Background: After the widespread of COVID-19 around the globe, it was imperative to establish preventative measures to restrict the virus's transmission and enable clinicians to remotely monitor ...patients' status and avoid direct contact with them. The purpose of this research was to present an overview of the awareness, knowledge, attitude, and abilities of Syrian physicians about telemedicine technology. Methods: An online cross-sectional study was conducted from 1 April to 15 May, 2022 to assess Syrian doctors' awareness, knowledge, attitude, and skills towards telemedicine. The questionnaire was taken from published study, and the inclusion criteria consist the Syrian doctors who worked in hospitals during the COVID19 pandemic, mainly those who had direct contact with patients. Data were analyzed using descriptive and multivariate logistic regression analysis in IBM, SPSS V. 28.0. Results: Among 385 responses, 52.72% of them were females, 83.9% of them were aged less than 30 years old, and 66% were working in the governmental sector. 66% of participants have moderate knowledge about using computers and the internet, 80% have heard about telemedicine. Despite that, 95.1% of participants have not attended any training workshop on telemedicine, and most of them have reported no availability of a telemedicine unit in their department. Only 31.7% participants have shown high awareness of telemedicine. Furthermore, no significant correlation was identified between the academic level with the age and telemedicine awareness, knowledge, attitude, or computer skills. Despite that, there was an obvious correlation between age and computer skills (P Value<0.05). There was a significant correlation between the medical specialty and awareness, and computer abilities, especially the anesthesiology (88.5±5.2), (84±8.7) respectively. Conclusion: The study results demonstrate that most of the participating clinical doctors have a neutral view of telemedicine, even though they don't know much about it and don't have considerable experience with it. It is practical to educate and train academic staff, practicing physicians, residents and medical students within the clinical stages about telemedicine.
Background: Diabetes and hypertension are the two most common types of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) impacting people globally. There is no prior research on the Syrian population's knowledge and ...treatment of hypertension and diabetes, so it is crucial to assess how the Syrian population acknowledges and perceives these illnesses. This research intends to assess the level of hypertension and diabetes-related awareness, knowledge, attitude, and practices among Syrian individuals.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between 1 August and 25 August 2022 to assess adult awareness, knowledge, attitude, and behavior about hypertension and diabetes. The questionnaire for the study was developed based on previous research, and the inclusion criteria for the sample were Syrian residents older than 18 who presently live in Syria. On the questionnaire, there were four sections: sociodemographics information, WHO STEPS survey instrument on knowledge of and lifestyle determinants for hypertension and diabetes, respondents' knowledge of and comprehension of hypertension and diabetes, and respondents' awareness of these disorders.
Results: Among 976 participants, (65.8%) were females. Participants reported hypertension caused by (90.1%) stress, (78.2%) old age, (69%) anxiety, and (38.6%) drug usage. High salt consumption (87%), genetics (82.1%), and obesity (78%) are all risk factors for hypertension. In addition, minimizing salt consumption (92.4%), regular exercise (87.2%), and avoiding anxiety (85%) are preventative measures for hypertension. Participant answers to hypertension consequences were (75.8%) foot ulcer and (74%) eyesight loss. Primary and middle school educational status participants had greater hypertension knowledge (92.3%) than other educational levels. Alcohol use was linked to hypertension knowledge (P < 0.05). Participants whose lifestyles did not include alcohol use had a higher hypertension knowledge level (90.3%). Participants with a family history of diabetes have a greater knowledge of hypertension (92%) than those without (66.9%). Almost age groups have shown good knowledge of diabetes, especially participants aged above 55 (93.8%). However, most individuals have examined blood pressure (82.3%), whereas fewer than half had screened for blood sugar (64.4%). 82.2% of individuals check their blood pressure frequently, whereas 6.2% monitor their blood sugar. Men have a higher hypertension knowledge than females (mean=8.39, SD=2.02), P-value< 0.05, and knowledge of hypertension among participants was shown to be higher among those in good income status than other economic levels (mean=8.34, SD=1.98), P-value< 0.05. Participants between the ages of 40 and 55 showed better knowledge of diabetes compared to other age groups (mean=11.32, SD=2.54), P-value< 0.05; as well, men demonstrated greater knowledge of diabetes than females (mean=10.76, SD=2.79), P-value< 0.05.
Conclusion: Our results demonstrated that the Syrian population has a good to moderate understanding of hypertension and diabetes. However, there is still a shortage of standardized, regular screening practices. Since individuals remain involved in unhealthy lifestyle habits, it is vital to provide accurate information about hypertension and diabetes.
The site Nadaouiyeh Aïn Askar, an ancient artesian spring near the village of El Kowm, Central Syria, is an example of long lasting human occupation in a desert environment throughout the Middle and ...Late Pleistocene. The excavations expose a succession of sedimentary units, containing an artifact assemblage assigned to the Acheulean techno-complex. Unit VI, attributed to the Marine Isotope Stage 13, is rich in ostracod valves and was chosen for the present environmental study. From these sediments Heterocypris salina, H. incongruens, Cyprideis torosa, Ilyocypris cf. bradyi, I. inermis, I. cf. gibba, Darwinula stevensoni, Plesiocypridopsis newtoni, Pseudocandona compressa, Candona cf. neglecta, Pseudocandona sp., Trajancypris sp., Physocypria sp. and Mixtacandona sp. are documented for the first time in the Middle Pleistocene of the arid environment of central Syria. Data from these microfossils as well as geochemical proxies implicate three phases, turning the wetland from a palustrine setting into a spring supplied pond with increasing salinity. The high mineralization of the spring waters enables a discussion about early hominin adaptability to brackish waters as drinking water resources, common within the steppe and desert environments along the “out-of-Africa”—corridor in the eastern Mediterranean.
•First Middle Pleistocene terrestrial ostracod record of Syria is presented.•Ostracods show the ecology of a wetland in a desert environment during MIS 13.•Fossil aquatic microfauna indicates high fluctuations in palaeohydrochemistry.•Microfossils implicate an early human adaptability to brackish drinking water.
This paper examines the impact of a shift in focus from political praxis to trauma work in the context of a failed democratisation movement. It investigates the various phenomena which emerge when ...intellectuals, under the traumatic impact of violence and atrocities, place trauma narration at the core of their interventions. Drawing on document analysis, participant observation and semi-structured interviews with twenty nine exiled Syrian intellectuals in Paris and Berlin who had participated in the revolutionary movement of 2011, the paper suggests that an inversion of the normative power structures pertaining to how intellectuals relate to their publics occurs when they adopt, under conditions of extreme violence and trauma, what we call a radically embedded positionality vis-à-vis ‘the people’. This results in the dismantling of previous figurations of the ‘militant intellectual’ along with praxis-focused notions of the ‘responsibility of intellectuals’, ultimately undermining their ideational influence upon domestic publics and weakening their political impact and critical role within a revolutionary movement.
Timely transfusion of blood products is crucial, particularly in critical medical situations. Inadequate blood donation rates pose a significant threat to public health, potentially compromising ...patient care. This study aims to investigate the attitudes and willingness of Syrian college students to engage in blood donation, assess the prevalence of voluntary blood donation, evaluate their understanding of the determinants and procedures involved in the donation process, and identify the key factors influencing their behavior. A cross-sectional study was conducted employing a self-administered questionnaire, distributed in both electronic and hard copy formats among college students. Data analysis was performed using the R Statistical Software. Results were presented in terms of odds ratios (OR), with statistical significance defined at a P value of .05 and a 95% confidence interval. A total of 673 medical students participated in this study, with an average age of 21.6 years. The majority (59.2%) reported a good economic status, and a high level of knowledge (99.7%). A substantial proportion (40.4%) agreed with the notion that blood donation constitutes a personal duty for every eligible individual. Multiple comparison tests revealed a statistically significant P value of .0009716, specifically concerning individuals with low economic status. Our study demonstrates a positive attitude among college students towards voluntary blood product donation. However, the majority have not engaged in voluntary activities unless mandated for specific certification purposes. Donation rates were relatively higher than the reported rates in other similar studies conducted in Middle Eastern countries.
In the mid-fourteenth century BCE, two kings ruled in Hatti – Tudhaliya II and Šuppiluliuma I. During this period, Hatti was fraught with political turmoil and instability. It began with the ...destruction of Hattuša, and ended with a glorious military campaign, in which a large part of Syria was conquered, and the foundation laid for a strong and prosperous kingdom. Many studies have dealt with this epoch, since it parallels the el-Amarna period, however, its Hittite aspect has been comparatively overlooked. That, coupled with the discovery of several new sources for this period, provided the impetus for my research on this era. This volume sets out to identify important historical events that occurred during the protagonists' reign, to verify them and examine their details, and then offers a synchronization of the Egyptian and Hittite chronologies.
For those fleeing violent political conflict home-country politics may be uniquely challenging. Given the high stakes which refugees are more likely to engage in home country politics? This article ...focuses on two sets of factors: experiences of hardship in the context of emigration, transiting and settling to their destination country; and the ongoing social ties to family and friends left behind. For our analysis, we draw on a recently collected nationally representative survey of Syrian refugees in Canada (N = 1974). We find that among those resettled in Canada, experiences of hardships in Syria and while in transit in their interim country are associated with less engagement in the political affairs of Syria. On the other hand, those who have a harder time settling into life in Canada also tend to remain more interested in home-country politics. In contrast to some findings in research on labour migrants, those who maintain close personal ties to friends and family back in Syria remain more engaged with politics. Together, the findings highlight the unique pressures refugees face and the role these pressures may have on continued interest in the political affairs of their home country after migrating.
In 2015 the unprecedented arrival of refugees in Europe posed serious challenges for the EU and its member countries on how to deal with such an influx. A key element in better managing refugee flows ...is to understand what drives these flows in a certain direction. A refugee who comes to Europe has to make trade-offs in terms of cost and benefits, duration, uncertainty and the multi-staged character of the journey. Real options models are a suitable tool for modelling these kind of decision dynamics. On the basis of a case-study, that compares three routes from Syria to Europe, we demonstrate how well the real options analysis is in line with the development of the refugee flows.
Hasenstab discusses his observations and experiences in managing security during an earthquake relief operation in Syria. He states that he works as a Regional Security Coordinator for the ...International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in the Middle East and North Africa region. He highlights the importance of effective security management in humanitarian operations and provides insights into the challenges faced in ensuring the safety and security of humanitarian workers and beneficiaries in conflict zones. He emphasizes the need for pre-deployment security training and the development of strategies to mitigate risks and enhance the effectiveness of humanitarian operations.
While scholars have focused on rebel governance in Syria and elsewhere, other forms of governance have been neglected. This article explores the local council established in the rebel-held city of ...Daraya, Syria. It informs the fields of rebel governance and civil resistance, specifically wartime order, during civil wars and proposes that the forms and practices of local governance in Daraya exhibited a type of governance best labelled as 'civilocracy'. In contrast to councils in other opposition-held parts of Syria, the council was established and led by civilians who welcomed rebels to work with them. Based on findings from in-depth, semi-structured interviews with former council members, the article finds that four factors were crucial for this form of governance to emerge and to endure. Key wartime events - a massacre and a siege -, earlier experiences of nonviolent activists, local ties, and the creation of a military office created a space for the maintenance of civil-led order. Daraya offers a fascinating example of how community's norms affected how rebel governance was created and maintained. This research introduces a new concept to explain wartime order and encourages researchers to find causal explanations for the emergence of this particular governance form in other conflicts.
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