bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Awareness, knowledge, and practice regarding to diabetic retinopathy among KKU students besides medical students in Abha, Saudi Arabia
Authors: Alamri Abdulrahman , Al-Jahash Najla Ahmad S. , Alsultan Mashael Saad H. , AlQahtani Shahad Saeed A. , Saeed Yasmeen Abdulwahab A. , Alhamlan Rawan Ahmed O.
Published: October 2021

Background:

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a global public health problem. Global prevalence of diabetes is 8.5% in adult population. The prevalence of diabetic retinopathy (DR) is increasing day by day, the number of persons with diabetes will double by 2030. It is a serious cause of irreversible blindness and is the most common complication of diabetes. Annual fundus examination for diabetics aids in the prevention of blindness and allows intervening at a timely manner. This study's intent to estimate and improve level of awareness (A), knowledge (K), and practice (P) among all King Khalid University (KKU) students besides medical students in Abha, Saudi Arabia.

Methods and Materials:

This is a cross-sectional survey that targets all KKU students besides medical students in Abha, Saudi Arabia. The researchers will use closed-end questions for awareness (A), knowledge (K), and practice (P). The data and the questionnaires will be sent to the sample by social media. The data will be analyzed by statistical package for the social sciences program (SPSS).

Results:

A total of 635 KKU students completed the questionnaire. Female students were more than male students, 334 (52.6%) for females and 301 (47.4%) for males, respectively. Ages ranged from 18 to 24 years with a mean 23 ± 2 years. There was a good awareness for some of the factors related to the DR which is noted in the results. Awareness of smoking and pregnancy rate is extremely low compared to the rest of the factors related to the DR.

Conclusion:

There was high awareness regarding DR and its risk factors among KKU students but low awareness regarding smoking and pregnancy relationship with DR. Improvement is required for smoking and pregnancy with the progression DR.
Awareness and Perception of Parents Regarding Well Baby Clinic in Primary Health Care Centres in Abha City, Southwestern Saudi Arabia
Authors: Shati Ayed A. , Al-Saleh Majed M. , Al-Asmari Bander A. , Shehata Shehata F. , Alqahtani Youssef A. , Aldarami Mohammed S. , Alqahtani Sultan A. , Alqahtani Yahya M.
Published: October 2021

Background:

Well-baby clinic (WBC) service is implemented in all primary health care centers and is provided based on international standards to all children under 5 years in Saudi Arabia. It is a comprehensive package of health promotion and curative care to improve and maintain the health status and well-being of this age group.

Aim:

The main aim is to assess parents' awareness and perception regarding WBC in primary health care centers in Abha sector, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).

Methodology:

A descriptive cross-sectional approach was used in the current study. The study targeted all babies' caregivers attending WBCs in primary health care centers in Abha city. The children's parents were included using three stages cluster sample technique. The questionnaire included participants' demographic data such as age, gender, relation to the baby, educational level, work, and monthly income. Awareness regarding the WBC was assessed using two main items covering hearing about the clinic provided services.

Results:

The study included 1593 participants whose ages ranged from 19 to 55 years old with a mean age of 34.6 ± 11.8 years. About 64% of the respondents knew about the WBC, which was significantly higher among the females than males (P = .003). Also, 71.2% of respondents aged 25–34 years knew about well-baby clinic (WBC) compared to 35% of parents aged less than 25 years (P = .001). Exact 57.1% of the respondents went to the nearest governmental health office at vaccination times. About 46% of the respondents reported that the clinic nurse was the main person who dealt with them. Regarding services provided by a nurse at the vaccination clinic, registering child vaccination was the most reported (66.2%), followed by helping the mother make the child calm (56.8%).

Conclusions:

In conclusion, the study revealed that proper care is vital for a child's survival as well as optimal physical and mental development. Adequately cared child has proper well-being and happiness. Mothers and children caregivers had adequate awareness and acceptable attitude towards WBCs and provided services. Some barriers were declared including lack of available WBCs within the residence range, not all WBCs usually working, and more information should be provided about WBCs.
Effects of diet on hypertensive disorders during pregnancy
Authors: Singh Dhananjay Kumar , Sinha Nikhil , Bera Om Prakash , Saleem Sheikh Mohd , Tripathi Shailesh , Shikha Deep , Goyal Manish , Bhattacharya Sudip
Published: October 2021

Background:

Pregnancy is a positive, fulfilling experience for many, but it can put the mother at the risk of suffering ill-health, disability, or even maternal death. The common causes of maternal death include pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) or gestational hypertension or hypertensive disorders in pregnancy (HDP), post-partum hemorrhage, and pulmonary embolism. Modifications in lifestyle and diet have been widely advocated as a cost-effective strategy to prevent PIH.

Objectives:

To assess the role of dietary factors in PIH attending antenatal care services at a teaching hospital.

Materials and Methods:

Pregnant women who were attending the antenatal clinic who were diagnosed with hypertension in pregnancy and normotensive before the pregnancy were included in the study. As per the protocol, informed written consent, demographic details with clinical data were obtained from the patients. A total of 225 antenatal cases having hypertension in pregnancy were included in our study.

Results:

Majority of the study subjects (81.8%) were taking mixed diets, 50.2% consumed additional salt in their diet, the intake history of visible fat was given by 25.3% and 96.4% consumed tea while 52.9% had a history of consuming junk food. Among the 41 vegetarian study subjects with hypertension in pregnancy, the maximum subjects (73.1%) had preeclampsia followed by gestational hypertension in 23.6% the subjects. The relation between the type of diet and hypertension in pregnancy was found to be statistically insignificant. The relation between visible fat consumption and hypertension in pregnancy was found to be statistically significant.

Discussion:

The association of dietary factors with HDP could be explained by several factors. One being the high-calorie intake by women with known HDP and those without HDP. The imbalance between the energy intake and expenditure is a potential risk factor and leads to overweight or obesity.

Conclusion:

The consumption of additional salt in the diet, visible fat, and obesity was found to be associated with HDP in our study.
An In-Depth Examination of Visuospatial Functions in a Group of Turkish Children with Dyslexia
Authors: Mersin Yeşim , Çebi Merve
Published: October 2021

Aim:

Developmental dyslexia is basically defined as a learning disorder characterized by reading, writing, spelling, and word comprehension difficulties. Phonological deficits in dyslexia are well established in literature, yet, research also indicates some visuospatial difficulties. The aim of this study was to examine the visuospatial functions in Turkish children with dyslexia and to show the interrelationship of visuospatial perception, visual memory, and executive functions.

Methods:

The sample of this study was composed of 20 children (9 female and 11 male) with developmental dyslexia and 20 age-matched controls (11 female and 9 male). The children in dyslexia group were previously diagnosed as dyslexic according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder-IV criteria in a private rehabilitation center. Rey-Osterreich complex figure test (ROCF), Clock Drawing Test (CDT), and Judgment of Line Orientation test (JLOT) were used to evaluate visuospatial functions of the children.

Results:

Comparison analyses showed that dyslexia group significantly differed from the control group in all visuospatial test scores (P < 0.05 for all). In addition, a positive correlation was present between JLOT score and ROCF direct copying score, ROCF immediate memory score, ROCF delayed memory score, and CDT score for the dyslexic group (P < 0.05 for all).

Conclusion:

Our findings confirm the presence of visuospatial problems in dyslexia and highlight the importance of interaction between perceptual and executive processes indicating a more fundamental cognitive deficit.
Critical Appraisals on Depression and Psychotic Symptoms
Authors: Ahmad Faizan , Virmani Anmol , Irfan Mahammad , Rankawat Sourbh , Pathak Upasana
Published: October 2021

Psychosis includes hallucination, illusion, and delusion. Psychotic symptoms are quite uncommon in disorders like posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and Biploar affective disorder (BPAD) but Schizophrenia is a psychotic disorder. In this review, we focus on PTSD with psychosis, depression with psychosis and BPAD with psychosis. We mainly shed light on how psychosis related to PTSD, BPAD, and depression as well cover the pharmacological approach to deal with these disorders. We also extend our limit to other management like electroconvulsive therapy and lithium. The main aim of this review is to cover the role of psychosis in different psychiatric disorders and what are its present scenarios with future scope to combat it.
Quality of the Life and Depression Levels of Pregnant Women with Suspected/Confirmed Coronavirus Disease 2019 in Turkey
Authors: Yildirim Ayca Demir , Erdem Feyzanur , Esencan Tugba Yilmaz , Erdem Binnur
Published: October 2021

Objective:

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of depression levels on the quality of life of pregnant women with probable and confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) diagnosis.

Methods:

This is a cross-sectional study. The sample of the study was composed of thirty pregnant women who were defined as probable and confirmed cases in the COVID-19 Case Tracking module of the Public Health Software System.

Results:

The average age of pregnant women participating in the study was 32.53 ± 3.71 (min: 24, max: 40). The mean Beck Depression Inventory for Primary Care score of the pregnant women participating in the study was 2.2 ± 2.8 (min: 7, max: 20). Only five of the pregnant women had a high probability of depression. Considering the participants' average scores from the Short Form-36 Health Survey subdimensions, it is seen that the highest score of pregnant women is in the mental health category (x: 71.37 ± 2 8.8 6). The COVID-19 test result and the parameters of quality of life subscale were compared, and a statistically significant relationship was found between the social life quality of not only pregnant women with positive COVID-19 test results but also that of the women with negative test results (t: −2,627, P: 0.014).

Conclusion:

It is obvious that people's mental health is negatively affected during the COVID-19 pandemic. For this reason, midwifery care, which will be given to ensure that pregnant women are least affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, to protect their mental health, and to increase their quality of life, is even more important.
The Relationship between Perfectionism and Goal Orientation Types on Sports Continuation
Authors: Ayas Hazal , Biçer Turgay
Published: October 2021

Aim and Objectives:

The aim of the study is, to determine the effect of perfectionism levels and goal orientation types on the individuals who played licensed basketball in the past, to continue their basketball life at a professional/amateur level or dropped out basketball.

Methods:

The sample of the study consists of a licensed basketball history, a total of 150 participants who continue at the amateur level (50), professional level (50), and dropped out basketball/continue as a hobby (50). Task and Ego Orientation in Sport Questionnaire developed by Duda et al. (1992) to determine types of goal orientation and Multidimensional Perfectionism Questionnaire (Frost et al., 1990) to predict perfectionism levels were used to collect data. The data analyzed with SPSS 25.0 program with one-way ANOVA and Pearson correlation analyses.

Results:

As a result of analyses, there were no significant differences between task and ego orientation and perfectionism and sport continuation types of participants. It was also found that according to correlation analysis conducted to determine the relationship between task and ego orientation among the styles of continuing sports; a statistically significant positive moderate relationship between task and ego orientation score of participants who dropped out basketball and continue at an amateur level; on the other hand, a high positive correlation was found between goal orientation and ego orientation of those who continue at professional level.

Conclusion:

Results provide a richer understanding of the effects of goals orientations with perfectionism and their relationship to performance and have implications on sport continuation.
Uskudar Democratic Leadership Scale Validity and Reliability Studies*
Authors: Tarhan Nevzat , Tutgun-Unal Aylin
Published: October 2021

Background:

The mightiness of the political leader, his strength, his risk-taking leadership, and his emotional contact with society plays an active role in the healthy management of society in many respects. A psychometric “democratic leadership scale” is needed to define the items to determine the limits of authoritarianism and to find the balance between using power and justice.

Aims and Objectives:

This research aims to conduct a validity and reliability study of a wide range of the Uskudar Democratic Leadership Scale (USDELID).

Materials and Methods:

Sample consists of 1010 people from Turkey. “Uskudar Political Leadership Scale-USPOLID” was used for the validity of the criteria.

Results:

The internal coefficient of consistency (α) of the scale was found to be .97. Analysis revealed that the scale consists of four factors. The first factor “Libertarianism/Pluralism” alone accounts for 71.81% of the variance, the second factor “Justice Orientation” accounts for 3.90% of the variance, the third factor “Participation” accounts for 3.16% of the variance, and the fourth factor “Accountability” accounts for 1.96% of the variance. These four factors, consisting of a total of 25 items, together accounted for 80.85% of the total variance.

Conclusion:

As a result of the studies, it was understood that the scale is valid and reliable. An item on the scale is inversely asked to ensure attention by taking part in the scale for control purposes. There has the scale emerged called the USDELID.
The Adaptation of Gender Identity / Gender Dysphoria Questionnaire for Adults
Authors: Tarhan Nevzat , Gokten Emel Sari , Tutgun-Unal Aylin , Sahin Ayse
Published: October 2021

Background:

The fact that the concepts of sexual identity and gender dysphoria have become more important all over the world and in Turkey has led clinicians to need powerful measuring tools to evaluate and comment on this structure.

Aims and Objectives:

The aim of this study is to investigate language equivalence, validity, and reliability studies of the Turkish version of the Gender Identity / Gender Dysphoria Questionnaire for Adult (GIDQ), which was developed by Deogracias et al. (2007).

Materials and Methods:

The scale was applied to 368 individuals (heterosexual and nonheterosexual) consisting of university students and trans-oriented individuals. Pearson's correlation coefficients revealed positive and significant values in the consistency analysis between the English and Turkish forms for linguistic equivalence studies of the GIDQ Adult Form for ages 18 and over.

Results:

The factor analysis performed to determine the construct validity of the 5-item Likert type scale, the original of which has a single factor and 27 items, a single factor, and 25-item structure were obtained which accounted for 51.8% of the total variance. When the internal consistency of the scale was calculated, the Cronbach Alpha value was found to be 0.89.

Conclusion:

According to the comparison of three groups (heterosexual, nonheterosexual, and those with gender dysphoria), average calculations, and effect size (d) analyses in the discrimination validity studies, it was observed that the gender dissatisfaction of university students was at a low level. It was found to be close to the intermediate level in the nonheterosexual male group. The results show that the Turkish form of the scale is valid and reliable.
A Review of the Mental Health Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Varolan Leman Atasever , Özdogan Büsra , Sayar Gökben Hizli
Published: October 2021

COVID-19 virus emerged in Wuhan, China, in December 2019 and spread rapidly all over the world. Its rapid spread was declared as a “pandemic” by the World Health Organization in March 2020. COVID-19 causes many physical, psychological, and social problems. This study aims to reveal the psychological and behavioral effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on different groups with a literature review. It has been observed that the COVID-19 pandemic caused an increase in fear, anxiety, and anger, anxiety disorders in the general population; however, increased stress and life changes caused an increase in posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, insomnia, and even suicidal thoughts. In the studies carried out in this period, it was understood that some special groups such as individuals with previous psychiatric diseases, children and adolescents, the elderly and those with chronic diseases, and healthcare workers who struggled with the disease were more affected. It is necessary to ensure that sensitive groups, especially healthcare workers, who are at risk in terms of the adverse mental effects of the epidemic, are effectively screened, and appropriate evaluation methods and forms should be developed for this purpose.
Night Eating Syndrome and Sleep Quality among Turkish University Students in COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Yildiz Melike Buse , Sarikaya Sena , Temi?rçi?n Sevval , Dener Buse Gül , Kocatürk Rümeysa Rabia , Sariyer Esra Tansu , Çevi?k Ekin , Çolak Hatice , Özcan Öznur Özge , Ergüzel Türker Tekin , Karahan Mesut
Published: October 2021

Backround:

There is a positive relationship between night eating syndrome (NES) and sleep quality. However, it is not known how this situation changes among students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Aims and Objectives:

This study aimed to reveal the relationship between anthropometric measurements, NES, and sleep quality in university students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Materials and Methods:

Data were obtained through an online survey from March to June 2020 during pandemic in Turkey from university students (n = 100). They completed an online Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and Night Eating Questionnaire, also anthropometric measurements were taken.

Results:

University students had sleep disturbance. The sleep disturbance had an effect on NES (P < 0.001, rho = 0.386). A positive relation was found between sleeping pill use and NES (Z = −2.218, P = 0.027) and appetizing drugs and sleep (Z = −2.410, P = 0.016).

Conlusion:

The occurrence of sleep disturbances in students may increase the incidence of NES during COVID-19 pandemic. This study achieved a short-term result in a limited sample, and we suggest conducting large-scale studies on student health. University students should be considered and public health policies should be implemented in terms of eating disorders and sleep quality.
Temperament and Character Relations in Borderline Personality Disorder
Authors: Yilmaz Gonca Gül , Sen Meltem , Dönmezler Süleyman , Erensoy Habib , Berkol Tonguç Demir
Published: October 2021

Aim:

Understanding human behavior is a common struggle among psychology researchers and clinicians. One of the mysteries in psychology is the relation of temperament with a psychiatric disorder. In this study, it is aimed to evaluate this association with other perspectives.

Materials and Methods:

The present study was conducted between 2017 and 2018. Participants consisted of 88 people, who were freely selected and separated as treated and untreated from NP Istanbul Hospital and Polyclinics. There are two groups of paticipants who have borderline personality disorder; 48 untreated patients which are 24 men and 24 women and 40 treated patients which are 20 men and 20. The evaluations were made through the Demographic Information Form, Temperament and Character Inventory, and Borderline Personality Inventory prepared by the researcher.

Results:

People under treatment had different scores than the control group. It could be thought that it is evidence that treatment is effective and it may change the temperamental dimensions for people with borderline personality disorder. Many of the results came significantly different between the groups after temperament and character inventory had been applied. The dimensions had differed between the groups.

Discussion:

People with scores below borderline personality inventory's cutoff value had higher scores with the features that might be helpful for a person to cope with their problems in social and occupational life and to persist in their projects. Patients under treatment had been found to have more features that might negatively affect one's life. It could be thought that people under treatment might have more severe symptoms or might have additional psychiatric problems.

Conclusion:

This study revealed a few contradictions between DSM-5 and Borderline Personality Inventory and between Borderline Personality Inventory and Temperament and Character Inventory. This study may lead practitioners and researchers to further investigate the field.
The Prevalence of Chronic Sinusitis Symptoms among Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients at Tertiary Hospital in Riyadh
Authors: Alromaih Saud , Abuhaimed Alanoud , Alkhowaiter Saad , Alkethiri Khaled , Alfarhan Omar , Alkhurayji Saad , Alhazmi Naif , Sumaily Ibrahim
Published: October 2021

Background:

The etiologies of both chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are not well known. Both are inflammatory diseases that are triggered by genetic and environmental factors. Existing literature lacks the evaluation of the overlap between these clinical entities. Herein, we attempt to determine the prevalence of CRS symptoms among the patients with IBD at King Khalid University Hospital.

Methodology:

This text presents a cross-sectional study on patients with confirmed diagnoses based on colonoscopy and histological findings. Patients were evaluated using the chronic sinusitis survey (CSS) and the rhinosinusitis disability index (RSDI). Other variables evaluated in this study include age, gender, chronic illnesses, duration of the IBD, smoking, medications, and family history.

Results:

Eighty-two IBD patients were enrolled in the study, and of these patients, 61 have Crohn's disease (CD) and 21 have ulcerative colitis (UC). There was no statistically significant difference in the presence of sinonasal symptoms between patients with CD and UC: 11.47% and 9.52%, respectively. CSS score was nonsignificantly higher among CD patients: 10.79 compared to 6.15 for UC patients,P= 0.125. In addition, the RSDI score was higher among CD patients: 13.11 compared to 5.14 in UC patients. However, this difference is not significant,P= 0.069.

Conclusion:

The prevalence of CRS symptoms among IBD patients is comparable to the general population. It was nonsignificantly less prevalent in UC patients in comparison to CD patients.
Viability of Ambulatory Major Ear Surgery and Patient Satisfaction
Authors: Alafaleq Mudy , Alafaleq Salma , Alzahrani Musaed
Published: October 2021

Background:

Ambulatory ear surgery is expanding worldwide due to improvements in surgeries, and this has had a highly positive impact on both hospital and patient satisfaction. However, ambulatory major ear surgery remains controversial in our region due to a lack of research, which motivated us to conduct this study. The purpose of the research is to assess the safety of ambulatory major ear surgery and elaborate on the patient satisfaction rate.

Methods:

To assess complications, the readmission rate, and patient satisfaction with ambulatory major ear surgery, a prospective study of all such surgeries on pediatric and adult patients in a 1-year period in a tertiary hospital was carried out.

Results:

A total of 47 patients underwent ambulatory major ear surgery, and the results indicated an 89.4% discharge rate and 10.6% readmission rate, as well as high patient satisfaction.

Conclusion:

Our study showed a rather low complication rate and high patient satisfaction rate with ambulatory major ear surgery. This should encourage other hospitals in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to apply ambulatory ear surgery.
The COVID-19 and Its Impact on Otolaryngology Trainees' Competency and Their Psychological Well-Being
Authors: AlSharhan Salma Saud , Al Bar Mohammed H. , AlSaied Abdulmalik S. , ALEnazi Abdulaziz S. , Aljubran Hussain Jwad , AlKhaldi Saud K. , Alghamdi Amal A.
Published: October 2021

Background:

As a consequence of the COVID-19 global pandemic, otolaryngology residents are at high risk due to the nature of the specialty and long work hours. Moreover, COVID-19 could have a severe impact on residents from different frontline specialties, particularly otolaryngology. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first nationwide survey providing insights into the otolaryngology residents' prospective of view about the impact of COVID-19 on their training competency development as well as related worries and concerns.

Methods:

A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted among all otolaryngology training centers of Saudi Arabia to investigate the extent of the impact of COVID-19 on otolaryngology residents and the learning process.

Results:

A total of 152 residents were contacted to participate in the study, and 101 participants were included after successfully completing the questionnaire. The mean age of the participants was 28.12 years (standard deviation = 1.89, max = 36, min = 25). There has been a significant impact on outpatient clinics, elective operations, consultations, and working hours. Further, we evaluated the impact on academic training activities, the frequency of training activities per week, and the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on otolaryngology residents as well.

Conclusion:

COVID-19 has had a serious impact on residents both physically and mentally; otolaryngology residents have been hit, especially hard by this emergency pandemic period. Trainees suffered from excessive worries regarding clinical training, specifically academic concerns for different training levels. Further studies need to be done here in Saudi Arabia to evaluate this impact in greater detail and to protect the residents.
Allergen-specific immunotherapy for local allergic rhinitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Hoang M.P. , Samuthpongtorn J. , Chitsuthipakorn W. , Seresirikachorn K. , Snidvongs K.
Published: October 2021

Background: Local allergic rhinitis (LAR) is a phenotype of chronic rhinitis exhibiting a local Th2-driven inflammation without positive clinical markers of atopy. Immunomodulatory effects of allergen-specific immunotherapy (AIT) induce allergen-specific tolerance. However, AIT is not well-recognized as a treatment for LAR. Methodology: Systematic search on six electronic databases and registries was performed. Experimental and observational studies of AIT for LAR patients were retrieved. The primary outcomes were symptom score, medication score, combined symptom medication score, and disease-specific quality of life. Secondary outcomes were serum specific(s) IgG4, sIgE, and adverse events. Results: Four double-blind randomized controlled trials (156 patients) from two research units assessed the effects of subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT). Compared with placebo, SCIT showed significant reductions in symptom score, medication score, combined symptom medication score, disease-specific quality of life, and an increase in serum sIgG4. There was no significant change in serum sIgE. Likewise, two observational studies (one using SCIT and one using sublingual immunotherapy) improved post-therapeutic symptom score. No studies assessed the effects after discontinuation of treatment. AIT was safe without serious adverse events. Conclusion: AIT has beneficial effects and safe for LAR. Its effects are restricted to studies with short-term follow-up. AIT may be considered in LAR patients.
Floristic characteristics of some synanthropic plant communities of the Kobuleti lowland (Adjara, Georgia)
Authors: Mikeladze Irakli , Gvarishvili Nani , Sharabidze Aleksandre , Shainidze Gogita
Published: October 2021

The materials of the field research of synanthropic vegetation in the territory of the Kobuleti in the 2016–2020 years are provided. In particular, 134 taxa belonging to 49 families and 97 genera were revealed in the three different plant communities (Cryptomerietum japonicae, Eucalyptetum-viminali-globulo-cinerei, and Cinnamomo glanduliferae-Cryptomerietum japonicae) in the Kobuleti lowland. The community Cryptomerietum japonicae comprises 66 taxa, 33 of which are native, and 33 have an alien origin. Woody plants in Cryptomerietum japonicae are represented by 15 taxa. The community Eucalyptetum-viminali-globulo-cinerei comprises 91 taxa, 36 of which are native and 55 are alien. Woody plants in Eucalyptetum-viminali-globulo-cinerei are represented with 17 taxa, while the rest 74 taxa are herbaceous. In Cinnamomo glanduliferae-Cryptomerietum japonicae there are discovered 49 plant taxa, including 25 native and 24 aliens. In this community, 16 taxa are represented by woody plants and 33 taxa – by herbaceous ones.Therefore, in the investigated region, 60 taxa (44.77%) were found to be native and 74 taxa (55.23%) alien. Among aliens, 31 taxa have East Asian origin, 16 taxa are from the Mediterranean, 13 taxa originated from Europe, ten taxa originated from North American, and four – originated from Australia.Despite cuttings and artificial planting of alien representatives, some indigenous woody species (i.e., Corylus avellana, Frangula alnus, Vaccinium arctostaphylos, Smilax excelsa, Quercus hartwissiana, Carpinus caucasica, Castanea sativa, and Hedera colchica) still occur in this territory. Both native and alien taxa participate in the formation of the described landscape structure. Successional events have started in the Kolkheti Lowland in ancient times. It is a long-term process, which is still ongoing, as our observations confirmed it.
EPIDEMIOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF LEPTOSPIROSIS IN VOJVODINA, SERBIA, 2009-2018, FROM THE ASPECT OF ONE HEALTH
Authors: Pustahija Tatjana , Vuković Vladimir , Ristić Mioljub , Medić Snežana , Tomašević Tanja , Rajčević Smiljana , Štrbac Mirjana , Savić Sara , Grgić Živoslav
Published: October 2021

This study attempts to summarize epidemiological characteristics of human leptospirosis and to determine the seroprevalence of this disease among domestic animals in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, for the period 2009-2018. Chronological, demographic and topographic characteristics of human cases were analyzed. Pearson's correlation was used to explore correlations between different meteorological factors and trends in time-series of human cases. Overall 87 human cases of leptospirosis and five subsequent deaths (CFR: 5.75%) were recorded in the ten-year period. The average annual incidence rate was 0.45/100,000 (range: 0.16-1.50/100,000). The disease was more prevalent in males (M/F=16.40:1), with the majority of cases reported in August (N=23; 26.44%), September (N=20; 23.00%) and October (N=15; 17,24%). A statistically significant weak positive correlation was observed between the mean monthly air temperature and the number of human cases of leptospirosis of the same month (r=0.30, p<0.01) and a statistically significant weak positive correlation was found between the number of human cases and the sum of precipitation in the previous month (r=0.27, p<0.01). The average annual seroprevalence among domestic animals in total was 1.13% (range: 0.23% -3.65%).  Seropositivity of tested samples of cats, dogs, cattle, donkeys, horses, sheep, pigs and goats was 25%, 9.50%, 8.55%, 6.25%, 1.59%, 0.25%, 0.18%, 0.00, respectively. Human and animal leptospirosis continuously occurs in Vojvodina, which implies the need for continuous and quality monitoring of the epidemiological and epizootiological situation of this disease.  Further, more comprehensive parallel studies in humans and animals are needed, as well as additional studies of living conditions of animals on farms with leptospirosis and the studies that will determine the strength of association between climatic/ environmental factors and leptospirosis in Vojvodina.
Key words: Human leptospirosis, animal leptospirosis, zoonosis, epidemiology, seroprevalence, one health.
DETECTION OF BORRELIA SPIROCHETES IN TICKS WITH q16 REAL-TIME PCR
Authors: Zekic Stosic Marina , Tomanović Snežana , Sukara Ratko , Milošević Smiljana , Savic Sara
Published: October 2021

Lyme disease is a tick-borne disease caused by Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. spirochaetes. It is transmitted by several hard ticks of the genus Ixodes, mainly Ixodes ricinus in Europe. Higher environment temperature caused by climate changes is linked to a higher activity of ticks during most of the year, thus the importance of tick-borne diseases is increasing in the region.

A total of 90 ticks were collected by removing from humans. Every tick collected was identified regarding the species. Total of 79 ticks belonging to the genus Ixodes were tested for the presence of the pathogen strains of Borrelia burgdorferi s.l, Borrelia afzelii, Borrelia garinii and Borrelia burgdoreri sensu stricto by a real-time PCR assay targeting the recA gene.  In total, 8 of them tested positive. Representative samples were tested with conventional PCR and results were in accordance.

This study showed that the Genesig q16 Real-Time PCR is an easy diagnostic test for fast detection of Borrelia spirochetes in ticks.

Key words: Lyme disease, tick-borne disease, real-time PCR, Borrelia
STIL I JEZIK KNEŽEVOG DNEVNIKA U ROMANU „BEZDNO“ SVETLANE VELMAR-JANKOVIĆ
Authors: Živančev Ivana
Published: October 2021

In this paper, we dealt with the specific style and language of “The Diary” of the Duke Mihailo Obrenović in the novel Bezdno by Svetlana Velmar-Janković. We focused on the characteristics of the Slavonic-Serbian language. Our aim was to point out the stylistic and linguistic elements of this language and to analyze the historical and political circumstances that caused its creation. Special attention was given to numerous archaisms, which helped the writer to bring the spirit of this period to life. In order to detect and explain this style and language, we refered to the teachings of Aleksandar Mladenović. While trying to establish which version of the Cyrillic alphabet was actual at that time, we took Petar Đorđić’s book The History of the Serbian Cyrillic into consideration. We tried to explain the social circumstances which were a fruit- ful ground for the creation of this hybrid and inconsistent language thanks to Jovan Skerlić. We came to the conclusion that the Duke was fond of a specific version of the Slavonic-Serbian language – the Dositej version, which preserved the elements of the Slavonic-Serbian language primarily on its lexical level, while morfological and phonological levels remained the same. The Duke’s style and language altered during his writing. Later on, they resembled vernacular Serbian language more. In order to establish the role of archaisms in this novel, we made a list of them and noticed that Russian Church Slavonic, Slavonic-Serbian and Russian words have a dominance over Germanisms, Hungarisms and Romanisms. However, we could expect the opposite, while the Duke had spent almost two decades in the Western countries. The second place belongs to Turkisms, which are really hard to detect, because they became an integral part of the Serbian language.
Antibiogram of Gram Negative Uropathogens in a Tertiary Care Hospital
Authors: Davane Milind , Mundhe Sanjivani
Published: October 2021

Background: Globally, urinary tract infection (UTI) is considered a major public health concern and the second most common bacterial infection affecting individuals of different ages worldwide. Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are caused by multiplicity of microorganisms. The chronicity of different bacterial isolates and their propensity to various antibiotics may differ widely, particularly in hospitalized patients, that makes the study of susceptibility pattern mandatory for a proper selection of antibiotics. Objective: To evaluate antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of the Gram negative organisms isolated from urine cultures of hospitalized patients.

Material and Methods: A total of 500 urine samples from hospitalized patients which showed significant bacteriuria were studied. Samples were inoculated on Blood agar and MacConckey agar. Further identification and study of organisms was done by standard Microbiological methods. Antimicrobial Susceptibility pattern was studied by Modified Kirby- Bauer’s disc diffusion method with the panel of 15 drugs as per Clinical Laboratories Standard Institute (CLSI) guidelines. Results: UTIs were found more common in females 290 (58%). Commonest organism found was Escherichia coli 260 (52%) followed by Klebsiella spp. 120 (24%), Pseudomonas spp. 40 (8%), Proteus spp. 38 (7.6%), Citrobacter spp. 25 (5%) and Acinetobacter spp. 17 (3.4%). Majority of the strains were found sensitive to nitrofurantoin followed by amikacin, piperacillin-tazobactam and cotrimoxazole. Commonly prescribed fluroquinolones were found least effective for treatment of UTI. All the strains were found sensitive to imipenem. Extended spectrum beta lactamase (ESBL) was noted in E.coli and in Klebsiella spp. Conclusion: To discourage the indiscriminate use of antibiotics and to prevent further development of bacterial drug resistance, proper knowledge of susceptibility pattern of uropathogens in particular area is very important before prescribing any empirical antibiotic therapy.
Technological Trends in the Use of Natural Marble Residue in the Cement Portland Production from Prospecting in Patent Documents
Authors: Vieira Luara Batalha , Ghirardi Giulia Costa , Viana Josiane Dantas , Cardoso Larissa Da Silva Paes , Dias Cleber Marcos Ribeiro
Published: October 2021

The civil construction industry affects the environment mainly due to the high generation of waste and extraction of natural raw materials. However, this industry is also responsible for absorbing a large part of the waste, not only generated by itself, but also those generated in other production cycles. These residues are often reused as an alternative raw material, after some treatment. The use of ornamental stone cutting waste has already been studied by many authors, and it is a technically viable alternative in cement matrix products for civil construction. Thus, this technological prospection work analyzed the technological trends regarding the use of marble waste in cement production, based on the registration of patents in recent years. For this, a search was carried out in the Brazilian Nacional Institute of Intellectual Property (INPI) and Dewert Innovation Index (DII) databases, in April 2021, with no period limitation. The main documents were found in the DII database, and the results showed that among the countries that filed a patent on this subject, China is the country with the highest number of filings, with the majority of these filings occurring between 2014 and 2020, suggesting a reflection of the current interest in ways to give an adequate destination to ornamental stone waste.
An Investigation of Pakistani University Students’ Socioeconomic Classes, Gender and Dimensions in Epistemological Beliefs: Dependencies and Interlinks probed by Structural Equation Modeling Approach
Authors: Ali Rafaquat , Bashir Furrukh , Rehman Hafeez Ur , Ahmad Rashid
Published: October 2021

Epistemological beliefs impact all aspects of students’ academic and learning behaviours. The different dimensions of epistemological beliefs comprise structure, source, certainty, ability to learns and speed to learn. The students’ naive and inadequate epistemological beliefs can have negative impacts on their regulation of learning, self-efficacy, interest in study, academic performance and persistence in studies. Likewise, the socioeconomic background can explain various differences in students’ beliefs. Epistemological beliefs have social and cultural underpinnings as well. For these reasons, the researchers examined the impact of university students’ socioeconomic classes on their epistemological beliefs. In survey research design, the data were collected from university students in an online survey. The structural equation modeling approach was chosen to detect significant regression paths in the model. The lower and upper lower socioeconomic classes were found to have significant impact on students’ epistemological beliefs. The variable gender did not appear to make significant contribution to students’ epistemological beliefs. The naive beliefs can severely impact university students’ academic behaviour, therefore epistemological beliefs of students from lower and upper lower socioeconomic backgrounds should be challenged and improved.
Secondary School Teachers’ Journey from Self-Efficacy to Collective Efficacy
Authors: Kashif Najam Ul , Jahan Musarrat , Javed Muhammad Latif , Bahoo Rabia
Published: October 2021

Education is perceived as a powerful agency, which instrument in bringing about the desired changes in the social, economic and cultural life of any nation. The whole process of education is shaped and molded by the human personality called the teacher. Teaching is a challenging profession and only those teachers can shoulder the heavy responsibilities of nation building, who are adequately prepared and have sound professional attitude. Self-efficacy is belief of teachers about their own potential, skills, pedagogy, developing learning school environment while living within the limited resources. And when it turns to expectations of other stakeholders like principal, students, society as a collective capability of a group of teachers to influence student achievement is refers as collective teachers-efficacy. This study aimed at to highlight the relation and changing paradigms from teachers’ self-efficacy to collective-efficacy. To achieve the set aim, survey research technique was adopted. Southern Punjab was the population of the study and target was selected by adopting multistage random sampling technique. Equal opportunity was given to both genders. Total sample of the study was 480 (principals were 30, teachers 150, and students 300). Three different research tool were developed out of which first research tool was for knowing the teachers’ self-efficacy as Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES) which was developed by Tschannen-Moran and Woolfolk Hoy in 2001. Second research tool was of knowing the Collective Efficacy Scale (CE-Scale) developed by Goddard and Woolfolk Hoy (2004). Third research tool was Omnibus T-Scale (OTS) developed by Hoy in 2002. The analysis of the collected data was done by using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 21. Findings of the study shows that secondary school teachers are fully confident regarding their skills, competencies, pedagogy and ready to face the challenges. At the same time, their principals have shown strong trust on their teachers, but students’ opinion was different from the principals.
Parental perception and guideline awareness of children’s lifestyle behaviours at ages 5 to 14 in Singapore
Authors: Quah Phaik Ling , Loo Benny Kai Guo , Razali Nurul Syaza , Razali Nurul Sakinah , Teo Chin Chye , Tan Kok Hian
Published: October 2021

ABSTRACT Introduction: There are limited data on the descriptive lifestyle behaviour of school-age children in Singapore. Methods: A total of 100 parents of children ages 5 to 14 participated in a parents’ proxy-reported survey. Frequency of moderate physical activity (PA) and vigorous PA was assessed, while t-tests or chi-square test was used to examine differences between weekdays and weekends for sleep, screen viewing time (SVT) and sedentary behaviour (SB). Results: Of the 100 children (68% of Chinese ethnicity, 59% boys, mean age 9.1±2.9 years), 31% were overweight or obese, with body mass index z-score of >1. For moderate and vigorous PA participation in a typical week, 32.0% and 43.0%, respectively, did not participate, while median (interquartile range) days of participation were 3 (2–3) days/week and 2 (1–3) days/week for a duration of 60 (interquartile range 30–120) minutes/session. When comparing weekends with weekdays, the means (standard deviation) of both SVT and sleep duration were higher on weekends (SVT: 4.1 [2.9] versus 3.3 [3.1] hours/day, P=0.07; sleep: 8.8 [1.5] vs 8.3 [1.3] hours/day, P=0.02), while there were no significant differences for SB. A higher proportion of children had SB of ≥10 hours/day and slept <8 hours/day on weekdays compared with on weekends (SB: 23.5% vs 20.6%, P>0.05; sleep:18.8% vs 2.1%, P<0.05), while the proportion exceeding SVT of 2 hours/day were higher on weekends than on weekdays (63.8% vs 45.4%, P=0.03). Overall, there was higher parental awareness of sleep guidelines (80.0%), but lower awareness of PA (51.0%) and SVT (59.0%) guidelines. Conclusion: Lifestyle behaviours were suboptimal in Singapore children compared with existing overseas guidelines, indicating a need for an integrated guideline with greater dissemination. Keywords: Childhood and adolescents, integrated guideline, lifestyle behaviours, physical activity, screen viewing time, sleep
Improved door-to-balloon time for primary percutaneous coronary
intervention for patients conveyed via emergency ambulance service
Authors: Liu Zhenghong , Lim Mian Jie , Pek Pin Pin , Wong Aaron Sung Lung , Tan Kenneth Boon Kiat , Yeo Khung Keong , Ong Marcus Eng Hock
Published: October 2021

ABSTRACT
Introduction: Early reperfusion of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) results in
better outcomes. Interventions that have resulted in shorter door-to-balloon (DTB) time include
prehospital cardiovascular laboratory activation and prehospital electrocardiogram (ECG) transmission,
which are only available for patients who arrive via emergency ambulances. We assessed the impact
of mode of transport on DTB time in a single tertiary institution and evaluated the factors that affected
various components of DTB time.
Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using registry data of patients diagnosed with
STEMI in the emergency department (ED) who underwent primary percutaneous coronary
intervention. We compared patients who arrived by emergency ambulances with those who came via
their own transport. The primary study end point was DTB, defined as the earliest time a patient arrived
in the ED to balloon inflation. As deidentified data was used, ethics review was waived.
Results: A total of 321 patients were included for analysis after excluding 7 with missing data. The
mean age was 61.4±11.4 years old with 49 (15.3%) females. Ninety-nine (30.8%) patients arrived
by emergency ambulance. The median DTB time was shorter for patients arriving by ambulance
versus own transport (52min, interquartile range [IQR] 45–61 vs 67min, IQR 59–74; P<0.001), with
shorter door-to-ECG and door-to-activation time.
Conclusion: Arrival via emergency ambulance was associated with a decreased DTB for STEMI
patients compared to arriving via own transport. There is a need for public education to increase the
usage of emergency ambulances for suspected heart attacks to improve outcomes.

Keywords: Cardiovascular lab activation, door-to-balloon time, emergency ambulance, primary PCI, STEMI