bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Is “Lecture Capture System” a Blessing in Disguise for Teaching and Learning Anatomy?
Authors: Pandey Arvind Kumar , Kotian Sushma R. , Kalthur Sneha Guruprasad
Published: March 2023

Background:

Lecturing is a commonly used teaching method for communicating conceptual knowledge in a large group. However, students' attention span is limited. The introduction of a lecture capture system would, therefore, be advantageous in filling this void.

Material and Methods:

The study was conducted on 202 first-year Medical Undergraduate students (96 males & 106 females). The students were exposed to 'Impartus,' i.e., a lecture capture system for four months. In the end, the usage & perception of the students regarding the lecture capture system was documented using a validated questionnaire.

Results:

Results were expressed in frequency & percentage. The usage of the lecture capture system helps in understanding the concepts better as agreed by 76.83% of the student population. The majority of the students watch the lectures online as per convenience (79.30%). About 55.44% stated that the lecture capture system is easy to use. Students (62.87%) believed that watching lectures online would help to recall the points that they had failed to understand in the class. However, 70.78% of students preferred face to face classroom lecturing system. Topics on Embryology & Neuroanatomy were strongly favored by a majority of the students (72.38%) to be viewed in Impartus.

Conclusion:

The lecture capture system is beneficial as it favors the teaching-learning process and can supplement traditional lecturing. Face to face lecturing is, however, preferred over online lectures. Issues such as poor internet connectivity and other technical glitches should be taken care of to promote better use of the lecture capture system.
Impact of COVID-19 on the Trend of Leptospirosis
Authors: Kamath Anusha , Shetty Rahul Dev , Kellarai Adithi
Published: March 2023

Background and Objectives:

With the prevalence of a large number of febrile diseases in the Asia-Pacific region, the presentation of fever poses a diagnostic dilemma for physicians during the COVID era. We noticed an alarming increase in the number of cases of leptospirosis during the pandemic. Hence, we conducted a study to compare the trend, complications, and outcomes of patients with leptospirosis before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Subjects and Methods:

A retrospective, hospital case record-based analytical study was conducted in a tertiary care center in Mangaluru. All patients who were admitted to our hospital from March to October 2019 (before the COVID pandemic) and from March to October 2020 (during the COVID pandemic) with a clinical and laboratory-confirmed diagnosis of leptospirosis were included in our study. Patient records were screened, and demographic, clinical, and laboratory information was collected. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS 16.0 (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences).

Results:

The incidence of leptospirosis was higher during the COVID pandemic (102 vs. 62). The mean age of leptospirosis patients in 2019 and 2020 was 45.18 and 45.19 years, respectively. Fewer patients with leptospirosis reported fever during the pandemic (69.6% vs. 94.2%). There was an increased incidence of complications such as hepatitis (84.3% vs. 31.9%), acute kidney injury (87.3% vs. 52.2%), acute respiratory distress syndrome (20.6% vs. 8.7%), and multiorgan dysfunction syndrome (68.6% vs. 33.3%) in 2020. The case fatality rate Was higher in 2020 (2 0. 6 %) when compared to 2019 (5. 8 %)

Conclusions:

There was an increase in Proportion of leptospirosiscases, complications and mortality during the COVID pandemic. This is a cause for concern. More studies are needed in the community to determine the reason for this increase.
Preeclampsia Falling into the Spectrum of Mirror Syndrome
Authors: Patwa Prerna Anup , Mishra Gaurav Vedprakash , Dhande Rajasbala Pradeep , Phatak Suresh Vasant , Singh Rohan Kumar
Published: March 2023

Mirror syndrome, by definition, is maternal edema with fetal hydrops. Majority of the pregnancies in developing countries are complicated by preeclampsia and intrauterine growth retardation. Fetal ascites, on the other hand, is a part of spectrum of the condition under hydrops fetalis. Abnormal umbilical artery Doppler is an indicator of fetal growth retardation and not many cases are found with such diversely intermixed conditions. A 26-year-old primigravida with 36 weeks gestation by the last menstrual cycle and 34 weeks by ultrasound presented to our hospital with a history of decreased fetal movements, headache, fever, weakness, dizziness, and new-onset raised blood pressure. Her blood pressure was 164/118 and 3+ proteinuria on the urinary dipstick test. A diagnosis of preeclampsia was made. An antenatal ultrasound was performed, which showed fetal ascites, mild thickening of fetal skin, oligohydramnios with reversed umbilical artery flow but normal uterine arteries, and middle cerebral arteries. The blood pressure was controlled and she later delivered a low-birth weight baby that needed neonatal intensive care unit stay for fetal distress and abdominal distention. The baby did not survive the coming few days and died due to increasing fluid in the body cavity. The mother continued to have raised blood pressure in the postpartum period. Mirror syndrome is when the maternal pathology mirrors that of the fetus. Preeclampsia, fetal hydrops, and placental edema are the conditions lead to suspicion of it. In the case, we present, the mother had preeclampsia, and there was fetal ascites and reversed umbilical flow. The fetal and maternal outcome was in the form of intrauterine growth retardation, impending hydrops fetalis and chronic hypertension, respectively.
Antecedents and Outcomes of Patient Satisfaction
Authors: Coutinho Shawnn Melicio , Prasad Ch. V. V. S. N. V. , Prabhudesai Rohit
Published: March 2023

Purpose:

Patient satisfaction plays a critical role in determining the competitiveness of health-care organizations. This study is aimed to develop and test a comprehensive conceptual model of the antecedents and outcomes of patient satisfaction, to establish the relationships between the variables.

Methodology:

The relationships between them were tested using partial least squares-structural equation modeling technique (PLS-SEM), utilizing a sample of 348 patients from dialysis centers in the state of Goa in India.

Results:

Patient satisfaction was found to mediate the relationship between antecedent-service quality and outcomes – trust, loyalty, and word of mouth. Similarly, trust was found to mediate the impact of patient satisfaction on loyalty and word of mouth.

Research Implications:

The study integrates the scattered literature on the topic, providing a holistic model with novel insights, which will help researchers in understanding and analyzing the impact of variables influencing as well as influenced by patient satisfaction.

Practical Implications:

The study determines and shows the importance of antecedents such as trust in health care. While health-care organizations should improve patient satisfaction, they should not stop only at patient satisfaction but rather further work on building trust. Trust, in turn, helps to build patient loyalty and positive word of mouth. The model shows how patient satisfaction and trust play key roles in influencing loyalty and word of mouth, which are important for competitive reasons. Thus, a complete understanding of the findings will assist practitioners in improving the competitiveness of their organizations.

Originality/Value:

A lot of research exists on the antecedents of patient satisfaction, namely service quality, and outcomes of satisfaction, namely loyalty and word of mouth. On the other hand, there exists limited research on constructs such as trust and its impact on loyalty and word mouth. This research combines both to develop a comprehensive model and tested it using PLS-SEM, providing important findings. The testing of model in dialysis centers adds a novel feature, since not much research is done in this setting. Conclusion: A comprehensive model linking the antecedents and outcomes of patient satisfaction was developed and tested in the dialysis departments of 8 hospitals and all the 9 hypotheses developed were supported.
Molecular Subtyping in Prognostication of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Response in Patients of Locally Advanced Breast Cancer
Authors: Dighe Sajika Pramod , Shinde Raju , Shinde Sangita , Nikhade Pravin
Published: March 2023

Aim:

The aim of this study is to predict the response of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) based on preoperative molecular subtyping of locally advanced breast cancer patients.

Materials and Methods:

The present single-blind, observational study was conducted at the tertiary health-care center of Acharya Vinoba Bhave Rural Hospital from October 2018 to September 2020. This study comprised 46 patients suffering from breast cancer with TNM stage IIIA and IIIB. The patients received either NACT with cyclophosphamide/adriamycin/5-fluorouracil or paclitaxel, respectively, followed by the standard surgical procedure of modified radical mastectomy. Baseline ultrasound was followed by Trucut biopsy of the tumor which was done with 18-G Bard Trucut biopsy needle under local anesthesia in all aseptic conditions. The specimens were collected and preserved in formalin and were sent for the assessment of tumor histological examination, Scarff-Bloom-Richardson grade, and immunohistochemistry (IHC) evaluation. Depending on the luminal status obtained by IHC preoperatively, further response to chemotherapy was assessed.

Results:

In the CAF group, patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2/neu (HER2/neu)-enriched status had (91.40% ± 7.76%) tumor response followed by luminal B status (89.33% ± 5.77%), triple-negative status (87.34% ± 9.55%), and finally luminal A status with (84.87% ± 8.11%) a statistically nonsignificant relation. In the paclitaxel group, patients with triple-negative status had a tumor response of (96.59% ± 4.48%) followed by luminal B status (96.28% ± 3.27%), HER2/neu-enriched status (91.33% ± 6.85%), and finally luminal A status (82.40% ± 11.29%) with a statistically significant relation (P = 0.023).

Conclusion:

It can be concluded from the results that overall, HER2/neu-enriched and triple-negative status patients showed better tumor response to NACT in both groups.
Managing a Grossly Comminuted and Infected Mandibular Fracture Using Mandibular Reconstruction Plate System
Authors: Sharma Akhil , Jadhav Anendd , Bhola Nitin , Gupta Chetan , Gupta Aishwarya
Published: March 2023

Mandible fractures are one of the most common sites of maxillofacial injuries due to their anatomical location which makes its vulnerable to direct impacts. The main promoters of this kind of injury are assault, road traffic accidents, and gunshot injuries. The prevalence of comminuted mandibular fracture is 30%–50% when compared to other facial bones. It is often associated with the presence of multiple bones involving several lines of fracture, resulting in small fragments within the same area. This often leads to functional and esthetic problems. Management of comminuted mandibular fractures includes various modalities such as closed reduction, external pin fixation, wire osteosynthesis, and open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) using miniplates, reconstruction plates, titanium mesh tray, and bone grafts. The objective of this case report is to highlight a 31-year-old male patient with comminuted mandibular fracture treated with ORIF using a 2.7 mm reconstruction plate, followed by a short period of maxillomandibular fixation
Association of Social Determinants on Well-Being of Rural Construction Workers of Central India
Authors: Jumade Prashil , Joshi Abhishek , Khanam Najnin , Mudey Abhay
Published: March 2023

Background:

Social determinants of the health (SDH) arise from the social and economic condition in which they are living and their interaction produces direct impact on the health. Wider socioeconomic context, social exclusion, poverty, etc. are considered as the SDH.

Objectives:

This study was conducted to assess sociodemographic profile, job characteristics, and the association of the social determinants on the well-being of rural construction workers.

Materials and Methods:

It was cross-sectional study carried out among the rural construction workers employed at one of the medical institutes in Central India.

Results:

About more than half of the study participants belonged to the lower class of socioeconomic status by Modified B. G. Prasad classification 2017. Sixty-three percent participants were laborers, followed by 32% in assistance services. Musculoskeletal pain was the most common self-reported health issue, whereas near about 3/4th of study participants were found to have low or no risk on Kesseler's Distress Scale. The association between education and socioeconomic condition with well-being of rural construction workers was not found to be statistically significant. While, the association between Kesseler's Distress Scale and the presence of addiction was found to be statistically significant.

Conclusion:

Maximum study participants belonged to lower socioeconomic class, and musculoskeletal pain was the most common self-reported illness. The association between well-being and Kesseler's Distress Score and addiction was found to be statistically significant.
Evaluation of Clinical Profile of Acne Vulgaris in a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital
Authors: Jha Rajeev Ranjan
Published: March 2023

Background:

Acne vulgaris is thought to be the most prevalent skin disease seen in clinical practice, and it is caused by a combination of causes that start in the pilosebaceous follicle.

Subjects and Methods:

There were a total of 114 patients, 32 men and 82 women. Patients with acne vulgaris who came to the outpatient department and agreed to participate in the study were included, but those who refused or had drug-induced or other acne-related eruptions were excluded.

Results:

The most prevalent age group to be involved was 20–25 years of age (36.0%), followed by 15–20 years of age (31.6%) and 25–30 years of age (19.3%). Cheeks 8.61%, forehead 64.9%, mandible 33.3%, and chin 27.2% were all damaged in all cases. Truncal involvement was lower in the chest (10.5%), back (13.2%), shoulder (9.6%), and upper arm (.3.5%). Around 43.9% of people had grade III acne, 29.8% had grade II acne, 14.9% had grade IV acne, and 11.4% had grade I acne. Females (50.0%) had more grade II and III acne than males (23.7%).

Conclusion:

The majority of the patients were from 20-25 years of age group. The survey also revealed a rise in the number of adult acne cases. In every case, the face was implicated, with the cheek area being the most engaged. The most prevalent grades were II and III, and females outnumbered males with these grades. Scarring corresponded to the length of acne, with icepick scars being the most common. In most cases, postacne hyperpigmentation was seen, which corresponded to the inflammatory nature of the lesions.
A Comparative Cross-Sectional Survey Among Medical and Engineering Students About Awareness and Preventive Practices During Lockdown for COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Dakhode Sarika Uttamrao , Chaware Ajay , Joshi Abhishek
Published: March 2023

Background:

The WHO declared COVID-19 infection as a pandemic in March 2020 due to high infectivity and wide information is freely available regarding precautionary measures. Every sector of the society must follow the preventive steps in the absence of proper drugs or vaccines. There is a need to assess the awareness level and precautionary measures adopted by the different sectors of the society. Hence, we planned this comparative study among students of health and engineering professionals.

Methodology:

This cross-sectional survey was conducted among medical and engineering students from one of the respective college of Wardha district (July–September 2020). Second class randomly selected and all students, i.e., 200 from each faculty were involved. Questionnaire was prepared by referring guidelines of the World Health Organization and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for preventive measures toward COVID-19 pandemic, shared by internet and Chi-square test applied.

Results:

One hundred and seventy-eight medical and 176 engineering students responded (response rate-89%). Significantly high numbers of medical students (84%) were well aware with various modes of infection spread than engineering (40%–68%) (P = 0.0001). Seventy-four percent engineering as compared to 53% medical students recognized >3 feet as safe social distance (P = 0.01) and sincerely maintained by engineering students (69.32%) more often than medical (55.6%) (P = 0.01); whereas wearing mask for outdoor activity was practiced more frequently by medical (76.97%) than engineering (52.84%) (P = 0.0001). About 29% both group students never moved out from home. 50% medical and 37% engineering students were moved out occasionally before survey and mostly for purchasing daily needs.

Conclusion:

Overall, there is gap in complete chain of knowledge about novel coronavirus among both the groups. There is a significant difference in awareness and practices adopted by both professional students toward COVID-19 pandemic. High awareness and safe practices may be expected for medical background, but contrast findings for some markers were observed. The mode of IEC should be robust, more modified, or innovative.
Comparison between Frozen Section and Paraffin-Embedded Histopathological Section In Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Gawande Madhuri , Hande Alka , Patil Swati , Sonone Archana , Sharma Preeti
Published: March 2023

Background:

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the major malignancy reported in Sharad Pawar Dental College and Hospital, Sawangi Meghe, Wardha, Maharashtra, India. The treatment of choice is radical neck dissection, while performing surgery frozen section (FS) analysis is done. FS helps in rapid intraoperative diagnosis. It is commonly used during surgical procedures to detect malignancy so that modifications of surgery can be decided at the time of surgery on the table. FS is also performed for the evaluation of surgical margins and detection of lymph node metastasis. In addition, it is applied for the detection of unknown pathological processes.

Aims and Objectives:

The objective of this study was to assess the accuracy of FS diagnosis in comparison to gold standard histopathological diagnosis and to find concordance and discordance rate of FS with histopathological report.

Materials and Methods:

We retrospectively reviewed records of frozen section from the department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology. The frozen section diagnosis was compared with permanent sections stained by haematoxylin and eosin stain. The frozen section results were compared with final histopathological diagnosis.

Results:

Sensitivity = 97.97%,Specificity = 100%, Percentage of false negative = 2%, Percentage of false positive = 0%.

Conclusion:

In our study frozen section diagnosis was coinciding with histopathological diagnosis.
Maxillofacial Rehabilitation of Lamellar Ichthyosis
Authors: Kamath Mayuri , Gireesh Rinsha , Bendale Kaustubh , Kamath Vignesh
Published: March 2023

Lamellar ichthyosis (LI) is a rare genetic skin disorder that is present at birth, with an incidence of <1:300,000 in different parts of the world. However, there is little evidence of oral manifestations. Oral symptoms and oral rehabilitation of this condition are mostly unknown. This case report reiterates the need for proper dental diagnosis, treatment planning, and follow-up for a holistic approach. Here, we describe the oral manifestations and successful complete oral rehabilitation procedure performed in a 19-year-old female patient who had prediagnosed LI with skeletal class III jaw discrepancy due to maxillary deficiency.
Prevalence of Hepatic Alveolar hydatid in a Nonendemic Region of North India in Hospital-based Population
Authors: Ahmad Irshad , Ilyas Mohd , Ashraf Aabid , Rather Ajaz A. , Gojwari Tariq A.
Published: March 2023

Objective:

The objective of this study was to calculate the prevalence of hepatic alveolar hydatid disease in hospital-based population in North India, a nonendemic region for alveolar hydatid disease.

Materials and Methods:

This study was conducted at a tertiary care center in North India between April 2017 and March 2019. Patients with suspected hepatic alveolar hydatid on ultrasonography were evaluated with further imaging studies based on classical radiological findings and then confirmed by histopathology.

Results:

Twenty-five cases of hepatic alveolar hydatid were diagnosed primarily based on the classical imaging/radiological findings with histopathology confirmation, with a 2-year period prevalence of 0.207 cases/1000 population. Majority of the cases were in the age group of 41–60 years, with a mean age of 53.04 years. Fifty-two percent of the cases were female. Majority of them were from hilly areas and working with livestock animals. Abdominal pain was the most common presenting symptom.

Conclusion:

Hepatic alveolar hydatid is considered as a rare disease in India; however, the increased number of cases been diagnosed in our study could be either due to increased diagnostic modalities or due to actual increase in the number of cases. Therefore, hepatic alveolar hydatid should be considered in the differentials of suspicious liver mass in nonendemic regions.
Musculoskeletal manifestations in type-2 diabetic patients attending a tertiary care hospital in a North-Eastern city of India—A cross-sectional observational study
Authors: Sarkar Swapan , Goswami Bidhan , Sengupta Bitan , Sengupta Shauli , Bhattacharjee Bhaskar
Published: March 2023

ABSTRACT

Background:

Musculoskeletal manifestations of diabetes are common and not life threatening, but these are an important cause of morbidity, pain and disability among diabetic patients. In 2004, the National Health Interview Survey determined that 58% of diabetic patients would have musculoskeletal functional disability. This study was designed to estimate the proportion of musculoskeletal manifestations among Type 2 diabetic patients attending a tertiary care hospital in Tripura and also to determine the association of various musculoskeletal manifestations with glycaemic status, body mass index and duration of diabetes mellitus.

Methods:

This hospital-based cross-sectional study was carried out in a tertiary care hospital in a northeastern state of India from December 2020 to November 2021. All the diabetic patients attending diabetes nutrition clinic of a tertiary care hospital for a period of one year were considered for this study. Diagnosis of musculoskeletal disorder was made based on history, physical examination, laboratory test and imaging test. Quantitative data were expressed as mean and standard deviation. Descriptive data was expressed in percentages and frequencies using charts and tables. Chi-square test was applied to explore any association between variables. Ethical approval for the study was obtained from the institutional ethics committee.

Results:

Out of four hundred and forty-two diabetic cases and two hundred and thirty-four (52.9%) patients were found with musculoskeletal manifestations, 55% of which belong to 45–59 age group.

Conclusion:

Physicians treating diabetic patients should be encouraged for regular examination for musculoskeletal complaints. Early diagnosis will facilitate appropriate treatment and thus prevents further complications.
An atypical manifestation of pheochromocytoma crisis: Acute delirium
Authors: Agarwal Mayank , Kant Ravi , Pattar Shridhar
Published: March 2023

ABSTRACT

Pheochromocytoma is a rare neuroendocrine tumor presenting with a classical triad of symptoms. In 10% of the cases, the presentation can be atypical, and the diagnosis is often missed for several years. Most common neurological manifestations are haemorrhage, seizures, etc., but pheochromocytoma crisis presenting as delirium has been infrequently reported. We present a case of a middle-aged female who presented with hypertensive emergency and an acute confusional state. Other causes of delirium were ruled out in the patient and a timely diagnosis of pheochromocytoma was made with CT abdomen showed a large right suprarenal mass which was confirmed on 123I-MIBG scan and supported by elevated plasma metanephrines. She responded to alpha and beta blockers following which her blood pressure spikes were controlled, and subsequently, her sensorium improved significantly. Patient underwent surgical resection of the tumor and was followed up after 2 weeks with her blood pressure controlled without any medications.

Conclusion:

A high degree of clinical suspicion is essential in such rare presentations of pheochromocytoma. Early diagnosis, adequate preoperative preoperative stabilization followed by a definitive surgical excision offers a complete cure to such patients.
Parental knowledge, views, and perceptions of human papilloma virus infection and vaccination-cross-sectional descriptive study
Authors: Tobaiqy Mansour A. , Mehdar Safaa A. , Altayeb Tasneem I. , Saad Tala M. , Alqutub Sulafa T.
Published: March 2023

ABSTRACT

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a highly contagious virus that is linked to cervical cancer and is a major public health issue. Saudi Arabia national efforts aimed to have females aged 9-25 years to receive the available vaccine.

Objectives:

This study aims to explore parental knowledge, views, and perceptions around HPV in Saudi Arabia.

Methods:

A cross-sectional online questionnaire was used through direct interview to collect information from a group of parents attending King Abdul-Aziz University Hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire comprised items including demographics, knowledge, views, and perceptions of HPV infection and vaccination.

Results:

Of the 500 parents who participated in this study, only 54 (11%) had heard about HPV being associated with cervical cancer. The majority of the participants reported being from the middle social class (n = 472, 94.4%). The vast majority (n = 483, 96.8%) had never heard of the HPV vaccine and (n = 470, 94%) were unwilling to vaccinate their daughters. The primary reported reason behind refusing the vaccine was the lack of information on the importance of HPV vaccination (n = 426, 85.2%). The majority (n = 419, 83.8%) believed that there was insufficient information regarding vaccine safety and efficacy. Participants suggested ways to increase vaccination acceptance like social media awareness (n = 369, 73.8%), educational seminars in schools (n = 254, 50.8%), and a governmental platform (n = 218, 43.6%) providing information on HPV infection and promoting vaccination.

Conclusion:

Parents in the present study demonstrated a substantial lack of knowledge about HPV infection and vaccination, which may necessitate the establishment of national awareness campaigns.
Knowledge, perception, and beliefs of Saudi physicians at King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh related to medical cannabis: Literature review and a cross-sectional survey
Authors: Alharbi Fares F , Alqahtani Taif M , Alzamil Alaa M , Alharbi Nouf H , Masud Nazish
Published: March 2023

ABSTRACT

Cannabis is an herbaceous flowering plant, originally an indigenous plant in Eastern Asia, which later spread globally due to widespread agricultural practices. Cannabis was used medicinally until the early twentieth century, but subsequently prohibited due to the psychoactive effects.

Aims:

To explore the medical cannabis-related level of knowledge of physicians at King Abdulaziz Medical City, including patient needs, perceptions of therapeutic effects, potential harm, and the willingness to prescribe if legalized in future.

Methodology:

The study was a cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey. It was conducted at King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh from February 2020 to February 2021. All physicians from the different specialties, who consented to participate, were included in this study.

Statistical Analysis:

Descriptive statistics are presented as mean and standard deviation and proportions. An ANOVA test was applied to measure the association of the beliefs regarding the right to prescribe with overall knowledge. All tests were considered significant at P < 0.05.

Results:

A total of 249 physicians participated with the majority (70%) male. The sample was similar regardless of the physician’s position in the medical hierarchy, with a mean work experience of 8 years. Almost half of the participants indicated that they do not have good knowledge regarding the effects of MC products and more than half that they are unaware of the different MC products and formulations currently available.

Conclusion:

The majority of the sample lacked knowledge about the medicinal use of cannabis for specific indications and felt uncomfortable to discuss the medicinal use of cannabis with their patients.
Cytokine storm in HSCT for severe combined immunodeficiency infant with SARS-COV-2
Authors: Kirthiga B Anu , Jayakumar Indira , Uppuluri Ramya , Raj Revathi
Published: March 2023

Hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) is the only potentially curative option for severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) as they are extremely vulnerable to infections. Immunocompromised children are at a higher risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection with prolonged virus shedding, but have a milder disease unlike adults. However, mortality risk increases with neutropenia and in the early transplant period. For these reasons, HSCT is generally deferred when a patient is infected with SARS-COV-2. This decision has to be individualized taking into account the risk of disease progression with delay in transplant. We describe a case of a SCID infant, who had multiple, life-threatening infections (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus liver abscess, Escherichia coli sepsis, and disseminated Bacillus Calmette-Guerinosis) referred for HSCT. He unfortunately developed SARS-COV-2 infection after the conditioning was commenced for haploidentical stem cell transplant. Foreseeing many challenges with COVID, the transplant was undertaken in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) setting. Anticipation, recognition, and timely intervention in the PICU of exaggerated posttransplant cytokine release syndrome and pancreatitis enabled a successful outcome. To the best of our knowledge, this is the youngest pediatric HSCT performed to date with active SARS-COV-2 and first in India.
The Sky Still Hangs Above Us
Authors: Alderman Chris
Published: March 2023

Many will remember the salutary tale of "Chicken Little," the story of Henny-penny, the little hen who, when struck on the head by a falling acorn, assumed that the sky was falling. She made it her business to tell anyone who would listen of the impending disaster. Of course, as it turned out, the sky was not actually falling. Despite the best intentions of the story's protagonist, depending on the version one ascribes to, most of the characters involved became a meal for the fox, who it seems was more than happy to be the beneficiary of the confused pandemonium created by the well-intentioned actions of the hen. In some more soothing versions of the fable, the poultry escape the fox's culinary intentions, but the allegorical tale has a serious message. Spreading misinformation can have serious consequences, and the world is currently bearing witness to exactly this in the form of misinformation about the risks and benefits of vaccination.
Patient Perspective: Vaccines for Older People
Authors: Bouwmeester Carla , Jing Qianru , Park Soyoon
Published: March 2023

Pharmacists, as one of the most accessible health care professionals in the community, can educate, promote, and administer vaccinations. Immunizations are an important way to protect communities from potentially severe diseases, including COVID-19, influenza, pneumonia, shingles, hepatitis,
and monkeypox. Though adults 65 years of age and older tend to have higher vaccination rates than other age groups, there are health care disparities that exist in relation to socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality. Vaccine hesitancy and misconceptions cause concerns
in older people that can challenge both vaccine administration and rates. Other concerns for older people are the cost, safety, and side effects of vaccines. In addition, updated vaccine guidelines were released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in early 2023 that affect
recommendations for influenza, COVID-19, and pneumonia vaccines. Older people are at higher risk for severe illness, making immunizations especially important in this patient population. Pharmacists can play a pivotal role in health promotion by staying up to date on immunization guidelines
and addressing barriers to vaccination.
Geriatric Pharmacotherapy Case Series: Potential Drug Interactions With Antiplatelet Medications and Cannabidiol—A Focus on P2Y12 Inhibitors
Authors: Brown Stephen A. , Boyd Katie , Thomason Angela R.
Published: March 2023

Background A 76-year-old man was admitted to a local rehabilitation inpatient facility following an acute myocardial infarction. Patient history included hypertension and previous stroke. The patient was being treated with clopidogrel and aspirin for secondary stroke prevention
along with other medications to treat hypertension. The patient admitted to using cannabidiol (CBD) oil up to three times a day for knee pain prior to acute myocardial infarction and requested to continue its use in the facility. Assessment Prior to this hospital stay,
the patient was able to continue activities of daily living with knee pain that was controlled by CBD oil used three times daily. The option to continue CBD oil would create a possible drug interaction with current cardiovascular medications leading to increased cardiovascular or bleeding
risks. Outcome The patient was advised against the use of CBD products because of potential interaction with clopidogrel and was prescribed acetaminophen for osteoarthritis (knee pain). The patient continued to improve and was discharged to his home after two weeks of rehabilitation.
Conclusion Based on limited pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic studies in older people, patients should avoid using cannabidiol and products containing its derivatives with P2Y12 inhibitors. A potential interaction between cannabidiol and its derivatives with P2Y12 inhibitors
may increase a patient’s cardiovascular or bleeding risks. Patients and health care providers must be adequately informed about potential risks associated with cannabidiol products and oral antiplatelets to prevent negative outcomes.
Large‐scale 3D fast Fourier transform computation on a GPU
Authors: Lee Jaehong , Kim Duksu
Published: March 2023

We propose a novel graphics processing unit (GPU) algorithm that can handle a large‐scale 3D fast Fourier transform (i.e., 3D‐FFT) problem whose data size is larger than the GPU's memory. A 1D FFT‐based 3D‐FFT computational approach is used to solve the limited device memory issue. Moreover, to reduce the communication overhead between the CPU and GPU, we propose a 3D data‐transposition method that converts the target 1D vector into a contiguous memory layout and improves data transfer efficiency. The transposed data are communicated between the host and device memories efficiently through the pinned buffer and multiple streams. We apply our method to various large‐scale benchmarks and compare its performance with the state‐of‐the‐art multicore CPU FFT library (i.e., fastest Fourier transform in the West [FFTW]) and a prior GPU‐based 3D‐FFT algorithm. Our method achieves a higher performance (up to 2.89 times) than FFTW; it yields more performance gaps as the data size increases. The performance of the prior GPU algorithm decreases considerably in massive‐scale problems, whereas our method's performance is stable.
Co władze NRD wiedziały o przygotowaniach do stanu wojennego w Polsce?
Authors: Gańczak Filip
Published: March 2023

Już od sierpnia 1980 roku władze NRD starały się być poinformowane, czy i w jaki sposób polscy komuniści przygotowują się do zdławienia strajków, a później – do spacyfikowania NSZZ „Solidarność”. Meldunki na ten temat były dostarczane decydentom w Berlinie między innymi przez Ministerstwo Bezpieczeństwa Państwowego (Stasi), wywiad wojskowy i ambasadę w Warszawie. Początkowo takie informacje napływały do KC SED nieregularnie, z czasem – zwłaszcza od września 1981 roku – coraz częściej i stawały się coraz bardziej szczegółowe. Donoszono o konkretnych przedsięwzięciach planowanych przez resorty siłowe PRL: aresztowaniach według sporządzonych list, przejęciu przez wojsko kontroli nad radiem i telewizją czy branym pod uwagę rozwiązaniu wszystkich partii politycznych. Ostatnie słowo należało jednak do kierownictwa PZPR. Jesienią 1981 roku analitycy wschodnioniemieccy lekceważyli sygnały o rosnącej gotowości gen. Wojciecha Jaruzelskiego do konfrontacji z opozycją. Dawali zaś wiarę tym głosom w PZPR, które wyrażały zwątpienie w zdolność I sekretarza do użycia siły.

What did the GDR authorities know about the preparations for martial law in Poland?

As early as August 1980, the GDR authorities were monitoring their communist allies in Poland to see if there were any plans to suppress the ongoing strikes and later to pacify the Independent Self-Governing Trade Union “Solidarność”. Reports on this topic were provided by the Ministry for State Security (Stasi), military intelligence and the embassy in Warsaw, among others. Initially, such information was coming in only sporadically. With time – and especially since September 1981 – more regularly and more in-depth. Specific undertakings were reported: prepared lists of arrests, plans for a military takeover of the mass media and the dissolution of all political parties. Still, these signals were underestimated by the East German analysts. They ignored General Wojciech Jaruzelski’s growing readiness to confront the opposition and preferred to trust these voices in the Polish United Workers’ Party that expressed doubts about the ability of the First Secretary to use force.
Artur Domosławski, Wygnaniec. 21 scen z życia Zygmunta Baumana
Authors: Turkowski Andrzej
Published: March 2023

Artur Domosławski, Warszawa: Wielka Litera, 2021, 936 ss.
Demiurg. Biografia Adama Michnika
Authors: Wicenty Daniel
Published: March 2023

Roman Graczyk, Warszawa: Zona Zero, 2021, 679 ss.
Review of agricultural value chain analysis
Authors: Tuoi Nguyen Thi , Son Nguyen Phu
Published: March 2023

Value chain analysis has a central role in determining the distribution of benefits of the participants to upgrade solutions to the value chain. This paper is based on an integrated approach of methods and results of research on agricultural product value chain analysis. Research focuses on analyzing value chain approaches commodity chain analysis, Porter’s value chain model, Global value chain and GTZ organization, the number of actors in the value chain, profit distribution among actors participating in the chain, some popular tools in value chain analysis, and solutions to upgrade the chain. On that basis, the paper also points out the gaps in the current agricultural value chain research: 1) There is no combination of SCP analysis framework with other approaches; 2) Researchers have not analyzed the causes of the markup through the actors or the market power of the actors; 3) There are few studies combine all three models: Porter’s five forces, PEST and SWOT to have a complete basis for proposing solutions to upgrade the value chain.
Impact of knowledge sharing on public sector accounting innovation performance in Vietnam
Authors: Yen Lam Thi My , Tung Le Van
Published: March 2023

Knowledge sharing is a relatively new issue in the public sector, but it is very important, as evidenced by many studies in the private sector that have studied the influence of knowledge sharing on the performance of innovation. The current public accounting, which is in the process of international integration and the accrual basis of accounting reform, is one of the innovations. With the aim of helping public sector organizations improve the performance of accounting innovation, many studies have shown the important role of knowledge sharing, however, with the specificity of public sector organizations, this issue has not been implemented and verified. The mixed-method (interviewing 06 experts and a quantitative survey of 266 samples from public sector organizations in Vietnam) has been applied. The results demonstrate that knowledge sharing has no impact on the performance of accounting innovation. Instead, the creativity and receptivity of accountants have a significant impact on the performance of accounting innovation. At the same time, the biggest influencing factor that stimulates accountants’ willingness to share accounting knowledge is the support of leaders, while organizational rewards and the use of information technology did not affect the knowledge sharing of accounting staff of the units. Key findings are discussed for public organizations in Vietnam to improve accounting innovation in the context of global integration. Besides, this study discusses the policy implications of the study and describes possible future research directions.
The impact of economic development on carbon intensity of human well-being (CIWB): Evidence from lower middle-income countries
Authors: Hai Dang Bac , Thuan Nguyen , Nga Tran Thi Diem
Published: March 2023

The aim of sustainable development is to maintain and progress economic activities while protecting the environment in long run. Recent sustainability researches have focused on the relationship between stress placed on the environment by economic activity and human well-being, known as the Carbon Intensity of Well-Being (CIWB). To contribute to this endeavor, the authors employ two-way fixed effects which analyze the impact of economic and environmental variables on CIWB in 09 lower middle-income countries from 2000 to 2018. We find that economic development includes gross domestic product and annual foreign direct investment, which are significantly negative effects on CIWB. That means economic growth reduced human well-being in the overall sample in the study period. Nevertheless, this effect is unsteady which indicates these countries should wisely choose strategies for sustainable development. In addition, the effect of energy consumption on CIWB has a significant positive in this study.
Thuộc tính hấp dẫn của điểm đến Đà Nẵng đối với khách nội địa trong bối cảnh Covid-19
Authors: Phượng Lê Thái , Hạnh Tô Văn , Chi Phạm Thị
Published: March 2023

Nghiên cứu nhằm xác định các thành phần và thuộc tính hấp dẫn của điểm đến Đà Nẵng đối với khách nội địa trong bối cảnh Covid-19. Phương pháp định tính thông qua phỏng vấn chuyên gia kết hợp với phương pháp định lượng được sử dụng trong nghiên cứu này. Kết quả cho thấy, sức hấp dẫn của điểm đến Đà Nẵng đối với khách nội địa trong bối cảnh Covid-19 được tạo nên bởi 08 thành phần (33 thuộc tính), gồm: (1) Tự nhiên; (2) Văn hóa; (3) Các hoạt động, lễ hội, sự kiện; (4) Cơ sở vật chất du lịch; (5) Cơ sở hạ tầng và an ninh an toàn; (6) Giá cả sản phẩm, dịch vụ; (7) Nhận thức của du khách về bối cảnh Covid-19 và (8) Chính sách kích cầu. Kết quả nghiên cứu góp phần đề xuất những định hướng cho các cơ quan quản lý du lịch Đà Nẵng và các doanh nghiệp du lịch đưa ra những giải pháp nhằm nâng cao sức hấp dẫn của điểm đến Đà Nẵng và thu hút được khách du lịch nội địa đến với Đà Nẵng sau khi đại dịch Covid-19 được kiểm soát.
Sự chứng thực của người nổi tiếng tác động lên thái độ và ý định mua hàng của người tiêu dùng: Vai trò trung gian của tương tác xã hội
Authors: Sinh Nguyễn Hoàng , Hiền Nguyễn Minh
Published: March 2023

Mục đích chính của nghiên cứu này là tìm hiểu cảm nhận của khách hàng về các yếu tố chứng thực của người nổi tiếng gồm sức hấp dẫn, sự uy tín, chuyên môn trong quảng cáo trên Facebook. Từ đó đánh giá mức độ tác động từng yếu tố đến thái độ đối với quảng cáo và ý định hành vi của người tiêu dùng thông qua vai trò trung gian tương tác xã hội. Bên cạnh đó, nghiên cứu cũng đánh giá tác động điều tiết của sự đồng tình với người nổi tiếng lên mối quan hệ giữa các yếu tố chứng thực của người nổi tiếng và tương tác xã hội của người tiêu dùng trên Facebook. Mô hình nghiên cứu được kiểm định thực nghiệm bằng dữ liệu khảo sát trực tuyến với 468 người dùng Facebook tại Việt Nam trong lĩnh vực mỹ phẩm và làm đẹp. Tính hợp lệ và độ tin cậy của dữ liệu đã được kiểm tra bằng mô hình phương trình cấu trúc (SEM). Kết quả nghiên cứu cho thấy: thứ nhất, có mối quan hệ tích cực theo thứ tự giữa sức hấp dẫn, sự uy tín và chuyên môn với tương tác xã hội. Thứ hai, có mối quan hệ cùng chiều giữa tương tác xã hội của người tiêu dùng với thái độ đối với quảng cáo trên Facebook. Thứ ba, có mối quan hệ cùng chiều giữa tương tác xã hội và ý định mua hàng của người tiêu dùng thông qua quảng cáo trên Facebook. Thứ tư, có mối quan hệ cùng chiều giữa thái độ đối với quảng cáo trên Facebook và ý định mua hàng của người tiêu dùng. Kết quả cũng cho thấy có sự tác động điều tiết của yếu tố sự đồng tình với người nổi tiếng đến mối quan hệ giữa các yếu tố chứng thực của người nổi tiếng (gồm sức hấp dẫn, sự uy tín) và tương tác xã hội của người tiêu dùng trên Facebook.
Uniform K-stability of polarized spherical varieties
Authors: Delcroix Thibaut
Published: March 2023

We express notions of K-stability of polarized spherical varieties in terms of combinatorial data, vastly generalizing the case of toric varieties. We then provide a combinatorial sufficient condition of G-uniform K-stability by studying the corresponding convex geometric problem. Thanks to recent work of Chi Li and a remark by Yuji Odaka, this provides an explicitly checkable sufficient condition of existence of constant scalar curvature Kahler metrics. As a side effect, we show that, on several families of spherical varieties, G-uniform K-stability is equivalent to K-polystability with respect to G-equivariant test configurations for polarizations close to the anticanonical bundle.

Comment: with an appendix by Yuji Odaka, v2 taking into account referee's comments and correcting minor mistakes, v3 EPIGA journal version
The Effect of Intravitreal Bevacizumab Injection in Wet Age-Related Macular Degeneration Patients with Cataract Surgery
Authors: An Jae-Hong , Kim Yu-Cheol , Kang Kyung Tae
Published: March 2023

This study was design to evaluate the efficacy of cataract surgery with simultaneous intravitreal bevacizumab injection for wet age-related macular degeneration. Of the patients who underwent anti-vascular endothelial growth factor injections, cataract surgery was performed in 24 eyes (control group), and simultaneous intravitreal bevacizumab injection was performed in 27 eyes (bevacizumab group). Best corrected visual acuity, ocular tonometry, anterior chamber inflammation, and central subfield macular thickness were measured at baseline and 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months after surgery. The mean central subfield macular thickness increased 1 month postoperatively in the control group (p = 0.02), whereas there was no significant change in the bevacizumab group. When the preoperative and postoperative differences between the two groups were compared at each time point, the mean best corrected visual acuity improved in the bevacizumab group at 3 months after surgery (p = 0.045), and the mean central subfield macular thickness was more decreased in the bevacizumab group at 1 month after surgery compared to that of the control group (p = 0.032). Additional anti-vascular endothelial growth factor injection was performed after surgery at 1.56 ± 2.05 months and 2.52 ± 2.01 months, in the control and bevacizumab groups, respectively (p = 0.047). Simultaneous cataract surgery and intravitreal bevacizumab injection is considered an effective treatment since it reduces central subfield macular thickness in the short term, and it can delay the timing of additional anti-vascular endothelial growth factor injections after surgery.