bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prevalence and Characteristics of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma in Fiji: A Retrospective Study
Authors: Dean Mehwish , Gavidi Ratu Osea , Mohammadnezhad Masoud , Nair Richard D.
Published: February 2022

BACKGROUND: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is malignant epithelial neoplasm that affects the oral cavity. Despite the large number of studies on OSCC in the literature, details on the demographic profile of these lesions in different populations are limited, especially amongst the Fijian population, thus this study aimed to determine the prevalence and characteristics of OSCC cases diagnosed from 2011 to 2015 at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital (CWMH), Suva, Fiji Islands.

MATERIALS & METHODS: A retrospective quantitative study was carried out at the CWMH Histology department looking at OSCC cases diagnosed from 2011–2015. All confirmed cases were included in the study and excluded cases were suspected cases that were pending diagnosis and children. An extraction sheet was used for data collection which was designed to meet the requirements of study finding. This data was entered in SPSS software and then analyzed using the simple analytical tool as bar graphs and tables. 

RESULTS: There were 74 OSCC cases diagnosed in the study period. The occurrence of OSCC cases over the 5-year period was fluctuant with the year 2013 recording the highest number of cases (24 cases, 32%). During the reported period, more men suffered (53 cases, 72%) from this condition with the tongue (40%) being the commonest oral cancer site followed by the lip and vermillion border (28%). Individuals in the 40 to 60 years’ age group (35 cases, 47.3%) were mostly affected with the I-taukei population (38 cases, 51.4%) recording the highest occurrence of OSCC. The results show that, the common occurrence is the tongue (40.5%) while the least presentation sight is Buccal mucosa/buccal sulcus area (8.1%).

CONCLUSION: The study concluded that more men suffer from oral squamous cell carcinoma compared to woman and the ethnicity that was most affected was I-taukei population. More detailed record keeping and reporting of oral cancer is needed to help evaluate progress in controlling oral cancer in the Fiji Islands. This availability of geographic data would further assist the Ministry of Health of Fiji in data collection and planning of preventative activities
The Stock Price Performance and Return Style of the Pan-Infrastructure Reits Corporation: Evidence from U.S. and Japan Market
Authors: Li Wei-Shen
Published: February 2022

The growth of big data analytics, cloud computing and 5G communication promotes the expansion of Pan-infrastructure REITs market. Despite previous studies confirmed the value-added role of pan-infrastructure REITs in a mixed-asset portfolio at the framework of mean-variance optimization, the anti-recession characteristics and stock-bond mixed feature of pan-infrastructure REITs is still scarcely investigated until now. In this paper, targeting at the U.S. and Japanese pan-infrastructure REITs market, we employ the capital asset price model (CAPM) and Sharpe model to conduct an empirical research to clarify the aforementioned issue, and the corresponding results indicate that in U.S. REITs market, the return style of new-infrastructure REITs corporation whose underlying asset covering data center, communication tower reveals the substantial anti-volatility characteristics under the increasing macroeconomic uncertainty, while the industrial REITs and infrastructure REITs corporation which belongs to the public utility sub-sector has revealed the completely opposite trend that the stock constituents account for a higher percentage of its return style, simultaneously. On the other hand, the results from horizontal comparison also suggest that the pan-infrastructure REITs corporation in Japan has more remarkable defensive characteristics with higher ratio of bond constituents than that in U.S. Such results uncover the impact of sectoral effect and market distinction on the stock price performance and return style of relevant pan-infrastructure REITs corporation in various countries and are also beneficial to the risk control activity of institutional investors.
Administrative data as a source of information about employed persons
Authors: Gierańczyk Wiesława , Ziółkowski Dominik
Published: February 2022

The pace of changes taking place in the contemporary world creates demand for current data at the lowest possible level of territorial aggregation, enabling the assessment of the impact of these changes on local labour markets. Data resources gathered in registers and administrative systems directly or indirectly related to employment seem to provide an opportunity to satisfy these new expectations. However, to be able to use administrative resources for statistical purposes, it is necessary to make allowances for the fact that the administrators of registers and administrative systems collect data to satisfy their own needs and that official statistics reuses them. The aim of the article is to show the analytical opportunities which administrative data sources provide and to demonstrate that they can complement or even replace traditional methods of collecting data on employed persons. The experimental adaptation of data from these sources for statistical purposes proves that, for example, data on employed persons, calculated on the basis of the resources of the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) and the Agricultural Social Insurance Fund (KRUS), correspond almost fully in terms of definitions with data collected by official statistics. The readiness to come to terms with slight methodological differences related to the count of employed persons in agriculture or persons employed for the purpose of vocational training or agents will make it possible to provide users with this important labour market statistics faster, more frequently, and in aggregations different than those recently offered by official statistics, while limiting or even eliminating many reporting obligations imposed on the national economy entities. This article describes official statistics’ current methods of researching employed persons and compares them with the experimental method of calculating the number of these persons on the basis of administrative data sources. Due to the fact that data calculated by means of the experimental method are characterised by a multitude of new information, we decided to present here only selected examples of their analyses and contribution to expanding the knowledge about employed persons in the Polish economy. We would also like to emphasise that data used for this purpose refer to all employed persons (in all entities, including the smallest ones with the maximum of nine employed persons). Other advantages of the administrative data sources are the monthly availability of data and the possibility of aggregating them down to gmina (the lowest local administrative unit) level.
Accuracy of working length measurement by Raypex 6: Electronic apex locator versus actual measurements under stereomicroscope
Authors: Peker Begum , Hepsenoglu Yelda , Ersahan Seyda , Eyuboglu Tan
Published: February 2022

Background/Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the precision of the Raypex 6 apex locator in locating the apical constriction (AC) and major foramen (MF) during a root canal treatment compared with a microscopic evaluation. Another aim of the present study was to evaluate the accuracy of the Raypex 6 in the presence of different irrigating solutions (NaOCl, saline, EDTA, etidronic acid-HEBP). Material and Methods: One hundred and nine patients were included in this study and were randomly assigned into four groups according to the irrigation solution used; NaOCl, EDTA, HEBF and saline. Electronic MF (EMF) and AC (EAC) were measured by using Raypex 6. The teeth were extracted. The apical 3 mm of each canal was trimmed to expose the file tip. The samples were observed under a stereomicroscope, and the actual length of MF (ALMF) and AC (ALAC) were measured. The data were analyzed by using x2 test, and significance was set at P< 0.05. Results: The Raypex 6 was accurate 71.4% of the time to ±0.5mm and 93.3% of the time to ±1mm in determining the ALAC. While similar ALAC-EAC differences were observed in EDTA, NaOCl, and saline groups (p= 0.230), the highest differences were seen in the HEBP group (p= 1.000). The precision of Raypex 6 in determining the working length measurement depends on the type of irrigation. All solutions allowed reliable detection of AC. However, HEBF significantly increased the risk of overpreparation. Conclusions: Raypex 6 can be recommended for clinical use and its accuracy is not affected by the type of irrigant when locating MF.
Experience of reorganizing life in married immigrant women with chronic disease; With three Asian countries at the center
Authors: Cheon Soon-Mi
Published: February 2022

Purpose: The purposes of this study was to describe the lived experience structures of married immigrant women with chronic diseases in reorganizing their lives in a variety of situations and contexts.Methods: This study applied grounded theory approach, and the participants were 15 married immigrant women with chronic disease. Data were collected through individual in-depth interviews and then analyzed by the method in Strauss and Corbin (1998).Results: The extracted data were organized 41 concepts, 21 subcategories, and 8 categories. The central phenomenon was determined to be “Life turned into a chronic disease.” The causal conditions were “Undergoing physical and mental stress from marriage”, “Lack of information on chronic diseases.” The extracted contexts was “The demand for health resources.” action and interaction strategies, “Finding problems and solutions.” The intervention conditions influencing the strategies was “Establishing a support system.” The result of such action was “To settle down in a way of life that suits your conditions.”Conclusion: By providing a comprehensive and integrative understanding of how married immigrant women with chronic disease reorganize their lives, the study is expected to contribute to the development of social systems and national policies.
The Hunger Games: A Systematic Review of Pediatric Bariatric Surgery
Authors: Arianne N. Theodorous  , David M. Schwartzberg  , Sathyaprasad C. Burjonrappa
Published: February 2022

Introduction: As childhood obesity in the US reaches alarming levels, bariatric surgery is becoming a more commonly implemented treatment option due to its high success rate compared with behavioral modification and medical therapy alone. The mechanisms by which it affects body weight and metabolic homeostasis are not well understood. The goal of the present study was to perform a systematic review of pediatric bariatric surgery to evaluate its effectiveness in the context of the physiologic changes that are produced.Materials and Methods: The PubMed database, MEDLINE, Springer Link, Cochrane, and article bibliographies were used to identify original English-language articles published between 2009 and 2014 evaluating pediatric patients. Included studies evaluated patients undergoing Roux en Y gastric bypass, laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy or laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding and analyzed weight loss, BMI reduction, postoperative complications and co-morbidity resolution post-procedure; all articles had at least a one year follow up.Results: Five studies were included in our evaluation of the three most common bariatric procedures currently performed on the pediatric population for a total of 1,395 patients. The average patient age was 18.2 and 72% of patients were females. Most patients underwent roux en Y gastric bypass (RYGB) (n=659), followed by laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) (n=554) and finally laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) (n=149). The greatest decrease in BMI was seen in the RYGB group who lost an average BMI of 16.7kg/m2, followed by the LSG group with a loss of 14.0kg/m2. The LAGB patients lost 8.2kg/m2. Postoperative complications varied in severity, however the only death occurred in a patient following RYGB.Conclusion:Bariatric surgery has proven to reduce BMI and weight in the adolescent population resulting in an enhanced quality of life and resolution of significant co-morbidities. The mechanism of weight loss is different among the three most common procedures, as is their affect on gut hormone profiles. Ghrelin may have an effect on weight loss, however it is not solely responsible for the procedures’ weight loss effect as levels vary postoperatively. RYGB has been shown to produce the greatest weight loss but postoperative ghrelin levels are not consistently decreased compared to LSG, which demonstrates low ghrelin levels routinely. Additional studies are needed to measure weight loss as it relates to postoperative gut hormone levels, as determining the physiologic changes after these procedures will guide future therapies.
PREDICTION OF MARS METEOROLOGICAL VARIABLES USING ARTIFICIAL NEURAL NETWORKS
Authors: DE CABO  GARCIA ALEJANDRO , DELGADO BONAL ALFONSO , PEREZ LANCHO BELEN , PLA GARCIA JORGE , MARTINEZ GERMAN
Published: February 2022

ABSTRACT
Weather forecasting is the task of determining future states of the atmosphere for a given location and time. The techniques to carry out the prediction range from deterministic approaches using complex fluid dynamics models to data-driven approaches using artificial intelligence. While the former is mainly focused on the creation of General Circulation Models, the later are starting to replace them in many situations for Earth’s meteorology and astrophysics. Here, we develop an artificial neural network to perform Mars’ weather forecasting using environmental measurements from the Vikings and Mars Science Laboratory missions. The methodology followed in of this study is a data-driven approach; we make use of computer science expertise which has been long applied to Earth, but not on Mars yet. To do so, we create an artificial neuronal network that predicts the meteorological conditions of the following day using the previous day as input. We show that temperature and pressure are among the most important variables, and that ANN can perform with a 0.5 to 1% accuracy in forecasting diurnal changes in the selected variables.

Keywords: ANN, Mars, Weather, Forecast, Curiosity
El censo de Calihtec del Ms. Mexicain 393, Biblioteca Nacional de Francia
Authors: Madajczak Julia , de Rojas Jose Luis
Published: February 2022

En este trabajo presentamos la transcripción y traducción del censo de Calihtec, que abarca la mayoría del manuscrito Mexicain 393 de la Biblioteca Nacional de Francia. A mitad del siglo XVI Calihtec fue un calpolli (barrio) del altepetl Tepoztlan, incluido en el Marquesado del Valle de Oaxaca perteneciente a don Hernando Cortés. Ca. 1538 unas cuestiones jurídicas relacionadas con la encomienda de Cortés llevaron a un censo general de población del Marquesado. De este censo en náhuatl, conocido en la literatura como los “padrones de Morelos” o el “libro de tributos”, hoy quedan fragmentos que describen varios pueblos de los altepetl Yauhtepec y Tepoztlan, esparcidos por las bibliotecas de México, Polonia y Francia. El registro de Calihtec es el segundo más completo de los registros sobrevivientes de los nueve calpolli principales de Tepoztlan: solo le faltan unos dos o tres folios. Aquí presentamos sus páginas en orden reconstruido, lo que permite apreciar la estructura interna de Calihtec. El estudio codicológico del registro junto con el análisis de su contenido muestran que la BNF compusó el Mexicain 393 de dos fragmentos separados (uno de ellos siendo el publicado aquí), procedentes de dueños distintos. El censo de Calihtec, como otras partes de los padrones de Marquesado, permite el estudio de varios temas relacionados con los Nahuas en el periodo colonial temprano, entre ellos tributos, familia, evangelización o calpolli.
Los días Flor y Mono y sus ilustraciones en los códices "Borgia" y "Vaticano B": una interpretación mitológica
Authors: Braakhuis H. E. M.
Published: February 2022

En el artículo se examinan varias ilustraciones pertenecientes a los días Flor y Mono en los códices Borgia y Vaticano B. Se argumenta que los dioses patronos de estos días, Xochiquetzal y Xochipilli, están conectados mitológicamente con las figuras de las escenas acompañantes, a saber una anciana moliendo maíz y un noble cogiendo peces. Tras una revisión crítica de interpretaciones vigentes, la atención se centra en la mitología del maíz de los nahuas clásicos y de los pueblos contemporáneos del Golfo de México. Destacan los roles del héroe del maíz, su madre, y su abuela (o, en ciertas versiones, madre adoptiva). En el caso del día Flor, el rol específico de la abuela permite una conexión directa con la imagen; en el caso del día Mono, la conexión mitológica se establece principalmente a través del motivo de la pesca.
As relações ibéricas explicadas por um político português: Brito Camacho em Espanha
Authors: Paulo Rodrigues Ferreira
Published: February 2022

Este artigo centra-se nas viagens realizadas a Espanha por Brito Camacho, fundador do jornal A Luta (1906) e do Partido Unionista (1912). Registadas essencialmente nas obras Impressões de Viagem, Cartas a um jornalista (1913) e Longe da Vista (1918), essas viagens dão imagem de uma figura pública portuguesa que contrariou um patriotismo exacerbado, em voga em alguns sectores intelectuais portugueses ao longo das primeiras décadas do século XX, o qual tendia para rejeitar qualquer tentativa de aproximação entre os países ibéricos. Não se restringindo a narrações literárias de paisagens e lugares, nessas obras, Brito Camacho procurou pensar não apenas as relações entre Portugal e Espanha, mas descrever os dois povos a partir da sua identidade e estilos de vida. Sendo relevantes em termos de opinião, os seus escritos sobre a Espanha permitem perceber que caminho entendia o autor que poderia seguir a Península Ibérica caso Portugal e Espanha juntassem esforços para superar as crises crónicas que os afetavam. Através da contextualização do seu pensamento dentro daquilo que foi a discussão dos iberismos e das relações ibéricas, o artigo analisará os esforços de Camacho para conhecer e dinamizar as relações com o país vizinho, sempre numa esfera utópica que esbarrava num patriotismo instigado pelo “perigo espanhol”, ou pelo medo de que Afonso XIII invadisse Portugal.
La desigualdad generizada: gestión del tiempo, estabilidades frágiles y resistencias masculinizadas en los empleos de limpieza no doméstica en Argentina
Authors: Capogrossi María Lorena , José Magliano María
Published: February 2022

El objetivo de este artículo es analizar algunas dimensiones materiales y simbólicas de los trabajos de limpieza no doméstica en Argentina, según las categorías y marcos conceptuales que proponen los estudios interseccionales y la antropología del trabajo. Desde una perspectiva metodológica cualitativa busca, por un lado, problematizar las tramas comunes de la precariedad en el marco de estos empleos y, por el otro, descubrir cuáles son los rasgos que permiten afirmar la existencia de una división generizada del trabajo remunerado y no remunerado entre las trabajadoras y los trabajadores de limpieza de empresas tercerizadas. Asimismo, retoma la categoría culturas obreras informales para dar cuenta de los marcos de significación, de las experiencias y de las resistencias que se producen, en el caso de estudio analizado, en relación con las naturalizaciones y valoraciones sociales acerca de lo masculino y lo femenino.
PEAR, a flexible fluorescent reporter for the identification and enrichment of successfully prime edited cells
Authors: Simon Dorottya Anna , Tálas András , Kulcsár Péter István , Biczók Zsuzsanna , Krausz Sarah Laura , Várady György , Welker Ervin
Published: February 2022

Prime editing is a recently developed CRISPR/Cas9 based gene engineering tool that allows the introduction of short insertions, deletions, and substitutions into the genome. However, the efficiency of prime editing, which typically achieves editing rates of around 10%–30%, has not matched its versatility. Here, we introduce the prime editor activity reporter (PEAR), a sensitive fluorescent tool for identifying single cells with prime editing activity. PEAR has no background fluorescence and specifically indicates prime editing events. Its design provides apparently unlimited flexibility for sequence variation along the entire length of the spacer sequence, making it uniquely suited for systematic investigation of sequence features that influence prime editing activity. The use of PEAR as an enrichment marker for prime editing can increase the edited population by up to 84%, thus significantly improving the applicability of prime editing for basic research and biotechnological applications.
Spatial transcriptomic and single-nucleus analysis reveals heterogeneity in a gigantic single-celled syncytium
Authors: Gerber Tobias , Loureiro Cristina , Schramma Nico , Chen Siyu , Jain Akanksha , Weber Anne , Weigert Anne , Santel Malgorzata , Alim Karen , Treutlein Barbara , Camp J Gray
Published: February 2022

In multicellular organisms, the specification, coordination, and compartmentalization of cell types enable the formation of complex body plans. However, some eukaryotic protists such as slime molds generate diverse and complex structures while remaining in a multinucleate syncytial state. It is unknown if different regions of these giant syncytial cells have distinct transcriptional responses to environmental encounters and if nuclei within the cell diversify into heterogeneous states. Here, we performed spatial transcriptome analysis of the slime moldPhysarum polycephalumin the plasmodium state under different environmental conditions and used single-nucleus RNA-sequencing to dissect gene expression heterogeneity among nuclei. Our data identifies transcriptome regionality in the organism that associates with proliferation, syncytial substructures, and localized environmental conditions. Further, we find that nuclei are heterogenous in their transcriptional profile and may process local signals within the plasmodium to coordinate cell growth, metabolism, and reproduction. To understand how nuclei variation within the syncytium compares to heterogeneity in single-nucleus cells, we analyzed states in singlePhysarumamoebal cells. We observed amoebal cell states at different stages of mitosis and meiosis, and identified cytokinetic features that are specific to nuclei divisions within the syncytium. Notably, we do not find evidence for predefined transcriptomic states in the amoebae that are observed in the syncytium. Our data shows that a single-celled slime mold can control its gene expression in a region-specific manner while lacking cellular compartmentalization and suggests that nuclei are mobile processors facilitating local specialized functions. More broadly, slime molds offer the extraordinary opportunity to explore how organisms can evolve regulatory mechanisms to divide labor, specialize, balance competition with cooperation, and perform other foundational principles that govern the logic of life.
Identification of electroporation sites in the complex lipid organization of the plasma membrane
Authors: Rems Lea , Tang Xinru , Zhao Fangwei , Pérez-Conesa Sergio , Testa Ilaria , Delemotte Lucie
Published: February 2022

The plasma membrane of a biological cell is a complex assembly of lipids and membrane proteins, which tightly regulate transmembrane transport. When a cell is exposed to strong electric field, the membrane integrity becomes transiently disrupted by formation of transmembrane pores. This phenomenon termed electroporation is already utilized in many rapidly developing applications in medicine including gene therapy, cancer treatment, and treatment of cardiac arrhythmias. However, the molecular mechanisms of electroporation are not yet sufficiently well understood; in particular, it is unclear where exactly pores form in the complex organization of the plasma membrane. In this study, we combine coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations, machine learning methods, and Bayesian survival analysis to identify how formation of pores depends on the local lipid organization. We show that pores do not form homogeneously across the membrane, but colocalize with domains that have specific features, the most important being high density of polyunsaturated lipids. We further show that knowing the lipid organization is sufficient to reliably predict poration sites with machine learning. Additionally, by analysing poration kinetics with Bayesian survival analysis we show that poration does not depend solely on local lipid arrangement, but also on membrane mechanical properties and the polarity of the electric field. Finally, we discuss how the combination of atomistic and coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations, machine learning methods, and Bayesian survival analysis can guide the design of future experiments and help us to develop an accurate description of plasma membrane electroporation on the whole-cell level. Achieving this will allow us to shift the optimization of electroporation applications from blind trial-and-error approaches to mechanistic-driven design.
Evaluation of Acceptability, Safety, Efficacy and Outcome of Postplacental IUCD Insertion in Women Undergoing both Vaginal Delivery and Caesarean Section- A Cohort Study
Authors: Chattopadhyay Shibram , Bhattacharyya Subir Kumar , Patra Kajal Kumar , Raj Smrity , Mandal Tanmay
Published: February 2022

Introduction: Prevention of unplanned and unwanted pregnancies could help avert 20-35% of maternal deaths and as many as 20% of infant death. Despite many advantages of, mothers of India are reluctant for IUCD use. Aim: To determine the acceptability, safety, efficacy and outcome of Postpartum Intrauterine Contraceptive Device (PPIUCD) following both vaginal delivery and caesarean section. Materials and Methods: A descriptive prospective cohort study conducted in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology in a tertiary care institute in Eastern India from August 2019 to July 2020. Among the women delivered almost all mothers were counseled about postplacental IUCD insertion and the first 100 mother who satisfy inclusion criteria were incorporated in the present study. Out of 100 mothers, six mother refused and 94 mothers accepted PPIUCD. Only three mothers were lost to follow-up. Ninety-one mothers were followed-up in postnatal clinic after 6 weeks, 12 weeks, 24 weeks and 48 weeks. Primary parameter was to assess acceptance rate and reason for acceptance. Secondary variables were refusal rate and reason for refusal, reason for removal, failure rate and complications. Collected data were then analysed by SPSS (version 27.0; SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) and GraphPad Prism version 5. Results: Majority of mothers were in the 21-25 years age group and completed secondary school education. A very high rate of acceptance of about 94% was found. The most common reason for acceptance was its long-term effect of contraception (40.4%) followed by reversible nature (27.7%). This study showed that refusal rate was 6%, majority due to fear of complications. Among 91 mothers followed-up for safety profile of PPIUCD, majority (81.3%) had no complication which was statistically significant (p<0.0001). Out of 91 women, 80 mothers (87.9%) continued PPIUCD, three mothers had abdominal discomfort, 10 had abnormal bleeding P/V, and 67 mothers (90.4%) had no complications and failure rate was 2.2%. Only two mothers conceived with PPIUCD in-situ. Expulsion rate was 4.4%. Out of 91 mothers followed-up, only four had expulsion. Conclusion: PPIUCD is widely accepted, efficacious, safe method of family planning, that can reduce maternal morbidity and mortality
Role of Infrared Imaging for Detection of Subclinical Inflammation of Joints: A Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Nath Satyabrata , Das Kakali , Bhowmik Mrinal Kanti
Published: February 2022

Introduction: The detection of inflammation is important for diagnosis of inflammatory joint diseases and its severity. There are clinically doubtful cases of inflammation of joints. Advanced thermal cameras are able to detect the presence of inflammation. Hence, thermal imaging technology has been used for detection of this type of subclinical inflammation of joints. Aim: To study the efficacy of infrared imaging to detect the subclinical inflammation of joints in doubtful cases of arthritis. Materials and Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted for a period of one year from January 2016 to June 2017. The study comprised of 60 patients of all age groups. Patients with joint pain attending Out Patient Department (OPD) of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department (PMR), Agartala Government Medical College (AGMC) and Govind Ballav Pant Hospital (GBPH), Agartala, India, irrespective of the duration of illness and diseases were selected considering inclusion and exclusion criteria. They were evaluated clinically (swelling, tenderness, redness, increased temperature and the presence of restriction of movement) for presence of inflammation in the joint. Blood tests were done for Acute Phase Reactant (APR) namely Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) and C-reactive Protein (CRP) and infrared imaging of the respective joints were taken. On the basis of clinical examination all these patients were divided in three groups: (i) patients with inflamed joint; (ii) non inflamed joint; and (iii) doubtful inflammation of joints. Infrared imaging of all the respective joints of all the patients were compared with the respective results of APR for presence of inflammation. Values more than the normal range of APR were considered as positive marker for inflammation. The data was analysed statistically by calculating sensitivity, specificity, Positive Predictive Value (PPV) and Negative Predictive Value (NPV) using MATLAB 2013b software. Results: Out of 60 cases, 37 (61.66%) patients showed clinically inflamed joints, 10 (16.66%) showed no inflammation and there were 13 (21.66%) clinically doubtful cases of inflammation. The results were statistically analysed and the sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV of infrared imaging for detection of joint inflammation were 91%, 80%, 94% and 72%, respectively. Conclusion: Infrared imaging is a very sensitive tool for the detection of inflammation of joints and is very useful for detection of subclinical inflammation of joint.
Educators’ Beliefs on the Gender Difference in Mathematics Performance of their Students
Authors: Gyeltshen Sonam , Sharma Kul Prasad , Namgyel Ngawang , S. Tamang Mansingh
Published: February 2022

Boys outperformed girls in mathematics test scores as per the recently conducted PISA-D test in Bhutan. Further, as of 2017 from a total of 28,070 STEM-related jobs, 34.3% are female and 64.7% are male. Since educators’ teaching practices are associated with their beliefs, this study aims to investigate some of the specific beliefs held by mathematics educators on the gender difference in the mathematics performance of their students. It employed an explanatory sequential mix-method design. Three districts of Bhutan namely Tashigang, Samdrup Jongkhar, and Samtse were covered, from July 2019 to July 2020. From three districts, a sample of 33 mathematics teachers was selected from 18 schools (6 primary schools, 6 middle secondary schools, and 6 higher secondary schools) and 3 colleges. To investigate educators' beliefs a semi-structured survey questionnaire which is the adaptation of Tiedemann [1] was employed. This was followed by interviewing 8 participants from 33 participants. Some of the specific beliefs held by mathematic educators are that educators believe that both the genders can perform equally well in mathematics, average achieving female students are more likely to deteriorate in the subsequent year and average achieving male students endures more in solving difficult questions than their counterparts. Also, 66.7 % of the participants agreed to the gender difference in mathematics performance being prominent in higher secondary schools when compared to other types of schools and colleges. Educators believe that male students can perform better in mathematics than female students.
Case Fatality Rate and Review of Literature on Gnaecological Cancers Mortality at a Specialiazed Oncology Unit in Port Harcourt
Authors: Bassey G. , Nyengidiki T. K. , Kpurunee B. S.
Published: February 2022

Background: Gynecological cancer is a major public health problem and an important cause of morbidity and mortality in women worldwide. There are only few researches on the overall mortality attributed to gynecological cancers in Nigeria.

Objectives: To determine the case fatality rate, prevalence and reason for mortality amongst gynecological oncology patients at the oncology unit of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH).

Study Design: This was a retrospective study of mortality from gynecological cancers in UPTH between 1st January, 2014 and 31st December, 2018. Case files of patients with mortality from genital tract malignancies were reviewed and relevant information extracted

Results: A total of 2070 gynecological admissions were recorded out of which 399 were gynecological cancer patients, giving a 19.3% prevalence of gynecological cancer. Fifty-six gynecological cancer related deaths were reported within the study period with an overall cancer mortality rate of 14.0%. Ovarian cancer was responsible for the highest number of deaths 48.2% with a case-fatality rate of 18.6% while cervical cancer had a case fatality rate of 13.1%. Majority of the patients 96.6% presented at advanced stage of the disease. Those with financial constraints totaled 62.5% while 89.3% had challenges accessing specialized health care.

Conclusion: The study shows that the case-fatality rate of mortalities from gynaecological cancers at UPTH is very high with ovarian malignancy accounting for most deaths. Late presentation, low socioeconomic status and delay in accessing specialized health care were the main factors responsible for these mortalities. Proper screening, early diagnosis. prompt treatment and improvement in the socioeconomic status of gynaecological cancer patients will improve the case fatality rate in UPTH.
Gene Action of Seed Yield and Its Contributing Attributes in Indian Mustard [Brassica juncea (L) Czern & Coss]
Authors: Kumawat Swarnlata , Sharma Anil Kumar , Shekhawat Komal , Kumar Anil
Published: February 2022

Ten genetically diverse parents along with 45 F1’s were evaluated in randomized block design with three replications under three different environments. Data were recorded for seed yield and important yield attributes. The parents, RH-406, RGN-303, RGN-229, RGN-298 and PBR-378 were found to be good general combiners for seed yield and other yield contributing traits in which the parent, PBR-378 performed well in all the environment while, RGN-298 in E1, E3 and pooled environments and RGN-229 in E1, E2 and pooled environment were found as good combiners for seed yield and other yield contributing traits. Crosses, RH-30 x RB-50, RGN-303 x RGN-229, RGN-13 x RH-406, RGN-298 x PBR-378 and RGN-236 x RB-50 emerged as good specific combiner for seed yield and one or more related traits. On the basis of specific combing ability effects and per se performance an overall appraisal revealed that the cross combination RGN-303 x RGN-229 in E1, E2 and pooled environment, RGN-13 x RH-406 in E1 and E2, RH-30 x RB-50 in E1 and combined environment while, RGN-298 x PBR-378 in E2 and E3 were found most desirable for seed yield and its contributing characters. These best crosses were the results of good x good, poor x poor and good x poor general combiners.
Examination of Compatibility of Autochthonous Pear Cultivars from the Region of Northeastern Bosnia with Vegetative Rootstock of the Genus Cydonia sp
Authors: Salkić Besim , Salkić Ahmed , Imširović Emir , Salkić Ensar , Salihović Emina
Published: February 2022

Rootstocks of the genus Pyrus are easily adapted to climatic conditions and such trees are more resistant to Erwinia amylovora, but they also have disadvantages because these trees are more lush and difficult to grow in dense composition. The production of pears in a dense composition is a tendency of intensive pear production, and quince rootstocks are used for this purpose, because it is easier to control the height of the stem.

The increase in the density of the composition in pear orchards is directly related to the use of vegetative rootstocks of less lushness, such as rootstocks of the genus Cydonia sp.The research included five autochthonous pear varieties: Takiša, Jeribasma, Šećerka, Karamut i Huseinbegovača.

The tests were performed at the location Voćni rasadnik, Špionica, City Srebrenik, Tuzla Canton, Bosnia and Herzegovina, during the vegetation of 2021.

Morphometric analyzes were performed on a sample of 30 seedlings for each pear variety. Average results are presented using MS Excel software packages.

Seedlings of grafted varieties on the basis of diameter did not meet the conditions of marketing, while on the basis of vegetative growth, three varieties met the conditions of marketing of planting material. The research was conducted within the project number 02 / 9-712-1-5-4 / 21.

Grafted autochthonous varieties in the year of grafting showed extremely good adhesion with the vegetative rootstock BA-29, but did not have a good diameter. Due to the possibility of remanence, it is necessary to continue research after planting seedlings in plantations.
Gunshot Injuries in Port Harcourt, Nigeria: The University Teaching Hospitals’ Experience
Authors: Aaron Friday E. , Ogoronte A. Ijah Rex Friday , Harcourt Somiari L. , Alabi Ajibola
Published: February 2022

Background: Gunshot injuries constitute significant contributor to morbidity and mortality of the healthcare in most societies. The global burden of gunshot injuries seems to be on the rise with the increase in violent crimes and unrest across the world.

Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the pattern of gunshot injuries seen in the surgery departments of the two Teaching Hospitals in Port Harcourt from January 2010 to January            2019.

Materials and Methods: A descriptive retrospective study was carried out using data obtained from registers for patients who had gunshot injuries from January 2010 to January 2019 in two government-owned tertiary healthcare facilities in Port Harcourt.

Results: A total of 1138 cases of gunshot injuries was recorded within the ten-year study period, with relatively higher number of cases seen during the 2011/2012 (122/116), 2015 (134), and 2019 (138). The age range 20 - 44 years are more involved in these injuries, and abdominal injuries (205 cases) top the record followed by lower limb injuries (132 cases).

Conclusion: Gunshot injury is a significant contributor to morbidity and mortality among patients in Port Harcourt, with a total of 1138 cases seen within the ten-year study period. Males were six times affected than females. There is need to equip these reference hospitals for trauma care, and reduce election-related violence in Port Harcourt as this appears to be taking a toll on the citizens.
Integrating In-silico with In-vitro Studies of Rutin as an Anti Hypertensive
Authors: Raju M. Ganga , Suvarchala Reddy N. V. L , Srivani M. , Pratyusha B.
Published: February 2022

Rutin was evaluated for its antihypertensive effect by In vitro ACE inhibitory activity using Captopril as standard. For molecular docking the proteins namely PDB ID: 1UZE, 1O86, 2XY9 and 3L3N are selected and modelled. The abilities of the 3D model were assessed via the PROCHECK database and considered with the Ramachandran plot. The G-score of rutin was found to be more than the glide score of standard drug captopril affirming that the compound had similar affinity to impasse to the proteins. Proteins with PDB ID 1UZE, 1O86, 2XY9, and 3L3N showed more than 90% favoured area which evidently specifies that the designated protein in the current research is of noble eminence. ADME (Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism and Excretion outcome shown the three violations of rutin out of the five and the Captopril has got zero violations which noticeably shown the possibility for its greater oral bioavailability. The results of bioactive score revealed that rutin and captopril showed moderately active against GPCR ligand, ion channel modulator, kinase inhibitor and nuclear receptor but both rutin and the standard captopril were found to be highly dynamic counter to protease inhibitor and enzyme inhibitor. The PASS results clearly stated that rutin and captopril as cardio protectant, vasoprotector, vasodilator, antihypertensive. Rutin was predicted with hepatoxicity and nephrotoxicity while captopril was predicted with myocardial infarction, hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity. The direct targets of rutin have interventions with Cytochrome P4503A, Carbonic anhydrase II, Sodium /glucose cotransporter/2 and TNF-alpha for direct targets.  The possible targets were with vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1, and Sodium /glucose cotransporter/2. In vitro ACE inhibition assay demonstrated that rutin has shown antihypertensive activity by inhibiting angiotensin converting enzyme. From the above results the mechanism of action of rutin was validated through in silico interactions with the suitable PDB’s from MCULE software.
Etiology and Management of Hypersensitivity of Teeth - A Review
Authors: Pranati T. , Ariga Padma , Ganapathy Dhanraj , Arthanari Abhirami
Published: February 2022

Hypersensitivity of teeth is a common clinical condition usually associated with exposed dentinal tubules. It is predominantly found in patients belonging to 20-60 years of age and most commonly affects the canines and premolars of both the arches. This article concisely reviews the etiology, patho-physiology, mechanism and management of dentin hypersensitivity. Treatment of dentin hypersensitivity should start with an accurate diagnosis and removal of the etiology. Differential diagnosis should be made and all other probable causes should be excluded. An often neglected phase of clinical management of dentin hypersensitivity is the identification and treatment of the causative factors. By removing the etiological factors, the condition can be even prevented from occurring or recurring. There are various treatment modalities available which can be used at home or may be professionally applied. The “at home” desensitizing agents include toothpastes, mouthwashes or chewing gums and they act by either occluding the dentinal tubules or blocking the neural transmission. The in-office treatments include application of potassium nitrate, fluorides, adhesive resins, copal varnish and oxalates. This article also discusses the recent treatment options like carbonated nano hydroxyapatite crystals bioglass, calcium silicate derivative of Portland cement, lasers and casein phosphopeptide.
Effect of Virgin Coconut Oil in Plaque Related Gingivitis
Authors: Rakshitha V. S. , Priya A. Jothi , Devi R. Gayatri
Published: February 2022

Introduction: In all individuals oral health is important. Irrespective of nationality, oral hygiene habits are taught in childhood itself. Tooth cleaning by the mechanical method is the most accepted method in the maintenance of oral hygiene worldwide. Presently to reduce plaque formation chemotherapeutic agents are used. Oil pulling is used for many years for strengthening gums, teeth and to prevent oral malodor and bleeding gums. Coconut oil is consumed as a staple diet. Coconut oil contains 50% of Lauric acid and 92% of saturated acid. The lauric acid contains anti-inflammatory properties.

Aim: This study aimed to find out the efficacy of virgin coconut oil in plaque-related gingivitis.

Materials and Methods: The sample size used for the study is 108, A self-structured questionnaire has been prepared and uploaded in Google forms. This standard questionnaire in Google forms is being circulated among the sample study population and at the end of the survey, all the data were collected and the data is been analyzed by using Chi-square analysis. The Chi-square analysis was done using the software IBM SPSS Software Version 23.

Results: The Chi-square analysis was done and the association between gender and improvement in gingival health after oil pulling in the South Indian population was found to be statistically significant. Chi-square value:11.77 and p-value:0.038, (p<0.05) hence a statistically significant decrease in gingival and plaque was noticed during the study period.

Conclusion: In summary, using Virgin coconut oil pulling could be an effective procedure in decreasing plaque-related gingivitis. This preliminary study shows that coconut oil is easily usable, cost-effective, and safe with minimal side effects which are used as an adjuvant in oral hygiene maintenance. Further studies on the antimicrobial potency of coconut oil are required for the use of coconut oil as an effective oral antimicrobial agent.
Overview of Emulgel as Emergent Topical Delivery: Recent Applications and Advancement
Authors: Amgaonkar Yogesh , Kochar Nitin , Chandewar Anil , Bute Shrikant , Wadher Kamlesh , Umekar Milind
Published: February 2022

Emulgel is an emerging delivery system with added advantages over other topical delivery systems which is proven to be boon for cosmetics and dermatology. Emulgels are emulsion which is converted to Gel, which will make it a non greasy and enhances patient compliance. The amalgamation of the two systems would be advantages in term of high drug loading capacity and low skin irritation, site specific targeting avoiding first-pass metabolism and increase in bioavailability. Work carried out by researchers proved that, Emulgel/ Nanoemulgel loaded with drugs has been found effective in many topical disorders and it is emerging as potential drug delivery system in area of dermatology. In the present review current research works that carried out on Emulgel and nano emulgels are discussed and also highlighted the recent applications of Emulgel in transdermal as well as dental, ocular, vaginal, and other delivery system.
Osteopetrosis a Significant Bone Disease: A Case Study
Authors: Gajbhiye Sumit Vinod , Tivaskar Suhas , Luharia Anurag , Christian Ravi
Published: February 2022

Background: Osteopetrosis is a genetic condition that affects just a few people. illness characterised by osteosclerosis, Due to inadequate osteoclast resorption, there is destruction of the medullary canal, calcified cartilage, and hard bone. Patients with osteopetrosis are more likely to develop osteoarthritis. Only a few studies have documented a patient who underwent both a complete Arthroplasty of the hip and knee (TKA). In this article, a patient with osteopetrosis describes a case of left and right hip osteoarthritis.

Clinical Findings: Walking problems, Calcium deficiency, the optic nerve in the brain is under pressure. Hearing loss, as well as distress, can lead to neurological issues.

Diagnostic Evaluation: CBC Investigation, blood test, Hb-12.9%, Total RBC count-4.84million/cumm, RDW-13.2%, HCT-36.7%, Total WBC Count-26200 cu mm, Monocytes- 01%, Granulocytes- 30%, Lymphocytes- 65%, Total platelet count-3.5 Lacs/cu mm, ALT(SGPT)-17 U/L, AST (SGOT)-44 U/L.

Peripheral Smear: RBCs-Normocytic Normochromic Platelets-Adequate on smear, No Hemiparasite seen, WBCs-Neutrophilic leucocytosis.

Therapeutic Intervention: Calcium 1200mg, D3 8000IU, vitamin D supplements calcitriol 0.25mcg/ml, hormone replacement therapy, Bone marrow transplantation (BMT), Alendronate70mg, (Fosamax), Risedronate35mg OD (Actonel), Inj Boniva 3mg OD, Inj Zoledronic acid 4mg BD (Recast), various medications, and/or surgery.

Outcome: After therapy, the child's behaviour improves. Osteoporosis is a condition in which excessive bone resorption causes decreased bone mass and skeletal fragility, with the most serious clinical consequence being increased fracture risk.

Conclusion:  The patient was hospitalised to AVBRH with a known case of Osteopetrosis illness and complained of difficulties awakening, discomfort, and neurological issues. After receiving appropriate therapy and surgery, his condition improved. According to this case study, in patients with osteopetrosis, total joint arthroplasty is an effective therapy for painful hip and knee osteoarthritis.