bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Global Perspective of ICT Development Indices
Authors: Sharma Akshima , Punhani Geeta , Aggarwal Savita
Published: April 2022

During the last two decades, the world has witnessed phenomenal growth in the use of new information and communication technologies. The digital gender gap is the most visible inequality across all socio-economic groups. Over time, many indices have been computed in order to measure the status of ICTs across the globe, covering a broad range of factors such as access to infrastructure, connectivity, affordability, use, knowledge, and ICT skills. However, none of the indices include any indicator to highlight the gender divide and gender digital divides. As men and women experience use and access to ICT very differently, harnessing the full potential of ICTs for the development of an equitable information society cannot be merely achieved by technological advancement. It is necessary to shift the focus towards the non-user group which largely comprises of women and highlight the gender differences in ICT indices. This will help to give a holistic perspective to ICT indices.
Dichotomous Radial Basis Tanimoto Network to Predict Delivery Mode in Maternal Care Domain
Authors: Kannan Kavitha , Thangavel Balasubramanian
Published: April 2022

Pregnancy delivery mode prediction is an important one for doctors to provide timely treatment. Some research works have been developed for pregnancy delivery mode prediction using machine learning techniques. But the accuracy of prediction was not improved with less time. In order to perform accurate delivery prediction, dichotomous radial basis Tanimoto network prediction (DRBTNP) method is proposed to enhance the process of pregnancy delivery mode prediction with higher accuracy. The proposed DRBTNP method comprises different types of layers for performing delivery mode prediction with less time and space utilization. Experimental evaluation is performed with different factors such as prediction accuracy, prediction time, and space utilization with respect to patient data. The observed result shows that the presented DRBTNP method increases the prediction accuracy up to 9% with the reduction of prediction time and space utilization up to 20% and 19% over the state-of-the-art methods.
Utilizations of Contemporary Autonomous Material Applications as Sustainable Mechanism of Build and Construction
Authors: Abbood Mohammed , Al Slik Ghada
Published: April 2022

This research paper approaches a new insight toward reducing the manual, mechanical and codependent systemization as an upcoming trend for architectural sustainability and autonomous power providing. By describing some new methods of applied and tested functional features through enhancing or rearrange the properties of ordinary and composite materials in the field of build and construction, it demonstrates a new prospect of wider investments in innovative material production in architectural design and actuation. Also, reveals new methodologies for individual and non-linear autonomy to providing long-term maintenance in extreme conditions or sudden damages as a supportive capability for the used materials to be adopted in design processes.
Stress Corrosion Cracking and the Effects of Citrus x aurantiifolia on Mild Steel - A Green Approach
Authors: Fayomi Ojo Sunday Isaac , Akpoborie J. , Sanni Omotayo , Ren J. , Wan Nik Wan B. , Oyebanji J.A. , Oluwasegun K.M. , Ojediran J.O. , Zulkifli F.
Published: April 2022

The inhibition performance of citrus x aurantiifolia extract (CXA) on the corrosion of mild steel in 1.5 M H2SO4, 2 M H2SO4, 3 M H2SO4, and 4 M H2SO4 solutions was evaluated by weight loss, potentiodynamic polarization techniques, and scanning electron spectroscopy equipped with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. CXA inhibited the mild steel corrosion in the sulphuric acid solutionswith optimal inhibition results of 96.06% in 1.5 M H2SO4 and 86.57% in 4 M H2SO4 from weight loss measurement. Weight loss, potentiodynamic polarization, and scanning electron microscopy tests confirm the inhibitive performance of this compound and the increase in inhibitor efficiency increases with inhibitor concentration. The polarization data showed that the inhibitor acts as a mixed-type inhibitor, and fits the Langmuir adsorption isotherm. The adsorption studies clarify the excellent adsorption of this compound on the mild steel surface. The inhibited steel in the acid solution displayed improved surface morphology due to the surface protection effect of CXA molecules. The citrus x aurantiifolia studied here easily mitigates the effect of stress corrosion cracking on mild steel in a sulphuric acid environment. Keywords: Mild steel, Stress corrosion, Adsorption, Corrosion inhibitor, Sulphuric acid, Citrus X Aurantiifolia
Microwave-Assisted Synthesis and Characterization of Zeolite Prepared From South Africa Coal Fly Ash
Authors: Imoisili Patrick Ehi , Jen Tien Chien
Published: April 2022

In industry, synthetic zeolites are commonly used as ion-exchange materials, catalyst supports, and adsorbents. As a result, a more energy-efficient alternative for its synthesis from low-cost and accessible raw materials is needed. This study, presents the possibility of using class F South African coal fly ash (SACFA) from Lethaba thermal-power station as a precursor to produce zeolites via a microwave (MW) assisted synthesis route. The mineral content of synthetic materials was determined using X-ray florescence (XRF). Morphology was determined using a Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), elemental composition by energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS). X-ray diffractometry (XRD) was used to get structural characterization. Microwave (MW) irradiation time and intensity enhance the crystallization of the zeolite phase as a result of sufficient energy required to enable the solubility of alumina and silica from coal fly ash. The use of MW irradiation provides a green alternative to zeolite synthesis from fly ash (FA) than traditional thermal and fusion techniques, which uses a great deal of energy consumption and a longer reaction time.
The Potential of Parsley Biodiesel as an Alternative Fuel in Diesel Engines
Authors: Bitire Sarah Oluwabunmi , Jen Tien Chien
Published: April 2022

The search for a perfect replacement for fossil fuels is as a response to the decrease in the available energy owing to the overdependence on the fossil fuels as well as the harmful effects on human life due to the release of toxic gases into the air as it burns in engines. The experimental study carried out in this article evaluates the possibility of parsley biodiesel as a suitable substitute for petro-diesel. The catalytic conversion of a novel feedstock with a homogenous catalyst was performed with specific ratios of catalyst amount (1 wt %), temperature (60 °C), alcohol to oil ratio (6:1) for 30 minutes reaction time. However, a biodiesel yield of 94.70% was derived from the adopted parametric conditions. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was utilized to characterize the produced biodiesel. Furthermore, the fuel characteristics of biodiesel were within the specifications of the ASTM D6751. Therefore, Parsley biodiesel can be utilized as diesel fuel substitute.
Comparative Analysis of Palm Oil and Hydrocarbon Mineral Oil for Power Transformer Operation
Authors: Ekechukwu Lucius Chimaobi , Madueme Theophilus
Published: April 2022

The erstwhile transformer oil material, for all these periods of more than two centuries, has been championing liquid dielectrics, for machines’ cooling and insulation purposes. However, its use has detrimental and attendant consequences on global terrestrial and aquatic habitats, industries and global warming. Palm oil (Elaise Guinensis Eg; and/or Elaise Oleifera Eo) is presently posing a great challenge to liquid hydrocarbon in the operation of transformers. Despite the ease in availability of mineral oil today, especially for oil producing nations, this paper aims at unveiling its several underscores and analyses of the viscosity, flash point, density, neutralisation (acidic value) number, electrical resistivity, and breakdown voltage (BDV) results of the respective mineral and palm oil samples. Palm oil’s test results values of approximately, 244OC, 55kV and 0.004 mgkOH/gm of oil, was recorded, respectively for the flash point, breakdown voltage (BDV) and acid neutralisation index, as compared with corresponding mineral oil’s values of 142OC, 59kV and 0.004 mgkOH/gm. The results obtained favoured the use of palm oil than the mineral oil for transformer’s operation.
Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSCS) Based on a Natural Dye (Mangifera indica): A Mini Review
Authors: Mogoboya Moses Rakgoale , Imoisili Patrick Ehi , Jen Tien Chien
Published: April 2022

The long-term viability of human civilization is heavily reliant on a sustainable energy supply, and fossil fuels have long been the most sustainable source of energy. However, since fossil fuels are a non - renewable energy source, their depletion is unavoidable and inevitable in this century. Renewable energy, notably solar energy (SE), has gotten a lot of attention as a solution to this problem because it transforms SE through technology into electrical power (EP) with no environmental impact. For its inherent low unit cost and simplicity of production, organic-solar cells (OSCs) have recently been the topic of investigation for both home and commercial uses. OSCs also have a weight and flexibility benefit over standard silicon-based crystalline solar cells (CSCs). Research has suggested that dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) are the most effective and simple to implement of all the OSCs. In this mini review, we survey the existing DSSCs literature and attempts made to improve its performance based on mangifera indica natural dye, an eco-friendly, cost-effective, easy to extract, source of natural dye with high conversion efficiency.
Insight on the Realizing of Agro-Based Sustainable Low-Cost Fiber Particulate Composite for Thin Film Application in Biofouling Environment
Authors: Abioye Oluwabunmi Pamilerin , Fayomi Ojo Sunday Isaac , Abioye Abiodun Ayodeji
Published: April 2022

Biofouling is a severe problem in the marine environment, as all hard surfaces, including some macroorganisms, mostly get colonized by microorganisms existing in the maritime. In the past, some substances such as tributyltin and mercury have been used to combat this problem. These substances are still toxic and harmful to aquatic lives and even human beings, leading to these substances being banned globally. It is then highly important to produce anti-biofouling substances from natural products, which are sustainable, economical, environmentally friendly and applied on surfaces conveniently. The inspiration for using these natural substances came from the fact that the microorganisms, which are biofoulers, do not get attached or colonized on marine animals such as whales, dolphins and shellfishes. This review highlights some of the advances in natural and agro-based products that have been used as anti-biofouling. These natural substances are corals, fermented milk, pepper, marine biofilms, seaweeds and shellfishes.
Mechanical Properties of Polyester Resin Reinforced with Treated Plantain Pseudo Steam Fibers
Authors: Imoisili Patrick Ehi , Jen Tien Chien
Published: April 2022

The utilization of environmentally sustainable agro-waste as Natural fibers (NF) for reinforcement in polymer bio-composites has opened up a new path for materials development. Investigation has advocated that alterations of fiber surface by either physical or chemical techniques, enhances the efficacy of NF reinforced polymer composite. plantain (Musa paradisiacal) fiber (PF) isolated from plantain pseudo steam was treated with potassium permanganate in acetone in this investigation. Using a manual lay-up and compression moulding approach, modified and unmodified fibers were employed to manufacture a NF/polyester resin bio-composite. Surface morphology shows surface roughness of PF surface after treatments. The plantain fiber bio-composites (PFB) reinforced with modified fiber shows improvement in mechanical strength under optimal conditions, providing possibilities and durability for use in technical and structural
Effect of Copper-Nanofluids Cooling Media on Flow and Thermal Characteristics of a Cross-Flow Heat Exchanger
Authors: Olamide Olalekan Olaoluwa , Balogun Olusegun , Olaitan Lateef , Kuye Sidikat , Waheed Mufutau Akindoye
Published: April 2022

This study investigates transport process in circular tubes cross-flow Heat Exchanger (HEX) using water-CuO-nanofluids cooling media. The effects of nanoparticle volume fractions (Ø) and Reynolds number (Re) on the flow structure, coefficient of skin friction, isotherms and Nusselt number (Nu) are determined for steady laminar flow. The governing equations of continuity, momentum and energy are discretized over the flow domain and solved using SIMPLE method of the Finite Volume Method with ANSYS Fluent 16. The results show that the flow field for the conventional fluid is concentric around the inner tubes for Re up to 60 after which vortices evolve downstream behind the tubes, elongate and eclipse with the increase in Re. Vortex inception occurs at Re between 60 and 45 for 0 ≤ Ø ≤ 10%. The temperature fields are characterized by plume-like structure which envelopes the two inner cylinders between which heat transfer occurs. The average Nusselt number is correlated as Nu = 22.4 - 411,588Ø3 + 0.757Re + 1803.31/ln(Re) in which the interaction between Re and Nu has significant (p ≤ 0.05) effect. The addition of nanoparticles in the range 2 ≤ Ø ≤ 10% results in the increase in Nu from 0.55 to 5.84%. It follows that the thermal performance of the cross flow heat exchanger could be enhanced with CuO-based nanofluids.
Cocos nucifera Surfactant Performance on Stainless Steel in Hcl and H2SO4 Solutions
Authors: Fajobi Muyiwa Adedapo , Loto Roland Tolulope , Akande Godwin , Araoyinbo Alaba
Published: April 2022

The corrosion inhibition effect of Cocos nucifera (CN) surfactant inhibitor, has been inspected on 316L steel in 5 M HCl and H2SO4 solutions by weight loss (WL) method. The results revealed that the presence of alkanols, glycosides, steroids and terpenoids in CN surfactant supported the inhibitor by retarding corrosion effect to give an optimum inhibition efficiency of 93.71% in HCl and 89.66% in H2SO4 solutions after 504 h. Also, the regression values for both acidic solutions were close to unity after obeying Langmuir isotherm adsorption mechanism with 0.9971 for HCl and 0.9882 for H2SO4 solution. The result confirms that CN surfactant inhibitor performed better in HCl solution than in H2SO4 solution. Keywords: Corrosion inhibitor; active components; austenitic 316L material; weight loss method; adsorption isotherm.
Assessment of the Yield Response from Parsley Biodiesel Production Using Calcium Oxide as a Potential Catalyst
Authors: Bitire Sarah Oluwabunmi , Jen Tien Chien
Published: April 2022

The need to develop renewable fuels in order to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and mitigate climate change is constantly growing, and biofuels can solve the problem. Moreover, research into ecologically friendly and sustainable energy fuels such as biodiesel is rapidly gaining momentum. The yield response of parsley biodiesel was evaluated by the utilization of calcium oxide which is a solid heterogeneous catalyst. The impact of catalyst loading, alcohol: oil ratio and temperature on the yield of parsley biodiesel was also assessed. The obtained result from the experimental analysis revealed that a high biodiesel yield of 96.5% can be obtained using 3 wt% of catalyst amount, 60 °C temperature of the reaction, and 9:1 alcohol-to-oil ratio at a fixed reaction time of 180 minutes. The biodiesel generated was characterized using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Additionally, the fuel properties of biodiesel were well within the ASTM D6751 requirements. As a result, parsley biodiesel can be used as a diesel fuel alternative.
The Status of High Entropy Alloys Studies in Africa: An Overview
Authors: Akinbami Olusola , Mohlala Lesego M. , Klenam Desmond , van der Merwe Josias , Bodunrin Michael
Published: April 2022

One valid way to access the state of knowledge in a specific research area is by assessing the availability of quality publications in that research area. In this work, we assess the level of high entropy research in Africa considering that it is a hot topic in the field of materials engineering. Precedent on the independent studies of Cantor and Yeh, the conventional alloying techniques are evolving towards the high entropy approach. To determine the extent of high entropy research in Africa, SCOPUS database was used following specific keywords searches. The result ranked South Africa as the most publisher of high entropy alloy-related articles in Africa followed by Egypt then Kenya, Nigeria and Algeria. Notably, most high entropy alloy articles published from South Africa and Egypt are within the last two years. In South Africa, the high entropy alloys are majorly fabricated via arc melting, spark plasma sintering and laser deposition techniques while Egypt shows proficiency in studies focusing on mechanical alloying, sintering and casting processes for high entropy alloys. Conclusively, the research output from Africa is still lagging when compared to those of other continents however, maximizing the limited infrastructure within Africa and improving collaborations will go a long way towards improving Africa’s research output on high entropy alloys.
IL-27 Induces CCL5 Production by T Lymphocytes, Which Contributes to Antitumor Activity
Authors: Hu Aiyan , Zhu Jianmin , Zeng Chunxi , Lin Cho-Hao , Yu Jianyu , Liu Jin-Qing , Lynch Kimberly , Talebian Fatemeh , Pan Xueliang , Yan Jingyue , Dong Yizhou , Li Zihai , Bai Xue-Feng
Published: April 2022

IL-27 is a pleiotropic cytokine that exhibits stimulatory/regulatory functions on multiple lineages of immune cells including T lymphocytes. In this study, we demonstrate that IL-27 directly induces CCL5 production by T lymphocytes, particularly CD8+ T cells in vitro and in vivo. IL-27–induced CCL5 production is IL-27R–dependent. In CD4+ T cells, IL-27–induced CCL5 production was primarily dependent on Stat1 activation, whereas in CD8+ T cells, Stat1 deficiency does not abrogate CCL5 induction. A chromatin immunoprecipitation assay revealed that in the CCL5 promoter region, both putative Stat3 binding sites exhibit significant binding to Stat3, whereas only one out of four Stat1 binding sites displays moderate binding to Stat1. In tumor-bearing mice, IL-27 induced dramatic production of CCL5 in tumor-infiltrating T cells. IL-27–induced CCL5 appears to contribute to an IL-27–mediated antitumor effect. This is signified by diminished tumor inhibition in anti-CCL5– and IL-27–treated mice. Additionally, intratumor delivery of CCL5 mRNA using lipid nanoparticles significantly inhibited tumor growth. Thus, IL-27 induces robust CCL5 production by T cells, which contributes to antitumor activity.
Loratadine vs Rupatadine
Authors: Fayaz Syed H , Varadarajan Sathyanarayanan , Ansari Sanofer , James Jerin
Published: April 2022

Background:

Chronic Idiopathic Urticaria (CIU) is a debilitating disease characterised by almost daily presence of urticarial symptoms like short-lived wheals, itching, and erythema for at least 6 weeks without an identifiable cause there by leading to impairment of quality of life of the patient.

Aim:

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of loratadine and rupatadine in chronic idiopathic urticaria.

Methods:

This is a prospective, randomized, single-blind, parallel arm study conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of loratadine and rupatadine in patients with CIU. The study was registered prospectively with Clinical Trial registry of India (CTRI/2017/05/008624). Institutional Ethics Committee clearance was obtained. Written informed consent was obtained from all the participants before enrolment into the trial. The study was conducted in the outpatient department of Dermatology, SRM Medical College, Kattankulathur, Tamil Nadu, India, during the period from June 2017 to August 2018. Patients with CIU enrolled into the study based on inclusion-exclusion criteria were given the intervention drugs; Loratadine 10 mg once daily or rupatadine10 mg once daily orally for 6 weeks.

Results:

Rupatadine is more efficacious than loratadine in the reduction of Total Leucocyte Count, Differential Count and Absolute Eosinophil Count, the key determinants of allergy. Rupatadine also produced better improvement in Total symptom Score, Dermatology Life Quality Index in patients with CIU.

Conclusion:

Analysis of all the parameters of efficacy and safety establishes the probable superiority of rupatadine over loratadine for the treatment of urticaria.
A Cross-Sectional Evaluation of the Usefulness of the Minor Features of Hanifin and Rajka Diagnostic Criteria for the Diagnosis of Atopic Dermatitis in the Pediatric Population
Authors: Dutta Arnab , De Abhishek , Das Sudip , Banerjee Shyamal , Kar Chinmay , Dhar Sandipan
Published: April 2022

Background:

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic, relapsing inflammatory skin disease. Hanifin and Rajka's criteria is the most common diagnostic criteria used for the clinical diagnosis of this condition. However, many find that it is too exhaustive to be used in routine practice, and the specificity of many of the minor criteria poses challenges, particularly from Asian countries with type III, IV, and V skin.

Aims and Objectives:

The aim of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the minor features of the Hanifin and Rajka criteria for AD in comparison to the UK working party's diagnostic criteria in pediatric populations of India.

Methodology:

A hospital-based cross-sectional study of 100 patients in the pediatric age group (3 months–12 years) with AD was conducted based on history, clinical, and laboratory evaluation. An age-matched control group of 100 pediatric patients who did not have a personal or family history of atopic dermatitis was included after obtaining informed consent to find out the prevalence of minor criteria among the control group.

Results:

Mean of the number of minor clinical criteria found positive in our study population in the infantile and toddler (below 2 years) and childhood groups (2–12 years) was (4.72 ± 1.75) and (5.67 ± 1.78), respectively. Early-onset of disease was the most consistent feature among the minor criteria found in 83% of patients, followed by xerosis (71%), hyperlinearity of palm (56%), pityriasis alba (54%), Denny Morgan fold (52%), elevated serum IgE (47%), perifollicular accentuation (37%), and tendency toward cutaneous infections (37%).

Conclusion:

We found that though some of the minor criteria are highly sensitive and specific to the diagnosis of AD (xerosis, ichthyosis, palmar hyperlinearity, tendency of cutaneous infections, Dennie–Morgan infraorbital fold, pityriasis alba, and perifollicular accentuation), some other criteria were either very rare or nonspecific for AD. We suggest that many of the minor criteria of Hanifin and Rajka may not have much significance for Indian patients and a multicentric nationwide study with a larger patient pool is required to create a trimmed and improved version of Hanifin and Rajka criteria.
Research on Hotair and 7SL-RNA Gene Expression Levels in Psoriasis Vulgaris
Authors: Yazıcı Seyma , Guner Rukiye Yasak , Akyol Melih , Tuzemen Bayyurt Elif Burcu , Arslan Serdal
Published: April 2022

Backgrounds:

Mutation of protein-coding genes and non-coding genes is a factor in psoriasis etiology. Non-coding RNA (ncRNA), which does not have protein-coding capacity, is available in the human genome. HOTAIR (HOX Antisense Intergenic RNA) and 7SL-RNA are known as ncRNA. They may play a role in psoriasis pathogenesis.

Aims:

In our study, we aimed to investigate the level of HOTAIR and 7SL-RNA gene expression in the lesional and perilesional healthy skin of psoriasis patients.

Methods:

Total RNA isolation from the skin samples was achieved by modifying the RNeasy Mini Kit (Qiagen, Cat No: 74104) protocol. Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR) phase was performed in accordance with the protocol of the relevant brand (WizPure qPCR).

Results:

7SL-RNA gene expression decreased in the skin with psoriatic lesions (FC: 0.01; p: 0.028), and this decrease was statistically significant. HOTAIR gene expression decreased (FC: 0.92; p: 0.218), but this decrease was not statistically significant.

Conclusions:

lncRNAs may play a role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis disease.
Treatment of Plaque-Like Oral Lichen Planus with CO2 Laser
Authors: Dalirsani Zohreh , Seyyedi Seyyed Amir
Published: April 2022

Background:

Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a chronic autoimmune disease, which annoys the patients for several years. It presents with various clinical forms. Although plaque-like form of OLP is usually asymptomatic, it could transform to a malignant lesion. Therefore, treatment considerations are essential to reduce the development of oral cancer. Laser therapy is a newer modality for treatment of plaque-like lesions.

Aims:

This study aimed to perform laser therapy for plaque-like lesions of OLP.

Methods:

We described some plaque-like OLP lesions evaporated with CO2 laser. The power of 4–7 watt as continuous wave (CW) and defocused mode was employed for evaporation. The complications and recurrence were evaluated in the follow-up sessions.

Results:

In some patients, mild keratotic lesions were observed in the follow-up sessions. Most patients were satisfied with treatment process and reported mild burning after treatment. No complication was observed in the patients.

Conclusion:

CO2 laser could be employed for OLP lesions; however, some degrees of recurrence may occur.
A Comparative Study on Therapeutic Efficacy of Autologous Platelet Rich Fibrin Matrix Versus Zinc Oxide And Phenytoin Paste in Non Healing Ulcers
Authors: Singh Akanksha , Chahar Yatendra S , Chhabra Shaiphali
Published: April 2022

Context:

A non-healing ulcer occurs due to multiple causes and possesses a great impact on the quality of life. Autologous platelet-rich fibrin and the application of a triple combination paste (zinc oxide, phenytoin, and mupirocin ointment) have emerged with a good response in the treatment of non-healing ulcers.

Aims:

To compare the therapeutic efficacy of autologous platelet-rich fibrin matrix versus the triple combination paste (zinc oxide, phenytoin, and mupirocin ointment) in non-healing ulcers.

Settings and Design:

Hospital-based interventional comparative study.

Materials and Method:

Twenty-four patients with non-healing ulcers were randomly divided into two groups. One group received platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) therapy every week for up to 5 weeks and the second group applied triple combination paste (zinc oxide, phenytoin, and mupirocin ointment) again for 5 weeks. In the end, the ulcer area was measured.

Statistical Analysis Used:

Student's paired t-test was used to evaluate the correlations between variables. A P-value of < 0.05 was considered significant.

Results:

Group A showed a mean reduction in the ulcer area by 8.26 mm2 (75.99%). Group B showed a mean reduction in the ulcer area by 4.799 mm2 (47.75%), which was statistically significant with a P-value of 0.004.

Conclusion:

We conclude that autologous platelet-rich fibrin matrix is much more effective than the triple combination paste (zinc oxide, phenytoin, and mupirocin ointment) in the treatment of non-healing ulcers.
Development of a Rapid and Low-Cost Method for the Extraction of Dermatophyte DNA
Authors: Kenjar Apoorva , M Raj Juliet R , Bhandary Joshika , Girisha Banavasi S , Chakraborty Gunimala , Karunasagar Indrani
Published: April 2022

Background:

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is the most optimized method for the rapid detection and analysis of any environmental or clinically significant organism. While PCR amplification directly from samples has been shown effective for several bacteria and viruses, for filamentous fungus and yeast, extraction of genomic DNA is a must. The extraction of DNA from fungal cultures is often reported using user-friendly commercially available kits, which are designed to decrease the time, extensive manual work in extraction procedures but are often expensive. Dermatophytes pose an added drawback to efficient DNA extraction due to their poor recovery on culture media and slow growth rate.

Aims and Objectives:

In the present study, we developed and validated a method for effective genomic DNA extraction from dermatophytes.

Materials and Methods:

DNA yield from standard dermatophytes extracted from spore suspensions and mycelia mat by commercially available kits was compared. A modified method using lyticase buffer and phenol-chloroform extraction was developed. The yield obtained was compared with the existing methods (kit-based method and cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide method). The yield and quality of the total genomic DNA were estimated spectrophotometrically and by successful PCR amplification of the ITS region. The results were validated using 21 clinical isolates from recalcitrant dermatophytosis.

Results:

Minimal fungal DNA was obtained from the spores compared to that obtained from mycelial mat. Commercially available kits yielded lower amounts of DNA compared to the CATB method. The modified method developed in this study yielded better quality and quantity of DNA.

Conclusion:

Of the three extraction methods evaluated, the developed method gave significantly higher total genomic DNA yield and better purity than the reference methods. In addition, the turnaround time for DNA extraction was reduced to half based on modifications in culture conditions.
Secukinumab in Erythrodermic Psoriasis
Authors: Panda Maitreyee , Raj Chinmoy , Panda Anil K , Debata Ipsita
Published: April 2022

Biologics which are given subcutaneously are usually injected at certain prementioned sites such as the upper arms, thighs, or any quadrant of the abdomen. In erythrodermic patients, these conventional sites are usually affected. In our series of six patients of psoriatic erythroderma, we selected unconventional apparently spared sites to inject secukinumab subcutaneously which returned similar results as compared to injecting at conventional sites as reported by other studies.
HPV Vaccination Status and Resolution of Warts in Pediatric Patients
Authors: Burli Anuk , Hancock Sarah , Zhao Yu Tina , Paul Deborah , Cordisco Maria
Published: April 2022

Background:

Warts are a common dermatologic complaint with an increased incidence within the pediatric population. Warts are caused by multiple strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV). There is little research on how a patient's HPV immunization status affects the response to treatment of warts in pediatric patients.

Aims:

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between HPV vaccination status and wart resolution.

Materials and Methods:

This is a retrospective chart review that investigates the relationship between response to routine treatment of warts and a subject's HPV vaccination status.

Results:

There was no significant relationship found between HPV vaccination status and resolution of warts (p = 0.797). However, there was a significant positive correlation between having the HPV vaccine and number of visits for the treatment of warts (r = 0.180, P = 0.024).

Conclusion:

This study did not show a significant correlation between HPV vaccination status and wart resolution, although it demonstrated a significant positive relationship between those immunized with the HPV vaccine and an increased number of treatment visits. Possible explanations for this unexpected correlation include the variation in HPV vaccine formulation, vaccination status, and frequency of office visits, since vaccinated patients are more likely to be compliant with office visits.
Current Therapeutic Strategies of Xeroderma Pigmentosum
Authors: Hossain Mozammel , Hasan Ashraful , Shawan Mohammad Mahfuz Ali Khan , Banik Subrata , Jahan Iffat
Published: April 2022

Xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) is an autosomal recessive genetic disease caused by a defect in the DNA repair system, exhibiting skin cancer on sun exposure. As it is an incurable disease, therapeutic strategies of this disease are critical. This review article takes an attempt to explore the current therapeutic advancements in XP. Different approaches including sun avoidance; surgical removal of cancerous lesions; laser and photodynamic therapy; use of retinoid, 5-fluorouracil, imiquimod, photolyase, and antioxidant; interferon therapy and gene therapy are chosen by doctors and patients to lessen the adverse effects of this disease. Among these options, sun avoidance, use of 5-fluorouracil and imiquimod, and interferon therapy are effective. However, some approaches including laser and photodynamic therapy, and the use of retinoids are effective against skin cancer having severe side effects. Furthermore, surgical removal of cancerous lesions and use of antioxidants are considered to be effective against this disease; however, efficacies of these are not experimentally determined. In addition, some approaches including oral vismodegib, immunotherapy, nicotinamide, acetohexamide, glimepiride-restricted diet are found to be effective to minimize the complications secondary to defects in the nucleotide excision repair (NER) system and also enhance the NER, which are under experimental level yet. Besides these, gene therapy, including the introduction of missing genes and genome edition, may be a promising approach to combat this disease, which is also not well established now. In the near future, these approaches may be effective tools to manage XP.
A Prospective Study Examining the Effect of Selected Topical and Systemic Drugs on Pruritus Grading System Score and STAT 6 Expression in Patients of Prurigo Nodularis
Authors: Agrawal Diksha , Sardana Kabir , Mathachan Sinu R , Bhardwaj Minakshi , Ahuja Arvind , Jain Swasti
Published: April 2022

Background:

Prurigo nodularis (PN) is a chronic dermatologic condition presenting as multiple papulonodular lesions occurring with intense pruritus. Though numerous agents (topical, systemic, phototherapy and biological drugs) have been tried, the outcomes are variable.

Objectives:

The aim of this study was to assess the role of topical and systemic therapies in primary PN by comparing the Pruritus Grading System (PGS) score at baseline and 1 month post-therapy.

Materials and Methods:

Of 86 diagnosed cases of PN, 49 cases of primary PN were clinically graded by Pruritus Grading System Score (PGSS), and assessed histopathologically by IHC staining (STAT-1, 3, and 6). Apart from topical agents, oral nortriptyline (mild grade), methotrexate (moderate grade) and thalidomide (severe grade) were administered, whereas doxepin was administered for itching. The PGSS was assessed after 1 month of therapy.

Results:

Among 49 patients of PN, the majority of patients showed a significant decrease in PGSS (P = <0.001) in 1 mont, which correlated with STAT-6 expression. The combination of different topical and oral agents resulted in a statistically significant change in severity, though individual drugs did not achieve statistically significant results.

Conclusion:

A combination of selected oral and topical agents can effectively control the severity of PN within one month, and this was found to correlate with STAT 6 expression.
Clinical Characteristics of Patients with Chronic Urticaria and Adherence to Management Guidelines by Postgraduate Students in Dermatology
Authors: Reddy Sainath , Manchanda Isheeta , Godse Kiran , Patil Anant D
Published: April 2022

Background:

Chronic urticaria is a heterogenous skin disorder representing one of the important reasons for consultation with a dermatologist. Dermatology post-graduate students play an importanrt role in the treatment of patients with chronic urticaria.

Objective:

The objective of the study was to describe clinical characteristics of patients with chronic urticaria and assess adherence to the guidelines by postgraduate students in the department of dermatology of a tertiary care center.

Materials and Methods:

In this retrospective study, prescriptions of patients with chronic urticaria and/or angioedema presenting to the outpatient department for 5 months were analyzed. Percentage of prescriptions adhering to international urticaria management guidelines was calculated. Urticaria Activity Score, percentage of patients receiving second-generation antihistamines, first-generation antihistamines, and other drugs was recorded. Comorbidities in patients with chronic urticaria were also noted.

Results:

A total of 60 patients (mean age 32.1 years; 58.3% male) were included in. Mean (SD) duration of urticaria at the time of study was 4.7 (2.7) months. Demographism and history of allergy to drugs was present in 45 (75%) and 4 (6.7%) patients. Mean (SD) Urticaria Activity Score was 12.5 (6.5). A total of 12 (20%) patients had comorbidities. Mean number of drugs received per patient was 1.7 (0.5). A total of 47 (78.3%) patients received second-generation antihistamines, whereas 11 (18.3%) received first-generation antihistamines. Two (3.3%) patients received combination of first-generation and second-generation antihistamines. Fexofenadine, levocetirizine, bilastine, and cetirizine was prescribed to 24 (40%), 26 (43.3%), 18 (30%), and 14 (23.3%) patients. There was no significant difference in male and female patients receiving fexofenadine (P = 0.59) or levocetirizine (P = 0.13).

Conclusion:

Adherence to urticaria management guidelines by resident doctors in dermatology department in our institute was satisfactory.
Early-Onset Versus Late-Onset Psoriasis
Authors: Fatema Farhat , Ghoshal Loknath , Saha Abanti , Agarwal Sristi , Bandyopadhyay Debabrata
Published: April 2022

Background:

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory diseaseresulting from a complex interplay of genetic and environmental factors affecting the skin, nail and joints. Two distinct types of psoriasis are said to exist (i) early onset psoriasis (EOP), beginning before the age of 40 years and (ii) late onset psoriasis (LOP), beginning ≥40 years; with the presence of Human lymphocyte antigen (HLA) Cw6, present in majority of patients with early onset. Several studies demonstrated clinical and genetic differences between EOP and LOPamong European and East Asian populations. Lack of similar study in the Indian population has prompted us to undertake the present work.

Aims and Objectives:

(i) To compare the clinical patterns of early onset and late onset psoriasisin patients attending the Dermatology outpatientdepartment (OPD) and admitted in the in-patient department (IPD). (ii) To analyze the association age of onset with presence of HLA Cw6.

Materials and Methods:

It was an institution-based, descriptive, cross-sectional study. Consecutive patients with psoriasis at the OPD and IPD of the department of Dermatology during the study period, were recruited in the study after obtaining informed consents. Detailed history was obtained regarding the disease, co-morbidities and complications. Through physical examination was carried out, PASI was calculated and blood samples were drawn fromconsenting adult patients (age>/=18 years) to study the presence of Cw6.

Results:

The study population (n=250) wasbroadly divided into “Early onset psoriasis(EOP)” (n=138) and Late onset psoriasis (LOP)” (n=112).Significant higher occurrence of positive family history, nail involvement and koebnerization were found in EOP, but such differences were absent considering the types, patterns, joint involvement, severity and HLACW6 positivity.

Conclusion:

This study supports the concept of two subtypes of psoriasis based on age of onset showing different clinical and evolutionary features.
Contact Allergy to Ammonium Persulfate
Authors: Alajaji Abdullah , Scheinman Pamela
Published: April 2022

Background:

Persulfate is an oxidizing agent used for multiple purposes, including bleaching hair, bleaching flour, and as pool/spa water disinfectant.

Objective:

To identify the prevalence and clinical characteristics of patients allergic to ammonium persulfate (APS) among patients who underwent patch testing in our clinic.

Methods:

A retrospective chart review of 2138 patients who underwent patch testing at Brigham and Women's hospital in Boston between July 2015 to November 2019. All patients were tested to our standard series including APS 2.5% petrolatum. Given the irritant nature of APS, we included for analysis only patients with 2+ or 3+ reactions.

Results:

Among 2138 patients, 61 (2.85%) had 2+ or 3+ reactions to APS. In this study, 72% were female. 75% had an atopic diathesis; 56% had 2+ reactions, and 44% had 3+ reactions. Clinical relevance was definite in 11%, probable in 10%, and unknown/possible in 79%. In patients with definite clinical relevance, 6/7 had occupational allergic contact dermatitis: 4 hairdressers, 1 hair salon cleaner, and 1 aquarium worker; 1/7 was bleaching her hair.

Conclusion:

Prevalence of 2+ or 3+ APS reactions in this single-center study was higher than that reported by the North American Contact Dermatitis Group, 2015–2016, (0.75% vs. 2.85% in our study). APS is an important occupational allergen, and clinicians should be aware of this when treating patients with exposure to APS.
Real-time artificial intelligence evaluation of cataract surgery
Authors: Tabuchi Hitoshi , Morita Shoji , Miki Masayuki , Deguchi Hodaka , Kamiura Naotake
Published: April 2022

PURPOSE:

We demonstrated real-time evaluation technology for cataract surgery using artificial intelligence (AI) to residents and supervising doctors (doctors), and performed a comparison between the two groups in terms of risk indicators and duration for two of the important processes of surgery, continuous curvilinear capsulorhexis (CCC) and phacoemulsification (Phaco).

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

Each of three residents with operative experience of fewer than 100 cases, and three supervising doctors with operative experience of 1000 or more cases, performed cataract surgeries on three cases, respectably, a total of 18 cases. The mean values of the risk indicators in the CCC and Phaco processes measured in real-time during the surgery were statistically compared between the residents’ group and the doctors’ group.

RESULTS:

The mean values (standard deviation) of the risk indicator (the safest, 0 to most risky, 1) for CCC were 0.556 (0.384) in the residents and 0.433 (0.421) in the doctors, those for Phaco were 0.511 (0.423) in the residents and 0.377 (0.406) in the doctors. The doctors’ risk indicators were significantly better in both processes (P = 0.0003, P < 0.0001 by Wilcoxon test).

CONCLUSION:

We successfully implemented a real-time surgical technique evaluation system for cataract surgery and collected data. The risk indicators were significantly better in the doctors than in the resident's group, suggesting that AI can objectively serve as a new indicator to intraoperatively identify surgical risks.
A Review of Convolutional Neural Network Development in Computer Vision
Authors: Zhang Hang
Published: April 2022

Convolutional neural networks have made admirable progress in computer vision. As a fast-growing computer field, CNNs are one of the classical and widely used network structures. The Internet of Things (IoT) has gotten a lot of attention in recent years. This has directly led to the vigorous development of AI technology, such as the intelligent luggage security inspection system developed by the IoT, intelligent fire alarm system, driverless car, drone technology, and other cutting-edge directions. This paper first outlines the structure of CNNs, including the convolutional layer, the downsampling layer, and the fully connected layer, all of which play an important role. Then some different modules of classical networks are described, and these modules are rapidly driving the development of CNNs. And then the current state of CNNs research in image classification, object segmentation, and object detection is discussed.
The Riemannian quantitative isoperimetric inequality
Authors: Chodosh Otis , Engelstein Max , Spolaor Luca
Published: April 2022

We study the Riemannian quantitive isoperimetric inequality. We show that a direct analogue of the Euclidean quantitative isoperimetric inequality is—in general—false on a closed Riemannian manifold. In spite of this, we show that the inequality is true generically. Moreover, we show that a modified (but sharp) version of the quantitative isoperimetric inequality holds for a real analytic metric, using the Łojasiewicz–Simon inequality. The main novelty of our work is that in all our results we do not require any a priori knowledge on the structure/shape of the minimizers.
Stationary $C^*$-dynamical systems (with an appendix by Uri Bader, Yair Hartman, and Mehrdad Kalantar)
Authors: Hartman Yair , Kalantar Mehrdad
Published: April 2022

We introduce the notion of stationary actions in the context of

C^*

-algebras. We develop the basics of the theory, and provide applications to several ergodic-theoretical and operator-algebraic rigidity problems.
Splitting methods and short time existence for the master equations in mean field games
Authors: Cardaliaguet Pierre , Cirant Marco , Porretta Alessio
Published: April 2022

We develop a splitting method to prove the well-posedness, in short time, of solutions for two master equations in mean field game (MFG) theory: the second order master equation, describing MFGs with a common noise, and the system of master equations associated with MFGs with a major player. Both problems are infinite-dimensional equations stated in the space of probability measures. Our new approach simplifies and generalizes previous existence results for second order master equations and provides the first existence result for systems associated with MFG problems with a major player.
Периодические свойства многомерных полиномиальных преобразований над кольцом Галуа - Эйзенштейна
Authors: Kozlitin Oleg Alekseevich
Published: April 2022

Исследуются $m$-мерные полиномиальные преобразования кольца Галуа - Эйзенштейна $R$ (конечного коммутативного локального кольца главных идеалов). Оценен сверху максимум $L_m(R)$ длин циклов в графах таких преобразований. Показано, что при $p>2$ ограничение функции $L_m$ на класс колец Галуа - Эйзенштейна, имеющих мощность $q^n=p^{tn}$ и индекс нильпотентности $n$, принимает максимальное значение на кольцах Галуа.
О среднем значении суммарной длины цепочек, вычисляемых при дополнительных проверках в методе балансировки с особыми точками
Authors: Pil'shchikov D V
Published: April 2022

Методы балансировки время-память используются для решения задачи обращения однонаправленной функции. Балансировка с особыми точками и несовершенными таблицами является одним из наиболее известных вариантов этих методов. Ранее Хонг и Мун получили оценку средней суммарной длины цепочек, вычисляемых при дополнительных проверках. В данной работе получено обобщение этого результата. В рамках новой теоретико-вероятностной модели построена двусторонняя оценка указанной величины. Полученные результаты применимы при любых ограничениях на длину основной цепочки, при любых правилах обрыва дополнительной цепочки, при использовании однонаправленных функций с нетипичными свойствами. Они также позволяют выявить область изменения параметров метода, в которой полученные оценки остаются достаточно точными.