bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cybersecurity and Blockchain Usage in Contemporary Business
Authors: Shah Imdad Ali , Jhanjhi N. Z. , Laraib Areeba
Published: November 2022

The use of computers is becoming more and more common. The power and maliciousness of powerful attackers are increasing. Organizations must improve their ability to mitigate information security threats. Adequate protection is more critical than ever. With websites and social media platforms holding a wealth of personal information and potentially damaging content, attackers use the internet's sophisticated hacking tools to cause harm to individuals and organizations. Attacks have become stealthier, with more significant economic damage and broader damage. Blockchain must be the solution to the security problem of financial transactions. However, judging from the results and expected answers from the industry and organization, it is crucial to understand how financial institutions deal with these issues by looking at blockchain deployments in cybersecurity. A blockchain is a digital database that records all mentoring transactions. This technology supports many different exchanges that are currently in use. The authors also believe that blockchain should be integrated into many parts of cybersecurity. The primary goal of this chapter is to review relevant research papers and book chapters over the past 10 years to understand how successful cybersecurity and blockchain implementations have been in the enterprise and to identify the different challenges and concerns that enterprise personnel face. They also provide suggestions and solutions to problems.
E-Commerce and Cybersecurity Challenges
Authors: Gull Hina , Alabbad Dina A. , Saqib Madeeha , Iqbal Sardar Zafar , Nasir Tooba , Saeed Saqib , Almuhaideb Abdullah M.
Published: November 2022

COVID-19 has accelerated the digital transformation in the business sector as many business organizations adopted electronic commerce to keep their operations running. Business organizations have also increased their participation on social networking applications to attract customers. Due to huge presence of users, social networking sites have also evolved into an emerging marketplace, which is referred as social commerce. There are many security issues involved in technological adoption in different business processes. On the other hand, social media is extensively used for product marketing, so fake information and fake product reviews can also influence consumers purchasing decision, so providing accurate marketing information is also a challenge for business organizations. In this chapter, the authors conduct a systematic literature review to understand the cybersecurity issues faced by business organizations and customers and how recent advances such as fintech, etc. provide additional cybersecurity challenges for business organization to protect themselves and their customers.
Prevention of Cryptojacking Attacks in Business and FinTech Applications
Authors: Ullah Subhan , Ahmad Tahir , Ahmad Rizwan , Aslam Mudassar
Published: November 2022

More than 2000 different cryptocurrencies are currently available in business and FinTech applications. Cryptocurrency is a digital payment system that does not rely on banks to verify their financial transactions and can enable anyone anywhere to send and receive their payments. Crypto mining attracts investors to mine and gets some coins as a reward for using the cryptocurrency. However, hackers can exploit the computing power without the explicit authorization of a user by launching a cryptojacking attack and then using it to mine cryptocurrency. The detection and protection of cryptojacking attacks are essential, and thus, miners are continuously working to find innovative ways to overcome this issue. This chapter provides an overview of the cryptojacking landscape. It offers recommendations to guide researchers and practitioners to overcome the identified challenges faced while realizing a mitigation strategy to combat cryptojacking malware attacks.
Maintaining a Standardized Electronic Registry of Spinal Cord Injury in the Public Sector
Authors: V. Gopal Vinu
Published: November 2022

Quality health delivery is not merely providing safe and sustainable care to the patients but also proper maintenance of medical records. It is challenging for healthcare providers to decide on the treatment plan without accurate, legible, and updated medical records. The legal implications of maintaining medical records are described in detail in this chapter, along with the legal liability in case of improperly maintained records. The problems of electronic medical records, like data inaccuracies and data breaches, are described along with possible solutions and future recommendations.
COVID-19 Success Story of the United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Authors: Potluri Rajasekhara Mouly , Gundapaneni Sasi Kumar
Published: November 2022

The case illuminates the success story of the UAE's Federal Government, Ministry of Health and Prevention, and Dubai Health Authority in handling COVID-19, which launched a comprehensive approach to assess business readiness across all critical functions and country locations through the lens of a global pandemic. The strategy reviews several areas: operational readiness, medical staff mobility, infrastructure resiliency, and information security. The case is a descriptive or observational study describing the series of occurrences concerning health disorders and aftermath activities in March and April of 2020. The author noticed the happenings in his fortnight quarantine stay and witnessed how efficiently, with significant efficacy, the entire medical and admin activities are planned and delivered to provide accurate and dedicated services to all COVID-19 patients. These activities mostly relate to leadership, crisis management, strategic initiatives, human resources, team building, customer experience, and positive psychology.
A Survey of Transformer-Based Stance Detection
Authors: Küçük Dilek
Published: November 2022

Stance detection systems are built in order to determine the position of text authors using the text that they produce and other contextual information. As the result of the stance detection procedure, the position of the text producer is determined as favor, against, or none. On the other hand, transformer-based technologies are reported to perform well for various natural language processing tasks. These are deep learning-based models that also incorporate attention mechanism. BERT and its variants are among the most popular transformer-based models proposed so far. In this chapter, the authors provide a plausible literature review on stance detection studies that are based on transformer models. Also included in the current chapter are important further research directions. Stance detection and transformer-based models are significant and recent problems in natural language processing and deep learning, respectively. Hence, they believe that this chapter will be an important guide for related researchers and practitioners working on these topics of high impact.
Abstractive Turkish Text Summarization and Cross-Lingual Summarization Using Transformer
Authors: Taspinar Eymen Kagan , Yetis Yusuf Burak , Cihan Onur
Published: November 2022

Abstractive summarization aims to comprehend texts semantically and reconstruct them briefly and concisely where the summary may consist of words that do not exist in the original text. This chapter studies the abstractive Turkish text summarization problem by a transformer attention-based mechanism. Moreover, this study examines the differences between transformer architecture and other architectures as well as the attention block, which is the heart of this architecture, in detail. Three summarization datasets were generated from the available text data on various news websites for training abstractive summarization models. It is shown that the trained model has higher or comparable ROUGE scores than existing studies, and the summaries generated by models have better structural properties. English-to-Turkish translation model has been created and used in a cross-lingual summarization model which has a ROUGE score that is comparable to the existing studies. The summarization structure proposed in this study is the first example of cross-lingual English-to-Turkish text summarization.
Gesture and Posture Recognition by Using Deep Learning
Authors: Ramaiah Alageswaran , V. Subramani , N. Aishwarya , R. Ezhilarasie
Published: November 2022

Sign language facilitates communication in the community with speaking and hearing problems. Those people communicate with one another using hand gestures and body movements. These techniques of human-computer interaction range from primary keyboard inputs to complex vision-based gesture detection systems. One of the fascinating HCI technologies is hand gesture recognition. The goal of gesture recognition is to construct a system to use as a communication medium in various applications. The application of gesture recognition has become popular in healthcare, robotics, etc. Posture recognition is deployed in several sectors, including medicine. Deep learning-based models are used to understand gesture and posture recognition results better. This chapter covers the challenges of gesture and posture recognition and how deep learning techniques are used to assist machines in overcoming these challenges more effectively. In addition, this chapter also discusses the applications in which gesture and posture recognition can be employed in detail.
Machine Learning and Image Processing Based Computer Vision in Industry 4.0
Authors: S. Ramya , P. Madhubala , E. C. Sushmitha , Manivannan D. , Firthous A. Al
Published: November 2022

Industry 4.0 reshapes the industrial landscape through new technologies such as robotics, data networking, machine learning (ML), and computer vision (CV). ML is a critical innovation in technology that enables enterprises and factory floors to embrace Industry 4.0. Systems and algorithms can learn from their failures using machine learning, a form of artificial intelligence (AI). A vision system becomes an essential component of sophisticated industrial systems for the quality control throughout the manufacturing process, and it allows robotic assembly to be provided with the necessary knowledge to create products from simple components. Predictive maintenance (PdM) is a form of digital transformation that services repairs as immediately as an issue emerges. The criterion above leads to a manufacturing environment that is intelligent and autonomous on recent breakthrough information and communication technologies. This chapter explores the challenges in Industry 4.0 with technologies such as cyber-physical systems (CPS), image processing, internet of things (IoT), computer vision, etc.
Deep Neural Network With Feature Optimization Technique for Classification of Coronary Artery Disease
Authors: Verma Pratibha , Sahu Sanat Kumar , Awasthi Vineet Kumar
Published: November 2022

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is of significant concern among the population worldwide. The deep neural network (DNN) methods co-operate and play a crucial role in identifying diseases in CAD. The classification techniques like deep neural network (DNN) and enhanced deep neural network (EDNN) model are best suited for problem solving. A model is robust with the integration of feature selection technique (FST) like genetic algorithm (GA) and particle swarm optimization (PSO). This research proposes an integrated model of GA, PSO, and DNN for classification of CAD. The E-DNN model with a subset feature of CAD datasets gives enhanced results as compared to the DNN model. The E-DNN model gives a more correct and precise classification performance.
Teoria de Singularidades para leigos
Authors:   Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Martins Rodrigo
Published: November 2022

A Teoria de Singularidades já ´e um ramo muito bem estabelecido da matemática que tem intercessão com praticamente todas as áreas da matemática, quer seja análise, álgebra, matemática aplica e a sua área mãe a Geometria e Topologia. Assim apresentamos uma breve ideia de como pode-se começar na singularidade por meio dos modelos singulares de funções.
Space travel does not constitute a condition of moral exceptionality. That which obtains in space obtains also on Earth!
Authors: Balistreri Maurizio , Umbrello Steven
Published: November 2022

There is a growing body of scholarship that is addressing the ethics, in particular, the bioethics of space travel and colonisation. Naturally, a variety of perspectives concerning the ethical issues and moral permissibility of different technological strategies for confronting the rigours of space travel and colonisation have emerged in the debate. Approaches ranging from genetically enhancing human astronauts to modifying the environments of planets to make them hospitable have been proposed as methods. This paper takes a look at a critique of human bioenhancement proposed by Mirko Garasic who argues that the bioenhancement of human astronauts is not only functional but necessary and thus morally permissible. However, he further claims that the bioethical arguments proposed for the context of space do not apply to the context of Earth. This paper forwards three arguments for how Garasic’s views are philosophically dubious: (1) when he examines our responsibility towards future generations he refers to a moral principle (which we will call the principle of mere survival) which, besides being vague, is not morally acceptable; (2) the idea that human bioenhancement is not natural is not only debatable but morally irrelevant; and (3) it is not true that the situations that may arise in space travel cannot occur on Earth. We conclude that not only is the (bio)enhancement of humans on Earth permissible but perhaps even necessary in certain circumstances.
Antisocial personality disorder in group therapy, kindling pro-sociality and mentalizing
Authors: Morken Katharina T.E. , Øvrebø Morten , Klippenberg Charlotte , Morvik Therese , Lied Gikling Elisabeth
Published: November 2022

Patients with antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) are known for being difficult to treat. Treatment for ASPD is debated and lacking evidence. Among several reasons for treatment difficulties concerning ASPD, negative countertransference in health personnel is one central topic. Mentalization based treatment (MBT) is a reasonable candidate treatment for ASPD. From an ongoing pilot-study on MBT with substance using ASPD patients, we explore therapist experiences. Four experienced MBT therapists together with the principal investigator performed a focus group together. The therapists were themselves involved in performing this study and analyses are made as an autoethnographic study, with thematic analyses as methodological approach. As this study involved a qualitative investigation of own practice, reflexivity of the processes was performed. The aim was to explore in depth: therapist experiences and therapist wellbeing in MBT-ASPD. We found four main themes on therapist experiences. 1) gaining safety by getting to know them better, 2) gaining cooperation through clear boundaries and a non-judgmental stance, 3) shifting inner boundaries and 4) timing interventions in a high-speed culture. These four themes point to different therapist experiences one can have in MBT-ASPD. Our findings resonate well with the clinical literature on ASPD, the findings imply that clinical teams should have a focus on therapist countertransference and burnout, ensure that therapists uphold boundaries and open-mindedness in treatment of ASPD and that therapists experience vitalizing feelings in this line of work.
Macroecenomic identification of the pricing factors on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange
Authors: Barr G. D.I.
Published: November 2022

This paper considers the main economic forces which drive the various sectors of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, over the period 1979-1987. A factor-analysis approach identified these main forces as the price of gold, the short-term rate of interest, the performance of foreign stock markets, and local business confidence. The period considered is broken down into several subperiods in which these economic factors performed differently and where one or other dominated. This enables one to obtain a precise idea of which economic variables move which sectors and when.
Dental Patents in India
Authors: Cherian Joe Mathew , Samuel Shannon , Thomas Abi M. , Kumar Rajesh
Published: November 2022

Background:

The advent of technology in dentistry compels the safeguard of intellectual property to guarantee a steady flow of ideas. A guarantee preserves the idea/invention which is conductive to the subsequent financial gain or marketing of the said product for the patentee. The main objective of the present study was to illuminate the trends in the dental patents filed in India over the past decade and to analyze these in context with the recent developments in dental markets.

Methodology:

A total of 641 dental patent applications retrieved from the Indian Government Official Website between 2010 and 2020 were scanned for field of invention, type or status of application along with details regarding date of publication or filing of application, etc., The dataset was collaboratively analyzed using Panda's Library in Python software as analysis tool for data preparation and frequency analysis. The estimates were presented as mean differences and 95% confidence intervals.

Results:

The results showed that Indian Patent Office (IPO) has granted 54 dental patents in the last decade. The maximum applications of the IPO processes are the patent co-operation treaty National Phase applications (53.3%), mostly in the bio-engineering field (36.8%). Chiefly, patents were filed by individuals and companies (n = 180) and average time for grant was 4.90 years and 5.34 years, respectively.

Conclusion:

The process of patent application in India although has become digitalized needs to be more comprehensible and time bound, with more awareness disseminated to entrepreneurs and dental students alike.
Evaluation of Bond Durability, Surface Morphology, and Remineralization at the Adhesive Interface with Dentin Bonding Agents Modified with Silica-doped Nanohydroxyapatite
Authors: Gonapa Prasanthi , Sajjan Girija S. , Bhupathi Arun , Podugu Uday K. , Sundar Suvarna , Gondi Durgabhavani , Rathod R. Tejasree
Published: November 2022

Objectives:

To compare and evaluate the bond durability, surface morphology, and remineralization of the adhesive layer with newer adhesive systems modified with novel bioactive nanoparticles.

Methodology:

Bonding agents evaluated in this study include (a) Conventional dentin bonding agent (CN-DBA) (b) Nanohydroxyapatite (nanoHAP) incorporated dentin bonding agent (NH DBA); (c) Silica doped nanohydroxyapatite (Si nanoHAP) incorporated dentin bonding agent (Si NH DBA). A total of 104 human dentin discs (5 mm × 5 mm × 2 mm) were sectioned. Elemental analysis (Ca/P ratio) and surface morphology of the adhesive layer with different dentin adhesives were evaluated under scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray analysis after speculated storage time of 1 day and 6 months. Microshear bond strength of adhesive restorations with different dentin adhesives was evaluated under universal testing machine and fractographic analysis under scanning electron microscope after speculated storage time of 1 day and 6 months. The results were analyzed using analysis of variance and post hoc analysis.

Results:

Si-NH-DBA showed highest mean microshear bond strength for both 1 day and 6 months, which was significantly higher compared to conventional nanofilled dentin bonding agent (CN-DBA) and NH-DBA. Si-NH-DBA group showed only 10% reduction in bond strength after 6 months, which was less compared to that of other groups. Similarly, Si-NH-DBA showed higher remineralization with stellate-shaped crystals at the adhesive layer after 6 months with hydrolytic resistant hybrid layer, compared to CN-DBA and NH-DBA.

Conclusion:

Silica-doped nanohydroxyapatite proved its efficiency on bond stability, remineralization, and hydrolytic resistance when incorporated into dentin bonding agents because of its bioactivity and carbonate-containing apatite-forming ability.
Histomorphometric Analysis of Residual Alveolar Ridge Preserved using Collagen Cell Occlusive Membrane Alone and Along with Demineralized Bone Matrix Following Tooth Extraction
Authors: Raj Subash Chandra , Pradhan Shiba Shankar , Mahapatra Annuroopa , Katti Neelima , Mohanty Devapratim , Rath Rachna , Patnaik Kaushik , Agrawal Poonam
Published: November 2022

Context:

The changes in the volume and dimensions of the alveolar bone after tooth extraction often lead to challenges in prosthetic rehabilitation of the same necessitating ridge preservation procedures (RPP).

Aim:

The aim of this randomized clinical trial was to evaluate and compare the dimensional and histomorphometric changes of the sites preserved using the collagen membrane with and without demineralized bone matrix (DMBM).

Settings and Design:

Interventional, parallel-design, double blinded, randomized controlled trail.

Materials and Methods:

A randomized controlled trial was designed with 45 participants having at least 2 teeth indicated for were enrolled in this study. The sites were randomly assigned to the control group (RPP using collagen membrane) and the test group (RPP using collagen membrane with DMBM). The clinical parameters assessed were alveolar bone width and alveolar bone height. Histomorphometric analysis was carried out on tissue trephined from the preserved sites to evaluate the percentage of bone and connective tissue (CT %) formed 8 months postRPP.

Statistical Analysis Used:

Shapiro − Wilk test and paired and unpaired t-test.

Results:

Horizontal resorption was significantly less in the test group (7.375 ± 1.64). Histomorphometry of these sites revealed a complete absence of residual graft particles, presence of trabecular bone, and a more mineralized matrix (63.256%) as compared to the control sites (46.833%).

Conclusions:

The use of DMBM along with the collagen membrane for RPP yielded better results both clinically and histomorphometically.
Osseous Metaplasia of the Endometrium and Successful Hysteroscopic Resection
Authors: Kadirogullari Pinar , Seckin Kerem Doga , Selcuki Nura Fitnat Topbas
Published: November 2022

Osseous metaplasia of the endometrium is defined by the presence of mature or immature bone tissue in the endometrium. Most of the cases are associated with secondary infertility after abortion, chronic endometritis, or the presence of foreign bodies in the endometrium. Some cases are asymptomatic; others have menstrual abnormalities such as menorrhagia or oligomenorrhea. Osseous metaplasia is mostly seen after recurrent abortions. Removing the bone tissue helps spontaneous conception. Intrauterine hyperechogenic lesion, suggesting calcification in transvaginal ultrasonography, creates suspicion in diagnosis. Here, we present a patient who underwent dilatation and curettage procedure following a missed abortion, and osseous metaplasia of endometrium was radiologically detected at a 1-month follow-up examination. White bony material was shown in the uterine cavity with hysteroscopy. The lesion was treated by hysteroscopic removal without any complications. Histology confirmed the diagnosis of endometrial osseous metaplasia. Thus, hysteroscopy was effective in the diagnosis and treatment of endometrial osseous metaplasia.
Application of Minimally Invasive Surgery-Multidisciplinary Team in Advanced and Recurrent Gynecological Cancers: 10-Year Exploration and Practice
Authors: Li Caixia , Wang Zhongjie , Yang Weihong , Ai Guihai , Cheng Zhongping
Published: November 2022

Objectives:

The treatment of advanced and recurrent gynecological cancers (ARGCs) remains more difficult evens. This assay aims to introduce the application of minimally invasive surgery-multidisciplinary team (MIS-MDT) as well as a comprehensive evaluation and treatment program of ARGC.

Materials and Methods:

The diagnosis and treatment model of MDT collaboration has become a new model of clinical cancer treatment. In my country, it is in the start-up and trial stage. Our team began to explore surgical treatment of recurrent gynecological cancers in 2011 and has been committed to MDT treatment of ARGC for more than 3 years.

Results:

So far, 61 patients have completed MDT treatment (28 of them were advanced gynecological cancer patients, 33 of them were recurrent gynecological cancer patients). Among them, MDT involved 43 times in gastrointestinal surgery, 21 times in urology, 5 times in the department of intractable abdominal diseases, and 5 times in other departments. After surgery, 58 patients (95%) restarted adjuvant therapy such as radiotherapy and chemotherapy. In addition, 32 patients (52.5%) underwent genetic and molecular testing, of which 14 patients (23%) accepted targeted and immunotherapy based on the testing results. After MIS-MDT treatment, the median progression-free survival of these patients was >30 months, respectively.

Conclusion:

These patients have achieved good results after surgery of MDT. With continuous accumulation and summarization, we have systematically reviewed the diagnosis and treatment model of ARGC and guided clinical work as the model of Tongji Tenth Hospital (comprehensive evaluation and treatment).
Consensus guidelines on management of oral potentially malignant disorders
Authors: Birur Praveen N , Patrick Sanjana , Warnakulasuriya Saman , Gurushanth Keerthi , Raghavan Shubhasini A. , Rath Goura K , Chaturvedi Pankaj , Chandru Vijay , Mathew Babu , Prabhash Kumar , Gurudath Shubha , Mukhia Nirza , Sunny Sumsum P. , Mehrotra Ravi , Vivek V , Patil Shankargouda , Kumar Suresh G , Fasalkar Shruthi , Pratima Rao , Kuriakose Moni A
Published: November 2022

Oral cancer is usually preceded by oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs) and early detection can downstage the disease. The majority of OPMDs are asymptomatic in early stages and can be detected on routine oral examination. Though only a proportion of OPMDs may transform to oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), they may serve as a surrogate clinical lesion to identify individuals at risk of developing OSCC. Currently, there is a scarcity of scientific evidence on specific interventions and management of OPMDs and there is no consensus regarding their management. A consensus meeting with a panel of experts was convened to frame guidelines for clinical practices and recommendations for management strategies for OPMDs. A review of literature from medical databases was conducted to provide the best possible evidence and provide recommendations in management of OPMDs.
Comparison between the effects of Maitland’s mobilization versus its combination with vastus medialis oblique neuromuscular stimulation on two scales (NPRS & WOMAC) in knee osteoarthritis patients
Authors: Choudhary Kapil , Khanna Archana , Awasthi Supriya , Padung Minam
Published: November 2022

Background & objectives:

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis that increases with age affecting the population from the middle age to the elderly. The present study was undertaken to find whether neuromuscular stimulation of vastus medialis oblique (VMO) in combination with Maitland’s mobilization and exercises was more effective as compared to Maitland’s mobilization with exercises alone in patients with knee OA.

Methods:

Sixty patients with knee OA were purposively selected and randomly distributed to two groups that received an intervention for eight weeks. Group A patients received Maitland’s mobilization in combination with exercises and group B patients received the same intervention as group A in combination with neuromuscular stimulation of VMO muscle. After eight weeks, outcome measures, i.e. Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) and Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) index, were reassessed.

Results:

Both groups showed significant (P<0.05) within-group improvement in the knee pain levels and stiffness as reflected by NPRS and WOMAC index.

Interpretation & conclusions:

Patients of both the groups (A and B) were found to be improving significantly in pain and disability, group A patients receiving Maitland’s mobilization in combination with exercises were found to get more relief in pain and disability.
Assessment of zinc inadequacy among tribal adolescent population of central India - A cross-sectional study
Authors: Kotnis Ashwin , Bhatt Girish C. , Joshi Deepti , Shukla Arvind K. , Gupta Palak , Shah Dishant , Choudhary Bharat , Patil Rajesh , Dubey Shiv Kumar , Shukla Mukesh , Joshi Ankur , Pakhare Abhijit P.
Published: November 2022

Background & objectives:

Zinc is a crucial micronutrient in adolescence, required for promoting growth and sexual maturation. Adolescents of some tribes may be at high risk of zinc deficiency due to dietary inadequacy and poor bioavailability of zinc from plant-based diets. This study aimed to evaluate the risk of zinc deficiency by estimating prevalence of inadequate zinc intake, prevalence of low serum zinc and stunting among tribal adolescents.

Methods:

A cross-sectional community-based survey was conducted among adolescents (10-19 yr) in three purposively selected districts where Bhil, Korku and Gond tribes were in majority. Structured data collection instrument comprising information about sociodemographic characteristics and dietary recall data was used. Anthropometric assessment was conducted by standardized weighing scales and anthropometry tapes, and blood sample was collected from antecubital vein into trace element-free vacutainers. Serum zinc was estimated using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer.

Results:

A total of 2310 households were approached for participation in the study, of which 2224 households having 5151 adolescents participated. Out of these enlisted adolescents, 4673 responded to dietary recall (90.7% response rate). Anthropometry of 2437 participants was carried out, and serum zinc was analyzed in 844 adolescents. The overall prevalence of dietary zinc inadequacy was 42.6 per cent [95% confidence interval (CI) 41.2 to 44.1] with reference to the estimated average requirement suggested by International Zinc Nutrition Consultative Group (IZiNCG) and 64.8 per cent (95% CI 63.4 to 66.2) with Indian Council of Medical Research-recommended requirements. Stunting was observed in 29 per cent (95% CI 27.2 to 30.8) participants. According to IZiNCG cut-offs, low serum zinc was detected in 57.5 per cent (95% CI 54.1 to 60.8) of adolescents, whereas it was 34.4 per cent (95% CI: 31.2-37.5) according to the national level cut-off.

Interpretation & conclusions:

Risk of dietary zinc inadequacy and low serum zinc concentration amongst adolescents of the Gond, Bhil and Korku tribes is a public health concern.
Vitamin D status among Kashmiri tribal population: A cross-sectional community-based study
Authors: Ganie Mohd Ashraf , Sahar Tajali , Wani Ishfaq , Rashid Aafia , Robbani Irfan , Nisar Sobia , Charoo Bashir A. , Bhat Mohd Ashraf , Gania Majid , Farooq Qaiser , Vishnubhatla Sreenivas , Lakshmy R. , Parvez Tabassum
Published: November 2022

Background & objectives:

Vitamin D deficiency (VDD) is prevalent across all age groups in general population of India but studies among tribal populations are scanty. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of VDD in the indigenous tribal population of the Kashmir valley and examine associated risk factors.

Methods:

In this cross-sectional investigation, a total of 1732 apparently healthy tribal participants (n=786 males and n=946 females) were sampled from five districts of Kashmir valley by using probability proportional to size method. Serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25(OH)D) levels were classified as per the Endocrine Society (ES) recommendations: deficiency (<20 ng/ml), insufficiency (20-30 ng/ml) and sufficiency (>30 ng/ml). The serum 25(OH)D levels were assessed in relation to various demographic characteristics such as age, sex, education, smoking, sun exposure, body mass index and physical activity.

Results:

The mean age of the male participants was 43.79±18.47 yr with a mean body mass index (BMI) of 20.50±7.53 kg/m2, while the mean age of female participants was 35.47±14.92 yr with mean BMI of 22.24±4.73 kg/m2. As per the ES guidelines 1143 of 1732 (66%) subjects had VDD, 254 (14.71%) had insufficient and 334 (19.3%) had sufficient serum 25(OH)D levels. VDD was equally prevalent in male and female participants. Serum 25(OH)D levels correlated positively with serum calcium, phosphorous and negatively with serum alkaline phosphatase. Gender, sun exposure, altitude, physical activity and BMI did not seem to contribute significantly to VDD risk.

Interpretation & conclusions:

VD deficiency is highly prevalent among Kashmiri tribals, although the magnitude seems to be lower as compared to the general population. These preliminary data are likely to pave way for further studies analyzing the impact of vitamin D supplementation with analysis of functional outcomes.
Comparison of Modified Ultrafast Giemsa Stain with the Standard May Grunwald Giemsa Stain in FNAC of Various Organs
Authors: Deepthi B. , Prayaga Aruna K. , Rukmangadha N.
Published: November 2022

Background:

The May-Grünwald Giemsa Stain is one of the preferred Romanwsky stains in studying cell morphology of air-dried smears with respect to cellular and nuclear size details and metachromatic extracellular ground with an approximate staining time of 20–30 min. A reduction in staining time and possible application of an ultrafast stain for rapid onsite evaluation (ROSE) of cytological material is the need of the hour. With the application of the new modified ultrafast Giemsa (MUFG) technique, rapid staining can be achieved, thereby helping in triaging of samples and, most importantly, providing an early preliminary diagnosis.

Aims:

The aim is to assess the quality index of the MUFG technique in FNAC of various organs in comparison with the standard MGG stain.

Materials and Methods:

A total of 61 FNAC cases were studied by random sampling. Two smears were prepared for each case and stained by both. Scores were given based on five parameters, and the quality index was calculated.

Statistical Analysis:

Results were analyzed using mean, median, standard deviation, “t” paired test, “P” value, and M-diff for statistical significance.

Results:

The quality index of MUFG smears was comparable to the standard MGG stain in salivary gland, breast, and thyroid aspirates and low in lymph node and soft tissue aspirates. MUFG is a rapid cost-effective stain which can be applied in the setting of ROSE for a preliminary diagnosis.

Conclusion:

MUFG is a reliable alternative and rapid technique for cytology diagnosis.
Diagnosis of Pleural Fluid Effusions by Cell Block and Pleural Biopsy – A Comparative Study
Authors: Rani S. S. Sabitha , Vamshidhar Immadi Sudhakar , John Nitin Ashok , John Jyoti
Published: November 2022

Background:

Cytological smear and cell block are commonly used to diagnose pleural fluid effusion. However, there is a paucity of information in the literature where a comparison between a cytological smear and a cell block with corresponding pleural biopsy has been done. This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of cytological smears, cell blocks, and pleural biopsy for the diagnosis of malignant tumors.

Material and Methods:

In this cross-sectional study, analysis of successive pleural fluid samples received by the department was done. The sample was divided into equal halves of 5 ml each. One was used for conventional smear and the second was used for the preparation of cell block. The cell block was prepared by centrifuging the specimen of fluid at 2500 rpm for 15 min. A pleural biopsy was obtained by using Cope's pleural biopsy needle.

Results:

A total of n = 50 cases were included in the study. A total of n = 8 cases were diagnosed as malignant by cell smear and n = 4 cases were suspicious for malignancy. By cell block, n = 10 cases of malignancy were diagnosed and n = 1 case was suspicious for malignancy. By biopsy, n = 11 cases were diagnosed as malignant and n = 1 case was suspicious for malignancy. Out of the total, n = 2 cases were diagnosed as squamous cell carcinoma by biopsy; one case was diagnosed by cell block; and the other was reported as suspicious for malignancy.

Conclusion:

The study shows that cell blocks are complementary to the cell smear technique in over diagnosis and categorization of benign as well as malignant cells. The cell blocks were more useful in the diagnosis of malignancy because of better preserved architectural patterns as seen in corresponding histopathology sections. It, therefore, appears that the cell blocks are a perfect fit to bridge the cytology and histopathology.
Impact of Imparting Emotional Intelligence Skills Training Program to Enhance Emotional Intelligence and Work Stress among Staff Nurses of Tertiary care Hospital of North Gujarat
Authors: Sharma P. , Srivastava Kajal , Landge J. , Vyas S.
Published: November 2022

ABSTRACT

Context:

Nurses play a pivotal role in patient care and at the same time, face stressful situations due to workload, so the need of the hour is to create awareness about emotional intelligence (EI) among nurses to tide over such situations.

Aims:

This study aimed (1) to measure baseline levels of EI in the control and intervention group of staff nurses, (2) to find the association between the sociodemographic factors and EI, (3) to give EI training skills program to the experimental group, (4) to measure any enhancement in EI Skills after the intervention, and (4) to assess any improvement in work performance (WP) after EI intervention.

Settings and Design:

An experimental study was conducted among nurses working in GMERS Hospital, Patan, who were working in critical care units and general hospital wards.

Materials and Methods:

One-third of nurses from each of the two blocks were taken (convenience sampling) from the two blocks (critical care units and general units), i.e., 24 and 42 nurses, respectively, and allocated into experimental and control groups, respectively. Questionnaire containing questions related to sociodemographic variables, the Schutte Self-Report EI test, and WP survey questionnaire by the University of Michigan Health System were used.

Statistical Analysis Used:

Quantitative data were summarized using means and standard deviation. The data were assessed for normality and suitable tests such as t-test and paired t-test were used.

Results:

A significant enhancement in mean EI score i.e 145.16±5.938 after intervention from base mean EI score of 132.42±4.21 was noticed. Furthermore, the job performance showed a statistically significant improvement after EI Intervention. None of the sociodemographic variables showed a statistically significant association with the EI scores of intervention group.

Conclusions:

The Study highlights the importance of EI Training among Staff nurses as an essential part of their training program, to cope up with stress level in their day to day life and this training also has a positive impact on their Job performance thereby enhancing the quality of patient care.
Pars Plana Vitrectomy in a Patient with Severe Chronic Titubation
Authors: Megbelayin Emmanuel Olu , Babalola Yewande Olubunmi , Seneadza Asiwome , Okonkwo Sunday Nnamdi
Published: November 2022

Surgeries on head and neck structures can be very challenging in individuals with titubation from any cause. Head tremor or titubation is a classic feature of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and Parkinsonism due to depletion of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta. A literature search using keywords such as head tremor, titubation, PD, eye surgery was carried out in English in major databases archiving medical literature like Google Scholar, Hinari, Scopus, and PubMed. Pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) was successfully carried out in a patient with titubation. A simple head support could ameliorate head tremors to enable performance of eye surgeries.
Interpersonal Violence Against Women With Spinal Cord Injury: Adding Insult to Injury
Authors: Robinson-Whelen Susan , Hughes Rosemary B. , Aguillard Kimberley , Gonzalez Diana , Taylor Heather B.
Published: November 2022

Background

Mounting empirical evidence suggests that, compared to women without disabilities, women with disabilities are more likely to experience interpersonal violence (IPV). However, there is extremely limited research attention on IPV against women with spinal cord injury (SCI), a particularly understudied and underserved population.

Objectives

To conduct the first known examination of lifetime IPV experience in women with SCI, to explore demographic and disability-related correlates of IPV, and to examine the health impacts of IPV.

Methods

The sample included 175 women with traumatic SCI from across the United States who enrolled in a randomized controlled trial of an online psychological health promotion intervention. The data, which included a brief measure of lifetime abuse, were collected as part of the baseline survey administered prior to randomization to the intervention or control conditions.

Results

The majority (55%) of the women described experiencing some abuse in their lifetime, with 43% reporting physical abuse, 32% reporting sexual abuse, and 23% reporting disability-related abuse. Sixteen percent of the women indicated that they had experienced all three (physical, sexual, disability) types of abuse. Few demographic and disability characteristics were related to overall lifetime IPV experience; however, disability characteristics were associated with disability-related IPV victimization. In addition, those with a history of IPV had poorer self-reported health and greater depression.

Conclusion

This study suggests that IPV is common among women with SCI. More research is needed to understand the prevalence, risk factors, and consequences of IPV against women with SCI to help inform policy and practice.
Pollution Status of Groundwater Resources Through Hydrochemical Characteristics - A Case Study From Southern India
Authors: Lakshmi S. Ponsadai , Deepa R. , Sankari S. Ganapathy , Jeyachandran M.
Published: November 2022

Mayiladuthurai is situated on the banks of river Cauveri. This research work aims to determine the quality of water which were collected from twenty groundwater sources. From the identified twenty locations, water samples were collected. The sampling stations include three taluks in the Mayiladuthurai district. The samples were analysed for various physicochemical qualities of water and compared with BIS & WHO standards. Frequency histogram and statistical analysis were applied to analyse the obtained data. Results of hydrochemistry revealed the dominance of hardness, magnesium and fluoride ions. The present investigation of hydrochemistry concludes that the drinking nature of the analyzed samples was very weak quality-wise and could not be used for drinking as such. Besides, fluoride ion related health problems were raised in some packets of the study area. The analytical report reveals that the quality of water has deteriorated and this may have a severe impact on human beings and other organisms in the study area.
Community-Based Rehabilitation (CBR) and its Impact on Quality of Life (QoL) of Disabled Children
Authors: Malik Areeba Ather , Nadeem Masood
Published: November 2022

Disability has a substantial impact on a person's Quality of Life (QoL). Rehabilitation, a process where measures are taken to improve the QoL of people with disabilities, uses a variety of techniques. Community-based rehabilitation (CBR) is one such technique. It was developed in response to the region's serious QoL as well as its poor accessibility to and availability of rehabilitation services. Therefore, the main goal of this study was to address the concerns facing impaired children and to create a reliable intervention (CBR) for handling those problems. A quantitative research method was applied in this study. Data was collected from 256 participants who were with mild disability i.e., Hearing Impaired, Visually Impaired, Mentally Retarded and Physically Handicapped along with their immediate families, concerned trained volunteers from five different schools. In-depth research was conducted on them by using instrument i.e., World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQoL) Bref (WHO, 2004), The CBR model implemented in the community of Bahawalpur, Pakistan. The results of the study revealed satisfactory proof of CBR effectiveness. According to the study, a community-based integrated model of CBR that employs an educational strategy following the guidelines in the WHO CBR manual has positive associations with the enhancement of the QoL of disabled children and the caregivers who care for them. Implementations and future research suggestions are also discussed thoroughly.
Phenotypic Traits of Echinococcus Granulosus Parasite Isolated from Cattle and Goats in AL-Diwaniya City, Iraq
Authors:   Department of Biology, College of Education, University of Al-Qadisiyah, Iraq, Alwan Marwa Sami
Published: November 2022

Hydatid cyst is the larval stage of Echinococcus granulosus and is found in tissues of the intermediate host and other structures. It has a spherical or semi-spherical shape and takes the shape of the affected organ, and its size varies with age. Seven samples of hydatid cysts were collected from the liver and lungs of infected animals, 5 samples from cows and 2 samples from goats. The incidence of liver injury was 57.1%, compared to the lungs, which accounted for 42.9%. The colors of the inner layers of hydatid cysts were studied in both cows and goats. Three colors were found: white with 14.2%, yellow and yellowish-white with 42.9% for each. The lengths of the large hooks (LH) were also studied, which were 26.9 ± 0.585 for goats and 25.9 ± 0.555 for cows.
Prevalence and Triggering Factors Associated with Mobile Phone Addiction among University Students in Bangladesh
Authors:   Statistics Discipline, Science Engineering and Technology School, Khulna University, Khulna-9208, Bangladesh, Ghosh Antora , Shirin Sara Sabiha ,   Statistics Discipline, Science Engineering and Technology School, Khulna University, Khulna-9208, Bangladesh, Deb Nath Chuton ,   Assistant Professor, Mass Communication and Journalism Discipline, Khulna University, Khulna-9208, Bangladesh, Talukder Ashis ,   Assistant Professor, Statistics Discipline, Science Engineering and Technology School, Khulna University, Khulna-9208, Bangladesh.
Published: November 2022

BACKGROUND: Nowadays, mobile phones are constantly being improved by enlarging upon their functionalities, which in turn increases the tendency of overuse and addiction. This study aimed to find the prevalence and factors associated with mobile phone addiction (MPA) among university students in Bangladesh.METHODS: This study recruited 379 participants by a self-administrated online based e-questionnaire using a cross section design. Leung’s Mobile phone Addiction Index Scale was used to assess MPA. In addition, logistic regression analysis was used to explore the associated factors for MPA.RESULTS: The overall prevalence of MPA was 42.2 % among the current university students. However, the addiction rate was 45.7 % among <25 years old participants. Spending time on the social media sites and lose sleep due to late night internet device activity were the reasons for MPA among university students in Bangladesh. Participants age less than 25 years and studying in undergraduate level had a higher chance of MPA.CONCLUSION: This study exposed that the prevalence of MPA was comparatively higher among younger participants. Spend time on social media sites and lose sleep due to late night internet activity are the most significant determinants of MPA. Thus, raising awareness among the younger generation is most important to reduce MPA. The findings of the study can be used to support health and educational organizations design programs that will help prevent MPA among university students in Bangladesh