bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Extraction of sugarcane bagasse arabinoxylan, integrated with enzymatic production of xylo-oligosaccharides and separation of cellulose
Authors: Khaleghipour Leila , Linares-Pastén Javier A. , Rashedi Hamid , Ranaei Siadat Seyed Omid , Jasilionis Andrius , Al-Hamimi Said , Sardari Roya R. R. , Karlsson Eva Nordberg
Published: July 2021

Sugarcane processing roughly generates 54 million tonnes sugarcane bagasse (SCB)/year, making SCB an important material for upgrading to value-added molecules. In this study, an integrated scheme was developed for separating xylan, lignin and cellulose, followed by production of xylo-oligosaccharides (XOS) from SCB. Xylan extraction conditions were screened in: (1) single extractions in NaOH (0.25, 0.5, or 1 M), 121 °C (1 bar), 30 and 60 min; (2) 3 × repeated extraction cycles in NaOH (1 or 2 M), 121 °C (1 bar), 30 and 60 min or (3) pressurized liquid extractions (PLE), 100 bar, at low alkalinity (0–0.1 M NaOH) in the time and temperature range 10–30 min and 50–150 °C. Higher concentration of alkali (2 M NaOH) increased the xylan yield and resulted in higher apparent molecular weight of the xylan polymer (212 kDa using 1 and 2 M NaOH, vs 47 kDa using 0.5 M NaOH), but decreased the substituent sugar content. Repeated extraction at 2 M NaOH, 121 °C, 60 min solubilized both xylan (85.6% of the SCB xylan), and lignin (84.1% of the lignin), and left cellulose of high purity (95.8%) in the residuals. Solubilized xylan was separated from lignin by precipitation, and a polymer with β-1,4-linked xylose backbone substituted by arabinose and glucuronic acids was confirmed by FT-IR and monosaccharide analysis. XOS yield in subsequent hydrolysis by endo-xylanases (from glycoside hydrolase family 10 or 11) was dependent on extraction conditions, and was highest using xylan extracted by 0.5 M NaOH, (42.3%, using Xyn10A from Bacillus halodurans), with xylobiose and xylotriose as main products. The present study shows successful separation of SCB xylan, lignin, and cellulose. High concentration of alkali, resulted in xylan with lower degree of substitution (especially reduced arabinosylation), while high pressure (using PLE), released more lignin than xylan. Enzymatic hydrolysis was more efficient using xylan extracted at lower alkaline strength and less efficient using xylan obtained by PLE and 2 M NaOH, which may be a consequence of polymer aggregation, via remaining lignin interactions.
Elderly’s preferences towards rehabilitation robot appearance using electroencephalogram signal
Authors: Sun Xinxin , Jin Wenkui
Published: July 2021

Rehabilitation robots are becoming an important means of assisted living for the elderly, and the appearance of rehabilitation robots directly affects the willingness of the elderly to interact with the robots. Much of the current research on robot appearance preferences relies solely on subjective evaluations, which are relatively cheap, but do not reach deep into the brain to get an accurate grasp of how humans respond to robot appearance. Using electroencephalogram signal and questionnaire survey, we studied the preference of the elderly for abstract and figurative robots. The experimental materials are derived from the pictures of 10 robots in the market. The electroencephalogram signal are collected by BrainVision Recorder and processed by BrainVision Analyzer, as well as SPSS statistical analysis. Experiment shows that the peak of figurative robot pictures is higher and the fluctuation is more intense from 350 ms to 600 ms in the central region and the right half of parietal region. While the peak of abstract robot pictures is higher and the fluctuation is more intense in the prefrontal region, and the difference between abstract robot and figurative robot is not obvious in the occipital region. Based on the electroencephalogram signal and experimental results, it provides the possibility for objective preference evaluation of the elderly to the robot designed features.
Application of some new contractions for existence and uniqueness of differential equations involving Caputo–Fabrizio derivative
Authors: Afshari Hojjat , Hosseinpour Hossein , Marasi H. R.
Published: July 2021

In this paper we study fractional initial value problems with Caputo–Fabrizio derivative which involves nonsingular kernel. First we apply α-ℓ-contraction and α-type F-contraction mappings to study the existence and uniqueness of solutions for such problems. Finally, we use some contraction mappings in complete $\mathfrak{F}$
F
-metric spaces for this purpose.
A mandatory indication-registration tool in hospital electronic medical records enabling systematic evaluation and benchmarking of the quality of antimicrobial use: a feasibility study
Authors: van den Broek Annemieke K. , Beishuizen Berend H. H. , Haak Eric A. F. , Duyvendak Michiel , ten Oever Jaap , Sytsma Chris , van Triest Mieke , Wielders Cornelia C. H. , Prins Jan M.
Published: July 2021

Objectives

Evaluation of the extent and appropriateness of antimicrobial use is a cornerstone of antibiotic stewardship programs, but it is time-consuming. Documentation of the indication at the moment of prescription might be more time-efficient. We investigated the real-life feasibility of mandatory documentation of the indication for all hospital antibiotic prescriptions for quality evaluation purposes.

Methods

A mandatory prescription-indication format was implemented in the Electronic Medical Record (EMR) of three hospitals using EPIC or ChipSoft HIX software. We evaluated the retrieved data of all antibiotics (J01) prescribed as empiric therapy in adult patients with respiratory tract infections (RTI) or urinary tract infections (UTI), from January through December 2017 in Hospital A, June through October 2019 in Hospital B and May 2019 through June 2020 in Hospital C. Endpoints were the accuracy of the data, defined as agreement between selected indication for the prescription and the documented indication in the EMR, as assessed by manually screening a representative sample of eligible patient records in the EMR of the three hospitals, and appropriateness of the prescriptions, defined as the prescriptions being in accordance with the national guidelines.

Results

The datasets of hospitals A, B and C contained 9588, 338 and 5816 empiric antibiotic prescriptions indicated for RTI or UTI, respectively. The selected indication was in accordance with the documented indication in 96.7% (error rate: 10/300), 78.2% (error rate: 53/243), and 86.9% (error rate: 39/298), respectively. A considerable variation in guideline adherence was seen between the hospitals for severe community acquired pneumonia (adherence rate ranged from 35.4 to 53.0%), complicated UTI (40.0–67.1%) and cystitis (5.6–45.3%).

Conclusions

After local validation of the datasets to verify and optimize accuracy of the data, mandatory documentation of the indication for antibiotics enables a reliable and time-efficient method for systematic registration of the extent and appropriateness of empiric antimicrobial use, which might enable benchmarking both in-hospital and between hospitals.
Do prisoners trust the healthcare system?
Authors: Vandergrift Lindsey A. , Christopher Paul P.
Published: July 2021

Background

Individuals who are incarcerated have greater healthcare needs than non-justice-involved individuals, yet incarcerated individuals often report substandard care. There are disproportionate numbers of black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) in prison, who, even in general society face greater obstacles to accessing healthcare and have worse health outcomes due to structural racism. Regardless of race, people with criminal justice involvement often report stigma from the non-carceral healthcare system. Providing sufficient healthcare in carceral settings themselves is complicated by lack of privacy and the inherent dialectic of prisons that restrict freedom and providers focusing on healing and health. Based on these adverse experiences, people who are incarcerated may have decreased distrust in the healthcare system, deterring individuals from getting adequate medical care.

Methods

In this exploratory study, health care system distrust was evaluated among 200 people who were incarcerated using the Revised Health Care System Distrust scale, a community-validated, 9-item measure comprised of 2 subscales (values and competence distrust).

Results

Distrust was moderately and positively associated with participant age (rs = 0.150, p = 0.034), with the second-oldest quintile (33 to 42-year-olds) reporting the highest level of overall and competence distrust. Participants identifying as Non-Latinx White reported higher competence distrust compared to Latinx and Non-Latinx/Non-White respondents.

Conclusions

These preliminary findings suggest that select groups of prisoners may be less likely to trust the healthcare system, highlighting an impediment to receiving adequate care while incarcerated. Further study of this topic is warranted.
Examining the impact of cross-domain learning on crime prediction
Authors: Bappee Fateha Khanam , Soares Amilcar , Petry Lucas May , Matwin Stan
Published: July 2021

Nowadays, urban data such as demographics, infrastructure, and criminal records are becoming more accessible to researchers. This has led to improvements in quantitative crime research for predicting future crime occurrence by identifying factors and knowledge from instances that contribute to criminal activities. While crime distribution in the geographic space is asymmetric, there are often analog, implicit criminogenic factors hidden in the data. And, since the data are not as available or comprehensive, especially for smaller cities, it is challenging to build a uniform framework for all geographic regions. This paper addresses the crime prediction task from a cross-domain perspective to tackle the data insufficiency problem in a small city. We create a uniform outline for Halifax, Nova Scotia, one of Canada’s geographic regions, by adapting and learning knowledge from two different domains, Toronto and Vancouver, which belong to different but related distributions with Halifax. For transferring knowledge among source and target domains, we propose applying instance-based transfer learning settings. Each setting is directed to learning knowledge based on a seasonal perspective with cross-domain data fusion. We choose ensemble learning methods for model building as it has generalization capabilities over new data. We evaluate the classification performance for both single and multi-domain representations and compare the results with baseline models. Our findings exhibit the satisfactory performance of our proposed data-driven approach by integrating multiple sources of data.
Meta-analysis with zero-event studies: a comparative study with application to COVID-19 data
Authors: Wei Jia-Jin , Lin En-Xuan , Shi Jian-Dong , Yang Ke , Hu Zong-Liang , Zeng Xian-Tao , Tong Tie-Jun
Published: July 2021

Background

Meta-analysis is a statistical method to synthesize evidence from a number of independent studies, including those from clinical studies with binary outcomes. In practice, when there are zero events in one or both groups, it may cause statistical problems in the subsequent analysis.

Methods

In this paper, by considering the relative risk as the effect size, we conduct a comparative study that consists of four continuity correction methods and another state-of-the-art method without the continuity correction, namely the generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs). To further advance the literature, we also introduce a new method of the continuity correction for estimating the relative risk.

Results

From the simulation studies, the new method performs well in terms of mean squared error when there are few studies. In contrast, the generalized linear mixed model performs the best when the number of studies is large. In addition, by reanalyzing recent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) data, it is evident that the double-zero-event studies impact the estimate of the mean effect size.

Conclusions

We recommend the new method to handle the zero-event studies when there are few studies in a meta-analysis, or instead use the GLMM when the number of studies is large. The double-zero-event studies may be informative, and so we suggest not excluding them.
Overcome the barriers of the skin: exosome therapy
Authors: Yang Gi Hoon , Lee Yoon Bum , Kang Donggu , Choi Eunjeong , Nam Yoonju , Lee Kyoung Ho , You Hi-Jin , Kang Hyo Jin , An Sang Hyun , Jeon Hojun
Published: July 2021

Exosomes are nano-sized cargos with a lipid bilayer structure carrying diverse biomolecules including lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids. These small vesicles are secreted by most types of cells to communicate with each other. Since exosomes circulate through bodily fluids, they can transfer information not only to local cells but also to remote cells. Therefore, exosomes are considered potential biomarkers for various treatments. Recently, studies have shown the efficacy of exosomes in skin defects such as aging, atopic dermatitis, and wounds. Also, exosomes are being studied to be used as ingredients in commercialized skin treatment products. In this review, we discussed the need for exosomes in skin therapy together with the current challenges. Moreover, the functional roles of exosomes in terms of skin treatment and regeneration are overviewed. Finally, we highlighted the major limitations and the future perspective in exosome engineering.
Potential impacts of soil microbiota manipulation on secondary metabolites production in cannabis
Authors: Ahmed Bulbul , Hijri Mohamed
Published: July 2021

Background

Cannabis growing practices and particularly indoor cultivation conditions have a great influence on the production of cannabinoids. Plant-associated microbes may affect nutrient acquisition by the plant. However, beneficial microbes influencing cannabinoid biosynthesis remain largely unexplored and unexploited in cannabis production.

Objective

To summarize study outcomes on bacterial and fungal communities associated with cannabis using high-throughput sequencing technologies and to uncover microbial interactions, species diversity, and microbial network connections that potentially influence secondary metabolite production in cannabis.

Materials and method

A mini review was conducted including recent publications on cannabis and their associated microbiota and secondary metabolite production.

Results

In this review, we provide an overview of the potential role of the soil microbiome in production of cannabinoids, and discussed that manipulation of cannabis-associated microbiome obtained through soil amendment interventions of diversified microbial communities sourced from natural forest soil could potentially help producers of cannabis to improve yields of cannabinoids and enhance the balance of cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) proportions.

Conclusion

Cannabis is one of the oldest cultivated crops in history, grown for food, fiber, and drugs for thousands of years. Extension of genetic variation in cannabis has developed into wide-ranging varieties with various complementary phenotypes and secondary metabolites. For medical or pharmaceutical purposes, the ratio of CBD to THC is key. Therefore, studying soil microbiota associated with cannabis and its potential impact on secondary metabolites production could be useful when selecting microorganisms as bioinoculant agents for enhanced organic cannabinoid production.
Metatranscriptomic analysis of colonic microbiota’s functional response to different dietary fibers in growing pigs
Authors: Xu Jie , Xu Rongying , Jia Menglan , Su Yong , Zhu Weiyun
Published: July 2021

Background

Dietary fibers are widely considered to be beneficial to health as they produce nutrients through gut microbial fermentation while facilitating weight management and boosting gut health. To date, the gene expression profiles of the carbohydrate active enzymes (CAZymes) that respond to different types of fibers (raw potato starch, RPS; inulin, INU; pectin, PEC) in the gut microbes of pigs are not well understood. Therefore, we investigated the functional response of colonic microbiota to different dietary fibers in pigs through metatranscriptomic analysis.

Results

The results showed that the microbial composition and CAZyme structure of the three experimental groups changed significantly compared with the control group (CON). Based on a comparative analysis with the control diet, RPS increased the abundance of Parabacteroides, Ruminococcus, Faecalibacterium and Alloprevotella but decreased Sutterella; INU increased the relative abundance of Fusobacterium and Rhodococcus but decreased Bacillus; and PEC increased the relative abundance of the Streptococcus and Bacteroidetes groups but decreased Clostridium, Clostridioides, Intestinibacter, Gemmiger, Muribaculum and Vibrio. The gene expression of CAZymes GH8, GH14, GH24, GH38, GT14, GT31, GT77 and GT91 downregulated but that of GH77, GH97, GT3, GT10 and GT27 upregulated in the RPS diet group; the gene expression of AA4, AA7, GH14, GH15, GH24, GH26, GH27, GH38, GH101, GT26, GT27 and GT38 downregulated in the INU group; and the gene expression of PL4, AA1, GT32, GH18, GH37, GH101 and GH112 downregulated but that of CE14, AA3, AA12, GH5, GH102 and GH103 upregulated in the PEC group. Compared with the RPS and INU groups, the composition of colonic microbiota in the PEC group exhibited more diverse changes with the variation of CAZymes and Streptococcus as the main contributor to CBM61, which greatly promoted the digestion of pectin.

Conclusion

The results of this exploratory study provided a comprehensive overview of the effects of different fibers on nutrient digestibility, gut microbiota and CAZymes in pig colon, which will furnish new insights into the impacts of the use of dietary fibers on animal and human health.
Strain and strain rate echocardiographic imaging predict occurrence of atrial fibrillation in post-coronary artery bypass grafting patients
Authors: Abdelrazek Gomaa , Mandour Kareem , Osama Mohammad , Elkhashab Khaled
Published: July 2021

Background

Atrial fibrillation (AF) occurs very frequently after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG); it occurs in about 20–edictors can be used for the dedicatio40% of patients. It is associated with several adverse events. This study aimed to extrapolate a predictor for postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) occurrence which is reproducible and simple to be a part of routine echocardiography screening before CABG. This study included 89 patients scheduled for isolated coronary artery bypass surgery. History, clinical examination, and complete 2D echocardiography with LA speckle tracking analysis were done preoperatively. Patients were then followed up post-surgery for incidence of AF till discharge from the hospital. The patients were divided into 2 groups according to POAF occurrence.

Results

Patients who developed postoperative AF had older age (P= 0.0032) and longer hospital stay (P= 0.021) and higher stroke incidence but statistically non-significant (14.3% vs 3.3%). The POAF patients showed less peak atrial longitudinal strain (PALS) value than non-POAF patients. The left atrial strain rate values showed a significant difference with the lower left atrial systolic strain rate and less negative (higher) early diastolic strain rate and late diastolic strain rate. After multivariate logistic regression analysis, the independent predictors for POAF were PALS (OR 0.770, 95% CI 0.627–0.946), late LA diastolic strain rate (LASRa) (OR 3.476, 95% CI 1.207–12.186), and age (OR 1.181, 95% CI 1.011–1.379).

Conclusion

Preoperative LA global strain assessed by 2D speckle tracking analysis could be helpful as a predictor for AF post-CABG surgery, and identification of these patients may reduce its morbidity and mortality. The study suggested PALS value less than 29.8 to be a predictor for the occurrence of POAF.
Frequency and assessment of Nutritional Status of school going children in rural areas of Islamabad
Authors: Farhin Shehla , Jaffry Tamkeen , Zafar Sadia , Rashid Farah
Published: July 2021

Background and Objectives: Nutritional status is considered a significant and positive health indicator. It determines anthropometric measurements of preschool children, the height of children at the time of school entry and prevalence of low birth weight. The objective of the study was to determine the frequency of nutritional status and socio-demographic factors influencing under nutrition among school children of rural Islamabad.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among school children of the age (4-16 years) from January 2017 to September 2019. The Sample size was 1710. Schools were selected through convenient sampling technique. Frequency and percentages were calculated and inferential statistics were computed to analyze the association of health status with categorical variables by using chi-square by keeping the level of significance <0.05 through SPSS version 20.

Results: The mean age of the sample was 9.38±4.14 with the maximum number of children (49.1%) in the age bracket of 5-9. Out of 1710 children, 54.4% had normal weight for age, 25.3% were underweight, 7.5% overweight and 12.8% were found to be obese. Stunting was found to be 26%. Prevalence of being underweight was higher than overweight /obesity particularly in younger and higher age groups as indicated by p-value of 0.000. Comparing with females, male students had significantly higher frequency of being underweight and stunted as reflected by p-value of 0.004 and 0.000 respectively. Univariate analysis also showed a strong association between age and nutritional status as mean weight increased from 39.22±5.21 to 63.50±4.66 and height from 35.67±5.76 to 113.73±29.22 with advancing age.

Conclusions: Undernutrition remains an ongoing health problem in school going children of rural Islamabad; particularly in male students of younger age groups. School health programs and nutritional interventions need to be strengthened particularly in rural areas of Islamabad.

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.5.3773

How to cite this:Farhin S, Jaffry T, Zafar S, Rashid F. Frequency and assessment of Nutritional Status of school going children in rural areas of Islamabad. Pak J Med Sci. 2021;37(5):1475-1479. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.5.3773

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Guiding significance of intraoperative frozen section for range of judging incisal edge of Esophageal Carcinoma
Authors: He Fei , Wang Chen , Liu Weichao , Shi Gongning
Published: July 2021

Objective: To explore guiding significance of intraoperative frozen section for judging incisal edge range of esophageal carcinoma.

Methods: A retrospective descriptive research design was used to collect the clinical and pathological data of 205 patients with esophageal cancer who were treated in Huaihe Hospital of Henan University from March 2012 to July 2015. Among them, 46 patients’ esophageal margins were made into intraoperative frozen sections.

Results: In the 205 cases, nine cases were diagnoses with upper incisal edge cancerization, accounting for 4.39%, and five cases were diagnosed with lower incisal edge cancerization, accounting for 2.4%. There were 14 cases in total, accounting for 6.83%. four cases showed positive residual end of intraoperative frozen section.

Conclusion: The cancerous focus residue of incisal edge in esophageal carcinoma is not uncommon. Intraoperative frozen section is helpful to judge the proper excision length of esophageal carcinoma.

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.5.3910

How to cite this:He F, Wang C, Liu W, Shi G. Guiding significance of intraoperative frozen section for range of judging incisal edge of Esophageal Carcinoma. Pak J Med Sci. 2021;37(5):1499-1503. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.5.3910

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Non-operative treatment versus appendectomy for acute uncomplicated appendicitis: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Sajjad Muhammad Nadeem , Naumeri Fatima , Hina Sehrish
Published: July 2021

Objectives: To compare the outcome of non-operative treatment (NOT) with antibiotics versus surgical management of uncomplicated appendicitis in children.

Methods: This randomized clinical trial (NCT 04030741) was carried out in Pediatric Surgery Department, Mayo Hospital from September 2018 to September 2019. Total sample size was 180, and after informed consent patients were randomly allocated in two groups. All children between 5 and 15 years of age and having pediatric appendicitis score (PAS) ≥7 were included. Patients with previous abdominal surgery, peritonitis, appendicular mass, or intra-abdominal abscess were excluded. Children in NOT group (Group A) were given intravenous Meropenem and Metronidazole for 48 hours and after starting oral, antibiotics were continued orally for 7 days. In Group B, children underwent appendectomy. Failure of NOT was labeled if there was abscess formation or peri-appendiceal fluid collection on ultrasound, development of peritonitis or recurrence of appendicitis.

Results: In Group A, mean age was 9.56±1.8 years and in Group B 10.11±1.8 years. There were 123 male and 57 female patients. Group B had 100% successful outcome. NOT (Group A) had successful outcome in 75 patients (83.3%) and failure was noted in 15 (16.7%). Five needed operation within 48 hours, all had appendicolith, and 10 patients presented within 6 months. Raised total leukocyte count (p value < 0.0001) and C reactive protein (p value < 0.04) levels were noted with failure of NOT.

Conclusions: In this study, success of NOT was 84% so a trial of NOT in cases of uncomplicated appendicitis should be considered in children.

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.5.4016

How to cite this:Sajjad MN, Naumeri F, Hina S. Non-operative treatment versus appendectomy for acute uncomplicated appendicitis: A randomized controlled trial. Pak J Med Sci. 2021;37(5):1276-1281. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.5.4016

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
The practice of Burch Colposuspension versus Mid Urethral Slings for the treatment of Stress Urinary Incontinence in developing country
Authors: Abrar Saida , Razzak Lubna , Rizvi Raheela Mohsin
Published: July 2021

Objectives: To compare the effectiveness and complications of Burch colposuspension and Mid Urethral Slings (MUS) for the treatment of Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI).

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 162 patients who underwent surgery for SUI with Burch colposuspension (n=40), tension free vaginal tape (TVT) (n= 59) or transobturator tape (TOT) (n=63), from 2006 to 2014 at the Aga Khan University Hospital- Karachi. All three groups were assessed in terms of demographics, cure rates, intraoperative and postoperative complications at one and five years using incontinence impact questionnaire-short form-7 (IIQ-7) and urogenital distress inventory -short form-6 (UDI-6).

Results: Mean age of the participants in Burch, TVT and TOT group was 44.1 ± 7.4, 48.3 ± 8.9, 53.0 ± 9.4 respectively. Majority of patients in TVT group were premenopausal (59.3%) and postmenopausal in TOT group (53.9%). Most abdominal hysterectomies were done in Burch group (40) while vaginal hysterectomies and anterior and posterior colporrhaphy in TOT group (55). All the procedures had both subjective and objective cure rate of more than 82% at one year, with TVT having the highest success rate of 96.61%. The objective cure rate in Burch, TVT and TOT group at five years was 74.19%, 90.30% and 81.25% respectively. Intraoperative complications included hemorrhage in one patient during Burch procedure and bladder perforation in two cases of TVT, with no significant difference in short or long-term complications with either procedure.

Conclusions: All the three procedures have equal efficacy and complication rates. Even though TVT is the new gold standard but in view of current debate regarding mesh related complications, there is a need to readdress Burch colposuspension for treatment of SUI.

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.5.4017

How to cite this:Abrar S, Razzak L, Mohsin R. The practice of Burch Colposuspension versus Mid Urethral Slings for the treatment of Stress Urinary Incontinence in developing country. Pak J Med Sci. 2021;37(5):1359-1364.  doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.5.4017

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Atorvastatin calcium tablets on inflammatory factors, hemorheology and renal function damage indexes in patients with diabetic nephropathy
Authors: Li Ronghua , Shi Tianting , Xing Enpeng , Qu Hongcui
Published: July 2021

Objectives: To investigate the effect of atorvastatin on inflammatory factors, hemorheology, and renal function damage in patients with diabetic nephropathy (DN).

Methods: One hundred and six DN patients who were treated in our hospital between June 2018 and August 2019 were selected and randomly grouped into observation group and control group, 53 each group. Patients in the control group were given the conventional treatment; patients in the observation group were given atorvastatin treatment on the basis of the conventional treatment. They were treated for three months. The hemorheology indexes (whole blood viscosity, erythrocyte aggregation index, and fibrinogen (FIB)), renal function damage indexes (macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM)-1, Secreted frizzled-related protein-5 (SFRP5), and mAIb/Cr) and inflammatory factor related indexes (C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-1 (IL-1), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)) were compared between the two groups before and after three months of treatment.

Results: After three months of treatment, the hemorheology indexes, renal function damage indexes, and inflammatory factors related indexes in the two groups changed. Compared with the control group, the whole blood viscosity, erythrocyte aggregation index, FIB, MIF, VACM-1, mAIb/Cr, CRP, IL-1, and TNF-α levels in the observation group significantly decreased, while the levels of SERP-5 significantly increased; the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05).

Conclusion: Atorvastatin can effectively alleviate the renal function damage in patients with DN, reduce the level of serum inflammatory factors, and improve hemorheology, which has a good clinical application value for DN patients.

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.5.4045

How to cite this:Li R, Shi T, Xing E, Qu H. Atorvastatin calcium tablets on inflammatory factors, hemorheology and renal function damage indexes in patients with diabetic nephropathy. Pak J Med Sci. 2021;37(5):1392-1396. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.5.4045

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Ramadan Fasting: Perception and maternal outcomes during Pregnancy
Authors: Hossain Nazli , Samuel Mahwish , Mughal Saba , Shafique Kashif
Published: July 2021

Objectives: To see perception and knowledge of women about Ramadan fasting and maternal effects of fasting.

Methods: The study design was prospective, case-controlled. This study was conducted at Holy Family Hospital from 1st May 2020 to July 2020. Pregnant women with spontaneous conception and singleton pregnancies, who fasted for seven or more days, were cases, and those who did not fast were taken as controls. Questionnaire was filled regarding perception of women about maternal fasting. Primary maternal outcomes included preterm delivery, pregnancy induced hypertension, and gestational diabetes mellitus. The analysis was conducted using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 16.0.

Results: A total of 215 women were included in the study, 123 women fasted, and 92 women did not fast. Only 2.8% of women knew that fasting is forbidden in pregnancy. Sixty five percent of women reported weakness as the main reason for not fasting. The rate of gestational diabetes, pregnancy induced hypertension and preterm delivery was higher among women who fasted (17% vs 14%, 7% vs 2%, 9% vs 9%) respectively, compared to non-fasting women, but were not found statistically significant. There was no difference in anthropometric measurements of newborn, among both groups.

Conclusion: Ramadan fasting does not affect maternal outcomes during pregnancy.

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.5.4109

How to cite this:Hossain N, Samuel M, Mughal S, Shafique K. Ramadan Fasting: Perception and maternal outcomes during Pregnancy. Pak J Med Sci. 2021;37(5):1262-1267. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.5.4109

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Behaviors of Turkish pregnant women towards gestational diabetes screening
Authors: Aydoğmuş Hüseyin , Aydoğmuş Serpil , Tıraş Halil Ibrahim , Cankaya Zeynep
Published: July 2021

Objectives: Although gestational diabetes is the most common metabolic disease in pregnancy some pregnant women still refuse to undergo oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the behavior of pregnant women undergoing OGTT, and to compare perinatal results between women who undergo and refuse OGTT.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study was performed by evaluating the data of Izmir Katip Celebi University Gynecology and Obstetrics outpatient clinic between 2012-2017. Data of 2079 pregnant were evaluated retrospectively. Among 373 women who refused OGTT were evaluated as the study group, while remaining 1706 women who underwent OGTT were considered as the control group. The groups were compared with regard to perinatal results.

Results: Sixty-two point four percent of the group who refused OGTT had a C-section, while 56.3% of the control group had a C-section (p<0.05). Intrauterine growth retardation, fetal distress, amniotic fluid pathologies, macrosomia, gestational hypertension and perinatal death were slightly higher in pregnant women who did not undergo OGTT compared to the control group, however, the difference was not statistically significant.

Conclusion: Maternal complications and poor pregnancy results were found slightly higher in pregnant women who refused OGTT. These results might be explained by assuring glycemic control in pregnant women who refused OGTT by a series of fasting and postprandial blood sugar measurements in our center.

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.5.4176

How to cite this:Aydogmus H, Aydogmus S, Tiras HI, Cankaya Z . Behaviors of Turkish pregnant women towards gestational diabetes screening. Pak J Med Sci. 2021;37(5):1486-1490. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.5.4176

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome roots needs to be rooted out at the outset: Will early screening help?
Authors: Khan Sikandar Hayat , Arooj Uzma
Published: July 2021

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.5.4509

How to cite this:Khan SH, Urooj U. Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome roots needs to be rooted out at the outset: Will early screening help? Pak J Med Sci. 2021;37(5):1254-1255. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.5.4509

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Medical Teaching Institutions Reforms Act: Facts and Fictions
Authors: Kamal Zahid , Aleem Muhammad , Aziz Nauman , Amjad Hafiz Muhammad
Published: July 2021

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.5.4551

How to cite this:Kamal Z, Aleem M, Aziz N, Amjad HM. Medical Teaching Institutions Reforms Act: Facts and Fictions. Pak J Med Sci. 2021;37(5):1252-1253. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.5.4551

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Women in Surgical Fields; Time to break the Glass Ceiling
Authors: Malik Tayyaba Gul
Published: July 2021

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.5.4583
How to cite this:Malik TG. Women in Surgical Fields; Time to break the Glass Ceiling. Pak J Med Sci. 2021;37(5):1249-1251. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.5.4583
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Introducing a novel approach to linear and nonlinear electrical conductivity of MoS2
Authors: Balaei Mohsen , Karimzadeh Rouhollah , Naseri Tayebeh
Published: July 2021

In regards to the interaction between 2D materials and laser beams, electrical conductivity is the cornerstone due to the fact that the optical absorption is correlated to electrical and opto-electrical properties. In this paper, the linear electrical conductivity (σ(1)) and nonlinear properties (σ(2) and σ(3)) for MoS2 will be investigated theoretically. So as to study the linear electro-optics effect (Pockels effect) in monolayer and the quadratic electro-optics (Kerr effect) in a bilayer of MoS2, σ(2) and σ(3) are derived, respectively. In this work, in order to achieve the σ(1), σ(2) and σ(3), we calculate the first, second and third order of susceptibility of MoS2 (χ(1), χ(2) and χ(3)) by implication of the first order electrical permeability of MoS2 (ɛ(1)), which has been reported in preceding studies. In the next step, by taking advantage of ɛ(E) = ɛ(1) + χ(2)|E| and σ(E) = σ(1) + σ(2)|E|, which express the linear electro-optics (Pockels) effect, the second order of electrical conductivity (σ(2)) can be acquired. Moreover, by considering ɛ(E) = ɛ(1) + χ(3)|E|2 and σ(E) = σ(1) + σ(3)|E|2 as the embodiment of the quadratic electro-optics (Kerr) effect, the third order of electric conductivity (σ(3)) are being calculated. Having this potential for calculating the optical nonlinear response in TMDs would lay the groundwork for designing and engineering a new generation of nonlinear devices premised upon TMDs.
Identification of significant protein in protein-protein interaction of Alzheimer disease using top-k representative skyline query
Authors: Diansyah Mohammad Romano , Kusuma Wisnu Ananta , Annisa Annisa
Published: July 2021

Alzheimer's disease is the most common neurodegenerative disease. This study aims to analyze protein-protein interaction (PPI) to provide a better understanding of multifactorial neurodegenerative diseases and can be used to find proteins that have a significant role in Alzheimer's disease. PPI data were obtained from experimental and computational predictions and analyzed using centrality measures. The Top-k RSP method was applied to find significant proteins in PPI networks using the dominance rule. The method was applied to the PPI data with the interaction sources from the experimental and experiment+prediction. The results indicate that APP and PSEN1 are significant proteins for Alzheimer's disease. This study also showed that both data sources (experiment+prediction) and the Top-k RSP algorithm proved useful for PPI analysis of Alzheimer's disease.
Jenis dan Struktur Tema-Rema dalam Cerita Pendek “Nasehat untuk Anakku” Karya Motinggo Busye
Authors: Amin Mujid Farihul
Published: July 2021

This study aims to determine what types of themes are contained in the short story "Advice for My Son" by Motinggo Busye and how the structure pattern of the teen theme is. The methodological framework consists of three strategic stages in the research, namely the data collection stage, the data analysis stage, and the data analysis result presentation stage. The results obtained from this study are that in the short story "Advice for My Son" by Motinggo Busye, there are topical / ideational themes including topical themes with markings and topical themes with markings, textual themes, and interpersonal themes. The structure of the themes contained in the short story "Advice for my Son" by Motinggo Busye is in accordance with the theme-rema theory, namely the theme is located at the beginning and the unit after the theme is rema.
Pola Alih Tutur Percakapan dalam Film Warkop DKI Reborn: Jangkrik Boss! Part 1
Authors: Zuliyanto Fandi , Setyadi Ary , Astuti Sri Puji
Published: July 2021

This research is to describe the closest speech and how to get the turn-taking of film Warkop Dki Reborn: Jangkrik Boss! Part 1. The data collection method used observation and note techniques. The theory applied is study of oral discourse: Turn-taking. Based on research, the film has the closest speech consisting of, (1) greetings followed by greeting , (2) calls followed by answer, (3) questions followed by answer. (4) offered followed by receiving, (5) offered followed by rejecting, (6) accused followed by rejecting, (7) request followed by granting, (8) requesting followed by rejecting, (9) praise followed by receiving, (10) complaints followed by reasons, (11) ) requests followed by approval, (12) command followed by acceptance, (13) command followed by rejection. In addition, the film has speech shift consisting of, (1) getting category, (2) creating, (3) stealing, (4) continuing, and (5) grab category.
A review: Antimicrobial activity of the medicinal spice plants to cure human disease
Authors: Mayekar Varsha Mahesh , Ali Ahmad , Alim Hina , Patel Nimisha
Published: July 2021

Since the ancient time medicinal plants and spices are used as herbal medicine because of their medicinal values. They are the valuable resources of the natural antimicrobial compounds used to treat the infectious disease caused by bacteria and other pathogens. Plant’s extract, essential oil and numerous kinds of secondary compounds had antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal and antioxidants activities with less or no toxic effects; that are essential to cure many diseases. The compounds isolated from the medicinal spice plants show antimicrobial activity against some bacterial strains that has the ability to affect the food quality and shelf life of the food. These plants have various medicinal properties like anti-inflammatory action, tonic, expectorants, diuretics, astringents, digestives, carminative, antibiotics and stimulants etc. The spectrum of compounds present in medicinal spice plants, and the structure of major compounds discussed in this review, are responsible for all of their medicinal properties. Therefore, plants are used in the form of maceration, fluid extracts, oil, syrup, juice, decoction, powder, tea and ointments. In the terms of the frequencies and configuration of various radicals both medicinal plants and antibiotics are different. Since plant-based products have no toxicity, also less costly than conventional drugs, research on the compounds found in medicinal plants and their action against harmful microbial species should be conducted in order to improve human health and expand the use of medicinal plants. Plants also have the ability to inhibit or alter protein-protein interactions, making them a powerful modulator of signal transduction, apoptosis, mitosis and immune response.
Interfacial technology for enhancement in steel fiber reinforced cementitious composite from nano to macroscale
Authors: Zhou Ao , Wei Huinan , Liu Tiejun , Zou Dujian , Li Ye , Qin Renyuan
Published: July 2021

The rapid construction of innovative structures and megastructures is pushing the development of steel fiber reinforced cementitious composite (SFRCC). The interfacial enhancement technology from nano to macroscale for improving global properties of SFRCC is summarized here, including nanomaterials reinforcement of cementitious matrix, physical arrangement and nanomaterials modification of steel fiber. The interfacial bonding strength of SFRCC can be enhanced more than 150% via these approaches. To evaluate the effect of local interfacial technology on global mechanical properties of SFRCC, the structural performance of SFRCC with interfacial modification is reviewed. The energy absorption capacity of SFRCC can be improved over 20% through interfacial enhancement technology. The multi-scale mechanisms behind these approaches are illustrated through macroscale characterizations and molecular dynamics modeling. Furthermore, the key challenges and future prospects of enhancement approaches are also discussed from the perspectives of bottom-up system, nanoscale reinforcement, and durability properties in SFRCC, which are expected to inspire further improvement in interfacial performance and promote the application of SFRCC in practical engineering.
Turkey and NATO: the Biden Factor. Part 1
Authors:   Institute of Europe of Russian Academy Sciences, Shumilin Aleksandr
Published: July 2021

The article examines the approach of Turkey and the leadership of the North Atlantic Alliance to the problem of noticeably deteriorating relations between them. The process of «undocking» Ankara’s partnership with NATO has been gaining momentum over the past four years, despite the generally friendly relationship between Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan and US President Donald Trump. With the exception of the deal between Turkey and Russia for the supply of the S-400 air defense system, which was sharply criticized by the alliance and primarily the United States, the range of other controversial issues mainly concerned relations between Ankara and the EU countries. D. Trump often used the tension between Ankara and Brussels in pursuing his line («America first») in relations with the EU countries. This could not but weaken the partnership between NATO members as a whole. The author concludes that the June 2021 summit of the alliance, at which the United States was represented by President Joe Biden, marked the beginning of the process of overcoming the differences between Turkey and its NATO allies. The most important impetus in this regard is the renewed concept of the alliance, which defines Russia as an «immediate threat». And this requires the consolidation of NATO ranks through overcoming internal differences. And above all with Turkey. In the first part of the article, the author analyzed the features of relations between Turkey and the United States, as well as Turkey and the European Union during the presidency of D. Trump. The second part will examine relations in the Turkey – US – EU triangle in the new international environment under the influence of the Joe Biden administration.