bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A comparative study on knowledge, awareness and perception of contraception among rural and urban population in Punjab
Authors: Thakur Srishti , Mohi Manjit Kaur , Pathak Nayana , Garg Nitasha
Published: May 2024

In developing countries like India, a lack of awareness about contraceptive methods often leads to misconceptions, limited choices, and improper family planning. This knowledge gap not only disrupts maternal and child health complications but also disrupts the economy of society and the nation. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the knowledge, awareness and perception of contraception among the rural and urban population in Punjab.

This observational study conducted in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at a tertiary health care centre, in Punjab, India. A total of 500 women were evaluated with the help of a pre-designed questionnaire to address knowledge, awareness, and perception of contraception among the rural and urban population in Punjab. The statistical analysis was performed by using SPSS Windows, version 28.

In the present study, a total of 492 participants were included, of whom 387 were from rural areas and 105 were from urban areas. This study revealed, 100% of participants were aware of contraception. In terms of the source of information, social circles were identified as the primary channel (46.34%), followed by the media (33.94%), health workers (16.87%), and educational institutes (2.85%).

This study highlights contraceptive methods, including condoms, oral contraceptives, and intrauterine devices (IUDs), as primary choices. Therefore, it's important to bridge the gap between awareness and action. Hence, this study, advocate the awareness program on interventions to ensure everyone can access effective family planning resources without barriers.
Uncovering ovarian reserve: Insights into hormones, lipids, and essential metals
Authors: Kulshrestha Rupita , Singh Shefali , Verma Juhi , Nigam Vibhav , Kulshrestha Manish Raj
Published: May 2024

: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is an endocrine disorder prevalent in women of reproductive age group. The intricate nature of PCOS development is highlighted by fluctuations in various sex hormones, such as luteinizing hormone(LH), follicle-stimulating hormone and prolactin.

This study aims to assess the lipid profile levels, vital metals and sex hormones in the serum of patients with PCOS and contrast these findings with normal controls.

The study analyzed health metrics between 57 women with PCOS and 57 normal controls. The lipid profile was assessed using Beckman Coulter AU480. Sex hormones were estimated using Roche Diagnostics Cobas 6000. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS) was used to measure the essential trace metals, including magnesium (Mg), copper (Cu) Selenium (Se) and zinc (Zn).

: The PCOS patients exhibited significantly elevated levels of LH (9.52 vs 3.48, p<0.0001), FSH (9.91 vs. 6.12, p<0.0001) and prolactin (24.71 vs. 16.41, p=0.03) mIU/ml. The correlation study showed a significant positive correlation between AMH and Se levels (R=0.27, p=0.045) and between LH and HDL (R=0.76, p=0.030).

: In patients with PCOS, LH, FSH, and prolactin levels were found to be increased. A correlation was observed between Se and AMH, and a relationship was noted between LH and HDL. Selenium appears to have a significant influence on the ovarian reserve.
Prevalence of intra-abdominal adhesions in patients undergoing repeat cesarean section: An observational retrospective study
Authors: Kiruthika T , Jayanthy T
Published: May 2024

: To study the prevalence of intraabdominal adhesion in repeat CS and evaluate the maternal and fetal outcome.

: CS is a lifesaving procedure for the mother and fetus, but have multiple complications like adhesions, abdominal pain, prolonged duration of surgery, postoperative bleeding, and identification of these can help improve maternal and fetal outcome and care.

: This retrospective study reviewed 70 pregnant women undergoing repeat CS. Data was tabulated and analyzed and adhesions were scored based on a system into dense and flimsy, and its dimensions. Chi Square test was used to observe association. P-value<0.05 was taken as significant.

: Adhesions were noted in 30(42.9%) of the subjects and 40(57.1%) patients had no adhesions. Dense adhesions were noted in 19(27.1%) and flimsy in 11(15.7%) patients. Among those with adhesions – 6(20%) had atonic postpartum hemorrhage (PPH). No association was noted with fetal outcome. There was a statistically significant increase in duration of surgery in those with adhesions – 126.83 minutes +/- 19.85 than in those without adhesions – 82.35 minutes +/-12.82. Those patients with dense adhesions, the duration of surgery was – 132.63 minutes +/-21.88 and with flimsy adhesions – 116.82 minutes +/-82.

: Repeat CS with adhesions increased the duration of surgery, increased the chances of PPH and had no statistically significant effect on neonatal outcome. Furthermore, duration of surgery was prolonged with dense adhesions. Further research can be done including post operative complications, details of prior CS and interpregnancy interval and thereby adhesion prevalence.
A comparative interventional study on fixed-dose versus titrated- dose oral misoprostol solution for induction of labour at term gestation in a tertiary care centre of Eastern Uttar Pradesh
Authors: Saxena Amrita , Kumari Swati , Aditya Vani , Malik Najma , Tiwari Harish Chandra
Published: May 2024

Induction of labor entails the deliberate initiation of uterine contractions before the spontaneous onset of labor, irrespective of whether the amniotic membranes have ruptured or not. The Modified Bishop’s score of six or higher indicates that the cervix is ripe, or “favorable” – when there is a high likelihood of spontaneous labor or responsiveness to interventions designed to induce labor. Misoprostol being cost-effective, easily available and stable at room temperature makes itself a promising agent in future for induction of labour if the feto-maternal safety concerns are proved with evidence. The aim of our study was to compare the efficacy of titrated versus fixed dose oral misoprostol solution regimen as inducing agents and the effects on fetomaternal outcome.

A comparative interventional study was conducted for one year and study population consisted of term pregnant women admitted to the labour room of the hospital. A total sample size of 150 was deemed necessary, with 75 participants required per group. Following allocation into groups, induction of labor was carried out using either oral titrated-dose misoprostol solution or fixeddose misoprostol solution.

Successful induction of labour was higher in fixed -dose group (Group F) (80%) as compared to 65.53% in titrated-dose group (Group T), the difference was statistically significant (p=0.0439). The need for augmentation was lower in group F (30.67%) than in group T (56%). Statistically, this difference was significant (p = 0.0017). Uterine hyper stimulation and atonic post-partum haemorrhage were noted more in group T but this difference was not significant (p = 0.1461; p = 0.3108). Requirement of newborn resuscitation was observed higher in group T [34 (45.34%)] than group F [16(21.33%)]. Statistically, this difference was significant [p=0.0081]. NICU admissions were more in group T (21.34%) than group F (13.33%), but difference was not significant (p = 0.0574).

This study concludes that both fixed- dose and titrated-dose oral misoprostol solution regimens are effective in induction of labour but fixed-dose regimen has an advantage of less mean total dose of misoprostol administered, reduced induction to delivery interval, less uterine hyperstimulation, atonic postpartum hemorrhage and better fetomaternal and neonatal safety profile.
The effectiveness of the abdominal sacrocolpopexy / sacrohysteropexy with synthetic mesh for repair of apical prolapse
Authors: Kumari Ruby , Debbarman Tanusree , Akram Sobia
Published: May 2024

: Pelvic organ prolapse is a common condition among parous women, badly affecting their life. They need a safe and consistent procedure that does anatomical correction and also improves their overall quality of life. Abdominal sacrocolpopexy and sacrohysteropexy are promising procedures for apical prolapse repair. Aim was to determine the effectiveness of the abdominal sacrocolpopexy /sacrohysteropexy with synthetic mesh for repair of vault and nulliparous prolapse respectively. The objectives were to describe the outcomes in the form of anatomical correction, symptomatic improvement and the complications in peri-operative and in follow up periods.

This prospective observational study was carried out in the department of Obstetric and Gynaecology, at a tertiary care center. The present study included 22 women with vault prolapse (n=18) and nulliparous prolapse (n=4), underwent abdominal sacrocolpopexy /sacrohysteropexy respectively for 2 years from 1st February 2021 to 31st January 2023 and follow up for 12 months.

: Most of the women had preoperative apical prolapse in stages-3 (59%), mean age in abdominal sacrocolpopexy/ sacrohysteropexy group was 53.6 years and 26.5 years respectively. Perioperative complications were bladder injury (n=1), paralytic ileus (n=1), wound dehiscence (n=1) and UTI (n=1). In post-operative reassessment of pelvic organ prolapse, vault/uterus was well supported (100%), 100% symptomatic relief. During follow up dyspareunia (n=1), lower backache (n=1) were present, no mesh erosion and no recurrence of Pelvic organ prolapse observed.

: Abdominal sacrocolpopexy/ sacrohysteropexy with synthetic mesh are safe and durable procedures for vault and nulliparous prolapse repair respectively.
Test characteristics of glycated albumin in the diagnosis of gestational diabetes mellitus
Authors: John Celestine Osita , Woruka Atochi Prince , Akhidue Kariba , Ogu Rosemary
Published: May 2024

This study determined the test characteristics of glycated albumin in the diagnosis of gestational diabetes mellitus.

The gold standard for diagnosing gestational diabetes mellitus is the oral glucose tolerance test which requires patient preparation, drinking of glucose solution, and multiple sample collections. A possible alternative biomarker for the diagnosis of gestational diabetes is glycated albumin does not require patient preparation and only one sample is collected. Glycated albumin levels are higher among Black Americans than in Caucasians.

The study involved 200 pregnant women attending the antenatal clinic at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital. The diagnosis of gestational diabetes mellitus was made using the World Health Organization 2013 diagnostic criteria. The test characteristics of glycated albumin were determined using the area under the curve of the receiver operator characteristic curve, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value.

The prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus was 9.0%. The area under the receiver operator characteristic curve for glycated albumin was 0.8 (95% CI 0.7-0.9; p=0.0001). The sensitivity and specificity of glycated albumin were 83.3% and 86.8% respectively. The positive predictive value was 38.5% and the negative predictive value was 98.1%.

Glycated albumin has high sensitivity, specificity, and negative predictive values and therefore, can be used as a preliminary test for gestational diabetes mellitus.
Complications of placenta previa: A retrospective observational study at tertiary care hospital
Authors: Patel Pallavi Ishawarbhai , Gavaniya Gautam Chandubhai , Thaker Rajal Vidyutkumar , Radadiya Meera Hasmukhbhai , Barot Shivam Jagdishbhai , Desai Karan Kantibhai
Published: May 2024

: Placenta previa (PP) is condition where the placenta is inserted completely or partially into the lower uterine segment, at or after 28 weeks of gestation. Maternal and fetal risks are antepartum haemorrhage (APH), postpartum haemorrhage (PPH), abnormal adherence of placenta, low birth weight (LBW), intra uterine growth restriction (IUGR), preterm births and congenital malformations. The purpose of this study was to determine the proportion of placenta previa, the demographics of patients, types- severity, complications and the feto-maternal outcome in patients of placenta previa.

: After due permission of Institutional Review Board, this retrospective observational study was carried out at tertiary care teaching hospital from July 2020 to November 2022.

Proportion of pregnancies with placenta previa was 0.3%. Majority 44(91.7%) patients were registered, 38(79.2%) of patients were in age group of 21-30 years, 38(79.1%) patients were multigravida, 41 (85.4%) had major degree of placenta previa, 29(60.4%) patients admitted after 37 weeks of gestation and 47(97.9%) of patients were delivered by caesarean section. Majority of patients, 20 (41.7%) had mild anemia. Major complications were bleeding episodes during antenatal period/APH in 23 (47.9%) and PPH in 22 (45.8%) patients. Maternal mortality occurred in 1 (2.1%) patient. All babies were live at time of birth and 44(91.7%) babies were alive at the time of discharge and neonatal death occurred in 4 (8.3%) preterm babies (28-33 week gestation).

Majority of patients were multigravida. No patient was severely anaemic. Majority of patients were delivered by CS. APH and PPH were major complications. About two third of patients required blood transfusion in ante/intra/post-natal period. Obstetric hysterectomy was required in about one tenth of patients. Majority of babies were alive at the time of discharge due to higher number of registered patients who took regular antenatal care, hospital delivery and good NICU facilities. Once diagnosed, placenta previa and morbidly adherent placenta should be managed at tertiary care centre with multidisciplinary approach so as to lessen the feto-maternal morbidity and mortality. Prevention is better than cure. Multiparity increases the risk of placenta previa. Hence, family planning with an aim to reduce unwanted pregnancies and abortions will help to reduce the chances placenta previa. CS increases the risk of development of placenta previa. Efforts should be made to reduce the primary caesarean section rate as it poses more risk of placenta previa, morbidly adherent placenta and its related complications in subsequent gestations.
Sonographic and histopathological findings of endometrium among perimenopausal women with abnormal uterine bleeding- A cross sectional study in north Kerala
Authors: Balathil Ranjana , Shenoy Heera Trivikrama , Mampilly Neena , Ravi Rejeesh Saroja , Vethavayal Rabiyabi , Lakshman Lisha
Published: May 2024

: AUB makes a perimenopausal woman to seek medical care. This study evaluated and correlated the endometrial thickness obtained by ultrasonography and histopathological findings of endometrium in perimenopausal women with AUB.

A hospital based observational cross-sectional study was conducted in Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department, Baby Memorial Hospital, Calicut for a period of 18 months. Histo-pathologic evaluation of endometrial tissue was done and was correlated with endometrial thickness.

: The average age of women enrolled was 47.88 years with standard deviation of 3.729. The average endometrial thickness was 12.40mm. Endometrial hyperplasia without atypia was the leading histopathological finding obtained after analysis of endometrium (21.5%). This study shows that there is a significant relationship between histopathology findings of endometrium and age of participant and between endometrial thickness and menorrhagia. There was no relationship between histopathology findings and endometrial thickness.

Perimenopausal AUB should be evaluated in a systematic manner, so that endometrial hyperplasia, carcinoma endometrium could be diagnosed in a very early stage and prompt treatment be given at right time reducing morbidity improving the quality of life.
The sequence of acrania–exencephaly–anencephaly (AEAS)- An infrequent case report
Authors: Shenoy Heera Trivikrama , Kunju Najah Ismail , Khan Naseemabeevi Ahmed , Puthanayil Sudhya P , Ambujakshan Sangeetha Ambujakshan
Published: May 2024

Acrania–exencephaly–anencephaly sequence has an incidence of 3.6–5.4 for 10,000 live births and has been reported in literature. Exencephaly, described here is a defect of the neural tube which occurs due to the absence of closure of the neural fold. The main diagnostic ultrasound features include that are characterized by acrania, decreased size of cranial pole in comparison with the chest, irregular cranial surface, with increased amniotic fluid echogenicity due to the damaged brain tissue. Associated with amniotic band syndrome, Pentalogy of Cantrell, limb anomalies and ventral body wall defects. It is incompatible with life. Conducting programs training the budding neuro-sonographers about the knowledge in detection, diagnosis of NTD according to the Carnegie Classification is crucial to look forward in pathogenesis and application in the clinical scenario.
Growth, dry matter and production components of cotton under phosphorus split application strategies
Authors: Ribeiro Aureliano de Albuquerque , Da Silva Evandro Fabio , Da Silva Célia Maria , Da Silva Mayana Garcias , Correia Cira Belém Gonçalves
Published: May 2024

Compared with single application, the split application of phosphorus during sowing can enhance the efficiency of phosphate fertilization. In view of this, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of phosphorus split application on the growth, dry matter, and production components of the cotton plant. The experiment was carried out in a greenhouse at the Faculdade de Tecnologia of the Instituto Centro de Ensino Tecnológico Cariri (Fatec Cariri), located in the municipality of Juazeiro do Norte, Ceará. The experiment was arranged in a completely randomized design (DIC), with four replications. The treatments were composed of a combination of different phosphorus split application strategies: T1 = no phosphorus; T2 = application of 100 % of the phosphorus at sowing (conventional way); T3 = application of 50 % of the phosphorus at sowing and of 50 % at 35 days after sowing; T4 = application of 70 % of the phosphorus at sowing and of 30 % at 35 days after sowing; and T5 = application of 30 % of the phosphorus at sowing and of 70 % at 35 days after sowing. The following variables were evaluated: plant height; absolute growth rate; stem diameter; number of leaves; root dry matter; total dry matter; and number of flower buds and bolls. The treatments significantly influenced all the variables analyzed. Based on the outcomes, it was found that the split application of phosphorus did not improve the growth, dry matter and production components of the cotton plant compared to the single application.
Understanding Knowledge and Behaviors Related To the Covid-19 Epidemic in Medical Students in Morocco
Authors: Berrami Hind , Serhier Zineb , Jallal Manar , Othmani Mohammed Bennani
Published: May 2024

Introduction: The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is accompanied with increasing morbidity and mortality and has impacted the lives of people worldwide. Health care personnel including medical school students are at high risk of exposure and transmission of the coronavirus. Our aim is to study the knowledge and behavior of medical students in Morocco towards COVID-19 to have protection for themselves, their work colleagues.
Methods: Cross-sectional and descriptive-analytical study in November 2021 among medical students, conducted by a self-administered questionnaire, stratified sampling on years of study was performed.
Results: 300 students responded with a 75% response rate, with a mean age of 21.3 ± 1.4 years. The majority 189 (63%) were female, about 207(69 %) of the respondents had good knowledge (GK) and 174 (60%) had good behaviors (GB) using a point varying of 8 to 10 out of 10 and using a point varying of 40 to 60 out of 60 in each case. To combat the COVID-19 pandemic, 76.7% of the study participants improved their regular hand washing, and 94.7% of them used a face mask since the outbreak; There was a significant difference between hand washing with soap and water and COVID infection (p value = 0.002). The prevalence of anti-coronavirus vaccination was 87.7% (95 % CI 83.4, 90.9).
Conclusion: Medical students showed a satisfactory level of knowledge and adherence to the recommendations for protection against COVID-19 and they must also be prepared with medical awareness, an appropriate attitude and good precautionary measures In the event of an emergency
The Pattern of Motorcyclists' Death Due to Accidents and a Three-year Forecast in East Azerbaijan Province, Iran: A Time Series Study
Authors: Jafari-Khounigh Ali , Rezaei Mahdi , Samadirad Bahram , Golestani Mina , Shahsavarinia Kavous , Razzaghi Alireza , Ahmadi Sajjad , Sadeghi-Bazargani Homayoun
Published: May 2024

Introduction: In low- and middle-income countries, a large proportion of road users include pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists, and nearly half of road traffic fatalities occur among motorcyclists. This study aimed to examine the pattern of motorcyclists' death due to accidents in East Azerbaijan, Iran between 2006 and 2021 and present a forecast.
Methods: We used death data due to motorcycle accidents of Legal Medicine Department between 2006 and 2021. For time series analysis, the Box-Jenkins model was used and three stages of identification, estimation, and diagnosis were successively performed and repeated several times to achieve the best prediction model.
The Box-cox transformation method was used to stabilize the variance, and the first-order seasonal differential method with a period of 12 was used to control the seasonality. Due to seasonal variations, the Seasonality Auto-Regressive Integrated Moving Average model: SARIMA (p, d, q) (P, D, Q)s was employed and the death trend was predicted for 36 months. The candidate models were compared based on Log-likelihood, AIC, and BIC indices. STATA 17 was used for data analysis.
Results: About 18.6% of all accident deaths are attributed to motorcycle accidents. The death rate for all causes of accidents and motorcycle accidents were 23.13 and 4.30 per 100,000 population, respectively. Seven models were considered as candidates. The SARIMA (0, 0, 0) (1, 1, 1)12 model was selected as the best model due to better fit and used to predict the number and trend of motorcycle accident deaths. Motorcycle accident deaths are predicted to decrease gradually in the next 36 months, from June 2021 to May 2024, affected by seasonal changes.
Conclusion: The trend of death due to motorcycle accidents from 2006 to 2021 in East Azerbaijan was declining, and it is predicted to decrease slightly in the next three years as well. As this reduction may be attributed to many factors, it is recommended to investigate effective factors in future studies.
Analysis of Copula Frailty defective models in presence of Cure Fraction
Authors: Abuelamayem Ola
Published: May 2024

Introduction: Analyzing long term survivors such as diabetic patients can't be done using the usual survival models. One approach to analyze it is using defective distribution that doesn't force a pre-assumption of cure fraction to the model. To study more than one random variable interacting together, multivariate distributions may be used. However, most of multivariate distributions have complicated forms, which make the computations difficult. Besides, it may be hard to find a multivariate distribution that fits the data properly, especially in health care field. To get over this problem, one can use copula approach. In literature, to the best of our knowledge, only one paper handled copula defective models and didn't consider the effect of covariates. In this paper, we take into consideration not only existed covariates but also unobserved ones by including frailty term.
Methods: Two new models are introduced. The first model, used Gumbel copula to take the dependence into consideration together with the observed covariates. The second one take into consideration not only the dependence but also the unobserved covariates by integrating frailty term in to the model.
Results: A diabetic retinopathy data is analyzed. The two models indicated the existence of long-term survivals through negative parameters without the need of pre-assuming the existence of it. Including frailty term to the model helped in capturing more dependence between the variables. We compared the results using goodness of fit methods, and the results suggested that the model with frailty term is the best to be used.
Conclusion: The two introduced models correctly detected the existence of cure fraction with less estimated parameters than that in mixture cure fraction models. Also, it has the advantage of not pre-assuming the existence of cure fraction to the model. comparing both models, the model with frailty term fitted the data better.
Factors Affecting Loneliness in Older Adults: Evidence from Ardakan Cohort Study on Aging (ACSA)
Authors: Delbari Ahmad , Hesari Elahe , Saatchi Mohammad , Bidkhori Mohammad , Mortazavi Seyede Salehe , Hooshmand Elham
Published: May 2024

Introduction: Elderly people usually feel lonely that can have adverse health effects. The purpose of current paper is to determine the loneliness score in the elderly population of the Ardakan Cohort and the factors affecting it.
Methods: This is a cross sectional study using data from the Ardakan Cohort Study on Ageing (ACSA). Loneliness was measured using a 6-item De Jong Gierveld short scales. The 11-item Duke Social Support Index (DSSI) was used to measures social support of aging. living arrangement, demographic factors and self-rated health was also collected using a checklist. Linear regression was used to examine the relationship between loneliness and predictor factors. The data was analyzed with Stata software version 17 and a p-value of 0.05 was considered as a significant level.
Results: Among the 5,188 participants, 48.13% were male and most of the participants were over 60 years old. Total score of loneliness was 3.27±1.45(95% CI: 3.24 to 3.31). Among covariates, age (p value=0.000), sex (p value=0.000), marital status (p value=0.046), education (p value=0.001) and economic status (p value=0.001) have significant association with loneliness score. People with good self-rated health had a lower loneliness score (p value<0.001). The score of social support has an inverse association with the score of loneliness (p value<0.001). Adults who lived with others had a higher loneliness score (p value<0.001).
Conclusion: According to the results, elderly people who have more social support and have better self-rated health feel less lonely.
Analysis of Mental Health and Drug Use in the Top 21 Most Populated U.S. States
Authors: Castillo Grace , Gulati Sneh , Kibria B.M. Golam
Published: May 2024

Introduction: Most people in the United States live busy stressful lives which can lead to significant health challenges, especially to one’s mental health. After years of being ignored and stigmatized, mental illness has been given the recognition it deserves. It is now associated with the overall health of a person and treated seriously. The same could be said about substance abuse disorder though on a lesser scale. This paper attempts to understand the relationship between drug use and mental health illness differentiated across age groups. The understanding of these causations and relationships could help us better understand the rate and triggers of mental illness in the United States.
Methods: We used data from a 2023 survey, which contains a total of 69,850 completed interviews. The data collected were taken from each state individually with each of them implementing the same survey to collect responses. Instead of looking at all fifty states, we decided to analyze only the highest twenty- one most populated states. Various non-parametric tests were used to analyze age groups and their rate of mental health illnesses and drug use within the country.
Results: We found that tobacco use is associated with mental illness, while alcohol use is associated with attempted suicide. It appears that indicators of drug use are not homogeneous across states for either age group. We also found that the alcohol consumption is related to a declining proportion of attempted suicides.
Conclusion: In this research we found a significant association between drug use and inidcators of mental illness. The association differed across different age groups and also across states. Since we found that the alcohol consumption is related to a declining proportion of attempted suicides, it will be interesting to explore why this is the case and what could be observed to decrease suicidal rates.
Task-Dependent Brain Activity in Generalized Anxiety Disorder Determined By Bayesian Spatio-Temporal Single Case Model
Authors: Hosseinian Ghamsari Fereshteh Sadat , Rasekhi Aliakbar , Faghihzadeh Elham , Farrahi Hassan
Published: May 2024

Introduction: Data obtained from functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) have a complex structure. Considering the special features of this type of data in analyses is of particular importance. Previous studies on generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) as a prevalent mental disorder using functional neuroimaging have had conflicting results. In this study, we apply a Bayesian spatiotemporal model to this type of data which considers both spatial and temporal dependence among regions which is one of the most essential features to consider.
Methods: In this single-subject study, we analyze data from a patient with GAD and a healthy participant. Both participants are 24-year-old women who are assigned an emotion reactivity task (matching neutral and negative facial expressions) inside a scanner. The spatial Bayesian variable selection method is used to detect blood oxygen level-dependent activation in fMRI data.
Results: Activation areas in neutral and negative facial expressions are provided for both participants by posterior probability map. The results of our study show a greater level of activity in the GAD participant in comparison to the healthy participant in responding to the negative matching task.
Conclusion: the GAD patient showed more neural activity in response to negative facial expressions than the healthy participant in brain regions related to emotional response in the areas of the frontal Pole, middle frontal gyrus, insular cortex, and frontal orbital cortex. Moreover, the inferior frontal gyrus in the patient with GAD showed more reaction to negative emotional stimuli.
Prediction of Suicide Attempt based on Psychological Pain, Interpersonal Needs, and Peer Pressure in Students
Authors: Kiani Ahmadreza , Hasanzade Afshin , Jamshidian Yasaman , Jahanbakhshi Zahra
Published: May 2024

Aim: The aim of this study was to predict suicide attempt based on psychological pains, interpersonal needs, and peer pressure in students. Methods: The research method was descriptive-correlational. The statistical population of the study included all students in city of Rasht (Iran), from which 250 people were selected through random sampling. Research instruments included Schneidmann (1993) Psychache Scale, Joiner et al. (2006) Interpersonal Needs, Dehingra, Budoshk, & O'Connor (2016) Suicide Attempt, and a peer pressure researcher-made questionnaire through which data was collected and analyzed using Pearson correlation and regression. Finding: The results showed that there was a significant relationship between psychological pain (psychache), perceived burdensomeness, and peer pressure with suicide attempts (P <0.01). And the results of regression analysis showed that psych ache and neutral belongingness can predict suicide in students (P <0.05). But the role of psychological pain has a higher power of predictability in suicide attempts among students. Conclusion: It can be concluded that psychological painss and neutral belonging are important factors that can predict suicide in students.
The Experience of Cultural Globalization and the Consumption of Western Clothing
Authors: Mirzaei Ezatalah , Moghadam Elham Keshavarz , Asgari Ehsan , Mirzaei Mehdi
Published: May 2024

Aim: The present study was conducted with the aim of investigating the relationship between the experience of cultural globalization (based on the three indicators of using foreign music, using foreign media, and individualism) and consuming western clothing. Methods: The type of research was descriptive and the method was survey. The statistical population included all female undergraduate students of Shiraz University in the academic year of 2022-23, of which 384 of them who responded came from colleges of economics, management, social sciences, literature and humanities who were selected trhough random multi-stage cluster sampling. Findings: Based on data analysis, it can be said that there is a positive and significant relationship between the use of foreign music and the consumption of western media (B=0.459), and between the use of foreign media and the consumption of western media. There is a positive and significant relationship with medium intensity (B=0.563); and finally, there was a positive and significant relationship between individualism and consumption of western clothing with relatively high intensity (B=0.667). In addition, the results showed that the three variables of using foreign music, using foreign media, and individualism (as indicators of cultural globalization) were able to explain and predict about 52% of the changes related to the dependent variable (consumption of western clothing). Conclusion: Based on the findings, it is suggested that the cultural policy makers, while taking the necessary measures to promote the media literacy of the youth, should make some kind of contextual adjustment in the direction of using satellite networks, in relation to the representation of the interests and tastes of the young generation in the programs of the domestic networks. To prevent the influence of culturally heterogeneous elements, the necessary investment should be applied in the direction of good music productions according to the taste of young people. Finally, in the field of Islamic-Iranian clothes, a variety of new and diverse designs according to the taste of women should be considered.
Impact of COVID-19 on Small Domestic and Inbound Travel Agencies and Tour Operators in West Bengal, India: Perspectives of Offline Owners-Managers
Authors: Rawal Yashwant Singh , Chakrabortty Namrata , Chatterjee Pratim , Batabyal Debasish
Published: May 2024

Purpose: This article delves into the mindset of small family business owners in tourism during the COVID-19 crisis, their strategies, and the barriers they faced in recovery. The study is particularly significant as it sheds light on the experiences of entrepreneurs in both urban and backward/rural areas of West Bengal, providing valuable insights for policymakers and professionals in the tourism and hospitality industry.
Methodology: The qualitative research approach involved semi-structured interviews with thirteen family-owned tour operators or travel agency owners/managers. A fixed semi-structured questionnaire was used to explore their views on management operations during and after the crisis, allowing for open discussion and new insights.
Principal Findings: The findings underscore the remarkable resilience of small family-operated tour operators and travel agencies. Despite facing multiple challenges, including threats of existence, the pressure of fixed costs, non-performing travel inventories, feeling unethical, uncertainty about the future, and feelings of loss of goodwill with lenders, these entrepreneurs have shown remarkable adaptability and determination.
Originality: This research offers unique insights into the mindset of family business owners in the Indian context, particularly the urban-peripheral context. The study also highlights the gap between the government's measures and the needs of entrepreneurs in this post-COVID-19 era, providing a comprehensive understanding of the challenges and opportunities in the tourism industry.
Rural Tourism and Homestays in India: Impact on Local Economy, Culture and Ecology
Authors: Chatterjee Pratim , Chakrabortty Namrata , Ghosh Subho
Published: May 2024

Purpose of the study: This study explores rural tourism as a sustainable form that encompasses environmental preservation, entrepreneurial opportunities, and the preservation of traditional village customs, values, and practices.
Methodology: The research methodology employed a literature review approach, focusing on secondary data sources. The search utilized the Google Scholar database as a search engine, with the initial 500 results sorted by relevance to ensure comprehensive coverage of relevant scholarly sources. Finally, 31 articles were selected for this study.
Principal Findings: Operating homestays can provide alternative accommodation options and catalyze the promotion of rural tourism, benefiting the local community, economy, and regional art and culture. A well-executed marketing plan in rural tourism can bring significant societal advantages by channeling resources from urban to rural areas and curbing rural-urban migration.
Applications of the study: This study can be helpful in the tourism and hospitality industry. It is instrumental in promoting rural tourism and supplementary accommodation like homestays in India, thus boosting the local economy and promoting local culture and tradition.
Novelty/Originality of the study: Tourism and related industries substantially impact employment due to the sector's labor-intensive nature. Village tourism can generate income and employment and contribute to rural development, preventing rural-urban migration and promoting sustainable revenue generation.
Lipopolysaccharide Stimulation of Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells of Indigenous Pigs Causes Enhanced Expression of Pro-inflammatory Cytokines Over Exotic Pigs
Authors: Gali Jagan Mohanarao , Subudhi Prasant Kumar , Behera Parthasarathi , Ali Mohammad Ayub , De Ankan , Jayappa Kiran , Kalita Girin
Published: May 2024

Background: Selective breeding in pigs based on a higher potential of disease resistance can be achieved by studying the association between immune responsiveness and susceptibility to infectious diseases. The early immune responsiveness of pigs assessed in a quantifiable scale for different determinant cytokine genes’ expression involved in regulation of immune response can be a major determinant for evaluating the immune responsiveness. Methods: In this study, we carried out the quantitative relative expression of candidate cytokine genes [Interleukin-1 beta-(IL1β), IL6, IL10 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα) and toll-like receptor-4 (TLR4) gene expression in the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of Zovawk (indigenous) and Large White Yorkshire (LWY-exotic) pig breeds using real-time PCR to understand the differences in swift immune responsiveness against gram-negative bacteria. Results: Zovawk PBMCs’ pro-inflammatory cytokines IL1β and IL6 expression increased rapidly with LPS stimulation up to 12 h, being significantly higher as early as 4 h compared to that of the LWY PBMCs. In Zovawk pigs, the pro-inflammatory cytokine genes’ expression was found to be quick and high; whereas, in LWY pigs the response was slow and low. Interestingly, the expression of IL10 was not detected in LPS-stimulated PBMCs of Zovawk pigs indicating that the remarkably higher expressions of IL6 and IL1b in response to LPS are within the threshold of the Zovawk pigs which have evolved through generations. Our findings clearly indicate the sturdy and early immune responsiveness of indigenous pigs against gram-negative bacteria over the exotic pigs.
A hybrid sampling combining Smote and RF algorithm for cancer chemotherapy protocols Classification
Authors: AIT BRAHIM Houda , BANOUAR Oumayma , EL-HADAJ Salah , METRANE Abdelmoutalib
Published: May 2024

Breast Cancer (BC) is a network of cells that grow abnormally in the breast. If BC is not properly treated with the appropriate cancer chemotherapy protocols, it is at risk of causing death. This research aimed to combine Synthetic Minority Over-sampling (Smote) and Random Forest (RF) methods for BC chemotherapy protocols classification. Smote was used to balance the data, while RF was used to classify chemotherapy protocols data. The real data was produced by collecting medical and personal data from 601 patients with BC at the University Hospital Center (UHC) Mohammed VI of Marrakech in Morocco. Data of women diagnosed with BC from January 2018 at UHC were assessed. The results showed that the use of Smote for data augmentation can increase the performance of the RF classification method based on accuracy. There was an increase of 26% in accuracy. Time is an hyperparameter to be improved.
Optimal image 2D/3D by Krawtchouk moments and ABC algorithm
Authors: AAKAM YOUSSEF  , El Ogri Omar , El Mekkaoui Jaouad , Benslimane Mohamed , Hjouji Amal
Published: May 2024

In our research, we provide an enhanced and effective Krawtchouk moments parameter p optimization approach using the Artificial Bee Colony (ABC) algorithm optimization technique for the purpose of completing tasks including the reconstruction and classification of 3D and 2D images with high quality. The proposed method, which uses the ABC algorithm to generate a suitable parameter based on Krawtchouck moments, aims to accurately characterize the image as a vector known as the descriptor vector of moments, which is then used to reconstruct the image for each order. The simulation and analysis of the findings demonstrate the high level of quality and effectiveness of the suggested KM-ABC approach for image reconstruction, as well as its excellent accuracy in images with and without noise.
License plate text recognition using deep learning, NLP, and image processing techniques
Authors: Moussaoui Hanae , El Akkad Nabil , Benslimane Mohamed
Published: May 2024

Detecting license plates has never been easy, particularly with the proliferation of sophisticated radars on highways and roads. By 2021, the gendarmerie and National Security Road control agents will have access to more than 1 billion smart traffic radars worldwide. This research presents a revolutionary technique for detecting and recognizing Arabic and Latin license plates. After assembling the gathered images to create a novel dataset, we utilized YOLO v7 to locate and identify the number plate in the image as the first step of the suggested procedure. Before the dataset was fed to the detection system, it was manually labeled. Afterward, we improved the recognized license plate using machine learning methods. To do this, we used kernel methods as well as thresholding to get rid of the extra vertical lines on the plate. After that, we employed Arabic OCR along with Easy OCR methods to decipher the Latin and Arabic characters on the number plate. Eventually, the proposed method achieved an F1 score of 98%,with a precision and recall of 97% and 98%, respectively. We also obtained an accuracy of 99% for image segmentation. The segmentation and detection results from the suggested strategy have shown satisfactory results.
Assessing public street lighting in Morocco: evaluating efficiency and the impact of geometrical parameters on luminance
Authors: AGROUAZ Younes , Ouazzani Ibrahimi Mohamed , Jamil Abdelmajid , Simou Zakariae , Hamdaoui Said
Published: May 2024

The main objective of this study is to present a bench marking of the public street lighting in typical road in Morocco. The study deals with a comparison between the conventional technology used in Moroccan road and the LED technology. The simulated system is based on road with two directions and a sidewalk, three arrangements type of pole layout are treated (Left, Middle and Two sides arrangement). Also, in this paper deals with a parametric analysis based on the variation of boom angle, light Center high and the pole distance in order to determine the luminance of each arrangement at each pole distance. The simulation is carried out using two luminaries, the fi rst one represents a conventional technology and LED lamp. The founding of this paper shows that the LED lamp present a high luminance value of 20 cd/m² for a pole distance of 10m and boom angle of 0°, in comparison with the conventional lamp that present a luminance of 8 cd/m² at the same condition. The left arrangement type shows the best energy effi ciency indicators such as DE and power per km, this means that this disposition is less consuming of energy and acceptable luminance values. Therefore, these two indicators play a crucial role in enhancing the effi ciency of the lighting.
Peran Lembaga Keuangan Syariah dan Hotel Dalam Meningkatkan Potensi Wisata Halal Pulau Lombok
Authors: Shinta Eka Kartika Agus Khazin Fauzi Yuli Astini
Published: May 2024

Abstract: This paper aims to obtain an overview of the extent of the role of the existence of Islamic financial institutions and hotels in increasing the potential of halal tourism on the island of Lombok. This study uses qualitative methods by conducting interviews with managers of Islamic financial institutions and hotel managers in Mataram City. The results showed that the role of Islamic financial institutions so far can be seen from the financing provided to the tourism industry, the provision of products for tourism actors and participation in events held by the Dinas Pariwisata in the form of sponsorship. The role of the hotel in enhancing halal tourism potential is carried out in the form of providing accommodation in accordance with sharia standards that cover aspects of products, services and management. In the event that the sharia standards have not been met, the accommodation must at least contain the availability of facilities that are suitable for purification, facilities that make it easy to worship, halal food and drinks. The hotel also contributes to promoting branding Lombok as a world halal tour to local and foreign tourists.
Abstrak: Tulisan ini bertujuan untuk memperoleh gambaran sejauh mana peran lembaga keuangan syariah dan hotel dalam meningkatkan potensi wisata halal yang ada di Pulau Lombok. Data digali secara kualitatif melalui wawancara dengan pengelola lembaga keuangan syariah maupun pengelola hotel yang ada di Kota Mataram. Hasil kajian menunjukkan bahwa peran lembaga keuangan syariah sejauh ini dapat dilihat dari pembiayaan yang diberikan kepada industri pariwisata, penyediaan produk bagi pelaku wisata maupun keikutsertaan dalam event-event yang diadakan oleh Dinas Pariwisata dalam bentuk sponsorship. Peran Hotel dalam meningkatkan potensi wisata halal dilakukan dalam bentuk penyediaan akomodasi yang sesuai dengan standar syariah yang mencakup aspek produk, pelayanan maupun pengelolaannya. Dalam hal standar syariah belum terpenuhi, akomodasi paling sedikit memuat ketersediaan fasilitas yang layak untuk bersuci, fasilitas yang memudahkan untuk beribadah, makanan dan minuman yang halal. Hotel juga ikut andil mempromosikan branding Lombok sebagai wisata halal dunia kepada para wisatawan lokal maupun mancanegara.