bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Lung Function Impairment and Workplace Control Measures among Marble Stone Carvers in Sa-Kyin Village, Madayar Township, Myanmar
Authors: Htun Zaw Z , Win Yi Y , Myat Aung M , Naing Soe M 
Published: May 2021

Introduction: Marble rocks, composed of dust containing calcium carbonate and silica particles, predispose to a higher prevalence of occupational lung diseases. This study aimed to assess workplace control measures and lung function impairment among marble stone carvers.
Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among 120 marble stone carvers in Sa-Kyin Village, Madayar Township in May 2019. Information about existing control measures in the workplace was assessed using a pre-tested structured questionnaire and participants’ lung function using spirometry. Respirable dust measurements in twelve randomly selected workers were performed by personal air sampling pumps.
Results: It was found that 9.2% of marble stone carvers used disposable or cloth masks throughout the working time, but no one was found using appropriate devices like respirators. No one reported about regular medical checkup and provision of health education at the workplaces. Spirometry testing showed 55.8% had lung function impairment. Concentrations of respirable dust ranged from 7.19 to 10.13 mg/m3, significantly higher than the recommended Threshold Limit Value (3 mg/m3). In multivariable logistic regression analysis, development of lung function impairment was associated with age [adjusted Odds Ratio (aOR) = 2.84; 95% CI = 1.02,7.91] and use of face mask (aOR = 0.11; 95% CI = 0.01,0.91).
Conclusion: The working environment was found dusty, and a significant proportion of workers had lung function impairment. It is essential to adopt proper dust control measures in stone carving workplaces. Preventive measures like medical surveillance and health education program are vital to reduce the burdens from occupational lung diseases.
Prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders and their association with ergonomic physical risk factors among women working in tea gardens of Darjeeling district of West Bengal, India
Authors: Chakraborty Sumanta , Bhattacherjee Sharmistha , Mukherjee Abhijit , Dasgupta Samir 
Published: May 2021

Introduction: Work related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) is common among tea-plucking folks and may be attributed to the long duration of work in same posture, the load they carry while plucking and transporting the leaves to the nearest depot, improper job rotations and the difficult hilly terrains.
Objective: To determine the prevalence and pattern of musculoskeletal disorders among tea garden workers and to ascertain the risk factors for the same.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 210 female tea garden workers employed in tea gardens of Darjeeling district using 30 cluster sampling design. Data on musculoskeletal morbidities were collected using Standard Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire and ergonomic risk was assessed by Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) worksheet.
Results: Proportion of musculoskeletal disorders in past 12 months was 92.4% and in past 7 days was 71.4%. Upper extremities were the most commonly affected body part. Higher altitude, age, BMI, more duration in present job, history of work related injuries and increased REBA risk assessment score were found to be significantly associated with musculoskeletal disorders.
Conclusion: Musculoskeletal morbidities among female tea garden workers of Darjeeling were found to be considerably high. Ergonomic mechanised assistance in tea plucking can reduce this proportion of MSD and thus may go a long way in reducing sickness absenteeism and increasing productivity.
Financial support and sponsorship - Nil.
Conflicts of interest - There are no conflicts of interest.
Occupational health hazard among Security Guards in Kathmandu District, Nepal
Authors: Manandhar Naresh , Jha Archana , Mishra Aakash , Mishra Anjali , Gupta Vaibhav , Baniya Tara , Joshi Sunil Kumar 
Published: May 2021

Introduction: The job of security guard is to protect the property and the people who reside or work on the premises where they guard. The occupational safety requires the maintenance and the promotion of workers’ health and working capacity by improving the working environment and the development of working organizations. The aim of study was to assess the occupational health hazards among the security guards and to find association between occupational health hazards with demographic variables.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among the security guards across Kathmandu district from 20th December 2020 to 8th January 2021 using convenient sampling technique. The data was collected by direct interview method using the structured questionnaire.
Results: The mean age of the respondents was 36.5 years with standard deviation 9.54. Males were 88.5 %. Most of the respondents (74%) were married. Majority of the respondents (78%) were Hindu by religion. The prevalence of Muscle pain was 70%, one fifth of the respondents (20%) had lower back pain. The Neck pain, elbow-hand- wrist pain and upper back pain each was present in 10% of the respondents.
Conclusion: The muscular pain was not significant difference with demographic variables age, sex, marital status, ethnicity, religion and education status. The muscle pain was found higher in low worked experience of the security guards and not statistically significant.
Intradural plasmacytoma originating from the filum terminale in the setting of multiple myeloma: illustrative case
Authors: Glasser Jamieson , Glasser Ryan 
Published: May 2021

BACKGROUNDMultiple myeloma (MM) has the propensity to spread to vertebral bodies; however, extramedullary plasmacytomas involving the central nervous system are extremely rare.OBSERVATIONSThe authors report the first intradural extramedullary plasmacytoma in the lumbar region of the spine in a patient with preexisting MM. They present a 50-year-old female with severe back and radicular pain and progressive neurological deficit.LESSONSMM is typically treated with chemotherapy and radiation therapy. However, in this unique case, resection proved to be a key part of treatment.
Noninvasive evaluation of craniovertebral junction instability in 2 patients following Chiari decompression with rigid C-collar immobilization: illustrative cases
Authors: Sunshine Kerrin S. , Elder Theresa A. , Tomei Krystal L. 
Published: May 2021

BACKGROUNDThe complex Chiari malformation has been identified in a subset of Chiari patients at higher risk for worsening symptoms following Chiari decompression. Although parameters such as the clivoaxial angle and the perpendicular distance of the dens to the line from the basion to the inferoposterior part of the C2 body (pBC2) have been evaluated to help with the prediction of risk, the decision to pursue an occipitocervical fusion in lower-risk patients does not come without inherent risk.OBSERVATIONSThe authors present 2 patients who had symptoms of worsening ventral brainstem compression following Chiari decompression, neither of whom was categorized in the highest risk category for occipitocervical instability. In addition, neither patient had gross instability on radiographic imaging. A trial with rigid C-collar immobilization provided relief of symptoms in both patients and allowed reassurance of the likelihood of success of occipitocervical fusion.LESSONSIn patients without clear radiographic instability following Chiari decompression, a C-collar trial may provide a noninvasive option for assessing the potential success of occipitocervical fusion.
Management of a cervical spine neurenteric cyst via an anterior surgical approach: illustrative case
Authors: Salehani Arsalaan , Howell Sasha , Harmon Daniel 
Published: May 2021

BACKGROUNDCentral nervous system neurenteric cysts (NCs) represent a rare entity thought to arise from failure of the separation of endodermal and neuroectodermal elements during week 3 of embryogenesis. They account for 0.7–1.3% of all spinal cord lesions and are typically intradural extramedullary lesions located near the cervicothoracic junction. Most NCs are associated with multisystem malformation disorders, making a solitary extramedullary NC a rare entity.OBSERVATIONSA 45-year-old man presented with progressive right lower-extremity weakness and an inability to walk. Cervical spine magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated an approximately 1.6 × 1.1 × 2.7–cm, T2 hyperintense, nonenhancing, intradural, extramedullary cystic lesion at the level of C6–7 eccentric to the right with atrophy of the spinal cord. An anterior surgical approach was used for resection of the cyst in totality with C6–7 corpectomies and anterior plating and fixation from C5 to T1. Postoperatively at 1 month, the patient denied any significant neck or arm pain and demonstrated improving right lower-extremity strength, allowing some funcitonal independence.LESSONSA solitary, extramedullary cervical NC is a rare entity, with a posterior surgical approach for resection primarily described in the literature. The authors present anterior corpectomy and plating with fixation as a viable surgical approach for this rare pathology.
Posterior communicating artery injury and symptomatic vasospasm after high-energy blunt head injury: illustrative case
Authors: Omar Nidal B. , Chagoya Gustavo , Marotta Dario , Elsayed Galal , Harrigan Mark R. 
Published: May 2021

BACKGROUNDMost of the published literature pertaining to blunt traumatic cerebrovascular injury (BCVI) is focused on extracranial arterial injury. Studies of intracranial arterial injury are relatively uncommon.OBSERVATIONSThe clinical course of a patient who sustained an injury to the right posterior communicating artery followed by infarction due to vasospasm after severe traumatic brain injury is presented, along with a focused literature review.LESSONSIntracranial BCVI is uncommon, and this report may serve to raise awareness of BCVI management and the importance of recognizing symptomatic vasospasm due to BCVI.
Large prevertebral hematoma and carotid pseudoaneurysm following percutaneous anterior cervical discectomy: illustrative case
Authors: Basil Gregory W. , Sprau Annelise C. , Starke Robert M. , Levi Allan D. , Wang Michael Y. 
Published: May 2021

BACKGROUNDThe percutaneous, endoscope-assisted anterior cervical discectomy is a relatively new procedure, and because of its novelty, complications are minimal and pertinent literature is scarce. This approach relies on a sufficient anatomical understanding of the vital neurovascular structures in the operating workspace. Although complications are rare, they can be significant.OBSERVATIONSThe patient presented with difficulty breathing following an anterior percutaneous cervical discectomy performed at an outpatient surgical center. Imaging revealed a prevertebral hematoma and multiple carotid pseudoaneurysms. Given the large prevertebral hematoma and concern for imminent airway collapse, the authors proceeded with emergent intubation and surgical evacuation of the clot.LESSONSThe authors propose managing complications in a fashion similar to those for comparable injuries after classic anterior approaches. Definitive management of our patient’s carotid injury would require stenting and, therefore, dual antiplatelet agents. Thus, the authors proceeded with the hematoma evacuation first. Additionally, careful dissection was needed to decrease further carotid damage. Thus, the authors made a more rostral incision to maintain the given stability of the carotid insult before the angiographic intervention to follow. It is the authors’ hope that the technical pearls from this two-staged open hematoma evacuation and endovascular stenting may guide future presurgical and intraoperative planning and management of complications, should they arise.
Large intramedullary bronchogenic cyst of the cervical spine: illustrative case
Authors: Wu Adela , Patel Mahesh , Darbonne Dawn , Singh Harminder 
Published: May 2021

BACKGROUNDSpinal bronchogenic cysts are rare entities arising from errors in embryogenesis and consisting of respiratory epithelial cells. To date, there are three other published accounts of intramedullary cysts, which were partially resected and thereby warrant close follow-up and monitoring. The authors present an illustrative case of a patient presenting with Klippel-Feil anomaly and a large intramedullary bronchogenic cyst in the upper cervical spine.OBSERVATIONSThe authors noted fusion of the C5–6 laminae as they performed the C2–6 laminectomy. After dural opening, an intramedullary lesion with a smooth, fibrous component emerging from the dorsal spinal cord was immediately observed. The dorsal spinal columns were not involved with this cyst wall or the other smaller cysts, which all contained gray fluid. The cyst walls were partially resected and sent for pathological examination.LESSONSSpinal developmental cysts are associated with other anatomical anomalies, such as Klippel-Feil anomaly, arising from errors in embryogenesis. For intramedullary lesions such as this patient’s bronchogenic cyst, partial resection and decompression are the goals of surgery because aggressive debulking may lead to neurological compromise. Close imaging follow-up is warranted.
Anterior cervical transvertebral approach for resection of an intraspinal ventral lesion: illustrative case
Authors: Zhang Dongao , Fan Tao , Fan Wayne , Zhao Xingang 
Published: May 2021

BACKGROUND
The anterior cervical corpectomy and fusion approach has been reported for the removal of ventral cervical tumors. However, the normal cervical vertebral body and the adjacent intervertebral discs have to be sacrificed. In this paper, the authors describe a novel anterior cervical transvertebral approach for the resection of cervical intraspinal ventral lesions.

OBSERVATIONS
A patient presented with an anteriorly placed extramedullary cyst. An anterior cervical transvertebral open-window and close-window approach was designed and applied to resect an intraspinal ventral enterogenous cyst. With this novel technique, a square was cut through the whole vertebral body at the four sides. After the cyst resection, the bone block was restored and fixed with a titanium miniplate. The lesion was totally resected, and the compression of the spinal cord was relieved. The physiological function of the cervical spine was kept intact after the operation. There was no postsurgical complication. The cervical alignment was normal at the 1-year postoperative follow-up.

LESSONS
The anterior cervical transvertebral open-window and close-window approach was developed and confirmed to be effective for the resection of cervical intraspinal lesions. The cervical physiological structure and function can be restored with this new technique.
Analysis of Hybrid Technique for Motion Planning of Humanoid NAO
Authors: Kashyap Abhishek Kumar , R. Parhi Dayal , Pandey Anish 
Published: May 2021

The navigation of a humanoid robot is essential because it is the basic requirement of any assigned task. Singly used motion planning techniques may take a long path to reach the target and increase the computational cost. Therefore, in this article, a hybrid controller is employed in the humanoid NAO for motion planning assignment. The Eagle strategy (ES) with Ant colony optimization (ACO) is introduced in this article for evaluating precise steering angles for humanoid robots as they traverse a route from a reference point to a target point. This enables the robot to achieve its specific target more quickly by avoiding barriers and obtaining the minimal global direction. The hybridized ES-ACO approach is critical in determining precise steering angles to escape obstacles. The details of terrain are obtained using vision and ultrasonic sensors, which also include the barriers ranges to the ES as an input variable. The ES's input parameters are the barrier ranges from the NAO in front, left, and right directions, and the technique's output variable is the precise steering angle. The designed controller is tested in both a simulation and an experimental setting with a variety of obstacles. The outcomes of both simulation and experimental conditions are compared, and a strong correlation is identified in those with the fewest deviations.
On the respect to the Hashin-Shtrikman bounds of some analytical methods applying to porous media for estimating elastic moduli
Authors: Nguyen N. , Tran N.Q , Tran B.A , Do Q.H 
Published: May 2021

In this work, some popular analytic formulas such as Maxwell (MA), Mori-Tanaka approximation (MTA), and a recent method, named the Polarization approximation (PA) will be applied to estimate the elastic moduli for some porous media. These approximations are simple and robust but can be lack reliability in many cases. The Hashin-Shtrikman (H-S) bounds do not supply an exact value but a range that has been admitted by researchers in material science. Meanwhile, the effective properties by unit cell method using the finite element method (FEM) are considered accurate. Different shapes of void inclusions in two or three dimensions are employed to investigate. Results generated by H-S bounds and FEM will be utilized as references. The comparison suggests that the method constructed from the minimum energy principle PA can give a better estimation in some cases. The discussion gives out some remarks which are helpful for the evaluation of effective elastic moduli.
Keywords:
Maxwell approximation; polarization approximation; Mori-Tanaka approximation; effective elastic moduli; porous medium.
Recycling of waste incineration bottom ash in the production of interlocking concrete bricks
Authors: May Nguyen Huu , Phuoc Huynh Trong , Phieu Le Thanh , Anh Ngo Van , Khai Chau Minh , Nong Le 
Published: May 2021

This study presents an experimental investigation on the recycling of waste incineration bottom ash (IBA) as a fine aggregate in the production of interlocking concrete bricks (ICB). Before being used, the concentration of heavy metal in IBA was determined to confirm it is a non-toxic material. In this study, the IBA was used to replace crushed sand (CSA) in the brick mixtures at different replacement levels of 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% (by volume). The ICB samples were checked for dimensions, visible defects, compressive strength, bending strength, water absorption, and surface abrasion in accordance with the related Vietnamese standards. The test results demonstrated that the IBA used in this study was a non-toxic material, which can be widely used for construction activities. All of the ICB samples prepared for this study exhibited a nice shape with consistent dimensions and without any visible defects. The incorporation of IBA in the brick mixtures affected engineering properties of the ICB samples such as a reduction in the compressive strength and bending strength and an increment in water absorption and surface abrasion of the brick samples. As a result, the compressive strength, bending strength, water absorption, and surface abrasion values of ICB samples at 28 days were in the ranges of 20.6 – 34.9 MPa, 3.95 – 6.62 MPa, 3.8 – 7.2%, and 0.132 – 0.187 g/cm2, respectively. Therefore, either partial or full replacement of CSA by IBA, the ICB with grades of M200 – M300 could be produced with satisfying the TCVN 6476:1999 standard in terms of dimensions, visible defects, compressive strength, water absorption, and surface abrasion. These results demonstrated the high applicability of the local IBA in the production of the ICB for various construction application purposes.
Keywords:
interlocking concrete brick; waste incineration bottom ash; visible defect; compressive strength; bending strength; water absorption; surface abrasion.
TRADISI POTONG GIGI SEBAGAI WUJUD WARISAN KEARIFAN LOKAL PADA SUKU DAYAK DESA DI KABUPATEN SINTANG
Authors: Fusnika Fusnika , Febriani Jemi 
Published: May 2021

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui tradisi Potong Gigi sebagai wujud warisan kearifan lokal pada suku Dayak Desa di Kabupaten Sintang. Masalah dalam penelitian ini adalah bagaimana proses pelaksanaan tradisi Potong Gigi pada suku Dayak Desa, bagaimana adat yang menjadi warisan turun-temurun ini berperan dalam menumbuhkan kesadaran sosial dan nilai solidaritas pada masyarakat Suku Dayak Desa. Metode yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah kualitatif deskriptif. Teknik pengumpulan data yang digunakan adalah teknik observasi, wawancara, dan studi dokumentasi, Sedangkan alat pengumpulan data adalah panduan observasi, panduan wawancara, dan dokumentasi. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa Budaya Lokal Potong Gigi masih terlestarikan dengan baik dengan terlaksananya Tradisi Potong Gigi secara rutin setiap tahunnya. Terlaksananya Tradisi Potong Gigi secara turun-temurun pada suku Dayak Desa di Kabupaten Sintang menjadi bukti kearifan lokal adat budaya masih terjaga kelestariannya. Kata kunci: Kearifan Lokal, Tradisi Potong Gigi, Dayak Desa.
BER PERFORMANCE OF JOINT POLAR CODED SIGNAL AND MIMO USING MILLIMETER WAVE
Authors: F. Aliwee Hala , A. Kadhim Abdulkareem 
Published: May 2021

There have been active researches worldwide for evolving the next-generation networks such as 5G. The 5G network is predicted to ensure considerable mobile data traffic having large number of wireless connections. This is combined with high energy-efficiency and Quality of Service (QoS). For these reasons, 5G should be exploited the prospect of new developments, including multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technology and using higher frequencies such as the millimeter-wave (mmWave) frequency band. Error correction techniques are commonly utilized to reduce transmission error and enhance QoS. In the present work, Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) aided polar codes with successive cancellation list (SCL) decoding is used in conjunction with mmWave and MIMO system in order to gain the advantages of these techniques together. The mentioned combined techniques are modeled and simulated to show their performances over different wireless channel models mainly: Additive White Gaussian Noise (AWGN), flat fading, and mmWave indoor fading channel. The results showed that combining polar code with MIMO system improves the Bit Error Rate (BER) performance by at least 6 dB at BER of 10-4 compared to the case where no polar code being used.