission, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced the Public Health Service guidelines for increased risk donor (IRD) organs. This classification identifies donors associated with greater risk for contracting human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis B virus, and hepatitis C virus as increased risk donors. These donor organs are discarded at higher rates than non-IRD organs, despite equivalent patient and graft survival rates following transplantation. Biases and stigmas, as well as misunderstandings about the term “increased risk,” may contribute to the discard of these high-quality organs. Novel communication strategies regarding the risk of disease transmission from IRD organs are needed to reduce misunderstandings between patients and providers and shift the conversation from probabilities and statistics to patient-centered values and expectations. Using a standardized tool such as Best Case/Worst Case to elicit patients’ preferences and share expected outcomes of accepting versus rejecting an IRD organ has the potential to improve IRD risk communication. The purpose of this article is to elucidate the underutilization of IRD organs, through the example of a potential kidney transplantation, to demystify this complex and high-stakes decision utilizing a novel communication strategy and to propose policy changes to IRD organ management that could result in hundreds of additional lives saved each year.
Attualizzare Dante : prospettive di ricerca nei manuali di letteratura per la scuola italiana
Authors: Marsi Simone
Published: March 2023

La recherche académique sur Dante Alighieri s'est récemment concentrée sur les formes d'actualisation de son œuvre, en analysant, par exemple, les réécritures de la Divine Comédie dans la culture pop (chansons, bandes dessinées, cinéma, jeux vidéo, etc.). L'objectif de cet article est d'étudier la manière dont les œuvres de Dante sont actualisées dans certains manuels de littérature populaire destinés aux écoles secondaires italiennes, afin de comprendre comment une image de lui peut être diffusée parmi des générations d'Italiens d'un point de vue non-historique ou non-chronologique.
Popular Culture as Pedagogy : Teaching “Il Canto di Ulisse” from Dante to Jovanotti in the American College Classroom
Authors: Caporale Marzia
Published: March 2023

This article explores the challenges of teaching Dante’s Divine Comedy to contemporary American college students. In particular, the study addresses the role of subtext that the “Canto di Ulisse” plays to rap-pop artist Jovanotti’s song “Bruto” (Album : Buon Sangue, 2005) and to director Emanuele Crialese’s film Terraferma (2011). It further argues that the gap between “high” and “low” culture can be bridged by adopting alternative pedagogical tools (e.g., blogging, Twitter) to be used in the classroom.
L’evoluzione delle parodie dantesche disneyane e delle riedizioni dell’Inferno di Topolino : uno specchio dei tempi
Authors: Manetti Roberta
Published: March 2023

Si ripercorrono le non molte parodie dantesche della Disney italiana, mettendone in relazione modalità e intenti coi tempi in cui sono state per la prima volta pubblicate ; della più articolata e interessante, L’inferno di Topolino, si confrontano le edizioni dal 1949 al 2021 con riguardo alla filologia testuale, aspetto poco curato in quasi tutte le edizioni, comprese quelle del centenario dantesco.
Driving Agentic Empowerment With Metatheory
Authors: Hayes Catherine
Published: March 2023

Making meaning from experience belies all approaches to the facilitation of transformative learning in practice. This chapter provides an insight into how this process of activating epistemic transformations takes place at the front line of educational provision with students. By incorporating the theoretical basis of social constructivist learning principles, the consideration of concepts such as critical thinking, critical discourse, and their relationships to heuristics and bias are used to drive the challenging of presuppositions and assumptions in self-reflective practice. The chapter considers how the functional capacities for transformation and the ability to debate existing published literature are central to the development of epistemic transformation, which transcends disciplinarity and extends into the epistemic basis of personhood. Central to the development of each is due regard for the situational specificity of meaning making, which is used to reconcile the complex ambiguity of self-contemplation and the acknowledgement of its impact in reflective processes.
Exploring the Applicability of Group Threat Theory to School Disciplinary Policies and Practices
Authors: Nation Denise D.
Published: March 2023

As school policies have become more intolerant to all behaviors, albeit, violent or non-violent, the result has shown a shift in school practices that has adolescents being adjudicated into the juvenile justice system at alarming rates. The literature has consistently documented the arbitrary application of punishment to certain groups, outlining the importance of social and biographical positions in the organization of school discipline. This chapter attempts to embed social justice perspective in this analysis structured within the framework of group threat hypothesis. The arguments and tenets outlined in both perspectives are directly related to the decades-long problems highlighted in the literature around school disciplinary policies and practices and the disparate impact on minority students. The analysis within these frameworks is missing from the K-12 disciplinary school-to-prison pipeline debate and literature. This chapter will be helpful in adding more elements to the discussion and fill this gap in the literature.
Equity for Emergent Bilinguals
Authors: Garrone-Shufran Stephanie
Published: March 2023

This chapter will explore how teachers work for social justice by advocating for emergent bilinguals. Four sites in which advocacy can be enacted—the classroom, the school, family and community, and larger sociopolitical structures—are used as a framework for organizing the research. Each section begins with a real scenario experienced by a teacher of emergent bilinguals. These scenarios serve to illustrate the need to promote social justice and equity in that site. Each section will then outline practices, beliefs, and frameworks highlighted in recent research. In the classroom, effective curricular and instructional decisions will be explored. Ideas for collaborative structures in the school are described. Effective methods of outreach to families and community partners are discussed, and activism in society and political organizations is explained as a necessary step to improve the long-term outcomes of emergent bilinguals in school and society.
Road Rage and Aggressive Driving Behaviour Detection in Usage-Based Insurance Using Machine Learning
Authors: Arumugam Subramanian , Bhargavi R.
Published: March 2023

Driving behaviour is a critical issue in modern transportation systems due to the increasing concerns about the safety of drivers, passengers, and road users. Machine learning models are capable of learning driving patterns from sensor data and recognizing individuals by their driving behaviours. This paper presents a novel framework for aggressive driving detection and driver classification based on driving events identified from GPS data collected with smartphones and heart rate of the driver captured with a wearable device. The proposed system for road rage and aggressive driving detection (RAD) is realized with an integral framework with components for data acquisition, event detection, driver classification, and model interpretability. The system is implemented by generating a prediction model by training machine learning classifiers with a dataset collected in a cohort to classify drivers into good, unhealthy, road rage, and always bad. The proposed system is to improve road safety and to customize insurance premiums in the best interest of policy holders and insurance companies.
IMOST: a database for non-marine ostracods in the Iberian Peninsula, the Balearic Islands and Macaronesia
Authors: Castillo-Escrivà Andreu , Baltanás Ángel , Camacho Antonio , Horne David J. , Pretus Joan Lluís , Mesquita-Joanes Francesc
Published: March 2023

Ostracods are common microcrustaceans in inland waters, widely used as (palaeo-) environmental indicators. Information on their species distribution worldwide is extremely fragmentary, and usually biased towards some regions, hampering attaining a general view of their biogeography. The Iberian Peninsula, the Balearic Islands and Macaronesia are considered biodiversity hotspots as part of the Mediterranean Region, whose non-marine ostracod fauna was reviewed in the 1990s accounting for 88 species. Most of these data were included in the NODE database (Non-marine Ostracod Distribution in Europe). Here, we present IMOST (Ibero-Balearic and Macaronesian OSTracod database), a non-marine ostracod database for the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic and Macaronesian Islands, incorporating data included in NODE plus many new records from recently published studies and new unpublished observations. Our database stores data in separated and standardised spreadsheets, one for each data source. Moreover, the database also offers updated, reviewed and accurate coordinates of the cited occurrence and taxonomic identification. According to the data compiled in IMOST, we updated the list of non-marine ostracods in the studied region from 88 to 118 species. Nevertheless, we expect that the actual number of species for the included regions should be higher, considering other Mediterranean countries with smaller areas but more extensive surveys (e.g. 152 species in Italy). The updated database is instrumental for our understanding of the biodiversity and biogeographic patterns of these organisms in this hotspot, as well as for analysing their species-environment relationships in a context of global changes.
Tuberculosis management and referral practices among traditional medicine practitioners in Lagos, Nigeria
Authors: Adepoju Victor Abiola , Oladimeji Olanrewaju , Sibiya Maureen Nokuthula , Inegbeboh Jude , Egesemba Ginika
Published: March 2023

Introduction: Despite the potential role of Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) and Traditional Healers (THs), little is known about their knowledge of tuberculosis (TB) management and refer- ral practices in Nigeria.
Objective: To determine knowledge and self-reported prac- tices of traditional birth attendants and traditional healers in man- aging TB in Lagos, Nigeria.
Methods: A cross-sectional study of 120 THs and TBAs in three high TB burden Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Lagos, Nigeria. Data were collected between April 2018 to September 2018 through interviewer-administered questionnaires. We used Statistical Package for Social Sciences software for data analyses. Independent predictors of being TBA or TH were determined using logistic regression at the statistical significance of P<0.05 and 95% confidence interval.
Results: TB knowledge increased from 52.7% pre-test to 61.7% post-test and did not differ between TBAs and THs. Of the 120 Traditional Medical Practitioners studied, 70% (84) never treated TB; 57.3 % (69) ever referred chronic cough patients to a health facility; 90% (108) were willing to collaborate with National Tuberculosis, Leprosy and Buruli Ulcer Control Programme (NTBLCP), 85% (102) attached monetary and token incentive as a condition for the collaboration. THs had decreased odds of ever referring TB patient to the hospital (AOR: 0.3, 95% CI:0.14-0.64, P=0.002); currently referring TB patients (AOR: 0.06, 95% CI:0.02-0.17, P<0.0001) and consulting <40 patients in a year (AOR: 0.22,95% CI:0.09-0.53, P<0.0001).
Conclusion: Majority of the THs and TBAs were willing to collaborate with NTBLCP in the identification and referral of Presumptive TB patients. We suggest that NTBLCP empowers the TBAs and THs to help with an early referral of TB patients.
Impact of media messages on containment of Coronavirus pandemic in Nigeria
Authors: John Sunday G.
Published: March 2023

Background: Different countries adopted various measures to stop the spread of COVID-19. In Nigeria, the federal government, through the Presidential Task Force on the pandemic and some non-governmental organizations, mounted vigorous public enlightenment and education campaign through the media to contain the spread of the disease.Objective: This article examined the impact of that effort by assessing the level of public awareness, perception, and satisfaction the campaign generated. Method: A cross-sectional design and purpose sampling tech- nique were used for the study. Questionnaires were distributed online through personal and group platforms on Whatsapp and Telegram applications. This technique ensured that only the users of these applications responded to the questionnaire. The national survey returned 359 responses. Results: The results indicated a high level of public awareness from the media messages as 89.08% of respondents heard about COVID-19 from the media messages, 87.74% believed that media messages about the pandemic increased their awareness of it and 90.81% of respondents got influenced by the media messages to adjust to safety protocols against the disease. Majority of the respondents (75.49%) were satisfied with the overall performance of the media in their sensitization campaign. While 49.03% benefitted to a very large extent from the media messages, 44.01% benefitted to a large extent. Conclusion: The results showed that the impact of the media awareness messages on COVID-19 was high and that Nigerian media contributed immensely to reducing the spread of the disease in the country.
Prevalence of multi-drug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from selected residential sewages in Dutsin-Ma, Katsina State, Nigeria
Authors: Adesoji Ayodele T. , Onuh Jude P. , Palang Ishaya P. , Liadi Ahmad M. , Musa Sule
Published: March 2023

The global surge in Multidrug resistant (MDR) bacteria is an issue of great concern. Pseudomonas aeruginosa has been implicated in several nosocomial infections, where it has caused grave complications in immunocompromised patients. This is the first study to report the prevalence of MDR P. aeruginosa isolated from residential sewage in Dutsin-Ma, Katsina State, Nigeria. Pseudomonads count, isolation, biochemical characterization and antibiogram were carried out using standard microbiological procedures. This study examined sixty (60) samples from selected res- residential sewage in the study site collected at different intervals between July and September 2021. A total of 40 (66.7%) P. aeruginosa were isolated from the analyzed sewage samples. The high- est (2.84x104) pseudomonad count was recorded from sewage samples collected from Kadangaru. Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates from this sample site showed the highest (100%) resistance to cephalosporins (cefuroxime) and nitrofurantoin. Similarly, isolates from Miami area also demonstrated the highest (95%) resistance to a cephalosporin (ceftazidime). All (100%) isolates used in this study showed MDR resistance to tested antibiotics. The occurrence of MDR P. aeruginosa from a residential sewage site that may con- taminate drinking water sources in the study area is of public health threat to the inhabitants. Surveillance and molecular epidemiology of antibiotics resistant bacteria are urgently needed in the study area.
Gli effetti psicologici a lungo termine della pandemia da COVID-19 negli operatori ospedalieri in un ospedale del nord Italia
Authors: Manfredi Valentina , Sterpone Rossella , Cassinari Antonella , Betti Marta , Franscini Monica , Bertolotti Marinella , Giribone Simona , Pepoli Antonio , Valorio Patrizia , Pelazza Carolina , Maconi Antonio
Published: March 2023

Obiettivi: Lo scopo del presente lavoro è stato quello di esplorare l’impatto psicologico a lungo termine della pandemia da COVID-19 negli operatori sanitari e in altri professionisti che lavorano presso l’Azienza Ospedaliera “SS Antonio e Biagio, e Cesare Arrigo” di Alessandria. Materiali e Metodi: È stato condotto uno studio osservazionale prospettico monocentrico su 112 operatori dell’Azienda Ospedaliera attraverso la somministrazione di un questionario on-line. I dati sono stati raccolti a tra l’1 e il 30 aprile 2021. Il questionario comprendeva un’autovalutazione delle informazioni socio-demografiche, cliniche, lavorative e relative al COVID-19 e la percezione del rischio. Inoltre, includeva la versione on-line di questionari psicologici validati in lingua italiana: Scala dell’impatto dell’Evento-Rivista (IES-R), Scala di Depressione, Ansia e Stress (DASS-21), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Coping Orientation to the Problems Experienced - Nuova Versione Italiana (COPE-NVI- 25), e Scala della Qualità di Vita Professionale (ProQOL-5). Risultati: L’analisi dei dati mostra che i lavoratori dell’Azienda Ospedaliera partecipanti allo studio, presentano percentuali moderate di sintomatologia da stress post-traumatico (40,2%), depressiva (40.2%), ansiosa (28.6%), da stress (44.6%) e insonnia (16.1%). La categoria dei lavoratori in ambito amministrativo mostra maggiori sintomi ansiosi e di stress post-traumatico. Le strategie di coping maggiormente utilizzate nel nostro campione sono l’attitudine positiva, l’orientamento al problema e il sostegno sociale. Il sottogruppo di lavoratori a diretto contatto con i pazienti mostra livelli moderati di compassion-satisfaction e bassi livelli di stress traumatico secondario e burn-out. Conclusioni: Dai risultati del presente lavoro si è osservato che gli effetti negativi a livello psicologico si possono mantenere anche nel lungo termine dall’insorgenza della pandemia.
Heart Rate Variability Among Healthy Untrained Adults During Mild Intensity Stationary Cycling Exercise
Authors: Malhotra Varun , Thakare Avinash E. , Hulke Sandeep M. , Javed Danish , Dixit Ashish K. , Wakode Santosh L. , Cidral Francisco
Published: March 2023

Background:

Stationary cycling is the popular, preferred, and convenient form of exercise. During exercise, autonomic modulation is seen which can be assessed by heart rate variability (HRV). The aim of the study was to evaluate the changes in HRV during mild-intensity cycling exercise.

Materials and Methods:

An observational cross-sectional study was done on 20 healthy male volunteers with the age (35.44 ± 4.12), height (71.12 ± 11.98), and weight (161.23 ± 11.65), BMI (27.12 ± 3.49) attending various YOGA sessions in AYUSH OPD. Volunteers underwent an exercise program at the mild intensity of 30% to 50% of maximal heart rate on a stationary cycle for 20 min. HRV was recorded by the HRV mobile unit Dynamika Machine at rest, every 5 min (4×) over 20 min and during the recovery period. Repeated measures of analysis of variance with post-hoc analysis with Bonferroni and Holm's multiple comparisons.

Results:

Significant change was observed in mean heart rate and time domain parameters. Frequency domain parameters that showed significant change were total power, High Frequency- HF (ms2), Very Low Frequency -VLF (ms2), Low Frequency -LF (ms2), and Very Low Frequency %-VLF (%).

Conclusions:

The HRV parameters conclusively point towards cardiac parasympathetic withdrawal and sympathetic dominance at the initiation of exercise. With the progression of exercise, the sympathetic influence is retained. In the recovery period parasympathetic reactivation gains control over heart rate as well as HRV. The HRV response to exercise challenges may be helpful in designing exercise programs based on variations in the autonomic response.
Interleukin 1β as an inflammatory biomarker in Egyptian children with Familial Mediterranean Fever
Authors: Abdelnabi Hend H. , Ashaat Engy A. , Baiomy Nivin , Sokkar Mona F. , Hamed Khaled , Ashaat Neveen A. , El-Bassyouni Hala T. , Dawoud Heba S.
Published: March 2023

Background

The most common hereditary autoinflammatory disease is the familial Mediterranean fever (FMF). The aim of the current study was to estimate the serum level of interleukin 1β (IL-1β) in FMF children and compare them with healthy controls in correlation to other disease inflammatory markers.

Patients and methods

This cross-sectional study was conducted on 40 Egyptian FMF children and 40 healthy controls with matching age and sex. Mutational analysis has been performed for all patients. Blood samples were collected from the newly diagnosed FMF children and controls to estimate IL-1β quantitatively by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technique.

Results

The mean age of the patients was 9.89 years. There were 21 (52.5%) males and 19 (47.5%) females. There was statistically significant increase (P=0.001) in the IL-1β of patients (1442.59±749.24 pg/l) compared with controls (85.63±58.02 pg/l) and significantly correlated with the serum amyloid A and C-reactive protein levels. The best cutoff of serum IL-1β level to predict the disease activity was more than or equal to 775 pg/l with a sensitivity of 90%, a specificity of 86%, and an accuracy of 89%.

Conclusions

Mutations in the MEFV gene can result in uncontrolled production of IL-1β and an exaggerated inflammatory response. This study highlights the importance of IL-1β as an inflammatory biomarker in FMF children.
Immunoglobulin E-mediated allergies among children with type 1 diabetes mellitus
Authors: El-Hawary Amany K. , Mosaad Youssef M. , Ibrahim Ibrahim M. , Osman Engy
Published: March 2023

Background

Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated allergy belong to the most common diseases in the pediatric population, in which they are caused by multifactorial causes. Growing evidence proposes that there is a change in Th1/Th2 balance, and subsequently their associated cytokine response, which is essential during the pathogenesis of autoimmune disorders such as T1DM.

Aim

To assess clinical characteristics and subsequently risk factors potentiating the IgE-mediated allergy among Egyptian children with T1DM and also to assess serum level of interleukin 5 (IL5) among them.

Patients and methods

An interviewer-administrated questionnaire was designed to take history of allergy in diabetic children who come to the outpatient clinic fulfilling inclusion criteria and used to collect data. The age range was 5–17 years, with at least 2 years duration of T1DM. Skin prick testing was performed for all diabetic children with history of allergy. Patients were divided into allergic diabetic group (45 patients) and nonallergic diabetic group (45 patients). Laboratory assessment of serum total IgE, IL5, and eosinophils% was carried out.

Results

Among the 45 allergic diabetic group, 82% were asthmatic cases, 40% of them have allergic rhinitis, and 30% of them have skin allergy. Skin test results showed that allergy to house dust mite showed the highest percentage among the diabetic allergic group (51.1%). The allergic diabetic group showed significantly higher levels of IL5, total IgE, and eosinophils than nonallergic diabetic group (Z=8.13, P<0.001; Z=7.18, P<0.001; and Z=8.02, P<0.001).

Conclusion

Bronchial asthma is considered the most common type of IgE-mediated allergy that may occur in children with T1DM. Developing IgE allergy in T1DM is dependent on the increased levels of IL5. IL5 was an independent predictor of developing asthma, allergic rhinitis, and skin allergy among our studied cases.
Do type 1 diabetic children have echocardiographic signs of subclinical cardiac dysfunction?
Authors: Safar Heba , Magdy Remon
Published: March 2023

Background

Diabetes mellitus is a major illness in which cardiac problems play a significant role in patient mortality.

Objectives

We aimed to evaluate whether children with diabetes mellitus type 1 have early echocardiographic signs of subclinical cardiac dysfunction and whether their sex, metabolic control, and duration of diabetes have an effect.

Patients and methods

A case–control study was performed from January 2022 to November 2022 that included 29 children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes aged from 4 to 15 years. A control group of 15 healthy children was also included. They were recruited from the pediatric endocrinology clinic, Al-Fayoum University Children’s Hospital, Al-Fayoum University, Egypt. Conventional echocardiographic study and tissue Doppler imaging measurements were done.

Results

With glycated hemoglobin levels less than 7%, the study group of diabetic children had inadequate glycemic control. There was a statistically significant low mean of fractional shortening and high mean of left ventricular septal wall thickness in diastole among diabetic children in comparison with controls, with P values of 0.04 and 0.038, respectively, but still within normal range.

Conclusion

Children with diabetes have poor glycemic control and scanty echocardiographic evidence of subclinical cardiac dysfunctions. According to the study, cardiac dysfunction in children with diabetes is uncommon. For the early identification of any potential cardiac dysfunctions, distant periodic cardiac examination using both conventional and tissue Doppler echocardiography is advised.
Pediatric electroencephalography
Authors: Khalil Mona
Published: March 2023

Background

Routine electroencephalography (EEG) is a widely used test in children for the evaluation of many neurological conditions. It is specifically important in the diagnosis of epilepsy and the differentiation of epilepsy from nonepileptic events.

Aim

This study aimed to evaluate the current situation of EEG recording at Alexandria University Children’s Hospital.

Patients and methods

All patients who had a routine EEG recording during a period of 6 months were included in the study. Review of the records was done including personal data, place and indication of referral, and initial diagnosis. EEG data included condition during recording, activation procedures, EEG interpretation regarding background activity, presence or absence of epileptiform activity, type and origin of epileptiform discharges, and the final yield of EEG.

Results

The study included 570 children, comprising 336 males and 234 females, with a mean age of 5.5±4.1 years. The main indication for referral was epilepsy in 69.8%. Most of the cases (83.3%) had an awake recording. Photic stimulation and hyperventilation were done in 93.3 and 31.9%, respectively, and abnormal response to hyperventilation was observed in 9.9% of them. Ictal recording was done in 22 (3.8%) cases. Abnormal epileptiform discharges were detected in 173 (30.4%) of the studied children; of them, 162 cases were initially referred for established epilepsy and 11 cases for other reasons. The abnormality was generalized in 53.8% and focal in 46.2% of the cases. The commonest types of epileptiform discharges were spikes (65.9%) followed by spike-and-wave complexes (56.1%). Hypsarrhythmia, 3-Hz spike-and-wave complexes, and nonconvulsive status epilepticus were detected in 12.7, 10.4, and 2.9%, respectively. Phase reversal, sharp waves, and polyspikes were detected in 15.6, 5.2, and 2.3%, respectively.

Conclusion

Routine EEG is a valuable test for evaluation of seizures and epilepsy. Specific abnormal epileptiform discharges are diagnostic for certain epileptic syndromes. EEG finding may be normal in children with epilepsy and should be interpreted in the context of the clinical settings.
Pharmacological treatment of strabismus in children
Authors: Zedan Rasha , Badr Ranya , Khazbak Lobna , Salah Mohamed
Published: March 2023

Purpose

The aim of this study was to assess the change in alignment following a fixed dose of bupivacaine (BPX) and/or botulinum A toxin (BTXA) injection into the extraocular muscles in children with concomitant horizontal strabismus.

Patients and methods

This prospective interventional study was conducted on 76 children aged 2–14 years with concomitant horizontal strabismus. They were divided into three groups. In group A (20 cases) with angle of strabismus less than 16 prism diopters (PD), BPX 0.75% was injected into the agonist muscle of each eye. In group B (23 patients) with angle of 16–30 PD, BTXA 5 U was injected into the antagonist muscle of each eye. In group C (33 patients) with angle greater than 30 PD, BPX 0.75% and BTXA 5 U were injected into the agonist and antagonist muscles of each eye, respectively. Ocular motility and alignment were evaluated preoperatively and at 1 week, 1, 3, and 6 months postoperatively.

Results

In group A, 11 (55%) patients were orthotropic, six (30%) had residual esotropia (ET), and three (15%) had residual exotropia (XT). The mean preinjection angle was 13.55±2.56 PD, and the postinjection angle was 8.45±6.13 PD (P=0.001). In group B, eight (34.8%) patients were orthotropic, two (8.7%) had residual ET, and 13 (56.5%) had residual XT. The mean preinjection angle was 28.0±3.28 PD, and the mean postinjection angle was 15.25±10.79 PD (P<0.001). In group C, 10 (30.3%) patients were orthotropic, 14 (42.2%) had residual ET, and nine (27.2%) had residual XT. The mean preinjection angle was 52.50±14.03 PD, and the mean postinjection angle was 24.75±21.32 PD (P<0.001).

Conclusion

Pharmacological treatment resulted in clinically significant correction of concomitant horizontal strabismus in children and may be used as an alternative to surgery.
Irreversible visual loss in a tertiary care center in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Fattah Maaly A.M. Abdel , Kafaji Mustafa M.
Published: March 2023

Background

Data on visual loss have been collected in various regions of Saudi Arabia. However, we lack data representing a wide range of different populations or reflecting changes since the first study in Saudi Arabia in 1986.

Purpose

The aim of this study was to determine the causes of uncorrected visual impairment and blindness in the Saudi population as presented by countrywide referrals to King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center (KFSH&RC).

Patients and methods

This is a prospective descriptive study on all patients of all ages attending the eye clinic in KFSH&RC or referred to the Ophthalmic Consult Service with WHO definitions of visual impairment [visual acuity (VA)=20/60 or visual field (VF) <20°] and blindness (VA=20/400 or VF<10°). Best-corrected visual acuity, age, sex, and causes of visual loss were tabulated. The included patients were divided into five groups: unilateral impairment (UI), bilateral impairment (BI), unilateral blindness (UB), bilateral blindness (BB), and one impaired eye with one blind eye (BIB).

Results

There were 197 patients attending the ophthalmic department from May until November 2014 with WHO definition of visual impairment or blindness. Bilateral visual loss was reported in 129 (65.48%) patients. Patients from rural areas represented 78.14% of all included patients. UI, BI, UB, BB, and BIB were detected in 32 (16.24%), 56 (28.43%), 36 (18.27%), 36 (18.27%), and 37 (18.78%) patients with visual loss, respectively. Brain tumors, proliferative diabetic retinopathy, incurable myopia with extensive chorioretinal degeneration, and glaucoma were the main causes of visual loss.

Conclusion

The study contributed to a global database for the different causes of irreversible visual loss in Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, the design and provision of low vision aids and social support can be targeted to appropriately identified subgroups of our population.