bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessment of the Choroidal Vascular Structure in Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children
Authors: Icoz Mehmet , Arıkan Yorgun Mucella , Bayhan Gulsum Iclal , Gurturk Icoz Sule Gokcek , Yahsi Aysun
Published: October 2023

Purpose:

To evaluate the choroidal vascular structure in cases of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C).

Methods:

This prospective study included 38 eyes of 19 patients with MIS-C and 60 eyes of 30 healthy participants. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging was performed at 1 month after diagnosis in the MIS-C group. Using enhanced depth imaging OCT, choroidal thickness was measured in the subfoveal, nasal, and temporal quadrants at 500 and 1,500 µm distances from the fovea (SCT, N
500
CT, T
500
CT, N
1500
CT, and T
1500
CT, respectively). The luminal, stromal, and total choroidal areas were evaluated with the binarization method in ImageJ software (National Institutes of Health). The ratio of the luminal area to the total choroidal area was determined as the choroidal vascular index (CVI).

Results:

The age and sex distributions of the two groups without any ophthalmologic pathology were similar (
P
> .05). The choroidal thickness values in all quadrants except for T
1500
CT were similar between the two groups (
P
> .05). T
1500
CT was significantly lower in the MIS-C group (
P
= .02). The luminal choroidal area was 1.04 ± 0.10 mm
2
in the MIS-C group and 1.26 ± 0.24 mm
2
in the healthy control group (
P
< .001), and the CVI values were 0.52 ± 0.04 and 0.57 ± 0.09, respectively (
P
= .01). The stromal and total choroidal area values did not significantly differ between the two groups (
P
> .05).

Conclusions:

This is the first study to evaluate CVI in patients with MIS-C. It was observed that the choroidal vascular structure could be affected in the early period of MIS-C, as shown by a decrease in the CVI value and luminal vascular area. OCT can be used to monitor ocular vascular changes in these patients.

[
J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus
. 2024;61(2):120–126.]
Assessment of the Responses of the Artificial Intelligence–based Chatbot ChatGPT-4 to Frequently Asked Questions About Amblyopia and Childhood Myopia
Authors: Nikdel Mojgan , Ghadimi Hadi , Tavakoli Mehdi , Suh Donny W.
Published: October 2023

Purpose:

To assess the responses of the ChatGPT-4, the forerunner artificial intelligence–based chatbot, to frequently asked questions regarding two common pediatric ophthalmologic disorders, amblyopia and childhood myopia.

Methods:

Twenty-seven questions about amblyopia and 28 questions about childhood myopia were asked of the ChatGPT twice (totally 110 questions). The responses were evaluated by two pediatric ophthalmologists as acceptable, incomplete, or unacceptable.

Results:

There was remarkable agreement (96.4%) between the two pediatric ophthalmologists on their assessment of the responses. Acceptable responses were provided by the ChatGPT to 93 of 110 (84.6%) questions in total (44 of 54 [81.5%] for amblyopia and 49 of 56 [87.5%] questions for childhood myopia). Seven of 54 (12.9%) responses to questions on amblyopia were graded as incomplete compared to 4 of 56 (7.1%) of questions on childhood myopia. The ChatGPT gave inappropriate responses to three questions about amblyopia (5.6%) and childhood myopia (5.4%). The most noticeable inappropriate responses were related to the definition of reverse amblyopia and the threshold of refractive error for prescription of spectacles to children with myopia.

Conclusions:

The ChatGPT has the potential to serve as an adjunct informational tool for pediatric ophthalmology patients and their caregivers by demonstrating a relatively good performance in answering 84.6% of the most frequently asked questions about amblyopia and childhood myopia.

[
J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus
. 2024;61(2):86–89.]
Functional Vision of Pseudophakic Children Attending a Pediatric Ophthalmology Clinic in Southwest Nigeria
Authors: Aremu Olanipekun Olalekan , Ugalahi Mary Ogbenyi , Olusanya Bolutife Ayokunnu , Oluleye Tunji S.
Published: October 2023

Purpose:

To determine the functional vision of pseudophakic children attending a child eye health tertiary facility in southwest Nigeria.

Methods:

A hospital-based descriptive study of pseudophakic children attending the Pediatric Ophthalmology outpatient clinic of a tertiary facility in southwest Nigeria was conducted between June and November 2021. Details of demography and clinical examination findings were obtained using a semi-structured questionnaire. Information about functional vision was obtained using the Pediatric Eye Questionnaire (PedEyeQ). Data obtained from the PedEyeQ were entered into a Rasch-calibrated PedEyeQ Excel response data sheet. Data analysis was done using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 22 (SPSS, Inc).

Results:

A total of 196 pseudophakic children were recruited. Their ages ranged from 2 to 16 years with a mean of 9.8 ± 3.4 years and there was a male-to-female ratio of 2.2:1. The median functional vision score of pseudophakic children across all age groups was 90.0. The functional vision scores were associated with the laterality of cataract, type of cataract, presence of comorbidities, visual acuity (distance and near) in the better eye, and number of surgeries.

Conclusions:

The functional vision scores of pseudophakic children were low. Significant predictors of low functional vision scores include surgery for congenital cataract, low average family income, longer duration of time between surgery and recruitment into the study, and poorer best corrected visual acuity in the better eye. The routine assessment of functional vision should be considered an important aspect of pseudophakic children's eye care with a view toward optimizing psychological and social well-being.

[
J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus
. 2024;61(2):138–146.]
Epidemiology of Pediatric Uveitis in Argentina
Authors: LaMattina Kara C. , Frick Mercedes , López Matilde , Tártara Alejandra , Hurtado Erika , Schlaen Ariel , Couto Cristobal
Published: October 2023

Purpose:

To explore the geographic variability of the epidemiology of pediatric uveitis, which, although rare in children, carries a significant risk of morbidity.

Methods:

This was a retrospective review conducted at two tertiary referral centers in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Demographic and clinical data of patients younger than 16 years diagnosed as having uveitis between January 1, 2006 and October 1, 2014 were collected.

Results:

A total of 257 patients (380 eyes) were included in the study. Cases tended to be unilateral (134, 52.1%), granulomatous (146, 56.8%), and localized to the posterior segment (121, 47.1%). Toxoplasmosis was the most common etiology (98, 38.1%).

Discussion:

The spectrum of pediatric uveitis in Buenos Aires most closely resembles that of Colombia. Understanding these geographic variations is important to aid providers who are caring for children in an increasingly globalized world.

[
J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus
. 2024;61(3):183–187.]
On graphs with a few distinct reciprocal distance Laplacian eigenvalues
Authors: Anđelić Milica , Khan Saleem , Pirzada S.
Published: October 2023

For a $ \nu $-vertex connected graph $ \Gamma $, we consider the reciprocal distance Laplacian matrix defined as $ RD^L(\Gamma) = RT(\Gamma)-RD(\Gamma) $, i.e., $ RD^L(\Gamma) $ is the difference between the diagonal matrix of the reciprocal distance degrees $ RT(\Gamma) $ and the Harary matrix $ RD(\Gamma) $. In this article, we determine the graphs with exactly two distinct reciprocal distance Laplacian eigenvalues.We completely characterize the graph classes with a $ RD^L $ eigenvalue of multiplicity $ \nu-2 $. Moreover, we characterize families of graphs with reciprocal distance Laplacian eigenvalue whose multiplicity is $ \nu-3 $.
User Expectations and Preferences Regarding Online Library Chat Widgets
Authors: Dease Nicholas E
Published: October 2023

In 2019, the Pratt Institute Libraries redesigned their website and launched a new chat service. In the following three years, we explored the user experience of our chat services to determine the placement, label, and functionality of chat widgets on library web pages. We conducted two usability studies in collaboration with a graduate-level course taught at Pratt's School of Information. This paper presents a selection of findings from these studies and a discussion of our approach.
African Women, Colonial Justice and White Man’s Mercy
Authors: Gendry Thaïs , Hynd Stacey
Published: October 2023

This article offers the first comparative analysis of the treatment of African women in British and French criminal law. Using evidence from 115 trial records involving female accused from French West Africa and Kenya, the Gold Coast and Nyasaland, it explores the processes through which ideas of race, status and public order intertwined with European and local African gender norms, both within courtrooms and political offices, to determine the outcome of murder cases involving female accused. The article investigates the development of a colonial “white man’s mercy”, analysing the cultural sensibilities and politico-legal reasoning which led to many African women receiving mercy and judicial leniency. It shows how intersections of racial and gendered stereotypes, many shared across French and British colonial cultures, often worked in favour of African murderesses through the operation of mercy processes. It further explores the treatment of “wicked women” who were only spared execution explicitly on grounds “of [their] sex” and often against the opinion of on-the-ground colonial judges. Finally, it interrogates those cases where women were executed, to highlight the limits of gender in determining sentencing.
COVID-19, Policies, Socio-Economic and Health Effects in Southern European Countries
Authors: Tavares Aida Isabel , Ferreira Pedro Lopes
Published: October 2023

This essay aims to make a brief comparative analysis of the Southern European countries of Spain, Greece, Italy and Portugal with regard to the socio-economic and health effects caused by the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and by the control and mitigation policies implemented by their respective governments. It presents a brief contextualization of the structural characteristics of these socio-economic effects and propagation routes of these effects of COVID‑19. It also describes some governmental steps toward mitigation along with control measures during and after the pandemic. The first-order effects can be reflected in an excess mortality rate; for the second-order effects the focus is on young people and non‑COVID people; and, finally, third-order effects refer to macroeconomic indicators, such as household consumption and public debt.
Desigualdades sociales en salud y la pandemia del COVID‑19: el caso de España
Authors: Gil Marta Aguilar , García José María Bleda
Published: October 2023

El objetivo principal de esta investigación ha sido identificar las desigualdades sociales en salud de los españoles a consecuencia de la pandemia COVID‑19. Se ha utilizado la técnica de la observación documental, analizando diferentes documentos técnicos y científicos publicados en los años de la pandemia. Entre los resultados obtenidos destacan: el papel fundamental desempeñado por el Estado y la familia para poder afrontar la pandemia; la visibilidad de las debilidades en el Sistema Nacional de Salud que han impedido el acceso universal de los ciudadanos a los servicios sanitarios, sobre todo a los colectivos más vulnerables; el aumento de las desigualdades sociales en salud relacionadas con el género, ya que las mujeres han tenido que soportar más presión en los hogares, y la disminución de los ingresos económicos en las familias más vulnerables.
Income-Related Health Inequalities under COVID-19 in Greece
Authors: Papanastasiou Stefanos
Published: October 2023

This paper focuses on income-related health inequalities amid COVID‑19 in Greece. The prolonged crisis and the pandemic have exacerbated the socioeconomic risks in the country. A major implication is the sharp decline in incomes, which has worsened the health status and the access and use of healthcare, especially among low and middle income individuals. We analyze the theoretical background on health inequalities and describe the dual shock to Greek society, both with the ongoing fiscal consolidation and the COVID-19 pandemic. By utilizing EU-SILC data through alternative techniques, we offer empirical estimates of the extent of health inequalities ranked by incomes. The empirical findings indicate a certain increase in income-based health inequalities over a critical period for Greece’s population.
Auditing Customer Identity and Access Management
Authors: Podugu Sushmita , Rayapureddi Vamsi Krishna , Gupta Manish
Published: October 2023

Customer identity and access management (CAIM) is an emerging field that is a subset of traditional identity and access management. Authenticating, authorizing, and granting access to company systems to employees is the foundation of traditional IAM. Contrarily, CIAM is a specialist field that allows organizations to authenticate, authorize, and provide access to their customers/consumers for on-premises or cloud-based organizational systems. By granting customers access, it becomes necessary to control the degree of access granted to customers; as a result, auditing is a crucial component of CIAM. Auditing aids in directing businesses towards establishing control environment, assessing risk, developing, and monitoring relevant IT controls; and keeps an eye on laws that are imposed by governing authorities. The chapter begins with an introduction to audit and customer identity access management. It addresses the risks associated with CIAM, strategies for implementing security controls and the importance of implementing these controls.
Educational Standards in the Social Digitalization Context
Authors: Beshenkov Sergey A. , Mindzaeva Eteri V. , Rizhova Natalia I. , Shutikova Margarita I.
Published: October 2023

The chapter focuses on the main patterns of social development, causing the modernization of existing educational standards for training modern specialists. The authors analyze multiple paradigms existing in different educational systems in the context of the ongoing globalization and social transition to digitalization. The chapter reviews the development of educational standards and concepts in their retrospect over the past 30 years. The authors describe the features and tasks of Russian higher education in the transition from one generation of standards to another under the influence of the fourth industrial revolution. Nowadays, the chapter argues, one of the strategic goals of modern education is the formation of subject and metacognition knowledge. The authors emphasize that educational tasks related to the creation of critical activities for the digital society and their corresponding digital competencies do not lose their particular relevance.
Expanding the Notion of Culture in Digital Course Design
Authors: Shchaveleva Ekaterina N. , Tolstykh Olesya M. , Saulembekova Guldana S.
Published: October 2023

The chapter explores the concept of culture in the context of course design in digital environments. With contemporary learning theories prioritizing individual learners' needs, digital environments have become an effective solution. As learners have long become major stakeholders in education, course designers strive to cater to their diverse needs, with culture being a key indicator. While culture is conventionally associated with national cultural settings, and people's learning is largely influenced by the contexts within which they live and learn, the authors suggest it should be expanded to include, and not be limited to, other aspects that shape the learning process, such as age, gender, personality features, social status, mental facilities, previous learning experience, and professional background. The authors' hypothesis is that learners' motivation and performance levels are largely determined by the above-mentioned culture factors. Therefore, course designers should practice a cultural approach to ensure optimal learning outcomes.
Motives for Getting Higher Education in Different Cultures (China, Africa, Russia)
Authors: Murafa Svetlana V.
Published: October 2023

The chapter presents the results of a cross-cultural study of the motives for obtaining higher education by students from different countries, including Russia, China, Chad, and Cameroon. The sample consisted of 400 students from various higher educational institutions studying various disciplines. The obtained results allowed the authors to analyze both differences and similarities in the motives for getting higher education caused by sociocultural factors. The critical features in the formation of motivation for learning, the motivation for achieving success in different educational systems in different cultures are revealed. The author argues that the formation of learning motives to a greater extent depends on the motivational-background and national-psychological characteristics of students from different countries.
Specifics of Russian Certification Systems and Personnel Reserves of School Principals
Authors: Fedorchuk Yulia M. , Gordashnikova Olga Yu.
Published: October 2023

The chapter presents the results of a sociological study of the professional characteristics of school principals in different constituent entities of Russia. Also, the authors conduct the monitoring of the status of existing Russian regional certification models, the appointment system, and the work on the formation of staff reserves for school principals. The regional specifics of the models for managing personnel processes for the appointment and certification of principals are identified. The state of personnel reservation systems for principals of educational organizations in the Russian regions and municipalities is analyzed. The directions for improving the systems for the certification, appointment, and formation of personnel reserves at various levels of the managerial vertical in the field of general education are determined.
The Era of E-Learning and the Challenges for Rural Areas
Authors: Maharrani Dwi , Saputri Kurnia , Pratiwi Widya Rizky , Apriani Eka , Muthmainnah Muthmainnah , Warsah Idi , Supardan Dadan
Published: October 2023

Unequal access to technology and the internet is one of the main challenges to online learning in rural areas that led to a significant disparity in access to quality education. Additionally, those students and teachers have struggled with the transition to online learning due to a lack of technical skills and familiarity with digital tools. This study investigates the online teaching strategies implemented by senior high school English teachers in rural areas South Sumatera amidst COVID-19 pandemic. Six English teachers at senior high schools participated in this study and were interviewed in an in-depth semi-structured interview. Using a qualitative method, the data gathered from the interview was analyzed using transcription and identifications of important themes emerged. There are four important themes discussed as the results: learning preparation, instructional strategies, assessment, and personal development. Despite the challenges, the teachers demonstrated resilience and creativity in developing strategies to ensure that their students could access quality education.
The Role of the Education System in Countering and Preventing Extremism and Terrorism in Youth Environments
Authors: Oganesyan Sergey S. , Khaadi Tarim
Published: October 2023

Nowadays, the increase of adolescent and youth extremism and terrorism is associated with the next change in the civilizational mentality of humanity. Over the past two or three centuries, this has been universally moving from a religious to a scientific worldview. Starting from the Renaissance, Enlightenment, and reformation of the Church, the ethnic groups, and people of Europe, and then of all the other continents, began gradually, but steadily, to switch from the norms and rules prescribed by the Holy Traditions of paganism and the Holy Scriptures of monotheism to independent rule-making and living according to legislative systems which are the result of their intellectual activity. The mentality of many ethnic groups and people, on the one hand, still cannot move away from religious ideas and beliefs, on the other hand, it is forced to change due to the forced transition to new norms and rules of life. Those acts that in the scriptures and traditions referred to the most serious sins and to “lawlessness,” in the modern world, among an impressive part of ethnic groups and people are no longer such (for example, gay marriage). In the conditions of the most powerful migration and integration processes, it is the education systems of all countries of the world that have to form a fundamentally new mentality, which must be connected with the scientific worldview, with its typical tolerance to the most diverse opinions and positions, to the lifestyle and thinking of other people, with pluralism of views, concepts, and theories. The current surge in extremism and terrorism among adolescents and young people is associated with low legal awareness and legal nihilism, the authors argue, as well as with the loss of value orientations of modern societies. It is the education systems that should form value orientation, legal awareness, and legal obedience skills for adolescents and young people.
A Study on how Relaxed Technical Approaches affect Perceived Tension and Performance in Pianists
Authors: Madapatha Pavithra M. , Perera Priyeshni P.
Published: October 2023

The pianoforte is one of the most popular musical instruments that has attracted by any individuals at any age in any part of the world. Much of the music that had been composed for various keyboard instruments in different periods of history is often performed in the present-day acoustic piano. As a result, many music students who enroll in piano study are regularly at risk of acquiring poor technical approaches at the keyboard, which often leads to physical tension, continuous pain, injuries and a slower rate of progress. Therefore, this pilot study explored relaxed technical concepts which may help pianists to be more efficient technically in their performances. The purpose of this research study was to examine how the application of an appropriate technical concept to a technically challenging extract of a piece of music affects the perceived physical tension of piano students. It also sought to determine whether the implementation of physically relaxed approaches aids in diminishing physical tension and increasing the performance level of piano students. 26 undergraduates studying piano at the University of Visual and Performing Arts, Colombo, Sri Lanka participated in this research study. The technical approach termed ‘the underwave and overwave motion’, a relaxed technical approach of Ortmann and Taubman was applied to minimize physical tension. Participants of this research study were required to perform and record their playing for two days and the music tracks were adjudicated by five judges. The collected data were statistically analyzed by the Shapiro-Wilk test to verify the relationship between the use of piano technique, performance, and perceived tension. The perceived tension difference was computed based on the collected data as ‘performance difference = day one performance minus day two performance; and perceived tension difference = day two perceived tension minus day one perceived tension’. Based on the results, the application of appropriate technical approaches to technically challenging extracts of music minimized the perceived physical tension and also improved the tone quality of the performance.
Female Instrumentalists’ Contribution to the Music Industry in Sri Lanka
Authors: Edirisooriya E.M. Indrani
Published: October 2023

In every field, starting from land to space, both females and males have contributed to its development. However, it can be seen that due to each society’s unique set of cultural, and religious attitudes, women are subjected to certain restrictions that vary across the globe. This study was done to explore such issues faced by women in Sri Lanka, particularly, those who are instrumentalists in the field of music. The research was based on the problem that even though there are many talented2 female instrumentalists in the country, there is fewer number of female music instrumentalists in the music industry of Sri Lanka. Thus, the main purpose of the study was to discover what factors have resulted in Sri Lankan female instrumentalists’ limited contribution or their absence in the music industry. This study analyzed the responses of the chosen participants regarding the difficulties they have faced during their contribution to an occasion related to music. The participants included in the study were selected using the convenience sampling technique. To collect the primary data, a questionnaire was distributed among 17 female musicians that play at least one musical instrument. The questions included open-ended and closed-ended questions. The responses that the participants gave included issues related to male dominance and societal attitudes toward female musical instrumentalists, and the role they have to play in the family as a wife and mother. Additionally, it was evident that females are more reluctant to pursue music from secondary school onwards due to the issues mentioned previously. It could be stated that based on the findings, female musical instrumentalists contribute less to the music business due to the above-mentioned factors.
Women in the Circle of Political Modesty: Nobodies in Music Research among Chinese Scholars
Authors: Jähnichen Gisa
Published: October 2023

One might think of knowing it all: In Chinese research institutions, people base their admiration on positioning within a professional realm. Is the position powerful and the admiration growing? Might it come with even bigger power in the context of music research, where topics and experiences are still strongly connected to a biologist approach? Is the name of an author or contributor important in this circle? This short study gives some explanations about dealing with gender perspectives in a self-adopted circle of political modesty among Chinese scholars in music research. How do names play a role in addressing research outcomes and their applications? The direct observation span is 2015-2022 in major Chinese cities with larger tertiary educational institutions. Some insights may help understand current issues in the field of music research, used terminology, and priorities in referencing techniques. The gender perspective includes issues that are highly sensitive among those scholars and cannot be simply broken down into straightforward categories. The author is fully aware of the long journey ahead in order to change certain male-centered or -dominated conventions and thinking patterns.
LncRNA VPS9D1-AS1 Regulates MiR-187-3p/Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor-Like 1 Axis to Promote Proliferation, Migration, and Invasion of Prostate Cancer Cells
Authors: Wu Chenguang , Chen Jian , Wang Dong
Published: October 2023

The morbidity and mortality of prostate cancer are increasing year by year, and the survival rate of prostate cancer patients after treatment is low. Therefore, investigating the molecular mechanism underlying prostate cancer is crucial for developing effective treatments. Recent studies have shown the important role of long-chain non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in tumorigenesis. VPS9D1-AS1 can modulate the progression of multiple cancers, but its molecular action mechanism in prostate cancer remains unknown. This study, therefore, intended to investigate the regulatory mechanism of VPS9D1-AS1 in prostate cancer. First, differentially expressed lncRNAs in prostate cancer were identified through bioinformatics approaches. The target lncRNA for the study was determined by reviewing the relevant literature and its downstream miRNA/mRNA axis was uncovered. Then, quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction was introduced to assess the expression of VPS9D1-AS1, miR-187-3p, and fibroblast growth factor receptor-like 1 (FGFRL1) at a cellular level, and Western blot was conducted to assess the protein level of FGFRL1 in cells. The results indicated that VPS9D1-AS1 and FGFRL1 were highly expressed in prostate cancer while miR-187-3p was less expressed. Besides, MTT, colony formation, wound healing, and cell invasion assays showed that silencing VPS9D1-AS1 inhibited the viability, migration ability, and invasion ability of prostate cancer cells. Dual-luciferase assay and RNA binding protein immunoprecipitation assay were performed to explore the interplay of miR-187-3p and VPS9D1-AS1 or FGFRL1. The results showed that VPS9D1-AS1 could sponge miR-187-3p, and FGFRL1 could serve as a direct target of miR-187-3p. Moreover, combined with the results of the rescue experiment, VPS9D1-AS1 was found to upregulate FGFRL1 by competitively sponging miR-187-3p to accelerate the malignant behaviors of prostate cancer cells. In conclusion, VPS9D1-AS1 could promote the phenotype progression of prostate cancer cells through targeting the miR-187-3p/FGFRL1 axis, and it has the potential to be a target for prostate cancer patients.
A Rare Cause of Acute Breathlessness in a Nulliparous Female
Authors: Balakrishnan Padmapriya , Sharmila Vijayan
Published: October 2023

Dyspnea in a woman of reproductive age group is a common condition encountered in clinical practice. Neoplasms of the female genital tract may also present with dyspnea creating diagnostic dilemma. A detailed history and thorough evaluation helps to clinch the diagnosis in such cases. We report the case of a reproductive-aged nulliparous woman who presented with dyspnea having multiple pulmonary solid nodules diagnosed with invasive mole by histopathology.
A Rare Case of Acute Lower Limb Ischemia following Bee Sting
Authors: Patel Jayesh , Patel Arya , Jha Shivangi , Barot Ketul S , Patel Pratiksha , Poptani Dwisha
Published: October 2023

Bee sting entails allergic reaction that can be severe, sometimes even lethal as seen in our case report. These reactions can occur immediately after being stung. We report a case with arterial occlusion and severe ischemia in the lower limb a few hours after multiple bee stings. A 67-year-old male, a known case of hypertension and diabetes mellitus since 15 years and recently diagnosed with hypothyroidism, presented to the emergency department with multiple bee stings all over the body. Hence, he had developed bilateral lower limb edema with blackening of the left foot, which was gradually progressive in nature. Pedal pulsation were not palpable. After emergency treatment patient was subjected to Computed Tomography Angiography, suggestive of bilateral thrombotic occlusion of distal third of anterior tibial artery, posterior tibial artery and dorsalis pedis artery .patient was treated with systemic thrombolytic therapy and Anticoagulation.
Ellagic acid ameliorates renal fibrogenesis by blocking epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition
Authors: Huang Po-Yu , Hsieh Yi-Hsien , Ting Yi-Hsuan , Lee Chu-Che , Tsai Jen-Pi
Published: October 2023

Objectives:

Ellagic acid (EA), a kind of polyphenol found in numerous fruits and vegetables, has anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, anti-oxidant, and anti-fibrotic effects against a variety of diseases, but its role in mediating renal fibrogenesis remains unknown.

Materials and Methods:

We used an in vivo mouse unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) model and an in vitro model with HK-2 cell lines treated with EA and transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1). The expression of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related proteins of UUO mice was examined using immunohistochemical staining. Liver function and renal function were evaluated using biochemical testing. Western blot analysis was used to determine the proteins related to EMT, and MTT assay was used to determine cell viability.

Results:

In UUO mice fed EA, both microscopical examination with immunohistochemical staining and western blotting protein analysis showed reduced expression of fibrotic (α-SMA, fibronectin, and collagen I)- and EMT (vimentin and N-cadherin)-related proteins, compared with sham control. In HK-2 cells treated with TGF-β1, EA decreased motility as well as expression of α-SMA, collagen-I, fibronectin, N-cadherin, and vimentin.

Conclusion:

EA reduced the progression of the morphological transformations and concomitantly suppressed the expression of fibrotic- and EMT-related proteins in vitro and in
vivo. These findings improved our understanding of the role of EA in suppressing renal fibrogenesis and demonstrated the promising role EA may play in the management of chronic kidney disease.
Internet of Things and Cloud Computing Integration of Opera Elements into Vocal Singing Teaching Practice Exploration
Authors: Li Gang
Published: October 2023

INTRODUCTION: With the rapid development of computer technology, the application of the Internet of Things and cloud computing technology is becoming more and more common. However, there is no more computer technology integration in integrating opera elements into vocal singing teaching. Therefore, compared with other industries, the development of verbal singing teaching could be faster and adapt to the current era of the Internet of Things and cloud computing. Thus studies the exploration of the practice of integrating opera elements into vocal singing teaching based on the Internet of Things and cloud computing.
OBJECTIVES: To improve the level of China's Internet of Things and cloud computing technology-based opera elements into vocal singing teaching practice; to solve the current problem of China's traditional culture not being integrated into verbal singing teaching; to promote the development of China's opera industry, the modernization of oral singing teaching, and to enhance the relevance of the Internet and economic development.
METHODS: In the study, firstly, the Internet of Things (IoT) and cloud computing technology are used for the establishment of the evaluation model; secondly, the feasibility of integrating opera elements into vocal singing teaching is analyzed through theoretical discussions; lastly, through the analysis of the model of the Internet of Things (IoT) and cloud computing, the feasibility of integrating opera elements into vocal singing teaching is illustrated by the analysis of the model of the Internet of Things (IoT) and cloud computing, and how the Internet of Things and cloud computing can assist opera elements to be integrated into vocal singing teaching.
RESULTS: Using the Internet of Things and cloud computing technology to enrich the vocal singing teaching model from multiple perspectives can better enhance the integration of opera elements into verbal singing teaching. Internet of Things and cloud computing technology play an auxiliary role in the integration of opera elements into vocal singing teaching; the study of the additional mechanism reveals that the effect of the integration of opera elements into verbal singing teaching can be improved through the improvement of the means of the auxiliary function.
CONCLUSION: As a representative of Chinese culture, the integration of opera elements into vocal singing teaching practice is of great significance, and the Internet of Things and cloud computing technology play an essential role in helping the integration of opera elements into vocal singing teaching practice.
Geo-Tagged Spoofing Detection using Jaccard Similarity
Authors: Koparde Shweta , Mane Vanita
Published: October 2023

In recent years, position evaluation of mobile devices has developed as an essential part of social movement. Meantime, the criminals may interfere with the information of geographical position (geo-position), and they can adjust the geo-position for their convenience. Therefore, it is important to identify the authenticity of geo-position. In this paper, an instant messaging platform-based geo-tagged spoof image detection system is created using Jaccard similarity. With the help of a Fuzzy filter, the input, as well as spoofing images, are subjected to camera footprint extraction, and their corresponding outputs are fused by Dice Coefficient. Moreover, the input as well as spoofed images is subjected to geotagged process, and their corresponding geotagged input, and geotagged spoofed images are fused by Tanimoto similarity. At last, the fused images from Dice Coefficient, and Tanimoto similarity are employed for the spoof detection process, where the Jaccard similarity compares the two images using Dicerete Cosine Transform (DCT). Consequently, the spoofed images are detected, and their effectiveness is measured in terms of accuracy, False Positive Rate (FPR), and True Positive Rate (TPR), as well as the corresponding values are attained like 0.099, 0.892, and 0.896 respectively.
Bregman distance regularization for nonsmooth and nonconvex optimization
Authors: Mashreghi Zeinab , Nasri Mostafa
Published: October 2023

Solving a nonsmooth and nonconvex minimization problem can be approached as finding a zero of a set-valued operator. With this perspective, we propose a novel Majorizer–Minimizer technique to find a local minimizer of a nonsmooth and nonconvex function and establish its convergence. Our approach leverages Bregman distances to generalize the classical quadratic regularization. By doing so, we generate a family of regularized problems that encompasses quadratic regularization as a special case. To further demonstrate the effectiveness of our method, we apply it on a lasso regression model, showcasing its performance.
Status of livestock water quality and digestive upsets in Babati and Burunge areas, Northern Tanzania
Authors: Katonge Jackson H.
Published: October 2023

This study investigated the quality of water used by ruminants and pseudo-ruminants in six communities living adjacent to two inland  lakes in Manyara region, northern Tanzania. Water sampling included 20 samples from each village (n=120 for 6 villages) followed by  laboratory analysis using ISO 5667 standard methods. 480 livestock were examined (n=80 for each village) for digestive upsets. Results  for water quality were compared to those of WHO guidelines for livestock drinking water. Physical and chemical parameters for some  areas were within acceptable limits except the levels of turbidity (10.88±11.97 NTU, 8.67±11.97 NTU), calcium (550.00±22.19 mg/L,  842.00±70.15 mg/L), chloride (1940±63.90 mg/L, 3380±135.65 mg/L), ammonium (5.94±0.42 mg/L, 6.79±0.58 mg/L), nitrate (113.62±10.64  mg/L, 71.16±12.92 mg/L, and hardness (1372.00±106.96 mg/L, 1280±75.27 mg/L) for Babati and Burunge areas respectively. Total coliform  (3500 CFU, 2650 CFU) and Escherichia coli (167/100 ml, 192/100 ml) were counted for Babati and Burunge area respectively.  Burunge area recorded higher cases of digestive upsets (53.8%) compared to Babati area (46.2%). There were no statistical differences in  digestive upsets between the two Babati and Burunge areas (p=0.8246). A correlation analysis revealed a significant linear association between water quality measures and digestive upsets for diarrhoea (p= 0.001694, r > 0.5) and other factors (p= 0.000158, r > 0.5). In order  to minimize livestock digestive upsets associated with poor water quality, communities in these areas should avoid excessive use of  fertilizers that would increase nitrate levels, as well as prohibit anthropogenic activities taking place close to water sources.
Assessment of growth rate of Yarrowiali polytica and Pichia guilliermondii species in an ammonium formate solution of rubber wastewater
Authors: Nsoe M.N. , Amba E.V. , Hassana B. , Kofa G.P. , Ndi K.S. , Kayem G.J.
Published: October 2023

The growth of microorganisms is influenced by several physico-chemical parameters that need to be controlled before startinga biological treatment plant for better process efficiency. The influence of temperature (25-40 °C), and ammonium formateconcentration (1.59-7.94 mM) on the growth of two yeast strains (Y.lipolytica and P.guilliermondii )was examined in a batchprocess. Temperature has a direct impact on the kinetic growth parameters with an activation energy (Ea) of 14.3 kcal/mol andR2 0.95 for Y.lipolytica and 12.5 kcal/mol and R2 0.97 for P.guilliermondii, indicating a dominant biological regime.
Towards a low-cost sustainable broadband solution in rural areas of low and middle-income countries: Tanzania’s backhaul perspective
Authors: Kalula Sadiki R. , Dida Ally M. , Zaipuna Yonah O.
Published: October 2023

Although broadband internet has proven to accelerate the fulfilment of the information and communication for development (ICT4D)  agenda, connectivity issues persist in some regions of the world, particularly in rural areas of Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs)  which host 93% of the unconnected global population. Due to the lack of economic feasibility in these locations for service providers,  International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has been advocating for low-cost sustainable solutions in such areas. Among the  challenging broadband infrastructure segment seems to be the backhaul (middle-mile) as rural areas are remotely located from the  backbone end-points. With Tanzania exemplifying LMICs, this paper presents a Techno-Economic Analysis (TEA) to compare the widely  utilized backhaul (Microwave) and the promising Broadband over Power Line (BPL) towards achieving low-cost broadband solutions. To  demonstrate technical viability in terms of capacity, Pathloss and MATLAB were utilized from which both technologies demonstrated the  broadband-suitably capacity (161Mbps for Microwave and 168.99Mbs for BPL). From economic perspective, the Total Cost of Ownership  (TCOs) for both technologies were determined using a Cost Model; BPL fared better as the cost of establishing one microwave link could  have established almost 6 BPL links. Apart from adding to the body of knowledge on TEAs involving backhauls, this paper informs policymakers and other related stakeholders on the potential cost-benefit of BPL towards curbing the existing broadband connectivity  gap.
Multivariate control chart for controlling variability – A comparative study
Authors: Das Nandini
Published: October 2023

Control chart is an important technique for statistical process control. In most of the practical situations data are collected on more than  one characteristic under study. Hence multivariate control chart has drawn the attention of quality control practitioners. For successful  implementation of multivariate control chart, two different charts are to be constructed. One is for controlling mean and another is for  controlling variance-covariance matrix or ∑ matrix. For effective implementation of control chart for mean, one need to establish that  variability is under control. Hence control chart for controlling variance-covariance matrix is playing an important role in multivariate  control chart. There are several control charts available in the literature which can be used for controlling ∑ matrix. In this article, we have  discussed different such control charts and studied their performance with respect to their ability to detect the shift in the  components of ∑ matrix. Out of control average run length (ARL) is considered as a measure for this purpose and the best method to  detect the shift have been identified under different conditions.
Oyo and Kaduna States maize farmers’ perception of selected agricultural policies in Nigeria
Authors: Oyelami Benjamin Olusegun , Ogunbayo Iredele , Enya Effa , Aburime Peace , Adekoya Adegbenga , Akano Oreoluwa , Osadebamwen Uyiosa Genesis
Published: October 2023

This study examined the awareness and perception of agricultural policies by maize farmers in Oyo and Kaduna States of Nigeria. A multistage sampling procedure was used to select 424 respondents: 210 farmers from Oyo and 214 farmers from Kaduna, from whom data were collected using questionnaires administered through a phone poll. Mean, frequency and inferential statistics such as Chi-square, Spearman Rho, and Pearson Correlation were used to analyse the data. The findings revealed that farmers in Oyo (67.6%) and Kaduna (68.7%) States were aware of the ban on maize importation. Moreover, farmers in Kaduna were more aware (63.1%) of the Growth Enhancement Support Scheme than those in Oyo (48.1%). Most farmers in Oyo and Kaduna States had a favourable perception of the ban on maize importation. Farmers in Kaduna had a better perception of the Anchor Borrowers’ Program and Growth Enhancement Support Scheme than their Oyo counterparts. The study recommends that Agricultural policies in Nigeria should be co-created with farmers and decentralised to have holistic and encompassing policies workable nationwide.
Perceived soft skills needs of agriculture students in public universities in Niger Delta, Nigeria
Authors: Atoma Charity Nwamaka , Mube-William Elizabeth Chidinma , Adesope Olufemi Martins
Published: October 2023

The study investigated the perceived soft skills needs of agriculture students in public universities in the Niger Delta area of Nigeria. The population of the study is 11,283 agriculture undergraduate students in the 12 public universities in states in the Niger Delta geo-political zone. The sample size was 300 agriculture undergraduate students. Multistage sampling procedure was used to select the sample. The instrument for data collection was a questionnaire. Percentage and mean were used for analysis. Results revealed that the majority of the respondents (97.2%) could communicate effectively; 96% had a good sense of humour; 95.6% possessed the ability to cope with new changes; 92% possessed the ability to meet responsibilities on time; 89.6% possessed problem-solving skills. The results also revealed that agriculture students need many soft skills; some of which are creative thinking skills (x̄ =3.51), teamwork skills (x̄ =3.50); problem-solving/decision-making skills (x̄ =3.48); and leadership/management skills (x̄ ==3.47) among others. The universities should establish 6-month to 1-year student internship programmes, which will enable agriculture students to fully understand professional soft skills such as teamwork, creative thinking skills, and time management, among others that are relevant to the establishment and sustainability of agro-based enterprises.
Business and Human Rights in Ethiopia: The Status of the Law and the Practice
Authors: Bantayehu Demlie Gezahegn
Published: October 2023

Business activities in Ethiopia by both multinational and national companies are under growing scrutiny. Ongoing court cases in Kenya against Meta (formerly Facebook) for allegedly helping fuel the two-year deadly conflict in northern Ethiopia, increased reports of alleged poor labour conditions in apparel factories in industrial parks, and allegations of land grabbing by commercial agribusiness are some examples. The existing research and practice approaches the issue of private sector accountability predominantly from corporate social responsibility (CSR) perspective. The CSR landscape itself is regulated in a fragmented manner. In contexts lacking well-developed CSR frameworks, a growing body of research examines the promise of a newly evolving Business and Human Rights (BHR) paradigm. To date, there is a dearth of scholarly and policy discussion employing the term ‘business and human rights’ in Ethiopia, attesting the status of the field in academic and public discourse. This article presents a modest attempt at exploring the status of business and human rights law and practice in Ethiopia. By analysing relevant laws and reviewing selected practical cases, the article identifies salient issues, opportunities, and challenges toward developing and enforcing business and human rights standards.