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The article presents summaries of articles on neuroscience, published as of March 2018. Topics include impact of postoperative bracing on pain and quality of life after posterior spinal instrumented fusion (PSIF), implantation of an empty polyetheretherketone cage in anterior cervical discectomy and fusion, and comparison between tubular discectomy and conventional microdiscectomy for the treatment of lumbar disc herniation.

Purpose: To study the effect of smoking on tear film parameters and retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFL) in chronic smokers.Methods: This was a cross-sectional study, which included 60 (120 eyes) smokers who have smoked at least 10 pack-year and an equal number of healthy subjects as a control for comparison. In addition to history, a detailed slit-lamp examination was done to evaluate the anterior and posterior segments. All patients underwent Schirmer's I test (SIT) with Whatman-41 filter paper, tear meniscus height (TMH), and RNFL with a Fourier-domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) and tear film breakup time (TBUT) with 2% fluorescein and cobalt blue filter using slit-lamp biomicroscopy.Results: The (mean ± SD) age of the participants was 56.48 ± 10.38 years. There was a statistically significant reduction in tear film parameters in smokers compared to nonsmokers (P = 0.000). The incidence of MGD was found to be higher in smokers when compared to nonsmokers with a P value of 0.000. RNFL in all four quadrants was also significantly reduced in smokers compared to nonsmokers (P = 0.00).Conclusion: This study shows that chronic smoking leads to an increased incidence of dry eye disease and is associated with RNFL thinning. Smoking can result in cumulative RNFL loss in patients with ocular neurodegenerative disorder and OCT of these patients may have to be interpreted keeping this in mind. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Anemia is a major public health problem amongst elderly population in India. Anemia in old age further worsens the age-related decline in functional ability, mobility, fatigue, bone density, and skeletal muscle mass. There is lack of evidence on the prevalence and risk factors of anemia among elderly population. Hence, this study was undertaken. Methodology: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted during the year 2015–2016 in District Nainital, Uttarakhand state, India. A total of 958 subjects were selected from 30 clusters (villages) identified using population proportional to size methodology. Information on sociodemographic profile, nutritional status, body mass index, and dietary intake was obtained. Blood sample was collected from each subject on the filter paper for estimation of hemoglobin (Hb) level using cyanmethemoglobin method. Results: We found that 92.1% of the elderly subjects were anemic. Moderate and severe anemia was found to be significantly higher among female subjects, unemployed, illiterates, subjects using smoke-producing fuel, subjects belonging to lower socioeconomic status, malnourished and underweight subjects, subjects with self-reported hyperacidity, and subjects who had not utilized health facility and had lower iron and vitamin C intake when compared with subjects with mild anemia and normal hemoglobin levels. Conclusion: High prevalence of anemia exists amongst elderly subjects living at high-altitude region of rural Uttarakhand State, India. There is a need to educate the elderly population about the importance of adequate intake of foods rich in iron and vitamin C to reduce the prevalence of anemia among them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The paper examines quantitative and qualitative dimensions of India's research output on Eating Disorders. Methodology: Scopus database was searched for the publications on eating Disorder from India during the years 2000 to 2019, and then the articles were screened to select the relevant articles. Results: The study included 132 publications. India's cumulative research in this area registered 328% absolute growth and averaged 6.87 citations per paper. The distribution of output by type of research revealed that anorexia nervosa and pica (31.82% and 28.79% share) contributed the largest shares of publications on eating disorders during 2000–2019. All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi; National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bengaluru; and Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, lead the country as the most productive organizations (with 14, 11, and 7 papers each). Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine and Indian Journal of Pediatrics formed the most common journals publishing research on eating disorder, with largest contribution of 9 papers each. Conclusion: There is meager research on eating disorders from India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a summary of the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) White paper which shows developments on the radiation levels and exposure due to the nuclear accident at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (FDNPS) in Japan since 2013. Topics discussed include the radionuclide releases to atmosphere and water, assessment of radiation doses to the public from external exposure, and radiation doses to FDNPS workers.

Background: Qualitative research focuses on social world and provides the tools to study health phenomena from the perspective of those experiencing them. Identifying the problem, forming the question, and selecting an appropriate methodology and design are some of the initial challenges that researchers encounter in the early stages of any research project. These problems are particularly common for novices. Materials and Methods: This article describes the practical challenges of using qualitative inquiry in the field of health and the challenges of performing an interpretive research based on professional experience as a qualitative researcher and on available literature. Results: One of the main topics discussed is the nature of qualitative research, its inherent challenges, and how to overcome them. Some of those highlighted here include: identification of the research problem, formation of the research question/aim, and selecting an appropriate methodology and research design, which are the main concerns of qualitative researchers and need to be handled properly. Insights from real‑life experiences in conducting qualitative research in health reveal these issues. Conclusions: The paper provides personal comments on the experiences of a researcher in conducting pure qualitative research in the field of health. It offers insights into the practical difficulties encountered when performing qualitative studies and offers solutions and alternatives applied by these authors, which may be of use to others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To perform a comprehensive bibliometric analysis encompassing all articles published on periodontics from Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods: Using the Scopus database on June 8, 2023, the search term "PeriodonticFNx01" was entered in the primary search bar to extract all documents published on periodontics. Following, the year filter was applied to include articles published from the earliest available date until the date of data collection, excluding 2023. Next, we used the country/region filter to limit our documents to Saudi Arabia (n = 1929). We used Microsoft Excel (v.16) to examine periodical growth, collaboration patterns, influential institutions, frequently used sources, international research collaboration, and most-cited papers. Results: Saudi Arabia ranked 11th in periodontics research, contributing 3.43% to the global research output, reaching a peak of 7.63% in 2022. Notably, there was significant growth observed during the last 5 years of the study, with an average of 232.8 documents per year. The analysis of citations revealed that the selected documents received an average of 13.39 citations per document. Indigenous literature received less citation on average compared to internationally collaborated documents. King Saud University ranked first among the most productive institutions in Saudi Arabia, accounting 40.74% of the total output. The Journal of Contemporary Dental Practice published the highest number of documents, followed by the Saudi Dental Journal and the Journal of Periodontology. In terms of citation impact, the Journal of Periodontology emerged as the most influential, with an average of 32.83 citations per document. Research collaboration was most prevalent with researchers from the United States (22.03%), although Germany ranked first in terms of citation impact. Conclusion: Saudi Arabia's contribution to periodontics research has shown significant growth in recent years. The collaborative efforts with international researchers, particularly those from the United States, have played a crucial role in fostering advancements within the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To compare and evaluate the occlusal variability/discrepancy recorded using qualitative (articulating paper) and quantitative (T-scan) techniques in partially edentulous implant-supported restorations. Materials and Methods: A total of 20 patients in the age group of 25-61 yrs participated in this study. All the patients had more than one tooth replaced with implant-supported prosthesis. After three months of restoration, occlusion reevaluated was carried out using qualitative (articulating paper) and quantitative (T-scan). T-scan data were used to measure implant occlusion time, occlusion time, and the relative occlusal force (ROFs) on implant prosthesis. And the data were statistically evaluated. Results: The T-scan values showed high points on the implants in most of the patients, which could not be evaluated by that of articulating paper outcomes. Conclusion: The occlusal harmony achieved from using qualitative analysis of articulating paper was not supported by the finding of the quantitative analysis (T-scan). Also the T-scan provided the time interval of occlusion of the implant-supported restorations, which would help in better defining the implant-protected occlusal. Clinical Relevance: The T-scan occlusal analysis system provides ROF and time intervals of occlusal contact. This allows accurate occlusal equilibration of implant-supported restoration according to implant protected occlusal concept. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review article highlights the necessity and importance of peer review of articles submitted to journals. Publication in a peer reviewed, good impact indexed journal is an indirect endorsement of the article contents. The editor and the readership depend on the integrity and total involvement of reviewers. What is expected of the reviewer and the authors is discussed. Reviewers need to be sensitive to authors' reactions. Authors should also respond, not react or be hypersensitive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author offers tips on preparing a model research paper for successful publication in eminent peer-reviewed biomedical journals. Topics covered include the components of the basic Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussions (IMRaD) structure of a manuscript, how to create the different sections, like methods section, results section and discussion section, of the research paper, and the importance of adhering to the instructions to authors.

Background: Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a complex, chronic inflammatory skin disorder whose pathophysiology is poorly understood. Genetic studies have shown that HS is predisposed by mutations in the γ-secretase gene, but only a proportion of familial and partial sporadic cases have been shown to possess such mutations. HS has high genetic heterogeneity and is thought to be triggered by a combination of genetics and environmental factors. Aims: The study aimed to investigate the genetic causes of HS in a large cohort of patients and to update the mutation spectrum of γ-secretase complex genes. Methods: We conducted mutational screening of 95 sporadic HS cases and one large family with both HS and acne conglobata (AC) to identify mutations in the coding and splice junction region of γ-secretase complex genes (nicastrin (NCSTN), presenilin 1 (PSEN1), presenilin enhancer 2 (PSENEN), and aph-1 homolog B, gamma-secretase subunit (APH1B)). Results: Our study identified a nucleotide substitution of 1876C>T in the NCSTN gene, which caused a stop codon (p. Arg626X) in the affected members of a large family with HS and AC. No pathogenic variants were detected in 95 sporadic cases of HS, indicating there is possible genetic heterogeneity. Conclusion: We report a new family with a nonsense mutation in the NCSTN gene that supports the role of the γ-secretase complex genes in HS with AC. The updated γ-secretase mutation spectrum for HS now includes 78 mutations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The use of human amniotic membrane transplantation is rapidly increasing for the management of various ocular surface disorders. Despite its numerous advantages, amniotic membrane is not widely available due to the lack of awareness among ophthalmologists regarding its preparation and preservation techniques. Purpose: To provide an instructional video demonstrating the technique of harvesting, preparation, preservation of human amniotic membrane, and its uses in the management of ocular surface diseases. Synopsis: The amniotic membrane is the innermost layer of the human placenta. Properties of the amniotic membrane, like the presence of various growth factors, anti-inflammatory and anti-angiogenic factors, and its low immunogenicity, contribute to its ability to promote epithelial growth and differentiation with the reduction in fibrosis during healing. To harvest amniotic membrane, informed consent is obtained from a patient undergoing an elective caesarian section, and the donor is screened to exclude the risk of infections. Under sterile precautions, the amniotic membrane is separated from the chorion and washed free of blood clots. With the epithelial surface up, the amniotic membrane is spread uniformly without folds or tears on individually sterilized 0.22 µm nitrocellulose filter papers of the required sizes. The prepared filter paper with the adherent amniotic membrane is placed in freshly prepared Dulbecco's Modified Eagle's Medium and stored at -80°C. The amniotic membrane can be used for surgical procedures like symblepharon release, pterygium or dermoid excision, perforated ulcers, nonhealing epithelial defects, etc. Highlights: Instructional videos demonstrating the preparation and preservation of amniotic membrane are very sparse. This video clearly explains how any ophthalmologist can learn to prepare and preserve the human amniotic membrane and gives a glimpse of its properties, advantages, and scope of use. Video Link: https://youtu.be/8HfSjXUKoiY. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Serological diagnosis of hydatidosis is usually performed by detecting the circulating antibodies in serum by ELISA. The present study was carried out to standardize and evaluate procedure of the ELISA using elute from dried blood spots (DBS) on filter paper and blood stored at different temperatures and at different durations for its further application under field conditions. Materials and Methods: Dried blood spots were collected from fifty study subjects and fifty control subjects and evaluated for the detection of IgG antibodies against hydatid. Samples were stored at room temperature and 4°C and tested by ELISA at 0, 15 and 30 days. Results: The present study shows that elute of DBS on filter paper can be stored at room temperature for a maximum of 30 days without a decrease in antibody titer as compared to serum samples tested by ELISA. Conclusions: The collection of blood sample on filter paper may serve useful purpose in resource limited countries for carrying out sero-epidemiological surveys at a cost effective level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study analyses the research output in India in neurosciences during the period 1999-2008 and the analyses included research growth, rank, global publications' share, citation impact, share of international collaborative papers and major collaborative partner countries and patterns of research communication in most productive journals. It also analyses the characteristics of most productive institutions, authors and high-cited papers. The publication output and impact of India is also compared with China, Brazil and South Korea. Materials and Methods: Scopus Citation database was used for retrieving the publications' output of India and other countries in neurosciences during 1999-2008. Results: India's global publications' share in neurosciences during the study period was 0.99% (with 4503 papers) and it ranked 21st among the top 26 countries in neurosciences. The average annual publication growth rate was 11.37%, shared 17.34% of international collaborative papers and the average citation per paper was 4.21. India was far behind China, Brazil and South Korea in terms of publication output, citation quality and share of international collaborative papers in neurosciences. Conclusion: India is far behind in terms of publication output, citation quality and share of international collaborative papers in neurosciences when compared to other countries with an emerging economy. There is an urgent need to substantially increase the research activities in the field of neurosciences in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the issue of redundant publications in scientific research. Redundant publications refer to scholarly works where most of the content is used by the same or similar set of authors without proper disclosure or cross-referencing of the primary publication. Researchers may engage in redundant publications due to the pressure to publish for career advancement and obtaining research grants. The article explains different scenarios where redundant publications may occur, such as when a postgraduate student publishes multiple papers from their dissertation or when a researcher reports on a longitudinal study. The article also highlights the types of redundant publications, including duplicate publications, suspected dual publications, salami slicing, and meat extender publications. The practice of redundant publications raises ethical and scientific issues, such as breaking copyright laws, biasing results of meta-analyses, and increasing scientific junk. The article suggests ways to address this issue, including following guidelines from organizations like the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), and emphasizes the responsibility of authors, journal editors, and institutions in preventing redundant publications. Overall, the article calls for collective efforts to combat this unethical practice and promote scientific advancement. [Extracted from the article]

Introduction: Person-centeredness (PC) is emerging as a hallmark of the 21st century, applied to medicine and health and a growing number of fundamental areas of human interest and concern. Objectives: The present study aims to conduct a conceptual analysis and a review of the literature on the relationship between the person-centered approach and public mental health (PMH). Methodology: The conceptual analysis of the relationship between PC and PMH will involve ontological and epistemological considerations. The review of the literature on such relationship will be conducted with the assistance of Google Scholar focused, first, on the density of pertinent scholarly publications along four periods from 1979 to 2022 and, second, on the thematic content of the recent literature. Results: The conceptual analysis showed on several grounds the value of PC for better understanding PMH and for optimizing PMH actions. The review of the literature revealed, first, the sustained growth of number of scientific papers concerning the relationship between PC and PMH along four 11-year periods from 1979 to 2022, strikingly so between the 20th and the 21st centuries. The review of the thematic content of papers published in 2023 revealed the contributions of PC for better understanding of and more effective actions in PMH, along with the identification of promising person-centered methods and procedures. Discussion: The findings of the present paper resonate well with major recent statements on identifying important new public health concerns, such as loneliness, and promising health strategies such as the integration of clinical and public health services and the incorporation of person-centered approaches into optimized public health policies. Conclusions: The value of person-centered approaches for enhancing PMH has been elucidated and documented. The findings resonate well with recent broad perspectives in health care and public health recommending PC as a key pivot for addressing health and related human and social concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite peer review, publications in scientific journals are not always well written, sometimes contain errors, and often exhibit deliberate or unintended biases. It is necessary to learn how to identify such limitations. It is also necessary to learn how to read between and beyond the lines of papers no matter how well written they are and no matter how highly ranked the journal is. Materials and Methods: This paper critically examines an important article in a leading journal with a view to help the reader learn how to place the findings of a study in perspective, understand its limitations, and glean information beyond that actually presented and discussed in the text. Results: Several issues are examined; these relate to case-control research designs, confounding, propensity matching, absolute risk, confidence intervals, interpretation of findings, real-world relevance, ecological validity, and definition of a cause-effect relationship. Conclusions: The issues examined in this paper reflect common themes in research, and a reader aware of these themes will more easily identify them in his future readings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author discusses an outreach program organized after establishing a workshop on how to write a paper. The program includes a featured session involving a tour inside the editorial office of "Saudi Journal of Anesthesia" to provide participants an idea on the progress of their papers after submission to the journal. He describes the additions to the workshop namely White Paper Ladder and White Paper Checklist.

The academic mantra, to the point of cliché, is "publish or perish." Academia is generally too preoccupied with research and publishing to stand back and consider the driving forces behind the actual processes and systems involved. Indeed, academics are generally unaware of the factors that influence one's ability to publish: The drive to publish itself, readers' information overload, and editors' desire to increase journals' impact factors. This paper will detail these forces, and it behooves potential researchers to keep this veritable tripod of forces in mind since understanding the tripod may facilitate publication chances through the invocation and active implementation of news media theory. Media writers' remuneration is dependent on readers clicking on their articles. The media reel in readers by displaying an intriguing/bold/provocative headline and then keep the readers interested and hooked with initial sentences that not only give information but also tantalize with the promise of more to come. A paper's title and abstract should adhere to these precepts so as to increase the chances of avoiding immediate rejection at editorial or initial reviewer level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Precancerous lesion of the oral mucosa consists of a group of diseases which sometimes resemble each other leaving the clinician in a diagnostic dilemma. Etiology of these diseases varies geographically with most frequently being tobacco use, alcohol drinking, chewing of betel quid containing areca nut, and solar rays. The long-standing practice of these lifestyle habits causes an alteration in the mucosal barrier level leading to malignant transformation. Earlier, the diagnosis of malignant transformation was confirmed using biopsy, but the advent of exfoliative cytology showed that histological features of a cell undergoing transformation are distinctive during early stages. Early diagnosis can be lifesaving, along with chairside adjunct tools that can facilitate the clinician for better diagnosis and use it as an explanatory tool for patients. Aim: The aim of this study was to test the efficacy of foldscope as a chairside diagnostic tool to detect dysplastic changes in potentially malignant lesions affecting the oral cavity. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional comparative study of a total of 54 individuals clinically diagnosed with oral premalignant lesions. Exfoliative cytological smears were taken and observed under light microscope and foldscope. After Papanicolaou stain, it was subjected to cytomorphometric analysis. Results: Cytological changes in potentially malignant lesions detected using foldscope were appreciable and found to be a mirror image of the routine light microscope. Conclusion: Morphological parameters assessed by foldscope proved to be employed in routine practice as well as in the mass screening of oral lesions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thorough planning and execution is the key for successful treatment of dentofacial deformity involving surgical orthodontics. Presurgical planning (paper surgery and model surgery) are the most essential prerequisites of orthognathic surgery, and orthodontist is the one who carries out this procedure by evaluating diagnostic aids such as crucial clinical findings and radiographic assessments. However, literature pertaining to step-by-step orthognathic surgical guidelines is limited. Hence, this article makes an attempt to provide an insight and nuances involved in the planning and execution. The diagnostic information revealed from clinical findings and radiographic assessments is integrated in the "paper surgery" to establish "surgical-plan." Furthermore, the "paper surgery" is emulated in "model surgery" such that surgical bite-wafers are created, which aid surgeon to preview the final outcome and make surgical movements that are deemed essential for the desired skeletal and dental outcomes. Skeletal complexities are corrected by performing "paper surgery" and an occlusion is set up during "model surgery" for the fabrication of surgical bite-wafers. Further, orthodontics is carried out for the proper settling and finishing of occlusion. Article describes the nuances involved in the treatment of Class III skeletal deformity individuals treated with orthognathic surgical approach and illustrates orthodontic-orthognathic step-by-step procedures from "treatment planning" to "execution" for successful management of aforementioned dentofacial deformity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mass media including television, internet, and newspapers influences public views about various issues by means of how it covers an issue. Newspapers have a wider reach and may affect the impact that a news story has on the reader by factors such as placement of the story within the different pages. We did a pilot study to see how two English newspapers from Mumbai, India were covering psychiatry related news stories. The study was done over a period of 3 months. We found a total of 870 psychiatry related news stories in the two newspapers over 3 months with the majority of them being covered in the main body of the newspapers. Sex‑related crime stories and/or sexual dysfunction stories received the highest coverage among all the news while treatment and/or recovery related stories received very little coverage. It is crucial that the print media takes more efforts in improving reporting of psychiatry‑related stories and help in de‑stigmatizing psychiatry as a discipline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emergency medicine services and training in Emergency Medicine (EM) has developed to a large extent in developed countries but its establishment is far from optimal in developing countries. In India, Medical Council of India (MCI) has taken great steps by notifying EM as a separate specialty and so far 20 medical colleges have already initiated 3-year training program in EM. However, there has been shortage of trained faculty, and ambiguity regarding curriculum, rotation policy, infrastructure, teachers' eligibility qualifications and scheme of examination. Academic College of Emergency Experts in India (ACEE-India) has been a powerful advocate for developing Academic EM in India. The ACEE's Education Development Committee (EDC) was created to chalk out guidelines for staffing, infrastructure, resources, curriculum, and training which may be of help to the MCI and the National Board of Examinations (NBE) to set standards for starting 3-year training program in EM and develop the departments of EM as centers of quality education, research, and treatment across India. This paper has made an attempt to give recommendations so as to provide a uniform framework to the institutions, thus guiding them towards establishing an academic Department of EM for starting the 3-year training program in the specialty of EM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is encouraging to see the much needed shift in the understanding and recognition of the concept of "burden of disease" in the context of traumatic injury. Equally important is understanding that the impact of trauma burden rivals that of nontraumatic morbidities. Subsequently, this paradigm shift reinstates the appeal for timely interventions as the standard for management of traumatic emergencies. Emergency trauma care in India has been disorganized due to inadequate sensitivity toward patients affected by trauma as well as the haphazard, nonuniform acceptance of standardization as the norm. Some of the major hospitals across various regions in the country do have trauma care units, but even those lack protocols to ensure that all trauma cases are handled by those units, largely owing to lack of structured referral system. As a first step to reform the state of trauma care in the country, a detailed overview is needed to gain insight into the prevailing reality. The objectives of this paper are to thus weave a foundation based on the statistical and qualitative burden of trauma in the country; the available infrastructure of trauma care centers equipped to deal with trauma; the need and scope of standardized protocols for intervention; and most importantly, the application of these in shaping educational initiatives in advancing emergency trauma care in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Co-authorship is one of the most tangible forms of research collaboration. A co-authorship network is a social network in which the authors through participation in one or more publication through an indirect path have linked to each other. The present research using the social network analysis studied co-authorship network of 681 articles published in Journal of Research in Medical Sciences (JRMS) during 2008-2012. Materials and Methods: The study was carried out with the scientometrics approach and using co-authorship network analysis of authors. The topology of the co-authorship network of 681 published articles in JRMS between 2008 and 2012 was analyzed using macro-level metrics indicators of network analysis such as density, clustering coefficient, components and mean distance. In addition, in order to evaluate the performance of each authors and countries in the network, the micro-level indicators such as degree centrality, closeness centrality and betweenness centrality as well as productivity index were used. The UCINET and NetDraw softwares were used to draw and analyze the co-authorship network of the papers. Results: The assessment of the authors productivity in this journal showed that the first ranks were belonged to only five authors, respectively. Furthermore, analysis of the co-authorship of the authors in the network demonstrated that in the betweenness centrality index, three authors of them had the good position in the network. They can be considered as the network leaders able to control the flow of information in the network compared with the other members based on the shortest paths. On the other hand, the key role of the network according to the productivity and centrality indexes was belonged to Iran, Malaysia and United States of America. Conclusion: Co-authorship network of JRMS has the characteristics of a small world network. In addition, the theory of 6° separation is valid in this network was also true. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To perform an analysis of ophthalmic literature published by the Indian journal of ophthalmology (IJO) between 2005 and 2017 using scientometric techniques.Methods: The bibliographic records of all the literature published in the study period were collected from PubMed and exported as XML into Microsoft access for scientometric analysis. Subspecialty wise distribution across time, type of articles published (original articles, case reports, review articles, editorials, and letter to editor), reference analysis, author productivity analysis and citation analysis were performed as per well-established scientometric methodology.Results: A total of 2,633 papers were published in the IJO during the study period. Articles related to vitreoretinal diseases contributed 23% of all the articles published (n = 598) followed by corneal diseases (n = 313, 12%), and cataract (n = 293, 11%). There were equal numbers of case reports (n = 894, 34%) and original articles (n = 862, 33%) though case reports reduced over time. A total of 5490 unique authors from 64 countries published in the IJO with majority authors (63%) from India. Less than 80% of articles published in the IJO were cited (n = 2051, 78%) by 24,592 articles with retina-related papers contributing 20% of all citations. Original articles had three times more likelihood of being cited compared to case reports.Conclusion: The: IJO showed a steady increase in the number of publications from year to year. Papers from the vitreoretinal domain were the commonest and were cited most often. Original articles and case reports contributed equally to the published content though the former were cited much more frequently than the latter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preparation of medicinal plants for experimental purposes is an initial step and key in achieving quality research outcome. It involves extraction and determination of quality and quantity of bioactive constituents before proceeding with the intended biological testing. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate various methods used in the preparation and screening of medicinal plants in our daily research. Although the extracts, bioactive fractions, or compounds obtained from medicinal plants are used for different purposes, the techniques involved in producing them are generally the same irrespective of the intended biological testing. The major stages included in acquiring quality bioactive molecule are the selection of an appropriate solvent, extraction methods, phytochemical screening procedures, fractionation methods, and identification techniques. The nitty-gritty of these methods and the exact road map followed solely depends on the research design. Solvents commonly used in extraction of medicinal plants are polar solvent (e.g., water, alcohols), intermediate polar (e.g., acetone, dichloromethane), and nonpolar (e.g., n-hexane, ether, chloroform). In general, extraction procedures include maceration, digestion, decoction, infusion, percolation, Soxhlet extraction, superficial extraction, ultrasound-assisted, and microwaveassisted extractions. Fractionation and purification of phytochemical substances are achieved through application of various chromatographic techniques such as paper chromatography, thin-layer chromatography, gas chromatography, and high-performance liquid chromatography. Finally, compounds obtained are characterized using diverse identification techniques such as mass spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, ultraviolet spectroscopy, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Subsequently, different methods described above can be grouped and discussed according to the intended biological testing to guide young researchers and make them more focused. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstracts of scientific papers are sometimes poorly written, often lack important information, and occasionally convey a biased picture. This paper provides detailed suggestions, with examples, for writing the background, methods, results, and conclusions sections of a good abstract. The primary target of this paper is the young researcher; however, authors with all levels of experience may find useful ideas in the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Part I. Lists various abstracts of research papers related to pharmacology presented during the XXXVI Annual Conference of the Indian Pharmacological Society held on December 5 to 7, 2003 in New Delhi. Title of paper; Research author; Affiliation; E-mail address; Objectives; Methods; Results; Conclusions; Possible anorectic case effect of methanol extract of Benincasa hispida by Kumar A.; Study of ulcerogenic potential of methylene blue by Shah H.; Role of potassium channel agonist and antagonist in ouabain induced arrhythmias by Dhasmana D.C.

The use of radiation to treat keloid scars has gained popularity during the last few decades. However, few bibliometric analyses have been performed on the published articles. This research aimed to demonstrate and evaluate the trends, top-cited articles, and frontier areas. In this cross-sectional study, Web of Science (WOS) and Scopus database literature was searched for all MESH terms related to "keloid" and "radiotherapy." The bibliometric analysis was carried out by VOSviewer 1.6.15. Articles with Web of Science-based citations of ≥20 were included. The citation per year index (CPYI) of articles was calculated for further inclusion of papers if they had CPYI higher than the mean value. There were 95 papers on keloid radiation that satisfied the inclusion criteria and were published between 1942 and 2019. The CPYI ranged from 0.38 to 11.3. Most studies were published in the "International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, and Physics" (9 papers). The United States has the most papers (14), followed by Japan (9), the Netherlands (7), and Germany (5). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first bibliometric analysis of top-cited papers on keloid radiotherapy. From 2014 to the present, it seems that this title has resurfaced as a popular topic, with radiotherapy within 24 h of surgery being the most commonly recommended treatment plan. Since around 2011, high-dose-rate brachytherapy (HDR-BT) has been used as an effective treatment for keloid control. Individualization of therapy and dose/technique based on the location is strongly suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Caries risk assessment (CRA) varies between students and faculty due to the subjectivity inherent in the process as well as in the critical thinking skills required for the processing of information. Aims: The aim was to develop a paper-based, grid system, CRA-Grid, to objectivize and standardize risk assessment and to assess its rating agreement with the critical thinking process of the teachers. Settings and Design: The CRA-Grid was developed and tested in a clinical study, in Indira Gandhi Institute of Dental Sciences, Puducherry. Materials and Methods: Based on the currently available evidence, specific weightages were assigned to the risk factors in an existing CRA form. A 10 × 10 paper grid was created incorporating these weightages. Shading and summing up the respective squares in the grid provided a percentage score. The class interval of percentage indicating the risk status was determined using historical clinical data. After training, the students performed CRA of 57 patients by using the CRA-Grid. Six faculties were blinded to these scores and assessed the risk by critical thinking process. Statistical Analysis Used: Cohen's weighted kappa (k) for inter-rater agreement was run using Graph Pad QuickCalcs. Results: Cohen's weighted kappa for agreement at 95% confidence interval, between the CRA-Grid and critical thinking process, ranged from "gooda" to "very good." Mean percentage of agreement of the six faculty was 79.6%; and with caries grid, was 80.5%. Conclusions: Risk assessment with the paper-based, objectivized, CRA-Grid matched that done by critical thinking process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The proposal for an integrated national emergency number for India is garnering a lot of enthusiasm and stimulating debate. This ambitious project has a two-part paradigm shift to set in; the first being the integration into a single number and the infrastructure required for setting up and operating this number such that a call can be received and identified. The second is the submerged part of the iceberg: That of the ability to respond to a call and deliver the appropriate emergency service. The first part is more technical and has potential precedents like the 911 phone hotline, for example, to emulate. The main premise of this paper is that the second part is a rather subjective exercise largely determined by the realities of existing public infrastructure in a specific geographical area with respect to emergency services management, especially medical care. Consequently, we highlight the key areas of both precall preparedness and postcall execution that need to be reviewed prior to going live with an integrated number on a national scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This study was done to evaluate the pattern of occlusal contacts in lateral excursion and compared the relative accuracy of shim stock and articulating paper for determining occlusal contact patterns. Material and methods: The patterns of occlusal contacts of 70 young adults were examined in various lateral positions with shim stock and articulating paper in regulated lateral positions 0.5, 1, 2, and 3 mm from the maximum intercuspation. Results: Most contact patterns belonged to group function and a few to canine protection when only working side contacts were considered. When both working and nonworking side contacts were considered, nearly half the contact patterns were those other than canine protection and group function. Shim stock exhibited superior accuracy and reliability as compared to the articulating paper. Conclusion: In the lateral excursion other than canine protected and group function, there exists some other occlusal contact pattern. Shim stock exhibits superior accuracy and reliability as compared to the articulating paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regarding the paper published "Serratus anterior plane block: Anatomical landmark-guided technique". [Extracted from the article]

This section presents synopses of poster papers presented at the 27th Annual Conference of the Association of Medical Physicists of India 2006. They include "Effect of Number of Iterations on Treatment Time Monitoring Units, Number of Segments and Dose to Target and Normal Structures in IMRT," and "Comparative Study of Superposition, Fast Superposition and Convolution Algorithms in Open, 3DCRT and IMRT Techniques for Various Diagnosis."

This section presents synopses of oral papers presented at the 27th Annual Conference of Association of Medical Physicists of India 2006. They include "A Comparative Study of Three Coplanar IMRT Plans for Fatty Prostate Patients by Using Pinnacle 3-D Treatment Planning System," "Study of Dose Modeling for IMRT Beamlets," and "Fluence Map Verification of Step and Shoot IMRT Fields Using Amorphous-Silicon EPID."

Context: A growing number of health professions schools have implemented programmes for community-based education (CBE) for their students. There are indications, however, that particularly in developing countries, CBE programmes are not always optimally implemented or sustained. Objective: To test the suitability of an established method for curriculum evaluation, combined with a set of generic objectives for CBE programmes, for evaluation of CBE programmes. Methods: As a case study, Coles and Grant's model for curriculum evaluation was applied to the CBE programme of the Medical Faculty of Diponegoro University (MFDU) in Semarang, Indonesia. Document analysis yielded information on the programme on paper; participatory observation and staff interviews on the programme in action. In addition, MFDU's CBE programme was evaluated against a set of generic objectives for CBE programmes recently designed by us. Results: MFDU has created great opportunities for its CBE programme in which, however, also significant weaknesses were revealed. (1) In the community, much time was spent on formal teaching; (2) Students' work in the community was not jointly identified with community members regarding the community's felt health needs; (3) There was rarely continuity, and evaluation or follow-up of the students' work in the community; and (4) No systematic programme evaluations are carried out. Discussion: This evaluation study showed shortcomings in the implementation of MFDU's CBE programme. The major weaknesses identified point at an underutilization of the opportunities and potential jeopardization of the facilities in the community. On the other hand, more time is needed in the CBE programme to establish the health needs to be addressed jointly with the community and to assess the impact of activities undertaken. A thorough review of the CBE programme, perhaps taking the outcomes of this study into account, could turn MFDU's CBE programme into a fine example for other medical schools in Indonesia and beyond. Conclusion: Coles and Grant's method for curriculum evaluation proved suitable for evaluation of a CBE programme in a developing country. After additional comparison with a reference list of objectives for CBE programmes, reasoned suggestions for programme can be made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents the position paper of The Network: Towards Unity for Health (TUFH), an initiative of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Network, on primary care. Developments in primary care; Best evidence regarding health benefit of primary care; Primary care goals of the initiative; Attributes of primary-care oriented Academic Health Centers (AHC); Primary care innovations of the initiative.

Background: Occlusion is dynamic and plays an important role in the functioning of the stomatognathic system. Disturbance in one of the components of the stomatognathic system may result in hypersensitivity of teeth, orofacial pain, migraine, and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders. Coronoplasty done using articulating paper is the conventional method for occlusal corrections. T‑scan is a computerized occlusal analysis system that overcomes the limitations of articulating paper. Methods: Patients with Myofacial pain dysfunction syndrome (MPDS) having dentinal hypersensitivity were taken into consideration. The case series included three cases. A joint vibratory analysis (JVA) is performed using a JVA device to rule out any TMJ disorders. T‑scan‑assisted coronoplasty is performed. Patients are asked to score for dentinal hypersensitivity on the VAS scale pre and postoperative. Results: Occlusion and disocclusion time is reduced along with hyperactivity of the muscles after T‑scan‑assisted coronoplasty. There is a reduction in dentinal hypersensitivity postoperative. Conclusion: T‑scan quantifies the forces and hence proved a boon in the field of dentistry. The present case series highlights coronoplasty assisted with a T‑scan for diagnosis and treatment planning of hypersensitivity of teeth; hence it is the future of dentistry. Practical Implications: T‑scan is a device that is assisted with electromyography. It projects the forces of mastication at every contact point of maxillary and mandibular teeth and reveals muscular hyperactivity. It can be used in MPDS patients with dental hypersensitivity due to occlusal discrepancy as it can guide elective coronoplasty relieving pain and dentinal hypersensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rural communities are geographically isolated from large urban areas, affecting access to definitive care, specialists and other health services that only service urban areas. Rural decision-makers are often faced with numerous challenges regarding the availability, capacity, sustainability and performance of health systems in rural and remote areas. We evaluated the current body of literature on educational initiatives being used in under-resourced areas to increase the knowledge or skills of healthcare workers. This rapid review followed the methods laid out by the Cochrane Rapid Reviews Methods Group and included published articles from any of three databases that described and evaluated an educational intervention, in which healthcare workers were the learners and which took place in an under-resourced area. Papers were excluded if they were deemed to be too resource intensive, were an opinion or concept paper or took place in an urban area. Results were synthesised descriptively. Ten studies were identified that contained information on educational initiatives in a variety of countries. The healthcare workers targeted in the studies varied from physicians, nurses and midwives to community health workers and students. The quality of studies also varied and included randomised control trials, systematic reviews and both prospective and retrospective studies. Initiatives involving simulation or point-of-care ultrasound were most common and showed the most benefit to a learner's knowledge and skill development. A limited body of literature exists on educational initiatives for healthcare workers in under-resourced areas. While simulation and hands-on learning showed positive results, the opportunity remains for a low-cost, high-yield educational initiative tailored to the unique needs of healthcare workers in under-resourced areas. Résumé Les communautés rurales sont géographiquement isolées des grandes zones urbaines, ce qui affecte l'accès à des soins définitifs, à des spécialistes et à d'autres services de santé qui ne desservent que les zones urbaines. Les décideurs ruraux sont souvent confrontés à de nombreux défis concernant la disponibilité, la capacité, la durabilité et la performance des systèmes de santé dans les zones rurales et éloignées. Nous avons évalué l'ensemble de la littérature actuelle sur les initiatives éducatives utilisées dans les zones sous-dotées pour améliorer les connaissances ou les compétences des travailleuses et travailleurs de la santé. Cette examen rapide a suivi les méthodes définies par le Cochrane Rapid Reviews Methods Group et a inclus des articles publiés dans l'une des trois bases de données qui décrivaient et évaluaient une intervention éducative dans laquelle les travailleuses et travailleurs de la santé étaient les apprenants et qui SE déroulait dans une zone manquant de ressources. Des articles jugés trop gourmands en ressources, des opinions, des documents conceptuels ou en lien avec des zones urbaines, ont été exclus. Les résultats ont été synthétisés de manière descriptive. 10 études ont été identifiées, contenant des informations sur des initiatives éducatives dans divers pays. Les travailleurs de la santé ciblés dans les études variaient des médecins, des infirmières et des sages-femmes aux travailleurs de la santé communautaire et aux étudiants. La qualité des études était également variable et comprenait des essais contrôlés randomisés, des revues systématiques et des études prospectives et rétrospectives. Les initiatives impliquant la simulation ou le POCUS étaient les plus courantes et présentaient le plus d'avantages pour le développement des connaissances et des compétences de l'apprenant. Il existe un nombre limité de documents sur les initiatives éducatives destinées aux travailleurs de la santé dans les zones sous-dotées. Bien que la simulation et l'apprentissage pratique aient donné des résultats positifs, il est toujours possible de mettre en place une initiative éducative peu coûteuse et à haut rendement, adaptée aux besoins spécifiques des travailleuses et travailleurs de la santé dans les zones sous-dotées. Mots-clés: Formation, éducation, rural, éloigné, manque de ressources, première ligne, prestataire de soins de santé [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Traumatic injury to the spine can be a complex diagnostic and therapeutic entity often with devastating consequences. Outside of the isolated vertebral column injury costs; annual costs associated with spinal cord injury (SCI) are estimated to exceed $9.7 billion.Objective: To identify the 100 most-cited articles on spine trauma.Methods: The Thomson Reuters Web of Science citation indexing service was queried. The articles were sorted by times cited in descending order. Two independent reviewers reviewed the article titles and abstracts to identify the top 100 most-cited articles.Results: The top 100 articles were found to be cited between 108 (articles #99-100) and 1595 times (article #1). The most-cited basic science article was cited 340 times (#12 on the top 100 list). The oldest article on the top 100 list was from 1953 and most recent from 2012. The number of patients, when applicable, in a study ranged from 9 (article #34) to 34,069 (article #5). Top 100 articles were published in 41 different journals with a wide range of specialities and fields most commonly multidisciplinary. Basic science research encompassed 34 of the 100 articles on the list.Conclusions: We present the 100 most-cited articles in spinal trauma with emphases on important contributions from both basic science and clinical research across a wide range of authors, specialties, patient populations, and countries. Recognizing some of the most important contributions in the field of spinal trauma may provide insight and guide future work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]