bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Assessing the diagnostic performance of four ovarian malignancy prediction risk models in differentiating benign and malignant ovarian masses in a tertiary hospital
Authors: Sarmiento-Babiera Mea Janelle F. , Llamas-Clark Erlidia F. 
Published: August 2023

INTRODUCTION:
Ovarian cancer is considered the most lethal gynecologic malignancy because it is difficult to diagnose in its early stages. Ovarian malignancy prediction models may be useful in discriminating between benign and malignant masses, allowing for accurate and timely referral as well as proper therapeutic care.

OBJECTIVE:
To evaluate the diagnostic performance of the four ovarian prediction models: Risk of Malignancy Index-4 (RMI-4), Risk of Ovarian Malignancy Algorithm (ROMA), Copenhagen Index (CPH-I), and International Ovarian Tumor Analysis (IOTA)-Assessment of Different NEoplasias in the AdneXa (ADNEX) in identifying malignant and benign ovarian masses.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:
This was a retrospective, cross-sectional, analytical diagnostic study in a tertiary hospital between January 2017 and December 2020. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, area under the curves (AUCs), sensitivities, specificities, positive and negative predictive values, and positive and negative likelihood ratios were used to assess the diagnostic performance of the prediction models.

RESULTS:
We analyzed a total of 248 patients. One hundred and sixty-one (65%) had benign tumors, 28 (11%) had borderline, and 59 (24%) had malignant tumors. The AUCs of all models were all above 90%, but when compared to the other models, CPH-I had the best estimate. RMI-4 had the highest sensitivity (98.3%) in diagnosing malignancy. For appropriately diagnosing benign disease, the IOTA-ADNEX model exhibited the highest specificity (92.1%). Overall, RMI-4 had the lowest diagnostic accuracy (74.6%), whereas IOTA-ADNEX had the greatest (93.2%).

CONCLUSION:
The four malignancy prediction models in this study were all useful tools in discriminating between benign and malignant ovarian tumors. IOTA-ADNEX, CPH-I, and ROMA all demonstrated overlapping diagnostic performances indicating that they are equal in that regard. In terms of sensitivity in predicting malignancy, RMI-4 was the most sensitive. CPH-I is the predictor with the best overall estimate. Lastly, IOTA-ADNEX was the most specific, and displayed highest diagnostic accuracy among the four.
Prevalence and determinants of long-acting reversible contraception initiation among teenage mothers in a tertiary hospital
Authors: Santiago Ma. Shenny Joy A. , Pastrana Mona Liza B. 
Published: August 2023

BACKGROUND:
According to the WHO, about 16 million girls at the age of 15–19 years give birth each year. In the Philippines, 600 live births a day are registered under teenage mothers. At Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center, 12% of all obstetric admissions yearly are teenagers. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends long-acting reversible contraception (LARCs), in the form of intrauterine device and progestin subdermal implant as pregnancy prevention options for young mothers. The objective of the study was to identify the prevalence and determinants of long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) initiation among teenage mothers in Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center.

METHODOLOGY:
Prospective observational study: A self-administered questionnaire was given to the respondents wherein they ranked determinants involved in their selection of a contraceptive method on a scale of 1–4 (1 being the most important, and 4, the least important).

RESULTS:
A total of 162 teenage mothers participated in the study. Majority of the respondents were 17–18 years old, enrolled up to high school, single, unemployed, and primiparas. Eighty-seven percentage of all teenage mothers admitted at Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center from December 2020 to December 2021 used long-active reversible contraception. Ranked from most (1) to least (4) important, the respondents considered: (1) Effectivity, (2) Long duration, (3) Family influence, and (4) Peer influence as their determinants for initiating LARC method. The high effectiveness and long duration of LARC were the primary reasons for initiation, while the least factors they considered were that of peer and family influence.
Prevalence and severity of ophthalmic manifestations of Graves’ disease in a tertiary center of North India
Authors: Muqsit Numrah , Wani Junaid , Arshed Uzma , Mir Shahnaz Ahmad , Singh Hardeep 
Published: August 2023

ABSTRACT

Background:
Thyroid-associated orbitopathy (TAO) is the most common extrathyroidal manifestation of the systemic autoimmune process known as Graves’ disease (GD). TAO is described as chronic inflammation of orbital and periorbital tissue. The prevalence of Graves’ ophthalmopathy (GO) varies widely in different ethnic groups. Indians have been reported to have a lower prevalence of GO as compared to the West.

Purpose:
The purpose of the study was to evaluate the prevalence, clinical features, and ocular manifestations in patients with GD.

Materials and Methods:
This was a hospital-based prospective study done on consecutive 76 newly diagnosed patients of GD documented by thyroid 99mtechnetium pertechnetate scan. Patients were subjected to complete clinical workup and thyroid profile. All patients underwent a comprehensive ophthalmological examination. The diagnosis of TAO was based on the criteria of Bartley and Gorman. Clinical activity score (CAS) and severity were estimated as per the European Group on Graves’ Orbitopathy.

Results:
TAO was present in 52 (68%) patients with GD. The age of patients ranged from 18 to 68 years, with a mean age of 42.1 ± 11.49 years. The male-to-female ratio was 1:1.6. Eyelid retraction was the most common presentation (78%). Conjunctival redness was seen in 61.5% of patients, followed by eyelid erythema (44.2%), eyelid swelling (32.7%), and plical swelling (23.1%). Almost half of the study group (51.9%) had proptosis of >20 mm. Majority of the patients had mild orbitopathy (65.4%), followed by moderate to severe in 34.6%, and none of the patients showed any signs of sight-threatening disease. None of the patients had a sight-threatening disease. CAS was active in 13.5% of patients.

Conclusion:
Unlike rest of India, TAO was present in about two-third of patients of GD. Majority of the patients had mild orbitopathy (65.4%).
Emergence of clinical <i>vanA</i>-type vancomycin-resistant <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> isolates in National Orthopaedic Hospital Dala, Kano, Nigeria
Authors: Abdulrahim U. , Oche D. A. , Kachallah M. , Adeshina G. O. , Olayinka B. O. 
Published: August 2023

Background: The increasing prevalence of multi drug resistance (MDR) in strains of Staphylococcus aureus is a major challenge in the selection of an appropriate therapeutic agents, especially in persistent orthopaedic infections. This study investigated the patterns of antimicrobial resistance and identified the genetic determinants of resistance in S. aureus isolates from orthopaedic patients.
Methodology: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study of hospitalized patients at National Orthopaedic Hospital Dala (NOHD), Kano, Nigeria from whom urine samples, and nasal and wound swabs were collected for isolation of S. aureus. Samples were cultured on standard media and S. aureus isolated and identified using both conventional biochemical tests and a standard rapid diagnostic kit. The antibiotic susceptibility was determined to a panel of 15 antibiotics using the modified Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. Vancomycin minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of each isolate was determined using vancomycin Epsilon-test strip. mecA and vanA were detected by multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay.
Results: From the total of 134 samples, S. aureus was isolated from 36 (26.8%); 10 (7.4%) from urine, 13 (9.7%) from nasal swab, and 13 (9.7%) from wound swab. Thirty-four (94.4%) isolates were phenotypically methicillin (cefoxitin) resistant (MRSA), while 2 (5.6%) isolates were methicillin sensitive (MSSA). Phenotypic resistance rate of the S. aureus isolates was highest to gentamicin (94.4%), followed by penicillin (88.8%), cephalosporins and fluoroquinolones (87.4%), while rate was lowest to vancomycin (11.1%, 4/36). Seventeen (47.2%) were MDR, 16 (44.4%) were extensively drug resistant (XDR), and 2 (5.6%) were pan-drug resistant (PDR) S. aureus isolates. The mecA gene was detected in 4 (11.8%) of the 34 phenotypic MRSA isolates and vanA genes in 2 (50.0%) of the 4 phenotypic VRSA isolates.
Conclusion: The detection of vanA and mecA in clinical S. aureus isolates in this study is an indication that clinical VRSA has emerged in MRSA population in Nigeria. This emergence can pose a major threat to primary care-givers and a public health challenge among the daily inhabitants of National Orthopaedic Hospital Dala (NOHD), Kano and the community at large.
Prevalence and antifungal susceptibility pattern of oral candidiasis among HIV-infected patients in a Mission Hospital, southeast Nigeria
Authors: Ekwealor C. C. , Nweke C. J. , Anaukwu C. G. , Anakwenze V. N. , Ogbukagu C. M. , Mba A. N. 
Published: August 2023

Background: Oral candidiasis is an infection that follows colonization of oral cavity by Candida species mostly Candida albicans. About 90% of HIV-infected persons develop this disease during the course of HIV infection and could serve as early sign of HIV-related immunodeficiency. Treatment involves the use of antifungal drugs. The objectives of this study are to determine the prevalence of oral candidiasis and the susceptibility of isolated Candida species to available antifungal agents among selected HIV-infected patients in a mission hospital, southeast Nigeria.
Methodology: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study of 150 consecutively selected HIV-infected patients attending the Heart-to-Heart clinic of Iyi-Enu mission hospital Ogidi, Anambra State, Nigeria, between December 2022 and February 2023. Demographic information of each participant was obtained using structured questionnaire. Five milliliters of whole blood were drawn from the antecubital vein of each participant for CD4+ estimation. Mouth specimens were collected using two sterile cotton swabs for microscopy and culture on Sabouraud Dextrose Agar, and Candida species were identified after subculture on CHROMAgar. Antifungal susceptibility testing was performed by Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method using fluconazole, clotrimazole, ketoconazole, and nystatin disks, and results interpreted according to the guidelines of the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute.
Results: A total of 98 (65.3%) HIV-infected participants were positive for oral candidiasis, with 4 species of Candida isolated; Candida albicans (62.2%), Candida glabrata (18.4%), Candida tropicalis (12.2%) and Candida krusei (7.1%). Fifty-nine (60.2%) of the 98 participants had CD4+ cell count ˂ 200, 33 (33.7%) had counts in the range of 200-399, and 6 (6.1%) had counts in the range of 400-499 cells/μL (p=0.001). The prevalence of candi- diasis was not significantly different between the female (67.0%, 65/97) and male (62.3%, 33/53) participants (p=0.6598), but the prevalence was significantly higher (p<0.05) in participants age group 21-30 years (80.7%, 42/52), divorced (100%, 1/1) and married (75%, 45/60), those with primary school level education (73.7%, 42/57), civil servants (85.7%, 18/21), and those who performed mouth hygiene once daily (71.9%, 69/96). Nystatin (77.6%, 76/98) showed the highest while fluconazole and ketoconazole (68.4%, 62/98) showed the lowest in vitro antifungal activity
Conclusion: Oral candidiasis is prevalent among HIV-infected patients in the study population, with evidence of in vitro resistance of the Candida isolates to available antifungal drugs. Proper diagnosis, susceptibility testing and treatment of infection will be helpful in managing oral candidiasis infection among HIV infected patients.
Identifying the Status and Determinants of Food insecurity in North Central Ethiopia: A case Study from Borena District, Ethiopia
Authors: Abebe Mezid Kassa 
Published: August 2023

Currently, food insecurity is a global concern particularly in the developing nations like Ethiopia despite there is governmental efforts. Thus, the main purpose of this study was to identify the status and determinants of rural households’ food security in Borena district, north central Ethiopia. The study followed the positivism world view with a cross sectional study design. The study used multistage sampling procedure which involves a combination of purposive and random sampling techniques to select 358 sample household heads. Household sample survey was the main means that was used to acquire primary data. To identify the status of food insecurity and its determinants, Dietary Energy Supply indicator and Binary logistic regressions model were respectively employed. The results showed that about 71.7% of the respondents were food unsecured households. A binary logistic regression model which was used in the study confirmed that education, cultivated farm size, improved seeds, urban linkages and access to health extension workers positively determined the food security while family size (population pressure) negatively determined the food security status of the households in the study area. Thus, the stakeholders (government bodies, non-governmental organizations, humanitarian agents and community leaders) need to intervene on regularly consumed nutritious foods. Policy reformers and designers should also work hard to reform and design policies on improvements in rural households’ education, size of cultivated land, access to health extension workers, improved seeds and rural- urban linkage in order to alleviate their food security constraints.
Case Reports: Clinical features and postmorteum findings of sheep-associated malignant catarrhal fever in a 2-years old bull
Authors: Bariso Gishu , Befekadu Bethel , Feyisa Abdi 
Published: August 2023

Malignant Catarrhal Fever (MCF) is a fatal lymphoproliferative disease of cattle and other ungulates caused by alcelaphine herpesvirus 1 (AlHV-1) and ovine herpesvirus 2 (OvHV-2), the main causative agents of wildebeest-associated MCF (WA-MCF) and sheep-associated MCF (SA-MCF), respectively. The virus is mainly spread by aerosols from pregnant or newborn sheep, goats, and wildebeest to susceptible animals. This case report presents the clinical features and post-mortem findings of an unusual case of malignant catarrhal fever (MCF) in a two-year-old bull brought to the Professor Feseha Gebreab Memorial Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Bishoftu, Ethiopia. The bull was semi-intensively managed, co-housed, and fed with sheep and other domestic animals. The animal was shivering upon arrival, with naso-ocular discharge and clouding of the eyes. The bull was febrile, with a rectal body temperature of 41.4 oC and a respiratory and heart rate of 40 and 48 beats per minute, respectively. On physical examination, the bull was emaciated, with bilateral yellowish mucopurulent naso-ocular discharge, frequent blinking, bilateral corneal opacity, salivation, a foamy mouth, head pressing, and enlargement of superficial lymph nodes. Malignant catarrhal fever was suspected based on the history and clinical signs, and empiric therapy with 10% oxytetracycline, diclofenac, and IV fluid was initiated. The bull died after receiving the third day of treatment. At necropsy, hemorrhages were found in the esophagus, trachea, and small and large intestines. In the kidney, white foci, enlargement, and fatty degeneration were observed. An ulcerated lesion was seen on the abomasum. In the gall bladder, enlargement and vascularization were also noted. The current case report confirms the rare case of clinical SA-MCF based on the history, exhibited clinical pictures, post-mortem findings, and PCR results. Separation of cattle and sheep is strongly advised to prevent SA-MCF, as no vaccine has yet been developed.
<i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> isolates from cow’s milk in dairy farms at Shinshicho town, Kembata Tembaro Zone, Southern Ethiopia: Prevalence, risk factors, and antimicrobial susceptibility profile
Authors: Markos Abriham , Begna Feyissa , Afera Yeshihareg , Tolosa Tadele 
Published: August 2023

Bovine mastitis is an economically important and highly prevalent infectious disease in dairy herds worldwide. Staphylococcus aureus is a common microorganism causing infectious mastitis. A cross-sectional study was conducted between December 2018 and September 2019 in Shinshicho town, Kembata Tembaro Zone, Southern Ethiopia, to estimate the prevalence, and assess associated risk factors and antimicrobial susceptibility profile of S. aureus isolates from cow’s milk in dairy farms at Shinshicho town. Lactating dairy cows were screened for mastitis based on clinical examinations and the California mastitis test (CMT) followed by laboratory identification of S. aureus. All the S. aureus isolates were subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility tests using a disk diffusion test. Multivariable logistic regression analysis of the effect of different risk factors on the prevalence of mastitis was performed. From a total of 384 lactating cows examined and tested, 41.7 % ( n=160) were found positive for mastitis. Out of the occurrences of mastitis, 5% (n=19) and 36.7% (n=141) were clinical and subclinical respectively. Staphylococcus aureus was isolated from 36.84% (n=7) and 39.01% (n=55) of the clinical and subclinical mastitis respectively with a total isolation frequency of 38.75 % (n=62). According to the results of this study, greater herd sizes (OR=2.91, 95% CI: 1.62-5.21), higher parity cows (OR=3.91, 95% CI: 1.73-8.82), late lactation stage (OR=3.36, 95% CI: 1.27-8.91), and muddy floor (OR=2.37, 95% CL: 1.31-4.27) are risk variables linked to the occurrence of S. aureus mastitis. In addition, S. aureus has total resistance to ampicillin, amoxicillin, penicillin-G, and Polymyxin. Similarly, 53.2% of the isolates proved resistant to three or more of the antibiotics used. Therefore, regular antimicrobial susceptibility testing should be performed to select potent modified antibiotics, and the effects and dynamics of genetic determinants of antibiotics should also be studied using molecular methods.
Assessment of dairy farm’s hygienic practice and knowledge of farm workers on milk-borne zoonoses in three selected towns of the Wolaita Zone, Southern Ethiopia
Authors: Ergano Mirtayhu Estifanos , Beriso Teshita Edaso , Mengistu Tilaye Shibbiru 
Published: August 2023

Consumption of unhygienic milk is the most common source of milk-borne zoonotic diseases. These zoonoses have public health importance and are a major obstacle to trade in livestock and livestock products. A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted from December 2021 to June 2022 to assess milk-borne zoonotic diseases, the habit of milk consumption, and the hygienic practices of dairy farm workers in three purposefully selected towns in the Wolaita zone, southern Ethiopia. Dairy farms and farm workers were selected by a simple random sampling technique. A total of 100 respondents, one per farm, were selected and participated in the interview. The result indicated that 41% of farms used individual towels and 21% used common towels to dry their cows’ udders; however, the remaining 38% of farms did not use any towels at all. The majority (59%) of farms clean the floor once a day and around 92% remove dung manually. Of total farm workers, 43% had no formal education, 28% had primary-level education, 5% had secondary- level education, 2% were college diploma holders, and 22% were first-degree and above graduate workers. Concerning milk consumption habits, 64% of respondents used raw milk, 29% used raw and boiled milk, 3% of interviewees consumed all types of milk (raw, boiled, refrigerated, and processed milk), and 4% didn’t drink milk at all. Furthermore, 50% of respondents were aware of disease transmission through the consumption of raw milk. Regarding respondents’ knowledge of milk-borne zoonoses, 51% of interviewees didn’t know about zoonotic diseases, while the remaining 4% knew about tuberculosis, 32% were aware of salmonellosis, 5% knew about both tuberculosis and salmonellosis, and 8% were aware of tuberculosis, anthrax, mastitis, salmonellosis, and brucellosis. Concerning the knowledge of respondents on disease transmission, 73% of respondents didn’t know that zoonotic diseases can transmit from humans to animals and vice versa. Furthermore, when compared to other educational levels, participants with a degree or higher (86.7%) had better awareness of disease transmission from raw milk consumption, and there was a statistically significant difference (p-value < 0.05). The farms had poor awareness of dairy farm hygienic standards and milk-borne zoonoses. To lessen the animal and public health concerns associated with milk-borne zoonoses, it is critical to create awareness, provide extension services, and provide training programs.
Germline Gene Editing Applications and the Afro-communitarian Ubuntu Philosophy
Authors: Ewuoso Cornelius 
Published: August 2023

Germline gene editing has many applications or uses. This article focuses on specific applications. Specifically, the article draws on a moral norm arising from the thinking about the value of communal relationships in the Afro-communitarian ubuntu philosophy to interrogate key issues that specific applications of germline gene editing – for xeno-transplantation, agriculture and wildlife – raise. The article contends that the application of germline gene editing in these areas is justified to the extent that they foster the capacity to relate with others and to be communed with by others. The article grants that our today’s decisions about germline gene editing will likely affect future humans, but will attempt to justify how this may be ethically permissible
Limited Communitarianism and the Merit of Afro-communitarian Rejectionism
Authors: Adeate Tosin 
Published: August 2023

Limited communitarianism is presented as an alternative to classical communitarianism in African philosophy. Bernard Matolino, the proponent of this view, argues that personhood can be attained with the constitutive features of the self leading the process, as against the historical, classical communitarian view that prioritises the sociality of the self. He posits that it is a personhood conceived through such view as limited communitarianism that can guarantee individual rights and prioritises the claims of the individual in African philosophy. Matolino’s claim is grounded on the view that Afro-communitarianism, as presented in the classical account such as the radical and moderate communitarianism of Menkiti and Gyekye, respectively, emphasises community essence in African philosophy and hinders the expression of rights. The claim of the classical view informs the nudge to question the relevance and compatibility of Afro- communitarianism with the complex, multicultural modern African societies. As a result, limited communitarianism rejects the mechanism of Afrocommunitarianism – essentialism. While limited communitarianism appears a rejection of what is known as Afro- communitarianism, which has earned it noncommunitarian labels such as being liberal and individualist, I argue that it is simply a well- argued form of moderate communitarianism that avoids the conundrum of community.