bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
State-of-the-Art Method in Prosthetic Hand Design: A Review
Authors: Triwiyanto Triwiyanto , Rahmawati Triana , Pawana I Putu Alit , Lamidi Lamidi , Hamzah Torib , Pudji Andjar , Mak’ruf Muhammad Ridha , Luthfiyah Sari
Published: April 2021

Human limb amputation can be caused due to congenital disabilities, accidents, and certain diseases. Amputation caused by occupational accidents is a frequent occurrence in developing countries. Meanwhile, amputation caused by certain diseases such as diabetes Miletus is also the leading cause. The need for prosthetic hand is increasing along with the increase in those two factors. Several researchers have developed prosthetic hands with advantages and disadvantages. Research on prosthetic hands, which are useful, low power, and low cost, is still a major issue. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to provide a review of the various designs of prosthetic hands, specifically on the sensor, control, and actuator systems. This paper collected several references from proceedings and journals related to the design of the prosthetic hand. The results show that the EMG signal is widely used by some researchers in controlling prosthetic hands compared to other sensors, following the force-sensitive resistor (FSR) sensor. To control prosthetic hands, some researchers used a threshold system with a value of 20% of the maximum voluntary contraction (MVC), and several other researchers used a pattern recognition model based on the EMG signal feature. Moreover, In the mechanical part, the open-source prosthetic hand model is more widely used than the fabricate prosthetic hand. This is due to the cost required in the prosthetic hand design is cheaper than a fabricated one. The results of this review are expected to provide a recommendation to researchers in the development of low cost, low power, and practical prosthetic hands.
WeMos IoT Controller-Based Low-Cost Fall Detection System for Elderly Users
Authors: Al-Okby Mohammed Faeik Ruzaij , Thurow Kerstin
Published: April 2021

Fall detection systems for the elderly are very important to protect this type of users. The early detection of the fall of the elderly has a major impact on saving their lives and avoiding the deterioration of the negative medical effects resulting from the effect of the patient falling on a hard surface. One of the constraints in fall detection systems are false-negative errors (no fall detection) or false-positive errors (sending a false warning without real fall accident). These errors have to be reduced significantly. In this paper, an innovative method to reduce fall detection system errors is proposed. The system consists of two orientation detection sensors to track the body orientation instead of using a single sensor in the previous systems which enhances the system accuracy and reduces the false-negative and false-positive errors. The system uses a small size IoT-based controller to process the sensor's information and make the alarm decision based on specific thresholds. The output alarm of the system includes an email sent to the caregivers via the embedded Wi-Fi ESP8266 module as well as an SMS message to the caregivers’ phones via GSM modules to ensure that the alarm message arrives in the absence of internet coverage for the patient or the caregiver. The system is powered by a small lithium-Ion battery. All sensors and modules of the system are combined in a small rubber box that can be fixed in a waist belt or the chest rejoin of the user body. Several tests have been made in different procedures. The tests revealed that the new approach improves the accuracy of the system and reduces the possibility of triggering wrong alarms.
Towards Reforming Sri Lanka Railways: Insights from International Experience and Industry Expert Opinion
Authors: Kumara E. G. N. S. H. , Bandara Y. M.
Published: April 2021

Growing of the automobile industry and the demand for personal car use and chronic financial deficits in the balance sheets of rail operators have significantly affected the rail industry deterioration since 1970. However, gradual rail reforms were carried out by many countries to eliminate financial and operational issues and to develop their rail transportation systems. Sri Lanka has more than 150 years of history in railway operations, yet it is still in a weak position in terms of the operational efficiency and the financial position. The main purpose of this paper is to explore the key issues and root causes for the operational and financial deficiencies of Sri Lanka Railways and identify the best reform model in the light of world rail reform experiences and rail industry experts’ opinion. A semi-structured questionnaire was employed to interview twelve railway industry experts. Content analysis, Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) Method, and Policy Delphi Method were the main analytical techniques employed in the study. The results of the analysis showed that the vertical separation of the ownership between rail service operation and rail infrastructure provision is suitable for Sri Lanka Railways and, given the existing operational and financial characteristics, the reform steps should mostly be designed as in the case of the German- Sweden hybrid model of rail reforms.
Incidence of peri-tubal and ovarian adhesions following laparoscopic ovarian drilling (LOD) observed opportunistically at subsequent caesarean sections
Authors: Karunananda S. A.
Published: April 2021

The frequently performed procedure of laparoscopic ovarian drilling (LOD) is not without possible adverse effects on fertility. There is little uniformity in the technique or assessment of outcome or complications. The study aims to make gynaecologists aware of the frequency of one such complications even when and where the treatment goal of pregnancy has been achieved This leaves one wondering what the contribution of LOD could be where pregnancy has not followed despite evidence of ovulation possibly by causing interference with tubal function and ovarian entrapment. The degree of adhesions calls for restraint and due care when handling and unleashing energy on the ovaries during a mundane routine procedure often performed by trainees. Objective: To assess the extent to which the LOD could result in the formation of peri-tubal and ovarian (adnexal) adhesions, as seen opportunistically at subsequent caesarean sections. This is therefore only in instances where the procedure has been successful in resulting in a pregnancy.
Do pregnant women living in endemic regions of chronic kidney disease of unknown origin (CKDu) show pathological changes in the placenta?
Authors: Karunananda S. A. , Waduge R.
Published: April 2021

There had not been much research to find possible involvement of other organs other than the kidney in CKDu. The effects on pregnancy due to renal impairment in general is known2,3 but what other damage could be inflicted by the unknown aetiology of CKDu on feto placental unit remains unknown.This injury could precede overt renal impairment. One such vulnerable organ is the placenta as both kidneys and placenta share similar function as filtration barriers. It is logical to assume if an agent could affect the interstitium of the kidney, similar adverse effects could be imposed on the interstitium of haemochorionic human placenta. This study was designed with the objective of analysing possible effects on human placental structure of patients who have been exposed to the probable aetiological factor responsible for CKDu. Obviously, anything affecting placenta would adversely affect fetus, its growth and organ development. If the agent passed through to the fetus, there could be similar direct damage to fetal kidneys too. 240 placental samples of women who had lived at least 10 years in a highly endemic area were compared with a similar number from those who were not so exposed. All samples were processed at the department of pathology and reported on by the second author. There was statistically insufficient evidence to conclude that population proportions of two categories were significantly different. The differences between categories and abnormalities were statistically insignificant. Since there was no noticeable Light Microscopic changes observed attributable to an unknown pathological agent, it was concluded that during a 9-months period of exposure of the placenta, no significant changes occurred even in the most endemic areas. This data was useful as women attending antenatal clinics could be reassured that no ill effect of the agent is known and it would be unnecessary to abandon home during pregnancy for safety of the fetus.
Gender differences in vaccine therapy: where are we in COVID-19 pandemic?
Authors: Ciarambino Tiziana , Barbagelata Elena , Corbi Graziamaria , Ambrosino Immacolata , Politi Cecilia , Lavalle Franco , Ruggieri Anna , Moretti Annamaria
Published: April 2021

Vaccination is one of the greatest achievements of public health. Vaccination programs have contributed to the decline in mortality and morbidity of various infectious diseases. This review aims to investigate the impact of sex/gender on the vaccine acceptance, responses, and outcomes. The studies were identified by using PubMed, until 30th June 2020. The search was performed by using the following keywords: SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19, gender, sex, vaccine, adverse reaction. Clinical trials, retrospective and prospective studies were included. Studies written in languages other than English were excluded. Studies were included if gender differences in response to vaccination trials were reported. All selected studies were qualitatively analyzed. Innate recognition and response to viruses, as well as, adaptive immune responses during viral infections, differ between females and males. Unfortunately, a majority of vaccine trials have focused on healthy people, with ages between 18 to 65 years, excluding the elderly, pregnant women, post-menopausal female and children. In conclusion, it is apparent that the design of vaccines and vaccine strategies should be sex-specific, to reduce adverse reactions in females and increase immunogenicity in males. It should be mandatory to examine sex-related variables in pre-clinical and clinical vaccine trials, such as their crucial role for successful prevention of pandemic COVID-19.
Psychometric analysis of the Dutch language Facilitative Interpersonal Skills (FIS) video clips
Authors: Van Thiel Sabine , Joosen Margot C.W. , Joki Anne-Linde , Van Dam Arno , Van der Klink Jac J.L. , De Jong Kim
Published: April 2021

With the motivation of investigating the replicability and transferability of the findings employing the Facilitative Interpersonal Skills (FIS) performance task beyond Anglophone countries, a set of Dutch FIS clips have been scripted and recorded. In this study the psychometric properties of the Dutch clips was tested. Furthermore, an additional set of FIS clips portraying a non-challenging client-therapist interaction was tested. 369 psychology students rated the interpersonal impact (IMI-C) and the affect (positive and negative affect schedule) displayed by the hypothetical client. Thirteen out of sixteen FIS clips were located in the same IMI-C quadrant as the US clips, indicating good content validity for all sets of FIS clips. Inter-rater reliability was reasonable for one set of Dutch language FIS clips (k=0.416). Visual inspection of quadrants showed the different character of the non-challenging set of FIS clips. The Dutch FIS clips are directly applicable for educational and research purposes.
Evaluation of impact of ambient air pollution on respiratory health of traffic police in Kolkata
Authors: Dey Arindam , Mishra Tanusree , Sahu Subhashis , Saha Atanu
Published: April 2021

BACKGROUND:

Air pollution is associated with a broad spectrum of an environmental health problem, caused by increased urbanization and population, globally. Emission of pollutants was strongly implicated in acute morbidity and mortality associated with severe pollution. Traffic cops are most vulnerable due to the nature of their job, continuously exposed to toxic pollutants.

AIM OF STUDY:

The study aimed to assess the physical and respiratory morbidities of traffic cops due to the effect of environmental pollutants.

METHODOLOGY:

Air quality data were collected by the Central Pollution Control Board. Traffic cops were selected from three traffic zones of the city. Anthropometric data were collected by anthropometric instruments. Health assessment was performed via the questionnaire method. Pulmonary function parameters were recorded via digital spirometer.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS:

Collected data were analyzed statistically via SPSS (V-16.0).

RESULTS:

Particulate matter 2.5 (PM 2.5) and PM 10 found to be dominant pollutants in three zones of Kolkata. Air Quality Index values are high in winter. Any type of respiratory symptom is highest in the north, followed by the south and central zones. In the central zone, forced expiratory volume in 1 second and forced expiratory flow from 25% to 75% values significantly changed with work exposure. The habit of smoking also showed a significant effect on pulmonary function test (PFT) parameters. The difference of the change in PFT among the three zones was found significant.

CONCLUSION:

The result of the study indicates that outdoor environmental exposure creates detrimental effects on lung function parameters of traffic cops among the three zones of Kolkata. Use of mask, healthy food intake, performing exercise, and regular medical check are suggested to prevent respiratory damages of police personnel.
Extranodal non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the sinonasal tract
Authors: Swain Santosh Kumar , Acharya Satyabrata
Published: April 2021

Lymphoma is classified into Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) or non-HL (NHL). NHL is more commonly found in the head-and-neck region. Majority of the extra-nodal location for NHL is the Waldeyer's ring. These NHLs are rarely found in the sinonasal tract. The clinical presentations of the extra-nodal sinonasal NHL are usually nonspecific. Computed tomography scan of the head-and-neck region usually reveals the extent of the neoplasm. However, the confirmatory diagnosis is done by the tissue biopsy and study of the immunohistochemistry. The treatment modality is controversial in regards to the best therapeutic option. Chemotherapy or concomitant chemoradiation is an important treatment option. Surgery has a limited role for the treatment of the sinonasal NHL. The increasing prevalence and the significant morbidity of the sinonasal NHL are often critical to do early diagnosis and treatment. Early diagnosis along with continuous monitoring and close follow-up are recommended for the early diagnosis and effective treatment. Clinicians should have knowledge regarding the clinical presentations of the extranodal NHL. Correct and timely diagnosis is helpful for effective treatment of the sinonasal NHL. The aim of this review article is to discuss about the etiopathology, clinical presentations, investigations, and current treatment of the sinonasal NHL.
Combined effect of Kinesio taping and exercises on pain and function in individuals having patellofemoral pain syndrome with different grades of obesity
Authors: Gohil Divya M , Khose Pranita , Patra Chinmaya , Baxi Gaurang , Palekar Tushar J
Published: April 2021

BACKGROUND:

Obesity causes an excess amount of weight on the knee joint and promotes abnormal functioning of the joint. Correction with Kinesio taping allows forces to act in the correct direction. This study was conducted to see the combined effectiveness of Kinesio taping and exercises among different grades of obese population with anterior knee pain.

METHODOLOGY:

This study was conducted on obese individuals with anterior knee pain. Thirty-six participants were divided into three groups as per three grades of obesity. All the groups received the same treatment, Kinesio taping, and exercises. Participants received treatment three times a week for 4 weeks. The Visual Analog Scale and Kujala Scale were taken as outcome measures.

RESULTS:

Data were analyzed using Primer statistical software. A paired t-test was applied for within-group analysis, and one-way ANOVA was applied to compare data between the groups. All the groups showed a significant reduction in the pain score and improvement in function (P < 0.005). However, no statistically significant difference was seen for both outcome measures when comparing the three groups.

CONCLUSION:

The findings suggest that exercising and Kinesio taping are together effective in the treatment of anterior knee pain. This combined protocol was effective in restoring the knee function and reducing knee pain in all the three groups.
Laparoscopic appendicular interposition ureteroplasty for mid-ureteral defect
Authors: George Datson Palathullil , Venkatachalapathy Vigneswara Srinivasan Sockkalingam , Abraham George Palathullil
Published: April 2021

Patients with ureteral defects and salvageable renal units present a challenge in reconstructive urology. Vermiform appendix interposition is an option in the management of mid-ureteral defects that can not be managed by primary ureteroureterostomy. Laparoscopic appendicular interposition ureteroplasty is a technically demanding and an infrequently attempted procedure. We present a video demonstration of laparoscopic appendicular interposition for a 4-cm long right mid-ureteral defect in an elderly male. Laparoscopic appendicular interposition ureteroplasty for mid-ureteral defects can provide good long-term functional outcomes with results comparable to an open approach and has the advantage of reduced morbidity.
Primary extrarenal papillary renal cell carcinoma presenting as a neck mass
Authors: Srivishnu S. , Bakshi Ganesh , Menon Santosh
Published: April 2021

Extrarenal primary renal cell carcinoma is an extremely rare entity with limited literature. Characteristic findings of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) at the metastatic site in the absence of a discrete radiological renal lesion can perplex both the clinician and pathologist. We report a case of metastatic primary extrarenal papillary RCC, who presented as a neck mass clinically and radiologically a paraaortic mass with normal bilateral native kidneys. The final diagnosis was aided by histopathological features, further confirmed by targeted immunohistochemical markers.
Renal cortical transit time in the evaluation of prenatally detected presumed pelvi ureteric junction like obstruction
Authors: Sharma Gyanendra Ravindra , Panda Arabind , Sharma Anshu Gyanendra
Published: April 2021

Introduction:

Differentiating nonobstructive from obstructive dilatation of the kidney is a clinical dilemma in prenatally detected hydronephrosis. Many radionuclide renogram parameters have been used to differentiate obstructed from non-obstructed units, including cortical transit time (CTT). We evaluate the role of CTT in identifying obstruction through a systematic review.

Methods:

A literature search of the MEDLINE, MEDLINE In-Process, and MEDLINE Epub Ahead of Print, EMBASE, Google scholar, Pub Med, and Cochrane Library was done using key words – radionuclide renogram, CTT, parenchymal transit time, cortical transit, renography to identify articles on the subject. The identified articles were assessed for appropriateness and reviewed.

Results:

The initial search yielded a total of 1583 articles, after adding the articles from references and applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria a total of 28 articles were selected. CTT showed good inter observer agreement in identifying obstruction. The use of CTT as a single parameter for determining the need for surgery and to identify those kidneys which will have functional improvement after surgery has been evaluated and has been found to be useful. CTT is best used in conjunction with ultrasonography to make clinical decisions.

Conclusion:

The commonly used visual method of estimating the CTT, is a promising parameter for the evaluation of prenatally detected pelviureteric junction obstruction. Further well-designed multicenter prospective studies are needed to establish it as the most specific parameter to differentiate obstructive from nonobstructive dilatation of the pelvicalyceal system.
Role of positron emission tomography/computed tomography in the evaluation of renal cell carcinoma
Authors: Jena Rahul , Narain Tushar Aditya , Singh Uday Pratap , Srivastava Aneesh
Published: April 2021

Introduction:

Positron emission tomography (PET) is not a standard recommendation in most of the major guidelines for the evaluation of renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Earlier studies evaluating PET scan in patients with RCC have provided discordant results. However, with the advent of newer hybrid PET/computed tomography (CT) scanning systems, this modality has shown increased efficacy in the evaluation of primary renal masses along with the detection of extrarenal metastases, restaging recurrent RCC, and also in monitoring response to targeted therapy. We performed a systematic review of the existing literature on the role of PET scan in the evaluation of RCC.

Methodology:

We systematically searched the databases of PubMed/Medline, Embase, and Google Scholar to identify studies on the use of PET scan in RCC. Using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis guidelines, 94 full-text articles were selected, of which 54 relevant articles were then reviewed, after a consensus by the authors.

Results:

Several studies have shown similar sensitivity and specificity of fluoro-2-deoxy-2-d-glucose-PET (FDG-PET) scan as compared to conventional CT scan for the initial diagnosis of RCC, and an improved sensitivity and specificity for the detection of metastases and recurrences following curative therapy. The PET scan may also play a role in predicting the initial tumor biology and pathology and predicting the prognosis as well as the response to therapy.

Conclusion:

The current guidelines do not recommend PET scan in the staging armamentarium of RCCs. However, FDG-PET scan is as efficacious, if not better than conventional imaging alone, in the evaluation of the primary and metastatic RCC, as well as in evaluating the response to therapy, due to its ability to pick up areas of increased metabolic activity early on. Newer tracers such as Ga68 prostate specific membrane antigen-labeled ligands may help in opening up newer avenues of theragnostics.
Phenotype variation among siblings with 5-alpha reductase deficiency
Authors: Reddy D. Sandeep , Danda Vijay Sheker Reddy , Paidipally Srinivas Rao
Published: April 2021

Steroid 5α-reductase deficiency (5ARD) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder caused by mutation in the 5α-reductase type 2 gene (SRD5A2). 5ARD results in the impaired conversion of testosterone (T) to dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and is characterized by undervirilization in 46XY individuals. We report a case series of three siblings presenting with ambiguous genitalia and different phenotypes. They did not meet the widely accepted biochemical criteria for 5ARD. In view of strong clinical suspicion, genetic analysis was performed which revealed pathogenic mutation in SRD5A2. This report highlights the importance of definitive diagnosis with molecular methods as the treatment and prognosis differs greatly among the close differential diagnoses. Reliance on the biochemical criteria alone may lead to misdiagnosis.
Aberrant renal hilar pelvic anatomy in a malrotated kidney
Authors: Vijay Adarsh , Cooper Matthew , Ghasemian Seyed
Published: April 2021

Understanding variations in uretero–pelvic anatomy is of paramount importance from a surgical, radiological and academic perspective. We report an unheard renal hilar pelvic anatomy where the renal pelvis presented as the most anterior hilar structure. We believe an embryologic event in the renal ascent and rotation can account for this unusual presentation.
Critical interpretative synthesis of herd immunity for COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Garg Suneela , Singh Meghachandra M. , Deshmukh Chetana Prakash , Bhatnagar Nidhi , Borle Amod L. , Kumar Raman
Published: April 2021

Introduction:

Countries globally are evaluating the concept of herd immunity and its critical role in the control of pandemic. The current paper attempts to conduct a critical interpretative synthesis (CIS) on the role of herd immunity in current COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods:

CIS is tool for developing theoretical framework using interpretation drawn from relevant empirical and non-empirical sources. This review is done by formulating review question for literature search. Purposive sampling of literature was done followed by reciprocal translational analysis of extracted data.

Results:

Herd immunity is indirect protection from a contagious infectious disease when a population is immune either through vaccination or natural immunity developed through previous infection. The reproduction number for COVID-19 in India was found to be 2.56 and herd immunity threshold as 61%.

Discussion:

Exposing 71% young population in India to the SARS-CoV-2 infection can achieve herd immunity but with high morbidity as well as mortality. Vaccine are under process. Feco-oral transmission and reinfection of COVID 19 are major factors to develop or break the circle of herd immunity in community. “Immunity passport” can give false sense of security. Surveillance and seroprevalence studies assess immunity status, gradual exposure of infection to younger population and collaborative partnerships on organizations are few strategies to acquire herd immunity.

Conclusion:

Herd immunity is a measure for prevention and control of COVID-19 pandemic against the backdrop of mortality and morbidity. Vaccine can be boon but if herd immunity is to be acquired by natural infection then preparedness is necessary.
Clinico-epidemiological profile of Influenza A H1N1 cases at a tertiary care institute of Uttarakhand
Authors: Pandita Ajay K. , Raina Dimple , Arora Tanya , Ohri Puneet
Published: April 2021

Introduction:

The swine (H1N1) virus responsible for worldwide pandemics since 2009 is now causing seasonal epidemics. Since then alarming spikes of swine flu cases have been reported from Uttarakhand every year. There are limited studies conducted in this Himalayan belt to evaluate the clinical and epidemiological profile of the patients admitted in tertiary care hospitals.

Aims & Objectives:

This study aims to summarize the clinical and epidemiological attributes of swine flu and to approximate the burden of Influenza A H1N1 (Swine Flu) cases in this Himalayan belt.

Material and Methods:

Clinical and epidemiological characteristics of influenza A H1N1 cases from October 2018 to April 2019 were retrospectively and descriptively analyzed using data from the Medical Records Section and the isolation ward at Shri Guru Ram Rai Institute of Medical and Health Sciences; Shri Mahant Indiresh hospital.

Results:

A total of 1126 (51.6%) patients were tested of which 30% (338) patients were found to be H1N1 positive. Maximum cases and positivity were detected in the months of January (26.4%), February (50.3%), and March (14.8%), and the patients in the age groups of 41–50 (21.9%) and 51–60 years (19.3%) accounted for majority of the cases. The most common symptoms were fever (85.8%), cough (82.2%), sore throat (82%), and breathlessness (71.3%). A case fatality ratio of 10.9% was observed. A significant statistical association (p value < 0.00001) was reported between co-morbid conditions and death.

Conclusion:

According to the results of this study, close caution should be exercised in case of patients infected with H1N1 particularly those with co-morbidities.
Comparative study on fasting and postprandial lipid profile in type 2 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Chahal Jasmeen , Gupta Sunita , Chawla Sumit Pal Singh , Grewal Harpreet
Published: April 2021

Context:

Postprandial dyslipidemia plays a vital role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and possible macrovascular complications in type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM).

Aims:

To assess and compare the fasting and postprandial lipid profiles in type 2 DM patients.

Settings and Design:

This case-control study was conducted in the Medicine department of a tertiary care teaching hospital.

Methods and Materials:

The study included 100 subjects; 50 type 2 diabetic patients and 50 healthy age- and gender-matched controls. Fasting and postprandial lipid levels were estimated in all the subjects and compared.

Statistical Analysis Used:

The Student's t-test and the analysis of variance (ANOVA) test were used for comparison between two and more than two groups, respectively, for normally distributed data.

Results:

Mean total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low density lipoprotein (LDL), and very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) levels were significantly higher and high density lipoprotein (HDL) level was significantly lower in the diabetics in comparison to the controls in both fasting (200.82, 172.59, 126.20, 37.63, and 40.74 mg/dL in diabetics versus 179.90, 98.03, 109.54, 19.60, and 50.46 mg/dL in controls) and postprandial states (223.75, 232.99, 139.19, 46.52, and 40.54 mg/dL in diabetics versus 185.36, 102.20, 110.36, 20.24, and 48.96 mg/dL in controls). The mean postprandial TC and TG levels (223.75, 232.99 mg/dL) in diabetics were significantly higher when compared to their fasting values (200.82, 172.59 mg/dL) in these patients.

Conclusions:

Type 2 DM patients show significant postprandial lipid abnormalities particularly postprandial hypertriglyceridemia. Raised postprandial lipid parameters highlight that estimating lipids in the postprandial state is equally important as is estimation of lipids in the fasting state in type 2 DM.
Assessment of osteoporosis knowledge among adult Saudi females attending the family medicine department at Security Forces Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Authors: Alqahtani Ghada M. , Alghamdi Abdullah M.
Published: April 2021

Background:

Osteoporosis is a skeletal disorder characterized by loss of bone mineral density, deterioration of bone structure, bone fragility, and it is associated with high risk of fractures. The prevalence of osteoporosis among Saudis is estimated to be 34% in females and 30.7% in males. The aim of this study was to know the level of knowledge about osteoporosis among Saudi females at Security Forces Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Materials and Methods:

This was a descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study conducted between January 2019 and January 2020. We used the osteoporosis knowledge assessment tool (OKAT) for data collection. The survey assessed the understanding of symptoms and fracture risk, risk factors, treatment availability and preventive factors for osteoporosis.

Results:

The overall knowledge of our 376 participants was good with a mean score of (66%). Participants had more knowledge about the symptoms and fracture risk and the preventive factors such as physical activity and diet compared to the other subscales of the OKAT. There was a significant difference between the knowledge of younger and older females (>40 yrs.), where younger females had lower scores on the OKAT.

Conclusion:

This study showed that knowledge about osteoporosis was good among females attending the family medicine clinics in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. However, younger females were less knowledgeable, which means that more effort should be made to increase the awareness about osteoporosis especially among the younger females.
Dermatoglyphics and Cheiloscopy patterns in hypertensive and type 2 Diabetes mellitus patients
Authors: CD Mouneshkumar , Anand Santosh , RH Shilpa , Haidry Nazia , Kulkarni Pranay , Aastha  , Gupta Aaysha
Published: April 2021

Background:

Essential hypertension is a type of hypertension which bears no etiological reasons. It is found to affect approximately 90 to 95 percent of hypertensive individuals. Similarly, type 2 diabetes or diabetes mellitus is a genetically determined systemic condition with a close relation to familial medical history. Both of these conditions or diseases are closely linked with the process of ageing among various other inherited and genetically determined factors. Importantly, a positive family history increases disease risk manifolds. As there is increased risk of hypertension and development of type 2 diabetes in individuals with family history because of genetic factors, the study of co-relation between dermatoglyphics and hypertension can aid in early identification of individuals with a genetic predisposition towards developing hypertension and type 2 diabetes.

Aim:

The aim and objectives were as follows: (1) Analyze dermatoglyphic finger patterns; (2) Analyze cheiloscopic patterns; (3) Comparison of cheiloscopic and dermatoglyphic patterns with hypertension and type 2 diabetes; and (4) to determine if dermatoglyphics and/or cheiloscopic patterns can be used as tool(s) for pre-identification of inherited diseases.

Materials and Methods:

Total 300 study participants age range above 40 years were selected after obtaining informed consent. Lip patterns were recorded using a dark-colored lipstick and a transparent cellophane tape while finger print patterns were recorded using stamp ink-pad and by applying uniform finger pressure on blank paper sheet.

Results and Observations:

Cheiloscopic patterns analysis showed that the branched, straight, intersected, reticular followed by undifferentiated patterns were present in decreasing frequency among male patients while among female patients, branched, intersected, straight and reticular patterns were observed. However, no undifferentiated pattern was observed in female subjects. These findings were consistent with both diabetic as well as hypertensive patients. On the other hand, finger pattern analysis showed that ulnar loop was most frequently observed in both male and female patients with either hypertension or type 2 diabetes. Also, this was followed in decreasing order by arch type pattern, radial loop pattern and whorl pattern in both genders.

Conclusion:

It can be surmised from the study that both the finger prints and lip patterns can be used to ascertain predisposition to type 2 diabetes and hypertension.
Unengaged head in primigravidae, mode of delivery and outcome (a case-control study) in Dongola—Sudan (2019)
Authors: Salim Nahid Abdalla , Satti Ismail , Mahmoud Abdalhafeez Osman
Published: April 2021

Background:

Child birth is difficult period and associated with strenuous stress for the birth attendants as well, the parturient ladies, especially in primigravidae whose pelvis has not been tested.

Methods:

A prospective case-control study at Dongola maternity hospital. To assess mode of delivery and outcome in primigravidae with unengaged head. The study included 248 primigravidae at term, singleton, and in labor, divided into case and control groups equally, unengaged and engaged head.

Results:

The overall results among both case and control group revealed no difference in mode of delivery, vaginal delivery was (77.4%) and (83.9%), respectively. The significant findings were: head position as it was in the case group 24.2% O.A, 58.1% O.T, and 17.7% O.P. The corresponding figures in control group were 29%, 64.5%, and 6.5%. The difference was significant (P = 0.024). 91.9% of the case group augmented and 77.4% in the control group (P = 0.002). The most interesting significant difference was body mass index. in the control group 3.2% had a BMI of <20 kg/m2, 50% had a BMI 20–25 kg/m2, 16.8% had a BMI 25–30 kg/m2, and 30% had a BMI >30 kg/m2. In the cases, group were 3.7%, 31%, 25.3%, and 40% sequentially with significant difference (P = 0.011).

Conclusion:

With good conduction of labor, there were no difference in mode of delivery and outcome in primigravidae with unengaged fetal heads.
The moderating effect of financial stress and autism severity on development of depression among parents and caregivers of Autistic children in Taif, Saudi Arabia
Authors: Alshahrani Mohammed Saeed , Algashmari Hasaan
Published: April 2021

Background:

Autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) is a common problem in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. However, little research explored the extent of anxiety and depressive disorders in parents of children with ASD.

Method:

Descriptive questionnaire-based cross-sectional survey of a sample of parents of children with ASD who attended Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Autistic Centre, Ministry of defense, Taif city.

Results:

The study included (n = 50) parents. The prevalence of mild depression was 30%, whereas the prevalence of moderately severe depression was 68%. Increased ASD severity level was associated with a significant impact on the PHQ-9 total score (level II was 1.293 times level I to have an increased PHQ-9 score, and level III was 1.530 times level I to have an increased PHQ-9 score). Economic status did not significantly alter depressive symptoms.

Discussion and Conclusion:

ASD diagnosis in Saudi children is associated with high parental depressive prevalence. However, this result could be bidirectional. Stigma, future-related worry, and stress could mediate parental depressive symptoms. Our findings in Saudi parents of children with ASD corroborate the established association between parental depressive symptoms and ASD severity. Our results corroborated previous findings that neither parental gender nor child gender exert any substantial effect on predictability of depressive symptoms among parents of children with ASD. Comprehensive therapeutic packages for children with ASD should include treatment of emotional problems arising out of carer burden among their parents. Screening for parental emotional problems should be routine in autism treatment facilities.
Relationship between shortage of basic life needs and quality of life of medical students in Yemen
Authors: Obad Adam S. , Abdulwali Fareeha K. , Alaidroos Hussein A. H. , BaAbbad Abdulrahman A. , Al-Gunaid Mohammed A. , Al Ghurabi Mohammed O. S. , Bawazir Ahmed A. , BaFadhl Zain A. A. , Baqashmer Zahran A. A. , Shareef Mohammad Abrar
Published: April 2021

Purpose:

This study examines quality of life of medical students in Yemen by evaluating validity and reliability of the World Health Organization Quality of Life questionnaire (WHOQOL) and assessing potential influencing factors.

Methods:

This is a single-centered cross-sectional study conducted in Hadramout University College of Medicine, Mukalla, Yemen during the academic year of 2019. The WHOQOL questionnaire was distributed among medical students. For validity, item discriminate validity and confirmatory factor analysis were assessed and for reliability, Cronbach's α test was examined. Independent sample t-test and one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) were used to examine the academic level, gender, academic performance, and basic life necessities including water, electricity supply, sewage treatment and type of residence.

Results:

A total of 495 medical students have responded to this questionnaire which has demonstrated an adequate validity and good reliability. The mean score for students' self-rating of their quality of life in the major domains was found to be in a descending order (Mean ± SD): psychological health (55.18 ± 17.84), environmental (52.14 + 17.60), physical health (48.15 + 14.73) and social relations (45.09 ± 20.81). Demographics and basic life needs exhibit relationship with Quality of Life among medical students.

Conclusion:

The WHOQOL-BREF is a valid and reliable tool among medical students in Hadramout University. Demographics and basic life needs seem to impact Yemeni medical students' Quality of Life. Wellness and mentoring programs should be considered to ameliorate effects related to deteriorating medical students' Quality of Life in Hadramout University.
Severe myocardial bridge presenting as paroxysmal atrioventricular block
Authors: Lin CC , Lai CH , Lin WS , Lin CS
Published: April 2021

Chest pain complicated with electrocardiographic changes is not an uncommon scenario in emergency departments, which should be examined cautiously. We describe a 51-years-old man with a myocardial bridge of coronary artery presenting with simultaneous Mobitz type I atrioventricular block on electrocardiography. Echocardiography excluded valvular abnormality and systolic/diastolic dysfunction. Coronary angiography confirmed the diagnosis of a myocardial bridge at the middle segment of the left anterior descending artery, involving the most dominant septal perforator branch with marked systolic compression. The patient underwent coronary artery bypass grafting surgery and was followed up uneventfully at the outpatient department with medical treatment of diltiazem and clopidogrel. The present case is being reported to highlight that clinicians should be alert to such a congenital abnormality as a potential cause of repeated myocardial infarction and conduction abnormality.
Unraveling a cephalalgic quagmire from a cavern to a cave
Authors: Thenmozhi S , Girija S , Viswanathan KN , Karthikeyan KV
Published: April 2021

Headache in women in their late forties can be primary or secondary. We report a 48-year-old female with chronic slowly progressive left temporal headache for 1 year. She also had ipsilateral eye pain and facial numbness for 1 month, with restricted abduction in the left eye and diplopia. On neurological examination, she had isolated left abducent nerve palsy, with loss of corneal and conjunctival reflexes, localizing the pathology to the cavernous sinus or its adjacent structures. Anatomically, cranial nerves V and VI are in close proximity to each other in the region of Meckel's cave. In view of her age, insidious onset, progressive symptoms and clinical findings, the provisional diagnosis in this patient was a Meckel's cave tumor. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging revealed a 2 cm × 2 cm × 1.7 cm enhancing dumb-bell-shaped mass lesion with mild restricted diffusion in the Meckel's cave projecting into cavernous sinus with alanine, myoinositol and glutamine peaks on MR spectroscopy. Intradural debulking was done; lesion was confirmed by histopathology and patient was cured of her symptoms. An algorithm for diagnosing this entity at the bedside is presented.
Effects of Cellular Phone Electromagnetic Field Exposure on the Hippocampi of Rats in Childhood and Adolescence
Authors: Okur Zeynep Hatice , Sağir Dilek
Published: April 2021

Objective:

The effects of the electromagnetic fields (EMFs) emitted from cell phones on living organisms and human health have become one of the most important topics for research because cell phones are widely used, even at early ages, all over the world. In this study, it was aimed to reveal the effects of exposure to EMFs emitted from cell phones on the hippocampus region of the brain during childhood and adolescence.

Materials and Methods:

In the study, newborn rats were divided into six groups as control 1–21, EMF 1–21, control 21–60, EMF 21–60, control 1–60, and EMF 1–60. The rats in the EMF groups were exposed to an EMF emitted from cell phones placed in cages every day. No procedure was performed in the control (C) groups. Sections taken from the brain tissues were evaluated using histopathologic, stereologic, and immunohistochemical methods.

Results:

According to the stereologic analysis results we obtained from the study, there was a significant decrease in the number of pyramidal cells and hippocampus volume in the EMF 1–60 group (P < 0.05). In the histopathologic examinations of the brain sections, it was observed that there were many damaged neurons with darkly stained cytoplasms among normal pyramidal cells in all age groups exposed to EMF. In addition, caspase 3 immunoreactivity was found to be statistically significantly increased in the EMF 1–60 group compared with all other groups (P < 0.05).

Conclusion:

Chronic cell phone exposure from birth to the end of adolescence causes neuronal damage and volume reduction in the developing hippocampus.
Morphological Skip-Gram: Replacing FastText characters n-gram with morphological knowledge
Authors: Arthur O. Santos Flávio , Dias Bispo Thiago , Teixeira Macedo Hendrik , Zanchettin Cleber
Published: April 2021

Natural language processing systems have attracted much interest of the industry. This branch of study is composed of some applications such as machine translation, sentiment analysis, named entity recognition, question and answer, and others. Word embeddings (i.e., continuous word representations) are an essential module for those applications generally used as word representation to machine learning models. Some popular methods to train word embeddings are GloVe and Word2Vec. They achieve good word representations, despite limitations: both ignore morphological information of the words and consider only one representation vector for each word. This approach implies the word embeddings does not consider different word contexts properly and are unaware of its inner structure. To mitigate this problem, the other word embeddings method FastText represents each word as a bag of characters n-grams. Hence, a continuous vector describes each n-gram, and the final word representation is the sum of its characters n-grams vectors. Nevertheless, the use of all n-grams character of a word is a poor approach since some n-grams have no semantic relation with their words and increase the amount of potentially useless information. This approach also increase the training phase time. In this work, we propose a new method for training word embeddings, and its goal is to replace the FastText bag of character n-grams for a bag of word morphemes through the morphological analysis of the word. Thus, words with similar context and morphemes are represented by vectors close to each other. To evaluate our new approach, we performed intrinsic evaluations considering 15 different tasks, and the results show a competitive performance compared to FastText. Moreover, the proposed model is $40\%$ faster than FastText in the training phase. We also outperform the baseline approaches in extrinsic evaluations through Hate speech detection and NER tasks using different scenarios.
Centrification of algebras and Hopf algebras
Authors: Rumynin Dmitriy , Westaway Matthew
Published: April 2021

We investigate a method of construction of central deformations of associative algebras, which we call centrification. We prove some general results in the case of Hopf algebras and provide several examples.
Zero products of Toeplitz operators on Reinhardt domains
Authors: Čučković Željko , Huo Zhenghui , Şahutoğlu Sönmez
Published: April 2021

Let
$\Omega $
be a bounded Reinhardt domain in
$\mathbb {C}^n$
and
$\phi _1,\ldots ,\phi _m$
be finite sums of bounded quasi-homogeneous functions. We show that if the product of Toeplitz operators
$T_{\phi _m}\cdots T_{\phi _1}=0$
on the Bergman space on
$\Omega $
, then
$\phi _j=0$
for some j.
Agrobacterium tumefaciens Mediated Transformation of Symbiodinium spp.
Authors: Pasaribu Buntora , Jiang Pei-Luen
Published: April 2021

Symbiodinium spp conducts symbiosis mutualism within a wide phyletic range of marine invertebrate hosts including corals and anemones. The present study investigates the transformation of foreign genes into the free living cultured Symbiodinium spp by co-cultured Symbiodinium cells with A. tumefaciens. Ti-plasmidbased binary vector harboring the GUS and GFP genes were transformed into Symbiodinium cells by co-cultivation. GUS histochemical assay was monitored in Symbiodinium cells under light microscopy. Putative GFP in transformed Symbiodinium cells was detected by immunoassaying with antibodies against GFP protein. These results suggest that A. tumefaciens could provide efficient tools for gene transformation of Symbiodinium cells.