35 research outputs found

    Patterns of Faculty Participation in the Areas of Social Responsibility

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    The study aimed to identify the patterns of participation of faculty members in the areas of social responsibility. To achieve the objectives of the study, the social survey method was relied on the sample. The study sample consisted of (136) faculty members in a university in the Saudi higher education sector. The questionnaire was used to collect data. Its stability coefficient was (0.830) and it was applied electronically to the study sample. The results of the study revealed that there is daily interaction between a faculty member, students and community institutions to contribute to all areas of responsibility and spread its culture, in addition to the tendency of the educational institution (the field of study) to achieve balance and harmony between its fields (teaching, community service / scientific research) so that the faculty member can participate in all the desired activities and events and adapt to the requirements of the institution and society, there are also some obstacles such as lack of funding for research and studies Common and directed by the faculty member towards the community, the imposition of routine procedures from the university that hinder the faculty member from participating in community initiatives, the lack of opportunities for community partnerships between the university and the private and public sectors of the state and NGOs

    Antimicrobial resistance among migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis

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    BACKGROUND: Rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are rising globally and there is concern that increased migration is contributing to the burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe. However, the effect of migration on the burden of AMR in Europe has not yet been comprehensively examined. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and synthesise data for AMR carriage or infection in migrants to Europe to examine differences in patterns of AMR across migrant groups and in different settings. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus with no language restrictions from Jan 1, 2000, to Jan 18, 2017, for primary data from observational studies reporting antibacterial resistance in common bacterial pathogens among migrants to 21 European Union-15 and European Economic Area countries. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to report data on carriage or infection with laboratory-confirmed antibiotic-resistant organisms in migrant populations. We extracted data from eligible studies and assessed quality using piloted, standardised forms. We did not examine drug resistance in tuberculosis and excluded articles solely reporting on this parameter. We also excluded articles in which migrant status was determined by ethnicity, country of birth of participants' parents, or was not defined, and articles in which data were not disaggregated by migrant status. Outcomes were carriage of or infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms. We used random-effects models to calculate the pooled prevalence of each outcome. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016043681. FINDINGS: We identified 2274 articles, of which 23 observational studies reporting on antibiotic resistance in 2319 migrants were included. The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or AMR infection in migrants was 25·4% (95% CI 19·1-31·8; I2 =98%), including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (7·8%, 4·8-10·7; I2 =92%) and antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (27·2%, 17·6-36·8; I2 =94%). The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or infection was higher in refugees and asylum seekers (33·0%, 18·3-47·6; I2 =98%) than in other migrant groups (6·6%, 1·8-11·3; I2 =92%). The pooled prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms was slightly higher in high-migrant community settings (33·1%, 11·1-55·1; I2 =96%) than in migrants in hospitals (24·3%, 16·1-32·6; I2 =98%). We did not find evidence of high rates of transmission of AMR from migrant to host populations. INTERPRETATION: Migrants are exposed to conditions favouring the emergence of drug resistance during transit and in host countries in Europe. Increased antibiotic resistance among refugees and asylum seekers and in high-migrant community settings (such as refugee camps and detention facilities) highlights the need for improved living conditions, access to health care, and initiatives to facilitate detection of and appropriate high-quality treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections during transit and in host countries. Protocols for the prevention and control of infection and for antibiotic surveillance need to be integrated in all aspects of health care, which should be accessible for all migrant groups, and should target determinants of AMR before, during, and after migration. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College Healthcare Charity, the Wellcome Trust, and UK National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and Antimictobial Resistance at Imperial College London

    Anti-bacterial activity of inorganic nanomaterials and their antimicrobial peptide conjugates against resistant and non-resistant pathogens

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    This review details the antimicrobial applications of inorganic nanomaterials of mostly metallic form, and the augmentation of activity by surface conjugation of peptide ligands. The review is subdivided into three main sections, of which the first describes the antimicrobial activity of inorganic nanomaterials against gram-positive, gram-negative and multidrug-resistant bacterial strains. The second section highlights the range of antimicrobial peptides and the drug resistance strategies employed by bacterial species to counter lethality. The final part discusses the role of antimicrobial peptide-decorated inorganic nanomaterials in the fight against bacterial strains that show resistance. General strategies for the preparation of antimicrobial peptides and their conjugation to nanomaterials are discussed, emphasizing the use of elemental and metallic oxide nanomaterials. Importantly, the permeation of antimicrobial peptides through the bacterial membrane is shown to aid the delivery of nanomaterials into bacterial cells. By judicious use of targeting ligands, the nanomaterial becomes able to differentiate between bacterial and mammalian cells and, thus, reduce side effects. Moreover, peptide conjugation to the surface of a nanomaterial will alter surface chemistry in ways that lead to reduction in toxicity and improvements in biocompatibility

    Burnout among surgeons before and during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: an international survey

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    Background: SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has had many significant impacts within the surgical realm, and surgeons have been obligated to reconsider almost every aspect of daily clinical practice. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study reported in compliance with the CHERRIES guidelines and conducted through an online platform from June 14th to July 15th, 2020. The primary outcome was the burden of burnout during the pandemic indicated by the validated Shirom-Melamed Burnout Measure. Results: Nine hundred fifty-four surgeons completed the survey. The median length of practice was 10 years; 78.2% included were male with a median age of 37 years old, 39.5% were consultants, 68.9% were general surgeons, and 55.7% were affiliated with an academic institution. Overall, there was a significant increase in the mean burnout score during the pandemic; longer years of practice and older age were significantly associated with less burnout. There were significant reductions in the median number of outpatient visits, operated cases, on-call hours, emergency visits, and research work, so, 48.2% of respondents felt that the training resources were insufficient. The majority (81.3%) of respondents reported that their hospitals were included in the management of COVID-19, 66.5% felt their roles had been minimized; 41% were asked to assist in non-surgical medical practices, and 37.6% of respondents were included in COVID-19 management. Conclusions: There was a significant burnout among trainees. Almost all aspects of clinical and research activities were affected with a significant reduction in the volume of research, outpatient clinic visits, surgical procedures, on-call hours, and emergency cases hindering the training. Trial registration: The study was registered on clicaltrials.gov "NCT04433286" on 16/06/2020

    Surgical site infection after gastrointestinal surgery in high-income, middle-income, and low-income countries: a prospective, international, multicentre cohort study

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    Background: Surgical site infection (SSI) is one of the most common infections associated with health care, but its importance as a global health priority is not fully understood. We quantified the burden of SSI after gastrointestinal surgery in countries in all parts of the world. Methods: This international, prospective, multicentre cohort study included consecutive patients undergoing elective or emergency gastrointestinal resection within 2-week time periods at any health-care facility in any country. Countries with participating centres were stratified into high-income, middle-income, and low-income groups according to the UN's Human Development Index (HDI). Data variables from the GlobalSurg 1 study and other studies that have been found to affect the likelihood of SSI were entered into risk adjustment models. The primary outcome measure was the 30-day SSI incidence (defined by US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria for superficial and deep incisional SSI). Relationships with explanatory variables were examined using Bayesian multilevel logistic regression models. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02662231. Findings: Between Jan 4, 2016, and July 31, 2016, 13 265 records were submitted for analysis. 12 539 patients from 343 hospitals in 66 countries were included. 7339 (58·5%) patient were from high-HDI countries (193 hospitals in 30 countries), 3918 (31·2%) patients were from middle-HDI countries (82 hospitals in 18 countries), and 1282 (10·2%) patients were from low-HDI countries (68 hospitals in 18 countries). In total, 1538 (12·3%) patients had SSI within 30 days of surgery. The incidence of SSI varied between countries with high (691 [9·4%] of 7339 patients), middle (549 [14·0%] of 3918 patients), and low (298 [23·2%] of 1282) HDI (p < 0·001). The highest SSI incidence in each HDI group was after dirty surgery (102 [17·8%] of 574 patients in high-HDI countries; 74 [31·4%] of 236 patients in middle-HDI countries; 72 [39·8%] of 181 patients in low-HDI countries). Following risk factor adjustment, patients in low-HDI countries were at greatest risk of SSI (adjusted odds ratio 1·60, 95% credible interval 1·05–2·37; p=0·030). 132 (21·6%) of 610 patients with an SSI and a microbiology culture result had an infection that was resistant to the prophylactic antibiotic used. Resistant infections were detected in 49 (16·6%) of 295 patients in high-HDI countries, in 37 (19·8%) of 187 patients in middle-HDI countries, and in 46 (35·9%) of 128 patients in low-HDI countries (p < 0·001). Interpretation: Countries with a low HDI carry a disproportionately greater burden of SSI than countries with a middle or high HDI and might have higher rates of antibiotic resistance. In view of WHO recommendations on SSI prevention that highlight the absence of high-quality interventional research, urgent, pragmatic, randomised trials based in LMICs are needed to assess measures aiming to reduce this preventable complication

    Measuring routine childhood vaccination coverage in 204 countries and territories, 1980-2019 : a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2020, Release 1

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    Background Measuring routine childhood vaccination is crucial to inform global vaccine policies and programme implementation, and to track progress towards targets set by the Global Vaccine Action Plan (GVAP) and Immunization Agenda 2030. Robust estimates of routine vaccine coverage are needed to identify past successes and persistent vulnerabilities. Drawing from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2020, Release 1, we did a systematic analysis of global, regional, and national vaccine coverage trends using a statistical framework, by vaccine and over time. Methods For this analysis we collated 55 326 country-specific, cohort-specific, year-specific, vaccine-specific, and dosespecific observations of routine childhood vaccination coverage between 1980 and 2019. Using spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression, we produced location-specific and year-specific estimates of 11 routine childhood vaccine coverage indicators for 204 countries and territories from 1980 to 2019, adjusting for biases in countryreported data and reflecting reported stockouts and supply disruptions. We analysed global and regional trends in coverage and numbers of zero-dose children (defined as those who never received a diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis [DTP] vaccine dose), progress towards GVAP targets, and the relationship between vaccine coverage and sociodemographic development. Findings By 2019, global coverage of third-dose DTP (DTP3; 81.6% [95% uncertainty interval 80.4-82 .7]) more than doubled from levels estimated in 1980 (39.9% [37.5-42.1]), as did global coverage of the first-dose measles-containing vaccine (MCV1; from 38.5% [35.4-41.3] in 1980 to 83.6% [82.3-84.8] in 2019). Third- dose polio vaccine (Pol3) coverage also increased, from 42.6% (41.4-44.1) in 1980 to 79.8% (78.4-81.1) in 2019, and global coverage of newer vaccines increased rapidly between 2000 and 2019. The global number of zero-dose children fell by nearly 75% between 1980 and 2019, from 56.8 million (52.6-60. 9) to 14.5 million (13.4-15.9). However, over the past decade, global vaccine coverage broadly plateaued; 94 countries and territories recorded decreasing DTP3 coverage since 2010. Only 11 countries and territories were estimated to have reached the national GVAP target of at least 90% coverage for all assessed vaccines in 2019. Interpretation After achieving large gains in childhood vaccine coverage worldwide, in much of the world this progress was stalled or reversed from 2010 to 2019. These findings underscore the importance of revisiting routine immunisation strategies and programmatic approaches, recentring service delivery around equity and underserved populations. Strengthening vaccine data and monitoring systems is crucial to these pursuits, now and through to 2030, to ensure that all children have access to, and can benefit from, lifesaving vaccines. Copyright (C) 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.Peer reviewe

    Markers Of Tubular And Glomerular Injury In Predicting Renal Outcome In Thermal Burn Patients

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    Aim: Thermal injury elicits several systemic consequences. Acute renal failure (ARF) is a well known complication of severe burn and is an important factor leading to an increase in mortality. We aimed to focus on early diagnosis of acute renal failure occurring in major burns and to determine the predictors for acute renal failure. Methods: Forty patients with moderate to severe thermal burn injury - second to third degree with >20% of total body surface area - constituted the material of our study. The following parameters were recorded: Age, sex, cause of the burn injury, burn surface of second and third degrees expressed as total body surface area burned in %, Apache II score. All patients were subjected to routine investigations including: Serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, fractional excretion of sodium, urinary malondialdehyde and microalbuminuria were done on day 0, 3, 7, 14 and 21. Results: Nine patients (22.5 % of all cases) - developed acute renal failure, 4 patients required supportive dialysis. The group that developed ARF showed rising of markers of glomerular damage with appearance of microalbuminuria on day 0, that was maximal (3 - 4 folds of its normal level ) at day 14 and constant with elevated serum creatinine and burn size in the 3rd week and progressed to overt proteinuria in 3 cases. Urinary malondialdehyde was also elevated before developing acute renal failure about 3 folds their normal values, gradually increasing on day 14 associated with rising of microalbuminuria followed by their decrease after controlling of septicemia. Two cases (22.2%) in ARF group who developed septicemia and required dialysis died on the 32nd and 36th days post-burn. Burn size and occurrence of septicemia were the only predictors of acute renal failure using multiple regression analysis, (SE B 0.003 and 0.104- P value 0.001 and .0371 respectively). Conclusion: Acute renal failure complicates 22.5 % of burn patients that was found to be related to the size and depth of burn. Microalbuminuria and urinary malondialdehyde are useful markers for prediction of renal outcome in such group of patients. In our study burn size and septicemia proved to be the only clinical parameters that predict renal outcome

    Terrain characterization for soils survey of Kucuk Menderes plain, South of Izmir, Turkey, using remote sensing and GIS techniques

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    WOS: 000291072600012Aerial photographs and satellite image interpretation, field investigation and laboratory analyses were integrated with a geographic information system (GIS) to recognize and display terrain and soils characteristics of Kucuk Menderes plain, South of Izmir, Turkey. Seven geomorphologic units were recognized, these being: recent shore ridges and marine beaches, schist and phyllite highlands, limestone highlands, foot slopes, alluvial fans, young alluvial plains and drainage basins. The data were integrated with topographic maps covering the area by using GIS tools. Contour lines were used to generate a digital terrain model (DTM) of the area. The DTM was processed to generate shaded relief. A Landsat 7 ETM satellite image was draped on the DTM to display the spatial scope of the investigated area. For the purpose of creating a soil map 15 observation points were dug representing the different physiographic units belonging to the study area. Soil mapping units have been identified by integrating physiographic units, field survey observations, morphologic description and laboratory analyses. Seven soil taxonomic units have been recognized, namely: Typic Xeropsamments, Aquic Xeropsamments, Typic Xerofluvents, Aquic Haploxerepts, Typic Xerorthents, Typic Calcixerepts and Fluventic Haploxerepts. Physiographic and soil maps with a scale of 1:25.000 were produced

    Left ventricular hypertrophy in controlled hypertension: Is blood pressure variability blamed?

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    Background: Blood pressure (BP) has been shown to exhibit important variations not only in the short term but also over more prolonged periods of time. Aim: To evaluate the impact of different ambulatory BP variability indices on left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in controlled hypertensive patients (Pts). Patients and methods: Ninety controlled hypertensive Pts (office and ambulatory BP control criteria) with mean age 55.9 ± 8.5 years were enrolled. Pts were classified into two groups: Non-LVH group including 75 Pts with normal LV mass index and LVH group including 15 patients with LV mass index >134 g/m2 in men and >110 g/m2 in women. Mean BP and BP load values were obtained for the full 24 h and day-time and night-time periods. Similarly Standard Deviation (SD) and Average Reading Variability (ARV) were calculated in all pts. Results: Regarding office BP, Dipping status and average ambulatory BP, there was no statistically significant difference between both groups. Meanwhile, SD of BP readings and ARV showed a significant difference. After step-wise regression, ARV of systolic BP 24 h was the most powerful variability index that was associated with LVH (R2 = 0.944). The ROC curve analysis showed that the discriminative power was best at more than 14.23 mmHg with sensitivity and specificity 100% and 96% respectively for prediction of LVH. Conclusion: The adverse cardiovascular consequences of hypertension not only depend on mean BP values but may also depend on BPV, which independently adds to CV risk over elevated mean BP levels
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