bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The vitamin B12 levels in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients on metformin and not on metformin
Authors: Dasarathan Ramesh , Velayudham Rajendran , Krishnan Haridoss , S. Senthilkumar
Published: January 2021

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is one of the major global public health concerns, metformin is one of the most widely used drugs and considered as first-line therapy for management of T2DM. Vitamin B12 malabsorption is observed in patients on metformin therapy leading to biochemical and clinical vitamin B12 deficiency. The aim of the current study was to assess the relationship between metformin therapy and development of vitamin B12 deficiency.Methods: Current observational cross sectional study was conducted at Madras medical college and Rajiv Gandhi Government general hospital. Serum vitamin B12 and other blood investigation parameters of T2DM patients, on metformin therapy for long duration (6 months or more than 2 years) were measured and correlated with vitamin B12 levels of T2DM patients not on metformin therapy. Patients were given appropriate treatment and were regularly followed up.Results: Results of the current study findings depicted that significant difference was observed in percent haemoglobin, total blood cells, platelet count, mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and albumin values of patients on metformin therapy when compared to patients who were not on metformin therapy. Study findings also revealed that substantial difference in vitamin B12 deficiency was observed in T2DM patients based on the duration of metformin therapy.Conclusions: Current study revealed that, metformin therapy for 2 years or more, can lead to significant vitamin B12 deficiency which is also associated with macrocytosis. It was concluded that longer the duration of metformin therapy, more significant would be vitamin B12 deficiency.
Rare side effect of a common drug
Authors: Kadagud Anuja M. , Hiremath Shruti Basayya , Warad Vijaykumar G. , Badiger Sharan , Kattimani Ravi
Published: January 2021

Metronidazole is most commonly used antimicrobial agent to treat various anaerobic bacterial and parasitic infections. Metronidazole induced side-effects are usually mild but neurotoxicity associated with it is rare. Here we report 33 year old para 1 living 1 (P1L1) post lower segment cesarean section (LSCS) discharged with metronidazole for 14 days presented to us with signs and symptoms of neurotoxicity with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain findings consistent to metronidazole toxicity.
Evaluation of infectious risk among biomedical agents in Morocco
Authors: Zaam Noura , Benssabri Sanae , Bajjou Tahar
Published: January 2021

Background: The Infectious risk among biomedical technicians and engineers is influenced by many variables like the health and immune status of the worker, the education and training they had, the suitability of the establishment for work with highly pathogenic agents, and availability of protective equipment. We report in this article the results of a survey carried out in the country and which was interested in the perception of the infectious risk by biomedical agents.Methods: It is a descriptive study of the infectious risk among BMTE in Morocco with an assessment of the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors by the use of a questionnaire transmitted to participants by google form.Results: 84 persons participated in the survey. Biomedical agents report that the risk is either direct because they handle microorganisms (20%; 23/84), but above all indirect, since these are situations where they handle contaminated instruments or waste produced during care activities (41.7%; 48/84). The cutaneous route contamination showed a slight predominance (71.6%; 60/84) because they use sharp tools (64.3%; 54/84). Only half know they have to report this kind of incident (56.8%; 48/84) and Less than one in five (17.9%; 15/84) reported these accidents.Conclusions: Moroccan law has not ignored occupational risk and equipment of protection is available in the workplace. However, most of the participants did not receive specialized training in infection risk management, they do not benefit from medical supervision, and immunization and accidents are underreported.
Awareness of rabies and its prevention among adults in urban slums of Tiruvallur district
Authors: M. Vijayalakshmi , M. Vijay Chandran
Published: January 2021

Background: Rabies is an acute fatal encephalomyelitis caused by a Lyssavirus type 1 is recognized today because of its global distribution, incidence, veterinary and human health costs, and extremely high case fatality rate .The large number of deaths due to rabies can be attributed to the fact that in spite of availability of effective vaccination against rabies, people are unaware of various aspects and its prevention. Objective was to study the awareness about Rabies and its prevention among adults in urban slum area of Tiruvallur district. Methods: The present study was a cross sectional study conducted over a period of 2 months between December 2019 to January 2020 in an urban slum area of Tiruvallur district of Tamilnadu. A Semi Structured questionnaire was administered to the study participants and the data was analysed by SPSS 16.Results: Among 295 study participants, Mean age was 34.73 (+or-10.26) years. Majority (38.6%) of the respondents were of the age group 20-29 years and 60.3% were male participants. 98.6% had heard about rabies and 83.7% knew that Rabies is a fatal disease. Majority (95%) consult a Doctor immediately and 65% knew correctly about a first aid after animal bite. 87% of the study participants were aware of antirabies vaccine. Age and educational status were significantly associated with rabies awareness (p<0.05).Conclusions: Most of the study participants were aware of rabies. Awareness was high among younger people and educated people. Effective health education shall help in rabies prevention.
Comparison of radiological and clinical outcome among Kirschner wires versus 3.5 mm diameter cannulated cancellous screw internal fixation in treatment for the displaced lateral humeral condyle fractures in children
Authors: Bhati Lokpal Singh , Gupta Ashish Kumar , Rathor Jitendra Singh , Rathore Devendra Singh , Kundu Deepak
Published: January 2021

Background: Lateral humeral condyle fracture, the second most common injury around the elbow, accounts for 10-20% of all fractures of the elbow in children with a high incidence between two and 14 years.

Methods: This hospital based prospective randomized comparative study design was include patients of both sexes in age group of 2 to 14 years attending SMS hospital, Jaipur during April 2018 to June 2019 or till the sample size achieved, with due permission from the institutional ethic committee and review board and after taking written informed consent from the patient.

Results: 40 patients out of 50 were grouped as excellent (70.1%) while 13 were found good (22.8%) and only four patients were found poor (7.01%) as per Hardacre criteria of assessment of lateral condyle treatment in k wire group while excellent, good and poor results were found 68.4, 24.5 and 7.01% respectively in CC screw groups

Conclusions: The displaced fractures (displacement over 2 mm) can be treated successfully by open reduction and K-wires or screw fixation with excellent results.

 
Evaluation of the functional outcome of locking compression plate for fractures around knee joint distal 1/3rd femur or proximal 1/3rd tibia
Authors: Kumar Surender , Khichar Himanshu
Published: January 2021

Background: The aim of the study was to evaluate the functional outcome of locking compression plate for fractures around knee joint (Distal 1/3rd femur or proximal 1/3rd tibia).

Methods: This multicentric prospective functional out-come study has been conducted in the department of orthopedics, Barmer medical college and hospital, Barmer, Rajasthan and department of orthopedics, Pacific institute of medical sciences, Udaipur, Rajasthan. A total of 90 patients were studied, out of which 60 patients were with fracture distal femur and 30 patients were with proximal tibia fractures. At the end of study, 20 patients were lost to the follow-up (16 patients were with distal femur fracture and 04 patients were with proximal tibia fracture).

Results: According to modified Mehrotra’s criteria for distal femur fracture  excellent (43.18%) and fair (43.18%) and (13.64%) had poor result. All followed-up patients of proximal tibia fracture managed with MIPO technique had excellent (11.11%), good (66.67%) and fair (22.22%) functional outcome and no failure. While 17.65% followed patients of proximal tibia fracture who were managed with ORIF technique had failure.

Conclusions: Locking compression plate is the optimal tool for many supracondylar fractures of femur and proximal tibia fractures. It provides rigid fixation, where a widening canal, thin cortices and frequently poor bone stock make fixation difficult.
Retrobulbar administration of purified anti-nerve growth factor in developing rats induces structural and biochemical changes in the retina and cornea
Authors:   Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, CNR, Lazio 00143, Rome, Italy; Fondazione IRET, Ozzano Emilia, Bologna 40064, Italy, Aloe Luigi , Balzamino Bijorn Omar ,   Research and Development Laboratory for Biochemical, Molecular and Cellular Applications in Ophthalmological Science, IRCCS, Fondazione Bietti, Rome 00182, Italy, Esposito Graziana ,   Research and Development Laboratory for Biochemical, Molecular and Cellular Applications in Ophthalmological Science, IRCCS, Fondazione Bietti, Rome 00182, Italy, Micera Alessandra ,   Research and Development Laboratory for Biochemical, Molecular and Cellular Applications in Ophthalmological Science, IRCCS, Fondazione Bietti, Rome 00182, Italy
Published: January 2021

AIM: To develop an experimental model of endogenous nerve growth factor (NGF) deprivation by retrobulbar administration of purified neutralizing anti-NGF antibodies in young Sprague-Dawley rats and provide further information on NGF expression in the retina and cornea.
METHODS: Sixty old pathogen-free Sprague Dawley rats (p14, post-natal days) were treated with repeated retrobulbar injections of neutralizing anti-NGF (2 µL, 100 µg/mL, every 3d). After 2wk (p28), retinal and corneal tissues were investigated for morphological, biochemical, and molecular expression of trkANGFR by using Western blotting or immunofluorescence. Rhodopsin as well as protein profile expression were also investigated.
RESULTS: Chronic retrobulbar neutralizing anti-NGF antibodies changed the distribution of trkANGFR immunoreactivity at retinal level, while no changes were detected for global trkANGFR protein expression. By contrary, the treatment resulted in the increase of corneal trkANGFR expression. Retinal tissues showed a decreased rhodopsin expression as well as reduced number of both rhodopsin expressing and total retinal cells, as observed after single cell extraction. A decreased expression of ICAM-1, IL-17 and IL-13 as well as an increased expression of IL-21 typified retinal extracts. No significant changes were observed for corneal tissues.
CONCLUSION: The reduced availability of endogenous NGF, as produced by chronic retrobulbar anti-NGF administration, produce a quick response from retinal tissues, with respect to corneal ones, suggesting the presence of early compensatory mechanisms to protect retinal networking.
Evaluation of corneal topographic, tomographic and biomechanical indices for detecting clinical and subclinical keratoconus: a comprehensive three-device study
Authors:   Noor Ophthalmology Research Center, Noor Eye Hospital, Tehran 1968653111, Iran; School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1417613151, Iran, Heidari Zahra , Mohammadpour Mehrdad ,   Noor Ophthalmology Research Center, Noor Eye Hospital, Tehran 1968653111, Iran; Department of Ophthalmology, Farabi Eye Hospital and Eye Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1336616351, Iran, Amanzadeh Kazem ,   Noor Research Center for Ophthalmic Epidemiology, Noor Eye Hospital, Tehran 1968653111, Iran, Fotouhi Akbar ,   Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1417613151, Iran
Published: January 2021

AIM: To evaluate the diagnostic ability of topographic and tomographic indices with Pentacam and Sirius as well as biomechanical parameters with Corvis ST for the detection of clinical and subclinical forms of keratoconus (KCN).
METHODS: In this prospective diagnostic test study, 70 patients with clinical KCN, 79 patients with abnormal findings in topography and tomography maps with no evidence on clinical examination (subclinical KCN), and 68 normal control subjects were enrolled. The accuracy of topographic, tomographic, and biomechanical parameters was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and cross-validation analysis. The Delong method was used for comparing AUCs.
RESULTS: In distinguishing KCN from normal, all parameters showed statistically significant differences between the two groups (P<0.001). Indices with the perfect diagnostic ability (AUC≥0.999) were Sirius KCN vertex of back (KVb), Pentacam random forest index (PRFI), Pentacam index of height decentration (IHD), and Corvis integrated tomographic/biomechanical index (TBI). In distinguishing subclinical KCN from normal, Sirius symmetry index of back (SIb; AUC=0.908), Pentacam inferior-superior difference (IS) value (AUC=0.862), PRFI (AUC=0.847), and Corvis TBI (AUC=0.820) performed best. There were no significant differences between the highest AUCs within keratoconic groups (DeLong, P>0.05).
CONCLUSION: In clinical KCN, all topographic, tomographic, and biomechanical indices have acceptable outcomes in terms of sensitivity and specificity. However, in differentiating subclinical forms of KCN from normal corneas, curvature-based parameters (SIb and IS value) followed by integrated indices (PRFI and TBI) are the most powerful tools for early detection of KCN.
Ultrasound elastography for evaluating stiffness of the human lens nucleus with aging: a feasibility study
Authors:   Department of Ophthalmology, Shaanxi Provincial People’s Hospital, Third Affiliated Hospital of the School of Medicine, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710068, Shaanxi Province, China, Zhou Hai-Yan , Yan Wei-Jia ,   Medical School, the University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK, Wang Xin-Chuan ,   Shaanxi Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Xi’an 710003, Shaanxi Province, China
Published: January 2021

AIM: To investigate the significance of ultrasound elastography for evaluating stiffness of the human lens nucleus in volunteers with different ages.
METHODS: A total of 90 volunteers (lens transparency, uncorrected visual acuity ≥0.5, intraocular pressure: 14-19 mm Hg) were divided into 3 groups according to age: Group A (30 people, median age: 82±3.5y, mean axial lengths 23.7±0.5 mm); Group B (30 people, median age: 46±2.1y, mean axial lengths 23.9±0.4 mm); and Group C (30 people, median age: 22±3.5y, mean axial lengths 24.0±0.4 mm). Lens nuclear stiffness was measured by Free-hand qualitative elastography by independent operators. Strain gray scale and color-coded elastography maps were recorded. In each case, three consecutive detections were performed and strain ratio was used for statistical analysis.
RESULTS: Elastography analysis showed excellent diagnostic performance for lens sclerosis. Lens strain ratio was lowest (0.03±0.01)% in Group A and highest (2.03±0.43)% in Group C. Lens strain ratio was moderate (0.64±0.10)% in Group B. There were significant differences between these three groups (P<0.05). The lens nucleus strain rate changes with age. With aging, the lens nucleus strain rate and resilience decrease, demonstrating harder texture.
CONCLUSION: The relationship between human lens stiffness and age is demonstrated by ultrasound elastography. Older age is associated with lower strain ratio and less resilience of the lens.
A pilot study on vitrectomy combined with scleral shortening for eyes with myopic macular retinoschisis—2y follow-up results
Authors:   Department of Ophthalmology, the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050000, Hebei Province, China, Zhang Peng , Hou Ling-Xin ,   Department of Ophthalmology, the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050000, Hebei Province, China, Hao Yu-Hua ,   Department of Ophthalmology, the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050000, Hebei Province, China, Wang Kun ,   Department of Ophthalmology, the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050000, Hebei Province, China, Shang Qing-Li ,   Department of Ophthalmology, the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050000, Hebei Province, China
Published: January 2021

AIM: To evaluate the effect of vitrectomy combined with scleral shortening for eyes with myopic macular retinoschisis.
METHODS: Thirty-seven patients with myopic macular retinoschisis who underwent pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) combined with scleral shortening were reviewed. Axial length (AL), the height of macular retinoschisis, the height of retinal detachment if existed, the diameter of macular hole if existed and best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) were obtained. The preoperative and postoperative parameters were compared.
RESULTS: At postoperative 24mo, the mean AL and height of macular retinoschisis were reduced significantly by 0.79 mm and 256.51 μm (t=8.064, P<0.0001; Z=-5.086, P<0.0001) respectively. In addition, the mean height of retinal detachment and diameter of macular hole were also reduced significantly by 365.38 μm and 183.68 μm (Z=-4.457, P=0.000008; Z=-2.983, P=0.003) respectively. Meanwhile, the postoperative BCVA was improved markedly (Z=-2.126, P=0.033).
CONCLUSION: Vitrectomy combined with scleral shortening is an effective surgical method for eyes with myopic macular retinoschisis, whether or not macular hole and retinal detachment are present.
Effects of diode laser photocoagulation treatment on ocular biometric parameters in premature infants with retinopathy of prematurity
Authors:   Minister of Health Ankara City Hospital, Ankara 06800, Turkey, Acar Damla Erginturk , Tunay Zuhal Ozen ,   Minister of Health Ankara City Hospital, Ankara 06800, Turkey, Arman Aysegul ,   Minister of Health Ankara City Hospital, Ankara 06800, Turkey, Barak Anil ,   RMIT University, Mathematical Sciences, Lecturer in School of Science, Melbourne 3001, Australia
Published: January 2021

AIM: To investigate the effects of diode laser treatment on ocular biometric parameters in premature infants with retinopathy of prematurity (ROP).
METHODS: Premature infants who received diode laser treatment for ROP (n=68) and premature infants with spontaneous regressed ROP without treatment (n=50) were performed longitudinal ocular biometric measurements including anterior chamber depth, lens thickness and axial length as follows: 1d prior to laser treatment, and 3, 6, 9, and 12mo after the laser treatment.
RESULTS: The mean birth weight, gestational age and initial examination time values were 936.53±302.07 g, 26.66±2.42wk, 36.26±2.73wk in the treatment group and 959.78±260.08 g, 27.28±2.10wk, 36.56±2.54wk in the control group. There was no statistically significant difference in these demographic characteristics of the groups. Anterior chamber depth, lens thickness and axial length demonstrated statistically significant linear increases during the study period in the two groups (P<0.001 for each). There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in terms of anterior chamber depth after laser treatment. Measurements of the lens thickness at 9th and 12th months (9th month 3.70±0.22 vs 3.60±0.21 mm, P=0.017; 12th month 3.81±0.21 vs 3.69±0.22 mm, P=0.002) and the axial length at 12th month (19.35±0.79 vs 19.13±0.54 mm, P=0.031) after laser treatment were statistically higher in the treatment group.
CONCLUSION: Diode laser retinal photocoagulation treatment in premature infants seems to increase the lens thickness and axial length.
Effect of axial length and anterior chamber depth on the peripheral refraction profile
Authors:   Translational Ophthalmology Research Center, Farabi Eye Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1336616351, Iran, Khorrami-Nejad Masoud , Baghban Alireza Akbarzadeh ,   Proteomics Research Center, Department of Biostatistics, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1971653313, Iran, Khosravi Bahram ,   School of Rehabilitation, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1616913111, Iran
Published: January 2021

AIM: To evaluate the effect of axial length (AL) and anterior chamber depth (ACD) on peripheral refractive profile in myopic patients compared to emmetropic participants.
METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted in right eyes of 58 participants of whom 38 were emmetropic and 20 were myopic. Central and peripheral refraction were measured at 10°, 20°, and 30° eccentricities in nasal and temporal fields using an open-field autorefractor. The Lenstar LS900 was used to measure ACD and AL. The participants were divided into three groups of short (<22.5 mm), normal (22.5-24.5 mm), and long eye (>24.5 mm) according to AL and three groups of low ACD (<3.00 mm), normal ACD (3.00-3.60 mm), and high ACD (>3.60 mm) according to ACD.
RESULTS: The mean age of the participants was 22.26±3.09y (range 18-30y). The peripheral mean spherical refractive error showed a hypermetropic shift in myopic and emmetropic groups although this shift was more pronounced in the myopic group. The results showed significant changes in the spherical equivalent, J0, and J45 astigmatism in all gazes with an increase in eccentricity (P<0.001). The pattern of refractive error changes was more noticeable in long and short eyes versus normal AL eyes. Moreover, the pattern of peripheral refractive changes was much more prominent in the high ACD group versus the normal ACD group and in the normal ACD group versus the low ACD group.
CONCLUSION: Peripheral refraction changes are greater in participants with AL values outside the normal range and deeper ACD values compared to participants with normal AL and ACD.
Analysis of the etiologies, treatments and prognoses in children and adolescent vitreous hemorrhage
Authors:   Department of Ophthalmology, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, China; Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai Baoshan District Wusong Central Hospital (Zhongshan Hospital Wusong Branch, Fudan University), Shanghai 200940, China, Liu Zheng-Wei , Chen Chun-Li ,   Department of Ophthalmology, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100005, China, Cui Xue-Hao ,   Department of Ophthalmology, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, China; Department of Ophthalmology, Tianjin Medical University Eye Hospital, Tianjin 300000, China, Zhao Pei-Quan ,   Department of Ophthalmology, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, China
Published: January 2021

AIM: To determine the etiologies, treatment modalities and visual outcomes of vitreous hemorrhage (VH; range from birth to 18y).
METHODS: A total of 262 eyes from 210 patients between January 2010 and September 2016 were included. All children underwent an appropriate ocular and systemic examination. Data collected included demographics, clinical manifestations, details of the ocular and systemic examination, management details, final fundus anatomy and visual acuity (VA).
RESULTS: The most common etiologies were non-traumatic VH (64.89%), most of which were due to retinopathy of prematurity (ROP; 37.10%); while traffic accidents, including 16 (21.00%) eyes, was the most common ocular traumas. Surgery, performed in 143 (54.58%) eyes, was the most common management modality. The initial mean baseline visual acuity was 2.77±0.21 logarithm of the minimal angle of resolution (logMAR) in children and adolescent with traumatic VH, which was significantly improved to 2.15±1.31 logMAR (P<0.05).
CONCLUSION: VH in children and adolescent has a complicated and diverse etiology. ROP is the primary cause of non-traumatic VH, which is the most common etiology. Appropriate treatment of traumatic VH is associated with obvious improvement in visual acuity. The initial VA is one of most important predictors of outcome.
Safety, effectiveness, and cost-effectiveness of Argus II in patients with retinitis pigmentosa: a systematic review
Authors:   Department of Health Management, Policy and Economics, School of Management and Medical Informatics, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman 7616913555, Iran, Ostad-Ahmadi Zakieh , Modabberi Mohammad-Reza ,   Student Research Committee, School of Public Health, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 198353, Iran, Mostafaie Ali ,   Iranian Center for Evidence Based Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz 1983535511, Iran
Published: January 2021

AIM: To assess the effectiveness, safety, and cost-effectiveness of the Argus II in treatment of the retinitis pigmentosa (RP) patients.
METHODS: The ProQuest, Web of Science, EMBASE, MEDLINE (via PubMed) were searched using combinations of the keywords of Argus, safety, effectiveness, bionic eye, retinal prosthesis, and RP through March 2018. The retrieved records were screened and then assessed for eligibility.
RESULTS: Totally 926 records were retrieved from the searched databases and finally 12 studies included. The RP patients showed improvements in visual function after receiving the prosthesis, compared to the time before the prosthesis or the time it was off. This was measured by square localization, direction of motion, and grating visual acuity tests. No major adverse effect was reported for the Argus II prosthesis itself and/or the surgery to implement it, but the most frequently reported items were hypotony, and conjunctival dehiscence. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was calculated to be €14603 per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) in UK and $207 616 per QALY in Canada.
CONCLUSION: The available evidence shows that the Argus II prosthesis in RP patients is effective in improvement of their visual function. Some minor adverse effects are reported for the prosthesis. The cost-effectiveness studies show that the technology is cost-effective only at high levels of willingness-to-pay.
Health-Related Quality of Life of Children and Adolescents with Sickle Cell Disease in the Middle East and North Africa Region
Authors: Pandarakutty Suthan , Murali Kamala , Arulappan Judie , Al Sabei Sulaiman D.
Published: January 2021

Sickle cell disease (SCD) can significantly impair the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of children and adolescents. This review aimed to assess current evidence regarding the HRQOL of children and adolescents with SCD in the Middle East and North Africa region. A systematic search of various databases was conducted to identify relevant articles, including MEDLINE® (National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland, USA), Scopus® (Elsevier, Amsterdam, the Netherlands), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature®, Masader (Oman Virtual Science Library, Muscat, Oman) and EBSCOhost (EBSCO Information Services, Ipswich, Massachusetts, USA). A total of 533 articles were identified; however, only 10 were eligible for inclusion in the final analysis. Results from these studies showed that children and adolescents with SCD had compromised HRQOL compared to their healthy peers, particularly in terms of physical, psychosocial, familial, financial and academic functioning. Therefore, interventions are necessary to improve overall HRQOL outcomes for this population.
Keywords: Sickle Cell Disease; Health-Related Quality Of Life; Infants; Children; Adolescents; Middle East; North Africa.
Towards Culture-Oriented Medical Philosophy, Education, Research and Practice
Authors: Al-Azri Nasser Hammad
Published: January 2021

Medicine is a sociotechnical system wherein culture manifests itself in all its aspects. Culture, however, is often intangible and is frequently neglected in formal healthcare education, research and practice. This sounding board article attempts to generate interest in making culture a serious component of healthcare systems at different levels, including its founding philosophical underpinnings, educational systems, research activities and clinical practice. It is recommended that a framework of culture-oriented medical philosophy, education, research and practice be implemented. Each component of this framework is briefly discussed in relation to healthcare. Culture should be reflected explicitly in healthcare through research activities, medical humanities, cultural competence, communication and ethics.
Keywords: Medicine; Medical Education; Medical Philosophy; Biomedical Research; Communication; Bioethics; Culture; Policy Making.
Socio-Demographic Characteristics and Patterns of Substance Use Disorder in Oman
Authors: Al Abri Mahmood Z. , Farag Mohamed A.H. , Al Mosawi Asaad S. , Al Awaidy Salah T.
Published: January 2021

Objectives: Substance use disorder is a global challenge. Therefore, this study aimed to provide an updated view of socio-demographic characteristics and patterns of substance use in Oman. Methods: This retrospective descriptive study was conducted between 2004 and 2018. Data were retrieved from Oman’s National Drug Addict Registry. The data collected included the socio-demographic characteristics of registered cases, the proportion of various psychoactive substances’ consumption and their routes of administration, the associated sociodemographic determinants as well as comorbid conditions. Results: A total of 6,453 cases were registered during the study’s timeframe. The majority of which were Omani (97.9%), male (98.7%), single (57.9%), unemployed (50.2%), had an education level below university (81.0%) and were adolescents and young adults (77.0%). Opiates were the most common substance used (66.6%) and more than half of the sample were polydrug users (51.0%). Injecting-drug users constituted 53.4% of the total registered cases. The proportion of people with hepatitis virus C, hepatits virus B and HIV among the registered cases were 46.9%, 5.1% and 3.7%, respectively. Conclusion: The findings are in favour of rapidly escalating the introduction of a substance use preventive programme at all school levels as well as making opioid substitution therapy and other harm reduction programmes available in Oman.
Keywords: Substance Use Disorders; Intravenous Drug Abuse; Opioid-Related Disorders; Comorbidity; Oman.
Quality of Work Life Among Nurses
Authors: Al-Maskari Mohammed A. , Dupo Jonas U. , Al-Sulaimi Nasser K.
Published: January 2021

Objectives: Quality of work life (QWL) is an important indicator of job-related satisfaction among nurses; however, there is little information regarding the QWL of nurses in Oman. Therefore, this study aimed to explore factors affecting QWL among nurses working in governmental health institutions in Ad Dakhiliyah Governorate, Oman. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted between September and November 2018 at 29 governmental health institutions in Ad Dakhiliyah Governorate. A total of 374 nurses employed at these institutions were recruited via stratified random sampling. A demographic questionnaire incorporating Brooks’ Quality of Nursing Work scale was used to collect data. Results: A total of 345 nurses participated in the study (response rate: 92.2%). The mean age was 33.3 ± 5.1 years and the majority were female (90.7%), married (88.7%), of Omani nationality (70.1%) and had a diploma degree (70.7%). Overall, the nurses demonstrated moderate levels of QWL (mean total score: 179.99 ± 24.17). Both job designation and nationality were found to be significant predictors of QWL (P = 0.041 and <0.001, respectively). Conclusion: The findings of this study represent a baseline for further research on this important topic. As with all healthcare professionals, the QWL of nurses indirectly affects quality of patient care and associated health outcomes. As such, identifying areas of poor QWL among nurses can help in the development of initiatives to improve their professional satisfaction, thereby enhancing job performance and employee retention.

Keywords: Nursing; Quality of Life; Work Satisfaction; Occupational Burnout; Workload; Motivation; Health Workforce; Oman.
The Effects of Knee Orthosis with Two Degrees of Freedom Joint Design on Gait and Sit-to-Stand Task in Patients with Medial Knee Osteoarthritis
Authors: Fesharaki Siamak Aghajani , Farahmand Farzam , Saeedi Hassan , Raeissadat Seyed Ahmad , Abdollahy Ehsan , Ahmadi Amir , Maroufi Nader
Published: January 2021

Objectives: Knee bracing as a conservative treatment option for patients with medial knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is of great interest to health practitioners and patients alike. Optimal orthotic knee joint structure is essential to achieve biomechanical and clinical effectiveness. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the effects of a knee orthosis with a new two-degrees-of-freedom (DOF) joint design on selected gait parameters and in a sit-to-stand task in patients with mild-to-moderate medial KOA. Methods: This study was conducted both at the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinic in Shahid Modarres Academic Hospital and the Biomechanical Laboratory of Rehabilitation Faculty of Iran University of medical Sciences in Tehran, Iran from September 2015 to October 2017. The gait performance of 16 patients was assessed without an orthosis, using a common one-DOF (DOF) knee orthosis and using the same knee orthosis with a two-DOF orthotic joint design. The interactive shearing force between limb and brace in the shell area during a sit-to-stand test was also identified. Repeated measures analysis of variance was used to analyse the data. Results: Compared with walking with no orthosis, both orthosis conditions reduced the external knee adduction moment significantly (P ≤0.05). A significant increase between the one-DOF and two-DOF conditions in terms of walking speed (P = 0.041 and P = 0.009, respectively) and stride length (P = 0.028 and P = 0.038, respectively) was observed. In a sit-to-stand test, wearing the orthosis significantly decreased knee transverse plane range of motion (P ≤0.05). There was a 41.31 ± 8.34 Newtons reduction in knee flexion constraint force. Conclusion: The two-DOF knee orthosis was more comfortable compared to the one-DOF knee orthosis during deep knee flexion. Otherwise, the one- DOF- and two-DOF-braces performed similarly.

Keywords: Knee Osteoarthritis; Orthosis; Braces; Gait Analysis; Rotations; Kinematics; Kinetics; Patient Comfort.
Self-Efficacy Levels Regarding Interprofessional Learning Skills Among Undergraduate Healthcare Students in Malaysia
Authors: Nurumal Mohd S. , Diyono Nurul Q.H. , Che Hasan Muhammad K.
Published: January 2021

Objectives: Self-efficacy is an important factor in determining the ability of students to execute tasks or skills needed in the implementation of interprofessional learning (IPL). This study aimed to identify levels of self-efficacy with regards to IPL skills among undergraduate healthcare students and to investigate differences according to gender, programme of study and year of study. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted between January and March 2018 at the International Islamic University Malaysia, Kuantan, Malaysia. The Self-Efficacy for Interprofessional Experiential Learning scale was used to evaluate the self-efficacy of 336 students from five faculties including nursing, medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and allied health sciences. Results: Significant differences in self-efficacy scores for the interprofessional interaction subscale were identified according to programme of study, with pharmacy students scoring significantly lower than allied health students (mean score: 54.1 ± 10.4 versus 57.4 ± 10.1; P = 0.014). In addition, there was a significant difference in self-efficacy scores for the interprofessional interaction subscale according to year of study, with first-year students scoring significantly lower compared to fifth-year students (mean score: 52.8 ± 10.4 versus 59.9 ± 11.9; P = 0.018). No statistically significant differences in self-efficacy scores were identified with regards to gender or for the interprofessional team evaluation and feedback subscale. Conclusion: These findings may contribute to the effective implementation of IPL education in healthcare faculties. Acknowledging the influence of self-efficacy on the execution of IPL skills is crucial to ensure healthcare students are able to adequately prepare for future interprofessional collaboration in real clinical settings.

Keywords: Self Efficacy; Intersectoral Collaboration; Interdisciplinary Research; Professional Competence; Learning; Undergraduate Medical Education; Malaysia.
Determinants of Provision of Bystander Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation among the General Public in Oman
Authors: Al-Riyami Hassan , Al-Hinai Ahmed , Nadar Sunil K.
Published: January 2021

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the factors that affect the provision of bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) among the general public in Oman. Methods: This was a descriptive crosssectional study performed over a two-month period from November to December 2018 using a questionnaire among the general public with no medical background. Results: A total of 1,080 individuals were included in the study. The median age of the participants was 27 (20–39) years old with 624 (57.8%) male participants. More than half of the participants (52.9%) were willing to perform CPR on a stranger. Lack of knowledge of CPR and a fear that they might cause more harm were the main reasons precluding people from performing CPR. Age, educational status and having attended a CPR course were predictors of willingness to perform CPR. Conclusion: There is a positive attitude towards bystander CPR in Oman among the general public. More education and training opportunities should be made available in workplaces and educational institutions.

Keywords: Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation; Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest; Oman.
Pierson Syndrome Associated with Hypothyroidism and Septic Shock
Authors: Ejaz Areeba , Ali Meher B. , Siddiqui Fatima , Ali Mashal B. , Jamal Ammarah
Published: January 2021

Pierson syndrome is caused by mutations in the laminin β2 gene causing absent β2 laminin, which is a normal component of the basement membranes of the mature glomerulus, structures in the anterior eye and neuromuscular junctions. The mutations manifest as congenital nephrotic syndrome and microcoria which are characteristic ocular features of this disease. These mutations may also result in neurological abnormalities such as hypotonia and psychomotor retardation. We report a two-month old boy who presented to the Pediatrics Department of Dr. Ruth K. M. Pfau Civil Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan, in 2015, with the typical features of microcoria and congenital nephrotic syndrome. The hypocalcaemia, hypoproteinaemia and probable immunocompromised state consequent to nephrotic syndrome resulted in seizures, hypothyroidism and urosepsis. Despite being treated aggressively with high dose antibiotics, ionotropic support, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, thyroxine replacement and nutritional support, the infant died due to significant multiorgan disease including renal failure and septic shock.

Keywords: Pierson Syndrome; Microcoria and Congenital Nephrotic Syndrome; Congenital Microcoria; Hypothyroidism; Septic Shock; Case Report; Pakistan.
Raccoon Eyes in Amyloidosis
Authors: Chandra Atanu , Saha Swarup K. , Chakraborty Uddalak , Karmakar Partha S. , Biswas Goutam , Ray Aritra K. , Dutta Sukanta
Published: January 2021

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The Impact of COVID-19 on Urology Practice in Oman
Authors: Al-Marhoon Mohamed S.
Published: January 2021

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Research in Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Kar Sujita K. , Menon Vikas , Arafat S.M. Yasir , Kabir Russell
Published: January 2021

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Health communication: mother's knowledge and treatment of fever in children
Authors: Mora Geby , Sari Ria Setia , Ratnasari Febi
Published: January 2021

Fever is in the first place of some of the most symptoms experienced by the child, the treatment of fever depends heavily on the role of parents especially the mother, The lack of knowledge possessed by the mother causes misperception of fever, this misperception results in inappropriate behavior in dealing with fever in the child then it is necessary to know further the level of maternal knowledge and treatment of fever in the child. This literature is to analyze journals on the level of maternal knowledge and the treatment of fever in children. The design of the research used in this study was literature review. This literature study through scientific publication search results with the range of 2015–2020 using the Research Gate, NCBI, Ebsco and Google Scholar databases.journals that correspond to the title and results of the synthesis matrix grouped into three parts namely input, process and output. Of the 20 articles analyzed entirely showed there is a link between maternal knowledge level and fever treatment in children, the average result of 45% of mothers with good knowledge level and 57.87% of mothers handling fever in children appropriately.
Editors: XXIII International Conference "Culture, Personality, Society in the Conditions of Digitalization: Methodology and Experience of Empirical Research" named after professor L.N. Kogan
Authors: Elena Grunt , Maria Guzikova , Anatoly Merenkov , Oksana Suhkova , Sergey Zyryanov , Svetlana Sharonova , Ludmila Vasilenko , Valeria Vasilkova , Radiy Ibragimov , Vladislav Benin , Olga Sannikova , Inna Shapovalova , Vladimir Kozlovsky , Riccardo Campa , Sabina Lissitsa , Gregory Simons , Yulia Semenova
Published: January 2021

Please download the PDF to view the Editors of the XXIII International Conference "Culture, Personality, Society in the Conditions of Digitalization: Methodology and Experience of Empirical Research" named after professor L.N. Kogan.
Internet Information and Academic Literacy in the Digital Age
Authors: Zaborova Elena
Published: January 2021

The paper aims to analyze positive and negative characteristics of Internet information, consider the peculiarities of social and historical change of knowledge, and identify the specifics of the phenomenon of human academic literacy. In the modern information and digital age, the role and importance of information is increasing at a rate that has allowed scientists to describe the situation as the information explosion. The dramatic increase in the volume of information was made possible by the fact that a wide range of users with their personal information materials have gained access to the Internet. The speed of obtaining information has also increased; it is transmitted in real-life mode. These and many other characteristics of modern information flows can undoubtedly be assessed as positive trends, but the negative aspects of information processes are also increasing. The abundance of information gives rise to its excess and the problem of its selection. The availability of information does not guarantee its reliability; there is a lot of false, distorted information in the Internet. Analyzing whether the wide access and abundance of Internet information implies increasing academic literacy, the author concludes that people tend to become much more informed, but the path to academic literacy is becoming longer. Academic literacy is what a person learned in the course of education and what became the basis for his/her daily life and self-awareness. The excess of information creates a problem of qualitative selection, which requires additional time. The abundance of unreliable, fake information requires its careful verification. Public morals are the most important element of academic literacy, but there are virtually no filters in the Internet that block immoral information, cruelty, Internet trolling. As a result, learning by processing Internet information makes the process of creating academic literacy much more challenging and complex.
Keywords: information age, information, digital technologies, academic literacy
Challenges and Prospects for Digitizing the Social Service Providers' Activities
Authors: Gasumova S.E.
Published: January 2021

This article presents the author’s definitions of “digitization of social service provision” and “digitization of social services” concepts and identifies the difference between them. It presents the results of an interview with 18 experts — the heads of institutions and organizations of social service provision implementing the rehabilitation of disabled people in Perm region. The research was conducted in 2019 and sought to identify problems and prospects for the digitization of the social services sphere. Interviewees rated their satisfaction regarding the convenience and time cost of automated systems that are currently being used in their organizations; characterized their needs in introducing various innovative interactive services, mobile applications, and other digital software; and expressed their attitude to various innovations. Social innovations were developed by the researchers and offered to experts by interviewers (for example, services for assessing the quality of work of specialists by service users, quick selection of the right social service, filing a complaint, referring a citizen to another organization, counseling in video mode, electronic appointment service, etc.). The research has shown how innovations can improve the performance of social service providers’ work and the quality of their interactions with citizens, which will ultimately increase the satisfaction of social service users and will positively affect the level of social well-being in society as a whole. A number of problems have been identified that currently impede the development of digitization: they are related to staff resources, the level of computerization, the lack of motivation among managers and personnel of social service organizations to implement innovative IT, and a certain distrust that such technologies can facilitate the activities of the organization and increase its effectiveness.
Keywords: digitization, social service provision, social services, social institutions, social work
BRICS Countries Education Export: Challenges and Forecasts
Authors: Gorelova G.G. , Shibanova E.K. , Nechaeva S.V. , Zakharova T.N.
Published: January 2021

The purpose of this research is to study how the BRICS countries can ensure the active involvement of foreign citizens from partner countries, taking into account the territorial and sectoral segments of the world market. The work relies on expert panels, aimed at reducing initially differing points of view of experts from different countries to more consistent provisions. This method allowed us to record changes in the observed values, characteristics, to study the dynamics of the development of processes in the field of education export. Export of education allows an increasing the number of foreign citizens to study in higher education institutions in BRICS states. Based on the factor analysis of the national education systems of the BRICS countries in terms of tasks and forecasts, a matrix of requests from scientific fields is compiled and recommendations are made.
Keywords: national education systems, export education