bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Comparative evaluation of the efficacy of diode laser, EndoActivator, passive ultrasonic irrigant, and manual irrigation activation systems in debridement of root canal isthmus
Authors: Varghese Arun Kurian , Satish S. V. , Gowda Basavana , Uthappa Roshan , Patil Ashwini M. 
Published: February 2023

Objective:
This study aimed to compare the efficacy of diode laser, EndoActivator, passive ultrasonic irrigation (PUI), and manual dynamic activation (MDA) in the debridement of root canal isthmus using a stereomicroscope.

Materials and Methods:
A total of 65 extracted mandibular first molars were selected for the study. The access cavity preparation was done and the working length was determined. All teeth were prepared using ProTaper rotary system up to F2. The samples were randomly divided into five groups (n = 13) used in the study. Group 1: Diode laser (n = 13): samples were irrigated using a diode laser having a wavelength of 980 nm. Group 2: EndoActivator (n = 13): the samples were irrigated using EndoActivator sonic device. Group 3: PUI (n = 13): samples were irrigated using an ultrasonic device. Group 4: MDA (n = 13): samples were irrigated manually by placing a master gutta-percha cone of F2 size. Group 5: Conventional needle irrigation (n = 13): no activation of irrigant. Following irrigant activation, the mesial roots were sectioned 4 mm from the apex and the isthmus cleanliness was observed under a stereomicroscope at ×20. Statistical analysis was done using ANOVA and post hoc Tukey's test.

Results:
EndoActivator showed the least amount of debris when compared to diode laser, passive ultrasonic irrigant, and MDA. MDA showed more amount of debris at the isthmus level.

Conclusion:
EndoActivator showed the least amount of debris at the isthmus level of mandibular molars when compared to diode laser, passive ultrasonic irrigant, and MDA.
Antibiotic Stewardship and Microbiological Aspects of Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia in Patients Undergoing Cardiac Surgery
Authors: Supraja K , Menon Thangam , Sankardas Mullasari Ajit , Rohit Anusha , Sharmila S , Subathra S M 
Published: February 2023

Purpose:
Infections are a serious threat in the postoperative period in cardiac surgical patients. Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is caused by multidrug-resistant organisms resulting in high mortality. Our aim is to study the prevalence of VAP, the organism associated with it and the appropriate management.

Materials and Methods:
Three thousand consecutive patients who underwent cardiac surgery were included and followed from admission till discharge. All baseline characteristics and intra- and postoperative details were collected. Data on microbiological sampling were noted. The duration of ventilation and time point at which samples were sent, microbiological growth, its sensitivity, and antibiotics used were analyzed. The reassessment of the need for antibiotics at the end of 48 h of sending culture and switching based on the sensitivity (antibiotic time-out) was also captured.

Results:
Forty-eight patients had VAP (12.78 per 1000 ventilator days); 38 patients had culture-proven growth. The most common organism in our setting was Klebsiella
pneumoniae,
Acinetobacter
baumannii, and Pseudomonas
aeruginosa. The resistance to β-lactams, cephalosporins, and carbapenems was high. Dual and triple antibiotic therapies were noted in 64% of patients. Failure to adhere to antibiotic time-out was associated with mortality in patients when it was adhered and not adhered (27% vs. 74%, respectively) (<0.015).

Conclusions:
The incidence of VAP in our setting is very low. However, VAP remains a serious threat and carries a high mortality. A high degree of suspicion, timely diagnosis, usage of appropriate antibiotics based on local antibiogram, and following antibiotic time-out will help to reduce the intensive care stay and mortality.
Cross-sectional community-based study in Saudi Arabian population with inclusion of behavioral studies of osteoporosis patients
Authors: Ahmed Anas E. , Madkhali Abdullah Y. A. , Mojiri Mohammed E. M. , Jada Abdulmajeed A. A. , Mojamami Mohammed Y. A. , Matari Mohammed H. A. , Beati Abdulelah Y. M. , Abdelwahab Siddig I. , Khired Zenat A. 
Published: February 2023

ABSTRACT

Purpose:
Osteoporosis is especially prevalent in the older population and in women. Fractures lead to many health complications, placing an enormous burden on the health system. Improved knowledge will encourage healthy practices that prevent osteoporosis and help community members avoid unhealthy lifestyles and habits. The goal of this study was to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices relating to osteoporosis among male and female students of the Jazan community.

Methods:
The Jazan region has 13 governorates and a population of more than 1.5 million. For this study, 440 participants were selected from seven different governorates, and the osteoporosis knowledge assessment tool (OKAT) was used together with five background variables and some questions on attitude and practice. A Chi-squared test was implemented to identify any significant relationships between the background variables and the knowledge and practice scores. A P value of less than 0.05 was considered significant.

Results:
Of the 440 participants, 53% were men and 47% women. Thirty-three percent of them held government jobs, 73% had completed university, and 50% had a monthly income of less than 5,000 riyals. Regarding the risk factors for osteoporosis, 62 (14%) smoked, 37 (8.4%) used steroids, 184 (41.8%) had a family history of osteoporosis, and 393 (89.3%) had not attended an education campaign on osteoporosis. The highest number of correct answers in the OKAT was to the question “osteoporosis increases the risk of fractures” (423, 96.1%), and the lowest number of correct answers was to the question “osteoporosis is more common in men” (60, 13.6%). Regarding protective behaviors against osteoporosis, namely physical activity, daily intake of dairy products, attending an education campaign, and background characteristics, attending an education campaign was statistically significant, with a P value of 0.003, but marital status, education level, body mass index (BMI), and occupation were not statistically significant. For the risk factors, sex was statistically significant, along with the daily soft drink intake and smoking but not with the use of steroids. Other background characteristics, such as education level and BMI, were not statistically significant as osteoporosis risk factors.

Conclusions:
The participants’ level of knowledge was high, and the risk factors for osteoporosis were still present together with a low level of achievement for protective measures. It is highly recommended that education campaigns be implemented to increase knowledge and encourage improved attitudes and practices.
Knowledge and attitude toward biological warfare among health-related students: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey
Authors: Abdelkarim Suhaila , AlMarei Shahd Othman , Elyas Anas , Amri Rahaf Abdulaziz Ahmed , Khawaji Eithar Ali Mohammed , Khormi Ghadah Jubran Mohammed , Abujabir Ethar Ibrahim Mohammed , Othathi Rahaf Jabreil Hamad , Ali Abbas Khawlah Ali , Hayyan Rasha Dhaifallah Ahmad , Abdelmageed Maha Murtada , Abdelwahab Siddig Ibrahim 
Published: February 2023

ABSTRACTPurpose:Many types of research have been published on the history of biological warfare, the agents used, and the medical implications. However, no studies measure how people are aware of the magnitude of these health problems and international threats. The present study aimed to produce and make background about biological warfare information for health college students to be used as a basis for future studies or research and prepare the hospitals’ bases for similar disasters.Methods:This observational, cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted among undergraduate students (N = 626) enrolled in health-related colleges at Jazan University, Saudi Arabia. A preliminary survey of 30 participants was then undertaken to improve the questionnaire’s understanding and validity. The questionnaire encompassed three primary sections, including (1) sociodemographic characteristics, (2) knowledge, and (3) awareness. Sociodemographic characteristics consisted of age, gender, college type, academic level, and specialty. All data were gathered using an online self-reported questionnaire using Google Forms and participants were recruited using a random sampling strategy.Results:The total participants were 626 students; 514 were females, whereas 112 were males. Knowledge and attitude indices were 3.8650 ± 0.48 and 4.06 ± 0.51 (maximum is 5). The indices showed variable statistical differences among sociodemographic factors. With adjusted and crude odds ratios of 0.53 and 0.54, attitude score is the sole significant (P= 0.05) predictor of knowledge as analyzed using logistic regression.Conclusion:The results of the present study are the first of their kind in the region and can be used to shape public awareness among specialists and decision-makers, especially in light of the recent pandemic.
Association of minimum dietary diversity with anaemia among 6–59 months’ children from rural India: An evidence from a cross-sectional study
Authors: Kathuria Nishtha , Bandyopadhyay Prasanta , Srivastava Shobhit , Garg Priyanka Rani , Devi Kshetrimayum Surmala , Kurian Kauma , Rathi Suresh Kumar , Mehra Sunil 
Published: February 2023

ABSTRACT

Introduction:
Anaemia is one of the micronutrient deficiency disorders that have global public health implications. The present study aims to determine the association of minimum dietary diversity (MDD) with anaemia among children aged 6–59 months in rural North India.

Methods:
In Rohtak (a north Indian city), a cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2018–19 (n = 266). Univariate and bivariate analyses were performed. The Chi-square test was used for assessing the significance level during bivariate analysis. Further, multivariable regression analysis was used for determining the factors for anaemia prevalence among children aged 6–59 months.

Results:
About 62.4% (n = 166) of the children aged 6–59 months were found to have anaemia in the study area. The prevalence of MDD was 35.3% (n = 94). It was found that children with no MDD have a higher prevalence of moderate (42% vs. 25.5%; P < 0.001) and severe (12.8% vs. 8.5%; P < 0.001) anaemia. It was revealed that the children with no MDD had a significantly higher likelihood of being anaemic than children with MDD in model-1 [aOR: 2.09; CI: 1.23, 3.55] and model-3 [aOR: 1.70; CI: 1.01, 3.01]. Children with mothers who never attended school had significantly higher odds for anaemia in reference to those children whose mothers ever attended school in model-2 [aOR: 3.62; CI: 2.07,6.34] and model-3 [aOR: 3.00; CI: 1.62,5.56].

Conclusion:
Measures to alleviate under-five anaemia should include empowering and educating women, expanding access to supplementation, fortification programmes, and promoting and raising awareness about feeding diverse foods, while also considering the socioeconomic status.
Neonatal Meningitis Secondary to Elizabethkingia meningoseptica Infection
Authors: Goel Srishti , Jhajra Sandeep Dayanand , Nangia Sushma , Kumar Ajay , Nanda Debasish 
Published: February 2023

Introduction:

Elizabethkingia meningoseptica, a rare cause of sepsis and meningitis in neonates, often associated with a wide spectrum of clinical presentation. The objective of the study was to describe the clinical characteristics and outcome of neonates, who developed meningitis secondary to Elizabethkingia meningoseptica infection at a tertiary care Neonatal unit in India.

Methods:
This retrospective study was conducted in the neonatal unit of a tertiary care hospital in New Delhi. The clinical data including demographic data, clinical presentation, management, and outcome data were collected and analyzed.

Results:
During the study, 7 neonates with meningitis secondary to Elizabethkingia infection were identified. Majority of the neonates were preterm with a median gestational age of 31 (interquartile range: 29–33.5) weeks and a median birth weight of 1250 g (interquartile range: 1024–2065). The median age of onset of symptoms was 7 days. Lethargy (100%), apnea (85%), seizure (71%), and feeding difficulties (42%) were the common clinical presentations. Overall mortality during the period was 28.5%, and 60% of the survivor developed hydrocephalus. Isolated strains were resistant to the commonly used antibiotics (piperacillin-tazobactam, aminoglycosides, meropenem, and colistin) effective against Gram-negative organisms. The environmental screening was done but the potential source of infection could not be identified conclusively.

Conclusion:
Meningitis in neonates caused by Elizabethkingia represents a potentially life-threatening infection and is often associated with significant neurological impairment, especially in premature neonates. A prolonged duration of antibiotic therapy, longer hospital stay, and likelihood of adverse neurologic sequelae during the hospital stay and follow-up should be anticipated in such cases of meningitis.
Moral enhancement
Authors: Forsberg Lisa , Douglas Thomas 
Published: February 2023

Moral enhancements aim to morally improve a person, for example by increasing the frequency with which an individual does the right thing or acts from the right motives. Most of the applied ethics literature on moral enhancement focuses on moral bioenhancement – moral enhancement pursued through biomedical means – and considers examples such as the use of drugs to diminish aggression, suppress implicit racial biases, or amplify empathy.
A number of authors have defended the voluntary pursuit of moral bioenhancement, or the development of technologies that would enable it. They have highlighted the need for humans to morally improve themselves in order to address moral failures such as the oppression of women, the mistreatment of animals, and anthropogenic climate change. They have also emphasised the moral similarities between moral bioenhancement and more familiar forms of moral enhancement, such as that achieved through childhood education, introspective reflection, and engagement with literature.
Critics of moral enhancement have argued that it may undermine our freedom to ‘fall’ (i.e. be immoral), and therefore our moral agency, or exacerbate the domination of individuals by political authorities. They have also questioned the potential for biomedical interventions to produce the deepest and most valuable forms of moral improvement, and have highlighted the risks that technologies for moral bioenhancement might misfire or be intentionally misused, thereby producing moral deterioration. Underlying some of these worries is the observation that there is little agreement on which psychological transformations would constitute moral improvements, and in which contexts. Defenders of moral enhancement have made various proposals for resolving or side-stepping these disagreements, but it remains unclear how far these proposals can take us beyond establishing consensus on the worst types of moral failure.
Knowledge, concept of
Authors: Hannon Michael 
Published: February 2023

The word ‘know’ is exceptional for a number of reasons. It is one of the ten most commonly used verbs in English, alongside basic verbs like ‘be’, ‘do’, ‘say’, ‘have’, and ‘go’. It is also the most frequently used term in epistemic evaluation: we speak of ‘knowing’ far more often than we speak of ‘justification’, ‘reliability’, ‘understanding’, ‘wisdom’, and other intellectual traits or epistemic properties. Perhaps most strikingly, the word ‘know’ allegedly has a meaning-equivalent in every human language. Unlike almost every other word in English, linguists have identified ‘know’ as one of a very small number of words that are culturally universal (Goddard, 2010). These facts suggest that knowledge is deeply important to human life.
Knowledge has also held a central place in epistemology. Indeed, the word ‘epistemology’ comes from the Greek word epistêmê, which is often translated as ‘knowledge’. This is not to say that epistemologists are only interested in knowledge. They also investigate epistemic virtues like open-mindedness and intellectual humility, as well as properties of belief like being rational and justified (among many other things). Still, the enterprise of epistemology has largely been an investigation into the nature, significance, sources, and extent of human knowledge.
But what is knowledge? Why do we value it? How is it acquired? And how much of it do we have?
In the late twentieth century, one of the central questions asked by epistemologists was: when does a true belief count as knowledge? It was widely assumed that knowledge is a form of true belief plus some additional requirement(s), such as justification or reliability. While this view about the nature of knowledge is still popular, it came under scrutiny at the turn of the twenty-first century. Instead of thinking that knowledge must be analysed in terms of more basic components like truth, belief, and justification, Timothy Williamson (2000) suggested that we should take knowledge as basic and use it to understand belief, evidence, and other things.
This reversal of the traditional approach coincided with a renewed interest in the value of knowledge. The problem of explaining why knowledge is valuable goes back at least to Plato’s Meno, but epistemologists are now systematically investigating this question. The value of knowledge also bears on one of the most famous of all philosophical problems: scepticism. The history of epistemology is, in large part, an attempt to reply to the sceptic’s claim that knowledge is impossible. But whether we should care about scepticism depends on whether knowledge is valuable. Some philosophers have argued that knowledge has no distinctive value (e.g. Kaplan, 1985), while others have claimed that knowledge is vital for human survival, cooperation, and flourishing (e.g. Craig, 1990).
The Security Implication of China’s Unlimited Presidential Term on Africa
Authors: Okafor Frank-Collins , Mark Kingsley 
Published: February 2023

Purpose: This paper looks at the security implication of China’s policy of unlimited presidential term on Africa, noting that “He that pays the piper determines it pace” as such; Africa being at the receiving end of Chinese aid, goods, services, military supplies and assistance and Chinese military presence in some African countries notwithstanding will continue to depend on the whims and caprices of China.
Methodology: Using Marxist Economic Theory of Imperialism and Dependency theory, the paper argues that the policy will continue to take advantage of the systemic and structural imbalance of the African economic, political and strategic/military architecture. As such her dependent on China, which in the long-run engenders neo-colonial condition favourable to China’s strategic interest in Africa.
Findings: The all-pervading Chinese presence in Africa visa-vise her policy of unlimited presidential term serves as instrument of imperialism to Africa, parasitically corroding strategic, national economic base and provokes acute neo-colonialism which at the stance of dependency state. Hence the dire need for a wakeup call to countries of African to develop and incorporate advance security measures to avoid the risk of continual domination of Africa strategic and economic relation by China, which has continued to engenders communal crisis and inter-tribal wars orchestrated by her regular arms sale to African countries, as one will agree that term limit in governance is one of the few checks on the ruler embedded in the state constitution that can quickly bring about a change in government policy and philosophy.
Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: This paper recommends among others, that African countries should carry their destiny in their own hands instead of succumbing to the prevailing China’s national interest (aid) driven interventions which is currently re-championed in her current unlimited presidential term.
IDENTIFICATION OF THE GENETIC DEFECT OF DEVELOPMENTAL
DUPLICATION (DD) IN THE BELARUSIAN POPULATION OF
ABERDEEN ANGUS CATTLE
Authors: Ramanishka E. L. , Mikhailova M. E. , Kireyeva A. I. , Sheyko R. I. 
Published: February 2023

Developmental duplication (DD) is a monogenic autosomal recessive disease with incomplete penetrance and variable
expressivity of Aberdeen Angus cattle, resulting in calves with twice the number of various organs and limbs of the animal. According to the literature, the frequency of mutations that cause developmental duplications in Aberdeen is high (above 20%). Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) g.34618072T > C in the NHLRC2 gene, which causes developmental duplication, was studied by PCR-RFLP. We screened a sample from the Belarusian population of Aberdeen-Angus cattle (n = 170 heads), which did not reveal animals carrying the mutant allele (DDC) both among the studied cows and among bulls.
VARIATION IN THE COPY NUMBER OF DNA REGIONS FOR THE
BRASSICACEAE FAMILY ASSOCIATED WITH COLD RESISTANCE
Authors: Lemesh V. A. , Kipen V. N. , Mozgova G. V. , Khotyleva L. V. 
Published: February 2023

We determined copy number variation (CNV) per genome by five genetic markers BnGMS180, BrGMS102, BrgMS372, BrGMS4511 and SSRO110 associated with low temperatures and frost resistance for 51 cultivated plants of the Brassicaсeae family with a wide cultivation range. It was shown that the genetic marker BnGMS180 has the greatest range of variations in the CNV value. The range of values varied from 0.48 (rapeseed variety Martyn, Belarus) to
12.61 (rutabaga variety Sutton’s Favorite, Sweden). For other genetic markers, variation in CNV values is insignificant.
GENE EXPRESSION AND THE CONTENT OF STRUCTURAL PROTEINS
OF PHOTOSYSTEMS IN BARLEY LEAVES UNDER SOIL DROUGHT
Authors: Kuryanchyk T. G. , Kozel N. V. 
Published: February 2023

A significant effect of soil drought on the gene expression (psaA, psaB, lhca2, psbA, lhcb1 and lhcb4) encoding key structural proteins of reaction centers (RC) and light harvesting complexes (LHC) of photosystems (PS) in barley leaves was shown. A change in the level of gene expression observed under drought conditions is light-dependent — in normal light, there is a significant increase in the expression of lhcb1 (1.6 times), psaA (1.8 times) and psaB (2.5 times) genes, encoding PS I and II proteins, and in the dim light, on the contrary, there is a decrease in the expression of genes encoding the proteins PS II (psbA, lhcb1 and lhcb4) and protein A (psaA) of the PS I RC. It was found that under drought conditions the expression of the gene SOD3 encoding the chloroplast isoform of the antioxidant superoxide
dismutase (SOD) enzyme Fe-SOD increases multiple times. The data obtained indicate the induction of oxidative stress by drought in the chloroplasts of the leaves of barley plants.
Сравнительный анализ порядка назначения и проведения судебной экспертизы в уголовном судопроизводстве некоторых стран СНГ
Authors: Рахимова Ульзана 
Published: February 2023

Исследуется развитие современных представлений о судебной экспертизе в отечественном уголовном судопроизводстве и некоторых стран СНГ. В статье с учетом проведенного сравнительно-правового анализа законодательства некоторых стран СНГ, регулирующего судебно-экспертную деятельность, выявлены особенности национальных подходов государств к данной деятельности.