Week Of March Research Articles

SLMA Guidelines and Information on Vaccines Seventh Edition 2020.

Ceylon Medical Journal (CMJ) is a peer-reviewed, open access journal published quarterly by the Sri Lanka Medical Association in the last week of March, June, September and December each year. The mission of the CMJ is to promote the science and art of medicine and betterment of public health. The Journal publishes original papers and commentaries which have relevance to medicine and allied sciences. The CMJ is committed to maintaining and conforming to the editorial and ethical standards recommended by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors.

Oxyrachis tarandus Fab. (Homoptera: Membracidae) on rose apple (Syzygium aqueum)

Oxyrachis tarandus Fab. (Homoptera: Membracidae), commonly known as cow horn bug or treehopper was found heavily infested on rose apple (Syzygium aqueum (Burm.f.) Alston, Myrtaceae). Infestation caused wilting, defoliation and structural abnormalities of fruits in S. aqueum and was found in 81 patches within a tree, which is further divided into peduncle, PD (48 patches), young terminal branches, YTB (20), older twig, OT (13), main bark, MB (0) and leaf, L (0). Infestation of shoot length ranged from 3 to 25 cm comprising a surface area of 5.47 to 25.47 cm2. Population density of cow horn bug was significantly higher in PD compared to YTB and OT and peak infestation was noted during last week of March and first week of April. Prominent mutualism between O. tarandus and ant Oecophylla smaragdina was noted with strong positive correlation.

The mortality predicting ability of chest X-ray severity scoring systems in Covid-19 pneumonia.

Although several chest X-ray (CXR) severity scoring systems are in use to assess Covid-19 pneumonia (CP), inhomogeneity has been observed among the assessment methodologies. To describe and validate severity scoring system based on different features to identify the most suitable scoring system to predict CP severity and outcome. This retrospective study examined CXRs (n=147) of CP patients (n=85) to calculate severity scores using three scoring systems based on area infiltrated and the density patterns: A, A&D, and New. The best scoring system to predict the mortality was identified using the area under the curve (AUC) and linear regression analysis. Regardless of the scoring system used, CXR severity has shown a good correlation to clinical CP severity (A: χ2=6.745; p =0.034; A&D: χ2=12.404; p =0.002; New: χ2=10.219; p =0.006). The mortality predictability of all scoring systems were satisfactory with high AUC ("A": AUC=0.685, sensitivity:67.4%, specificity:54.5% at a cut-off point of 5/8; positive predictive value (PPV): 40.3%, negative predictive value (NPV):78.6%"; A&D": AUC=0.748, sensitivity:69.6%, specificity:61.4% at a cut-off point of 7/16, PPV:45.1%, NPV:81.6%; "New": AUC=0.727; p ≤ 0.001, sensitivity:67.4%, specificity:68.3% at a cut-off point of 18/48, PPV:49.2%, NPV:82.1%). Additionally, the mortality predicting ability of the "New" scoring system was significantly higher than the other two systems (OR:2.897; CI [1.071-7.8.36]; p=0.036). Covid-19 pneumonia severity assessed with the CXR severity scoring systems correlated significantly with clinical severity and outcome. Overall, the "New" CXR severity scoring system is comparatively better at predicting the mortality of Covid-19 pneumonia.

Diagnostic yield and outcome of transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy in Sri Lanka.

The study was aimed to determine the diagnostic yield and outcome of transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy (TRUSPB) in a cohort of Sri Lankan men. A prospective study was conducted among 333 (median age: 70 years, range:48-88) men from a single urology unit. All patients underwent TRUSPB for persistently elevated serum prostate specific antigen (PSA)≥4.00 ng/mL or suspicious rectal examination. The prostate cancer (PCa) detection rate was 57.7%. The PCa detection rate for PSA levels of 4.00 to <10, 10.00 to <20, 20.00 to <40, 40.00 to <100 and ≥100.00 ng/mL were 15/43(34.9%), 23/88(26.1%), 41/72(56.9%), 51/63(81.0%) and 60/62(96.8%) respectively. Ten patients required further biopsies for rising PSA despite a first benign biopsy and three had PCa. Mild complications were identified in 6.9%(n=23). The high PCa detection rate probably reflects the difference in our policy to perform biopsies only when serum PSA level is persistently elevated. TRUSPB appears to have a satisfactory yield with acceptable level of complications in the Sri Lankan resource limited setting.

Body image dissatisfaction and its determinants in urban Sri Lankan adolescents.

Body image dissatisfaction is a significant public health issue, particularly among adolescents. We investigated the prevalence of body image dissatisfaction in urban Sri Lankan adolescents and its determinants. A descriptive cross-sectional study examined the body image dissatisfaction among urban adolescents of 15-16 years old in one educational zone in the Colombo district. Perceived current body size and body size ideals were assessed based on the Stunkard Figure Rating Scale (SFRS). Body mass index (BMI) was categorized according to WHO 2007 growth references. Univariate and multivariate analysis was performed to examine the correlates of body image dissatisfaction. Independent variables were BMI, waist to height ratio, gender, socioeconomic status, and ethnicity. Overall, most (73.5%) were not satisfied with their body image. More males (79%) than female (69%) adolescents were dissatisfied. Among the dissatisfied, 66% of males desired larger body size, and 57% of females preferred a thinner size. Overweight/obese adolescents had four times greater body image dissatisfaction, and underweight adolescents had three times greater dissatisfaction when compared to students with normal BMI when adjusted for gender. (OR:4.18, CI:1.209,14.416, p=0.02 and OR:3.2, CI:1.073,9.852, p=0.04). Males had higher odds of dissatisfaction than females (OR: 1.9. CI: 1.020,3.407, p=0.04). Most adolescents were dissatisfied with their body image. Overweight/obesity and underweight were significant determinants of dissatisfaction when adjusted for gender. Also, males had a greater risk of having dissatisfaction than females. It informs that further research is required using more rigorous scientific methods to clarify these findings further.

Evaluation of Zucchini (Cucurbita pepo L.) Genotypes for Spring Season Production in the Mid–Hills of Nepal

Zucchini (Cucurbita pepo L.) is one of the most popular and demanded vegetable in Nepal. Seedlings of seven genotypes of squash gourd; Super Squash Ball, Squash Long, Squash Light, Squash Green Ball, Squash Green House Sondo V (check) and Grey Zucchini (check) were transplanted on second week of March in two consecutive years; 2016 and 2017 in field condition at Khumaltar with a spacing of 90 x 90 cm in four replications. The standard recommended dose of fertilizers (240:180:60 NPK kg/ha + 15 ton FYM/ha) and minimum pesticide and fungicide was applied. The main objective of this experiment was to find out suitable high yielding and insect pest and disease tolerant hybrid Zucchini cultivars for commercial production in mid-hills of Nepal. Crops were evaluated for their vegetative, insect pest and disease, and yield attributing parameters. Among the tested genotypes; Squash Long was found highly uniform, vigorous, least virus and insect damage, significantly higher number of fruits(8.6), and yield (3894 g) per plant and yield (46.89 t/ha) followed by Super Squash Ball having highly uniform, less insect and powdery mildew damage, significantly higher number of fruits (8.5) and yield (2565 g) per plant and yield (29.28 t/ha) as compared to check Sondo V and Grey Zucchini where Sondo V had yield (22.50 t/ha and 1703 g/plant), number of fruits (5.6), per plant respectively. Squash Long and Super Squash Ball have been selected and recommended for cultivation during spring season in mid-hills of Nepal.

Concentration level of PM10 in southern Poland (Katowice, Krakow, and Rzeszów) during the year 2018

Human health and food quality are greatly affected by the state of the ambient air. In the European Union, Poland is considered as a country that has the most polluted air. The level of PM10 concentration exceeds the EU limit value in almost all the areas of Poland, but higher concentrations are registered in the southern regions, which are considered as the coal heartlands. Katowice, Kraków, and Rzeszów are three big cities in the southern part of Poland and are surrounded by coal mining industries. High PM10 concentrations are usually registered in these three cities, especially in the winter period. In 2018, the peak PM10 daily concentration occurred in the three cities at the same period (04/03/2018 in Rzeszów, 05/03/2018 in Kraków, and 05/03/2018 in Katowice). The aim was to identify the effect of each of the 8 coal mines that exist in Poland on the level PM10 concentration for the first week and March where the highest daily PM10 concentration for the year 2018 was registered. Using HYSPLIT Frequency analysis, the results showed that 100% of the particles coming from Bełchatów, Bolesław Śmiały, Halemba, Jas-Mos, Pniówek and Marcel Coal Mines hit Katowice region, and 10% from Bogdanka. While for Kraków, it was affected by 100% of the particles that are originated from Bolesław Śmiały, Pniówek, Halemba, and Jas-Mos Coal Mines and 10% Bogdanka, Bełchatów, and Marcel Coal Mines. Moreover, Rzeszów was the least affected city by the coal mines, 10% of the particles coming from Bogdanka, Bełchatów, Jas-Mos and Marcel, Halemba, and Pniówek Coal Mines attributed to high PM10 concentration during the first week of March 2018. Katowice and Kraków are more affected by the coal mines industry, Particulate Matter particles originating from the coal mines sites contribute to the high level of PM10 concentration.

ANALYSIS OF STOCK PRICE MOVEMENTS ON THE JAKARTA ISLAMIC INDEX DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

The Covid-19 pandemic has caused panic among capital market participants, which led to stock selling in the market and resulted in a very significant decline in the stock price of the Jakarta Islamic Index (JII) and all sectoral indices on the Indonesia Stock Exchange. This research aims to analyze the movement of the Jakarta Islamic Index and its sectoral indices as well during the Covid-19 pandemic from January to December 2020. The JII sectoral index is not yet available, so it is calculated using a sample of 20 sharia stocks, from 38 stock populations in JII, selected based on the purposive sampling method. This research type is an event study using the moving average (MA) method with descriptive analysis techniques. The results indicate that JII movement pattern tends to fluctuate during 2020. The decline in JII began to be seen in February and March. It experienced a very significant peak of decrease. The events of the government's first announcement of the Covid-19 case in early March continued to trigger the drop of JII. In the second week of March, WHO announced Covid-19 as a Pandemic adding to JII's decline to its lowest position throughout 2020. The Property, Infrastructure, and Miscellaneous Industries sectors were most affected by Covid-19 events in 2020, and these sectors experienced the most profound decline during 2020.&#x0D; &#x0D; Keywords: Covid-19 Pandemic, JII, and Shari’ah Stock Price

Evidence based medicine : ideology, hegemony, statistical gaze and beyond part three.

Ceylon Medical Journal (CMJ) is a peer-reviewed, open access journal published quarterly by the Sri Lanka Medical Association in the last week of March, June, September and December each year. The mission of the CMJ is to promote the science and art of medicine and betterment of public health. The Journal publishes original papers and commentaries which have relevance to medicine and allied sciences. The CMJ is committed to maintaining and conforming to the editorial and ethical standards recommended by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors.

Constipation in children: the Sri Lankan perspective.

Ceylon Medical Journal (CMJ) is a peer-reviewed, open access journal published quarterly by the Sri Lanka Medical Association in the last week of March, June, September and December each year. The mission of the CMJ is to promote the science and art of medicine and betterment of public health. The Journal publishes original papers and commentaries which have relevance to medicine and allied sciences. The CMJ is committed to maintaining and conforming to the editorial and ethical standards recommended by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors.

Massive cerebral infarct following multiple honeybee stings.

Ceylon Medical Journal (CMJ) is a peer-reviewed, open access journal published quarterly by the Sri Lanka Medical Association in the last week of March, June, September and December each year. The mission of the CMJ is to promote the science and art of medicine and betterment of public health. The Journal publishes original papers and commentaries which have relevance to medicine and allied sciences. The CMJ is committed to maintaining and conforming to the editorial and ethical standards recommended by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors.

Critical Role of the Subways in the Initial Spread of SARS-CoV-2 in New York City.

We studied the possible role of the subways in the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in New York City during late February and March 2020. Data on cases and hospitalizations, along with phylogenetic analyses of viral isolates, demonstrate rapid community transmission throughout all five boroughs within days. The near collapse of subway ridership during the second week of March was followed within 1–2 weeks by the flattening of COVID-19 incidence curve. We observed persistently high entry into stations located along the subway line serving a principal hotspot of infection in Queens. We used smartphone tracking data to estimate the volume of subway visits originating from each zip code tabulation area (ZCTA). Across ZCTAs, the estimated volume of subway visits on March 16 was strongly predictive of subsequent COVID-19 incidence during April 1–8. In a spatial analysis, we distinguished between the conventional notion of geographic contiguity and a novel notion of contiguity along subway lines. We found that the March 16 subway-visit volume in subway-contiguous ZCTAs had an increasing effect on COVID-19 incidence during April 1–8 as we enlarged the radius of influence up to 5 connected subway stops. By contrast, the March 31 cumulative incidence of COVID-19 in geographically-contiguous ZCTAs had an increasing effect on subsequent COVID-19 incidence as we expanded the radius up to three connected ZCTAs. The combined evidence points to the initial citywide dissemination of SARS-CoV-2 via a subway-based network, followed by percolation of new infections within local hotspots.

Principles of natural justice, their relevance and importance to doctors.

Ceylon Medical Journal (CMJ) is a peer-reviewed, open access journal published quarterly by the Sri Lanka Medical Association in the last week of March, June, September and December each year. The mission of the CMJ is to promote the science and art of medicine and betterment of public health. The Journal publishes original papers and commentaries which have relevance to medicine and allied sciences. The CMJ is committed to maintaining and conforming to the editorial and ethical standards recommended by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors.

Evidence based medicine : ideology, hegemony, statistical gaze and beyond part two.

Ceylon Medical Journal (CMJ) is a peer-reviewed, open access journal published quarterly by the Sri Lanka Medical Association in the last week of March, June, September and December each year. The mission of the CMJ is to promote the science and art of medicine and betterment of public health. The Journal publishes original papers and commentaries which have relevance to medicine and allied sciences. The CMJ is committed to maintaining and conforming to the editorial and ethical standards recommended by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors.

Overwintering of Anthonomus eugenii (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in Southern Georgia

Overwintering of <i>Anthonomus eugenii</i> (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in Southern Georgia

Minutes of the Annual Meeting: Friday, 29 January 2021, 4:30 pm EST, Virtual Presentation via Convene

Minutes of the Annual Meeting: Friday, 29 January 2021, 4:30 pm EST, Virtual Presentation via Convene

First Report on the Bloom of Diatom Haslea Gretharum Simonsen, 1974 from the Arabian Sea

A bloom of solitary pennate diatom Haslea was observed for the first time along the open ocean waters of the Northern Arabian sea during the late phase of winter monsoon (first week of March 2011). Mucilaginous macroscopic aggregations of the diatoms were observed on the sea surface consisting of two species Haslea gretharum and Haslea gigantea of which Haslea gretharum Simonsen, 1974 dominated (3 × 105 cells L−1) and the species was not reported from the Indian Ocean after its first report in 1974. The weakly silicified lanceolate pennate raphid diatom H. gretharum in aggregations were observed to span over nearly 6km2 in the open sea surface. Along with the genus Haslea, the dinoflagellate Noctiluca scintillans was observed in fewer cell densities (16 × 102 cells L−1). The diatom bloom was observed to follow an intense bloom of N. scintillans in the region and the decaying cells of this dinoflagellate were observed to contribute towards the macroscopic mucilaginous aggregations of the Haslea bloom by providing a substratum for aggregation. Even though pennate diatoms are known to produce mucilaginous extracellular substances that leads to cell aggregation, the massive dinoflagellate blooms in the North eastern Arabian sea tentatively provides supplementary up keepings to the open ocean bloom of the diatoms.

Improving quality of teledermatology visits: The Skin-Know-Implement-Next checklist

Telemedicine usage has increased significantly in the past year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there was a 154% increase in telehealth visits during the last week of March 2020 compared to the same time in 2019.1 As public health organizations maintain current social distancing guidelines, this platform can help overcome barriers in access to health care while minimizing the risk of exposure to COVID-19. This can be particularly helpful in dermatology, a field in which there is a high clinic volume and whose patients often require long-term use of immunomodulatory medications.

Prescription fill patterns for benzodiazepine and opioid drugs during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States

BackgroundCOVID-19 and resulting mitigation measures in the United States (US) brought about limited access to medical care that has been linked to increases in mental health problems, excessive substance use, and drug overdoses. The increase in co-prescription of benzodiazepines and opioids may indicate population-level changes in health behaviors that can be exacerbated by limited access, hence necessitating the tracking of these drugs during COVID-19. We evaluated the impact of the declaration of COVID-19 as a US national emergency on prescription patterns in 2020. MethodsPrescriptions of benzodiazepines and opioids were analyzed using data aggregated on a weekly basis across 38 states over the January 2019-December 2020 period. Data were from Bamboo Health Prescription Drug Monitoring Program and covered all individuals regardless of insurance status. Generalized additive models estimated the effects of the March 13, 2020 declaration on proportion of prescriptions to all controlled substances by comparing volumes before to after the week of March 13 in 2020 (range: January 27-May 24) and comparing this trend to its 2019 counterpart. ResultsWhen comparing the January 27-March 9 period to the March 16-May 24 period in 2020, there was a statistically significant 2.0% increase in the proportion of benzodiazepine dispensations to all controlled substances, and a significant 1.7% mean decrease in proportion of opioid dispensations to all controlled substances. A significant return approaching pre-declaration levels was observed only for opioids (beginning week of May 18, 2020). ConclusionsThe results suggest significant impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on dispensations of benzodiazepines and opioids across the US. Continued monitoring of prescription trends and maintenance of adequate and accessible access to mental healthcare are important for understanding public health crises related to substance use.

PERAN LOYALITAS PELANGGAN PADA MARKETING MIX TERHADAP KEPUTUSAN KONSUMEN

This study aims to determine and analyze the effect of price, place, product and promotion on purchasing decisions and consumer loyalty at the Warung Special Sambal Sragen branch. The population in this research is the consumers in the Sragen special Sambel Warung who transact in the first week of March with a total of 450 consumers. The sample in this study amounted to 45 respondents with a random sampling technique method, namely random sampling. The analysis technique in this research is multiple linear regression path analysis, instrument test, linearity test and hypothesis testing which includes multiple linear regression, simultaneous test (F test), partial test (t test), and coefficient of determination. The results of the t-test in the first equation can be concluded that the variables of place, product and promotion have a positive and significant effect on purchasing decisions. While the price has a negative and insignificant effect on purchasing decisions. The results of the t-test on the second equation can be concluded that the variables of Price, Place and Product have a positive and significant effect on Loyalty. And the Promotion variable has a negative and insignificant effect on Loyalty. The total R2 value of 0.983 can be interpreted as a variation of Consumer Loyalty at the Sragen special chili shop explained by the variables Price, Place, potential, Product and Purchase Decision of 98.3% and the remaining 1.7% explained by other variables outside the research model as an example of service quality, environmental comfort, and so on.