Believing is achieving: a longitudinal study of self-efficacy and positive affect in resettled refugees

Research has shown that self-efficacy can play an important role in recovery from trauma (Benight and Bandura 2004). We hypothesised that for refugees, whose (often traumatic) experiences pre- and post-resettlement have been linked to a decrease in their wellbeing (e.g., Aspinall and Watters 2010), self-efficacy would play a key role in improving wellbeing. This paper investigates the link between self-efficacy and positive affect among resettled refugees (N = 180). Research used mixed methods. The longitudinal survey with three time points confirmed that higher levels of general self-efficacy were consistently associated with better positive affect at later time points. The reverse effects, from positive affect to later self-efficacy, were not significant. In addition, qualitative interviews with a subsample provide suggestions as to how self-efficacy of refugees might be improved: that is, by improving access to employment and language classes, by clarifying how British social and cultural systems work, including the practical information necessary to navigate daily life, and by providing more opportunities to increase social networks, all suggesting the necessity of a proactive role of the receiving society

The Importance of Preventive Medicine in Family Practice: A Review of Current Guidelines and Recommendations

Prevention is seen as a critical topic in family practice. Primordial prevention, primary prevention, secondary prevention, tertiary prevention, and quaternary prevention are all part of this strategy to disease prevention. To avoid the formation and development of risk factors, primary prevention focuses on addressing the fundamental causes and social determinants of disease. Primary prevention is the practice of preventing illnesses before they arise via the use of treatments such as immunizations and health education. Secondary prevention focuses on illness identification and intervention as early as possible to avoid disease development. Tertiary prevention addresses illness outcomes by restoring health and offering rehabilitation. Finally, quaternary prevention seeks to safeguard patients against needless medical treatments and the harm caused by over-medicating. Risks frequently rise in tandem with frailty and comorbidities. In contrast, advantages frequently drop as life expectancy increases. Preventive management strategies should consider the patient's viewpoint and be mutually agreed upon. Healthcare providers must prioritize the deployment of preventive care services, even when clinical treatments are required, in order to overcome preventive care hurdles. Healthcare practitioners may play a critical role in illness prevention and contribute to family well-being by investing in preventive care and executing these measures

A Novel Triazole Schiff Base Derivatives for Remediation of Chromium Contamination from Tannery Waste Water

Tannery industries are one of the extensive industrial activities which are the major source of chromium contamination in the environment. Chromium contamination has been an increasing threat to the environment and human health. Therefore, the removal of chromium ions is necessary to save human society. This study is oriented toward the preparation of a new triazole Schiff base derivatives for the remediation of chromium ions. 4,4′-((1E)-1,2-bis ((1H-1,2,4-triazol-3-yl) imino)ethane-1,2-diyl) diphenol was prepared by the interaction between 3-Amino-1H-1,2,4-triazole and 4,4′-Dihydroxybenzil. Then, the produced Schiff base underwent a phosphorylation reaction to produce the adsorbent (TIHP), which confirmed its structure via the different tools FTIR, TGA, 1HNMR, 13CNMR, GC-MS, and Phosphorus-31 nuclear magnetic resonance (31P-NMR). The newly synthesized adsorbent (TIHP) was used to remove chromium oxyanions (Cr(VI)) from an aqueous solution. The batch technique was used to test many controlling factors, including the pH of the working aqueous solution, the amount of adsorbent dose, the initial concentration of Cr(VI), the interaction time, and the temperature. The desorption behaviour of Cr(VI) changes when it is exposed to the suggested foreign ions. The maximum adsorption capacity for Cr(VI) adsorption on the new adsorbent was 307.07 mg/g at room temperature. Freundlich’s isotherm model fits the adsorption isotherms perfectly. The kinetic results were well-constrained by the pseudo-second-order equation. The thermodynamic studies establish that the adsorption type was exothermic and naturally spontaneous. © 2022 by the authors.The APC was funded by “Dunarea de Jos” University of Galati, Romania. The researcher H.A.A is funded by a scholarship under the Joint (Executive Program between Egypt and Russia)

Molecular identification of adenoviruses associated with respiratory infection in Egypt from 2003 to 2010.

BACKGROUND: Human adenoviruses of species B, C, and E (HAdV-B, -C, -E) are frequent causative agents of acute respiratory infections worldwide. As part of a surveillance program aimed at identifying the etiology of influenza-like illness (ILI) in Egypt, we characterized 105 adenovirus isolates from clinical samples collected between 2003 and 2010. METHODS: Identification of the isolates as HAdV was accomplished by an immunofluorescence assay (IFA) and confirmed by a set of species and type specific polymerase chain reactions (PCR). RESULTS: Of the 105 isolates, 42% were identified as belonging to HAdV-B, 60% as HAdV-C, and 1% as HAdV-E. We identified a total of six co-infections by PCR, of which five were HAdV-B/HAdV-C co-infections, and one was a co-infection of two HAdV-C types: HAdV-5/HAdV-6. Molecular typing by PCR enabled the identification of eight genotypes of human adenoviruses; HAdV-3 (n = 22), HAdV-7 (n = 14), HAdV-11 (n = 8), HAdV-1 (n = 22), HAdV-2 (20), HAdV-5 (n = 15), HAdV-6 (n = 3) and HAdV-4 (n = 1). The most abundant species in the characterized collection of isolates was HAdV-C, which is concordant with existing data for worldwide epidemiology of HAdV respiratory infections. CONCLUSIONS: We identified three species, HAdV-B, -C and -E, among patients with ILI over the course of 7 years in Egypt, with at least eight diverse types circulating

Impact of Ramadan focused education program on hypoglycemic risk and metabolic control for patients with type 2 diabetess

Background: Fasting during the month of Ramadan could lead to acute complications and increased hypoglycemic risk of patients with type 2 diabetes. Therefore, diabetes is one of the diseases that need careful observation and special considerations during Ramadan including patients’ education and counseling. Objectives: To evaluate the impact of Ramadan focused education program on acute complications and biomedical parameters. Methods: A prospective nonrandomized interventional controlled design was run on three phases: before, during, and after Ramadan on 262 type 2 diabetes patients. The intervention group (n=140) received focused individualized diabetic education sessions and antidiabetic medications adjustment before and after Ramadan, while the control group (n=122) received standard diabetic care. A validated hypoglycemia questionnaire was used in both groups to assess the change of the risk. Patients were advised to adjust the dosage and timing of antidiabetic agents according to the recommendations for management of diabetes during Ramadan. Primary outcomes were postintervention change of hypoglycemia score and HbA1c over 6-month follow-up. Data were presented as mean ± standard deviation. HbA1c was expressed in percentage. Results: The hypoglycemic scores before, during, and after Ramadan were 14.21±8.50, 6.36±6.17, and 5.44±5.55 in the intervention group, respectively (P,0.001) and 14.01±5.10, 13.46±5.30, and 9.27±4.65 in the control group, respectively (P,0.001). HbA1c levels were 9.79±1.89, 8.26±1.54, and 8.52±1.61 before, during, and after Ramadan in the intervention group, respectively (P,0.001), and 10.04±1.47, 9.54±1.38, and 9.59±1.79 in the control group, respectively (P,0.001). Post-Ramadan reductions of HbA1c and hypoglycemic scores were significantly higher in the intervention group (-13.0% vs -4.5%, P=0.004 for HbA1c and -61.7% vs -33.8%, P,0.001 for hypoglycemic score). Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol improved in the intervention group from 2.41±0.91 mmol/L before Ramadan to 2.28±0.68 mmol/L after Ramadan (P,0.001). No statistically significant effects were observed on blood pressure or body weight in the intervention group. Also, no change was observed in the control group. Conclusion: Ramadan educational program had a positive impact with reduction of hypoglycemic risk, HbA1c, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Therefore, it could be recommended for patients with increased risk of hypoglycemia during Ramadan fasting

Small-molecule inhibition of METTL3 as a strategy against myeloid leukaemia.

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is an abundant internal RNA modification1,2 that is catalysed predominantly by the METTL3-METTL14 methyltransferase complex3,4. The m6A methyltransferase METTL3 has been linked to the initiation and maintenance of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), but the potential of therapeutic applications targeting this enzyme remains unknown5-7. Here we present the identification and characterization of STM2457, a highly potent and selective first-in-class catalytic inhibitor of METTL3, and a crystal structure of STM2457 in complex with METTL3-METTL14. Treatment of tumours with STM2457 leads to reduced AML growth and an increase in differentiation and apoptosis. These cellular effects are accompanied by selective reduction of m6A levels on known leukaemogenic mRNAs and a decrease in their expression consistent with a translational defect. We demonstrate that pharmacological inhibition of METTL3 in vivo leads to impaired engraftment and prolonged survival in various mouse models of AML, specifically targeting key stem cell subpopulations of AML. Collectively, these results reveal the inhibition of METTL3 as a potential therapeutic strategy against AML, and provide proof of concept that the targeting of RNA-modifying enzymes represents a promising avenue for anticancer therapy

Public knowledge, attitude and practice towards antibiotics use and antimicrobial resistance in Saudi Arabia: A web-based cross-sectional survey

Background: Antimicrobial resistance is a global issue that causes significant morbidity and mortality. Therefore, this study aims to assess knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of the general Saudi populations toward antibiotics use. Design and methods: A cross-sectional, anonymous online survey was conducted from January 1 to May 11, 2020, across five major regions of Saudi Arabia. Participants (aged ≥18 years) were invited through social media to complete an online self-structured questionnaire. All data were analyzed by Statistical Package (SPSS v.25). Descriptive statistics, Pearson's Chi-squared, t-tests, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Pearson correlation analyses were conducted. Results: Out of 443 participants, the majority (n=309, 69.8%) were females, 294 (64.4%) were married, 176 (39.7%) were 25-34 years of age, 338 (76.3%) were living in the Eastern Province, 313 (70.7%) had college or higher education, 139 (31.4%) were not working, and 163 (36.8%) had a monthly income of USD 800-1330. Overall, most participants demonstrated good knowledge and practice (88% and 85.6%, respectively).  However, 76.8%had inadequate attitude score levels towards antibiotics use. Of all the respondents, 74.9% knew that not completing a full course of antibiotics may cause antibiotics resistance, 91.33% did not agree that antibiotics should be accessed without a prescription, and 94.04% will not hand over leftover antibiotics to family members. Factors associated with adequate knowledge were female, medical jobs, and higher income (p<0.05). Conclusions: Our findings revealed that while most participants were aware of antibiotics use and demonstrated good knowledge, good practices, they had negative attitudes towards antibiotics use

Public Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practice towards COVID-19 Pandemic in Saudi Arabia: A Web-Based Cross-Sectional Survey

(1) Background: COVID-19 has become a worldwide public health problem. No previous study has investigated factors associated with COVID-19 knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) after completely lifting the curfew in all Saudi Arabia regions and cities. Therefore, adequate knowledge, a positive attitude, and correct control of COVID-19 are essential to eradicate the disease. Hence, this study aims to assess factors associated with KAP of COVID-19; (2) Methods: This cross-sectional web-based survey was performed with the participation of 4305 individuals aged over 15 years living in Saudi Arabia from 11 to 19 August 2020. They were included using the snowball sampling method; (3) Results: Of the 4305 participants, 94.9% were Saudis, 60% females, and 45.4% were in the age group of 20–34 years, 61.7% married, and 49.3% from the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Most of the participants demonstrated good KAP levels (89.6%, 87.2%, and 87.2%) towards the COVID-19 pandemic, respectively. In addition, most of the participants (85.8%) used the internet and social media as a source for COVID-19 information (4) Conclusions: The finding showed that most of the participants demonstrated good knowledge of COVID-19, positive attitudes, and demonstrated good practices for preventing the spread of disease infection