Evaluation of Diabetes Hotline Service Implemented During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Dynamic Adaptation.

Background: The coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic presented major challenges for people living with diabetes. People with diabetes were identified as being at increased risk of serious illness from COVID-19. The lockdown and preventive measures, including social distancing measures, implemented worldwide to limit the spread of COVID-19 had negatively impacted access to diabetes care, including self-management services, challenging the way modern medicine had been practiced for decades. This article aims to shed light on the implementation and evaluation of the Diabetes hotline service run by trained diabetes patient educators during the pandemic in Qatar. Methods: The logic model is utilized to showcase the implemented strategies/activities and the output monitoring process. An online survey among hotline users was undertaken to gather feedback on patients' overall experience of using the service and physician feedback. Results: Of the 464 patients surveyed, over 92% stated that they would recommend the hotline service to others, and over 90% indicated that they considered the hotline a trusted and reliable resource for diabetes education and advice. Conclusion: It is expected that the lessons learned from maintaining health care delivery services during the COVID-19 pandemic have created new ways of providing standard care and meeting the needs of people with diabetes. Future research should study the clinical outcomes for patients who benefited from the hotline services and the impact on the well-being of people with diabetes.

An application of fuzzy bipolar weighted correlation coefficient in decision-making problem.

Diagnosing and finding the disease in medical sciences is a complex procedure. The basic steps involved in finding starts with signs, symptoms, and test. This study is based on the diagnosis of a skin disorder. The identification of a disease has been made on the basis of symptoms that sometimes show bipolarity. To address this bipolarity, the bipolar fuzzy sets are used as bipolar fuzzy sets cover the positive as well as negative aspects of a specific symptom. It is combined with the idea of soft sets, which gives more precise results. We have proposed a new technique in which a correlation coefficient is used to measure bipolar fuzzy soft set, which has been applied for diagnosis. The BFSSs deal most effectively with dual and fuzzy information. The correlation coefficient and the weighted correlation coefficient of BFSSs are suggested in this research. Based on said techniques, the decision-making method is suggested under a bipolar fuzzy environment to resolve ambiguous and unclear information. The implementation and effectiveness of the proposed and existing strategy has been checked by numerical computation.

MTHFR A1298C polymorphism: a predictor of reduced risk of preeclampsia in Punjab, Pakistan.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the genetic association between MTHFR (A1298C) SNP and preeclampsia (PE) in Punjab, Pakistan. METHODS: A sample of 80 pregnant women (40 healthy pregnant women and 40 with PE) was pooled for genotyping MTHFR A1298C polymorphism by using the tetra-primer amplification refractory mutation system (ARMS) PCR. The Genotypic and allelic assessments were performed using various statistical techniques. RESULTS: The AC genotype and C allele of MTHFR A1298C were found to be associated with decreased risk of PE (odds ratio [OR]: 0.31, risk ratio [RR]: 0.58, p = 0.01), and (odds ratio [OR]: 0.49, risk ratio [RR]: 0.61, p = 0.04), respectively. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, genetic polymorphism A1298C in MTHFR may pose a protective effect in the studied population.

A narrative review on the role of folate-mediated one-carbon metabolism and its associated gene polymorphisms in posing risk to preeclampsia.

Preeclampsia (PE) presents a major obstetrical problem for mother and fetus which is characterized by the onset of hypertension and proteinuria in formerly normotensive women. Altered folate-mediated one-carbon metabolism is one of the factors for PE development either due to nutritional insufficiencies such as folate deficiency or polymorphisms in genes that code for the key enzymes of the cycle. Commonly, there are four genes in the cycle whose polymorphisms have been described in relation to PE. These factors could cause elevation of homocysteine; the toxic metabolite, which subsequently leads to the development of PE. Sufficient levels of folate have been considered important during pregnancy and may reduce the risk of development of PE. This review aims at discussing genetic polymorphisms and nutritional deficiencies as probable predisposing factors and suggests considering fetal genotypes, varied ethnicities, and interaction of various other factors involved to render better conclusiveness to the present studies.

Electrochemical investigations of DNA-Intercalation potency of bisnitrophenoxy compounds with different alkyl chain lengths.

In this study, the binding tendency of bisnitrophenoxy compounds (BN) having different methylene (-CH2-)n spacer groups (n = 8-11) with fish sperm double stranded deoxyribonucleic acid (dsDNA) was explored. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) was used to evaluate various kinetic and binding parameters (Ks,h, Do, K b and binding site sizes). Performed electrochemical studies designated strong contact of these symmetric molecules with dsDNA in threading intercalation mode of binding. The number (n) of methylene spacer group in the molecular structure of bisnitrophenoxy compounds, e.g., BN-8 (1-nitro-4-(8-(4-nitrophenoxy)octyloxy)benzene, was observed to have a strong influence on their binding affinity. Decreased peak current values and positively shifted peak potentials recorded via cyclic voltammetry clearly depicted that bisnitrophenoxy compounds can intercalate with dsDNA. Results demonstrated the following order of binding constants; K b (M-1): BN-8 (2.32 × 104) < BN-9 (5.73 × 104) < BN-10 (8.97 × 104) < BN-11 (17.34 × 104). The order of increasing binding sites from BN-8 (0.13) to BN-11 (1.38), revealed the maximum threading intercalation strength by bisnitrophenoxy compound having the longest methylene spacer (n = 11). Thermodynamic studies augmented the strong binding of BN-11 with dsDNA as compared to BN-8 because of the long-chain, -CH2- spacer in its structure. The spontaneity of dsDNA-binding was revealed by the negative ΔG values for interaction of all the compounds. Moreover, binding parameters from thermodynamic and kinetic studies also corresponded to the threading intercalation mode of interaction, which itself points to the potency of the envisioned drug-like molecules.

Concept mapping with South Asian immigrant women: barriers to mammography and solutions.

Despite benefits of screening mammography, many South Asian (SA) immigrant women in Canada remain under screened. We aimed to elicit their experiences and beliefs about barriers to mammography and possible solutions. SA immigrant women aged 50 years or over were eligible if they never had a mammogram or had one more than 3 years ago. We employed the participatory mixed-method approach of Concept Mapping. Sixty women participated with a mean age of 58 years. Participants brainstormed 150 items which were consolidated into 67 items. After sorting and rating, cluster analysis revealed eight clusters of barriers on knowledge, fear, language and transportation, access to mammogram center, access to doctor, beliefs and practices, self-care, and family dependence. Participants discussed possible solutions, and emphasized out-reach models to address knowledge gaps and issues of language and transportation. One example was a community-based shuttle bus to screening centres, hosted by trained co-ethnic workers. The results are discussed to enhance the socio-cultural sensitivity of breast screening programs.

Limb-length discrepancy as a cause of plantar fasciitis.

BACKGROUND: Anisomelia, or limb-length discrepancy, has disruptive effects on gait, posture, and ambulation. Limb-length discrepancy has been shown to be a factor in stress fractures in the femur and tibia, and the longer limb, a contributing factor in the development of low-back pain, a cause of scoliosis. We sought to determine whether limb-length discrepancy contributes to the frequency and severity of plantar fasciitis. METHODS: We enrolled 26 patients who met the inclusion criteria. Direct and indirect methods were used to measure limb-length discrepancy. We took measurements from the anterior superior iliac spine to the medial malleolus and from the umbilicus to the medial malleolus and performed the block test. Body mass index (the weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters) was also recorded for all of the patients. RESULTS: There is enough evidence to support the fact that the pain location and the longer limb are associated (Fisher test P < .0001). There was not enough evidence in this study to illustrate that body mass index was related to pain location (Fisher test P = .7411). CONCLUSIONS: There has been little research on etiology and treatment correlation. These results indicate a strong correlation between a longer limb and unilateral plantar fasciitis pain.