Digital Commons Network^™

Stigmatisation Of Covid-19 In Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study, Fatmah Almoayad, Samira Mahboub, Lujain Bin Amer, Alaa Alrabiah, Anwar Alhashem

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

Objectives: Infectious diseases are the most common cause of disease stigmatisation, which can lead to a denial of healthcare, education, housing and employment as well as physical violence. Such stigmatisation is common during pandemics. This study aimed to examine the social stigmatisation of COVID-19 among residents of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in Riyadh in May 2020. Non-probability convenient sampling was used to recruit 847 participants through social media platforms, including WhatsApp. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics, the Pearson correlation coefficient and the chi-squared test were used along with a multiple linear regression …

Prevalence And Determinants Of Vaccine Hesitancy In Aseer Region, Saudi Arabia, Youssef A. Alqahtani, Khalid H. Almutairi, Yahya M. Alqahtani, Ahmed H. Almutlaq, Anas A. Asiri

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

Objectives: Vaccination is the provision of a vaccine to initiate immunity trough stimulating immune system to develop protection from a certain disease. When a sufficiently large proportion of a population has been vaccinated, herd immunity initiated. The effectiveness of vaccination has been widely studied and verified. Although the harsh vaccine safety systems, some parents remain minded regarding the safety of the childhood vaccines and immunization schedule. These hesitations pushed some parents to not allow their children to receive some or all the scheduled vaccines. The aim of the study is to assess the general population awareness regarding vaccines and to …

Bridging The Gap In Online Learning Anxiety Among Different Generations In Health Professions Education, Wiam Elshami, Coumaravelou Saravanan, Mohamed H. Taha, Mohamed E. Abdalla, Mohamed Abuzaid, Sausan Al Kawas

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the effects of an individual’s generation group on anxiety related to online learning among students and online learning and teaching activities among faculty. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at the University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, in April 2020 using the Online Course Anxiety Scale. The questionnaires were sent to 370 undergraduate students and 81 faculty members via email and the responses were stratified by generation. Descriptive statistics and an independent sample t-test was used to compare the mean scores of online learning anxiety with gender and previous experience among faculty and …

Knowledge, Attitudes And Practices Related To Dietary Supplements Among A Group Of Palestinian Pharmacists, Mohammad Altamimi, May Hamdan, Manal Badrasawi, Saad Allahham

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

Objectives: The use of dietary supplements (DS) has increased, but due to a lack of related regulations, the prescription of DS depends on pharmacists’ knowledge. Hence, this study aimed to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) related to DS among community-based pharmacists. Methods: This study followed a cross-sectional design targeting community pharmacists in West Bank, Palestine between September and December 2019. Selected participants filled a self-administered questionnaire regarding their KAP related to DS. The questionnaire contained 15 items: five questions on knowledge, seven on practices and three on attitudes. Results: At a 90% response rate, 56.2% of the representative …

Clinical And Radiological Findings In Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser Syndrome Type 2: Case Report, Samih A. Odhaib, Miaad J. Mohammed, Ahmed Jh Al-Ali, Abbas A. Mansour

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome (MRKHS) or Müllerian agenesis represents uterovaginal aplasia or hypoplasia of unknown aetiology in young women with usual 46,XX karyotype and normal secondary sexual characteristics. We report a 15-year-old female patient who presented to a specialised diabetes endocrine and metabolism centre in Basrah, Iraq, in 2019 with primary amenorrhoea and normal pubertal secondary sexual characteristics, hormonal workup and clinical examination. Abdominopelvic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed cervical and uterine agenesis with the absence of the proximal thirds of the vagina. Both kidneys were fused in the right iliac fossa with oval lobulated appearance and crossed fused ectopia. The ovaries …

Varied Clinical Presentation And Management Of Paediatric Vallecular Cyst, Jyoti Singh, Neha Jain, Mamta Jajoo, Suparna Roy, Ekta Narang, Nidhi Mahajan

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

The current article aims to highlight the varied presentation and management of vallecular cysts. We report three children, aged four years, 11 months and three days, diagnosed with vallecular cyst presenting to the Chacha Nehru Bal Chikitsalaya hospital, New Delhi, India in 2018 and 2019. They were reviewed retrospectively for clinical presentation, diagnostic tools and treatment options. All three cases had respiratory and feeding difficulties. The diagnosis in all of the three cases was made with laryngoscopy (flexible/direct) and imaging. All three patients were treated with the transoral approach aimed at the excision of the cyst using cold instruments. The …

Cardiac Involvement In Eosinophilic Granulomatosis With Polyangiitis (Churg-Strauss Disease): The Role Of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance, Rashid S. Al Umairi, Khalid Al Manei, Fatma Al Lawati, Yaqoob Al Mahrouqi, Farida Al Balushi

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA), previously known as Churg-Strauss disease, is a rare vasculitis that affects small- to medium-sized vessels and has a propensity to involve the heart. Patients with cardiac involvement have a poor prognosis and usually require immunosuppressive treatment along with corticosteroids. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) is a non-invasive diagnostic tool for detecting cardiac involvement and guiding the management plan. We report a 39-year-old male patient with a known history of bronchial asthma who was referred to the chest clinic at a tertiary hospital in 2019 for further assessment of persistent lung parenchymal changes on chest computed tomography. …

A Novel Spink5 Gene Mutation Associated With Netherton Syndrome In An Omani Patient, Nishath Hamza, Nashat Al Sukaiti, Khwater Am Ahmed, Rosa Romano, Uday A. Gokhale, Qiand Pan-Hammarström

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

Netherton syndrome (NS) is an autosomal recessive primary immunodeficiency. It is characterised by substantial skin barrier defects and is often misdiagnosed as severe atopic dermatitis or hyper-immunoglobulin E syndrome. Although more than 80 NS-associated pathogenic mutations in the serine peptidase inhibitor kazal type 5 (SPINK5) gene have been reported worldwide, only one has been reported in the Arab population to date. We report the case of a novel association between the c.1887+1G>A mutation in the SPINK5 gene and NS in an Omani-Arab patient born in 2014 who was managed at a paediatric immunology clinic in Muscat, Oman. Accurate genetic …

A Secondary Spontaneous Pneumothorax In A Patient With Covid-19: Case Report, Abdullah M. Al Alawi, Zakariya Al Naamani

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), a novel coronavirus, represents an unprecedented global threat. We report a 78-year-old male patient who presented to the Emergency Department at a tertiary care hospital in Muscat, Oman, in June 2020 with a one-day history of right chest pain and severe breathlessness. The patient was an ex-smoker and known to have idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) with two previous pneumothoraces in the left lung. On presentation, the patient was breathless with an oxygen saturation of 90% on room air. Chest X-ray demonstrated bilateral lung infiltrates and right-sided pneumothorax. The patient tested positive for SARS …

Askin’S Tumour: Massive Tumour With Minimal Symptoms, Aqeel Hussain, Alkesh K. Khurana, Abhishek Goyal, Deepti Joshi

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

No abstract provided.

Erythema Multiforme: When Targets Lead To Diagnosis, Francesc Alamon-Reig, Natalia Castrejón, Xavier Bosch-Amate

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

No abstract provided.

Neuroblastoma Among Omani Children: Clinical Characteristics And Survival Outcome From A Dedicated Centre, Abeer Al-Battashi, Ameera Al-Rahbi, Adbulhakeem Al-Rawahi, Mohammed Mamdouh, Ibrahim Al-Ghaithi, Fatma A. Ramadhan

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

Objectives: A limited number of publications from the Middle East have focused on neuroblastoma, a common childhood malignancy. This study describes the clinical characteristics and survival outcome of Omani children with neuroblastoma treated at the National Oncology Centre, Oman, between 2010 and 2017. Methods: From January 2010 to December 2017, data on Omani children aged less than 13 years with neuroblastoma were retrospectively collected. Survival data were statistically correlated with known prognostic factors, including age, stage of disease, MYCN profile and presence of metastasis. Results: A total of 56 Omani children were included. in this study. The male to female …

The Experience Of Healthcare Professionals Providing Mental Health Services To Mothers With Postpartum Depression: A Qualitative Study, Nazanin Jannati, Jamileh Farokhzadian, Leila Ahmadian

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

Objectives: This study aims to describe healthcare professionals' experience in providing mental health services to women with postpartum depression. Methods: In this qualitative study, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with five physicians, five midwives, and five psychologists from fourteen urban healthcare centers in Kerman, Iran, from April 2019 to September 2019. We used purposeful sampling to select the participants. Data were qualitatively analyzed using a content analysis approach. Results: Data analysis revealed the main theme of the study, "the long way ahead of comprehensive, integrated and responsive mental health services." This theme includes four categories: "postpartum depression challenges, "social …

Action Plan To Increase Physical Activity During Covid-19 Pandemic, Amir-Hossein Memari, Maryam Selk-Ghaffari, Afifeh Khosravi, Ramin Kordi

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

No abstract provided.

Hymenialdisine Is Cytotoxic Against Cisplatin-Sensitive But Not Against Cisplatin-Resistant Cell Lines, Nada Abdullah, Najwa Al Balushi, Syed I. Hasan, Shadia Al Bahlani, Sergey Dobretsov, Yahya Tamimi, Ikram A. Burney

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

Objectives: New compounds are needed to overcome the resistance to commonly used cytotoxic chemotherapy for epithelial ovarian cancer. Marine sponges are a rich source of diverse chemical compounds and hymenialdisine has been found to have antiproliferative effects. This study aimed to investigate the cytotoxic effect of hymenialdisine in cisplatin-sensitive and cisplatin resistant ovarian cancer cell lines. Methods: This study took place at Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman between August and November, 2019. The anti-cancer effects of hymenialdisine or cisplatin were assessed using treating cells with different concentrations of hymenialdisine and cisplatin. Cell viability was determined using the AlamarBlue® Assay. Results: …

Estimate Of The Homa-Ir Cut-Off Value Identifying Subjects At Risk Of Insulin Resistance Using A Machine Learning Approach, Abdelhamid Abdesselam, Hamza Zidoum, Fahd Zadjali, Rachid Hedjam, Aliya Al-Ansari, Riad Bayoumi, Said Al-Yahyaee, Mohammed Hassan, Sulayma Albarwani

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

Objectives: This study describes an unsupervised machine learning approach used to estimate the homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) cut-off for identifying subjects at risk of IR in a given ethnic group based on the clinical data of a representative sample. Methods: The approach was applied to analyse the clinical data of individuals with Arab ancestors, which was obtained from a family study conducted in Nizwa, Oman, between January 2000 and December 2004. First, HOMA-IR-correlated variables were identified to which a clustering algorithm was applied. Two clusters having the smallest overlap in their HOMA-IR values were retrieved. These clusters represented the …

In Memory Of Professor Bazdawi Al-Riyami, Md, Omar A. Al-Rawas

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

No abstract provided.

Knowledge, Attitudes And Practices Of Primary Care Physicians Regarding Tobacco Dependence Treatment In Muscat Governorate, Oman: A Cross-Sectional Study, Yaqoub Alsaidi, Buthaina Almaskari, Moon F. Chan, Sanaa Al Sumri, Hajer Alhamrashdi

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAPs) of primary care physicians (PCPs) regarding tobacco dependence treatment (TDT) and to identify barriers to TDT practice in Muscat, Oman. Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out from September 2019 to December 2019 at all 27 health centres in Muscat. All 313 PCPs working in these health centres were invited to participate. An adapted version of a previously validated 36-item questionnaire was used to assess KAPs regarding TDT services. Results: A total of 255 PCPs completed the survey (response rate: 81.5%) and they demonstrated poor knowledge (40%) but …

Types Of Primary Healthcare Emergencies In Muscat, Oman: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study Of Five Primary Care Centres, Amal Al Mahrouqi, Raya H. Al Maqbali, Faiza Al Fadhil, Asma A. Al Salmani

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

Objectives: Emergencies can occur at any time and be life-threatening or cause permanent damage. Accordingly, the management of emergency cases is an integral part of primary healthcare (PHC). This study aimed to estimate the proportion and types of emergency cases presented to PHC centres in Muscat, Oman. Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted from March to August 2016 at five PHC centres in the Muscat Governorate. A total of 800 emergency cases (i.e. those labelled in the health information system as an accident and emergency) of Omani patients aged ≥5 years presented during this period. Every second case, based …

Risk Factors For Ischaemic Stroke In An Omani Community: A Case-Control Study, Shyam S. Ganguly, Arunodaya R. Gujjar, Hasina Al Harthi, Amal Al Hashmi, Sanjay Jaju, Abdulaziz Al-Mahrezi, Abdullah R. Al-Asmi

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

Objectives: Stroke is recognised as the third most common cause of mortality and it has an increasing incidence in developing countries. Recognition and control of risk factors are of prime importance in the prevention of stroke. This study aimed to examine the characteristics of ischaemic stroke (IS) patients in Oman and quantify its various risk factors using a case-control model. Methods: This case-control study was conducted from January 2012 to March 2013 at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital and Royal Hospital, Muscat. Adult Omani patients with IS who were admitted to either hospital were compared to age- and gender-matched controls. Demographic …

Adaptation Of The Physical Activity Neighborhood Environment Scale In Oman, Huda Al Siyabi, Ruth Mabry, Mosa Al Subhi, Gustavo De Siqueira

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

Objectives: This study aimed to adapt the Physical Activity Neighborhood Environment Scale (PANES), which is a 17-item tool for assessing environmental factors relevant for walking and bicycling in the community, to the Omani context. Methods: The adaptation process was conducted in three steps: (1) revision by local experts, (2) Arabic translation and cognitive testing and (3) test-retest reliability testing with a sample of 33 Omani women and men, between September 2016 and August 2017. Results: Four of the 17 items of the PANES were modified and one was removed, resulting in a 16-item PANES, Oman (PANES-O) questionnaire. The test-retest reliability …

Transient Insulin Resistance In Propionic Acidaemia: Knowing Is Half The Battle, Mohamed A. El-Naggari, Marwa Rady, Khalid Althihli

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

Propionic acidaemia (PPA) is a disorder of amino acid and odd-chain fatty acid metabolism. Hypoglycaemia is a more commonly described finding rather than hyperglycaemia during metabolic decompensation of PPA. There is a high mortality rate in patients with organic acidaemias having severe insulin-resistant hyperglycaemia. We report a nine-month-old boy with PPA who was admitted to tertiary care hospital in Muscat, Oman, in 2018 with metabolic decompensation, persistent hyperglycaemia and transient insulin resistance. Hyperglycaemia did not respond to high insulin infusion. Plasma glucose only improved when glucose infusion rate (GIR) reached 7 mg/kg/min. The patient has full recovery and was discharged, …

Nursing Students’ Perceived Disaster Preparedness And Response: Pilot Study In Oman, Joy K. Kamanyire, Ronald Wesonga, Susan Achora, Leodoro L. Labrague, Anju Malik, Sultan Alshaqsi, Jamila As Alhabsi

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the perceived level of disaster preparedness and response among nursing students in Oman, as the country is disaster prone and experiences disasters every three to five years. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional pilot study was conducted from May to June 2019 using a stratified cluster sampling method among nursing students recruited from two government nursing colleges in Muscat, Oman. The Disaster Preparedness Evaluation Tool and Disaster Response Self-Efficacy Scale were used to assess the knowledge, skill, disaster management and self-efficacy in handling disasters. Results: A total of 51 students participated in this study. Most students …

Parents’ Awareness On Online Predators: Cyber Grooming Deterrence, Magiswary Dorasamy, Maniam Kaliannan, Manimekalai Jambulingam, Iqbal Ramadhan, Ashok Sivaji

The Qualitative Report

The rapid increase of information and communications technology is manifested by its tremendous positive outcomes on the economy, business, and society. However, online application use by adolescents, especially mobile technology, has caused uneasiness among parents owing to cyber grooming incidents. This study reflects on the current cyber grooming situation. Investigating the current state of online grooming and the means through which parents can ensure the online safety of their adolescents from adults offering “candy” or wanting to start a relationship is necessary. Teen behavior related scholars believe that parents play a vital role in building safe environments. We conducted a …

“I Finally Marginalized Myself From The Mainstream”: An Autoethnography Study Of Chinese International Student’S Development Of Intercultural Communicative Competence, Yuqi Lin, Hongzhi Zhang

The Qualitative Report

In the higher education market, the cross-border flow of international students has become increasingly apparent. For Australia, China has been a major student source and most of these students have been enrolled in the higher education sector. Such a phenomenon has rendered the innovation of higher education management necessary, and its socio-cultural influence has attracted attention from the Australian government. This study suggests that international students’ intercultural communicative competence (ICC) deficits could influence their self-perceptions thus compromising their ability to communicate with peers. Using a qualitative research approach, the study explores the extent to which China’s College English influences Chinese …

Exploring The Use Of Herbal Treatments During Pregnancy Among Saudi Women: An Application Of The Knowledge-Attitude-Practice Model, Fatmah Almoayad, Insherah A. Assiri, Haifa F. Almarshoud, Atheer M. Safhi, Hend M. Altahan, Nada Benajiba

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

Objectives: Herbal treatments are commonly used by Saudi women during pregnancy. However, the inappropriate use of some herbs can have side-effects for both the mother and the fetus. Thus, a comprehensive understanding of their use during pregnancy is crucial. This study aimed to explore the use of herbal treatments by Saudi women during pregnancy using the knowledge-attitude-practice model. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from September 2019 and April 2020 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on a convenience sample using an online Arabic-language questionnaire. Saudi women aged between 18–58 years who were pregnant or had been pregnant and were living in …

Hematopoiesis Under Telomere Attrition At The Single-Cell Resolution, Natthakan Thongon, Feiyang Ma, Andrea Santoni, Matteo Marchesini, Elena Fiorini, Ashley Rose, Vera Adema, Irene Ganan-Gomez, Emma M Groarke, Fernanda Gutierrez-Rodrigues, Shuaitong Chen, Pamela Lockyer, Sarah Schneider, Carlos Bueso-Ramos, Guillermo Montalban-Bravo, Caleb A Class, Kelly A Soltysiak, Matteo Pellegrini, Ergun Sahin, Alison A Bertuch, Courtney D Dinardo, Guillermo Garcia-Manero, Neal S Young, Karen Dwyer, Simona Colla

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The molecular mechanisms that drive hematopoietic stem cell functional decline under conditions of telomere shortening are not completely understood. In light of recent advances in single-cell technologies, we sought to redefine the transcriptional and epigenetic landscape of mouse and human hematopoietic stem cells under telomere attrition, as induced by pathogenic germline variants in telomerase complex genes. Here, we show that telomere attrition maintains hematopoietic stem cells under persistent metabolic activation and differentiation towards the megakaryocytic lineage through the cell-intrinsic upregulation of the innate immune signaling response, which directly compromises hematopoietic stem cells' self-renewal capabilities and eventually leads to their exhaustion. …

Large-Scale Dna Demethylation Occurs In Proliferating Ovarian Granulosa Cells During Mouse Follicular Development, Tomoko Kawai, Joanne S Richards, Masayuki Shimada

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

During ovarian follicular development, granulosa cells proliferate and progressively differentiate to support oocyte maturation and ovulation. To determine the underlying links between proliferation and differentiation in granulosa cells, we determined changes in 1) the expression of genes regulating DNA methylation and 2) DNA methylation patterns, histone acetylation levels and genomic DNA structure. In response to equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG), granulosa cell proliferation increased, DNA methyltransferase (DNMT1) significantly decreased and Tet methylcytosine dioxygenase 2 (TET2) significantly increased in S-phase granulosa cells. Comprehensive MeDIP-seq analyses documented that eCG treatment decreased methylation of promoter regions in approximately 40% of the genes in granulosa …

Causal Effects On Low Apgar At 5-Min And Stillbirth In A Malaria Maternal–Fetal Health Outcome Investigation: A Large Perinatal Surveillance Study In The Brazilian Amazon, Julio Abel Seijas-Chávez, Melissa Nolan Ph.D., Mph, Mary K. Lynn, Maria José Francalino Da Rocha, Muana Da Costa Araújo, Fernando Luiz Affonso Fonseca, Gabriel Zorello Laporta

Faculty Publications

Background

Malaria elimination in Brazil poses several challenges, including the control of Plasmodium falciparum foci and the hidden burden of Plasmodium vivax in pregnancy. Maternal malaria and fetal health outcomes were investigated with a perinatal surveillance study in the municipality of Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre state, Brazilian Amazon. The research questions are: what are the causal effects of low birth weight on low Apgar at 5-min and of perinatal anaemia on stillbirth?

Methods

From November 2018 to October 2019, pregnant women of ≥ 22 weeks or puerperal mothers, who delivered at the referral maternity hospital (Juruá Women and Children’s Hospital), …

The Aboveground And Belowground Growth Characteristics Of Juvenile Conifers In The Southwestern United States, N. L. Pirtel, R. M. Hubbard, J. B. Bradford, T. E. Kolb, M. E. Litvak, Scott Abella, S. L. Porter, Matthew Petrie

Life Sciences Faculty Research

Juvenile tree survival will play an important role in the persistence of coniferous forests and woodlands in the southwestern United States (SWUS). Vulnerability to climatic and environmental stress declines as trees grow, such that larger, more deeply rooted juveniles are less likely to experience mortality. It is unclear how juvenile conifers partition the aboveground and belowground components of early growth, if growth differs between species and ecosystem types, and what environmental factors influence juvenile carbon allocation above- or belowground. We developed a novel data set for four juvenile conifer groups (junipers, piñon pines, ponderosa pines, firs; 1121 juveniles sampled, 221 …