Enhancing the Knowledge of Cervical Cancer Screening among Female Nursing Students: An Interventional Educational Program

Background: Cervical cancer is a growing health risk facing women worldwide with the human papillomavirus (HPV) as the primary underlying cause. Pap smear is a simple screening test that can detect early changes in cervical cells, which might develop into cancer cells. Raising awareness of cervical cancer prevention has a significant impact on decreasing the burden of the disease. The aim of the study is to assess female nursing students' knowledge on early detection and screening of cervical cancer, and to determine the effectiveness of an educational program. Methods: A quasi-experimental research design (one group for pre- and post-tests) was utilized with a convenience sample of 130 female nursing students in one of the nursing colleges in Saudi Arabia. The study’s educational intervention included information about anatomy of genital tract and the importance of regular check-ups. The pre- and post-tests were applied to identify changes after intervention measures. Results: The mean age of the participants were 21.32 years (SD: 1.34). The findings revealed a significant improvement of post-test students’ knowledge in all items related to risk factors, signs and symptoms, occurrence, identification of HPV as causative agent, vaccination against HPV, and finally Pap smear for early detection and screening of cervical cancer. Conclusion: The study results support implementing educational intervention to improve nursing students' knowledge and awareness about cervical cancer prevention. Furthermore, it is imperative that cervical cancer awareness education modules should be developed and integrated within the nursing curriculum. Further studies with large sample size are recommended to increase generalization of the results.  Key words: cervical cancer, education program, primary prevention, nursing students, Saudi Arabi

Factors affecting in-service teacher engineering design instruction as a portal for developing science conceptual understanding

Doctor of PhilosophyCurriculum and Instruction ProgramsKimberly A. StaplesThis mixed-methods study investigated the factors that influence in-service teacher integration of science content and student science conceptual understanding during engineering design instruction. Open-ended questions, classroom observations, and documents analysis were conducted to qualitatively explore the factors impacting science content integration and science conceptual understanding. A cross-sectional survey was conducted to investigate the effect of elementary teacher preparation, self-efficacy for, and beliefs about teaching engineering design on the integration of science content and science conceptual understanding. The research study included a sample of 222 participants who were elementary in-service teachers in the State of Kansas. The significant findings of a Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) revealed two factors, which positively influence science content integration and students’ conceptual understanding during engineering design instruction: (a) professional development workshops in teaching engineering design, and (b) experience teaching engineering design. Also, this statistical test indicates undergraduate and graduate academic preparation did not influence science content integration and students’ science conceptual understanding during engineering design instruction. A correlational analysis of the data found that teachers’ self-efficacy of teaching engineering design is statistically correlated to science content integration and students’ science conceptual understanding, while teachers’ beliefs about teaching engineering design is not correlated. A triangulation of the qualitative data analysis presented the dynamic dimension of school priority as a mitigating factor in framing engineering design instruction in K-6 classrooms. The findings of the study illuminate the remarkable variation in elementary teacher professional development to deliver engineering design instruction across Kansas districts, which impacts student progression in sophistication in science reasoning of disciplinary core ideas within an engineering design instructional context. This dimension explains the diminished inclusion of science content during engineering design instruction. The availability and degree of Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) aligned curricula, professional development, allocated time to teach engineering design compromise the potential for engineering design instruction to develop science conceptual understanding. Elementary teachers reported the need to experience engineering design the elementary science methods course. Future research into the role of the elementary science methods course should be explored as a viable portal for preparing teachers to integrate science content during engineering design instruction as mandated in the NGSS for K-6 classrooms

Gastric Dieulafoy's lesion in an elderly man with comorbidities: A case report

Dieulafoy's lesion (DL) is an abnormal, enlarged (approximately 13mm) and tortious submucosal artery in the gastrointestinal tract wall. Herein, we report a case of recurrent bleeding from a gastric fundus DL in a 59-year-old man who presented with a history of melena associated with dizziness and palpitations. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy revealed a tortuous, dilated vessel in the gastric fundus. Computed tomography angiography revealed an aberrant vessel branching from the celiac artery. Surgery was performed, resulting in complete resolution of the patient’s symptoms. DL is a rare but life-threating cause of gastrointestinal haemorrhage and should be considered in the differential diagnosis

Efficacy of metformin monotherapy in newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus patients treated at Prince Mohammed Bin Abdulaziz hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Background: Metformin monotherapy is the primary therapeutic approach in most cases of newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) as it is safe, efficient, and is known to lower risks like vascular complications in patients. Previous studies have shown that glycemic control provided by metformin monotherapy is not consistent and needs to be monitored in association with other factors. Due to the complex nature of the disease and other factors like genetic predisposition, ethnicity, and geographic distribution, it is crucial to investigate its effect on the Saudi population. This study aimed to evaluate the glycemic response of metformin monotherapy in individuals with newly diagnosed T2DM who had not previously taken any other medications. Methods: A retrospective study model was followed to determine metformin monotherapy in newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes patients. The efficacy of the metformin monotherapy was evaluated in the patients who were drug naive and had undergone treatment for six months. Results: HbA1c levels for our study population (n=136) before and after metformin monotherapy for a period of six months was collected from patient records. The study cohort included both male (n=71) and female (n=67) patients. There was a significant difference in the HbA1c levels of all diabetes patients before (Mean=9.1, SD=2.84) and after (Mean=7.13, SD=1.51) medication; 2-tailed significance p<0.001. Conclusions: Metformin monotherapy was effective in reducing the HbA1c levels across both genders and all age groups in the present study. These results suggest that metformin monotherapy could be the first line of therapy for newly diagnosed T2DM individuals

Strongyloides stercolaris infection in a male patient with unusual gastrointestinal tract manifestation and lower limb deep venous thrombosis

Strongyloidiasis is an infection caused by the helminthic parasite Strongyloides stercoralis. It is endemic in rural regions of the tropics and subtropics areas. There are between 30 and 100 million an infected persons worldwide. Clinical manifestations of S. stercolaris range from asymptomatic to life-threatening and can be acute or chronic. Symptomatic disease can manifest in skin, the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and/or the respiratory system. Severe and disseminated infection can lead to serious complications. We report a case of strongyloidiasis in a 48-year-old male who presented with gastrointestinal symptoms and developed acute cholecystitis and deep venous thrombosis. Strongyloidiasis is uncommon in Saudi Arabia but must be considered for patients with gastrointestinal symptoms who recently arrived from an endemic area or will begin immunosuppressive therapy

Computer vision syndrome among Al-Rayan Medical Colleges students, Madinah, Saudi Arabia

Background: Digital devices now become a part of university student’s life, and with prolonged use, they may experience some ocular problems like dryness, headache, eye strain, and pain. These symptoms and others constitute computer vision syndrome (CVS). Our study aimed to assess CVS among Al-Rayan medical college students and to evaluate students’ behaviors related to preventing CVS. Methods: A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study was performed among the students of Alrayan Medical College from the period from November to December 2022, with a sample size of 270 cases. Data were collected using (CVS-Q) questionnaire. Results: Near half of the participants (53.7%) were suffering from CVS. The most reported symptoms included headache (43.3%), tearing (42.9%), burning (39.3%), and blurred vision (35.1%). The most significant measures applied to minimize the impact of electronic devices were putting the digital device at enough distance (p value=0.001) and adjusting the screen brightness of the digital device (p value=0.004). Conclusions: This study disclosed that CVS is a common problem among medical students. The manifestation of CVS was affected by the frequency and duration of electronic device use

Characterization of the Rate of Injection of Diesel Solenoid Injectors Operated in the Multiple Injection Strategy: A Comparison of the Spray Momentum and Bosch Tube Methods

Multiple injection strategies can be used for controlling the heat release rate in an engine, particularly in compression ignition engines. This can mitigate the heat transfer losses and overcome the limitation related to the maximum pressure allowed for a particular engine. Controlling heat release with repetitive injections requires precise characterization of the fuel injection rates. In such a configuration, the injector used should be characterized for its hydraulic delay, rate of injection, and the effect of dwell timing with multiple injections. This study investigates the fuel injection behavior of a high-flow-rate solenoid injector operated with single and double injections. Two characterization methods, the momentum flux, and the Bosch tube are used and compared to investigate their suitability with the multiple injection strategies. Experiments with single injection are conducted by varying the Energizing Timing (ET) from 0.5 up to 2 ms. The tests with multiple injections (i.e., double injections) are conducted with a fixed ET of 0.5 ms, while the dwell times (δt) are varied from 0.1 up to 1 ms. All tests are performed at 500, 1000, 1500, and 2000 bar rail pressures. Depending on the injection pressure, the injector’s needle could not fully close with short dwell times and the injections are merged. The momentum flux method has faster ramp-up and decaying and more oscillations in the quasi-steady-state phase compared to the Bosch tube method. The effective duration of injection is overpredicted with the Bosch tube method. The momentum flux method is demonstrated to be more suitable for measuring the ROI of multiple injection strategies

Exploring the nutritional and health benefits of pulses from the Indian Himalayan region: A glimpse into the region’s rich agricultural heritage

Pulses have been consumed worldwide for over 10 centuries and are currently among the most widely used foods. They are not economically important, but also nutritionally beneficial as they constitute a good source of protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals such as iron, zinc, folate and magnesium. Pulses, but particularly species such as Macrotyloma uniflorum, Phaseolus vulgaris L., Glycine max L. and Vigna umbellate, are essential ingredients of the local diet in the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR). Consuming pulses can have a favourable effect on cardiovascular health as they improve serum lipid profiles, reduce blood pressure, decrease platelet activity, regulate blood glucose and insulin levels, and reduce inflammation. Although pulses also contain anti-nutritional compounds such as phytates, lectins or enzyme inhibitors, their deleterious effects can be lessened by using effective processing and cooking methods. Despite their great potential, however, the use of some pulses is confined to IHR regions. This comprehensive review discusses the state of the art in available knowledge about various types of pulses grown in IHR in terms of chemical and nutritional properties, health effects, accessibility, and agricultural productivity.Universidade de Vigo/CISU