articles+ search results

History and Philosophy of Science and Social Sciences (miscellaneous)

Education

In this special issue of the Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, we take a step back from the events of the last 2 years and the changes that we have seen in the education arena, to remember that which has remained constant – how students learn best. Developing teaching and learning pedagogy based on lasting education theory and practice makes the past of education relevant to the present and future and creates a context where innovation can be scaled and taken further, from a single instance of impact to many. In this editorial, we present an argument for going back to our roots and present examples of the effective use of established theories of learning that continue to advance online education practice. We discuss the scaling of educational best practice to more students and more institutions, and we provide recommendations for creating sustainable and lasting future practice.

Computer Science Applications and Education

Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine

Aims In response to pro-fibrotic signals, scleraxis regulates cardiac fibroblast activation in vitro via transcriptional control of key fibrosis genes such as collagen and fibronectin; however, its role in vivo is unknown. The present study assessed the impact of scleraxis loss on fibroblast activation, cardiac fibrosis, and dysfunction in pressure overload-induced heart failure. Methods and results Scleraxis expression was upregulated in the hearts of non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy patients, and in mice subjected to pressure overload by transverse aortic constriction (TAC). Tamoxifen-inducible fibroblast-specific scleraxis knockout (Scx-fKO) completely attenuated cardiac fibrosis, and significantly improved cardiac systolic function and ventricular remodelling, following TAC compared to Scx+/+ TAC mice, concomitant with attenuation of fibroblast activation. Scleraxis deletion, after the establishment of cardiac fibrosis, attenuated the further functional decline observed in Scx+/+ mice, with a reduction in cardiac myofibroblasts. Notably, scleraxis knockout reduced pressure overload-induced mortality from 33% to zero, without affecting the degree of cardiac hypertrophy. Scleraxis directly regulated transcription of the myofibroblast marker periostin, and cardiac fibroblasts lacking scleraxis failed to upregulate periostin synthesis and secretion in response to pro-fibrotic transforming growth factor β. Conclusion Scleraxis governs fibroblast activation in pressure overload-induced heart failure, and scleraxis knockout attenuated fibrosis and improved cardiac function and survival. These findings identify scleraxis as a viable target for the development of novel anti-fibrotic treatments.

Psychiatry and Mental health, Geriatrics and Gerontology, Clinical Psychology, General Medicine, and General Neuroscience

Background: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) differ in their memory, attention, and visuoconstructional characteristics. The subscales of the well-known Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) provide an opportunity to assess these characteristics. Previous research has shown that analysis of the MMSE subscale performance of AD and DLB patients helps to differentiate them. Objective: Study the MMSE scores of AD and DLB patients to see if the ability of previously reported analyses to differentiate them could be improved. Include other dementia patients for perspective. Methods: We studied the MMSEs of all patients seen in our clinics during an 18-month period. Different equations were studied, derived from the subscales of Memory (M, 3 points maximum), Attention (A, 5 points maximum), and Pentagon-copying (P, 1 point maximum). Results: We obtained 400 MMSEs, 136 from AD patients and 24 from DLB patients, scoring range 1–30. The equation P minus M provided the best discrimination between AD and DLB. Using a P-M score = 1 to identify AD, the positive predictive value was 0.97, negative predictive value 0.22, specificity 0.92, and sensitivity 0.43. As a secondary finding, the P-M = 1 equation was also helpful to differentiate AD from Parkinson’s disease dementia. Conclusion: Considering AD versus DLB in our clinic population, a demented patient who was unable to recall the three memory words on the MMSE but able to copy the intersecting pentagons had a 97% likelihood of having AD. Additional work is needed to improve the sensitivity of the P-M = 1 equation.

Pharmaceutical Science and Pharmacy

Computer Science Applications and Education

Computer Science Applications and Education

removable partial dentures, complete dentures, phonetics, awareness, dental students, and dental education

Phonetics plays a major role in the fabrication of prostheses. This study aimed to assess the knowledge of students regarding the role of phonetics in denture fabrication and to improve the educational process and the clinical application. The study was conducted at the College of Dentistry, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, and involved a survey of 344 dental students and interns. The questionnaire contained 20 questions and was divided into three sections: general knowledge, clinical correlations, and clinical evaluations. The data were collected and analyzed statistically using independent t-tests, one-way ANOVA, and Tukey’s post hoc tests. The response rate was 100%. Male and female students only differed significantly in terms of their scores for answers to general knowledge questions, with females achieving better results (p = 0.023). General knowledge varied significantly between fourth-year students and all other levels (p < 0.001), and fifth-year students and interns (p = 0.027). The clinical correlations varied significantly between fourth-year students and interns (p = 0.01), whereas the clinical evaluations varied between all the academic years and interns (fourth-year, p < 0.001; fifth-year, p = 0.003; and sixth-year, p = 0.017). The interns obtained the highest scores in all sections. There was a lack of awareness among dental students of some aspects of the role of phonetics in denture fabrication. The study highlights the deficiencies that need to be addressed and the need for adjustments to the curriculum related to removable prosthodontics in order to improve the knowledge of students regarding the role of speech in denture fabrication.

Ophthalmology and General Medicine

Background Acute annular outer retinopathy (AAOR) is an uncommon disease. To date, there are few documented cases in the literature. Our case report is the first to describe a case of acute annular outer retinopathy in a patient with invasive ductal breast carcinoma. Case presentation The patient presented with photopsias and visual loss approximately 3 weeks prior to a diagnosis of invasive ductal breast carcinoma. We have documented the outer annular white ring seen in the acute phase of this disease and correlate it anatomically with Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) imaging. We identified RPE atrophy with nodular hyperreflectivity and loss of ellipsoid layer within the white annular ring with corresponding visual field loss. Fundus autofluorescence correlated with structural alterations seen on SD-OCT and showed both presumed active hyperautofluorescent zones with patchy hypoautofluorescent zones of atrophy and a classic annular hyperautofluorescent border. This case provides additional information about the natural history of this rare entity and its prognosis and varied presentation. Conclusions The authors report a single case of acute annular outer retinopathy in a patient with invasive ductal breast carcinoma with the corresponding SD-OCT, fundus autofluorescence and visual field findings, during the acute phase of the disease. These findings provide new insight into the characteristic features, etiology and progression of this rare disease.

Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine

Background: Several studies have demonstrated gender influence on asthma prevalence, being higher among males during early childhood. Little is known about the impact of gender and age on asthma exacerbation characteristics in pediatrics. This study aimed to determine the differences in acute asthma between males and females in three different age groups regarding perinatal characteristics of asthmatic patients, comorbidities, medication adherence, level of blood eosinophils, and pattern of hospitalization.Methods: The medical records of 130 pediatric patients with asthma, who presented to the emergency department at Jordan University hospital with asthma exacerbations, were retrospectively reviewed. Demographic information and clinical characteristics were collected.Results: The mean age of patients was 10.7±4.7 years. The age at diagnosis and gestational age were significantly higher in older children. Furthermore, younger children were significantly more likely to experience winter exacerbations and more emergency presentations. Male patients were considerably younger than their female counterparts and were diagnosed younger. In addition, male patients were more likely to have eosinophil levels higher than 3% than female patients.Conclusion: Gender plays a role in the development and outcome of asthma exacerbations at different ages of pediatrics. A better understanding of gender-based and age-based differences in asthma dictates a personalized approach to treatment.

General Engineering

Purpose: To investigates if there is an association between demographic characteristics with sleep quality and general health. Also, to measure the association between lack of sleep and mental health, and to determine the relationship between sleep problems and social health. Methods: A quantitative cross-sectional analytical study was conducted among 270 students at Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal University in Dammam. Data was collected by using primary data collection method through an online questionnaire. The questionnaire included demographic characteristics, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) to assess sleep quality and General Health Questionnaire – 28 (GHQ-28) to assess general health. Chi-square was used to find the relationship between sleep quality, general health, and demographic characteristics, then logistic regression was used to observe the association between sleep quality and general health. Results: About 51.5% of students had poor sleep quality, 47.8% had poor general health, and a total of 48.82% of students had both poor sleep quality and general health. Demographic factors among males showed a significant association with sleep quality and general health. Female participants had a higher percentage of poor sleep quality and poor general health compared to male counterparts. Also, sleep quality showed a significant association with mental and social health. Finally, poor sleep increases the chance of having poor health by 2.7 times (95% CI: 1.672 - 4.486). Conclusion: This study has demonstrated that the quality of sleep significantly affects the quality of health among college students. Also, sleep quality was observed to have a stronger effect on mental health than social health.

Social Media Marketing, Brand Equity, Entrepreneurship, Buying Intentions, Jordanian Context

The current research aims to provide a comprehensive insight into the effect of social media marketing on customer buying intention. Furthermore, the study explores empirically and explains the mediating influences of brand equity, particularly the role of brand image and awareness, on customer buying intention. The research was explored using a quantitative approach. A convenience sampling technique was adopted. The valid responses received were 237. The hypothesis testing followed Structural Equation Modelling. The findings concede that all social media marketing sub-constructs significantly affect buying intention, whereby accessibility has the strongest influence. Brand equity mediates the relationship between social media marketing and purchase intention. The findings concede that all social media marketing sub-constructs significantly affect buying intention, mediated by brand equity, particularly by building brand image and brand awareness. The proposed model provides new insights into the social media marketing drivers affecting buying intentions and engagement with an entrepreneurial brand. This research reaffirms that social media marketing can hugely influence the success of Jordanian entrepreneurial firms.

General Engineering

Neurology (clinical) and Neurology

Objective To examine the relative risk of suicide mortality in patients with Huntington’s disease (HD). Methods A case–control study design was used. We used linked electronic records from primary care, secondary care and Office for National Statistics from England from 2001 through 2019. Controls were matched to cases by general practice and suicide date. Odds ratios (ORs) were adjusted for gender and age at suicide/index date. Results Data were available for 594,674 individuals. Patients with HD who died from suicide were significantly younger at time of death than patients with HD who died from causes other than suicide (p Conclusion The markedly elevated suicide risk in patients with HD suggests that implementation of suicide risk assessment may improve survival in individuals with these diseases, especially in younger patients.

Education

In response to the special issue on democratizing creative educational experiences (CEE), we conducted a thematic analysis of recent scholarship on creativity and decolonization (2010–2021) and analyzed recurring tensions across literature grounded in Indigenous, Black, feminist, and non-western epistemological perspectives on creativity. We found themes that are not new but are yet to be taken up consistently and credibly in western creativity and education research and practice. For instance, spirituality emerges as a valuable ingredient for creativity, body as inseparable from the mind, dialectic resistance and resilience as acts of creative existence, and non-human agency as essential to the creative process. Informed by these themes, we share implications for research and practice, seeking new spaces inclusive of historically ignored onto-epistemologies.

General Medicine

Political Science and International Relations, Sociology and Political Science, Cultural Studies, ComputingMilieux_COMPUTERSANDEDUCATION, arts and design, college students, creativity, meditation, and mindfulness

Given the applied nature of creativity in the arts and design, it is important to understand the conditions and practices that support it. Most research suggests that ideal conditions for creativity are often mental and emotional – involving relaxed, yet alert and focused, states of mind. This article explores the connection between mindfulness and creativity in the experiences of students in a college of arts and design, through a mindfulness teaching practice to support creative processes. In a “scholarship of teaching and learning” inquiry, we consider how mindfulness practice may affect arts and design learners’ feelings about their own creativity. Students in a large United States university school of arts and design practiced mindfulness meditation for several months, and submitted a written reflection on their experience. We qualitatively analyze this to consider how mindfulness supports creative practices in arts and design learners’ education. Our findings involve three key themes, which are: “Processing anxiety and negative feelings”, “Focusing the mind”, and “Managing the ‘Voice of Judgment’”. These thematic findings reflect how arts and design students perceive the effects of mindfulness on their creative process. We offer implications for teaching practices related to mindfulness meditation practice aimed to support learners’ perceptions of their creativity.

General Medicine

Computer Science Applications and Education

Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and imaging, General Medicine, and eye diseases

Increased intracranial pressure is the most common cause of papilledema. Multiple etiologies such as cerebral edema, hydrocephalus, space occupying lesions, infection, and idiopathic intracranial hypertension among others should be considered. Imaging plays a critical role in the detection of pathologies that can cause papilledema. MRI with contrast and CE-MRV, in particular, are key for the diagnosis of idiopathic intracranial hypertension. This review will focus in common and infrequent causes of papilledema, the role of imaging in patients with papilledema as well as its potential mimickers.

Artificial Intelligence, Computer Networks and Communications, Computer Science Applications, Communication, Information Systems, and Software

This study aims to provide comprehensive insights into the social media marketing characteristics affecting customer buying intention. The model was theoretically based on and explored using a quantitative approach. A survey strategy was adopted, and a five-point Likert questionnaire was distributed to Jordanian citizens. A total of 237 responses were received. The hypothesis testing followed structural equation modeling using SPSS software. The findings suggest that all social media marketing subcontracts exhibit a significant positive effect on buying intention, whereby accessibility is the highest. Customer involvement also moderates the relationship between social media marketing and customer buying intention. The proposed model provides new insights into social media marketing drivers affecting buying intentions and engagement with an entrepreneurial brand or product. This study reaffirms that social media marketing can significantly influence the success of Jordanian entrepreneurial firms and understanding how to use this tool effectively can significantly change how businesses operate.

General Medicine

Introduction: The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in governments implementing new regulations to divert healthcare resources, which in return led to the postponement of elective and semi-elective surgical procedures. Therefore, many surgeons and as well as surgeons in training reported feeling redundant, which eventually resulted in psychological distress. This study aimed to assess the sociodemographic differences in the psychological impact resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and outline the effect it had on surgical training. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study conducted in Kuwait. Data were collected by distributing a questionnaire electronically to surgeons and surgeons in training. The survey included questions aimed at assessing both the effect of the pandemic on surgical training and the psychological impact it had on surgeons, assessing the latter using the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 screening tool. Results: The response rate for the study was 52%, with the majority being junior male surgeons. A majority of surgeons in training reported postponement of their scheduled academic teaching sessions (78.9%) and pre-assigned surgical rotations (65.8%). In terms of the psychological impact of the pandemic, a majority of the participants reported an element of depression and stress, 61.2% and 55%, respectively, while approximately half, 48.1%, had symptoms associated with anxiety. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic had a negative association with the psychological well-being of a significant proportion of surgeons and associated surgical training programs.

Surgery

Lipoid proteinosis (LP) is a rare autosomal-recessive disease characterized by the deposition of hyaline material infiltrating multiple body organs, including the larynx. The possible clinical presentations are wide-ranging. Laryngeal involvement results in dysphonia that is noted at birth or infantile years. The diagnosis is based on histological findings, and the management options vary depending on the severity of the symptoms. In this paper, we report an unusual case of LP with laryngeal involvement in an adult patient, along with a review of current literature.

Assessment, Filipino Immunizing Pharmacist, Engagement, COVID-19, KAP Model, and General Medicine

The immunization practice of pharmacists has only been recently approved in the Philippines; thus, it is imperative to assess their engagement using the Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices (KAP) model. A descriptive quantitative-correlational study that utilized a convenience sampling technique was conducted with 90 respondents. A 49-item self-made questionnaire was employed through Google forms. The data collected was subjected to various statistical treatments for descriptive and correlational analysis. Results showed that respondents have a high level of knowledge regarding the prevention of Adverse Events Following Immunization (3.81), and critical thinking and decision-making upon its occurrence (3.92). The respondents' attitudes also showed high levels of agreement toward the promotion of immunization (3.89) and patient counseling (3.97). Moreover, the majority of the respondents administered vaccines (87.78%) and COVID-19 was the vaccine given the most (77.78%). Their responses showed a high level of practice in the immunization process (3.95), documentation and record-keeping (3.80), and addressing misconceptions (3.94). Most of their sociodemographic profiles do not have a significant relationship with their KAP except for the area of practice that had a correlation to knowledge. Thus, this study proves that Filipino immunizing pharmacists have a high level of engagement amidst the pandemic and continuous training and certification are needed to further strengthen this, especially during public health emergencies.

General Medicine, Cell Biology, Developmental Biology, Embryology, and Anatomy

Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials

Ophthalmology and General Medicine

Social Sciences (miscellaneous) and Anthropology

With the emergence of Western posthuman understandings, new materialism, artificial intelligence (AI), and the growing acknowledgment of Indigenous epistemologies, an ongoing rethinking of existing assumptions and meanings about creativity is needed. The intersection of new technologies and philosophical stances that upend human-centered views of reality suggests that creativity is not an exclusively “human” activity. This opens new possibilities and assemblages for conceiving of creativity, but not without tensions. In this article, we connect multiple threads, to reimagine creativity in light of posthuman understandings and the possibilities for creative emergence beyond the Anthropocene. Creativity is implicated as emerging beyond non-human spaces, such as through digitality and AI or sources in the natural world. This unseats many understandings of creativity as positioned in Euro-Western literature. We offer four areas of concern for interrogating tensions in this area, aiming to open new possibilities for practice, research, and (re)conceptualization beyond Western understandings.

cardiovascular diseases, cardiovascular system, nervous system diseases, and circulatory and respiratory physiology

Constriction of the large and medium-sized cerebral arteries following an aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage (aSAH) is a well-known condition that primarily affects the anterior circulation supplied by the internal carotid arteries. SAH is a rare but potentially fatal type of stroke. Across the literature, authors have defined vasospasm using terms such as "symptomatic vasospasm," "delayed cerebral ischemia" (DCI), "transcranial Doppler vasospasm," and "angiographic vasospasm." Because posthemorrhagic vasospasm causes significant neurologic morbidity and death, there has been a great deal of interest and research into its physiologic basis and developing effective preventative and treatment strategies. The triple-H therapy hemodynamic augmentation technique, which includes hypertension, hemodilution, and hypervolemia, has been an important part of the treatment. In this article, we'll look at cerebral vasospasm following subarachnoid haemorrhage, including its causes, epidemiology, evaluation, and, most importantly, management.

Original Article, Body mass index, frequency, migraine, obesity, severity, Indice de masse corporelle, fréquence, obésité, and gravité

Introduction: Migraine is a highly prevalent condition, and prevalence of obesity is also increasing. Results of studies addressing association of body mass index (BMI) with migraine and its features are conflicting. In this cross-sectional study, we aim to assess association between BMI and various migraine features. Methods: This study was conducted in the Headache Clinic of King Fahd Hospital of University, Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia. Interviews were conducted by three consultant neurologists. Migraine was defined according to the International Headache Society and BMI was calculated as weight (kilograms)/height (m2). Results: Of total of 121 patients, 79% were female. Almost 87.6% of patients were taking prophylactic medications. Majority of patients had attack for more than 24 h (60.3%), pulsating character (81%), moderate-to-severe intensity (92.6%), associated with nausea and/or vomiting (75.2%), and photophobia/phonophobia (91.7%). About 29.8% of patients were normal weight, 28.1% were overweight, and 39.7% were obese and morbidly obese. There was insignificant association between various categories of BMI and features of migraine, that is, unilateral location (P = 0.385), pulsating character (P = 0.571), moderate-to-severe intensity (P = 0.187), nausea and/or vomiting (P = 0.582), and photophobia and/or phonophobia (P = 0.444). Conclusion: In our study, we did not find an association between BMI and various features of migraine.

General Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics, Pharmacy, Medical education, Social work, Scale (social sciences), Interprofessional education, Geriatrics, medicine.medical_specialty, medicine, Pharmacy practice, Psychology, Health care, business.industry, business, Interprofessional teamwork, and education

Background and purpose The objective was to evaluate (1) students' knowledge in a variety of geriatrics competencies, (2) students' attitudes toward the value of interprofessional practice, and (3) pharmacy students' experiences after an advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) in a practice-based interprofessional education (IPE) model. Educational activity and setting Nursing, pharmacy, social work, and health sciences programs who participated in the Richmond Health and Wellness Program (RHWP) interprofessional experience received pre- and post-surveys to assess changes in geriatrics knowledge. An adapted Attitude Toward Health Care Teams Scale (ATHCTS) was used to assess changes in students' attitudes toward the value of interprofessional teamwork. Finally, representative quotes were taken from APPE evaluations to illustrate the pharmacy student experience. Findings Seventy-two out of 82 (87.8%) interprofessional students who participated in the practice-based IPE model at RHWP in the fall 2018 participated in this study. Geriatrics knowledge scores significantly increased by 4.03 (P Summary A practice-based IPE experience can provide many benefits to health professional students. By working as a team, students learn from each other, leading to increased knowledge on several geriatrics competencies. Students understand the importance of IPE experiences, but their attitudes become more positive through application.

General Materials Science, Building and Construction, Materials science, Engineered cementitious composite, engineering.material, engineering, Electrical impedance, Cement, Ultimate tensile strength, Composite material, Fiber reinforcement, Nondestructive testing, business.industry, and business

The influence of ongoing cement hydration and multiple microcrack formation on the electrical impedance of an engineered cementitious composite (ECC) is presented. Impedance measurements were obtained over the frequency range 20 Hz–1 MHz and displayed in the Nyquist format. In addition, the permittivity and conductivity were de-embedded from the measured impedance and presented in both time and frequency domains to elucidate the nature of conduction and polarisation processes. It was found that, over a curing period of 90 days, the ECC displayed a classic impedance response. Both conductivity and relative permittivity were found to be frequency dependent due to bulk relaxation processes operating within the composite. Tensile straining was shown to result in a detectable change in the impedance response, but retained a similar overall profile. When presented in the frequency domain, a downward displacement in both conductivity and relative permittivity profiles was evident with increasing tensile strain. It is shown that the relative permittivity at the high-frequency end could be exploited as a potentially useful indicator for strain/damage detection. The influence of microcracking on the piezo-resistive response of the composite is discussed based on crack patterns obtained from both visual observations and digital image correlation.

General Dentistry, Heat press, Composite material, Cementation (geology), Ceramic, visual_art.visual_art_medium, visual_art, Dentin, medicine.anatomical_structure, medicine, Acrylic resin, Universal testing machine, Bond strength, Silane, chemistry.chemical_compound, chemistry, and Materials science

PURPOSE The aim of this in vitro study was to evaluate the effects of different durations of silane coupling agent application compared to a universal adhesive system regarding the shear bond strength of two ceramic materials. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 120 human molars were ground to the dentinal coronal third and then fixed into an acrylic resin holder. Lithium disilicate specimens were divided into two main groups according to the ceramic type: computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing IPS e.max CAD and heat-pressed Initial LiSi Press GC (dimensions of 4 × 3× 3 mm). Each main group was subdivided into 6 subgroups (n = 10) according to the duration of the silane and universal adhesive system application (20, 60, or 120 seconds) on the ceramic surface before cementation; then, the cementation procedures were performed. All specimens were subjected to 5000 thermal cycles at 5 and 55°C before testing. The shear bond strength was measured using a universal testing machine. ANOVA and Scheffe post hoc test multiple comparisons tests were conducted (α = 0.05). RESULTS The shear bond strength increased as the duration of the silane and universal adhesive system application increased. The highest bond value for each material was found for the silane application at 120 seconds, with a significant difference between 120 and 60, and 20 seconds for both e. max CAD and Initial LiSi materials (p = 0.029 and p ˂ 0.001, respectively). No significant difference was found between 60 and 20 seconds when silane and universal adhesive system were applied for both e. max CAD and Initial LiSi materials (p = 0.169 and p = 0.120, respectively). All groups treated with the silane primer showed significantly higher values than the universal adhesive system for each application time (p ˂ 0.001). CONCLUSION Increasing the duration of the silane coupling agent and universal adhesive system application to 120 seconds on the ceramic surface before cementation improved the shear bond strength of the ceramic-cement interface. Ceramic pretreatment with silane could be an essential step for bonding ceramic to dentin regardless of silane presence in the universal adhesive system.

General Medicine, Otorhinolaryngology, Surgery, Confidence interval, Birth weight, Consanguinity, Medicine, business.industry, business, Offspring, Consanguineous Marriage, Obstetrics, medicine.medical_specialty, Odds ratio, Logistic regression, Craniofacial, and mental disorders

Orofacial clefts (OFCs) are the most common craniofacial congenital anomalies, and its prevalence is highest among Asian populations. The aim of this retrospective case-control study is to evaluate the effect of parental consanguinity on the frequency of OFCs at Jordan University Hospital over a 15-year-period. The study group consists of all patients with OFCs presented to the major tertiary referral center in Jordan during the last 15 years, along with age and gender-matched controls. The authors analyzed the risk of different predictors, including consanguinity, on the development of OFCs, both cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CL/P) and cleft palate only. A total of 332 participants were included in this study, with a mean age of 74.36 (±48.75) months. The authors included 129 (38.9%) OFCs, and 203 (61.1%) controls. The percentage of parental consanguinity among OFCs group was 41.1%, compared to only 24.1% for controls, a difference that was statistically significant (P = 0.001). On logistic regression analysis, the authors found that parental consanguinity is a significant predictor for the occurrence of OFCs (P = 0.007), where people with consanguineous marriage have 2 times higher risk (odds ratio of 0.504, with 95% confidence interval 0.306-0.830) to have offspring with OFCs. Moreover, lower birth weight babies are also significantly more associated with OFCs (P = 0.014), with an odds ratio of 1.819 (95% confidence interval 1.131 2.926). Among the Jordanian population, the authors found that consanguinity and lower birth weight were the only variables significantly associated with the development of OFCs.

Medicine, business.industry, business, Checklist, Physical therapy, medicine.medical_specialty, Surgical safety, and Cross-sectional study

Introduction The aim of this study was to evaluate the change in the healthcare providers' perceptions regarding the World Health Organization Surgical Safety Checklist (WHO SSC) and patient safety in the operating room (OR) at a tertiary hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted at King Abdulaziz Medical City. Data were collected from two years (2011 and 2019) for comparison. The co-investigators distributed a self-administered Likert scale questionnaire in the various operating areas (35 ORs). Results The total sample was 461. Number of participants enrolled from both years was 235 (51%) and 226 (49%), respectively. The results indicated a statistically significant difference in the attitude of the participants regarding all aspects of patient safety in the OR when the two periods were compared (p < 0.001). Similarly, healthcare providers' perceptions regarding the importance of the WHO SSC increased from 50% (2011) excellent to 68% excellent (2019) (p < 0.001). Conclusions Currently, more healthcare providers recognize the importance of the WHO SSC, and more have a positive attitude toward teamwork, communication, and feeling free to speak out when surgical safety is compromised. All of these cultural changes have positive impact on the overall safety of the OR; however, there are still aspects requiring improvement to provide a safer OR and surgery. Educational interventions regarding the importance of communication and teamwork would improve the safety of surgical care in the OR.

Psychiatry and Mental health, Clinical Psychology, Ethnic group, Population based study, Incidence (epidemiology), Confidence interval, Suicide Risk, Odds ratio, Asian ethnicity, Medicine, business.industry, business, Demography, Public health, and medicine.medical_specialty

Using multiple linked electronic health databases, we conducted a large case-control study in England from 2001 through 2019 to examine the association between ethnicity and suicide risk. Asian, Black and Other ethnic groups had a significantly lower suicide risk compared to White individuals, with those of Asian ethnicity having the lowest risk (Odds Ratio 0.53, 95% Confidence Interval 0.47-0.60). This ethnicity related suicide risk was significantly altered by socio-demographic characteristics. These factors can inform the assessment and stratification of suicide risk, as well as the targeting of public health measures designed to reduce suicide incidence.

Computer Science Applications, Education, Online learning, Creativity, media_common.quotation_subject, media_common, Mathematics education, Educational technology, Psychology, and Teacher education

General Medicine, Radiology, medicine.medical_specialty, medicine, Stroke, medicine.disease, Thrombus, Secondary Polycythemia, Neurovascular bundle, Cardiac cycle, Vertebral artery, medicine.artery, business.industry, business, Free floating thrombus, Blood flow, cardiovascular diseases, cardiovascular system, stroke, free-floating thrombus (fft), secondary polycythemia vera (pv), dual antithrombotic, Medicine (General), R5-920, Case Report, free-floating thrombus, FFT, secondary polycythemia vera, and PV

Ali Alhashim,1 Kawther Hadhiah,1 Sarah A Itani,2 Mohammed Alshurem,1 Majed Alabdali,1 Danah Aljaafari,1 Mustafa AlQarni1 1Neurology Department, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, 34212, Saudi Arabia; 2College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, 34212, Saudi ArabiaCorrespondence: Ali AlhashimNeurology Department, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, 34212, Saudi ArabiaTel +966 509444833Email ali_al_hashem@hotmail.com; ahalhashem@iau.edu.saAbstract: Free-floating thrombus (FFT) of the cervicocranial arteries is a rare neurovascular condition. Up to now, there is no standardized definition for FFT. Therefore, FFT is occasionally mistaken for intraluminal thrombus (ILT) or smooth mural thrombus. The most precise and ideal definition of FFT would be a long-extended intraarterial thrombus that is attached to the arterial wall with its one end, while its other end is surrounded by blood flow and moves freely with the cardiac cycle. FFT usually manifests as an ischemic stroke, thus it is considered as an emergency case. Herein, we report a rare case of symptomatic FFT in the left vertebral artery extending from V0 to V2 segments in a middle-aged smoker, who presented with multiple embolic strokes in different territories of posterior circulation and was successfully treated medically. This case sheds light on the challenges of the clinical approach of FFT in the vertebral artery and it is an attempt to draw attention to the necessity of conducting a large-scale study to find out the ideal approach to manage such conditions.Keywords: stroke, free-floating thrombus, FFT, secondary polycythemia vera, PV, dual antithrombotic

General Earth and Planetary Sciences and General Engineering

Nowadays, the complaints of air passengers about mishandling of luggage are highly noticeable, where the number of passengers are on the increased. In this respect, several research works have been conducted using different technologies, such as Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), Global Positioning System (GPS), Global System for Mobile Communication (GPS), mobile applications, smart watches and QR code. However, none of them safely and effectively considers reclaiming passengers' belongings from the airport baggage handling carousel without the need for human intervention, which in turn increases the number of mishandled bags. Therefore, in this paper we propose a new Airport Luggage Tracker System (ALTS) in order to provide a reliable solution compared with the research works found in the literature. A prototype system based on the proposed design is successfully implemented and tested using Arduino UNO, RFID technology and website application (check-in and check-out at departure lounge and arrival lounge, respectively). Keywords— radio frequency identification (RFID), tracking system (TS), airport luggage tracker system (ALTS).

Computer Science Applications, Education, Cognition, German, language.human_language, language, Informatics, Elite, Sport psychology, Diversity (politics), media_common.quotation_subject, media_common, Creativity, Pedagogy, and Educational technology

Our guest for this article was Dr. Daniel Memmert, Professor and Executive Head of the Institute of Exercise Training and Sport Informatics at the German Sport University Cologne, Cologne (Germany). A lifelong sports player and enthusiast, Memmert’s research is at the intersection of human movement science (cognition and motor activity), sport psychology (attention and motivation), computer science in sports (pattern identification and simulation), talent, children and elite research (Trainings-/PE-Curricula) and research methods.

Speech and Hearing, Sensory Systems, Otorhinolaryngology, Physiology, Pandemic, Cochlear implant, medicine.medical_treatment, medicine, Ear infection, Spare part, Telemedicine, business.industry, business, Sitting, Rehabilitation, Curfew, Medical emergency, medicine.disease, Research Article, COVID-19, Remote programing, and Questionnaire

Introduction: The daily escalation in incidence and mortality caused by Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has mandated forced curfew in our country (same as many other countries) to limit the spread of infection. This is predicted to have a more negative impact on cochlear implant (CI) patients since this group of patients needs a unique type of psychological, medical, and technical care in addition to a daily rehabilitation program. Methods: A cross-sectional study based on Arabic questionnaire that looked into the collateral consequences of COVID-19 on the pediatric CI patients. The questionnaire was designed to highlight different problems such as exposure to head trauma or ear infection, difficulties in device maintenance and getting spare parts, impacts of the delay of programing or switch on appointments, and the impacts of missing rehabilitation sessions. Different ways of management of these problems are presented and discussed. Results: A total of 174 parents responded to the questionnaire. The main problem met by the patients was missing their device programing and rehabilitation sessions. Many children had device maintenance and spare parts problems. Virtual clinics were helpful in solving different problems. Additionally, children who needed device programing were scheduled for remote programing sessions. Conclusion: Although the inevitable consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic are catastrophic, they are forcing the medical field to explore new opportunities by sitting up an infrastructure for future usage of telemedicine. Telemedicine is cost-effective and more convenient and enables health-care providers to be immune to future circumstances.

Case Report, large vessel occlusion, stroke, healthy middle-aged, viral hypercoagulability, SARS-CoV-2, independent risk factor, General Medicine, Pandemic, Pathogenesis, Stroke, medicine.disease, medicine, Respiratory system, Context (language use), Internal medicine, medicine.medical_specialty, business.industry, business, Cardiology, Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), Neuroimaging, Large vessel occlusion, Medicine (General), and R5-920

Ali Alhashim, Mustafa Alqarni, Majed Alabdali, Mohammed Alshurem, Aishah Albakr, Kawther Hadhiah, Danah Aljaafari, Rawan Alyami Neurology Department, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, 34212, Saudi ArabiaCorrespondence: Ali AlhashimNeurology Department, Medical College, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, 34212, Saudi ArabiaTel +966509444833Email ahalhashem@iau.edu.sa; ali_al_hashem@hotmai.comBackground: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) due to novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has led to an unprecedented worldwide pandemic with diverse respiratory symptoms as well as systemic manifestations and complications. The neurological manifestations of COVID-19 include, but are not limited to, headache, cerebrovascular disease, and skeletal muscle injury.Case Report: Herein, we present a case of stroke with large vessel occlusion in a middle-aged man, who recently recovered from severe SARS-CoV-2 infection. This patient is not known to have any medical illness or surgical history and has no cerebrovascular risk factors. Moreover, the patient underwent extensive investigations, including neuroimaging, cardiac and laboratory work-up with no evidence of stroke etiology.Conclusion: The mechanism of cerebrovascular events in the setting of COVID-19 is still uncertain and probably multi-factorial. The prevailing hypothesis is a strong thrombotic tendency, which may even be prolonged after complete recovery. In our patient’s case, hypercoagulability in the context of viral infection is the most likely mechanism for the stroke. Further studies are needed to find out the exact pathogenesis of thromboembolic events in the setting of COVID-19 infection as well as the efficacy, safety, dosage, and duration of anticoagulants in such conditions.Keywords: large vessel occlusion, stroke, healthy middle-aged, viral hypercoagulability, SARS-CoV-2, independent risk factor

General Medicine, Coaching, business.industry, business, Digital video, Engineering, Video modeling, Dreyfus model of skill acquisition, Video feedback, Intervention (counseling), Multimedia, computer.software_genre, and computer

General Medicine, Cell Biology, Developmental Biology, Embryology, and Anatomy

Background Healthcare workers are at the risk of developing weakness in core muscles and balance disturbance due to stress at the workplace. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between core muscle strength measured with a plank test and dynamic balance assessed with the modified Star Excursion Balance Test (MSEBT) among hospital staff. A convenience sample of 27 healthy male employees at Rabigh General Hospital participated in the study; participants performed MSEBT and plank tests in the gym of the physical therapy department at the hospital. Results The mean age of the 27 participants was 32.19, standard deviation (SD) 4.16 years; mean height was 171.15, SD 6.39 cm; mean weight was 72.37, SD 11 kg; and body mass index was 24.73, SD 3.62 kg/m2. Pearson’s correlation coefficient showed a positive significant correlation between scores on the plank test with leg reach scores on MSEBT. The data showed a highest correlation between scores on plank test with dominant anterior leg reach scores on MSEBT (r = 0.446, p = 0.010), and lowest with non-dominant anterior leg reach scores on MSEBT (r = 0.335, p = 0.044). Conclusion Weak to moderate positive significant correlation between the plank test of isometric core muscle strength and both the right and dominant of the anterior, posteromedial, and composite score on the MSEBT of the lower limb and significantly with non-dominant anterior reach. There was no significant difference between the administrative and health practitioner on the plank test or MSEBT.

Education

BackgroundGlobally, there is a rising interest in the concept of social accountability (SA). The literature evaluating SA of medical schools is limited; however, some international studies have revealed a lack of understanding of SA by medical students. This study evaluated the perception of SA among medical students at a governmental university in Saudi Arabia.MethodA cross-sectional study with 336 currently enrolled medical students was conducted from September 2020 to May 2021. The data were collected using an electronic survey comprised of the THEnet questionnaire that included 12 items to assess the perception of SA and some demographic variables. The total score was categorized into four groups and compared with the demographic profile of students.ResultsOut of the 336 participants, the mean age was 21.26 ± 0.5 years, with most students in the 19–21 age group (n = 154, 46%), and 189 (56.3%) were males. In addition, preclinical and clinical students had similar representation: 170 (51%) and 166 (49%), respectively. Most participants (173, 52%) scored in the 18–36 range, reflecting good perceived SA. The demographic profile of students (i.e., age, GPA, and year of study) was significantly associated with perceived SA (p = 0.003, 0.002, and < 0.001, respectively).ConclusionThe study concludes that most medical students had a good level of perceived SA about their institution. The preclinical year students exhibited a better perception of SA. The final-year students were more critical about the SA of the institution compared to other students.

Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism and Internal Medicine

Background: Factors considered when selecting a diabetes medication for patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) in clinical practice may differ from those recommended by professional societies. Objective: To identify factors that play a major role in guiding the selection of diabetes medications in the real world. Method: We asked 135 physicians [67% Generalists (Internists and General Practitioners) and 33% Specialists (Endocrinologists and Diabetologists) ] in Saudi Arabia to select a diabetes medication they frequently prescribe in certain clinical scenarios. Then we asked them to rank a set of factors as (“Major,” “Minor,” or “Not” a consideration) according to the degree those factors would typically influence their selection of a particular medication. Results: Sulfonylurea is the most frequently prescribed second-line agent. Majority (89%) reported prescribing GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RA) to “50% of their patients with T2D and ischemic heart disease; and over 2/3 prescribe SGLT-2 inhibitors (SGLT-2i) to Conclusion: Despite the recent advances in diabetes therapy, medication cost and inadequate awareness of the cardiovascular and renal benefits of novel diabetes agents, particularly among non-specialists, remain major barriers to the wide adoption of recommendations from professional societies. Policies to improve access to novel diabetes medications and disseminate the awareness about the evidence-based benefits of these medications are needed Disclosure J.A.Abudahesh: None. J.A.Aijebreen: None. D.Z.Alhalees: None. G.Albraithen: None. G.S.Bamogaddam: None. M.Al-sofiani: None.

Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

Background Public acceptance of governmental measures are key to controlling the spread of infectious diseases. The COVID-19 pandemic has placed a significant burden on healthcare systems for high-income countries as well as low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The ability of LMICs to respond to the challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic has been limited and may have affected the impact of governmental strategies to control the spread of COVID-19. This study aimed to evaluate and compare public opinion on the governmental COVID-19 response of high and LMICs in the Middle East and benchmark it to international countries. Methods An online, self-administered questionnaire was distributed among different Middle Eastern Arab countries. Participants’ demographics and level of satisfaction with governmental responses to COVID-19 were analyzed and reported. Scores were benchmarked against 19 international values. Results A total of 7395 responses were included. Bahrain scored highest for satisfaction with the governmental response with 38.29 ± 2.93 on a scale of 40, followed by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (37.13 ± 3.27), United Arab Emirates (36.56 ± 3.44), Kuwait (35.74 ± 4.85), Jordan (23.08 ± 6.41), and Lebanon (15.39 ± 5.28). Participants’ country of residence was a significant predictor of the satisfaction score (P < 0.001), and participants who suffered income reduction due to the pandemic, had a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection, and held higher educational degrees had significantly lower satisfaction scores (P < 0.001). When benchmarked with other international publics, countries from the Gulf Cooperation Council had the highest satisfaction level, Jordan had an average score, and Lebanon had one of the lowest satisfaction scores. Conclusion The political crisis in Lebanon merged with the existing corruption were associated with the lowest public satisfaction score whereas the economical instability of Jordan placed the country just before the lowest position. On the other hand, the solid economy plus good planning and public trust in the government placed the other countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council on top of the scale. Further investigation is necessary to find out how the governments of other low-income countries may have handled the situation wisely and gained the trust of their publics. This may help convey a clearer picture to Arab governments that have suffered during the pandemic.

social identity, visibility, self-esteem, religiosity, Muslims, prosocial behaviour, adjustment, youth, discrimination, and anti-social behaviour

Previous research has often found religiosity in youth to be largely adaptive, predicting higher prosocial and lower problem behaviours, higher self-regulation, and higher self-esteem, among other outcomes (French et al., 2008). However, most of this research has been done with youth who were members of the majority faith (e.g., Christians in America, Muslims in Indonesia). Key social-psychological theories suggest that the experience of religiosity and an individual’s subsequent outcomes likely differ as a function of their minority status (Hogg & Reid, 2006; Tajfel et al., 1979). This thesis examines the role of religiosity in Muslim minority youth in Canada. Findings demonstrate that religiosity is still generally protective for religious minority youth, however, these relations are highly dependent upon the strength of an individual’s religious identification, the degree to which they believe they are identifiable as a Muslim, the influence of social norms, and their experiences with discrimination. SSRHC CGS-M, Dean's graduate research fund (UofGuelph)

Genetics, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, and Biotechnology

Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine

Vascular dysfunction underlies numerous significant diseases including diabetes, atherosclerosis and hypertension. Vascular dysfunction can be a result of altered smooth muscle contraction/relaxation, and impaired endothelial cell function within the vessel wall. Vascular fibrosis involves an increase in the thickness of vessel wall. This contributes to either an increase in extracellular matrix (ECM) synthesis or induced vascular smooth muscle proliferation within the vessel wall, or both, causing stiffer vessels with impaired tone and reduced lumen diameter.Our lab identified the transcription factor scleraxis as a novel master regulator of fibrotic signaling in the myocardium, showing scleraxis is sufficient to induce fibroblast to myofibroblast phenotype conversion, a critical step in the development of fibrosis, and directly up-regulates ECM genes in cardiac fibroblasts. Angiotensin II (AngII) was reported to induce vascular fibrosis via activation of the transcription factor Smad3 in aortic vascular smooth muscle cells. Our lab has shown that Smad3 physically interacts with scleraxis, and critically requires scleraxis to drive TGFβ/Smad fibrotic signaling in cardiac fibroblasts.Our preliminary data has revealed that scleraxis is detectable in the arterial wall, and scleraxis expression is elevated in high pressure versus low pressure regions of vessels. Loss of scleraxis in the aortas of scleraxis knock-out mice reveals a discontinuation and disarrangement in the structure of vascular wall. We thus hypothesize that scleraxis is sufficient and necessary to induce vascular fibrosis.Pressure myography data reveals an increase in vascular stiffness and thickness of 3rd order mesenteric arteries of smooth muscle-specific scleraxis overexpression mice. Also, our data shows that vascular stiffness is significantly increased in AngII-induced scleraxis overexpression mice with a relative increase in telemetry blood pressure measurements and pulse wave velocity. Histological sections suggest a reduction of the translamellar ECM accumulations in AngII-induced scleraxis overexpression aortas. To summarize, scleraxis may contribute to vascular stiffness by inducing vascular smooth muscle proliferation.

Neurology (clinical) and Ophthalmology

Vascular Health and Risk Management, Pharmacology (medical), Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine, Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health, Hematology, General Medicine, and Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism

Ali Alhashim, Kawther Hadhiah, Hassan Al-Dandan, Mugbil Aljaman, Majed Alabdali, Mohammed Alshurem, Danah Aljaafari, Mustafa AlQarni Neurology Department, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, 34212, Saudi ArabiaCorrespondence: Ali Alhashim, Neurology Department, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, 34212, Saudi Arabia, Tel +966509444833, Email ahalhashem@iau.edu.saBackground: Spontaneous simultaneous bilateral basal ganglia hemorrhage (SSBBGH) is an extremely rare condition with only a few published case reports and series. However, there is no systematic review that has been published yet.Objective: The study aims to conduct a systematic review on spontaneous simultaneous bilateral basal ganglion bleeding and a descriptive statistical analysis of collected data on epidemiology, clinical features, etiology, therapeutic approach and prognosis. This review aims to be a clinical reference for busy clinicians when they are faced with such a rare condition.Methodology: This review has been carried out in accordance with recommendations of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.Results: Review of 60 cases showed that SSBBGH affected predominantly male patients (70%) with an average age of 50.8 ± 15.33 years and the male-to-female ratio was 2.5:1. The female patients tend to be older with an average age of 54.22 ± 16.67 years. Location of SSBBGHwas more common in the putamen (90% vs 10% non-putaminal). SSBBGH posed a significant mortality rate (33.33%). Among patients who survived, only 40.6% (13/32 report) have had favorable outcomes (mRS ⤠2) and the remaining 59.4% (19/32) ended up with poor functional status (mRS ⥠3-5). The most common implicated etiologies were hypertension followed by alcohol intoxication.Conclusion: SSBBGH is a rare clinical entity with significant morbidity and mortality. Systemic approach can lead to early recognition of etiology and prompt treatment. Hypertension and the putamen are the most common etiology and location of SSBBGH, respectively. History of hypertension and age can help narrow differential diagnosis and limit unnecessary testing or intervention.Keywords: bilateral basal ganglia bleeding, bilateral basal ganglia hemorrhage, non-traumatic, simultaneous

Psychiatry, medicine.medical_specialty, medicine, business.industry, business, and Perinatal Depression

Background Perinatal depression can have a devastating impact upon the health and lives of the mothers and their children. Although guidelines are in place to properly screen women for perinatal depression in high income countries, there still is a possibility that some women may be missed. Identifying women with or at high risk of perinatal depression is even more important during COVID-19 pandemic. This study was aimed to measure prevalence and associated factors of perinatal depression, and to understand the women’s experience of screening for perinatal depression in Kuwait. Methods Women who​ ​had recently attended antenatal and postnatal clinics in Kuwait during COVID-19 pandemic were approached through snowball sampling with the help of physicians in Kuwait in a cross-sectional online survey. They answered an online self-administered questionnaire consisting of Edinburgh postnatal depression scale, sociodemographic characteristics, and items about their experience of screening during antenatal and postnatal checkup. Out of the 158 women who answered this questionnaire, 75.3% were in their third trimester of pregnancy and the rest were in the postpartum period. Results Perinatal depression was possible in 31 (19.6%) highly possible in 23 (14.6%), and probable in 52 (32.9%) women in our study, indicating an alarming prevalence of the condition in the sampled population. A large proportion of the sample (66.5%) said that they were not aware of a screening process for perinatal depression, whereas only 5.7% said that they were screened for it. In the sample, 65.1% who were not screened for perinatal depression had perinatal depression (P

Surfaces, Coatings and Films, General Physics and Astronomy, Condensed Matter Physics, Surfaces and Interfaces, and General Chemistry

Neurology (clinical)

ImportancePatients with dementia may be at an increased suicide risk. Identifying groups at greatest risk of suicide would support targeted risk reduction efforts by clinical dementia services.ObjectivesTo examine the association between a dementia diagnosis and suicide risk in the general population and to identify high-risk subgroups.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsThis was a population-based case-control study in England conducted from January 1, 2001, through December 31, 2019. Data were obtained from multiple linked electronic records from primary care, secondary care, and the Office for National Statistics. Included participants were all patients 15 years or older and registered in the Office for National Statistics in England with a death coded as suicide or open verdict from 2001 to 2019. Up to 40 live control participants per suicide case were randomly matched on primary care practice and suicide date.ExposuresPatients with codes referring to a dementia diagnosis were identified in primary care and secondary care databases.Main Outcomes and MeasuresOdds ratios (ORs) were estimated using conditional logistic regression and adjusted for sex and age at suicide/index date.ResultsFrom the total sample of 594 674 patients, 580 159 (97.6%) were controls (median [IQR] age at death, 81.6[72.0-88.4] years; 289 769 male patients [50.0%]), and 14 515 (2.4%) died by suicide (median [IQR] age at death, 47.4 [36.0-59.7] years; 10 850 male patients [74.8%]). Among those who died by suicide, 95 patients (1.9%) had a recorded dementia diagnosis (median [IQR] age at death, 79.5 [67.1-85.5] years; median [IQR] duration of follow-up, 2.3 [1.0-4.4] years). There was no overall significant association between a dementia diagnosis and suicide risk (adjusted OR, 1.05; 95% CI, 0.85-1.29). However, suicide risk was significantly increased in patients diagnosed with dementia before age 65 years (adjusted OR, 2.82; 95% CI, 1.84-4.33), in the first 3 months after diagnosis (adjusted OR, 2.47; 95% CI, 1.49-4.09), and in patients with dementia and psychiatric comorbidity (adjusted OR, 1.52; 95% CI, 1.21-1.93). In patients younger than 65 years and within 3 months of diagnosis, suicide risk was 6.69 times (95% CI, 1.49-30.12) higher than in patients without dementia.Conclusions and RelevanceDiagnostic and management services for dementia, in both primary and secondary care settings, should target suicide risk assessment to the identified high-risk groups.

Ophthalmology, Optic neuritis, medicine.disease, medicine, Adalimumab, medicine.drug, Infliximab, Inflammatory bowel disease, Etanercept, business.industry, business, Scleritis, Dermatology, medicine.medical_specialty, Retinal vasculitis, Crohn's disease, eye diseases, animal structures, and genetic structures

Anti-TNF-α agents (e.g. infliximab, adalimumab, etanercept) are effective management options in various inflammatory and autoimmune diseases (e.g. inflammatory bowel disease). The occurrence during anti-TNF-α agent therapy of a new onset or exacerbation of an inflammatory condition that usually responds to this class of drug has been termed a paradoxical adverse event (PAE). A wide range of ophthalmic PAEs have been reported including uveitis, optic neuritis/neuropathy, scleritis, orbital myositis, retinal vasculitis, and others. The patient reported herein developed a dramatic orbital inflammatory PAE during his infliximab infusions, which manifested as an acute orbital apex syndrome with vision loss. Physicians using this medication should be aware of this serious vision-threatening PAE, and urgent therapy with high dose intravenous corticosteroids may be required.

Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health, Nutrition and Dietetics, Medicine (miscellaneous), Legislation, Labelling, Computer-assisted web interviewing, Food allergy, medicine.disease, medicine, Allergen, medicine.disease_cause, business.industry, business, Food allergens, Environmental health, and Food products

Objective:Preventing a food allergy reaction depends primarily on eliminating allergens from the diet. In October 2019, the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) introduced new legislation requiring food establishments providing and selling non-prepacked foods to state the presence of the top fourteen food allergens on their menus. The current study aimed to assess the allergen-labelling knowledge, practices, preferences and perceptions towards the new SFDA allergen-labelling legislation among consumers with food allergy in Saudi Arabia.Design:Observational cross-sectional study using an online questionnaire.Setting:Saudi Arabia; February – March 2020.Participants:Residents of Saudi Arabia with food allergy (n 427), aged 18–70 years.Results:Among participants, only 28·1 % knew that there were governmental regulations in Saudi Arabia regarding food-allergen labelling and approximately two-thirds (67 %) check labels on prepacked food products for allergens. The majority of the participants preferred food products carrying safety statements (84·1 %) and symbols (80·1 %). A total of 47·1 % were aware that regulations in Saudi Arabia require allergens to be declared in ingredient lists, while 51·3 % were aware that advisory allergen labelling is not required by law. Only 26·2 % were aware of the new SFDA legislation regarding provision of allergen information by food establishments. However, the majority (94·4 %) were supportive of the new legislation, and most of them were more likely to eat at restaurants that reported allergen information for food items on the menu.Conclusions:The new SFDA food allergen-labelling legislation needs to be more widely and effectively disseminated to increase the level of awareness among adults with food allergy in Saudi Arabia.

Biomarkers, Breast cancer, Ceramide expression, Molecular subtypes, Saudi Arabia, Therapeutics. Pharmacology, RM1-950, lipids (amino acids, peptides, and proteins), Pharmaceutical Science, Pharmacology, Medicine, business.industry, business, Oncology, medicine.medical_specialty, medicine.disease, Receptor, Pathological, Sphingolipid, Antibody, biology.protein, biology, Estrogen, medicine.drug_class, Ceramide, chemistry.chemical_compound, chemistry, Monoclonal, Internal medicine, and Original Article

Background/Introduction Despite advances in the diagnosis and management of breast cancer (BC), it is still associated with high mortality rates. New biomarkers are being developed for the diagnosis, treatment, and prediction of responses of BC. Ceramide (CER), a bioactive sphingolipid, has emerged recently as a useful diagnostic tool in several types of tumors. In this study, we evaluated CER expression in invasive BC and assessed its relation to the molecular subtypes of BC. Materials and methods The clinical data and histopathological slides of 50 patients with invasive ductal carcinoma were retrieved and reviewed. The cases were then stained with a mouse monoclonal anti-ceramide antibody. Pearson correlation was used to assess the correlation between CER percentage and intensity and other clinical and pathological variables. Results CER expression showed a direct relationship with estrogen and progesterone receptors Allred scores. However, it showed an inverse relation with tumor grade, HER2/neu status and Ki-67 index. Conclusions CER expression is likely to be associated with luminal BC molecular subtypes. However, more research is needed to confirm these results and to explore its relation to the different clinical outcomes, including response to treatment and prognosis.

Column: Guest Editors’ Notes, Computer Science Applications, Education, Psychology, Futures contract, Risk taking, Education and technology, Public relations, business.industry, business, and Educational technology

Microbiology (medical), Immunology, Immunology and Allergy, Medicine, business.industry, and business

Infectious Diseases, Microbiology (medical), General Medicine, Enrichment culture, Tryptic soy broth, chemistry.chemical_compound, chemistry, Microbiology, Agar plate, Throat, medicine.anatomical_structure, medicine, Nose, business.industry, business, biochemical phenomena, metabolism, and nutrition, and bacterial infections and mycoses

Enrichment culture (EC) remains gold standard for detecting MRSA colonisation, but molecular methods shorten turnaround time. The CE-marked automated Hologic Panther Fusion MRSA Assay (HPFM) is validated for nasal swabs. We compared HPFM with EC following an in-house PCR for detection of MRSA in nasal, pharyngeal, and perineal ESwabs. The same ESwabs were analysed using HPFM and inoculated in selective Tryptic Soy Broth (TSB) for overnight incubation. TSBs were screened by a PCR targeting nuc, femA, mecA, and mecC. Only samples with PCR results compatible with MRSA presence were inoculated onto 5% blood agar and chromogenic MRSA plates. HPFM detected MRSA in 103 of 132 EC positive samples indicating a sensitivity of 78.0% across sample types. When paired TSBs of 29 EC positive/HPFM negative samples were re-analysed by HPFM, MRSA was detected in 17/29 TSBs indicating that enrichment will increase the sensitivity of HPFM. HPFM analyses of cultured isolates from the remaining 12 EC positive/HPFM negative samples failed to detect orfX. HPFM reported the presence of MRSA in 22 samples where EC failed to identify MRSA. Fifteen of these ESwabs had been kept and direct culture without enrichment identified MRSA in seven samples. HPFM was useful for all sample sites. Compared to EC, the sensitivity of HPFM was limited because of lack of analytical sensitivity and failure to detect all MRSA variants. Failure of some MRSA-containing samples to enrich in cefoxitin-containing TSB indicates an unappreciated limitation of EC, which may lead to underestimation of the specificity of molecular assays.

Human papillomavirus, Female schoolteachers, Unawareness, HPV vaccine, HPV vaccine uptake, HPV transmission routes, Infectious and parasitic diseases, RC109-216, Public aspects of medicine, RA1-1270, Infectious Diseases, Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health, General Medicine, Family income, Demography, Cervical cancer, medicine.disease, medicine, Viral infection, HPV infection, Reproductive tract, business.industry, business, Logistic regression, and Future studies

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common viral infection of the reproductive tract. This cross-sectional study among female schoolteachers assessed the prevalence of i) unawareness of HPV infection’s causal role in cervical cancer; ii) unawareness of HPV vaccine availability and iii) examined the sociodemographic variables associated both the outcome variables. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among female schoolteachers employed in public and private sectors schools in Kuwait using a structured questionnaire for data collection. Prevalence of each of the outcome variables was computed. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate independent predictors of two dependent variables. Results: A total 1341 female schoolteachers were enrolled. Of the participants, 60% were unaware of HPV causal role in cervical cancer and 88% were unaware of HPV vaccine availability. Among those who were aware of HPV vaccine availability, 83.8% were unvaccinated. Multivariable logistic regression (MLR) model showed that 20–29 years old participants or those with low family income (< 500 KD/month) were significantly (p < 0.05) more likely to be unaware of HPV causal role in cervical cancer. Moreover, participants with family/ personal history of cervical cancer were significantly (p < 0.05) less likely to be unaware of HPV role in causation of cervical cancer. A separate MLR model revealed that the participants were significantly more likely to be unaware of HPV vaccine availability if they were Kuwaiti nationals or non-Kuwaiti Arabs (p < 0.05), employed in public schools (p = 0.003) or less likely to be unaware if they had personal or family history of cervical cancer (p < 0.001). Conclusion: High prevalences of unawareness of causal role of HPV in cervical cancer and unawareness of HPV vaccine availability were recorded. Targeted education among identified sociodemographic groups with high levels of unawareness is warranted. If undertaken, future studies may evaluate the impact of recommended efforts.

General Medicine, Medicine, business.industry, business, Mycoplasma pneumonia, medicine.disease, Pneumonia, Ataxia, medicine.symptom, Ventilator-associated pneumonia, Epilepsy, Mechanical ventilation, medicine.medical_treatment, Upper respiratory tract infection, Guillain-Barre syndrome, Pediatrics, medicine.medical_specialty, congenital, hereditary, and neonatal diseases and abnormalities, Case Report, Guillain-Barré syndrome, Miller Fisher syndrome, ventilator-associated pneumonia, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Background Miller Fisher syndrome (MFS), a triad of ophthalmoplegia, areflexia and ataxia, is one of the regional variants of Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) that might account for a quarter of all cases of GBS, especially in Asian countries. There is history of an antecedent upper respiratory tract infection in up to two thirds of MFS cases. However, association of MFS in adults and pneumonia is rarely reported and in those cases causative pathogen was Mycoplasma pneumonia e. To our knowledge, association of MFS and ventilator-associated pneumonia has never been reported. So, we hereby report the first case of MFS which followed ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). Case report We report case of a 22-year-old male who was known to have temporal lobe epilepsy and mental retardation. He presented with status epilepticus. He was sedated and put on mechanical ventilation. Two days later, he developed a fever associated with increased tracheobronchial secretions and new infiltrates on chest X-ray. Diagnosis of VAP was made. Upon improvement, he was extubated and shifted out of ICU. Ten days after the onset of fever, he developed gradual onset bulbar weakness and ataxia. On examination, he had generalized areflexia and ataxia. CSF analysis showed cytoalbuminic dissociation. Antibodies against ganglioside complex were elevated. Diagnosis of sero-negative MFS was made, and intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) was started. He improved remarkably within two days. Conclusion MFS is immune-mediated entity which is usually triggered by upper respiratory tract infection but in rare cases it can be consequence of pneumonia including VAP. Further research is needed to establish link between MFS and VAP.

General Nursing, Community-based care, Teamwork, media_common.quotation_subject, media_common, Lower income, Interprofessional education, Health professions, Emergency department, Nursing, Motivational interviewing, Psychology, Health care, business.industry, and business

Background/Purpose: An innovative care coordination program was developed to enhance wellness among low-income older adults living in subsidized apartment buildings and to provide rich interprofessional education experiences for health professions students. Methods Program effectiveness for the residents was measured through an evaluation of participation, services used, and healthcare utilization. Educational effectiveness was measured through a change in health concepts and perceptions of interprofessional practice. Findings Health care utilization among participating residents showed an 8.6% reduction in emergency department visits and 9.8% reduction in hospital admissions. Students demonstrated improved knowledge in motivational interviewing (p = .02); diabetes (p = .02); hypertension (p≤.01); and frailty (p≤.01). Changes in students perception of interprofessional practice were significant in two areas; Teamwork and Collaboration (p≥.00); and Person Centeredness (p = .00). Discussion This care coordination model may be an effective approach to reduce care resource utilization among medically complex lower income older adults and provides a rich interprofessional learning experience for students.

Psychiatry and Mental health, Developmental and Educational Psychology, Socioeconomic status, Exploratory research, Nursing, Perception, media_common.quotation_subject, media_common, Child rearing, Coping (psychology), Psychology, Social integration, Qualitative research, Health care, business.industry, business, and Research Article

Aim and Objective: This study aimed to explore how caregivers of persons with Down syndrome (DS) believe caring had an impact on their own lives. A secondary objective was to understand their experience of seeking educational, social, and health care services for the persons with DS. Methods: This qualitative exploratory study was conducted with 21 caregivers of persons with DS in Kuwait. Results: Caregivers struggled to accept the diagnosis initially that led them to search for answers to many of their concerns about raising a person with DS. For the caregivers, who mostly comprised of mothers, dealing with health conditions that persons with DS suffered from was initially difficult. Caring for these individuals led to heavy impact upon their caregivers’ own lives who took extraordinary efforts to cope with the burden. Seeking quality education for the persons with DS and participation in social activities was also challenging, and the caregivers believed that better services, facilities, and benefits for the families of persons with DS may help them better cope with the socioeconomic and psychological burden. Conclusions: Improving the availability of specialized services, the delivery of guidance and counselling, and social integration may help overcome challenges of raising a person with Down Syndrome.

General Medicine, Otorhinolaryngology, Surgery, Zygomatic arch, medicine.anatomical_structure, medicine, Anatomy, Web of science, Data citation, Facial nerve, Temporal fascia, Lateral canthus, Dissection, Craniofacial, business.industry, and business

The objective of this study is to provide a reliable roadmap for temporal branch of the facial nerve, in order to minimize, the risk of injury to the nerve during surgical dissections. A literature search was conducted on temporal branch of facial nerve. The date search range was 1950 to 2017. Databases searched included Medline, Web of science, Biosis, SciELO, Data Citation, and Zoologic Records. Data were collected on, author specialty, date of publication, and the relationship of the temporal branch of facial nerve to various landmarks in the frontotemporal region reported in human anatomic studies. Among the 48 studies reviewed, a total of 3477 anatomic dissections were performed in the craniofacial region. Temporal branch of facial nerve was located between 2.5 and 3 cm from lateral orbital rim. In relation to the zygomatic arch, it was found anywhere from the midpoint of the arch to 1 finger breath posterior to the arch. For the plane, it was most commonly described as being under the superficial temporal fascia (STF) or within the loose areolar tissue. Most anatomic dissections found 2 to 4 twigs of the temporal branch of facial nerve. In relation to the lateral canthus, it was found to be 2.85 +/- 0.69 cm superior and 2.54 +/- 0.43 cm lateral to the lateral canthus. Our study suggests consolidated data on surgical landmarks in order to ensure safe dissection in temporal region and prevent injury to the temporal branch of facial nerve.

Computer Science Applications, Education, Sociology, Transformative learning, Discipline, Creativity, media_common.quotation_subject, media_common, Affordance, Educational technology, Conversation, Aesthetics, Art therapy, Diversity (politics), and ComputingMilieux_MISCELLANEOUS

Creativity emerges in all walks of life and disciplines, requiring diverse approaches and ways of thinking. This article series has taken a wide view to exploring creativity through interviews with experts in different fields (Keenan-Lechel and Henriksen 2019). Beyond disciplinary diversity, it is valuable to think broadly about the types of purposes that creativity relates to. Here, we focus on the work of Dr. Patricia (Pat) Allen, a noted art therapist who uses art and creativity toward mental, emotional, and spiritual wholeness. Her expertise relates to artistic, healing, and therapeutic purposes—and she shares ideas about how education and technology have a role in this. Our conversation offered an illuminating perspective on the role of creativity in healing and wellness, and the education possibilities. We distilled the wide-ranging discussion into themes that include: building systems to support human need; connection to the creative source; rethinking art therapy through the Open Studio Process educational applications for creative wellness; and the affordances of technology for creativity and healing.

Review, belantamab mafodotin-blmf, 64Cu-DOTATATE, drugs, FDA, 68Ga-PSMA-11, lumasiran, setmelanotide, oligonucleotides, peptides, viltolarsen, Drug Discovery, Pharmaceutical Science, Molecular Medicine, Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), International trade, business.industry, business, Pandemic, Food and drug administration, 2019-20 coronavirus outbreak, Drug, media_common.quotation_subject, media_common, Authorization, Global health, Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), Science & Technology, Life Sciences & Biomedicine, Chemistry, Medicinal, Pharmacology & Pharmacy, Cu-64-DOTATATE, Ga-68-PSMA-11, 1115 Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, lcsh:Medicine, lcsh:R, lcsh:Pharmacy and materia medica, lcsh:RS1-441, Belantamab mafodotin-blmf, Setmelanotide, Oligonucleotides, Peptides, and Viltolarsen

2020 has been an extremely difficult and challenging year as a result of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and one in which most efforts have been channeled into tackling the global health crisis. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved 53 new drug entities, six of which fall in the peptides and oligonucleotides (TIDES) category. The number of authorizations for these kinds of drugs has been similar to that of previous years, thereby reflecting the consolidation of the TIDES market. Here, the TIDES approved in 2020 are analyzed in terms of chemical structure, medical target, mode of action, and adverse effects.
This work was funded in part by the following: the National Research Foundation (NRF) and the University of KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa); MINECO, (RTI2018-093831-B-100), and the Generalitat de Catalunya (2017 SGR 1439) (Spain).

Aristotelesarchiv, Mikrofilm, Lizenzierung, FAIR-Prinzipien, Sammlung, Annotieren, Kontextsetzung, Archivierung, Bilder, Infrastruktur, and DHd2022

Der Vortrag r��ckt die neuen Forschungspraktiken und -m��glichkeiten, die sich mit der Digitalisierung jenes Bereichs des kulturellen Ged��chtnisses, den das Berliner Aristotelesarchiv bewahrt, in den Fokus. Dabei soll sich zeigen, dass auch ein R��ckgriff auf ein nicht mehr zeitgem���� scheinendes Medium wie den Mikrofilm Optionen bereith��lt, digitale Verfahren anzuschlie��en. Als Grundlage und Umsetzung digitaler Forschung an Archivalien werden infrastrukturelle Komponenten, die Zugriff und Durchsuchbarkeit gew��hrleisten, mit forschungsnahen Werkzeugen verzahnt, die wissenschaftlichen und technischen Austausch sowie Nachnutzbarkeit der entstehenden FAIRen Forschungsdaten erm��glichen. Der Vortrag gibt Einblicke, wie man ein weltweit bedeutendes Archiv zukunftsgerichtet f��r digital gest��tzte Forschungen aufstellen und damit eine auch digital herausragende Forschungslandschaft konstituieren kann. Ein Beitrag zur 8. Tagung des Verbands "Digital Humanities im deutschsprachigen Raum" - DHd 2022 Kulturen des digitalen Ged��chtnisses.

International Journal of General Medicine

Hassan Al-shehri,1 Dania T Dahmash,2 Niels Rochow,3,4 Basma Alturki,5 Danah Alrajhi,5 Faisal Alayed,5 Faisal Alhazani,5 Hanan Alsuhibany,5 Abdallah Y Naser6 1Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 2ISARIC Global Support Centre, Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; 3Department of Pediatrics, Rostock University Medical Center, Rostock, 18057, Germany; 4Department of Pediatrics, Paracelsus Medical University, Nuremberg, 90471, Germany; 5College of Medicine, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 6Department of Applied Pharmaceutical Sciences and Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Isra University, Amman, 11622, JordanCorrespondence: Abdallah Y Naser, Department of Applied Pharmaceutical Sciences and Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Isra University, Amman, Jordan, Tel +962 795285555, Email abdallah.naser@iu.edu.joPurpose: To analyze trends of conditions originating in the perinatal period (COPP) in England and Wales between 1999 and 2020.Patients and methods: An ecological study of COPP was conducted using hospital admission data from April 1999 to March 2020 from the Hospital Episode Statistics database in England and the Patient Episode Database for Wales.Results: The overall hospital admission rates increased by 41.6%, from 1913 per 100,000 persons (95% CI: 1905â 1922) in 1999 to 2709 (95% CI: 2700â 2719) in 2020 (trend test p< 0.001). The most common causes for neonatal admissions were disorders related to the length of gestation and fetal growth, respiratory and cardiovascular disorders specific to the perinatal period, and hemorrhagic and hematological disorders of newborns (28.8%, 27.3%, and 15.2%, respectively). Although the admission rates increased for both males and females (by 33.1% and 35.1%, respectively), hospital admission rates for all causes were higher among males compared to females (p< 0.05).Conclusion: COPP-related hospital admissions rate in England and Wales increased significantly over the past 21 years. Notably, the proportion of COPP-related hospital admissions of males was higher than females. Further studies are warranted to explore the role of gender in hospital admissions and health care for COPP.Keywords: admissions, England, hospital, perinatal, United Kingdom, Wales

Medicine (General), R5-920, otorhinolaryngologic diseases, Articles, and General Medicine

Summary: Background: Hearing loss affects over 50% of people in the US across their lifespan and there is a lack of decision modeling frameworks to inform optimal hearing healthcare delivery. Our objective was to develop and validate a microsimulation model of hearing loss across the lifespan in the US. Methods: We collaborated with the Lancet Commission on Hearing Loss to outline model structure, identify input data sources, and calibrate/validate DeciBHAL-US (Decision model of the Burden of Hearing loss Across the Lifespan). We populated the model with literature-based estimates and validated the conceptual model with key informants. We validated key model endpoints to the published literature, including: 1) natural history of sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL), 2) natural history of conductive hearing loss (CHL), and 3) the hearing loss cascade of care. We reported the coefficient of variance root mean square error (CV-RMSE), considering values ≤15% to indicate adequate fit. Findings: For SNHL prevalence, the CV-RMSE for model projected male and female age-specific prevalence compared to sex-adjusted National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data was 4.9 and 5.7%, respectively. Incorporating literature-based age-related decline in SNHL, we validated mean four-frequency average hearing loss in the better ear (dB) among all persons to longitudinal data (CV-RMSE=11.3%). We validated the age-stratified prevalence of CHL to adjusted NHANES data (CV-RMSE=10.9%). We incorporated age- and severity-stratified time to first hearing aid (HA) use data and HA discontinuation data (adjusted for time-period of use) and validated to NHANES estimates on the prevalence of adult HA use (CV-RMSE=10.3%). Interpretation: Our results indicate adequate model fit to internal and external validation data. Future incorporation of cost and severity-stratified utility data will allow for cost-effectiveness analysis of US hearing healthcare interventions across the lifespan. Further research might expand the modeling framework to international settings. Funding: This study was funded by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders and the National Institute on Aging (3UL1-TR002553–03S3 and F30 DC019846).

epiregulin, leptin receptor, ERK, EGFR, glucose uptake, energy metabolism, General Medicine, Biology (General), QH301-705.5, and hormones, hormone substitutes, and hormone antagonists

The leptin receptor (LepR) acts as a signaling nexus for the regulation of glucose uptake and obesity, among other metabolic responses. The functional role of LepR under leptin-deficient conditions remains unclear. This study reports that epiregulin (EREG) governed glucose uptake in vitro and in vivo in Lepob mice by activating LepR under leptin-deficient conditions. Single and long-term treatment with EREG effectively rescued glucose intolerance in comparative insulin and EREG tolerance tests in Lepob mice. The immunoprecipitation study revealed binding between EREG and LepR in adipose tissue of Lepob mice. EREG/LepR regulated glucose uptake without changes in obesity in Lepob mice via mechanisms, including ERK activation and translocation of GLUT4 to the cell surface. EREG-dependent glucose uptake was abolished in Leprdb mice which supports a key role of LepR in this process. In contrast, inhibition of the canonical epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) pathway implicated in other EREG responses, increased glucose uptake. Our data provide a basis for understanding glycemic responses of EREG that are dependent on LepR unlike functions mediated by EGFR, including leptin secretion, thermogenesis, pain, growth, and other responses. The computational analysis identified a conserved amino acid sequence, supporting an evolutionary role of EREG as an alternative LepR ligand.

Otorhinolaryngology and Surgery

Urology and General Medicine

ddc:004, Metadata, research data management, FAIR Digital Object, and DATA processing & computer science

A sophisticated ensemble of services and tools enables high-level research data and research metadata management in science. On a technical level, research datasets need to be registered, preserved, and made interactively accessible using repositories that meet the specific requirements of scientists in terms of flexibility and performance. These requirements are fulfilled by the Base Repo and the MetaStore of the KIT Data Manager Framework. In our data management architecture, data and metadata are represented as FAIR Digital Objects that are machine actionable. The Typed PID Maker and the FAIR Digital Object Lab provide support for the creation and management of data objects. Other tools enable editing of metadata documents, annotation of data and metadata, building collections of data objects, and creating controlled vocabularies. Information systems such as the Metadata Standards Catalog and the Data Collections Explorer help researchers select domain-specific metadata standards and schemas and identify data collections of interest. Infrastructure developers search the Catalog of Repository Systems for information on modern repository systems, and the FAIR Digital Object Cookbook for recipes for creating FAIR Digital Objects. Existing knowledge about metadata management, services, tools, and information systems has been applied to create research data management architectures for a variety of fields, including digital humanities, materials science, biology, and nanoscience. For Scanning Electron Microscopy, Transmission Electron Microscopy and Magnetic Resonance Imaging, metadata schemas were developed in close cooperation with the domain specialists and incorporated in the research data management architectures. This research has been supported by the research program ‘Engineering Digital Futures’ of the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centers, the Helmholtz Metadata Collaboration (HMC) Platform, the German National Research Data Infrastructure (NFDI), the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the Joint Lab “Integrated Model and Data Driven Materials Characterization (MDMC)”. Also, this project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 101007417 within the framework of the NFFA-Europe Pilot (NEP) Joint Activities.

ddc:004, HMC, Digital Humanities, Annotations, Metadata, Research Data Management, DATA processing & computer science, and Annotation, Digital Humanities, HMC

Annotieren ist eine der ältesten Kulturtechniken der Menschheit. Während in den vergangenen Jahrhunderten Stift und Papier die Mittel der Wahl waren um Anmerkungen zu einer Quelle hinzuzufügen, verschiebt sich diese Aktivität in den letzten Jahren zunehmend in die digitale Welt. Mit der W3C-Empfehlung ‘Web Annotation Data Model’ steht seit 2017 ein mächtiges Werkzeug zur Verfügung, um Annotationen in verschiedensten Disziplinen zu modellieren und eine disziplin- sowie plattformübergreifende Auswertung zu ermöglichen. In diesem Poster möchten wir einen Einblick in unsere Annotationsinfrastruktur geben, die in drei geisteswissenschaftlichen Forschungsprojekten im Einsatz ist. Dabei stehen sowohl ein eigens entwickelter Annotationsserver mit RDF-Backend (vollständig kompatibel zum ‘Web Annotation Protocol’) als auch unsere Annotationsoberflächen im Fokus. Es sollen das Zusammenspiel dieser Komponenten untereinander aber auch mit weiteren Infrastrukturkomponenten, wie beispielsweise einem Forschungsdatenrepositorium oder einem Vokabulareditor, sowie die tägliche Arbeit der Forschenden mit diesen Komponenten illustriert werden. Besonderesr Augenmerk soll auf die Modellierung der Annotationen in unseren unterschiedlichen Anwendungsfällen gelegt werden. Die Beispiele reichen dabei von Auszeichnungen logischer Diagramme in mittelalterlichen Aristoteles-Handschriften, über die Analyse von Metaphern im Prozessin religiöser Sinnbildung bis hin zur Erfassung besonderer hebräischern Buchstabenvariationen in Torarollen. Die Diskussion von Gemeinsamkeiten und Unterschieden in diesen Anwendungsfällen birgt dabei ein großes Potential für die Übertragbarkeit und Fruchtbarmachung in weiteren wissenschaftlichen Disziplinen.

Education

In recent years, there has been a shift towards seeing employability as a key outcome of higher education (HE). Despite this, there is still a concern that graduates are not well prepared for the labour market. One way to bridge the gap between education and the labour market is to involve employers in considerations of employability frameworks or sets of required graduate attributes. This paper reports on a study aimed at identifying how employers of medical graduates in Saudi Arabia conceptualise quality in HE. The main objective of this study is to develop a model of quality in HE that incorporates employers’ views of medical education and its graduates. An exploratory two-stage design was adopted, utilising interviews and survey data. This paper discusses the interview findings relating to medical graduates’ attributes in particular. Fourteen medical employers were interviewed to determine how they conceptualise quality in relation to medical educational experience and graduate attributes. Thematic Analysis of these interviews suggests that views of quality fall into three broad themes: Graduate Abilities, Graduate Readiness, and Research and Engagement Experience. Data drawn from these interviews indicate that employers favour the soft skills of medical graduates over their basic medical knowledge. Additionally, effective practical skills were cited as being of particular importance and highly desirable. This study has implications for the development and delivery of medical education in Saudi Arabia, aspiring to narrow the gap between HE and the labour market.

FDA, Piflufolastat-F18, Antibody-drug conjugate, Casimersen, Dasiglucagon, Difelikefalin, Inclisiran, Vosoritide, Drugs, Voclosporin, Loncastuximab tesirine-lpyl, Melphalan flufenamide, odevixibat, Oligonucleotides, Pegcetacoplan, Peptides, Tisotumab vedotin-tftv, 1115 Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Drug Discovery, Pharmaceutical Science, and Molecular Medicine

From the medical, pharmaceutical, and social perspectives, 2021 has been a year dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, despite this global health crisis, the pharmaceutical industry has continued its endeavors, and 2021 could be considered an excellent year in terms of the drugs accepted by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Thus, during this year, the FDA has approved 50 novel drugs, of which 36 are new chemical entities and 14 biologics. It has also authorized 10 TIDES (8 peptides, 2 oligonucleotides), in addition to 2 antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) whose structures contain peptides. Thus, TIDES have accounted for about 24% of the approvals in the various drug categories. Importantly, this percentage has surpassed the figure in 2020 (10%), thus reflecting the remarkable success of TIDES. In this review, the approved TIDE-based drugs are analyzed on the basis of their chemical structure, medical target, mode of action, administration route, and adverse effects.
The work performed by the authors is funded by the National Research Foundation (NRF) and the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

Psychiatry and Mental health, Psychology, Mental health, Social psychology, Perception, media_common.quotation_subject, media_common, Cultural beliefs, and humanities

Background: The underutilization of mental health services is a recognized problem for the growing number of Muslims living in the West. Despite their unique mental health risk factors and the pivotal role they play in determining mental health discourse in their families and in society, Muslim women in particular have not received sufficient study. Aim: To help remedy this research gap, we examined factors that may impact the rejection attitudes of Muslim women toward professional mental health care using the first psychometrically validated scale of its kind; the M-PAMH (Muslims’ Perceptions and Attitudes to Mental Health). Methods: A total of 1,222 Muslim women responded to questions about their cultural and religious beliefs about mental health, stigma associated with mental health, and familiarity with formal mental health services in an anonymous online survey. Results: Hierarchical multiple regression analysis revealed that higher religious and cultural beliefs, higher societal stigma, and lower familiarity with professional mental health services were associated with greater rejection attitudes toward professional mental healthcare. The final model was statistically significant, F (5, 1,216) = 73.778; p Conclusions: Findings suggest that although the examined factors contributed significantly to the model, they may not be sufficient in the explanation of Muslim women's rejection attitudes toward mental health services. Future research may explore additional variables, as well as predictive profiles for Muslim women’s perceptions and attitudes of mental health based on a combination of these factors.

Computer Science Applications, Education, Sociology, Pedagogy, Social change, and Educational technology

Management of Technology and Innovation, Physics and Astronomy (miscellaneous), Engineering (miscellaneous), Materials science, Nickel oxide, Chemical engineering, Iron doped, and Nanoparticle

Infectious Diseases, Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health, General Medicine, Retrospective cohort study, Comorbidity, medicine.disease, medicine, Intensive care unit, law.invention, law, Univariate analysis, Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, medicine.medical_treatment, Emergency medicine, medicine.medical_specialty, Cohort study, Intensive care, Procalcitonin, business.industry, business, Article, Children, SARS-CoV-2, Mortality, lcsh:Infectious and parasitic diseases, lcsh:RC109-216, lcsh:Public aspects of medicine, and lcsh:RA1-1270

Background Characteristics of critical Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-related Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in children is not well understood. This study described the clinical characteristics of children admitted to intensive care units (ICU) and explored factors associated with the need for invasive ventilation or mortality. Methods A multicenter, retrospective, cohort study was conducted over eight medical centers, including all patients younger than 18 years of age and admitted to the ICU due to a direct consequence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Patients who were admitted to the ICU for any alternate reason and tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 by screening test, and patients who were admitted due to multi-inflammatory syndrome in children, were excluded. Demographic, laboratory, imaging, and clinical data were collected. Descriptive statistics were used to compare survivors and non-survivors. Fine and Gray’s hazard model was used to estimate the association between clinical variables and ICU death. Results During the study period, 25 pediatric COVID-19 patients received care in the ICUs. The median age was 2.78 years (IQR 0.21–8.51), and 60% were male. Only three patients were reported to be previously healthy at admission. Nine (36%) patients required invasive mechanical ventilation, including two were on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Four (16%) patients died during ICU care. In univariate analysis, the presence of comorbidity (HR 0.0001; 95%CI 0.00001–0.00016), platelets count (HR 0.99; 95% CI 0.98–0.99), elevated procalcitonin (HR 1.05; 95%CI 1.016–1.09), and circulatory compromise (HR 16.34; 95%CI 1.99–134.35), all at the time of ICU admission, were associated with in-ICU mortality. Conclusion Our findings suggest that children admitted to the ICU with SARS-CoV-2 infection, generally, have a favorable outcome. Low platelets count, elevated procalcitonin, presence of comorbidity, and shock at the time of ICU admission were associated with death. This study may shed more light on the disease dynamics of critical pediatric COVID-19.

Case Report, internal jugular vein, high jugular bulb, facial nerve palsy, high jugular bulb dehiscence, headache, surgery, lcsh:Medicine (General), lcsh:R5-920, General Medicine, General Nursing, Facial weakness, medicine.symptom, medicine, Internal jugular vein, Medical history, Surgery, medicine.medical_specialty, Population, education.field_of_study, education, Vertigo, biology.organism_classification, biology, Asymptomatic, business.industry, business, Sensorineural hearing loss, medicine.disease, and Palsy

Fahd Alkhamis,1 Khalid Alhajri,1 Danah Aljaafari,1 Ali Alhashim,1 Adnan Alsamarah,2 Abdulaziz Sharydah,2 Osama Basheir,1 Feras AlSulaiman,1 Majed Alabdali1 1Department of Neurology, King Fahad Hospital of the University, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia; 2Department of Radiology, King Fahad Hospital of the University, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi ArabiaCorrespondence: Majed AlabdaliNeurology Departments, King Fahad Hospital of the University – Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, PO Box 40236, Dammam, 31952, Kingdom of Saudi ArabiaTel +966-534347474Email mmalabdali@iau.edu.saBackground: A high mega jugular Bulb is an enlarged and swollen upper portion of the internal jugular vein with a variation of its anatomical position among the population, mostly situated below the hypotympanum. Although most cases of jugular bulb diverticulum are asymptomatic, excessive pressure on the surrounding structures might cause various symptoms, most prominently vertigo, sensorineural hearing loss, or tinnitus.Case Report: A middle-aged male who was referred to the Department of Neurology with a recurrent complaint of left-sided facial weakness associated with headache and vertigo for a period of 24 months. His symptoms were episodic, furthermore exacerbated by visiting high altitude sites. Non-resolving with conventional medical treatment. After thorough investigation, including preoperative and postoperative audiograms, neuroimaging, including computed tomography as well as magnetic resonance angiography, he was diagnosed to have right-sided superior mega jugular bulb as a causative factor. After surgical management, the patient improved significantly. At his regular follow-up in our clinic there were no exacerbations of his symptoms.Conclusion: Among patients who present with recurrent non-resolving facial palsy in which no apparent causative factor is identified, high jugular bulb should be suspected and investigated. Comprehensive and detailed medical history is essential for raising the suspicion for the diagnosis. Such as the case presented eliciting high altitudes as the main precipitating factor. The diagnosis is clinically elusive, commonly obscured by other common diagnoses. Surgery is recommended if antihypertensive drugs do not show improvement.Keywords: internal jugular vein, high jugular bulb, facial nerve palsy, high jugular bulb dehiscence, headache, surgery

Mental health, Association (psychology), Disease, Medicine, business.industry, business, Anxiety, medicine.symptom, Internal medicine, medicine.medical_specialty, Stress (linguistics), Depression (differential diagnoses), Ocular Surface Disease Index, Quality of life, and eye diseases

Background: Dry eye disease (DED) is a multifactorial chronic ophthalmic disease. Its symptoms include blurry vision, foreign body sensation, pain, grittiness, ocular dryness and discomfort. Multiple studies have revealed that DED has a negative impact on patients’ quality of life, as well as their physical and mental health. In line with such findings, other research projects have indicated that depression, anxiety and stress share common risk factors associated with DED. Objective: We aimed to investigate the association between DED and depression, anxiety and stress among Saudi Arabian adults. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study conducted on 335 Saudi Arabian patients aimed to assess the prevalence of DED among individuals with depression, anxiety and stress. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire with the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21 (DASS-21) to assess the severity of stress, depression and anxiety, and the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) to assess DED symptoms. Results: The final number of participants was 448. Furthermore, 72.3% of them were aged 18 - 30 years, and 69.6% of them were females. The prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress among patients with DED was 62.1%, 66.1%, 54%, and 77.9% respectively. Furthermore, we found that there were no significant differences between participants regarding the severity of DED based on different age groups (P = 0.889). Females with depression, anxiety, and stress, on the other hand, were significantly more likely to have severe DED than males with similar conditions. Conclusions: We confirmed a high prevalence of depression, anxiety, stress and DED in Saudi Arabian patients. There was a significant correlation between the four studied variables in which the greatest correlation was between anxiety and DED.

Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, Earth science, Environmental science, Apportionment, and Atmospheric chemistry

Neurology (clinical), Epidemiology, Medicine, business.industry, business, Population, education.field_of_study, education, Drug Resistant Epilepsy, University hospital, Pediatrics, medicine.medical_specialty, Etiology, Medical record, Epilepsy, medicine.disease, International league against epilepsy, and Mean age

Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of medically resistant epilepsy (MRE) in our hospital and to compare the prevalence with that in other populations. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the data of patients who visited the epilepsy clinics at King Fahd University Hospital, Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia between January 2017 and December 2018. This study included patients aged ≥14 years who had at least 2 unprovoked seizures 24 h apart. Patients who had provoked seizure(s), paroxysmal events, or syncope or had incomplete medical records were excluded. The definition and classification of the International League Against Epilepsy were used. Moreover, we searched the En­glish literature using PubMed and Google Scholar to compare the prevalence of MRE between our population and other populations. Results: In total, 1,151 patients were screened, and 751 patients were included in the final analysis. Of the 751 patients, 229 (male: 56.3%, female: 43.7%; mean age: 32.07 years, and standard deviation, 12.2 years) had MRE, with a cumulative prevalence of 30%. The etiology was as follows: unknown, 63.3% (n = 145); structural, 31.9% (n = 73); genetic, 3.1% (n = 7); and infectious, 1.7% (n = 4). None of the patients had metabolic or immune-related etiologies. Conclusion: The prevalence of MRE in our population (30%) is close to that in other populations (30–36.5%). Early identification of such patients is crucial to improve their management.

Pollution, Waste Management and Disposal, Environmental Chemistry, and Environmental Engineering

Multidisciplinary

General Engineering, Pathology, General Surgery, Oncology, neural crest tumor, neurogenic tumor, lower abdominal pain, retroperitoneal mass, and ganglioneuroma

Ganglioneuromas are rare benign neoplasms arising from neural crest tissue. They are a subtype of neurogenic tumors with ganglion cell origin. They are most commonly found in the retroperitoneum and posterior mediastinum. Most ganglioneuromas are found incidentally; most patients are asymptomatic, and it rarely causes symptoms, which are often induced by compression. Here we present a case of a 24-year-old lady, who was investigated for right lower abdominal pain and found to have a right retroperitoneal solid mass at the level of L5-S1, which was displacing the major vessels. The patient underwent open excision of the mass.