bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Populist Right Parties on TikTok: Spectacularization, Personalization, and Hate Speech
Authors: González-Aguilar Juan Manuel , Segado-Boj Francisco , Makhortykh Mykola
Published: March 2023

Populist parties use social media as a fundamental element of their online communication strategies. This article aims to identify the strategies of right-wing populist parties and politicians on TikTok by measuring a set of features of their videos: It evaluates the presence of hate speech in these messages and the identification of certain groups as “enemies” of “the people,” and also pays special attention to the differences in engagement according to the presence of hate speech and entertaining or humoristic features. We apply a content analysis to a transnational sample (N = 293) of videos posted by the following populist right-wing parties and politicians on TikTok: Vox and Santiago Abascal (Spain), José Antonio Kast (Chile), and the UK Independence Party (UK). Findings show that while Vox and UKIP use TikTok to convey their ideology and values and to target the state as the main enemy of “the common person,” Kast used the same platform to build and project his image of leadership and to broadcast humoristic and entertaining content. Only 19% of the analyzed videos included hate speech elements. Not only was hate speech uncommon; it deterred engagement in terms of the number of comments as well. Contrarily, humour and entertainment favoured engagement. We conclude that TikTok might downplay the most controversial issues of the populist right.
Technopopulism and Politainment in Brazil: Bolsonaro Government’s Weekly YouTube Broadcasts
Authors: Di Nubila Karina , Ballesteros-Herencia Carlos A. , Etura Dunia , Martín-Jiménez Virginia
Published: March 2023

Digital platforms have become powerful weapons in the hands of many politicians. In search for disintermediation of information, Jair Messias Bolsonaro found in social networks a new space to interact with his voters. With a communication strategy primarily online, the former president of Brazil had social profiles on all platforms and has transformed these channels into official government sources, in a campaign whose goal was to discredit the traditional media and occupy the place of speech of these social actors. This article analyzed Bolsonaro’s weekly live streams, made available on his YouTube channel in order to study the technopopulism undertaken by Bolsonaro. Through a quantitative and qualitative content analysis, 121 videos (with a total duration of 83 hours and 58 minutes) were examined, from March 7, 2019, when the president of Brazil began doing the weekly YouTube broadcasts, until May 11, 2022, when this research was planned. The results indicate that the themes addressed in the live streams have influenced the disinformation process in Brazil and especially the hate attacks against important Brazilian democratic institutions. The speeches of resentment against the press, the Supreme Court, and the opposition parties are constant in Bolsonaro’s weekly programs. Finally, this article concluded that Bolsonaro’s communicative strategy on YouTube is an example of technopopulism based on the manipulation of public opinion with the dissemination of propaganda favorable to the government, and veiled attacks on all kinds of enemies of the current system in place as a true example of right-wing populist government.
Coseismic Surface Horizontal Deformation of the 2022 Mw 6.6 Menyuan, Qinghai, China, Earthquake from Optical Pixel Correlation of GF-7 Stereo Satellite Images
Authors: Han Nana , Zhang Guohong , Shan Xinjian , Zhang Yingfeng , Hetland Eric , Qu Chunyan , Gong Wenyu , Sun Guangtong , Li Chenglong , Fan Xiaoran , Huang Chuanchao
Published: March 2023

Quantifying surface deformation due to earthquake-related surface rupturing is a critical research focus. Localized offsets on the primary fault can be obtained via field measurements of dislocated landforms. However, effectively quantifying distributed deformation, which can extend for tens to hundreds of meters around the fault zone, has only become possible with the development of remote sensing technology and optical pixel correlation techniques. In this study, we correlated pre- and post-earthquake GaoFen (GF)-2 and -7 images that were ortho-rectified by a digital elevation model generated from GF-7 stereo images to obtain surface horizontal deformation of the 2022 Mw 6.6 Menyuan earthquake. The surface rupture had a total length of 28 km along two segments separated by a stepover; in this study, we focused on the northern segment (23.5 km), which was distributed along the Lenglongling fault (LLLF). The total surface offset measured by our study had the maximum value of 4.0 m and a mean value of 1.9 m. The mean offset measured by field observations captured just 50% of the mean offset from optical pixel correlation. Overall, 57% of off-fault deformation (OFD) occurred on the LLLF, which is a mature fault, owing to soft near-surface materials. Comparison of the surface offset measured by pixel correlation data in our study and near ground slip from joint inversion of Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar and pixel correlation data suggests that OFD played a significant role in accommodating the shallow slip. The results of this study offer new insight into the characteristics of surface deformation.
La enseñanza de la sociología en Colombia. Los retos de la formación híbrida
Authors:   Universidad Icesi, Paz Rueda Ana Lucía , Arboleda Cabanillas Liliana ,   Universidad del Valle
Published: March 2023

Este libro se deriva del interés por analizar la manera en que se enseña sociología, fundamentalmente, lo que los contenidos curriculares dicen de la disciplina, por eso, revisamos las mallas curriculares de la totalidad de los programas de sociología ofrecidos en universidades tanto públicas como privadas de Colombia, Argentina, Chile y Brasil. Rastrear sistemática y periódicamente los pensum de los programas da cuenta de la evolución y dinámica de la disciplina. La pregunta sobre el sentido de la sociología sigue vigente, de la misma manera que sigue viva la pregunta sobre cómo aprendemos aquello que hace que la disciplina gane sentido social y legitimidad. Examinar los programas de los cuatro países permite un diálogo con las tendencias y las diferencias que se dan en cada región y, sobre todo, permite entender las particularidades y retos que esto significa en el ámbito colombiano.
An Introduction to Statistics for Librarians (Part Two):
Authors: Bakker Caitlin
Published: March 2023

In Part One of this column, the different types of data were discussed. Understanding the type of data is essential to interpreting them. If the type of data isn’t correctly identified, it’s not possible to answer some fundamental questions accurately. One of these fundamental questions is “what’s the average value?” This is often the building block for more advanced statistical tests. In statistical terms, this question is asking us for the central tendency of the data. The central tendency is a single value that represents the midpoint of the data set. It tells us what is “average” or “normal” in the data set. There are three different ways to measure central tendency: mode, median, and mean. The measure chosen will depend on the type of data and the distribution of that data.
Can carotid ultrasound predict neurological risk after carotid intervention?
Authors: Chen Yi-Chun , Oláh László , Csiba László
Published: March 2023

Background and purpose – To prevent ischemic strokes caused by carotid artery stenosis, carotid artery stenting (CAS) and carotid endarterectomy (CEA) have been utilized. However, complications could be linked to either or both procedures. The purpose of our study is to find the most efficient carotid ultrasound method to forecast periprocedural risk (embolization, new neurological symptoms). Methods – We used Pubmed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library to conduct a systematic literature search for the years 2000 to 2022. Results – The grayscale medium (GSM) scale of plaque is the most promising criterion for evaluating periprocedural complications. Discussion – According to the published observations (relatively small cohorts), periprocedural problems would be significantly predicted by ≤ 20 of grayscale medium cut-off values. The diffusion-weighted MRI (DW-MRI) is the most sensitive method for assessing whether stenting or carotid endarterectomy resulted in peri-procedural ischemic lesions on diffusion-weighted MRI. Conclusion – A future, large-scale, multicenter study should confirm which grayscale medium value is optimal to forecast periprocedural ischemic complications.
The effect of disease severity and chronic CPAP-therapy on cognitive functions and event related potentials in OSAS
Authors: Arisoy Eda Turk , Mayda Domaç Fusun , Gica Sakir , Ulker Mustafa , Ozgen Kenangil Gulay
Published: March 2023

Background and purpose – Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) may cause daytime sleepiness, mood changes and dysfunction in various cognitive areas due to recurrent arousals and / or chronic intermittent hypoxia. Different possibilities have been proposed regarding the most affected cognitive areas and mechanisms of OSAS. However, it is difficult to compare findings of the different studies due to the fact that individuals with different disease severities were included in the study groups. In the current study, we aimed to determine the relationship between severity of OSAS and cognitive functions, to investigate the effect of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) titration treatment on cognitive functions and the relationship between these changes and electrophysiological potential. Methods – The study included 4 groups of patients with simple snoring and mild, moderate and severe OSAS. In the pre-treatment evaluations, verbal fluency, visuospatial memory, attention, executive functions, language abilities and electrophysiological tests for event-related potential were performed. The same procedure was reapplied after 4 months of CPAP-therapy. Results – Long-term recall scores and total word fluency scores were found to be low in the groups with moderate and severe disease compared to the patients with simple snoring (p: 0.04, p: 0.03, respectively). The information processing time was higher in patients with severe disease compared to patients with simple snoring (p: 0.02). The P200 and N100 latencies related to event related potentials (ERP) were significantly different between the groups (p: 0.004, p: 0.008, respectively). After CPAP treatment, significant differences were found in N100 amplitude and latencies and all cognitive areas except abstraction. In addition, N100 amplitude and latency change rate as well as change in attention and memory abilities were correlated (r: 0.72, p: 0.02; r: 0.57, p: 0.03, respectively). Conclusion – In the current research, disease severity was found to negatively affect long-term logical memory, sustained attention and verbal fluency. Moreover, significant improvement was detected in all cognitive areas with CPAP treatment. The findings of our study support that changes in N100 potential have the potential to be used as a biomarker that can be used to monitor cognitive function recovery after treatment.
Evaluation of the Trophic Status of Karasu River (Erzincan, Türkiye) by Biodiversity Indices
Authors: FAKIOĞLU Özden , ZENCİR TANIR Özge , AKYÜZ Zeliha , TOPAL Muhammet Furkan
Published: March 2023

Bu çalışma, Karasu Nehri'ndeki fitoplankton kompozisyonunun ve biyolojik çeşitliliğinin mevsimsel ve zamansal değişimlerine odaklanmıştır. Fitoplankton ve su örnekleri Ocak 2019-Temmuz 2019 döneminde iki ayda bir 0,5-8 m derinlikten beş istasyondan toplanmıştır. Dört çeşitlilik indeksi (Shannon-Wiener, Simpson, Margalef ve Menhinick) incelenmiştir. Endeksler arasındaki ilişkiyi yorumlamak için MINITAB 15 yazılımı kullanılmıştır. Ortalama su sıcaklığı, çözünmüş oksijen, pH ve iletkenlik değerleri sırasıyla 19,43 °C, 7,9 mg/l, 8,3 ve 465 mS/cm olarak ölçülmüştür. Bu çalışmada toplam 123 fitoplankton türü tespit edilmiştir. Bu türlerden Bacillariophyta grubuna ait 106 tür, Chlorophyta grubuna ait 10 tür, Cyanobacteri grubuna ait 6 tür ve Euglenophyta grubuna ait 1 tür teşhis edilmiştir. Çalışma boyunca Shannon-Wiener, Simpson Margalef ve Menhinick çeşitlilik indeksleri sırasıyla 1,89 H´, 11,53, 5,12, 0,83 ve 1,44 olarak hesaplanmıştır. Bu çalışma sonucunda fitoplankton çeşitlilik indeks değerleri ile Karasu Nehri’nin su kalitesine bağlı ekolojik durum değerlendirilmesi bir biri ile uyumlu olmadığı tespit edilmiştir. Ancak farklı şehirler için referans koşulların geliştrilmesi endekslerin kullanılabilirliğini artırabilir. Bu nedenle bu çalışmaların devam etmesini ve yaygınlaşmasını öneriyoruz.
Depression, self-esteem disorders and emotional distress during the COVID-19 pandemic in the elderly population of Mexico City and the metropolitan area of the valley of Mexico (a preliminary study)
Authors: Caballero-Flores José Daniel
Published: March 2023

Background: SARS-CoV-2 has spread over the world and caused concern and panic in the elderly, which can promote the development of mental illness. The main aim of this study was to identify depression and self-esteem disorders in the elderly population of Mexico City and the metropolitan area of the valley of Mexico in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods: A non-experimental, observational, cross-sectional, correlational and descriptive study was conducted via means of a survey distributed and applied via telephone and online using Google Forms among the elderly via snowball sampling. Data was analysed in Microsoft Excel and bivariate analysis was performed using Chi squared test with a statistical significance of p≤0.05.
Results: The sample was conformed by 175 participants, 115 were female and 60 were male. 4.35% of women and 1.67% of men showed depression and 16.52% of women and 10% of men had mild symptoms of depression while 6.69% of women and 1.67% of men showed symptoms indicative of low self-esteem and 14.78% of women and 10% of men showed normal self-esteem. Women recorded higher levels of depression (p ≤ 0.01) and men recorded lower levels of self-esteem (p≤0.01). Participants with diabetes showed lower levels of self-esteem and higher levels of depression in comparison to people without diabetes (p≤0.05).
Conclusions: It is suggested in making use of the technologies that have emerged to do telemedicine and to keep in touch with patients. This is a preliminary study; future research should be done on a larger sample.
Oral health related disorder among children with behavioral problems
Authors: Khatun Mst. Mahmuda , Shahid Shelina Fatema Binte , Gaffar Foyjunnesa , Uddin Md. Nizam
Published: March 2023

Background: The best mouth function, the absence of disease, and oral health are achieved by maintaining the highest self-esteem possible. When someone has good dental health, they can communicate and connect with people without getting sick, feeling uncomfortable, or feeling embarrassed. This study aimed to evaluate the Oral health-related disorder specifically to assess dental caries and gingivitis among children with behavioral problems.
Methods: This study was a prospective cross-sectional investigation carried out at Kalachandpur Government Primary School and Jashim Uddin Institute, Dhaka. The study was carried out between October 2021 and December 2022 and included 650 pediatric patients who were aged between 6 to 15 years.
Results: Most 290 (44.62%) children were aged 6-9 years, 250 (38.46%) were 10-12 years, and the rest 110 (16.92%) were 13-15 years old. Patients with 11-15 years had lower dental caries. 310 (48%) were female, and 340 (52%) were male. Dental caries is associated with elevated risk. Children in the elevated caries risk group had a significantly higher mean value of conduct problems and Hyperactivity/inattention based on the SDQ compared to those with low caries risk. No statistically significant differences were found between the low caries risk group and the elevated caries group for the other subscales.
Conclusions: There were statistically more children in the study group who had a high risk of getting caries. Behavior problems were observed while externalizing children who had a high risk of getting caries. Children with externalizing behavior also have more conduct problems and hyperactivity compared to children with reduced caries risk.
Frequency of venous thromboembolism during hajj sessions 2017-2019 in Makkah, Saudi Arabia
Authors: Nazir Imran , Al Kalkami Amna , Elsalamouny Ayed , Elimam Amal A. A. , Elimam Amani A. A. , Ezzat Sadeen E. , Fallatah Abdul Aziz M. O. , Fatima Urooj , Mayis Hussam Saleh , Khalil Khalid
Published: March 2023

Background: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) includes deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), both are serious health risks. In western countries, VTE affects about 114 to 184 people per 100,000. Asian populations have a significantly lower incidence than western populations. The true incidence of VTE is still not well documented in Saudi Arabia (KSA). There are different major risk factors especially in hajj season that predispose a person to thrombosis. The mortality rate of autopsy-based pulmonary embolism reaches up to 30%.
Methods: This single-centered retrospective descriptive study was done in security forces hospital Makkah, Saudi Arabia during hajj period (30 days) for consecutive three-year. All admitted confirmed DVT and PE patients (N=32) of both genders with age >14 years were included. Patients’ data were extracted from the electronic medical record. Data were analysed by SPSS version 23.
Results: Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) was developed in 67.7% while 19.3% of patients suffered from pulmonary embolism (PE) out of a total of 32 subjects. Females were more affected by 18 (56.3%) than males by 14 (43.8%). The mean age of patients was 51.78 years (SD ±16.21). A statistically significant association (p<0.005) between provoked VTE status and age, immobility, and history of surgery was seen. There was no mortality documented in this study.
Conclusions: This study provides insights into hajj period hospital admitted patients’ frequency of VTE, changing patient profiles, management strategies, and subsequent outcomes in patients with venous thromboembolism. There is a need for greater awareness of VTE prophylaxis about its prevention, especially in hajj season.
Assessment of various cognitive domains in patient with obsessive-compulsive disorder
Authors: Gupta Jitesh Kumar , Yadav Jai Singh , Singh Samir Kumar , Kumar Sandeep , Kumar Pradeep
Published: March 2023

Background: OCD is often chronic disorder and causes impairment of functional efficiency. Various researchers have found that cognitive dysfunction frequently present even when mild symptoms are present. This study aimed to investigate various domains of cognitive function in patients with OCD using cross sectional design. In this study we have tried to find out the various domains of cognitive function in OCD and their relation with clinical severities. We also compared the cognitive function of patients with OCD and their control.
Methods: Total 60 subjects (30 in case group and 30 in control group) were taken for study. The study subjects (OCD group) were taken from psychiatric OPD and control group from general populations. The subjects of both the groups were screened as per inclusion and exclusion criteria and the Y-BOCS, ACE –III scales were applied.
Results: In the case group, 96.70% had a normal ACE-III score and 3.30% had an inconclusive score, while in the control group 100% had a normal score at ACE-III scale, on further scoring. 60% patients have moderate and 33.3% have severe score in the YBOCS scale. We have found the significant decline in total mean ACE-III scores between case and control group (p value 0.000) and decline in memory domain with severity of illness was also significant (p value 0.037).
Conclusions: Decline in cognition domain of memory in patient with OCD, was significant in comparison to control group.
Relationship between stress and sleep quality among undergraduate physiotherapy students of India who are engaged in clinical posting: a cross sectional study
Authors: Dharmita Yogeshwar  , E. N. Vipinnath
Published: March 2023

Background: Physiotherapy students are exposed to different kinds of stress while pursuing their course and this stress affects their sleep quality. The author in this study investigated the relationship between stress and sleep quality among undergraduate physiotherapy students across India.
Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted among 150 undergraduate physiotherapy students studying in different physiotherapy colleges across India, using convenience sampling method. Data was collected with help of an Online Google form™. In order to assess the relationship between stress and sleep quality among students, student stress inventory (SSI) and Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) outcome measures were used.
Results: A high prevalence of stress (99.9%) and poor sleep quality (76.7%) were found among students. To analysis the relationship between stress and sleep, Pearson’s correlation coefficient was used, value of correlation coefficient was 0.613 shows a moderate positive relationship between variables and p value was 0.000 (<0.05) shows highly significant relationship between stress and sleep.
Conclusions: The study confirms a strong association between stress and sleep among undergraduate physiotherapy students across India. A recommendation for management required promotion of sleep hygiene and including physical activity in the curriculum of students to deal with the stress.
Observational study of segmental epidural anesthesia for orthopedic surgeries
Authors: Badheka Jigisha , Dalvani Khatija , Singh Aditya , Gohil Yagnesh
Published: March 2023

Background: Epidural anaesthesia is suitable technique for lower abdominal and lower limb surgery. Compared to conventional epidural anesthesia (EA), segmental epidural anaesthesia (SEA) denotes the use of a small volume enough to block only the segments involved in the field with stable hemodynamics and limited spread of analgesia. We decided to do study of SEA for lower limb surgeries. Aim was to observe characteristic of sensory and motor block, quality of analgesia, hemodynamics and peri-operative complications.
Methods: After institutional ethical committee approval, prospective observational study of SEA for orthopedic surgeries was carried out in 130 patients of 18 to 60 years of either sex with ASA grade І-Ш. For SEA, we used bolus dose of lignocaine with adrenaline (L+A) 2% 8 to 12 ml injected over 4 minutes according to anticipated segments required to be blocked and patient’s condition and type of surgery. Top up dosages were repeated every 60 minutes.  Quality of analgesia and block, total local anesthetic used and hemodynamics were recorded intraoperatively. Results were analysed statistically and were compared using the student’s paired ‘t’ test. P value <0.05 was considered as significant.
Results: Requirement of bolus dose was 8 ml, 10 ml and 12 ml in 78 patients, 31 patients and 7 patients respectively. In all patients 1st top up dose was given while 2nd top up was required in 32 patients only. Intra op MAP remains near to baseline. Quality of block was excellent in 66 patients (55%), good in 35 patients (29%) and fair in 15 patients (12.5%).
Conclusions: We concluded that SEA is a safe and reliable technique for orthopedic surgeries with stable hemodynamics, limited spread of analgesia involving only required segments with minimal side effects.
Safety and efficacy of formoterol/tiotropium bromide and formoterol/glycopyrronium combination in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Authors: Ahmad Siraj , Ahmad Jameel , Ahmad Farida , Ahmad Zuber
Published: March 2023

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is characterized by a progressive development of airflow limitation that is not fully reversible. The study investigated the efficacy and safety of formoterol/tiotropium bromide and formoterol/glycopyrronium combination in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Glycopyrrolate, a long-acting anti-muscarinic agent is recently approved for the maintenance therapy of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in combination with formoterol. However, the studies on glycopyrrolate along with long-acting beta 2 agonist, particularly in Indian patients are limited. Hence it was considered worthwhile to determine safety and efficacy of fixed dose combinations of formoterol/ tiotropium vs. formoterol/glycopyrrolate in grade-2 patients of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients.
Methods: Efficacy and safety of formoterol/glycopyrrolate and formoterol/tiotropium were compared in Grade-2 patients. Total 68 patients were analysed and the efficacy of treatment was determined by Spirometry, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Assessment Test score and Symptom score at day zero (before therapeutic intervention) and at two weeks of interval till 12 weeks.
Results: The treatment with inhaled combination of formoterol/glycopyrrolate and formoterol/tiotropium has shown an improvement in spirometric variable Forced Expiratory Volume (in one second) decrease in mean Symptom score and COPD Assessment Test score among the grade-2 Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease patients.
Conclusions: Combination therapy of formoterol/glycopyrrolate is non-inferior to formoterol/tiotropium in terms of efficacy and safety profile of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
A study of tumour infiltrating lymphocytes and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio in papillary carcinoma thyroid
Authors: Jaleel Hiba , Saldanha Prema
Published: March 2023

Background: Papillary thyroid carcinoma accounts for 70-80% of all diagnosed thyroid carcinomas. Immune response including systemic inflammation is thought to be essential for suppression of carcinogenesis. This study aims to correlate the tumour infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in various demographic data and histomorphological features of papillary carcinoma thyroid.
Methods: A total of 60 cases of papillary carcinoma were taken from a period between January 2018 and July 2021. TIL was analyzed as diffuse or focal at the area of highest concentration and was graded subjectively as: absent (no lymphocytes), mild (1-10%), moderate (>10-50%) and dense (>50%). NLR was calculated as the neutrophil count divided by the lymphocyte count, based on the preoperative complete blood cell counts.
Results: The cases belonged to age group varying from 20 to 75 years with female preponderance (88.3%). In this study, there was significant correlation between TIL and tumour stage with a p value of 0.001. Lower the tumour stage, higher was the concentration of TIL. A cut of value of 2.17 was taken for NLR. Cases with diffuse, moderate to dense peritumoural lymphocytes had lower NLR and were statistically significant. High NLR was also seen in higher TNM stage. On the other hand, there were no association with gender, age, tumour size, histological subtype and focality with NLR.
Conclusions: As an index of inflammation, tumour infiltrating lymphocytes and NLR can be considered. We found increased TIL in lower tumour stage and increased NLR values in higher tumour stages.
Comparative evaluation of immunochromatographic card tests with enzyme-linked immune sorbent assay for the detection of hepatitis C virus antibody
Authors: Jain Rajeev Kumar , Shrivastava Rakesh , Chaurasia Deepti , Jain Anamika , Perumal Nagaraj
Published: March 2023

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a global prevalent pathogen causes both acute and chronic hepatitis and leading to serious liver damage. Correct and rapid diagnosis is pivotal for the management of HCV disease. Rapid card tests are superior alternatives for the large-scale screening of HCV infection.
Methods: The present observational study evaluates analytical performance of four different anti-HCV rapid tests. A total of 200 ELISA confirmed, HCV positive (n=100) and HCV negative (n=100) clinical specimens were selected and re-tested for anti-HCV antibodies by using commercially available four different immunochromatography cards (Meriscreen, Accurate, Oscar and Biolab).
Results: Among all, Biolab rapid card test shown highest (98%) sensitivity. On the other hand, all rapid card test kits showed identical 100% specificity.
Conclusions: Overall BioLab anti-HCV rapid card tests found to be superior in the present study and strongly suggest in house validation of rapid card tests before their diagnostics use on clinical specimens.
Omphalocele and macroglossia: a case of Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome
Authors: Mahmood Shafqat , Alam Muhammad Tanveer
Published: March 2023

Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome (BWS) is a pediatric overgrowth disorder which predisposes to tumor development. The following case study examined a prenatal finding of omphalocele with postnatal findings of macroglossia and cutaneous hemangioma, ultimately leading to a diagnosis of BWS. This case highlighted the features of BWS, the diagnostic principles and the importance of a multidisciplinary team approach to its management.
An anomalous origin of 1st lumbrical: a case report
Authors: Deb Barma Mrinmayee , Ahlawat Harshvardhan
Published: March 2023

Hand is an organ of prehension. Human hand is an example of revolution in evolution. It is endowed with skilled movements. It consists of different group of muscles, ligaments, joints which are responsible for the fine movements of hand. It also contains neurovascular structures which are the terminal branches of median nerve, ulnar nerve and radial nerve. The terminal branches of ulnar and radial arteries provide the arterial supply. Here, we have reported the variant of lumbrical muscles. Lumbricals perform movements on metacarpophalangeal joints, proximal interphalangeal joints and distal interphalangeal joints. Lumbricals are spindle rich fibres. Variations in the structures present are immensely important for the orthopaedic surgeon, digital transposition surgery, cleft hand surgery etc. Anatomically, incursion of the lumbricals inside the carpal tunnel may lead to work related carpal tunnel syndrome.
Assessment and intervention of a health education programme regarding medicine among school children
Authors: Morabad Soumya S. , Venkaraddi M. Chandrashekhar , Keshannavar Mudakappa G. , Kulkarni Kalpana R. , Reddy Manasa , Mannikatti Pradeep S. , Jain Bharath
Published: March 2023

Background: The current study was aimed to assess knowledge, attitude and practice about medicines among school children of age group 12-16 years.
Methods: This was an educational interventional study. The children’s attending private/ tertiary school, at Bagalkot were interviewed individually with a pre-tested self-administered questionnaire.
Results: In basal assessment, the mean knowledge, attitude and practice scores were found to be 9.11±0.11, 5.72±0.83 and 6.92±0.05 respectively. However, there was significant difference (p=0.0001) between pre and post study of knowledge, attitude and practice towards medicine.
Conclusions: Study concluded that children have limited knowledge about medicine and some negative attitude towards medicine which was improved after educational interventional study. This type of study will help to improve their insight towards medicine in school children.
Food taboos during pregnancy and lactation among tribal population of south India
Authors: Ade Anju Damu , Pratheeka K. V. Jyothi
Published: March 2023

Background: Good nutrition paves the way for a fair chance in life. Food taboos exist in all the communities and do vary from one community to another. Objectives of current study were to study the socio-demographic profile of the tribal pregnant women, to explore food taboos during pregnancy and lactation among the tribal pregnant women and to assess association between sociodemographic characteristics and food taboo among pregnant women.
Methods: This cross‑sectional study was conducted from July 2022 to August 2022 in tribal area among tribal pregnant women from selected area. They were interviewed for which pre-tested structured format was used. Sample size calculated was 303.SPSS version 26.0 was used to calculate statistics.
Results: 265 (87.4%) study respondents reported that they include certain special food items during pregnancy. 263 (86.7%) respondents reported that they include certain special food items during lactation. 219 (72.3%) pregnant mothers reported that they avoid certain foods during pregnancy while 149 (49.2%) mothers reported that they avoid certain foods during lactation. Educational level, socio-economic status, occupation, type of housing of the study respondents was significantly associated with the avoidance of food items during pregnancy and lactation (food taboo practices).
Conclusions: Study respondent’s cultural belief in food practices are major reason for their avoidance of certain food items during pregnancy and lactation. Nutrition education and awareness will bring behavioural change among these tribal mothers.
Profile of injury cases before, during and after lockdown of COVID-19 pandemic: a hospital based study
Authors: R. G. Aishwarya , Sarji Uthkarsh Pallavi , Krishnarao Suresh
Published: March 2023

Background: Injuries show a significant burden of morbidity, disability and mortality throughout world, especially in lower-middle income nations. Injuries result from road traffic crashes, falls, burns, and acts of violence against oneself or others, among other causes. Road Traffic Accidents are especially dominant among injuries, which are unintentional. The lockdown has resulted in dramatic changes in service provision from emergency departments and hospitals. And the pattern of the injuries has differed because of different reasons being reduced mobility, isolation at home, boredom and so on. The aim of this study was to assess the type of injury cases reaching a tertiary care hospital in Bangalore before, during and after lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic and its profile.
Methods: The data was collected from the hospital records of all inpatients of selected tertiary care hospitals.
Results: Incidence of RTA and Assaults are observed to be high constituting 52.5% and 31.4% respectively. The change in trend of injuries indicated a dropdown in injury cases during lockdown and the increase of cases after lockdown relaxations.
Conclusions: Road traffic accidents was the most common cause of injury observed in this study, with specifically 2-wheeled vehicles were most involved. The development of trauma registries all over the country containing minimum epidemiologically desired data is the need of the time for India. The data in the hospital records should be standardized and centralized.
Effect of core stabilization exercises on balance, physical performance and quality of life in post-menopausal women
Authors: Walankar Prachita , Kini Raveena , Panhale Vrushali , Kawale Mokshada
Published: March 2023

Background: The study aimed to evaluate the effect of core stabilization exercises on balance, physical performance and quality of life in postmenopausal women.
Methods: An interventional study was conducted in 30 postmenopausal women. Participants were randomly assigned to two treatment groups. Group 1 (N=15) received core stabilization exercises along with conventional therapy and Group 2 (N=15) conventional therapy alone. The assessments were made using one leg stance test, Y balance test, short physical performance battery and menopause specific quality of life questionnaire at baseline and after 4 weeks of intervention.
Results: In Group 1 and Group 2, there was a statistically significant difference seen in one leg stance test, Y balance test, short physical performance battery and menopause specific quality of life questionnaire pre and post intervention (p<0.05). A significant difference was seen in dynamic balance in Group 1 (p<0.05). However, there was no significant difference seen in one leg stance test, short physical performance battery and menopause specific quality of life questionnaire scores between the two groups (p>0.05).
Conclusions: Core stabilisation exercises have proven to be more effective than conventional exercises alone for improving dynamic balance in post-menopausal women. However, both are equally effective in improving static balance, physical performance and quality of life in postmenopausal women.
Phytochemical screening of Acacia nilotica extract: an in vitro study
Authors: Bhat Padma K. , Byakod Abhilasha S. , S. G. Sushma
Published: March 2023

Background: The present study aim was to identify the presence of phytochemical screening of flower extract of Acacia nilotica.
Methods: The flower extract of Acacia nilotica was prepared using Soxhlet apparatus. The preliminary phytochemical analysis of methanol flower of Acacia nilotica was carried out by using simple chemical tests and compared with ethanol and aquesous extract of the same plant. The antimicrobial testing was done using agar well diffusion method. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was carried out by micro dilution assay and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) was done using colony forming unit (CFU) method. SPSS version 20 was used for statistical analysis.
Results: The results of phytochemical screening of methanol flower extract of Acacia nilotica showed the presence of alkaloid, flavonoid, glycosides, tannin, terpenoids, steroids whereas ethanol shows the presence of flavonoid, glycosides, tannin, terpenoids, saponin, steroids and aqueous extract shows presence of alkaloid, flavonoid, glycosides, tannin, terpenoids, saponin, steroids. The antibacterial activity of the (flower) extract of Acacia nilotica showed relatively high zone of inhibition (21 mm,19 mm) at 40 mg/ml against S. mutans and L. acidophillus. The MIC OD at 600 nm showed maximum inhibition at 40 mg/ml against S. mutans and L. acidophillius was about 78% and 91% respectively.
Conclusions: The present study signifies the phytochemical screening of Acacia nilotica which could be considered in the evolution of an indigenous herbal mouth rinse or toothpaste as the formulation inhibited all the micro-organisms tested in this study at low concentrations.
A comparative study of antenatal health care at Anganwadis in five rural areas at Rushikonda, Visakhapatnam
Authors: Chandrasekhar Vijayalakshmi
Published: March 2023

Background: Maternal morbidity and mortality are directly linked to the quality of the antenatal care provided at the grassroot level in rural India.
Methods: A total of 76 pregnant women attending 5 Anganwadi centres at Yendada 1 and 2, Gollalapalem, Vadapalem and Rushikonda were followed up through their confinement. The data collected were with respect to their height, weight, blood pressure, number of visits, antenatal complications and treatment, post-natal course including breast feeding and difficulties faced by clients during the course of their pregnancy.
Results: The five Anganwadi centres were observed to be doing a commendable job in promptly registering pregnant women and ensuring proper antenatal care looking after their nutritional supplements and immunization throughout the course of their client’s pregnancies. There was not a single complication from among the study population due to timely referrals to higher centres.
Conclusions: The Anganwadi workers have a good insight into the health problems in their community and were able to communicate effectively in the local dialect. They are doing a commendable job in promptly registering pregnant women, and ensuring that they regularly attend for antenatal visits. They are the backbone of the community and are responsible for positive pregnancy outcomes.
A cross sectional study on pattern of animal bites and their post exposure management in a tribal district of Mayurbhanj, Northern Odisha, India
Authors: Kumari Amrita , Tripathy Abinash , Dutta Sucharita , Kumar Rakesh
Published: March 2023

Background: Rabies is an enzootic and epizootic disease of worldwide. Rabies is a fatal but preventable viral disease. Rabies is one of the neglected tropical diseases that predominantly affects poor and vulnerable populations who live in remote rural locations. Objectives of current study was to assess the prevalence of animal bite cases and its associated factors in a tribal district of Northern Odisha and to study the first aid management of people after dog bite.
Methods: It was a cross sectional study. This study was conducted at PRM medical college, Baripada, Odisha in anti-rabies vaccination (ARV) OPD clinic. The study period was March 2021 to September 2021. The sampling techniques was consecutive sampling. The study population was all animal bite case attending ARV clinic. Data was analyzed by appropriate statistical tool.
Results: Majority 54.9% victims are dog bite victims and the most common site of bite was lower limb (53.6%). The main source of information was family and friends followed by doctors and health workers.
Conclusions: Majority of people especially in rural and tribal area were illiterate and they don’t have any knowledge about animal bite or its management. This study had found that those who are literate had done a proper wound management before coming to ARV clinic. So, literacy proved to have a major impact on wound management. Behavior changes communication (BCC) along with health education is a vital weapon for controlling rabies especially in developing country like India.
Effectiveness of lockdown to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 pandemic during its first wave in India
Authors: Srinivas Vani
Published: March 2023

Background: Countries across the globe had adopted various prevention and control measures ranging from social distancing and isolation, to shutting down of nonessential services and countrywide lockdowns. The objective of the study was to assess the effectiveness of the nation-wide lockdown to prevent or delay the spread of COVID-19 in India.  
Methods: This was a cross sectional and descriptive study. We used the secondary data from WHO website, from 01 January to 30 October 2020. We calculated mean, median number of new cases, deaths reported per day and case fatality rate, using Microsoft excel spreadsheet.  
Results: There was a steady rise in number of cases and deaths in India, during the lockdown and unlock period from phase-1 to phase-4. Approximately 10-fold increase in death was reported in the duration of 68 days of lockdown from phase-1 to Phase 4. The number of cases reported in unlock phase-4 were approximately 6 times more compared to unlock phase 1. The case fatality rate per day had declined during the lockdown period, from 3 .4% to 2 .5% deaths per day. The case fatality rate was lowest during the peak of pandemic, 1.27% in September 2020. Indicating good care of hospitalized patients compared to initial stage of pandemic in India.
Conclusions: Indian government had imposed complete sudden lockdown at the right time. The peak of pandemic was delayed or slowed down. Indicating the timing of lockdown is an essential step to save the lives in pandemic, in resource limited settings.
Literature review of dry socket: etiology, pathogenesis, prevention, and management
Authors: Akram Afrah
Published: March 2023

Dry socket/alveolar osteitis is a detrimental and excruciatingly painful post-extraction condition of the socket caused by the breakdown of a clot leading to the denudation of the socket that exposes underlying bone that is not protected by a blood clot or healing tissue and persists within or around the alveolus for days after the surgical tooth extraction with or without halitosis and suppuration. It is inevitable that dry socket will develop during routine oral surgery or dental procedures. The common factors that cause dry socket are smoking, poor oral hygiene, traumatic extractions caused by inexperienced dentists, previous bacterial infection, inflammation, fibrinolysis, and systemic disorders, in conjunction with oral contraceptives, menstrual cycle, and rapid irrigation of the socket after extraction with normal saline. The management of dry socket is directed towards palliative care. A substantial amount of research is required to provide a definitive treatment choice for dry socket. This literature review focuses on the pathogenesis, prevention, and management of dry socket.
Eye in the skin- A review article
Authors: Chaitra M C  , Ramanjanayalu M
Published: March 2023

This article emphasizes the interlink between eye and the skin, helping to diagnose systemic diseases based on the ocular manifestations. A complete care of eyes by the ophthalmologist will require simultaneous skin care and treatment of the systemic cause.
How do polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy patients fare long term - A real world data
Authors: Iqbal Sameer , Manoj S  , Indurkar Asmita , Ravi R V  , Mathew Mancy , Nair Unnikrishnan
Published: March 2023

The objective of this 5-year retrospective study of PCV eyes was to assess the clinical presentation and long-term real world visual and anatomical outcomes following therapy. Data included the baseline clinical and demographic profile, visual acuity and treatment details. Main outcome measured were anatomical and visual outcomes with treatment, treatment compliance and complications. Out the 45 PCV eyes (51 patients), 76.4% lesions occurred predominantly at the macula. Clinical presentations were variable though visible polyps (16.6%) and massive subretinal hemorrhage (17.7%) were less frequent. DLS with diffuse PEDs or thumb shaped PEDs were the most common finding in SD-OCT. OCTA was sensitive in identifying BVNs compared to ICGA but were poor in identifying polyps. Vision improvement was achieved in 42% eyes, while loss occurred in 26.6% eyes, with deterioration more in type 1 PCV. Baseline good vision, thicker CCT, smaller lesions and minimum recurrences at year 1 were risk factors associated with good outcomes. Mean number of injections was 18.7. 22% received primary PDT while 11% eyes received rescue PDT. Low fluence PDT was found to be as effective as standard fluence. Though not significant, PDT eyes required lesser injections than monotherapy. As an agent Aflibercept seemed to be better than Ranibizumab and was the most preferred switching agent (55% needed switch). Loading dose followed by PRN was the only feasible regimen with relatively reasonable compliance. Complications included RIP (11%) and 2 eyes requiring Vitrectomy for breakthrough vitreous hemorrhage. The superiority of aflibercept and the feasibility of a PRN approach is underlined in this study. In spite of suboptimal compliance this study reveals that nearly half the eyes demonstrated visual gains and anatomic stability.
Management and visual outcome of neovascular glaucoma in diabetes mellitus patients
Authors: Nair Shamili S , Prashanth C N
Published: March 2023

Aim of this study was to analyse the management of neovascular glaucoma (NVG) in patients with diabetes mellitus and assess the visual outcome. A retrospective case series was conducted. 20 diabetic patients with NVG who attended the retina clinic over a period of 1 year were taken for the study and were followed up for 6 months to 1 year. Among them, 15 patients had an effectively controlled intraocular pressure (IOP) after the treatment (16.68 ± 4.69 mmHg) as compared to the pre-treatment levels (42.59 ± 9.44, p<0.05). There was improvement in visual acuity to a certain extent in 12 eyes (62.7%) whereas visual acuity in 4 (23.5%) eyes was noted to be ≥0.1, remained the same in 3 (17.6%) eyes, and became worse in 1 (5.8%) eye. Results showed that a comprehensive management with adequate number of pan-retinal photocoagulations (PRP), intravitreal/intracameral anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) injections and early surgical interventions along with strict diabetic control can avert visual loss and improve the prognosis.