•Only 56% of Arab parents plan to vaccinate their children, indicating that there are still some reservations among them.•Many parents are reluctant to vaccinate their children because of the ...vaccine's side effects, efficacy, safety, and scheduling difficulties.•Parents were encouraged to vaccinate their children through a doctor's advice, enough information, public acceptance of the vaccine, and a school district's obligation, among other methods.
The issue around vaccination of children has brought divergent opinions among the populations across the globe and among the Arab population. There has been a low response rate to the calls for vaccination of children and this is reflective of the sentiments which parents may have towards their children being vaccinated. This study aims to explore the parents’ health beliefs, intentions, and strategies towards the COVID-19 vaccine for their children among Arab population.
A cross-sectional study using an online survey from October to December 2021, was carried out in five Arab countries in the Middle East. A reliable health belief model (HBM) including five domains: severity, susceptibility, benefits, barriers and cues to action, was adopted. Chi-square, Mann–Whitney test, and multivariable logistic regression were performed for data analysis.
The survey response rate was 58 % (1154/2000). Only 56 % of Arab parents are intended to vaccinate their children against COVID-19. The mean scores of parental health belief are largely driven by their concern over the vaccine’s side effect (p = 0.001) followed by its efficacy, safety (p < 0.001), and scheduling difficulty (p = 0.029). However, strategies that were statistically encouraged parents to vaccinate their children included doctor’s recommendation, adequate information being provided, and acceptance of the vaccine by public (p < 0.001). Parents with one child were almost three times most likely to vaccinate their children (OR = 2.660, 95 %CI = 1.572–4.504, p < 0.001). Parents' desire to vaccinate their children is also influenced by other factors such as job loss owing to COVID-19 and the presence of a health worker in the family.
Intention of Arab parents to vaccinate their children via COVID-19 vaccine is still limited. Thus, it is essential for health care authorities to avail the information which will debunk the erroneous beliefs which some parents have developed towards the vaccination of children against COVID-19.
The SEIQHR model, introduced in this study, serves as a valuable tool for anticipating the emergence of various infectious diseases, such as COVID-19 and illnesses transmitted by insects. An analysis ...of the model’s qualitative features was conducted, encompassing the computation of the fundamental reproduction number, R0. It was observed that the disease-free equilibrium point remains singular and locally asymptotically stable when R0<1, while the endemic equilibrium point exhibits uniqueness when R0>1. Additionally, specific conditions were outlined to guarantee the local asymptotic stability of both equilibrium points. Employing numerical simulations, the graphical representation illustrated the influence of model parameters on disease dynamics and the potential for its eradication across different noninteger orders of the Caputo derivative. In essence, the adoption of a fractional epidemic model contributes to a deeper comprehension and enhanced biological insights into the dynamics of diseases.
The world suffers from the acute respiratory syndrome COVID-19 pandemic, which will be scary if other co-existing illnesses exacerbate it. The co-occurrence of the COVID-19 virus with kidney disease ...has not been available in the literature. So, further research needs to be conducted to reveal the transmission dynamics of COVID-19 and kidney disease. This study aims to create mathematical models to understand how COVID-19 interacts with kidney diseases in specific populations. Therefore, the initial step was to formulate a deterministic Susceptible-Infected-Recovered (SIR) mathematical model to depict the co-infection dynamics of COVID-19 and kidney disease. A mathematical model with seven compartments has been developed using nonlinear ordinary differential equations. This model incorporates the invariant region, disease-free and endemic equilibrium, along with the positivity solution. The basic reproduction number, calculated via the next-generation matrix, allows us to assess the stability of the equilibrium. Sensitivity analysis is also utilised to understand the influence of each parameter on disease spread or containment. The results show that a surge in COVID-19 infection rates and the existence of kidney disease significantly enhances the co-infection risks. Numerical simulations further clarify the potential outcomes of treating COVID-19 alone, kidney disease alone, and co-infected cases. The study of the potential model can be utilised to maximise the benefits of simulation to minimise the global health complexity of COVID-19 and kidney disease.
A complicated chinese herbal medicine nephrotoxicity Omer Mohamed, Haider Ali; Osman, Osama Mirghani; Ali, Husaam Haider ...
Saudi journal of kidney diseases and transplantation,
03/2020, Letnik:
31, Številka:
2
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Chinese herbal medicine is widely used globally. In many instances, it is associated with severe adverse outcomes. We report case of a Chinese herbal nephropathy occurring in a 43-year-old woman ...showing renal impairment, metabolic acidosis, Stokes - Adams syndrome, hypernatremia, and hypokalemia, characteristics not usually encountered in published cases.
Highlights • Thymic B cells in the condition of our experiments did not influence the generation of nTregs, but rather maintain their viability when activated by both activators. • Activated thymic B ...cells maintained the high percentage of nTreg generation or counteracted the decrease of this percentage observed in non-activated culture. • Both activators (LPS and IMQ) have the same effect in the process of nTreg generation by B cells. • The percentage of B cells was strongly increased in the conditions of our experiments\72 h in LPS and IMQ-supplemented medium.
In the present work, boron nitride (BN) nanosheets were prepared through bulk BN liquid phase exfoliation while various wt. ratios (2.5, 5, 7.5 and 10) of bismuth (Bi) were incorporated as dopant ...using hydrothermal technique. Our findings exhibit that the optical investigation showed absorption spectra in near UV region. Density functional theory calculations indicate that Bi doping has led to various modifications in the electronic structures of BN nanosheet by inducing new localized gap states around the Fermi level. It was found that bandgap energy decrease with the increase of Bi dopant concentrations. Therefore, in analysis of the calculated absorption spectra, a redshift has been observed in the absorption edges, which is consistent with the experimental observation. Additionally, host and Bi-doped BN nanosheets were assessed for their catalytic and antibacterial potential. Catalytic activity of doped free and doped BN nanosheets was evaluated by assessing their performance in dye reduction/degradation process. Bactericidal activity of Bi-doped BN nanosheets resulted in enhanced efficiency measured at 0–33.8% and 43.4–60% against
S. aureus
and 0–38.8% and 50.5–85.8% against
E. coli
, respectively. Furthermore, In silico molecular docking predictions were in good agreement with in-vitro bactericidal activity. Bi-doped BN nanosheets showed good binding score against DHFR of
E. coli
(− 11.971 kcal/mol) and
S. aureus
(− 8.526 kcal/mol) while binding score for DNA gyrase from
E. coli
(− 6.782 kcal/mol) and
S. aureus
(− 7.819 kcal/mol) suggested these selected enzymes as possible target.
Artificial intelligence models, like ChatGPT, have the potential to revolutionize higher education when implemented properly. This study aimed to investigate the factors influencing university ...students' attitudes and usage of ChatGPT in Arab countries. The survey instrument "TAME-ChatGPT" was administered to 2240 participants from Iraq, Kuwait, Egypt, Lebanon, and Jordan. Of those, 46.8% heard of ChatGPT, and 52.6% used it before the study. The results indicated that a positive attitude and usage of ChatGPT were determined by factors like ease of use, positive attitude towards technology, social influence, perceived usefulness, behavioral/cognitive influences, low perceived risks, and low anxiety. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated the adequacy of the "TAME-ChatGPT" constructs. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that the attitude towards ChatGPT usage was significantly influenced by country of residence, age, university type, and recent academic performance. This study validated "TAME-ChatGPT" as a useful tool for assessing ChatGPT adoption among university students. The successful integration of ChatGPT in higher education relies on the perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, positive attitude towards technology, social influence, behavioral/cognitive elements, low anxiety, and minimal perceived risks. Policies for ChatGPT adoption in higher education should be tailored to individual contexts, considering the variations in student attitudes observed in this study.
Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are crucial for any economy to grow and succeed, as evidenced in the Pakistani context, where SMEs contribute 30% of the country’s GDP. The objective of this study ...is to link green servant leadership (GSL) to the pro-environmental behaviour (PEB) of employees, particularly in SMEs, which very few studies have investigated. Building on social learning theory (SLT), this study developed and tested the conceptual framework that examines the impact of GSL on PEB and the mediating role of environmental passion (EP) and climate for green creativity (CFGC) among employees of SMEs. Data were collected from 460 middle-line managers, and a structural equation modelling (SEM) technique was applied to test hypotheses. The main findings revealed that GSL is impacted by the PEB, while EP and CFGC mediated these relations. The study findings demonstrated that a GSL with strong practices and values towards the environment could have a significant impact on employees’ PEB. This study fills the research gaps in different ways: First, by identifying the role of GSL on the PEB of employees. Second, by examining the dual-mediation mechanism of EP and CFGC between GSL and PEB. Third, this study is focused on the economic context of a developing country. The study offers guidelines for establishing PEB in SMEs. Multiple training programmes and effective planning procedures can achieve this milestone. The administration of SMEs should also give special consideration to pro-environmental issues in its hiring and recruitment practices for managers and leaders.
Abstract
The success of Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) therapy in movement disorders is highly reliant on the number of electric charges delivered to the brain through the implanted contact electrodes. ...A high electrode impedance will count the flow of these changes, affecting the clinical benefit of the treatment. DBS patients show impedance variation, and many of them lose therapeutic benefits after a while because of high impedance. The aim of study is to reveal the effect of long-term electric stimulation on the impedance of the electrical electrodes of DBS lead contacts in vitro. This study is conducted from March 2019 to November 2019 in the Department of Physiology and Medical Physics at the College of Medicine, Al-Nahrain University. The electric impedance of DBS electrodes is measured regularly for nine months in vitro. These measurements are conducted using two pairs of lead DBS electrodes: one inserted in normal saline impregnated with a carbidopa-levodopa pill and activated by a DBS electric pulses generator, and another pair as the control without stimulation. The recorded data shows an increase in the impedance of DBS electrodes over long-term electric stimulation and reversing the polarity of the stimulation may cause the impedance of the electrodes to decrease.
Abstract
Background
Previous qualitative studies exploring the experiences of community pharmacists (CP) in implementing weight management services (WMS) often lack a theoretical underpinning. This ...study applied the capability, opportunity, motivation, behaviour (COM-B) model to factors associated with WMS implementation among CPs to develop and recommend better intervention strategies.
Methods
A qualitative study design was used by conducting in-depth, semi-structured interviews with CPs. All the interviews were audio-recorded and duly transcribed. The thematic analysis approach was used to analyse the data, and the themes generated were mapped onto COM-B model components.
Results
The themes that emerged were (1) motivation of pharmacists and (2) knowledge and skills, which were identified as both barriers and facilitators, and (3) the barriers to implementation in aspects of social norms and resources. Factors were subsequently categorised into the subcomponents of the model: physical capability (e.g., training), psychological capability (e.g., lack of knowledge), physical opportunity (e.g., product range), social opportunity (e.g., stigma), automatic motivation (e.g., remuneration) and reflective motivation (e.g., CPs extended roles).
Conclusions
In conclusion, programs or training For Cps should develop their psychological capability to change their behaviour by being more proactive in promoting and providing weight management services, with a vital educational component. This behavioural change will improve the promotion of this service and will help many customers who were unaware of this service. Learning opportunities will leave CPs to feel more empowered and overcome barriers to implementing and maintaining WMS in primary care. The study findings provided essential insights into the factors that affect this provided service in Malaysia. The results will help to encourage the embedding of nutrition counselling in academic curricula.
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