bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Symptomatic Hyponatremia due to Tacrolimus-Induced Salt-Losing Nephropathy in a Kidney Transplant Recipient
Authors: Naveen K. K. L. , Kedlaya Prashant G. , Jairam Ananthram , Renuka S. 
Published: October 2023

Abstract
Tacrolimus is the most important drug in current posttransplant immunosuppressive protocol. Salt-losing nephropathy causing symptomatic hyponatremia as an adverse effect of tacrolimus has been rarely reported. We report recurrent hyponatremia and graft dysfunction in a young renal transplant recipient, with no evidence of rejection, attributable to. tacrolimus-induced salt-wasting nephropathy.
Near-lossless Compression of Tc-99 m DMSA Scan Images Using Discrete Cosine Transformation
Authors: Yadav Priya , Pandey Anil Kumar , Chaudhary Jagrati , Sharma Param Dev , Jaleel Jasim , Baghel Vivek , Patel Chetan , Kumar Rakesh 
Published: October 2023

Aim and Objective:
The objective of this study was to optimize the threshold for discrete cosine transform (DCT) coefficients for near-lossless compression of Tc-99 m Dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) scan images using discrete cosine transformation.

Materials and Methods:
Two nuclear medicine (NM) Physicians after reviewing several Tc-99 m DMSA scan images provided 242 Tc-99 m DMSA scan images that had scar. These Digital imaging and communication in medicine (DICOM) images were converted in the Portable Network Graphics (PNG) format. DCT was applied on these PNG images, which resulted in DCT coefficients corresponding to each pixel of the image. Four different thresholds equal to 5, 10, 15, and 20 were applied and then inverse discrete cosine transformation was applied to get the compressed Tc-99 m DMSA scan images. Compression factor was calculated as the ratio of the number of nonzero elements after thresholding DCT coefficients to the number of nonzero elements before thresholding DCT coefficients. Two NM physicians who had provided the input images visually compared the compressed images with its input image, and categorized the compressed images as either acceptable or unacceptable. The quality of compressed images was also assessed objectively using the following eight image quality metrics: perception-based image quality evaluator, structural similarity index measure (SSIM), multiSSIM, feature similarity indexing method, blur, global contrast factor, contrast per pixel, and brightness. Pairwise Wilcoxon signed-rank sum tests were applied to find the statistically significant difference between the value of image quality metrics of the compressed images obtained at different thresholds and the value of the image quality metrics of its input images at the level of significance = 0.05.

Results:
At threshold 5, (1) all compressed images (242 out of 242 Tc-99 m DMSA scan images) were acceptable to both the NM Physicians, (2) Compressed image looks identical to its original image and no loss of clinical details was noticed in compressed images, (3) Up to 96.65% compression (average compression: 82.92%) was observed, and (4) Result of objective assessment supported the visual assessment. The quality of compressed images at thresholds 10, 15, and 20 was significantly better than that of input images at P < 0.0001. However, the number of unacceptable compressed images at thresholds 10, 15, and 20 was 6, 38, and 70, respectively.

Conclusions:
Up to 96.65%, near-losses compression of Tc-99 m DMSA images was found using DCT by thresholding DCT coefficients at a threshold value equal to 5.
Detection of Axillary Lymph Node Involvement in Early-Stage Breast Cancer: Comparison between Staging 18F-2-Fluoro-2-Deoxy-D-Glucose Positron Emission Tomography–Computed Tomography Scans, Mammography, and Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy
Authors: Gupta Raju , Das Jayanta , Sinha Sayantani , Agarwal Sanjit , Sharma Abhisekh , Ahmed Rosina , Chanda Aditi , Arun Indu , Ray Soumendranath 
Published: October 2023

Aims:
The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of 18F-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography

–
computed tomography (PET-CT) scan in the detection of axillary lymph node (ALN) involvement and comparison with sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) in operable early-stage breast cancer (EBC).

Settings and Design:
It is a retrospective analysis of staging PET-CT scan of EBC.

Methods:
A total of 128 patients with histopathologically proven breast cancer (BC) were included in the study. Preoperative mammography supplemented with ultrasonography and staging 18F-FDG PET-CT scan was done for all patients. Surgery was done within 30 (mean ± standard deviation = 13.8 ± 10.5) days of staging. SLNB was performed in patients without PET-positive ALNs. All patients with positive sentinel nodes and PET-positive ALNs underwent axillary lymph node dissection (ALND).

Statistical Analysis Used:
The comparison between categorical variables was made by Chi-square/Fisher’s exact test as applicable. For continuous variables comparisons, Student’s t-test and one-way analysis of variance tests were used.

Results:
Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of PET-CT scan for detection of ALN involvement were 41.7%, 93.2%, 92.1%, and 45.6%, respectively. Sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of mammography were 84.5%, 54.5%, 78.0%, and 68.6%, respectively. Sixteen out of 46 (34.7%) patients with negative ALNs in PET-CT scan finally showed involvement in histopathology report after SLNB resulting in upstage of the disease. The size of tumor deposits in sentinel nodes was significantly smaller than PET-positive ALNs (P = 0.01). Our observations correlate with the results of earlier studies published in the literature.

Conclusions:

18F-FDG PET-CT scan cannot substitute SLNB for ALN screening in EBC. The limitations are most marked in smaller and micrometastatic tumor deposits in ALNs and may be attributed to limitations of PET resolution. However, PET-positive nodes showed good specificity for disease involvement in our study. Therefore, ALND can safely be performed by omitting SLNB in such cases.
Role of Textural Analysis of Pretreatment 18F Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography in Response Prediction in Esophageal Carcinoma Patients
Authors: Mishra Ajit , Ravina Mudalsha , Kote Rutuja , Kumar Amit , Kashyap Yashwant , Dasgupta Subhajit , Reddy Moulish 
Published: October 2023

Introduction:
Positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) is routinely used for staging, response assessment, and surveillance in esophageal carcinoma patients. The aim of this study was to investigate whether textural features of pretreatment 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) PET/CT images can contribute to prognosis prediction in carcinoma oesophagus patients.

Materials and Methods:
This is a retrospective study of 30 diagnosed carcinoma esophagus patients. These patients underwent pretreatment 18F-FDG PET/CT for staging. The images were processed in a commercially available textural analysis software. Region of interest was drawn over primary tumor with a 40% threshold and was processed further to derive 92 textural and radiomic parameters. These parameters were then compared between progression group and nonprogression group. The original dataset was subject separately to receiver operating curve analysis. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to identify the cutoff values for textural features with a P < 0.05 for statistical significance. Feature selection was done with principal component analysis. The selected features of each evaluator were subject to 4 machine-learning algorithms. The highest area under the curve (AUC) values was selected for 10 features.

Results:
A retrospective study of 30 primary carcinoma esophagus patients was done. Patients were followed up after chemo-radiotherapy and they underwent follow-up PET/CT. On the basis of their response, patients were divided into progression group and nonprogression group. Among them, 15 patients showed disease progression and 15 patients were in the nonprogression group. Ten textural analysis parameters turned out to be significant in the prediction of disease progression. Cutoff values were calculated for these parameters according to the ROC curves, GLZLM_long zone emphasis (Gray Level Zone Length Matrix)_long zone emphasis (44.9), GLZLM_low gray level zone emphasis (0.006), GLZLM_short zone low gray level emphasis (0.0032), GLZLM_long zone low gray level emphasis (0.185), GLRLM_long run emphasis (Gray Level Run Length Matrix) (1.31), GLRLM_low gray level run emphasis (0.0058), GLRLM_short run low gray level emphasis (0.005496), GLRLM_long run low gray level emphasis (0.00727), NGLDM_Busyness (Neighborhood Gray Level Difference Matrix) (0.75), and gray level co-occurrence matrix_homogeneity (0.37). Feature selection by principal components analysis and feature classification by the K-nearest neighbor machine-learning model using independent training and test samples yielded the overall highest AUC.

Conclusions:
Textural analysis parameters could provide prognostic information in carcinoma esophagus patients. Larger multicenter studies are needed for better clinical prognostication of these parameters.
A Prospective Comparative Study between 99mTc MIBI Myocardial Perfusion Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography and Dobutamine Stress Echocardiography to Detect Viable Myocardium in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease
Authors: Jha Deepak Kumar , Mahato Abhishek , Jain Anurag , Bohra Vijay , Tiwari Awadhesh 
Published: October 2023

Introduction:
The objective of this study was to compare 99mTc MIBI myocardial perfusion SPECT and Dobutamine Stress Echocardiography (DSE) in detecting viable myocardium in patients with Coronary Artery Disease.

Materials and Methods:
Total of 50 patients who with CAD and poor LV function were idenitifed on 2D Echo using 16 segment cardiac model. These patients underwent 99mTc MIBI myocardial perfusion SPECT and Dobutamine Stress Echocardiography and the results were compared with the gold standard 18F-FDG PET-CT findings.

Results:
A Total of 550 dysfunctional segments were identified in datasets of 50 patients on 2D echo. No significant difference was noted between the pairwise positive outcome of viable segment between MIBI SPECT and DSE (p=0.875). MIBI SPECT showed a sensitivity of 86.5% and specificity of 90.0% when compared with 18F-FDG PET-CT which was comparable with DSE having a sensitivity of 87.6% and specificity of 90.7%.

Conclusion:
99mTc MIBI SPECT is an effective good alternative for evaluation of viable myocardial segments in patients with dysfunctional myocardium and can be considered especially in elderly or obese patients and patients with lung disease having poor echocardiographic imaging window due to lack of an optimal acoustic window.
Prevalence, correlates and explanatory models of cognitive deficits in patients with schizophrenia—A cross sectional study
Authors: Uppinkudru Chithra , Gopalakrishnan Rajesh , Noel Joseph , Kuruvilla Anju 
Published: October 2023

Background:
Schizophrenia may cause significant impairment in social and economic aspects of a patient’s life. Current evidence suggests that cognitive deficits may affect the functioning of a person with schizophrenia more than positive or negative symptoms. There is a lack of literature on explanatory models of cognitive deficits in schizophrenia that can influence help-seeking behavior.

Objectives:
This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of cognitive deficits and assess their relationship with socio-demographic and clinical characteristics among patients with schizophrenia. We also planned to explore the explanatory models of cognitive deficits in these patients.

Methods:
Consecutive outpatients with schizophrenia who met eligibility criteria were recruited after obtaining informed consent. The Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination Tamil version (ACE III) and Observable Social Cognition – A Rating Scale (OSCARS) and Positive and Negative Symptom Scale (PANSS) were used to assess cognitive functioning and symptom profile, respectively. Beliefs about illness were recorded using the modified Short Explanatory Model Interview (SEMI). Socio-demographic and treatment-related details were collected with a structured proforma. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS for Windows (version 16.0.1).

Results:
One hundred and forty patients participated in the study. The prevalence of cognitive deficits was 75.7% using ACE-III scores, 19.3% on OSCARS, and 40% based on subjective reports. Though the majority (81.4%) of patients reported a medical explanatory model for cognitive impairment, a significant number of them (70.7%) also held non-medical models simultaneously.

Conclusion:
Cognitive deficits are prevalent in the majority of patients with schizophrenia. Poor test performance on cognitive testing was observed in those with a significant family history. Multiple contradictory explanatory models for the causation of cognitive deficits were reported.
Absence of the interthalamic adhesion (ITA) as a neuroanatomical association or risk factor for neuropsychiatric disorders: A systemic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Asghar Adil , Narayan Ravi K. , Kumar Pankaj , Ravi Kumar S. , Tubbs R. Shane , Patra Apurba , Naaz Shagufta 
Published: October 2023

Background:
This study aimed to provide an up-to-date account of the frequency of “the absence of interthalamic adhesion (AITA) as a risk factor or association” in healthy subjects and neuropsychiatric patients. Owing to the increased interest in the contribution of ITA to neurological function in previous literature, a meta-analysis of its frequency and sex dependency is required.

Aim:
This study aimed to study whether the AITA is associated with neuropsychiatric disorders.

Settings and Design:
This study is a meta-analysis and systemic review.

Methods and Material:
Literature searches were conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar using the keywords “interthalamic adhesion,” “massa intermedia,” “adhesio interthalamica,” and “adhesion” along with the Boolean operators (OR, AND, and NOT). Three reviewers independently assessed the abstracts and full texts for validation based on the inclusion criteria. The meta-analysis was performed using Microsoft Excel 2019 for descriptive studies and RevMan 5.2 for comparative studies.

Results:
The incidence of absent ITA was 15.3% in healthy subjects and 28.76% in neuropsychiatric subjects. The relative probability of AITA was 2.30 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.96–2.70] in neuropsychiatric illness. Healthy men were 1.91 times more likely, and men with neuropsychiatric disorders were 1.82 times more likely to have absent ITA than women.

Conclusions and Relevance:
In this study, a consistent association of AITA with psychiatric disorders was observed, rendering the condition to be treated as an associated risk factor affecting the function of the habenula nuclear complex via the stria medullaris thalami. A cohort or longitudinal study is needed to compare the incidence of psychiatric disorders in individuals with or without ITA and to calculate the attributed risk.
A public mid-density genotyping platform for alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.)
Authors: Zhao Dongyan , Mejia-Guerra Katherine Maria , Mollinari Marcelo , Samac Deborah , Irish Brian , Heller-Uszynska Katarzyna , Beil Craig Thomas , Sheehan Moira Jane 
Published: October 2023

Small public breeding programmes have many barriers to adopting technology, particularly creating and using genetic marker panels for genomic-based decisions in selection. Here we report the creation of a DArTag panel of 3,000 loci distributed across the alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) genome for use in molecular breeding and genomic insight. The creation of this marker panel brings cost-effective and rapid genotyping capabilities to alfalfa breeding programmes. The open access provided by this platform will allow genetic data sets generated on the marker panel to be compared and joined across projects, institutions and countries. This genotyping resource has the power to make routine genotyping a reality for any breeder of alfalfa.
Effect of Agnikarma with Kshoudra over Ankle and Foot in Sciatica due to L4-L5 Intervertebral Disc Prolapse
Authors: Shalu Mol S  , P Benedict  , C.S Sivakumar  
Published: October 2023

Sciatica is a syndrome characterized by pain radiating from the low back into the buttock and into the lower extremities along its posterior or lateral aspect and most commonly caused by prolapse of lumbar intervertebral disc. The term is also used to refer the pain anywhere along the course of sciatic nerve. Modern medical practice for sciatica includes oral NSAIDs, opioid and non-opioid analgesics, muscle relaxants, localized corticosteroid injections, physiotherapy and if the above measures fail finally surgery. Sciatica can be correlated with Gridhrasi mentioned under Vata vyadhi in Ayurvedic classics. Various treatment modalities like Snehana, Swedana, Vasthi etc are indicated in Gridharsi. These are very effective treatment procedures but take relatively a more time for pain relief. Agnikarma is very beneficial in painful conditions caused by Vata as it gives immediate relief of pain. Here the patient was treated with Agnikarma using Kshoudra over the tender spots of ankle and foot of affected lower limb. Outcome measures like pain, numbness, tenderness, SLR and ODI were assessed before treatment, after treatment, 7th day and on 14th day. The result showed that Agnikarma with Kshoudra done over ankle and foot gives immediate relief of pain and numbness of sciatica due to L4-L5 intervertebral disc prolapse.
Encyclopedia of Hair
Authors: Sherrow Victoria 
Published: October 2023

This insightful volume on the culture of hair through human history and around the globe has been updated and revised to include even more entries and current information.
How we style our hair has the ability to shape the way others perceive us. For example, in 2017, the singer Macklemore denounced his hipster undercut hairstyle, a style that is associated with Hitler Youth and alt-right men, and in 2015, actress Rose McGowan shaved her head in order to take a stance against the traditional Hollywood sex symbol stereotype.
This volume examines how hair — or lack thereof — can be an important symbol of gender, class, and culture around the world and through history. Hairstyles have come to represent cultural heritage and memory, and even political leanings, social beliefs, and identity. This second edition builds upon the original volume, updating all entries that have evolved over the last decade, such as by discussing hipster culture in the entries on beards and mustaches and recent medical breakthroughs in hair loss. New entries have been added that look at specific world regions, hair coverings, political symbolism behind certain styles, and other topics.
Features
• Updated and expanded edition covers more topics and brings entries up-to-date
• Sidebars help to illuminate discussions pertaining to the overall topic of hair culture around the world
• Thematic listing of entries helps users to discover related topics and promotes further research
• Primary document excerpts look at hair as a research topic in early history, from medical texts to accounts of grooming practices in ancient times
Clothing through American History
Authors: Staples Kathleen A. , Shaw Madelyn C. 
Published: October 2023

This study of clothing during British colonial America examines items worn by the well-to-do as well as the working poor, the enslaved, and Native Americans, reconstructing their wardrobes across social, economic, racial, and geographic boundaries.
Clothing through American History: The British Colonial Era presents, in six chapters, a description of all aspects of dress in British colonial America, including the social and historical background of British America, and covering men's, women's, and children's garments. The book shows how dress reflected and evolved with life in British colonial America as primitive settlements gave way to the growth of towns, cities, and manufacturing of the pre-Industrial Revolution.
Readers will discover that just as in the present day, what people wore in colonial times represented an immediate, visual form of communication that often conveyed information about the real or intended social, economic, legal, ethnic, and religious status of the wearer. The authors have gleaned invaluable information from a wide breadth of primary source materials for all of the colonies: court documents and colonial legislation; diaries, personal journals, and business ledgers; wills and probate inventories; newspaper advertisements; paintings, prints, and drawings; and surviving authentic clothing worn in the colonies.
The hidden pandemic: a qualitative study on how middle-aged women make sense of managing their long COVID symptoms
Authors: Collier Disa , Garip Gulcan 
Published: October 2023

BackgroundA relapsing and remitting illness, long COVID can be challenging and debilitating. A person living with long COVID can feel like they are getting better and recovering only to relapse again. The aim of the research was to explore how non-hospitalized middle-aged women who contracted COVID in the first wave of the pandemic, from March 2020, are manag-ing their long COVID symptoms.Participants and procedureA qualitative research study with an interpretative phenomenological analysis approach was used to explore how the wom-en made sense of managing their condition and health seeking behaviours. Participants were recruited from long COVID Facebook groups and semi-structured interviews were conducted remotely by Teams audio; these were digitally recorded and transcribed by hand with prior informed consent. Nine women were interviewed and four themes and eight sub-themes emerged from the data.ResultsThe four emerging themes were: inequality and inconsistent medical treatment; uncertainty and ambiguity of managing long COVID symptoms; managing other people’s expectations and perceptions of long COVID; and the changing identity. Overall, these results indicated a general mistrust in health care services to provide adequate support and individualized treatment plans leading women to self-advocacy and to seek alternative support and treatment.ConclusionsThis study raised questions about the possible unfair treatment of women seeking medical attention for their long COVID symptoms; how ambiguous symptoms are misattributed to anxiety and discrimination from health care professionals con-tributes towards stigma. The study concludes with recommendations for service improvement such as the compassionate validation of patients’ pain and the use of evidence-based therapeutic practices such as mindfulness.
ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION IN ADAPTIVE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION: A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF PRACTICES IN NIGERIA
Authors: Ololade Elizabeth Adewusi  , Nancy Mohd Al Hamad  , Ife Jesuseun Adeleke  , Udochukwu Chidiebere Nwankwo  , Godson Chinenye Nwokocha  
Published: October 2023

This review paper explores the assessment and evaluation practices within Nigerian early childhood education (ECE). Nigeria's unique cultural diversity, resource constraints, and educational landscape necessitate a nuanced exploration. The paper scrutinizes assessment methods, stakeholder involvement, challenges, and innovative solutions. Implications underscore the need for equitable access, cultural sensitivity, professional development, community engagement, and inclusivity. Recommendations advocate for policy reform, resource investment, cultural competence, research collaboration, transparency, child-centred approaches, community partnerships, formative assessment, and capacity-building. These insights illuminate the path towards improved ECE quality, accessibility, and cultural relevance, fostering brighter prospects for Nigeria's young learners.
Keywords: Early Childhood Education, Assessment Practices, Evaluation Practices, Nigeria, Cultural Sensitivity, Equity, Inclusivity