Tuberculosis Awareness and Public Opinion on Expanding Health Insurance Coverage

This quantitative descriptive cross-sectional study examined the effect of TB awareness and demographic variables on the level of support for expanding health insurance coverage for all residents, including undocumented immigrants. A modified 13-item tool developed by Morisky et al. (1990) was used to measure TB awareness; a single item created by the researcher assessed personal opinion regarding expansion of health insurance coverage; and a demographic questionnaire was used to collect data from 281 registered voters in San Diego County. The majority of San Diego County voters participating in the study supported at least some expansion of health insurance coverage. ANOVA tests indicated that personal opinion was not associated with awareness of tuberculosis, but was significantly associated with political party affiliation and education level in the initial analysis (p = .000, and .035, respectively). TB awareness was significantly associated with ethnicity (p = .003) and the education level of the participants (p = .004). When the opinion variable was dichotomized and trichotomized, other demographic variables were significantly related. Study findings suggest that efforts to promote public opinion in favor of expanded health insurance coverage need to be differentially targeted to different audiences. Further studies, addressing the underrepresentation of certain groups that occurred in this study, might result in different findings in different parts of the country, especially nonborder areas

Fractional Partial and Integral Differential Equations and Novel Conformable Double (Laplace -Sumudu) Transform

This article presents a novel methodology for dealing with fractional partial differential equations and fractional integral equations, subject to particular constraints, by combining the Laplace transform with the Sumudu transform. The conformable double Laplace-Sumudu transform (CDLST) method handles integrals and derivatives of fractional orders by using conformable derivatives. In this paper, we present a thorough examination of the fundamental traits and revolutionary developments related to the proposed shift. It is feasible to convert fractional partial differential equations and integral equations into algebraic equations by using the CDLST and its inherent properties. This modification makes finding solutions simpler, enabling quicker and more effective computations. The findings of our study highlight the potency and usefulness of this novel strategy in resolving numerous issues in the physics and engineering areas

Effect of COVID-19 quarantine on the sleep quality and the depressive symptom levels of university students in Jordan during the spring of 2020

Objectives: This study was designed to assess the effect of COVID-19 home quarantine and its lifestyle challenges on the sleep quality and mental health of a large sample of undergraduate University students in Jordan. It is the first study applied to the Jordanian population. The aim was to investigate how quarantine for several weeks changed the students' habits and affected their mental health. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using a random representative sample of 6,157 undergraduate students (mean age 19.79 ± 1.67 years, males 28.7%) from the University of Jordan through voluntarily filling an online questionnaire. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D) were used to assess sleep quality and depressive symptoms, respectively. Results: The PSQI mean score for the study participants was 8.1 ± 3.6. The sleep quality of three-quarters of the participants was negatively affected by the extended quarantine. Nearly half of the participants reported poor sleep quality. The prevalence of poor sleep quality among participants was 76% (males: 71.5% and females: 77.8%). Similarly, the prevalence of the depressive symptoms was 71% (34% for moderate and 37% for high depressive symptoms), with females showing higher prevalence than males. The overall mean CES-D score for the group with low depressive symptoms is 9.3, for the moderate group is 19.8, while it is 34.3 for the high depressive symptoms group. More than half of the students (62.5%) reported that the quarantine had a negative effect on their mental health. Finally, females, smokers, and students with decreased income levels during the extended quarantine were the common exposures that are significantly associated with a higher risk of developing sleep disturbances and depressive symptoms. Conclusions: Mass and extended quarantine succeeded in controlling the spread of the COVID-19 virus; however, it comes with a high cost of potential psychological impacts. Most of the students reported that they suffer from sleeping disorders and had a degree of depressive symptoms. Officials should provide psychological support and clear guidance to help the general public to reduce these potential effects and overcome the quarantine period with minimum negative impacts

Reviewing Social Life in Eastern Jordan through Burckhardts Tour in 1812 AD

Historical travel books are important and rich sources of information, as they describe the different aspects of life in a specific geographical area and within a specific time. One of these crucial travel books is Johann Ludwig Burckhardts Travels in Syria and the Holy Land. He recorded, through his travels in southern Syria, important details of life in the east of Jordan region at the beginning of the nineteenth century. He shed light on an important period in the history of the region, and succeeded, through the strength and accuracy of his observation, in covering rich information about social elements in the region, including values, customs, traditions, lifestyles, clothing, and food. The importance of this travel comes as a crucial source for the student of the history of East Jordan at the beginning of the nineteenth century. Indeed, it presents useful, varied, and rich information in a period characterized by scarcity of information and writings. One of the most important results of Burckhardt’s travel was the rediscovery of the Arab capital of the Nabataeans, Petra, in 1812 AD. The study also concluded that a large number of urban centers retained their names. Another important outcome of this study is that there is clear evidence that life returned to many previously deserted areas. The study also showed that the region did not witness any interest from the Ottomans in terms of education and culture since there was no mention of any school or newspaper in the region rather, the Ottomans focused only administratively on the southern region because of the pilgrimage route

A COMPARISON BETWEEN THE EFFECT OF DIFFERENT PRESSURES OF AIR PARTICLE ABRASION BEFORE AND AFTER SINTERING WITH AND WITHOUT ZIRCONIA LINER ON BOND STRENGTH OF RESIN TO ZIRCONIA SURFACE

This study aimed to compare the effect of different pressures of air particle abrasion 2 and 4 bars before and after sintering with and without zirconia liner on SBS of resin to zirconia Surface. Materials and Methods: 54 zirconia cuboids 8×8×3 mm were milled and divided into 6 equal groups (N=9) according to surface treatment; sintered with ceramic liner application and 2 bars pressure (SL2) and with 4 bars pressure (SL4), sintered with no ceramic liner and 2 bars pressure (SN2) and 4 bars pressure (SN4), unsintered with no ceramic liner and 2 bars pressure (UN2) and 4 bars pressure (UN4). Specimens underwent thermocycling (1000 cycles) between 5 ̊ and 55 ̊ Celsius with dwell time of 10 seconds, and submitted to SBS test. Data was statistically analysed. Results: All 4 bars APA groups showed higher SBS than 2 bars groups with significant difference between SL4 group (4.7±2.07) and SL2 group (2.58±1.94). Groups with APA before sintering (12.42±2.56) showed significantly higher SBS than APA after sintering (6.35±3.7). SL2 group showed least SBS with significant difference (2.58±1.94) compared to UN2 (11.83±3.35) and SN2 (7.87±2.12). SL4 group (4.7±2.07) showed the least SBS compared to the UN4 (13±1.38), and SN4 (10.24±2.94) groups. Conclusion: It was found that APA of zirconia surface before sintering yielded superior performance than APA after sintering, also 4 bars APA pressure application showed higher SBS than 2 bars pressure, application and firing of ceramic liner onto zirconia surface didn’t enhance SBS

ARA-Homotopy Perturbation Technique with Applications

In this study, we propose a novel combination method between the ARA integral transform and the homotopy perturbation approach to solve systems of nonlinear partial differential equations. The difficulty arising in solving nonlinear partial differential equations could simply be overcome by using He’s polynomials during the application of the new method. The proposed technique can provide the solutions of the target problems without pre-assumptions or restrictive constrains in addition to avoiding the round-off errors. The efficiency of the new method is illustrated by applying it to solve different examples of systems of nonlinear partial differential equations. We discuss three interesting applications and solve them by the new approach, called ARA-homotopy perturbation method and get exact solutions, also the results are illustrated in figures

The accuracy of the report of hepatic steatosis on ultrasonography in patients infected with hepatitis C in a clinical setting: A retrospective observational study

BACKGROUND: Steatosis is occasionally reported during screening ultrasonography in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV). We conducted a retrospective observational study to assess the factors associated with steatosis on ultrasonography and the relationship between steatosis on ultrasound versus biopsy in patients infected with HCV in a clinical setting. Our hypothesis was ultrasonography would perform poorly for the detection of steatosis outside of the context of a controlled study, primarily due to false-positive results caused by hepatic fibrosis and inflammation. METHODS: A retrospective review of ultrasound reports was conducted on patients infected with HCV in a tertiary care gastroenterology clinic. Reports were reviewed for the specific documentation of the presence of steatosis. Baseline clinical and histologic parameters were recorded, and compared for patients with vs. without steatosis. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed on these baseline variables. Liver biopsies were reviewed by two pathologists, and graded for steatosis. Steatosis on biopsy was compared to steatosis on ultrasound report, and the performance characteristics of ultrasonography were calculated, using biopsy as the gold standard. RESULTS: Ultrasound reports were available on 164 patients. Patients with steatosis on ultrasound had a higher incidence of the following parameters compared to patients without steatosis: diabetes (12/49 [24%] vs. 7/115 [6%], p < 0.001), fibrosis stage >2 (15/48 [31%] vs. 16/110 [15%], p = 0.02), histologic grade >2 (19/48 [40%] vs. 17/103 [17%], p = 0.002), and ALT (129.5 ± 89.0 IU/L vs. 94.3 ± 87.0 IU/L, p = 0.01). Histologic grade was the only factor independently associated with steatosis with multivariate analysis. When compared to the histologic diagnosis of steatosis (n = 122), ultrasonography had a substantial number of false-positive and false-negative results. In patients with a normal ultrasound, 8/82 (10%) had >30% steatosis on biopsy. Among patients with steatosis reported on ultrasound, only 12/40 (30%) had >30% steatosis on biopsy review. CONCLUSION: Steatosis on ultrasound is associated with markers of inflammation and fibrosis in HCV-infected patients, but does not consistently correlate with steatosis on biopsy outside of the context of a controlled study. Clinicians should be skeptical of the definitive diagnosis of steatosis on hepatic ultrasonography

A three-year-old boy with X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy and congenital pulmonary adenomatoid malformation: a case report

Abstract Introduction X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy leads to demyelination of the nervous system, adrenal insufficiency, and accumulation of long-chain fatty acids. Most young patients with X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy develop seizures and progressive neurologic deficits, and die within the first two decades of life. Congenital or acquired disorders of the respiratory system have not been previously described in patients with X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy. Case presentation A 3-year-old Arabic boy from Yemen presented with discoloration of the mucous membranes and nail beds, which were considered cyanoses due to methemoglobinemia. He also had shortness of breath, fatigue, emesis and dehydration episodes for which he was admitted to our hospital. Chest radiograph and chest computed tomography scans showed congenital pulmonary adenomatoid malformation. A few weeks before the removal of the malformation, he had a significant episode of hypotension and hypoglycemia. This development required further in-hospital evaluation that led to the diagnosis of adrenal insufficiency and the initiation of treatment with corticosteroids. One year later, he developed seizures and loss of consciousness. Magnetic resonance imaging of his head showed diffuse demyelination secondary to X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy. He was treated with anti-seizure and anti-oxidants, and was referred for bone marrow transplant evaluation. Conclusion The presence of adrenal insufficiency, neurologic deficits and seizures are common manifestations of X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy. The association of congenital lung disease with X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy or Addison\u27s disease has not been described previously