bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Clinical practice perception in relation with DEPTh model among dental practitioners in Madurai city -A cross sectional study
Authors: Gayathri P  , Madhivathani S M  , Umesh K  , Sangeeta Chavan  , R Palanivel Pandian  , P Prem Kumar
Published: June 2023

Introduction : Clinical epidemiology is a science of making predictions, which aims at promoting the quality of clinical and patient oriented health care, in order to make good decision in care of patients. The study aimed to assess the perception of clinical practice in relation with Diagnosis, Etiology, Prognosis, Therapy (DEPTh) Model among dental practitioners in Madurai City.
Materials and Methods : The Questionnaire based cross sectional study was conducted among Dentist in Madurai city for a period of 1 month and the sample size was about 181. The self-structured questionnaire consisted of 13 closed ended questions which was formulated based on their perception towards practice either as Diagnostic, Etiology, Prognosis or Therapy (DEPTh) Model.
Results : The present study was conducted among 183 dental practitioners practicing in Madurai city. The result of the study was based on the questionnaire, which revealed that 32.92% of dental practitioners prefer to give importance to diagnosis of disease, 27.15 % of dental practitioners prefer to give importance to the etiology of disease, 19.14 % of dental practitioners preferred to give importance to prognosis of disease and 31.44 % of dental practitioners preferred to give importance to therapy overall.
Conclusion : The result of the present study highlights the importance of clinical practice decision making, as dental practitioners there a need to investigate the condition in holistic way and not merely the therapy and diagnostic aspect alone. This study attempted to attune their own practice for inculcating effective contribution to overall care and patient well-being
How Does AI Hear?
Authors: Großmann Rolf
Published: June 2023

AI music often sounds very familiar, because it is limited to its creators’ musical horizon. In the third essay of our «Sonic Vignettes» special, Rolf Großmann asks what happens if one liberated AI «ears» from the constraints of human sensations?
The Grain of Online Voices
Authors: Voegelin Salomé
Published: June 2023

Every physical interaction leaves traces. Yet, in online meetings, the human voice might be the only traceable feature left. In the fifth episode of «Sonic Vignettes», Salomé Voegelin reflects upon the grain of the voice as an irreducible trace of human contact and why it is endangered by AI cleaning language.
Peran Penting Pokdarwis Dan Kualitas Sumber Daya Manusia Desa Carangwulung dalam Pengelolaan Wisata Alam Grojogan Selo Gonggo
Authors: Vicky Al-Hafiz  , Firdha Amalia  , Zalfaa’ Fairuuz  , Dhian Satria Yudha Kartika  , Ramadhan Eka Syahputra  , Diva Zahwa
Published: June 2023

The tourism potential in Carangwulung Village is very diverse and has the opportunity to be developed into a tourist attraction. There are eight tourist destinations that have been developed in Carangwulung village, one of which is the Grojogan Selo Gonggo (GSG ) nature tourism. This tourist attraction is natural attractions that come from mountain water and also pine forests. Opportunities for tourism activities at GSG are very good, if the local community and the management are able to work together to achieve the expected goals. However, the fact is that over time the people who participate in managing the GSG experience a decrease in tourism awareness. This will not affect the future development of GSG natural tourism as tourism that is of interest to tourists. Therefore, the awareness of the Carangwulung village tourism community needs to be increased again so that the development of the GSG nature tourism is not in vain and gets maximum benefits from tourism activities. The formation of POKDARWIS and improving the quality of human resources play an important role in developing GSG natural tourism, with the aim of making GSG a tourist destination that is of interest to many tourists.
THE IMPACT OF FIRMS’ SPECIFIC CHARACTERISTICS ON THE QUALITY OF INTEGRATED REPORTING: EVIDENCE FROM LISTED COMPANIES IN SRI LANKA
Authors: Madhuhansi  , Karunarathne
Published: June 2023

Even though integrated reporting (IR) is not a novel concept to the world, it is still
not a mandatory requirement in the Sri Lankan context. However, it is an expansion
of the innovative reporting dimension by incorporating financial and non-financial
information. Recently IR has been fascinating to many companies. As a result, many
Sri Lankan businesses are adopting integrated reporting at various levels with the
guidelines of the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC). Due to the
voluntary approach of applying integrated reporting in Sri Lanka, the level of
adoption of integrated reporting quality differs from one to another firm. When
observing the individual annual reports of listed public companies in the Colombo
Stock Exchange (CSE), some companies adopt well to the guidelines which are stated
in the International Integrated Reporting Framework, On the other hand, some other
listed public companies are not paid attention to the International Integrated
Reporting guidelines and level of integrated reporting quality adequately. Hence it is
important to realize the level and the quality of integrated reporting adoption of listed
companies in Sri Lanka and how its disclosure level varies with the different firms’
specific characteristics. Accordingly, the primary purpose of the study is to examine
the impact of a firm’s specific characteristics on the level of integrated reporting
disclosure quality of listed companies in CSE. Beyond the theoretical suggestions,
this study provides practical implications for different types of stakeholders who use
the information to make different business decisions.
This study used data from 53 companies that are operating at CSE. Secondary data
were gathered from the annual reports of selected companies for the period from 2017
to 2020. Profitability, financial leverage, ownership dispersion, board diversity, and
board independence were used as the independent variables in the study. The Panel
data regression model was employed to analyze data with E-Views software. The
results showed that profitability and financial leverage variables are statistically
significant and positively influenced the integrated reporting adoption level and
quality of disclosures. Furthermore, the firm size has a big impact on the quality of
integrated reporting implemented. The study's findings may be helpful to future
scholars in this field and business decision-makers in gaining insight into the quality
level of integrated reporting adoption already present in Sri Lankan listed companies
in CSE and how it is affected by factors unique to the selected firms.
Aprendizado Federado e Deep Q-Network habilitando VANTs como Infraestrutura em Redes 6G
Authors: Oliveira Renan R. de , S. e Silva Rogério , Freitas Leandro A. , Oliveira-Jr Antonio
Published: June 2023

A implantação de Veículos Aéreos Não Tripulados (VANTs) como estações base aéreas é um habilitador chave para diferentes casos de uso emergentes das redes 6G. Neste contexto, este artigo apresenta uma proposição para o posicionamento de VANTs atuando como infraestrutura de redes móveis assistidas por Federated Deep Learning (FDL) e Deep Q-Network (DQN). A proposta é baseada em um paradigma de aprendizado descentralizado que melhora a sobrecarga de comunicação com foco na preservação da privacidade e adaptação dinâmica dos VANTs ao ambiente de propagação das redes móveis.
Requisitos e Desafios de Segurança e Privacidade em Redes 6G
Authors: Silva Cleitianne O. , Cruz Antonia Raiane S. Araujo , Andrade Rossana M. C. , Rodrigues Emanuel B.
Published: June 2023

O avanço da 6ª geração de redes móveis possibilitará a comunicação de dispositivos heterogêneos, uso profundo da Inteligência Artificial e também facilitará novos casos de uso. Contudo, deverá garantir segurança e privacidade em tempo real, e mecanismos de proteção de dados diferenciais e distribuídos. Nesse sentido, este trabalho consiste em apresentar os principais desafios de segurança e privacidade em 6G, sumarizando os requisitos de segurança e as ameaças que exploram as vulnerabilidades.
Arquitetura auto-gerenciável e dirigida por intenções para implantação de serviços em redes 6G
Authors: Lemes Mario T. , Both Cristiano B. , Cardoso Kleber V. , Oliveira-Jr Antonio
Published: June 2023

Processos de decisão baseados no fator humano não são adequadas para operação e gerenciamento de redes futuras. Neste trabalho, propomos investigar o uso de intenções para gerenciamento de serviço e operação das redes 6G. A integração com Inteligência Artificial é um fator fundamental para a realização de plataformas auto-gerenciáveis. Arquiteturas baseadas em intenção e com forte agregação de inteligência, nos diversos níveis do bloco estrutural, devem ser construídas para gerenciamento das aplicações com diferentes requisitos e para solucionar problemas relacionados à coleta de dados, treinamento de modelos, seleção de algoritmos e o projeto da rede.
Fatiamento de rede utilizando MEC para integrar V2X por meio do acesso Non-3GPP à rede 6G (5G/B5G)
Authors: Eduardo Gabriel , Luiz André , S. e Silva Rogério , Moreira Waldir , Freitas Leandro A. , Oliveira-Jr Antonio
Published: June 2023

Vehicle-to-everything (V2X) é uma tecnologia que envolve diversos elementos do transporte. A comunicação de veículos com pessoas, infraestrutura, rede, dispositivos e os veículos contemplam o V2X. A comunicação entre veículos e esses elementos permitem adquirir informações com maior agilidade, auxiliando na tomada de decisão dos veículos, além de contribuir para a construção de um ecossistema de transporte com serviços mais eficientes. Nesse sentindo, este trabalho, tem como objetivo apresentar uma proposta de integração da tecnologia V2X à rede 6G por meio do acesso Non-3GPP.
RADAR Sensing em Redes 6G
Authors: Rosa Pedro Manoel Ribeiro , Cardoso Kleber Vieira , Oliveira-Jr Antonio
Published: June 2023

Esse artigo apresenta o uso simultâneo do sistema de comunicação clássica de dados na radiodeterminação (RADAR Sensing) por meio da modulação OFDM da 5G e 6G, explorando a estrutura dessa modulação por meio das características de suas subportadoras a fim de utilizá-las na detecção de deslizamento geológico de encostas/morros para proteção da vida humana em perigo, empregando, por exemplo, os conceitos ISAC, C&S, dentre outros.
Challenges and Opportunities in Smart Contract Development on the Ethereum Virtual Machine: A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Velasco Gislainy Crisostomo , Vaz Noeli Antonia Pimentel , Carvalho Sergio T.
Published: June 2023

The development of smart contracts presents significant challenges compared to traditional software development, such as the immutability of the blockchain. This paper presents a systematic literature review (SLR) that aims to understand the limitations and challenges faced by smart contract developers on the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM). Among the main challenges identified are language restrictions, infrastructure limitations, and the lack of sufficient information on interface patterns and implementation specifications. Existing proposals are difficult to understand, with complex formal verifications that require advanced technical knowledge. Additionally, the scarcity of accessible educational resources for training new smart contract developers represents a major challenge to be overcome. In this regard, the SLR seeks to identify opportunities for improvement and innovation in the field, as well as validation and evaluation strategies to make the smart contract development process more efficient and secure.
Evaluation of a High-Level Metamodel for Developing Smart Contracts on the Ethereum Virtual Machine
Authors: Velasco Gislainy Crisostomo , Vieira Marcos Alves , Carvalho Sergio T.
Published: June 2023

Developers of smart contracts face challenges such as the immutability of contracts and asset storage, which make the activity complex and errorprone. To make contracts safer and more reliable, Model-Driven Engineering (MDE) offers an alternative approach with an emphasis on the High-Level Metamodel for Smart Contract (HLM-SC), which allows for the high-level declaration of elements within a contract. This paper evaluates the HLM-SC using the MQuaRE framework to verify its conceptual validity with 11 external evaluators. The results demonstrated the acceptance of the metamodel. Additionally, this paper presents a guide on how to use HLM-SC to facilitate its adoption by developers. Finally, it demonstrates the application of HLM-SC in a scenario related to the NFT industry.
Proposta de Gestão do Ciclo de Vida de Equipamentos de TI com Appendable-block Blockchain
Authors: Silveira Rodrigo Wetzel , Lunardi Roben C. , Zorzo Avelino Francisco
Published: June 2023

Blockchain tem sido aplicada em diversas áreas que exigem armazenamento seguro e descentralizado de informações. Uma dessas áreas é a gestão do ciclo de vida de dispositivos, que normalmente utiliza um modelo de armazenamento centralizado. No entanto, a aplicação de blockchains tradicionais neste contexto apresenta desafios, especialmente relacionados à latência e desempenho. Como resultado, novas topologias de blockchain têm sido desenvolvidas para melhorar essas propriedades, modificando a sua estrutura. Um exemplo de nova tecnologia é a appendableblock blockchain, que remove a inserção de transações da inserção de blocos, permitindo que novos dados sejam adicionados a uma cadeia auxiliar a partir do bloco principal. Este trabalho tem como objetivo ampliar os estudos neste novo modelo, abordando possíveis contribuições e melhorias na etapa de armazenamento, persistência e acesso eficiente aos dados, além de estudos sobre o processo de recuperação de informações do mesmo contexto, utilizando como estudo de caso uma patente que trata do armazenamento e recuperação de dados do ciclo de vida de dispositivos.
Designing and Evaluating a high-reliable and security-aware Identity and Access Management for Slicing Architectures
Authors: Moreira Rodrigo , Carvalho Tereza C. M. B. , Silva Flávio de Oliveira
Published: June 2023

Network slicing architectures are fundamental for providing connectivity to demanding users and applications in heterogeneous network infrastructures. Such architectures have evolved significantly in recent years, especially with improvements in security and reliability functions. However, the improvements in these architectures are functionally specific and are not considered throughout the entire architecture lifecycle, opening opportunities for secure, and reliable native architectures. Thus, this paper designs and evaluates an Identity and Access Management (IAM) mechanism while providing security and reliability for building blocks of slicing architectures. Our findings concern a comparative evaluation of the IAM mechanism and its behavior under stress loads, as well as an experimental assessment of a secure defense mechanism against Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks.
Teste para validação do Virtual OLT Hardware Abstraction (VOLTHA) para gerência de redes SD-PON
Authors: Martins Luciano , Riveros Luis G. M. , Mineto Carine , Facina Michelle S. P. , Lima Gustavo C. , Oliveira Lucas B. , Farias Fernando N. N.
Published: June 2023

O presente artigo descreve a implementação feita para emular uma rede FTTx (Fiber to the “X”), composta por OLT (Open Line Terminal) e ONU (Optical Network Unit), com simulações para o plano de controle e considerações sobre um plano de dados desenvolvido com OVS (OpenVSwitch) adicional ao plano de controle.
Evolving Paxos for the Non-Malicious Arbitrary Model
Authors: Santos Enrique S. dos , Barbieri Rodrigo R. , Vieira Gustavo M. D.
Published: June 2023

The non-malicious arbitrary fault model presents a compromise between the weak fault tolerance of the fail-stop fault model and the complexity of the Byzantine fault model. This model describes processes that are capable of using validation codes to detect and drop invalid messages. In this paper we propose a more robust non-malicious version of the distributed consensus algorithm Paxos that can withstand algorithm-level (distributed) faults, while ensuring the application will only see correct states. Our approach to extend the non-malicious model beyond local validations is to define global invariants that must be respected by the algorithm and track them as the algorithm executes. Experimental work shows our solution works for a representative subset of faults and that the performance cost is minimal compared to a local-only non-malicious implementation based on validation codes.
Avaliação de Desempenho de Migração ao Vivo de Contêineres com Redes de Petri Estocásticas
Authors: Feitosa Leonel , Rego Paulo A. L. , Silva Francisco Airton
Published: June 2023

Atualmente, a maioria dos data centers em todo o mundo utiliza microsserviços e contêineres. Contêineres normalmente são executados em um único host de controle, acessando um único kernel. Uma alternativa para mitigar o problema de indisponibilidade e perda de desempenho é migrar contêineres entre hosts. Existem utilitários como o Checkpoint Restoration In Userspace (CRIU) que podem ser usados especificamente para realizar migração de contêineres, porém não é fácil escolher uma política de migração específica considerando as particularidades arquiteturais e do software que está executando de forma distribuída nos contêineres. Este artigo propõe um modelo de rede de Petri estocástica (SPN) para modelar políticas de migração de contêineres (que também pode ser aplicado no contexto de máquinas virtuais - VMs), avaliando o tempo médio de migração de tais elementos. O modelo permite também calcular a probabilidade de cada política finalizar o processo de migração em determinado espaço de tempo. Este é o primeiro trabalho com estas características no contexto de migração de elementos virtualizáveis.
Checkpointing Techniques in Distributed Systems: A Synopsis of Diverse Strategies Over the Last Decades
Authors: Goulart Henrique , Franco Álvaro , Mendizabal Odorico
Published: June 2023

This paper concisely reviews checkpointing techniques in distributed systems, focusing on various aspects such as coordinated and uncoordinated checkpointing, incremental checkpoints, fuzzy checkpoints, adaptive checkpoint intervals, and kernel-based and user-space checkpoints. The review highlights interesting points, outlines how each checkpoint approach works, and discusses their advantages and drawbacks. It also provides a brief overview of the adoption of checkpoints in different contexts in distributed computing, including Database Management Systems (DBMS), State Machine Replication (SMR), and High-Performance Computing (HPC) environments. Additionally, the paper briefly explores the application of checkpointing strategies in modern cloud and container environments, discussing their role in live migration and application state management. The review offers valuable insights into their adoption and application across various distributed computing contexts by summarizing the historical development, advances, and challenges in checkpointing techniques.
Daisy Chain Cast - um protocolo para Multicast Atômico
Authors: Louzada Carlos Renan Schick , Dotti Fernando
Published: June 2023

O multicast atômico provê garantias de entrega e ordem a subconjuntos de processos destinatários, sendo um mecanismo fundamental para o provimento de serviços escaláveis com consistência forte. Enquanto muitos algoritmos genuínos de multicast atômico são derivados do algoritmo de Skeen, que usa comunicação de todos para todos processos, temos em outro lado do espectro o protocolo também genuíno de [Delporte-Gallet and Fauconnier 2000]. Este restringe a direcionalidade da comunicação e é atrativo por sua simplicidade. Sofre porém do efeito comboio. A partir de avaliações de ambos, este artigo propõe um protocolo alternativo, com o objetivo de eliminar o efeito comboio de [Delporte-Gallet and Fauconnier 2000].
Performance Efficiency Evaluation based on ISO/IEC 25010:2011 applied to a Case Study on Load Balance and Resilient
Authors: Pereira Diego S. , Bezerra Lucas F. V. , Nunes Jacyana S. , Barroca Filho Itamir M. , Lopes Frederico A. S.
Published: June 2023

The client-server architecture makes it necessary to implement techniques to overcome the single point of failure problem (only one server node). One of the most commonly used techniques is load balancing. Load balancing consists in distributing requests between nodes that provide a service (clusters). In this paper, we performed an evaluation based on the concept of efficiency included in ISO25010:2011. The balancers evaluated were HAProxy (High Availability Proxy) and ARR (Application Request Routing) with and without caching. The project requirements are limited using the IIS (Internet Information Services) web server. Load Balances based on caching presented the best performance in most scenarios, while HAProxy obtained better values related to CPU utilization.
Utilização de Grafos de Nilcatenation na Identificação de Transações para Pruning em Blockchains
Authors: Bonomo Igor da Silva , Alchieri Eduardo
Published: June 2023

A tecnologia blockchain se consolidou com sua utilização em diversas áreas do conhecimento, tendo seu uso maior nas criptomoedas. Porém, ainda existem limitações para a sua ampla utilização em diversas aplicações. Uma limitação relevante é o tamanho crescente das blockchains, o que causa tanto problemas de armazenamento quanto leva a uma necessidade crescente de tempo para sincronização de nós. Neste contexto, este artigo estuda uma solução para pruning em blockchains. Essa técnica consiste em remover transações da rede sem prejudicar a consistência da blockchain. A solução proposta é baseada em grafos de nilcatenation, cujo objetivo é identificar um subgrafo que pode ser removido sem comprometer a consistência da rede. Resultados experimentais mostram que a solução proposta consegue identificar de forma mais precisa as transações que podem ser removidas (chegando a uma redução de até 20% das transações), quanto comparado com técnicas atuais (conseguiram fornecer até 5% de redução) que buscam encontrar ciclos de transações nestes grafos que podem ser removidas.
Benchmark TPC-C Aplicado em Replicação Máquina de Estados
Authors: Serafim Kayel L. , Alchieri Eduardo , Dotti Fernando
Published: June 2023

A Replicação Máquina de Estados (RME) é uma abordagem importante para prover serviços de alta disponibilidade. No entanto, o aumento da vazão em RME é um desafio devido ao seu modelo determinístico. Uma lacuna importante é a falta de cargas de trabalho que permitam avaliar diferentes mecanismos para RME sob os mesmos referenciais, representativos de aplicações de interesse. Identificaram-se aspectos comuns relevantes no contexto de transações online, e propõe-se o uso do benchmark TPC-C do Transaction Processing Performance Comittee para avaliar RMEs. A arquitetura é discutida e implementada em uma plataforma de replicação, no contexto de RME. Os resultados obtidos foram reportados utilizando o modelo clássico de RME. Além disso, foi discutida e implementada uma abordagem para RME paralela com essa carga de trabalho, e os resultados também foram reportados.
Michel Pêcheux’s Discourse Analysis: An Approach to Domain Analyses
Authors: Barros Thiago Henrique Bragato
Published: June 2023

This article discusses the aspects and points of contact between discourse analysis and knowledge organization, perceiving how Michel Pêcheux’s discourse analyses can contribute to domain analyses. Discourse analysis (DA) deals with the theoretical-methodological development of social and scientific movements that took place in France from the 1960s onwards; this paper seeks to discuss aspects of discourse analysis and the possibilities of its use in the universe of knowledge organization (KO). Little work is done structurally and transversally when it comes to discourse itself, especially when the words “discourse” and “analysis” appear in the titles, abstracts, keywords etc. of chapters, books and journals that have KO in their scope. That is mainly due to those works are recent and that belong to fields far from those which have traditionally dealt with discourse. Therefore, viewing discourse as a theoretical contribution to KO means a new framework should be understood in the scope of the analyses carried out regarding the construction of systems, approaches, and studies, precisely because it sees in the terms not only what concerns their concepts, as is the traditional route in KO, but also the ideology, and understands the construction of meaning as something historical as well as social. So, there is a major contribution for domain analyses based in Pêcheux’s discourse theory.
Islamisches Rechtswesen und umweltökologische Nachhaltigkeit: Positionen zu einer islamisch geprägten Umweltethik
Authors: Salim Abdelghafar
Published: June 2023

In recent decades, questions of climate change and environmental problems have received increasing attention not only in Germany and Europe, but also globally. This has been accompanied by transnational and societal debates on environmental ethics. Such debates have also found their way into Muslim discourses. Since the 1960s, Muslim environmental activists, theologians, and scholars have addressed these issues from an Islamic ethical perspective. In doing so, they have referred to Islamic normative texts such as the Qur'an and the Sunnah (traditions of the Prophet) in order to identify points of reference and relevant concepts for environmental ethics. In this context, particular reference is made to classical concepts such as tawḥīd (the oneness of God and His creation), ḫilāfa (the vicegerency of man), and amāna (trust). These are supposed to serve as the religious basis for so-called eco-Islam. However, it is questionable whether these concepts, in their classical understanding, are applicable to contemporary non-religious discourses on ecological sustainability as well as to current discourses on ethics. Against this background, the present article explores more recent approaches to environmental ethics. It examines the extent to which approaches and concepts stemming from Islamic sources can be used as a basis for contemporary discourses on Islamic environmental ethics. The article follows a historical-critical approach and aims to provide insights for rethinking the question of Islamic environmental ethics.
Zur Positionalität von Islam, Recht und Ethik in der Pränataldiagnosti
Authors: Anam Beate
Published: June 2023

Debates among Muslim religious scholars in the field of Islamic medical ethics are characterized by a broad spectrum of interpretations. This is not surprising, considering that the religious-legal norms and ethical-moral values are entangled in the šarīʿa. This body of religious norms, based on the sacred scriptures of Islam, requires human interpretation in order to be applicable. This is particularly relevant for developments in medical technologies and medical knowledge. Here, Muslim scholars are faced with challenges that have not been considered in former times. Apart from the fundamental legal question dealing with the extent of human life and interferences to it, ethical and moral questions gained particular importance in the broader normative discourse. This treatise provides insights into the debate of prenatal diagnostic procedures and its impact on prolongation of life or premature termination. From a jurisprudential perspective, the article addresses the basic Islamic legal norms on the question of physical integrity and early phases of life. In addition, the issue of non-invasive prenatal tests will be touched upon the catalog of services provided by compulsory health insurances in Germany.
[Platone], Horoi
Authors: Benati Edoardo
Published: June 2023

This book provides a new critical edition with Italian translation of the pseudo-Platonic Horoi (Definitions), accompanied by a substantive introduction and commentary. Despite the relatively limited attention the Horoi has received in the scholarship, the study brings out the value of this text as a Middle Platonist work, affording fascinating insights into ways of reading Plato in the Imperial Age. The critical edition is based on the most thorough examination of the Horoi’s manuscript tradition to date.

Edoardo Benati holds a PhD in Classics from the Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa. He is interested in Plato, the Pseudoplatonica, and the Early Academy.
Effect of Hypertension on ECG Parameters
Authors: Sen Abirlal , Baruah Geeta
Published: June 2023

Introduction: Across the world the prevalence of hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases are increasing at an alarming rate. These diseases also affect the young age and medical students are no exception. In this study, ECG variables like R-R interval, QRS Axis of the medical students along with their Blood pressure were recorded and the relationship between ECG variables and Blood pressure was studied. Materials and methods: The study was done in Dept. of Physiology, Jorhat Medical College. Sample size was calculated as 160 using EpiTools Software. Recording of Electrocardiogram and Blood pressure of 160 students were done. P values were calculated by Anova test in case of > two variables. Tukey HSD test was used for Post hoc analysis. Scatter diagrams were used to see relationship between study variables. P value <0.05 was considered as significant. Results: Comparison of ECG Variables between hypotensive, normotensive and hypertensive students showed that R-R Interval decreased significantly from 21.37 ± 4.24 in hypotensives to 19.74 ± 3.39 in normotensives and 18.27 ± 4.07 in hypertensive students. QRS Axis decreased from 75.35 ± 10.99 degrees in hypotensives to 54.80 ± 34.94 degrees in normotensives and 50.43 ± 25.59 degrees in hypertensive students. Conclusion: Changing of life style that includes reduced consumption of fat rich diets, fast foods, red meat and salt, performing regular physical exercises, and regular health check up in the form of Blood pressure and Electrocardiogram recording could be beneficial for the students to identify and take preventive measures against any cardiovascular ailments..
Radioactive Iodine Therapy for Hyperthyroidism
Authors: Hussain Fida , Adil Muhammad , Hussain Mehmood
Published: June 2023

Hyperthyroidism is one of the most commonly encountered endocrine disorder with potentially devastating health consequences. Radioactive iodine has been used for the treatment of hyperthyroidism since 1940s. It is now widely accepted as safe, cost-effective and reliable treatment option with 50–90% cure rate in first year after therapy. With long-term follow-up hypothyroidism is inevitable especially in Grave’s disease which can activate orbitopathy in predisposed individuals. Early and timely management of hypothyroidism is associated with better therapeutic outcomes. There is very little evidence of cardiovascular and cancer related mortality risk after radioactive iodine therapy. However, it is said that these risks appear to be thyroid hormone driven above all other factors.
Stem Cell-Derived Exosomes as New Horizon for Cell-Free Therapeutic Development: Current Status and Prospects
Authors: Vakil Devashree , Doshi Riddhesh , Mckinnirey Flyn , Sidhu Kuldip
Published: June 2023

Exosomes have come a long way since they were first described in 1981 by Trams et al. as small lipid bilayer-enclosed vesicles of endocytic origin. Their ability to alter cell bioactivity combined with their advancing popularity as disease biomarkers and therapeutic delivery systems has compelled major Government institutions and regulatory authorities to invest further in this ever-growing field of research. Being relatively new, exosome research is besieged by challenges including but not limited to inefficient separation methods and preservation techniques, difficulties in characterization, and lack of standardized protocols. However, as excitement and research on exosomes increase, their relevance and capacity to elicit a distinct biological response is reinforced. Therefore, it is pertinent to further explore their potential as cell-free therapeutics. This review focuses on current difficulties and subsequent strategies to refine existing methodologies for efficient clinical translation of exosomes in a streamlined and cost-effective manner. The chapter is briefly divided into subsections, each relevant for sequential therapeutic development such as their classification, isolation, scaling up, storage, characterizations, regulatory requirements, therapeutic developments, and perspectives. Apart from literature search, we have endeavored to bring in our own experience in this field including some recent clinical developments.
Inorganic Phosphate: The Backbone of Life
Authors: Mustaev Arkady
Published: June 2023

Inorganic phosphate (Pi) plays a crucial role in many biochemical pathways. Broad Pi involvement in the structure and function of biological entities reflects a striking unity of inorganic and organic matter in life processes. Pi functions as a constituent of cellular metabolites as well as a building material for bones in vertebrates and shells in some marine species, owing to the ability of Pi to form robust minerals. Dysregulation of phosphate metabolism causes serious medical disorders, such as osteoporosis, arterial medial calcification, hypophosphatemia, and kidney stone formation. The purpose of this chapter is to provide a brief but comprehensive overview of inorganic phosphate biology. The chapter aims at a broad audience that includes advanced graduate students and first-year medical students as well as researchers and scientists interested in the basics of Pi bioorganic, biophysical, bioinorganic, and biomedical chemistry. Herein, the author i) describe major Pi functions in current life forms; ii) highlight unique Pi properties that underpin its role in life processes, iii) rationalize the natural choice of Pi for design of biological molecules, and iv) discuss the possible involvement of inorganic phosphate and its minerals in events that led to the emergence of life.
Molecular Basis of Plant Adaptation against Aridity
Authors: Mondal Kinjal , Raj Shani , Thakur Kalpna , Verma Anjali , Kharwal Neerja , Chowdhury Animesh , Sadhu Supratim , Ram Mala , Bishnoi Pooja , Dutta Sukanya , G Jain Ayush , Choudhary Saroj
Published: June 2023

Environment fluctuations have become the greatest threat to global food security. Of various abiotic stress factors, aridity hampers the most yield contributing attributes. In the context of agriculture, term “aridity” refers to a protracted period of insufficient precipitation, having detrimental influence on crop development and overall biological output. A sustained drought has considerable negative effects on crops and livestock, including the reduced production, destruction of property, and livestock sell-offs. Consequently, plants themself exert various kinds of defensive mechanisms to combat the ill effects of climate change. For example, plants with small leaves, benefit from aridity as part of their strategy for modifying the soil to water shortages and nutrient restrictions. Furthermore, low genetic diversity among significant crop species, together with ecological productivity limits, must be addressed in order to adapt crops to episodic drought spells in the coming days. A deeper understanding of the molecular and genetic underpinnings of the most important intrinsic adaptation responses to drought stress seems to be beneficial for gene engineering as well as gene-based expression investigations in plant systems under hostile environment. Recently, molecular markers and “omics” have opened a huge opportunity to identify and develop specific gene constructs governing plant adaptation to environmental stress.
Clipping Strategies and Intraoperative Tools to Detect Aneurysm Obliteration and Cerebral Vessel Patency
Authors: Anania Pasquale , Fiaschi Pietro
Published: June 2023

Cerebral aneurysms are common cerebrovascular diseases most frequently manifest with vascular rupture and subsequent subarachnoid hemorrhage. Microsurgical clipping is considered the best long-term treatment, despite of the increase of endovascular interventional treatments in the latest years. Vascular control is a pivotal concept for aneurysms surgery, which provides the application of temporary clip in case of rupture, whereas the application of permanent clip requires the perfect knowledge of aneurysm anatomy. Several techniques to obtain the obliteration of the aneurysm while preserving the parent vessels and its branches have been described. Micro-Doppler ultrasonography (MUSG), indocyanine green video angiography (ICG-VA), and electrophysiological neuromonitoring (IONM) are all useful intraoperative tools, which can improve the safety of surgical procedures and achieve the goal of aneurysm obliteration with parent vessel and perforating preservation.
Impact of Body Mass Index (BMI) on Retrieval of Oocyte Numbers in In Vitro Fertilization Women
Authors: Wu Linda , Wu Bin
Published: June 2023

Previous research and clinical reports have discovered that body weight significantly affects a patient’s fertility status. Underweight, overweight, or obese women may experience reduced fertility. Currently, assisted reproductive technology (ART) is used as treatment for infertile couples to conceive a child. However, whether abnormal body mass indexes (BMIs) affect infertile oocyte production is not clear. The objective of this study is to determine the association between BMI and retrieved oocyte numbers. A total of 136 IVF patient data in 2016 was reported from Reproductive Health Center. The relationship between patient’s BMI and retrieved oocyte numbers has been analyzed and their correlation coefficients between patients’ age, oocyte numbers, and BMI have been calculated. The results further proved that BMI affects collecting oocyte numbers and oocyte maturation rate. Overweight patients had fewer oocytes retrieved than that of normal weight patients. Likewise, obese patients had even fewer oocytes retrieved than that of both normal-weight and overweight patients. Underweight BMIs seem to have no effect on the number of oocytes collected; however, the oocyte quality and embryo production needs to be further studied. Results from this study may be used by IVF physicians and practitioners when consulting patients for IVF treatments.
Initial Approach to Patients with Balance Disorders
Authors: Balkan Esor
Published: June 2023

Balance disorders can be due to many different reasons. Some possible causes are: Inner ear problems: Located in the inner ear, the vestibular system controls the balance of the body. Factors such as infections, traumas or aging in the inner ear can affect the vestibular system and cause imbalances. Brain damage: Damage to the brain, especially damage to areas responsible for balance control, such as the brain stem, cerebral cortex, and cerebellum, can cause imbalances. Nervous system problems: Nervous system problems can cause imbalances by causing problems in communicating with your body’s sensory information and motor functions. Medication side effects: Some medications can cause symptoms such as dizziness or unsteadiness as a side effect. Eye disorders: Visual disturbances, especially problems with coordination between the eyes or damage to the retina, can cause imbalances. Low blood pressure: Low blood pressure can also cause imbalance, especially when you get up suddenly or go to high altitudes. Stress and anxiety: Stress and anxiety can cause symptoms such as dizziness and unsteadiness in some people.
Evaluation of Ethanol Production Process by the Fermentation of Blue Cabuya Juice (Agave americana), Using Yeast Strains (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) as Potential Application for Blue Agave Liquor
Authors: Robles Calderón Roberto , Erazo Erazo Raymundo , Javier Armijo Carranza Julio , Buendía Quispe Benito
Published: June 2023

The blue cabuya (Agave americana L.) grows wild on large tracts of land in various regions of Peru. The research is aimed at taking advantage of this renewable plant biomass as a potential substrate in one of its possible applications such as cabuya azul liquor, for which, firstly, the yields of the anaerobic fermentation process of this biomass at temperatures of 26, 28 and 30 C and a pH of 3.5 and 4.0, in a batch bioreactor of 120 liters and nutrient concentrations of diammonium phosphate (DAP) of 1 and 2 g/L and a substrate with reducing sugars (AR) of 60 g/L from the district of La Merced, province of Churcampa, Huancavelica Region. The experimental tests were carried out in the laboratories of the Faculties of Biological Sciences and Chemistry and Chemical Engineering of the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos. Using Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast strains (D 47, LALVIN-Canada) at 28 C, pH 3.5 and DAP nutrient concentration of 2 g/L during 26 h of fermentation, was obtained total biomass yields Y(x/s) =. 0.1606 and ethanol Y(p/s) = 0.4739. It is concluded that the production of ethanol for use in its industrialization as blue cabuya liquor is viable and for the transfer of technology environmental aspects and economic studies must be integrated.
Compliance to Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) Indicators amongst Infants of Rural Saharanpur, India
Authors: Jain Monika , Vandana
Published: June 2023

Optimal Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) practices hold paramount importance for child survival, health, growth, and development. This study was done to assess the IYCF practices followed by the rural dwellers of Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India. A cross-sectional survey was carried out in 18 randomly selected Anganwadi Centres of Behat Tehsil in Saharanpur district. The data were collected from 800 mothers whose children aged 1–3 years were registered in these anganwadis. Information was gathered using questionnaires and interviews. Results showed that 99.5% mothers initiated breastfeeding their infants with in first hour of birth. Minimum dietary diversity, minimum meal frequency as well as minimum acceptable diet were the three IYCF core indicators that were not followed by about 95% of mothers. Infant and young child feeding practices in the selected rural area are not satisfactory and there is not 100% compliance to something as important as exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months. There should be a more focused approach towards awareness generation, and sincere efforts should be made to improve infant feeding practices so as to make a positive impact on eradication of malnutrition amongst rural children.
Causal Structure for the Healthy Longevity Based on the Socioeconomic Status, Healthy Diet and Lifestyle, and Three Health Dimensions, in Japan
Authors: Hoshi Tanji
Published: June 2023

This chapter aims to clarify the causal relationship between healthy life expectancy, socioeconomic status, dietary habits, lifestyle habits, and three health factors, as indicated by the WHO. In addition, the annual income threshold for couples to maintain a certain number of survival days will be clarified. Of the 16,462 elderly people aged 65 and over, 13,195 were included in the self-assessment questionnaire survey conducted in September 2001. A follow-up survey was completed in 2004, and 8,162 survivors were followed until August 2007. From a cross-lagged effects variation model, causal relationships were analyzed using longitudinal survival days between 2004 and 2007. After estimating a best-fit model, we discovered that current dietary and lifestyle habits did not determine healthy longevity. However, the survival days were more directly affected by three health-related dimensions three years earlier based on educational attainment and previous annual income indirectly. This study suggests that it might be of great importance for elderly individuals to emphasize income maintenance rather than focusing on diet and lifestyle improvements. In addition to showing a statistically significant relationship between income and survival days, we clarified that there is a threshold for income to maintain a certain number of survival days. For the elderly, it was 4.5 million yen(3,462 US $) for both sexes as a marital yearly income.
Psychological Impact of the COVID-19 Outbreak on Mental Health Among Iranians
Authors: Heidarimoghadam Rezvan , Babamiri Mohammad , Alipour Nasim , Zemestani Mehdi , Heidarimoghadam Rashid , Shekari Mozhde , Griffiths Mark D
Published: June 2023

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and its consequences may impact individuals’ mental health. Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate the psychological status of individuals during the COVID-19 outbreak in Iran following the government’s social distancing plan. Methods: Data from 1,524 people were collected using a cross-sectional web-based survey via social media. Demographic variables and psychological status were evaluated using the General Health Questionnaire, Stress Response Inventory, and Brunel Mood Scale. Results: Individuals reported that their mental health functioning decreased during the pandemic. Four factors were associated with increased stress: (1) fear of getting sick; (2) indefinite quarantine duration; (3) impaired daily activities; and (4) reduced social communication. One-third of the participants reported physical symptoms (32.7%), 47% anxiety, 72% social dysfunction, and 28.3% depression. Approximately half of the participants (52.2%) reported mental health disorder symptoms. Detrimental mental health characteristics were higher among females, younger people, and single people. Conclusions: Health policies should be implemented to help reduce the psychological burden during and after the Iranian government’s Social Distancing Plan, especially among females, single people, and younger people.
تداعيات الارهاب السياسية والاجتماعية على الشباب في العراق بعد العام 2003
Authors: حمد جاسم محمد الخزرجي  , سعد محمد حسن الكندي  , علي مراد كاظم
Published: June 2023

لقد أثبتت الدراسات النفسية والاجتماعية أن الشباب أكثر انفعالاً وتفاعلاً في المجتمع، وأكثر استعداداً للانجرار وراء مغريات الحياة والانحراف والإصابة بالاضطرابات النفسية والتأثر بالاتجاهات الجديدة والتقليد الغير مدروس, حيث أكدت هذه الدراسات وجود علاقة جدلية بين ارتفاع نسبة الانحراف في أوساط الشباب وبين طبيعة البنية الاجتماعية والاقتصادية والثقافية للمجتمع، كما نلاحظ في المجتمعات المتقدمة صناعياً مثلاً, وبالعكس نلاحظ انخفاض هذه الظاهرة في المجتمعات التي تسمى (محافظة) التي تسودها المبادئ الدينية والقيم والأخلاق والفضيلة كما في المجتمعات الإسلامية, وتشكل قضايا الشباب الجزء الأكبر من قضايا المجتمعات المعاصرة على اختلاف أنظمتها واتجاهاتها ومستوياتها، ويشكل الشباب نسبة عالية من السكان في المجتمعات العربية والإسلامية والدول النامية ومنها العراق، لذلك نجد أن طبيعة الواقع السياسي والاجتماعي في العراق بعد عام 2003 وما رافقه من اضطرابات امنية نتيجة الاحتلال الامريكي ووجود مجموعات ارهابية حاولت التأثير على فكر الشباب وضمهم الى جانبها، وقد كان لدور المجتمع ومؤسساته السياسية الدينية والاجتماعية دور في مواجهة هذه الافكار وحماية الشباب منها.
العلاقة بين روسيا واليمين الأوربي الشعبوي المتطرف: الدوافع والتوظيف السياسي
Authors: خضير عباس حسين الدهلكي  , الشيح داود عماد صلاح عبد الرزاق
Published: June 2023

يستعرض البحث الجذور التاريخية للعلاقات والتنسيق والتعاون بين الاتحاد الفدرالي الروسي والأحزاب اليمينية الشعبوية المتطرفة ، ودوافع واهداف الطرفين من هذه العلاقة التي بدئت تأخذ نسقا تصاعديا من مطلع التسعينات من القرن العشرين ، ولم تقتصر هذه العلاقات على جانب محدد بعينه بل كانت له أوجه وأنماط متعددة من التعاون السياسي والحزبي والإعلامي والمالي في سبيل تحقيق الأهداف والغايات الرئيسية من هذه العلاقة الا وهو التصدي لتداعيات العولمة ومحاولة تفكيك الاتحاد الأوربي وحلف الناتو، إضافة لكسب التأييد والدعم والشرعية للسياسات الروسية التي لا تحظى بالدعم الأوربي والدولي، إضافة الى محاولة التخفيف من أثار العقوبات الاوربية والأمريكية على روسيا والتأثير على السياسات الاوربية ضمن مؤسسات الاتحاد الأوربي والدول الاوربية ، وابرز تداعيات هذه العلاقة على المشهد السياسي الاوربي.