bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
La création du NIR sous l’Occupation : les chiffres et la mécanographie au service de l’enregistrement des personnes
Authors: Touchelay Béatrice
Published: December 2024

L’idée d’un numéro d’immatriculation individuel obligatoire éventuellement tenu par le service chargé des statistiques qui ouvrirait et tiendrait à jour un carnet signalétique par individu vise à renforcer la surveillance et le contrôle des populations et à améliorer la répartition des ressources. Apparue entre les deux guerres mondiales elle envisage de compter et de classer les personnes selon des critères définis à l’avance (sexe, âge, adresse, profession, etc.). Ce projet est réalisable avec la généralisation de la mécanographie qui permet d’exploiter rapidement un grand nombre de documents administratifs. En France, les impératifs de surveillance et de contrôle des populations culminent sous Vichy, puis l’organisation de la solidarité nationale avec la Sécurité sociale à partir de la Libération illustrent les deux facettes, l’une liberticide et l’autre redistributrice, du numéro individuel d’immatriculation. Il peut être au service du pire ou du meilleur…
L’histoire controversée d’un « instrument de souveraineté ». Le Nir vu depuis la statistique publique
Authors: Lang Gérard , Lévy Michel-Louis , Cozanet Laurène Le
Published: December 2024

Quel rapport la statistique publique a-t-elle à l’un de ses plus anciens outils, le Numéro d’inscription au répertoire (Nir), géré par l’Insee depuis sa création, qui donne sa composition au numéro de Sécurité sociale ? Cet entretien recueille le témoignage de deux anciens administrateurs de l’Institut. Marqués personnellement et professionnellement par leur rencontre avec le Nir, Gérard Lang et Michel-Louis Lévy ont souhaité en documenter l’histoire controversée. Ils nous parlent ici de leurs questionnements, des sources avec lesquelles ils ont cherché à y répondre, de leurs découvertes, des zones d’ombre qu’il reste et des débats toujours vifs que le Nir continue de susciter.
Negociando valores, conciliando direitos e deveres: notas sobre indenização e reparação civil
Authors: Lacerda Paula
Published: December 2024

O presente trabalho faz parte da pesquisa mais ampla, intitulada “A política de indenizações como forma de reparação de direitos humanos no Brasil: Estado, grandes empresas e mobilização social”, cujo objetivo principal é mapear e analisar as políticas e as práticas em torno das indenizações no Brasil em situações consideradas de violações de direitos humanos em que setores do estado e/ou empresas são apontados como responsáveis pelas violações. Neste artigo, analiso o processo de conciliação promovido pela Advocacia-Geral da União no âmbito da reparação civil da comunidade indígena Ashaninka, em que responderam como réus empresas madeireiras e seus proprietários, por invasão na terra indígena, extração ilegal de madeira e danos morais durante a década de 1980. A partir de entrevistas e análise documental, discuto os parâmetros utilizados e as tensões em torno da negociação, bem como as percepções dos agentes envolvidos sobre direitos, deveres e valores. A pesquisa permitiu ampliar as análises sobre os efeitos das indenizações e das políticas de reparação de maneira geral. Assim, se tais políticas e práticas surgem em contexto de violações de direitos propiciadas por assimetrias de classe, raça/etnia, gênero e de região, nem sempre indenizar significa reiterar tais assimetrias.
Entre Praga y Bogotá. El papel checoslovaco dentro del comunismo y sus disidencias en Colombia durante los años 1960
Authors: Timko Maroš
Published: December 2024

El trabajo se enfoca en la labor de la Seguridad del Estado checoslovaca en Bogotá y los contactos entre los comunistas checoslovacos y colombianos, sobre todo en su reflexión de los problemas entre cubanos y chinos en Colombia y el desarrollo del movimiento comunista en los años 1960. Mediante documentos de archivos checos, el estudio analiza el interés de los checoslovacos por la penetración de la influencia castrista y maoísta en este país suramericano e intenta ofrecer la respuesta a la pregunta de cómo percibió Praga informaciones sobre los vínculos entre China, Cuba y Colombia en el periodo estudiado.
“Subject-matter”: The Graphic Evidence of an Operative Field
Authors: Iannilli Gioia Laura
Published: December 2024

The persistent occurrence of a locution that turns out to be far from trivially used, and the translation hurdles related to it are the core elements of this contribution. The term in question is subject-matter, which is used by John Dewey in many of his writings and of which he provides an explicit conceptualization in Art as Experience. Focusing on this term and its hyphenation allows to emphasize and shed new light on important aspects of Dewey’s thought, in that: it is increasingly technicalized in Dewey’s writings; it holds “antecedence” or “primacy”; in its double-barreled employment it keeps together the twofold meaning of “inherent matter” and “addressed matter”; and finally it epitomizes a number of traits shared by the notion of Lebenswelt, hence affording a programmatic and experimental comparison between the two.
Le portfolio, une démarche de développement de dimensions cognitives d’apprentissage
Authors: Ferrier Laurent P.
Published: December 2024

Ce travail examine les effets d'une démarche originale de portfolio de formation-évaluation sur le développement de dimensions cognitives d'apprentissage chez des étudiants de licence 3 de sciences de l'éducation et de la formation. Au moyen d’une méthodologie mixte et hybride, nous montrons comment la démarche contribue à ce développement. L’accompagnement, structuré par l’instrumentation de boucles de rétroactions dans le cours d’action des apprentissages, semble permettre une forme de clôture organisationnelle chez les apprenants, leur permettant d’ajuster leur travail en fonction de leur perception des attendus de formation et les actions qu’ils mènent pour s’y accommoder. Ce type d’accompagnement soutiendrait le développement de dimensions telles que la réflexivité, la responsabilité dans les apprentissages et le sentiment de maîtrise de la construction des savoirs. Nous situons notre travail au regard des implications de l’approche par compétences à l’université.
Ring Out “Ageing Miserably”; Ring In “Growing Gracefully”
Authors: Nair Lakshmi R.
Published: December 2024

The Chapter is the fruit of research undertaken by the author who shows light to the last phases of human life. The chapter provides the cultural backdrop on growing up. The title: Ring out “Ageing Miserably;” Ring in “Growing Gracefully” suggests the author's skeptical reading of the common meanings of “ageing”. At the same time the author with critical arguments revises the meaning of ageing. The researcher reaches a remedy to the problem. The research is centered on Economics of Ageing. “Heaven on Earth” a Proposed Indian Model in every Taluk numbering 6057 units located at the most healthy, hygienic, environmentally fit chosen part of the Taluk. Each center with10 acres of land instituted legally through constitutional litigation. No other financial commitment is on the part of the state. The Indian Model means for grownup citizens aged above 60 joining institution as per rules. There will be an economic design for the running of the project.
The Effects of Türkiye's Ageing Problem on the Elderly
Authors: Göde Bilal
Published: December 2024

Old age is one of the life stages that every living being will encounter if they live a normal life course. Thanks to the opportunities provided by developing technology and economic development, the average life expectancy is gradually increasing and the number of people who manage to reach the old age stage is increasing day by day. In old age, people's employment opportunities decrease and this may cause economic bottlenecks for the elderly. It is becoming more and more likely that elderly people who try to survive in old age by relying solely on public resources will experience economic difficulties. The relationship between the elderly population and GDP per capita and health expenditures is tested with Johansen cointegration test and toda yamamoto causality test. A cointegration relationship was found between the variables. According to the model results, a causality relationship was found between the elderly population and GDP per capita and health expenditures.
The Effect of Heat Treatment on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of FeCoNiAl0.25Mn0.75 High Entropy Alloy
Authors: Duc Le Minh , Hai Nguyen Hong , Duong Nguyen Van , Hung Nguyen Thanh , Giang Nguyen Kien , Vuong Hoang Van , Khanh Pham Mai
Published: December 2024

The effect of heat treatment on the microstructure and mechanical properties of FeCoNiAl0.25Mn0.75 high-entropy alloy was investigated. In the as-cast sample, the dendritic microstructure was observed with the FCC lattice, according to XRD analysis. After annealing at 700 °C within 24 hours, the needle-shaped precipitated phase (BCC phase) in the form of clusters along the grain boundaries and in the FCC matrix phase occurs, the fraction of this phase increases significantly and the distribution becomes more uniform when the temperature is increased to 800 °C, the average size of this phase is only about 1-2 µm. However, as the temperature reaches 1000 °C, the BCC phase disappeared and the grain boundary is remelted and looks like cracks. At an annealing temperature below 800 °C, the HV3 hardness of the alloy increases and reaches its highest value of approximately 194 HV3. The yield and tensile strength can reach 373 and 762 MPa, respectively. However, these values decrease significantly when the annealing temperature reaches 1000 °C because of the plastic flow at near-boundary zones. The best relative elongation is 51.2 % at the as-cast state.
Insights into the Microbiota of a Textile Wastewater Treatment System towards Sustainable Bioremediation of Industrial Wastes
Authors: Isah Mustapha Muhammad , Taining Zhang , Abd Jalil Nur Kamilah , Ibrahim Zaharah , Abdul-Wahab Mohd Firdaus
Published: December 2024

Investigating the intricate microbial communities within a textile wastewater treatment system is crucial for understanding their potential role in the process, and possibly for process optimization in the future. Dye-containing wastewater sludge samples were collected from a textile industry treatment plant. Employing total genomic DNA extraction, amplicon sequencing, and sequence data analysis, this research investigated the microbial community composition in three treatment tanks. Rarefaction curves confirm adequate sequencing depth, with the aeration tank displaying the highest reads. Alpha diversity reveals richer microbial communities in the anoxic tank, while all samples demonstrate similar diversity and species richness. Proteobacteria dominate at the phylum level, predominantly in the aerobic tank, signifying their involvement in nitrogen removal. Conversely, anoxic sludge features Planctomycetota and Thermotogota, potentially participating in anaerobic processes. Genus-level analysis highlights the potential significance of SM1A02 in nitrogen metabolism under anoxic conditions, while Denitratisoma dominates in aerobic tank, indicating denitrification as the main process in this tank. This study offers valuable insights into the microbial community members present in the textile wastewater treatment system, and their potential roles, towards a more sustainable biodegradation strategies of dye-containing wastewater.
Mechanical Properties of Recycled PA12/Hemp Fiber Composite
Authors: Somsri Sirinthip , Siengchin Suchart , Tengsuthiwat Jiratti
Published: December 2024

This study investigates the mechanical and low-velocity impact properties of 3D-printed Polyamide 12 (PA12) composites reinforced with randomly oriented hemp fibers. Hemp fiber was incorporated at varying weight percentages (4%, 6%, 8%, 10%, and 12%) within the PA12 matrix. Compression molding at 185°C and 4000 psi was used to fabricate composite samples. Tensile testing, drop weight impact analysis, hardness measurement, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were conducted to characterize the mechanical behavior of the composites. Results demonstrate that the incorporation of hemp fibers significantly enhances the tensile properties of the PA12 matrix. Composites containing 6% hemp exhibited the highest tensile strength compared to neat PA12. Further increasing the hemp fiber content up to 10% maintained comparable tensile properties to the 6% composite.
Hybrid Intelligent-Assisted Approach for Process Parameters Optimization to Enhance the Sustainable Manufacturing of Thermoplastic Laminates
Authors: Kadri Khaled , Ali Basit , Jaradat Mohammad A. , Alkhader Maen , Abuzaid Wael
Published: December 2024

Thermoplastic fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites present a more sustainable alternative to their thermoset-based counterparts, owing to their potential for repair and recycling. Their capacity to meet sustainability standards, along with their ability to provide high stiffness and strength, has increased the use of thermoplastic FRP composites in load-bearing applications. Improving thermoplastic FRP's performance and sustainability is instrumentally dependent on optimizing their fabrication process parameters to minimize the energy consumed in their manufacturing without compromising their structural properties. Accordingly, this work utilizes experiments and artificial intelligence to model the relationship between interlaminar shear strength and the critical processing parameters in thermoplastic FRP laminate fabrication. These parameters are processing time, temperature, and pressure. Moreover, this work aims to utilize artificial intelligence to design the most sustainable processing sequence that reduces energy consumption without affecting FRP's structural integrity, represented by interlaminar shear strength. The artificial intelligence (AI) approach combines the use of an Adaptive Neuro Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) model and a Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm in a Hybrid Intelligent-Assisted Model. Results demonstrated that increasing the processing time, pressure, and temperature beyond a certain threshold can deteriorate the fabricated laminates' performance. Moreover, results show that the energy consumption of the process can be reduced by reducing processing time without affecting the produced laminate's structural properties. A processing time of 6.44 minutes was determined by using a cascading Hybrid approach intelligent as the minimum time that can be used without affecting the interlaminar shear strength. Minimizing the processing time can reduce energy consumption by 34.56%.
Durability of China Jute Fiber/Polylactide Composite in Indoor Environment: A 15-Year Follow-Up Study
Authors: Ren Qing , Hu Rui Hua
Published: December 2024

The durability of degradable polylactide and its composites is a primary bottleneck for its long-term applications. This work reports the investigation results on the durability of short jute fiber/polylactide (PLA) composite material in indoor conditions performed for over 15 years. The material was fabricated in July 2006, using the film stacking hot pressed method. It was exposed in an indoor environment for a durability test. The appearance and the microstructure of the material were inspected by using a scanning electron microscope. Surface reticular micro-cracks and small pits on the resin-rich region of the composite plate were observed. The thickness of the composite plate did not show visible change. Tensile strength was tested by using a universal tensile test machine. Tensile stress at the break did not show an obvious reduction compared with the initial strength obtained 15 years ago. The results demonstrate that jute fiber/polylactide composite has good durability in moderate environments.
Comparative Analysis of the Bearing Capacity and Cracking of Reinforced Concrete and Fiber-Reinforced Concrete Cylindrical Shells
Authors: Surianinov Mykola , Neutov Stepan , Kirichenko Dariya , Metlizkiy Vitalii
Published: December 2024

The paper outlines a method for comparative analysis of the load-bearing capacity and crack formation of reinforced concrete and fiber-reinforced concrete cylindrical shells based on experimental studies. To implement this task, the authors have developed a special stand. The results of tests of reinforced concrete and fiber-reinforced concrete cylindrical shells, which had the same geometric parameters, are presented. The fiber-reinforced concrete shell had additional dispersed reinforcement with steel fiber with curved ends, which was added at the stage of mixing the concrete mixture in an amount of 1% by volume of concrete. The shells were hinged at four points and loaded with a vertical distributed load applied along four strips, each 13 cm wide, and only along the body of the shell. The load-bearing capacity of the reinforced concrete shell was 101.6 kN, and the first crack appeared at a load of 64.5 kN, which is 63.48% of the load-bearing capacity. Before the loss of bearing capacity, 10 cracks with the same initial opening width of 0.05 mm had formed in the shell. The load-bearing capacity of the fiber-reinforced concrete shell was 149.9 kN, and the first crack appeared at a load of 74.9 kN, which is 49.97% of the load-bearing capacity. Before the loss of bearing capacity, 12 cracks with the same initial opening width of 0.05 mm had formed in the shell. The load-bearing capacity of the fiber-reinforced concrete shell turned out to be 1.48 times greater than that of the reinforced concrete shell.
Porosity and Mechanical Properties of Porous Ti by Spark Plasma Sintering under Different Applied Produced Pressures
Authors: Pham Van Hao , Linh Nguyen Kim Khanh , Ngoc Nguyen Thi , Nguyen Tu Anh , Nguyen Thuan Quang , Le Thao Thu , Nguyen Trang Thuy Thi , Pham Vuong Hung , Khanh Dang Quoc
Published: December 2024

Porous Titanium (Ti) is one of the leading biomedical materials with high biocompatibility, durability, high stability, and non-toxic to the human body. In this study, highly porous Ti have been fabricated by spark plasma sintering process using NaCl as a pore former (70% wt.), and then, NaCl was dissolved in water. All the samples were sintered at 625 °C and held there for 10 min under applied pressure ranging from 20 to 50 MPa with heating rate of 100 °C/min in vacuum. The results suggested that NaCl is a proficient porogen, the porosity of all samples was in the range of 66.95 - 68.8%. When the pressing pressure increased from 20 - 50 MPa, the porosity of the samples decreased but the size of the pores increased. The pore size concentrated in the range of 300 - 350 µm. This implies that the compression pressure plays a crucial role in influencing both the porosity and pore size of the titanium material produced using the SPS technique. The compressive strength is 18.42 - 25.23 MPa, and the elastic modulus is 0.35 - 1.05 GPa, which matches the strength and the modulus of elasticity of biological implants.
Influence of Current Density on the Morphology and Structure of Silver Nanoparticles on Anodized Titanium for Biomedical Implant Applications
Authors: Pham Vuong Hung , Duc Dang Minh , Hung Nguyen Duc , Lan Le Thi Thu , Toan Le Van
Published: December 2024

This article focused on investigating the influence of current density on the morphology and structure of silver nanoparticles (n-Ag) electrodeposited on anodized titanium substrates (denoted as TiO2/Ti) on the surface. The TiO2/Ti substrate served as the cathodic electrode placed in an electrolyte solution containing ionic [Ag(NH3)2]+ complex solution. The n-Ag/TiO2/Ti samples were synthesized at current densities ranging from 0.2 A/dm2 to 0.5 A/dm2 for 20 seconds at room temperature. The study performed morphological and surface composition analysis of n-Ag/TiO2/Ti using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) techniques. Additionally, the study assessed the electrochemical properties using the AutoLab system with Nova 2.1 software, based on Tafel curve measurements to compare the corrosion resistance of the samples before and after modification.
Dynamic Testing of Friction Stir Processed Aluminum-5052
Authors: Mohamed Mohamed Y. , Al Daour Ibrahim , Alkhader Maen , Darras Basil , Abuzaid Wael , Nazzal Mohammad
Published: December 2024

The solid-state process of friction stirring is increasingly applied to weld or process Aluminum alloy 5052, which is essential to various applications, such as marine, aerospace, and automotive. Friction stirring typically induces microstructural changes and grain refinement, affecting the processed material's constitutive response. Applications involving friction-stir processed aluminum alloy 5052 might be subjected to impact and high-strain-rate loadings. Accordingly, this work investigates the effect of friction stir processing on the high-strain-rate behavior of aluminum alloy 5052. A Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar (SHPB) system is used to experimentally measure the high-strain-rate compressive response of friction-stir processed aluminum alloy 5052 at strain rates ranging between 2700 s-1 to 5000 s-1. A high-speed imaging system and the digital image correlation technique were used to measure full-field strain fields. Results showed that friction stir processed samples exhibit lower yield strength (less by 20.8% at strain rate 5000/s) than their unprocessed counterparts at the same strain rate. However, friction stir processed samples exhibited a higher hardening rate.
Life Assessment of the Fluoro-Rubber Sealing Gasket Based on an Accelerated Degradation Test
Authors: Ma De Sheng , Huang Han Yuan , Shao Zhao Qun , Zhu Min
Published: December 2024

The research object is the fluoro-rubber sealing gasket in the sealing structure of a certain underwater launch device, and its service life is predicted through accelerated degradation tests. Accelerated degradation tests were conducted on cylindrical rubber specimens under constant temperature stress at 160°C, 170°C, 180°C, 190°C, and 200°C, separately. The relationship between environmental temperature and aging reaction rate was established based on the test data. Under the condition of 23°C and achieving a compression permanent deformation rate of 25%, the calculated storage life of the sealing gasket is about 44.94 a. Rubber sealing gaskets with equivalent aging levels of 6 a, 8 a, and 11 a were obtained based on accelerated degradation tests, and they were subjected to airtightness tests; the results indicate that the service life of the fluoro-rubber sealing gasket is greater than 11 a, providing a basis for the use and maintenance of the device.
Phytoremediation of Zinc Ions from Aquatic Macrophytes
Authors: Tai Jia Wei , Pang Yean Ling , Steven Lim , Chong Woon Chan
Published: December 2024

Heavy metal pollution has been a primary environmental concern that arises from various human activities, including industrial development and technological advancement in manufacturing processes. Conventional wastewater treatment technologies for addressing heavy metals from industrial effluents involve using expensive and hazardous chemicals, which create secondary pollution if the disposal of the used absorbent is not appropriately handled. Phytoremediation is an alternative way for wastewater treatment towards green and sustainable development. This study investigated the duckweed uptake ability from the Lemnaceae family and its surface morphology after phytoremediation. Overall, the studied duckweeds demonstrated the ability to remove the zinc ions from the synthetic wastewater with an initial zinc concentration of 10 mg/L and 300 mg/L at the ambient conditions with a 16:8 hours photoperiod. The highest zinc ions removal rate from 300 mg/L zinc synthetic wastewater was performed by Wolffia arrhiza on Day 5 (69.16 %), followed by Lemna minor (58.88 %) and Spirodela polyrhiza (50.52 %). The removal of zinc ions can be proven by the surface morphology of the duckweeds, in which numerous particles attached to the duckweeds can be observed through scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images after phytoremediation. The zinc weight percent in all the studied species increased after phytoremediation. Hence, this study concludes that duckweed species can be chosen as accumulators during phytoremediation to remove zinc ions from the sources within a short period.
Development of a Method for Silica-Coating of Ruby Particles
Authors: Ito Mizuki , Yamauchi Noriko , Nakashima Kouichi , Kobayashi Yoshio
Published: December 2024

Silica-coating is one of simple methods to colloidally stabilize particles. The present work proposed a method for fabricating silica-coated ruby particles having a particle size of ca. 1 µm (ruby/SiO2) by a process based on a Stöber method. Two systems were examined, which were the systems using sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and aqueous ammonia (NH4OH) as base catalysts for a sol-gel reaction. In the NaOH system, not only the ruby/SiO2 particles with silica shells with a thickness of ca. 61 nm but also core-free SiO2 particles were produced by adding tetraethyl orthosilicate/ethanol solution and NaOH aqueous solution to ethanol dispersing the ruby particle powder. In the NH4OH system, it was demonstrated that it was possible to increase the shell thickness to 132 nm by repeating addition of TEOS and NH4OH to a mixture of ruby particles, water, and ethanol, which meant that it was found to vary the shell thickness. The ruby particles emitted luminescence even after the silica-coating, which found that the silica-coating did not deteriorate luminescence property of ruby particles.
Ring-Opening Polymerization of ε-Caprolactone with Anhydrous Iron (III) Chloride as Catalyst
Authors: Zhang Jin Bo
Published: December 2024

A green and nontoxic ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of ε-caprolactone (CL) with appreciably high molecular weight (Mn), low dispersity (PDI), and high conversion was achieved using FeCl3 as a catalyst and Benzyl alcohol as an initiator in solvents at ambient temperature. Effects of Fe compounds, solvents, reaction temperature, catalyst concentration, and monomer concentration were investigated. The kinetic experiments reveal the controlled nature of using FeCl3 as a catalyst.
Is embracing metaphysical determinism or free will a better response to suffering?
Authors: Antombikums Aku S.
Published: December 2024

Metaphysical determinism argues that God divinely predetermines everything, including human suffering. Contrary to metaphysical determinism, free will or libertarianism argues that not everything is predetermined by God. Therefore, evil does not serve any divine purpose. Libertarianism argues that metaphysical determinism is simply incoherent because it holds that God can predetermine an action and, at the same time, holds that He could stop such an action. This study seeks to find out which of these two views might be promising in responding to the problem of suffering. Contrary to these two positions, this study argues that suffering must be understood contextually. The above-stated responses do not always provide viable answers to the problem of suffering because they are often generalised and conceived from the God-eye view without considering the sufferers’ perspectives.Contribution: Although there are a plethora of publications on metaphysical determinism and freewill, this study re-examined both and sheds a nuance for a further development of these two competing views. The article argues that none of these two responses offers the best response to the problem; rather, each has its strengths and weaknesses because they seem to focus on God rather than the sufferer.
Access and utilisation of leprosy healthcare services in high-burden districts in Ethiopia
Authors: Marrye Solomon S. , Shakwane Simangele
Published: December 2024

Background: A lack of awareness, poor quality of care, and gender inequalities are factors associated with access and utilisation of leprosy services.Objectives: This study aimed to identify factors affecting community access and utilisation of leprosy services in high-burden districts of Ethiopia.Method: A community-based cross-sectional study design was utilised and a simple random sampling technique was used to recruit study respondents. One hundred and sixty-one respondents completed the self-administered structured questionnaire. Data were analysed using SPSS version 26. A logistic regression model was used to identify predictors associated with leprosy services. A p-value 0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results: More than 75% (n = 123) of study respondents had limited knowledge about leprosy. However, respondents who reside in urban areas were knowledgeable about the disease (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 8.2; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.6, 42.0). Men were most likely to use health care facilities (AOR [95% CI] = 2.9 [1.2, 7.2]). In addition, those who had better household income were more likely to have examined their family members for leprosy compared to low-income families (AOR [95% CI] = 4.5 [1.6, 12.9]).Conclusion: General knowledge about leprosy was low in communities. However, persons infected with leprosy who resided in the urban areas had a better understanding of leprosy. Male persons infected with leprosy were more likely to utilise leprosy services.Contribution: The results of this study provide early insights into the factors associated with leprosy service utilisation to provide community-centred leprosy care.
Emergence of dengue in tribal villages of Mandla district, Madhya Pradesh, India
Authors: Barde P.V. , Shukla M.K. , Kori B.K. , Chand G. , Jain L. , Varun B.M. , Dutta D. , Baruah K. , Singh Neeru
Published: December 2024

Background & objectives:

Dengue (DEN) is a rapidly spreading arboviral disease transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes. Although it is endemic in India, dengue virus (DENV) infection has not been reported from tribal areas of Madhya Pradesh. Investigations were conducted to establish the aetiology of sudden upsurge of cases with febrile illness in June 2013 from tribal villages of Mandla district of Madhya Pradesh, India.

Methods:

The rapid response team of the National Institute for Research in Tribal Health, Jabalpur, conducted clinical investigations and field surveys to collect the samples from suspected cases. Samples were tested using molecular and serological tools. Collected mosquitoes were identified and tested for the presence of virus using semi nested reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (nRT-PCR). The sequences were analysed to identify serotype and genotype of the virus.

Results:

Of the 648 samples collected from 18 villages of Mandla, 321 (49.53%) were found to be positive for dengue. The nRT-PCR and sequencing confirmed the aetiology as dengue virus type 2. Eighteen per cent of patients needed hospitalization and five deaths were attributed to dengue. The virus was also detected from Aedes aegypti mosquito, which was incriminated as a vector. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the dengue virus 2 detected belonged to cosmopolitan genotype of the virus.

Interpretation & conclusions:

Dengue virus serotype 2 was detected as the aetiological agent in the outbreak in tribal villages of Mandla district of Madhya Pradesh. Conducive man-made environment favouring mosquitogenic conditions and seeding of virus could be the probable reasons for this outbreak. Urgent attention is needed to control this new threat to tribal population, which is already overburdened with other vector borne diseases.
Pulmonary tuberculosis - a health problem amongst Saharia tribe in Madhya Pradesh
Authors: Rao V.G. , Bhat J. , Yadav R. , Muniyandi M. , Sharma R. , Bhondeley M.K.
Published: December 2024

Background & objectives:

The information on tuberculosis (TB) situation amongst Saharia, one of the particularly vulnerable tribal groups (PVTGs) in Madhya Pradesh, is not available from Gwalior division of the State. Hence, this study was undertaken to estimate the prevalence of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) disease amongst them.

Methods:

A community based cross-sectional TB prevalence survey was undertaken among Saharia PVTG in Gwalior district of Madhya Pradesh. A random sample of villages predominated by Saharia tribe was selected from all the blocks in proportion to the size of Saharia population in each block of the district. All eligible individuals were questioned for chest symptoms relating to TB. Two sputum samples were collected from each of the eligible individuals, transported to the laboratory, and were examined by Ziehl-Neelsen(ZN) smear microscopy and solid media culture methods.

Results:

Of the total 10,259 individuals eligible for screening, 9,653 (94.1%) were screened for symptoms. Overall prevalence of PTB was found to be 3294 per 100,000. The prevalence increased with age and the trend was significant (P<0.001). The prevalence of TB was significantly higher amongst males (5497/100,000) as compared to females (1376/100,000) (P<0.001).

Interpretation & conclusions:

The study results provide vital information on the current situation of pulmonary TB disease among the Saharia tribal community in Gwalior district of Madhya Pradesh. In view of high PTB disease prevalence among this PVTG, there is an urgent need to improve and further intensify TB control measures in this area.
Declining prevalence of pulmonary paragonimiasis following treatment & community education in a remote tribal population of Arunachal Pradesh, India
Authors: Narain Kanwar , Devi K. Rekha , Bhattacharya S. , Negmu K. , Rajguru S.K. , Mahanta Jagadish
Published: December 2024

Background & objectives:

In India, human pulmonary paragonimiasis is an important public health problem in the northeastern (NE) region. In 2005 we reported a hyperendemic focus of paragonimiasis in a remote tribal village in the hills of Changlang district in Arunachal Pradesh. The community was made aware of the disease and all active cases were treated. This study was aimed to assess the decline in the prevelance of paragonimiasis in the same area after a re-survey done in 2011 after a gap of six years.

Methods:

Re-surveys were carried to determine the reduction in the prevalence of paragonimiasis. Community education was given to the villagers to raise their awareness about paragonimiasis. A total of 624 individuals including 301 children (age < 15 yr) were included in the study. Sputum and stool samples were examined for eggs of lung flukes. Serum samples were screened for IgG antibodies against lung fluke antigen by ELISA.

Results:

A significant (P<0.001) decline in the prevalence of paragonimiasis was found. There was decline in both ELISA positivity and egg positivity. Antibody positivity against excretory-secretary (ES) antigen in children (age ≤ 15 yr) fell down from earlier 51.7 to 15.9 per cent and in individuals 16 - 30 yr of age the serological prevalence fell down from 22.4 to 8.2 per cent and in individuals aged ≥ 31 yr, the decline in prevalence was from 15.3 to 3.7 per cent. Gender-wise analysis revealed that the decline in ELISA positivity was similar in both genders and fell down from 33.9 to 11.5 per cent in males and from 29.8 to 10.7 per cent in females. Similarly, there was a significant decline rate in egg positivity also.

Interpretation & conclusions:

The strategy of hotspot targeted active paragonimiasis case detection and treatment of infected cases together with community education appears to be feasible methods to achieve control of paragonimiasis in this region.
Tribes in Karnataka
Authors: Roy Subarna , Hegde Harsha V. , Bhattacharya Debdutta , Upadhya Vinayak , Kholkute Sanjiva D.
Published: December 2024

The south Indian State of Karnataka, once part of several kingdoms and princely states of repute in the Deccan peninsula, is rich in its historic, cultural and anthropological heritage. The State is the home to 42,48,987 tribal people, of whom 50,870 belong to the primitive group. Although these people represent only 6.95 per cent of the population of the State, there are as many as 50 different tribes notified by the Government of India, living in Karnataka, of which 14 tribes including two primitive ones, are primarily natives of this State. Extreme poverty and neglect over generations have left them in poor state of health and nutrition. Unfortunately, despite efforts from the Government and non-Governmental organizations alike, literature that is available to assess the state of health of these tribes of the region remains scanty. It is however, interesting to note that most of these tribes who had been original natives of the forests of the Western Ghats have been privy to an enormous amount of knowledge about various medicinal plants and their use in traditional/folklore medicine and these practices have been the subject matter of various scientific studies. This article is an attempt to list and map the various tribes of the State of Karnataka and review the studies carried out on the health of these ethnic groups, and the information obtained about the traditional health practices from these people.
F wave index
Authors: Sathya G. R. , Krishnamurthy N. , Veliath Susheela , Arulneyam Jayanthi , Venkatachalam J.
Published: December 2024

Background & objectives:

Each skeletal muscle is usually supplied by two or more nerve roots and if one nerve root is affected and the other is spared, the clinically used F wave minimum latency can still be normal. An F wave index was constructed taking into consideration the other parameters of the F wave such as persistence, chronodispersion, latency, arm-length to determine its usefulness in the diagnosis of peripheral neuropathy. This study was undertaken to construct the F wave index in the upper limb for the median nerve in normal healthy adult males and in patients with peripheral neuropathy and to compare the values obtained in both groups.

Methods:

This hospital-based study was carried out on 40 males who were diagnosed to have peripheral neuropathy and on 40 age matched healthy males who served as the control group. The F wave recording was done using a digitalized nerve conduction/electromyography/EP machine in a quiet and dimly lit room. All recordings were done between 0900 and 1100 h at an ambient temperature of 22°C. The F wave recording was obtained from a fully relaxed muscle by stimulating the median nerve.

Results:

The median value for F wave index obtained from median nerve (abductor pollicis brevis) in patients with peripheral neuropathy [right arm - 35.85, interquartile range (IQR) - 35.26; left arm - 39.49, IQR - 39.49] was significantly lower (P=0.001) as compared to the control group (right arm - 102.62, IQR - 83.76; left arm - 77.43, IQR - 58.02).

Interpretation & conclusions:

Our results showed that F wave index in upper limb was significantly lower in patients with peripheral neuropathy than the healthy controls, and could be used for early detection of peripheral neuropathy.
Ethyl pyruvate improves skin flap survival after ischaemia reperfusion injury
Authors: Kayiran Oguz , Cuzdan Suat Sedat , Uysal Afsin , Kocer Ugur
Published: December 2024

Background & objectives:

Reperfusion after ischaemia is detrimental to the tissues. The oxidative stress created and cytokines released are mostly responsible in this process. In this study, ethyl pyruvate, a known agent for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, was used to investigate the effects on ischaemia/reperfusion injury on skin island flaps in rats.

Methods:

Sixty rats were randomly distributed in three groups (non-ischaemic, ischaemic and medication groups). Ethyl pyruvate was administered in the medication group with a dose of 50 mg/kg. After 24 h and one week, the animals were sacrificed, and the flaps were analyzed macroscopically, histopathologically, biochemically (total nitrite, malondialdehyde and myeloperoxidase).

Results:

Biochemical markers indicating oxidative stress, were found elevated in ischaemic group, whereas medication with ethyl pyruvate significantly reduced these values. There was a significant reduction (P<0.05) in the levels of these markers between ischaemic and medication groups. Ethyl pyruvate improved all the parameters significantly.

Interpretation & conclusion:

Ethyl pyruvate showed strong scavenger activity against reactive oxygen species. It could be a potential candidate to improve the flap viability in reconstructive microsurgery, especially in free tissue transfers. However, more studies are warranted in experimental models to confirm these findings.
In vitro susceptibility of Indian Plasmodium falciparum isolates to different antimalarial drugs & antibiotics
Authors: Agarwal Pooja , Anvikar A. R. , Pillai C. R. , Srivastava Kumkum
Published: December 2024

Background & objectives:

The in vitro assays for susceptibility of Plasmodium falciparum to antimalarial drugs are important tools for monitoring drug resistance. During the present study, efforts were made to establish long-term continuous in vitro culture of Indian field isolates of P. falciparum and to determine their sensitivity to standard antimalarial drugs and antibiotics.

Methods:

Four (MZR-I, -II, -III and -IV) P. falciparum isolates were obtained from four patients who showed artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) from Mizoram, a north-eastern State of India, and characterized for their in vitro susceptibility to chloroquine diphosphate (CQ), quinine hydrochloride dehydrate, mefloquine, piperaquine, artemether, arteether, dihydro-artemisinin (DHA), lumefantrine and atovaquone and antibiotics, azithromycin and doxycycline. These patients showed ACT treatment failure. Two-fold serial dilutions of each drug were tested and the effect was evaluated using the malaria SYBR Green I fluorescence assay. K1 (chloroquine-resistant) and 3D7 (chloroquine-sensitive) reference strains were used as controls.

Results:

Growth profile of all field isolates was identical to that of reference parasites. The IC50 values of all the drugs were also similar against field isolates and reference parasite strains, except K1, exhibited high IC50 value (275±12.5 nM) of CQ for which it was resistant. All field isolates exhibited higher IC50 values of CQ, quinine hydrochloride dihydrate and DHA compared to reference strains. The resistance index of field isolates with respect to 3D7 ranged between 260.55 and 403.78 to CQ, 39.83 and 46.42 to quinine, and 2.98 and 4.16 to DHA, and with respect to K1 strain ranged between 6.51 and 10.08, 39.26 and 45.75, and 2.65 and 3.71. MZR-I isolate exhibited highest resistance index.

Interpretation & conclusions:

As the increase in IC50 and IC90 values of DHA against field isolates of P. falciparum was not significant, the tolerance to DHA-piperaquine (PPQ) combination might be because of PPQ only. Further study is required on more number of such isolates to generate data for a meaningful conclusion.
Evaluation of 75 g glucose load in non-fasting state [Diabetes in Pregnancy Study group of India (DIPSI) criteria] as a diagnostic test for gestational diabetes mellitus
Authors: Tripathi Reva , Verma Divya , Gupta Vinod Kumar , Tyagi Shakun , Kalaivani M. , Ramji Siddarth , Mala Y.M.
Published: December 2024

Background & objectives:

There is no consensus regarding optimal standard for diagnosis of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). In this study, use of 75 g glucose load in non-fasting state [Diabetes in Pregnancy Study Group of India (DIPSI) criteria] as a diagnostic test for GDM in pregnant women was compared with different oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTTs).

Methods:

This prospective study included 936 pregnant women, who underwent plasma glucose evaluation two hours after the challenge of 75 g glucose load irrespective of the timing of last meal (DIPSI criteria for GDM). After three days, standard 75 g OGTT was done in all women irrespective of previous plasma glucose value. Accuracy of the first result was compared to OGTT using cut-offs as per the World Health Organization (WHO) and International Association of Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Groups (IADPSG) criteria for the diagnosis of GDM.

Results:

Of the total 936 pregnant women, 73 (7.8%) patients had plasma glucose value ≥140 mg/dl when measured two hours after glucose load. When comparing with the WHO and IADPSG criteria, the sensitivity values were 65.1 and 74.1 per cent, respectively, and the corresponding specificity values were 96.3 and 96.9 per cent, respectively. On comparing with the WHO OGTT, only 41 of the 73 (56.2%) were true positives, whereas when IADPSG criteria were used, true positives were 46 (63%). False negative cases were also present when classified by the WHO and IADPSG criteria though in lesser numbers than false positives. The positive predictive values (PPVs) for the WHO and IADPSG criteria were 56.1 and 63 per cent, respectively, and their corresponding negative predictive values were 97.7 and 97.9 per cent, respectively.

Interpretation & conclusions:

Our findings showed that when 75 g glucose load in non-fasting state was used as a diagnostic test for GDM, almost one quarter of patients with GDM escaped diagnosis as sensitivity values were low. On the other hand, some GDM cases were falsely labelled as normal as this test did not account for cases of fasting hyperglycaemia. In addition, comparison with other OGTTs showed low PPVs. Hence, use of DIPSI criteria for diagnosing GDM must be reconsidered till further validation.
Safety, immunogenicity & effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine among healthcare workers in a tertiary care hospital
Authors: Kataria Sushila , Sharma Pooja , Singh Manish Kumar , Deswal Vikas , Kumar Kuldeep , Alam Sazid , Gupta Vaibhav , Phogat Rashmi , Sarma Smita , Patil Nipun , Dutt Rohit , Singh Padam , Saxena Renu , Trehan Naresh
Published: December 2024

Background & objectives:

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant global morbidity and mortality. As the vaccination was rolled out with prioritization on healthcare workers (HCWs), it was desirable to generate evidence on effectiveness of vaccine in prevailing real-life situation for policy planning. The objective of the study was to evaluate the safety, effectiveness and immunogenicity of COVID-19 vaccination among HCWs in a tertiary care hospital.

Methods:

This prospective observational study was undertaken on the safety, immunogenicity and effectiveness of the ChAdOx1 nCoV- 19 coronavirus vaccine (Recombinant) during the national vaccine roll out in January-March 2021, in a tertiary care hospital, New Delhi, India.

Results:

The vaccine was found to be safe, with local pain, fever and headache as the most common adverse events of milder nature which generally lasted for two days. The adverse events following vaccination were lower in the second dose as compared to the first dose. The vaccine was immunogenic, with seropositivity, which was 51 per cent before vaccination, increasing to 77 per cent after single dose and 98 per cent after two doses. Subgroup analysis indicated that those with the past history of COVID-19 attained seropositivity of 98 per cent even with single dose. The incidence of reverse transcription (RT)-PCR positive COVID-19 was significantly lower among vaccinated (11.7%) as compared to unvaccinated (22.2%). Seven cases of moderate COVID-19 needing hospitalization were seen in the unvaccinated and only one such in the vaccinated group. The difference was significant between the fully vaccinated (10.8%) and the partially vaccinated (12.7%). The hazard of COVID-19 infection was higher among male, age >50 yr and clinical role in the hospital. After adjustment for these factors, the hazard of COVID-19 infection among unvaccinated was 2.09 as compared to fully vaccinated. Vaccine effectiveness was 52.2 per cent in HCWs.

Interpretation & conclusions:

ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 coronavirus vaccine (Recombinant) was safe, immunogenic as well as showed effectiveness against the COVID-19 disease (CTRI/2021/01/030582).