The relevance of this work is due to the insufficient number of modern studies on the treatment of patients with paranoid schizophrenia with non-suicidal autoaggressive actions or in short: “NSAA”, who have had a coronavirus infection. The aim of the study was to study the role of buspirone in the complex therapy of patients with paranoid schizophrenia with NSAA who had a coronavirus infection. Materials and research methods: 99 patients with paranoid schizophrenia meeting ICD-10 criteria were examined by a continuous, non-randomized clinical method. Fisher’s test was used for statistical evaluation. Results: It was established that the consequence of the coronavirus infection was an increase in the proportion of residual organic changes in the form of manifestations of the dysphoric syndrome, specific changes in the cognitive sphere, and the autonomic nervous system. The manifestations of dysphoria included an increase in the frequency of openly manifested aggression, anxiety, impulsivity, and the implementation of NSAA by the type of affective discharge. The structure of acquired cognitive impairments consisted of changes in thinking by the type of thoroughness, and rigidity of perseveration. Changes in the autonomic nervous system are presented in the form of diencephalic crises. Also, psychotic states not characteristic of the previously examined patients were noted, such as twilight stupefaction, delusional symptoms of Cappgras, Fregoli, and tactile hallucinosis. It has been established that the use of buspirone as part of complex therapy with neuroleptics, compared with monotherapy with neuroleptics, increases the effectiveness of therapy in relation to these clinical manifestations in the studied individuals. Conclusion: The use of buspirone in combination with neuroleptic drugs increases the effectiveness of therapy in relation to the leading psychopathological manifestations in patients with paranoid schizophrenia with NSAA who have undergone coronavirus infection.
In this article, an interesting phenomenon has described the geometries and vibrational frequency of the stable AuN clusters with N = 26 to 35. We have found nine out of ten clusters are having the very same C1 symmetry, except the cluster N = 33 (D2). The finite-differentiation method has been implemented within the density-functional tight-binding (DFTB) approach. The effects of the range of interatomic forces were calculated and the desired set of system eigenfrequencies (3N-6) are obtained by diagonalization of the symmetric positive semidefinite Hessian matrix. Mainly, we have observed the vibrational spectra and the range comes in between 2.04 and 347.32 cm−1 at ground state, ∆E = 0. Most significantly, all the clusters have revealed double-state degeneracy. The vibrational spectrum is strongly dependent upon the size, shape, and structure, at the same time, the stretching and the bending mode of the atoms with respect to the bond length plays a major role. We have compared some of our results, which have an excellent agreement, with the less availability of the experimental and the theoretical predictions.
Md Abid Hasan*, Muhammad Kamal Hossain, Rony Chandra Shil, Sajia Azmi, Rubayiat Binte Jahangir and Nursad Jahan Sultana
Published on: 12th July, 2023
Background: The prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders is particularly high among garment workers, which poses a serious occupational health hazard. This issue is not taken seriously as an important issue in low-income countries like Bangladesh.Aim: Determine the prevalence of musculoskeletal conditions (MSDs) among garment workers in nine body regions and explore the relationship between MSDs and the general characteristics of the participants.Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study including 383 garment workers was done. A structured questionnaire (Standardized Nordic Musculoskeletal) was used. Results: The most common form of pain in the last year was lower back pain. Nine anatomical locations were studied, and workers most commonly experienced problems with their lower back (45.4%), upper back (36.6%), and knees (33.2%). Workers reported having more trouble in the knee (31.9%), upper back (35.0%), and lower back (43.9%) regions over the past seven days. In the past year and the last seven days, shoulder injuries were the least common. Conclusion: MSDs are widespread among garment industry employees. The back condition is the most commonly affected. The development of MSD is directly correlated with age and work experience.
Rim Masmoudi*, Ahmed Mhalla, Amjed Ben Haouala, Wael Majdoub, Jawaher Masmoudi, Badii Amamou and Lotfi Gaha
Published on: 13th July, 2023
Internet addiction is a growing addictive behavior and a major public health problem worldwide. Several psychological factors can contribute to the problematic use of the Internet. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of Internet Addiction (IA) in a sample of university students and to examine the relationship between IA, self-esteem, and attachment styles.The present study was a cross-sectional study, involving 135 students from the Faculty of Medicine of Monastir. The participants completed a questionnaire, which contained the socio-demographic data, the reasons for Internet use, the Young Cyberaddiction scale to seek IA, the Relationships-style-questionnaire-RSQ to assess attachment style, and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES).The mean age of the students was 21.5 ± 1.9 years old. They were 112 (83%) females. The prevalence of Internet addiction was 23.7%. The average connection time was 3.5 ± 1.8 hours/day. The most frequent online activities were chat (online discussion, forums ...) in 94.8% of cases followed by download activities (78.5%), scientific research (75.6%), online games (23.7%), and online shopping (13.3%). IA was associated with school failure, alcohol use, online gaming, and low self-esteem. The majority of the participants (84.4%) in this study reported an insecure attachment style. Logistic regression analysis showed a strong association between IA and fearful attachment style.IA was frequent among students. Fearful attachment style was found to be a risk factor for IA. This study highlights the impact of relationships between child and their caregivers on the development of addiction.
Neha Mundotiya*, Mukesh Choudhary, Saurabh Jaiswal and Umema Ahmad
Published on: 19th July, 2023
Soil-mixed bodily fluids are the most common kind of evidence at outdoor crime scenes. This biological evidence contains DNA, which is a key component of forensic science’s ability to prove an accused person’s guilt because it connects the victim and suspect to the crime scene and aids in identifying the offender and victim. The yield of DNA is significantly influenced by factors including temperature, humidity, storage environment, time since deposition, etc. DNA degradation is caused by a variety of microbes, bacteria, humic acid, and other substances present in soil. Nowadays for DNA extraction, a variety of commercial DNA extraction kits was used now. This paper’s objective is to compare the efficiency of ten different commercial kits used to extract mixed DNA samples. It has been observed that samples stored at a low temperature (-20 °C) are the best for soil blood mixture samples. Compared to samples paired with other types of soil (silt, clay, and marshland), sand soil had the largest production of DNA using the QIAmp investigator kit (Qiagen). Blood Miniprep kit extractions were mostly inhibited, the control that amplified confirms that this kit was the worst in terms of DNA extraction potency. The samples with fewer dirt particles had a much greater yield of DNA.
Pooja Sharma, Anita Tahlan*, Anshu Palta and Monica Gupta
Published on: 24th July, 2023
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in significant burdens globally. Healthcare workers (HCWs), at the heart of the unparalleled crisis of COVID-19, face challenges treating patients and doing testing for COVID-19: reducing the spread of infection; developing suitable short-term strategies; and formulating long-term plans. We aimed to assess the psychological impact of COVID-19 on Laboratory health staff. Material and methods: Between February - March 2021, 72 laboratory staff workers of a tertiary care teaching hospital were invited to fill out a questionnaire regarding concerns and worries about the novel coronavirus pandemic, along with a coping scoring system and General health questionnaire level (GHQ-12) survey. Results: Out of 72 laboratory health staff who completed the survey questionnaire, 10 were faculty members, 17 were residents (including senior residents, junior residents, and demonstrators), 39 were lab technicians, followed by 4 were attendants and 2 were data operators. Laboratory staff workers with an age group range from 30 years - 60 years had a higher level of depression symptoms than respondents with 20 years - 29 years of age. Similarly, the symptoms of anxiety were noted to be significantly higher among female respondents and respondents with age >30yrs. The most frequent concern was transmitting the infection to family than to themselves only. A considerable number of laboratory staff workers utilized online psychological resources to deal with their psychological distress.Conclusion: The findings of this survey recognize the various problems faced by laboratory health workers during the period of COVID-19 which affect their working ability. Therefore, in the future, we have to implement such strategies that enhance the performance of laboratory workers, boost their energy level, and encourage them to take care of themselves, in times of such crisis.
Background: Myxedema is an extreme manifestation seen in patients with untreated hypothyroidism. It is a lethal endocrine emergency, which arises when a precipitating cause overwhelms the compensatory mechanisms of the hypothyroid state.Objectives: This case report aims to present a case of myxedema coma secondary to cretinism. It also aims to discuss how hypothyroidism leads to hypoventilation and eventually respiratory failure, as well as to discuss the epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical manifestation, diagnosis, and management of a child with myxedema coma.Case presentation: This is a case of a 7-year-old female, diagnosed with congenital hypothyroidism at 5 months of age, but eventually was lost to follow-up. She came back after 7 years presenting with difficulty of breathing. She was seen hypothermic, obtunded, and in severe respiratory distress. She was severely stunted and underweight with coarse facial features. Initial laboratory work-up showed elevated Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) as well as decreased tri-iodothyronine (FT3) and thyroxine (FT4). She was immediately started on levothyroxine, with noted resolution of the edema and improvement in sensorium. There was also noted improvement in the patient’s ventilation and was sent home on Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) while asleep.Conclusion: This case highlights the importance of having a high index of suspicion of its clinical manifestations, which could lead to earlier intervention thereby preventing further complications. A multidimensional approach is essential in managing this case, as various organ systems are involved in this condition.
Yamile Martinez-Rodriguez, Zobeida Rodriguez-Diaz, Fernanda Tellez-Quijada, Brenda Sanchez-Melo and Ivette Buendia-Roldan*
Published on: 27th July, 2023
Introduction: Pneumothorax is defined as air in the pleural cavity, the iatrogenic cause happens after invasive procedures as thoracic needle aspiration, central line placement, pacemaker placement, etc. Nevertheless, it is possible to be found in non-medical procedures, such as alternative medicine, more specifically acupuncture. There are medications used against aging that FDA has warned to be used only in its first objective, an example is procaine hydrochloride.Case: A 63 y/o female, Mexico City resident, with anxiety, came to a follow-up appointment for an aging cohort, where CT, PFT, and laboratories are made for pulmonary healthy subjects to investigate normal lung aging and how other environmental factors can affect the lungs; at physical examination, we did not find any pleuropulmonary syndrome, but in the CT a left Iatrogenic pneumothorax was found; we re-asked for antecedents and she described that 15 days before the date she had 2 punctures in the middle clavicular line to apply procaine hydrochloride as an anti-aging treatment.Discussion: There is diverse evidence of adverse effects associated with acupuncture, and even if pneumothorax has a small percentage of incidence, in some cases it can be severe and can even cause fatalities.Conclusion: The pneumothorax in this case was iatrogenic due to the thoracic puncture for an anti-aging treatment, with a total resolution with conservative treatment, however we as health professionals have the responsibility to inform our patients that initiatives of administration ways can cause important complications.
Aerobic capacity of young men (19 years - 24 years) is high, but can be influenced by many factors like physical activity, smoking, and air pollution with environmental PM 2.5. Objectives: (a) - to estimate the aerobic capacity in young men (smokers and non-smokers) living in areas with higher PM 2.5 using Queen’s College Step Test (QCT). (b) - to find whether aerobic capacity is associated with the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ)’ three classes, for smokers and non-smokers. Methods: In a cross-sectional study using criteria-based sampling a total of N = 60 smokers & non-smokers were included from the Delhi NCR region. IPAQ, Peak Expiratory Flow Rate (PEFR), Heart Rate, Systolic Blood Pressure, Diastolic Blood Pressure, and PM 2.5 and PM 10 levels were recorded. A comparison of smokers and non-smokers was performed using z test. Smokers and non-smokers were divided into three classes using physical activity levels and compared for aerobic capacity. The correlation of aerobic capacity with variables was seen using Pearson’s correlation coefficient. Multiple R was checked to study the model of cause and effect for aerobic capacity. Results: Significant difference is seen between smokers and non-smokers in the aerobic capacity (Mean ± SD smokers - 65.22 ± 8.73 ml/kg/min; Mean ± SD non-smokers 60.04 ± 7.7 ml/kg/min p value = 0.00). For non-smokers, a low level of physical activity shows a strong correlation with aerobic capacity (r = 0.78; p = < 0.05). No correlation of aerobic capacity is seen with physical activity levels among smokers. Aerobic capacity shows a significant negative and moderate correlation with PM 2.5 (r = -3.1; p = 0.016). The multiple R coefficient value for the model of cause and effect is 6.99 with a p - value of 0.0449 for this. Conclusion: Smoking affects aerobic capacity significantly for young men. High and moderate levels of outdoor physical activity do not increase aerobic capacity in areas with high PM 2.5, whereas low levels show a positive correlation among non-smokers only.
Georgina George Balyorugulu, Emmanuela Ambrose, Patrick S Ngoya, Yusuf S Jamnagerwalla, Iddi S Buri, Primrose Songoro and Protas D Komba
Published on: 28th July, 2023
Background: Stroke occurs in 11% of patients with SCA before 20 years of age. In Northwestern Tanzania, the prevalence of stroke among children living with SCA under the age 15 years is 16.9%, of which might be attributed to the absence of routine screening for the risk of stroke by using Transcranial Doppler Ultrasound (TCD). Screening with TCD allows preventive measures such as chronic blood transfusion to be done which has led to the reduction of stroke by 92%.Methods: This was a prospective analytical cross sectional study which enrolled 267 SCA children aged 2 to 16 years attending Bugando Medical Centre Pediatric Sickle Cell Clinic from July 2019 to June 2020. Assessment of factors associated with elevated TCD included a clinical history of stroke in sibling, death in sibling, temperature, oxygen saturation in room air, blood pressure, hemoglobin level and total white blood cell count. TCD was done by accessing transtemporal window and recording the highest time average mean of maximum velocity (TAMMV) of major vessels mainly, middle cerebral artery (MCA) and distal internal carotid artery (dICA).Results: The median age of enrolled was 6.6 (IQR: 4-9) years. The prevalence of elevated TCD (> 170 cm/s)was found to be 21% (56/267). By multivariate logistic regression, low oxygen saturation in room air, p - value = 0.037, OR 1.08 [95% CI 1.00-1.17] and low hemoglobin level, p - value = 0.001, OR 1.76 [95% CI 1.26-2.45] were statistically significantly associated with elevated TCD among children living with SCA.Conclusion: The high prevalence of elevated TCD velocity, with low hemoglobin and low oxygen saturation in room air as associated factors under multivariate logistic regression, warrants routine TCD screening for children with SCA aged 2 to 16 years.
Laurence Fruteau de Lacos, Andréanne Blanchette, Kadija Perreault, Raoul Daoust, Jacques Lee, Jeffrey J Perry, Marcel Émond, Eddy Lang and Nathalie Veillette and Marie-Josée Sirois*
Published on: 1st August, 2023
Background: Around 75% of seniors seeking treatment for injuries in Emergency Departments (ED) are discharged home with minor injuries that put them at risk of functional decline in the following months. Objectives: To 1) describe seniors’ characteristics using or not physiotherapy services following ED visits for minor injuries and 2) examine their functional status according to physiotherapy use. Methods: Secondary data analyses of the Canadian Emergency Team Initiative cohort study. Participants were 65 years and older, discharged home after consulting EDs for minor injuries and assessed three times: ED, 3- and 6-months. Physiotherapy use was recorded as yes/no. Functional status was measured using the Older American Resources Scale (OARS). Multivariate linear regressions were used to examine change in OARS scores over time, accounting for confounders. Results: Among the 2169 participants, 565 (26%) received physiotherapy, and 1604 (74%) did not. Physiotherapy users were more likely females (71% vs. 64%), more educated, and less cognitively impaired. The overall change in OARS at 6 months was -0.31/28 points (95% CI: -0.55; -0.28) with no difference across groups after adjustment. Subgroup analyses among frail seniors showed that physiotherapy users maintained their function while non-users lost clinically significant function (-0.02 vs. -1.26/28 points, p = 0.03). Among the severely injured (Injury Severity Scale ≥ 5), physiotherapy users’ results were higher by almost 1/28 points (p = 0.03) compared to non-users. Conclusion: These results suggest that among seniors discharged home after consulting the ED for minor injuries, the frail and severely injured may benefit from being systematically referred to physiotherapy services.
The study aimed to investigate the threats to the biodiversity of ethnomedicinal plants and to find consensus information on conservation and management practices of ethnomedicinal plants to contribute sustainable utilization of ethnomedicinal plants in Kore district, Southeastern Ethiopia. The result of the survey revealed that sixty-one medicinal plants were reported by the informants from the study area. These plants are distributed in 59 genera and 37 families. Family Lamiaceae and Asteraceae were represented by 5 (8.2%) species for each family and this is the highest number of species and followed by 4 (6.5%) species of Solanaceae and Fabaceae for each family. Preference ranking analysis shows that Eucalyptus globulus scored 47, indicating that it is the most used plant for firewood in the community, followed by Olea europaea (45) and the least used plant for firewood is Juniperus procera scored 36. Paired comparison analysis showed that Olea Europeae ranked first followed by Podocarpus falcatus for the use of charcoal production in the study area. The major purposes of plant species in the study area were construction, Charcoal, Firewood, Furniture, and Fences as well as for medicinal uses. Based on direct matrix ranking analysis Juniperus procera, Eucalyptus globulus, Podocarpus falactus, Olea europaea, Hagenia abyssinica, Croton macrostachyus, and Cordia africana were the most preferred medicinal plants by local people in the study area. The analysis's findings indicated that anthropogenic influences are endangering medicinal plants. In this study area, only about 13% of medicinal plants are collected from home gardens. This shows that the effort made by the community to conserve medicinal plants is not satisfactory. Therefore, encouraging NGOs and Government offices to participate in the conservation of medicinal plants to encourage the local people to plant indigenous trees for domestic use is necessary.
Mohammad Yousaf*, Rita Ramos and Rehmatullah Inzar Gull
Published on: 17th August, 2023
Background: Breast Cancer is the most common cancer in women and the quality of life of women with breast cancer is a significant healthcare issue specifically in developing and underdeveloped countries.Globally quality of Life (QoL) has become an important indicator to measure the outcomes of medical and nursing interventions. The QoL studies have an imperative role in healthcare especially in chronic disease as the latest diagnostic and treatment modalities have increased the survival rates and duration of cancer patients. Similarly, breast cancer itself and its treatment with Chemotherapy, in particular, has many complications and negative impacts on the QoL of cancer women. Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the QoL of Pakistani women with Breast Cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and the relationship of QoL with socio-demographic variables.Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional correlational study was conducted on 110 female breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. FACIT-B questionnaire was used to assess the quality of life of these patients. Statistical analysis was done by using SPSS version 20 using the Pearson correlation coefficient, Chi-square test, and Spearman’s rho correlation coefficient. Results: The mean age of participants was (mean ± SD) 42.98 ± 8.98. A significant negative correlation was observed with age and QoL, r = -0.218, p - value 0.022. No significant association was observed between QoL and marital status; education status; and socioeconomic status.Conclusion: The majority of breast cancer women 59(53.6%) had moderate QoL and Chemotherapy also showed moderate impacts on different domains: physical, functional emotional, social, and sexual well-being of the women.
Background: Early childhood caries may develop as soon as teeth erupt. Promoting oral health care programs is very important and helps to reduce dental caries in young children. The aim of this study was to assess the infant/child oral health (IOH) related knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of parents in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among 327 parents. Visiting the family medicine center at prince sultan military medical city, Riyadh Saudi Arabia. A 39-item questionnaire covering socio-demographic characteristics and questions pertaining to KAP regarding OH care will be used to collect the data. Descriptive statistics, Student’s t-test, one-way analysis of variance, and Scheffe’s test will use for the statistical analysis (p ≤ 0.05). Results: The result showed that the majority of the parents had good knowledge regarding OH, knowledge of cleaning (92.4.%), and knowledge of the amount of sugar (88.1.%). the parent’s age group (30 to 39) years (n =147) reported the highest mean (knowledge, attitudes, and practice) scores among all other age groups with a knowledge mean score of (6.80 ± 1.73), an attitude mean score of (8.86 ± 1.37), and a practice mean score of (5.14 ± 1.86). Female parents showed significantly higher mean knowledge, attitude, and practice scores than male parents. In addition, the middle-income level parents’ group (n = 295) reported higher knowledge mean score compared to the low-income parents’ group (n = 15) with a mean difference of d = 1.15, p = .041. Conclusion: Parents’ knowledge about maintaining oral and dental health care for infants/children was inadequate. Essentially, medical professionals are the initial ones to interact with expecting and new moms. Therefore, need to raise parents’ awareness about oral and dental health for infants/children, through the development and implementation of long-term education and promotions programs.
Background/Aim: There has been a progressive rise in the incidence and prevalence of End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). It has also been observed that the most important reasons for a rapid increase in Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) patients are the rapidly increasing worldwide incidence of diabetes and hypertension. The present study evaluates the effect of diabetes, hypertension, and comorbid state of hypertension and diabetes (hypertensive-diabetic) on renal function using serum creatinine and urea as markers. Method: A total number of 120 persons were recruited for the research; 30 controls, 30 hypertensive, 30 diabetic, and 30 hypertensive-diabetic persons. Of the 30 control persons, 18 were females and 12 were males; of the 30 hypertensive subjects, 17 were females and 13 were males; of the 30 diabetics subjects, 20 were females and 10 were males, whereas of the 30 hypertensive-diabetic subjects, 21 were females and 9 were males. In total, there were seventy-six (76) females and 44 males. The respondents were pulled from Central Hospital (Auchi) Diabetic and General Clinic and Auchi Polytechnic Cottage Hospital. Verbal consent was sort and questionnaires were used to extract information regarding biodata and patients’ history of diabetes and hypertension. Height and weight were measured, and blood pressure was determined taken. Blood samples were collected into fluoride oxalate and lithium heparin bottle for the assessment of FBS and (serum urea and creatinine) respectively. Results: The mean (±SD) serum creatinine was higher in the hypertensive-diabetic group (2.08 ± 1.06) and declined as follows: diabetic group (1.75 ± 1.01), hypertensive group (1.34 ± 0.96) and control group (0.70 ± 0.14). The mean (±SD) serum urea was also found to be higher in the hypertensive-diabetic group (17.5 ± 9.06) and declined as follows: diabetic group (14.5 ± 6.13), hypertensive group (12.7 ± 6.23) and control group (7.18 ± 5.06). There was a positive correlation between serum creatinine and fasting blood sugar The study also established a positive correlation between serum creatinine and blood pressure but not between serum urea and blood pressure with r values of 0.31 and 0.16 respectively. Conclusion: Good control of blood glucose and blood pressure levels reduces the likelihood of the development of renal impairment which is usually associated with both diabetes and hypertension. Co-morbidity of diabetes and hypertension poses a higher risk of developing renal disease than individual problems of diabetes and hypertension. Serum creatinine and serum urea are important biomarkers for renal impairment hence the two should be monitored on a regular basis for diabetic and hypertensive patients and much more frequently for hypertensive-diabetic patients.
Mariana Catalina Garcini Sandoval*, Enrique Espinosa Zúñiga and Martha Guadalupe García Toribio
Published on: 24th August, 2023
Sturge-Weber Syndrome (SWS) is a congenital, vascular, neurocutaneous, uncommon disease associated with facial angiomas port wine birthmark (PWB) or “nevus flammeus”, cerebral vascularity alterations (leptomeningeal vascular malformation), and ocular disorders. It is the third most common neurocutaneous syndrome after neurofibromatosis and tuberous sclerosis. GNAQ R183Q is the most frequent related mutation, caused by a postzygotic, somatic, gain-of-function. 75% of patients present seizures during the first year of life, mainly focal motor seizures, with or without consciousness impairment.We present the case of a 33-year-old female with a diagnosis of SWS, with refractory seizures that started at 4 months of age. In this admission, she presented upper and lower respiratory tract infections that culminated in a convulsive status epilepticus (CSE), the reason for which she required sedation and advanced airway management with adjustment of the anti-seizure medication (ASM). An electroencephalogram (EEG) was performed that reported epileptic activity, as well as an imaging study with data suggestive of calcification in the frontal and right parietal region, compatible with vascular malformation.
VS Abrukov*, KA Konnova, EN Egorov, DA Anufrieva and NI Koltsov
Published on: 28th August, 2023
A new technique for the use of Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) for the generalization and visual presentation of the results of experimental studies is proposed. The possibility of using ANN for cases for which their use was previously considered impossible is shown. ANN calculators have been created that summarize the results of experimental studies on the effect of trans-polynorbornene and basalt fiber on the characteristics of a rubber compound based on general-purpose rubbers (isoprene SKI-3, butadiene-methylstyrene SKMS-30ARK and butadiene SKD), which also contained vulcanizing agents (N, N′-dithiodimorpholine, thiuram D), vulcanization accelerators (sulfenamide C, 2-mercapto-benzothiazole), vulcanization activators (zinc white, stearic acid), emollients (industrial oil I-12A, rosin) and antioxidants (acetonanil H, diaphene FP). The rubber mixture was prepared on laboratory rollers LB 320 160/160. Subsequently, the rubber mixture was vulcanized in a P-V-100-3RT-2-PCD press. For the resulting vulcanizates, the physical and mechanical properties and their changes were determined after daily exposure to air and in a standard SZhR-1 hydrocarbon liquid at a temperature of 100 °C. We also studied the change in the mass of vulcanizates after exposure to industrial oil I-20A and water. The dynamic parameters (modulus of elasticity and mechanical loss tangent) of vulcanizates, which characterize their noise and vibration-absorbing properties, were studied on a Metravib VHF 104 dynamic mechanical analyzer. The created ANN calculators allow solving a direct problem - interpolating the dependences of all rubber characteristics on the content of basalt fiber, as well as solving inverse problems - to determine the required content of basalt fiber to create rubber with the required performance properties. The autonomous executable modules of the calculators developed by ANN were made and can be passed to everyone.
Background: Asthma, a chronic inflammatory respiratory ailment, is characterized by variable airflow obstruction and heightened bronchial reactivity. Despite therapeutic advancements, a comprehensive comprehension of its underlying metabolic mechanisms remains elusive. Metabolomics has emerged as a powerful approach to investigating the complex connections between serum metabolites and disease pathogenesis. However, exploring the causal relationship between serum metabolites and asthma susceptibility demands meticulous examination to unveil potential therapeutic targets.Methods: Mendelian randomization (MR) approach was explored to investigate the potential causal associations between serum metabolites and asthma risk. The main analysis employed the inverse variance weighted method, supported by supplementary approaches such as MR-Egger, weighted median, weighted mode, and sample mode. To enhance the strength and credibility of our results, we conducted sensitivity analyses encompassing heterogeneity testing, assessment of horizontal pleiotropy, and leave-one-out analysis. Additionally, pathway enrichment analysis was performed to further elucidate the results.Results: We identified 18 known and 12 unknown metabolites with potential associations with asthma risk. Among known metabolites, seven exhibited protective effects (e.g., 4-acetamidobutanoate, allantoin, kynurenine, oxidized bilirubin*), while eleven were considered risk factors (e.g., ornithine, N-acetylornithine, alanine). Through the integration of four additional MR models and sensitivity analyses, we revealed a connection between 4-acetamidobutanoate and approximately 6% lower asthma risk (OR = 0.94, 95% CI: 0.90–0.98).Conclusions: Our MR analysis uncovered protective and risk-associated metabolites, alongside 12 unknown metabolites linked to asthma. Notably, 4-acetamidobutanoate demonstrated a nominal 6% reduction in asthma risk, highlighting its potential significance.
Reena Kujur*, Heba I Khan, Eugenia P Lal and Lalit Kumar Verma
Published on: 1st September, 2023
Okra is an herbaceous hairy annual plant that belongs to the family Malvaceae. It is cultivated in tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate regions around the world. The present work was carried out to study the effect of biofertilizers (Azotobacter + Bacillus) and different concentrations of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium i.e.NPK on growth and photosynthetic pigments of okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L. Moench). Okra can be named a multipurpose crop as its various parts such as leaves, buds, flowers, pods, stems and seeds can be used for different purposes [1]. Okra is rich in dietary fiber, vitamins, oils, etc. Application of hazardous fertilizers causes a nutrient imbalance in soil, With respect to reducing the causes due to chemical fertilizers, biofertilizers are suited best to maintain higher productivity and yield of crops. Random block design (RBD) was selected as an experimental design. The treatments combination taken are T0- Control, T1- Azotobacter + 50% NPK, T2- Azotobacter (2.5 kg/ha) + 100% NPK, T3- Bacillus (2.5 kg/ha) + 50% NPK, T4- Bacillus (2.5 kg/ha) + 100% NPK, and T5 with NPK 100%. The final result revealed, that the treatment combination with Azotobacter + 100% NPK (T2) showed the highest value of plant height (65.60 cm), number of leaves per plant(62.36), number of flowers per plant (27.40), and also carotenoid content (2.82 mg/g), chlorophyll a(2.47 mg/g) and chlorophyll b(3.25 mg/g) were observed maximum. So, it can be concluded through this paper that the combination of Azotobacter 2.5 kg/ha + 100% NPK (T2) is suitable for the okra plant for better growth and enhancement of photosynthetic potential in-field practices.
Javeria Azeem, Jawad Ahmed, Muhammad Faizan Hamid*, Ahsan Javed and Sumbal Javed
Published on: 5th September, 2023
Background: Post-fracture prolonged immobilization or post-operative elbow stiffness is relatively common and markedly interferes with normal upper extremity function. This study aims to evaluate and compare the levels of patient satisfaction and quality of life in individuals with post-elbow fracture stiffness who undergo Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) stretching versus those who receive passive stretching.Methodology: This (six months) analytical comparative cross-sectional study was conducted at various healthcare institutions. The sample consisted of 377 patients using non-probability convenient sampling. Inclusion criteria included specific types of elbow fractures, a minimum immobilization period of three weeks, and limited range of motion (ROM). Exclusion criteria covered various medical and psychological conditions. Standardized questionnaires Short Form 36 Health Survey Questionnaire (SF-36) and Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire (PSQ-18) were used for measuring Quality of life and patient satisfaction. Data analysis was done using SPSS version 22.Results: Short Form 36 Health Survey Questionnaire scores were significantly higher in the PNF Stretching group (mean 82.34 ± 6.63) compared to the Passive Stretching group (mean 63.98 ± 14.42), with a p - value of 0.000. Similarly, Patient satisfaction questionnaire scores were significantly higher in the PNF Stretching group (mean 77.61 ± 4.43) compared to the Passive Stretching group (mean 70.93 ± 8.49), with a p - value of 0.000. These findings indicate that there is a statistically significant difference observed between the two groups.Conclusion: There is a statistically significant difference observed between both groups as the patients undergoing PNF stretching have higher satisfaction and better quality of life, in comparison to the passive stretching group.
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Ekiti State University, Nigeria
Adebukola Ajite
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Eastern Mediterranean University, Cyprus
Zehra Guchan TOPCU
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Anupam M
Thank you very much for accepting our manuscript in your journal “International Journal of Clinical Virology”. We are very thankful to the esteemed team for timely response and quick review process. The editorial team of International Journal of Clinical Virology is too cooperative and well-mannered during the publication process. We are hopeful to publish many quality papers in your journal and I suggest the International Journal of Clinical Virology to all of my colleagues, researchers and friends to publish their research here.
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Your journal has accomplished its intended mission of providing very effective and efficient goals in dealing with submissions, conducting the reviewing process and in publishing accepted manuscripts in a timely manner. Keep up the great work and services that you provide.
University of Jacqmar, Inc., USA
John St. Cyr
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I hope that in the near future we will collaborate again.
Aikaterini Solomou
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