bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Percepción del riesgo y estrategias de capital relacional en la I+D empresarial
Authors: López-Navarro Irene , Rey-Rocha Jesús , González-Bravo M. Isabel
Published: April 2023

La inversión en I+D puede comportar importantes beneficios para las compañías, sin embargo conlleva un riesgo inherente y no siempre produce los beneficios esperados. Una de las posibles opciones para hacer frente a esta incertidumbre es la colaboración con otros agentes. Este estudio analiza la relación entre la percepción del riesgo en las empresas en materia de ciencia e I+D y las diferentes estrategias de capital relacional. La presente investigación está basada en los resultados de la encuesta “Cultura científica, percepción y actitudes sobre la ciencia y la innovación en el sector empresarial español”. Se han identificado cinco patrones en función del tipo de riesgo percibido en las empresas y se ha comprobado cómo las estrategias de capital relacional han contribuido a darles forma. Los resultados evidencian que, si bien la I+D colaborativa está relacionada con una percepción de la investigación como una inversión arriesgada e incierta, la reticencia a asociarse está relacionada con una particular preocupación acerca de cómo este tipo de inversión podría afectar al empleo dentro de la empresa.
A Calibrated Linguistic Semantic Based on Group Consensus Decision Making for FMEA of Industrial Internet Platform
Authors: Wu Jian , Chen Jun , Fang Jin , Gai Tiantian , Cao Mingshuo
Published: April 2023

Failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) is a powerful risk management tool and engineering technique for eliminating potential failures. This paper aims to improve FMEA by introducing the calibrated linguistic semantic (CIS) and a consensus reaching process with minimum adjustment cost. CIS can effectively solve the problem that different individuals may have different understandings of the same term, and the consensus reaching process can reduce the potential inconsistency and conflict to make the result of rank more accurate and convincing. A novel criteria weight allocation method based on the performance of alternatives is used to obtain the relative weights of risk factors (RF), which is not only based on the function framework but also can obtain the relative weight of RFs through the evaluation matrix directly. Then, the proposed FMEA framework is applied to the industrial internet platform. Finally, the comparisons between the proposed and other methods are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness and advantages of the new method.
Assessment of Pedestrian-to-Vehicle Communication Pre-Crash Safety Warnings to Avoid Collisions
Authors: Tahir Muhammad Naeem , Katz Marcos , Muhammad Irfan
Published: April 2023

In recent years, road safety is getting more attention to reduce road pedestrian accidents caused by vehicles. The research community is trying to find new techniques related to accident avoidance in the existing vehicle driver assistance systems. These techniques involve the exchange of safety critical information between pedestrians and vehicles. This is called vehicle-to-pedestrian (V2P) communication system, which provides road safety and management to different Vulnerable-Road-Users (VRUs). Furthermore, V2P communication systems use various technologies and different methods to cooperate with the VRUs. These attributes can be considered to design constraints for V2P communication system. In this paper, the authors examine V2P safety aspects and have simulated different V2P scenarios considering real environments. Moreover, the authors analyze the V2P safety in different scenarios by considering the timely exchange of safety messages. The authors presented these results in different V2P approaches for separate VRU groups in different pre-crash situations.
Public Policy and Ethics in Marketing Research for Organizations
Authors: Mandal Pratap Chandra
Published: April 2023

Companies conduct marketing research to generate customer insights. Marketing research involves public policy and ethical issues. The objective of the study is to analyze such issues. The methodology adopted is a conceptual analysis of the various public policy and ethical issues. The issues relate to intrusions on consumer privacy, consumer data security, and misuse of research findings. The discussions focus on technoethics involved in data collection in the digital age. Responsibilities of governments and companies for consumer privacy, measures to protect consumer privacy and to ensure technoethics, consumer data protection, and ensuring ethics for marketing research are discussed. The discussions will allow academicians and practicing managers to adopt initiatives and strategies which are effective. Policy makers and authorities may analyze the various aspects and implement rules and regulations which are effective in consumer privacy, consumer data security and protection, in preventing misuse of research findings, and in ensuring ethics in marketing research.
A Socioeconomic Study of the Coastal Fishing Fleet in the Al Hoceima Port (Moroccan Mediterranean)
Authors: Keznine Mohamed , Hasni Soufiane , Al Mabruk Sara A. A. , Demiathi Manal , Analla Mohamed , Aksissou Mustapha
Published: April 2023

Coastal fishing in the Moroccan Mediterranean plays a key role in the fishing industry's economy. This activity is an important source of jobs and income for many coastal communities in the Al Hoceima region of the north-western Mediterranean. This study aims to investigate the state of socio-economic knowledge of the fishermen of the coastal fleet in the region of Al Hoceima, using a diagnosis based on the analysis of socio-economic indicators. The data were obtained by a structured questionnaire with 90 fishermen, 30 captains, and 15 ship owners. The analysis of the data collected revealed, from a social level, a high rate of illiteracy and a low level of education among the fishermen. The economic weight and value of trawlers are significant. Despite the high commercial value of the species, the net income is not satisfactory, so the wealth produced by these fisheries does not have a real impact on the quality of life of the fishers, which does not guarantee the sustainable development of this activity.
Dual-Branch Network Fused With Two-Level Attention Mechanism for Clothes-Changing Person Re-Identification
Authors: Lu Yong , Jin Ming Zhe
Published: April 2023

Clothes-changing person re-identification is a hot topic in the current academic circles. Most of the current methods assume that the clothes of a person will not change in a short period of time, but they are not applicable when people change clothes. Based on this situation, this paper proposes a dual-branch network for clothes-changing person re-identification that integrates a two-level attention mechanism and captures and aggregates fine-grained person semantic information in channels and spaces through a two-level attention mechanism and suppresses the sensitivity of the network to clothing features by training the clothing classification branch. The method does not use auxiliary means such as human skeletons, and the complexity of the model is greatly reduced compared with most methods. This paper conducts experiments on the popular clothes-changing person re-identification dataset PRCC and a very large-scale cross-spatial-temporal dataset (LaST). The experimental results show that the method in this paper is more advanced than the existing methods.
Prediction of the Stock Market From Linguistic Phrases
Authors: Eachempati Prajwal , Srivastava Praveen Ranjan
Published: April 2023

Automation of financial data collection, generation, accumulation, and interpretation for decision making may reduce volatility in the stock market and increase liquidity occasionally. Thus, future markets' prediction factoring in the sentiment of investors and algorithmic traders is an exciting area for research with deep learning techniques emerging to understand the market and its future direction. The paper develops two FINBERT deep neural network models pre-trained on the financial phrase dataset, the first one to extract sentiment from the NSE market news. The second model is adopted to predict the stock market movement of NSE with the above sentiment, historical stock prices, return on investment, and risk as predictors. The accuracy is compared with RNN and LSTM and baseline machine learning classifiers like naïve bayes and support vector machine (SVM). The accuracy of the FINBERT model is found to out-perform the deep learning algorithms and above baseline machine learning classifiers thus justifying the importance of the FINBERT model in stock market prediction.
The Promise of Mg-Li Based Alloys for Biomedical Implant Materials
Authors: Okafor Chiamaka , Munroe Norman
Published: April 2023

Lithium is an attractive element for Mg alloys for several reasons. It can improve room temperature ductility by transforming the single-phase hcp microstructure of Mg to a duplex phase followed by a single-phase bcc structure. With a solubility of ~5 wt.% Li, α-Mg is less prone to localized corrosion due to the absence of intermetallics. Furthermore, the strength of Mg-Li based alloys can be enhanced by alloying and thermomechanical processing. However, grain refinement has proven to be an effective mechanism in offsetting a compromise in ductility. It is for these reasons that Mg-Li based alloys have been the focus of great interest as a biomaterial where high strength, appreciable ductility and uniform corrosion behavior are required.
Model of SPS Two-Stadium Synthesis and Densification Reactor Applied for Ultrafine Zirconium Nitride Powder
Authors: Markov Andrey A.
Published: April 2023

The volumetric changes and variable porosity due to the concentration expansion of the solid phase in the synthesis of zirconium nitride (ZrN) are studied. The model of two-stage reactor based on spark plasma sintering (SPS) is proposed. At the first stage the synthesis for the given kinetics is simulated. At the second stage the densification of ZrN using the Olevsky’s sintering model [1-5] is applied. The synthesis and densification processes using the prescribed heat sources, at the given positions inside the reactor is simulated. The generalization of the two-temperature model [6] and the formula of the porosity in the densification using calculation of the solid concentration expansion and thermal dispersion is proposed. The concentration expansion coefficients in the process of zirconium nitrogenating at a given initial density values and coefficients of expansion of reagents .is studied The temperature at the stage of ZrN synthesis and porosity variation at the stage of densification are in satisfactory agreement with experimental results [2,7,8]
Development and Comparative Analysis of MWCNT-Polymer Composites for Bioelectronics Application
Authors: Jain Toshit , Jain Jinesh Kumar , Abdul-Zahra Daleel Saad
Published: April 2023

The development of biosensors is essential while determining the inside body assaying and assessing implants in-vivo applications. Researchers are doing remarkable studies in certain areas, but output for receiving, adaptability and circulation of nutrients are also essential. For examining the similar functionality, multi-walled carbon nanotube epoxy-composite with varying filler percentages is examined and compared using electromechanical and morphological assessment. Mechanical investigations like tensile and flexural tests were performed in addition to the hardness of specimens. The DC conductivity test is performed to determine the charge conductivity along with NMR for measuring the signal responses. The surface characterization is performed to determine the morphological properties of specimens. It is observed that the mechanical properties increased and decreased after exceeding the filler composition to addition to 2% of total weight. In comparison, the conductivity and magnetic resonance enhance to a further extent showing proportional to addition of nanofillers, thus making them potential applications for flexible organic bioelectronics products.
Integral Assessment of Antistatic Properties of Materials Used in Individual Safety Gear
Authors: Belitskaya O.A. , Fokina A.A. , Belgorodskiy V.S. , Sokolovskiy A.R. , Panferova E.G.
Published: April 2023

The buildup of static electricity on materials is a big problem for many industrial sectors especially in situations when uncontrolled changes occur near flammable materials and liquids. Yet the combustion risks associated with static electricity, as well as the sources of fires and explosions can be controlled through the provision of proper electrostatic protection to the entire production process. Antistatic footwear is one of the elements of safety gear that protects people from static electricity at the workplace. There are three types of antistatic footwear: antistatic conductive shoes with the electric impedance of <1•105 Ohms, antistatic scattering shoes with the electric impedance of 1•105-1•108 Ohms; and antistatic insulating shoes with the electric impedance of >1•108 Ohms. The properties of antistatic shoes directly depend on the materials that they are made of. Thus, it is necessary to study the antistatic properties of materials to design antistatic footwear.
This article aims to identify the relaxation time constant for the electric charges on the exterior, interior, and intermediate layers of shoe top materials using the integral method. The authors demonstrate that the relaxation time constant of shoe materials can vary between 4 and 40 seconds. The measured values help rationalize the selection of materials to produce antistatic footwear, the materials that can carry the charge into the ground and prevent its accumulation.
New records of Austropotamobius pallipes (Decapoda: Astacidae) relict populations from the Ticino River
Authors: Manica Milo , Laddaga Lorenzo
Published: April 2023

Based on available literature, the white-clawed crayfish Austropotamobius pallipes complex, a species of Community interest according to the EU Habitats Directive, has not been reported in the Lombard Park of the Ticino Valley (Northern Italy) since almost two decades, with the last findings dating back to 2005. In 2021, we found two small populations in the northernmost area of the park (Sesto Calende, province of Varese). These observations support the urge for implementing actions focused on the monitoring and conservation of this endangered species in the Lombard Park of the Ticino Valley in order to avoid its local extinction.
Arboreal behaviour of the wood mouse Apodemus sylvaticus (Rodentia: Muridae): a study in the Venetian plain
Authors: Nardotto Alessandro
Published: April 2023

The arboreal activity of the wood mouse is known, but mostly based on anecdotal evidence or single records. This study reports on field observations carried out systematically during an indirect survey conducted in the Venetian plain using hair tubes positioned at different heights in the shrub layer. The research confirmed that in the study area the wood mouse moves not only at ground level, but at also a few meters above the ground reaching heights up to 2.30 m (1.54 m on average).
The influence of ancestral spirits on sexual identity amongst Traditional Healers (iZangoma) in South Africa: A discourse analysis
Authors: Mnyadi Khanyisile R.
Published: April 2023

Over the years South African Traditional Healers have been discriminated against, with claims that they are ‘witch-doctors’. Non-heterosexual Africans are also often faced with the horror of violent attacks stemming from the belief that homosexuality is ‘un-African’. The harsh experiences of homosexual, bisexual and transgender traditional healers are, therefore, unimaginable. This study explored the spiritual (ancestral) influence on the sexual identity of African Traditional Healers, particularly iZangoma. The study revealed that for some iZangoma engaging in same-sex relationships is never a choice but ‘imposed’ or forced by the dominant ancestral guide, depending on which sex the ancestor was attracted to when they were still alive. This paper challenges the idea that homosexuality has never existed in Africa, and is therefore an import from the West. Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: this study may potentially inform contemporary African debates around homosexuality and challenge how it is perceived amongst groups that are regarded as playing significant roles of healing and leadership in African communities. Since homosexuality amongst iZangoma is not a chosen identity but forced by ancestral guides, this calls for an end to discrimination against ancestral possession, homosexuality in Africa, and the double stigmatisation against iZangoma who are attracted to the same sex.
COVID–19 breakthrough infection after four doses of the vaccines: A case report
Authors: Zhou Hongrang , Li Guifu , Wang Xiaoming , Zhou Zhe , Kong Wen , Hu Jingfei , Ye Kaiyou , Zhong Wenjiang , Wang Xiaoling , Xiao Ning
Published: April 2023

The COVID-19 vaccines provide a high degree of protection against severe disease, hospitalisation, and death. However, no vaccine claimed 100% effectiveness and it is expected that a small proportion of vaccinated individuals may develop a breakthrough infection due to individual differences, virus variants and other factors. We conducted an epidemiological investigation and analysis of an imported case who had finished four doses of vaccination, and in order to provide a relevant reference for regular epidemic prevention and control in the post-pandemic era.
The Roles of AMPK/mTOR Autophagy Pathway in the Acute Kidney Injury-Induced Acute Lung Injury
Authors: Shen Si-Heng , Wang Ruo-Lin , Yuan Qi , Jian Lu-Yong , Guo Hua-Hui , Li He-Sheng , Liu Xue-Pin , Huang Ren-Fa
Published: April 2023

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is one of the most challenging clinical problems in kidney disease due to serious complications and high mortality rate, which can lead to acute lung injury (ALI) through inflammatory reactions and oxidative stress. Adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway has been reported to be involved in the development of renal ischemia-reperfusion through autophagy and it remains unclear whether AMPK/mTOR pathway has an effect on the AKI-induced ALI. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of autophagy-related AMPK/mTOR signaling pathway on inflammatory factors and oxidative stress in an AKI-induced ALI model. The 48 male Sprague–Dawley rats were divided into four groups randomly: (i) sham, (ii) ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI), (iii) IRI + rapamycin (RA), and (iv) IRI + 3-methyladenine (3-MA). Unilateral flank incisions were made and right kidneys were excised. The left kidney was subjected to 60 min of ischemia followed by 12, 24, 48, and 72 h of reperfusion. The levels of Scr, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), Wet/Dry ratio, indexes of inflammation, and oxidative stress were assayed. Histological examinations were performed. The protein expression of AMPK, mTOR, LC3-II/LC3-I ratio, and Beclin-1, ULK1 was evaluated by western blotting and immunohistochemistry. Compared to the rats from the sham group, IRI rats showed significantly pulmonary damage after AKI with increased Scr, BUN, Wet/Dry ratio, indexes of inflammation, and oxidative stress. The expression of AMPK, LC3-II/LC3-I ratio, Beclin-1, and ULK1 and were increased, while p62 and mTOR were decreased. In addition, RA treatment significantly attenuated lung injury by promoting autophagy through the activation of the AMPK/mTOR pathway, and 3-MA treatment exhibited adverse effects inversely. Therefore, the activation of the AMPK/mTOR pathway after renal IRI induction could significantly attenuate kidney injury and following AKI-induced ALI by inducing autophagy, which alienates inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis.
East Meets West in Therapeutic Approaches to the Management of Chronic Pain
Authors: Hapidou Eleni G. , Huang Ting Qi (Amy)
Published: April 2023

Yoga as a holistic principle, not only practice of asanas or poses, integrates all aspects of the self, with biological, mental, intellectual, and spiritual elements. Yoga encompasses the biopsychosocial medical perspective, which regards pain as a dynamic interaction between physiological, psychological, and social factors. The purpose of this perspective article is to compare and contrast psychological practices such as mindfulness meditation, relaxation response (RR), and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) with Yoga in their management of chronic pain. The use of these practices is explored through history, literature, and research studies. Results from scientific studies on Yoga show changes in health-related pain outcomes for patients with chronic pain. The key aspects of Yoga, notably relaxation, positive thinking, and mindfulness, are discussed in relation to mindfulness meditation, RR, and CBT.
Multi-omics integration and interactomics reveals molecular networks and regulators of the beneficial effect of yoga and exercise
Authors: Khokhar Manoj , Tomo Sojit , Gadwal Ashita , Purohit Purvi
Published: April 2023

Background:

Yoga is a multifaceted spiritual tool that helps in maintaining health, peace of mind, and positive thoughts. In the context of asana, yoga is similar to physical exercise. This study aims to construct a molecular network to find hub genes that play important roles in physical exercise and yoga.

Methodology:

We combined differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in yoga and exercise using computational bioinformatics from publicly available gene expression omnibus (GEO) datasets and identified the codifferentially expressed mRNAs with GEO2R. The co-DEGs were divided into four different groups and each group was subjected to protein–protein interaction (PPI) network, pathways analysis, and gene ontology.

Results:

Our study identified immunological modulation as a dominant target of differential expression in yoga and exercise. Yoga predominantly modulated genes affecting the Th1 and NK cells, whereas Cytokines, Macrophage activation, and oxidative stress were affected by exercise. We also observed that while yoga regulated genes for two main physiological functions of the body, namely Circadian Rhythm (BHLHE40) and immunity (LBP, T-box transcription factor 21, CEACAM1), exercise-regulated genes involved in apoptosis (BAG3, protein kinase C alpha), angiogenesis, and cellular adhesion (EPH receptor A1).

Conclusion:

The dissimilarity in the genetic expression patterns in Yoga and exercise highlights the discrete effect of each in biological systems. The integration and convergences of multi-omics signals can provide deeper and comprehensive insights into the various biological mechanisms through which yoga and exercise exert their beneficial effects and opens up potential newer research areas.
Effect of Tratak (Yogic Ocular Exercises) on Intraocular Pressure in Glaucoma
Authors: Sankalp  , Dada Tanuj , Yadav Raj Kumar , Sharma Hanjabam Barun , Netam Ritesh Kumar , Kochhar Kanwal Preet
Published: April 2023

Introduction:

In healthy subjects, the intraocular pressure (IOP) is maintained by a dynamic equilibrium between continuous production of aqueous humor by ciliary bodies and continuous outflow through the two drainage pathways: trabecular meshwork and uveoscleral outflow. Here, we hypothesized that yogic ocular exercises, including extraocular muscles exercise, and modified Tratak Kriya (mTK), might reduce the IOP as well as stress and improve quality of life (QoL) in patients with glaucoma.

Methodology:

A parallel two-arm randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted in glaucoma patients (Control group and Intervention group). Control group patients were on standard medical treatment and intervention group patients practiced a Yoga-based lifestyle intervention (YBLI) for 4 weeks as add-on therapy with their standard medical treatment. All Participants were assessed at baseline day 1, day 14 (D14), and day 28 (D28). A minimum of 30 patients were recruited in each group.

Results:

We did not observe any statistically significant different mean IOP of right (IOP-r) or, left eyes at any time point as well as cortisol level and QoL between the two groups. However, with in intervention group, there was a reduction in IOP-r at D14 (15.54 ± 2.81 mmHg) and D28 (15.24 ± 3.1 mmHg), P = 0.006 and 0.001, respectively, compared to their baseline IOP (16.26 ± 2.98).

Conclusion:

Based on the present RCT, yoga-based ocular exercises practiced here cannot be recommended for management of raised IOP in glaucoma patients. Further larger studies are warranted with yoga-based interventions in patients with glaucoma.

Clinical Trial Registration Number:

CTRI/2016/03/006703
Kundalini Yoga Intervention Increases Hippocampal Volume in Older Adults
Authors: Ibrahim Marim , Therriault Joseph , Nair Vasavan P. , Dikaios Elena , Rosa-Neto Pedro , Walpola Ishan C. , Rej Soham , Lifshitz Michael
Published: April 2023

Background:

Among a rapidly aging population, there is increased need for neuroprotective interventions promoting healthy neurological aging. Mind-body interventions, such as Kundalini yoga, are actively being explored as accessible means to encourage healthy aging. However, little remains known about the neurobiological effects of Kundalini yoga.

Aims:

This pilot randomized-controlled trial (RCT) examined the potential neuroprotective effects of Kundalini yoga in older adults.

Methods:

We conducted an RCT with 11 healthy meditation-naïve older adults. Participants were randomized to a Kundalini yoga or psychoeducation intervention. Structural magnetic resonance imaging data were obtained at baseline and 12-week follow-up. The primary outcome measure was gray matter volume of the bilateral hippocampi and bilateral posterior cingulate cortex.

Results:

We found significant right hippocampal volume increases specific to the Kundalini yoga group (P = 0.034, ηp
2 = 0.408).

Conclusions:

These findings provide initial neurobiological support for the neuroprotective effects of Kundalini yoga.
Scientific Evidence of Health Benefits by Practicing Mantra Meditation
Authors: Tseng Ampere A.
Published: April 2023

Mantra meditation (MM) is one of the simplest and most effective meditative practices suitable for both novice and skillful meditators. It has attracted a significant number of practitioners for various health benefits or for spiritual inspiration. The scope of this review article focuses on the examination of the health benefits of practicing MM without considering the motivation by spiritual rewarding or cultivation. Through the examination, we attempt to confirm and to add scientific evidence on the benefits of mental and physical health to the practitioners. We review a large number of the recent studies of MM for understanding the mechanism in yielding medical benefits and for analyzing the quantitative evidence of the trial outcomes. The review covers four important areas: stress, anxiety, hypertension, and immunity, with the hope to evoke more studies to refine the current evidence and to encourage more studies in other promising areas. Furthermore, the review gives more attention or discussion on more recent, original, and stronger studies. The discussion can include the strong or weak points of the reviewed studies. The review discovers evidence that MM can provide various degrees of beneficial effects on the four areas considered. Studies with larger participants, superior quality, and a few others are recommended to draw firm conclusions. Several promising research areas and directions are also suggested.
Long PFNA-II versus Dynamic Hip Screw for Treatment of Unstable Intertrochanteric Femur Fracture
Authors: Kumar Sanjiv , Agarwal Punit , Kumar Deepak , Kumar Ashish , Saroj Atul Kumar , Verma Ashutosh , Agarwal Rishabh
Published: April 2023

Background:

Intertrochanteric femur fractures are one amongst the most common hip fracture presenting to our centre. Clinical efficacy and safety of PFNA and DHS in the treatment of unstable intertrochanteric fractures in elderly patients and found that compared with the control group (DHS), the observation group (PFNA) experienced shorter operation time and fracture healing time and less intraoperative blood loss, and suffered a shorter incision. The purpose of this study was to compare the functional outcomes and related complications between DHS and PFNA in treatment of unstable intertrochanteric femur fracture.

Methodology:

Total of 60 patients having unstable intertrochanteric femur fracture were included in this study and was equally divided into two groups.

Group-P

included patients with unstable intertrochanteric femur fracture managed by PFN-A II while

Group-D

patients managed by DHS. The result was analysed using descriptive statistics and making comparisons among various groups. Categorial data were summarized as in proportions and percentage (%) while discrete as mean ± SD.

Results:

At final follow-up; it was found that 72.4% of the cases of PFNA have achieved excellent union as compared to 44.4% for DHS group, 24.1% cases of PFNA have good union as compared to 51.9% in DHS group and the difference of mean DHS was significantly higher for PFNA group (p=0.001).

Conclusion:

PFNA-II have benefits like minimally invasive procedure, less soft tissue dissection, less amount of blood loss and provides better result in terms of union. Therefore PFNA-II is recommended as a better choice as compared to DHS in management of unstable intertrochanteric fractures in terms of functional outcome.
Distal Tibial Interosseous Osteochondroma with Impending Fracture of Fibula, Deformity and Deep Peroneal Nerve Entrapment Neuropathy
Authors: Juneja Johney , Garg Gaurav , Andrews Nitin , Mehra Ak , Sen Ramesh
Published: April 2023

Osteochondromas arising from the interosseous border of the distal tibia and involving distal fibula are uncommon. We present the case of a 34-year-old woman with an impending fracture, erosion, and weakness of the distal fibula, secondary to an osteochondroma arising from the distal tibia. Early excision of this deforming distal tibial osteochondroma avoided the future risk of pathological fracture of the distal fibula, ankle deformities, and syndesmotic complications.
Porphyrias: Uncommon disorders masquerading as common childhood diseases
Authors: Chakraborty A , Muranjan M , Karande S , Kharkar V
Published: April 2023

Porphyrias are a rare group of inborn errors of metabolism due to defects in the heme biosynthetic pathway. The biochemical hallmark is the overproduction of porphyrin precursors and porphyrin species. Afflicted patients present with a myriad of symptoms causing a diagnostic odyssey. Symptoms often overlap with those of common diseases and may be overlooked unless there is heightened clinical suspicion. We are reporting clinical features and diagnostic challenges in four pediatric patients having variegate porphyria, congenital erythropoietic porphyria, acute intermittent porphyria, and erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP), who presented with diverse multisystem manifestations. This case series illustrates a logical analysis of symptoms and judicious selection of investigations and the role of genotyping in successfully diagnosing porphyrias.
The feasibility of PETHEMA ALL-96 regimen on treatment of patients with acute lymphoid leukemia
Authors: Ashrafi Farzaneh , Sadeghi Alireza , Derakhshandeh Ali , Oghab Padideh
Published: April 2023

Background:

Asparaginase-based treatment regimen for acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) is considered as feasible, but there is still a lack of data. In this study, considering the results of other regimen that were not optimum in previous studies. Here, we aimed to investigate the feasibility of PETHEMA ALL-96 treatment regimen.

Materials and Methods:

This is a retrospective feasibility study that was performed in 2019–2021 on 13 patients diagnosed with B-cell ALL. Patients were treated by PETHEMA ALL-96 regimen during induction, consolidation, reinduction, and maintenance phases. Patients were followed for 2 years after initiation of PETHEMA ALL-96 regimen for disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) of all patients were evaluated after 2 years.

Results:

Data of 11 patients were analyzed. Within 28 days after treatments, all patients (100%) had no blasts in the bone marrow that was considered as complete remission (CR). The CR rate was 100% within 6 months and 12 months and 81.8% within 2 years after the treatments. Evaluation of OS, CR, and DFS regarding 6, 12, and 24 months showed 100% for all items after 6 and 12 months. After 24 months, the CR was 90.9%, the OS was 81.8% and the DFS was 90.9%. None of the patients died during the induction phase and during the 12 months study. No side effects were observed.

Conclusion:

The PETHEMA ALL-96 had high feasibility and survival rates with no side effects during the study course. It is believed that PETHEMA ALL-96 regimen has beneficial outcomes in young patients with ALL.
Influence of Prior Internist Encounter on Glycaemic Control among Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus at a Family Practice Setting in Nigeria
Authors: Michael Godpower Chinedu , Grema Bukar Alhaji , Abdulkadir Zainab , Ibrahim Haliru , Haruna Abdullah Ibrahim
Published: April 2023

Background:

The huge global diabetes burden and the paucity of diabetes specialists make primary care physicians important stakeholders in controlling diabetes. Hence, we examined the predictors of glycaemic control among primary care patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), highlighting the influence of prior internist encounters during the preceding year on glycaemic control.

Methods:

This questionnaire-based cross-sectional study involved 276 T2DM patients systematically recruited from attendees of a general outpatient clinic (GOPC) in Kano, Nigeria. Data regarding their sociodemographic, clinical and internist encounter and GOPC visit characteristics were collected. Data were subjected to descriptive and inferential statistical analysis.

Results:

Most participants (56.5%) were females; their mean age was 57.7 ± 9.6 years, mean glycated haemoglobin level was 7.3 ± 1.9%. Age, educational level, ethnicity, insurance status, current blood pressure (BP), treatment type, medication adherence, awareness of the importance of diet in DM control, specialist diabetic clinic visited, number of GOPC visits and prior encounter with an internist in the preceding year were associated with glycaemic control after bivariate analysis (P < 0.05). On multivariate regression, low education, retirees, being self-employed, uninsured, overweight, having optimal BP, using metformin alone, sulphonylurea-metformin and insulin-based treatments and prior encounter with the internist in the preceding year were predictors of optimal glycaemic control.

Conclusion:

There are multiple predictors of glycaemic control in this setting. These predictors should be considered in glycaemic control risk stratification towards quality individualised care, which includes establishing referral protocols to available specialists. Regular training of primary care physicians on diabetes care is also required.
Prevalence and Clinical Profile of Heart Failure Patients with Atrial Fibrillation in a Tertiary Hospital in Kano, Nigeria
Authors: Ringim Sadiq Hassan , Ibrahim Usman Muhammad , Hamza Sabiu Mohammed , Dankishiya Faisal Saleh , Mijinyawa Muhammad Sani , Sani Mahmoud Umar
Published: April 2023

Introduction:

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is one of the most prevalent sustained arrhythmias that is seen in clinical practice. AF commonly coexists with heart failure (HF) and there is growing evidence that it confers an adverse prognostic impact on the natural course of the disease. We set out to describe the prevalence and clinical profile of HF patients with AF in Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH), Kano, Nigeria.

Materials and Methods:

We conducted a cross-sectional study of all adults aged 18 years and above, who presented at the AKTH, Kano, and were hospitalised for HF. Those who consented were consecutively recruited into the study. Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of patients at presentation were documented. Thromboembolic risk was assessed using CHA2DS2-VASc scoring system. A 12-lead electrocardiogram recording was obtained from each of the recruited patients to confirm the presence of AF. The prevalence of AF was determined amongst the admitted HF patients. Those with AF were compared with those without AF in terms of sociodemographic and clinical characteristics.

Results:

A total of 240 Nigerians were recruited. Sixty per cent were female and the whole group had a mean age of 50.85 ± 18.90 years. The prevalence of AF was found to be 12.5% amongst the recruited HF patients. The HF patients with AF had a significantly higher mean age (58 ± 16.7 years vs. 49.8 ± 19.0 years) (P = 0.021), and they also had a higher prevalence of palpitation and body swelling. The mean CHA2DS2-VASc score of the AF patients was 3.4 ± 1.0.

Conclusion:

AF is prevalent amongst HF patients in our environment with high thrombotic risk. More studies are needed to fully study the prevalence of AF and its clinical profile amongst HF patients in our country.
Coronavirus Disease 2019 Risk Assessment of Adults and Geospatial Mapping in Selected Communities of Southwest Nigeria
Authors: Durowade Kabir Adekunle , Musa Omotosho Ibrahim , Mudashiru Rofiat Bunmi , Adeniyi Makinde Adebayo , Sanni Taofeek Adedayo , Salaudeen Adekunle Ganiyu , Fasiku Mojirola Martina
Published: April 2023

Background:

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) remained a worldwide public health problem. Risk assessment and mapping can be deployed to assist in the control and management of disease outbreaks.

Aim:

The aim of this study was to conduct COVID-19 risk assessment and mapping in selected communities of Southwest Nigeria.

Methods:

This was a cross-sectional study of adults, 18 years and above, involving the use of multi-stage sampling. Data collection was done with a pre-tested, structured, interviewer-administered questionnaire. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 23 and Environmental Systems Research Institute ArcGIS desktop version 10.5 were used for data analysis and spatial mapping, respectively. The threshold for statistical significance was set at P < 0.05.

Results:

The respondents’ mean age was 40.6 ± 14.5 years. Self-reported vulnerability factors identified included hypertension, diabetes mellitus, working in hospital facility, cigarette smoking and age ≥60 years amongst others. About a quarter (20.2%) had a high risk of COVID-19 following risk quantification. The risk cuts across geographical locations and socio-economic status. Education was significantly associated with COVID-19 risk. The spatial interpolation map revealed that the farther a community was from the high-burden area, the lower the risk of COVID-19.

Conclusion:

There was a high prevalence of self-reported COVID-19 risk. Identified communities with COVID-19 high-risk burden in the risk mapping and those with stratified proximity to these areas need to be targeted by the government for a public health awareness campaign.
Linear Quadratic Gaussian with noise signals for lateral and longitudinal of F-16
Authors: Danh Nguyen
Published: April 2023

Today, classical control methods are still widely used because of their excellent performance in a working enviroment with noise signals. Besides, they are suitble for functiions of the system : operations to control a machine are more flexible, easy to perform, less unwanted risks occur, the efficiency of controlling a system better. In the early years of the 21st century, traditional algorithms still promote their effects. Besides the traditional control methods, the author has applied more moderm and smarter algorithms such as adjusting Linear Quadratic Gaussian  (LQG) to control a system on the ground or a system moving in the air. In the paper, LQG regulator is applied to a flight model to demonstrate its effectiveness in all cases. LQG regulator has not been applied before for this model. Results are as expected by the author for the working enviroment with noise signals affecting the system. Kalman filter used in this paper has shown its usefulness in the problem of dealing with unwanted signals. Simulation is done by Matlab.
Real Kaehler submanifolds in codimension up to four
Authors: Chion Aguirre Sergio , Dajczer Marcos
Published: April 2023

Let

f\colon M^{2n}\to\mathbb{R}^{2n+4}

be an isometric immersion of a Kaehler manifold of complex dimension

n\geq 5

into Euclidean space with complex rank at least

5

everywhere. Our main result is that, along each connected component of an open dense subset of

M^{2n}

, either

f

is holomorphic in

\mathbb{R}^{2n+4}\cong\mathbb{C}^{n+2}

, or it is in a unique way a composition

f=F\circ h

of isometric immersions. In the latter case, we have that

h\colon M^{2n}\to N^{2n+2}

is holomorphic and

F\colon N^{2n+2}\to\mathbb{R}^{2n+4}

belongs to the class, by now quite well understood, of non-holomorphic Kaehler submanifolds in codimension two. Moreover, the submanifold

F

is minimal if and only if

f

is minimal.
Anti-termite Activities of Extracts from Euphorbia tithymaloides and Euphorbia tithymaloide variegatus
Authors: Suleiman S. H. , Mahadhy A. , Philip J. Y. N
Published: April 2023

The objective of this work was to investigate the anti-termite properties of solvent extracts of two Euphorbia plant species, Euphorbia tithymaloides and Euphorbia tithymaloides “variegatus”. Termiticidal activity of stem barks and leaf extracts were analysed by using anti-termite activity tests. All crude extracts obtained by petroleum ether and ethyl acetate exhibited 100% repellency activities at a concentration of 36 mg mL-1. Average repellency time decreased as the concentration of crude extracts were increased. Contact bioassay tests revealed that crude extracts from stem barks are more potent than extracts from leaves; and non-polar solvents gave crude extracts which are more effective that those extracted by polar solvents. Crude extracts obtained by petroleum ether from stem barks of both E. tithymaloides and E. tithymaloides “variegatus” plants species gave dissimilar peaks in GC-MS chromatograms, except two peaks, which correspond to the compounds: 1-heptadecene and n-hexadecanoic acid. Crude extract from E. tithymaloides gave a prominent peak corresponding to the compound tetracontane as the principal constituent (73.7%) of the extract. Since this peak is absent in crude extracts from E. tithymaloides “variegatus” stem barks, its presence in crude extracts from E. tithymaloides stem barks can be attributed to its high termite lethality assay results. In general, from the results obtained from this work, it could be concluded that the Euphorbia species are potential sources of botanical pesticides against termites.
Study of enzyme kinetics for urease extracted from Glycine max
Authors: Sudha Rameshwari K. , Arthi M. , Deepthi N. , Dharsilin Banu M. , Sankara Thareni S.
Published: April 2023

Urease is an enzyme that has a key role in nitrogen metabolism in plant germination. Grains are produced more amount of urease than other plants. Glycine max is also called soya bean, a yearly vegetable of the pea family Fabaceae and it’s an eatable seed. Glycine max is mostly used as protein rich legume only, but it has a lot of medical and industrial applications too. Glycine max is used as a source of urease. The goal of this task is to study the kinetic activities of urease enzyme in Glycine max. The first enzyme was extracted from soya beans and partially purified. The enzyme activity was determined in both crude and partially purified using standard procedure. Further, enzyme kinetics (effect of temperature, pH, and substrate concentration) was studied using urease enzyme extracted from soya beans. The purification fold was 1.8 with a yield of 75%. The factors accustomed for its action was pH 8, temperature 50°C, Vmax and Km in Michaelis-Menten plot is 100 units and 8x10-4 moles/litre  and LB Plot is 0.25units and  20x10-4 moles/litre.
Health workers’ knowledge and practice of Isoniazid preventive treatment guidelines in health facilities in Ebonyi State, Nigeria
Authors: Akamike Ifeyinwa Chizoba , Alex Ijeoma Nkem Okedo- , Uneke Chigozie Jesse , Madubueze Ugochukwu Chinyem , Agbo Urudinachi Nnenne , Okeke Ifeyinwa Maureen , Ogbonnaya Lawrence Ulu
Published: April 2023

Background

Isoniazid preventive therapy is recommended as part of a comprehensive HIV and AIDS care strategy. IPT is used as prophylaxis to reduce the incidence of TB in HIV-infected persons. However, its implementation has been very slow and has been influenced by several factors. This study assessed health workers’ knowledge and adherence to Isoniazid Preventive Therapy guidelines.

Methods

This was a cross-sectional study in six health facilities providing HIV care in Ebonyi State using a semi-structured, self-administered questionnaire. Data were collected from 85 health workers working in the HIV clinics. Data were also extracted from 200 patient treatment cards. Data analysis was carried out using SPSS version 20 software. Chi-square statistics and logistic regression were carried out to determine the association between socio-demographic characteristics and knowledge as well as self-reported practice of the guideline.

Result

Slightly over half of the respondents (58.8%) had good knowledge of the guideline, and the majority (75.3%) self-reported that they practiced the guideline. Only 17% of the treatment cards had isoniazid prescribed and only 11% of these had patient adherence assessed. The most common challenges to implementation of the guideline cited by health workers were unavailability of isoniazid, poor awareness, patient non-adherence, poor resources, high pill burden, and lack of training. Being a doctor and more than 3 years duration of work in the clinic were predictors of good knowledge. There was no predictor of practice.

Conclusion

There was good knowledge and practice of the guideline from health worker self-reports, however, review of treatment card showed prescription was low. Further studies to explore and understand why there is such low prescription of INH/IPT to HIV patients despite good knowledge of healthcare professionals are recommended.
Investigating the association between various platelet indices and different clinical sub-groups of severe malaria
Authors: Algın Abdullah , Özdemir Serdar , Arslan Ebubekir , Özkan Abuzer
Published: April 2023

AimTo evaluate the ability of platelet count, mean platelet volume, platelet distribution width, and platelet mass index to predict the severity of malaria.Materials and MethodsThis study was conducted as a retrospective cohort study at a tertiary hospital in Somali. Patients grouped as severe and non-severe malaria. We compared groups in terms of platelet count, mean platelet volume, platelet distribution width, and platelet mass index.Results A total of 131 patients were included in the final analysis. Of the patients, 77 (58.7%) had non-severe malaria, and 54 (41.3%) had severe malaria. The multivariate analysis revealed that there was no significant difference between the groups in terms of platelet count, mean platelet volume, platelet distribution width, and platelet mass index (p: 0.183, 0.323, 0.204, and 0.139, respectively). In the receiver operating characteristic analysis, the area under the curve values for platelet count, mean platelet volume, platelet distribution width, and platelet mass index were 0.699, 0.619, 0.504, and 0.675, respectively.ConclusionOf the platelet indices, platelet count, mean platelet volume, platelet distribution width, and platelet mass index were not clinically significant markers that could be used to predict the severity of malaria.