bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Markers of Myocardial Dysfunction in Neonates with Sepsis of Various Gestational Age
Authors: Kretsu Natalia , Koloskova Olena , Bilous Tetiana
Published: December 2021

Introduction:

Nowadays, the issues of early diagnostics of cardiovascular disorders in neonates with sepsis with the use of up-to-date methods of examination that can be applied as screening methods with the aim to verify the possible development of cardiovascular dysfunction remain urgent. To study certain clinical-instrumental parameters and biochemical markers in neonates depending on the gestational age to improve the prognosis with neonatal sepsis (NS).

Materials and Methods:

To realize the objective, 57 neonates were under our observation with verified diagnosis “NS.” I Group (23 patients – 40.3%) included neonates with the term of gestation 37–42 weeks, II Group– 34 preterm neonates (59.7%) with gestational age under 36 weeks inclusive. The latter group was subdivided depending on the term of gestation into IIA subgroup including 21 preterm neonates with NS and the term of gestation 32–36 weeks, IIB-subgroup included 13 neonates born in the term under 32 weeks of gestation.

Results:

Term males were found to suffer from sepsis more often (odds ratio = 5.19). Delivery by cesarean section for preterm neonates increased reliably the risk of NS development compared with term neonates (OR = 2.7). It was found that the average values of LDH activity in the groups were not higher than normal parameters with a tendency to decrease as the duration of pregnancy decreased. At the same time, in almost all examined patients, there was an excess of serum activity of Creatine phosphokinase-MB fraction (CPK-MB) (86.96% of cases in Group I and in 91.18% of cases in Group II) and in some patients an increase in serum aspartate aminotransferase (ACT) activity in 52.17% of patients with Group I, in 47.06% of cases from Group II, P > 0.05). The correlation analysis conducted showed that in preterm neonates suffering from NS increase of the myocardial functional ability of the left ventricle was associated with females and the number of days of inotropic support.

Conclusions:

Analysis of clinical-anamnestic findings determined that term males suffer from NS reliably more frequent which is clearly associated with the risk of NS development. Increase of CPK-MB serum activity can be considered as a sign of myocardial dysfunction development caused by NS. The analysis of echocardiographic parameters conducted in the group or preterm neonates found a direct correlation of the ejection fraction with initiation of cardiovascular resuscitation immediately after birth and the period of introduction of inotropic drugs.
Analysis of Cesarean Section Using Robson's Ten Group Classification System in a Tertiary Care Center from Southern India
Authors: Murugesan Kanmani , Rengaraj Sasirekha
Published: December 2021

Background:

The rising cesarean section (CS) rate is a global concern and World Health Organization in 2015 has proposed the use of Robson-10 group classification system as a standard for assessing and monitoring CS both within and across the healthcare facilities.

Objective:

The objective is to analyze the CSs performed in a teaching hospital using Robson 10-group classification system.

Methodology:

The present cross-sectional study was done over a period of 1 year from May 2017 to April 2018. All eligible women delivered in JIPMER, a tertiary care referral center during the study period were classified as per Robson Ten-Group classification system. Caesarean delivery rates were reported. The relative and absolute contribution to CS rates in each groups were calculated. Epi data V.3.1 was used for data analysis.

Results:

Among 16,863 women delivered during the study, the CS rate was 21.4%. The three common indications for CS overall were fetal distress, nonprogress of labor, and cephalopelvic disproportion. Group 1 (nulliparous, singleton, term cephalic, spontaneous labor) was the largest size followed by group 2 (nulliparous, singleton, term cephalic, induced labor) with 25% and 16.9%, respectively. The maximum contribution of CS was by group 5 (multiparous women, singleton, term cephalic, previous uterine scar) followed by group 2 with 34.9% and 18.9%, respectively.

Conclusion:

Robson group 5, 2, and 1 were the major contributions to CS in our hospital. Further studies are needed to study the appropriateness of indications for CS especially in groups 2 and 1 as they are the future group 5.
Pattern of Severe Malaria with Special Reference to Plasmodium vivax in Pediatric Population of the Most Aspirational Region of North India
Authors: Minhas Aditi , Mane Pratibha , Sangwan Jyoti , Dhingra Arti
Published: December 2021

Introduction:

Malaria is one of the major life-threatening health problems in most of the tropical countries. Children are the most vulnerable group accounting for 67% of all malaria-associated deaths worldwide. Southern Haryana is typically endemic for malaria. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to describe the clinical presentation of complicated malaria and correlate clinical complications with malarial species.

Materials and Methods:

It was an observational cross-sectional study conducted in the Department of Microbiology along with Department of Pediatrics, Shaheed Hasan Khan Mewati Government Medical College, Nalhar, Nuh, Haryana. A total of 100 children with severe malaria admitted in the pediatric ward, confirmed by peripheral blood smear and rapid diagnostic test, were included.

Results:

Out of 100 cases admitted, majority were due to Plasmodium vivax (73%), followed by mixed (18%) and Plasmodium falciparum (9%) infection. Children below 5 years were more infected (57%). Male preponderance was seen (55%). Fever was the most common symptom observed (95%). Pallor was the most common sign observed (85%). Among severity parameters, the most common were severe anemia (41%), jaundice (17%), abnormal bleeding (17%), convulsions (15%), and acute respiratory distress syndrome (7%). The case fatality rate was 3%.

Conclusion:

P. vivax was previously known to cause benign malaria. The present study found that P. vivax mono-infection can cause severe malaria in children and should no longer be considered as benign malaria.
Transplantation in Hepatocellular Carcinoma - Controversies and Recommendations
Authors: Bhavsar Ruchir , Das Sri Aurobindo Prasad , Mehta Naimish N.
Published: December 2021

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the principal cause of death in patients with cirrhosis and the third leading cause of cancer-related death. HCC is present in around 80% of cirrhotic livers. Tumor recurrence and chronic liver failure are causative factors for mortality in the long term. Early liver transplantation (LT) for HCC with a significant tumor mass was associated with a poor prognosis owing to tumor recurrence. The vast experience and effectiveness of transplantation for HCC have sparked debates over whether the Milan criteria are overly stringent. The idea of tumor “downstaging,” expanding the limitations of tumor size, choice of either living related donor or cadaver donor transplantation, along with posttransplant care and its importance in HCC, are presently at the heart of a heated dispute. The recommendations in this article have attempted to highlight some of the disputed issues surrounding LT in HCC and may help programs in managing such patients better.
Effectiveness of Structured Feedback After Formative Tests on First Year MBBS Students' Performance in Summative Examination
Authors: Patil Vijayetha P. , Patil Vidya S.
Published: December 2021

Background:

Feedback gives an opportunity to students to analyze their work, performance, correct themselves and improves learning. The outcome also depends on the way it is delivered, and hence, we analyzed the effect of constructive feedback on students' performance and their perceptions.

Objectives:

The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of a structured constructive feedback on the performance of low achieving students and to analyze their perceptions on feedback.

Methodology:

Students of the 1st year MBBS scoring <50% marks in Biochemistry test were included and divided into two groups randomly: Group A received feedback intervention and Group B was the control group. Structured constructive feedback based on Pendleton's rules was given to students in Group A after each formative assessment. Their logbook writing was also assessed. Performance score was compared between groups using student t-test. Students' perceptions on effect of feedback on their learning and performance were evaluated using a validated questionnaire.

Results:

We found significant improvement in the performance of Group A in the immediate assessment test following feedback (t = 2.09, P = 0.04), but subsequent tests did not show any difference between the groups. Logbook performance was better in Group A than Group B (t = 2.51, P = 0.02). Greater number of students in Group A passed the summative examinations as compared to Group B. Students reported good perceptions on the feedback sessions and wanted it frequently.

Conclusions:

Feedback helped the students to identify their areas of lacunae and measures to overcome them in their studies. Students who received feedback showed improved learning attitude. They were satisfied with the feedback sessions and valued it.
Live Kidney Donor with a History of COVID-19 Infection
Authors: Meshram Hari Shankar , Kute Vivek B. , Patel Himanshu , Dave Rutul M. , Gupta Vaibhav R. , Navadiya Vijay V. , Patel Dev D. , Chauhan Sanshriti , Desai Sudeep , Dave Ruchir
Published: December 2021

Transplant in COVID era is a challenging task given a paucity of data and limited experience worldwide. A 35-year-old male patient with chronic kidney disease on dialysis for the past 9 months underwent successful living-related donor transplant with his father (aged 64 years) as donor at our center. In this case, donor was diagnosed with reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)-confirmed COVID-19 during evaluation, and he was managed with supportive care and comprehensive social distancing at home. Donor was asymptomatic throughout this period. Interval from positive to negative RT-PCR for nasopharyngeal swab test was 37 days. Interval from negative RT-PCR to kidney transplant was 33 days. Later, recipient and donor were discharged with negative RT-PCR posttransplant. At 71 days of follow-up, both recipient and donor have stable kidney function with normal urinalysis. Hence, prospective donor with a history of COVID-19 infection can be taken for transplant after thorough pretransplant evaluation and having two negative RT-PCR reports after infection, normal imaging, and additional preprocedural negative RT-PCR testing.
Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in an Adult Associated with Coronavirus Disease-19 in a Renal Transplant Recipient - A Case Report
Authors: Chauhan Sanshriti , Meshram Hari Shankar , Kute Vivek B. , Patel Himanshu V , Desai Sudeep Nimesh , Banerjee Subho , Dave Ruchir Shankar , Deshmukh Sandeep
Published: December 2021

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused by novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) infection is still incompletely understood in transplantation, and there have been a few reports of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in adults (MIS-A) like illness in transplant patients. Herein, we report a case of MIS-A in a renal transplant that ultimately was successfully managed. The case was a 32-year-old man, transplanted 3 years ago, with chronic graft dysfunction and no other comorbidities. He presented with a 3-day history of fever and abdominal pain with no respiratory complaints. The patient had multi-organ involvement in the form of acute pancreatitis, severe diarrhea, acute kidney injury, and shock. Inflammatory markers including D-dimer and C-reactive protein were elevated. Chest radiology showed bilateral haziness on admission. The patient had two consecutive SARS CoV 2 reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT PCR) tests negative initially but eventually SARS CoV 2 antibody test came positive. The patient was managed initially with broad-spectrum antibiotics, and after confirmation of MIS-A, steroids, intravenous immunoglobulin, and anticoagulation were administered. The patient survived and was discharged on the 29th day of admission. Our reports highlight that MIS-A should be suspected in atypical cases irrespective of COVID-19 tests and should be confirmed with repeated RT-PCR and SARS-CoV-2 antibody tests.
First Single-Center Five-Way Kidney Exchange Cycle in India
Authors: Kute Vivek B. , Meshram Hari Shankar , Patel Himanshu V. , Engineer Divyesh , Banerjee Subho , Chauhan Sanshriti , Navadiya Vijay V. , Patel Harshit , Gupta Akash , Rizvi Jamal , Mishra Vineet V.
Published: December 2021

Objective:

The logistical issues, limited resources, and surgical capacity are the challenges to simultaneous kidney exchange transplant surgeries in India. We report the first single-center 5-way nonsimultaneous kidney exchange cycle from India without donor renege. The challenges and solutions for the same are discussed.

Methods:

Five donor–recipient pairs (DRPs) participated in 5-way kidney exchange cycle after permission of Institutional and Gujarat State Level Authorization Committee for organ transplantation. Four DRP were ABO-incompatible and the fifth was compatible.

Results:

Two DRP were operated on November 22 and three on November 23, 2018. One bridge donor wait time was 1 day. All five recipients were discharged on November 30, 2018, without any medical or surgical complication; normal kidney allograft function and donor renege. We have increased chain length gradually from 2-way (June 2000), 3-way (February 2013), 4-way (April 2016), 5-way (November 2018), 6-way (February 2019), and 10-way (January 2020) in 440 kidney exchange transplants at our institute. We have used compatible pairs in gradually increasing chain length from 2-way (May 2012), 3-way (August 2013), 4-way (July 2018), 5-way (November 2018), and 6-way (February 2019) to increase transplant for difficult to match pairs.

Conclusions:

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first single-center 5-way kidney exchange cycle from India. Increasing chain length has the potential to offer better quality of matching and transplants rates for difficult-to-match pairs in kidney exchange.
Nicolau syndrome following subcutaneous glatiramer acetate injection
Authors: Esme Pelin , Gahramanov Irfan , Akıncıoglu Egemen , Akoglu Gulsen
Published: December 2021

Nicolau syndrome is a rare serious drug reaction associated with the administering various injectable medications. It is often characterized by an acute and severe pain accompanying erythema that tends to rapidly evolve into the livedoid reticular or hemorrhagic patches and less commonly to ulcers and skin necrosis. Herein, we report a 34-year-old woman who presented with painful, tender discoloration over her abdominal skin following subcutaneous glatiramer acetate injection. Since the patient was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis 18 months ago, she had been on treatment with subcutaneous glatiramer acetate injections thrice weekly. The patient was diagnosed with Nicolau syndrome clinically and histopathologically. After 15-day treatment with topical betamethasone valerate and mucopolysaccharide polysulfate cream twice daily, the lesion completely regressed with only minimal hypopigmented irregular scarring. Nicolau syndrome should be considered in patients with severe pain, tenderness, and redness localized at the injection site following glatiramer subacetate.
Dietary Total Antioxidant Capacity and Risk of Gall Stone
Authors: Saadati Saeede , Salehi-sahlabadi Ammar , Hosseini-Oskouiee Fatemeh , Aghamohammadi Vahideh , Ramezani Mortaza , Askari Behzad , Sayyah Alireza , Sadeghi Amir , Hekmatdoost Azita
Published: December 2021

Background:

Since the relation between dietary total antioxidant capacity (DTAC) and the occurrence of gallstone disease (GSD) remains unclear, we conducted, for the first time, a case-control study to clarify this association in the Iranian population.

Methods:

In the present case-control study, convenience Sampling was performed. A total of 600 participants (300 case and 300 control) were included. Anthropometric, demographic, physical activity, and nutrient intakes data were obtained from each subject. DTAC was calculated using the US Department of Agriculture’s database. The odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals were assessed using unconditional logistic regression.

Results:

The participants in the highest quartile of DTAC had a significantly lower OR for gallstone than the lowest quartile, which remained significant after further adjustment for age, sex, and education (model 2: OR, 0.34; 95% CI, 0.16–0.71). In addition, after adjustment for age, sex, education, BMI, physical activity, and energy, the results revealed that participants with the highest quartile of DTAC had 71% lower odds of gallstone than those with the lowest quartile (model 3: OR, 0.29; 95% CI, 0.11–0.78).

Conclusions:

The results of the present study demonstrated that the DTAC had an inverse association with GSD incident. However, interventional approaches are needed to confirm the relation between DTAC and GSD prevention.
Unhealthy Lifestyle Predisposed Shiraz Healthcare Workers to Metabolic Diseases
Authors: Mousavi-Roknabadi Razieh Sadat , Danaei Mina , Askarian Mehrdad
Published: December 2021

Background:

Poor health condition may increase the risk of occupational problems and reduces an organization’s productivity. Also, there is a direct, bilateral relationship between occupation and health.

Objective:

To evaluate the health status of health care workers (HCWs) in the largest tertiary general and teaching hospital in southern Iran.

Methods:

This cross-sectional study (Sep2014-Dec2016) was conducted on HCWs, who were referred to Prevention and Health Promotion Clinic of Shiraz Namazee hospital. The participants’ health status was assessed and after the risk assessments and necessary physical examinations, the laboratory and para clinic tests were requested. Using descriptive and analytical tests, all data were analyzed.

Results:

Totally, 963 HCWs were enrolled, that 64.4% were women, with mean ± SD age of 35.51 ± 8.9 years. Eighty-eight percent and 77.4% of the participants had history of ergonomic and psychological exposures. Impaired glucose tolerance and abnormal serum cholesterol were seen in 13.6% and 29.9%, respectively. Body mass index was a predictive factor for abnormal blood pressure (OR: 1.12; 95%CI: 1.02-1.22), impaired glucose tolerance (OR: 1.08; 95%CI: 1.01-1.16), and abnormal serum cholesterol (OR: 1.17; 95%CI: 1.10-1.25), respectively. Male gender (OR: 1.83; 95%CI: 1.08-3.03) was a predictive factor for abnormal serum cholesterol.

Conclusions:

The health status of HCWs is not good enough in Iran. They did not have an appropriate lifestyle. They were exposed to different occupational hazards. The prevalence of chronic diseases was notable. Overweight, obesity, and inactivity were the most important causes of metabolic diseases.
Awareness on eye donation among medical and nonmedical students
Authors: Dhanushia Guru , Sahu Pratima , Sanjana Elfride Farokh , Mishra Amit Kumar
Published: December 2021

Background:

Globally, there are 45 million blind people with an annual increase of 1–2 million. Corneal blindness is the 4th leading cause of blindness. The demand for donor's eyes is much higher than the number of donor's eyes collected, and the number of corneal transplants done is insufficient. One of the reasons for reduced eye donation is the lack of awareness of the process of eye donation and corneal transplantation.

Materials and Methods:

A comparative, questionnaire-based cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the awareness on eye donation among medical and nonmedical students of Puducherry. The participants were given a predesigned and structured questionnaire which included 25 questions after informed consent was obtained from them. The results were derived through the statistical analysis.

Results:

The primary source of awareness for both groups was mass media. About 90.3% of medical and 41.9% of the nonmedical students knew that consent for eye donation is given by the donor while alive (P < 0.000), also that the first-degree relatives have the right to give consent for the dead was 88.2% and 49.5% among medical and nonmedical students, respectively (P < 0.000). Three-fourths of medical and half the nonmedical students knew that corneal donation could not cure all types of blindness. Around 87.1% of medical and 36.6% of nonmedical students were aware that eyes with corneal diseases could not be donated.

Conclusion:

The present study showed that participants from both groups were aware of eye donation, but the awareness among nonmedical students was not adequate. This study also shows that mass media was the most common source of awareness among the students, which could be used to create further awareness among the students.
Burden of ocular trauma and its effect on vision
Authors: Wadwekar Bhagwati , Mishra Amit Kumar , Sahu Pratima , Sanjana Elfride , Manikandan M
Published: December 2021

Background:

The burden of blindness worldwide is 39 million. One of the avoidable causes of blindness is ocular trauma. The ocular trauma could be prevented by preventive measures such as use of goggles and helmets.

Objective:

The study was conducted to estimate the burden of ocular trauma and its effect on vision in the coastal area of South India.

Materials and Methods:

A community-based descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in the service area of a tertiary hospital in the coastal area of South India. Ethical approval was obtained from the institute ethics committee. House-to-house visits were done, and relevant information was collected from available and eligible participants. Data were entered in EpiData, and analysis was done in the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences V21.

Results:

In this study, 1272 participants were interviewed, among which 882 (69.3%) were female. Most of the participants (27.8%) were in ≤30 years of age. Forty-nine (3.9%) participants had a history of one or more times eye trauma; among them, 38.8% reported that the cause of eye trauma was due to plant branch or thorn. The majority of the participants with a history of eye trauma (91.8%) did not use any safety measures while working such as goggles or spectacles. The vision was affected in 21 (42.9%) participants due to the trauma to the eyes.

Conclusion:

The burden of ocular trauma in the current study is lower than that found in other few studies in India. Most of the eye injuries that occurred could have been prevented by the use of preventive measures such as goggles or spectacles.
Transarterial chemoembolization of hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Hussain Manzoor , Shera Tahleel , Shah Omair Ashraf , Choh Naseer , Shaheen Feroze , Gojwari Tariq , Bhat Gull Mohammad , Gulzar G. M.
Published: December 2021

Aims And Objectives:

We evaluated the role of Dyna CT in localizing HCC lesions and their selective vascular supply to help guide chemoembolization. We also evaluated the role of Dyna CT in assessing drug deposition within the lesion and predict the need of further drug delivery.

Methods:

24 patients with documented HCC were taken up for TACE after a pre-procedural contrast CT and MRI. An intra-procedural Dyna CT was done in all patients to obtain a three dimensional overview of the vascular network. Selective cannulation of the tumor arteries was achieved using a combined digital subtraction angiography and Dyna CT image guidance. Additional lesions and vessels identified on Dyna CT were also treated. Drug deposition within the lesion marking technical success was assessed on completion Dyna CT and the need for additional drug delivery was assessed.

Results:

Contrast CT identified 36 lesions, DSA 33 lesions and Dyna CT 39 lesions in 24 patients. Dyna CT was the most sensitive for lesions <10 mm (p=0.006). Dyna CT identified 4 additional supplying lesion supplying arteries (2 hepatic, 2 extra hepatic) compared to DSA. In 6(25%) patients DYNA CT helped in improvement in catheter position in the form of more selective catheterization. 35 (90%) lesions showed homogenous Type 1 deposition, two lesions (5%) showed Type 2 and the other two (5%) showed type 3 deposition of lipoidol on completion Dyna CT. The latter two were further treated to achieve type 1 deposition and 100% technical success.

Conclusion:

Dyna CT can effectively guide TACE procedure by not only identifying the lesions and their vascular supply but also helping in guiding the catheter for selective cannulation and drug deposition. Completion Dyna CT can effectively assess drug deposition and the need for additional treatment in the same setting if needed.
Vascular Hamartoma - A rare soft tissue tumor on the back
Authors: Chandrasekaran Shrihari , Palaniyappan Nirmal Kumar , Raju Mandapati Jacob Jayakar , Gunasekaran Indira
Published: December 2021

Hamartoma is a nonneoplastic proliferation of mature cells and tissues indigenous to the affected part. They are classified as lipomatous, neurogenic, vascular, angiomatous, etc., based on the predominance of tissue in them. This is a case of vascular hamartoma of the infrascapular region in a young male. He was evaluated elsewhere with magnetic resonance imaging and incisional biopsy and referred to our institute for further management. After initial contrast-enhanced computed tomography of the thorax, the mass was excised surgically with adequate margins and the wound was closed primarily. The final biopsy report of the mass showed a vascular hamartomatous lesion. Hence, hamartoma should be considered one of the differentials for a soft-tissue mass found anywhere in the body and proper preoperative imaging and planning of appropriate intervention is necessary.
Evaluation of hypertonic saline–sodium hydroxide method for isolation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis on Lowenstein–Jensen medium
Authors: Athira Chettiyath , Joseph Noyal Mariya
Published: December 2021

Background:

Decontamination of sputum specimen is a crucial procedure for successful isolation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) using Lowenstein–Jensen (LJ) media. The aim of this study was to evaluate hypertonic saline–sodium hydroxide (HSSH) method for decontamination of sputum specimens for the isolation of MTB on LJ medium.

Methods:

The sputum specimens were divided into three aliquots and were decontaminated by HSSH method, N-acetyl L-cysteine-sodium hydroxide (NALC-NaOH) method, and modified Petroff's method. We have compared the smear positivity, isolation rate, and contamination rate of HSSH method with that of NALC-NaOH method and modified Petroff's method for decontamination of sputum specimens for LJ culture.

Results:

Sputum samples from 270 patients were processed by the three decontamination methods, of which 24 (8.9%) were smear and culture positive by one or more decontamination methods. Of the 24 smear-positive cases, 23 (95.8%) were positive by NALC-NaOH method, 21 (87.5%) were positive by HSSH method, and 17 (70.8%) were positive by modified Petroff's method. The contamination rate of HSSH method, NALC-NaOH method, and modified Petroff's method was 2.2% (6/270), 8.9% (24/270), and 6.7% (18/270), respectively. The MTB isolation rate of HSSH method, NALC-NaOH method, and modified Petroff's method was 7.0% (19/270), 4.1% (11/270), and 3.3% (9/270), respectively.

Conclusion:

Among the three decontamination methods, a significantly higher isolation rate and a lower contamination rate were observed with HSSH method. Therefore, we recommend HSSH method for decontamination of sputum samples for the isolation of MTB using LJ medium.
Cognitive Deficits Correlated with Increased Latency of Event-related Potentials in Drug-free Patients with Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Authors: Hsu Shuo-En , Lee Lan-Ting , Tsai Hsin-Chun , Chi Mei Hung , Chen Kao Chin , Lee I Hui , Chen Po See , Yang Yen Kuang
Published: December 2021

Objective:

Few studies have identified a relationship between cognitive deficits and altered event-related potentials (ERPs), which measure the synchronous activity of neurons in response to a stimulus in patients with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). In this study, we intended to explore the relation between cognitive function and ERP in patients with GAD.

Methods:

Fourteen drug-free participants with GAD and 14 healthy controls were recruited. ERPs were measured, and neuropsychological tests were administered. We compared the differences of the data between two groups of the study participants.

Results:

Poor performances of full IQ and the numbers of the categories completed on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test were found significantly correlated with increased frontal lobe latency in the patients with GAD (Spearman's ρ = −0.70, p < 0.05; Spearman's ρ = −0.85, p < 0.01), respectively, but not in the controls.

Conclusion:

As ERPs represent an index of information speed, we propose that patients with GAD could exhibit deficits in tasks requiring mental speed.
Pegfilgrastim Prophylaxis Is Effective in the Prevention of Febrile Neutropenia and Reduces Mortality in Patients Aged ≥ 75 Years with Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma Treated with R-CHOP: A Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Jeong Seong Hyun , Kim Seok Jin , Yoon Dok Hyun , Park Yong , Kang Hye Jin , Koh Youngil , Lee Gyeong-Won , Lee Won-Sik , Yang Deok-Hwan , Do Young Rok , Kim Min Kyoung , Yoo Kwai Han , Choi Yoon Seok , Yun Hwan Jung , Yi Jun Ho , Jo Jae-Cheol , Eom Hyeon-Seok , Kwak Jae-Yong , Shin Ho-Jin , Park Byeong Bae , Hyun Shin Young , Yi Seong Yoon , Kwon Ji-Hyun , Oh Sung Yong , Kim Hyo Jung , Sohn Byeong Seok , Won Jong Ho , Kim Se-Hyung , Lee Ho-Sup , Suh Cheolwon , Kim Won Seog
Published: December 2021

PurposeFebrile neutropenia (FN) can cause suboptimal treatment and treatment-related mortality (TRM) in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) patients treated with rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisolone (R-CHOP). Materials and methodsWe conducted a prospective cohort study to evaluate the effectiveness of pegfilgrastim prophylaxis in DLBCL patients receiving R-CHOP, and we compared them with the PROCESS cohort (n=485). ResultsSince January 2015, 986 patients with DLBCL were enrolled. Pegfilgrastim was administered at least once in 930 patients (94.3%), covering 90.3% of all cycles. FN developed in 137 patients (13.9%) in this cohort (23.7% in the PROCESS cohort, p<0.001), and 4.2% of all cycles (10.2% in the PROCESS cohort, p<0.001). Dose delay was less common (≥3 days: 18.1% vs. 23.7%, p=0.015; ≥5 days: 12.0% vs. 18.3%, p=0.023) in this cohort than in the PROCESS cohort. The incidence of TRM (3.2% vs. 5.6%, p=0.047) and infection-related death (1.8% vs. 4.5%, p=0.004) was lower in this cohort than in the PROCESS cohort. The 4-year overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) rates of the two cohorts were not different (OS: 73.0% vs. 71.9%, p=0.545; PFS: 69.5% vs. 68.8%, p=0.616). However, in patients aged ≥75 years, the 4-year OS and PFS rates were higher in this cohort than in the PROCESS cohort (OS: 49.6% vs. 33.7%, p=0.032; PFS: 44.2% vs. 30.3% p=0.047). Conclusion Pegfilgrastim prophylaxis is effective in the prevention of FN and infection-related death in DLBCL patients receiving R-CHOP, and it also improves OS in patients aged ≥75 years.
Distortion correction for wide angle holographic projector
Authors: Szpygiel Jędrzej , Chlipała Maksymilian , Kukołowicz Rafał , Idicula Moncy , Kozacki Tomasz
Published: December 2021

This letter presents distortion correction method enabling distortion minimized, large size image in wide angle holographic projector. The technique applies numerical predistortion of an input image used for hologram generation. It is based on estimation of distortion coefficients by comparing optically reconstructed point test chart with the original one. Obtained experimental results prove that the technique allows reconstruction of high-quality image. Full Text: PDF ReferencesM. Makowski, Experimental Aspects of Holographic Projection with a Liquid-Crystal-on-Silicon Spatial Light Modulator, in Holographic Materials and Optical Systems, M. Kumar, ed. (IntechOpen, 2019). CrossRef H. Pang, A. Cao, W. Liu, L. Shi, and Q. Deng, "Effective method for further magnifying the image in holographic projection under divergent light illumination", Appl. Opt. 58, 8713 (2019). CrossRef Y. Qi, C. Chang, and J. Xia, "Speckleless holographic display by complex modulation based on double-phase method", Opt. Express 24, 30368 (2016). CrossRef E. Buckley, "Holographic Laser Projection", J. Display Technol. 99, 1 (2010). DirectLink M. Chlipała, T. Kozacki, H. Yeom, J. Martinez-Carranza, R. Kukołowicz, J. Kim, J. Yang, J. Choi, J. Pi, and C. Hwang, "Wide angle holographic video projection display", Opt. Lett. 46, 4956 (2021). CrossRef Z. He, X. Sui, L. Cao and G. Jin, "Image-Distortion Correction Algorithm for Computer-Generated Holographic Display," 2018 IEEE 27th International Symposium on Industrial Electronics (ISIE), 1331 (2018). CrossRef A. Kaczorowski, G.S. Gordon, A. Palani, S. Czerniawski and T.D. Wilkinson, "Optimization-Based Adaptive Optical Correction for Holographic Projectors", J. Display Technol. 11(7), 596 (2015). CrossRef Z. He, X. Sui, G. Jin, L. Cao, "Distortion-Correction Method Based on Angular Spectrum Algorithm for Holographic Display", IEEE Trans. Industr. Inform. 15, 6162 (2019). CrossRef O. Mendoza-Yero, G. Mínguez-Vega, and J. Lancis, "Encoding complex fields by using a phase-only optical element", Opt. Lett. 39, 1740 (2014). CrossRef T. Kozacki, K. Falaggis, "Angular spectrum method with compact space–bandwidth: generalization and full-field accuracy", Appl. Opt. 55, 5014 (2016). CrossRef
The Effectiveness of In-Person versus Online Instruction in the Pre-service Teacher Preparation Programme
Authors: Burazer Lara , Skela Janez
Published: December 2021

In reference to the reflective nature of the methodological design of the current pre-service English teacher education program at the Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana, considerable challenges related to teacher-education were noted during the emergency online switch. For this reason, the theory/practice connections, typically strengthened via the practical, experiential and reflective components of university teacher-education programs, were put to the test. The research is aimed at identifying the challenges of the online switch and focuses on comparison of the effectiveness of in-person versus online instruction in the pre-service English teacher preparation program. The research questions seek to examine whether teacher-training sessions online are more demanding and challenging, and potentially less effective (as perceived by the respondents), compared to the in-person teacher-training practices. The study results offer a valuable insight into the teacher-trainees’ perceptions of the challenges and effectiveness of the online English teacher-training course implementation in comparison with the in-person mode.
Positive and Negative Lexical Transfer in English Vocabulary Acquisition
Authors: Jajić Novogradec Marina
Published: December 2021

The aim of the paper is to explore the appearance of positive and negative lexical transfer of plurilingual learners in English vocabulary acquisition. Cross-linguistic influences in the study are examined by word translation tasks from Croatian into English, including true, partial, and deceptive cognates or false friends in English, German, and Italian. The results have revealed different language dominances and positive or negative transfer manifestation. Lexical transfer from L4 German is manifested positively, but the Italian language seems to play a dominant role in the acquisition of English vocabulary. The effect of Croatian is manifested both positively and negatively. The study has confirmed previous psycholinguistic studies on the complexity of lexical connections in plurilingual learners and the dynamic interaction of various learning-based factors, such as language recency, proficiency, exposure to languages, the order in which languages are learned, and the formal context in language learning.
Teaching Culture through Reading Literature in English Language Teaching
Authors: Lovrović Leonarda , Kolega Cathy-Theresa
Published: December 2021

English as a lingua franca (ELF) has become a standardized mode of communication between diverse sociocultural groups. Besides linguistic competence, English language learners should possess adequate intercultural competence to establish successful social relations worldwide. Therefore, one of the main objectives of English language teaching (ELT) has become the development of intercultural speakers (Byram 1997; Kramsch 1998). One way of achieving this is by using literature in the classroom because learners interpret literary texts from their personal experience and are thus engaged both at a cognitive and an emotional level. Their individual interpretations can nevertheless also lead to generalizations and enforcement of stereotypes about foreign cultures. Hanauer (2001) has developed a method called focus-on-cultural understanding to expose learners to different interpretations. The study explores whether his method can be successfully applied in the context of Croatian university education. The method has proven to be effective for raising learners’ cultural awareness, which could lead to further development of their intercultural competence.
Key Noun + Noun Collocations in the Language of Tourism: A Corpus-Based Study of English and Serbian
Authors: Vuković Vojnović Dragana
Published: December 2021

In this paper, we investigate the main characteristics underlying noun + noun collocations in the English and Serbian language of tourism. Their morpho-syntactic, semantic and communicative features are contrasted and compared in the two languages. Firstly, we compiled two comparable corpora in English and Serbian from the tourism websites of Great Britain and Serbia. Based on their normalized frequencies per 10,000 words, key noun + noun collocations were extracted, using TermoStat Web 3.0 and AntConc. The results showed certain similarities in terms of the prevailing topics in the two corpora, based on the analysis of key noun + noun collocations. However, we found major differences in the two languages in terms of their morpho-syntactic features, communicative focus and the relationship of the collocates. The results of the study have implications for English for Tourism education, tourism discourse studies, language typology and lexicography.
Unnatural Temporalities and Projected Places in Sam Shepard’s Cowboys #2
Authors: Amani Omid , Pirnajmuddin Hossein , Alizadeh Ghiasuddin
Published: December 2021

Sam Shepard’s Cowboys #2 (1967) belongs to his first period of play writing. In this phase, his works exhibit experimental, remote, impossible narrative/fictional worlds that are overwhelmingly abstract, exhibiting “abrupt shifts of focus and tone” (Wetzsteon 1984, 4). Shepard’s unusual theatrical literary cartography is commensurate with his depiction of unnatural temporalities, in that, although the stage is bare, with almost no props, the postmodernist/metatheatrical conflated timelines and projected (impossible) places in the characters’ imagination mutually reflect and inflect each other. Employing Jan Alber’s reading strategies in his theorization of unnatural narratology and Barbara Piatti’s concept of projected places, this essay proposes a synthetic approach so as to naturalize the unnatural narratives and storyworlds in Shepard’s play.
Pandemia COVID-19 a ochrona godności człowieka. „Żądło krzywdy” w mediach
Authors: Kononiuk Tadeusz
Published: December 2021

The article is a media studies analysis of the mechanisms and processes related to the COVID-19 pandemic causing the displacement of dignity by “the sting of harm”, they consist in the fact that harm breaks the resistance of its dignity, replaces internal self-recognition and causes dignity to be questioned and fall silent. The research aim of the article is to answer the following questions: (1) Wwhere does the vulnerability of a person to be injured as a result of harm caused by the media come from? (2) Why is dignity a good that proves to be so fragile? (3) How to explain the process in which an internal change takes place, subordinating the victim’s personality to the fact of media harm? This complex problem, in the form of a metaphorical acronym – “the sting of harm” – is the subject of research in this publication.
Pandemia COVID-19 w strategiach komunikowania w mediach społecznościowych głównych kandydatów w wyborach prezydenckich w Polsce w 2020 roku
Authors: Adamik-Szysiak Małgorzata
Published: December 2021

The presidential campaign in Poland in 2020 took place during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of the article is to try to answer the question to what extent the pandemic problem was exposed in candidates’ entries in social media. The subject of the research were messages published on Facebook and Twitter. Particular attention was paid to the content disseminated by Andrzej Duda and Rafał Trzaskowski. The main methods used in the research were content analysis and secondary analysis of existing data. The research proved that the candidates became campaigners like the previous ones, clearly emphasizing the important role of reports from direct meetings with voters. The pandemic thread, especially at the end of the campaign, was only incidentally mentioned in the messages.
COVID-19 in Polish Women’s Press. Preliminary research
Authors: Dąbrowska-Cendrowska Olga , Gajlewicz-Korab Katarzyna
Published: December 2021

Women’s press has been analysed as an element of the Polish media system by representatives of various fields of research. There have been studies of press content, formal features of individual magazines, ownership and definition issues, and internal segmentations, amongst others. This research attempts to fill a gap in the study of women’s press content; it aims to show how the COVID-19 was presented in women’s press. As an introduction to the main research, this article examines a carefully selected study sample with individual sub-segments of women’s press each represented by a leading magazine. Research objectives include determining the ways in which COVID-19 is presented in certain women’s press titles belonging to different sub-segments, analysing the selection and presentation of information to potential readers in regards to their needs, and establishing the functions of COVID-19 guidance in women’s press.
Media, informacja a szczepienia przeciw COVID-19
Authors: Bałandynowicz-Panfil Katarzyna
Published: December 2021

The fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic is another significant confession for European societies. Despite extensive efforts, a safe level of population resilience has not been achieved in most countries. Previous actions and government programs aimed at persuading as many people as possible to accept vaccinations. Full availability of free vaccination has brought different levels of participation in fully vaccinated people across the European Union. This article presents the preliminary results of research on the role of the media in shaping pro-vaccination attitudes in Poland, based on a critical analysis of the literature on the subject, statistical data and an empirical research. The differences in attitudes towards vaccination against the SARS-CoV-2 virus in individual European Union countries have multifaceted conditions. These include factors of a social, political and cultural nature. Information plays an important role, shaping social attitudes in the discussed issue. One of the primary sources of this information is media – both traditional and digital. It is therefore worth defining the strength of media in the fight to build population resilience in the face of a pandemic.
Adaptive Non-linear Pattern Matching Automata
Authors: Erkens Rick , Laveaux Maurice
Published: December 2021

Efficient pattern matching is fundamental for practical term rewrite engines.
By preprocessing the given patterns into a finite deterministic automaton the
matching patterns can be decided in a single traversal of the relevant parts of
the input term. Most automaton-based techniques are restricted to linear
patterns, where each variable occurs at most once, and require an additional
post-processing step to check so-called variable consistency. However, we can
show that interleaving the variable consistency and pattern matching phases can
reduce the number of required steps to find all matches. Therefore, we take the
existing adaptive pattern matching automata as introduced by Sekar et al and
extend these with consistency checks. We prove that the resulting deterministic
pattern matching automaton is correct, and show several examples where some
reduction can be achieved.
FABRIC AND PRODUCTION DEFECT DETECTION IN THE APPAREL INDUSTRY USING DATA MINING ALGORITHMS
Authors: ERSÖZ Taner , ZAHOOR Hamza , ERSÖZ Filiz
Published: December 2021

Nowadays, technology plays a crucial role in fabric production in the textile industry. The demand for high-quality products and rapidly changing economic conditions increase the significance of ready-made clothing manufacturers to produce the right quality product. In addition, in order to minimize production errors, to improve and maintain process performance, it is important to identify the sources of variability during manufacturing. The defective fabric is the main reason which is causing harm to the textile business. Therefore, the proper identification of manufacturing defects leads to a successful business. When it comes to extracting meaningful insights from data and knowledge discovery, data mining has proven its significance in various fields such as business, health, finance, and education. As in all other sectors, data mining is widely used in the textile sector too. In this study, it was aimed to determine the main causes of the error with defective production data of a company that produces clothing by using data mining methods. Decision Tree, Naive Bayes, Random Forest, and Gradient Boosted Trees Algorithms were used in the research. Accuracy rate and Cohen’s kappa statistics were taken for comparison algorithms in the study. While determining the main reasons for defective products, the factors of which type of products the company produces for its customers, the sizes of the defective products, types of defects, and explanations were taken into consideration. The most common mistakes in sewing production and the main source of the error were evaluated. According to the results, suggestions were made for the company to take various measures.
EVALUATION OF EFFICACY OF DARUHARIDRA CHANDANA MALAHARA LEPA AND PANCHAVALKALA MALAHARA LEPA IN PARIKARTIKA WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO ACUTE FISSURE IN ANO
Authors: Bhajantri Suresh Y. , P. G. Gannur , R. S. Gujar
Published: December 2021

Background: Parikartika (Fissure-in-ano) is a clinical condition enrolled with the Laxana’s like Kartanavat (cut- ting type of pain) and Chedanavat Shoola in the anal region and it can be correlated with Anal Fissure associated with Pain, Burning sensation during Defecation and tear in the distal Anal Canal. The Incidence rate of Anal Fis- sure is around 1 in 350 adults they occur equally common in men and women and most often occurs in adults aged 15 to 40. Aims and Objectives: To compare the Efficacy of Daruharidra Chandana Malahara with Pan- chavalkala Malahara in the Management of Parikartika (Acute fissure in ano). Materials and Methods: For the Present study, cases were selected from OPD and IPD of Shalya Tantra with the Classical Clinical Features like Kartanvat and Chedanavat Shoola in the anal region. Intervention: Daruharidra Chandana Malahara Lepa and Panchavalkala Malahara Lepa, applied Locally into Two Groups with each Group having 20 Patients for 7 days along with Triphala Choorna (1tsp) HS. Results: Copesetic Relief was seen in Signs and Symptoms and Im- proved Quality of Life after Treatment. Conclusion: The Study Was Proved that Parikartika was Effectively Managed by Daruharidra Chandana Malahara Lepa comparatively Panchavalkala Malahara Lepa.
Keywords: Parikartika, Fissure-in-ano, Daruharidra Chandana Malaharal Lepa, Panchavalkala Malahara Le- pa.