bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Narratives of Collective Action in YouTube’s Discourse on Veganism
Authors: Pera Arianna , Aiello Luca Maria
Published: May 2024

Narratives can be powerful tools for inspiring action on pressing societal issues such as climate change. While social science theories offer frameworks for understanding the narratives that arise within collective movements, these are rarely applied to the vast data available from social media platforms, which play a significant role in shaping public opinion and mobilizing collective action. This gap in the empirical evaluation of online narratives limits our understanding of their relationship with public response. In this study, we focus on plant-based diets as a form of pro-environmental action and employ Natural Language Processing to operationalize a theoretical framework of moral narratives specific to the vegan movement. We apply this framework to narratives found in YouTube videos promoting environmental initiatives such as Veganuary, Meatless March, and No Meat May. Our analysis reveals that several narrative types, as defined by the theory, are empirically present in the data. To identify narratives with the potential to elicit positive public engagement, we used text processing to estimate the proportion of comments supporting collective action across narrative types. Video narratives advocating social fight, whether through protest or through efforts to convert others to the cause, are associated with a stronger sense of collective action in the respective comments. These narrative types also demonstrate increased semantic coherence and alignment between the message and public response, markers typically associated with successful collective action. Our work offers new insights into the complex factors that influence the emergence of collective action, thereby informing the development of effective communication strategies within social movements.
Xenophobia Meter: Defining and Measuring Online Sentiment toward Foreigners on Twitter
Authors: Umarova Khonzoda , Okorafor Oluchi , Lu Pinxian , Shan Sophia , Xu Alex , Zhou Ray , Otiono Jennifer , Lyon Beth , Leshed Gilly
Published: May 2024

Xenophobia, a form of hatred directed at foreigners, immigrants, and sometimes even people who are just perceived as foreigners, has been flooding social media in recent political climates. In order to capture language related to foreigners and those perceived-as-foreigners (F&PAF) we present the 7-scale Xenophobia Meter, ranging from anti– to pro- F&PAF sentiments with examples and application rationale. We also publish a dataset of over 7,000 tweets labeled according to this meter, from 11 U.S.-based accounts that are on the forefront of defining the rhetoric related to immigration and policy. We apply a number of models to automatically identify xenophobic and F&PAF-related language. We also present findings from qualitative interviews with human annotators about their labeling experiences. While we find xenophobia is a complex social phenomenon to identify by both humans and machine learning algorithms, we hope that our work inspires researchers, policymakers, and the public to learn about xenophobia and to make efforts to shift the rhetoric and policies toward allyship, equity and inclusion.
ProtoRectifier: A Prototype Rectification Framework for Efficient Cross-Domain Text Classification with Limited Labeled Samples
Authors: Zhao Shiyao , Wang Zhu , Yang Dingqi , Li Xuejing , Guo Bin , Yu Zhiwen
Published: May 2024

During the past few years, with the advent of large-scale pre-trained language models (PLMs), there has been a significant advancement in cross-domain text classification with limited labeled samples. However, most existing approaches still face the problem of excessive computation overhead. While some non-pretrained language models can reduce the computation overhead, the performance could sharply drop off. To resolve few-shot learning problems on resource-limited devices with satisfactory performance, we propose a prototype rectification framework, ProtoRectifier, based on pre-trained model distillation and episodic meta-learning strategy. Specifically, a representation refactor based on DistilBERT is developed to mine text semantics. Meanwhile, a novel prototype rectification approach (i.e., Mean Shift Rectification) is put forward by making full use of the pseudo labeled query samples, so that the prototype of each category can be updated during the meta-training phase without introducing additional time overhead. Experiments on multiple real-world datasets demonstrate that ProtoRectifier outperforms the state-of-the-art baselines, not only achieving high cross-domain classification accuracy but also reducing the computation overhead significantly.
A Multilingual Similarity Dataset for News Article Frame
Authors: Chen Xi , Samory Mattia , Hale Scott , Jurgens David , Grabowicz Przemyslaw A.
Published: May 2024

Understanding the writing frame of news articles is vital for addressing social issues, and thus has attracted notable attention in the fields of communication studies. Yet, assessing such news article frame remains a challenge due to the absence of a concrete and unified standard dataset that considers the comprehensive nuances within news content.

To address this gap, we introduce an extended version of a large labeled news article dataset with 16,687 new labeled pairs.
Leveraging the pairwise comparison of news articles, our method frees the work of manual identification of frame classes in traditional news frame analysis studies. Overall we introduce the most extensive cross-lingual news article similarity dataset available to date with 26,555 labeled news article pairs across 10 languages. Each data point has been meticulously annotated according to a codebook detailing eight critical aspects of news content, under a human-in-the-loop framework. Application examples demonstrate its potential in unearthing country communities within global news coverage, exposing media bias among news outlets, and quantifying the factors related to news creation. We envision that this news similarity dataset will broaden our understanding of the media ecosystem in terms of news coverage of events and perspectives across countries, locations, languages, and other social constructs. By doing so, it can catalyze advancements in social science research and applied methodologies, thereby exerting a profound impact on our society.
Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is: Dataset and Analysis of Real World Habit Building Attempts
Authors: Jangra Hitkul , Shah Rajiv Ratn , Kumaraguru Ponnurangam
Published: May 2024

The pursuit of habit building is challenging, and most people struggle with it. Research on successful habit formation is mainly based on small human trials focusing on the same habit for all the participants as conducting long-term heterogonous habit studies can be logistically expensive. With the advent of self-help, there has been an increase in online communities and applications that are centered around habit building and logging. Habit building applications can provide large-scale data on real-world habit building attempts and unveil the commonalities among successful ones. We collect public data on stickk.com, which allows users to track progress on habit building attempts called commitments. A commitment can have an external referee, regular check-ins about the progress, and a monetary stake in case of failure. Our data consists of 742,923 users and 397,456 commitments. In addition to the dataset, rooted in theories like Fresh Start Effect, Accountablity, and Loss Aversion, we ask questions about how commitment properties like start date, external accountability, monitory stake, and pursuing multiple habits together affects the odds of success. We found that people tend to start habits on temporal landmarks, but that does not affect the probability of their success. Practices like accountability and stakes are not often used but are strong determents of success. Commitments of 6 to 8 weeks in length, weekly reporting with an external referee, and a monetary amount at stake tend to be most successful. Finally, around 40% of all commitments are attempted simultaneously with other goals. Simultaneous attempts of pursuing commitments may fail early, but if pursued through the initial phase, they are statistically more successful than building one habit at a time.
Generative AI in Crowdwork for Web and Social Media Research: A Survey of Workers at Three Platforms
Authors: Christoforou Evgenia , Demartini Gianluca , Otterbacher Jahna
Published: May 2024

Crowdsourcing plays an important role in Web and social media research, from data annotation, to online experiments and user surveys. With the emergence of Generative AI (GenAI), researchers are considering how models and tools such as GPT might replace crowdwork. Many have already evaluated GPT on annotation tasks. However, it is less clear how GenAI might impact other types of tasks, or to what extent crowdworkers have already incorporated it into their work processes. Thus, we asked crowdworkers directly regarding their use of GenAI, via a survey at two points in time, across three commercial platforms. We found evidence that workers' self-reported use of GenAI did not change over time, but rather, was strongly correlated to the platform in which they operate, with MTurk workers using GenAI much more often than those operating at Clickworker and Prolific. As most respondents reported that survey completion is their "usual type of task", we discuss the implication of the use of GenAI in user surveys, via specific examples of ICWSM research.
A Patent Review on the Use of Cyclodextrin Inclusion Complexes to Enhance Physicochemical and Pharmacological Properties in Antidepressant Drugs
Authors: Nascimento Júnior José Adão Carvalho , Frank Luiza Abrahão , Santos Alcimary Bispo , Santos Anamaria Mendonça , Andrade Tatianny de Araújo , Menezes Paula dos Passos , Contri Renata Vidor , Serafini Mairim Russo
Published: May 2024

Major depressive disorder is considered one of the most common and prevalent diseases worldwide, affecting children, adults, and the elderly. Currently, several antidepressant drugs are available on the market, but the low adherence of patients due to the slow therapeutic response is a problem to be solved. In this way, cyclodextrins become an alternative to circumvent the limitations and improve the physicochemical and pharmacological properties of this class of drugs. Thus, the objective of this work is to carry out a current review of patents associating antidepressant drugs and cyclodextrins. The patent search was performed in two patent databases, the World Intellectual Property Organization and the European Patent Office using terms in the title and abstract fields and the international patent classification code for antidepressant drugs. In the end, 27 patent documents were selected and divided into three classifications, physical-chemical characterization study, pre-clinical in vivo trials, and clinical trials. The scientific evidence found in the patents considers the use of cyclodextrins as an important alternative to improve the therapeutic and physicochemical properties of antidepressant drugs, among the main improved properties are, solubility, stability, masking taste and odor, bioavailability.
Dicer-Mediated mTORC1 Signaling and Parathyroid Gland Integrity and Function
Authors: Hassan Alia , Khalaily Nareman , Kilav-Levin Rachel , Del Castello Barbara , Manley Nancy Ruth , Ben-Dov Iddo Z. , Naveh-Many Tally
Published: May 2024

Key Points

Maintaining parathyroid gland integrity is a dynamic process regulated by the parathyroid microRNA–mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 axis.

This axis is essential for preserving intact parathyroid glands throughout life, with relevance to CKD-induced secondary hyperparathyroidism.

Background

Secondary hyperparathyroidism of CKD contributes significantly to patient morbidity and mortality. The underlining mechanisms of CKD-induced secondary hyperparathyroidism remain elusive. We previously demonstrated that PT-Dicer

−/−
mice, with parathyroid-specific deletion of the microRNA (miRNA)-processing enzyme Dicer and consequently miRNA, maintain normal basal serum parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels but do not develop secondary hyperparathyroidism induced by CKD. In addition, we showed that the parathyroid mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) pathway is activated in CKD. We now explored the roles of Dicer/miRNA and mTORC1 in parathyroid development and function.

Methods

We generated mice with parathyroid-specific Dicer (PT-Dicer

−/−
), mechanistic target of rapamycin (PT-mTOR

−/−
), or tuberous sclerosis complex 1 (PT-Tsc1

−/−
) deficiency combined with yellow fluorescent protein (YFP) or tdTomato expression to identify the parathyroids by fluorescence microscopy. CKD was induced by an adenine-rich high-phosphate diet.

Results

Despite normal basal serum PTH levels, PT-Dicer

−/−
mice displayed apoptotic loss of intact parathyroid glands postnatally and reduced mechanistic target of rapamycin activity. PT-mTOR

−/−
mice lacked intact parathyroid glands yet maintained normal serum PTH levels, mirroring the phenotype of PT-Dicer

−/−
mice. Conversely, PT-Tsc1

−/−
mice with hyperactivated mTORC1 exhibited enlarged glands along with elevated basal serum PTH and calcium levels. Significantly, PT-Dicer

−/−

;Tsc1

−/−
double knockout mice preserved intact parathyroid glands and reinstated CKD-induced secondary hyperparathyroidism.

Conclusions

mTORC1 operates downstream of Dicer and miRNA in the parathyroid and is essential for maintaining postnatal parathyroid gland integrity throughout life and for the pathogenesis of CKD-induced secondary hyperparathyroidism.
Arap Dilinin Kelime İşlevleri ve Anlamları Üzerine Bir Çalışma: İf'âl ve Tef'îl Babları'nın Rolü
Authors: Yetik Şahin
Published: May 2024

Arap dili, köklü bir geçmişe ve zengin bir edebiyata sahip, karmaşık ve nüanslı bir dildir. Bu dilin derinliklerini kavramak, sadece dilbilgisi kurallarını anlamakla kalmaz, aynı zamanda Arap kültürü ve medeniyetine de ışık tutar. Nitekim; Kur’ân -ı Kerim'in Arapça bir kitap olarak inmesi, Arapçayı İslam dininin ve medeniyetinin temel taşı haline getirmiştir. Bu durum, Arapçayı tefsir, fıkıh, hadis, kelam, mantık gibi Kur’ân temelli tüm ilimlerde alet ve kaynak ilmi konumuna yükseltmiştir. Arapçanın alet ve kaynak ilmi olma özelliğini tam olarak kavramak, İslam dininin ve medeniyetinin doğru ve tam olarak anlaşılması için büyük önem taşımaktadır. Bu çalışmada da Arap dilinin kelime işlevlerini ve anlamlarını inceleyerek dilbilgisi kurallarının farklı nüanslarını ortaya çıkarmayı amaçlıyoruz. Araştırmamız, "İf'âl" ve "Tef'îl" olarak adlandırılan iki önemli dilbilgisi kalıbına odaklanarak, bu kalıpların Arapçadaki işlevlerini ve kullanım alanlarını derinlemesine incelemektedir. Nitel veri toplama ve analiz yöntemleri kullanarak Arapça metinlerden ve dilbilgisi kaynaklarından derlenen örnekler analiz edilecektir. Araştırmanın bulgularının, Arap dilinin kelime işlevleri ve anlamları hakkındaki mevcut anlayışımızı geliştirmeye ve Arap dilinin dilbilgisi kurallarının karmaşıklığını aydınlatmaya katkıda bulunması beklenmektedir. Ayrıca, Arap dilinin ve kültürünün daha iyi anlaşılmasına katkıda bulunarak, farklı kültürler arasındaki iletişimi ve anlayışı geliştirmeye yardımcı olması umut edilmektedir.
Mejora del crecimiento de gramíneas asociadas a Leucaena leucocephala co-inoculada con un hongo micorrízico arbuscular y un aislado de rizobio
Authors: Crespo-Flores Gustavo , Ramírez-Tobías Hugo M. , Vallejo-Pérez Moisés R. , Méndez-Cortés Heriberto , González-Cañizares Pedro J.
Published: May 2024

El objetivo de este trabajo fue evaluar el efecto de la asociación de Leucaena leucocephala, y su co-inoculación con una cepa del hongo micorrízico arbuscular (HMA) Claroideoglomus claroideum y un aislado local de rizobio, sobre el comportamiento de las gramíneas asociadas (Bouteloua gracilis, Bouteloua curtipendula y Setaria macrostachya). Se estudiaron las estructuras micorrízicas y la nodulación. Se realizaron tres experimentos independientes, uno por cada gramínea, en asociación con L. leucocephala co-inoculada y sin inocular, o sola (como testigo). Los pastos asociados con L. leucocephala co-inoculada produjeron mayor cantidad de tallos que aquellos asociados con L. leucocephala sin inocular. B. gracilis y B. curtipendula acumularon mayor biomasa cuando se asoció con L. leucocephala co-inoculada. Las concentraciones de clorofilas a, b y totales en S. macrostachya y la de clorofila b en B. gracilis se vieron favorecidas por la asociación con L. leucocephala. La co-inoculación promovió el desarrollo de estructuras micorrízicas en la rizósfera y el número de nódulos en raíces de L. leucocephala, aunque el porcentaje de nódulos efectivos no reflejó diferencias entre tratamientos. En conclusión, la asociación de gramíneas con L. leucocephala y su inoculación con HMA y aislados de rizobios locales no solo promueve el desarrollo de estructuras micorrízicas y la nodulación, sino también aumenta el crecimiento y el contenido de pigmentos fotosintéticos en las gramíneas asociadas
The Arens-Calderon theorem for commutative topological algebras
Authors: Weigt M. , Zarakas I.
Published: May 2024

A theorem of Arens and Calderon states that if A is a commutative Banach algebra with Jacobson radical Rad(A), and if a0 , . . . , an∈ A with a0 ∈ Rad(A) and a1 an invertible element of k A, then there exists y ∈ Rad(A) such that Σ ak yk = 0. In this paper, we give extensions of this result to commutative non-normed topological algebras, as this is vital for extending an embedding theorem of Allan in [2] regarding the embedding of the formal power series algebra C[[X]] into a commutative Banach algebra.
Use of natural recreational resources for recreation needs in war conditions
Authors:   Taras Shevchenko National University, Kyiv, Ukraine, Mykhailenko T.
Published: May 2024

The article is devoted to the study of natural recreational resources and the infrastructure available for this purpose in the Pobuzka territorial community of Kirovohrad region, as well as the possible use of these resources for recreation and recuperation during a full-scale war. The main natural resourcessuch as climatic, water and forest of the community are analyzed. It is revealed how the available resources are used or can be used to organize recreation and restore human strength, and how each of the proposed types of recreational activities affects the human body. The peculiarities of using species-based resources for local socio-economic development as one of the sources of revenue for the community budget are revealed. It is justified that rural tourism can be a promising type of tourism in this territory, taking into the ongoing war and the resources required for its development. The main possible leisure and recreation services on the territory of the studied community were analyzed and it was determined that they are suitable for various categories of visitors during the war, primarily for people living in neighboring communities, forcibly displaced persons, families and victims of military aggression on the territory of Ukraine .
Educational migration processes in the context of a full-scale war (on the example of applicants from the cities of Kyiv and Kryvyi Rih)
Authors:   Taras Shevchenko National University, Kyiv, Ukraine, Davydenko K. , Udovychenko V. ,   Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kyiv, Ukraine
Published: May 2024

The article presents the results of a study on educational migration processes taking place in Ukraine during the full-scale war, as it has created unprecedented consequences in Ukraine, particularly in the education system, leading to the emergence of various new forms of educational migration. This study reflects the complex dynamics of how the armed conflict shapes and changes educational migration patterns in the Ukrainian context. To obtain a comprehensive picture of the sentiments and preferences of Ukrainian applicants, a mixed approach and a variety of methods and techniques were used, including surveys (questionnaires) of applicants, analysis of official data, and review of current information sources. According to the survey results, 22.9% of applicants from the cities of Kryvyi Rih and Kyiv plan to continue their education after graduating from secondary school in other countries. The main reasons motivating applicants towards educational migration include: danger to life and health in Ukraine, unstable political and economic situation in Ukraine, as well as the presence of better (according to the respondents) educational opportunities in other countries. Most applicants who plan to continue their education abroad aim to enter universities in Europe, the USA, and Canada. They plan to study fields such as IT, medicine, business, and law. Furthermore, this study highlights the strategies adopted by educational institutions to continue providing education amidst the conflict, such as distance learning and migration. The article concludes with a discussion of the implications of educational migration in the context of a full-scale war and considers possible ways to mitigate the negative consequences and support individuals and institutions affected by the war. Overall, this research contributes to understanding the complex interrelationships between armed conflict and the education system, emphasizing the need for urgent intervention in ongoing processes to ensure continuous access to quality education during and after the crisis.
Comparison between the Shanghai Edition and Starting Point Textbooks of First Grade Oxford Elementary School from the Perspective of “i+1” Theory
Authors: Wang Yinan
Published: May 2024

Krashen believes that there exists a second language monitoring development model in the learning and acquisition process of a second language, which includes the “Acquisition and Learning Hypothesis”, “Natural Acquisition Order Hypothesis”, “Monitoring Hypothesis”, “Input Hypothesis”, and “Emotional Filtering Hypothesis”. This study starts with the core structure “i+1” in the “Input Hypothesis”, and analyzes and compares the structure and content of the representative and universal People’s Education Press (PEP) first grade English textbook (first semester) and the special Oxford first grade English textbook (first semester), exploring the similarities and differences between the two different textbooks and exploring their positive and negative effects on the comprehensibility input of “i+1”. Finally, suggestions for improving the textbooks of both parties have been proposed, which has achieved the goal of optimizing the setting of primary school English textbooks and serving compulsory primary school English classroom teaching.
Resistance, Protest, and Knowledge: Indigenous Appropriation of Medievalism in Ibero- and Latin America
Authors: Beck Lauren
Published: May 2024

Scholars have yet to consider how medievalism offers a potent retreat from the settler-colonial project precisely because the Indigenous Middle Ages excluded Europe, and vice versa, through the mechanism of nonmodernity. By considering how modern Indigenous authors and artists reach to medieval-nonmodern Indigenous and European forms of expression in Ibero-America and Latin America, we theorize how medievalism was and remains a significant tool of resistance throughout the colonial and settler-colonial periods. This approach will allow us to find ways of undermining the modern-colonial matrix of power’s temporality at its intersection with decoloniality.
Journalistic Objectivity: Online Media Reporting on 3 Presidential Candidates 2024 Presidential Election Contestants
Authors: Sugiarti Rita , Aziz Syamsuddin , Akbar Muhammad , Hamna Dian Muhtadiah , Tenorio Christine B.
Published: May 2024

This study aims to analyze the journalistic activities of online media in covering three candidates for the 2024 presidential election in Indonesia. Employing a qualitative research approach with qualitative data analysis software, the research draws data from reputable online media sources in Indonesia. Findings reveal that, based on nine indicators of journalistic objectivity, Detik.com and Kompas.com exhibit differing patterns. Detik.com scores highest in factuality, with a percentage of 18%, while Kompas.com reaches 16%. Conversely, Detik.com's lowest indicator is justice at 3%, and Kompas.com's is honesty at 6%. Notably, honesty scores relatively low across both platforms. Regarding coverage focus, Detik.com tends to prioritize Ganjar Pranowo, whereas Kompas.com allocates attention to Ganjar Pranowo and Prabowo Subianto. Additionally, Detik.com's news narrative predominantly emphasizes survey results, while Kompas.com delves more into the ideas, vision, and mission of the presidential candidates. These findings underscore variations in journalistic objectivity and coverage trends between Detik.com and Kompas.com in informing the public about the 2024 presidential election.
The Popularity of Extension Workers in the Exchange of Information on Yard Utilization
Authors: Raya Alia Bihrajihant , Kriska Mesalia , Fatonah Siti , Andiani Riesma , Seleky Rosalia Natalia , Witjaksono Roso , Harsoyo Harsoyo
Published: May 2024

The communication process in extension activities occurs not only between extension workers and farmers but also among extension workers. Communication among extension workers forms a social network. This study aims to analyze the popularity of extension workers within social networks in exchanging information on yard land use. The research was conducted using a qualitative approach and the whole network analysis method using Pajek 5.18 software. The research informants were extension workers in the Yogyakarta Special Region, spread across Sleman Regency, Bantul Regency, Kulon Progo Regency, Gunungkidul Regency, and Yogyakarta City. The results showed that the popular extension workers in each district/city were those from their respective districts/cities. Extension workers are popular because they have the most communication activities (in degree) or receive the most information about yard land use in social networks. Popular extension workers play an important role in social networks, such as having high closeness centrality to accelerate the flow of information and acting as intermediaries for other extension workers to control the flow of information.
Determinants of human immuno-deficiency virus pre-exposure prophylaxis uptake and retention among sex workers in Nakuru town Kenya
Authors: Kahura Martha N. , Mutitu Joseph M.
Published: May 2024

Background: The purpose of this study was to assess factors associated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) pre-exposure prophylaxis uptake and retention among sex workers in Nakuru town, Kenya. The theory of planned behavior and the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) risk reduction model served as the study's theoretical framework.
Methods: A cross-sectional research design was adopted for this study. The study targeted all the sex workers in Nakuru town who were 18 years old and above. A random sampling technique was used to get the hotspots where the sex workers were to be found. Snow balling sampling technique was then adopted to identify and recruit the study participants. Using primary sources. The quantitative data was obtained from the respondents using a questionnaire. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics (regression analysis). The findings presented in table and graphical formats.
Results: The analysis using multiple linear regression indicated that there was a collective significant effect between the awareness, health system factors, socio economic individual factors and use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) among sex workers. A further analysis showed that, put together, the four predictor variables explained 35.7% of variation on PrEP uptake and retention.
Conclusions: The study concluded that while use and none use PrEP can be explained by the four factors evaluated in this study, there are a lot of other factors that influence utilization of PrEP.
Self-management practices among children and adolescents presenting with type 1 diabetes attending selected health facilities in Nairobi city county
Authors: W. Mugo Ann , S. Orago Alloys S. , Gachau Albert G.
Published: May 2024

Background: Diabetes is a high prevalence non-communicable disease (NCD), with its highest burden in low- and middle-income countries. The International Diabetes Federation estimates that the global prevalence of diabetes is approximately 537 million people. By 2030, this figure is expected to rise to nearly 643 million, and by 2045, it is projected to reach 783 million. In sub-Saharan Africa, an estimated 24 million adults have diabetes, with a regional prevalence of 4.5%. Children with diabetes in this region often remain undiagnosed, and even if diagnosed, many lack access to essential services and resources such as insulin, syringes, and monitoring equipment, leading to avoidable deaths.
Methods: The study design was a descriptive cross-sectional study. The study was conducted between September 2021 and September 2022 among children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes who attended selected facilities in Nairobi City County, Kenya. Qualitative and quantitative data were obtained using a self-administered semi-structured questionnaire, focus group discussions, and key informant interviews with the participants. The data was cleaned and then exported to SPSS V.23 for analysis.
Results: The study investigated the demographic and socio-economic profiles of children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes in the study area, their level of knowledge regarding self-management practices, the self-management practices carried out by these respondents and explored the relationship between demographic and socio-economic factors, knowledge levels, and self-management practices among children and adolescents with T1D.
Conclusions: The study findings will be of great importance for health professionals and policymakers in designing appropriate interventions to improve self-management practices among children with T1D.
Utilization of community health volunteers in identification of hypertension cases in Kajiado county, Kenya
Authors: Claris Jessicar W. , Oyore John P. , Ogweno Gordon
Published: May 2024

Background: Hypertension, despite being preventable and manageable contributes greatly to global morbidity and mortality. Community health volunteers (CHVs) provide various health services, however their utilization in hypertension identification has neither been explored nor emphasized. We aimed to determine the sociodemographic characteristics of CHVs and their knowledge level in hypertension identification in Kajiado county, Kenya.
Methods: This was a cross-sectional study with a mixed- methods approach. Using multi-stage sampling, we recruited 226 CHVs who were active in the past 6 months and gave informed consent. Researcher administered questionnaires and key informant interviews were used for data collection. Data analysis was conducted using the statistical package of social science version 23 and content thematic analysis for quantitative and qualitative data respectively.
Results: The likelihood of screening was higher among the middle age (41-50 years) (p=0.031). CHVs had poor knowledge (93.4%) and only 34.1% had attended a hypertension specific training. A strong statistical difference was found between ever-received hypertension training and knowledge level (p=0.000, 95% CI). The likelihood of screening was higher among those trained (p=0.005, 95% CI and those with knowledge of signs and symptoms (p<0.001, 95% CI). The odds of hypertension identification were 3.74 times higher among CHVs who knew hypertension signs and symptoms.
Conclusions: Overall, CHVs had poor hypertension knowledge. The likelihood of hypertension identification was higher in CHVs with good knowledge of hypertension. Further studies should be conducted to assess the impact of CHVs utilization in hypertension on health outcomes.
Analysing patterns of blood component transfusions over a five-year period at Sawai Man Singh Medical College Jaipur: a cross sectional study
Authors: Muraleedharan Deepak , Kewalramani Suresh , R. Jayadevan , Bairwa Pushpendra
Published: May 2024

Background: Blood transfusion is a crucial intervention that saves lives and enhances health outcomes. Significant proportion of patients in need of transfusions face challenges accessing to safe blood. Annual collection of approximately 118.5 million units of donated blood worldwide, remains a shortfall in meeting transfusion needs. This study aimed to determine variations in blood requirements annually, seasonally, across different blood groups, components, and assess utilization of Lardly Suraksha Yojana scheme, which is for under 14 girls.
Methods: A retrospective, annual record-based study was conducted at SMS Medical College, Jaipur, utilizing data on blood bag distributions from financial years 2018 to 2022. Data were compiled and analyzed using Microsoft Excel. Ethical clearance was obtained from Research Review Board and Ethics Committee of institute before commencing study, ensuring compliance with ethical standards and protocols.
Results: Analysis of yearly data revealed significant seasonal variations, with notable increase in blood requirements during monsoon season compared to winter. Among blood groups, requirement trend showed an increase in B+ and O+ groups over the past five years, while AB- group exhibited lowest demand. Red Packed Cell SAGM's total requirement demonstrated a consistent annual increase. Moreover, there was an upward trend observed in utilization of blood under Ladali Rakt Seva (LRS).
Conclusions: It’s been concluded that a higher demand for blood during and around monsoon season compared to winter months. Increase in requirement for blood groups B+ and O+. Utilization of blood through LSY scheme witnessed a notable rise, signifying improved accessibility to blood resources.
Prevalence of behavioral risk factors of non-communicable diseases in Mumbai: a descriptive cross-sectional study
Authors: Paslawar Srilatha K. , Kalaskar Shrikant K.
Published: May 2024

Background: Globalization and urbanization have led to lifestyle changes among urban poor, which need to be understood, as the urban areas are undergoing rapid transitions. The behavioral risk factors are mainly responsible for the causation of non-communicable diseases (NCD). Objectives were to know prevalence and pattern of behavioral risk factors for NCDs in Naigoan, BDD Chawl, Mumbai to initiate steps for preventive interventions.
Methods: This was community based cross-sectional study conducted among residents of Naigaon, BDD Chawl, Mumbai, India. Data were collected by the house-to-house survey using predesigned and pretested Performa. The world health organization-stepwise approach was used for chronic disease risk factor surveillance. Descriptive statistics and chi-square test were used for analysis.
Results: About 65% of the respondents use smokeless form of tobacco, while 19% are using smoke form of tobacco. Among tobacco users nearly half have been using tobacco for the past 16 years. Nearly half (48%) of respondents were current alcohol drinkers. All the respondents in the study population consume less than five servings of fruits and vegetables which is less than WHO recommended servings. About 67% of the respondents were involved in the moderate type of activities.
Conclusions: Study found high prevalence of NCD risk factors in the population. These risk factors have been prevalent since more than decade so, there may be very high burden of NCD soon in the study area. Screening and IEC activities need to be strengthened for diagnosis and preventive measures can be implemented at early stage of life.
Influence of yoga on pain, lower extremity kinetics, kinematics and function in patients with knee osteoarthritis
Authors: Shetty Mamta , Tambe Anushka , Darekar Aakanksha , Agrawal Rushabh , Bhalala Het
Published: May 2024

Background: Knee osteoarthritis (OA), is one of the leading cause of disability that causes significant reduction in function and strength with an increase in pain. The present study evaluates effects of Yoga with Physiotherapy exercises on pain, kinetics, kinematics and function in patients with knee osteoarthritis.
Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted for evaluating the effect of Yoga on pain, lower limb kinetics, kinematics and function in patients with knee osteoarthritis over a period of 6 weeks. A total of 50 participants volunteered for the study. The participants were randomly allocated into Control group (n=25) and Intervention group (n=25). The participants of control group performed conventional exercises. The participants of intervention group performed conventional exercises along with Yoga.
Results: Findings from present study reported significant improvement in muscle flexibility of Rectus Femoris (p<0.05) and Tensor Fascia Lata (p<0.05) in the interventional group as compared to the control group. There was a significant improvement in knee flexion range of motion(p<0.05) in the interventional group compared to the control group. Lower extremity muscle strength evaluation demonstrated a significant improvement(p<0.05) in muscle strength of hip and knee musculature in the interventional group as compared to the control group. There was a significant reduction in pain scores(p<0.05) for stair climbing in the interventional group as compared to the control group. There was no significant improvement in function pre and post intervention.
Conclusions: Findings from present study report yoga practice improves knee flexion range of muscle, muscle strength and flexibility in patients with knee osteoarthritis.
Health care seeking behaviour and its socio-demographic determinants among women in rural area: a community based cross sectional study
Authors: Joshi Geetanjali Shankar , Gurav Ravindra Balaram , Samel Dinesh Ramesh
Published: May 2024

Background: The health care delivery system of a country determines the health seeking behaviour of that country’s population. Women’s health care seeking behaviour is undocumented because women suffer the disease in silence, without seeking appropriate remedy for her illness. Hence the study was planned to assess the health care seeking behaviour and factors associated with it among rural women.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the catchment area of Rural Health Training Centre located in Thane district in January 2024. Sample size of women aged 18 years and above was estimated. Subjects were interviewed after obtaining verbal consent. Data was recorded in pre-designed proforma and was analysed with the help of Microsoft excel. Descriptive and inferential statistics was applied. The statistical level of significance was fixed at p<0.05.
Results: Of the 400 women studied, 63.50% were illiterate. 52.75% visit private practitioners for treatment. 56.50% could make own decision regarding their health while 43.50% need permission from senior family members to visit health care facility. Only 42.50% visit to health care facility at the onset of symptoms. Due to time consuming nature, 35.75% were not using government health care facilities. Also, 22.50% women experienced unfriendly behaviour of the health care staff working there.
Conclusions: More than half of the women could not seek medical care immediately, two third were not aware of the various government health schemes, emphasizing the need to create awareness about it through grass root level health workers. There is an urgent need to rebuild community trust about public health care facilities.
Beyond the ‘tic’ king clock: a case report on adult onset tic disorder
Authors: Bose Akash , Nandi Salmali , Sarkar Aditya K. , Paul Shreyashi , Roy Surjya , Baidya Saikat
Published: May 2024

Tic is rapid recurrent non-rhythmic motor movement or vocalization; movement of limbs or other body parts is known as motor tic and involuntary repetitive sound like grunting sniffing throat clearing is known as a vocal tic. Tic is a neurodevelopmental disorder and has its onset in the developmental period. According to diagnostic and statistical manual of mental illnesses (DSM) 5, tic should have its onset before 18 years of age and can resolve with proper treatment. In this case, a 23-year-old female presented with recurrent abnormal throat clearing and excessive loud sounds which started for the last 1 year. Initially, she was diagnosed with psychogenic hiccup in another department and was treated with Baclofen 30 mg for 1 month but as no improvement was observed later she was referred to psychiatry outpatient department (OPD) for further treatment where she was diagnosed with adult onset vocal tic with a premonitory urge for tics scale (PUTS) score of 27 on admission and she was treated with tablet Risperidone 2 mg and after 4 weeks of treatment all symptoms subside and PUTS score came to be 6 at the time of discharge.
Bowel screening: a mini literature review
Authors: Khattabi Marwa , Alsammak Mai
Published: May 2024

Bowel cancer is a global health issue with more than 500.000 yearly new cases and a 12.6% mortality of all cancer cases. Studies suggest the financial burden of bowel cancer in Europe in 2015 was estimated at 19.1 billion Euros. Effective bowel screening promotes prevention and early detection of bowel cancer. There is a variation in bowel screening uptake across the globe, trials and pilot studies in the UK suggest uptake is around 50-60% in the UK, compared to much lower uptake in lower income countries. This mini literature review aims to shed some light on the magnitude of the problem, global variations in screening uptake, barriers to bowel screening uptake and explore ways to improve bowel screening uptake. Personal beliefs, social taboo and lack of knowledge are some of the barriers identified in this review, healthcare professionals have a pivotal role in opportunistic health promotion and encouraging patients to utilize bowel screening services, furthermore health educational campaigns targeting school children, students and other groups in the wider community may help increase bowel cancer awareness and the importance of bowel screening. A national recall system for bowel screening is an important step in improving uptake in low-income countries who have not achieved such a service yet.
Text Book of Social Pharmacy for the Students of D. Pharm 1st Year
Authors: Ubale Mr. Sujit , Ahire Ms. Priyanka , (Pol) Ms. Savita Patil , Varma Mr. Rahul
Published: May 2024

"Text Book of Social Pharmacy" is a comprehensive resource designed specifically for first-year diploma students in Pharmacy. With the introduction of Social Pharmacy as a subject in the Diploma in Pharmacy curriculum by the Pharmacy Council of India and Maharashtra State Board of Technical Education, this book provides sound knowledge to students regarding the respective subject. Written in a simple and student-friendly manner, this book aims to provide the essential skills and knowledge needed to excel in Social Pharmacy. The content is well-documented and supported by a range of tables, figures, and flowcharts, making it easy for students to grasp and understand the concepts discussed. The topics covered in this book have been carefully aligned with the syllabus, ensuring that students receive the necessary information as per the specified hours of study. The chapters have undergone rigorous review to ensure their accuracy and relevance.
Medicolegal Mindbenders Forensic Medicine and Toxicology- Exclusive Question Archive
Authors: Thakral Dr. Sahil
Published: May 2024

This Exclusive Question Archive is not just a study tool; it's a visionary learning resource crafted to empower students in their journey through the intricate landscape of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology.

Salient Features:

Chapter-wise Question Structure
Expertly Crafted Questions
Mock Tests for Exam Simulation
Tabular Comparison

BNS with IPC
BNSS with CrPC
BNA with IEA
Monitoring the Governance of State-Owned Enterprises: Assessing the Impact of Brazilian Corporate Governance Reforms
Authors: Coelho Daphne , Teodorovicz Thomaz , Martínez Fritscher André , Motta Café Renata , Lazzarini Sergio G. , Ikawa Jorge Norio Rezende
Published: May 2024

State-owned enterprises (SOEs) are often justified for correcting market failures, providing essential public services, and fulfilling social objectives. Yet, SOEs face unique governance challenges as agency conflicts usually increase with state ownership. This paper examines Brazil's efforts to address agency conflicts in SOEs, including new legislation (Law 13303 of 2016, the “Law on SOEs”) establishing stringent criteria for the appointment of executives and for the accountability and a complementary monitoring mechanism known as IG-SEST. Using the difference-in-differences methodology, we assess the impact of those interventions on SOEs profitability and labor productivity. Although no significant effect of the more-stringent governance requirements of the Law on SOEs was detected, the group of federal SOEs, which adopted the IG-SEST monitoring mechanism, significantly increased their profitability compared to similar municipal and state SOEs. Because IG-SEST anchored its indicators in corporate governance parameters specified in the Law on SOEs, this result can be interpreted as potential evidence that institutional changes might require complementary mechanisms for effective implementation. These findings are consistent with previous work suggesting that corporate governance might require broader institutional reforms, including fiscal policies to mitigate government action with a negative effect on the performance and solvency of SOEs.
O USO DA REALIDADE VIRTUAL COMO RECURSO TERAPÊUTICO NA FISIOTERAPIA: UMA REVISÃO SISTEMÁTICA
Authors: Teixeira Vitória Alves , Lobato Beatriz Cardoso , Bertoncello Dernival , Lobato Daniel Ferreira Moreira
Published: May 2024

Introdução: o uso da Realidade Virtual (RV) tem sido crescente no contexto da Fisioterapia e da reabilitação, porém, ainda carece de maior embasamento científico para orientar a sua prática. O objetivo do presente estudo foi realizar uma revisão sistemática da literatura acerca da utilização da RV na reabilitação, nos mais diversos campos de atuação da Fisioterapia. Desenvolvimento: baseado nas recomendações PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses), os artigos foram selecionados a partir das bases de dados eletrônicas BVS, SciELO e Medline, em busca realizada entre os meses de dezembro de 2019 e março de 2020, utilizando os seguintes descritores: Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy associada ao descritor booleano AND e ao outro descritor Physical Therapy. O processo de busca seguiu as recomendações da estratégia PICOS. A busca foi limitada para artigos originais publicados nos últimos 10 anos, nos idiomas português, inglês e espanhol, envolvendo apenas estudos quantitativos com intervenções fisioterapêuticas. Foram identificados 147 estudos, e, após uma leitura detalhada e aplicação de todas as etapas de seleção, 35 estudos se encaixaram nos critérios de inclusão e exclusão, compondo a amostra final. Considerações finais: a utilização da RV já abrange diversos campos de atuação da Fisioterapia, especialmente no contexto neurológico. Sua utilização é considerada como eficaz, entretanto, ainda existem questionamentos quanto a sua superioridade quando comparada com a fisioterapia convencional.