bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of resistance training and garlic extract on insulin sensitivity/resistance and biochemical parameters in diabetic rats
Authors: Shaker M. , Khamisipour G.R. , Sadeghipour H. , Zar A. , Naeimi B. , Akbarzadeh S.
Published: December 2021

Diabetes is one of the most important endocrine diseases in the world and obesity is one of the risk factors for this disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a resistance exercise and garlic extract on insulin sensitivity/resistance and signal pathway of white adipose tissue to brown factors in diabetic rats. A total of 48 male Wistar rats weighing 180 to 250 g were divided into six groups (n=8): healthy control (C), diabetic control (D), diabetic with garlic extract at a dose of 50 mg/kg body weight (bw) (D+50), diabetic with garlic extract dose of 200 mg/kg bw (D+200), diabetic resistance training (D+Ex), and diabetic resistance training with garlic extract dose of 200 mg/kg bw (D+Ex+200). Plasma irisin levels in the D+200 and D+Ex groups, as well as the D+Ex+200 group showed a significant increase compared to the D group (P<0.001), while in the D+50 group no significant change was observed. Compared with group D, the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator (PGC)-1α gene was significantly increased in groups D+200 and D+Ex, as well as group D+Ex+200 (P<0.001). It can be said that resistance exercise with garlic extract is effective in controlling diabetes and reducing its complications. It also increases the expression of PGC-1α and uncoupling protein 1 genes in white adipose tissue and therefore has a positive effect on beta cell function by irisin.
On a class of differential inclusions in the frame of generalized Hilfer fractional derivative
Authors: Lachouri Adel ,   Applied Mathematics Lab, Department of Mathematics, Annaba University, P.O. Box 12, Annaba 23000, Algeria, Abdo Mohammed S. , Ardjouni Abdelouaheb , Abdalla Bahaaeldin , Abdeljawad Thabet ,   Department of Mathematics, Hodeidah University, P.O. Box 3114, Al-Hudaydah, Yemen,   Department of Mathematics and Informatics, University of Souk Ahras, P.O. Box 1553, Souk Ahras 41000, Algeria,   Department of Mathematics and Sciences, Prince Sultan University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia,   Department of Medical Research, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan
Published: December 2021

In the present paper, we extend and develop a qualitative analysis for a class of nonlinear fractional inclusion problems subjected to nonlocal integral boundary conditions (nonlocal IBC) under the $ \varphi $-Hilfer operator. Both claims of convex valued and nonconvex valued right-hand sides are investigated. The obtained existence results of the proposed problem are new in the frame of a $ \varphi $-Hilfer fractional derivative with nonlocal IBC, which are derived via the fixed point theorems (FPT's) for set-valued analysis. Eventually, we give some illustrative examples for the acquired results.
Multiscale modeling of skeletal muscle to explore its passive mechanical properties and experiments verification
Authors: Liu Fengjie ,   School of mechanical power engineering, Harbin University of Science and Technology, Xue Fu Road No. 52, Nangang District, Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province, China, Wang Monan , Ma Yuzheng
Published: December 2021

The research of the mechanical properties of skeletal muscle has never stopped, whether in experimental tests or simulations of passive mechanical properties. To investigate the effect of biomechanical properties of micro-components and geometric structure of muscle fibers on macroscopic mechanical behavior, in this manuscript, we establish a multiscale model where constitutive models are proposed for fibers and the extracellular matrix, respectively. Besides, based on the assumption that the fiber cross-section can be expressed by Voronoi polygons, we optimize the Voronoi polygons as curved-edge Voronoi polygons to compare the effects of the two cross-sections on macroscopic mechanical properties. Finally, the macroscopic stress response is obtained through the numerical homogenization method. To verify the effectiveness of the multi-scale model, we measure the mechanical response of skeletal muscles in the in-plane shear, longitudinal shear, and tensions, including along the fiber direction and perpendicular to the fiber direction. Compared with experimental data, the simulation results show that this multiscale framework predicts both the tension response and the shear response of skeletal muscle accurately. The root mean squared error (RMSE) is 0.0035 MPa in the tension along the fiber direction; The RMSE is 0.011254 MPa in the tension perpendicular to the fiber direction; The RMSE is 0.000602 MPa in the in-plane shear; The RMSE was 0.00085 MPa in the longitudinal shear. Finally, we obtained the influence of the component constitutive model and muscle fiber cross-section on the macroscopic mechanical behavior of skeletal muscle. In terms of the tension perpendicular to the fiber direction, the curved-edge Voronoi polygons achieve the result closer to the experimental data than the Voronoi polygons. Skeletal muscle mechanics experiments verify the effectiveness of our multiscale model. The comparison results of experiments and simulations prove that our model can accurately capture the tension and shear behavior of skeletal muscle.
Futuristic Prediction of Missing Value Imputation Methods Using Extended ANN
Authors: Tripathi Ashok Kumar , Saini Hemraj , Rathee Geetanjali
Published: December 2021

Missing data is universal complexity for most part of the research fields which introduces the part of uncertainty into data analysis. We can take place due to many types of motives such as samples mishandling, unable to collect an observation, measurement errors, aberrant value deleted, or merely be short of study. The nourishment area is not an exemption to the difficulty of data missing. Most frequently, this difficulty is determined by manipulative means or medians from the existing datasets which need improvements. The paper proposed hybrid schemes of MICE and ANN known as extended ANN to search and analyze the missing values and perform imputations in the given dataset. The proposed mechanism is efficiently able to analyze the blank entries and fill them with proper examining their neighboring records in order to improve the accuracy of the dataset. In order to validate the proposed scheme, the extended ANN is further compared against various recent algorithms or mechanisms to analyze the efficiency as well as the accuracy of the results.
A Framework for Feature Selection Using Natural Language Processing for User Profile Learning for Recommendations of Healthcare-Related Content
Authors: Tanwar Mona , Khatri Sunil Kumar , Pendse Ravi
Published: December 2021

This paper presents the work done on recommendations of healthcare related journal papers by understanding the semantics of terms from the papers referred by users in past. In other words, user profiles based on user interest within the healthcare domain are constructed from the kind of journal papers read by the users. Multiple user profiles are constructed for each user based on different categories of papers read by the users. The proposed approach goes to the granular level of extrinsic and intrinsic relationship between terms and clusters highly semantically related relevant domain terms where each cluster represents a user interest area. The semantic analysis of terms is done starting from co-occurrence analysis to extract the intra-couplings between terms and then the inter-couplings are extracted from the intra-couplings and then finally clusters of highly related terms are formed. The experiments showed improved precision for the proposed approach as compared to the state-of-the-art technique with a mean reciprocal rank of 0.76.
An Empirical Investigation of Factors Determining Actual Usage of Entertainment Streaming Apps in India
Authors: Kulshrestha Vishal , Jain Kokil , Sharma Isha
Published: December 2021

Rise of internet and penetration of smartphones have made digital content accessible though Entertainment Streaming Apps (ESA). With the flexibility of time and place, ESA platforms are changing the dynamics of entertainment consumption. The current study explored the determinants of actual usage of ESA using the theory of planned behavior, flow theory and factors affecting entertainment related technology adoption including engagement, content, entertainment value, convenience value and monetary value. Data is collected through an online survey from 215 Indian ESA users and the proposed framework is empirically tested using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings of the study contribute to the growing body of literature on streaming apps adoption and usage by expanding the understanding of the factors that explain its usage behavior.
Perceived Career Success and Career Advancement of Women
Authors: Chauhan Jyoti , Mishra Geeta , Bhakri Suman
Published: December 2021

Ever since there have been a lot of challenges that a woman has to go through to make her career a success. The study focuses on the challenges that women face as a resultant of organizational and family barriers. The current study aims to test whether mentoring, Perceived Organizational Support (POS), and Family Responsibilities (FR) have an impact on Perceived Career Success (PCS) and career advancement of women working in the Indian IT industry. 307 respondents have been analyzed and the reliability and validity of constructs have been checked using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). For hypotheses testing, path analysis has been employed. Results reveal that mentoring, POS and FR significantly impact PCS and career advancement of women working in the Indian IT industry. The results offer insights for organizations to implement leadership strategies and activities to promote gender equality.
Gender Differences in the Complications of Sickle Cell Anemia
Authors: Ugwu Angela O.
Published: December 2021

Background:

The clinical severity of sickle cell anemia (SCA) varies from one individual to another. Several factors, including genetic predisposition, environmental and social factors, are known to modify the clinical presentation and complications of SCA but not much is known about the influence of gender.

Objective:

This study aims at determining the gender differences in the pattern of SCA complications in Enugu, Nigeria.

Materials and Methods:

This is a retrospective analysis of clinical and laboratory data from the folders of patients with SCA at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital Enugu, Nigeria between February 2008 and February 2014. A total of 248 folders comprising 151 males and 97 females were retrieved. Data on the age, sex, hematological parameters, number of complications, and frequency of SCA crises were extracted and analyzed. Only the case files of adult patients with SCA were investigated.

Results:

The median age of the participants was 25 (IQR = 22–30) years. The male to female ratio was 1.5:1. A total of 182 out of 248 (73.4%) cases reviewed had one form of complication or the other. Sickle cell leg ulcer was the most common complication seen among the cases (50/182 [27.5%]), followed by avascular necrosis (AVN) (28/182 [15.4%]). The mean frequency of crises was not different between the male and female genders (15.00 ± 9.01 vs. 9.8 ± 6.97; P = 0.293). However, the male gender had more complications than the female gender (116/151 [73.9%] vs. 116/151 [73.9%]; odds ratio [OR] = 2.13; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.2–3.7; P = 0.007).

Conclusion:

The male gender is twice more likely to develop complications of SCA and, thus, are more likely to have more morbidity from this condition.
The Prevalence of Stillbirths and the Probable Causes in Low Resource Settings in South-East Nigeria
Authors: Ezugwu Euzebus C. , Eleje George U. , Mba Sunday G. , Ajah Leonard O. , Enechukwu Chukwunonso I. , Ugwu George O. , Agu Polycap U. , Ezegwui Hyginus U.
Published: December 2021

Background:

Stillbirth is a devastating pregnancy outcome, with resultant emotional and psychological trauma to the affected family.

Objectives:

We investigated the prevalence and probable causes of stillbirths in four tertiary hospitals in south-east Nigeria.

Materials and Methods:

A 5-year multicenter, retrospective descriptive study of all stillbirths delivered in the hospitals from January 2013 to December 2017 was done. Using an already prepared proforma, the sociodemographic characteristics of the mothers and the probable causes of deaths were retrieved from their case files. Data were entered and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), version 20. A P-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results:

There were 23,101 deliveries within the study period and 1,294 stillbirths giving a stillbirth rate (SBR) of 56.1/1,000 deliveries. More than half (58.7%) of them were intrapartum. More than half of the stillbirths were preterm delivery (58.5%). The commonest probable cause of macerated stillbirth was hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (32.4%).

Conclusion:

The overall SBR was 56.1 per 1000 deliveries. This is higher than 42.9 per 1000 deliveries previously reported in Nigeria. There is an urgent need to improve the quality of antenatal and intrapartum care, if we hope to achieve a significant reduction of the SBR in the region.
Virologic Response to Antiretroviral Therapy Among Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Adults in a Tertiary Healthcare Facility in Enugu State Nigeria
Authors: Obi Izuchukwu F. , Okoronkwo Ijeoma L. , Onyedum Cajetan C. , Fashola Adebayo M. , Onuoha Martins , Nwobi Emmanuel A. , Onodugo Obinna D. , Chukwuka Chinwe
Published: December 2021

Background:

Early and sustained viral suppression with antiretroviral therapy (ART) has been linked to good clinical outcome in HIV-infected patients. The global target is that at least 90% of the patients on ART should be virally suppressed.

Objectives:

We assessed the virologic response to first-line ART in the first year of treatment in our center and determined the factors influencing early viral load suppression among patients.

Materials and Methods:

We conducted a retrospective study involving review of the records of all eligible HIV-infected adults initiated on ART in our facility between 2009 and 2014, who did not miss any follow-up appointment during the first year on ART. Data were extracted with a proforma and analyzed with Epi Info 7. Frequencies and proportions were used to summarize patients who achieved undetectable viremia (viral load < 400 copies/mL]) at 12 and 24 weeks, whereas χ2 and logistic regression were done at 5% alpha to determine the factors influencing early viral load suppression.

Results:

The mean age of 478 participants was 38.6 (19.0) years and 310 (64.8%) were females. While 332 (69.5%) patients achieved undetectable viremia at 12 weeks of ART, 356 (74.5%) achieved it at 24weeks. After 24 weeks on ART, 121 (80.7%) of the150 patients on tenofovir/emtricitabine/efavirenz, 195 (71.2%) of the 274 patients on zidovudine/lamivudine/nevirapine, and 35 (71.4%) of the 49 patients on tenofovir/lamivudine+nevirapine achieved undetectable viremia (P = 0.13). Patients’ age, sex, marital status, baseline CD4 count, TB co-infection status, WHO clinical stage of disease, and plasma viral load at ART initiation were not significantly associated with early viral load suppression (p > 0.05).

Conclusion:

Three out of every four participants initiated on first-line ART achieved undetectable viremia after 24 weeks of treatment in our setting. The three ART regimens assessed have comparable effectiveness. The sociodemographic and clinical variables assessed did not influence viral suppression.
Drug related adverse pregnancy outcomes at a tertiary care hospital from the foothills of Himalayas
Authors: Choudhary Chahat , Bandyopadhyay Arkapal , Bahadur Anupama , Chaturvedi Jaya , Handu Shailendra , Dhamija Puneet
Published: December 2021

Context and Aim:

Safety of drug usage during pregnancy is of utmost importance. Unrestricted usage of drugs may lead to undesirable and unpredictable pregnancy outcomes. This study was designed to detect drug-related adverse pregnancy outcomes, perform prescription audit and develop a pregnancy drug registry.

Methods and Materials:

A prospective observational study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital in northern India. Pregnant females attending antenatal clinic, irrespective of their duration of pregnancy were included in the study over a period of 1 year. The participants were followed up monthly during their pregnancy till the pregnancy outcome. Adverse pregnancy outcomes were evaluated and causality assessment was done using the WHO-UMC scale.

Statistical Analysis:

Descriptive and inferential statistical tools were used for appropriate variables. Regression model was used to establish relationship between factors proposed to be responsible for adverse pregnancy outcomes. Presence of adverse pregnancy outcome was used as an independent variable. Microsoft Excel and Strata (version 12) were used for statistical analysis.

Results:

A total 326 pregnant women were screened out of which 305 were included in the final analysis. Mean age of participants was 27.82 (±4.51) years. Pre-existing comorbidities were present in 4.26% of participants. Average number of drugs per participant was 6.32 (±1.94). Most drugs prescribed to participants were from FDA category B (49.23%) and category A (33.60%). Mean ADR reported per patient was 1.16 (±1.18) with involvement of musculoskeletal (56.42%) and gastrointestinal (7.16%) being most frequent. Adverse pregnancy outcomes were reported in 25 participants among which IUGR (24%) followed by IUD (20%) and ectopic pregnancy (16%) were most frequently observed. Multivariate logistic regression showed number of comorbidities (P = 0.037) and number of drugs consumed during pregnancy (P = 0.02) to be statistically significantly associated with occurrence of adverse pregnancy outcome.

Conclusions:

Pregnancy registries have been instrumental in detection of signals for further research in drug-related adverse outcomes. Inappropriate usage of drugs has been shown to be associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. Our study warrants need for further well-designed studies on adverse pregnancy outcomes in larger patient populations.
Comprehensive study on clinical responses and socioeconomic characteristics of COVID-19 patients during outbreak
Authors: Singh Nishtha , Singh Pratishtha , Singh Vineeta , Krishna Akhilesh , Singh Shraddha
Published: December 2021

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SAR-CoV-2) causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and emerged as a new public health crisis. This RNA virus, which has an origin in bats, is phenotypically and genotypically diverse. The source of transmission is by direct inhalation or contact with infected droplets or indirect through fomites. The disease shows an average incubation period of 2 to 14 days. The general symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, breathlessness, fatigue, and malaise, although in a few it is found to be asymptomatic. The immune response shows variation from individual to individual, which varies from pneumonia, chest pain, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and multiorgan failure leading to death. The cytokine and chemokine responses play a major role in the severity of the infection. Laboratory diagnosis is done by molecular investigations. The socioeconomic conditions of individuals also play a role in disease manifestation. Treatment is supportive with symptomatic management. Preventive measures include social distancing, use of face masks, and contact tracing. This review will present a general overview of coronavirus and describe the clinical and socioeconomic features of the COVID-19 patients. It will also introduce comprehensive data of symptomatic and asymptomatic patients among different Asian and Western countries during the current pandemic. Furthermore, it also focuses on the most up-to-date information on effective management and prevention of COVID-19.
Measles in immunized medical residents
Authors: Bansal Priya , Srivastava Anshuman , Aggarwal Ramesh , Margekar Shubha L. , Dhamija Rajinder K.
Published: December 2021

Measles is a vaccine-preventable disease that continues to be a major cause of morbidity and mortality in children and young adults across the world. Immunization efforts have reduced the incidence of measles over the last 3 decades, but outbreaks are seen in high-transmission areas with susceptible populations, as is seen in hospitals and student campuses. The protection offered by prior vaccination may wean off over time making vaccinated individuals susceptible to infection. Hence, catch-up immunization drives should be undertaken for vulnerable populations such as healthcare personnel, along with routine immunization programs, with the goal to eliminate measles in the future. This case series presents measles in two of our medical residents who got infected despite being vaccinated in childhood.
Gender and genetic factors impacting COVID-19 severity
Authors: Ranjan Jai , Ravindra Akshatha , Mishra Baijayantimala
Published: December 2021

COVID-19 pandemic is a cause of global concern and is impacting lives and economy globally. Infection due to SARS-CoV-2 leads to varied clinical manifestations, which can vary from asymptomatic to severe acute respiratory syndrome and death. The clinical features are proposed to depend upon various host factors, namely, gender and genetic factors. The significantly high mortality among males has revealed the role of gender, androgens, age, genetics, and risk factors in determining the severity of COVID-19 among the population. The interplay of various host factors and their association with clinically severe infections is crucial for our understanding of COVID-19 pathogenesis. A PubMed and Google scholar search was made using keywords such as “COVID-19 + sex differences,” “COVID-19 + androgens,” “COVID-19 + ACE2 receptor,” and “COVID-19 + smoking alcoholism pregnancy.” The articles which highlight the association of gender and genetic factors to COVID-19 were selected and included in our study. It is mainly the primary care or family physicians who act as the first contact of COVID-19 patients. With the recent increase in SARS-CoV-2 infections in the Indian subcontinent and probability of upcoming surges, it has become imperative to understand its interaction with the various gender and genetic factors to devise effective triage and management protocols. Our review highlights the possible mechanisms by which these factors impact the severity of COVID-19. A better understanding of these factors will be of immense help to primary care physicians.
A conceptual model and framework of nutrition-sensitive and specific interventions across Life stages in India
Authors: Sharma Shantanu
Published: December 2021

A large segment of the maternal and child population in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) is malnourished. There has been a considerable amount of literature on different evidence-based actions that work well with pregnant women or lactating mothers. However, we lack a comprehensive framework of evidence-based nutrition interventions for LMIC that endorse actions along the life course, that is, from adolescence to lactation and childhood, for improved child health and nutrition. Considering the need, this study aimed to explore and design a model and framework for improving maternal and child nutrition. A systematic review of the literature was conducted to identify evidence-based interventions that reduce malnutrition and improve maternal and child health and nutrition. The literature search was made using Google, Google Scholar, and PubMed. The search of the literature in the last 5 years was made. Our conceptual model illustrates key nutrition approaches at different levels (from individual to system levels). The promotion, prevention, monitoring, and management framework (based on nutrition-specific interventions) sorts out actions across each set of the population (pregnant, lactating, and newly married women and adolescent girls) for improved nutrition and health. Our nutrition-sensitive intervention framework, in the way to target basic causes of undernutrition, highlight actions that may result in improved maternal and child health and nutrition in the long run. Encapsulating the wide array of interventions across the life course, our model and framework hold importance as they contain evidence-based actions as suggested by the international agencies and are contextualized for India.
Awareness and usage of personal protective equipment among construction workers and their hearing assessment by pure tone audiometry; A cross-sectional study in South India
Authors: Hameed Shahul , Chethana K , Sunu Zainab , Kiran K. G.
Published: December 2021

Context:

Occupational hazards at the building construction workplace are enormous. Good compliance to the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) alongside other safety measures is critical in reducing the hazards. Occupational hearing loss is one such occupational hazard among construction workers.

Aims:

This study was conducted for determining the awareness of the benefits of PPE and its usage among construction workers along with hearing assessment.

Settings and Design:

A cross-sectional study was conducted among construction workers in a building project in Mangaluru city in Dakshina Kannada district in South India.

Methods and Material:

After obtaining informed written consent, 110 construction workers were recruited by simple random sampling method. Basic information, awareness, and use of PPE were collected using a semistructured questionnaire through personal interviews. Hearing assessment was done by pure tone audiometry.

Statistical Analysis Used:

Data collected was analyzed. Chi-square test and Fischer’s exact probability test were used to test the association between variables.

Results:

Majority (85.5%) of the construction workers are working for duration of 15 years or less. Difficulty in hearing was reported by 9.6% of them. Awareness regarding benefits of using personal protective devices like helmets, masks, and earplugs/muffs were 58.2%, 56.4%, and 14.5%, respectively. The utilization of at least one PPE among them was 58.1%. The presence of sensory neural hearing loss (SNHL) in both/either ears was detected among 14.5% of the workers. There was a statistically significant association of SNHL among workers and their duration of construction work.

Conclusion:

The current study highlights that awareness and usage of PPE was low and a proportion of them had a hearing impairment. Occupational health and safety training along with a periodic examination of construction workers need to be focused so as to detect and manage occupational health hazards early.
Prevalence of chronic morbidities and healthcare seeking behavior among urban community dwelling elderly population residing in Kalyani Municipality area of West Bengal, India
Authors: Ahamed Farhad , Ghosh Tandra , Kaur Amandeep , Debnath Abantika
Published: December 2021

Introduction:

Demographic transition has resulted in higher proportion of elderly population in every community. The pattern of chronic morbidity along with healthcare seeking behavior and factors associated with it are important for implementation of national health policies targeted toward elderly population.

Methods:

A community based cross-sectional study was done including 457 urban dwelling elderly population of Kalyani Municipality area of West Bengal. Sociodemographic details, profile of chronic morbidities, and healthcare seeking behavior for chronic morbidities were studied using a pretested semi structured questionnaire.

Results:

The average education and financial independence were high among study participants. The prevalence of chronic morbidities was 82.3% and hypertension was the most common morbidity in both male and female. Around half of the individuals with chronic morbidities (57.7%) sought healthcare advice at least once in last 6 months. Most of the study participants preferred private healthcare setup and allopathic system of medicine. Females have been found to have higher treatment seeking behavior than males in logistic regression.

Conclusion:

We found hypertension and diabetes were more prevalent in the study population. Higher financial independence and education among study participants might have influenced the healthcare seeking behavior, which was mainly from private setup. Implementation of national health policies for elderly has to be accelerated in acceptable ways to promote health among elderly.
Prevalence of acanthosis nigricans and its association with physical activity in adolescents – School-based analytical cross-sectional study from Kochi, Kerala
Authors: Sudevan Remya , Vijay Kumar S , Sunny Clint , Sunand Nanditha , Vasudevan Anu , S Sonu K. , V Apsy P.
Published: December 2021

Introduction:

Acanthosis nigricans (AN) is a brown to black, poorly defined velvety hyperpigmentation of the skin. It is a predisposition factor for Type 2 diabetes, malignancies and various endocrinopathies. The available data regarding AN from Kerala is limited. Our study aims to estimate the prevalence of AN and to examine its association with physical activity among the adolescents of age 13–14 years.

Methodology:

This analytical cross-sectional study was conducted in two grades of a school in Ernakulam district between June and December 2018 among 400 adolescents of age 13–14 years. The study proforma and the Physical activity questionnaire, Adolescents (PAQ-Adolescents), were self-administered to the students and the data were collected. The principal investigator verified the presence of AN by observation in the neck, elbow and knuckles and recorded in the study proforma. Statistical analysis of the data collected was done using SPSS Software program (version 21).

Results:

The mean age of the group was found to be 13.31 ± 0.46 years. The prevalence of AN was 14.5% in the study population. AN was most prevalent among obese adolescents (61.54%), adolescents with low exercise rate (23.94%), having family history of diabetes (21.18%), family history of hypertension (21.86%) and family history of both diabetes and hypertension (26.32%). The risk factors such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, family history of diabetes, family history of hypertension and family history of both diabetes and hypertension had a positive association with AN had a negative association with physical activity with p=0.0001. In adolescents with increased exercise rate, there were no reported cases of AN.

Conclusion:

The results of our study show that there is a strong association between AN and children with obesity, family history of diabetes mellitus, hypertension and low physical activity. Regular adequate physical activity can prevent the onset of AN and thereby reduce the early onset of diabetes, metabolic syndrome, polycystic ovarian syndrome, coronary artery diseases and certain types of malignancies.
Echocardiography Study of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Phenotypes
Authors: Tandon Rohit , Dutt Shivam , Bansal Namita , Singh Gurbhej , Singh Bhupinder , Goyal Abhishek , Chabbra Sheeba Takkar , Aslam Naved , Mohan Bishav , Wander Gurpreet Singh
Published: December 2021

Background:

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a genetic disorder with a heterogeneous phenotype. Historically, only obstructive and nonobstructive forms have been described. Improvements in imaging techniques have led to elaborative description of various new phenotypes, although there are limited epidemiological data regarding these phenotypes from within our population.

Aims and Objectives:

•To identify HCM patients from a cohort of cardiomyopathy patients. •To describe their demographic profile and mode of presentation based on the presenting symptoms. •To subclassify the selected HCM population into various phenotypes based on echocardiography.

Results:

There were 233 patients of HCM in this study. The mean age of the patients was 53 ± 14.5 years with male preponderance (70%). Thirty-six percent patients were asymptomatic, 37% mildly symptomatic (in class I-II), and 27% severely symptomatic (in class III-IV). Patients were classified into six phenotypes consisting of five classically described phenotypes and one atypical phenotype. Reverse curvature phenotype was most prevalent (49%) and symptomatic phenotype with 19.3% having significant resting left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) obstruction. Other phenotypes were 19% apical mid, 11% neutral, 6% sigmoid, and 4% atypical. Male: female ratio for reverse curvature phenotype was 3:1, apical (mid) phenotype 2.4:1, and both apical and neutral phenotypes 2:1. Sigmoid phenotype had female-to-male ratio of 2.5:1.

Conclusion:

HCM patients require phenotype specific approach for complete assessment. Transthoracic echocardiography with myocardial contrast plays a pivotal role in identifying morphological phenotypes, effects on cardiac remodeling and hemodynamics which consequently influence mode of presentation. Reverse curvature, apical mid, and sigmoid phenotypes are comparatively more symptomatic, have larger left atrial size and segment thickness compared to less symptomatic apical and neutral phenotypes. Symptom status of the patient seems to be dependent on age, septal contour, severity of LVOT obstruction, left atrial volume, and maximal segment thickness.
Double-Outlet Right Atrium – a Rare and Easily Misdiagnosed Entity
Authors: Sivakumar Kothandam , Mohanty Sandeep , Varghese Roy
Published: December 2021

Double-outlet right atrium (DORA) is a rare clinical entity associated with atrioventricular septal defects. Although it is easily correctable by surgery, it may be misdiagnosed during echocardiographic evaluation. Awareness and a thorough knowledge of this entity, its associations, echocardiographic appearances, surgical techniques, and its embryogenesis can alert the clinician to identify this rare but correctable condition. A young patient with DORA is described in this clinical report.
Diagnosis of Idiopathic Granulomatous Mastitis in a Sudanese Woman
Authors: Almobarak Ahmed O. , Siddig Samar B. , Hassan Ahmed , Ahmed Mohamed H.
Published: December 2021

Idiopathic granulomatous mastitis (IGM) is a relatively rare specific chronic inflammatory process of unknown etiology, that diagnostically overlaps with common breast pathologies in Sudan, namely breast cancer (BC) and tuberculous mastitis (TBM). We report the case of a 34-year-old female who presented with a 1-month history of a painful lump in the lower outer quadrant of her left breast. A tru-cut biopsy showed features of granulomatous inflammation suggestive of IGM. Four months later, she presented with similar features and fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) confirmed the presence of IGM and excluded the presence of both, BC and TBM. Histology once again confirmed the diagnosis of granulomatous mastitis with no evidence of breast cancer. Grocott's Methenamine Silver, Ziehl–Neelsen stain, and polymerase chain reaction were negative and accordingly the possibility of fungal infection and TBM were excluded. To our knowledge, this is the first case report of IGM in Sudan. FNAC helped in correct diagnosis of our case and importantly, conditions such as BC and TBM were both excluded as common mimickers of IGM. Although breast biopsy is the main golden approach in the diagnosis of IGM in addition to the usefulness of adjunct ancillary microbiological techniques, still further research is needed to establish whether FNAC can be a reliable tool in the diagnosis of IGM with the common practice of this diagnostic tool in Sudan.
Comparison of channel sampling methods and brush heads in surveillance culture of endoscope reprocessing
Authors: Ji Xue-Yue , Ning Pei-Yong , Fei Chun-Nan , Song Jia , Dou Xue-Mei , Zhang Nan-Nan , Liu Jun , Liu He
Published: December 2021

Background:

Endoscopy-related infections have caused multiple outbreaks. The importance of surveillance culture is gradually recognized, but sampling techniques are not consistent in many guidelines. It is unclear whether the Flush-Brush-Flush sampling method (FBFSM) is more sensitive than the conventional flush sampling method (CFSM) and whether different sampling brushes have different effects.

Methods:

The propensity score matching method was done with two matching ways, 1:1 nearest neighbor propensity score matching and full matching was used to analyze the surveillance culture data collected by FBFSM and CFSM. We fit a confounder-adjusted multiple generalized linear logistic regression model to estimate the marginal odds ratio (OR). A paired study was applied to compare the sampling effect of polyurethane foam (PU) head brush and polyamide (PA) head brush.

Result:

From 2016 to 2020, 316 reprocessed endoscope samples were collected from all 59 endoscopy centers in Tianjin. About 279 (88.3%) reprocessed endoscopes met the threshold of Chinese national standards (<20 CFU/Channel). The qualified rate of reprocessed endoscopes sampling by CFSM (91.8%) and FBFSM (81.6%) was statistically different (p < 0.05). The adjusted OR by full matching for FBFSM was 7.98 (95% confidence interval: 3.35-21.78). Forty one pairs of colonoscopes, after reprocessing from 27 centers, were tested by PA and PU brushes, and no difference was found in microbial recovery.

Conclusion:

FBFSM was confirmed to be a more sensitive sampling technique. PU and PA brushes had no significant difference in sampling effect.
Generalized torsion for knots with arbitrarily high genus
Authors: Motegi Kimihiko , Teragaito Masakazu
Published: December 2021

Let G be a group, and let g be a nontrivial element in G. If some nonempty finite product of conjugates of g equals the identity, then g is called a generalized torsion element. We say that a knot K has generalized torsion if
$G(K) = \pi _1(S^3 - K)$
admits such an element. For a
$(2, 2q+1)$
-torus knot K, we demonstrate that there are infinitely many unknots
$c_n$
in
$S^3$
such that p-twisting K about
$c_n$
yields a twist family
$\{ K_{q, n, p}\}_{p \in \mathbb {Z}}$
in which
$K_{q, n, p}$
is a hyperbolic knot with generalized torsion whenever
$|p|> 3$
. This gives a new infinite class of hyperbolic knots having generalized torsion. In particular, each class contains knots with arbitrarily high genus. We also show that some twisted torus knots, including the
$(-2, 3, 7)$
-pretzel knot, have generalized torsion. Because generalized torsion is an obstruction for having bi-order, these knots have non-bi-orderable knot groups.
Big Data and Accounting: A Bibliometric Study
Authors:   Institute of Management Technology, India, Varma Ashish , Piedepalumbo Palmira ,   Parthenope University of Naples, Mancini Daniela ,   University of Teramo, Italy
Published: December 2021

Over the years, the importance and role of Big Data have grown considerably. Accountants’ work requires sound judgement and decision making, which makes their activities less conducive to automation. Nonetheless, it is useful for accountants to be at ease with the use of data analysis, especially when data are unstructured and relevant to decision making. This study aimed to visualize the research panorama on the theme “Big Data and accounting” to appreciate the current state of knowledge in this field. Bibliometric analysis was used to study literature on the topic of Big Data and accounting. The data were collected using the Scopus database to ascertain the authors, countries, keywords and journals that have contributed the most to this body of knowledge. VOSviewer software was used for data visualization. Through a visual analysis, the results reveal the current state of knowledge on the theme of Big Data and accounting, with significant implications for future works in this field. The findings also highlight the potential opportunities for future studies on this topic and on peripheral themes. Keywords: Big data, accounting, bibliometric analysis, digital accounting, research agenda.
Remote Sensing of City Extension and Vegetal Cover Changes along Lagos-Ibadan Access Strip in Nigeria
Authors: Oyedepo J.A. , Oluyege D.E. , Babajide E.I.
Published: December 2021

The paper employed Remote sensing data in a multi-decadal assessment of vegetal to urban land cover transition along Lagos-Ibadan expressway. The forty-year assessment commenced in 1980 and ended in 2020. Landsat imageries acquired for the respective periods were subjected to supervised classification. Results reveal massive conversion of vegetated areas into built-up areas. The transition became pronounced from the second decade with 30,226 and cumulative of 48,455 Hectares of vegetation transforming into built-up area. During the third decade (2000 to 2010), additional 44,780 and cumulative of 93,235 Hectares of green area was converted into built-up areas. The largest transition was recorded in the last decade (2010 to 2020) during which vegetated area covering 50,827 Hectares was converted to living or industrial areas giving a cumulative transition of 141,065 in year 2020 Pearson moment correlation showed a high negative correlation with a coefficient value of -0.86. Hectares of vegetal areas into built-up or bare surfaces.
Assessment of Impact Rainfall Variability on Water Supply in Ibadan South West Local Government Area, Oyo State, Nigeria
Authors: Adetayo A.O.
Published: December 2021

The effect of rainfall variability on water supply in Ibadan South West L.G.A was investigated in this study. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation and regression analysis. The result of the analysis shows that there is a weak positive relationship between annual rainfall received and the public water supply in the study area during the selected (2006-2020) years. The results obtained from the computation of correlation were used to test for the validity of the first hypothesis. It was discovered that water demand by each household is almost similar from zone to zone which shows that the people are with similar water needs with 52.92% of the population needing 401 to 600 liters of water per day while 10.48% consumes over 800 liters of water per day The result also shows that the calculated value (3.807) is greater than the tabulated value (2.167). Therefore we reject the null hypothesis which states that there is no relationship between rural water supply and rainfall variability in the study area to accept the alternative hypothesis which states that there is a relationship between rural water supply and rainfall variability in the study area confirming that water availability and water supply is vulnerable to climate change and rainfall variability. The study recommends that the people, civil society organizations, government as well as non-governmental organizations should rededicate their efforts of ameliorating the adverse effect of climatic change and rainfall variability on water supply through massive development of ground water sources and rain harvesting techniques.
Comparative Morphology and Taxonomic Study of Chlorophytum sabiense And Two Other Species in the Genus Chlorophytum Ker-Gawl
Authors: Omokanye B.S. , Mustapha O.T. , Animasaun A.D. , Oyewole S.O. , Kolawole O.S.
Published: December 2021

Chlorophytum sabiense Omok. (a newly identified species in the family Asparagaceae) is unique, having multiple styles emerging from fused ovaries. This specialized character may be overlooked in conjuring up archetype for the genus Chlorophytum, since the genus is characterized by single and simple style. Comparative morphology and taxonomic study of Chlorophytum sabiense and two other species in the genus (Chlorophytum macrophyllum and C. stenopetalum) was carried out to appraise level of relatedness of Chlorophytum. sabiense and these existing members. Distribution of the three species is sympatric in the North Central part of Nigeria. Chlorophytum sabiense may be confused with either of the two species because of the attributes they have in common. Samples collected were raised in a garden and closely observed for duration of three years. Data collected from morphological studies were analyzed statistically. The three species show similarity in most of the vegetative characters studied, however Chlorophytum sabiense is distinguished from the two others having; multiple styles, smaller fruit size and shorter length of pistil relative to the stamen. Exceptional characteristics exhibited by Chlorophytum sabiense makes it stand out among species in the genus, while its close resemblance with its allies accounts for reason why it had escaped recognition for a long time.
Impact of Agricultural Input Supply on Agricultural Growth in Nigeria
Authors: Opeyemi G. , Olusegun S.S. , Taiwo A. , Mobolaji A.O.
Published: December 2021

Improving the production capacity of agriculture in Nigeria through agricultural input supply is an important policy goal in a country where agriculture represents an important sector in the economy. The agricultural sector provides livelihood to a significant portion of Nigerian population, especially in rural areas, where poverty is more pronounced. Thus, a growing agricultural sector contributes to both overall growth and poverty alleviation. The study specifically examined the effects of agricultural input supply on agricultural growth in Nigeria from 1990 to 2017. The objective of this study is to examine agricultural input supply in Nigeria and its implications on the growth of agricultural growth in Nigeria. The study used time series data covering 1986-2016 obtained from FAOSTAT, World Development Indicator and Central Bank of Nigeria data base. This study utilized Auto-Regressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) approach to investigate the variables. The finding of the study shows that there is co-integration between the variables. The result of the study shows that gross capital formation and Fertilizer supply to agriculture were significant in influencing agricultural growth in Nigeria with coefficient values of (-0.002468), and (0.001506), with P- values of (0.0222) and (0.0171) respectively. Given the robust nature of the result, it is evident that agricultural input supply contributes in great measure to agricultural growth in Nigeria. The study then conclude that agricultural input is essential for the growth of agricultural sector in Nigeria and recommend that given the lean resources available to government, attention should be given to the inputs that contributes significantly to the growth of the sector.
Comparative Investigation on the Concentrations of Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and Testosterone Levels in Infertile Males attending a Private University Teaching Hospital, in Rivers State, Nigeria
Authors: George-Opuda I.M. , Adegoke A.O. , Bamigbowu O.E. , Nwaganga C.
Published: December 2021

The study was carried out to determine the concentrations of Dehydroepiandrosterone hormone (DHEAS) and testosterone in infertile males and compared with fertile males attending Madonna University Teaching Hospital (MUTH) Elele. Thirty apparently infertile males and 30 apparently fertile male as control had their Dehydroepiandrosterone hormone (DHEAS) and testosterone determined using competitive immune enzymatic colorimetric method and Enzyme Immunoassay while the semen analysis was done using Microscopy method. There was significant increase (P<0.05) in DHEAS of 1.23+0.07 ug/ml obtained in infertile male compared with 3.78 +0.13 ug/ml in the control. There was significant difference in Semen count of 56.27 +2.82million/ml in fertile males compared with 7.73+ 0.10 million/ml while testosterone in infertile males of 2.53+0.09 was significantly lower than 7.52+0.31 in fertile males(P<0.05). The study showed that DHEAS is elevated in infertility hence should be considered an indicator of infertility.