Challenges of migration and culture in a public health communication context

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The burden of malaria in pregnancy in Madhya Pradesh, India

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Communicative Development and Diffusion of Humanoid AI Robots for the Post-Pandemic Health Care System

As humanoid robot technology, anthropomorphized by artificial intelligence (AI), has rapidly advanced to introduce more human-resembling automated robots that can communicate, interact, and work like humans, we have begun to expect active interactions with Humanoid AI Robots (HAIRs) in the near future. Coupled with the HAIR technology development, the COVID-19 pandemic triggered our interest in using health care robots with many substantial advantages that overcome critical human vulnerabilities against the strong infectious COVID-19 virus. Recognizing the tremendous potential for the active application of HAIRs, this article explores feasible ways to implement HAIRs in health care and patient services and suggests recommendations for strategically developing and diffusing autonomous HAIRs in health care facilities. While discussing the integration of HAIRs into health care, this article points out some important ethical concerns that should be addressed for implementing HAIRs for health care services

Our Future Arrived: Diffusion of Human-Machine Communication and Transformation of the World for the Post-Pandemic Era

The world is getting into a new phase in history. For the first time, humans are verbally communicating and developing meaningful relationships with non-living objects. AI is a wormhole to open a gateway to the new world, and the COVID-19 pandemic prepared the world to transform its system to be an open system that responds to, communicates with, and utilizes the remnants coming out of the wormhole of the new world. Now, we urgently need to create a holistic discourse on how we can recognize, develop, or shape the identities of communicable machines as people develop a partnership with them. Based on the emerging questions and discourses about human-machine communication, this special issue strives to investigate the present and future of advanced human-machine communication

Impact of humanities and social sciences curriculum in an undergraduate medical education programme

Objective: To evaluate the impact of humanities and social sciences curriculum in an undergraduate medical education programme.Methods: The qualitative study was conducted from May 2016 to May 2017 at a private medical college in Karachi where humanities and social sciences subject is an art of the undergraduate curriculum as a 6-week module at the start of Year 1 of the five-year programme. Focus group discussions were held with students from all the five years as well as with faculty related to humanities and social sciences, basic sciences and their clinical counterparts. The views of alumni of the undergraduate programme who are now members of the faculty at the institution were also explored and semi-structured interviews were conducted with institutional academic leaders. MAXQDA software was used to identify the themes for analysis.Results: Of the 50 participants, 27(54%) were students, 21(42%) were faculty members and 2(4%) were academic leaders. From the 11 sub-themes, 5 themes were identified: Expectations, Strengths, Challenges, Way forward, and Institutional role and responsibility. Faculty members perceived humanities and social sciences as encouraging creative and critical thinking, boosting students\u27 confidence and positively impacting their behaviour. Student perception seemed to change as they progressed through the years and they appreciated its impact at different stages.Conclusions: The existing humanities and social sciences curriculum can be further strengthened by integrating contents throughout the five-year programme and continuing it as a longitudinal theme rather than limiting it to a one-time exposure at the start of the programme

EEffect of folic acid on fluoride induced morphological alterations in the liver of albino wistar rats

Objective: To observe the histomorphological changes in liver of Albino wistar rats induced by Fluoride and effect of Folic acid.Methodology: This quasi experimental study was conducted at Anatomy department & postgraduate Laboratory of Isra University Hyderabad Sindh from April 2018 to September 2018. Total forty healthy rats 8-12 weeks old and weight 150-250gm were selected. Animals were divided in 4 groups in equal numbers. Animals of Group A, were given normal diet, Group B, received distilled water mixed with Fluoride (10.0mg/kg) and group C received distilled water mixed with Fluoride (10mg/kg) along with folic acid supplement (2.5mg/kg). Group D, animals received Fluoride (10mg/kg) for four weeks initially and then folic acid (2.5mg/kg) mixed distilled water was given for additional four weeks.  After completion of experiment, the rats were sacrificed and hepatic tissues were processed to prepare paraffin blocks. 4-6 micrometer sections were obtained for slides and stained with hematoxylin and eosin to observe under light microscope. All the data was recorded in proforma. Results: Liver weight was insignificant among all study groups. On histological examinations, fibrotic changes were significantly higher among all experimental groups as compare to control group whereas folic acid consumption reduced it. Necrotic changes, hepatic inflammatory changes, sinusoidal dilatation and congested portal veins were found higher among animals of experimental group B as compared to group C and group D, while no changes found in control group.Conclusion: Fluoride exposure that impair liver architecture, is potently supported by the portal inflammation, necrosis, and histological alterations. Folic acid is the best supplement to prevent and revert the hepatic histological alterations caused by fluorid

EEffect of folic acid on fluoride induced morphological alterations in the liver of albino wistar rats

Objective: To observe the histomorphological changes in liver of Albino wistar rats induced by Fluoride and effect of Folic acid.Methodology: This quasi experimental study was conducted at Anatomy department & postgraduate Laboratory of Isra University Hyderabad Sindh from April 2018 to September 2018. Total forty healthy rats 8-12 weeks old and weight 150-250gm were selected. Animals were divided in 4 groups in equal numbers. Animals of Group A, were given normal diet, Group B, received distilled water mixed with Fluoride (10.0mg/kg) and group C received distilled water mixed with Fluoride (10mg/kg) along with folic acid supplement (2.5mg/kg). Group D, animals received Fluoride (10mg/kg) for four weeks initially and then folic acid (2.5mg/kg) mixed distilled water was given for additional four weeks.  After completion of experiment, the rats were sacrificed and hepatic tissues were processed to prepare paraffin blocks. 4-6 micrometer sections were obtained for slides and stained with hematoxylin and eosin to observe under light microscope. All the data was recorded in proforma. Results: Liver weight was insignificant among all study groups. On histological examinations, fibrotic changes were significantly higher among all experimental groups as compare to control group whereas folic acid consumption reduced it. Necrotic changes, hepatic inflammatory changes, sinusoidal dilatation and congested portal veins were found higher among animals of experimental group B as compared to group C and group D, while no changes found in control group.Conclusion: Fluoride exposure that impair liver architecture, is potently supported by the portal inflammation, necrosis, and histological alterations. Folic acid is the best supplement to prevent and revert the hepatic histological alterations caused by fluorid

Communicating Scientific Uncertainty in an Age of COVID-19: An Investigation into the Use of Preprints by Digital Media Outlets

In this article, we investigate the surge in use of COVID-19-related preprints by media outlets. Journalists are a main source of reliable public health information during crises and, until recently, journalists have been reluctant to cover preprints because of the associated scientific uncertainty. Yet, uploads of COVID-19 preprints and their uptake by online media have outstripped that of preprints about any other topic. Using an innovative approach combining altmetrics methods with content analysis, we identified a diversity of outlets covering COVID-19-related preprints during the early months of the pandemic, including specialist medical news outlets, traditional news media outlets, and aggregators. We found a ubiquity of hyperlinks as citations and a multiplicity of framing devices for highlighting the scientific uncertainty associated with COVID-19 preprints. These devices were rarely used consistently (e.g., mentioning that the study was a preprint, unreviewed, preliminary, and/or in need of verification). About half of the stories we analyzed contained framing devices emphasizing uncertainty. Outlets in our sample were much less likely to identify the research they mentioned as preprint research, compared to identifying it as simply “research.” This work has significant implications for public health communication within the changing media landscape. While current best practices in public health risk communication promote identifying and promoting trustworthy sources of information, the uptake of preprint research by online media presents new challenges. At the same time, it provides new opportunities for fostering greater awareness of the scientific uncertainty associated with health research findings

Stretching the boundaries of medical education: A case of medical college embracing humanities and social sciences in medical education

Objective: Aga Khan University, a private medical college, had a vision of producing physicians who are not only scientifically competent, but also socially sensitive, the latter by exposure of medical students to a broad-based curriculum. The objective of this study was to identify the genesis of broad-based education and its integration into the undergraduate medical education program as the Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS) course. Methods: A qualitative methodology was used for this study. Sources of data included document review and in-depth key informant interviews. Nvivo software was utilized to extract themes. Results: The study revealed the process of operationalization of the institutional vision to produce competent and culturally sensitive physicians. The delay in the establishment of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, which was expected to take a lead role in the delivery of a broad-based education, led to the development of an innovative HASS course in the medical curriculum. The study also identified availability of faculty and resistance from students as challenges faced in the implementation and evolution of HASS. Conclusions: The description of the journey and viability of integration of HASS into the medical curriculum offers a model to medical colleges seeking ways to produce socially sensitive physicians