bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of non - invasive prenatal testing on prenatal diagnosis at Da Nang Hospital for women and children
Authors: Pham Son
Published: December 2022

ABSTRACT

Background: Non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) is being applied more widely in Vietnam. However, the effects of NIPT on prenatal diagnosis have not been studied much in our country. This study aims to analyze the impact of NIPT on the changes in the number of routine screening tests for chromosomal abnormalities 21, 18, and 13 and the impact of NIPT on invasive prenatal diagnostic procedures and propose strategies to screen for fetal aneuploidy.

Results: NIPT did not change the number of routine screening tests for chromosomal abnormalities 21, 18, and 13. The rate of amniocentesis used to confirm the diagnosis of aneuploidy was decreased by 6,32 (p < 0,0001, 95% CI: 3,99 – 10,45). Among the strategies to detect aneuploidy 21, 18, and 13 suitable for socio-economic conditions in Vietnam, a 2-step screening method can be applied.

Conclusions: NIPT did not change the number of routine screening tests. NIPT reduced the number of invasive prenatal procedures. The screening strategy for fetal aneuploidy should follow a two-step approach.
Study some characteristics of electronic fetal monitoring to diagnose fetal compromise
Authors: Le Nam
Published: December 2022

ABSTRACT

Background: Assessing fetal health during pregnancy and labor is important in reducing neonatal morbidity and mortality. In which electronic fetal monitoring is the most commonly used obstetric procedure. The false-positive rate of electronic fetal monitoring to predict adverse outcomes is high. Therefore, the study of fetal heart rate charts to confirm the diagnosis of fetal compromise is very necessary to limit cases of unreasonable cesarean section. Therefore, we conduct this study to: (1) Survey the characteristics of electronic fetal monitoring (EFM) to diagnose fetal compromise. (2) Find out the association between EFM and obstetrical outcomes

Methods: Observative cross-sectional study recruited 336 term singleton pregnant women with occipital presentation, presenting with labour symptoms at Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy, between June 2019 to June 2021. All participants accepted to participate in the research and fetal being was assessed by EFM using FIGO 2015 classification. Exclusion criteria were multiple gestation, congenital malformation, placenta previa, placenta abruptio, maternal disease affecting the fetus and using medication which can affect the fetus. Results: Among 336 pregnant women, 31 cases (11%) were diagnosed with fetal compromise. Deceleration had the highest sensitivity while baseline heart rate had the lowest to diagnose fetal compromise. Base line heart rate had the highest specificity while acceleration had the lowest to diagnose fetal compromise. There was an association between EFM and Neonatal Intensive Unit Care admission (p<0.001). There was no association between EFM and gestational age, birth weight, nuchal cord, amniotic fluid’s color and first-minute APGAR score.

Conclusions: EFM should be indicated for labour women to screen the fetal compromise. However, abnormal EFM was associated with increased c-section rate, operative delivery and Neonatal Intensive Unit Care admission. Therefore, close monitoring should be combined with clinical and subclinical results to prevent unnecessary intervention
Pregnancy outcomes of Covid-19 possitive pregnant women at the Hue Central Hospital
Authors: Dinh Thi Minh
Published: December 2022

ABSTRACT

Aim: To investigate some clinical and paraclinical characteristics and pregnant outcomes of pregnant women with COVID-19 at COVID-19 Research and Treatment Central of Hue.

Methods: This retrospective observational study included all identified COVID-19- positive pregnant women admitted to the Hue Central Hospital – Branch 2 at labour from September 2021 to March 2022. Maternity and newborns were followed until discharge from the hospital.

Results: Eighty-three pregnant women were positive for COVID-19. There were 32.5 % asymptomatic cases, 43.4 % had mild symptoms, while 21,1 % had more severe forms of the disease. The main follow-up morbidities were high BMI 24,1 %, anaemia 22.9 %, hypertensive disorders 4.8% and diabetes 2.4 %. The rate of premature births was 12.3%. There are 3/83 pregnant women with twins (3.6 %). Caesarean section was done for 63.9 % of women while 36.1 % delivered vaginally. Previous caesarean section (30.2%) was the most common indication for operative completion of labour. Eighty-five (98.8%) live babies were born, of which 11 (13.3%) were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit. One baby (1.2%) died shortly after birth due to multiple malformations. Two infants (2.3 %) had a positive PCR test for COVID-19. Conclusion: Most pregnant women infected with COVID-19 are asymptomatic and mild. Almost pregnant women recovered well after giving birth, but 2 mothers died due to severe development of COVID-19 (their children’s lives were saved). 11 babies needed care in the NICU, one baby (1.2%) died soon after birth due to multiple malformations/prematurity. Two infants (2.3 %) had a positive PCR test for COVID-19.
Treatment results of respiratory distress syndrome in preterm infants at the pediatric center of Hue Central Hospital
Authors: Tran Hao
Published: December 2022

ABSTRACT

Background: Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in premature infants is one of the leading causes of death. Surfactant replacement therapy has been the mainstay of treatment for preterm infants with RDS. This study aimed to evaluate the results of surfactant therapy for premature infants with RDS at the Pediatric Center of Hue Central Hospital.

Methods: A prospective, descriptive, and comparative study was conducted on 52 preterm infants with RDS based on clinical and chest radiographic findings before and after intervention. All infants received conventional surfactant therapy or INSURE. Evaluation of treatment results after 6 hours based on: SpO2, FiO2, a/APO2, and chest X-ray.

Results: Surfactant treatment markedly reduced the need for FiO2 and Surfactant treatment markedly reduced FiO2. requirement and improved SpO2. The average SpO2 of 91.15% increased to 95.67%. The average FiO2 of 51.54% decreased to 40.5%. Lung lesions on X-ray have markedly improved after treatment, as shown in the improvement of lesions. Alveolar and arterial oxygen rates (a/APO2) improved significantly after surfactant administration. 33/52 (63.5%) cases eventually improved within 6 hours after treatment without any complications.

Conclusion: A surfactant replacement that counterbalances surfactant inactivation seems to improve oxygenation and lung function in many preterm infants with respiratory distress syndrome without any apparent negative side effects.
Pullback dynamics and robustness for the 3D Navier-Stokes-Voigt equations with memory
Authors: Su Keqin , Yang Rong
Published: December 2022

The tempered pullback dynamics and robustness of the 3D Navier-Stokes-Voigt equations with memory and perturbed external force are considered in this paper. Based on the global well-posedness results and energy estimates involving memory, a suitable tempered universe is constructed, the robustness is finally established via the upper semi-continuity of tempered pullback attractors when the perturbation parameter epsilon tends to zero.
Carbon and safe-haven flows
Authors: Palao Fernando , Pardo Ángel
Published: December 2022

This paper explores the role of European Union Allowances (EUAs) as a safe haven for a range of assets and analyses the effect of safe-haven flows on the European carbon futures market. In particular, we demonstrate that EUAs can be considered a refuge against fluctuations in corporate bonds, gold and volatility-related assets in periods of market turmoil. Furthermore, we have shown that extremely bearish and bullish movements in those assets for which the EUA acts as a safe haven induce excess volatility in carbon markets, higher carbon trading volume and larger than normal EUA bid-ask spreads. These findings support the idea that some traders, by considering carbon futures as a refuge asset, induce safe-haven flows into the carbon market. The presence of these flows provides additional insights into the financialisation of the European carbon futures market.
A modified proximal point algorithm in geodesic metric space
Authors: Garodia Chanchal , Uddin Izhar , Abdalla Bahaaeldin , Abdeljawad Thabet
Published: December 2022

Proximal point algorithm is one of the most popular technique to find either zero of monotone operator or minimizer of a lower semi-continuous function. In this paper, we propose a new modified proximal point algorithm for solving minimization problems and common fixed point problems in CAT(0) spaces. We prove $ \Delta $ and strong convergence of the proposed algorithm. Our results extend and improve the corresponding recent results in the literature.
SE-TCN network for continuous estimation of upper limb joint angles
Authors: Liu Xiaoguang , Wang Jiawei , Liang Tie , Lou Cunguang , Wang Hongrui , Liu Xiuling
Published: December 2022

The maturity of human-computer interaction technology has made it possible to use surface electromyographic signals (sEMG) to control exoskeleton robots and intelligent prostheses. However, the available upper limb rehabilitation robots controlled by sEMG have the shortcoming of inflexible joints. This paper proposes a method based on a temporal convolutional network (TCN) to predict upper limb joint angles by sEMG. The raw TCN depth was expanded to extract the temporal features and save the original information. The timing sequence characteristics of the muscle blocks that dominate the upper limb movement are not apparent, leading to low accuracy of the joint angle estimation. Therefore, this study squeeze-and-excitation networks (SE-Net) to improve the network model of the TCN. Finally, seven movements of the human upper limb were selected for ten human subjects, recording elbow angle (EA), shoulder vertical angle (SVA), and shoulder horizontal angle (SHA) values during their movements. The designed experiment compared the proposed SE-TCN model with the backpropagation (BP) and long short-term memory (LSTM) networks. The proposed SE-TCN systematically outperformed the BP network and LSTM model by the mean RMSE values: by 25.0 and 36.8% for EA, by 38.6 and 43.6% for SHA, and by 45.6 and 49.5% for SVA, respectively. Consequently, its R2 values exceeded those of BP and LSTM by 13.6 and 39.20% for EA, 19.01 and 31.72% for SHA, and 29.22 and 31.89% for SVA, respectively. This indicates that the proposed SE-TCN model has good accuracy and can be used to estimate the angles of upper limb rehabilitation robots in the future.
La résistance aux antibiotiques et la biologie de l’Histoire
Authors: Landecker Hannah
Published: December 2022

Au début des années 1940, la production en masse des antibiotiques a nécessité la culture à grande échelle de micro-organismes afin de recueillir leurs produits métaboliques. Malheureusement, l’utilisation des antibiotiques entraîne une sélection par la résistance à cette même échelle. Nous examinons ici comment la microbiologie et la médecine se sont tournées vers l’étude de la résistance aux antibiotiques, en nous concentrant sur le constat que les traitements individuels ciblant des pathogènes spécifiques sont des évènements environnementaux qui affectent l’évolution des bactéries bien au-delà des corps. En se penchant sur les manifestations biologiques de l’utilisation des antibiotiques, les sciences découvrent les effets de leurs propres conceptions passées sur la matière. Les archives d’échantillons cliniques et de sols conservés apportent un témoignage que nous décrivons ici comme « la biologie de l’histoire » : l’enregistrement physique de l’histoire humaine dans la vie bactérienne. Ainsi, ce récit met en avant l’importance de comprendre à la fois la matérialité de l’histoire et l’historicité de la matière dans les théories et conceptions actuelles de la vie.
Du prototype au marché
Authors: Potier Victor
Published: December 2022

Par l’étude de cas du jeu sérieux Fabric Game, cette contribution étudie les mécanismes de mise en marché de l’innovation pédagogique. À l’occasion «  d’expérimentations  » en classe organisée par les pouvoirs publics dans les académies scolaires, le jeu y est maintenu au stade de prototype en développement. En s’appuyant sur quatre ans d’ethnographie aux côtés des concepteurs du jeu, l’analyse identifie l’activité durant ces expérimentations comme une activité de «  prototypage  » : une activité collective et expérimentale qui vise à tester et améliorer Fabric Game. Ce faisant, le prototypage consiste à produire des connaissances sur le jeu, mais aussi à l’insérer dans l’échange, et donc à l’évaluer à l’aune des intérêts parfois contradictoires de chacun. La déconstruction du rôle et des actions des acteurs impliqués montre la façon dont le prototype sert à mettre en marché l’innovation pédagogique : en produisant les médiations sociotechniques entre concepteurs et usagers, les acteurs publics les enrôlent dans les canaux de financement et de distribution de l’innovation pédagogique.
Écologies et promesses du tournant microbien
Authors: Brives Charlotte , Zimmer Alexis
Published: December 2022

Ce numéro de la Revue d’Anthropologie des Connaissances interroge et met en perspective la notion, récemment apparue dans le champ des sciences sociales des microbes et plus largement dans les études multispécifiques, de « tournant microbien ». Après en avoir rappelé la définition, ainsi que celles de notions qui lui sont associées, cette introduction les discute en les resituant au sein de traditions négligées des sciences naturelles et d’une plus vaste littérature de sciences sociales. Ceci permet d’une part de remobiliser une variété de récits et d’approches des relations humains/microbes qui précède ce prétendu tournant, d’autre part de souligner des points de vigilance quant aux promesses qui l’accompagnent. Relativiser la nouveauté et les promesses de ce « tournant » ne vise pas à disqualifier cette notion, mais à la resituer au sein d’infrastructures de pratiques et de savoirs plus larges, afin d’en proposer une reprise attentive aux conditions et conséquences politiques de ce tournant.
Des indicateurs pour accompagner « les éleveurs de microbes »
Authors: Demeulenaere Élise , Lagrola Mathilde
Published: December 2022

Au cours du XXe siècle en France, les transformations techniques et réglementaires dans la production laitière (dont la loi Godefroy instaurant le nombre de germes totaux/ml comme un indicateur négatif de la qualité du lait) ont contribué à une diminution significative de la charge microbienne des laits. Dans les années 1990, ces laits dits « paucimicrobiens » se révèlent être un problème dans la production fromagère au lait cru. L’article suit une communauté épistémique proche des filières sous appellation d’origine, qui développe un regard nouveau sur les « flores des laits ». Ses membres partagent l’idée que les microorganismes sont ubiquistes dans l’environnement et qu’il reste possible, malgré les irréversibilités causées par la modernisation agricole, d’enrichir la microflore native des laits grâce à des pratiques d’« écologie microbienne dirigée ». Leur engagement savant se prolonge par un accompagnement des producteurs laitiers vers des pratiques attentives aux écosystèmes microbiens. La construction d’indicateurs et représentations des microorganismes concurrençant la simple métrique des germes totaux/ml y trouve une place centrale.
Un cube idéal-typique pour l’étude de la plateformisation de la politique
Authors: Li Vigni Fabrizio
Published: December 2022

Face à la crise de la démocratie représentative, les plateformes participatives en ligne sont de plus en plus mobilisées par des partis au pouvoir pour partager la prise de décision organisationnelle, administrative, législative et budgétaire avec plus de citoyens et de citoyennes. Les technologies de la participation permettent ainsi de renouveler le débat sur la démocratie Internet et d’interroger la manière dont ces outils reconfigurent les pratiques représentatives et participatives. Pour appréhender les relations complexes entre société, logiciels et matérialité, cet article programmatique propose une approche fondée sur la sociologie politique, la sociologie du numérique et les études des infrastructures. Un cube idéal-typique est proposé pour opérationnaliser cette approche à trois dimensions et pour comparer les différentes plateformes (existantes et à venir) avec cet outil.
A CNN-Based License Plate Recognition Using TensorFlow and PySpark
Authors: K Lavanya , K. Bharathi , A. Preethi Christina , Chaurasia Satyam
Published: December 2022

The use daily of vehicles is rising exponentially and as a result there is an increase in crimes associated with it. Many vehicles are violating the rules of traffic and so an abnormal number of accidents occur leading to a rise in the crime rates linearly. In order for any vehicle to be recognized, its license plate number is needed. Therefore, the vehicle license plate detection plays a notable role. The optical character recognition (OCR) is one effective way to scan number plates and recognize the text found in the digital image, containing the license plate number into machine readable text which can then be used to track the vehicles. The image of the number plate is first captured, processed, and every character present in the number plate is read for perfect recognition. The optical character recognition model is trained using TensorFlow. Spark's in-memory data engine can perform tasks rapidly in multi-stage jobs. Therefore, TensorFlow and Spark are used together to train and apply the OCR model to perform the license plate recognition swiftly.
Behavioral Analytics of Consumer Complaints
Authors: Hossain Md Shamim
Published: December 2022

In the current study, the author implemented cohort analysis methodology of machine learning (ML) to assess the rate of consumers' complaint retention behavior toward firms. The author obtained a three-year range of data on customer complaints from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's website. After removing the missing data from the customer complaints dataset, the current study also uses the cohort analysis approach of ML to assess the rate of consumer complaints retained by businesses. According to the findings, organizations retain a significant portion of complaints. This study adds to the body of knowledge on consumer complaining behavior (CCB), especially by creating and deploying unsupervised machine learning-based technique to conceptualize consumers' complaint behavior in the financial service providers industry. Moreover, professionals will benefit greatly from this research.
Local Brand Impact During COVID-19
Authors: Nainala Sai Sreeja , Gowribidanur Matam Snehamayee
Published: December 2022

This chapter explores the role of local brands during the COVID-19 pandemic, the expansion of SMEs all throughout the pandemic, and the needs for all start-ups during the pandemic. The authors have also done research and written about how startups and small businesses have adapted to and used digitalization. This chapter will discuss the effects of regional brands during a pandemic.
Identification and quantification of potential microplastics in shellfish harvested in Sardinia (Italy) by using transillumination stereomicroscopy
Authors: Lorenzoni Giuseppa , Melillo Rita , Mudadu Alessandro Graziano , Piras Gabriella , Cau Simona , Usai Katia , Corda Luisa , Salza Sara , Tedde Tiziana , Vodret Bruna , Virgilio Sebastiano , Meloni Domenico
Published: December 2022

Plastics are non-biodegradable polymers made up of different groups of petrochemical materials. Several biotic and abiotic factors can change the density of plastic fragmenting it and originating microplastics (MPs). MPs have been defined as small pieces of plastic less than 5 mm in size. Due to their small size, they are an emerging concern in the marine environment since they can be ingested by aquatic organisms, especially filter-feeding organisms, such as bivalve mollusks. Impacts of MPs exposure have been shown at various levels of biological organization, from cellular to tissue to individual and population levels. For example, oxidative stress and inflammation have been observed in copepods and mussels, obstruction and physical damage of the digestive tract were found in fish and swimming behavior alterations, disruption of foraging and feeding behavior and overall reduced fitness and survival were observed in fish and oysters. In addition, MPs can act as a vector for the transfer of chemicals to marine biota. The aim of the present study was the identification and quantification of potential MPs in shellfish harvested in Sardinia (Italy) by using transillumination stereomicroscopy. Bivalves were collected from 4 of the main production areas located along the Sardinian coast and selected according to the principles of the risk assessment. The results of the present study demonstrated the presence of potential MPs in 70% of the analyzed samples: the presence of MPs in bivalve mollusks may pose a threat to food safety, and there is an urgent need to evaluate the potential risks of MPs to human health.
Bread packaging techniques and trends
Authors: S. Malathy Aravindan , S. Periyar Selvam , Subramaniyan Vishnupriya , Subramanian Sanjana , Sathiavelu Mythili
Published: December 2022

Bread staling and microbial growth is a complex physiochemical change that occurs during bread storage mainly reducing the quality and consumer acceptance. It is significant to understand the causes of physical, chemical, and microbial spoilage of bakery products in the food industry, to prevent quality decay and economic loss for manufacturers and consumers. Traditional packaging has limitations in protecting and preserving the final products’ safety, hygiene, and quality. Effective novel strategies must be included in food packaging, especially to minimize the organoleptic losses of baked foods during their shelf life. Furthermore, owing to the spread of foodborne diseases, which directly affect the safety of the products, customer demand is increasing significantly to reduce the use of synthetic preservatives instead of natural ones. Innovative packaging is altering the way food items are packed in several ways to extend and monitor product shelf life. Traditional packaging includes packaging food in synthetic polymer film; however, modern technology allows them to interact with active/functional substances. This paper discusses innovative bread packaging strategies such as modified atmosphere packaging (MAP), active packaging (AP), intelligent packaging (IP), biosensor, and nano packaging. Furthermore, MAP and AP have received greater attention in this study due to their considerable effect in prolonging the shelf life of bread and naturally preventing fungal activity, and have gained a lot of interest among producers and consumers in recent years.
Triad of Myasthenia Gravis, Myositis, and Myocarditis after Nivolumab Administration in a Patient with Cholangiocarcinoma
Authors: Wu Wen-Chi , Chen Ming-Huang
Published: December 2022

Immune checkpoint inhibitors, including anti-programmed death receptor-1/ligand-1 drugs and anticytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigens, are novel drugs for the treatment of many cancers. However, they may rarely cause neurological immune-related adverse effects, including immune-related myasthenia gravis (MG). This condition leads to poorer clinical outcomes, especially when coexisting with myositis or myocarditis. We report a case of a patient with advanced cholangiocarcinoma along with a history of thymoma in whom a triad of MG, myositis, and myocarditis developed after nivolumab administration. Early recognition of neuromuscular symptoms remains critical to successful management.
Latest Advances in Boron Neutron Capture Therapy for Intracranial Glioblastoma
Authors: Chen Yi-Wei , Mu Pei-Fan , Huang Ting-Yu , Lin Ko-Han , Pan Po-Shen , Chen Jen-Kun , Liu Hong-Ming , Wu Meng-Hao , Chou Fong-In
Published: December 2022

Objective:

Glioblastoma (WHO classification Grade IV) is a highly malignant brain tumor with a high propensity for recurrence even after standard treatments. Patient death is inevitable, as the available methods are largely ineffective for remediation and treatment once recurrence has occurred. This review presents recent advancements in boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) that have allowed for its clinical use in treating glioblastoma.

Data Sources:

We retrospectively reviewed the results of clinical trials and articles published in the past 30 years worldwide.

Study Selection:

All included studies addressed the use of BNCT to treat high-grade gliomas, including glioblastoma.

Results:

The development of boron-containing agents exhibiting specificity and improvements in technologies that generate neutron sources have led to the clinical use of BNCT for treating tumors. BNCT involves the delivery of a boron-10-containing drug specifically to tumor cells, followed by irradiation with low-energy thermal neutrons to generate two biologically active particles (helium [α particle] and lithium nuclei). Although these particles are highly effective at destroying cells, their field of destruction is limited to the tumor cells. Therefore, BNCT serves as an excellent mode of targeted particle therapy for tumors, particularly those that are infiltrative. The published articles reviewed here demonstrate the gradual refinement of the BNCT technique and prolonged survival for glioma patients compared to conventional treatments.

Conclusion:

With continued improvements, BNCT may become the first-choice treatment for malignant infiltrative glioblastoma in the near future.
Mental Foramen Morphometrics on Cone-Beam Computed Tomography Determines Sexual Dimorphism
Authors: Chanda Satarupa , Manoj Reema , Santosh Vasavi , Shetty Arvind , Waghmare Mandavi , Bhutani Hemant
Published: December 2022

Introduction:

Identification of humans during a lifetime, as well as acknowledgment even after death, is an inalienable right and forms the core of human dignity. A pivotal step in the identification of human remains is sex determination, as age and stature discernment depends on it. Determination of sex from unknown skeletal remains is extremely challenging, especially when fragmented bony remains are available. Among the various morphological landmarks of the mandible, the mental foramen is considered to be one of the most stable that can be used in sex authentication. Hence, it was used to identify a sexual dimorphism in a mixed Indian population in the present study.

Materials and Methods:

Two-hundred cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans were selected from the archival database and analysed for the present study using morphometric features of the mental foramen i.e., the measurement of: The distance from the superior border of the mental foramen to the inferior border of the mandible (SLM), The distance from the inferior border of the mental foramen to the inferior border of the mandible (ILM) and the distance from the superior border of the mental foramen to the inferior border of the mental foramen (VD).

Results:

Females showed a caudal positioning of mental foramen toward the base of the mandible as compared to males. A statistically significant difference was noted in the dimensions of SLM, ILM and VD, with all the three distances being larger in males when compared to females. Logistic regression analysis showed an overall significance of P < 0.0001 and a prediction score of 89%.

Conclusion:

Mental foramen morphometrics on CBCT enables sex determination in the Indian population with a predictive score of 89%.
Comparative Evaluation of Diagnostic Efficacy of Cell Block Versus Aspiration Cytology
Authors: Chaudhary Nikhil , Das Subhashish , Sinha Snigdha
Published: December 2022

Introduction:

Fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) has certain disadvantages despite being the most commonly used procedure in the initial diagnosis of any swelling. In such cases, a cell block (CB) study can be a valuable adjunct to smears for establishing a more definitive cytopathological diagnosis. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of CB with FNAC and to compare the findings of the CB and FNAC with histopathology as the gold standard.

Materials and Methods:

The study was conducted in the department of pathology at our institute. All the cystic/solid lesions sent for fine-needle aspiration, which yielded sufficient material for the CB, were studied along with detailed clinical history.

Results:

Out of 66 cases of FNAC and CB, 35 cases were sent for histopathology. The mean age of the patients was 41.36 years, and female patients were more in number (73%). Benign lesions (71.4%) were more than malignant ones (29.6%). The CB section had more thyroid lesions (31%). The diagnostic accuracy of FNAC was found to be 94.28%, while that of CB was 97.14%.

Conclusion:

Although FNAC is the first line of investigation for mass lesions, and still, to make the best possible use of an aspirate, smears should be used together with CB preparation to provide the best possible morphological and histological diagnosis.
A Young Woman with Intellectual Disability, Epilepsy, and Psychosis of Unclear Prognosis
Authors: Lall Ayush , Dorai B. Lakshmi , Pradeep C. , Esaimozhi A.
Published: December 2022

Intellectual disability is a known condition, but psychosis and its extension in functional areas of life, with episodes of seizures in between, make the case complex and leave clinicians with a limited choice of treatment and unpredictable outcomes. We present the case of a 20-year-old female with intellectual disability, episodes of seizures, and pattern of psychosis, with its course describing the perplexity of the treatment in the area of its outcome predictability, which also highlights the lack of a structured approach for clinicians’ guidance in managing it as a multidisciplinary field.
Primary trabeculectomy with mitomycin C in the treatment of medically uncontrolled inflammatory glaucoma and primary open-angle glaucoma
Authors: Said Maha , Wasfi Ehab I. , Abdelazeem Khaled , Soliman Kamel A. , Masood Imran , Fathalla Ahmed M.
Published: December 2022

Purpose

The aim of this study was to compare the outcomes of primary trabeculectomy (PT) with mitomycin C (MMC) in uveitic glaucoma (UG) and primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG).

Design

This is a retrospective, case–control study.

Patients and methods

We compared the outcomes of PT with 0.02% MMC for 2 min in 60 adult patients with POAG and 60 adult patients with UG, who underwent surgeries between January 2010 and January 2014 at two major hospitals in Birmingham, UK, and were followed up for 5 years. Trabeculectomy in both groups was performed by fornix-based conjunctival dissection.

Results

The patients’ age was 53.6±5.4 years in POAG patients compared with 48.3±9.45 years in UG patients, with a statistically significant difference (P=0.046). The rates of qualified success, complete success, and failure at the first, third, and fifth year postoperatively did not differ significantly between the two groups (P=0.73, 0.71, and 0.37, respectively). The maximum postoperative intraocular pressure (IOP) reduction was observed in the first year, followed by a slow rise in IOP, and the number of antiglaucoma medications until the fifth year postoperatively. The 5-year postoperative IOP differed significantly between the two groups (18.33±2.98 vs. 19.88±3.41 mmHg in the POAG vs. UG, respectively, P=0.009).

Conclusion

The success rate of PT with MMC in UG was not inferior to that in POAG. One-year posttrabeculectomy with MMC, the qualified success rate mildly increased at the expense of the complete success rate while the failure rate remained largely constant, indicating a constant need for additional antiglaucoma medications.
Novel Microsoft Excel spreadsheet calculator for vector analysis of mass astigmatism data and comparison between Alpins and Thibos methods
Authors: Elkadim Mohamed , El-Shehawy Ahmed
Published: December 2022

Background

Vector analysis is mandatory for reporting astigmatism and for the evaluation of different refractive procedures.

Aim

The aim of this study was to describe and evaluate a new spreadsheet calculator for vector analysis of mass astigmatism data and to compare between Alpins and Thibos methods.

Patients and methods

Using Microsoft Office Excel 2016, a new astigmatic calculator was designed, based on Alpins and Thibos methods of vector analysis. Mass astigmatic data input involved power in diopters and axis direction in degrees. The calculator was investigated on 20 eyes for which photorefractive keratectomy was performed. Preoperative and postoperative manifest refractions were measured. Comparisons were done between the results of Alpins and Thibos methods of analysis.

Results

The mean surgically induced astigmatism (SIA) was 2.547±0.721 D and the change in astigmatism power vector (ΔAPV) calculated with the Thibos method was 1.27±0.36 D. A perfect positive correlation (r=1; P<0.000) was present between SIA and ΔAPV with SIA=2ΔAPV. A perfect positive correlation (r=1; P<0.000) was also present between the index of success and APV ratio.

Conclusion

Vector analysis of mass astigmatism data could be performed using the new Excel calculator. Alpins and Thibos methods showed interchangeability between their results.
Course and outcome of retinopathy of prematurity in babies of multiple pregnancies
Authors: Gaber Raouf , Serag Yasser R. , Elbedewy Hazem A.
Published: December 2022

Purpose

The aim of this study was to evaluate the course and outcome of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in babies of multiple pregnancies (twin and triplet neonates).

Patients and methods

This is a retrospective study in which we reviewed the records of 128 babies (all twin and triplet neonates), who were admitted to the biggest neonatal ICU in El Mahalla El-Kubra City, Gharbeya province, Egypt over the period between January 1, 2019 and July 1, 2021. The clinical information about perinatal neonates was collected. The main outcome measures were incidence, course, and final outcome of ROP in terms of regression (spontaneous or after treatment) or progression. The relationship of the clinical risk factors and the development of ROP were also analyzed.

Results

The overall incidence of ROP in twins and triplets was 36%, which was statistically higher in triplets (24/36=66.6%) than in twins (22/92=24%) (P<0.001). The overall incidence of type 1 ROP was 28%. In 30 pairs of twins (30/46=65%), the course was symmetrical in both babies, while in 16 (35%) pairs, the course and outcome were asymmetrical. In six triplets (6/12=50%) the course was symmetrical, while in the other six (50%) triplets the course was asymmetrical.

Conclusion

ROP can take asymmetrical course in twins and triplets. Even it can happen only in the heavier baby. Therefore, examination of both babies of twins and all babies of triplets is essential in ROP protocols.
A Case Report on Endogenous Panophthalmitis in a Patient of Chronic Kidney Disease
Authors: Eqbal Shadma , Ambasta Anita , Kusumesh Rakhi
Published: December 2022

Panophthalmitis is a visually devastating ocular inflammation within the eye that involves the retina, choroid, and sclera and extends into the orbit. Endogenous panophthalmitis is one of its types and is a rare entity that occurs due to the hematogenous spread of organisms from a focus of infection elsewhere in the body. We report a case of endogenous panophthalmitis in a 60-year-old diabetic male. The patient was a known case of diabetic kidney disease with uncontrolled blood sugar levels and high creatinine levels. He also had low hemoglobin (7 g/dl) for which he was given a blood transfusion. However, he experienced myocardial infarction (MI) posttransfusion. Electrocardiogram and trop t-test were confirmatory while his total leukocyte count showed leukocytosis (21,000/μl). An ocular examination was done after 3 days and revealed panophthalmitis in both eyes. The cause of infection was deemed to be the immunocompromised state of the patient with poor control of diabetes. The MI was attributed to diabetic sepsis. The patient was managed conservatively as the surgical intervention was not considered possible because of systemic instability.
To Evaluate the Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Awareness Associated with Diabetic Retinopathy among Admitted Diabetic Patients at a Tertiary Level Hospital in Bihar
Authors: Kumari Pinki , Poonam  , Sinha Umesh Prasad
Published: December 2022

Introduction:

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is an emerging cause of blindness in developing countries.

Objectives:

The study aims to evaluate the prevalence, risk factors, and awareness associated with DR among admitted diabetic patients.

Materials and Methods:

A noninterventional case series study was conducted among diabetic patients referred for ophthalmic consultation. The patients’ detailed demographics, awareness of DR, concurrent systemic problems, and glycemic control status were recorded. DR was graded using the Early Treatment DR Study criteria.

Main Outcome Measures:

The prevalence, risk factors, and awareness of DR among the study participants were analyzed.

Results:

A total of 270 diabetic patients were enrolled in the study. The mean age was 62.20 ± 13.24 years. Only one-third (34.4%) of the cases were admitted for sugar control and newly diagnosed cases comprised 19.63%. Dilated fundus evaluation was done for the first time in 44.8%. DR was found in 41.11% of the cases and was diagnosed in 15% of the new cases. More than four-fifths diabetics patients (88%) had the disease for 16-20 years. Clinically significant macular edema was found in 5.19% and proliferative DR in 2.22%. DR was significantly associated with the duration of diabetes (P = 0.001) and concurrent hypertension (P = 0.004).

Conclusion:

DR is a common problem with diabetics in Bihar. The prevalence of DR was 41% among the admitted diabetic cases and the DR was significantly associated with the duration of diabetes and systemic hypertension. Almost half of the cases had been unaware of DR before referral. This emphasizes the importance of the collaboration of the physician and the ophthalmologist for early DR detection.
Weill–Marchesani Syndrome in 18-Month-Old Twin Sisters
Authors: Singh Mamta , Sinha Bibhuti Prassan
Published: December 2022

Weill–Marchesani syndrome is a rare genetic disorder recognized by characteristic ocular and connective tissue abnormalities. This case report demonstrates this disorder in twin sisters with microspherophakia, ectopia lentis, and lenticular myopia. In addition to ocular findings, the systemic associations included depressed nasal bridge with a broad and square head, stubby spade-like hands, and thick skin.
Managing Limbal Stem Cell Deficiency with Simple Limbal Epithelial Transplantation – Perspective and Practical Guide
Authors: Singh Aastha , Sangwan Virender Singh
Published: December 2022

Limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD) is an important cause of blindness. Various etiological factors can cause this challenging disease and several ocular and systemic comorbidities often make the management challenging in these cases. Limbal stem cell transplantation (LSCT) is the gold standard treatment for LSCD. Various techniques of LSCT such as conjunctival limbal autograft and cultured limbal epithelial transplantation have been described to treat this condition. Simple limbal epithelial transplantation (SLET) is an innovative technique of LSCT that has established itself as a successful modality for treating LSCD while addressing limitations of other procedures such as cost, reach and replicability. This review attempts to present a detailed account of SLET comprising of case selection criteria, surgical procedure, post operative care and complications and comparative details of the various techniques of LSCT. We also discuss pertinent tips related to the procedure which we hope will be beneficial for both beginner surgeons and those already practicing SLET.
Feasibility and safety of a new dedicated biliary stent for EUS-guided hepaticogastrostomy: The FIT study (with video)
Authors: Anderloni Andrea , Fugazza Alessandro , Spadaccini Marco , Colombo Matteo , Capogreco Antonio , Carrara Silvia , Maselli Roberta , Ferrara Elisa Chiara , Galtieri Piera Alessia , Pellegatta Gaia , Repici Alessandro
Published: December 2022

Background and Objectives:

EUS-guided biliary drainage (BD) through hepaticogastrostomy (HGS) is an option in case of ERCP failure. Available data suggest that this procedure may be challenging with possible severe adverse events (AEs) mainly due to stent migration. The aim of our pilot study was to prospectively assess the technical and clinical outcomes of EUS-HGS using a new dedicated partially covered self-expandable metal stent with anti-migratory systems.

Methods:

This is a single-center prospective study enrolling patients with malignant biliary obstruction undergoing EUS-HGS after failed ERCP, between June 2020 and March 2021. The primary endpoint was the technical success rate. Evaluation of specific stent-related technical features as compared with commonly used self-expandable metal stent, clinical success rate, and procedure-related AEs was also assessed.

Results:

Twenty-two patients (15%–68.2%, female; mean age, 66.0 ± 10.0) were enrolled in the study analysis. Different causes of ERCP failure were infiltration of papilla by neoplastic tissue (4, 18.2%), unreachable papilla for duodenal stricture (9, 40.9%), surgically altered anatomy with Roux-en-Y reconstruction (4, 18.2%), and incomplete BD after transpapillary stent placement (5, 22.7%). Technical success was achieved in all patients, in a mean procedural time of 43.3 ± 26.8 min. Technical features were graded as high or medium in all cases. The clinical success rate was 91% (20/22, mean follow-up: 10.8 ± 3.1 months). There were no cases of stent misplacement or stent migration. Three (13.6%) cases of a hepatic abscess requiring percutaneous drainage and systemic antibiotics were reported, with no impact on clinical success and following oncologic treatments. No deaths occurred.

Conclusion:

EUS-HGS with a new dedicated stent with anti-migratory systems is feasible and effective, preventing stent migration, and misplacement. Although the persistent procedural challenges, dedicated devices may contribute to outcomes improvement and procedure diffusion.
Comparative evaluation of efficacy of topical and intra-sulcular application of Co-enzyme Q10 in the non-surgical treatment of periodontal diseases
Authors: Dahiya Parveen , Malhotra Asheema , Pajnoo Anushika , Gupta Rajan , Kamal Reet
Published: December 2022

Background:

Periodontitis is a ubiquitous and irreversible inflammatory condition that affects the supporting structures of teeth, which could lead to tooth loss as well as contribute to systemic inflammation. During the inflammatory phase, there is a release of superoxide ions and reactive oxygen species, which causes an increase in the oxidative stress. To combat this stress, the use of certain antioxidants has been proposed, which will help in maintaining the harmonious equilibrium.

Aim:

The aim of the present systematic review is to investigate the efficacy of topical and intrasulcular application of coenzyme Q10 in nonsurgical treatment of periodontal disease.

Materials and Methods:

We conducted a systematic review on the clinical studies which compared the use of coenzyme Q10 as an adjunct to nonsurgical periodontal therapy. The studies mentioned in this review were in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines and met our inclusion criteria – only randomized control trials in humans and literature published between 2000 and 2020 were included.

Results:

Therapies with coenzyme Q10 as an adjunct to scaling and root planing (SRP) proved to show superior improvement by reduction in the clinical parameters (plaque index, gingival index, bleeding on probing, and clinical attachment loss) when compared to SRP alone.

Conclusions:

Adjunctive therapy with coenzyme Q10 provides longer-lasting therapeutic effects and better results when compared with SRP alone. The possibility to use the gel as a sole agent to support standard treatment procedures in periodontitis is also suggested.
Composite outcome measure (COM) and pocket closure as clinical endpoints following treatment of infra bony defects with Guided tissue regeneration and Open flap debridement
Authors: Thayil Sruthy Tom , Pillai Baiju Radhamoni Madhavan , Nafeesa Raseena Beevi , Kalarikkal Roshna Erumbuzhi
Published: December 2022

Background:

Clinical outcomes of regenerative periodontal therapy has been traditionally assessed using surrogate markers, primarily clinical attachment level (CAL) gain and probing pocket depth (PPD) reduction. This study tried to assess newer clinical endpoints namely pocket closure and composite outcome measure (COM) apart from CAL gain, PPD reduction and gingival recession in patients who underwent guided tissue regeneration (GTR) and compared the same with open flap debridement (OFD) six months post treatment.

Materials and Methods:

Records of 58 sites in 48 patients who had undergone GTR (28 sites) and OFD (30 sites) for infrabony defects were evaluated for CAL gain, PPD reduction, change in GR, FMBS, and FMPS at baseline and 6 months after surgery. Pocket closure and COM were used to assess the efficacy of both treatments.

Results:

Statistically significant improvements were seen in both the groups except GR from baseline to 6 months. GTR-treated sites showed better improvements with a statistically significant difference in CAL gain after 6 months. Pocket closure and percentage of treatment success and failure in both the groups assessed using a COM were similar and did not differ statistically.

Conclusion:

Treatment of infrabony defects with GTR combined with a xenograft offers better CAL gain after 6 months compared to OFD alone and also found that baseline PPD and FMBS were the factors determining pocket closure.
Effect of periodontal treatment on serum inflammatory parameters and disease activity in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Maybodi Fahimeh Rashidi , Bashiri Hamidreza , Sezavar Kimiya , Owlia Fatemeh
Published: December 2022

Background:

Several descriptive studies have shown an association between periodontitis and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), but clinical trials evaluating the effect of periodontal treatment on serological inflammatory parameters or disease activity in SLE patients are very limited. The aim of this study was to see how periodontal treatment affects the status of SLE patients.

Materials and Methods:

Ninety patients with active SLE and periodontitis were randomly assigned to one of two groups: case (oral hygiene instructions + scaling and root planning) or control (oral hygiene instructions only). Periodontal parameters, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and C-reactive protein (CRP) and SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) levels were monitored at baseline and 3 months later.

Results:

Periodontal parameters in the case group were significantly reduced both statistically and clinically after 3 months. However, in the control group, these indices decreased statistically (P < 0.05) but not clinically. The score of SLEDAI in both the groups showed a significant downward trend (P < 0.05) from the start of the study, but the differences in this index between the two groups were not statistically significant (P = 0.894). Although there was a significant decrease in CRP and ESR (P = 0.001) after 3 months in the case group, indicating a positive effect of periodontal treatment on inflammation reduction, there was no significant decrease in CRP and ESR in the control group.

Conclusion:

According to our findings, it appears to be no statistically significant association between periodontal treatment and SLEDAI level. However, this treatment seems to be effective in reducing acute phase biomarkers such as CRP and ESR.