bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
AS NOVAS TECNOLOGIAS E A FORMAÇÃO DOCENTE EM MATEMÁTICA
Authors: Arruda Vieira Wander , Lima de Carvalho Rafael
Published: February 2021

Com a crise global evidenciada pelo surgimento do novo coronavírus, toda a sociedade se viu impactada em suas relações abrangendo todas as perspectivas. Da política à economia, das relações interpessoais ao processo educacional, dentre outros aspectos, todos estão sendo vistos a partir de uma nova ótica. Este trabalho discute a formação docente em meio a novas tecnologias, com foco em Ambientes Virtuais de Aprendizagem (AVA) e suas ferramentas de apoio ao ensino de Matemática. Fora analisado, através de revisões bibliográficas sobre o tema estudado, que a inserção de meios tecnológicos faz-se necessária durante todo o seu processo de formação para que ele se torne algo comum dentro dos métodos de ensino que o docente irá adotar. Assim, o presente estudo indica que novas posturas frente a estas tecnologias devem ser adotadas pelo docente para enfrentar este novo cenário do mundo contemporâneo.
CRIMES CIBERNÉTICOS: A APLICAÇÃO DA LEGISLAÇÃO BRASILEIRA AOS CRIMES VIRTUAIS PRATICADOS EM PALMAS – TO
Authors: Castro Silva Victor , De Andrade Barbosa Igor
Published: February 2021

O presente trabalho tem como objetivo compreender a aplicação da legislação brasileira aos casos de crimes virtuais ocorridos em Palmas – TO. Com o avanço tecnológico, a sociedade contemporânea está cada vez mais conectada ao mundo virtual, haja vista que, com o advento da internet, mudou-se a forma de realizar algumas atividades do cotidiano das pessoas, como por exemplo: se comunicar, fazer compras, se relacionar, entre outras. Mas, junto com todas as melhorias trazidas pela internet, passou a surgir também, novos crimes, estes agora, praticados de forma virtual através da rede mundial de computadores. Diante disso, pergunta-se: de que maneira a legislação brasileira está sendo aplicada aos crimes cibernéticos? Para responder a essa indagação, o presente trabalho abordará temas como: a síntese histórica do computador e da internet, assim como também, a definição de crimes virtuais e crimes cibernéticos e também, a legislação pertinente aos crimes cibernéticos. Serão abordadas, também, as mudanças no combate aos crimes virtuais após a promulgação das leis 12.737 de 2012 e 12.735 de 2012.
VOUCHING ACTIVITIES IN THE FIELD OF NATURE RESERVE FUND: MAIN THEORETICAL ASPECTS
Authors: NIKOLAYCHUK Tetyana
Published: February 2021

Topicality. Vouching is an integral part of the economy in the whole world, but in Ukraine this form of business organization is staying at the initial stage of its development. There are many international companies that are interested in eco-vouching their services in Ukraine. The eco-start-up "vouching" serves as a corporate strategy of small and medium enterprises. Aim and tasks. The aim of the article is represented vouching, as public private partnership, which can attribute economic privileges to the results of innovation activities. Our research is devoted to the problems of the formation and use the vouching tool in the field of conservation work, advantages and disadvantages of implementing the mechanism of vouching contracts are considered both for the NRF institutions, and for representatives of the private sector of the economics. Research results. The vouching tool can also become a form environmentally oriented business activities, a development vector of cooperation of naturally reserved fund institutions and representatives of the private sector, who want to carry out their activities taking into account environmental imperatives and produce truly ecologically pure products, but first of all corresponding contractual mechanism must be formalized into a legal structure and an independent object of normative-legal regulation. Conclusion. The formation of vouching agreements as legal construct, an independent object of normative and legal regulations in Ukraine and forms of public-private partnership in the reserve area requires detailed and complex analysis not only from the point of view of theoretical and methodological aspects, but the development of effective instruments and mechanisms for implementing such agreements in a practical field as well. Investigation of the vouching, as economic and social method for regulating environmentally directed entrepreneurial activity in the field of conservation, will enable to develop the level and infrastructure of the paid services system, which may be provided by institutions of Naturally Reserved Fund of Ukraine.
Analysis of the process of public property disposal. Municipality of Krakow – the case study
Authors: Trembecka Anna
Published: February 2021

This research paper analyses the process of public property disposal on the example of the Municipality of Krakow, especially focusing on the scope of the real estate covered by this process in years 2017-2019, the disposal methods used and the revenues obtained.
            The research problem is to answer the question of how the scope of real properties disposed of by the Municipality, the forms of their disposal and the revenue obtained have changed when compared to the previous years, i.e. the period 2010-2014.
            In order to assess the trend of changes in the scope of the municipal properties being disposed of, the data on the disposal process from the period 2017-2019 was compared with the data from the period 2010-2012 as far as tender procedure is concerned, and with the data from the period 2012-2014 with regard to a non-tender mode.
Freeware GIS tool for the techno-economic evaluation of rural electrification alternatives
Authors: Torres Pérez Mirelys , Domínguez Bravo Javier , Hernández Leyva Cesar , Peña Abreu Marieta
Published: February 2021

Energy access is a crucial step for the socio-economic development of isolated communities and for preventing disease and fight pandemics across many parts of the world. In this research, is presented a freeware GIS tool for the techno-economic evaluation of rural electrification alternatives, based on a plugin for the QGIS (Quantum GIS) called LECGIS. The tool carries out an implementation of the IntiGIS model to perform the calculations, a flexible model capable of adapting to the realities of different scenarios. In addition, it allows the clustering of isolated houses, for a better modelling of the cost of the centralized systems. It is described the application of this tool in the Guamá (Cuba) case study and the comparisons of the results with the obtained in Intigis 1.0. It is concluded that the LECGIS plugin allows to calculate and compare seven technological options for the electrification of communities, supporting the decision-making in the planning of rural electrification projects.
Basic Principles Committee Reports: An Uneven Journey towards Constitutionalism in Pakistan
Authors: Rizwan Muhammad , Ahmad Manzoor , Rehman Usha
Published: February 2021

The First Constituent Assembly of Pakistan framed a number of committees in order to run the state affair; however, the Basic Principles Committee was one of the most important bodies that were assigned to prepare a draft for the future constitution of Pakistan. The main objective of the committee was to suggest the directive principle of the state policy. This 24-member committee submitted its first interim report on 28 September 1950 that suggested a federal configuration for Pakistan and the incorporation of the Objective Resolution in the upcoming constitution. However, when this report was presented, it criticized by the majority political parties of the Eastern Wing who were demanding more representation in the legislature and the declaration of Bengali as the national language of Pakistan. In order to satisfy the demands of the stakeholders, another report was presented by the then Prime Minister Khawaja Nazim-ud-Din in 1952 with some changes in it. The committee suggested equal representation for both wings, but this time the report was rejected by the Panjabi elites. Finally, Prime Minister Muhammad Ali Bogra presented a modified formula according to which contrary to the representation in Lower House the Upper House was weighted so as to secure parity between East and West wings of the country.
The Understanding of Epilepsy and Epileptic Patients and General Public to Create A Supportive Community
Authors: Sattar Saba , Chaudhry Abid Ghafoor , Khan Shaheer Ellahi
Published: February 2021

Though the standard of living is getting better worldwide but diseases and epidemics still prevail. This is not the problem of the third world, people in developed countries face such challenges. It is with the change occurring in climate and demography of the world that the healthcare providers are faced with a new challenge. Health professionals cannot generalize their practices over different communities especially in a multiethnic, multi lingual and multi-cultural country like Pakistan. The researcher used descriptive methodology. Data were gathered using survey method. This paper discusses the need for ethnographic study of diseases and sicknesses as they are often perceived differently by different communities. The study was conducted in Rawalpindi and epilepsy perspectives from both the general public and the epileptic patients were recorded. The study aims to collect views of the patients and provide them to the health care providers and professionals.
Gender Identity and the Issues of Acceptance in Pakistani Community
Authors: Ali Muhammad Umair
Published: February 2021

irga is a unique traditional justice system, the word “JIRGA” in Shina (local language) means Arbitration in English. Its employees a process of dispute settlement with the intervention of notables of the society followed by the free consent of the disputing parties. This study was carried out to study the structure and functioning of Jirga system. Researcher adopted the purposive sampling technique and collects the data from 36 respondents; area of the study was Haramosh Gilgit-Baltistan. Study focus the Jirga system and its implications; researcher designed the questioner to investigate the validity and accountability of Jirga system. Study defines the merits and demerits of Jirga system.
Association of extended duration of sciatic leg pain with worse outcome after lumbar disc herniation surgery: a register study in 6216 patients
Authors: Beck Joel , Westin Olof , Brisby Helena , Baranto Adad
Published: February 2021

OBJECTIVE

Sciatica is the hallmark symptom of a lumbar disc herniation (LDH). Up to 90% of LDH patients recover within 12 weeks regardless of treatment. With continued deteriorating symptoms and low patient quality of life, most surgeons recommend surgical discectomy. However, there is not yet a clear consensus regarding the proper timing of surgery. The aim of this study was to evaluate how the duration of preoperative leg pain (sciatic neuralgia) is associated with patient-reported levels of postoperative leg pain reduction and other patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) in a prospectively collected data set from a large national cohort.

METHODS

All patients aged 18–65 years undergoing a lumbar discectomy during 2013–2016 and registered in Swespine (the Swedish national spine registry) with 1 year of postoperative follow-up data were included in the study (n = 6216). The patients were stratified into 4 groups according to preoperative pain duration: < 3, 3–12, 12–24, or > 24 months. Patient results assessed with the numeric rating scale (NRS) for leg pain (rated from 0 to 10), global assessment of leg pain, EQ-5D, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), and patient satisfaction with the final surgical outcome were analyzed and compared with preoperative values and between groups.

RESULTS

A significant improvement was seen 1 year postoperatively regardless of preoperative pain duration (change in NRS score: mean −4.83, 95% CI −4.73 to −4.93 in the entire cohort). The largest decrease in leg pain NRS score (mean −5.59, 95% CI −5.85 to −5.33) was seen in the operated group with the shortest sciatica duration (< 3 months). The patients with a leg pain duration in excess of 12 months had a significantly higher risk of having unchanged radiating leg pain 1 year postoperatively compared with those with < 12-month leg pain duration at the time of surgery (OR 2.41, 95% CI 1.81–3.21, p < 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with the shortest leg pain duration (< 3 months) reported superior outcomes in all measured parameters. More significantly, using a 12-month pain duration as a cutoff, patients who had a lumbar discectomy with a preoperative symptom duration < 12 months experienced a larger reduction in leg pain and were more satisfied with their surgical outcome and perception of postoperative leg pain than those with > 12 months of sciatic leg pain.
Role of Heavy Metals and Anthropogenic Activities in Water Contamination
Authors: Hussain Shabbir , Nazir Khalida , Amjad Muhammad , Kanwal Fauzia , Khan Umair , Riaz Muhammad
Published: February 2021

Water is a fundamental requirement for all living beings and it is considered as the most diverse solvent. It has a unique polarity and a distinctive set of properties due to hydrogen bonding. Water, being a universal solvent, can easily be polluted by absorption, adsorption and suspension of a lot of materials into it. Major sources of water contamination include the disposal of untreated garbage, milling, industrialization, and urbanization. Water is easily polluted by substantial metals including Lead (Pb), Arsenic (As), Copper (Cu), and Chromium (Cr). Water contamination can lead to serious illnesses and sometimes it is so hazardous that it can cause the death of a living organism.
Vampirism, Porphyria, and Deformity: How the Mythical Reflects Reality
Authors: McCrane Samantha
Published: February 2021

N/A- NFJA Notes
Novel approaches for quickly measuring engine speed applied to gasoline engine diagnostics
Authors: Dinh Ngoc Tan
Published: February 2021

The parameter of engine speed plays an important role to recognize the engine's condition while working. By using this parameter, it is possible to diagnose engine's malfunctions. In this study, in case of the gasoline engine, we introduce two efficient methods for measuring the engine speed without extracting electrical signals from conventional engine speed sensors. For the first approach, based on the signal pin of the sensor, the engine speed was determined from the frequency of manifold absolute pressure. For the second approach, the frequency of the voltage drop measured at the battery positive terminal caused by ignition operation is the key to calculate the engine speed. The noise filter circuits and the amplifier circuits are used to refine signal, Besides, a Schmitt Trigger circuit using a NE555 timer IC was designed to reshape the oscillation signal from either of these sources into a square wave of which frequency was measured and converted to the engine speed by a microprocessor and display the result on the LCD screen.Compared to engine speed measured by a conventional inductive sensor, the proposed methods provide a competitive result with fast response. The second approach was highly promising due to its simplicity involving in direct voltage measurement at the battery positive terminal.
Gestão Pública: Um estudo de caso na emissão de certificados da coordenação de extensão da Universidade do Estado do Amazonas
Authors: Souza Flávia Roberta Ferreira de , Lima Orlem Pinheiro de , Silva Meiryjane Moura da , Araújo Paulo César Diniz de , Maduro Márcia Ribeiro , Souza Andréa Lanza Cordeiro de , Oliveira Júnior Nilson José de , Breves Ricardo De Almeida
Published: February 2021

Este artigo propõe a análise acerca da melhoria de processos direcionados ao âmbito da Gestão Pública, especificamente, apoia-se no estudo de caso sobre o processo de emissão dos certificados da Coordenação de Extensão (CEXT), feito pela Universidade do Estado do Amazonas (UEA). Utilizou-se a metodologia de estudo de caso, com ênfase na descrição dos procedimentos de automação da emissão de certificados da CEXT, que desempenham um papel fundamental na prestação de serviços à comunidade acadêmica e à sociedade, aperfeiçoando os processos na busca pela melhoria contínua na Gestão Pública, assim como reconhece-se a necessidade em atender as demandas, atentando-se à organização dos processos de forma eficiente e eficaz. Atualmente, o processo de emissão de certificados é executado com otimização de tempo, evitando o desperdício de papel e eliminando custos desnecessários com impressão. Desta forma, foi essencial realizar a análise acerca de como a automação influenciou na melhoria do gerenciamento no processo citado, bem como visa-se identificar os pontos positivos e de melhoria contínua desta automação no que se refere à busca da qualidade dos serviços prestados aos cidadãos. Seguindo a linha de pensamento da redução de custos com papelório e com o objetivo de dar agilidade ao processo de emissão de certificados, a Coordenação de Extensão da Universidade do Estado do Amazonas transformou o fluxo do processo de emissão de certificados em algo mais simples e mais rápido.
O uso da tecnologia da informação na melhoria do atendimento de um hospital público de Manaus
Authors: Lima Helenmara Oliveira de Almeida , Lima Orlem Pinheiro de , Silva Meiryjane Moura da , Araújo Paulo César Diniz de , Maduro Márcia Ribeiro , Souza Andréa Lanza Cordeiro de , Oliveira Júnior Nilson José de , Santiago Sandro Breval , Araújo Elias Moraes de , Zogahib André Luiz Nunes
Published: February 2021

Este artigo tem por objetivo analisar a rotina hospitalar e sua dinâmica de trabalho com foco nos processos que regem o atendimento dos usuários de um hospital público de média e alta complexidade na cidade de Manaus, capital amazonense. Trata-se de um trabalho teórico-reflexivo, elaborado a partir de revisão da literatura. Tem, como fundamento teórico, os estudos de Benito (2008), Panitz (2014), Patrício (2011), dentre outros que tratam sobre o uso da tecnologia da informação nas instituições hospitalares, com foco no atendimento do usuário e não somente nos processos intermediários e externos. A pesquisa demonstra como a implantação da ferramenta de registro de prontuários dos pacientes, os chamados PEP (prontuário eletrônico do paciente), podem promover a segurança e a monitoração da saúde da população em geral. Além disso, como a tecnologia da informação por meio de sistemas de informações preparados e aptos a gerir de forma eficaz uma instituição de saúde, pode-se fornecer informações para geração de relatórios que auxiliam na gestão de uma instituição hospitalar.
SARCASM DETECTION IN PERSIAN
Authors: Bokaee Nezhad Zahra , Deihimi Mohammad Ali
Published: February 2021

Sarcasm is a form of communication where the individual states the opposite of what is implied. Therefore, detecting a sarcastic tone is somewhat complicated due to its ambiguous nature. On the other hand, identification of sarcasm is vital to various natural language processing tasks such as sentiment analysis and text summarisation. However, research on sarcasm detection in Persian is very limited. This paper investigated the sarcasm detection technique on Persian tweets by combining deep learning-based and machine learning-based approaches. Four sets of features that cover different types of sarcasm were proposed, namely deep polarity, sentiment, part of speech, and punctuation features. These features were utilised to classify the tweets as sarcastic and nonsarcastic. In this study, the deep polarity feature was proposed by conducting a sentiment analysis using deep neural network architecture. In addition, to extract the sentiment feature, a Persian sentiment dictionary was developed, which consisted of four sentiment categories. The study also used a new Persian proverb dictionary in the preparation step to enhance the accuracy of the proposed model. The performance of the model is analysed using several
COLLECTIVE ACTION AND COLLECTIVE SCHEME IN THE MOBILIZATION OF LEARNING CHEMISTRY ACCORDING TO VERGNAUD’S THEORY OF CONCEPTUAL FIELDS
Authors: de Andrade Lucia Machado , Honório Káthia Maria , Bueno Filho Marco Antonio
Published: February 2021

This research’s aim was to analyze the mobilization in learning chemistry promoted by the collective action of three entrant students in higher education courses, in a college located in Santo André. For such, cognitive indicators mobilized by them while living individual and group situations on water’s boiling point, using Screencast video lessons as a motivational strategy, were analyzed. The fulfilment of these situations’ corresponding tasks was filmed, and the recordings were transcribed and analyzed with the help from the Transana software. The indicators used for the Discursive Textual Analysis were created by associating Vicente Talanquer’s Chemistry Knowledge Space to Gérard Vergnaud’s Theory of Conceptual Fields. The results displayed higher quantity and better quality to the indicators in situations with collective character, to the detriment to the ones with individual character. Thus, one might conclude that, under this research’s conditions, collective action, generated by a collective scheme, was capable of mobilizing the learning of chemistry.
Keywords: collective action, space of knowledge of chemistry, collective scheme, theory of conceptual fields.
THE EFFECTS OF USING EDMODO IN BIOLOGY EDUCATION ON STUDENTS’ ATTITUDES TOWARDS BIOLOGY AND ICT
Authors: Végh Veronika , Nagy Zsolt B. , Zsigmond Csilla , Elbert Gábor
Published: February 2021

ICT has gained a vital role within education, helping to facilitate the teaching-learning process. This paper examines the efficacy of the Edmodo interface within biology education in high schools. Two 10th grade classes were studied for a one semester period. Both classes followed the same curriculum, however Edmodo usage was compulsory for the experimental class. Anonymous pre-and post-test questionnaires were filled out by the students and statistically analyzed. The research included 58 students; 34 females and 24 males. Over the course of the semester, the experimental group developed increased feelings of importance towards Biology, whereas no change was observed in the control group. At the end of the semester, the experimental group scores leant favorable towards the positive impact of Edmodo use in the classroom, in comparison to the control group. These results show a positive impact of using Edmodo in the classroom, as a facilitative tool, to improve student comprehension in the participating Hungarian students.
Keywords: ICT in education, biology teaching, biology learning, Edmodo, ICT in biology teaching.
HOW OUTSOURCING CAN CONTRIBUTE TO THE EFFICIENCY AND EFFECTIVENESS IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR: SOME INDICATORS ABOUT PORTUGAL
Authors: Costa Marques Maria da Conceição da
Published: February 2021

Outsourcing is a practice used by different companies to reduce costs by transferring working with outside suppliers rather than performing them internally. Cutting costs are presented as a key benefit in hiring an outsourcing service. Besides to the overall increase efficiency by more rational and efficient allocation of resources, the management of the contract with the external provider allows organizations to adopt more stringent cost control mechanisms, as all components of the relationship with the provider are formalized and systematically evaluated. It also allows the organization to transfer fixed costs to variable costs, reducing the costs related to the acquisition, management, maintenance and updating of equipment, supplies and infrastructure, as well as reduce costs with the management and supervision of teams assigned to non-core activities. The study presented here is an early stage of research to be developed on outsourcing in Portugal and its position in relation to public authorities in other countries. It aims to propose a theoretical model to explain the use of outsourcing in the public sector, as well as a set of variables that may improve understanding of the key determinants of the success of this research. Key words: exploratory research, new public management, public sector, outsourcing, qualitative research.
ACTIVITY THEORY APPLIED AT CHANNEL EXPANSIONS IN SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES
Authors: Lundqvist Siw , Marcusson Leif , Jeansson John
Published: February 2021

Today’s commonly carried out channel expansions of commerce could be both costly and problematic to manage. Especially for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that often suffer from a lack of digital competence, time and monetary resources in generally. Still, these transitions would be necessary to carry out because of customer demands and expectations concerning 24/7 availability, and access to digital commerce alternatives. Scarce resources are important reasons to search for how to carry out channel expansions with minimized problems. Activity theory (AT) focuses on the whole in order to detect problems that hinder successful outcomes. Hence, this theory was applied to prior findings, from a project about SME’s channel expansions, highlighting several problems that could appear during these activities. Implications for research foremost involve issues connected to the use of AT; implications for practice particularly concern if and how AT could be used to support channel broadening activities.
Keywords: channel expansion, channel transition, digital commerce, “expansive visibilization of work method” (Sic! Engeströms’ expression), multichannel, omni-channel, small and medium-sized enterprise (SME).
Amount of Stimulation Received at Home and Growth During Infancy Have Positive Association With Psychomotor Development of Poor Urban Bangladeshi Infants
Authors: Hakim Maliha , Tofail Famida , Momin Afzal , Sharmin Farzana , Ahmed Tofail , Hamadani Nena D
Published: February 2021

Biological and psychosocial factors along with cumulative environmental factor have effect on the later childhood development. The detrimental effect of these factors on development varies from studies to studies in different geographical regions with variation in the causality. LBW (Low birth weight) children (birth weight<2500 g) generally have poorer levels of development compared to NBW (Normal birth weight) infants. The development of term-LBW/SGA (Small for gestanational age) or IUGR (Intrauterine growth retardation) infant is more complex and controversial. To assess the factors influencing cognitive development of Bangladeshi infants from poor socio-economic background. This study was conducted using pooled data derived from a previously done randomized control trial on 400 pregnant women. To find the biological and socio-environmental factors that associated with development, we broke down the randomization. A house-to-house survey was carried out in a defined poor urban area and all women who were 5 to 6 months pregnant were enrolled and the gestational period was ascertained by the report of LMP (Last menstrual period) given by the  mothers. Data of 249 mother-infant dyads who completed the study and had all the measurements up to 10 months were used for this analysis. The detailed information regarding enrolment and findings from the main study has been published elsewhere. Distribution of each variable was checked for normality and where necessary appropriate transformations were made. Bivariate correlations between the developmental variables and socioeconomic measures were assessed. To examine the effect of biological and psychosocial factors on development of infants, series of multiple linear regression analyses were performed where each of the developmental variables was treated as a dependent variable. Family wealth and play material available for the child at home have a strong positive influence on both mental and psychomotor development whereas overcrowding exerts a negative impact on development. Similarly younger infants, being female, having larger head at birth and greater increase in head size over 10 month were found to have better mental developmental index, while taller children at birth had better psychomotor development at 10 month. Birth length and head-circumference and growth in head-circumference in the early months affect child development even after controlling for social background.

JCMCTA 2012; 23(1): 11-16
Antimicrobial Therapy in Preventing Wound Infection Following Appendectomy for Uncomplicated Appendicitis in Children : Comparison Between Single Dose and Multiple Doses
Authors: Rahman MA Mushfique , Farooq Md Abdullah Al , Bhuiyan Md Akbar Husain , Sajid Md Minhajuddin , Chowdhury Tanvir Kabir , Islam M Kabirul
Published: February 2021

The role of antibiotics in acute appendicitis is well established. If there is no intra-peritoneal contamination the antibiotic administration should be prophylactic. The current trend is to continue post operative antibiotics for fixed periods ranging from 5 to 7 days in most of the hospitals in our country. Our aim was to assess the safety in relation to wound infection after appendectomy for uncomplicated appendicitis in children with single dose combined antimicrobial therapy and multiple doses. For this purpose a prospective comparative study was done in department of surgery, Dhaka Shishu Hsopital from January, 2004 to December, 2004. Children upto 12 yrs of age with diagnosis of uncomplicated appendicitis were included in this study and preoperative findings of perforated, gangrenous appendix, histopathological report of normal appendix were excluded. Patients received antibiotics prior to hospital admission and acute appendicitis with other systemic diseases were also excluded. Total 60 patients were selected randomly in control (30 patients) and study (30 patients) group. All patients received per operative triple untibiotic therapy (Amoxycillin, Metronidazole and Gentamicin). No further antibiotic were given in study group, post operative antibiotics were continued for 7 days in control group. Wound infection was noted in 1 patient (3.33%) of each group and cost of antibiotics was significantly higher in control group (P value > 0.05). It has proved that uncomplicated appendicitis in children can be treated safely with single dose triple antibiotic therapy and use of extended period of post operative antibiotics gives no added benefit.

JCMCTA 2012; 23(1): 26-30
Fetomaternal Outcome in Pregnancy With Cardiac Disease
Authors: Sharmin Shahanaj , Chowdhury Shahanara , Alam Didarul , Ahmed Mohiuddin , Rashid Fahamida , Roy Tarun Kumar
Published: February 2021

Aim of our study was to see the maternal and fetal outcomes in women presenting with heart disease during pregnancy and labout. This cross sectional study was carried out in 48 pregnant women with cardiac disease from July 2005 to Dec 2006, in the department of Gynae and Obst at Chittagong Medical College Hospital Chittagong. The Mewan age was 25.40 ±4.46 years. 31(64.6%) patients were from middle class. 27 (56.3%) patients belonged to mulliparous group. 33(68.8%) patients received regular antenatal care, of the 43 (89.7%) patients had rheumatic heart disease and 5(10.5%) had congenital heart disease. Among the rheumatic heart disease, 50% had mitral stenosis. 35(72.9%) patients had in grade-1, 12(25%) had in grade-II, and 1(2.1%) had in grade-III. (64.5%) had normal vaginal delivery, 7(14.5%) had LSCS. 4(8.3%) had heard failure and 1 patient (2.1%) expired due to heart failure, 40(83.3%) were delivered at term, 7(14.6%) had preterm labour and 1(2.1%) had still birth. Regarding birth weight, 17(35.4%) had LBW (Low birth weight), 31(64.6%) had normal birth weight. Rheumatic heart disease is the commonest cardiac lesion among Pregnant women. Fetomaternal morbidity and mortality are strongly correlated with maternal cardiac functional classification. The management of these cases should be multidisciplinary to optimize care of these patients.

JCMCTA 2012; 23(1): 31-35
Severe Microcytic Anaemia Due to Chohn’s Disease : An Uncommon Presentation
Authors: Islam Mohammad Syedul , Irshadullah Naseeb Mohammad , Md Jabed Syed , Uddin Rabiul Alam Md Erfan
Published: February 2021

Crohn’s disease is an uncommon disease. Most common presentation is abdominal pain, diarrhea and weight loss. It may present as subacute or even acute intestinal obstruction. Crohn’s disease is very rare in Bangladesh. Here we report a case of Crohn’s disease where the initial presentation was severe microcytic hypochromic anaemia, who received repeated blood transfusion for one year. Initially cause was not detected. Later on he presented with subacute intestinal obstruction. After all routine diagnostic work up no definitive diagnosis could be found. So laparotomy was done in Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU). Histopathology report was suggestive of Crohn’s disease and he was on mesalazine with significant clinical improvement.

JCMCTA 2012; 23(1): 49-50
Lupus With Pregnancy : Beyond the Basics
Authors: Paul Sujat
Published: February 2021

Pregnancy in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus is associated with a high risk of maternal disease exacerbation and adverse fetal outcome. This review summarizes recent published findings on lupus pregnancy. Literature review: The literature has profound agreement on thefact that, for most women with inactive and stable systemic lups erythematousus, pregnancy is safe for both mother and fetus. The main risk factors for adverse pregnancy course and outcome are active disease, nephritis with proteinuria, hypertension and maternal serum antibodies to SS-A/Ro, SS-B/La, cardiolipin, 2-glycoprotein I, and lupus anticoagulant. Recent studies have broadened our understanding of the immunological mechanism underlying congenital heart block induced by anti-Ro/La antibodies. Pregnancy in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus is safe and manageable provided the disease is stable. Patients should be closely followed up before pregnancy for pregestational risk factors and should get extra attention during gregnancy. The disease can be safely managed in some cases of lupus flare during pregnancy.

JCMCTA 2012; 23(1): 53-56
Anticipation From a Medical Teacher
Authors: Dutta Pradip Kumar
Published: February 2021

Abstract not available

JCMCTA 2012; 23(1): 1
Índice de funcionalidade de portais eletrônicos municipais: o acesso à informação em saúde
Authors: Moimaz Suzely Adas Saliba , Nascimento Carolina Carvalho Menez Pinto , Saliba Tânia Adas , Herval Ana Cláudia Festucci de , Zacharias Fabiana Costa Machado , Arcêncio Ricardo Alexandre , Garbin Cléa Adas Saliba
Published: February 2021

Este estudo buscou investigar em que medida as informações em saúde vêm sendo disponibilizadas à população e o grau de funcionalidade dos sites quanto ao acesso às páginas eletrônicas oficiais dos municípios sede dos Departamentos Regionais de Saúde (DRS) do Estado de São Paulo.  Procurou, também, verificar quais características sociodemográficas, econômicas e de saúde contribuem para explicar a funcionalidade dos portais eletrônicos municipais. Trata-se de um estudo de caráter descritivo-exploratório, conduzido em 17 cidades do estado de São Paulo. Apurou-se o Índice de Funcionalidade (IF) através da criação de um instrumento com 34 itens divididos em 4 dimensões. Posteriormente, configurou-se uma Regressão Linear Múltipla com as variáveis explicativas população, PIB, IDH-M, cobertura da Atenção Primária à Saúde, da Estratégia Saúde da Família e da Saúde bucal para verificar possíveis associações com o IF. A média do IF foi 18,35; dp. 4,39; mediana 18; mínimo 11 e o máximo 29. O modelo estatístico indicou que não houve associação estatisticamente positiva entre o IF e as variáveis explicativas. A disponibilização das informações em saúde nos portais eletrônicos municipais apresentou baixo IF, em grande parte deles. Não houve relação positiva entre o IF das páginas e suas características sociodemográfica, econômicas e de saúde.
Análise hidrogeomorfométrica da microbacia do rio Mutum: informações para auxiliar o manejo de recursos hídricos na Amazônia Ocidental
Authors: Souza Tiago Way Serrão de , Lima Marcelo Medeiros de , Saraiva Jhade Goudinho , Pacheco Fabrício Matheus Pimenta , Donegá Miquel Victor Batista , Panza Mylena Rego , Cavalheiro Wanderson Cleiton Schmidt , Vendruscolo Jhony
Published: February 2021

O desenvolvimento sustentável de sistemas agropecuários tem como base o planejamento e a gestão dos recursos naturais, logo, é essencial conhecer as características da paisagem. Em face ao exposto, o presente trabalho tem como objetivo fornecer informações sobre as características hidrogeomorfométricas da microbacia do rio Mutum. A análise da paisagem foi realizada com os softwares Google Earth, QGIS e TrackMaker Free, imagens altimétricas dos satélites Alos, e dados da literatura. A microbacia tem área de 8,64 km2, perímetro de 15,26 km, formata alongada e baixa a média suscetibilidade a inundações (ponto de vista geométrico), altitudes de 228 a 322 m, predominância de relevos suave ondulado (50,81%) e ondulado (30,67%), 92,93% de sua área com baixa propensão a influência a propagação de incêndios e 92,94% apta à extremamente apta a mecanização agrícola,  rede de drenagem de 17,30 km com padrão dendrítico de 4ª ordem, densidades de nascentes média, densidade de drenagem média, coeficiente de manutenção de 499,4 m2 m-1,  canal principal reto e baixo tempo de concentração. A microbacia tem potencial para o desenvolvimento agropecuário, no entanto, a adoção de práticas de manejo conservacionista do solo é necessário para mitigar os impactos desta atividade no meio ambiente. É recomendado o estudo da dinâmica temporal e espacial da cobertura do solo, para analisar a qualidade e a quantidade de vegetação nativa na microbacia, e assim, delimitar áreas prioritárias para a manutenção e/ou recuperação dessa vegetação.
Hindu Response to Dying and Death in the Time of COVID-19
Authors: Bilimoria Purushottama
Published: February 2021

We wake each morning to news on the glaring statistics of people infected by COVID-19 and others reportedly dying from complications thereto; the numbers are not receding in at least a number of countries across the world (barring a few that imposed strict lockdowns, testing and quarantining measures, such as Australia, Singapore, New Zealand and Vietnam). It is hard to imagine a moment such as this that most of us have lived through in our life-time; but it is a reality and public challenge that we can neither ignore nor look away from. In what follows I will explore perspectives on death from the Hindu tradition and the kinds of response—and solace or wisdom—afforded by the tradition to the angst and fears evoked by this pandemic situation. In concluding the discussion, I shall offer tentative reflections on how the Hindu perspective may be universalized, such as might invite conversations with therapists and care workers who may be seeking alternative resources to help expand the therapeutic space in more beneficent ways during the Covid-19 pandemic and its after-effects
An Investigation of Alternatives to Transform Protein Sequence Databases to a Columnar Index Schema
Authors: Zoun Roman , Schallert Kay , Broneske David , Trifonova Ivayla , Chen Xiao , Heyer Robert , Benndorf Dirk , Saake Gunter
Published: February 2021

Mass spectrometers enable identifying proteins in biological samples leading to biomarkers for biological process parameters and diseases. However, bioinformatic evaluation of the mass spectrometer data needs a standardized workflow and system that stores the protein sequences. Due to its standardization and maturity, relational systems are a great fit for storing protein sequences. Hence, in this work, we present a schema for distributed column-based database management systems using a column-oriented index to store sequence data. In order to achieve a high storage performance, it was necessary to choose a well-performing strategy for transforming the protein sequence data from the FASTA format to the new schema. Therefore, we applied an in-memory map, HDDmap, database engine, and extended radix tree and evaluated their performance. The results show that our proposed extended radix tree performs best regarding memory consumption and runtime. Hence, the radix tree is a suitable data structure for transforming protein sequences into the indexed schema.
Effects of Climate on Fruit Growth and Development on Olive Oil Quality in Cultivar Carolea
Authors: Mafrica Rocco , Piscopo Amalia , De Bruno Alessandra , Poiana Marco
Published: February 2021

Trees of the olive (Olea europaea L.) cultivar Carolea grown in Calabria (Italy) in three sites with different main climate traits (temperatures, rainfall, Growth Degree Days seasonal variations) were studied for three years to see the ripening time course and quality of the oils. The optimal harvesting time for obtaining the best-quality olive oils was defined for each site. The effect on quality indexes of three harvesting periods was also considered, linking this to the observed various thermal regimes. The different climates largely affected the growth and the development of fruits and the quality of obtained oils. Lower temperatures and higher rainfall slow down fruit growth and development and delay ripening. Olive oils of good quality (free acidity, fatty acid composition, antioxidant components and oxidative stability were obtained in the site with lower temperatures and higher rainfall when fruits were still yellow-green ripe and had a detachment index between 1.9 and 1.5. Climate change, evidenced by rising temperatures, led to the movement of olive groves from the high-temperature coastal plain to the intern foothills.
Impact Assessment of the Long-Term Fallowed Land on Agricultural Soils and the Possibility of Their Return to Agriculture
Authors: Kozak Małgorzata , Pudełko Rafał
Published: February 2021

Agricultural land abandonment is a process observed in most European countries. In Poland and other countries of Central and Eastern Europe, it was initiated with the political transformation of the 1990s. Currently, in Poland, it concerns over 2 million ha of arable land. Such a large acreage constitutes a resource of land that can be directly restored to agricultural production or perform environmental functions. A new concept for management of fallow/abandoned areas is to start producing biomass for the bioeconomy purposes. Production of perennial crops, especially on poorer soils, requires an appropriate assessment of soil conditions. Therefore, it has become crucial to answer the question: What is the real impact of the fallowing process on soil, and is it possible to return it to production at all? For this purpose, on the selected fallowed land that met the marginality criteria defined under the project, physicochemical tests of soil properties were carried out, and subsequently, the results were compared with those of the neighboring agricultural land and with the soil valuation of the fallow land, which was conducted during its past agricultural use. The work was mainly aimed at analyzing the impact of long-term fallowing on soil pH, carbon sequestration and nutrient content, e.g., phosphorus and potassium. The result of the work is a positive assessment of the possibility of restoring fallowed land for agricultural production, including the production of biomass for non-agricultural purposes. Among the studied types of fallow plots, the fields where goldenrod (Solidago L.—invasive species) appeared were indicated as the areas most affected by soil degradation.
Secondary Metabolites Produced by Neofusicoccum Species Associated with Plants: A Review
Authors: Salvatore Maria Michela , Alves Artur , Andolfi Anna
Published: February 2021

The genus Neofusicoccum is comprised of approximately 50 species with a worldwide distribution and is typically associated with plants. Neofusicoccum is well-known for the diseases it causes on economically and ecologically relevant host plants. In particular, members of this genus are responsible for grapevine diseases, such as leaf spots, fruit rots, shoot dieback, bud necrosis, vascular discoloration of the wood, and perennial cankers. Many secondary metabolites, including (−)-botryoisocoumarin A, botryosphaerones, cyclobotryoxide and isosclerone, were identified from species of Neofusicoccum and their structural variability and bioactivities might be associated with the role of these compounds in the fungal pathogenicity and virulence. In this review, we summarize the secondary metabolites from Neofusicoccum species focusing on the role of these compounds in the interaction between the fungus and host plant.
An Alternative Approach to Evaluate the Quality of Protein-Based Raw Materials for Dry Pet Food
Authors: Montegiove Nicolò , Pellegrino Roberto Maria , Emiliani Carla , Pellegrino Alessia , Leonardi Leonardo
Published: February 2021

The majority of dry pet food currently on the market is produced using fresh meats (FMs) and especially meat meals (MMs) as the main protein source. The transport and storage conditions of the raw materials, together with thermal and mechanical treatments in the case of MMs, may result in undesirable alterations of food products and their protein content. This study was conducted to analyze the protein component of three different kinds of raw materials used for dry pet food production, i.e., chicken, pork, and salmon. The quantitative analysis of the protein component was determined using the traditional Kjeldahl method and near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy, and an alternative method, i.e., the Bradford assay, while the qualitative analysis was performed through SDS-PAGE, followed by Coomassie Blue staining. The amino acid (AA) profile was also evaluated by quadrupole time-of-flight liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (Q-TOF LC/MS). In addition, the digestibility was tested through in vitro gastric and small intestine digestion simulation. Statistical analysis was performed by the Student’s t-test, and data are reported as mean ± SEM, n = 10 (p < 0.05). The results showed that the MMs are lower in quality compared to FMs, both in terms of protein bioavailability and digestibility, having a lower soluble protein (SP) content (chicken MM = 8.6 g SP/100 g dry sample; pork MM = 6.2 g SP/100 g dry sample; salmon MM = 7.9 g SP/100 g dry sample) compared to FMs (chicken FM = 14.6 g SP/100 g dry sample; pork FM = 15.1 g SP/100 g dry sample; salmon FM = 13.7 g SP/100 g dry sample). FMs appear, therefore, to be higher-quality ingredients for pet food production. Moreover, the Bradford assay proved to be a quick and simple method to better estimate protein bioavailability in the raw materials used for dry pet food production, thanks to its correlation with the in vitro digestibility.
Adiponectin Improves In Vitro Development of Cloned Porcine Embryos by Reducing Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress and Apoptosis
Authors: Ridlo Muhammad Rosyid , Kim Eui Hyun , Taweechaipaisankul Anukul , Lee Byeong Chun , Kim Geon A.
Published: February 2021

The main factor of embryonic demise is endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Successful attenuation of ER stress results in an improvement in embryo development. We studied the impact of adiponectin in the in vitro culture (IVC) of porcine embryos derived from parthenogenetic activation and somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). The first experiment revealed that 15 and 30 μg/mL adiponectin treatments improved cleavage, blastocyst rates, and total cell number (TCN) of parthenogenetic embryos and reduced the expression of XBP1 compared to the 5 μg/mL adiponectin treatment and control groups (p < 0.05). The second experiment showed that cleavage rate, blastocyst formation rate, and TCN of blastocysts were improved in the 15 μg/mL adiponectin treatment group compared with the control group, with significantly reduced XBP1 expression in ≥4-cell stage SCNT embryos and blastocysts (p < 0.05). Treatment with 15 μg/mL adiponectin significantly improved the expression of XBP1 and reduced the expression of ER stress-related genes (uXBP1, sXBP1, PTPN1, and ATF4), increased the expression levels of pluripotency-related genes (Nanog and SOX2), and decreased apoptosis-related gene expression (Caspase-3). These results suggest that 15 μg/mL adiponectin enhanced the in vitro developmental capacity of early-stage SCNT porcine embryos by reducing ER stress and apoptosis.