Protective effect of sterubin against neurochemical and behavioral impairments in rotenone-induced Parkinson's disease

This study was conducted to evaluate how sterubin affects rotenone-induced Parkinson's disease (PD) in rats. A total of 24 rats were distributed into 4 equal groups: normal saline control and rotenone control were administered saline or rotenone (ROT), respectively, orally; sterubin 10 received ROT + sterubin 10 mg/kg po; and sterubin alone was administered to the test group (10 mg/kg). Rats of the normal saline and sterubin alone groups received sunflower oil injection (sc) daily, 1 h after receiving the treatments cited above, while rats of the other groups received rotenone injection (0.5 mg/kg, sc). The treatment was continued over the course of 28 days daily. On the 29th day, catalepsy and akinesia were assessed. The rats were then euthanized, and the brain was extracted for estimation of endogenous antioxidants (MDA: malondialdehyde, GSH: reduced glutathione, CAT: catalase, SOD: superoxide dismutase), nitrative (nitrite) stress markers, neuroinflammatory cytokines, and neurotransmitter levels and their metabolites (3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), dopamine (DA), norepinephrine (NE), serotonin (5-HT), 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), and homovanillic acid (HVA)). Akinesia and catatonia caused by ROT reduced the levels of endogenous antioxidants (GSH, CAT, and SOD), elevated the MDA level, and altered the levels of nitrites, neurotransmitters, and their metabolites. Sterubin restored the neurobehavioral deficits, oxidative stress, and metabolites of altered neurotransmitters caused by ROT. Results demonstrated the anti-Parkinson's activities of sterubin in ROT-treated rats.

Coping strategies of Filipino mothers of children with congenital heart disease in a Tertiary Hospital in the Philippines

Background and Objective@#Mothers play a significant role as primary caregivers for children with congenital heart disease (CHD) within the family. Given the complex health needs of children with CHD, coping strategies are needed to deal with the challenges associated with caring for their children with the condition. Coping mechanisms encompass fostering resilience, seeking support, and maintaining a positive outlook to navigate stress, uncertainty, and obstacles throughout their child's medical journey with CHD. The objective of this study is to explore the coping strategies employed by mothers of children diagnosed with CHD in a tertiary hospital in the Philippines. @*Methods@#Employing a descriptive qualitative study design, data was gathered through key informant interviews utilizing a semi-structured topic guide, which aimed to explore the perspectives and experiences of mothers with children with CHDs. Ethical approval was obtained, and data collection occurred from January to March 2016. Interview transcripts were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and underwent content analysis. Themes derived from the analysis were then validated and confirmed by the study participants. @*Results@#A total of 11 mothers voluntarily participated in the study. These participants expressed utilizing various coping strategies to manage their child's condition, including seeking assistance from both physicians and traditional healers, advocating for their children, receiving support from their family and friends, regulation of emotion, and prayer and faith in God. @*Conclusion@#This study sheds light on the coping mechanisms used by mothers in raising thier children with CHD, highlighting the value of spirituality and psychological support in their journey. Enhancing assistance for impacted families and advancing genetic counseling services are two benefits of incorporating these findings into healthcare practice.

Social media content analysis of public and private Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency facebook groups

Background@#As social media continue to grow as popular and convenient tools for acquiring and disseminating health information, the need to investigate its utilization by laypersons encountering common medical issues becomes increasingly essential. @*Objectives@#This study aimed to analyze the content posted in Facebook groups for Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency and how these engage the members of the group. @*Methods@#This study employed an inductive content analysis of user-posted content in both public and private Facebook groups catering specifically to G6PD deficiency. The G6PD Facebook groups with 10 or more posts within the past 12 months were selected for this study. Data were harvested from posts and comments using ExportComment. @*Results@#A total of 46 G6PD-related Facebook groups were identified. Of which, 19 were public and 27 were private groups, with an average membership of 5000-6000 accounts. After eligibility based on criteria and authorization for private groups, 3 public and 3 private groups were included, with the majority of these groups focused on sharing information. Five main themes of posted content were identified: diagnosis, management, beliefs, psychosocial factors, and medical requirements. “Diagnosis”-related posts referred to conversations about the causes and symptoms of G6PD, “management” referred to medication or diet, “beliefs” involved traditional or lay perceptions, “psychosocial factors” referred to posts that disclosed how psychosocial factors influenced G6PD deficiency practices, and “medical requirements” referred to documentation regarding the condition. The bulk of these posts used three strategies for communication: information-requesting, self-disclosure, and promotion of products/services. Information requests were the most common. @*Conclusion@#The results of the study showed opportunities and challenges in health education on G6PD, especially in evaluating the credibility and accuracy of the information given and received. Looking at the content and manner of communicating information noted, the newborn screening program may improve its advocacy and education campaign, and may develop targeted educational materials and effective dissemination strategies that could clarify, explain, or refute information and beliefs mostly shared on these platforms.

Efficacy of current vaccines against recently isolated foot and mouth disease virus type A South America (Venezuela) in Egypt 2022

Foot and mouth disease is a highly contagious viral disease that poses a significant economic threat to cloven-hoofed animals, including cattle and sheep. The emergence of a novel foot and mouth disease virus-A isolate, FMDV-A-Egy-AHRI-RL385-Ven-2022, in Egypt in 2022 has raised concerns about its potential impact on existing vaccination programs. Given that vaccination is a key strategy for foot and mouth disease virus control, the present study was aimed to assess the cross-protective efficacy of both local and imported inactivated vaccines against this new threat. Through challenge experiments and serum neutralization tests, we observed limited effectiveness of both vaccine types. The calculated r1-values at 28 days post-vaccination indicated a minimal immune response to FMDV-A-Egy-AHRI-RL385-Ven-2022 (0.176 and 0.175 for local and imported vaccines, respectively). Challenge experiments further confirmed these findings, revealing 0percent protection from the local vaccine and only 20percent rotection from imported vaccines by day 7 post-challenge. These results underscore the urgent need to update existing foot and mouth disease virus vaccines in Egypt by incorporating the newly circulating FMDV-A-Egy-AHRI-RL385-Ven-2022 strain. This proactive measure is crucial to prevent future outbreaks and ensure effective disease control(AU)

La fiebre aftosa es una enfermedad vírica muy contagiosa que supone una importante amenaza económica para los animales biungulados, entre ellos el ganado vacuno y ovino. La aparición de un nuevo aislado del virus A de la fiebre aftosa, el FMDV-A-Egy-AHRI-RL385-Ven-2022, en Egipto en 2022 ha suscitado preocupación por su posible impacto en los programas de vacunación existentes. Dado que la vacunación es una estrategia clave para el control del virus de la fiebre aftosa, el objetivo del presente estudio fue evaluar la eficacia protectora cruzada de las vacunas inactivadas locales e importadas frente a esta nueva amenaza. Mediante experimentos de desafío y pruebas de seroneutralización, observamos una eficacia limitada de ambos tipos de vacuna. Los valores r1 calculados a los 28 días posvacunación indicaron una respuesta inmunitaria mínima frente a FMDV-A-Egy-AHRI-RL385-Ven-2022 (0,176 y 0,175 para las vacunas local e importada, respectivamente). Los experimentos de provocación confirmaron aún más estos resultados, revelando un 0 por ciento de protección de la vacuna local y sólo un 20 por ciento de protección de las vacunas importadas al séptimo día después de la provocación. Estos resultados subrayan la urgente necesidad de actualizar las vacunas existentes contra el virus de la fiebre aftosa en Egipto incorporando la nueva cepa circulante FMDV-A-Egy-AHRI-RL385-Ven-2022. Esta medida proactiva es crucial para prevenir futuros brotes y garantizar un control eficaz de la enfermedad(AU)

Prevalence and Intensity of Dental Caries in School-age Children of the Krasnoyarsk Territory.

Introduction: The high level of prevalence and intensity of dental caries in school children reflects the urgency of the problem and the necessity of proper dental education among children and their parents and to develop recommendations aimed at the prevention of dental caries. Aim: To find out the epidemiological situation of dental caries in school age children of Krasnoyarsk Territory. Materials and Methods: A study was conducted on the prevalence and intensity of dental caries in 232 school-age children of educational institutions in the city of Norilsk, Krasnoyarsk Krai and 386 children in the city of Talnakh aged 7 to 17 years. The study used a special dental examination card recommended by WHO (2013). Results: The results obtained characterize an unfavorable level of morbidity with a high level of dental treatment needs and preventive care. School children and their parents exhibited low level of knowledge pertaining to sanitary conditions. The situation dictates the need for further intensification of the prevention of dental diseases and sanitary and educational work among the population. Conclusion: The research showed the inimical epidemiological situation of dental caries in school-age children of the Krasnoyarsk Territory. The situation dictates the need for further intensification of sanitary and educational work and the introduction of an interdepartmental program for the prevention of dental caries in the region.

Prevalence of smart phone addiction among medical students

Background: The use of smart phone is very common specially in young individuals. Excessive use leads to smart phone addiction, which may have harmful effect on the health of individuals. Aims and Objectives: The aim of our study is to assess the smart phone usage in 1st-year medical students. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we have included 187 students from 1st-year MBBS. Out of which 125 (66.84%) are boys and 62 (33.16%) are girls in age group of 18–22 years. All the data were collected in Google form. We have used smart phone addiction scale long version. The Google form was filled by students who are willing to participate in this study. Result: We have found that out of total 187 students, 96 (51.34%) students having high smart phone use, out of which 68 (54.40%) are boys and 28 (45.16%) are girls while 91 (48.66%) students having low smart phone use, out of which 57 (45.60%) are boys and 34 (54.84%) are girls. Conclusion: The high smart phone usages present in the student can be prevented by specific intervention programs at college level.

Prevalence of internet gaming disorder among medical students at medical college in Jamnagar, Gujarat

Background: Smartphone usage became drastically increased in the past two decades. Spending abnormally more time playing games can lead to development of internet gaming disorder (IGD) which leads to negative impact on health and lifestyle. Aim and Objectives: The aim of this study was to find out the prevalence of IGD and smartphone usage patterns in medical students. Materials and Methods: The study was held in M. P. Shah Government Medical College in Jamnagar. Total 206 1st year medical students were included for this study. Pre-validated self-made questionnaire and pre-structured IGD-20 questionnaire were used in this study. Results: The prevalence of IGD in medical students is 1.46%. In male population, the prevalence of IGD was higher (1.6%) compared to female population (1.23%). Conclusion: IGD can be a great disaster if remain unnoticed. It can change one’s lifestyle gradually. Preventive measures such as parental locking system and strong rules for mobile phone use in university hours should be implied.

Correlation of Body Mass Index and age with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) in elderly of Guwahati City, Assam

Introduction: Obesity is on rise globally and may have a impact on cognition. Very limited research was done on the association of weight with neurocognition among the elderly. The study purpose was to determine the correlation between BMI and age with MCI and after stratifying for BMI and socio-demographic characteristics.Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 576 elderly (≥60 years) in Guwahati city using a multi-stage sampling technique. Hindi Mini-Mental State Examination (HMMSE) tool was used for screening for dementia and MCI. Results: HMMSE scores were not significantly correlated with BMI (r =0.07). However, when strati-fied, a significantly negative correlation of BMI with HMMSE scores was seen for illiterates (r =-0.21), primary school education (r =-0.48) and unskilled workers (r =-0.49). There was a significant negative correlation between age and cognition for elderly belonging to OBC, (r =-0.21), Lower middle (III), (r =-0.39), Upper Lower (r =-0.17), Lower (V), (r =-0.26), Graduate, Post Graduate,(r = -0.23), Middle School, (r =-0.36), Illiterate, (r =-0.34), Clerical, (r =-0.60), Semi Professional, (r =-0.62), skilled worker (r=-0.68), Unemployed, (r =-0.15) and Obese, (r =-0.30). Conclusion: Various factors like age, category, socioeconomic status, and Body Mass Index (BMI) were found to be predictors of cognition among the elderly.

Repositioning of FDA-approved drugs for the treatment of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection: Structure-based virtual screening and in vitro assay

Background: Computer-aided repositioning of approved drugs is an increasingly popular strategy for the discovery of effective therapies. The potency of the newly repositioned drugs can be optimized using them as a component of an effective drug combination, thereby achieving the desired therapeutic effect at a lower and more tolerable drug concentration. Aim and Objectives: The aim of the study was to perform structure-based virtual screening and repurposing of FDA-approved drugs for the treatment of methicillin resistance by Staphylococcus aureus (SA) and perform an in vitro validation of the prediction. Materials and Methods: Following ethical clearance at the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, College of Health Sciences, Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto, molecular docking was performed against 5 validated protein targets involved in the development of methicillin resistance by SA and an in vitro validation of the prediction was done using 3 of the top-ranking drug candidates against methicillin-resistant vancomycin-susceptible strain of the pathogen (ATCC 43300). Results: Desmopressin and docetaxel, two of the 20 top-ranking repurposed drugs discovered through virtual screening, enhanced the inhibitory effect of oxacillin against the ATCC 43300 SA strain in a ratio-dependent manner, although each of the two drugs singly was only weakly effective against the bacterial strain. The standard drug, vancomycin (also among the top-scoring candidates), alone, was effective against ATCC 43300 strain and in combination with oxacillin, the two drugs produced a ratio-dependent synergistic effect against the bacterial strain. Conclusion: These findings suggest that oxacillin-based combinations with desmopressin, docetaxel, and the standard drug vancomycin, three of the 20 top-ranking drugs, at optimum ratios, may be beneficial in reversing the resistance of the ATCC 43300 SA strain to oxacillin, thus supporting the prediction of the molecular docking results.

Online better for revision and offline better for motivation? - perspectives of online learning in undergraduate medical students in India

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic forced many institutions to unexpectedly adopt online learning methods to teach their students. As students’ perspectives are vital to be understood to determine whether any teaching learning method is optimum for implementation, we conducted a questionnaire-based study of students of a medical college. Aims and Objectives: The objective of this research study was to gain a better understanding of problems concerned with online learning methods. Materials and Methods: Undergraduate 1st year medical students of four different medical colleges of India were the participants. After ethical committee permission, responses were invited for a Google form’s questionnaire. Students were asked in detail about their choices. Results: Most students preferred the offline mode of study over the online mode. Majority of students preferred to keep their own camera off during online lectures. Biochemistry subject was considered comparatively easier and Anatomy was considered difficult to learn in online mode compared to offline mode. Few students felt comfortable with online learning of more than 5 h daily. Concentration in classes was deemed more difficult for online classes and majority of students felt a lack of motivation in online learning. Conclusions: Institutes using the online mode of learning need to address student’s problems before they mandate certain rules like keeping students’ videos on. Lack of motivation and screen fatigue are common problems among students which needs to be addressed by counseling or mentoring if necessary. Subject specific preferences of students need to be taken care of.

Quantification of human polyomaviruses MCPyV and HPyV6 in malignant and non-malignant skin lesions

Abstract Background: Human Polyomaviruses such as MCPyV and HPyV6 are frequently found as part of healthy skin microbiota and have been associated with Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC), pruritic and dyskeratotic dermatoses, respectively. Their presence in other types of skin conditions varies greatly depending on lesion type and population. Objectives: To analyse comparatively the presence of MCPyV and HPyV6 in nonmelanoma skin cancers and healthy skin. Methods: The authors utilized qPCR techniques to quantify these pathogens in NMSC, premalignant diseases, and healthy skin of 87 patients. Results: MCPyV was detected in over 40% of samples, while HPyV6 was in 9.6%. MCPyV load was higher in squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) compared to basal cell carcinomas (BCC) (p = 0.016) and HPyV6 showed a higher percentage of infected cells in areas of low solar exposure as well as normal skin (p = 0.012). A fair agreement (kappa = 0.301) was found between MCPyV detection in lesions and their respective perilesional skin, indicating a random process of local dissemination of the virus. Study limitations: The lack of a larger sampling of different lesion types and protein expression analyses limits the correlation findings. Conclusions: This is the first report of HPyV6 detection in the healthy skin of a Brazilian population, but the role of both polyomaviruses in NMSC has yet to be demonstrated.

Analysis of the Incidence of Leprosy in the Northeast Region of Brazil: 2011 to 2021

Leprosy is a pathology known to mankind for centuries. The clinical manifestations of leprosy depend on the patient’s immune reaction against Mycobacterium leprae, ranging from small hypochromic lesions and hypoesthesia to progressive and diffuse infiltrations of the skin, involvement of upper airway mucosa and involvement of cutaneous as well as nerve trunks. In some cases, and especially during reactions there are several manifestations and signs and symptoms of systemic involvement. The objective of the present study was to analyse the incidence of leprosy and the epidemiological parameters in the period from 2011 to 2021, in the Northeast of Brazil. The Notifiable Diseases Information System-SINAN of Brazil was consulted and is being reported on the detected cases of leprosy. The various parameters being discussed in the present study include sociodemographic aspects, types of injuries, clinical form, treatment regimen, degree of disability and clinical evolution. We were all during a global pandemic in 2020-21. The 2020-21 global pandemic of COVID-19 compromised the monitoring and recording of several diseases, which were left in the background. This fact may have contributed to the drop in the number of leprosy cases registered between 2020 and 2021 in the present study. There were 168,848 reported cases, of which 55.57% were males 62.87% were multiracial, most with low education level, until primary education, 35.63% had multiple skin lesions, 68.51% received treatment for the multibacillary type of disease, 26.83% (24.468) had neuronal impairment and, 71.74%, were considered cured. Despite the drop in the global number of cases observed in the region, several factors are still worrying, these require actions that contribute to the eradication of leprosy in the region, and these include programs that eradicate poverty, implementation of health programs that favour early diagnosis and treatment of leprosy cases, reduction of stigma and social exclusion of affected patients.

A cross-sectional study to find out association between smartphone addiction and dry eye disease among medical students in Jamnagar

Background: In the recent times, use of smart phone and multimedia devices is extensive. With prolonged use of smart phones, multimedia devices and social media ophthalmic and psychiatric complications are rising in young population. Aim and Objectives: The aim of the study was to find out prevalence of smartphone addiction and dry eye disease and association between smartphone addiction and dry eye disease in medical students. Material and Methods: This study was conducted in M.P. Shah Government Medical College and included 201 medical students. This was analytical survey-based study. Data collection was done through Google form and the survey included demographic questions, pre-structured smartphone addiction scale-short version, and ocular surface disease index questionnaire. Results: The prevalence of dry eye disease in medical students was 52.73% and the prevalence of smartphone addiction was 20%. In our study, dry eye disease was present in 45% of subjects with smartphone addiction. Conclusion: The prolonged usage of smartphone leads to increased screen exposure time which may be causative factor for ophthalmic problems and dry eye disease. More awareness in adolescent and young population about potential hazards of prolonged screen exposure and smartphone is necessary nowadays.

A cross-sectional study to find out the effect of menstrual symptoms on academic performance of medical students

Background: During menstrual period, there are many changes occurs such as somatic changes and mood changes which may affect day-to-day activity as well as academic performance of the young female students. Aim and Objective: The aim of our study is to find out the effect of menstrual symptoms on academic performance of medical students. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 180 female medical students were participated. For the assessment of the effect of menstrual symptoms on academic performance, students have to fill the Goggle Forms which contains the self-administered questionnaire. In this study, we have included young medical and female students age between 17 and 25 years who have any musculoskeletal abnormality and who are willing to participate in this study. Results: Effect on academic performance was suggest by 113 (62.78%) students think that the classroom performance is affected and 110 (61.11%) students think that the examination performance is affected during menstrual period. One hundred and thirty-three (73.89) having mood swings during menstrual period. Conclusion: In this study, we have found that the menstrual symptoms have major effect on academic performance of female medical students. Counseling, mentoring, and support of female students during the menstrual period may improve their academic performance.

Neuro-Physiotherapy at the Primary Health Care Level: Perception of Public Health Physicians

Background: There is consistent increase in chronic neurological conditions presenting at primary health care settings across the world. However, there is paucity of neuro-physiotherapy services and research on integrating neuro-physiotherapy to promote independence among thispopulation at primary health care settings. This study determined the perception of public health physicians on the integration of neuro-physiotherapy at the primary health care (PHC) level in Nigeria.Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional survey using a validated and pre-tested questionnaire to retrieve data from 149 Public Health Physicians in Nigeria to determine their perception of neuro-physiotherapy at the primary health care level.Results: Majority of the participants 133 (89.3%) agreed to the need for neuro-rehabilitation care at primary health care level. 83 (55.7%) believed that the physiotherapists are competent enough to handle neuro-rehabilitation needs at the PHC level. The findings highlighted the challenges towards implementing neuro-rehabilitation at the primary health care level.Conclusion: The results revealed positive recommendations from public heath physicians in Nigeria towards the integration of neuro-physiotherapy services in primary health care.

Treatment Outcomes in COVID-19 patients with comorbidities in Kaduna state, NorthwesternNigeria

Background: Severe COVID-19 disease has been reported among people with underlying conditions such as diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases, cancer, obesity, and cardiovascular disease. This study determined the outcomes of COVID-19 among patients with comorbidities in Kaduna state, where we have the highest incidence in northern Nigeria.Methods: This study was a retrospective, descriptive cross-sectional review of the clinical records involving all age groups of 902 COVID-19 patients admitted at the four isolation centers of the Kaduna State Infectious Disease Control Centre (IDCC) between March 27th2020 to December 31st2021. Data was analyzed with SPSS version 25 and STATA SE 12 with p <0.05.Results: Out of the 902 cases, 245(27.2%) had comorbidities, hypertension 206(22.8%) was the most recorded comorbidity, others were diabetes 77(8.5%), asthma 7 (0.78%), HIV 7(0.78%), sickle cell anemia 7 (0.78%) and PTB 3 (0.33%). Patients with comorbidities had prolonged mean duration of symptoms 8.36±3.5 days, compared to 7.2±2.7 days in those without comorbidities (p=0.001).Multivariate logistic regression analysis further shows that the odds for clinical recovery from the COVID-19 disease was significantly lower for patient with hypertension (AOR=0.13, 95%CI=0.06-0.27, p = <0.01), diabetic (AOR=0.20, 95% CI=0.10-0.40, p<0.01) and HIV comorbidities (AOR=0.1, 95%CI=0.01-0.98, p=0.05) compared to those without comorbiditiesConclusion: Hypertension and diabetes were the major comorbidities in this study. Most patients with comorbidities had severe presentations and fatal poorer outcome. There is a need for sustained public health education targeted at patients with chronic diseases to be screened and treated early for COVID 19 Disease

Biodiversity of commercially important finfish species caught by mid-water and bottom trawls from two different coasts of Arabian Sea: Threats and conservation strategies

Abstract This study was conducted to estimate the diversity and the occurrence of commercially important finfish species collected by twenty fish sampling site of Sindh and Baluchistan coasts of the Arabian Sea in Pakistan from January to December 2019. Additionally, physicochemical characteristics of seawater were analyzed from these selected sites and found to be within suitable ranges required for fish growth and survive. A total of 81287 fish individuals were collected and identified as 49 species belonging to 26 families in our study. The most diversified family was Sparidae (13 species) followed by Carangidae and Lutjanidae (4 species), Mullidae, Serranidae, Ariidae (3 species), and Sciaenidae (2 species). The remaining 20 families were represented by only one species. The values of Shannon diversity index calculated for the four selected habitats revealed that high fish diversity was reported at Sonmiani Coast (H'=1.81), while less at Ormara Coast (H'=0.23). Likewise, Evenness index (E) was high at Sonmiani Coast (E=0.50) and less fish diversity was reported at Ormara Coast (E=0.06). Reducing risks to threatened marine species in coastal habitats also requires conservation actions at multiple scales. Thus, it was concluded that our study could be valuable in providing the more informations regarding to the diversity of finfish species and their occurrence along the Pakistan Coast. Further, to better understand the effects, regular monitoring and conservation measures should be taken to mitigate the influence of anthropogenic activities and protect finfish diversity from further decline

Resumo Este estudo foi conduzido para estimar a diversidade e a ocorrência de espécies de peixes comercialmente importantes coletadas por vinte locais de amostragem de peixes nas costas de Sindh e Baluchistão do mar da Arábia, no Paquistão, de janeiro a dezembro de 2019. Além disso, as características físico-químicas da água do mar foram analisadas a partir desses peixes locais selecionados e considerados dentro dos intervalos adequados necessários para o crescimento e sobrevivência dos peixes. Um total de 8.1287 indivíduos de peixes foi coletado e identificado como 49 espécies pertencentes a 26 famílias em nosso estudo. A família mais diversificada foi Sparidae (13 espécies), seguida por Carangidae e Lutjanidae (4 espécies), Mullidae, Serranidae, Ariidae (3 espécies) e Sciaenidae (2 espécies). As 20 famílias restantes foram representadas por apenas uma espécie. Os valores do índice de diversidade de Shannon calculados para os quatro habitats selecionados revelaram que uma alta diversidade de peixes foi relatada na costa Sonmiani (H' = 1,81), enquanto menos na costa Ormara (H' = 0,23). Da mesma forma, o índice de regularidade (E) foi alto na costa de Sonmiani (E = 0,50) e menos diversidade de peixes foi relatada na costa de Ormara (E = 0,06). A redução dos riscos para as espécies marinhas ameaçadas em habitats costeiros também requer ações de conservação em várias escalas. Assim, concluiu-se que nosso estudo pode ser valioso para fornecer mais informações sobre a diversidade de espécies de peixes finos e sua ocorrência ao longo da costa do Paquistão. Além disso, para compreender melhor os efeitos, medidas regulares de monitoramento e conservação devem ser tomadas para mitigar a influência das atividades antropogênicas e proteger a diversidade de peixes finos de um declínio maior.

Clinical practice guidelines for percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy

With an aging population, the number of patients with difficulty in swallowing due to medical conditions is gradually increasing. In such cases, enteral nutrition is administered through a temporary nasogastric tube. However, the long-term use of a nasogastric tube leads to various complications and a decreased quality of life. Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) is the percutaneous placement of a tube into the stomach that is aided endoscopically and may be an alternative to a nasogastric tube when enteral nutritional is required for four weeks or more. This paper is the first Korean clinical guideline for PEG developed jointly by the Korean College of Helicobacter and Upper Gastrointestinal Research and led by the Korean Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. These guidelines aimed to provide physicians, including endoscopists, with the indications, use of prophylactic antibiotics, timing of enteric nutrition, tube placement methods, complications, replacement, and tube removal for PEG based on the currently available clinical evidence.

Emergency Care Capacity in Pediatric Hospitals, Khartoum, Sudan

@#Introduction: Critical pediatric patients have specific needs, which require special skills, training, equipment, supplies, personnel, and medications. While the knowledge related to enhance survival rate of newborn and children has improved over the past few decades. This study conducted to assess the emergency care capacity in pediatric hospitals at Khartoum state, Sudan. Methods: This is a descriptive cross-sectional hospital-based study, it was conducted in three hospitals at Khartoum, Sudan 2017-2018, to assess emergency care capacity in pediatric hospitals. Data was collected using open-ended questionnaire, and observational checklist. The data scored using dichotomous indicators (absent or present). Results: The study showed that there is shortage in human resources necessary to provide emergency care. However, much essential equipment for emergency care of children was absent in most hospitals, moreover, only 33% of hospitals had Triage system staffed by a trained person. Further, the clinical practice protocols for managing dehydration, neonatal sepsis, and neonatal resuscitation were not traced at the three hospitals. There are a limited laboratory services in one hospital. Conclusion: It is concluded that pediatric specialized hospitals, in Khartoum state, Sudan, have low capacity to provide emergency care for children. Further efforts are needed to improve the emergency care capacity in Khartoum hospitals.