Children and adolescents diagnosed with cancer often experience psychological distress, encompassing anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This study aimed to evaluate the ...prevalence of these conditions among Omani children and adolescents diagnosed with cancer, alongside identifying contributing factors.
A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted from October 2021 to June 2023 among a cohort of Omani children and adolescents (6-18 years old) diagnosed with cancer at three primary cancer referral centres in Oman. Validated Arabic-language versions of the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders, the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale for Children, and the Impact of Event Scale-Revised instruments were used to assess symptoms of anxiety, depression, and PTSD, respectively. An initial assessment (T1) was undertaken within the first 3 months of diagnosis, followed by a second assessment (T2) 3-6 months later.
Of 113 eligible participants, 101 agreed to participate in the study (response rate: 95.6%), with 92 (91.0%) completing both assessments and included in the final analysis. Prevalence rates of anxiety, depression, and PTSD decreased from 43.5%, 56.5%, and 32.6%, respectively, at T1, to 38.0%, 35.9%, and 23.9% at T2. All average scores were below diagnostic cut-off points, except for the depression score at T1. Anxiety and depression scores decreased significantly (p = 0.043 and 0.001, respectively) between T1 and T2, as did the overall prevalence of depression (p = 0.004). At T1, linear regression analysis showed significant correlations between anxiety scores and the child's age and PTSD score (p < 0.05); these variables were also correlated with depression scores (p ≤ 0.001). At T2, significant correlations were observed between anxiety scores and the child's age and PTSD scores (p < 0.001). At both T1 and T2, anxiety, depression, and PTSD scores remained significantly correlated (p < 0.001).
Omani children and adolescents recently diagnosed with cancer exhibit a high prevalence of anxiety, depression, and PTSD over time. Age-appropriate communication, ongoing support, and mental health services are recommended to help this patient group cope with their diagnosis and manage their emotional wellbeing. There is a need for future research to determine the effectiveness of specific psychological interventions in reducing the frequency of these disorders.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
A series of five new fluorescent dyes of naphthalene based 2-pyrazoline derivatives with different electron donating/withdrawing substituents at para position of N1 phenyl group were synthesized and ...their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods and elemental analysis. The absorption and fluorescence properties of the new fluorescent dyes were studied using steady state and time-resolved techniques. Comparison of the spectroscopic properties of the five derivatives with different electron donating and withdrawing groups in dichloromethane revealed little influence of substituents on absorption spectra. However, the fluorescence spectra of these molecules have been greatly affected. Time-resolved measurements were performed and two lifetimes were obtained. The mean lifetimes for the pyrazolines containing donor groups were found to be higher than those with withdrawing groups. For all compounds, the ground state geometry was optimized in gaseous phase and in dichloromethane using density functional theory (DFT) at B3LYP/6–31G(d) level of theory to obtain frontier molecular orbitals, energy gap and dipole moments. The optimized excited state geometries using TD-DFT at the same level of theory was used to predict absorption and emission energies. HOMO and LUMO energies were also calculated using cyclic voltammetry and were found to have good agreement with those obtained by theoretical calculations. The reorganizational energies calculated theoretically suggest that these compounds can act as good electron and hole transport materials.
A new member of the pyrazoline family, 3‐naphthyl‐1‐(4‐trifluoromethyl)‐5‐(4‐carboxy phenyl)‐2‐pyrazoline has been evaluated as a precolumn derivatization reagent for the analysis of primary alcohols ...using HPLC. The simultaneous separation of eight alcohol derivatives (C1–C8) within 15 min was achieved on a reverse‐phase C8 column with an isocratic elution mode. The derivatives were detected with fluorescence at an emission wavelength of 470 nm when excited at 360 nm. The identification of the corresponding derivatives was carried out by LC–MS/MS and all showed their characteristic parent peak in negative ion mode. The proposed method was validated using normal analytical tools and was found to be excellent. As a preliminary application, our method was used to determine ethanol concentration in alcohol‐containing chocolates and cough syrup.
Mercaptopurine (6MP) and methotrexate are the cornerstones of maintenance therapy in pediatric patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. However, although bone marrow suppression and liver ...dysfunction are common side effects of these antimetabolites, 6MP-induced hypoglycemia during the maintenance phase is rare. Guidelines and international protocols are well established for the management of bone marrow suppression and liver dysfunction, but promptly identifying 6MP-induced hypoglycemia is the key to its control. Here we report 2 cases of leukemia that developed hypoglycemia during the maintenance phase. Both patients were boys younger than 6 years of age and both suffered symptomatic morning hypoglycemia induced by 6MP (which was diagnosed after excluding all other possible causes). Successful management included changing the time of 6MP administration from evening to morning. Other management options are also discussed.
The solvatochromic behavior of four 1-phenyl-3-naphthyl-5-(4-ethylbenzoate)-2-pyrazoline with various electron donating and withdrawing substituents on N1-phenyl group were investigated in nonpolar, ...polar aprotic and protic solvents experimentally and theoretically. The photophysical behavior of pyrazoline in solvents was attributed to the intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) of the compound along with the specific and non-specific interactions with the solvent molecules. On view of the effect of different types of interactions on the optical properties, the Stokes shift of each compound in various solvents was correlated to various parameters such as orientation polarity parameter (Δƒ), microscopic solvent polarity parameter (ET 30), and linear solvation regression of the absorption and emission with specific and non-specific types of interaction. The dipole moments of these compounds in the ground and excited state were also explored and compared using different methods, and the results showed greater stabilization of the studied pyrazoline molecules in the excited state. The DFT and TDDFT calculations supported and explained the experimental data, by obtaining the absorption and emission energies, HOMO/LUMO energies and the dipole moments for each compound in various solvents. Analysis of electron-hole distribution suggests that the intense fluorescent of these molecules originates from a hybrid local excitation charge-transfer state (HLCT).
•Solvent effects is significant on fluorescence of pyrazolines with phenyl substituents on N1.•Theoretical calculations reveal the presence of hybridized local excitation charge-transfer (HLCT).•Higher charge transfer component in HLCT was for PZ with electron rich substituents at N1.•DFT and TD-DFT calculations show a large increase in excited state dipole moment.
In March 2020, WHO announced Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak a global pandemic. During this pandemic, patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) have been placed in the "high-risk" category ...of the population. Although there are numerous publications describing COVID-19 in adult patients, pediatric data are still limited.
Herein, we report case series of 5 sickle cell disease Omani children who got infected with COVID-19; illustrating their different ways of presentation, management and highlighting the outcomes.
Although SCD patients are considered as a high-risk group, all of the observed patients, and whose cases are reported here, have recovered. A large scale of SCD cases should be studied to reach more conclusive results.
Application of 3-Naphthyl-1-(4-trifluoromethyl)-5-(4-carboxy phenyl)-2-pyrazoline (NFCP) as a novel fluorigenic label for the derivatization of biogenic amines (BAs) and separation by liquid ...chromatography (LC) was investigated. Optimum conditions for the pre-column derivatization and chromatographic separation were investigated. The resulting derivatives are fluorescent at λex/λem: 380/460 nm. For the sake of evaluating the efficacy of the proposed analysis of BAs of different nature, the formation of nine NFCP-BAs derivatives was tested individually. Simultaneous derivatization and separation of four BAs (histamine, tyramine, tryptamine, and phenylethylamine) were achieved under the isocratic elution mode. Furthermore, the derivatives were identified by the characteristic product ion obtained during LC-MS/MS analysis. The viability of the method was established by measuring levels of histamine in fresh and spoiled fish samples. Histamine concentrations were found to be 0.4 µgg-1 and 4.1 µgg-1 in fresh and spoiled tuna fish samples respectively. As a simple, reliable, and sensitive pre-column derivatization method, this work provides for future research to develop a novel HPLC method for the analysis of BAs from food samples such as fish and various other matrices by utilizing the new pyrazoline compound.
Primary malignant liver tumours account for more than 1% of all paediatric malignancies, with the most common form being hepatoblastomas (HB). Such malignancies among Arab populations have rarely ...been addressed in the literature. Using data from Oman's sole national referral centre for childhood solid malignancies, this study aimed to present the nationwide Omani experience with HB over the past 21 years.
This retrospective study reviewed the medical records of all children with HB who were managed in the Royal Hospital, Muscat, Oman, between January 1991 and April 2012. Clinical, radiological and laboratory characteristics were examined as well as treatments and outcomes.
During the study period, 15 patients with HB were treated. Of these, 10 have survived to date. Nine of the survivors were no longer receiving treatment and one patient still had the disease but was in a stable condition. Of the remaining five patients, three did not survive and two were lost to follow-up. The survival rate among patients who completed therapy was 91%.
HB has an excellent prognosis in Oman. The main obstacle to improving outcomes among Omani patients is non-compliance with therapy.
In an attempt to analyze polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in diesel contaminated underground water in Oman (Rustaq), Gas chromatography-Mass spectrometry was first used to determine the ...different concentrations in a standard mixture containing 16 PAHs. Retention time and calibration curves were obtained for all aromatic compounds and were used to identify a given analyte as well as its concentration in the contaminated underground water. Micellar enhanced ultrafiltration (MEUF) was then used to treat standard aqueous solution of PAHs at low concentration (~ 1 ppb) using an edible nonionic surfactant (Tween 80). The totality of the mixture components was completely rejected. Within the experimental detection limit (± 0.01 ppb), the residual PAH concentrations were less than 0.01 ppb in accord with the allowed concentrations in drinking water. Likewise, excellent rejections of PAHs in MEUF treatment of diesel contaminated underground water at an Omani site (Rustaq) were observed. The concentration of PAHs was reduced to less than 0.01 ppb, the accepted limit for the most toxic member of the PAH group (benzo(a)pyrene).
Hepatoblastomas in Oman Al-Ghaithi , Ibrahim; El-Banna , Nagwa; Rabah , Fatma ...
Sultan Qaboos University medical journal,
01/2015, Letnik:
15, Številka:
1
Journal Article
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