Sentiment Analysis and Comprehensive Evaluation of Supervised Machine Learning Models Using Twitter Data on Russia-Ukraine War.

The Russia-Ukrainian War refers to the ongoing hostilities between Russia and Ukraine. It was first focused on whether Crimea and the Donbass were formally recognised as being a part of Ukraine when Russia started it in February 2014. The conflict dramatically grew when Russia began its incursion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, following a military build-up on the Russian-Ukrainian border that started in late 2021. Examining public perceptions of the crisis between Russia and Ukraine is the goal of this piece. These days, social media has taken on a significant role in communication, and as a result, opinions can be found on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. The study makes use of his 11,250 tweets about the war between Russia and Ukraine from his Twitter account. Techniques, including image processing, object identification, and natural language processing, have shown application, power, and potential for machine learning. The same applies to text analytics. For text analysis, sentiment analysis, and entity annotation, machine learning techniques are frequently employed. According to the applicability and efficacy of the machine learning model, natural language processing toolkit in python is utilised in to examine the textual polarity and subjectivity score of tweets. Moreover, because machine learning models have a high degree of classification accuracy, they have been widely utilised to categorise emotions. We have developed and test models using three feature extraction techniques: TF-IDF (term frequency-inverse document frequency), BoW (bag of words), and N-gram. Each model was assessed using a number of important performance indicators, including accuracy, precision, recall, and F1 score. Results show that the extra trees classifier (ETC) model achieves a highest accuracy of 0.84 in combination with the Bow property which is a measure to evaluate the efficacy of a machine learning algorithm. Logistic regression (LR), decision tree (DT), support vector machine (SVM), XGB, Gaussian naive base (GNB), ADA, and K-nearest neighbours (KNN) comparison have also been made.

Development of a ZnOS+C Composite as a Potential Adsorbent for the Effective Removal of Fast Green Dye from Real Wastewater.

Wastewater treatment is becoming increasingly important due to the potential shortage of pure drinking water in many parts of the world. Adsorption offers a potential technique for the uptake of contaminants and wastewater purification. In the last two decades, several efforts have been made to remove fast green (FG) dye from wastewater via different adsorbent materials. However, adsorption capacity shown by these adsorbents is low and time-consuming. Herein, we have synthesized for the first time a new powdered adsorbent ZnOS+C, modified zinc peroxide with sulfur and activated carbon to effectively remove FG dye from wastewater. Results of batch adsorption experiments have suggested that ZnOS+C has the maximum adsorption potential of 238.28 mg/g for FG dye within 120 min of adsorption equilibrium for a wide range of pH ranging from 2 to 10 pH. The adsorption process conforms to the Freundlich isotherm model, suggesting a multilayered adsorption process on the outer surface of ZnOS+C. The adsorption kinetics study indicates that the kinetics of the reaction are the intraparticle diffusion model. Briefly, this study shows proof of the application of ZnOS+C powder as a new eco-friendly adsorbent with extremely high efficiency and high surface area for removing FG dye.

Nucleic acid extraction from complex biofluid using toothpick-actuated over-the-counter medical-grade cotton.

Nucleic acid amplification technique (NAAT)-assisted detection is the primary intervention for pathogen molecular diagnostics. However, NAATs such as quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) require prior purification or extraction of target nucleic acid from the sample of interest since the latter often contains polymerase inhibitors. Similarly, genetic disease screening is also reliant on the successful extraction of pure patient genomic DNA from the clinical sample. However, such extraction techniques traditionally utilize spin-column techniques that in turn require centralized high-speed centrifuges. This hinders any potential deployment of qPCR- or PCR-like NAAT methods in resource-constrained settings. The development of instrument-free nucleic acid extraction methods, especially those utilizing readily available materials would be of great interest and benefit to NAAT-mediated molecular diagnosis workflows in resource-constrained settings. In this report, we screened medical-grade cotton, a readily available over-the-counter biomaterial to extract genomic DNA (gDNA) spiked in 30 %, 45 %, and 60 % serum or cell lysate. The extraction was carried out in a completely instrument-free manner using cotton and a sterilized toothpick and was completed in 30 min (with using chaotropic salt) or 10 min (without using chaotropic salt). The quality of the extracted DNA was then probed using PCR followed by agarose gel analysis for preliminary validation of the study. The qPCR experiments then quantitatively established the extraction efficiency (0.3-27 %, depending on serum composition). Besides, percent similarity score obtained from the Sanger sequencing experiments probed the feasibility of extracted DNA towards polymerase amplification with fluorescent nucleotide incorporation. Overall, our method demonstrated that DNA extraction could be performed utilizing toothpick-mounted cotton both with or without using a chaotropic salt, albeit with a difference in the quality of the extracted DNA.

Medication Adherence in Indian Epilepsy Patients.

PURPOSE: While two-thirds of epilepsy patients can become seizure free on medical treatment, poor adherence to medication is a major problem to sustained remission and functional restoration. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and associated factors of antiepileptic drug (AED) non-adherence. METHODS: We conducted a subgroup analysis based on results that emerged from a single center, cross-sectional study. Patients who were 18 years or older were included. The 4-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale was used to measure adherence to AED (s). Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to predict factors associated with AED non-adherence. RESULTS: A total of 268 patients fulfilled inclusion criteria and were included in this subgroup analysis. Among the participants, 81 (30%) were non-adherent to medication. Three factors associated with non-adherence were AED polytherapy [OR: 4.5 (2.1-9.5) P = 0.001], drug related adverse events [OR: 3.9 (2.1-7.3) P = 0.001], and treatment duration exceeding 3 years [OR: 2.6 (1.3-5.0) P = 0.003]. CONCLUSION: About one-third patients were not compliant with their medication. If the treatment of patients is restricted to monotherapy as far as possible and patients are educated about duration of treatment and possible adverse effects of AEDs, non-adherence may be reduced.

Fractal dimension and lacunarity analysis of mandibular bone on digital panoramic radiographs of tobacco users.

Background. This study aimed to evaluate and compare changes in the mandibular trabecular bone pattern using the fractal dimension (FD) and lacunarity analysis in tobacco users with healthy controls. Methods. This study was carried out on digital panoramic radiographs of 225 subjects divided into three groups: smokeless tobacco users (SLTs), smokers, and control (n=75). ImageJ program with FracLac plugin was used to assess the FD and lacunarity of mandibular trabecular bone on the digital panoramic radiographs. Results. The differences in the mean FD values of the study and control groups were statistically significant (P < 0.001). Mean FD was lower in the case groups than the control group, with SLTs having the least FD value. A significant difference in lacunarity was noted between SLTs and controls (P < 0.001). On the contrary, there was no significant difference in lacunarity between smokers and controls. Conclusions. FD values were lower in tobacco users, suggesting that tobacco users have a less complex trabecular bone pattern than healthy controls. Higher lacunarity values in SLTs indicated a more heterogeneous bone pattern. These findings signify that FD and lacunarity analysis on digital panoramic radiographs can serve as promising predictive tools to assess bone quality for osteoporotic changes in tobacco users, thereby facilitating prompt referral for further management.

Cancer Biology and You: An Interactive Learning Event for Native American High School Students to Increase Their Understanding of Cancer Causes, Prevention, and Treatment, and to Foster an Interest in Cancer-Related Careers.

The National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation have made a compelling call to action not only to strengthen the pipeline of available STEM-trained talent, but in addition to foster students who are members of populations currently under-represented in science. Furthermore, the scientific community must not only increase the accessibility of STEM-related education, but also implement and test evidence-based practices. Presented here, we detail the proceedings of a hands-on, science-focused informal learning opportunity aimed at educating an underrepresented population in cancer biology. Fifteen undergraduate and graduate student volunteer instructors from the University of Nebraska at Omaha and the University of Nebraska Medical Center engaged with 89 high school students, mostly Native American, in an informal learning event called "Cancer Biology and You Day." Throughout the event, students completed two independent lessons focusing on breast cancer and skin cancer and demonstrated strong learning gains associated with the lessons as assessed by KWL charts. Exit surveys of the students indicated high levels of satisfaction with the event, and positive attitudes associated with considering a career in science/research were evident in survey responses. Overall, we report the event as a success and outline how similar experiences may be achieved.

Are epilepsy patients bypassing primary care? A cross-sectional study from India.

PURPOSE: Lack of epilepsy primary and secondary care and an arbitrary referral system causes many epilepsy patients to seek tertiary care even when they may not need it. This causes overcrowding, increased waiting times and also compromises the quality of tertiary care. We conducted this study to identify what proportion of epilepsy patients presenting to tertiary care actually needed it. METHODS: To test appropriateness of candidacy for tertiary care, we formulated Modified NICE criteria (MNC) based on NICE criteria. Modified NICE criteria were used to dichotomize participants into two groups: a) those who needed tertiary care and b) those who did not need tertiary care. We also looked at agreement between MNC and original NICE criteria. RESULTS: Four hundred and twenty two patients were recruited. According to the MNC, 240 patients (57%) qualified for tertiary care while 182 (43%) did not. The agreement between MNC and original NICE criteria was 86.7%, kappa 0.73(95% CI 0.66-0.79, p < 0.001). The most frequently cited reason for seeking tertiary care was 'Unsatisfactory response to treatment', although; many of these patients were actually non-adherent to treatment. Amongst variables that predicted non-eligibility for tertiary care, the most important was not having been referred. CONCLUSION: Many epilepsy patients seeking tertiary care do not need it. Access and quality of epilepsy care can be improved if there is a rational and need-based distribution of patients between primary, secondary and tertiary care. Referral systems also need to be developed and used to transition patients from one level of care to another.

High Quality Unigenes and Microsatellite Markers from Tissue Specific Transcriptome and Development of a Database in Clusterbean (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba, L. Taub).

Clusterbean (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba L. Taub), is an important industrial, vegetable and forage crop. This crop owes its commercial importance to the presence of guar gum (galactomannans) in its endosperm which is used as a lubricant in a range of industries. Despite its relevance to agriculture and industry, genomic resources available in this crop are limited. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to generate RNA-Seq based transcriptome from leaf, shoot, and flower tissues. A total of 145 million high quality Illumina reads were assembled using Trinity into 127,706 transcripts and 48,007 non-redundant high quality (HQ) unigenes. We annotated 79% unigenes against Plant Genes from the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), Swiss-Prot, Pfam, gene ontology (GO) and KEGG databases. Among the annotated unigenes, 30,020 were assigned with 116,964 GO terms, 9984 with EC and 6111 with 137 KEGG pathways. At different fragments per kilobase of transcript per millions fragments sequenced (FPKM) levels, genes were found expressed higher in flower tissue followed by shoot and leaf. Additionally, we identified 8687 potential simple sequence repeats (SSRs) with an average frequency of one SSR per 8.75 kb. A total of 28 amplified SSRs in 21 clusterbean genotypes resulted in polymorphism in 13 markers with average polymorphic information content (PIC) of 0.21. We also constructed a database named 'ClustergeneDB' for easy retrieval of unigenes and the microsatellite markers. The tissue specific genes identified and the molecular marker resources developed in this study is expected to aid in genetic improvement of clusterbean for its end use.

Oscillating Transcriptome during Rice-Magnaporthe Interaction.

Rice blast disease caused by the fungus, Magnaporthe oryzae, is one of the most devastating diseases of rice. Deciphering molecular mechanism of host-pathogen interactions is of great importance in devising disease management strategies. Transcription being the first step for gene regulation in eukaryotes, basic understanding of the transcriptome is sine qua non for devising effective management strategy. The availability of genome sequences of rice and M. oryzae has facilitated the process to a large extent. The current review summarizes recent understanding of rice-blast pathosystem, application of transcriptomics approaches to understand the interactions employing different platforms, major determinants in the interaction and possibility of using certain candidate for conditioning enhanced disease resistance (Effector Triggered Immunity and PAMP Triggered Immunity) and downstream signalling in rice. A better understanding of the interaction elements and effective strategies hold potential to reduce yield losses in rice caused by M. oryzae.

Combination Therapy Of Tadalafil And Pentoxifylline In Severe Erectile Dysfunction; A Prospective Randomized Trial.

UNLABELLED: The aim of the study was to assess efficacy of Tadalafil alone versus Tadalafil plus Pentoxifylline in the treatment of erectile dysfunction by using self administered IIEF-5 questionnaire. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Two hundred and thirty seven patients presenting with ED at andrology OPD were evaluated for ED by a self administered IIEF (International Index of Erectile Function) questionnaire. Patients were systematically randomized by computer generated random table into two groups groups namely, group A: Tadalafil only group, group B: combination of Tadalafil + Pentoxifyl-line. All the patients were re-assessed by IIEF-5 questionnaire after 8 weeks of medical therapy. Statistical analysis was performed using student's unpaired t-test, paired t-test, chi square test. p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Two hundred and thirty seven patients were included in the present study, in group A: 92 patients (78.6%) showed improvement in their IIEF score after 8 weeks of tadalafil treatment. While in group B, overall 104 patients(86.6%) showed improvement after combination of Tadalafil and Pentoxifylline. There was a statistically significant difference of percentage change in IIEF score was seen in group B (group A 90.7±15.2%, group B 95.6±13.4%; p value - 0.014). We found this difference even more statistically significant in patients with severe ED (group A 72.7±47.2%, group B 132.3±54.3%; p value - 0.000). There was no significant difference in between the two groups with regards to occur-rence of side effects. CONCLUSIONS: Both tadalafil and combination of Tadalafil + Pentoxifylline improve erectile function in patients of ED. Patients with severe ED showed much significant improvement in erectile function with combination therapy.

Poland syndrome.

Poland's syndrome is a rare congenital condition, characterized by the absence of the sternal or breastbone portion of the pectoralis major muscle, which may be associated with the absence of nearby musculoskeletal structures. We hereby report an 8-year-old boy with typical features of Poland syndrome, the first documented case from Uttar Pradesh, India.

Start Codon Targeted (SCoT) marker reveals genetic diversity of Dendrobium nobile Lindl., an endangered medicinal orchid species.

Genetic variability in the wild genotypes of Dendrobium nobile Lindl. collected from different parts of Northeast India, was analyzed using a Start Codon Targeted (SCoT) marker system. A total of sixty individuals comprising of six natural populations were investigated for the existing natural genetic diversity. One hundred and thirty two (132) amplicons were produced by SCoT marker generating 96.21% polymorphism. The PIC value of the SCoT marker system was 0.78 and the Rp values of the primers ranged between 4.43 and 7.50. The percentage of polymorphic loci (Pp) ranging from 25% to 56.82%, Nei's gene diversity (h) from 0.08 to 0.15 with mean Nei's gene diversity of 0.28, and Shannon's information index (I) values ranging from 0.13 to 0.24 with an average value of 0.43 were recorded. The gene flow value (0.37) and the diversity among populations (0.57) demonstrated higher genetic variation among the populations. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) showed 43.37% of variation within the populations, whereas 56.63% variation was recorded among the populations. Cluster analysis also reveals high genetic variation among the genotypes. Present investigation suggests the effectiveness of SCoT marker system to estimate the genetic diversity of D. nobile and that it can be seen as a preliminary point for future research on the population and evolutionary genetics of this endangered orchid species of medicinal importance.

Posteroanterior spinal stiffness at T5, T10, and L3 levels in normal subjects.

OBJECTIVE: To measure, by using standardized device and protocol, posteroanterior (PA) spinal stiffness at the 5th and 10th thoracic (T5 and T10) and 3rd lumbar (L3) vertebral levels in asymptomatic adult volunteers. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study. SETTING: Osteopathic Heritage Foundation Physical Medicine Core Research Laboratory where the Therapeutic Spinal Mobilizer was fabricated to standardize the testing protocol. PARTICIPANTS: Sixteen asymptomatic adult volunteers. METHODS: Volunteers were in the prone position on the treatment plinth and the loading block of the loading piston was placed at T5, T10, and L3. The subjects were instructed to remain still, to not contract any muscle, and to stop breathing mid cycle for 15 seconds when the data acquisition was initiated for a 10-second test cycle. The force was measured by using the load cell, and the spinal deformation was measured by the linear variable differential transducer. The data were extracted and subjected to descriptive statistics and analysis of variance to determine the effect of independent variables on spinal stiffness. RESULTS: The PA spinal stiffness at 3 spinal levels was significantly different (P < .0001). The spinal stiffness was significantly affected by the testing load, age, gender, and body weight of the subjects (P < .0001). The PA stiffness of the entire sample at 3 spinal levels ranged from 4.8-8.8 N/mm. The spinal stiffness values could be predicted as the function of testing load and body weight (P < .01). CONCLUSIONS: Results of this experiment suggest that the standardized and repeatable methodology will result in reliable stiffness values. Because the spinal stiffness is an indicator of patient's symptoms and it is an important variable in selection of treatment regimen, it is important to be able to measure this variable with a standardized protocol. Values from asymptomatic subjects can be used to study and to compare the symptomatic patients.

Spinal stiffness in asymptomatic subjects.

The objective of the study was to measure postero-anterior stiffness of thoracolumbar spine from normal asymptomatic subjects at T(4), T(9), and L(2) levels using a standardized device and protocol. Sixteen volunteer subjects (eight males and eight females) meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria were recruited for the study. Their T(4), T(9), and L(2) spinous processes were identified and marked. These spinous processes were cyclically loaded with 22.5 N, 45 N, 90 N, and 135 N fixed forces at 0.1 Hz in postero-anterior direction by a computer controlled and operated Therapeutic Spinal Mobilizer (TSM) for five cycles to the level of subject's acceptance of the load magnitude. The magnitude of the force and displacement experienced at the spinal level were recorded using a load cell and linear variable differential transducer. The stiffness was obtained from the slope of the load/deformation curve. The stiffness values were subjected to analysis of variance to determine the effect of independent variables. The stiffness at different levels was significantly different (p<0.0001) and it was significantly affected by the testing load (p<0.0001). The age, sex, height and weight were not significantly associated with the stiffness, neither were the cycles at the same load. The postero-anterior stiffness of the thoracolumbar spine is different at different spinal levels and varies with testing loads.

Nonfatal occupational injury rates and musculoskeletal symptoms among housekeeping employees of a hospital in Texas.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders in hospital cleaners. METHODS: Injury data on all hospital employees were extracted from occupational health records and compared. Additionally an interview-based modified Nordic Questionnaire (response rate 98.14%) was conducted. RESULTS: The mean total injury rate for cleaners was 35.9 per 100 full-time equivalent (FTE), while that for other employees was 13.64 per 100 FTE. Slips/trips/falls and MMH contributed 4.39 and 2.37 per 100 FTE among cleaners and rest of the hospital employees, respectively. The most common type of injury was strain while the most common cause of injury was a striking object. CONCLUSION: The cleaners have higher injury rates and morbidity as compared to other employees of the hospital. The lower back was most commonly affected.

Biomechanical loads and subjective stress exposure to lumber graders in sawmill industry.

The aim of this study was to determine biomechanical loads and subjective stresses on lumber graders and associated morbidity in a high risk and repetitive sawmill occupation. The exposures of all 29 male sawmill worker volunteers were recorded. Motion and posture were studied with electrogoniometers, muscle loads were recorded with surface electromyography, and psychophysical stresses were assessed with subjective responses. Fifty-nine percent of the participants reported greater than moderate discomfort in their task-dominant upper extremity. Job performance required an average range of motion of 44°, 21°, and 52° in flexion/extension, radial/ulnar deviations, and pronation/supination respectively. It also required an average of 9% maximum voluntary contraction force and was repeated an average of 34 times/min. This repetitive exertion over an 8-h shift was deemed to be a significant risk factor associated with prevalent upper extremity morbidity.

Device, protocol and measurement of regional spinal stiffness.

Spinal stiffness is commonly assessed by manual therapists but the methodology varies widely. The current study presents a novel device - Therapeutic Spinal Mobilizer - to measure spinal stiffness safely and reliably. The methodology developed allows exertion of a force perpendicular to the spinal skin surface over a selected spinous process at a preselected frequency for predetermined duration cyclically in a repeatable manner. The loading rate is governed by the gravity feed. The force applied and displacements produced were used to calculate the spinal stiffness at that level. The results revealed a significant difference in stiffness due to magnitude of load (loading rate) (p<0.01) but no significant difference in stiffness between different cycles of loading with same load. The phase of respiration significantly affected stiffness, with total lung capacity being stiffest and residual functional capacity the least stiff (p<0.05). There was a significant difference in stiffness of the three spinal levels tested (p<0.05). In conclusion, the standardized methodology revealed that spinal stiffness of one region may be very different from another. Different loads yield significantly different stiffness (p<0.01).

Micropropagation of Ilex khasiana, a critically endangered and endemic holly of Northeast India.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Ilex khasiana is a rare and critically endangered holly endemic to the Khasi Hills of Meghalaya, India, and confined to a small number of pocket areas. In addition to conventional methods of propagation, endemic and threatened plants such as this could be more effectively multiplied and conserved using in vitro methods. Such techniques have the additional advantage of having a low impact on wild populations because they require a minimum of starting material. Our objective was to develop methodologies for the successful in vitro mass propagation of I. khasiana. METHODOLOGY: Seedlings were germinated in vitro under sterile conditions and nodal explants from these were transferred to Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 8.88 µM 6-benzyladenine and 4.64 µM kinetin. PRINCIPAL RESULTS: This generated ∼10 shoots per explant. In a second approach, callus was obtained from seedling-derived leaf discs cultured on MS medium supplemented with 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and 6-benzyladenine. Approximately 12 adventitious shoots per callus were regenerated from 83.33 % of the calli after transfer to MS medium supplemented with 6.63 µM 6-benzyladenine. The most effective treatment for inducing root formation on the shoots was transfer of shoots to half-strength MS medium with 9.84 µM indole-3-butyric acid. Regenerated plantlets with well-developed shoots and roots were hardened and transferred to open soil with 70 % survival after 4 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: Both the methods described here are well suited for the mass multiplication of this critically endangered tree species.

Reliability of bony anatomic landmark asymmetry assessment in the lumbopelvic region: application to osteopathic medical education.

The objective of this review is to establish the current state of knowledge on the reliability of clinical assessment of asymmetry in the lumbar spine and pelvis. To search the literature, the authors consulted the databases of MEDLINE, CINAHL, AMED, MANTIS, Academic Search Complete, and Web of Knowledge using different combinations of the following keywords: palpation, asymmetry, inter or intraexaminer reliability, tissue texture, assessment, and anatomic landmark. Of the 23 studies identified, 14 did not meet the inclusion criteria and were excluded. The quality and methods of studies investigating the reliability of bony anatomic landmark asymmetry assessment are variable. The κ statistic ranges without training for interexaminer reliability were as follows: anterior superior iliac spine (ASIS), -0.01 to 0.19; posterior superior iliac spine (PSIS), 0.04 to 0.15; inferior lateral angle, transverse plane (ILA-A/P), -0.03 to 0.11; inferior lateral angles, coronal plane (ILA-S/I), -0.01 to 0.08; sacral sulcus (SS), -0.4 to 0.37; lumbar spine transverse processes L1 through L5, 0.04 to 0.17. The corresponding ranges for intraexaminer reliability were higher for all associated landmarks: ASIS, 0.19 to 0.4; PSIS, 0.13 to 0.49; ILA-A/P, 0.1 to 0.2; ILA-S/I, 0.03 to 0.21; SS, 0.24 to 0.28; lumbar spine transverse processes L1 through L5, not applicable. Further research is needed to better understand the reliability of asymmetry assessment methods in manipulative medicine.