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Abstract Background The use of Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) has become prevalent across a variety of clinical settings. Many healthcare professionals have started getting hands-on training. To evaluate the effectiveness of such training programs, this study aimed to assess a 4 day POCUS training course on healthcare providers’ skills and knowledge acquisition. A secondary objective of this study is to gain valuable insights into the degree of perception, attitude, interest levels and perceived barriers of medical providers performing POCUS. Methods This is a prospective cohort study performed on healthcare providers in an integrated healthcare facility in Abu Dhabi undergoing the POCUS training course in February 2022. Course participants took a pre-course survey to evaluate their baseline knowledge, skills, confidence, perception, and interest in POCUS. The same survey was repeated immediately post-course. In total, seven healthcare professionals responded to the survey with a response rate of 53.8%. All data and information gathered were used to understand the effectiveness of POCUS training and gain insights into the degree of perception, interest and preparedness of POCUS among healthcare professionals in practice. Results Our results demonstrated that the brief POCUS course was effective in improving POCUS skills, knowledge and confidence amongst in-practice healthcare providers from varying medical specialties. The median skill score increased from 25% pre-course to 50% post-course. There is a notable increase in all skills scores after the POCUS training course with the greatest change in scores seen for adjusting ‘gain and depth of image (54.84%), assessing VeXUS score (52.38%) and evaluating lung congestion (50%). The study also provided valuable insights into the perception, attitude, interest and potential barriers of POCUS implementation. Although significant barriers to POCUS are present including the lack of POCUS curriculum, what is challenging is lack of expertise and skills to perform POCUS. Therefore, medical providers must acquire prespecified skills to fully utilize POCUS effectively. Conclusion The study confirmed the effectiveness of short POCUS training in improving the skills, knowledge and confidence of medical providers in practice. Healthcare professionals can master POCUS skills and techniques and gain confidence through brief training courses.

Abstract Background Computer vision syndrome has become a significant public health problem, especially in developing countries. Therefore, this study aims to identify the prevalence of computer vision syndrome during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods A systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature was conducted using the databases PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase up to February 22, 2023, using the search terms "Computer Vision Syndrome" and "COVID-19". Three authors independently performed study selection, quality assessment, and data extraction, and the Joanna Briggs Institute Meta-Analysis of Statistics Assessment and Review Instrument was used to evaluate study quality. Heterogeneity was assessed using the statistical test I 2 , and the R version 4.2.3 program was used for statistical analysis. Results A total of 192 studies were retrieved, of which 18 were included in the final meta-analysis. The total sample included 10,337 participants from 12 countries. The combined prevalence of computer vision syndrome was 74% (95% CI: 66, 81). Subgroup analysis based on country revealed a higher prevalence of computer vision syndrome in Pakistan (99%, 95% CI: 97, 100) and a lower prevalence in Turkey (48%, 95% CI: 44, 52). In addition, subgroup analysis based on study subjects showed a prevalence of 82% (95% CI: 74, 89) for computer vision syndrome in non-students and 70% (95% CI: 60, 80) among students. Conclusion According to the study, 74% of the participants experienced computer vision syndrome during the COVID-19 pandemic. Given this finding, it is essential to implement preventive and therapeutic measures to reduce the risk of developing computer vision syndrome and improve the quality of life of those affected. Trial registration The protocol for this systematic review and meta-analysis was registered in the international registry of systematic reviews, the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO), with registration number CRD42022345965.

Inflammation, a widespread biological process linked to various diseases, poses a significant global health challenge. Recent research targeting the development of new anti-inflammatory drugs has prioritized plant-derived compounds due to their cost-effectiveness and minimal side effects compared to synthetic drugs. Flavonoids, polyphenolic compounds in plants, show potential for treating inflammation-related diseases. This study evaluates the antiinflammatory activity of flavonoids from the Knema genus, a member of the Myristicaceae family. We focused on inhibiting two pro-inflammatory proteins, human and murine interleukin-1B (IL-1) and human interleukin-6 (IL-6). Molecular docking and ADMET prediction identified sulfuretin and (–)-catechin with high binding affinity to IL-6, whereas 4'-hydroxy-7-methoxyflavanone and 7,2'-dihydroxy-6,8-dimethyl-4',5'-methylenedioxyflavan stably bind IL-6. Molecular interaction analyses revealed that hydrogen and π–σ bonds contribute to the interaction. Notably, these flavonoids exhibited affinities comparable to celecoxib. Our computational predictions support the suitability of these flavonoids as drug candidates, indicating their promise as natural anti-inflammatory agents capable of modulating pro-inflammatory signaling pathways.

Abstract Introduction Mpox is a zoonotic viral disease that emerged in May 2022 and has since shown a high prevalence in non-mpox-endemic areas, resulting in an outbreak that caused more than 84,000 cases in 110 countries around the globe. Several vaccines are available to prevent the disease, and multiple studies have been conducted to assess the attitudes of different populations toward receiving the mpox vaccine. This study systematically reviews all the studies conducted on mpox vaccine acceptance/hesitancy among healthcare workers. Methods A systematic literature search was conducted through four electronic databases, including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, up to March 2023. Studies that described mpox vaccine acceptance/hesitancy among healthcare workers were included, and the data were extracted using a uniform extraction sheet. Following the extraction, the meta-analysis included ten studies with 7322 healthcare workers. Three researchers independently assessed the risk of bias in the included study using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale (NOS). Results Ten studies were included in the review. This review indicates that the prevalence of mpox vaccine acceptance was 58.5%, and the prevalence of mpox vaccine hesitancy was 41.5%. There was a higher prevalence of acceptance in countries located in Asian and African areas compared to those in North America and Europe, estimated at 68% and 44.3%, respectively. Among the studies conducted solely among physicians, there was a high prevalence of mpox vaccine acceptance, at 77.1%, compared to 49% in studies that included all healthcare workers. Conclusion There is a significant variation in the prevalence of mpox vaccine acceptance among different populations. Further research is needed to identify the factors that contribute to this variation and to develop interventions to increase vaccine acceptance. In addition, it is important to promote research on mpox vaccine acceptance and hesitancy among healthcare workers in countries where data is limited. This research will help policymakers develop effective policies to increase acceptance and reduce the disease burden.

The study aims to determine the composition and diversity of waterbirds species in the Jatipapak mangrove ecosystem at Alas Purwo National Park (APNP). This research was conducted on September-October 2020 with terrestrial and marine surveys in three stations. Data collection includes the waterbirds species and the number of individuals of each species. Data analysis used species composition and diversity index (Shannon Wiener=H’). The results of the study obtained the existence of 837 individuals waterbirds consisting of seven families, 16 genera, and 23 species. The waterbird communities in this area are composed of 11 species of resident birds and 12 species of migratory birds. The diversity index of waterbird species obtained is 2.31 which means moderate level. Based on the conservation status, there were 22 species of waterbirds that were classified as least concern (LC) and one species namely the Lesser Adjutant (Leptoptilos javanicus) which was included in the Vulnerable (VU) category. ABSTRAK: Penelitian bertujuan untuk menentukan komposisi dan keanekaragaman spesies burung air di ekosistem mangrove Jatipapak di Taman Nasional Alas Purwo (TNAP). Penelitian ini dilakukan pada bulan September-Oktober 2020 dengan survei darat dan laut di tiga stasiun. Data yang dicatat meliputi spesies burung air dan jumlah individu setiap jenis. Analisis data menggunakan penentuan komposisi spesies dan indeks keanekaragaman jenis Shannon Wiener (H’). Hasil penelitian diperoleh 837 individu burung air yang terdiri dari 7 famili, 16 genus, dan 23 spesies. Komunitas burung air di kawasan ini terdiri dari 11 spesies burung penetap dan 12 spesies burung migran. Nilai indeks keanekaragaman jenis burung air yang diperoleh adalah 2,31 yang berarti dalam kategori sedang. Berdasarkan status konservasi, terdapat 22 spesies burung air yang tergolong least concern (LC) dan satu spesies yaitu bangau tongtong (Leptoptilos javanicus) yang masuk dalam kategori Vulnerable (VU).

Medical imaging enables doctors to provide faster and more accurate diagnoses of different conditions. Medical images are generally very dark and frequently exhibit degradations such as poor detail or low contrast, which may impact the accuracy and speed of diagnosis. This paper proposes an effective and efficient technique to enhance CT images. The image is first decomposed into base and detail layers, which are individually enhanced using adaptive gamma correction, and recombined to obtain the resultant image with better details and brightness without added noise and artifacts such as halo. We present a comprehensive study using 51 test images evaluated by 50 human subjects to compare the performance of the proposed method with the existing state of the art. In addition, we use six commonly used objective metrics to score the images produced by the proposed method and seven existing state of the art enhancement methods. The proposed method outperforms the existing techniques in both objective and subjective evaluations and appears as the most effective way of enhancing medical images’ quality without producing artifacts.

Grasshoppers (Caelifera) are herbivorous insects that act as first consumers in the food chain. Grasshoppers can detect the presence or absence of plants as a source of food and a place to live, as well as being an indicator of environmental recovery. This study aims to determine the diversity of grasshopper species in the rehabilitation zone of Bonangan Block, Resort Wonoasri Meru Betiri National Park. The sampling method used a structured roaming technique. The results obtained nine types of grasshoppers covering seven genera with a total of 228 individuals. The diversity index value obtained is 1.86. The conclusion of this study was that the composition of grasshoppers included nine types of grasshoppers found, namely Oxya sp., Catantops sp., Trilophidia sp. (1), Trilophidia sp. (2), Schistocerca sp., Acrida sp., Phlaeoba sp., Atractomorpha sp. (1) and Atractomorpha sp. (2). The value of the diversity index of grasshoppers is in the medium category with the diversity index value of 1.86.

This paper aims to analyze the interconnectedness between Bond and Sukuk markets in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries. This study utilized the TVP-VAR extended joint connectedness method. The observed period was from January 2020 to October 2023, encompassing significant global events such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine war, and the Israeli-Palestinian war. The results show the interconnectedness of bond and sukuk markets in both regions by 73% (based on TCI). The Bond and Sukuk instruments in MENA act as transmitters, while Bond and Sukuk in GCC act as receivers. The study suggests that the Sukuk in GCC and MENA may serve as an attractive option for diversified assets compared to Bonds. Additionally, the paper highlights structural changes and market dynamics during the crisis period that affected financial stability in both regions. The anticipated contribution of this study is to enriching the global economic in term of financial literature and offering policy insight to manage risks and improve financial system resilience in GCC and MENA countries.

Within group A Streptococcus (GAS), only Streptococcus pyogenes exhibits clinical significance. GAS is typed serologically based on unique surface proteins and critical virulence factors, such as a hyaluronic acid capsule that shields GAS from phagocytosis. The burden of GAS was estimated in the last five years as 14,000 to 25,000 cases of the invasive group A streptococcal disease in the USA with an estimated death from 1,500 to 2,300 cases per year. Early in the summer of 2022 in England, there was more scarlet fever than was anticipated. Early in the current season, the number of notifications rose to unusual heights. The analysis of invasive GAS (iGAS) isolate typing data shows that this season has seen a wide variety of encoding mature M protein (emm) gene sequence types found. Therefore, public health authorities should think about initiatives to increase clinicians’ and the general public’s awareness of GAS infections and to promote their quick diagnosis, molecular testing and antibiotic susceptibility testing, and standard treatment.

Background Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is an autoimmune heart disease following unresolved or untreated Acute Rheumatic Fever (ARF), which results in irreversible valve damage and heart failure. Strategies for managing RHD could be planned to understand the disease determinants in local settings. Objective To explore the determinants of RHD among the family with an RHD case. Methods The study was a qualitative design using a grounded theory approach after in-depth interviews with respondents from families with RHD patients. Analysis was conducted after the scripts were finalized. Initial, intermediate, and advanced codings were performed. Ten respondents agreed to participate and completed the qualitative data collection process. Results The analysis yielded two theme categories of what could have led to RHD among respondents due to internal and external causes. Internal causes were considered factors that could be managed or manipulated to improve an individual and family’s capacity. In contrast, external causes were considered factors that could not be managed or manipulated to improve an individual’s capacity or family. Therefore, these factors were considered beyond their control. Conclusion This study explored RHD determinants according to the patients’ and their families’ perspectives. A holistic approach can be applied to managing RHD by considering these factors.

Initially, the COVID-19 pandemic threatened to inflict severe and lasting damage to public. transit in California. However, thanks to federal financial relief from three stimulus bills and stronger-than-expected bounce-back of tax revenues from state and local sources, transit agencies in 2022 have avoided that abyss—bu still face an uncertain financial future. To explore the financial effects of the pandemic on California transit and agencies’ responses to it, we conducted a survey of transit agency staff in late fall 2021 and early winter 2022.While nearly all of the systems surveyed reported moderate to substantial increases in federal funding during the pandemic, nearly three-quarters said that they expect some financial shortfalls once federal pandemic relief funding expires. Despite the loss of fare revenues, most respondents told us that fiscal shortfalls were not affecting their service presently, though neither are most systems contemplating moving to blanket fare-free transit over the longer run. While finances generally are not hampering service, labor issues are: most surveyed agencies reported difficulty filling open positions, which, on some systems, is limiting service delivery.

This study investigates how students experience and describe group work in an online course in international business (IB) after being introduced to Barnes' exploratory talk ground rules (ETGRs) which promote norms for dialog that encourage participants to share ideas and information and to think together. This study examines the dialog in groups of fourteen IB undergraduates attending a four-week online course in International Management. Initially, the students received briefings about the ETGRs and wrote self-reports throughout the course, on which we conducted a thematic analysis. Our findings show that students who engage with and apply the ETGRs describe more shared responsibility for collaborative learning in the group work, a greater interest in exploring the perspectives of group members, and overall, more positive learning experiences. This implies that making the ETGRs transparent is considered beneficial for social interactions in group work. However, the teacher plays a key role in creating a class environment conducive for collaborative learning, and preconditions for productive group work, including a good assignment structure and proper technology preparation, must be met. The findings and their implications are discussed herein.

This paper aims to examine the effectiveness of e-assessment in higher education from the perspective of students, and it also examines the student's reaction to this method. There are many developing countries that have begun to explore technology-based assessment systems. The new assessment system has benefits to institutions and to students. The purpose of this paper is to understand the benefits students are receiving from e-assessment as well as the complications they are facing when institutions are adapting e-assessment and switching from traditional assessment. The paper is based on the views of a small sample of university students chosen randomly, which found mixed reactions to e-assessment. Although students appreciate the importance of e-assessment, they have some fears about technology-based examinations as all of them do not have an equal level of IT competence. Further research should be carried out to explore other aspects of e-assessment in the higher education context.