bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of drinking water supplementation with Lactobacillus reuteri, and a mixture of reuterin and microcin J25 on the growth performance, caecal microbiota and selected metabolites of broiler chickens
Authors: Zhang Liya , Ben Said Laila , Hervé Nadège , Zirah Séverine , Diarra Moussa Sory , Fliss Ismail
Published: March 2022

Background

Since the overuse of antibiotics in animal production has led to a selection of antibiotic-resistant pathogens that affect humans and animals as well. Scientists are therefore searching for novel natural alternatives to antibiotics. In this study Lactobacillus reuteri and a combination of reuterin and microcin J25 (RJ) were evaluated as promoters of growth and modulators of the cecal microbiota and metabolite profiles in broiler chickens. One-day-old Cobb 500 male broilers were distributed to 8 treatments: negative control (without antibiotic), positive control (bacitracin), three concentrations of RJ and three doses of L. reuteri plus glycerol. The birds (2176, 34 per pen, 8 pens per treatment) were reared for 35 d.

Results

The body weight of the bacitracin and 5 mmol/L reuterin combined with 0.08 μmol/L microcin J25 (10RJ) treatment group was significantly higher than that of the negative control group (P < 0.05). L. reuteri had no significant effect on broiler growth. MiSeq high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA showed clustering of cecal microbial operational taxonomic unit diversity according to treatment. The influence of bacitracin and 10RJ on bacterial community overall structure was similar. They promoted Ruminococcaceae, Lachnospiraceae and Lactobacillaceae, increased the relative abundance of Faecalibacterium and decreased the abundance of Bacteroides and Alistipes, while the negative control condition favored Bacteroidaceae and Rikenellaceae. Furthermore, 10RJ increased the concentration of short-chain fatty acid in the cecum and changed the metabolome overall.

Conclusions

These overall suggest that 10RJ can promote a host-friendly gut environment by changing the cecal microbiome and metabolome. This combination of natural antimicrobial agents in the drinking water had a positive effect on broiler growth and may be suitable as an alternative to antibiotic growth promoters.
DMBT1 is upregulated in cystic fibrosis, affects ciliary motility, and is reduced by acetylcysteine
Authors: Kiefer Alexander , Plattner Erika , Ruppel Renate , Weiss Christel , Zhou-Suckow Zhe , Mall Marcus , Renner Marcus , Müller Hanna
Published: March 2022

Background

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is the most common genetic disorder in the Caucasian population. Despite remarkable improvements in morbidity and mortality during the last decades, the disease still limits survival and reduces quality of life of affected patients. Moreover, CF still represents substantial economic burden for healthcare systems. Inflammation and infection already start in early life and play important roles in pulmonary impairment. The aim of this study is to analyze the potential role of DMBT1, a protein with functions in inflammation, angiogenesis, and epithelial differentiation, in CF.

Results

Immunohistochemically DMBT1 protein expression was upregulated in lung tissues of CF patients compared to healthy controls. Additionally, pulmonary expression of Dmbt1 was approximately 6-fold increased in an established transgenic mouse model of CF-like lung disease (ENaC tg) compared to wild-type mice as detected by qRT-PCR. Since acetylcysteine (ACC) has been shown to reduce inflammatory markers in the airways, its potential influence on DMBT1 expression was analyzed. A549 cells stably transfected with an expression plasmid encoding the largest (8kb) DMBT1 variant (DMBT1+ cells) or an empty vector control (DMBT1- cells) and incubated with ACC both showed significantly reduced DMBT1 concentrations in the culture medium (p = 0.0001). To further elucidate the function of DMBT1 in pulmonary airways, respiratory epithelial cells were examined by phase contrast microscopy. Addition of human recombinant DMBT1 resulted in altered cilia motility and irregular beat waves (p < 0.0001) suggesting a potential effect of DMBT1 on airway clearance.

Conclusions

DMBT1 is part of inflammatory processes in CF and may be used as a potential biomarker for CF lung disease and a potential tool to monitor CF progression. Furthermore, DMBT1 has a negative effect on ciliary motility thereby possibly compromising airway clearance. Application of ACC, leading to reduced DMBT1 concentrations, could be a potential therapeutic option for CF patients.
The association of the spiritual health and psychological well-being of teachers with their organizational commitment
Authors: Heidari Morteza , HoseinPour Mohammad Ali , Ardebili Maryam , Yoosefee Sadegh
Published: March 2022

Background

In line with the significance of organizational commitment, the question arises "Do spiritual health and psychological well-being optimize teachers' organizational commitment?" The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between spiritual health, psychological well-being and the organizational commitment of high school teachers.

Methods

This was a cross-sectional study in which, 346 teachers in Tehran high schools participated through multi-stage sampling. The data were collected using Ryff Psychological Well-being Questionnaire (1989), Spiritual Health Questionnaire in Iranian Society (2014) and Organizational Commitment scale of Allen and Meyer (1990), and their relationships were assessed.

Results

Psychological well-being and spiritual health had positive and significant relationship with teachers' organizational commitment. Furthermore, approximately 50% of variations in organizational commitment subscales could be explained by the variables of spiritual health and psychological well-being.

Conclusion

Psychological well-being and spiritual health can predict organizational commitment as the dependent variable among high school teachers.
Quantitative redox proteomics revealed molecular mechanisms of salt tolerance in the roots of sugar beet monomeric addition line M14
Authors: Liu He , Du Xiaoxue , Zhang Jialin , Li Jinna , Chen Sixue , Duanmu Huizi , Li Haiying
Published: March 2022

Background

Salt stress is often associated with excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Oxidative stress caused by the accumulation of ROS is a major factor that negatively affects crop growth and yield. Root is the primary organ that senses and transmits the salt stress signal to the whole plant. How oxidative stress affect redox sensitive proteins in the roots is not known.

Results

In this study, the redox proteome of sugar beet M14 roots under salt stress was investigated. Using iTRAQ reporters, we determined that salt stress caused significant changes in the abundance of many proteins (2305 at 20 min salt stress and 2663 at 10 min salt stress). Using iodoTMT reporters, a total of 95 redox proteins were determined to be responsive to salt stress after normalizing again total protein level changes. Notably, most of the differential redox proteins were involved in metabolism, ROS homeostasis, and stress and defense, while a small number play a role in transport, biosynthesis, signal transduction, transcription and photosynthesis. Transcription levels of 14 genes encoding the identified redox proteins were analyzed using qRT-PCR. All the genes were induced by salt stress at the transcriptional level.

Conclusions

Based on the redox proteomics results, we construct a map of the regulatory network of M14 root redox proteins in response to salt stress. This study further refines the molecular mechanism of salt resistance at the level of protein redox regulation.
Microbiomes of biohydrogen production from dark fermentation of industrial wastes: current trends, advanced tools and future outlook
Authors: Dzulkarnain Eka Latiffah Nadia , Audu Jemilatu Omuwa , Wan Dagang Wan Rosmiza Zana , Abdul-Wahab Mohd Firdaus
Published: March 2022

Biohydrogen production through dark fermentation is very attractive as a solution to help mitigate the effects of climate change, via cleaner bioenergy production. Dark fermentation is a process where organic substrates are converted into bioenergy, driven by a complex community of microorganisms of different functional guilds. Understanding of the microbiomes underpinning the fermentation of organic matter and conversion to hydrogen, and the interactions among various distinct trophic groups during the process, is critical in order to assist in the process optimisations. Research in biohydrogen production via dark fermentation is currently advancing rapidly, and various microbiology and molecular biology tools have been used to investigate the microbiomes. We reviewed here the different systems used and the production capacity, together with the diversity of the microbiomes used in the dark fermentation of industrial wastes, with a special emphasis on palm oil mill effluent (POME). The current challenges associated with biohydrogen production were also included. Then, we summarised and discussed the different molecular biology tools employed to investigate the intricacy of the microbial ecology associated with biohydrogen production. Finally, we included a section on the future outlook of how microbiome-based technologies and knowledge can be used effectively in biohydrogen production systems, in order to maximise the production output.
Analyzing genderless fashion trends of consumers’ perceptions on social media: using unstructured big data analysis through Latent Dirichlet Allocation-based topic modeling
Authors: Kim Hyojung , Cho Inho , Park Minjung
Published: March 2022

After the development of Web 2.0 and social networks, analyzing consumers’ responses and opinions in real-time became profoundly important to gain business insights. This study aims to identify consumers’ preferences and perceptions of genderless fashion trends by text-mining, Latent Dirichlet Allocation-based topic modeling, and time-series linear regression analysis. Unstructured text data from consumer-posted sources, such as blogs and online communities, were collected from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2020. We examined 9722 posts that included the keyword “genderless fashion” with Python 3.7 software. Results showed that consumers were interested in fragrances, fashion, and beauty brands and products. In particular, 18 topics were extracted: 13 were classified as fashion categories and 5 were derived from beauty and fragrance sectors. Examining the genderless fashion trend development among consumers from 2018 to 2020, “perfume and scent” was revealed as the hot topic, whereas “bags,” “all-in-one skin care,” and “set-up suit” were cold topics, declining in popularity among consumers. The findings contribute to contemporary fashion trends and provide in-depth knowledge about consumers’ perceptions using big data analysis methods and offer insights into product development strategies.
First record of the genus Xeropicta Monterosato, 1892 (Gastropoda: Eupulmonata: Geomitridae) in Serbia
Authors: Gojšina Vukašin , Páll-Gergely Barna , Vujić Mihailo , Dedov Ivailo
Published: March 2022

Xeropicta Monterosato is a pulmonate xerophilous snail genus of the family Geomitridae. It is distributed in the eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea region and also in Asia Minor, Ukraine, the Caucasus, the Middle East and Iran. No species of this genus was known from Serbia until now. Here, we present the first record of Xeropicta from Serbia. Morphological, anatomical and ecological characteristics of the species as well as its variation are discussed. Because of the wide shell variation, the analysed specimens were identified based on anatomy, and correspond to X. krynickii. However, in their shell morphology, some specimens resemble X. derbentina. Therefore, here they are treated as X. cf. krynickii. Further studies should shed more light on their identity.
Characteristics, reasons and patterns of Road Traffic Injuries presenting in emergency department of a tertiary care public hospital in Karachi
Authors: Muhammad Khaista , Shaikh Shiraz , Ashraf Javeria , Hayat Sikander
Published: March 2022

Objectives: To determine the main characteristics, reasons and patterns of road traffic injuries (RTIs) in a tertiary care public hospital of Karachi.

Methods: It was a hospital based cross sectional study conducted in a public tertiary care hospital emergency department with a sample size 425 selected conveniently. Participants included the consenting victims or caretaking attendants of road traffic injuries (RTIs) from 25th May to 28th June in 2019. A structured questionnaire was developed after literature review and was translated into “Urdu” language. The questionnaire collected detailed information on socio-demographic characteristics, possible reasons of RTI’s such as condition of vehicle, over speeding and breaking traffic rules. Data was analyzed by using software SPSS version 20.

Results: Almost half of RTI victims (43.1%) belonged to the age group 18-29. Majority of the victims were males (86.6%). The most common vehicle involved was motorbike (87.50%) followed by Rickshaw (6.8%) and Car (2.4%). Majority of RTIs occurred on main road (75.30%). The most common sites of injuries were lower limb (64%), upper limb (37.60%) and head (32.2%). The severe injuries were significantly more likely to happen in events in which direct collision with other vehicle/thing was involved, road conditions were wet and pedestrian were crossing the road.

Conclusion: Motorbikes were involved in majority of RTIs. Main reasons of RTIs included irresponsible road behaviors including over-speeding, careless road crossing, breaking the signal and riding on wet roads which lead to moderate to severe injuries in almost two thirds of participants

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.38.4.4490

How to cite this:Muhammad K, Shaikh S, Ashraf J, Hayat S. Characteristics, reasons and patterns of Road Traffic Injuries presenting in emergency department of a tertiary care public hospital in Karachi. Pak J Med Sci. 2022;38(4):---------.  doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.38.4.4490

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Role of Mentzer index for differentiating iron deficiency anemia and beta thalassemia trait in pregnant women
Authors: Tabassum Shagufta , Khakwani Mehnaz , Fayyaz Asiya , Taj Nadia
Published: March 2022

Objective: To observe the role of Mentzer index for differentiating iron deficiency anemia (IDA) and beta thalassemia trait (β TT) in pregnant women.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Gynaecology & Obstetrics Department of Nishtar Medical University from October 2020 to March 2021. Non-consecutive sampling was applied. A total of 100 antenatal ladies with hemoglobin <11 gm/dl were included. Their complete blood counts were checked and Mentzer Index was calculated. Mentzer Index <13 points to diagnosis of β TT and >13 indicates IDA. The diagnoses were confirmed by serum iron studies and Hb electrophoresis. The sensitivity and specificity of Mentzer Index for both causes of microcytic hypochromic anemia was calculated.

Results: Out of total 100 patients with microcytic hypochromic anemia, 87 had Mentzer Index >13 and IDA was confirmed in 86 out of 87 cases. Thirteen cases had Mentzer Index <13 and β TT was confirmed in eight of them. Thus, Mentzer Index has a sensitivity and specificity of 91% & 83% for IDA and 83% & 91% for β TT.

Conclusion: In this study, it was found that Mentzer Index can be used as a discriminatory test to differentiate between iron deficiency anemia and beta thalassemia trait. The high risk group can then be subjected to definitive diagnostic tests. This can result in better patient compliance and cost effectiveness.

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.38.4.4635

How to cite this:Tabassum S, Khakwani M, Fayyaz A, Taj N. Role of Mentzer index for differentiating iron deficiency anemia and beta thalassemia trait in pregnant women. Pak J Med Sci. 2022;38(4):---------. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.38.4.4635

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Effects of carboplatin combined with paclitaxel-based intraperitoneal hyperthermic perfusion chemotherapy on serum levels of HE4 and DJ-1 in patients with advanced recurrent ovarian cancer
Authors: Su Xianhui , Sun Xuewen , Kang Yanhui , Dai Yuna
Published: March 2022

Objective: To analyze the effects of carboplatin combined with paclitaxel-based intraperitoneal hyperthermic perfusion chemotherapy (IPCH) on serum levels of human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) and mitogen-dependent oncogene-1 (DJ-1) in patients with advanced recurrent ovarian cancer (OC).

Methods: From July 2019 to July 2020, patients with advanced recurrent OC (n=92) treated in Affiliated Hospital of Hebei Engineering University were selected as study subjects. According to the random number table method, patients were divided into control group and observation group. Patients in the control group were treated with carboplatin combined with paclitaxel-based intravenous chemotherapy, and patients in the observation group were treated with carboplatin combined with paclitaxel-based IPCH. The therapeutic effects, serum levels of HE4, DJ-1 and human kallikrein 10 (HK-10), peripheral blood immune indexes and adverse reactions of patients were compared between the two groups.

Results: The response rate of the observation group was significantly higher than that of the control group (p<0.05); after treatment, the indexes of HE4, DJ-1 and HK-10 in the two groups were significantly decreased, while the indexes of CD3+CD4+, CD3+CD56+ and CD3+CD4+/CD3+CD8+ were significantly increased; moreover, significantly lower indexes of HE4, DJ-1 and HK-10 and significantly higher indexes of CD3+CD4+, CD3+CD56+ and CD3+CD4+/CD3+CD8+ were found in the observation group when compared with the control group (p<0.05). The severity of myelosuppression, nausea and vomiting in the observation group was significantly lower than that in the control group, and the total tumor metastasis rate in the observation group was significantly lower than that in the control group (p<0.05).

Conclusions: Carboplatin combined with paclitaxel IPCH had obvious inhibitory effects on HE4, DJ-1 and other serum tumor markers in patients with advanced recurrent OC, with a more prominent clinical effect, and could further significantly reduce the risk of adverse reactions and metastasis.

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.38.4.4736

How to cite this:Su X, Sun X, Kang Y, Dai Y. Effects of carboplatin combined with paclitaxel-based intraperitoneal hyperthermic perfusion chemotherapy on serum levels of HE4 and DJ-1 in patients with advanced recurrent ovarian cancer. Pak J Med Sci. 2022;38(4):---------. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.38.4.4736

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Diagnostic importance of bone marrow aspiration evaluation: A single-center study
Authors: Dogan Ali , Demircioglu Sinan
Published: March 2022

Background &Objective: Early diagnosis can be made based on the morphological examination of bone marrow aspiration (BMA) until the bone marrow biopsy (BMB) result is reported. This allows for treatment to be started immediately, especially in hematological malignancies for which urgent treatment is indicated. This study aimed to determine the sensitivity and importance of bone marrow aspiration in the diagnosis of hematological malignancies.

Methods: In this study, the data of patients who underwent bone marrow aspiration and bone marrow biopsy in Van Yuzuncu Yil University hospital between 2017 and 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. A total of 500 patients who simultaneously underwent BMA and BMB were included in the study. Data were obtained from electronic medical records.

Results: Indication for bone marrow evaluation was abnormalities in complete blood count in 270 (54%) of patients. The diagnosis was made based on the evaluation of BMA in 475 (95%). In 456 (96%) of the 475 patients diagnosed with BMA, the diagnosis was consistent with that of BMB. Agreement of BMB with BMA was 100% in acute and chronic leukemias, while BMA was not sufficient for the diagnosis of lymphoma and solid organ metastasis.

Conclusion: Our study showed that the evaluation of BMA was highly sensitive in the diagnosis of hematological malignancies, such as acute leukemias, chronic leukemias, and multiple myeloma.

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.38.4.4797

How to cite this:Dogan A, Demircioglu S. Diagnostic importance of bone marrow aspiration evaluation: A single-center study. Pak J Med Sci. 2022;38(4):---------. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.38.4.4797

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Burnout prevalence and associated factors in medical students in integrated modular curriculum: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Irshad Khurram , Ashraf Ifra , Azam Fahad , Shaheen Abida
Published: March 2022

Objectives: The present study aimed to explore the prevalence of burnout syndrome and to find the association of burnout symptoms with sociodemographic factors in medical students.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between September 2019 to January 2021 at Shifa College of Medicine, Islamabad. A total of 284 medical students from the first year to the fifth year participated in this cross-sectional study. After taking informed consent, students were asked to record responses on the Burnout Clinical Subtype Questionnaire BCSQ-12. In addition, a structured questionnaire was developed to obtain information about the sociodemographic status.

Results: Prevalence of burnout was observed among day scholars, females, and students having a relatively sedentary lifestyle. Low family income showed a significant association of burnout in medical students (p=0.025). A significant association was found in the mean scores of neglect subtype of burnout with low family household income (p = 0.010). The mean scores of the overload subtype of burnout and daily duration of sleep also showed a significant association (p = 0.039).

Conclusion: The prevalence of burnout was associated with low household income and sleep deprivation. Gender, academic year and physical activity did not have a significant association with burnout syndrome. The high prevalence of burnout syndrome necessitates appropriate interventions to identify and reduce the prevalence of burnout in medical students.

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.38.4.5052

How to cite this:Irshad K, Ashraf I, Azam F, Shaheen A. Burnout prevalence and associated factors in medical students in integrated modular curriculum: A cross-sectional study. Pak J Med Sci. 2022;38(4):---------. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.38.4.5052

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Clinical spectrum of Celiac disease from a cardiology perspective
Authors: Myrmel Gard M. S. , Lunde Torbjørn , Saeed Sahrai
Published: March 2022

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.38.4.6129

How to cite this:Myrmel GMS, Lunde T, Saeed S. Clinical spectrum of Celiac disease from a cardiology perspective. Pak J Med Sci. 2022;38(4):782-784. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.38.4.6129
Association of short- and long-term metabolic control parameters with personality traits in adult type 1 diabetes treated with personal insulin pumps
Authors: Matejko Bartłomiej , Morawska-Tota Małgorzata , Tota Łukasz , Flakus Maria , Cyranka Katarzyna , Kieć-Wilk Beata , Lushchyk Maxim , Małecki Maciej Tadeusz , Klupa Tomasz
Published: March 2022

Cel pracy

Celem naszego badania obserwacyjnego było określenie , czy wybrane cechy osobowości są skorelowane ze stopniem wyrównania metabolicznego/czasem trwania cukrzycy u dorosłych pacjentów z T1DM.

Metoda

Dane zebrano od 56 dorosłych pacjentów (40 mężczyzn) z T1DM leczonych w ośrodku o trzecim stopniu referencyjności. Cechy osobowości „Wielkiej Piątki” oceniano za pomocą kwestionariusza “NEO-Five Factor Inventory”. Kilka zmiennych uzyskano po sczytaniu osobistych pomp insulinowych, glukometrów i zaślepionego systemu ciągłego monitorowania glikemii (CGM).

Wyniki

Wszystkie cechy osobowości oprócz neurotyczności (niski poziom cechy) wykazywały przeciętne nasilenie. Ugodowość była skorelowana z większością zmiennych uzyskanych z systemu CGM. Większa sumienność wiązała się z dłuższym czasem trwania cukrzycy. Większa neurotyczność korelowała z większą zmiennością glikemii (GV), podczas gdy wysoka ekstrawersja wiązała się z niższym wskaźnikiem GV. Niższa Otwartość była związana z wydłużeniem czasu klinicznie istotnej hipoglikemii

Wnioski

Nasze badanie sugeruje, że cechy osobowości przejawiają się w indywidualnym podejściu do leczenia cukrzycy i regulacji emocji, co przekłada się również na stosunek do leczenia. Z drugiej strony, ogólne wyniki cech pacjentów z T1DM były zgodne z normami niepsychiatrycznymi dla osób zdrowych, co obala mity i stereotypy sugerujące, że choroba przewlekła jest zwykle związana z psychopatologią.
Partner-violent and non-violent fathers’ descriptions of co-parenting
Authors: Mohaupt Henning , Duckert Fanny
Published: March 2022

We examined how men in treatment for intimate partner violence and non-violent men described the mother of their child, and their co-parenting. We interviewed six cohabiting and five non-cohabiting fathers in treatment for intimate partner violence (IPV), and six non-violent fathers on their everyday-life experience of being a father. We performed a theory driven thematic analysis, using ‘we-ness’ as an organising concept. In contrast to non-violent fathers, partner-violent fathers’ descriptions of the co-parenting relationship lacked reference to mutuality, respect and an understanding of family dynamics. Partner-violent fathers tended to present the child’s mother negatively, with non-cohabiting fathers using more categorically negative characteristics. Men in IPV treatment also described more undermining co-parenting behaviours. Therapeutic interventions for men who have used IPV should focus on developing basic perspective-taking skills towards their (ex-)partner and child. With men who are cohabiting, couple sessions on co-parenting should be considered. In separated couples, this work may be more safely conducted individually. The effects of IPV on co-parenting, and through co-parenting on child development, should routinely be explored in therapy.
Synchronous tele-ultrasonography is helpful for a naive operator to perform high-quality thyroid ultrasound examinations
Authors: Li Xiao-Long , Sun Yi-Kang , Wang Qiao , Chen Zi-Tong , Qian Zhe-Bin , Guo Le-Hang , Xu Hui-Xiong
Published: March 2022

Purpose: This study investigated the value of synchronous tele-ultrasonography (TUS) for naive operators in thyroid ultrasonography (US) examinations.Methods: Ninety-seven patients were included in this prospective, parallel-controlled trial. Thyroid scanning and diagnosis were completed by resident A independently, resident B with guidance from a US expert through synchronous TUS, and an on-site US expert. The on-site expert’s findings constituted the reference standard. Two other off-site US experts analyzed all data in a blind manner. Inter-operator consistency between the two residents and the on-site US expert for thyroid size measurements, nodule measurements, nodule features, American College of Radiology (ACR) Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (TI-RADS) categories, and image quality was compared. Two questionnaires were completed to evaluate the clinical benefit.Results: Resident B detected more nodules consistent with the on-site expert than resident A did (89.4% vs. 56.5%, P<0.001). Resident B achieved excellent consistency with the on-site expert in terms of ACR TI-RADS categories, nodule composition, shape, echogenic foci, and vascularity (all intra-class correlation coefficients [ICCs] >0.75), while resident A achieved lower consistency in ACR TI-RADS categories, composition, echogenicity, margin, echogenic foci, and vascularity (all ICCs 0.40-0.75). Residents A and B had excellent consistency in target nodule measurements (all ICCs >0.75). Resident B achieved better performance than resident A for gray values, time gain compensation, depth, color Doppler adjustment, and the visibility of key information (all P<0.05). Furthermore, 61.9% (60/97) of patients accepted synchronous TUS, and 59.8% (58/97) patients were willing to pay for it.Conclusion: Synchronous TUS can help inexperienced residents achieve comparable thyroid diagnostic capability to a US expert.
Is Herd Behavior Still Persistent in the Saudi Stock Market?This paper inspects the prevalence of Herd Behavior in the Saudi Stock Exchange, using the model suggested by (Bhaduri & Mahapatra, 2013) which regresses the absolute difference between average m
Authors: Arabi Khalafalla Ahmed Mohamed , Abdelmageed Hemeda Mohamed
Published: March 2022

This paper inspects the prevalence of Herd Behavior in the Saudi Stock Exchange, using the model suggested by (Bhaduri & Mahapatra, 2013) which regresses the absolute difference between average market returns and median, expecting positive effect by absolute market returns and negative one by nonlinear squared market returns. Daily data from January 1, 2007, to December 31, 2020, was analyzed using Ordinary Least Squares, two Censored Regressions (TOBIT), and switching regression. The constant and absolute market returns are both positive, while the nonlinear quadratic term is negative, produced by all estimation methodologies, which confirm model hypothesis. There were two market conditions, and two regimes produced by both censored, and switched regression. The nonlinear coefficient of growing prices is three times that of declining prices, meaning that venture capitalists are more likely to herd during rising market returns than during dropping market returns, according to the censored regression.
Immunohematological Parameters of Male and Female Blood Donors at Kenyatta National Hospital
Authors: Ireri J. M.
Published: March 2022

Background: Immunohaematological reference intervals are critical in making accurate decisions in research, diagnosis and monitoring therapeutic outcomes. Consequently any gender – based disparities in the intervals need to be determined and so reflected when utilizing the ranges. This   cross-section study to determine male and female immunohaematological reference intervals was conducted on suitable blood donors attended to at Kenyatta National Hospital blood donor Unit between 2018 and 2019.

Objectives: To determine gender-based means, medians, 2.5 th and 97.5 th interquartile ranges of: CD4+ lymphocytes, red cell values, white cells absolute and differential counts and thrombocyte counts in suitable blood donors.

Methods: A total of 108 (53.5%) female and 94 (46.5%) male volunteer blood donors aged between 18 and 60 years were recruited consecutively as they consented. Bootstrap methods were used to calculate means, medians and confidence intervals. The enrollees’ social demographic characteristics including: level of education, occupation, alcohol - drinking and smoking habits were captured using a questionnaire form. Immediately after blood donation five milliliters of blood samples for CD4+ analysis and haemogram were drawn from the pilot tube of the blood bag by injecting the cap of ethylene diamine tetra acetate (EDTA)-containing vacutaners with the donation needle. Analyses were done within 8 hours of sample collection using standard laboratory methods. The fit of the observed data distribution was determined using Shapiro – Wilk test with P > 0.05 indicating Gaussian distribution. Statistical analyses were done using SPSS version 21.  Means, medians and 2.5 th and 97.5 th interquartiles were determined. Gender – based differences were compared using Mann Whitney U test with P < 0.05 being considered significant.

Results: The male enrollees had a mean age of 31.91 years, while females’ mean age was 31.85 years.   The majority of enrollees had tertially education with most males being in business and in formal employment; while most females were in business. Males demonstrated significantly higher mean values than females in: red blood cells (RBCs), haemoglobin (HB) and eosinophils (E). Significantly lower mean values in males than in females were demonstrated in: white blood cells (WBC), neutrophils (N), Lymphocytes (L), monocytes (M), CD4+ cells and Platelets (P).

Conclusion: There exists significant gender-based differences in immunohaematological reference ranges that may lead to biased conclusions in laboratory diagnosis and research.
Comparison Theorems on Weighted Finsler Manifolds and Spacetimes with ϵ-Range
Authors: Lu Yufeng , Minguzzi Ettore , Ohta Shin-ichi
Published: March 2022

We establish the Bonnet–Myers theorem, Laplacian comparison theorem, and Bishop–Gromov volume comparison theorem for weighted Finsler manifolds as well as weighted Finsler spacetimes, of weighted Ricci curvature bounded below by using the weight function. These comparison theorems are formulated with ϵ-range introduced in our previous paper, that provides a natural viewpoint of interpolating weighted Ricci curvature conditions of different effective dimensions. Some of our results are new even for weighted Riemannian manifolds and generalize comparison theorems of Wylie–Yeroshkin and Kuwae–Li.
Parameterization of long-period eclipsing binaries
Authors: Pakhomova Polina , Berdnikov Leonid , Kniazev Alexei , Katkov Ivan , Malkov Oleg
Published: March 2022

One of the important sources for independent determination of stellar masses is eclipsing binaries with components on the main sequence, and with observable spectral lines of both components. The parameters of such stars are used to construct the mass–luminosity relation for stars of high and intermediate masses. Among them, the type of long-period eclipsing binaries stands out, the parameters of which are currently not fully determined, which is associated with the difficulties caused by the need for long-term observations. In this article, we will review the currently available observational data for such objects and discuss the prospects for their use to determine stellar masses.
Designing of fault-tolerant computer system structures using residue number systems
Authors: Krasnobayev Victor , Kuznetsov Alexandr , Kiian Anastasiia
Published: March 2022

This article discusses computing systems that operate in residue number systems (RNSs). The main direction of improving computer systems (CSs) is increasing the speed of implementation of arithmetic operations and the reliability of their functioning. Encoding data in RNS solves the problem of optimal redundancy, i.e., the creation of such computing systems provides maximum reliability with restrictions on weight and size characteristics. This article proposes new structures of fault-tolerant CSs operating in RNS in the case of the application with an active fault-tolerant method. The use of the active fault-tolerant method (dynamic redundancy) in the RNSs provides higher reliability. In addition, with an increase in the digits of CSs, the efficiency of using the proposed structures increases.
Haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis during pregnancy: a case presentation and literature review
Authors: Fávero Vanraes Larissa , Beckers Veerle , Van Berkel Kim , Gucciardo Leonardo , Faron Gilles
Published: March 2022

Objectives

Haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a potentially fatal disorder of the immune system that typically occurs in the paediatric population. Diagnosing this rare disease in the adult population is challenging, particularly during pregnancy.

Case presentation

We present a case of a gravid patient developing HLH at week 13 of gestation undergoing a medical termination of pregnancy at 27 weeks due to anhydramnios and associated stopped foetal growth.

Conclusions

Disease triggers could vary from a simple viral infection to the pregnancy as such causing the disorder. Treatment should benefit the mother and limit the foetal harm.
Performance enhancement of a circularly polarized printed monopole for wireless system application
Authors: Bag Biplab , Biswas Sushanta , Sarkar Sushanta , Sarkar Partha Pratim
Published: March 2022

The most important characterizing parameters which determine the antenna performance are axial ratio bandwidth, impedance bandwidth and gain of wireless systems. The improvement of these parameters are presented in the proposed antenna. Basically, the proposed design consists of an inverted L-shaped microstrip feed line and modified ground plane. The size of the antenna is 0.4 × 0.28 × 0.0128 λ
0 (where λ
0 be the free space wavelength at f

r
of 2.4 GHz). The designed antenna has been fabricated and the measured results of fabricated antenna are compared with the simulated results. It is found that the results are very good in agreement. Novelty of the research work is the improvement of axial ratio (less than 3 dB) bandwidth. As a result, the antenna is circularly polarized for a good amount of bandwidth which is desired in the modern communication system. Circularly polarized antenna is able to transmit and receive both vertically and horizontally polarized electromagnetic waves.
Three-dimensional carbon architectures with O doping and rich defects for catalytic conversion of polysulfides
Authors: Yang Xue , Du Zhiming , Lei Zhiping , Shui Hengfu , Han Song , Yan Honglei , Yan Jingchong , Li Zhanku , Wang Zhicai , Ren Shibiao , Kong Ying , Kang Shigang
Published: March 2022

To deal with the notorious shuttle behavior and sluggish conversion of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs), heteroatoms doping and defects creating are practical strategies for improving capture and catalytic conversion of LiPSs. In this work, O doped porous carbon materials (OPC) with a 3D hierarchical structure, consisting of 2–4 μm carbon sheets decorated with macrospores of 0.2–0.4 μm, was fabricated with MgO template. It is found that the increasing the carbonization temperature and the amount of MgO will make OPC rich in oxygen functional groups and defect sites. Electrochemical measures show that the OPC12–800 achieves reversible capacity (an initial discharge specific capacity of 1448.4 mAh g−1 at current density of 0.1 C) and cycling performance (717.7 mAh g−1 at 2 C over 200 cycles). The excellent electrochemical performance is attributed to the hierarchical porous structure, abundant C–O/C=O and defects, which effectively adsorbs polysulfides and promote faster redox reaction of LiPSs. This study provides an alternative to improve the performance of carbon materials as host of Li–S batteries by regulating the types of oxygen-containing functional groups and defects on carbon surface.
A New Plasticating Model for Amorphous and Semi-crystalline Polymers in Single Screw Extruders
Authors: Zitzenbacher G. , Langecker G. R.
Published: March 2022

Polymeric thermoplastic materials can be subdivided in amorphous and semi-crystalline ones. In contrast to semi-crystalline polymers amorphous thermoplastic materials have no defined phase transition and hence no melt enthalpy. The glass transition region describes the change of the material behaviour from the state of a rubber like to an under-cooled fluid (glassy state). Setting the melt enthalpy in the Stefan-Neumann problem zero gives no valid results for the solid bed profile. Thus this condition is unsuitable for describing the plasticating process of amorphous polymers.

In this paper a new model for the plastication of amorphous and semi-crystalline polymers in single screw extruders is presented. Therefore a new calculation method for the determination of the moving velocity between the glassy solid bed and the softened film region on the barrel surface is developed. The whole enthalpy to heat up the polymer on a critical flow temperature in the screw channel is considered.
3D Finite Element Simulation of Processing of Generalized Newtonian Fluids in Counter-rotating and Tangential TSE and Die Combination
Authors: Malik M. , Kalyon D. M.
Published: March 2022

A full three-dimensional finite element analysis of the nonisothermal flow of generalized non-Newtonian fluids in counter-rotating tangential twin screw extruder is presented. Previous studies of the simulation of processing in tangential twin screw extruders have focused solely on the twin screw extruder, whereas here the coupled flow and heat transfer occurring in the integrated geometry of the extruder, connected to a die are considered. The FEM based numerical simulation of the coupled momentum-mass-energy conservation equations allowed the determination of the effects of some of the important system parameters, including the power law index and the staggering angle of the screws, on the pumping and pressurization capability of the extruder and the associated degree of fill in the extruder.
Melt Intercalation in Montmorillonite/Polystyrene Nanocomposites
Authors: Nassar N. , Utracki L. A. , Kamal M. R.
Published: March 2022

Atactic polystyrene (PS) was used to study the effect of flow field (shear and/or elongational) on the intercalation of polymer/clay nanocomposites (PNC). Three grades of (PS), with different molecular weights, were compounded with an ammonium-modified montmorillonite (Cloisite 10A) in a twin-screw extruder (TSE). The compounds were subsequently fed to a single screw extruder, fitted with one of three specially designed torpedo-attachments. The attachments were designed to provide combinations of different levels of shear and elongational deformations. The resins, TSE compounds, and final PNC’s were characterized for the degree of intercalation, degradation, rheological behavior, and mechanical properties. The data showed that the thermal decomposition of the quaternary ammonium intercalant caused severe damage to both PNC components: a collapse of the organoclay interlayer spacing, and the thermo-oxidative degradation of PS. In spite of these detrimental effects, the attachment employing combined elongational and shear flow resulted in generally larger gallery spacing and more improvement of the mechanical properties than the other two attachments.
Eurasian oystercatcher optimiser: New meta-heuristic algorithm
Authors: Salim Ahmad , Jummar Wisam K. , Jasim Farah Maath , Yousif Mohammed
Published: March 2022

Modern optimisation is increasingly relying on meta-heuristic methods. This study presents a new meta-heuristic optimisation algorithm called Eurasian oystercatcher optimiser (EOO). The EOO algorithm mimics food behaviour of Eurasian oystercatcher (EO) in searching for mussels. In EOO, each bird (solution) in the population acts as a search agent. The EO changes the candidate mussel according to the best solutions to finally eat the best mussel (optimal result). A balance must be achieved among the size, calories, and energy of mussels. The proposed algorithm is benchmarked on 58 test functions of three phases (unimodal, multimodal, and fixed-diminution multimodal) and compared with several important algorithms as follows: particle swarm optimiser, grey wolf optimiser, biogeography based optimisation, gravitational search algorithm, and artificial bee colony. Finally, the results of the test functions prove that the proposed algorithm is able to provide very competitive results in terms of improved exploration and exploitation balances and local optima avoidance.
Factors affecting utilization of CT scan following ultrasound evaluation of suspected appendicitis
Authors: Zisman Adam , Novi Brian , Gaughan John , Carr Lauren
Published: March 2022

Context

When evaluating a pediatric patient in the emergency department for suspected appendicitis, a provider is often faced with the dilemma of deciding if a computed tomography (CT) scan is warranted when—as is most often the case—ultrasound results do not yield a definitive diagnosis. The potential risks of radiation must be weighed against numerous aspects of a patient’s background, physical exam, and already-obtained workup.

Objectives

This study aims to aid in future decision making of providers in their evaluation of patients with suspected appendicitis, to help facilitate a more comprehensive answer to the “next-steps” in the question of equivocal ultrasound, and to create a pathway utilizing lab results, physical exam findings, and pertinent positives and negatives in patient history to facilitate a more objective decision-making process for ordering a CT scan.

Methods

A retrospective chart review was performed for patients who were evaluated for possible appendicitis at our institution between October 2016 and October 2017 and whose ultrasound results were equivocal. We determined what factors led to increased frequency of obtaining CT scans.

Results

Statistical analysis showed that several factors were independently associated with the increased likelihood of having a CT scan performed. When considered in combination with the other parameters, it was found that older children, males, report of right lower quadrant (RLQ) pain, and presence of RLQ tenderness on physical exam were all associated with a significantly higher likelihood of having a CT scan performed.

Conclusions

When combined with present algorithms and protocols already in use, this information can assist the provider in making prudent decisions for their patients with the potential for reduced provider bias.
Customer knowledge and behavior on the use of food refrigerated display cabinets: A Portuguese case
Authors: Gonçalves João Carlos , Guiné Raquel P. F. , Amoedo Carolina , Correia Paula
Published: March 2022

This article presents a study on customer knowledge and habits regarding the use of refrigerated display cabinets (RDC). The study was carried out on a sample of Portuguese retail stores’ customers, using a questionnaire survey available through an Internet platform. The sample consisted of 136 individuals, who voluntarily participated in the study. Questions included the characterization of the sociodemographic population involved. The questionnaire included different questions to related with RDC, namely customer knowledge about the appearance of each RDC equipment, questions to evaluate the respondents’ perception about the advantages and disadvantages related to open or glass-door closed RDC, questions to assess the participants’ habits and behavior when purchasing food products from glass-door closed RDC (frequency and duration of door open), questions to characterize the consumers’ habits on purchasing food products from RDC, and also questions to characterize the consumers’ shopping attitudes in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, caused by SARS-CoV-2. The results seem to indicate that customers prefer closed RDC; for example, 61.8% of participants prefer products preserved in glass-door closed RDC, against 6.6% that admit to preferring products preserved in open RDC. Therefore, we can deduce that the existence of doors does not appear to be an obstacle to purchasing food products. Regarding the use of glass-door closed RDC, 80.1% of the participants say they just open the door once, and 53.7% of the costumers believe they keep the door open in the interval [4‒6 s]. This indicates that Portuguese customers are quite well informed about food safety issues and seem to follow assertive attitudes when purchasing food products from RDC. This study reinforces the benefits of replacing open RDC by closed glass-doors allowing significant energy savings.