bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Persistance de l’innovation dans les secteurs de basse technologie
Authors: Chemo Dzukou Kevin Randy
Published: December 2021

Cet article traite de la persistance de l’innovation dans une industrie de basse technologie. Étant donné que cette dernière est principalement expliquée dans la littérature par l’hypothèse des coûts irrécupérables, il est donc important de se questionner sur l’existence d’un tel phénomène dans les industries de ce type. Utilisant un panel d’entreprises de l’industrie laitière française suivi sur la période 2010-2017, nous avons modélisé deux processus liés au phénomène de persistance : la décision d’innovation et son intensité. Un modèle de sélection pour données de comptage prenant en compte les effets individuels et traitant le problème des conditions initiales est estimé. Les résultats économétriques montrent que l’expérience passée en matière d’innovation est un déterminant important pour les innovations futures des entreprises et confirment donc l’hypothèse d’une véritable persistance de l’innovation. En outre, les résultats mettent en évidence l’importance des fonds propres et de l’accumulation de connaissances (interne et externe) dans la capacité des entreprises laitières françaises à innover de manière continue dans le temps. Classification JEL  : O31, L20, C33, C39.
Penser le Chili contemporain au prisme de l’émergence d’une coalition partisane, le Frente Amplio
Authors: Nogué Axel
Published: December 2021

Cet article se propose d’étudier les mutations sociopolitiques de la société chilienne contemporaine à travers la trajectoire historique d’une coalition, le Frente Amplio (Front ample). Créé en 2017 en vue de disputer l’hégémonie des deux grandes coalitions structurant la vie politique chilienne depuis 1989, le Frente Amplio plonge ses racines dans l’histoire des mobilisations étudiantes contre le système d’enseignement supérieur hérité de la dictature. Faisant converger en son sein une pluralité de traditions politiques, provenant principalement, mais pas uniquement, de la gauche, cette coalition bâtit son unité autour d’une opposition au modèle socio-économique néolibéral et d’une rhétorique de rénovation de la politique. De sa genèse jusqu’en 2021, année de définition d’un nouveau pacte constitutionnel au Chili, la trajectoire du Frente Amplio s’imbrique dans le vaste processus de remise en cause des fondements néolibéraux et conservateurs de la société chilienne.
Antifungal strains and gene mapping of secondary metabolites in mangrove sediments from Semarang city and Karimunjawa islands, Indonesia
Authors: Pringgenies Delianis ,   Department of Marine Science, Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Sciences, Universitas Diponegoro, Semarang, 50275, Indonesia., Setyati Wilis Ari
Published: December 2021

Infection caused by pathogenic fungal species is one of the most challenging disease to be tackled today. The antifungal bacteria candidate can be found in terrestrial as well as aquatic ecosystems, with mangrove forests being one of them. The purpose of this study is to obtain candidate isolates of antifungal strains with a detection approach and gene mapping simulation of bioactive compounds producers and screening to determine qualitative antifungal activity. The research will be carried out by collecting sediment samples from the mangrove ecosystems of Karimunjawa and Mangkang sub-district of Semarang city, isolating and purifying bacteria with Humic Acid Vitamin Agar (HVA), International Streptomyces Project 1 (ISP 1) and Zobell (Marine Agar). added with antibiotics, qualitative antifungal ability screening of each isolate obtained, detection of the presence of PKS gene and NRPS using special primers using the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) method, and molecular identification of each isolate by 16s rRNA sequencing method. Of the total 59 isolates produced from the sample isolation process, 31 isolates from Karimunjawa sediments and 8 isolates from Semarang sediments showed activity against test pathogenic bacteria, namely Candida albicans, Trichoderma sp., and Aspergillus niger. Detection of Biosynthethic Gene Cluster (BGC) showed that the genes encoding secondary metabolites (NRPS, PKS 1 and PKS 2) were detected in KI 2-2 isolates from Karimunjawa. NRPS were detected only in isolates SP 3-9, SH 3-4, KI 1-6, KI 2-2, KI 2-4. The secondary metabolite-encoding gene, PKS1, was detected in isolates SP 3-5, SP 3-8, KI 2-2. PKS II genes were detected only on isolates SP 2-4, SH 3-8, KI 1-6, KI 2-2, and KI 2-4. Isolate SP 3-5 was revealed as Pseudomonas aeruginosa (93.14%), isolate SP 2-4 was Zhouia amylolytica strain HN-181 (100%) and isolate SP 3-8 was P. aeruginosa strain QK -2 (100%).
The Dialectic of Formalization
Authors: Germek Magdalena
Published: December 2021

This article discusses the philosophy of Alain Badiou from the perspective of a formulation that we believe represents it succinctly: the dialectic of formalization. The main thesis of the article is that Badiou’s doctrine of the four truth procedures (politics, science, love, and art) can be understood as a doctrine of a dialectical realization of new and universal forms in the world. The dialectic of formalization announces a double procedure – an autonomous and creative procedure for the production of a new true form in the world and a process of the formation of continuity in discontinuity. Moreover, the dialectic of formalization represents a connection between Badiou’s mature work and his early writings from the late 1960s. Even though in the 1960s and 1970s Badiou had not yet introduced the concepts of subject and truth in the sense that he understands them today, it is possible to support the thesis that there is an indisputable connection between Badiou’s early concept of formalization and his later concept of generic truth procedure. We will try to show that the dialectic of formalization (Badiou’s own formulation) designates the continuity between Badiou’s early and mature work.
In Times of “Chastity”: An Inquiry into Some Recent Developments in the Field of Perversion
Authors: Bunta Aleš
Published: December 2021

This essay is part of a project that has set out, as one of its primary objectives, to observe perversions as important indicators of broader changes and developments within society. Both of the momenta I follow in this study meet all the requirements for such an inquiry. The first development to be examined is what I will call the decline of pornography. At a time when all of society is increasingly becoming pornographic in so many ways, it sounds strange to talk about the decline of pornography. And yet pornography as a genre is, I believe, losing ground to something else – to a distinctly different system of unfolding sexuality and its economic exploitation. The second development to be discussed is the rise of masochism. In this context, I will analyse certain reports that show that, especially since the outbreak of the pandemic COVID-19, the number of people practicing masochistic “heavy play” has increased significantly. It appears that in a period when one would expect people to be dreaming of the lifting of restrictions, freedom, or whatever, many have chosen to undertake the cruel path of “servitude”. Eventually, I will show that these two developments are essentially connected, probably even consubstantial.
Ilustres incertidumbres. Borges y el tiempo
Authors: Álvarez Toledo Sebastián
Published: December 2021

En los diversos ensayos que Borges dedica a asuntos filosóficos son frecuentes los que se refieren a la filosofía del tiempo. Aunque el acercamiento de Borges a la filosofía responde por lo general a un interés literario, al tratar del tiempo defiende opiniones interesantes, presentes en el actual debate sobre esta materia. En este artículo he recogido textos dispersos de Borges sobre el tiempo y los he articulado en torno a tres temas: la crítica del tiempo circular y del tiempo rectilíneo; la metáfora del río del tiempo; y los conceptos de pasado, presente y futuro. Es interesante destacar en estos textos la crítica de Borges a la confusión entre idealización y realidad; su idea del tiempo como sucesión de hechos; su cercanía a una concepción relacional, no sustantiva, del tiempo; y sus advertencias sobre los peligros de identificar al tiempo como una cuarta dimensión del espacio.
Pensar la Comunicación para el Cambio Social en español aquí y ahora
Authors: Marí Sáez Víctor Manuel
Published: December 2021

En la actualidad asistimos a un renacer del pensamiento comunicacional latinoamericano (Marques de Melo, 2009) en el seno de las ciencias de la comunicación, que propone una mirada reflexiva y alternativa a las lógicas comunicativas del capitalismo global. El texto de Reyes Mate, Pensar en español aquí y ahora (2008), se utiliza en este artículo como piedra angular del análisis de este renacer, por su capacidad para estimular el estudio de las aportaciones específicas de la Comunicación para el Cambio Social en español al conjunto del campo de la comunicación y, quizá, también a otros campos del conocimiento. Así, las ideas que lo estructuran son: 1) el pensamiento comunicación en español es, en la actualidad, un pensamiento dependiente; 2) la comunicación no puede ser inmoral y 3) Pensar la comunicación desde el sur para un pensamiento comunicacional crítico de ida y vuelta.
Agility in Software Development and Project Value
Authors: Balijepally VenuGopal , DeHondt Gerald , Sugumaran Vijayan , Nerur Sridhar
Published: December 2021

Agile Development Methods, considered as an alternative to the traditional plan-based methods, have received much attention since their inception. These practices have evolved and developed over time, culminating in 2001 with the Agile Manifesto. Since that time, preferred methodologies, implementations, and best practices have continued to evolve with a focus on doing what works best for the individual company or project. However, the concept of agility in software development has remained quite nebulous, lacking in clarity particularly about its underlying dimensions. In this research the authors conceive agility in terms of four distinct dimensions. Drawing from the theoretical perspective of holographic organization, they develop a model explaining how each of these underlying dimensions of agility contributes to project value in software teams. The authors test the model using survey data collected from industry practitioners and discuss findings.
Traditional or Agile Contracting for Software Development
Authors: Payne Dinah
Published: December 2021

As the use of software is present in so many activities today, it is important for business in particular to be aware of challenges that may seem different today than before the prevalence of software in our lives. Agile project management is one example: this more recent and nimble approach to software development presents its own challenges. Fortunately, the guiding legal principles related to traditional contract formation and execution are based in principles of fairness and equity, making the customization of legal principles to Agile contracting a reasonable endeavor. This chapter presents basic contract law and such law as it more specifically relates to contracts dealing with Agile software development.
Usability Cost-Benefit Analysis for Information Technology Applications and Decision Making
Authors: Rajanen Mikko
Published: December 2021

Usability is an important quality attribute for information technology (IT) applications. However, integrating usability design and evaluation as an integral part of the development processes in information technology development organizations is still a challenge. This chapter gives an overview on the usability cost-benefit analysis models and provides some example cases of the importance of usability. These models and cases can be used by usability professionals to motivate the organizational management to provide resources for usability work and to integrate usability work as part of the development process. The target audience for this chapter are professionals and researchers working in the field of IT, managers in IT development organizations, as well as managers in organizations acquiring and using IT.
The Mythical Lines of Code Metric
Authors: Tichenor Charley
Published: December 2021

Using the lines of code (LOC) metric in software project management can be a financial moral hazard to an organization. This is especially true for upper management who handles an organizational budget and strategic plan. Software project managers have their own budgets. However, if they fail to meet the budget, the organization's cash flow, rather than the project manager's personal cash flow, will suffer. This chapter will discuss the practice of software project management, the field of software metrics, game theory, and the game theory issue of moral hazard. It will demonstrate why using LOC as a metric can present a moral hazard to senior management and an organization.
Framework for Reusable Test Case Generation in Software Systems Testing
Authors: Pal Kamalendu
Published: December 2021

Agile methodologies have become the preferred choice for modern software development. These methods focus on iterative and incremental development, where both requirements and solutions develop through collaboration among cross-functional software development teams. The success of a software system is based on the quality result of each stage of development with proper test practice. A software test ontology should represent the required software test knowledge in the context of the software tester. Reusing test cases is an effective way to improve the testing of software. The workload of a software tester for test-case generation can be improved, previous software testing experience can be shared, and test efficiency can be increased by automating software testing. In this chapter, the authors introduce a software testing framework (STF) that uses rule-based reasoning (RBR), case-based reasoning (CBR), and ontology-based semantic similarity assessment to retrieve the test cases from the case library. Finally, experimental results are used to illustrate some of the features of the framework.
An Effective Approach to Test Suite Reduction and Fault Detection Using Data Mining Techniques
Authors: Subashini B. , Mala D. Jeya
Published: December 2021

Software testing is used to find bugs in the software to provide a quality product to the end users. Test suites are used to detect failures in software but it may be redundant and it takes a lot of time for the execution of software. In this article, an enormous number of test cases are created using combinatorial test design algorithms. Attribute reduction is an important preprocessing task in data mining. Attributes are selected by removing all weak and irrelevant attributes to reduce complexity in data mining. After preprocessing, it is not necessary to test the software with every combination of test cases, since the test cases are large and redundant, the healthier test cases are identified using a data mining techniques algorithm. This is healthier and the final test suite will identify the defects in the software, it will provide better coverage analysis and reduces execution time on the software.
Tools and Platforms for Developing IoT Systems
Authors: Giray Görkem
Published: December 2021

The internet of things (IoT) transforms the world in many ways. It combines many types of hardware and software with a variety of communication technologies to enable the development of innovative applications. A typical IoT system consists of IoT device, IoT gateway, IoT platform, and IoT application. Developing these elements and delivering an IoT system for fulfilling business requirements encompasses many activities to be executed and is not straightforward. To expedite these activities, some major vendors provide software development kits (SDK), integrated development environments (IDE), and utility tools for developing software to be executed on IoT devices/gateways. Moreover, these vendors utilize their cloud platforms to provide fundamental services, such as data storage, analytics, stream processing, for developing IoT systems. These vendors also developed IoT specific cloud-based services, such as connectivity and device management, to support IoT system development. This chapter presents an overview of tools and platforms provided by five major vendors.
Reuse in Agile Development Process
Authors: Pang Chung-Yeung
Published: December 2021

Reusability is a clear principle in software development. However, systematic reuse of software elements is not common in most organizations. Application programmers rarely design and create software elements for possible future reuse. In many agile software development processes, the project teams believe that the development of reusable software elements can slow down the project. This can be a misconception. This chapter examines various ways to reuse software. Three approaches to developing reusable software artifacts from 15 years of experience in the agile development process are presented. The first approach is to create generic programs or configurable frameworks that support similar solutions for a variety of use cases and environments. The reuse of patterns is the second approach presented. Another effective way is to use a model-driven approach with model patterns. These approaches help to speed deployment software. The final product is flexible and can easily be adapted to changes. This is one of the main goals of an agile approach.
Machine Learning Classification to Effort Estimation for Embedded Software Development Projects
Authors: Iwata Kazunori , Nakashima Toyoshiro , Anan Yoshiyuki , Ishii Naohiro
Published: December 2021

This paper discusses the effect of classification in estimating the amount of effort (in man-days) associated with code development. Estimating the effort requirements for new software projects is especially important. As outliers are harmful to the estimation, they are excluded from many estimation models. However, such outliers can be identified in practice once the projects are completed, and so they should not be excluded during the creation of models and when estimating the required effort. This paper presents classifications for embedded software development projects using an artificial neural network (ANN) and a support vector machine. After defining the classifications, effort estimation models are created for each class using linear regression, an ANN, and a form of support vector regression. Evaluation experiments are carried out to compare the estimation accuracy of the model both with and without the classifications using 10-fold cross-validation. In addition, the Games-Howell test with one-way analysis of variance is performed to consider statistically significant evidence.
Planned Investment in Information Technology Companies
Authors: Soares Edilaine Rodrigues
Published: December 2021

Planned investment has become indispensable for strengthening the management in IT companies. In this chapter, the authors present three innovative methods in a cycle of causes and effects, where the second method is effect of the first and the third is cause of the first and effect of the second method. The first method aims to motivate the human resources with organizational learning and the growth in the professional career. The second method aims to measure the performance, the productivity, the organizational learning, and the growth in the professional career. The third method aims to estimate the anticipation of the costs for the construction of the software project and analysis of planned investment for the better decision making. This motivator scenario, with effect of anticipative and strengthening that aligns methods in a cycle of causes and effects, enabling the analysis of planned investment for the better decision making in the IT companies, provides the government, generates revenue, moves the economy, and generates more wealth for Brazil.
Boosting the Competitiveness of Organizations With the Use of Software Engineering
Authors: Muñoz Mirna
Published: December 2021

Software has become the core of organizations in different domains because the capacity of their products, systems, and services have an increasing dependence on software. This fact highlights the research challenges to be covered by computer science, especially in the software engineering (SE) area. On the one way, SE is in charge of covering all the aspects related to the software development process from the early stages of software development until its maintenance and therefore is closely related to the software quality. On the other hand, SE is in charge of providing engineers able to provide technological-base solutions to solve industrial problems. This chapter provides a research work path focused on helping software development organizations to change to a continuous software improvement culture impacting both their software development process highlighting the human factor training needs. Results show that the implementation of best practices could be easily implemented if adequate support is provided.
Agile Team Measurement to Review the Performance in Global Software Development
Authors: Arumugam Chamundeswari , Vaidyanathan Srinivasan
Published: December 2021

This chapter is aimed at studying the key performance indicators of team members working in an agile project environment and in an extreme programming software development. Practitioners from six different XP projects were selected to respond to the survey measuring the performance indicators, namely, escaped defects, team member's velocity, deliverables, and extra efforts. The chapter presents a comparative view of Scrum and XP, the two renowned agile methods with their processes, methodologies, development cycles, and artifacts, while assessing the base performance indicators in XP setup. These indicators are key to any agile project in a global software development environment. The observed performance indicators were compared against the gold standard industry benchmarks along with best, average, and worst-case scenarios. Practitioners from six agile XP projects were asked to participate in the survey. Observed results best serve the practitioners to take necessary course corrections to stay in the best-case scenarios of their respective projects.
Open Source Software Development Challenges
Authors: Seker Abdulkadir , Diri Banu , Arslan Halil , Amasyalı Mehmet Fatih
Published: December 2021

GitHub is the most common code hosting and repository service for open-source software (OSS) projects. Thanks to the great variety of features, researchers benefit from GitHub to solve a wide range of OSS development challenges. In this context, the authors thought that was important to conduct a literature review on studies that used GitHub data. To reach these studies, they conducted this literature review based on a GitHub dataset source study instead of a keyword-based search in digital libraries. Since GHTorrent is the most widely known GitHub dataset according to the literature, they considered the studies that cite this dataset for the systematic literature review. In this study, they reviewed the selected 172 studies according to some criteria that used the dataset as a data source. They classified them within the scope of OSS development challenges thanks to the information they extract from the metadata of studies. They put forward some issues about the dataset and they offered the focused and attention-grabbing fields and open challenges that we encourage the researchers to study on them.
Residential Consumer Understanding of Electricity Bills
Authors: Joshi Gauri , Sen Vasundhara
Published: December 2021

The neoclassical model of economics assumes that greater the information available, the easier it is for a consumer to make decisions. In the context of electricity usage, overwhelming amounts of information presented on energy bills and a lack of real-time information deter consumers from understanding their own energy usage and developing personalized strategies to reduce it. This study assesses the literacy levels regarding electricity bills amongst consumers in India. Regression results indicate that homes with stronger beliefs in energy conservation minimize their usage. The size of the dwelling,demographics, and the ownership of the dwelling influence literacy levels regarding electricity bills. The study had a counterintuitive finding, as the respondents were found reluctant to receive a normative comparison of their electricity bills—strange for a collectivistic cultured society like India. The study recommends making electricity bills more visually appealing and increasing their frequency to increase awareness of energy usage.
Frequency of caries in triangular-shaped radiolucencies on periapical radiographs of maxillary deciduous second molars
Authors: Tabari Mitra , Yazdizadeh Mina , Abesi Farida , Khafri Soraya , Dozin Javad Vaziri
Published: December 2021

Background:

Dentists might face various artifacts (such as triangular-shaped radiolucencies [TSRs]) during the assessment of radiographs and should be able to differentiate them from caries to avoid unnecessary treatments.

Materials and Methods:

In this cross-sectional study, 109 maxillary second primary molars were evaluated in cooperative children aged 4–9 years, who had distal caries in their maxillary first primary molars. First, TSRs were recorded on periapical radiographs of each maxillary second primary molar's proximal surface. Then, after excavating distal caries in the adjacent teeth “D,” a pedodontist examined the mesial surfaces of teeth “E.” Chi-square test was used to compare the distribution of caries in different variables, and the kappa coefficient was applied to evaluate clinical and radiographic agreements. A P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results:

Forty-four cases were found to be carious both clinically and radiographically, and 54 cases were noncarious by both methods, while for 11 cases, the diagnosis was controversial. No statistically significant difference was found between radiographic and clinical caries detection methods in children whose periapical radiographs contained TSRs, and most of the subjects had similar diagnoses. Value of caries detection sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value in TSRs was 88%, 92%, 90%, and 90%, respectively.

Conclusion:

Considering high radiographic sensitivity for caries detection in TSRs, clinicians should be more cautious about them being carious or not, and both radiographic and clinical examinations are necessary. Further, to avoid misinterpretation in radiographs, additional education is necessary for young dentists.
Nasal Septal Schwannoma
Authors: Sahoo Soumick Ranjan , Sarma Mandira
Published: December 2021

Schwannoma is a benign nerve sheath tumor whose the most common site is the vestibulocochlear nerve. Sinonasal schwannoma is rare and septal schwannoma is even more rarer. We report a endonasal endoscopic-guided excision of the left nasal cavity mass attached at the nasal septum in a 59-year-old female which on histopathological examination was confirmed as schwannoma.
Clinical application of free/total PSA ratio in the diagnosis of prostate cancer in men over 50 years of age with total PSA levels of 2.0–25.0 ng ml-1 in Western China
Authors: Gao Xue-Dan , Miao Qiang , Zhang Jun-Long , Zhai Jian-Zhao , Gui Xue-Mei , Cai Yi-Han , Niu Qian , Cai Bei
Published: December 2021

The goal of this study was to investigate the clinical application of free/total prostate-specific antigen (F/T PSA) ratio, considering the new broad serum total PSA (T-PSA) “gray zone” of 2.0–25.0 ng ml−1 in differential diagnosis of prostate cancer (PCa) and benign prostate diseases (BPD) in men over 50 years in Western China. A total of 1655 patients were included, 528 with PCa and 1127 with BPD. Serum T-PSA, free PSA (F-PSA), and F/T PSA ratio were analyzed. Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to assess the efficiency of PSA and F/T PSA ratio. There were 47.4% of cancer patients with T-PSA of 2.0–25.0 ng ml−1. When T-PSA was 2.0–4.0 ng ml−1, 4.0–10.0 ng ml−1, and 10.0–25.0 ng ml−1, the area under the curve (AUC) of F/T PSA ratio was 0.749, 0.769, and 0.761, respectively. The best AUC of F/T PSA ratio was 0.811 when T-PSA was 2.0–25.0 ng ml−1, with a specificity of 0.732, a sensitivity of 0.788, and an optimal cutoff value of 15.5%. The AUC of F/T PSA ratio in different age groups (50–59 years, 60–69 years, 70–79 years, and ≥80 years) was 0.767, 0.806, 0.815, and 0.833, respectively, and the best sensitivity (0.857) and specificity (0.802) were observed in patients over 80 years. The T-PSA trend was in accordance with the Gleason score, tumor node metastasis (TNM) stage, and American Joint Committee on Cancer prognosis group. Therefore, the F/T PSA ratio can facilitate the differential diagnosis of PCa and BPD in the broad T-PSA “gray zone”. Serum T-PSA can be a Gleason score and prognostic indicator.
Role of CO2 Angioplasty as a Safe Option in Endovascular Treatment of Peripheral Arterial Disease in High-Risk Patients Using Dedicated Automated Optimed CO2 Delivery System
Authors: Karanam Lakshmi Sudha Prasanna , Baddam Sridhar Reddy , Ravikanti S Prasad , Kumar K Sai Shravan
Published: December 2021

Aim:

The aim of this study was to emphasize the role of CO2 angioplasty using dedicated automatic OptiMed CO2 delivery system in patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) of high-risk group. Iodinated contrast media is harmful in all these patients of renal insufficiency with baseline creatinine >1.5 mg/dl.

Methods:

The present study is a retrospective analysis from a prospectively collected institutional review board-approved database. From April 2015 to June 2019, 44 patients (29 male patients and 15 female patients with a mean age of 68.5 years) underwent peripheral angioplasty using dedicated CO2 delivery system (OptiMed). All the patients were known diabetic with renal insufficiency due to chronic kidney disease (CKD). Demographic factors, clinical characteristics, and atherosclerotic risk factors were documented. Lesions included proximal and distal superficial femoral artery, popliteal, and below-the-knee vessels. Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, ventricular septal defects, and pulmonary vascular malformations were excluded from the study. Preliminary diagnosis by duplex scan was done in all the patients. Technical success, periprocedural events, and clinical outcomes were documented in all the patients.

Results:

Technical success was achieved in 43 cases (97.7%) which is described as successful balloon angioplasty resulting in increased vascularity of the distal limb due to improved distal runoff. Adequate imaging and successful intervention was achieved using OptiMed CO2 delivery system in majority of our patients. In one patient, the lesion could not be crossed and the patient had acute ST-elevation changes in electrocardiogram, and hence, the procedure was abandoned and the patient was shifted to cardiac care unit. Twenty-one patients complained of moderate pain which subsided with intra-arterial lidocaine. Four patients who complained of severe pain were given nerve block and sedation. There were no other intra- and postprocedural adverse events with stable renal parameters monitored up to 48 h. None of the patients required amputation after angioplasty in our study.

Conclusion:

With increasing burden of PAD in diabetic group, especially in CKD patients, angioplasty with dedicated CO2 delivery system is safe and effective with satisfactory outcome and should be considered as standard choice in this group of patients for limb salvage.
The Mathematical Basis of Multi-Sheath Vascular Access
Authors: Lee Arvind , Aziz Omar , Singh Gurkirat
Published: December 2021

In complex endovascular interventions, there is often a need for multiple smaller sheaths to be placed parallelly inside a larger sheath to gain simultaneous access into different vessels. Here, we describe one such case of fenestrated repair of a juxtarenal aneurysm from our recent experience. This case required simultaneous cannulation with sheaths in both renal arteries and the superior mesenteric artery through the fenestration of a custom-made fenestrated stent graft. This paper aims to discuss, in simple terms, the mathematical basis behind calculating the diameters of smaller sheaths inside a larger sheath. Three different configurations are discussed – two, three, and four sheaths within a larger sheath. For simplicity, the inside sheaths are all of the same outer diameter and the diameter of all the sheaths is assumed to remain uniform throughout their lengths.
A Case of Successful Thoracic Endovascular Aneurysm Repair in a 106-Year-Old Female
Authors: Kobayashi Kanako , Yu Ayaka , Fujimura Naoki , Otsubo Satoshi
Published: December 2021

As the population ages, the average age of patients is expected to rise. Here, we describe a successful case of thoracic endovascular aneurysm repair (TEVAR) performed in a 106-year-old female. The patient had an impending rupture of 6 cm saccular aneurysm at the descending thoracic aorta. Although the patient was super senile, her activity of daily living was independent. After multiple multidisciplinary conference and informed consent, TEVAR using local and venous anesthesia was successfully performed. This case illustrates the importance of strict examination of each case for treatment indications, including risk/benefit balance, in a super aging world.
Mycotic Aortic Aneurysm Caused by Acinetobacter baumannii Complex
Authors: Rajendra Naveen , Sebastian Jithin Jagan , Reddy Athirath , Kumar Arun , Ayappan MK , Mathur Kapil , Raju Radhakrishnan
Published: December 2021

Mycotic aneurysms are uncommon, difficult to treat, and fatal. These aneurysms caused by Acinetobacter baumannii complex are not documented. We present the case of a 20-year-old female who presented with pain abdomen and vomiting with on and off episodes of fever. This woman had a history of postpartum cardiomyopathy for 12 months and chronic kidney disease for 2 months, on medical treatment. She was diagnosed with an infrarenal aortic aneurysm with iliac extension caused by A. baumannii complex and left hydronephrosis. She was successfully treated with surgery followed by long-term antibiotics. There is no documented evidence of this organism to cause mycotic aneurysm. We also discuss about the course, investigations, and management of this case.
Pull-out bond strength of fiber post luted with two types of resin luting cements using different light curing units
Authors: AlMadi MK , Khabeer A , AlHilal S , AlShahrani AS , Ali S
Published: December 2021

Aims:

The aim of this study was to evaluate the pull-out bond strength of fiber post when cemented with a self-adhesive dual-cured resin luting cement and a conventional light-cured resin luting cement. In addition, the influence of a light-emitting diode (LED) and halogen (QTH) curing lights on the pull-out bond strength was assessed.

Materials and Methods:

A total of 40 extracted human teeth were selected. Post-space preparation of 10 mm was done and two types of resin cement i.e. RelyX Unicem (RXU) and variolink esthetic LC (VLE) were used for cementation of a translucent RelyX fiber post. Light activation for 60 s was done with LED and QTH curing units. The pull-out test was performed parallel to the long axis of the tooth and the post at a crosshead speed of 1 mm/min using a universal testing machine. The load required to dislodge each post was recorded in Newton (N). Statistical analysis was done and a value of P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results:

The RXU showed a mean (SD) pull-out bond strength of 203.5N (47.1) and 207.3N (31.3) when light activated with LED and QTH curing lights, respectively. For VLE, the mean pull-out bond strength was 78.9N (21.5) and 87.7N (30.7), when light activated with LED and QTH curing lights, respectively. Moreover, LED and QTH curing lights did not influence the pull-out bond strength for both the test materials.

Conclusion:

It is concluded that a dual-cured resin luting cement should be used for the cementation of fiber post. Further research is required to understand the light transmission of translucent fiber posts.
Guidewire lost during endovenous intervention
Authors: Düzgün AC , İlkeli E
Published: December 2021

Central venous catheterization is an important vascular access route used in many operations like open-heart surgery, hemodialysis, multiple trauma patients, total parenteral nutrition, and poor peripheral veins. During central venous catheterization, mechanical complications such as catheter thrombosis, infections, and pneumothorax can develop. In this report, we aimed to present a case of guidewire left unrecognized in venous system after central venous catheterization procedure. The guidewire has been extracted under fluoroscopy guidance. This case emphasizes maintaining and improving patient care and safety by doctor and the team.
Knowledge, attitudes and practices towards Covid-19 among Nigerian healthcare workers during the Covid-19 pandemic
Authors: Abene EE , Ocheke AN , Ozoilo KN , Gimba ZM , Okeke EN , Agbaji OO , Agaba EI
Published: December 2021

Background:

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to hundreds of thousands of deaths worldwide.

Aims:

Being a novel viral disease, we sought to evaluate the knowledge and practice of doctors and nurses in a tertiary hospital regarding the disease.

Subjects and Methods:

Using a self-administered questionnaire, respondents were asked questions on the cause, clinical features, and prevention of COVID-19.

Results:

We studied 409 respondents (238 doctors and 171 nurses) with a mean age of 34 ± 7 years and a median length of experience of five (IQR 2-9) years. The mean knowledge score was 9.6 ± 1.2 out of a maximum of 12 points with 337 (82.4%) respondents having good knowledge. The majority of respondents (62.8%) had not been trained on infection prevention and control since the outbreak of the pandemic. Only 95 (23.2%) had seen COVID-19 Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) displayed in the hospital. The use of the personal protective equipment (PPE) kit comprising the N-95 mask, face shield, gown, and shoes was seen by 194 (47.4%) respondents in recent times. A total of 397 (97.0%) respondents felt they were at an increased risk of contracting COVID-19 relative to the general populace. Measures taken to prevent COVID-19 included: wearing of face mask (68.7%), hand gloves (78.2%), frequent use of hand sanitizers (84.1%), frequent hand washing (84.8%), the daily wash of uniforms and ward coats (44.5%), daily cleaning of footwear (31.7%), and avoidance of taking home clothing and footwear worn in the hospital (54.2%).

Conclusion:

Despite having good knowledge of transmission and clinical features of SARS-CoV 2, the utilization of protective measures by HCW in this study is unsatisfactory.
Gastrointestinal stromal tumors of the stomach
Authors: Uzunoğlu H , Tosun Y , Akincı O , Bariş B
Published: December 2021

Background:

Gastrointestinal tract stromal tumors (GIST) are the most common mesenchymal tumors in the gastrointestinal tract (GIS). GISTs may cause significant morbidity and mortality rates.

Aim:

In this study, it was aimed to evaluate 10 years of gastric GIST cases followed in our hospital, and to analyze the prognostic factors.

Subjects and Methods:

In this single-center retrospective study, a total of 64 patients who were operated between May 2010 and May 2020 due to gastric GIST tumor were reviewed. Clinical and pathological features, risk classifications, overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were evaluated.

Results:

According to the risk classification, 18.8% of the patients were in the high-risk group. The overall 5-year OS and DFS rates were 85.7%. The mean OS of the patients was 47.9 SD36.2 months, and the duration of DFS was 45.5 months. Patients with a 5-year OS rate above 5 cm in diameter (P = 0.024), with a mitotic index above 5/50 high power field (HPF) (P = 0.038), and those with a high-risk group (P = 0.011) were significantly lower than the other group. In the correlation analysis, it was found that tumor diameter correlated significantly with OS (P = 0.034; r = -0.317). Tumor diameter and mitotic index were found to be inversely correlated with DFS duration (P = 0.004; r = -0.425 and P = 0.035; r = -0.316, respectively).

Conclusion:

Our findings showed that in gastric GIST cases, as the primary tumor diameter and mitotic index increase, correlate with survival rates and the mean overall and disease-free survival times decrease.
Anti-trypanosomal, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of the fruiting bodies of Ganoderma lucidum (W. Curt.: Fr) (Ganodermataceae) aqueous extract
Authors: Ede Samuel Otokpa , Aguiyi John Chinyere , Omale Simeon , Ede Rebecca Folashade
Published: December 2021

Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT) infection is caused by sub species of Trypanosoma brucei. The clinically licensed drugs have unacceptable toxicities and variable efficacies. The prognosis is influenced by the level of circulating free radicals and opportunistic infections. Many plants have been screened for activity in different models of HAT but the same is not true of mushrooms. This study screened the aqueous extract of the fruiting bodies of Ganoderma lucidum for trypanocidal, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. Fruiting bodies of the mushroom were extracted sequentially with n – hexane, ethyl acetate, absolute ethanol and distilled water. The extracts were screened for phytochemical constituents and in vitro trypanocidal activity, the most active of which was further subjected to in vivo trypanocidal, anti-oxidant and anti-microbial screening. Alkaloids, carbohydrates, flavonoids, saponins and anthraquinones were present. In vitro trypanocidal screening showed the aqueous extract as the most active (IC50 = 14.65 μg/μl). It also dose-dependently inhibited parasitaemia and prolonged survival in parasite - infected mice (50, 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg). DPPH radical scavenging activity gave an IC50 of 131.00 ± 0.03 mg/ml. The extract demonstrated broad spectrum antimicrobial activity at 250 mg/ml. The fruiting bodies of G. lucidum is a potential source of trypanocidal compounds.
Central nervous system depressant activity of fractions of Globimetula braunii Engl. (Loranthaceae) growing on Terminalia catappa L. (Combretaceae) and isolation of lupeol
Authors: Danladi Suleiman , Sule Mohammed Ibrahim , Muhammad Musa Aliyu , Yaro Abdullahi Hamza
Published: December 2021

Globimetula braunii is a parasitic plant belonging to the family Loranthaceae. Traditionally, the plant has been reported to be used in the treatment of insomnia. The study was carried out to investigate the central nervous system (CNS) depressant activity of the fractions of Globimetula braunii growing on Terminalia catappa and to isolate the phytochemical compound(s) present in the most active fraction. The CNS depressant activity of all the fractions was investigated using diazepam induced sleep. The most active fraction was further subjected to the hole board test and beam walk assay. The chromatographic technique was used for the isolation of phytochemical compound. Hexane fraction significantly (p<0.05) reduced latency to sleep and prolonged the sleeping time. Both chloroform and ethylacetate fractions at highest and median doses showed significant increase in the duration of sleep compared to normal saline. The n-butanol fraction at all doses tested do not have any effect on time of onset and duration of sleep when compared with normal saline treated group. Hexane fraction significantly (p<0.05) decreased the number of head dip in a dose dependent manner and delayed the time to reach the goal box compared to normal saline treated group. Lupeol was isolated from n-hexane fraction.
Analysis of the oxidative stress inhibition potentials of Artemisia annua and its bioactive compounds through in vitro and in silico studies
Authors: Ejembi Stephen Adakole , Johnson Titilayo Omolara , Dabak Jonathan Dingkwoet , Akinsanmi Augustina Oduje , Oche Jane-Rose Ifuanyachi , Francis Timothy
Published: December 2021

Oxidative stress overwhelms the antioxidant mechanisms of living systems, with active involvement in the pathogenesis of several diseases. Natives of Gangnim in the Plateau State of Nigeria may be unknowingly endowed with some protective advantages against oxidative stress for their habitual consumption of Artemisia annua tea. The antioxidant activities of A. annua extracts were determined using in vitro methods and the inhibitory potentials of twenty-nine (29) bioactive compounds of the plant against oxidative stress target proteins were assessed through molecular docking analysis. These extracts showed significantly high activities in scavenging nitric oxide, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and reducing ferric (Fe3+) to ferrous (Fe2+) iron. Virtually, none of the bioactive compounds binds to the active site of the antioxidant protein targets. Rather, 72.41, 93.10 and 75.86% of these compounds bind with high binding affinity to the activator binding sites of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and catalase (CAT) respectively. 7,8-dimethylalloxazine (-8.10 kcal/mol) ranked highest as a prospective inhibitor of xanthine oxidase (XOX). The antioxidant activity exhibited by the extracts of the locally cultivated A. annua and the molecular interactions of its bioactive compounds against the protein targets used predict that oxidative stress inhibition could be effectively achieved with these phytochemicals.
Prevalence of Plasmodium Falciparum among Medical Students with different ABO Groups and Electrophoretic Patterns in a Tertiary Institution in Nnewi, Nigeria
Authors: Ibeh Nancy Chiatogu , Obinna Kelechi Theresa , Patrick Onochie Manafa
Published: December 2021

There is evidence that Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) malaria is influenced by ABO blood type but the extent of association is not fully established. Some investigators opinioned that haemoglobin electrophoretic patterns are a factor in susceptibility to Pf infection but there is no consensus on possible association between it and ABO blood group and Hb genotypes. This study was designed to determine the prevalence of Pf among different ABO blood groups and Hb electrophoretic patterns of medical students of a tertiary institution in Nnewi, Nigeria. A total of 80 subjects (41 males and 39 females) aged 18-30 years who reported to the Medical Centre of the institution on account of febrile illness were recruited for the study. Information on age, previous malaria episodes and recent use of prophylaxis were sought. Three milliliters (3ml) of blood were collected into EDTA container for ABO grouping, Hb electrophoresis and blood films for P. falciparum detection and quantification by microscopy. Pf prevalence among the subjects was 47.5% (38/80). Thirty-one (38.75%) of the subjects were of blood group O, 27 (33.75%) group A, 19 (23.75%) blood group B and 3(3.75%) blood group AB. Fifty-two (65%) of the subjects were Hb AA and 28 (35%) AS. No significance difference was seen between malaria episodes and ABO blood groups; Hb electrophoretic patterns; gender and parasite density (p>0.05) respectively. A negative correlation was observed between parasite density and age (r= -0.180, p = 0.109). Pf infection, frequency of infection and parasite load is not influenced by blood group and Hb electrophoretic patterns in our study population.