bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessing the cost and utilization of SMS printers by primary health care facilities: lessons learned from South Africa
Authors: Cassim Naseem , Olsen Floyd , Stewart-Isherwood Lynsey , Da Silva Manuel P. , Stevens Wendy S.
Published: April 2023

Background: Historically, paper-based laboratory reports were delivered by couriers to health facilities resulting in post-analytical delays. As a result, short message service (SMS) printers were deployed to fill this gap, with the global data service platform (GDSP) being primarily used to facilitate deployment. In addition, these printers generate binary and quantitative information that can be used to assess utilization. Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the costs and utilization of the SMS printer program in South Africa. Methods: A cost analysis for 2020 was undertaken. We determined annual equivalent costs (AEC) for staffing, printers, fixed costs related to the national coordinator, consumables, travel costs, database support/hosting/dashboard development, printer repairs, and results transmission. The main outcome of interest was the cost per SMS printer result delivered. Data were extracted to assess utilization as follows: i) months active (based on internet protocol data); ii) signal; iii) battery strength.Results: There were 4,450,116 results delivered to printers that were situated at 2232 primary health care facilities. An AEC of $687,727 was reported, with a cost per result delivered of $0.1618. The SMS printers contributed 73.52% to the total AEC. Overall, 90% of the printers were GDSP based, of which only 69.5% were determined to be active. The majority of active printers reported a signal strength of ≥60% and a battery strength of ≥6 volts.Conclusion: Although the SMS printer program has the potential to reduce post-analytical delays, pathology services should migrate to an end-to-end electronic interface to improve patient care.
Knowledge, attitude, and preventive practices toward rodent-borne diseases in Ngorongoro district, Tanzania
Authors: Issae Amina , Chengula Augustino , Kicheleri Rose , Kasanga Christopher , Katakweba Abdul
Published: April 2023

In addition to their economic significance, rodents are hosts and transmit diseases. Most of rodent-borne diseases are endemic in rural Africa and sporadically lead to epidemics. Ngorongoro district is inhabited by humans, livestock, and wild animals. Therefore, a cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the level of knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward rodent-borne diseases among communities. The study used 3 focus groups, 20 key informant interviews, and the questionnaire (N=352) to collect data. The study found that 8.52% of respondents had good knowledge, 35.5% had a positive attitude and 94.3% had good practices toward rodent-borne diseases. The study revealed that only 28.13% of participants were aware of rodent-borne zoonoses. The majority of them (77.27%) believe that rodents are pests that destroy crops and do not transmit pathogens. Moreover, the results showed that the majority of them (82.9%) live in dilapidated huts that serve as rodent breeding places. Additionally, except for education and religion, the level of knowledge had no significant relationship with most of the participants’ demographic variables. When compared to individuals who didn’t attend school, those with secondary education (OR=7.96, CI=1.4-45.31, P=0.017) had greater knowledge of rodent-borne diseases and management. Similarly, to how attitude and practice were found to be considerably (r=0.3216, P=0.000) positively correlated, general knowledge and general practice scores were found to be significantly (r=0.1608, P=0.002) positively correlated. Despite showing good practices, the communities still lack knowledge of rodent-borne zoonosis. Rodent-borne disease education should be considered in Ngorongoro and other places.
Prevalence of Renal Disease in Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Children in Calabar, Nigeria
Authors: Nsa Ekaette Itam , Uzomba Chigozie Ikechukwu , Etuk Imaobong Saturday , Anah Maxwell Udoh
Published: April 2023

Renal disease is increasingly being reported in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected children with or without antiretroviral drugs. This study was aimed at determining the prevalence of renal disease in HIV-infected children with or without treatment in Calabar, Nigeria. A descriptive cross-sectional study of 146 consecutive HIV-infected children seen at the pediatric HIV clinic of General Hospital Calabar and University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, aged six weeks to 15 years, was carried out from February 1 to September 30, 2015. Demographic and clinical data were obtained by interviewing parents and from medical records of each subject. Clinical examination, anthropometry (weight and height), and blood pressure were done on each child. Each child’s urine was tested for persistent proteinuria using combi-10-urinalysis strips. All negative urine samples had urine albumin and urine creatinine determined using immunoturbidimetric assay and Jaffe kinetic reaction, respectively; hence, the urine albumin and urine creatinine ratio was calculated. The serum creatinine of each subject was estimated and used to calculate estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) using Schwartz formula. Renal disease was defined by persistent proteinuria >+1 on dipstick or urine protein–creatinine ratio >0.2, decreased eGFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m2, and presence of microalbuminuria (urine albumin/creatinine ratio >30–300 mg/g). Data were analyzed using IBM SSPS Statistics version 20.0, andP≤0.05 was statistically significant. A total of 146 children were recruited. Eighty-five (58.2%) were male and 61 (41.8%) were female giving a male:female ratio of 1:0.7. Fifty-three (36.3%) had renal disease, 48 (32.9%) had microalbuminuria, and five (3.4%) had persistent proteinuria. There was no significant association between renal disease and severe HIV disease (P>0.05), highly active antiretroviral therapy treatment (P>0.05), and duration of treatment (P>0.05). Renal disease is common in HIV-infected children with or without medication. Hence, they should be screened for renal disease at diagnosis and periodically.
Rare Case of C3 Glomerulopathy in a Patient of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Godara Suraj , Saraf Karan Kumar
Published: April 2023

Complement component 3 glomerulopathy (C3G) is a recently defined entity comprising dense deposit disease and C3 glomerulonephritis. It is associated with nonrenal diseases such as diabetes mellitus (DM) type 1, ocular drusen, acquired partial lipodystrophy, and monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance. We describe a case of 13-year-old boy of the known case of type 1 DM, who developed proteinuria, and swelling over his face, and lower limbs, which on renal biopsy, was diagnosed as a case of C3G.
COVID-19 vaccine uptake and its determinants among teenagers and their parents in Zhejiang, China
Authors: Huang Yu , Wu Qingqing , Xu Shuiyang , Zhao Xiang , Wang Lei , Lv Qiaohong , Wu Suxian , Zhang Xuehai
Published: April 2023

Objective:

To examine COVID-19 vaccine uptake and its determinants among teenagers and their parents in Zhejiang, China.

Methods:

An online cross-sectional study was conducted among parents of teenagers in Zhejiang, China from May 1 to 31, 2022. Data were interpreted via univariate and multivariate analyses using the statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) program.

Results:

A total of 11115 (96.11%) participants and 11449 (99.00%) of their children in Zhejiang, China had been vaccinated against COVID-19. Children whose parents did not receive COVID-19 vaccination were 19 times (aOR 18.96, 95%CI 12.36-29.08) more likely to be unvaccinated than their counterparts. In addition, children with no previous influenza vaccination, those whose parents doubted the COVID-19 vaccine’s safety or effectiveness, were 6.11 times (aOR 6.11, 95%CI 2.80-13.34), 8.27 times (aOR 8.27, 95%CI 5.33-12.83), and 2.69 times (aOR 2.69, 95%CI 1.11-6.50) more likely to be unvaccinated than their counterparts, respectively. COVID-19 vaccine uptake varied between different sociodemographic groups. However, the odds of receiving the COVID-19 vaccine decreased as age and education level increased. The main refusal reasons claimed by participants were that they had medical conditions that may not qualify them for vaccination (53.78%), followed by safety concerns about the vaccine (13.56%), not knowing where to get vaccinated (6.44%), and concerns about fertility issues (5.56%).

Conclusions:

Despite a highly encouraging level of COVID-19 vaccine uptake in Zhejiang, China, the elderly and highly educated people had lower COVID-19 vaccine uptake. It is suggested that tailored health education strategies should be taken to increase the COVID-19 vaccine uptake in such groups. Furthermore, with vaccination rates at such a high level, the pandemic is still ongoing, and public confidence in vaccines may decline. Thus, sufficient evidence-based information regarding COVID-19 vaccines should be provided to the public.
Telecounseling and Guided Relaxation for Addressing Patient, Student, and Health-Care Worker Distress
Authors: Naik Saloni , Prabhakaran Anusha , Mahida Ankur , Singh Suman P. , Sharma Himanshu , Varma Jagdish
Published: April 2023

Introduction:

In the face of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the leadership of the institute felt a need for mental health interventions among patients admitted in COVID-19 isolation, university students, and health-care workers engaged in COVID-19 care. This article aims to share our experience in providing these services.

Methodology:

COVID-19 inpatients were telephonically counseled. Counseling protocol was based on national guidelines. Students of the university were assessed for emotional problems using a symptom checklist and Kessler 10-item Distress Scale. Subsequently, the faculty assigned as mentors were trained in providing telephonic psychological first aid (PFA) to the students. Psychosocial help was offered to health-care workers through daily guided relaxation sessions.

Results:

Forty-two of 69 COVID-19 inpatients were telephonically contacted. New-onset mental health problems were found in 40%. Half of the COVID-19 confirmed patients and half of the females had a higher prevalence of mental health problems. On the symptom checklist, 330 students were responded. Worry about the future, contagion, and boredom were reported by the majority of students. On the Kessler 10-item Distress Scale, 272 students were responded. Thirty-seven percent had likely mental disorders (22 males and 79 females). Twenty-two students contacted psychiatrists through mentors and were provided teleconsultation. Eighty health-care workers attended guided relaxation sessions. Twenty-nine responded on the feedback form. Most respondents felt guided relaxation was useful in reducing stress, with strongly agree (n = 12) and agree (n = 14) responses.

Conclusions:

Emotional problems were significantly prevalent among students and COVID-19 patients. Training faculty in PFA can help address students in distress. Guided relaxation may help frontline workers manage stress.
Differential Profile of Bipolar Mood Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder, and Healthy Controls using Big Five of Personality
Authors: Komasi Saeid
Published: April 2023

The present meta-analysis was performed to compare Five-Factor Model (FFM) personality factors between (i) patients with a bipolar mood disorder (BMD) and healthy controls (HC), (ii) patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) and HC, and (iii) two diagnostic categories of BMD and BPD. The literature systematic search was performed on PubMed (Medline) for all articles published in English from January 1990 to June 2021 (PROSPERO-CRD42021267855). The pooled effect sizes were obtained by the standard mean differences (Cohen's d) between cases with BMD and BPD and HC using the random-effects method. Egger's test and I
2 >50 were used to detect possible publication bias and heterogeneity, respectively. Due to the limited number of studies to compare FFM factors between these two diagnostic categories, we compared the standard z-scores extracted from two separate analyzes for each disorder. Eleven case-control studies were entered into the meta-analysis. The results show that there are significant differences between the two diagnostic categories and HC in all FFM factors, except openness for BMD. Based on z-scores, we found that the two diagnostic categories are different in neuroticism (BMDBPD), openness (BMD>BPD), and agreeableness (BMD>BPD). There was no difference between the two disorders in conscientiousness (P= 0.279). Our results suggest that profiles of personality factors distinguish BMD and BPD from HC and each other. Except for the conscientiousness factor, in other factors, BPD shows a greater tendency toward general personality psychopathology.
A Cross-Sectional Descriptive Study of Effects of Occupational Stress on Mental Health of Staff Nurses of a Tertiary Care Hospital in a Metropolitan City
Authors: Khade Dhanashree , Gokhe Seema Bansode , Karia Sagar , Shah Nilesh
Published: April 2023

Background:

Compared to other professions, nurses experience the greatest degree of job stress. Persistent stress is harmful to physical and mental health resulting in apathy, sleep disturbance, frequent absence from work, drug abuse, feelings of inadequacy, physical and nutritional problems, increased health-care cost, and loss of job satisfaction. Hence, this study was done to find the prevalence of occupational stress and its effect on mental health of nurses working in a tertiary care center.

Materials and Methods:

This was a cross-sectional study conducted among staff nurses after approval from the Institutional Ethics Committee. Sociodemographic data along with their occupational history was collected in a semistructured pro forma. The Professional Life Stress Scale by David Fontanna (PLSS) was used for evaluating occupational stress, and the Mental Health Questionnaire was prepared for evaluating mental health issues.

Results:

One hundred and eighty-seven nurses were included in the study, with a mean age being around 40 years and mean duration of service being around 18 years. About 45% of them had stress as per DFPS and departments in which they were working did not affect the stress levels. 8.5% of them had elevated paranoia scores and 7.4% had high depressive scores. DFPS had no significant correlation with age of staff nurses and years of experience but had a significant correlation with scores of all domains of mental health.

Conclusions:

It is concluded from the present study that professional stress has a great impact on health of staff nurses. There is a need for hospital management to develop appropriate intervention programs to reduce workload, make regular shift schedules, and provide positive reinforcements for nurses to reduce anxiety, stress, and depression.
Differential Profile of Three Overlap Psychiatric Diagnoses Using Temperament and Character Model
Authors: Hemmati Azad , Rezaei Farzin , Rahmani Khaled , Shams-Alizadeh Narges , Davarinejad Omran , Shirzadi Maryam , Komasi Saeid
Published: April 2023

Some psychiatric disorders are mostly overlapping and measures for facilitating differential profiles play a key role in the identification of a disease, course, prognosis, and management. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to (i) explore the association between the components of temperament and character model and three overlap psychiatric diagnoses including avoidant personality disorder (APD), schizoid personality disorder (SPD), and social anxiety disorder (SAD) and (ii) provide differential profiles for each of these disorders. The literature search was performed on 7 international scientific databases for all articles published in English, January 1990-June 2019. The pooled effect sizes were obtained using the correlation coefficients or the standardized mean differences between cases with SAD and healthy controls by the random-effects method. Fifteen correlational studies for APD and SPD and eight case–control studies for SAD met the criteria for entering meta-analysis. All three disorders were positively associated with harm avoidance (HA) and negatively associated with novelty seeking (NS), self-directedness (SD), and cooperativeness. APD and SPD were also negatively associated with reward dependence (RD). The differential profiles are as follows: NS (APD < SAD), HA (APD > SPD, SAD), RD (SPD < APD < SAD), SD (APD < SPD, SAD), cooperativeness (APD, SPD < SAD), and self-transcendence (ST: APD > SPD, SAD). It seems that HA, SD, and cooperativeness are the common core of these three diagnostic categories. More extreme tendencies in NS and RD, along with ST with a lower possibility, are the main traits in the differential profiles.
Self-Injurious Behavior in Alcohol Withdrawal State Complicated by Delirium – A Case Series
Authors: Sathish Kumar S. V. , Roopesh Gopal N. V.
Published: April 2023

Regular and excessive use of alcohol can produce dependence over a period of time. Individuals who stops or reduces the alcohol use suddenly can have withdrawal symptoms ranging from tremors, altered sensorium, Delirium and seizures. Few cases of self injurious behavior were also reported during Delirium due to alcohol withdrawal. This is a rare and a severe form of inflicting injury to one's own body part, usually described in psychotic disorders, with delusions and hallucinations. The present case series describes the self injurious behavior during alcohol withdrawal complicated by Delirium.
Long-term follow-up of tobacco cessation intervention in a dental setting: A randomized trial
Authors: Sujatha S. , Iyengar Asha , Pruthvish S. , Prashanth Radha
Published: April 2023

Aims and Objectives:

Tobacco dependence is widely prevalent and a harmful chronic disorder. Achieving long-term tobacco abstinence is an important public health goal. This study aims to assess the long-term effectiveness of moderate-intensity treatment for tobacco cessation in the dental clinic setting.

Materials and Methods:

Out of 1206 subjects registered to the Tobacco cessation clinic (TCC) during this time period, only 999 of them completed the 1-year follow-up period. The mean age was 45.9 ± 9 years. Six hundred and three (60.3%) of these subjects were male and 396 (39.6%) of them were females. Five hundred and fifty-eight (55.8%) used smoking tobacco and 441 (44.1%) used smokeless tobacco. Patients received tailored behavioral counseling, educational material, and pharmacotherapy consisting of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) and\or NON-NRT. Patients were monitored by phone or clinic visits for 11 months.

Results:

Outcomes assessed were complete abstinence, harm reduction (>50% reduction), no change and lost to follow-up. At the end of 12 months the tobacco quit rate was180 (18%), tobacco reduction >50% was 342 (34.2%), no change 415 (41.5%) and relapse 62 (6.2%).

Conclusions:

Our study has identified adequate quit-rates in a cohort of dental patients attending a hospital-based TCC.
Radiosensitization effect of radiofrequency hyperthermia in the presence of PEGylated-gold nanoparticles on the MCF-7 breast cancer cells under 6 MeV electron irradiation
Authors: Mohammadi Akram , Hashemi Bijan , Mahdavi Seied Rabi Mehdi , Solimani Masoud , Banaei Amin
Published: April 2023

Purpose:

The purpose of the study was to investigate the radiosensitization effect of radiofrequency (RF) hyperthermia in combination with PEGylated gold nanoparticles (PEG-GNPs) on MCF-7 breast cancer cells under electron beam radiotherapy (EBRT) based on the clonogenic assay.

Materials and Methods:

The cell death of MCF-7 breast cancer cells treated with 13.56 MHz capacitive RF hyperthermia (power: 150W) for 2, 5, 10, and 15 min combined with 6 MeV EBRT, with a dose of 2 Gy, was evaluated in the presence of 20 nm PEG-GNPs with a low nontoxic concentration (20 mg/l). All the treatment groups were incubated for 14 days. Thereafter, survival fractions and viability of the cells were calculated and analyzed against the control group.

Results:

The presence of PEG-GNPs inside the MCF-7 cancer cells during electron irradiation decreased cell survival significantly (16.7%) compared to irradiated cells without GNPs. Applying hyperthermia before electron irradiation with a capacitive RF system decreased cell survival by about 53.7%, while hyperthermia without irradiation did not show any significant effect on cell survival. Combining the hyperthermia with the presence of PEG-GNPs in the cells decreased the cell survival by about 67% at the electron irradiation, showing their additive radiosensitization effect.

Conclusion:

Low nontoxic concentration of 20 nm PEG-GNPs increases the radiosensitization effect of combining 6 MeV EBRT and RF hyperthermia on MCF-7 cancer cells. Combining hyperthermia with PEG-GNPs in electron radiotherapy could be an appropriate method for enhancing radiotherapy effectiveness on cancerous cells which can be studied on different cells and electron energies in future research.
Epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma of retro-molar trigone: Unveiling the mystery of rare diagnosis
Authors: Shome Sayani , Sil Shiladitya , Bhaumik Aritra
Published: April 2023

Epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma (EMC), a low-grade malignant neoplasm of glandular origin, most commonly involves major and occasionally minor salivary glands. It is rare in minor salivary glands such as hard and soft palate, buccal mucosa, tongue, and so on, frequently affecting geriatric females. EMC comprises diverse histo-pathologic features of an epithelial, myoepithelial de-lineating biphasic pattern along with clear cells, sometimes oncocytic differentiation. Aberrant histo-pathologic features in EMC need judicious discrimination from alike entities, which facilitates appropriate surgical management. Here, we present an unusual case report of EMC in the left retro-molar trigone region in a 60-year-old male patient, the complete diagnosis of which was based on clinical, radiological, histo-pathological, and immuno-histo-chemical features.
Expression of programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) and tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in breast carcinoma and their clinical significance
Authors: Mondal Santosh Kumar , Bhattacharya Saptarshi , Sarkar Aditya Prasad , Saha Rama
Published: April 2023

Background and Aim:

Carcinoma of the breast is the second most common cause of cancer death in women. Expression of programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) in cancer cells plays an important role in tailored therapy. This can be evaluated by immunohistochemistry using a monoclonal PD-L1 antibody in formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded (FFPE) specimens. Our aim was to evaluate the expression of PD-L1 and tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in invasive carcinoma of breast and their clinicopathological correlation.

Materials and Methods:

Immunohistochemical staining for PD-L1 and TILs was done in paraffin-embedded tissues of histologically diagnosed 50 cases of breast carcinoma. Statistical analysis was done using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) 22 software.

Results:

Out of these 50 cases, PD-L1 and TIL expression were seen in 16 (32%) cases and 18 (36%) cases, respectively. PD-L1 positivity was seen in 33.33% cases of grade 1 breast carcinoma, 13.79% of cases of grade 2 breast carcinoma, and in 75% case of grade 3 breast carcinoma. TILs showed positivity in 6.9% cases of grade 1 breast carcinoma, 13.79% of cases of grade 2 breast carcinoma, and in 100% cases of grade 3 breast carcinoma. Proportion of patients having PD-L1 expression was higher in grade 3 carcinoma than in grade 1 or 2. The differences were statistically significant (Chi-square value = 13.417, degree of freedom = 1, P ≤ 0.05). The Chi-square value for TILs was 28.07, degree of freedom was 1, and P value was ≤0.05, which was statistically significant.

Conclusion:

Both PD-L1 and TILs showed maximum positivity in grade 3 breast carcinoma.
Association of P16, Ki-67, and CD44 expression in high-grade squamous intraepithelial neoplasia and squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix
Authors: Mehdi Hajra K. , Raju Kalyani , Sheela S. R.
Published: April 2023

Background:

Stem cells exist in niches in the cervical tissue at squamocolumnar junction, which when infected with HR-Human Papilloma Virus undergo malignant transformation to cancer stem cells and have a role in carcinogenesis and metastasis. The expression of CD44, P16, and Ki67 in high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is assessed in this study.

Materials and Methods:

Twenty-six cases each of normal cervix, HSIL, and SCC of cervix cases were subjected to immunohistochemistry markers; p16, Ki-67, and CD44. The association of expression of these markers between normal, HSIL, SCC cervix, and clinic-pathological parameters was statistically analyzed. P < 0.05 was considered significant.

Results:

Of 26 cases of HSIL, 61.5%, 7.7%, and 30.8% cases were positive, ambiguous, and negative respectively for p16 expression. About 11.5%, 53.8%, and 34.6% of cases were strongly positive, positive, and weakly positive, respectively, for Ki-67 expression. About 42.3%, 42.3%, and 15.4% cases were strongly positive, positive, and weakly positive, respectively, for CD44 expression. Among 26 cases of SCC of the cervix 92.3% and 7.7% were positive and ambiguous respectively. About 73.1% and 26.9% of cases were strongly positive and positive, respectively, for Ki-67 expression. 65.4%, 30.8%, and 3.8% of cases were strongly positive, positive, and weakly positive, respectively, for CD44 expression. p16, Ki-67, and CD44 expression between the three groups were statistically significant. p16 expression versus FIGO stage including lymph node involvement and CD44 expression versus lymph node involvement in carcinoma cervix was statistically significant.

Conclusion:

Expression of p16, Ki-67, and CD44 increases as the lesion progress from normal to HSIL to carcinoma cervix. p16 and CD44 expression increase with lymph node involvement. P16 expression was maximum in Stage II than Stage III.
First-line immune-checkpoint inhibitor treatment in extensive-disease small-cell lung cancer: A classical and network meta-analysis
Authors: Mutlu Hasan , Bozcuk Hakan , Artaç Mehmet , Eser İrfan
Published: April 2023

Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) has a poor prognosis. For the last 30 years, first-line systemic treatment has remained unaltered. After the integration of ımmunotherapy, a new first-line gold standard, atezolizumab in combination with carboplatin plus etoposide, was approved in extensive-disease SCLC (ED-SCLC) in 2019. First-line randomized controlled studies that investigated anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1)/PD-1 ligand-1 (PD-L1) and anti-T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4) agents in combination with platinum plus etoposide (EP) were scoured. A total of six studies (two – anti-CTLA-4 and four – anti-PD1/PD-L1) were included and classic and network meta-analyses (NMAs) were performed. Fixed model for overall survival (OAS) in the PD-1- or PD-L1-treated subgroup yielded a hazard ratio (HR) of 0.746 with a 95% confidence interval (CI) =0.662–0.840 and in the CTLA-4-treated subgroup a HR of 0.941 with a 95% CI = 0.816–1.084 for the immune therapy + chemotherapy versus chemotherapy comparison (CTLA-4-based versus PD-1- or PD-L1-based groups’ comparison of OAS effect Q = 6.05, df = 1, P = 0.014). NMA showed that all chemotherapy + immunotherapy combinations were equally potent and more efficient than PE in terms of OAS and progression-free survival (PFS). Rank probability plots demonstrated nivolumab + EP as the most probable effective treatment modality in terms of OAS and PFS. The usage of anti-PD1/PD-L1 immunotherapy agents results in significant OAS advantage, and anti-PD1/PD-L1 agents are superior to anti-CTLA-4 approach in combination with platinum plus etoposide regimen in ED-SCLC.
Cabazitaxel’s ototoxicity: An animal study and histopathologic research
Authors: Bucak Abdulkadir , Özdemir Çiğdem , Kınar Abdullah , Ulu Şahin , Kuzu Selçuk , Günebakan Çağlar , Kahveci Orhan Kemal
Published: April 2023

Introduction:

Chemotherapeutic agents can have both serious side effects and ototoxicity, which can be caused by direct toxic effects or by metabolic derangement by the agents. Cabazitaxel (CBZ) is a next-generation semi-synthetic taxane derivative that is effective in both preclinical models of human tumors that are sensitive or resistant to chemotherapy and in patients suffering from progressive prostate cancer despite docetaxel treatment. The primary aim of this study is to investigate the ototoxicity of CBZ in a rat model.

Materials and Methods:

A total of 24 adult male Wistar-Albino rats were equally and randomly divided into four groups. CBZ (Jevtana, Sanofi-Aventis USA) was intraperitoneally administered to Groups 2, 3, and 4 at doses of 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 mg/kg/week, respectively, for 4 consecutive weeks; Group 1 received only i.p. saline at the same time. At the end of the study, the animals were sacrificed and their cochlea removed for histopathological examination.

Results:

Intraperitoneal administration of CBZ exerted an ototoxic effect on rats, and the histopathological results became worse in a dose-dependent manner (P < 0.05).

Conclusion:

Our findings suggest that CBZ may be an ototoxic agent and can damage the cochlea. More clinical studies should be conducted to understand its ototoxicity.
Outcomes of patients with esophageal and gastric cancer in Sri Lanka: A retrospective survival analysis
Authors: Wijesekera Sidath , Alagiyawanna Lanka , Peiris Vimukthini , Silva Damitha Chathuranga , Rupasinghe Tiromi , Balawardena Jayantha , Skandarajah Thurairajah , Jeyakumaran Nadarajah , Gunasekera Dehan , Bandusena Minoli , Joseph Nuradh
Published: April 2023

Introduction:

Esophageal carcinoma is the fourth most common cancer among males and sixth most common cancer among females in Sri Lanka. Gastric cancer is less common, but its incidence is gradually rising. We conducted a retrospective analysis of survival of esophageal and gastric cancer patients treated at National Cancer Institute, Maharagama, Sri Lanka.

Methodology:

Patients with esophageal and gastric cancer treated in three selected oncology units of the National Cancer Institute, Maharagama during 2015 and 2016 were included in the study. Data on clinical and pathological factors were extracted from clinical records. Overall survival (OS), defined as time to death or loss to follow-up, was the primary endpoint. Univariate and multivariate analyses of survival were performed using the log-rank test and Cox proportional-hazard model, respectively.

Results:

The study population comprised 374 patients with a median age of 62 years (interquartile range 55–70). Majority (64%) were male and had squamous cell carcinoma (58%). In the sample, 20% were gastric cancers, while 71% were esophageal cancers, and 9% had gastro-esophageal junction tumors. The 2-year OS was 19% in patients treated with curative intent (95% confidence interval [CI] 14–26 months) with those receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy, followed by radical surgery having the highest survival (P < 0.001, hazard ratio 0.25 [95% CI 0.11–0.56]). Median OS was 2 months (95% CI 1–2 months) in patients treated with palliative intent.

Conclusion:

Our results suggest that the outcome of patients with esophageal and gastric cancer is poor in Sri Lanka. Early detection and greater utilization of multimodality treatment could improve outcomes of these patients.
Pharmacognostical studies on whole plant of Mimosa pudica L
Authors: Rajalakshmi Harikrishnan , Sethuramani Amaranathan
Published: April 2023

Background:

Mimosa pudica is a creeping, diffuse, prickly undershrub of genus mimosa, native to tropical America which is also scattered along tropical and subtropical parts of India. It is well known as a sensitive plant, shame plant, touch-me-not, humble plant, shyness princess, and sleeping plant by virtue of rapid leaf movements in response to touch.

Aim:

The intention of this research was to investigate the morphological, micro anatomical, powder microscopy, proximate, and phytochemical analysis in whole plant of M. pudica.

Materials and Methods:

The investigation on macroscopy, microscopy, and physiochemical and phytochemical analyses were implemented using standard methods.

Results:

This study divulged unique macroscopical and anatomical characters present in the whole plant of M. pudica. The powder microscopy revealed the presence of trichomes, paracytic stomata, starch grains, prismatic crystals, mucilage, and brownish content. The quantitative microscopy performed in epidermal peelings of leaf quantified the epidermal number, stomatal number, stomatal index, and palisade ratio which determine its quality and purity. The proximate analysis performed was within the specific limits. The phytochemical analysis identifies different phytoconstituents in n-hexane and ethyl acetate extract. Further quantitative estimation disclosed that the total quercetin equivalent in 1 g of ethyl acetate extract of M. pudica was to be 13.39 mg and 27.5 mg of total β-sitosterol equivalent in n-hexane extract of M. pudica.

Conclusion:

This research concludes the assessment in whole plant of M. pudica by pharmacognostical, physiochemical, and phytochemical estimation for its identification and confirmation of species epithet from adulterated, substituted, or similar distant group species such as Albizia julibrissin, Acacia dealbata, Neptunia gracilis, and Mimosa tenuiflora.
Quality control of herbal distillates through organoleptic grading indices
Authors: Vinayak Soman , Wilson Eugene , Shreedevi Munuswamy Sampangiramulu , Parameswaran Sathiyarajeswaran , Rajkumar Shyamala , Selvarajan Shinnaraj , Kadalkarai Kanakavalli
Published: April 2023

Background:

Theeneer or medicinal herbal distillates are simple and effective formulations used in Siddha medicine, which are promising both as a health promoter and as a medicine for a wide range of clinical manifestations. Traditional quality parameters (TQPs) pertaining to Siddha herbal distillates are much more reliable for pre-assessment of its therapeutic potential. The organoleptic characterization such as Niram (color), manam (odor), suvai (taste), and Theeneer ennai (volatile matter) are the factors of TQP, which govern the therapeutic outcome of a distillate.

Aim and Objectives:

The aim of this study was to develop organoleptic grading standards of classical herbal distillate Oma Theeneer (OT) and to assess the batch variations of OT using grading.

Materials and Methods:

A provisional reference standard sample of herbal distillate OT was prepared from three identical batches each in traditional and glass still with the same operational settings. It was graded based on clarity, color, odor, taste, and volatile tinge to specify the best possible quality made. The grading was assessed with batches of OT study samples prepared as per the standard operating procedures (SOPs) of textual, traditional, and pharmaceutical references to compare its quality.

Results and Conclusion:

With organoleptic grading, the high-quality distillate was identified from the study samples. OT study sample prepared in traditional apparatus was having superior quality and hence a scoring based on the observation and the maximum ideal score was taken as 15. Those prepared as per the textual approach had a high indexing score of 14/15, followed by traditional (12/15), and pharmaceutical SOP (9/15). Appropriate quality scoring as per the organoleptic grading helps to improve batch processing and standardization of the formula. Standardization may include organoleptic grading for maximum outcome.
Two points of discussion on the 2022 General Court Judgment in Intel
Authors: Allibert Brice
Published: April 2023

This article discusses the General Court Judgment of 26 January 2022 which annuls the part of the Commission Decision of 13 May 2009 in Intel related to the exclusivity or quasi-exclusivity rebates granted by Intel to a number of computer manufacturers and a microelectronics retailer. In particular it highlights reasons why, in the author’s view, the General Court Judgment, if left unchanged, could create a wrong precedent for the assessment of exclusivity rebates, and explains how the Judgment articulates the ECJ Judgment in a way which is at odds with the economic reality of those conducts, but also with the very philosophy of the ECJ Judgment.
Kepler’s Harmony of the World and the Politics of Harmony
Authors: Rothman Aviva
Published: April 2023

Kepler's 1619 Harmonice Mundi was a text that straddled the divide between celestial and terrestrial harmony. It focused on harmony in a variety of aspects—mathematical, musical, astrological, astronomical, and cosmological— while also linking them to Kepler's ultimate goal, the harmony of church and state. This talk will consider Kepler's vision of harmony in the Harmonice Mundi by situating it alongside both traditional conceptions of harmony and the particular seventeenth-century changes that influenced Kepler's own view. It will focus in particular on Kepler's dedication of the Harmonice Mundi to James I of England, and on the political digression he placed at its center. Kepler signaled throughout the book that the harmony of nature could provide a blueprint for harmony in communities on earth. In so doing, however, he positioned himself against the views of Jean Bodin and other theorists who tried to bolster absolutist government with the claim of mathematical certainty, and emphasized instead a vision of communal harmony that allowed for the public good to be achieved via multiple possible configurations, and for diverse perspectives to coexist in one peaceful community.
Harmony, Politics and Utopia in the Cosmology of Jean Bodin and Johannes Kepler
Authors: Campion Nicholas
Published: April 2023

This paper explores Harmonice Mundi as a political text and considers the influence on Kepler of the French political theorist Jean Bodin (1530–1596). Both Bodin and Kepler subscribed to the political cosmology inherited from Plato, Aristotle and the Stoics, and elaborated in detail by Claudius Ptolemy, in which the terrestrial state was part of a wider entity including the celestial spheres and the use of the planets to identify changes in the quality of time and fluctuations in natural influences. Both sought to remedy failures in contemporary astrology and create a new and empirical discipline which could avert future crises by predicting them. The paper examines Bodin’s theories and then locates the work of both him and Kepler as attempts to establish ways to create stability in the unstable politics of the post-Reformation era, and contextualises Kepler’s attempts to delineate the perfect state as utopian.
Dark Fire: Dimensions of Luminosity in the Chthonic
Authors: Burchill Tina
Published: April 2023

This paper is an exploration of the light and darkness that exists in chthonic space, beginning with an analysis of early Western mythology, notably the Sumerian myth The Descent of Inanna. We examine how, for ancient cultures, the descent into the darkness of the Underworld maintained the homeostasis of the cosmos, enabling the continuation of the cycles of nature and the fertility of the land. The premise that the world of fire below the earth is a crucial polarity (and mirror) to the sky above is examined, and, using myths and fairy tales as a navigational tool, I explore the Jungian idea that what is exiled turns into a monster, the below transforming over time into ‘hell’ and ancient deities becoming demons and witches.
An Empirical Study on Anomaly Detection Using Density-based and Representative-based Clustering Algorithms
Authors: Fuhnwi Gerard Shu , Agbaje Janet O. , Oshinubi Kayode , Peter Olumuyiwa James
Published: April 2023

In data mining, and statistics, anomaly detection is the process of finding data patterns (outcomes, values, or observations) that deviate from the rest of the other observations or outcomes. Anomaly detection is heavily used in solving real-world problems in many application domains, like medicine, finance , cybersecurity, banking, networking, transportation, and military surveillance for enemy activities, but not limited to only these fields. In this paper, we present an empirical study on unsupervised anomaly detection techniques such as Density-Based Spatial Clustering of Applications with Noise (DBSCAN), (DBSCAN++) (with uniform initialization, k-center initialization, uniform with approximate neighbor initialization, and $k$-center with approximate neighbor initialization), and $k$-means$--$ algorithms on six benchmark imbalanced data sets. Findings from our in-depth empirical study show that k-means-- is more robust than DBSCAN, and DBSCAN++, in terms of the different evaluation measures (F1-score, False alarm rate, Adjusted rand index, and Jaccard coefficient), and running time. We also observe that DBSCAN performs very well on data sets with fewer number of data points. Moreover, the results indicate that the choice of clustering algorithm can significantly impact the performance of anomaly detection and that the performance of different algorithms varies depending on the characteristics of the data. Overall, this study provides insights into the strengths and limitations of different clustering algorithms for anomaly detection and can help guide the selection of appropriate algorithms for specific applications.
Understanding the Transmission Dynamics and Control of HIV Infection: A Mathematical Model Approach
Authors: Ajao Saheed , Olopade Isaac , Akinwumi Titilayo , Adewale Sunday , Adesanya Adelani
Published: April 2023

New challenges like the outbreak of new diseases, government policies, war and insurgency etc. present distortion, delay and denial of persons’ access to ART, thereby fuelling the spread and increasing the burden of HIV/AIDS. A mathematical model is presented to study the transmission dynamics and control of HIV infection. The qualitative and quantitative analyses of the model are carried out. It is shown that the disease-free equilibrium of the model is globally asymptotically stable whenever the basic reproduction number is less than unity. It is also shown that a unique endemic equilibrium exists whenever the basic reproduction number exceeds unity and that the model exhibits a forward bifurcation. Furthermore, the Lyapunov function is used to show that the endemic equilibrium is globally asymptotically stable for a special case of the model whenever the associated basic reproduction number is greater than unity. The model is calibrated to the data on HIV/AIDS prevalence in Nigeria from 1990 to 2019 and it represents reality. The numerical simulations on the global stability of disease-free equilibrium and endemic equilibrium justify the analytic results. The fraction of the detected individuals who stays in the treatment class plays a significant role as it influences the population of the latently-infected individuals and AIDS class by preventing individuals from progressing into the AIDS class.
Sokrates in Pöseldorf: Erwin Panofskys Hamburger Jahre
Authors: Michels Karen
Published: April 2023

Erwin Panofsky – vom wissenschaftlichen Nobody zum »Einstein der Kunstgeschichte«. Ein »Lehrer mit genialem Profil und Charisma«, ein »sprachsensibler Gedächtnisriese«, der »Einstein der Kunstgeschichte« – Erwin Panofsky ist als wissenschaftliche Ausnahmefigur in die Geschichte eingegangen. Sein Name steht für die Entwicklung und Anwendung einer neuen Methode, der Ikonologie: der Interpretation eines Kunstwerks aus seinem kulturhistorischen Kontext heraus. Wo sich die Kunstgeschichte bisher eher mit Stilkritik und Zuschreibungsfragen beschäftigt hatte, rückten nun große geistesgeschichtliche Horizonte in ihr Blickfeld. Von seinem späteren Wirkungsort Princeton aus hat Panofsky dieser Methode Weltgeltung verschafft. Entstanden aber ist die Ikonologie in Hamburg, wo er an der gerade gegründeten Universität als erster Ordinarius für Kunstgeschichte wirkte – und wo er im Umfeld Aby Warburgs und dessen »Kulturwissenschaftlicher Bibliothek« entscheidende Impulse erhielt. Panofsky wurde 1934 zur Emigration gezwungen. Bis zum Ende seines Lebens hat er die gut dreizehn Jahre, die er in Hamburg verbracht hat, als »die glücklichsten und fruchtbarsten seines Lebens« bezeichnet. In diesem Buch geht es um die Frage nach den Hintergründen: Wie sah die Konstellation aus, die diese intellektuelle Erfolgsgeschichte ermöglichte? Und warum spielte Hamburg in ihr eine so große Rolle?
Emma und Henry Budge: Oder wie Hamburg einmal ein Porzellan-Palais entging
Authors: Michels Karen
Published: April 2023

Verantwortung und Passion - Emma und Henry Budge als großzügige Stifter und Förderer der hamburgischen Kultur. Das am Hamburger Alsterufer erbaute, bemerkenswert großzügig dimensionierte Wohnhaus von Emma und Henry Budge trug zu Recht den Titel »Palais«. Heute residiert hier die Hochschule für Musik und Theater. Von der Hansestadt aus entfaltete das Ehepaar eine rege mäzenatische Tätigkeit, in deren Zuge unter anderem Heime für Hilfsbedürftige etabliert und die Universitäten in Frankfurt und Hamburg unterstützt wurden. Vor allem Emma Budge trug zudem eine umfangreiche und hochkarätige Sammlung angewandter Kunst zusammen, die nach ihrem Tod in den Besitz der Freien und Hansestadt Hamburg übergehen sollte. Doch dazu kam es nicht: Nach ihrem Tod musste die Sammlung von den Erben versteigert werden, und im Palais am Alsterufer richtete sich der nationalsozialistische »Reichsstatthalter« ein. Das philanthropische Lebenswerk war damit unwiederbringlich zerstört. Mit dieser ersten umfassenden Biographie aus der Feder Karen Michels` über das außergewöhnliche Ehepaar Budge wird es verdient gewürdigt. Emma (1852-1937) und Henry (1840-1928) Budge Jahrzehntelang lebten die Budges in New York, wo der aus Frankfurt stammende Henry Budge als erfolgreicher Banker und Eisenbahnfinanzier ein enormes Vermögen machte. 1903 kehrte er mit seiner Frau Emma nach Deutschland zurück und ließ sich in Hamburg nieder, der Heimat seiner Gattin.
An Effective Impeller Design for Pump
Authors: Bawankalyan A P  , Sanjeev K  , Rama Chandru T  , Balasundar P
Published: April 2023

The impeller of a centrifugal pump plays an important role because it determining the flow rate and efficiency of the pump. The efficiency of the pump is determined by the design of the impeller design. Under filing is one of the method for removing material from the underside of the impeller vane at the exit. Under filing also increases the pump head. The design involves having a blade height that is lower than the nominal impeller diameter, which can lead to reduced power consumption, improved flow characteristics, and decreased noise and vibration compared to traditional impellers. The design of under filing impeller vanes can be optimized by various parameters, such as the blade angle, blade thickness, and number of vanes. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations and experimental testing can be used to optimise the design and ensure proper performance. The modified impeller should then be installed in a test rig that replicates the operating conditions of the pump or compressor. The test rig should be equipped with suitable sensors to measure flow rate, pressure, temperature, and power consumption. The performance of the modified impeller should be compared to that of the baseline impeller, and the improvement in efficiency should be quantified.