ABSTRACT Introduction: Hypogonadism is one of the most frequent complications in transfusion-dependent thalassemia patients and early recognition and treatment is the core element in restoring impaired gonadal function. Despite the high burden of disease, relevant studies are scarcely addressing the gonadal function of such patients in Bangladesh. The pattern of gonadal function in transfusion-dependent thalassemia patients must be characterized before planning a generalized management plan. Moreover, since iron overload is a key reason behind hypogonadism in thalassemia patients, investigating the role of serum ferritin level as a diagnostic tool for hypongadism was also an aim of this study. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Transfusion Medicine of the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University. According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of 94 patients were enrolled in this study. A detailed history and thorough clinical examination were carried out in each patient and recorded using a pretested structured questionnaire. In addition, the laboratory assessment of serum ferritin, luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), testosterone and estradiol in serum were also performed. The data were analyzed using the STATA (v.16). Results: The mean age of the patients with transfusion-dependent thalassemia was 18.81 ± 4.65 (SD), with 53.3% of the patients being male. The overall prevalence of hypogonadism was 35.11%, 18.1% being normogonadotropic, 11.7% being hypogonadotropic and 5.3% being hypergonadotropic. The serum ferritin level was significantly higher (p < 0.001) in patients with hypogonadism (Eugonadal: 2,174.79 (± 749.12) ng/ml; Hypogonadal: 3,572.59 (± 1,199.49) ng/ml). The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of serum ferritin was high (0.83) and the p-value was highly significant (< 0.001). Conclusion: Therefore, the serum ferritin level and gonadal hormone analysis of transfusion-dependent thalassemia patients can be considered a screening tool for assessing gonadal function and early detection and prevention of hypogonadism.

ABSTRACT A better understanding of the various desirable characteristics present in chili (Capsicum annuum L.) genotypes has aided in developing more effective selection methods for crop improvement. Identifying genetically superior parents is critical in selecting the best parents and inbred lines for breeding purposes. This study was conducted over two planting seasons in glasshouse using morpho-physiological parameters to evaluate the heritability variation of selected chili genotypes based on their genetic diversity for future breeding program. Significant variances were observed in all the studied parameters across the chili pepper accessions with an inclusive range of diversity. The highest genotypic coefficient of variation (≥ 20%) was observed for all physiological and yield characteristics. While the highest phenotypic coefficient of variation (≥ 20%) was seen for all examined characteristics. All studied parameter had high broad sense heritability (˃ 55%) except total number of branches per plant (47.9%) while the moderate to high genetic advance were observer for all studied traits demonstrating that the extents of heritability and variability are due to their genetic makeup and environment had little influence on these characters. The evaluated genotypes were grouped into seven clusters based on the cluster analysis and Group I recorded highest yield with eight genotypes while Groups III, IV, V, VI, and VII recorded one each. Plant height and total branch number showed a highly significant positive correlation with the number of fruits per plant and yield per plant. Similarly, the number of fruits per plant had a highly significant positive correlation with fruit yield per plant. The study revealed that genetic variability might be usefully exploited through selection for further breeding purposes to increase yield and production.

ABSTRACT Objective: To compare the histological properties and stretch of colorectal mucosal grafts (CMG) and buccal mucosal grafts (BMG) and to evaluate the impact of age, medical comorbidity and tobacco use on these metrics. Materials and Methods: Samples of BMGs from patients undergoing augmentation urethroplasty were sent for pathologic review. CMGs were collected from patients undergoing elective colectomy. CMGs were harvested fresh, at full thickness from normal rectum/sigmoid. Patients with inflammatory bowel disease, prior radiation, or chemotherapy were excluded. Results: Seventy two BMGs and 53 CMGs were reviewed. While BMGs and CMGs were both histologically composed of mucosal (epithelium + lamina propria) and submucosal layers, the mucosal layer in CMG had crypts. The outer epithelial layers differed significantly in mean thickness (BMG 573μm vs. CMG 430μm, p=0.0001). Mean lamina propria thickness and submucosal layer thickness also differed significantly (BMG 135μm vs. CMG 400μm, p<0.0001; BMG 1090μm vs. CMG 808μm, p = 0.007, respectively). Mean delta stretch, as to length and width, was greater for CMG (118% x 72%) compared to BMGs (22% x 8%), both p<0.001. Conclusion: CMGs and BMGs significantly differ histologically in layer composition, width and architecture, as well as graft stretch. Given its elastic properties, CMG may be useful in covering large surface areas, but its thin epithelium, thick lamina propria and additional muscularis mucosal layer could impact graft take and contracture.

ABSTRACT Metastases in the oral cavity are rare and comprise approximately 1% of all oral malignancies. They usually involve the jaws but may also be found in the soft tissues and salivary glands. Women's most common metastatic malignancies are from primary breast cancers. However, metastasis of mucinous breast carcinoma to the lower alveolus mimicking an aggressive primary malignancy as the initial presentation is exceptionally uncommon. We describe the case of a 66-year-old lady with an ulceroproliferative growth in the right lower alveolus. The lesion eroded the mandible and involved the adjacent soft tissues with no prior history of lesion anywhere else. The lesion clinically mimicked a squamous cell carcinoma and masqueraded as a salivary gland mucinous adenocarcinoma on histopathology. The possibility of a metastatic lesion from the breast rather than a primary of the alveolus was also entertained, aided by the immunohistochemical findings of positivity of the tumor cells for GATA3. A positron emission tomography (PET) scan was undertaken to ascertain the primary site. It detected a hypermetabolic lesion in the left breast, which biopsy revealed mucinous breast carcinoma on histopathological evaluation. Metastasis of breast mucinous carcinoma by the hematogenous route is extremely rare; very few cases have been reported. This case illustrates the diagnostic challenges such a lesion can pose to the surgeon and the pathologist. In the advent of such lesions being the initial clinical presentation, a vigilant clinicopathological and radiological assessment is essential to detect the primary.

Abstract: Collaborative Filtering Recommender Systems (CFRSs) are widely employed in several applications because of its satisfying performance in the customized recommendation. Recent studies show that CFRSs are at risk of shilling attacks where attackers inject shilling profiles into the system. Malicious user injected ratings not only severely impact genuineness of recommendations but also user's trustworthiness within recommendation systems. Existing unsupervised clustering technique uses Ward method, which is an iterative method of low scalability. For addressing this issue, in this work an unsupervised SA detection technique named WardpHMM has been proposed. It uses Wardp and Hidden Markov Model (HMM). In this proposed method HMM is used to measure difference of user’s rating behavior. It generates User Suspicious Degree (USD) of each user by analyzing user’s Suspicious Degree Range of Items (SDRI) and User’s Matching Degree (UMD). Then Wardp method is applied to merge users based on USD and to acquire group of Attack Users (AUs). For performance analysis of the proposed technique, Amazon-ratings sample dataset was used. The performance comparison shows that proposed WardpHMM technique outperforms baseline technique with respect to precision, recall and F1-score.

ABSTRACT Angiosarcoma is a rare neoplasm, constituting only 2% of all the soft tissue tumors and most frequently involves the skin of the head and neck region in elderly males. They are extremely aggressive tumors with high rates of metastasis and poor outcomes. We report a unique case of angiosarcoma involving an unusual site – upper alveolus and maxilla in a young patient highlighting the diagnostic challenges in such a scenario. A 29 years old female presented with a non-healing wound of the oral cavity, which had progressed to the current maximum size of 6.4 cm within one month. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan revealed the involvement of maxilla up to the floor of the orbit and adjacent soft tissue. However, no distant metastasis was detected on Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scan. Biopsy of the lesion showed an irregular, highly pleomorphic, and mitotically active epithelioid soft tissue tumor conclusively diagnosed as angiosarcoma.

ABSTRACT B-cell prolymphocytic leukemia (B-PLL) is an extremely rare disease, accounting for approximately 1% of the lymphocytic leukemias. B-PLL generally occurs in older people. It is characterized by the presence of more than 55% prolymphocytes in the peripheral blood (PB), no or minimal lymphadenopathy, massive splenomegaly, and very high white blood cell counts. The prognosis of B-PLL patients is generally poor, with a median survival of 3 years, although a subset of patients may show a prolonged survival. Herein, we report a case of a 70-year-old male with weakness, generalized lymphadenopathy, and moderate splenomegaly at the initial presentation. Hematologic examination revealed lymphocytic leukocytosis, favoring a chronic lymphoproliferative disorder (CLPD). The key to decoding the precise CLPD was a combination of the clinical profile, morphologic findings on the peripheral blood and the bone marrow, immunophenotypic analysis, and cytogenetic study. The best diagnosis proffered was a de novo chronic lymphocytic leukemia/prolymphocytic leukemia. There was no prior history of lymphoproliferative disorder or lymphocytic leukocytosis. Discriminating this entity from other lymphoproliferative disorders is crucial as the treatment and prognosis are varied compared to the other lymphoproliferative disorders. The diagnostic conundrum encountered and the incredible utility of ancillary studies in such a scenario are highlighted in this study.

ABSTRACT Oncocytoma of the eyelid is a rare neoplasm. Oncocytoma associated with an ocular surface squamous neoplasm, namely conjunctival intraepithelial neoplasia, is very hard to find in the literature. Herein we report a case of a 53-year-old male who presented with a swelling in the right lower lid over the last 6 years, along with a growth in the conjunctiva of the same eye for the last 2 years and encroaching upon the cornea for the last 4 months. Excision biopsy of the lower lid mass showed histopathological features consistent with oncocytoma. The conjunctival tissue revealed conjunctival intraepithelial neoplasia 3 (severe dysplasia). This case documents a rare synchronous dual ocular neoplasia, a very unlikely coexistence of oncocytoma with conjunctival intraepithelial neoplasia.

ABSTRACT Langerhans cells, found in the supra-basal region of the mucous membranes in the epidermis of the skin, in lymph nodes and thymus, function as antigen-presenting cells within the histiocyte system. Tumors derived from Langerhans cells (LC) can be divided according to the degree of cytological atypia and clinical behavior into Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) and Langerhans cell sarcoma (LCS). LCS is rare, and the nodal presentation is even rarer with challenging histological characteristics. LCS has a dismal overcome despite intensive chemotherapy. Herein, we report a case of a 29-year-old male who presented with generalized lymphadenopathy initially considered as a lymphoma. An outright definitive diagnosis could not be attained in the initial histomorphological and immunohistochemical evaluation, fraught with differential diagnoses. The key to decoding the precise neoplasm was a combination of the cytopathologic features, review of the histomorphology, and extensive immunohistochemical assessment in conjunction with the clinical and positron emission tomography (PET) scan findings. The best diagnosis proffered was a Langerhans cell histiocytosis progressing to Langerhans cell sarcoma. This case highlights the grey zone areas in LC neoplasms, the diagnostic conundrums encountered, the indispensable role of meticulous pathological analysis, and the importance of ancillary studies in hammering out the final diagnosis.

ABSTRACT Although big data has become an integral part of businesses and society, there is still concern about the quality aspects of big data. Past research has focused on identifying various dimensions of big data. However, the research is scattered and there is a need to synthesize the ever involving phenomenon of big data. This research aims at providing a systematic literature review of the quality dimension of big data. Based on a review of 17 articles from academic research, we have presented a set of key quality dimensions of big data.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of feed concentrate level on carcass characteristics and meat quality of sika deer (Cervus nippon). A total of 16 sika deer (mean bodyweight 30 kg) were randomly assigned to one of two treatments, namely Treatment 1 (T1): fed concentrate at 1.5% of total bodyweight); and Treatment 2 (T2): fed concentrate ad libitum. Both groups had free access to roughage (hay) and water. Each group was fed concentrate twice daily (at 09h00 and 16h00) for eight months. The fat concentration of venison from deer in T2 was significantly greater than that of T1. However, fat loss through cooking, shear force, and pH did not differ significantly between the two groups. Water-binding capacity of venison from deer in T1 was significantly greater (2.83%) than that of T2. Colour parameters a* (redness) and b* (yellowness) were significantly greater for venison from T2 than for deer in T1. Likewise, cholesterol concentration of venison from deer in T2 was significantly greater than for deer in T1. However, the cholesterol concentration in venison from deer that were subjected to both treatments was less than that of meat from other livestock species. In conclusion, the results of this study provide a baseline to estimate fodder cost standards to produce sika deer venison, and would aid commercial deer farmers in developing optimal management strategies for venison production.

ABSTRACT Trigemino-cardiac reflex is a unique brain stem reflex that manifests as negative cardio-respiratory perturbations. This reflex is largely reported in skull base surgeries/interventions; however, in recent times, it has been also linked with many neurosurgical, neurointerventional procedures, non-neurosurgical and non-surgical conditions. This reflex presents with many cardiovascular changes that can create catastrophic complications, worse outcome as well as diagnostic dilemmas. Therefore, this narrative review intends to elaborate on its mechanisms, definition, pathophysiology, manifestations, diagnosis and management.

RESUMEN El reflejo trigémino cardíaco es un reflejo único del tallo cerebral que se manifiesta como perturbaciones cardiorespiratorias, y ocurre principalmente en cirugías o intervenciones de la base del cráneo. Sin embargo, recientemente se lo ha vinculado a muchos procedimientos de neurocirugía e intervenciones neurológicas y condiciones no relacionadas a neurocirugía y no quirúrgicas. Este reflejo presenta muchas alteraciones cardiovasculares que pueden provocar complicaciones adversas, empeorar la evolución y producir problemas diagnósticos. Esta reseña intenta profundizar su definición, mecanismos, fisiopatología, manifestaciones, diagnóstico y manejo.

Objective: Study objectives were to develop a questionnaire to assess factors influencing pharmacists' adoption of prescribing (i.e., continuing, adapting or initiating therapy), describe use of pre-incentive and mixed mode survey, and establish survey psychometric properties. Methods: Questions were developed based on prior qualitative research and Diffusion of Innovation theory. Expert review, cognitive testing, survey pilot, and main survey were used to test the questionnaire. Six content experts reviewed the questionnaire to establish face and content validity. Ten pharmacists from diverse practice settings were purposefully recruited for a cognitive interview to verify question readability. Content analysis was used to analyze the results. A pre-survey introduction letter with a monetary incentive was mailed via post to 100 (i.e. pilot) and 700 (i.e., main survey) randomly selected pharmacists. This was followed by an e-mail with a personalized link to the online questionnaire, e-mail reminders, and a telephone reminder if required. The psychometric properties of scales were evaluated with an exploratory factor analysis and Cronbach's alpha. Scale responses were described. Results: Engagement of six experts and ten pharmacists clarified definitions (e.g., prescribing), terminology, recall periods, and response options for the 34-item response scale. Fifty-six pharmacists completed the online pilot survey. Based on this data, ambiguous questions and routing issues were addressed. Three hundred and seventy-eight pharmacists completed the online main survey for a response rate of 54.6%. The factors analysis resulted in 27 questions in eight scales: (1) self-efficacy, (2) support from practice environment, (3) support from interprofessional relationship, (4) impact on professionalism, (5) impact on patient care), (6) prescribing beliefs, (7) technical use of electronic health record (EHR) and (8) patient care use of the EHR. Prescribing beliefs and technical use of the EHR scales had low reliability while the remaining six scales had strong evidence for reliability and validity. Conclusion: Through a multi-stage process, a survey instrument was developed to capture pharmacists' perceptions of prescribing influences. This questionnaire may support future research to develop interventions to enhance adoption of prescribing and enhance direct patient care by pharmacists.

Nickel ferrite (NiFe2O4) nanoparticles were synthesized using co-precipitation method. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern was used to determine the structure of NiFe2O4 nanoparticles. The presence of NiFe2O4 nanoparticles was confirmed by the FT-IR spectrum. The details of the surface morphology of NiFe2O4 nanoparticles were obtained by Scanning Electron Microscopic analysis. The particle size of the NiFe2O4 nanoparticles could be determined by means of Transmission Electron Microscopy. This work aimed at the investigation of the dielectric properties such as the dielectric loss and the dielectric constant of NiFe2O4 nanoparticles at varied frequencies and temperatures. In addition, the magnetic properties of the NiFe2O4 nanoparticles were studied.