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The Relationship between 25-Hydroxyvitamin (OH) D Levels and Nutritional Status in Children with Family History of Atopy
Get PDFBackground: Deficiency in vitamin D can result in growth retardation and skeletal abnormalities. Children with a familial history of atopy are at a heightened risk of atopic dermatitis and growth impairments. These growth disorders associated with atopy may stem from chronic inflammation and nutrient malabsorption. Evidence suggests vitamin D deficiency may exacerbate atopic conditions, further impacting growth and development. Thus, this study investigates the link between vitamin D levels and anthropometric status in children with a history of atopy.
Method: Seventy-eight patients were selected and recruited from Diponegoro University Hospital between June and October 2021. Inclusion criteria comprised pediatric patients aged between one month and six years, either diagnosed with atopic disease or having a family history of the ailment. Exclusion criteria included chronic illnesses other than atopic disease, ongoing infections, and lack of medical records. Nutritional status was assessed using HAZ, WAZ, and WHZ. Additional data on vitamin D levels, dietary intake (calories, protein, and fat), iron and zinc sufficiency, and history of exclusive breastfeeding were also collected.
Results: The study encompassed 78 children. Nutritional assessment revealed that 63 children had good nutritional status, 10 were overweight, 2 were malnourished, and 3 were severely malnourished. The 25-OH D level was 3 children classified as deficient, 15 as insufficient, and 60 as having normal levels. Analysis bivariate indicated no significant impact of vitamin D levels on anthropometric parameters. This lack of significant correlation was consistent in both the general population (n=78) and those with atopic manifestations (n=56), suggesting that vitamin D levels do not significantly affect growth parameters in this pediatric cohort.
Conclusions: This study concludes that vitamin D levels have no significant impact on anthropometric parameters in children, irrespective of their atopic status. Despite the acknowledged role of vitamin D in growth and development, the data suggests that vitamin D levels do not substantially influence growth parameters in this pediatric cohort with a history of atopy. Further investigation may be warranted to explore other potential factors influencing growth in children with atopic conditions
Optimizing Quality of Hospital Services and Inpatient Satisfaction through Lean Principles
Get PDFAim: The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of Lean principles on improving hospital service quality and inpatient satisfaction tertiary care hospital in Pune, India. It focuses on reducing key inefficiencies to enhance patient experiences and operational efficiency.
Information & Methods: This quantitative study was conducted at tertiary care hospital in Pune, India, with 110 inpatients who had been admitted for at least three days. Data were collected through a closed-ended questionnaire based on Lean’s seven waste categories.
Methods: A cross-sectional design was used, and data were analyzed using SPSS version 20. Descriptive statistics summarized demographics and survey responses, while chi-square tests and multivariate logistic regression assessed the relationships between Lean variables and inpatient satisfaction.
Findings: The findings reveal that Lean principles significantly improved hospital service quality and inpatient satisfaction. Reductions in "waiting" and "motion" wastes were strongly correlated with higher patient satisfaction, highlighting the importance of streamlined processes and reduced wait times. Efficient inventory management also emerged as a key factor in enhancing satisfaction, while "excess processing" and "overproduction" showed less influence on patient satisfaction, indicating areas for further improvement. These results underscore the effectiveness of Lean in optimizing healthcare delivery and improving patient experiences.
Conclusion: The study concludes that Lean principles effectively improve hospital service quality and inpatient satisfaction by reducing key wastes such as waiting, motion, and inventory inefficiencies. Continuous implementation of Lean practices can lead to more efficient and patient-centered healthcare delivery
Anatomical and Biochemical Pathogenesis of Motor Pathway Disruption in Cerebral Palsy: A Narrative Review
Get PDFBackground: Cerebral palsy (CP) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by motor impairments caused by brain lesions that affect motor pathways.
Objective: This review describes the complex interaction between the thalamus and cerebral cortex in CP, the understanding of which would explain its pathophysiology and treatment strategies.
Discussion: Cerebral palsy classification is based on motor impairment presentation, each with specific neurological deficits related to the disruption of specific motor pathways. The thalamus serves as a crucial relay station in these pathways, transmitting ascending and descending signals to the cortex via thalamocortical and corticothalamic tracts. Brain injuries like periventricular leukomalacia, hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, or malformations disrupt these pathways, leading to motor deficits. Advanced imaging techniques such as diffusion and functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) reveal altered connectivity patterns in CP, offering insights into its pathophysiology and aiding diagnosis. Studies have highlighted the variability of clinical presentations in CP and the correlation with specific brain regions affected. Deep brain stimulation and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation targeting the thalamus emerge as promising therapeutic opportunities to restore motor function in CP by addressing pathway disruptions.
Conclusion: This review provides a comprehensive overview of motor pathways in CP, emphasizing the role of the thalamus and cortical connectivity in motor impairments. Understanding this complex connectivity provides an avenue for optimum and targeted therapeutic interventions to improve outcomes for individuals with CP
How the European Union had Tried to Tackle Fake News and Disinformation with Soft Law and what Changed with the Digital Services Act?
Get PDFThe article shows snapshots from the history of fake news and terms and concepts to use in the field of information disorder (fake news, disinformation, misinformation) based on a thorough literature review. It describes that neither the analysis of only the the speaker’s side (the intention) nor the the recipient’s side (the impact) could not alone give a proper conceptual framework, but both should be used by the legislation to tackle these issues. With the viral misinformation through social media, it is clear that this poses new regulatory challenges and requires rapid-response frameworks suited to the digital age’s unique dynamics. In the European Union, the road was marked by the Code of Practice on Disinformation, and the article describes how the EU Digital Services Act (DSA) tries to tackle fake news and disinformation. The article gives some possible legal solutions also
Identification of Tyrosinase Gene Polymorphisms Associated with Albinism in Swamp and Riverine Types of Water Buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis Linn.) in the Philippines
Get PDFBackground: Albinism is a genetic condition marked by a lack of melanin in the skin, hair, and eyes, leading to increased sensitivity to light and susceptibility to skin cancer. Oculocutaneous albinism in buffaloes is caused by a G>A mutation in the tyrosinase gene, which introduces a premature stop codon, rendering the enzyme inactive. Despite efforts to prevent genetic defects, albinism persists because it is an autosomal recessive trait. This study used capillary sequencing to analyze the tyrosinase gene in local buffaloes.
Methods: One hundred forty-eight (148) buffaloes were sampled for genomic DNA extraction, followed by PCR amplification of the reported region of the tyrosinase gene with G>A mutation associated with albinism. The PCR products were subjected to Sanger chain termination sequencing. Genotypic frequencies were computed manually, and phenotypic association was done descriptively.
Results: The proportion of phenotypically albino-looking buffaloes was 4.76% of the sampled animals and are homozygous for the A allele of the G>A mutation at position 1494 of the tyrosinase gene. These were all riverine-type buffaloes. Phenotypically white but with pigmented irises were all swamp buffaloes and comprised 4.17% of the sampled animals. All swamp buffaloes sampled, including the phenotypically white with pigmented irises, were homozygous for the G allele of the G>A mutation at position 1494, suggesting these are not similar cases of oculocutaneous albinism.
Conclusions: The study established baseline data on the prevalence of albinism and identified new mutations in the tyrosinase gene for further research on their effects on color phenotypes and production potential
Factors Associated with Utilization of Antenatal Care Services among Women in Noakhali District, Bangladesh
No full textA cross-sectional study sought to uncover the determinants affecting antenatal care (ANC) utilization among pregnant women in Noakhali District, Bangladesh. Data from 400 women were gathered utilizing a standardized questionnaire, and the analysis was performed using SPSS software (version 23.0), incorporating descriptive statistics, Chi-square tests, and multinomial logistic regression. The research revealed that merely 47.8% of individuals attended a minimum of four antenatal care visits, as advised by healthcare recommendations.
The frequency of ANC visits was substantially correlated with socioeconomic status, educational attainment, work status, and obstacles to receiving ANC services. Mothers with 1-3 antenatal care visits encountered 26.58 times more barriers to attending visits than those who completed four or more visits (OR: 26.58, 95% CI: 11.28-62.62). Moreover, income levels were 0.53 times greater among mothers with fewer antenatal care appointments in comparison to those with four visits (OR: 0.53, 95% CI: 0.32-0.86).
The report emphasizes the need to address the constraints preventing women from getting enough ANC. This necessitates enhancements in transportation, the quality of healthcare facilities, and the training and accessibility of healthcare staff. Enhancing awareness of the significance of ANC through focused campaigns is essential at the local, national, and worldwide levels. Addressing these challenges is crucial for enhancing ANC utilization and promising improved maternal and newborn health outcomes in the region
Prevalence and Interplay between Borderline Personality Disorder and Adverse Childhood Experiences Among Saudi Arabian University Students: A Case Study
Get PDFStudy: Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a personality disorder characterized by instability in affect regulation, impulse control, and social interactions. There has been a long-term curiosity among researchers about the reasons for underlying BPD. One such implication is Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE). This study aimed to find out the correlation between BPD and ACE in the context of Saudi Arabian University students. Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) play a significant role in the personality traits leading to BPD in adults, and we hypothesize that there is a significant relationship between ACEs and the occurrence of BPD among young college students at King Abdulaziz University. There is very limited published data regarding Gulf countries, including case reports, reviews, and meta-analyses.
Material and Methods: The study was conducted among Saudi Arabian University students aged between 18 and 30. This cross-sectional study at King Abdul-Aziz University involved a total of 1970 subjects. The questionnaire comprised sociodemographic characteristics, the Mclean Screening Instrument for BPD (MSI-BPD), and the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Questionnaire for Adults.
Results: Our study found that amongst the total subjects undertaken, 41.2% were at a high risk of developing BPD. This is in direct correlation with 61.4% that suffered previous childhood trauma. Amongst the total subjects undertaken for the study, 43.6% of university students experienced ACE; symptoms were associated with smoking, having at least one family member diagnosed with a mental disorder, being divorced, and having a deceased mother.
Conclusion: BPD and ACE are positively correlated, as both have implications for other life-determining factors of the subjects. The study presents the first cross-sectional data set for Saudi Arabian students involving BPD and ACE. This study is significant as it specifically focuses on university students in Saudi Arabia. It suggests that counseling services on all university campuses should be required to facilitate regular evaluation and support for students' mental health
Statistical Analysis of Gene Variants for Homologous Recombination Pathways of DNA Repair leading to Cancer Susceptibility
Get PDFBackground: RAD51C, a critical member of the RAD51 paralog family, is essential for homologous recombination (HR)-mediated DNA repair, a pathway crucial for maintaining genomic stability. Mutations in RAD51C have been linked to cancer susceptibility, particularly in breast and ovarian cancers, where impaired DNA repair mechanisms contribute to genomic instability and tumor progression. Despite its clinical significance, the functional impact of specific RAD51C variants remains poorly understood, necessitating a comprehensive investigation into their biological implications.
Methods: This study classified RAD51C gene variants into damaging and tolerant categories using computational prediction tools, including SIFT, PolyPhen, CADD, MetaLR, and Mutation Assessor. Variants were prioritized based on consensus scores and classified as high-confidence damaging variants. Correlation and agreement among tools were analyzed to refine predictions. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and clustering methods were employed to group variants based on prediction patterns. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks and pathway enrichment analyses were conducted to contextualize damaging variants within broader biological systems, with a focus on their roles in HR, DNA repair, and cellular processes.
Results: A total of 2526 variants were analyzed, with damaging variants showing consistent patterns across tools. Consensus scores highlighted 302 high-confidence damaging variants, which were associated with disrupted biological processes, including double-strand break repair via homologous recombination, telomere maintenance, and regulation of cell cycle checkpoints. PPI analysis revealed an interconnected network with 11 nodes and 54 edges, with a clustering coefficient of 0.982, indicating tightly coordinated interactions among DNA repair proteins. Pathway enrichment analyses identified significant associations with homologous recombination (FDR = 2.55E-17) and the Fanconi anemia pathway (FDR = 2.96E-06).
Conclusion: This study provides a comprehensive framework for assessing the functional impacts of RAD51C variants by integrating computational predictions with biological analyses. The findings underscore the importance of RAD51C in HR and DNA repair pathways, offering insights into its role in genomic stability and cancer progression. These results can inform the prioritization of variants for experimental validation and guide therapeutic strategies targeting DNA repair deficiencies
Interest and Skill Correlation Model for Career Aligning of Young Persons with Disabilities
No full textBackground: Persons with disabilities of working age often encounter unemployment rates 2-3 times higher than their non-disabled peers, primarily due to workplace biases and a lack of personalized career guidance. Traditional assessment methods often fail to capture the unique strengths of neurodiverse individuals, leading to job mismatches and underemployment.
Objective: This study proposes an innovative framework using neuroscience-based assessments, specifically electroencephalography (EEG), to objectively evaluate the aptitude and strengths of persons with disabilities. The primary objective is to establish a data-driven model that correlates task-related brain activity patterns with suitable job opportunities and the necessary skill sets.
Methodology: The methodology involves conducting EEG assessments during various cognitive tasks, analyzing the resulting data to identify individual strengths, and mapping these strengths to potential career paths. The model categorizes individuals into neurodiversity profiles based on their specific disability conditions and their neurological responses during these assessments. This approach allows for a more nuanced understanding of each individual's capabilities, moving beyond traditional assessment methods that may not fully capture the strengths of neurodivergent individuals.
Conclusion: The EEG-based assessment model demonstrates the potential for more accurately identifying cognitive strengths in neurodiverse individuals compared to traditional methods. By utilizing neurotechnology to align individual capabilities with suitable employment paths, this approach aims to significantly boost workplace inclusion, personal autonomy, and social equality for persons with disabilities. This approach has the potential to revolutionize career guidance for persons with disabilities, leading to higher employment rates, improved job satisfaction, and better overall quality of life
Can Academia be Revolutionary? Barriers to Encourage an Alternative Economics from University Perspective
Get PDFThere are many publishedcritical works on the hegemonic economics approach. Nevertheless, despite such, its hegemony continues. It does so, in part, and precisely, because of the support it receives from academia. This work questions the reasons for this academic behaviour, and offers the following responses: First, it points to an imbalance between hegemony and its alternatives. The latter is expected to be exhaustive and show sufficient arguments for all its proposals, whereas the first benefits from several cyclic functioning reproduced by inertia. Second, it shows how politics and academia follow two different schools of thought that defend very different conceptions of speed to get results; the exercise of freedom; the management of dissent; ingroup relations; and communications with the public. Third, it reflects on the fact that academia lacks cohesion, is mostly conservative, and is managed by the most obedient and efficient sector of its members. Fourth, it discusses how an academic minority interested in promoting alternatives is tasked with making the operations of hegemony visible to colleagues accustomed to obeying and focused on their compartmentalised work; in return, the minority is often punished by academic norms. Five, it focuses on how academia is absorbed by it through new public management models that marketize academic quality and fill the academic agenda, instead of transforming it. As solutions, the paper suggests the following: (1) creating visible alternatives and building group strength; (2) promoting new quality standards that release the academy from hegemonic conceptions of economics; (3) establishing partnerships with non-academic agents; and (4) transforming how we are teaching economics