bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Drug screening to identify compounds to act as co-therapies for the treatment of Burkholderia species
Authors: Barker Sam , Harding Sarah V. , Gray David , Richards Mark I. , Atkins Helen S. , Harmer Nicholas J.
Published: March 2021

Burkholderia pseudomallei is a soil-dwelling organism present throughout the tropics. It is the causative agent of melioidosis, a disease that is believed to kill 89,000 people per year. It is naturally resistant to many antibiotics, requiring at least two weeks of intravenous treatment with ceftazidime, imipenem or meropenem followed by 6 months of orally delivered co-trimoxazole. This places a large treatment burden on the predominantly middle-income nations where the majority of disease occurs. We have established a high-throughput assay for compounds that could be used as a co-therapy to potentiate the effect of ceftazidime, using the related non-pathogenic bacterium Burkholderia thailandensis as a surrogate. Optimization of the assay gave a Z’ factor of 0.68. We screened a library of 61,250 compounds and identified 29 compounds with a pIC50 (-log10(IC50)) greater than five. Detailed investigation allowed us to down select to six “best in class” compounds, which included the licensed drug chloroxine. Co-treatment of B. thailandensis with ceftazidime and chloroxine reduced culturable cell numbers by two orders of magnitude over 48 hours, compared to treatment with ceftazidime alone. Hit expansion around chloroxine was performed using commercially available compounds. Minor modifications to the structure abolished activity, suggesting that chloroxine likely acts against a specific target. Finally, an initial study demonstrates the utility of chloroxine to act as a co-therapy to potentiate the effect of ceftazidime against B. pseudomallei. This approach successfully identified potential co-therapies for a recalcitrant Gram-negative bacterial species. Our assay could be used more widely to aid in chemotherapy to treat infections caused by these bacteria.
Understanding gender segregation through Call Data Records: An Estonian case study
Authors: Goel Rahul , Sharma Rajesh , Aasa Anto
Published: March 2021

Understanding segregation plays a significant role in determining the development pathways of a country as it can help governmental and other concerned agencies to prepare better-targeted policies for the needed groups. However, inferring segregation through alternative data, apart from governmental surveys remains limited due to the non-availability of representative datasets. In this work, we utilize Call Data Records (CDR) provided by one of Estonia’s major telecom operators to research the complexities of social interaction and human behavior in order to explain gender segregation. We analyze the CDR with two objectives. First, we study gender segregation by exploring the social network interactions of the CDR. We find that the males are tightly linked which allows information to spread faster among males compared to females. Second, we perform the micro-analysis using various users’ characteristics such as age, language, and location. Our findings show that the prime working-age population (i.e., (24,54] years) is more segregated than others. We also find that the Estonian-speaking population (both males and females) are more likely to interact with other Estonian-speaking individuals of the same gender. Further to ensure the quality of this dataset, we compare the CDR data features with publicly available Estonian census datasets. We observe that the CDR dataset is indeed a good representative of the Estonian population, which indicates that the findings of this study reasonably reflect the reality of gender segregation in the Estonian Landscape.
Elevated glucose represses lysosomal and mTOR-related genes in renal epithelial cells composed of progenitor CD133+ cells
Authors: Shrestha Swojani , Singhal Sandeep , Sens Donald A. , Somji Seema , Davis Bethany A. , Guyer Rachel , Breen Spencer , Kalonick Matthew , Garrett Scott H.
Published: March 2021

Hyperglycemia is one of the major health concern in many parts of the world. One of the serious complications of high glucose levels is diabetic nephropathy. The preliminary microarray study performed on primary human renal tubular epithelial (hRTE) cells exposed to high glucose levels showed a significant downregulation of mTOR as well as its associated genes as well as lysosomal genes. Based on this preliminary data, the expression of various lysosomal genes as well as mTOR and its associated genes were analyzed in hRTE cells exposed to 5.5, 7.5, 11 and 16 mM glucose. The results validated the microarray analysis, which showed a significant decrease in the mRNA as well as protein expression of the selected genes as the concentration of glucose increased. Co-localization of lysosomal marker, LAMP1 with mTOR showed lower expression of mTOR as the glucose concentration increased, suggesting decrease in mTOR activity. Although the mechanism by which glucose affects the regulation of lysosomal genes is not well known, our results suggest that high levels of glucose may lead to decrease in mTOR expression causing the cells to enter an anabolic state with subsequent downregulation of lysosomal genes.
A question of morals? The role of moral identity in support of the youth climate movement Fridays4Future
Authors: Misch Antonia , Kristen-Antonow Susanne , Paulus Markus
Published: March 2021

In the past year, an unprecedented climate movement has risen among European youth, so-called "Fridays4Future" (F4F). Thousands of pupils skip school every Friday to protest for better climate politics. The public debate on the protests contains highly mixed reactions, including praise as well as condemnation. Recent theoretical accounts propose that people’s engagement in community service and actions towards a greater good could be related to their moral identity. Moral identity (MI) is defined as the extent to which being moral is important to the personal identity. The current preregistered study investigates the link between moral identity and participants’ support for F4F in an online survey (N = 537). Results confirm the association between participants’ moral identity and their support for F4F, with the internalization scale predicting passive forms of support and the symbolization scale predicting active forms of support. Additionally, risk perception was found to play an important role. Thus, this study confirms the role of moral identity in people’s pro-environmental engagement and offers new insights in the context of an important and timely issue.
In the long shadow of our best intentions: Model-based assessment of the consequences of school reopening during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Johnson Kaitlyn E. , Stoddard Madison , Nolan Ryan P. , White Douglas E. , Hochberg Natasha S. , Chakravarty Arijit
Published: March 2021

As the world grapples with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, a particularly thorny set of questions surrounds the reopening of primary and secondary (K-12) schools. The benefits of in-person learning are numerous, in terms of education quality, mental health, emotional well-being, equity and access to food and shelter. Early reports suggested that children might have reduced susceptibility to COVID-19, and children have been shown to experience fewer complications than older adults. Over the past few months, our understanding of COVID-19 has been further shaped by emerging data, and it is now understood that children are as susceptible to infection as adults and have a similar viral load during infection, even if asymptomatic. Based on this updated understanding of the disease, we have used epidemiological modeling to explore the feasibility and consequences of school reopening in the face of differing rates of COVID-19 prevalence and transmission. We focused our analysis on the United States, but the results are applicable to other countries as well. We demonstrate the potential for a large discrepancy between detected cases and true infections in schools due to the combination of high asymptomatic rates in children coupled with delays in seeking testing and receiving results from diagnostic tests. Our findings indicate that, regardless of the initial prevalence of the disease, and in the absence of robust surveillance testing and contact-tracing, most schools in the United States can expect to remain open for 20–60 days without the emergence of sizeable disease clusters. At this point, even if schools choose to close after outbreaks occur, COVID-19 cases will be seeded from these school clusters and amplified into the community. Thus, our findings suggest that the debate between the risks to student safety and benefits of in-person learning frames a false dual choice. Reopening schools without surveillance testing and contact tracing measures in place will lead to spread within the schools and within the communities that eventually forces a return to remote learning and leaves a trail of infection in its wake.
Phenotypic ranking experiments in identifying breeding objective traits of smallholder farmers in northwestern Ethiopia
Authors: Sheriff Oumer , Alemayehu Kefyalew , Haile Aynalem
Published: March 2021

We executed two live animal ranking experiments, own-flock and group-animal ranking, to identify the breeding objectives of Arab and Oromo goat keepers in northwestern Ethiopia as a preliminary step towards designing sustainable breeding programs for two goat populations. In the own-flock ranking experiment, a total of 147 households, out of which 46 were Arab and 101 were Oromo goat keepers that live in semi-arid and sub-humid agroecologies respectively, were visited at their homesteads and were asked to choose their first best, second best, third best and the most inferior does from their own flock. The reasons of ranking and life history of the does (age, previous production and reproduction information) were inquired and recorded; live body weight and some linear body measurements were taken. In the group-animal ranking experiment, 12 breeding does and 12 breeding bucks from Arab goats and the same number of animals from Oromo goats were randomly selected. Life history of selected does and bucks (age, birth type, libido and temperament) were inquired from the owners. The selected animals were randomly grouped into four in Arab goats (three animals per group) and the same was applied in Oromo goats. Twelve farmers for Arab goats and the same number of farmers for Oromo goats who have not known the experimental animals were invited to do the ranking. Each person ranked the three animals in each group as 1st, 2nd and 3rd, giving reasons of ranking. After a first round of ranking, s/he was then provided with the history of each individual animal and asked whether s/he would consider re-ranking them. This procedure was continued eight times until a person covered all groups of does and bucks. It was found out that in own-flock ranking experiment, keepers focus on productive, reproductive and behavioral traits (such as body size, mothering ability, twinning rate, kidding interval and temperament) while in group-animal ranking experiment, there was a general tendency to focus on observable physical traits like coat color, body size and body conformation. Simultaneous use of both own-flock and group-animal ranking experiments is advisable to identify breeding objective traits in production systems where record keeping is absent.
The association between body composition and metabolically unhealthy profile of adults with normal weight in Northwest China
Authors: Fan Ling , Qiu Jiangwei , Zhao Yu , Yin Ting , Li Xiaoxia , Wang Qingan , Jing Jinyun , Zhang Jiaxing , Wang Faxuan , Liu Xiuying , Liu Lan , Zhao Yi , Zhang Yuhong
Published: March 2021

Objective

Related evidences of metabolically unhealthy profile of adults with normal weight are not well characterized in the Chinese population. This is because they cannot be effectively identified by regular measurements (such as body mass index [BMI]). To overcome this gap in literature, this study aimed at investigating the association between body composition and metabolically unhealthy profile in Chinese adults with normal weight.

Methods

A total of 5427 individuals with normal-weight were recruited from 15820 people living in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in Northwest China. Normal-weight was defined as a BMI of 18.5–23.9 kg/m2. Metabolically unhealthy profile was assessed by the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III). Metabolically unhealthy normal-weight (MUHNW) profile was defined in individuals who had normal weight and at least two cardiometabolic risk factors. Generalized linear model was used to investigate the association between body composition measured by bioelectrical impedance and metabolically unhealthy profile in adults with normal-weight.

Results

The percentage of metabolically unhealthy profile was 35.86% in adults with normal weight. Different MUHNW distributions were found between males and females depending on age. The percentage of the MUHNW profile significantly increased in women after the age of 55, contrary to men. The association between body composition and MUHNW was affected by age and sex. The increased adiposity indices (fat mass index [FMI], visceral fat level [VFL], waist circumference [WCF]), and reduced skeletal muscle mass ratio [SMR] showed significant differences between MUHNW and metabolically healthy with normal weight (MHNW) (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

The distribution of MUHNW differed between ages and sexes. FMI, VFL, WCF and SMR could be responsible for the MUHNW adults, providing a new insight into the potential metabolic risks for the adults with normal weight in China. This directs us in the management of the MUHNW for their early prevention.
Hypopigmented burn hypertrophic scar contains melanocytes that can be signaled to re-pigment by synthetic alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone in vitro
Authors: Carney Bonnie C. , Travis Taryn E. , Moffatt Lauren T. , Johnson Laura S. , McLawhorn Melissa M. , Simbulan-Rosenthal Cynthia M. , Rosenthal Dean S. , Shupp Jeffrey W.
Published: March 2021

There are limited treatments for dyschromia in burn hypertrophic scars (HTSs). Initial work in Duroc pig models showed that regions of scar that are light or dark have equal numbers of melanocytes. This study aims to confirm melanocyte presence in regions of hypo- and hyper-pigmentation in an animal model and patient samples. In a Duroc pig model, melanocyte presence was confirmed usingen facestaining. Patients with dyschromic HTSs had demographic, injury details, and melanin indices collected. Punch biopsies were taken of regions of hyper-, hypo-, or normally pigmented scar and skin. Biopsies were processed to obtain epidermal sheets (ESs). A subset of ESs wereen facestained with melanocyte marker, S100β. Melanocytes were isolated from a different subset. Melanocytes were treated with NDP α-MSH, a pigmentation stimulator. mRNA was isolated from cells, and was used to evaluate gene expression of melanin-synthetic genes. In patient and pig scars, regions of hyper-, hypo-, and normal pigmentation had significantly different melanin indices. S100βen facestaining showed that regions of hyper- and hypo-pigmentation contained the same number of melanocytes, but these cells had different dendricity/activity. Treatment of hypo-pigmented melanocytes with NDP α-MSH produced melanin by microscopy. Melanin-synthetic genes were upregulated in treated cells over controls. While traditionally it may be thought that hypopigmented regions of burn HTS display this phenotype because of the absence of pigment-producing cells, these data show that inactive melanocytes are present in these scar regions. By treating with a pigment stimulator, cells can be induced to re-pigment.
Prevention of road traffic collisions and associated neurotrauma in Colombia: An exploratory qualitative study
Authors: M. Selveindran Santhani , Samarutilake Gurusinghe D. N. , Vera David Santiago , Brayne Carol , Hill Christine , Kolias Angelos , Joannides Alexis J. , Hutchinson Peter J. A. , Rubiano Andres M.
Published: March 2021

Introduction

Neurotrauma is an important but preventable cause of death and disability worldwide, with the majority being associated with road traffic collisions (RTCs). The greatest burden is seen in low -and middle- income countries (LMICs) where variations in the environment, infrastructure, population and habits can challenge the success of conventional preventative approaches. It is therefore necessary to understand local perspectives to allow for the development and implementation of context-specific strategies which are effective and sustainable.

Methods

This study took place in Colombia where qualitative data collection was carried out with ten key informants between October and November 2019. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and explored perceptions on RTCs and neurotrauma, preventative strategies and interventions, and the role of research in prevention. Interview transcripts were analysed by thematic analysis using a framework approach.

Results

Participants’ confirmed that RTCs are a significant problem in Colombia with neurotrauma as an important outcome. Human and organisational factors were identified as key causes of the high rates of RTCs. Participants described the current local preventative strategies, but were quick to discuss limitations and challenges to their success. Key barriers reported were poor attitudes and knowledge, particularly in the community. Suggestions were provided on ways to improve prevention through better education and awareness, stricter enforcement and new policies on prevention, proper budgeting and resource allocation, as well as through collaboration and changes in attitudes and leadership. Participants identified four key research areas they felt would influence prevention of RTCs and associated neurotrauma: causes of RTCs; consequences and impact of RTCs; public involvement in research; improving prevention.

Conclusion

RTCs are a major problem in Colombia despite the current preventative strategies and interventions. Findings from this study have a potential to influence policy, practice and research by illustrating different solutions to the challenges surrounding prevention and by highlighting areas for further research.
Assessing the uncertainty around age-mixing patterns in HIV transmission inferred from phylogenetic trees
Authors: Niyukuri David , Nyasulu Peter , Delva Wim
Published: March 2021

Understanding age-mixing patterns in Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) transmission networks can enhance the design and implementation of HIV prevention strategies in sub-Saharan Africa. Due to ethical consideration, it is less likely possible to conduct a benchmark study to assess which sampling strategy, and sub-optimal sampling coverage which can yield best estimates for these patterns. We conducted a simulation study, using phylogenetic trees to infer estimates of age-mixing patterns in HIV transmission, through the computation of proportions of pairings between men and women, who were phylogenetically linked across different age groups (15–24 years, 25–39 years, and 40–49 years); and the means, and standard deviations of their age difference. We investigated also the uncertainty around these estimates as a function of the sampling coverage in four sampling strategies: when missing sequence data were missing completely at random (MCAR), and missing at random (MAR) with at most 30%—50%—70% of women in different age groups being in the sample. The results suggested that age-mixing patterns in HIV transmission can be unveiled from proportions of phylogenetic pairings between men and women across age groups; and the mean, and standard deviation of their age difference. A 55% sampling coverage was sufficient to provide the best values of estimates of age-mixing patterns in HIV transmission with MCAR scenario. But we should be cautious in interpreting proportions of men phylogenetically linked to women because they may be overestimated or underestimated, even at higher sampling coverage. The findings showed that, MCAR was the best sampling strategy. This means, it is advisable not to use sequence data collected in settings where we can find a systematic imbalance of age and gender to investigate age-mixing in HIV transmission. If not possible, ensure to take into consideration the imbalance in interpreting the results.
A statistical analysis of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Italy and Spain
Authors: Chu Jeffrey
Published: March 2021

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) that was first reported at the end of 2019 has impacted almost every aspect of life as we know it. This paper focuses on the incidence of the disease in Italy and Spain—two of the first and most affected European countries. Using two simple mathematical epidemiological models—the Susceptible-Infectious-Recovered model and the log-linear regression model, we model the daily and cumulative incidence of COVID-19 in the two countries during the early stage of the outbreak, and compute estimates for basic measures of the infectiousness of the disease including the basic reproduction number, growth rate, and doubling time. Estimates of the basic reproduction number were found to be larger than 1 in both countries, with values being between 2 and 3 for Italy, and 2.5 and 4 for Spain. Estimates were also computed for the more dynamic effective reproduction number, which showed that since the first cases were confirmed in the respective countries the severity has generally been decreasing. The predictive ability of the log-linear regression model was found to give a better fit and simple estimates of the daily incidence for both countries were computed.
A549 cells contain enlarged mitochondria with independently functional clustered mtDNA nucleoids
Authors: Nasonovs Aleksandrs , Garcia-Diaz Miguel , Bogenhagen Daniel F.
Published: March 2021

Mitochondria are commonly viewed as highly elongated organelles with regularly spaced mtDNA genomes organized as compact nucleoids that generate the local transcripts essential for production of mitochondrial ribosomes and key components of the respiratory chain. In contrast, A549 human lung carcinoma cells frequently contain apparently swollen mitochondria harboring multiple discrete mtDNA nucleoids and RNA processing granules in a contiguous matrix compartment. While this seemingly aberrant mitochondrial morphology is akin to “mito-bulbs” previously described in cells exposed to a variety of genomic stressors, it occurs in A549 cells under typical culture conditions. We provide a detailed confocal and super-resolution microscopic investigation of the incidence of such mito-bulbs in A549 cells. Most mito-bulbs appear stable, engage in active replication and transcription, and maintain respiration but feature an elevated oxidative environment. High concentrations of glucose and/or L-glutamine in growth media promote a greater incidence of mito-bulbs. Furthermore, we demonstrate that treatment of A549 cells with TGFβ suppresses the formation of mito-bulbs while treatment with a specific TGFβ pathway inhibitor substantially increases incidence. This striking heterogeneity of mitochondrial form and function may play an important role in a variety of diseases involving mitochondrial dysfunction.
Seroprevalence of hepatitis B virus among pregnant women attending Antenatal care in Dilla University Referral Hospital Gedio Zone, Ethiopia; health facility based cross-sectional study
Authors: Atalay Adugnaw Atnafu , Abebe Reta Kassa , Dadhi Aberash Eifa , Bededa Worku Ketema
Published: March 2021

Introduction

A pregnancy that has been complicated with Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection results in typical management problems for both the mother and the newborn. One of the universal efforts in tackling the impact of chronic HBV is the prevention of mother-to-child transmission during Antenatal care via prompt screening as the majority of chronic infections globally harbored during this period. Rewarding result have been achieved in reducing this problem at this period of life through maternal screening programs and universal vaccination of infants. This study was aimed at assessing the seroprevalence and associated risk factor of HBV among pregnant women attending Antenatal Care (ANC) in Dilla University Referral Hospital (DURH), Southern Ethiopia.

Method

A facility- based cross- sectional study was conducted from December 01 to May 30, 2017 among pregnant women attending ANC. A total of 236 pregnant women were included in this study. All Pregnant women who were attending antenatal clinic and were volunteer during the study period were included, whereas those women who were unable to communicate due to any problem, and not volunteer to give informed consent were excluded. Volunteer participants were asked to complete a questionnaire and had offered to test for HBsAg infection. The data was analyzed using SPSS version 20 software. Logistic regression was used to determine the association between dependent and independent variables.

Results

From 215 pregnant women attending ANC, the prevalence of HBsAg by the rapid test was found to be 11 (5.1%). Among the study participants, 91.1% (215) were tested for HIV antibody during the ANC visit, with the positivity rate of 4.5%. The result showed 1.86% of the study participants who were tested for HIV were also positive for HBsAg. Among those factors affecting the transmission of HBV infection, multiple partners and HIV confection have significant association at P-value less than 0.05.

Conclusion

The Seropositivity of Hepatitis B Virus among Pregnant Women was found to be significant and hence, routine screening of pregnant mother at Antenatal care for this virus, and subsequent management according to the guideline for both the mother and child is recommended.
Aprendizaje a través del error en los estudios superiores de educación artística: metodologías intermediales para un análisis del fracaso en el proceso creativo
Authors: González-García Carmen , Gómez-Isla José
Published: March 2021

Este artículo analiza la importancia del “error” como elemento clave en la metodología de la enseñanza en los estudios superiores de Bellas Artes. El objetivo del presente análisis persigue que los estudiantes asuman el fracaso y el fallo como parte constitutiva e inevitable de su quehacer artístico y que lo acaben interiorizando como una fase más del proceso de creación. Para ello se ha optado por metodologías alternativas a la enseñanza tradicional de la pintura o el dibujo. En concreto, se ha apostado por la interacción entre artes plásticas y cine, buscando así la intermedialidad como recurso pedagógico privilegiado para que los estudiantes comprendan el lento proceso de maduración, reflexión –a base de caídas, fallos y rectificaciones– que requiere la creación de una obra artística. La incorporación de documentos audiovisuales, que recojan las reflexiones en primera persona de artistas reconocidos mientras trabajan, titubean y se plantean el siguiente paso a seguir, resultará esencial para que los estudiantes tomen conciencia del tiempo prolongado, y a veces improductivo, que requiere la gestación de una obra artística y para que no se conformen con los primeros resultados obtenidos. La reflexión meditada y la toma de conciencia de los fallos que se producen en todo proceso creativo son tareas necesarias para la superación de esos mismos fallos y para proporcionar aprendizaje a través de ellos. Se pone así en evidencia que el uso de esas metodologías intermediales genera consecuencias positivas para mitigar en los estudiantes la ansiedad por obtener resultados a corto plazo y tolerar mejor la frustración ante el fracaso para seguir creciendo como artistas.
Factors Affecting Patient's Satisfaction with the Appearance of Teeth, Gums and Treatments that Improve Aesthetics in Saudi Arabian Sub-Population
Authors: Al-Ahmari Jawaher Moshabab , Al-Qarni Kholod Abdurhman , Ain Tasneem Sakinatul , Alkahtani Zuhair Motlak , Togoo Rafi Ahmad , Mir Shugufta
Published: March 2021

BACKGROUND Dental appearance influences the facial aesthetics that includes smile harmony, tooth colour, shape, arrangement and visibility. METHODS The current study aims to identify and evaluate factors affecting patients' satisfaction towards the appearance of teeth & gums; and dental treatments that facilitate facial and dental aesthetics. 300 patients were surveyed with a questionnaire containing close-ended questions on their gender, age, education, tooth appearance, orthodontic and teeth whitening treatments, tooth & gum-related problems and satisfaction levels towards dental and facial aesthetics. Chi-square test and logistic regression analysis were performed on the collected data. RESULTS A majority (76 %) of the study population desired to undergo bleaching treatment for teeth whitening. 70 % of the respondents also wish for composites, while only 40 % desired orthodontic appliances. Satisfaction with dental appearance is significantly found to affect facial appearance. Also, similar to dental appearance, there is a statistically significant relation between the desire for tooth bleaching, orthodontic appliance, and composites and satisfaction towards facial appearance. Satisfaction with gingival appearance, tooth-colour, and satisfaction with smile appearance are found to affect the satisfaction towards facial appearance. CONCLUSIONS Tooth colour was observed to be a crucial aspect that affects the overall dental aesthetics and satisfaction levels of the participants. It was realized from this investigation that dental care, better hygiene and treatments for improving dental aesthetics are relevant for patients’ satisfaction regarding overall facial appearance and aesthetics. KEY WORDS Dental Aesthetics, Facial Aesthetics, Orthodontic Treatment, Tooth Whitening
To Determine the Accuracy of Frozen Section in the Management of Ovarian Tumours
Authors: Murugesan Sarmishta , Nadar Alka Natrat
Published: March 2021

BACKGROUND Frozen section done during surgery provides a valuable tool in the diagnosis and classification of tumours into benign, borderline and malignant. In this study, we evaluated the intraoperative findings and the accuracy of the frozen section and compared it with the final histopathology report. METHODS A retrospective study was done in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in Sri Ramachandra University and Research Centre from January 2017 to January 2020, for a period of 3 years and data was taken from the patients who underwent surgery-staging laparotomy for ovarian masses along with frozen section in the diagnosis of their tumor. The final histopathology report is the gold standard for detection of ovarian tumours. The accuracy of the frozen section was compared with the final histopathological report on paraffin section. RESULTS There was a total of 109 cases during the study period of 3 years. Out of the total, frozen section showed 55 malignancy cases, 7 cases were borderline, and 47 cases were benign tumors; whereas the final histopathology report showed 51 malignant cases, 9 borderline cases, and 49 cases were benign tumors. This shows that frozen section has almost 97 % accuracy. CONCLUSIONS Frozen section is a very good tool in the diagnosis of tumour whether benign, borderline or malignant and when compared with the final histopathological report gives good accuracy. The diagnosis given during surgery is helpful in the further management of patients according to the stage of the tumour. KEY WORDS Frozen Section, Benign, Borderline, Malignant tumours, Final Histopathological Report
Expression of CK-19 in Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma and Its Association with Prognostic Factors - A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: V.J. Revathy , A Sarath Kumar
Published: March 2021

BACKGROUND Papillary thyroid carcinomas (PTC) are the most common carcinomas of the thyroid. Diagnosis of PTC is with its distinct nuclear features. Prognosis of PTC is favourable but can also be aggressive as demonstrated by its recurrence. So, we wanted to improve the present diagnostic tools to identify cases with aggressive course. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) markers which are thought to be useful are CK-19 and CD56. METHODS This is a cross sectional study, done in the Department of Pathology, Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram from January 2018 to May 2019. Histopathology slides were prepared from 80 samples, IHCs performed, and the data was analysed using statistical software SPSS version 23.0. RESULTS The classic variant was the most common. In the study, predominant population was below 45 years. There was a female predominance and majority of cases had a tumour size of more than 1 cm. 23.8 % of the cases showed lymph node metastasis. On evaluating CK-19 expression in PTC, 98.75 % showed a positive expression, but there was no association between CK-19 expression and factors like age, gender, tumour size, and lymph node metastasis. 96.3 % of cases showed a loss of expression of CD56. CONCLUSIONS Both CK-19 and CD56 can be used together as markers for PTC including all their variants but CK-19 cannot be used to assess the prognosis of PTC as no association was identified in the study between the expression of CK-19 and prognostic factors. KEY WORDS Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma, Immunohistochemistry
Aukciók az Európai Unió szén-dioxid-kereskedelmi rendszerének próbaidőszakában
Authors: Fazekas Dóra
Published: March 2021

Jelen cikk az Európai Unió szén-dioxid-kibocsátás kereskedelmi rendszerének próbaidőszakában lezajlott aukciókat elemzi. Ezek lebonyolításának vizsgálata és a tapasztalatok megismerése különösen fontos, nemcsak a kiotói időszakra való felkészüléshez, hanem a 2013 utáni nagyarányú árverések lebonyolításának kialakításához is. A próbaidőszakban négy tagállam tett félre kibocsátási egységeket nemzeti kiosztási tervében, hogy azokat térítés fejében ossza ki. Három ország – Írország, Magyarország és Litvánia – borítékolt, egyenáras árverést rendezett. A dán kormány pedig közvetlenül a piacon értékesítette egységeit. Az árverések sikeresen lezajlottak, azonban egyik tagállam sem tudott igazán profitálni a rendszerből a szén-dioxid-egységek árának mélyrepülése miatt.
COVIDentistry Combating Corona Virus Spread in Dental Setup Indian Prospective
Authors: Bhandari Amit , Jain Vanshika , Bhandari Rashi
Published: March 2021

Making its first presence in humans in China in late 2019, SARS-CoV-2 has been identified as a highly contagious viral particle causing distress of lower respiratory system, named COVID-19. Since January 2020, there has been a worldwide increase in the number of COVID-19 cases and associated deaths. Owing to the contagious nature of the disease and socializing human culture, the disease has spanned over continents resulting in some countries being more severely affected than others. Since the first knowledge of the disease, interim guidelines have been constantly issued by competent authorities to safeguard the interest of masses and healthcare professionals. As and when new details are procured, these guidelines are adequately modified and circulated. As a standard measure, all individuals are expected to maintain social distancing, cover their face with a mask during any outdoor activity and practice hand hygiene and cough etiquettes. Respiratory droplet spread is the most potential source identified for this uncontrolled disease spread. Being of smaller size, aerosols produced during medical treatment too act a potential source of viral particle dissemination. Almost all dental procedures involve production of aerosols in some form or the other, irrespective of the kind of instrumentation used. Additionally, proximity to the oral cavity, one of the sources of droplet production, poses a high risk of disease contraction by dental healthcare workers and visiting patients. With consideration to dental practice, various guidelines have been issued to minimise and control the spread of COVID-19. This article is written with an aim of reviewing these guidelines and sensitizing and encouraging the dental fraternity to follow them and contribute in the current world health crisis.
Protests Mass Movements and Politicised Identities A Relook at Social Conflicts in Contemporary India
Authors: Mukherjee Swati
Published: March 2021

In recent years India has been witnessing an upsurge of conflicts over myriad issues such as displacement related to development projects, legislative changes, claim over natural resources, environmental issues and the like. Though each conflict situation is unique and demands a detailed research exploration in its own right, the need for evolving a paradigm based on underlying commonalities and basic principles cannot be denied. Such a framework would facilitate not only the researchers, but also the policymakers, and has the potential to create pathways for conflict containment and resolution. Even a cursory perusal of the underlying dynamics of most conflicts at local, national or international levels indicates a contestation over limited resources that eventually transforms into contestations for power and identity. Many such conflicts often appear to undermine national security and are often construed as ‘anti-development’, ‘anti-establishment’ or even ‘anti-state’. The present paper posits that it is important to reveal the subtler processes of negotiation in a conflict situation, to understand conflict as a co-constructed social reality and to highlight the reciprocal impact made by the dynamics of such constructions on identities of the parties involved. Along with examining the role of identity dynamics in perpetuating conflicts, the paper argues for incorporating both identity and instrumental pathways in theorizing conflicts. Emphasising upon the role played by politicisation of identities in conflict situations, the paper proposes a theoretical model for deconstructing conflicts and working towards conflict resolution.
Psychosocial Response to National Security
Authors: Singh Jitendra Kumar
Published: March 2021

National security is perhaps one of the key areas of research which receives continuous attention from the scholars of strategic studies, military science, and of course some of the disciplines of social science such as political science and international relation. One way of pursuing interest in national security is to delve the threat perception which emanates from across the border and is likely to influence socio-political sphere of the nation. On the other hand, the diversity in the socio-cultural landscape of the nation characterized by ethnicity and linguistic based sub-national identities is equally important so far as enriching one’s knowledge base in the domain of internal security is concerned. Within the realm of psychology, military psychology is possibly one sub-discipline which tries to address this gap. However, psychology is yet to receive a space in the intellectual terrain of studies on national security.
Salah Kaprah Ihwal Buzzer: Analisis Percakapan Warganet di Media Sosial
Authors: Arianto Bambang
Published: March 2021

Artikel ini bertujuan mengelaborasi istilah buzzer yang sering digunakan para warganet di Twitter dan Instagram kepada akun media sosial bayaran yang berperan sebagai penyebar hoaks dan disinformasi. Hal itu dikarenakan pada awalnya istilah buzzer hanya dikenal dalam dunia bisnis digital sebagai tim yang disewa untuk pemasaran suatu produk dan jasa. Seiring perkembangan istilah buzzer bisnis juga digunakan dalam ranah politik yang kemudian dikenal dengan “BuzzeRp” politik. Padahal faktanya buzzer media sosial memang digunakan untuk memperkuat suatu pesan dan konten agar dapat membentuk opini publik dalam konteks masyarakat digital. Sebab definisi buzzer media sosial adalah upaya memperkuat suatu pesan dengan berbagai kreativitas masing-masing baik dalam konteks bisnis dan politik. Penelitian ini menggunakan data percakapan media sosial dari Drone Emprit Academic Universitas Islam Indonesia dengan kata kunci (keyword) BuzzeRp. Artikel ini berpendapat bahwa terdapat salah kaprah mengenai definisi buzzer media sosial yang berkembang di Indonesia, sehingga menyebabkan profesi buzzer media sosial di Indonesia menjadi negatif.
Konflik Pemilu: Dinamika Sengketa Calon Perseorangan dalam Kontestasi Elektoral di Kabupaten Lebak
Authors: Mahpudin Mahpudin
Published: March 2021

Artikel ini membahas sengketa konflik antara calon perseorangan dan penyelengaraa pemilu dalam kontestasi elektoral pada Pilkada Kabupaten Lebak tahun 2018. Mengapa terjadi sengketa pemilu antara calon perseorangan dengan lembaga penyelenggara pemilu dan Bagaimana resolusi konflik sengketa calon perseorangan dalam kontestasi elektoral pada Pilkada Kabupaten Lebak merupakan dua pertanyaan yang hendak dijawab dalam tulisan ini. Metode penelitian yang dipilih adalah kualitatif dengan pendekatan studi kasus. Pengumpulan data dilakukan berdasarkan studi kepustakaan dan berita online. Hasil penelitian mengungkap bahwa sengketa terjadi karena adanya ketidakpuasan bakal calon perseorangan yaitu Cecep Sumarno-Didin Saprudin terkait keputusan KPU Kabupaten Lebak yang menolak berkas pendaftaran sebagai calon kandidat. Penolakan tersebut dikarenakan tidak memenuhi syarat dukungan minimal. Resolusi konflik yang digunakan untuk mengatasi sengketa tersebut adalah dengan metode adjudikasi. Hal ini dipilih sebab pihak yang berkonflik tidak pernah menemui kesepakatan bersama ketika dihadapkan melalui proses musyawarah yang diselenggarakan oleh Bawaslu Kabupaten Lebak. Mekanisme adjudikasi dapat dijalankan oleh Bawaslu Kabupaten Lebak karena undang-undang memberi kewenangan kepada Bawaslu untuk menjalankan fungsi pengadilan khususnya mengenai penyelesaian sengketa proses pemilu.
Desentralisasi dan Resentralisasi: Upaya Menyeimbangkan Pendulum Pusat-Daerah
Authors: Harsasto Priyatno
Published: March 2021

Kebijakan desentralisasi di Indonesia belum juga mampu memenuhi harapan akan munculnya pemerintahan demokratis yang membawa kesejahteraan pada masyarakat. Penelitian ini bermaksud untuk mengulik masalah yang muncul dalam proses pemaknaan desentralisasi politik  saat ini. Dengan menggunakan pendekatan studi kasus yang mengandalkan data-data sekunder, penelitian ini mencermati dinamika politik desentralisasi di Jawa Tengah. Desentralisasi memang telah berhasil meningkatkan kapasistas birokrasi dalam menyediakan pelayanan publik, namun pengembangan karir birokrat seringkali tergantung pada hubungan personal daripada institusional. Di samping itu,  upaya peningkatan efisiensi pelayanan publik pada saat yang sama dikuatkan dengan upaya resentralisasi birokrasi yang membatasi otonomi birokrasi.
Kepemimpinan Perempuan dan Tata Kelola Tambang di Bojonegoro
Authors: Famelasari Resya , Prastiwi Juwita Hayyuning
Published: March 2021

Penelitian ini berfokus pada kajian tentang akomodasi isu gender dalam pemerintahan dan tata kelola tambang di Kabupaten Bojonegoro. Kabupaten ini dipilih sebagai lokasi penelitian dengan dua alasan, pertama bahwa sejak tahun 2018 Bojonegoro dipimpin oleh bupati perempuan dan kedua, Bojonegoro juga merupakan daerah pertambangan minyak dan gas bumi. Kepemimpinan Anna Mu’awanah di Bojonegoro menarik untuk dikaji, mengingat isu gender diangkat sebagai salah satu visi pada saat pemilihan kepala daerah berlangsung. Melalui metode penelitian kualitatif yang dipadukan dengan perspektif feminisme sebagai pisau analisis, penelitian ini memperoleh hasil antara lain bahwa transisi kepemimpinan Suyoto ke Anna Mu’awanah tidak menampakkan perubahan signifikan, terhadap transformasi kebijakan perempuan dan tata kelola tambang. Suyoto sebagai bupati laki-laki, ternyata lebih banyak menghasilkan produk kebijakan pro-perempuan dan pengendalian dampak tambang seperti peraturan daerah Dana Abadi Migas, sebaliknya Anna belum memiliki satupun peraturan daerah terkait tata Kelola tambang. Dalam konsep keterwakilan politik, kepemimpinan Anna Muawanah dapat dikategorikan sebagai kepemimpinan formalistik dan simbolik. Meskipun dalam penunjukan pimpinan dinas dan badan di lingkungan Pemerintah Bojonegoro, Anna banyak memilih perempuan, namun kebijakan Anna yang spesifik mempertimbangkan perempuan belumlah banyak. Kalaupun ada, secara kualitatif kebijakan tersebut tampak lebih memasukkan kebutuhan gender praktis dibandingkan kebutuhan gender strategis.
Infodemi Covid-19 dalam Perspektif Open Government: Sebuah Tinjauan Literatur
Authors: Dharma Alexander Arie Sanata , Kasim Azhar
Published: March 2021

Minimnya transparansi pada awal wabah Covid-19 menciptakan misinformasi di ruang publik. Terbentuk infodemi berupa kelimpahan informasi yang membuat masyarakat kesulitan menentukan sumber yang sahih. Penggunaan media sosial membentuk peran signifikan dalam mempengaruhi perilaku publik selama pandemi Covid-19. Pemerintah juga memberdayakan media sosial sebagai strategi komunikasi publik. Diperlukan informasi yang tepat untuk mengenali posisi media sosial pemerintah dalam infodemi Covid-19. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk memperoleh konteks menyeluruh dari perspektif open government yaitu transparansi, partisipasi, dan kolaborasi sehingga posisi media sosial pemerintah dan infodemi Covid-19 dapat diidentifikasi sehingga mendukung strategi pemanfaatan yang lebih optimal dalam penanganan pandemi. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif dan mengumpulkan berbagai praktik pemanfaatan media sosial pemerintah secara umum dan pada konteks Covid-19 di berbagai negara sebagai bahan kajian literatur. Hasil dari studi literatur memperlihatkan bahwa transparansi berkaitan dengan pemanfaatan media sosial pemerintah secara optimal, partisipasi memiliki relevansi dengan sentimen publik mengingat partisipasi memiliki kontribusi pada berkembangnya infodemi, sedangkan ruang lingkup kolaborasi adalah medium interaksi level akar rumput guna mendorong perubahanke arah yang lebih baik. Pemerintah direkomendasikan untuk menayangkan konten secara cepat dan tepat pada platform dengan keberterimaan tinggi, memanfaatkan artificial intelligence, memoderasi komentar buruk (toxic), serta mendorong partisipasi ke arah kolaborasi antara berbagai pihak.