Nurses? attitude and practice in providing tobacco cessation care to patients

Introduction. Patients respond very positively with nurses when they talk to them about their health related problems. Methods. This cross sectional study was carried out among nurses working in Gulf Medical College hospital and Research centre, Ajman, UAE to assess the their attitude in providing tobacco cessation counselling or advise to their patients and potential barriers they face in providing tobacco cessation care. 108 nurses participated in the study. Results. Among the nurses 87% were females, the majority were aged between 25 and 34 years, and 46.3% had a work experience of less than 5 years. Among the nurses who participated in the survey, 99.1% felt that the hospital stay was a suitable time for nurses to create awareness on tobacco and health to the patients and had a positive attitude towards creating awareness on tobacco and health to the patients. Only 0.9% had a negative attitude towards creating awareness on tobacco and health and they felt that patients might not listen to them. All nurses, irrespective of their socio-demographic characteristics had a positive attitude to motivating patients to quit tobacco use. Currently, 70.4% regularly advise their patients to avoid tobacco products. Potential barriers pointed out by nurses were: lack of time (6.3%) patients may not appreciate it (90.6%) and not part of their job (3.1%). Conclusion. The study concludes that nurses have a positive attitude in providing tobacco cessation care to their patients and they can utilize their unique knowledge and know-how to promote tobacco cessation and prevent the spread of this public health crisis. Providing advice and support for tobacco cessation by nurses would increase the chance of patients stopping tobacco use. This will create an enabling environment and greater potential for public health persons to fight the epidemic with greater vigour

A global perspective on the challenges and opportunities in learning about rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases in undergraduate medical education : White paper by the World Forum on Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Diseases (WFRMD).

Rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs) encompass a spectrum of degenerative, inflammatory conditions predominantly affecting the joints. They are a leading cause of disability worldwide and an enormous socioeconomic burden. However, worldwide deficiencies in adult and paediatric RMD knowledge among medical school graduates and primary care physicians (PCPs) persist. In October 2017, the World Forum on Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Diseases (WFRMD), an international think tank of RMD and related experts, met to discuss key challenges and opportunities in undergraduate RMD education. Topics included needs analysis, curriculum content, interprofessional education, teaching and learning methods, implementation, assessment and course evaluation and professional formation/career development, which formed a framework for this white paper. We highlight a need for all medical graduates to attain a basic level of RMD knowledge and competency to enable them to confidently diagnose, treat/manage or refer patients. The importance of attracting more medical students to a career in rheumatology, and the indisputable value of integrated, multidisciplinary and multiprofessional care are also discussed. We conclude that RMD teaching for the future will need to address what is being taught, but also where, why and to whom, to ensure that healthcare providers deliver the best patient care possible in their local settin

Clinical presentation of urolithiasis in Ajman, UAE

Background Urolithiasis is an increasing problem in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The mean age at onset of urolithiasis varies according to region. MethodRecords of urolithiasis cases confirmed by ultrasonography during the period 2007 to 2009 were retrieved from the Department of Medical Records. PASW 17 version was used for data analysis. ResultsOut of 458 patients 83.8% were males and 16.2% females. The male to female ratio was 5.2:1. The mean age at onset of urolithiasis was 33.1years with a SD of 8.6 years. There was no statistically significant difference in age at onset of urolithiasis among male and female. With regard to different anatomical sites, there was no statistically significant difference in age at onset. With regard to different anatomical sites, there was no statistically significant difference with age at onset, except an earlier onset seen for stone in kidney in females and for stones at multiple sites in males (

Detection of Influenza a Virus in Swine Nasal Swab Samples With a Wash-Free Magnetic Bioassay and a Handheld Giant Magnetoresistance Sensing System

The dissemination of Influenza A virus (IAV) throughout the world has become one of the main concerns for the health of both animals and human beings. An efficient and sensitive diagnostic tool is thus needed for the early detection of IAV. Here, we developed a wash-free magnetic bioassay and further integrated it with a handheld platform based on giant-magnetoresistance (GMR) sensors. The wash-free magnetic bioassay significantly accelerates and simplifies the detection process. This brand-new system was successful in detecting both IAV nucleoprotein and IAV-contained nasal swab samples from pigs on the farm. The limit of detection (LOD) is 0.3 nM for IAV nucleoprotein and 250 TCID50/mL for IAV-spiked nasal swab samples. The detection of nasal swab samples containing unpurified IAV was also performed, demonstrating the capability of the magnetic wash-free assay in the detection of biomarkers in complex sample matrix

Opinion of nurses regarding breast cancer screening programs

Aim: Found to be effective in its treatment. The increased incidence of breast cancer supports the implementation of breast cancer screening programs. The present study evaluates the opinion among nurses regarding breast cancer screening programs in United Arab Emirates (UAE). Materials and Methods: The study population included 154 nurses practicing at different hospitals in United Arab Emirates (UAE), all nurses who participated in the breast cancer awareness programme organized by Gulf Medical University, Ajman, UAE. A self-administered, pretested, structured, close-ended questionnaire was used for data collection. Statistical Analysis was performed using Predictive Analytic Software (PASW 17). Results: The participants\u2032 age ranged between 20 and 59 years. Fifty percent of the participants strongly agreed with the early detection of breast cancer by performing breast self examination. Thirty-nine percent were of the opinion that women aged 40 years and older should have a mammogram every year and continue to do so and 25.3% strongly felt that women in their 20s and 30s should have clinical breast examination as part of their periodic health examination by health professionals. 33.8% of the respondents strongly agree on providing information on the benefits and limitations of BSE to the female population. Twenty-six percent of the participants strongly agree that women at high risk should get magnetic resonance imaging and mammogram done every year. Conclusion: The present study indicates the need for providing workplace training programs thus equipping them with better knowledge and enhancing their service among the general population

Opinion of nurses regarding breast cancer screening programs

Aim: Found to be effective in its treatment. The increased incidence of breast cancer supports the implementation of breast cancer screening programs. The present study evaluates the opinion among nurses regarding breast cancer screening programs in United Arab Emirates (UAE). Materials and Methods: The study population included 154 nurses practicing at different hospitals in United Arab Emirates (UAE), all nurses who participated in the breast cancer awareness programme organized by Gulf Medical University, Ajman, UAE. A self-administered, pretested, structured, close-ended questionnaire was used for data collection. Statistical Analysis was performed using Predictive Analytic Software (PASW 17). Results: The participants′ age ranged between 20 and 59 years. Fifty percent of the participants strongly agreed with the early detection of breast cancer by performing breast self examination. Thirty-nine percent were of the opinion that women aged 40 years and older should have a mammogram every year and continue to do so and 25.3% strongly felt that women in their 20s and 30s should have clinical breast examination as part of their periodic health examination by health professionals. 33.8% of the respondents strongly agree on providing information on the benefits and limitations of BSE to the female population. Twenty-six percent of the participants strongly agree that women at high risk should get magnetic resonance imaging and mammogram done every year. Conclusion: The present study indicates the need for providing workplace training programs thus equipping them with better knowledge and enhancing their service among the general population

Biological, antigenic and genomic relationships among the virus isolates causing mosaic disease of sugarcane in South India

The virus isolates causing mosaic disease of commercial sugarcane around Tirupati (Chittoor district, Andhra Pradesh (AP)), Tanuku (West Godavari district, AP), Hospet (Bellary district, Karnataka) and Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu) were propagated on Sorghum bicolor cv, Rio by sap inoculation and also through vegetative propagules of sugarcane. In host range studies, the four isolates infected all the 11 tested sorghum differentials with per cent infection ranging from 10 to 100, but they failed to infect Pennisetum typhoides, Zea mays, Eleusine coracana and Triticum aestivum, The antigenic relationships among these isolates determined by employing agar gel double diffusion (AGDD), direct antigen coating-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (DAC-ELISA) and electroblot immunoassay (EBIA) tests using antiserum of Tirupati (Chittoor district, AP) isolate (sugarcane streak mosaic virus, SCSMV-AP) revealed that the other three isolates are antigenically similar to SCSMV-AP, This was further confirmed by slot-blot hybridization using radioactive nucleic acid probe (pSV-7) specific to 3'-UTR and C-terminal portions of coat protein gene of SCSMV-AP, The heterologous isolates reacted similarly with the probe, The results demonstrated that the virus isolates causing mosaic disease of sugarcane in South Indian states are pathotypes of recently characterized SCSMV-AP, a new member of the proposed genus Tritimovirus of the family Potyviridae

Energy-Efficient Cluster Head Selection in Wireless Sensor Networks Using an Improved Grey Wolf Optimization Algorithm

The internet of things (IoT) and industrial IoT (IIoT) play a major role in today’s world of intelligent networks, and they essentially use a wireless sensor network (WSN) as a perception layer to collect the intended data. This data is processed as information and send to cloud servers through a base station, the challenge here is the consumption of minimum energy for processing and communication. The dynamic formation of cluster heads and energy aware clustering schemes help in improving the lifetime of WSNs. In recent years, grey wolf optimization (GWO) became the most popular feature selection optimizing, swarm intelligent, and robust metaheuristics algorithm that gives competitive results with impressive characteristics. In spite of several studies in the literature to enhance the performance of the GWO algorithm, there is a need for further improvements in terms of feature selection, accuracy, and execution time. In this paper, we have proposed an energy-efficient cluster head selection using an improved version of the GWO (EECHIGWO) algorithm to alleviate the imbalance between exploitation and exploration, lack of population diversity, and premature convergence of the basic GWO algorithm. The primary goal of this paper is to enhance the energy efficiency, average throughput, network stability, and the network lifetime in WSNs with an optimal selection of cluster heads using the EECHIGWO algorithm. It considers sink distance, residual energy, cluster head balancing factor, and average intra-cluster distance as the parameters in selecting the cluster head. The proposed EECHIGWO-based clustering protocol has been tested in terms of the number of dead nodes, energy consumption, number of operating rounds, and the average throughput. The simulation results have confirmed the optimal selection of cluster heads with minimum energy consumption, resolved premature convergence, and enhanced the network lifetime by using minimum energy levels in WSNs. Using the proposed algorithm, there is an improvement in network stability of 169.29%, 19.03%, 253.73%, 307.89%, and 333.51% compared to the SSMOECHS, FGWSTERP, LEACH-PRO, HMGWO, and FIGWO protocols, respectively

Giant Magnetoresistance Based Biosensor for Detection of Influenza A Virus

We have developed a simple and sensitive method for the detection of influenza A virus (IAV) based on giant magnetoresistance (GMR) biosensor. This assay employs monoclonal antibodies to viral nucleoprotein (NP) in combination with magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs). Presence of influenza virus allows the binding of MNPs to the GMR sensor and the binding is proportional to the concentration of virus. Binding of MNPs onto the GMR sensor causes change in the resistance of sensor, which is measured in a real time electrical readout. GMR biosensor detected as low as 1.5 × 102 TCID50/mL virus and the signal intensity increased with increasing concentration of virus up to 1.0 × 105 TCID50/mL. This study showed that the GMR biosensor assay is relevant for diagnostic application since the virus concentration in nasal samples of influenza virus infected swine was reported to be in the range of 103 to 105 TCID50/mL

Energy-Efficient Cluster Head Selection in Wireless Sensor Networks Using an Improved Grey Wolf Optimization Algorithm

The internet of things (IoT) and industrial IoT (IIoT) play a major role in today’s world of intelligent networks, and they essentially use a wireless sensor network (WSN) as a perception layer to collect the intended data. This data is processed as information and send to cloud servers through a base station, the challenge here is the consumption of minimum energy for processing and communication. The dynamic formation of cluster heads and energy aware clustering schemes help in improving the lifetime of WSNs. In recent years, grey wolf optimization (GWO) became the most popular feature selection optimizing, swarm intelligent, and robust metaheuristics algorithm that gives competitive results with impressive characteristics. In spite of several studies in the literature to enhance the performance of the GWO algorithm, there is a need for further improvements in terms of feature selection, accuracy, and execution time. In this paper, we have proposed an energy-efficient cluster head selection using an improved version of the GWO (EECHIGWO) algorithm to alleviate the imbalance between exploitation and exploration, lack of population diversity, and premature convergence of the basic GWO algorithm. The primary goal of this paper is to enhance the energy efficiency, average throughput, network stability, and the network lifetime in WSNs with an optimal selection of cluster heads using the EECHIGWO algorithm. It considers sink distance, residual energy, cluster head balancing factor, and average intra-cluster distance as the parameters in selecting the cluster head. The proposed EECHIGWO-based clustering protocol has been tested in terms of the number of dead nodes, energy consumption, number of operating rounds, and the average throughput. The simulation results have confirmed the optimal selection of cluster heads with minimum energy consumption, resolved premature convergence, and enhanced the network lifetime by using minimum energy levels in WSNs. Using the proposed algorithm, there is an improvement in network stability of 169.29%, 19.03%, 253.73%, 307.89%, and 333.51% compared to the SSMOECHS, FGWSTERP, LEACH-PRO, HMGWO, and FIGWO protocols, respectively