bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Introduction to Nutrition and Autoimmune Diseases
Authors: Bukke Sarad Pawar Naik , Kumarachari Rajasekhar Komarla , Swetha Medishetti , Subbarayan Shanthi , Goruntla Narayana , Yadesa Tadale , Samineni Ramu
Published: August 2024

Researchers and healthcare professionals are eager to understand how nutrition affects autoimmune diseases due to their rise. This chapter explores how diet affects autoimmune diseases, aiming to explain how nutrition can aid or hinder their development. Nutrition affects brain activity, muscle health, bone strength, nerve function, skin integrity, blood circulation, and immune system strength. For fuel, the body needs a balanced diet. For optimal health and development, a balanced diet includes carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, fibre, and water. Malnutrition is a major issue stemming from inadequate nutrient intake. Understanding how diet affects health is crucial because nutritional factors affect heart attacks, certain cancers, strokes, and type 2 diabetes mellitus. BMI is a useful tool for assessing nutritional status, emphasising the importance of normal weight. Nutrients like proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals help maintain bodily functions and prevent malnutrition. Proteins ensure tissue synthesis and repair, while fats improve health, with saturated and unsaturated fats guiding diets. Essential fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals support bodily functions. The complex relationship between nutrition and autoimmune diseases emphasises the importance of a balanced diet. Nutritional interventions are important due to celiac disease and processed foods. Food and exercise are essential for lifelong health, body composition, musculoskeletal health, and physical and cognitive performance, as the chapter concludes. The complex relationship between nutrition and autoimmune diseases is explored in this study to help researchers, healthcare professionals, and individuals better understand the relationship.
Nutritional Epidemiology of Autoimmune Diseases
Authors: Hazra Ahana , Chakraborty Rideb , Afrose Naureen , Bhowmick Pratibha , Bhowmick Mithun
Published: August 2024

Many illnesses collectively referred to as autoimmune disorders are defined by an aberrant immune response directed against healthy bodily components. There are roughly 100 autoimmune illnesses, and at least 3% to 5% of people are thought to be affected by them. Although the exact cause of the disease is still unknown, environmental and genetic variables are known to be important in its development. The prognosis and management of disease have significantly improved with pharmaceutical treatments. But the side effects of medications and exorbitant price prohibit their widespread use. In many autoimmune disorders, there has been a growing interest in complementary and alternative medicines to enhance the results of traditional therapies. For a number of significant autoimmune illnesses, diet has the ability to enhance clinical results as a modifiable component. This chapter offers thoughts on the role of nutrition in the prevention and treatment of some of the most common autoimmune illnesses, as well as an overview and analysis of observational and experimental investigations.
Overview of Autoimmune Diseases and the Role of Diet
Authors: Kataki Chitralekha
Published: August 2024

Autoimmune diseases, posing significant public health challenges globally, involve immune system dysfunction targeting the body's own tissues. This chapter offers a detailed exploration, categorizing them into organ-specific and systemic disorders and analysing mechanisms driving their development. Factors like genetic predisposition, gender, environmental triggers, and geographical influences are investigated for their roles in disease onset and progression. Additionally, the chapter delves into the emerging understanding of diet's impact on autoimmune diseases, from industrial additives affecting gut permeability to dietary patterns altering gut microbiota composition. Moreover, the therapeutic potential of dietary interventions like the Mediterranean diet and gluten-free diets in managing autoimmune diseases is examined. By addressing types of autoimmune diseases, their influencing factors, and the evolving role of diet, this chapter aims to offer valuable insights for clinicians, researchers, and policymakers striving to enhance prevention, diagnosis, and management strategies.
Immunology of Dietary Exposures
Authors: Chakraborty Rideb , Afrose Naureen , Hazra Ahana , Bhowmick Pratibha , Bhowmick Mithun
Published: August 2024

The chapter delves into the intricate relationship between the immune system and food in the context of autoimmune diseases. Recent research has shown that dietary components, such as gluten, dairy proteins, and certain food additives, can cause abnormal immune responses in vulnerable individuals. Symbiosis is linked to the deterioration of immunological tolerance and the emergence of autoimmune disorders, with the gut microbiota acting as a major mediator in the immunomodulatory effects of food. The chapter also discusses molecular imitation, where food antigens can trigger cross-reactive immune responses and prolong autoimmune inflammation by physically resembling self-antigens. Current research has clarified how epigenetic changes mediate the effect of food exposures on immune function, offering new directions for therapeutic intervention. The chapter emphasizes the need for tailored strategies based on immunological, microbiological, and genetic profiling to develop customized dietary interventions and targeted therapeutic strategies for autoimmune disorders.
Nutrigenomics in Autoimmune Disease
Authors: Mohapatra Lucy , Mishra Deepak , Singh Ayushi , Tripathi Alok S. , Parida Sambit Kumar , Dutta Pushan Kumar
Published: August 2024

Nutrigenomics is a fast-developing science that holds great promise for treating and understanding autoimmune disorders like multiple sclerosis (MS), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Recent research indicates that dietary variables may impact the course of many illnesses by modifying gene expression through epigenetic alterations, without altering the underlying DNA sequence. Certain nutrients, such as omega-3 and fatty acids, have been demonstrated to use epigenetic mechanisms to control inflammatory pathways and decrease disease activity in RA. Epigenetic modulation of gene expression by vitamin D and other micronutrients regulates immunological responses and neuroinflammation in multiple sclerosis (MS). This chapter highlights the opportunities to establish tailored dietary interventions to slow the progression of the autoimmune diseases and enhance patient outcomes by having a better understanding of the complex interactions between nutrients and epigenetic alterations in autoimmune disorders.
Gut Microbiome and Diet Interaction
Authors: Ogidi Odangowei Inetiminebi , Felagha Iniebiyo
Published: August 2024

The survival of hosts is contingent upon the gut microbiota, an ecosystem composed of billions of microorganisms residing in the intestinal space. Microbial colonization is a concurrent process with immune system maturation that impacts gastrointestinal function. Diet influences the composition of the microbiota in the intestines. For the maintenance, restoration, and development of bodily tissues, humans require carbohydrates, protein, lipids, and an assortment of other nutrients on a consistent basis. The progression and initiation of diseases may be impacted by alterations in the feeding patterns of the intestinal microbiota, which subsequently influence the physiological state of the host. Changes in the quantity and functionality of intestinal bacteria are hallmarks of chronic noncommunicable diseases. A greater comprehension of the influence that bacteria and their metabolites have on the onset and/or progression of various human diseases can be attained through an analysis of the interaction among the gut microbiota, diet, and host as discussed in this chapter.
An Alternate Strategy for the Regulation of Inflammatory and Autoimmune Disorders
Authors: Chhotaray Sangeeta , Jal Soumya
Published: August 2024

Dysregulated immune responses against self-antigens cause tissue damage and chronic inflammation, which in turn cause autoimmune disorders. Dietary variables and nutritional imbalances contribute to the development and progression of autoimmune pathogenesis, while genetic predisposition is also involved. The gut microbiota, a community of microorganisms in the gastrointestinal tract, is crucial for human health and disease. The relationship between dietary nutrients and the gut microbiota is complex, with nutrients influencing microbial composition and function, while the gut microbiota influences nutrient metabolism and absorption. Key nutrients, such as fibers, proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals, affect gut microbial communities, while the gut microbiota contributes to the bioavailability of essential nutrients and the synthesis of bioactive compounds. Dysregulation of this symbiotic relationship, known as dysbiosis, has been linked to various diseases. Understanding this complex interplay offers potential therapeutic interventions for promoting gut health, modulating immune function, and managing disease states. Future research should focus on understanding the mechanisms of nutrient-microbiota interactions, exploring personalized dietary approaches, and harnessing nutritional interventions for optimizing human health and well-being. Therefore, nutrition plays an important part in the development of autoimmune illnesses; this chapter focuses on the ways nutrition affects inflammation, autoimmunity, and immune function. Diet has emerged as a major lifestyle component in the epidemic of inflammatory diseases and autoimmune disorders, which is affecting people in both industrialised and developing nations. Also, the current “Western diet” has altered in recent years, adding more calories and changing the proportions of various food groups, such as reducing fibre and increasing fat and carbohydrate quality. Because alterations in the makeup of the gut microbiota are linked to numerous inflammatory disorders, the fact that diet modifies the microbial ecology of the large intestine may have significant implications for human health.
Introduction to Nutrition and Autoimmune Diseases
Authors: Bose Debosreeta
Published: August 2024

Celiac disease is an autoimmune hereditary disorder that occurs in genetically predisposed people where the ingestion of gluten leads to damage in their small intestine. When people with celiac disease consume gluten, their body mounts an immune response that attacks the villi of small intestine, which are small finger like projections that promote nutrient absorption. A damaged villi is incapable of absorbing food properly. If left untreated, celiac disease can lead to additional serious health problems. Gluten free diet is the only option to keep the symptoms low. Recently, probiotics have acquired significant attention because of their potential benefits in a wide range of biomedical applications. Thus, administering probiotics as a plausible therapeutic measure for improving the gut health and overall quality of life of patients suffering with this disease is of notable concern. The chapter aims to examine such probiotic applications for patients suffering from celiac disease through comprehensive literature analysis with emphasis on dietary supplements and requirements.
Impact of Obesity on Cognitive Skills in Patients With Schizophrenia
Authors: Uludag Kadir , Sabior Ali
Published: August 2024

Previous literature has demonstrated that obesity is associated with cognitive deficits in various domains, including memory, attention, and working memory. In this manuscript, the authors have examined the effects of obesity on cognitive skills in patients with schizophrenia (SCZ), using inflammatory and oxidative approaches to explain the relationship between obesity and symptom severity. They conducted a literature search on PubMed using the keywords “obesity cognition schizophrenia symptoms.” The analysis revealed that obesity status was associated with cognitive impairments in SCZ patients, with increased body mass index (BMI) linked to reduced cognitive performance. However, only a few studies reported a positive relationship between increased cognitive skills and obesity status. Obesity, overweight status, and increasing BMI are linked to cognitive impairments in SCZ patients, particularly in domains such as memory, attention, and working memory.
IT for Healthcare and Food Safety Enhancing Public Health Through Technology Integration
Authors: Vegesna Vinod Varma , Adepu Ashwin , Whig Pawan
Published: August 2024

Information technology (IT) has become indispensable in advancing healthcare and ensuring food safety, providing robust solutions for data management, analysis, and communication. This chapter explores the role of IT in transforming healthcare services and food safety protocols. The authors examine the implementation of electronic health records (EHRs), telemedicine, and health information systems that enhance patient care, improve diagnostic accuracy, and facilitate efficient data sharing. In the realm of food safety, they discuss IT applications such as blockchain for traceability, sensor technologies for real-time monitoring, and big data analytics for risk assessment and quality control. The chapter presents case studies and examples to illustrate how IT innovations are improving public health outcomes by ensuring the integrity of healthcare services and the safety of the food supply. By integrating IT solutions, this chapter highlights the potential for technology to enhance both healthcare and food safety, ultimately protecting and promoting public health.
Food and Supplement Safety Using Data Science and ML Ensuring Quality and Compliance
Authors: Whig Pawan , Dhamodharan Balaji , Molli Vijaya Lakshmi Pavani , Dutta Pushan Kumar
Published: August 2024

Data science is playing a crucial role in enhancing food and supplement safety, ensuring that products meet regulatory standards and are safe for consumption. This chapter explores the application of data science techniques in monitoring and ensuring the safety and quality of food and dietary supplements. The authors examine the methodologies used for data collection, analysis, and predictive modeling to detect contaminants, adulteration, and compliance with safety regulations. The chapter also covers the integration of big data sources, such as laboratory results, consumer feedback, and supply chain data, to provide comprehensive safety assessments. Case studies and real-world applications illustrate how data science can preemptively identify potential safety issues and improve regulatory compliance. This chapter aims to provide a detailed understanding of how leveraging data science can enhance food and supplement safety, thereby protecting public health.
Data Science for Personalized Nutrition Harnessing Big Data for Tailored Dietary Recommendations
Authors: Gami Sandip J. , Dhamodharan Balaji , Dutta Pushan Kumar , Gupta Vaibhav , Whig Pawan
Published: August 2024

The advent of data science has revolutionized various sectors, with personalized nutrition emerging as a significant beneficiary. This chapter explores the integration of data science techniques in developing tailored dietary recommendations. By leveraging big data, including genomic, phenotypic, and lifestyle information, personalized nutrition aims to optimize health and prevent diseases. The authors delve into the methodologies for data collection, analysis, and interpretation, highlighting the role of machine learning algorithms in predicting individual nutritional needs. Case studies and real-world applications are discussed to illustrate the practical benefits and challenges of implementing personalized nutrition strategies. This chapter aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of how data science can transform nutrition into a highly individualized and effective approach to health and well-being.
Nutrition-Mediated Immunity in Autoimmune Disorders at Molecular Pharmacological Approach
Authors: Shaikh Zuber Peermohammed , Bhise Satish Balkrishna
Published: August 2024

In autoimmune disorders (AD), innate defenses are inborn abilities of the immune system to detect, attack, and eliminate (or at least restrain) pathogenic invaders. In summary, micronutrients are essential for fine-tuning the development and function of immune cells. Altered homeostasis of micronutrients as seen in various autoimmune diseases could critically influence immunity and promote autoimmune dysregulations. The geo-epidemiological distribution of autoimmune diseases (ADs), their correlation with socioeconomic status, and their rapid increase in developed countries, together with observations in migrant populations, suggest that environmental factors, rather than genetic ones, are chiefly driving these evolutionary processes. This also paves the way for adaptive immune recognition that provides long-lasting immunity. The co-stimulation signals ensure nonreactivity when encountering self-antigens, in which case peripheral tolerance (through deletion or energy) would be induced. However, it is complicated how deviations would occur and specifically, how the breach of self-tolerance and autoimmunity would develop different antigen-based disorders.
Harnessing Persuasive Technologies for Enhanced Learner Engagement and Motivation
Authors: Tariq Muhammad Usman
Published: August 2024

This chapter discusses persuasive technologies, and their use in the construct of education with a view to increasing learner participation. This concept centers on the role of interested in the process of learning, and the chapter also identifies how persuasive technology can be used to increase the learners' interest in the course. There are many samples and actual references with the theory and practical approaches about the use of persuading technologies in learning environments. The chapter explores the concept of persuasive features aimed at designing and integrating promotional aspects to learning technologies included in e-learning environments and mobile applications, learning games, and other IT gimmicks. It also provides examples of the positive effects of persuasive technology in promoting intrinsic motivation among the learners; a summative analysis of the achievements, problems, and issues encountered during the implementation of persuasive technology solutions among the learners which are presented in form of case studies.
The Effectiveness of Online Learning on Perceived Motivation and Engagement on Working Students
Authors: Wang Jiaxin , Yahaya Wan Ahmad Jaafar Wan
Published: August 2024

Education is the key to the passing on of the human flame, and after the baptism of the Covid-19 epidemic, the civilization of human society is still shining in history after all the trials and tribulations. In the present era after the epidemic, along with the development of Internet education and the experience of online teaching in the previous epidemic emergency, the booming development of online education has become an irreversible torrent of the times. It has also been proved that online learning has many benefits compared with traditional face-to-face classroom teaching methods, and at the same time, it also faces many challenges. This chapter explores the current situation and prospects of online learning by combining the literature and conducting a survey study at the same time to visualize the attitudes of working students towards online learning methods. This study is constructed on the basis of self-attribution theory, and through quantitative research, the authors obtained and analyzed data scales through online questionnaires, focusing on the motivation and engagement of educated people who have entered the workplace, so as to find out how to improve the effectiveness of online learning, and to provide a reference direction for the improvement of online education in the future.
Pedagogical Paradigms
Authors: Ochoa-Tataje Freddy , Alanya-Beltran Joel , Ruiz-Salazar Jenny , Velarde-Vela Luis , Perez-Peralta Eladia , La-Chira-Loli Monica
Published: August 2024

The guiding concepts, procedures, and strategies that teachers employ to promote learning are known as pedagogical paradigms. They support the entire educational process and have an impact on how knowledge is organized, disseminated, and assimilated by students. Comprehending the importance of pedagogical paradigms is crucial, as they influence students' learning experiences and their capacity to acquire and utilize knowledge efficiently. The primary goal of education is to equip people with the skills and knowledge necessary to meet the opportunities and challenges of both their personal and professional lives.
Commerce 5.0
Authors: Kapoor Uchit , Thilaga S. , Gupta Manish , Polke Nikhil , Dhanraj Joshuva Arockia
Published: August 2024

Commerce 5.0 is the newest step forward in business. It's a paradigm shift made possible by the use of cutting-edge technologies. It's a move away from traditional transactional models and toward dynamic, digitally driven ecosystems that put an emphasis on hyper-personalization, seamless connectivity, and processing data in real time. Commerce 5.0 uses new technologies like AI, blockchain, IoT, AR, and others to change how businesses work with customers and the market. One thing that makes Commerce 5.0 unique is that it focuses on making ecosystems that are very flexible and quick to respond. Businesses can learn a lot about customer behavior, preferences, and trends by using AI-driven analytics and predictive modeling. In this way, they can give each customer a more customized experience and make offerings that really speak to them. Companies can get real-time data from all along the supply chain by using IoT devices and sensors.
Supply Chain Security in 6G Networks
Authors: Shameem A. , Visvesvaran C. , Revathi V. , Jain Alok , Singhal Ritesh Kumar , Dhanraj Joshuva Arockia
Published: August 2024

A significant advancement in the field of wireless telecommunications is marked by the move towards 6G networks. Inheriting an unprecedented level of connectivity and technological advancement, 6G networks are the logical progression of 5G. The need for fast data transmission is growing, and new technologies are popping up all over the place, and these technologies require strong and dependable communication networks. Moving to 6G networks basically means creating and implementing state-of-the-art wireless infrastructure that can adapt to the changing demands of contemporary society.
Telemedicine in 6G
Authors: Mantri Shivkumar P. , Manjunath Maurya , Bathrinath S. , Kavitha N. , Sakthivel M. , Manikandan R. , Babu S. B. G. Tilak
Published: August 2024

The development of 6G technology is driving telemedicine, which has the potential to completely transform the way that healthcare is delivered by facilitating remote consultations, diagnosis, and treatment. This study examines how telemedicine and 6G technology interact, with an emphasis on how these developments could change patient care, increase accessibility, and strengthen security. The authors begin by explaining what telemedicine is and giving a general review of 6G technology, emphasizing its extraordinarily dependable, latency-free communication capabilities. The thesis that telemedicine in 6G presents a secure frontier for transforming healthcare is emphasized, as is the significance of security in telemedicine.
Reverse Pyramid Attention Guidance Network for Person Re-Identification
Authors: Liu Jiang , Bai Wei , Hui Yun
Published: August 2024

Person re-identification aims to retrieve pedestrians with the same identity across different cameras. However, current methods increase attention to interfering regions when dealing with complex backgrounds and occlusion, especially in the presence of similar interfering features. To enhance the robustness of the model, we propose the Reverse Pyramid Attention Guidance (RPAG) network, using a reverse pyramid structure to learn features at multiple granularities. To mitigate the impact of occlusion, we introduce the Similar Feature Filtering (SFF) attention module at the pixel level, using graph convolution to adaptively select occluded regions, thereby enhancing retrieval accuracy by filtering out irrelevant parts. Combining the reverse pyramid structure with the pixel-level attention module strengthens adaptability to complex scenes, guides multi-granularity feature learning, and effectively handles various occlusion scenarios. RPAG achieved Rank-1 accuracies of 96.2%, 93.2%, 88.7%, and 73.2% on the Market1501, DukeMTMC-ReID, MSMT17, and Occluded-Duke datasets, respectively.
Repurposing Video Games as Discussion Tools
Authors: Patterson Joshua M.
Published: August 2024

Numerous video games marketed entirely for entertainment purposes, also known as commercial, off-the-shelf (COTS) titles, can serve as an effective tool for teaching students complicated skills such as executive functioning, hypothesis testing, and critical analysis. In this phenomenological case study, I outline a pedagogical approach that harnesses the trinity of content knowledge, discursive prowess, and video game aptitude by capitalizing on pupils' preference for digital integration. Video game titles were selected according to their scores on Rice's (2007) “Video Game Higher-Order Thinking Evaluation Rubric” and “Video Game Cognitive Viability Scale,” with lessons tied to Florida's Next Generation Sunshine State Standards for social studies. The implication of this study is that COTS titles offer an alternative curricular entry point, which can elicit higher-order discussions when paired with pointed, teacher-led inquiry. This methodology, if properly harnessed, could transmit subject manner more effectively and create critically reflective, game-based learning cohorts.
Dynamic Adaptive Mechanism Design and Implementation in VSS for Large-Scale Unified Log Data Collection
Authors: Fan Zhijie , Yang Bo , Peng Jing , Pei Bingsen , Zheng Changsong , Li Xin
Published: August 2024

This paper studies the collection of large-scale log data of information system and puts forward a dynamic adaptive mechanism for large-scale unified log data collection. Furthermore, we design and implement our method for pan-government industry safety operation management platform. The data flow processing architecture based on message queue is adopted to realize the decoupling of log collection, log processing and log reporting. The traffic peak clipping technology of message queue is adopted to ensure the safety and reliability of log transmission. According to the characteristics of log traffic, a design mode supporting dynamic adjustment of consumption group is proposed to meet the high-performance requirements of the system. The whole system can meet the centralized analysis, security threat perception and intelligent analysis of various security data. Meanwhile, we analyzed and compared with the traditional open-source log collection technology, our proposed method and system has clear advantages.
Advancing Muslim Modest Fashion Clothing
Authors: Manzoor Shamima Raihan , Al-Mahmud Abdullah , Asmawi Arnifa , Manzoor Shahida Raihan
Published: August 2024

The rise of digital marketing involves leveraging fashion influencers, like bloggers and celebrities, to expand brand reach and drive sales, more notably in the post-pandemic era. In the realm of modest fashion, young female Muslim influencers have played a significant role, tapping into a vast market and positively impacting the global economy. Therefore, this study attempts to explore the impact of these influencers on female modest fashion consumers' decisions associated with their visible Muslim identity and to understand the fashion-faith landscape through the challenges for the influencers. Driven by the theory of two-step communication flow among fashion opinion leaders and fashion consumers, this study adopted a qualitative approach and a research design underlying hermeneutic phenomenology by using semi-structured interviews with modest fashion consumers and secondary source information about influencers. The findings offer valuable insights for consumers, industry stakeholders, and policymakers to support the modest fashion trend and promote a dignified Muslim identity.
Transforming Food Systems
Authors: Tyagi Sapna , Bag Surajit , Oberoi Sarbjit Singh , Banerjee Sayan , Benabdellah Abla Chaouni
Published: August 2024

This study explores the use of digital technologies by food supply chain firms to enhance circular practices, aiming to boost the social, economic, and environmental sustainability of food supply chains. The literature on digital technologies in the food supply chain has experienced significant growth in the last few years. Given the critical importance of these technologies, there is an urgent need for a thorough systematic literature review to integrate and reconcile the findings. This research uses SPAR-4 SLR with the theories, context and methods (TCM) framework to synthesize the body of literature on digital technologies for circular and sustainable food supply chain. The study integrates existing knowledge to propose future research directions, while also addressing identified gaps in theories, methods and contexts.
C1q/MASP Complexes—Hybrid Complexes of Classical and Lectin Pathway Proteins Are Found in the Circulation
Authors: Rosbjerg Anne , Plchová Tereza Alica , Bayarri-Olmos Rafael , Holm Bettina Eide , Pedersen Ida Sandau , Skjoedt Mikkel-Ole , Garred Peter
Published: August 2024

Complement pathways, traditionally regarded as separate entities in vitro, are increasingly noted for cross-communication and bypass mechanisms. Among these, the MBL/ficolin/CL-associated serine protease (MASP)-3, a component of lectin pathway pattern recognition molecules, has shown the ability to process critical substrates such as pro-factor D and insulin growth factor binding protein-5. Given shared features between lectin pathway pattern recognition molecules and C1q from the classical pathway, we hypothesized that C1q might be a viable in vivo binding partner for the MASPs. We used microscale thermophoresis, ELISA, and immunoprecipitation assays to detect C1q/MASP complexes and functionally assessed the complexes through enzymatic cleavage assays. C1q/MASP-3 complexes were detected in human serum and correlated well with MASP-3 serum levels in healthy individuals. The binding affinity between MASP-3 and C1q in vitro was in the nanomolar range, and the interaction was calcium-dependent, as demonstrated by their dissociation in the presence of EDTA. Furthermore, most of the circulating C1q-bound MASP-3 was activated. Based on immunoprecipitation, also C1q/MASP-2 complexes appeared to be present in serum. Finally, C1q/MASP-2 and C1q/MASP-3 in vitro complexes were able to cleave C4 and pro-factor D, respectively. Our study reveals the existence of C1q/MASP complexes in the circulation of healthy individuals, and both C1q/MASP-2 and C1q/MASP-3 complexes display proteolytic activity. Hence, this study uncovers a crosstalk route between complement pathways not previously described.
Effectiveness of planned health education on knowledge regarding HIV-TB co-infection among HIV patients
Authors: Banubi  , Lakshmi G. Vijaya
Published: August 2024

BACKGROUND:

In various parts of the world, mainly in developing nations, co-infection with HIV and tuberculosis (TB) is a significant public health concern. Commonly HIV-TB co-infection is related to a lack of knowledge on TB among people surviving with HIV. Hence, the particular research study is done to know the effectiveness of planned health education on HIV-TB co-infection among HIV patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

“Nonrandomized controlled trail design” (before and after trial) was used for the study. Written permission was granted from hospital authorities and written consent was obtained from HIV patients after explaining the study and its objectives. Data were collected from 80 HIV-positive patients using a purposive sampling technique. These patients were interviewed for their knowledge of HIV-TB co-infection, followed by health teaching was delivered. After 8 days of health education, a posttest was carried out using the same tool.

RESULTS:

It was showed that pretest mean knowledge scores were 4.18 with a 1.97 standard deviation (SD), whereas posttest mean knowledge scores were 7.58 with a 2.12 SD. The obtained paired t-value was 10.31, which at the 0.05 level was statistically significant and revealed that health education was effective in improving HIV patients’ knowledge scores.

CONCLUSION:

The present research study concluded that the health teaching program was effective in improving knowledge scores regarding HIV-TB co-infection among HIV patients. Hence, there is an urgent need to educate HIV patients on the prevention of HIV-TB co-infection.
Pharmacological effects of Pterocarpus marsupium
Authors: Basnayake Pradeepa Isurumali , Gunatilake Mangala
Published: August 2024

Pterocarpus marsupium (PM) (Gammalu in Sinhala) is a member of the Fabaceae family. It is a large deciduous tree, indigenous to Sri Lanka, India, and Nepal. Due to its therapeutic benefits, PM is regarded as a medicinal plant in Ayurveda and for industrial products. This narrative review focuses on the pharmacological effects of PM, its’ bioactive compounds, biological effects, and toxicity. For this, literature was gathered via Google Scholar (102), PubMed (89), ScienceDirect (22), published books, web pages, and personal communication (13). The remaining literature was selected after the elimination of 14 duplicates. Titles and abstracts were considered, and some studies were excluded due to insufficient data and irrelevance. After this screening, 133 papers were removed. A total of 66 articles were selected by reading the abstracts that report the pharmacological effects of PM. The main keywords used were PM, Gammalu, Indian kino, phytochemicals, antidiabetic, hypoglycaemic, anti-dyslipidaemic, antioxidant, anti-inflammation, anti-diarrhoeal, anti-cataract, and toxicity.
Assessment of knowledge, attitude, and behaviors of undergraduate medical students about sedentary lifestyle and lifestyle modifications – A facility based descriptive study
Authors: Kour Harpreet , Kadeangadi Deepti M , Patil Parwati P. , Kudachi Padmashri
Published: August 2024

INTRODUCTION:

A sedentary lifestyle has become very common in the medical student leading to obesity. MBBS training period of 5½ years is extensive and very challenging. To cope with time and course curriculum, medical students adapt to multiple unhealthy lifestyle arrays. Many scientific articles have reported that medical students develop numerous health diseases over due to their unbalanced schedules and routines. With limited preexisting data on lifestyle patterns of medical students, this study was planned to assess the knowledge, attitude, and behaviors of 1st year undergraduate medical students about sedentary lifestyle and lifestyle modifications at Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, KAHER, Belagavi, Karnataka state, India.

METHODOLOGY:

This is a facility-based descriptive study done among 200 first-year medical undergraduate students in the Department of Physiology, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, KLE Academy of Higher Education and Research, Belagavi. A predesigned structured questionnaire was circulated by Google Forms and responses were coded and entered into a Microsoft Excel sheet. The data analysis was done using percentages (%). Ethical clearance was obtained from the institutional ethical committee for human’s subject’s research of the medical college.

RESULTS:

Among 200 medical students, 192 (96%) of them responded to the questionnaire. About 174 (87%) of the students were practicing physical activity, about 52 (26%) of them did it five times per week, 70 (35%) did three times a week, and 50 (25%) did only once a week, whereas 26 (13%) of the students did not perform physical activity at all. During free time, the students had varied behavior about 59 (29.6%) of students spent time in one or another form of physical activity, 44 (21.8%) enjoyed music, 45 (22.3%) were active in social networking, 23 (11.4%) liked reading and creativity, and 29 (14.5%) of them did not respond to this question. About 110 (54.7%) strongly agreed to include training modules on the prevention of lifestyle disorders in undergraduate medical curriculum.

CONCLUSION:

More than half of the students told that 60 min of moderate-to-vigorous activity should be done regularly. Nearly two-thirds of them knew about the prevalence of obesity and listed the diseases caused by lifestyle diseases. Majority of the students practiced physical activity and knew about lifestyle diseases and were able to identify sedentary behavior. Nearly half of them told that a training module on the prevention of lifestyle diseases is required. There is an utmost important need to include a component of physical fitness in the undergraduate medical curriculum. This will help medical students to decrease stress and improve mental health.
Successful Recanalization by Mechanical Thrombectomy in a Child with Arterial Thrombotic Stroke Involving Posterior Circulation: A Case Report with Review of the Literature
Authors: Mangal Aanchal , Bhutani Neeraj , Sharma D. P.
Published: August 2024

Background:

Mechanical thrombectomy (MT) for arterial ischemic stroke, although established in adults, is not endorsed routinely for children. The procedure is even rare in children with stroke involving posterior circulation. Here we describe, a child with ischemic stroke due to thrombotic occlusion in the posterior circulation, which was successfully treated with MT.

Clinical Description:

A 12-year-old boy presented with sudden-onset vertigo, imbalance, slurring of speech, inability to stand, associated with headache and vomiting for 8 hours, without any associated fever, trauma, or seizures. On initial examination, his National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score was 8. Other systems were within normal limits and there was no cutaneous rash.

Management and Outcome:

Investigations revealed a normal complete hemogram, lipid profile, serum homocysteine, fibrinogen, and D-dimer levels along with a normal hemoglobin electrophoresis profile. The electrocardiography, two-dimensional echocardiography were normal and even antinuclear antibodies, antiphospholipid antibodies were negative. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain demonstrated multiple acute infarcts in bilateral cerebellar hemispheres, pons, and right anterior thalamus. Noncontrast MR angiography (MRA) of the head and digital subtraction angiography showed distal basilar artery cutoff and right vertebral artery dominance. As the NIHSS score worsened to 10, a MT with solitaire was done (after 12 hours of onset of symptoms), and reperfusion was achieved in two passes. The child showed remarkable improvement in NIHSS score to 2 by 5 days. At discharge, the child had residual mild ataxia. Despite investigations, the cause of thrombosis remained unknown.

Conclusion:

Our case highlights that in case of significant large arterial occlusion with rapid worsening of symptoms, MT may be considered, even if it involves posterior circulation, and the child presents beyond the usual window of 4–6 hours.
Spontaneous Intrauterine Gastric Perforation: A Rare Cause of Fetal and Neonatal Ascites
Authors: Kaur Harveen , Binu Vineet , Tawab C. N. Abdul , Chandran Shanu
Published: August 2024

Background:

Ascites in the fetal period persisting into the neonatal period is a rare condition occurring due to a variety of causes, including urinary, bilious, chylous, congenital infections, peritonitis, gastrointestinal malformations, or metabolic diseases. Gastrointestinal malformations account for very few such cases.

Clinical Description:

We report a rare case of a preterm male newborn, delivered at 31 + 1 weeks with antenatal suspicion of fetal hydrops and oligohydramnios. The baby was born with isolated massive ascites with respiratory distress, though was hemodynamically stable. There was no pallor, and air entry was reduced in both lungs with normal cardiovascular evaluation.

Management and Outcome:

He underwent a complete evaluation for isolated fetal ascites, including echocardiography, ultrasound, and blood investigations. Erect abdominal X-ray showed air under the diaphragm, following which the newborn underwent laparotomy, which confirmed gastric perforation. Surgical repair resulted in the resolution of ascites. Postoperatively, supportive care, mechanical ventilation, total parenteral nutrition, and intravenous antibiotics were provided. The baby gradually tolerated enteral feeds by day 15 and was discharged on day 38.

Conclusion:

Gastric perforation in the intrauterine period should be kept as one of the differential diagnoses in newborns presenting with isolated ascites, the perforation may be spontaneous or idiopathic.
A Rare Compound Heterozygous Mutation of TRPM6 Gene in Hereditary Hypomagnesemia with Secondary Hypocalcemia: A Cause of Refractory Seizures in an Infant
Authors: Bhattacharya Chandreyee , Sinha Rajiv , Dey Subrata , Maulik Kaushik
Published: August 2024

Background:

Hypomagnesemia is an important cause of refractory hypocalcemic seizures. Among the causes of hypomagnesemia, genetic defects are rare.

Clinical Description:

A 20-month-old boy presented with a history of repeated hypocalcemic convulsions since 1 month of age. Besides seizures, the infant was thriving well and otherwise asymptomatic.

Management and Outcome:

On investigation, he had low serum calcium, normal vitamin D, low parathormone, and very low serum magnesium (0.5 mg/dl) levels, with normal sodium, potassium levels, and renal functions. The child was initiated on parenteral magnesium supplementation and subsequently discharged on high-dose oral magnesium supplementation. As further investigations ruled out common causes of hypomagnesemia, clinical exome sequencing was done, which revealed a compound heterozygous state with two variants in the TRPM6 gene NM_017662.5, one being a missense variant (chr9: c.5614T>C, [p.Trp1872Arg]/Heterozygous) and the other being a frameshift deletion (chr9: c.1939_1946delGCAATGGC, [p.Ala647Profs*2]/Heterozygous). The child maintained normal serum magnesium levels at follow-up and was seizure-free.

Conclusion:

Hereditary hypomagnesemia with secondary hypocalcemia is a rare cause of refractory seizures with onset since early infancy. Here, a compound heterozygous variant of the TRPM6 gene was identified as the cause of this condition.
Regional Lymphadenitis Related to Bacille Calmette–Guerin Vaccination: A Case Series from a Tertiary Care Childrens’ Hospital
Authors: Narang Ekta , Gupta Aarshi , Khatri Arti , Saikia Diganta , Jain Neha , Tyagi Sonali
Published: August 2024

Background:

Immunization with Bacille Calmette–Guerin (BCG) vaccine, used worldwide for years, for the prevention of tuberculosis, rarely leads to complications like regional lymphadenitis. There is controversy regarding the management of BCG lymphadenitis. We share our experience regarding the management and course of this rare complication in nine infants.

Clinical Description:

Over a period of 24 months, 9 infants, who had received BCG vaccination after birth, presented to us between 1 and 3 months of age, with left-sided supraclavicular swellings. The infants were otherwise thriving well, with no constitutional symptoms. On examination, the infants were stable with normal systemic examination. Local examination revealed all the swellings to be supraclavicular lymphadenopathies, two of them being suppurative. Thus, the infants fulfilled the clinical criteria for BCG regional lymphadenitis.

Management and Outcome:

Fine-needle aspiration cytology from the swellings of all infants was consistent with BCG lymphadenitis. Two of the smears were positive for acid-fast bacilli. Besides percutaneous pus aspiration in two infants, no other intervention was done in any of the infants, and no antibiotics nor antitubercular treatment was administered. With observation and regular follow-up, the lymphadenopathies resolved over time in all the infants.

Conclusion:

This case series creates awareness regarding the benign, self-resolving nature of BCG regional lymphadenitis, which may be followed conservatively without any medical or surgical intervention.
Linear Scleroderma of Scalp “en coup de sabre” in a Child Presenting with Rapidly Deteriorating Acute Encephalopathy
Authors: Saleem Anzy N. , Krupanandan Ravi Kumar , Kapalavai Sudeep Kumar , Ramachandran Bala , Kathirvelu Gopinathan , Ramesh Venkateswari , Janarthanan Mahesh , Rabia Seyed , Ramamoorthy Ramkumar
Published: August 2024

Background:

Linear scleroderma (LS) is a variant of localized scleroderma, which is termed as “en
coup
de
sabre” (ECDS) when it involves the head and/or face. Although mainly a dermatological condition, extracutaneous manifestations have been infrequently reported.

Clinical Description:

A 13-year-old boy presented with fever, altered sensorium with seizures, right hemiparesis, and right-sided upper motor neuron type of facial palsy. He was noticed to have a depression in the left frontoparietal area of the scalp with skin changes.

Management and Outcome:

The child was initially managed along the lines of acute encephalitis supported with mechanical ventilation. Brain imaging revealed tiny calcification in the left temporal and parietal lobes with altered signal intensities ipsilateral to the scalp lesion. Suspecting an association with the overlying scalp skin lesion, biopsy of the skin lesion was done which confirmed LS. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate was elevated and the antinuclear antibody was positive. The child was started on pulse methylprednisolone following which encephalopathy improved facilitating extubation. Later, he was started on subcutaneous methotrexate and he improved on follow-up.

Conclusion:

This case creates awareness regarding the association between neurological manifestations and LS EDCS, which responds favorably to immunosuppressives and methotrexate.
Quantity over quality of publications: Are we using the right metrics to judge author’s productivity and impact in biomedical research?
Authors: Verma S , Sharma H
Published: August 2024

The “publish and flourish” culture in the biomedical field has led to an increase in the number of publications worldwide, creating pressure on researchers to publish frequently. However, this focus on quantity over quality has resulted in an inflation of the number of authors listed in articles, leading to authorship issues and the rise of fraudulent or predatory scientific and medical journals. To maintain the credibility of scientific research, it is necessary to reform the publication metrics and explore innovative ways of evaluating an author’s contributions. Traditional metrics, such as publication counts, fail to capture the research’s quality, significance, and impact. As a result, this viewpoint explores and highlights different metrics and novel methods by which an author’s productivity and impact can be assessed beyond traditional metrics, such as the H index, i10 index, FWCI, HCP, ALEF, AIF, AAS, JIF, CNA, awards/honors, citation percentile, n-index, and ACI. By using multiple metrics, one can determine the true impact and productivity of an author, and other measures such as awards and honors, research collaborations, research output diversity, and journal impact factors can further aid in serving the purpose. Accurately assessing an author’s productivity and impact has significant implications on their academic career, institution, and the broader scientific community. It can also help funding agencies make informed decisions, improve resource allocation, and enhance public trust in scientific research. Therefore, it is crucial to address these issues and continue the ongoing discussion on best method to evaluate and recognize the contributions of authors in today’s rapidly changing academic landscape.