bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
À la découverte du foguain chawara dans les pratiques de gestion des connaissances dans une communauté agricole au Niger
Authors: Tahirou Younoussi Meda Adama , Baidari Boubacar , Zakari Yaou Kaka 
Published: June 2022

Foguain chawara qu’on peut traduire par palabre locale en langue Haoussa est une vieille institution dont les traits caractéristiques renvoient à la concertation, à la vie communautaire et aux anciens. Expression de la culture locale, il permet d’examiner et de résoudre les problèmes socio-productifs et économiques de la collectivité. Cependant, il est méconnu de manière assez surprenante par les chercheurs comme vecteur de transmission et d’acquisition des connaissances. Son rôle dans la conservation, la protection et l’utilisation des connaissances traditionnelles est négligé ou ignoré. Ce travail vise à combler quelque peu cette carence à travers une démarche qualitative dans une communauté agricole. Les résultats montrent que les membres de la communauté ont tendance à privilégier grâce au foguain chawara les séances publiques de concertation, les terrains d’expérimentation, les champs d’école et les journées des bilans saisonniers comme des moyens de transmission, d’acquisition et de diffusion des connaissances. Les résultats indiquent que le « bouche-à-oreille » retenu comme le seul outil de communication au sein de la communauté est perçu par les membres comme le moyen le mieux adapté pour la protection et la conservation des connaissances traditionnelles locales par méfiance d’une exploitation extérieure. En termes de contribution, l’étude permet aux dirigeants d’entreprise qui s’installent en Afrique d’intégrer l’influence des dimensions culturelles dans leurs activités de gestion. Elle permet également de valoriser le « principe de séniorité » pouvant favoriser le transfert intergénérationnel des connaissances et des compétences dans les entreprises locales.
Risk Stratification in Noninvasive Respiratory Support Failure: A Narrative Review
Authors: Johnny Jace D. 
Published: June 2022

Topic/Clinical Relevance
The use of noninvasive respiratory support, including noninvasive ventilation and high-flow nasal cannula therapy, has increased over the years. Failure of noninvasive respiratory support, defined as the need for invasive mechanical ventilation, increases the mortality rate.

Purpose
To familiarize critical care nurses with available risk stratification assessments and identify common concepts and limitations.

Content Covered
Few risk stratification assessments are available to identify patients at risk of failure of noninvasive respiratory support. Although many studies have analyzed risk, substantial variation in study design, definitions, terminology, and outcomes have led to a wide range of findings, making clinical application difficult. Further study is needed to broaden known assessments to general patient populations, determine diagnostic accuracy during critical periods, and analyze noninvasive ventilation and high-flow nasal cannula therapy. Risk stratification could allow for better implementation of preventive strategies and patient education.

Conclusion
Future research opportunities include improving study design for risk stratification and implementing preventive strategies for patients requiring noninvasive respiratory support. Clinically, risk stratification can provide an opportunity to share knowledge and facilitate conversations with patients and families.
Effect of Reuse of Insulin Needle on Glycaemic Control and Related Complications in Children with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Sharma Mohit , Kumar Rakesh , Rohilla Latika , Angrup Archana , Yadav Jaivinder , Dayal Devi 
Published: June 2022

Background:
Children with type 1 diabetes (T1D) take multiple subcutaneous injections of insulin daily to survive. It is controversial whether the insulin needles can be reused safely or not. This study assesses the effect of the reuse versus single-use of insulin needle on glycaemic control and injection-related complications.

Methods:
Nearly 121 children (<15 years) with T1D were prospectively observed for existing practice of needle reuse for first 3 months and then were asked to practice single-use for the next 3 months.

Results:
It was found that 78% participants were reusing needles more than three times. After 3 months of needle reuse, 91.3% patients had lipodystrophy. Frequency of reuse positively correlated with local redness, bleeding and leakage of insulin. The patients achieving HbA1c ≤7.5% was significantly low among those reusing needles more than four times. After 3 months of single-use, no significant difference was found in mean HbA1c. However, hyperglycaemic episodes, lipodystrophy and local complications reduced significantly. There was a significant reduction in mean HbA1c among those using needles more than six times earlier.

Conclusion:
Reuse of insulin needles up to six times does not affect the glycaemic control significantly. To achieve target HbA1c (<7.5%) the needle reuse should be restricted to three times only, which can also reduce injection-related local complications.
Endocrine research in Bangladesh
Authors: Kamrul-Hasan A. B. M. , Selim Shahjada 
Published: June 2022

Background:
The contribution of Bangladesh to global endocrine research is not quantified. We intend to summarize the progress Bangladesh has made in endocrine research.

Methods:
Global and country-specific data up to December 2021 from the PubMed database were retrieved using the keywords ‘diabetes mellitus’, ‘obesity’, ‘thyroid’, ‘adrenal’ and ‘pituitary’; the keywords ‘gonad’ OR ‘hypogonadism’ OR ‘PCOS’ OR ‘sexual dysfunction’ were used for retrieving data of reproductive endocrinology research; and ‘bone metabolism’ OR ‘osteoporosis’ OR ‘vitamin D’ were used for bone metabolism research. Bangladeshi contributions to endocrine research were compared to global and country-specific data during the periods ‘1972–2021’ and ‘2012–2021’.

Results:
Bangladesh has 2,467 articles in the PubMed database in different fields of endocrinology during the period 1972–2021, which is 0.132% of the total global endocrine publications published in this timeframe. We observed a gradual increment in the number of Bangladeshi publications over the last five decades in all fields of endocrinology. Over the last 10 years, the contribution has risen to 0.226% with 2003 publications.

Conclusions:
Currently, Bangladesh contributes very little to global endocrine research. An urgent call to amplify research works by Bangladeshi endocrinologists is of utmost importance to catch up with the global publications in endocrinology.
Accuracy of various tests alone and in combination to differentiate IHH from CDGP
Authors: Mishra Pratap Kumar , Mishra Ipsita , Choudhury Arun Kumar , Baliarsinha Anoj Kumar , Mangaraj Swayam Sidha , Jena Sweekruti , Mohanty Binoy Kumar 
Published: June 2022

Context:
Constitutional delay in growth and puberty (CDGP) is a normal physiological variant of delayed puberty in both sexes and is the most common cause of delayed puberty. Idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (IHH) is due to deficiency in or insensitivity to gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) with normal structure and function of the anterior pituitary after exclusion of secondary causes of hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. To differentiate CDGP from IHH is crucial because it not only helps in decision making in management but also lessen anxiety of the parents.

Aim:
In this study we aimed to find out the accuracy of hormonal tests used individually as well as in various combinations to distinguish cases of IHH from CDGP.

Methods:
A cohort of 34 boys with delayed puberty were recruited in this study. Detailed history, clinical examination, hormonal analysis including basal serum testosterone, inhibin-B, LH, FSH as well as GnRH analogue stimulated gonadotrophins and testosterone along with hCG stimulated testosterone was done. At 6 monthly follow-up, detailed clinical examination was repeated and the cohort was followed until 2 years.

Results:
Out of the 29 boys taken for final analysis, CDGP was diagnosed in 23 boys and IHH in 6 boys. Basal LH, basal inhibin-B, 3 hours post leuprolide LH and 72 hours post hCG testosterone were significantly higher in CDGP than IHH. However, no statistically significant difference was observed between basal FSH, basal testosterone and 3 hours post leuprolide FSH between these two groups. When basal LH (cut-off <0.565 IU/L) and basal inhibin-B (cut-off <105 pg/ml) were taken together the sensitivity and specificity were increased to 100% as was for the combination of basal LH (cutoff <0.565 IU/L) and 3 hours post leuprolide LH (cutoff <6.16 IU/L) for diagnosis of IHH. Both combinations have PPV of 100% and NPV of 100%. A combination of 3 hours post leuprolide LH with 72 hours post hCG testosterone also has good sensitivity (100%), specificity (96%), PPV (90%) and NPV (100%).

Conclusion:
Differentiating IHH from CDGP is a challenging task due to considerable overlap in their clinical as well as hormonal profiles. Therefore we suggest that a combination of basal LH and basal inhibin-B may be considered as a useful screening tool to differentiate IHH from CDGP rather than the cumbersome and invasive stimulation tests.
Field Testing of Synthetic Growth Charts in 1–60-Month-Old Indian Children
Authors: Mehta Sajili , Oza Chirantap , Karguppikar Madhura , Khadilkar Vaman , Khadilkar Anuradha 
Published: June 2022

Background:
Malnutrition among under-five children (U5C) in India is a major public health problem due to double burden caused by nutritional transition. WHO cut-offs are adopted as global growth standards which define how children should grow in condition of optimal nutrition and health. Growth references which are representative of population-specific existing growth patterns need to be updated regularly which is cumbersome; hence, the author’s group published ‘synthetic growth references’ for Indian children of age 0–18 years.

Objectives:
The objective of this study is to field test the new synthetic growth references in U5C for height-for-age, weight-for-age and body mass index (BMI)-for-age against WHO charts in urban and rural Indian children to estimate prevalence of various indices of malnutrition.

Methods:
A cross-sectional anthropometric assessment of apparently healthy rural and urban Indian U5C attending vaccination centre was performed using standard protocols. They were converted to Z-scores using WHO and Indian synthetic growth references. The equality of proportion of parameters of malnutrition was tested by McNemar’s test and P value <0.05 was considered significant.

Results:
WHO charts significantly overestimated stunting and malnutrition as compared to synthetic references with difference in sensitivity of 7.2% and 8.5%, respectively, and converse for over-nutrition by 2.1%. The most commonly affected parameter of malnutrition was underweight. Stunting was significantly higher in rural population using both cut-offs (P < 0.05).

Conclusion:
The synthetic references limit the spread of weight and BMI and do not overestimate stunting and wasting. They may be more useful for identification of malnutrition and may thus be recommended for routine screening in Indian U5C.
Inhibitors of Gq signalling down-regulate β-catenin expression & function in human colon cancer cells
Authors: Forghani Nasim , Najafi S. Mahmoud A. 
Published: June 2022

Background & objectives:
β-catenin signalling plays a key role in maintaining normal cellular physiology, and therefore, its deregulation can lead to many human diseases including cancers. Previously, we have shown that the activation of Gq signalling positively regulates β-catenin by inhibiting glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta and increasing the stability of β-catenin protein, however, these results were mainly based on overexpression experiments in either Xenopus oocytes or HEK293T cells. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the modulation of Gq signalling in human colon cancer cells.

Methods:
Gq signalling in SW480 and HT-29 colon cancer cells was specifically blocked to investigate the interaction between β-catenin and the Gq signalling pathways. GP antagonist-2A (a commercially available peptide) and a minigene expression construct encoding a peptide corresponding to the C-terminal 11 amino acids of Gαq were used to block Gq signalling. β-catenin expression and function were examined by western blotting, immunofluorescence microscopy, and quantitative real-time PCR experiments.

Results:
Transfection of cells with either of the blockers significantly decreased both β-catenin protein levels and β-catenin-mediated transcriptional activities. In addition, the migration of SW480 cells was reduced in the presence of the Gq blockers.

Interpretation & conclusions:
The results of this study further support the positive role of Gq signalling in regulating β-catenin expression and function and may provide a new means of preventing β-catenin-mediated carcinogenesis by blocking heterotrimeric G proteins.
Detection & analysis of inflammatory cytokines in tears of patients with lacrimal duct obstruction
Authors: Wang Dan , Xiang Nan , Hu Wei Kun , Luo Ban , Xiao Xiang Tian , Zhao Yin , Li Bin , Liu Rong 
Published: June 2022

Background & objectives:
Tear proteomic changes can be a candidate etiopathogenesis of lacrimal duct obstruction diseases (LDODs). Studies on proteomics have focused primarily on nasolacrimal duct obstruction, and some specific inflammatory cytokines such as interferon (IFN)-α2a, interleukin (IL)-8 and IL-10, have not been investigated. In addition, differences in inflammatory cytokines in tears according to the LDOD subtype have not been reported. This study aimed to quantitatively compare inflammatory cytokines in tears from patients with LDOD and investigate tear-cytokine differences among different LDOD subtypes.

Methods:
Tear samples were collected from both eyes of 30 patients with unilateral LDOD five patients with prelacrimal obstruction, five with acute dacryocystitis and 20 with chronic dacryocystitis. The contralateral eyes were used as controls. IFN-α2a, IFN-β, IFN-γ, IL-17A, IL-6, IL-8, tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A, induced protein-10 (IP-10) and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) were quantified in all samples.

Results:
The expression of eight cytokines (except for IP-10 and MCP-1) were significantly increased in the affected eyes compared with those in the control eyes. The levels of nine inflammatory cytokines (except for IP-10) in the affected eyes of patients with chronic dacryocystitis were higher than those in the affected eyes of patients with prelacrimal obstruction. In addition, patients with chronic dacryocystitis presented significantly higher IFN-γ level than those with prelacrimal obstruction or acute dacryocystitis.

Interpretation & conclusions:
Specific pro-inflammatory cytokines were increased in tears of patients with LDOD compared with those in the controls. The specific cytokine profiles observed in the tears of individuals with different LDOD subtypes may be associated with the unique aetiopathogenesis of these conditions.
Effects of continuous-combined oral drospirenone- estradiol on blood pressure, body weight & lipid profile in early menopausal women
Authors: Đogo Aleksandar , Dožić Branko , Vujović Svetlana , Srebro Dragana , Dožić Ivan 
Published: June 2022

Background & objectives
Drospirenone (DRSP) is a progestin with antimineralocorticoid and anti-androgenic activity. When administered in combination with estradiol (E2), it relieves menopausal symptoms. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of DRSP/E2 on the reduction of cardiovascular risk factors in menopausal women with hypertension.

Methods:
A retrospective study was conducted at the Clinical Center of Serbia. The participants were 64 menopausal women [mean age=49.19±4.62 yr, mean body mass index (BMI)=25.08±2.94 kg/m2, mean amenorrhoeic period=2.48±2.46 yr]. The effects of DRSP 2 mg/E2 1 mg on 24 h blood pressure (BP) variability, heart rate (HR), anthropometric characteristics and hormone and lipid levels were evaluated in early menopausal women with previously untreated stage 1 hypertension. All analyses were carried out before and after six and 12 months of therapy.

Results:
DRSP/E2 significantly reduced daytime BP values during six and 12 months of therapy. The reductions in systolic and diastolic BPs ranged from about −4.50 to −8.50 and from −4.00 to −5.00 mmHg, respectively. There were no significant changes in nocturnal 24 h BPs. DRSP/E2 significantly reduced HR daytime and night-time during the follow up period. DRSP/E2 significantly lowered the BMI, concentrations of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and apolipoprotein B, while high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and apolipoprotein concentration increased.

Interpretation & conclusions
Continuous long-term therapy with DRSP 2 mg/E2 1 mg significantly lowered 24 h systolic and diastolic BPs and reduced the risk of cardiovascular disease in early menopausal women with stage 1 hypertension. Timely initiated menopausal hormone therapy can have beneficial effects on BP and can reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease in menopausal women.
Smoking & risk of advanced liver fibrosis among patients with primary biliary cholangitis
Authors: Wijarnpreecha Karn , Werlang Monia , Panjawatanan Panadeekarn , Pungpapong Surakit , Lukens Frank J. , Harnois Denise M. , Ungprasert Patompong 
Published: June 2022

Background & objectives:
Studies have suggested that smoking may accelerate the progression of fibrosis among patients with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), although the data are limited. The current review was undertaken with the aim to comprehensively analyze this possible association by identifying all relevant studies and summarizing their results.

Methods:
A comprehensive literature review on MEDLINE and EMBASE databases was performed from inception through February 2019 to identify all relevant studies. Eligible studies included cross-sectional studies that recruited patients with PBC and collected data on the smoking status and presence or absence of advanced liver fibrosis for each participant. Odds ratios (OR) with 95 per cent confidence intervals (CI) was desirable for inclusion or sufficient raw data to calculate the same for this association. Adjusted point estimates from each study were extracted and combined together using the generic inverse variance method of DerSimonian and Laird. I
2 statistic, which quantifies the proportion of total variation across studies was used to determine the between-study heterogeneity.

Results:
Three cross-sectional studies with 544 participants were included. The pooled analysis found a significantly increased risk of advanced liver fibrosis among patients with PBC who were ever-smokers compared to those who were nonsmokers with the pooled OR of 3.00 (95% CI, 1.18-7.65). Statistical heterogeneity was high with I
2 of 89 per cent.

Interpretation & conclusions:
This meta-analysis found that smoking is associated with a significantly higher risk of advanced liver fibrosis among patients with PBC. Further prospective studies are still required to determine whether this association is causal.
High soluble interleukin-2 receptor values in Indian paediatric & adult controls – Need for population-specific threshold in the diagnosis of haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis
Authors: Dinand Veronique , Sachdeva Anupam , Sharma Sakshi , Prasad Alpana , Pant Deepanjali , Sachdev Anil , Ganguly Nirmal Kumar 
Published: June 2022

Background & objectives:
Elevated soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL2R) is a diagnostic criterion for haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH). International guidelines propose a 2400 U/ml cut-off or individual laboratory-defined cut-off. However, sIL2R normal values are so far not known in Indians. So, this study was undertaken to measure sIL2R in healthy children and adults to establish age-related reference values.

Methods:
Healthy controls and cases (participants with persistent fever, organomegaly, cytopenias and biochemical markers of HLH) were prospectively enrolled. Serum sIL2R was measured by double-sandwich enzyme immunoassay in a standardization batch to determine the optimum cut-off value using receiver operator characteristic curve and was subsequently validated.

Results
One hundred and forty six age- and sex-matched children (80 controls and 66 suspected HLH cases) and 55 adults (49 controls and 6 suspected HLH cases) were prospectively enrolled. The optimal sIL2R cut-off ≥23 ng/ml was defined as raised sIL2R in the standardization batch. No controls had sIL2R ≥23 ng/ml in the validation batch. In healthy controls, median sIL2R (interquartile range) decreased with increasing age from 9.0 ng/ml (6.6-13.4) below five years of age to 3.2 ng/ml (2.8-5.1) in adults. Proposed upper limit of normal value for sIL2R is 17.4 ng/ml in less than five year, 12.2 ng/ml in 5-9 yr, 6.7 ng/ml in 10-17 yr and 5.2 ng/ml in ≥18 yr. sIL2R accuracy to diagnose HLH marginally improved with age-appropriate cut-off.

Interpretation & conclusions:
Paediatric controls in India showed higher sIL2R levels than most studies conducted in other countries, except for some reports in Chinese and Russian populations. Age-appropriate reference values of sIL2R in a specific population may be considered to determine elevated sIL2R as a marker of HLH.
Serum levels of osteoprotegerin, RANK-L & vitamin D in different stages of osteoarthritis of the knee
Authors: Naik Sanjukta , Sahu Suchanda , Bandyopadhyay Debapriya , Tripathy Sujit 
Published: June 2022

Background & objectives:
Osteoarthritis (OA) is the 11th leading cause of disability in the modern world, but till date, there have been no effective markers for monitoring the progression of OA. The three proteins RANK/RANK-Ligand and Osteoprotegerin (OPG) have been found to be the key regulators of bone metabolism. Interaction of RANK-Ligand with its receptor RANK triggers differentiation of osteoclasts leading to bone resorption. OPG on the other hand is protective as it is expressed by osteoblasts and bind RANKL with higher affinity preventing its interaction with RANK. The levels of these serum proteins are regulated by vitamin D and parathyroid hormones. Therefore, the present study, aimed to study the association of serum RANKL, OPG and vitamin D with disease severity in patients with knee OA.

Methods:
It was a cross-sectional study where 80 (43 women and 37 men) newly diagnosed subjects with OA knee were recruited. They were classified into four grades based on K-L grading and into two groups as early (grade 1+grade 2) and advanced (grade 3 + grade 4) based on the disease progression.

Results:
On comparing the biochemical parameters among the four grades decreasing vitamin D levels were seen with increasing severity of knee OA; an increasing trend of RANKL with increase in the severity of OA was seen; OPG was found to be elevated more in the early stages of OA. We also observed a strong association of RANKL/OPG ratio with disease severity.

Interpretation & conclusions:
Overall the results suggest that OPG may be considered as an early marker of the diseases.