bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Narrating Deputy Principals and Heads of Departments' Experiences of Assessment Practices in Curriculum Delivery
Authors: van Wyk Micheal M.
Published: August 2021

The purpose of this chapter is to explore deputy principals' and heads of departments' lived experiences as curriculum and instructional leaders in curriculum delivery in assessment practices at the school level. This study's exploratory qualitative approach had founded CAPS and NPA policies, direct DPs, and HoDs to execute their responsibilities by providing support, monitoring, moderating, and instructional leadership to SMT and subject teachers. It was found that teachers must set assessment tasks to enhance learners' higher-order thinking skills and critical thinking skills, which is a need for the 21st century.
A Framework for Meaningful Assessment
Authors: Federici Theresa
Published: August 2021

This chapter illustrates an innovative and easily adoptable approach to ensuring assessment is constructively aligned to course content and intended learning outcomes in foreign language teaching. Referring to two small-scale case studies in UK universities, this chapter presents the PRIME model of assessment design. This holistic and process-driven approach to assessment, in which the content and format of assessment is developed alongside the content and learning outcomes of the course, guides students towards becoming reflective language learners and creates greater learner autonomy. Grounded in, but not exclusive to, the academic standards for higher education in the UK, and in current research into the place and purpose of assessment in undergraduate courses, this chapter illustrates an approach adopted to create meaningful assessment in language degree programmes.
What Teachers Should and Shouldn't Do During Online Teaching
Authors: Chan Ka Long Roy
Published: August 2021

COVID-19 has influenced teaching all across the globe. The massive use of online learning has created a problem with teachers because of the differences between face-to-face teaching and online teaching. In this chapter, a discussion on how traditional face-to-face teaching differs from online teaching will be shown. How education in Hong Kong is affected by COVID-19 is also summarized. Additionally, the result of a case study in a linguistics course in a university in Hong Kong will be shown to demonstrate the attitudes of students regarding online learning. The mixed-method case study, which consists of survey data of 100 students and semi-structured interviews of eight students, showed that students hold a general mixed feeling towards online learning because of its drawbacks, such as lack of interactions despite the convenience that online learning provides. This chapter ends with a list of suggestions for online teachers.
Every Cloud Has a Silver Lining
Authors: Li Qing , Diamantidaki Fotini
Published: August 2021

This study aims to determine students' motivation towards Mandarin learning during COVID-19. Theoretically, motivation is considered a broad concept that aims to define why people decide to do something, how long they sustain the activity, and how much effort they will expend to pursue it. Considering that there is no single theory that can comprehensively cover the possible motives, this study investigates the L2 motivation with the self as its core, which is found closely related to three motivation frameworks: Socio-education theory, self-determination theory, and L2 motivational self-system. This study found that L2 learners of Mandarin were highly driven by intrinsic motivation such as knowledge, culture, language learning stimulation, and accomplishment. They were less likely to be motivated by external pressures such as the ought-to L2 self or introjected opinions and showed a highly self-decisive multilingual profile with a willingness to diversify their knowledge and skills. Finally, Mandarin learning had positively contributed to their overall well-being during COVID-19.
Improving Maritime English Oral Communication Skills in an Online Environment
Authors: Şihmantepe Aydin , Solmaz Murat Selçuk , Aşan Cihat
Published: August 2021

Online education has been an option until the first half of the year 2020. After the outbreak of COVID-19, online learning has gradually become a must for education. In this period, institutions have had to transform and adopt not only their teaching approach and content, but also their technology. Maritime education and training inevitably has followed the same pattern. As English is the operational language of the sea, teaching maritime English has had its share from this transformation. This study focuses on improving maritime students' job-related communication skills in an online environment with online role-playing. The study firstly reviews general requirements and setbacks involved in online teaching and language requirements at sea. The focus of the study is on online oral communication role-playing to perform ship-based external communication. The study concludes by pinpointing minimum requirements for conducting such training, lessons learned from the sessions, as well as knowledge and experience achieved by the students.
Post-Pandemic Restorative Talent Management Strategy for SME Development
Authors: Baporikar Neeta
Published: August 2021

Indian economy post-COVID 19 pandemic may witness a massive reengineering of all its economic activities. Some will cherish the change, while others will perish over time. The post-pandemic scenario will have a drastic impact across industries and sectors regardless of their scale or size. The magnitude of impact on SMEs and entrepreneurship is unfathomable considering the prevailing intensity of the crisis. SMEs should come up with plausible innovation and talented human force to sustain in the market. The enterprises should develop and nourish ‘talent culture' and should focus on ‘talent', which remains the most neglected component in Indian SMEs until today. Hence, adopting an exploratory approach with a systematic literature review, the chapter focuses on positioning the importance of talent management and its components in the SME framework to manage the post-pandemic crisis. In the process, the chapter deliberates on the key strategies for rearing SMEs through proper management of critical talent and human resources.
Resilient Entrepreneurial Strategies Adopted by Zimbabwean Small and Medium Enterprises During Economic Crisis
Authors: Dzingirai Mufaro , Ndava Rodgers
Published: August 2021

Resilient entrepreneurial strategy is a concept of great importance as it captures how entrepreneurs can ensure business sustainability in the face of harsh economic conditions of a market. In the wake of the economic crisis induced by the COVID-19 pandemic, it is not surprising to observe that scholars and practitioners are shifting their attention towards entrepreneurial resilience especially in the context of SMEs. With this in mind, this chapter focuses on the resilient entrepreneurial strategies adopted by Zimbabwean SMEs during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study established five strategies, namely strategic alliance, product differentiation, cost containment, innovation, and product differentiation. It is, therefore, recommended that SMEs should harness online technology and constantly re-evaluate entrepreneurial strategies in order to augment their agility to shocks emanating from the business environment.
Corporate Social Innovation During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Grueso-Hinestroza Merlín Patricia , Riofrio Angelica Maria Sanchez , Mendez Juan Carlos Espinosa
Published: August 2021

Given that the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in an unprecedented scenario, there were no previous lessons learned about the organizational responses to social problems. As a result of the above, this chapter describes the practices used by seven Colombian organizations to face the first months of the pandemic based on corporate social innovation framework. A qualitative approach was used to carry out the study and a qualitative content analysis as a research method. The results obtained indicate that the companies participating in the research developed actions in the four pillars, with actions associated with social issues being more prevalent, especially concerning workers and vulnerable populations.
Happiness
Authors: Soler Karen Morales , Baltasar Laura Berenice Sánchez , Díaz Crishelen Kurezyn , González Martha Leticia Gaeta
Published: August 2021

Happiness, job competence, and emotional competence, from an integrative perspective, are incorporated with the characteristics of the collaborator and the factors of the organization. They are emphasizing the classification of job skills and the opportunity to include emotional skills as a specific section. At the same time, it reflects on the components of happiness proposed by Seligman and the interest in relating it to job satisfaction based on the preceding scientific research. Finally, the usefulness of emotional competence is analyzed as a specific section within the general labor competencies, once happiness is considered as an emotion and therefore labor competency.
Open Innovation Model Proposal for the Colombian Air Force
Authors: Parada Gerson R. Jaimes , Perez Luis Rodrigo Valencia , Zamora María A. Corzo
Published: August 2021

An organisational model in open innovation is proposed for the Colombian Air Force that could be implemented in the institution or in other military entities, as well as in companies with hierarchical structure. It includes a new perspective of the articulation of the university, enterprise, and state with the theoretical foundations of open innovation. The main objective of this research was to design an open innovation (OI) model to articulate the actors of the Science, Technology, and Innovation System (ST&I) of the COLAF, throughout a qualitative approach of documentary review, where variables of open innovation, internal, and the external factors of open innovation were defined for the subsequent construction and proposal of the model. Concluding, the construction of this OI model for the COLAF could allow an inclusive and binding model of Colombian society with university, enterprise, and state to join efforts and to cooperate for achieving an stable innovation ecosystem.
Creating Synergic Entrepreneurship as Support of Sustainability
Authors: Ince Fatma
Published: August 2021

Going beyond adapting to the changing world in the globalization environment or finding new solutions for different needs is only possible with a broad perspective. This perspective requires strategically selecting the team members while understanding the principles of an effective team and using a participatory approach, culture, and synergy to guide the team to achieve exponential results. Therefore, entrepreneurs try to seize opportunities and achieve sustainable success by creating a culture that feeds on differences in realizing the business idea. From this point of view, synergistic entrepreneurship, which is one of the types of entrepreneurship that is open to new perspectives and learns from differences, is mentioned. Also, the contribution of a continuous development approach to achieve high performance with innovative solutions is discussed in this chapter of the book.
Social Media and Social Distance
Authors: Collazzo Pablo , Aboumrad Arturo
Published: August 2021

Social media and social distance (proxied by online food delivery), the latter compounded by the increased disruption introduced by COVID-19, are radically impacting the way restaurants do business. Such a claim, fairly apparent to the consumer, arguably remains underexplored in the business model literature and begs for supporting evidence. This research aims to bridge such a gap by conducting an empirical study on the effects of social media and social distance on restaurant performance, feeding a revised business model canvas. The findings, as per the outputs of hierarchical and stepwise regressions, suggest that both social media and social distance (online food delivery) have a significantly favorable influence on restaurant performance, shaping a digitally-boosted restaurant business model canvas.
The Future of Trade Fairs After the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Süygün Mehmet Sami
Published: August 2021

Globalization has made the whole world a common market for businesses by removing the commercial borders between countries. Increased competition in the global market has pushed businesses that want to operate in this arena to implement new strategies. As a promotion activity, fairs have been the most important assistant of the companies that want to internationalize over the years. Although the concept of fair organizations has changed with the effect of digitalization in the historical process, fairs still continue their main function of bringing buyers and sellers together. The subject of this chapter is how virtual fairs, which have increased their importance in marketing activities with the pandemic, will affect the future of trade fairs. In this context, the history of the fairs, their place and importance in international marketing, virtual fairs, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the future of international fairs will be discussed.
The Effect of COVID-19 on the Spanish Wine Industry
Authors: Marco-Lajara Bartolomé , Seva-Larrosa Pedro , Ruiz-Fernández Lorena , Martínez-Falcó Javier
Published: August 2021

The Spanish wine sector has not remained unaffected by the impact of COVID-19. This research aims to analyse the impact of COVID-19 on the Spanish wine sector, quantifying a phenomenon on which there is no academic literature, because although the impact of the pandemic on the wine sector has been studied at a general level, it has not been analysed in the Spanish case. An exploratory approach was adopted for the research in order to analyse the behaviour of the variables that measure the degree of commercialisation of Spanish wine in both the domestic and foreign markets. In addition, the research gathers and quantifies the measures carried out by the Spanish government to help the wine sector overcome the current crisis.
Implications of Preservice Teachers' Perceptions of the Visual Arts for Educator Preparation
Authors: Attwood Adam I.
Published: August 2021

This study addresses preservice teacher perceptions of their experience with the arts. Implications are explored for how educator preparation programs might address an art course for generalist or multiple-subject teachers. This study adds to the literature on perception of art from K-8 generalist multiple-subject teachers by applying a discourse analysis to a survey of preservice teachers' (n = 37) perceptions of their experience with art in school. The survey was administered at a public university in the United States with questions asking participants to briefly explain their perceptions and experiences with the fine arts and how the fine arts are integrated into teaching practices. This study addresses the following question: How do preservice elementary teachers conceptualize the fine arts? Recommendations are made for educator preparation programs.
ServiceNet
Authors: Liu Ji , Chen Shiping , Zhao Hang , Yang Jiyuan , Shi Yu , Li Ruiqiang , Yuan Dong
Published: August 2021

Despite the enormous number of online docking services available, consumers sometimes struggle to discover the services they require from time to time. On the other hand, when finding matching or recommendation platforms from an academic or industry perspective, most of the related work they can find is centralized systems. Unfortunately, the centralized systems often have shortages, such as adv-driven, lack of trust, non-transparency, and unfairness. The authors propose a peer-to-peer (P2P) service network for service discovery and recommendation. ServiceNet is a blockchain-based service ecosystem that promises to provide an open, transparent, self-growing, and self-managing service environment. The article will provide the basic concept, the proto-architecture type's design, and the proto-initial type's implementation and performance assessment.
Pathway-Specific Defects in T, B, and NK Cells and Age-Dependent Development of High IgE in Mice Heterozygous for a CADINS-Associated Dominant Negative CARD11 Allele
Authors: Hutcherson Shelby M , Bedsaul Jacquelyn R , Pomerantz Joel L
Published: August 2021

CARD11 is a multidomain scaffold protein required for normal activation of NF-κB, JNK, and mTOR during Ag receptor signaling. Germline CARD11 mutations cause at least three types of primary immunodeficiency including CARD11 deficiency, B cell expansion with NF-κB and T cell anergy (BENTA), and CARD11-associated atopy with dominant interference of NF-κB signaling (CADINS). CADINS is uniquely caused by heterozygous loss-of-function CARD11 alleles that act as dominant negatives. CADINS patients present with frequent respiratory and skin infections, asthma, allergies, and atopic dermatitis. However, precisely how a heterozygous dominant negative CARD11 allele leads to the development of this CADINS-specific cluster of symptoms remains poorly understood. To address this, we generated mice expressing the CARD11 R30W allele originally identified in patients. We find that CARD11R30W/+ mice exhibit impaired signaling downstream of CARD11 that leads to defects in T, B, and NK cell function and immunodeficiency. CARD11R30W/+ mice develop elevated serum IgE levels with 50% penetrance that becomes more pronounced with age, but do not develop spontaneous atopic dermatitis. CARD11R30W/+ mice display reduced regulatory T cell numbers, but not the Th2 expansion observed in other mice with diminished CARD11 activity. Interestingly, the presence of mixed CARD11 oligomers in CARD11R30W/+ mice causes more severe signaling defects in T cells than in B cells, and specifically impacts IFN-γ production by NK cells, but not NK cell cytotoxicity. Our findings help explain the high susceptibility of CADINS patients to infection and suggest that the development of high serum IgE is not sufficient to induce overt atopic symptoms.
Neuropilin-1 Is Expressed on Highly Activated CD4+ Effector T Cells and Dysfunctional CD4+ Conventional T Cells from Naive Mice
Authors: Abberger Hanna , Barthel Romy , Bahr Jasmin , Thiel Jacqueline , Luppus Sina , Buer Jan , Westendorf Astrid M , Hansen Wiebke
Published: August 2021

Neuropilin-1 (Nrp-1) is a well described marker molecule for CD4+Foxp3+ thymus-derived regulatory T cells (Tregs). In addition, a small population of CD4+Foxp3− conventional (conv) T cells expresses Nrp-1 in naive mice, and Nrp-1 expression has been described to be upregulated on activated CD4+ T cells. However, the function of Nrp-1 expression on CD4+ non-Tregs still remains elusive. In this study, we demonstrate that Nrp-1 expression was induced upon stimulation of CD4+Foxp3− T cells in vitro and during an ongoing immune response in vivo. This activation-induced Nrp-1+CD4+ T cell subset (iNrp-1+) showed a highly activated phenotype in terms of elevated CD25 and CD44 expression, enhanced production of proinflammatory cytokines, and increased proliferation compared with the Nrp-1−CD4+ counterpart. In contrast, Nrp-1+CD4+Foxp3− conv T cells from naive mice (nNrp-1+) were dysfunctional. nNrp-1+CD4+ conv T cells upregulated activation-associated molecules to a lesser extent, exhibited impaired proliferation and produced fewer proinflammatory cytokines than Nrp-1−CD4+ conv T cells upon stimulation in vitro. Moreover, the expression of PD-1 and CTLA-4 was significantly higher on nNrp-1+CD4+Foxp3− T cells compared with iNrp-1+CD4+Foxp3− T cells and Nrp-1−CD4+Foxp3− T cells after stimulation and under homeostatic conditions. Strikingly, transfer of Ag-specific iNrp-1+CD4+ conv T cells aggravated diabetes development, whereas Ag-specific nNrp-1+CD4+ conv T cells failed to induce disease in a T cell transfer model of diabetes. Overall, our results indicate that Nrp-1 expression has opposite functions in recently activated CD4+ non-Tregs compared with CD4+ non-Tregs from naive mice.
Causal Relationship between D-Dimers and Disease Status in Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria and Adjuvant Effect of Oral Tranexamic Acid
Authors: Dabas Garima , Thakur Vishal , Bishnoi Anuradha , Parsad Davinder , Kumar Ashok , Kumaran Muthu Sendhil
Published: August 2021

Introduction:

Besides autoimmunity, recent studies have reported a role of the coagulation cascade in the pathogenesis of urticaria. However, the real-world data regarding the utility of measuring D-dimer levels in patients chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) is missing. This study was done to evaluate the D-dimer levels of CSU patients and study the relationship between raised D-dimer levels and disease severity and treatment response.

Methods:

A retrospective chart review of all adult (>18 years) CSU patients was done. Complete clinicodemographic data regarding the disease duration and treatment response were noted. Urticaria activity score over 7 days (UAS7) was used to assess disease severity.

Results:

Of total 141 patients, D-dimer levels were raised in 46 CSU patients (32.6%) with mean D-dimer levels at baseline in these patients being 329.53 ± 546.94 ng/ml. The proportion of patients with raised plasma D-dimer levels was higher in patients with severe CSU (12.9%, 27.2%, 54.5% in mild, moderate, and severe disease, respectively P < 0.001). No significant differences were found between those with raised D-dimers and those having normal D-dimer levels with respect to age, gender, presence of angioedema, history of atopy, presence of thyroid abnormality, ASST/APST positivity, and serum IgE.

Conclusion:

D-dimer levels parallels the disease severity and can help predict the need for higher dose of antihistamines and second-line therapy in CSU patients.
Human papillomavirus in retinoblastoma: A tertiary eye care center study from South India
Authors: Jeyaprakash Kumar , Shanthini Thennarasu , Kim Usha , Muthukkaruppan Veerappan , Vanniarajan Ayyasamy
Published: August 2021

Purpose:

This study is aimed to investigate the presence of Human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA in tumors obtained from sporadic retinoblastoma patients.

Methods:

One hundred six tumor tissues obtained from sporadic RB patients were analyzed for HPV infection by use of both seminested PCR and real-time quantitative PCR.

Results:

Of 106 RB patients, 55 were male and 51 were female. The mean age at diagnosis was 26.77 ± 15.36 (mean ± Std. dev) months. Almost all patients presented with leukocoria. Molecular investigation by different methods revealed no HPV positivity in any tumor genome.

Conclusion:

Our study demonstrates no association between HPV and RB, postulating HPV may not be a major risk factor in the etiology of RB.
Comparing keratometry readings with manual separation of lids and wire speculum in children under general anesthesia
Authors: Jethani Jitendra , Porwal Kavita , Porwal Amit , Dave Paaraj , Lalwani Syma , Trivedi Mihika
Published: August 2021

Purpose:

Keratometry (K) readings are crucial for intraocular lens power calculation in cataract surgery. In children who do not cooperate, the keratometry is done under general anesthesia with a handheld autokeratometer. However, there is little consensus regarding the method for the measurement of K readings. The lids can be separated either by fingers or a wire speculum may be placed to separate the lids for measurement.

Methods:

The children selected for the study were patients cooperative for keratometry reading. Nidek KM-500 handheld keratometer was used first in the awake period. Then under general anesthesia, readings were taken first by separating the lids manually with fingers and then after putting a wire speculum in both the eyes.

Results:

The average keratometry reading for participants in the OPD, anesthetized with lids manually opened and with lids separated with speculum was 44.7 ± 1.7 D, 44.4 ± 1.9 D, and 44.7 ± 1.7 D, respectively.

Conclusion:

No significant change was observed in keratometry values in children with manual separation of eyelids or with wire speculum.
Should parents be present during screening examinations for retinopathy of prematurity?
Authors: Kara Caner , Özdemir Özdemir , Petriçli İkbal S , Acar Damla E , Tunay Zuhal Ö
Published: August 2021

Purpose:

To investigate whether parents should be present during screening examinations for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) by investigating the anxiety levels of parents using two different approaches.

Methods:

This cross-sectional and two-center study was carried out with the parents at the time of the first ROP screening examination of their premature infants. At one center, the parents accompanied the infants during the ROP examination (Group 1), and in the other center, they did not (Group 2). Anxiety levels were assessed with the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), which consists of the State Anxiety (STAI-S) and Trait Anxiety (STAI-T) subscales and a visual analog scale (VAS).

Results:

A total of 147 parents of 127 infants were included in the study. STAI-T and -S levels were 40.5 ± 8 and 37.9 ± 7.5, respectively, in Group 1 and 39.6 ± 8.1 and 39.4 ± 9.1 in Group 2 before the examination. There were no statistically significant differences in terms of these values between the two groups (P > 0.05). The state anxiety levels increased by an average of 1.7 ± 8 in Group 1 and reached 39.6 ± 10.1 after the examination. In Group 2, these levels decreased by an average of − 2.7 ± 7.5 points to a score of 36.4 ± 10.3. This difference was found to be statistically significant (P = 0.001). A similar pattern was observed in the evaluation of the VAS data.

Conclusion:

As a preliminary opinion, it may be more appropriate for parents to not participate in screening examinations, but single-center controlled studies are required to confirm the results.
Comparison of peribulbar block and subtenon infiltration in pediatric enucleation for retinoblastoma
Authors: Kalaiyarasan Ramkumar , Shende Dilip , Parthiban Magesh , Lomi Neiwete
Published: August 2021

Purpose:

Enucleation performed in children with retinoblastoma is associated with severe postoperative pain. The use of opioids for the pain is associated with numerous complications which demand careful monitoring. Subtenon infiltration and peribulbar block are useful in ameliorating pain perioperatively following various ophthalmic surgeries which are yet to be evaluated in enucleation. Therefore, we designed this study to compare the effects of peribulbar block and subtenon infiltration on postoperative pain with opioids in pediatric enucleation surgeries.

Methods:

60 children of American Society of Anesthesiologists grade I and II, age ranging from 6 months to 6 years with retinoblastoma undergoing enucleation surgery were included in the study. Group A (n = 20): received peribulbar block (peribulbar group); Group B (n = 20): received subtenon local infiltration (subtenon group); and Group C (n = 20): no block was given.

Results:

The postoperative fentanyl consumption was lowest with Group B compared to Group A and Group C (P value 0.001). However, the total fentanyl consumption was comparable between groups A and B, while it was significantly higher in the control group. The mean pain score face, legs, activity, cry, consolability (FLACC) scale and mean time to discharge from post anesthesia care unit were lowest in Group B followed by Group A, while Group C had the highest. There was no statistically significant difference among the 3 groups with regards to side effects.

Conclusion:

Subtenon infiltration showed significantly better outcomes when compared to peribulbar block and intravenous opioids alone without any untoward adverse effects.
Outcomes of early versus deferred laser after intravitreal ranibizumab in aggressive posterior retinopathy of prematurity
Authors: Gangwe Anil Babanrao , Agrawal Deepshikha , Gangrade Aashish Kumar , Parchand Swapnil Madhukar , Agrawal Deepanshu , Azad Raj Vardhan
Published: August 2021

Purpose:

The aim of this study was to report the treatment outcomes of early and deferred laser in infants of aggressive posterior retinopathy of prematurity (APROP) after initial treatment with intravitreal Ranibizumab (IVR).

Methods:

In a prospective, randomized, interventional study, infants with APROP received IVR (0.25 mg) and were randomized into two groups prior to laser. Laser was done at 1 week (group 1) or at 6 weeks or earlier if there was a recurrence of plus disease (group 2). The structural outcome, number of laser spots, duration of laser procedure and refractive error at 6 months were compared. Favorable structural outcome was defined as, complete regression of disease at 6 weeks after laser.

Results:

63 eyes of 32 infants with APROP were enrolled. Mean gestational age (GA) and birth weight (BW) were 30.2 ± 2.3 weeks and 1294 ± 372.8 grams respectively. GA, BW, and disease severity were comparable at baseline. 27 (90%) eyes in group 1 and 29 (93.5%) eyes in group 2 had favorable structural outcome (P = 0.61) at 6 weeks after laser. Eyes in group 2 (2149.8 ± 688.7) required lesser number of laser spots than group 1 (2570.8 ± 615) (P = 0.01). At six months, more eyes in group 1 had myopic refractive error (Mean spherical equivalent: –1.0D ± 1.3) than those in group 2 (Mean spherical equivalent: 0.5D ± 1.9) (P = 0.002).

Conclusion:

Infants with APROP receiving IVR have comparable structural outcomes after an early or deferred laser. Moreover, eyes undergoing deferred laser require less number of laser spots and have a less myopia at 6 months after laser.
Goniotomy for initial and re-surgery for childhood glaucoma in Northern India
Authors: Kaushik Sushmita , Gupta Gaurav , Thattaruthody Faisal , Dhingra Deepika , Kumari Kiran , Arora Atul , Snehi Sagarika , Raj Srishti , Pandav Surinder S
Published: August 2021

Purpose:

The aim of this study was to describe the effectiveness of goniotomy for childhood glaucoma in Indian eyes.

Methods:

Consecutive patients with pediatric glaucoma who underwent goniotomy between July 2017 and June 2020, in a single center in Northwest India were prospectively analyzed. Goniotomy was done as a primary procedure or a re-do surgery of the untreated angle in failed filtering surgery. Success was defined as intraocular pressure (IOP) ≦ 18 mm Hg with or without 2 topical medications.

Results:

A total of 172 eyes of 126 children underwent goniotomy during this period (37.9% of all pediatric glaucoma surgeries). Goniotomy comprised 132 of 211 (62.5%) primary pediatric glaucoma surgeries and 40 of 243 (16.5%) re-do surgeries. 145, 112, and 54 eyes had a six months, 1-year and 2-year follow-up, respectively. At 1 year, success rates in Primary Congenital Glaucoma (PCG) were 79.7% for primary surgery and 68.4% for re-do surgery. For non-PCG eyes, the success rate was 62% at 1 year. Among PCG subgroups, infantile and newborn glaucoma had 87.5% and 57.1% success rates, respectively. On logistic regression analysis, lower baseline IOP and lesser axial length at presentation were significantly predictive of successful outcomes (P = 0.03 and P = 0.02, respectively). At 1 year, in the primary surgery group, 50% had good vision (better than logMAR 0.5), 28.9% had moderate (better than LOGMAR 1.0) and 20% had severe visual impairment. There were no significant intraoperative or post-operative complications.

Conclusion:

Goniotomy appears to be an effective surgery for childhood glaucoma in Indian eyes. Being minimally invasive, it obviates the need for conjunctival and scleral dissection and antifibrotic agents.
Normative magnetic resonance imaging measurements of orbital structures in pediatric population of North-Eastern India: A retrospective cross-sectional study
Authors: Boruah Deb K , Dutta Hemonta K , Sarma Kalyan , Hazarika Karuna , Sharma Barun K , Goswami Ananya
Published: August 2021

Purpose:

The people of Northeast India comprise mostly of Mongoloid descent with characteristic craniofacial features. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the normal orbital structures with MRI and determine normative data in the Northeast Indian pediatric population.

Methods:

MRI images of the 302 orbits of 151 pediatric patients below 16 years of age were retrospectively evaluated to measure the various orbital structures. Both axial and coronal MRI images were utilized for various orbital measurements. An independent sample t-test was done to compare various orbital data according to the sex and side. Linear regression was also done.

Results:

The mean age of the pediatric population was 9.64 ± 1.47 years with a male: Female ratio of 1.13:1. The mean interzygomatic line was 88.4 ± 9.09 mm and the interorbital line was 22.18 ± 3.62 mm. The mean thicknesses of medial, lateral, superior, and inferior recti muscles were 2.58 ± 0.46, 2.34 ± 0.42, 2.16 ± 0.40, and 2.53 ± 0.49 mm in males and 2.41 ± 0.41, 2.08 ± 0.34, 2.08 ± 0.46, and 2.46 ± 0.49 mm in females. The mean horizontal orbital, vertical orbital diameters, orbital index, mean volume of eyeball, and orbital cavity were 30.27 ± 2.97,3 7.06 ± 3.57, 122.58 ± 7.39, 4.63 ± 0.84, and 15.29 ± 3.52 in males, while 29.16 ± 3.23, 34.96 ± 3.99,119.96 ± 7.31, 4.49 ± 0.87, and 14.65 ± 3.47 in females, respectively. With an increase in age, the interzygomatic line (r = 0.883, r
2 = 0.780; P < 0.0005), anterior medial interorbital line (r = 0.808, r
2 = 0.652; P < 0.0005), mean volume of eyeball (r = 0.915, r
2 = 0.838; P < 0.0005), orbital cavity (r = 0.924, r
2 = 0.854; P < 0.0005), and distance between the optic nerve entry site (r = 0.829, r
2 = 0.687; P < 0.0005) were increased.

Conclusion:

This study provides normative data of various orbital structures in a pediatric population and these data likely to be useful for diagnosing various pediatric orbital disorders and helps in the planning of various surgical procedures of orbits.
Assessment of Mental Health Among Dental Professionals in North India During COVID-19 Global Pandemic
Authors: Khatri Amit , Sabherwal Puja , Oberoi Sukhvinder Singh , Kalra Namita , Tyagi Rishi , Yangdol Padma
Published: August 2021

Background:

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on mental health status of all health-care workers. Among them, dentists are at high risk due to being in close contact, facing moral responsibilities to reduce routine work, and financial implications which follow. We performed a study to assess the mental health status of dental professionals all over North India in present times.

Materials and Methods:

A structured 27-item questionnaire developed on Google forms was circulated to dentists across North India. Patient Health Questionnaire-9 Scale was used to assess/grade depression, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 was used to screen/grade anxiety and worry/fear regarding other related aspects was studied.

Results:

One hundred and fifty-five responses were obtained, and data were analyzed using the SPSS software version 25.0. All participants belonged to the age range of 23–65 years with 78 males, 76 females, and 1 other. A majority of dentists (59.4%) were experiencing depression and considerable proportions (46.5%) were experiencing anxiety. Nearly all dentists (98.1%) were worried about changing dental practices and majority (72.9%) were fearful of doing aerosol procedure despite using protective equipment. The data were further analyzed for variation based on gender, qualification, years of experience, and job.

Conclusion:

In a pandemic, amidst burden of physical/financial needs, psychological needs are often overlooked. Currently, a considerable portion of dentists across North India are already experiencing mental health issues, there is a need to implement strategies to tackle the same.
Assessing Dental Education Environment in India
Authors: D′souza Kathleen Manuela , Rajput Soni , Kumar Amit , Aras Meena Ajay
Published: August 2021

Little information is available on the quality of the learning experience perceived by the dental students in India. The aim of this study was to review the available evidence on the educational environment in Indian dental colleges using Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure (DREEM). Several electronic databases and reference lists of the included publications were searched according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Quality assessment was performed based on the Joanna Briggs Institute checklist. Eight studies were found to meet the inclusion criteria. DREEM was commonly administered to the undergraduate dental students. The total number of participants included were 1,799. There was clinical heterogeneity in terms of outcome variables and study population. All the included studies reported a total mean score in the range of 101–150. The overall DREEM score indicated positive perceptions among students. Greater number of problem areas were recorded in student's perception of atmosphere and social self-perceptions. Least number of problem areas were recorded in students' perception of learning, teachers, and academic self-perception. Significantly low mean scores for the items “The teaching over emphasizes factual learning” and “The teachers are authoritarian” were also noted. This indicated that these areas of concern in the present educational system need to be addressed with effective intervention strategies.
Primary hepatic mixed germ cell tumor in an adult
Authors: Sung Hyun-Jung , Kim Jihun , Kim Kyu-rae , Yoon Shinkyo , Lee Jae Hoon , Kang Hyo Jeong
Published: August 2021

Primary hepatic mixed germ cell tumor (GCT) is very rare, and less than 10 cases have been reported. We report a case of mixed GCT composed of a choriocarcinoma and yolk sac tumor, which occurred in the liver of a 40-year-old woman. A large mass was detected by computed tomography solely in the liver. Serum β-human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) was highly elevated, otherwise, other serum tumor markers were slightly elevated or within normal limits. For hepatic choriocarcinoma, neoadjuvant chemotherapy was administered, followed by right lobectomy. Histologic features of the resected tumor revealed characteristic choriocarcinoma features with diffuse positivity for hCG in the syncytiotrophoblasts and diffuse positivity for α-fetoprotein and Sal-like protein 4 in the yolk sac tumor components. Primary malignant GCT in the liver is associated with a poor prognosis and requires specific treatment. Therefore, GCT should be considered during a differential diagnosis of a rapidly growing mass in the liver.
Квантовая $\mathfrak{osp}(1|2\ell)$-цепочка Тоды
Authors: Gerasimov Anton A , Lebedev Dmitrii Rostislavovich , Oblezin Sergei Viktorovich
Published: August 2021

Ортосимплектическая супералгебра Ли $\mathfrak{osp}(1|2\ell)$ является ближайшим супераналогом стандартных алгебр Ли. Показано, что соответствующая $\mathfrak{osp}(1|2\ell)$-цепочка Тоды является частным случаем $BC_\ell$-цепочки Тоды. Обсуждаются причины этого совпадения.
$\ell$-Веса и факторизация трансфер-операторов
Authors: Razumov Aleksandr Vital'evich
Published: August 2021

Дан анализ $\ell$-весов представлений вычисления и $q$-осцилляторных представлений алгебр петель $\mathrm U_q(\mathcal L(\mathfrak{sl}_{l+1}))$ для $l=1$ и $l=2$, доказаны соотношения факторизации для трансфер-операторов соответствующих квантовых интегрируемых систем.
Представления функций Бесселя с помощью канонического оператора Маслова
Authors: Dobrokhotov Sergey Yur'evich , Minenkov Dmitrii Sergeevich , Nazaikinskii Vladimir Evgen'evich
Published: August 2021

Конструкция и применение канонического оператора Маслова иллюстрируются на примере функций Бесселя. Для них при вещественных значениях аргумента выводятся представления через канонический оператор и, как следствие, получаются хорошо известные асимптотики.
Wastewater-Based Epidemiology of Enteric Viruses and Surveillance of Acute Gastrointestinal Illness Outbreaks in a Resource-Limited Region
Authors: Chacón Luz , Morales Eric , Valiente Carmen , Reyes Liliana , Barrantes Kenia
Published: August 2021

Acute gastrointestinal illness (AGI) continues to be an important cause of morbidity and mortality among all ages. This study applied the principles of wastewater-based epidemiology for the preventive identification of potential outbreaks of acute viral gastroenteritis and hepatitis A by analyzing the presence of human enteric viruses in influents of small municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) handling domestic sewage, together with public health reports of acute diarrheal and hepatitis A disease in Costa Rica during 2013. Raw wastewater samples were collected during four seasonal periods with different rainfall levels. The presence of five human enteric viruses (rotavirus A, norovirus GI, norovirus GII, enterovirus, and hepatitis A virus) was studied by endpoint and real-time polymerase chain reaction in influents of five WWTPs. Cases of AGI were analyzed using historical public health reports of endemic levels and quartile ranges for each administrative and territorial area where the WWTPs are located and for its surrounding counties. A tendency for a higher rate of positive viral tests was present 1 week before an increase of AGI cases. Epidemiological weeks categorized as Outbreak (above the 75th percentile) and Success (below the 25th percentile) showed statistically significant differences in terms of positive viral test rates (Wilcoxon test, P = 0.05). Virological monitoring of wastewater in small WWTPs is an appropriate model for epidemiological surveillance of diarrheal and hepatitis A diseases in low- and middle-resource countries.
Standardization and Evaluation of an Anti-ZIKV IgM ELISA Assay for the Serological Diagnosis of Zika Virus Infection
Authors: Sirikajornpan Kanittha , Suntarattiwong Piyarat , Suwanpakdee Detchvijitr , Tabprasit Sutchana , Buddhari Darunee , Thaisomboonsuk Butsaya , Klungthong Chonticha , Poolpanichupatam Yongyuth , Buathong Rome , Srikiatkhachorn Anon , Jones Anthony , Fernandez Stefan , Hunsawong Taweewun
Published: August 2021

Here, we describe the development of the in-house anti-Zika virus (ZIKV) IgM antibody capture ELISA (in-house ZIKV IgM ELISA) for the detection and diagnosis of acute ZIKV infections. We compared the in-house ZIKV IgM ELISA assay performance against two commercial kits, Euroimmun ZIKV IgM and InBios 2.0 ZIKV IgM ELISA. We tested the assays’ ability to detect anti-ZIKV IgM using a well-defined serum sample panel. This panel included 80 ZIKV negative samples (20 negative, 20 found to be primary dengue virus [DENV][ infections, 20 secondary DENV infections, and 20 Japanese encephalitis virus [JEV] infections) and 67 ZIKV reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction–positive acute serum samples. The OD values were calculated to enzyme immunoassay (EIA) unts by comparing them to weak positive controls. The results demonstrated the high sensitivity (88.06%) and specificity (90.00%) of our in-house ZIKV IgM ELISA and its 89.12% overall percentage agreement. The kappa values were deemed to be within excellent range and comparable to the InBios ZIKV IgM ELISA. Some cross-reactivity was observed among secondary DENV and JEV samples, and to a much lower extent, among primary DENV samples. These data indicate that our in-house ZIKV IgM ELISA is a reliable assay for the detection of anti-ZIKV IgM antibodies in serum.
Epidemiology of Plasmodium falciparum Infections in a Semi-Arid Rural African Setting: Evidence of Reactive Case Detection in Northwestern Kenya
Authors: Meredith Hannah R. , Wesolowski Amy , Menya Diana , Esimit Daniel , Lokoel Gilchrist , Kipkoech Joseph , Freedman Betsy , Lokemer Samuel , Maragia James , Ambani George , Taylor Steve M. , Prudhomme-O’Meara Wendy , Obala Andrew A.
Published: August 2021

In northwestern Kenya, Turkana County has been historically considered unsuitable for stable malaria transmission because of its unfavorable climate and predominantly semi-nomadic population; consequently, it is overlooked during malaria control planning. However, the area is changing, with substantial development, an upsurge in travel associated with resource extraction, and more populated settlements forming. Recently, numerous malaria outbreaks have highlighted the need to characterize malaria transmission and its associated risk factors in the region to inform control strategies. Reactive case detection of confirmed malaria cases at six health facilities across central Turkana was conducted from 2018 to 2019. Infections in household members of index cases were detected by malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) and PCR tests, and they were grouped according household and individual characteristics. The relationships between putative risk factors and infection were quantified by multilevel logistic regression models. Of the 3,189 household members analyzed, 33.6% had positive RDT results and/or PCR test results. RDT-detected infections were more prevalent in children; however, PCR-detected infections were similarly prevalent across age groups. Recent travel was rarely reported and not significantly associated with infection. Bed net coverage was low and net crowding was associated with increased risks of household infections. Infections were present year-round, and fluctuations in prevalence were not associated with rainfall. These findings indicate year-round, endemic transmission with moderate population immunity. This is in stark contrast to recent estimates in this area. Therefore, further investigations to design effective intervention approaches to address malaria in this rapidly changing region and other similar settings across the Horn of Africa are warranted.
Dzikie bohaterki? Problematyka płci kulturowej i gatunku literackiego w przekładach Northern Lights Philipa Pullmana
Authors: Seago Karen , Springett Lavinia
Published: August 2021

Savage Heroines? The Treatment of Gender and Genre in Translations of Philip Pullman’s Northern Lights

Philip Pullman’s Northern Lights is the first instalment of his award-winning trilogy His Dark Materials. In this alternate-worlds fantasy and children’s literature classic, Lyra and her daemon Pan are catapulted from the relative stability of Oxford to negotiate an increasingly threatening world in a quest to protect free will from cataclysmic adult zealotry. According to prophecy, Lyra is the chosen one; she conforms to the tropes of the fantasy quest performing the paradigmatic steps of the saviour hero.

Pullman’s protagonist transgresses and subverts the stereotypical expectations of the fantasy heroine whose generic destiny is coded in enclosure, passivity and endurance. Lyra is also a coming of age story and here again Pullman’s conceptualisation does not conform to the female pattern in both fantasy and children’s literature where marriage functions as the marker for maturity.

Character is one of the two defining traits of fantasy (Attebery 1992) and it performs a didactic function in children’s literature. Characterisation is created through the reader’s interpretation of textual cues: narratorial description; direct and free-indirect speech. Lyra’s character subverts fantasy stereotypes and depicts a transgressive child who does not conform to gender role expectations.

Genre translation tends to adapt the text to target culture norms and the didactic and socialising impetus of children’s literature has been shown to prompt translation strategies which comply with the receiving culture’s linguistic and behavioural norms. In this paper, we analyse the rendering of character cues in the French, German and Italian translations of Northern Lights:

1. Is the transgressive trope of a) the heroine following the male hero paradigm and b) the coming of age pattern maintained or normalised to conform to genre expectations?

2. Is Lyra’s transgressive character rendered in translation or is it adapted to comply with didactic expectations of behaviour?

3. Are there different notions of the role and function of children’s literature in the target environments and do these impact on translation strategies?