A Self-Localization Algorithm for Mobile Targets in Indoor Wireless Sensor Networks Using Wake-Up Media Access Control Protocol.

Indoor localization of a mobile target represents a prominent application within wireless sensor network (WSN), showcasing significant values and scientific interest. Interference, obstacles, and energy consumption are critical challenges for indoor applications and battery replacements. A proposed tracking system deals with several factors such as latency, energy consumption, and accuracy presenting an innovative solution for the mobile localization application. In this paper, a novel algorithm introduces a self-localization algorithm for mobile targets using the wake-up media access control (MAC) protocol. The developed tracking application is based on the trilateration technique with received signal strength indication (RSSI) measurements. Simulations are implemented in the objective modular network testbed in C++ (OMNeT++) discrete event simulator using the C++ programming language, and the RSSI values introduced are based on real indoor measurements. In addition, a determination approach for finding the optimal parameters of RSSI is assigned to implement for the simulation parameters. Simulation results show a significant reduction in power consumption and exceptional accuracy, with an average error of 1.91 m in 90% of cases. This method allows the optimization of overall energy consumption, which consumes only 2.69% during the localization of 100 different positions.

Molecular Characterization of Fasciola hepatica in Sheep Based on DNA Sequences of Ribosomal ITS-1.

Introduction: World Health Organization (WHO) considers Fascioliasis as a neglected tropical disease that requires global efforts for disease control. Data from the genetic characterization of Fasciola population shed light on the spread of infections among animals which could help in the development of effective parasite control. The aim of the present work was to genetically characterize Fasciola adult worms isolated from sheep in Saudi Arabia by sequence analysis of ITS-1 region. Methods: A total of 12,653 slaughtered sheep in Jeddah city, Saudi Arabia were examined for the presence of Fasciola spp. adult worms. The ITS-1 region of all parasites was amplified and sequenced. Results: Overall, 12 variants DNA sequences were obtained. The variance of isolates ranged from 0.00771 to 0.34405. BLAST search showed that all obtained sequences were Fasciola hepatica and had >99.3% similarity with F. hepatica isolates from Spain and USA (from different hosts other than sheep). Phylogenetic analysis showed that Fasciola isolates were closely related to isolates from different countries. Discussion: The current study showed that F. hepatica was the only spp. isolated from sheep in Jeddah. Further studies from different localities in Saudi Arabia are needed to help in the development of disease control.

Zinc oxide nanoparticles produced by Zingiber officinale ameliorates acute toxoplasmosis-induced pathological and biochemical alterations and reduced parasite burden in mice model.

BACKGROUND: Although, approximately 30% of the world's population is estimated to be infected with Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) with serious manifestations in immunocompromised patients and pregnant females, the available treatment options for toxoplasmosis are limited with serious side effects. Therefore, it is of great importance to identify novel potent, well tolerated candidates for treatment of toxoplasmosis. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) synthesized using Zingiber officinale against acute toxoplasmosis in experimentally infected mice. METHODS: The ethanolic extract of ginger was used to prepare ZnO NPs. The produced ZnO NPs were characterized in terms of structure and morphology using Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), UV- spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The prepared formula was used in treatment of T. gondii RH virulent strain. Forty animals were divided into four groups, with ten mice per group. The first group was the uninfected, control group. The second group was infected but untreated. The third and the fourth groups received ZnO NPs and Spiramycin orally in a dose of 10 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg/day respectively. The effect of the used formulas on the animals survival rate, parasite burden, liver enzymes -including Alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST)-, nitric oxide (NO) and Catalase antioxidant enzyme (CAT) activity was measured. Moreover, the effect of treatment on histopathological alterations associated with toxoplasmosis was examined. RESULTS: Mice treated with ZnO NPs showed the longest survival time with significant reduction in the parasite load in the livers and peritoneal fluids of the same group. Moreover, ZnO NPs treatment was associated with a significant reduction in the level of liver enzymes (ALT, AST) and NO and a significant increase in the antioxidant activity of CAT enzyme. SEM examination of tachyzoites from the peritoneal fluid showed marked distortion of T. gondii tachyzoites isolated from mice treated with ZnO NPs in comparison to untreated group. T. gondii induced histopathological alterations in the liver and brain were reversed by ZnO NPs treatment with restoration of normal tissue morphology. CONCLUSION: The produced formula showed a good therapeutic potential in treatment of murine toxoplasmosis as demonstrated by prolonged survival rate, reduced parasite burden, improved T. gondii associated liver injury and histopathological alterations. Thus, we assume that the protective effect observed in the current research is attributed to the antioxidant capability of NPs. Based on the results obtained from the current work, we suggest greenly produced ZnO NPs as a chemotherapeutic agent with good therapeutic potential and high levels of safety in the treatment of toxoplasmosis.

Endoscopic Assisted Caldwell-Luc Approach for Total Excision of an Extensive Aneurysmal Bony Cyst of the Maxillary Sinus.

Aneurysmal bone cysts (ABCs) are uncommon lesions in head and neck area that could be primary or secondary in origin. The main problem with the traditional curettage and debridement is the high rates of recurrence, and cosmetic disfigurement with the open approach. In this article, we describe the use of a combined endoscopic sinus surgery and endoscopic assisted Caldwell approach to achieve a complete surgical excision of left maxillary sinus ABC extending to the left infratemporal fossa, and to avoid facial disfigurement in a 13-year-old female patient presented to our hospital with diplopia, facial pain, and headache. The patient had uneventful post-operative recovery period with resolution of the presenting symptoms with no complications. Hence, we recommend this combined endoscopic surgical approach in such cases.

Determinants of parental seasonal influenza vaccine hesitancy in the Eastern Mediterranean region: A cross-sectional study.

Background: Seasonal influenza vaccine can reduce the risk of influenza-associated hospitalizations and deaths among children. Given that parents are the primary decision makers, this study examined the parental attitude toward childhood influenza vaccine and identified determinants of vaccine hesitancy (VH) in the Eastern Mediterranean region (EMR). Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using an anonymous online survey in 14 EMR countries. Parents of children aged 6 months to 18 years were included. The Parent Attitude about Childhood Vaccines (PACV) was used to assess VH. Chi square test and independent t-test were used to test for association of qualitative and quantitative variables, respectively. A structural equations model (SEM) was used to identify direct and indirect determinants of parental VH. Results: Almost half of the parents were hesitant about vaccinating their children against influenza (50.8%). Parental VH was significantly higher among older mothers (37.06 ± 8.8 years, p = 0.006), rural residents (53.6%, p < 0.001), high-income countries residents (50.6%, p < 0.001), and mothers with higher educational levels (52.1%, p < 0.001). Parents of school-aged children (5-9 years) (55.6%, p < 0.001), children free from any comorbidities (52.5%, p < 0.001), children who did not receive routine vaccination at all (51.5%, p = 0.03), children who were not vaccinated against COVID-19 (54.3%, p < 0.001), in addition to parents who were not vaccinated against influenza (57.1%, p < 0.001) were significantly associated with increased likelihood of VH. Parents who were depending on healthcare provider as a source of information regarding vaccines were less likely to report VH (47.9%, p < 0.001), meanwhile those who used social media as their source of health information showed a significantly higher VH (57.2%, p < 0.001). The SEM suggested that mother's age, residence, country income level, child gender, total number of children and source of information regarding vaccines had a direct effect on VH. Meanwhile, parents vaccinated against influenza, children completely or partially vaccinated with routine vaccines and children vaccinated against Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) had an indirect effect on VH. Conclusion: A high proportion of included parents were hesitant to vaccinate their children against seasonal influenza. This attitude is due to many modifiable and non-modifiable factors that can be targeted to improve vaccination coverage.

Modeling of Packet Error Rate Distribution Based on Received Signal Strength Indications in OMNeT++ for Wake-Up Receivers.

Wireless sensor network (WSN) with energy-saving capabilities have drawn considerable attention in recent years, as they are the key for long-term monitoring and embedded applications. To improve the power efficiency of wireless sensor nodes, a wake-up technology was introduced in the research community. Such a device reduces the system's energy consumption without affecting the latency. Thereby, the introduction of wake-up receiver (WuRx)-based technology has grown in several sectors. The use of WuRx in a real environment without consideration of physical environmental conditions, such as the reflection, refraction, and diffraction caused by different materials, that affect the reliability of the whole network. Indeed, the simulation of different protocols and scenarios under such circumstances is a success key for a reliable WSN. Simulating different scenarios is required to evaluate the proposed architecture before its deployment in a real-world environment. The contribution of this study emerges in the modeling of different link quality metrics, both hardware and software metrics that will be integrated into an objective modular network testbed in C++ (OMNeT++) discrete event simulator afterward are discussed, with the received signal strength indicator (RSSI) for the hardware metric case and the packet error rate (PER) for the software metric study case using WuRx based on a wake-up matcher and SPIRIT1 transceiver. The different behaviors of the two chips are modeled using machine learning (ML) regression to define parameters such as sensitivity and transition interval for the PER for both radio modules. The generated module was able to detect the variation in the PER distribution as a response in the real experiment output by implementing different analytical functions in the simulator.

Patient Radiation Doses Assessment at Diagnostic X-rays Department of King Khalid hospital (KKH)-Majmaah.

BACKGROUND: The study was conducted on patients who received diagnostic X-rays in King Khalid Hospital (KKH), Majmaah. INTRODUCTION: The study included the seven most frequently performed investigations, which were carried out on over 1504 patients using digital radiography equipment. METHODS: The X-ray tube's output and exposure parameters were used to calculate the effective dose (ED) and patient entry surface air kerma (ESAK). Additionally, based on these results, conversion coefficients were determined. This study also examined the 75th percentile distributions of ESAK and KAP. The findings of this research were compared with the findings of other researchers throughout the country and the world. The study presents the uncertainty U values, as well as the mean ESAK, KAP, and ED values. RESULTS: The results of the ESAK, KAP, and ED values were 0.12-5.74 mGy, 0.9-1.84 Gy cm2, and 0.01-0.23 mSv, respectively. As a result, the dosages were much lower than those previously published for the European DRL, national standards, and other studies. CONCLUSION: The study concludes that during dose surveys, the importance of detecting and comprehending radiation doses, as well as the proper technique for taking the finest photos possible, can be emphasized to patients in order to assist them in avoiding radioactive particles and radiation exposure.

Navigated Percutaneous Sacroiliac Screw Fixation in Unstable Pelvic Ring Fracture.

Since the late 1990s, navigation systems have been widely used in a variety of orthopaedic surgical procedures, with the majority of these procedures being complex arthroplasty surgeries and the correction of spinal abnormalities. Navigation systems are, however, infrequently used in trauma cases, especially in unstable pelvic ring fractures. The conventional method of percutaneous sacroiliac screw fixation typically used fluoroscopic image intensifiers to fix unstable pelvic ring fractures. We will examine how navigation systems can be used in trauma situations, particularly those involving unstable posterior pelvic ring fractures and focus on the advantages and disadvantages that we experienced during management.

A potential herbal therapeutic for trichinellosis.

Background: Trichinellosis is a helminthic disease caused by Trichinella spiralis via the ingestion of raw or undercooked meat of infected animals. Current estimates indicate that 11 million humans have trichinellosis, worldwide. The effective use of anti-trichinella medications is limited by side effects and resistance which highlight the critical need for safe and effective drugs, particularly those derived from medicinal plants. Therefore, in the present study, we aimed to evaluate the efficacy of the ethanolic extract of Artemisia annua (A. annua) in treatment of experimentally induced trichinellosis. Materials and methods: Trichinellosis was induced experimentally in male 6-8 weeks BALB/c mice. BALB/c mice were divided into four groups, 10 mice each. One group was left uninfected and untreated, whereas three groups were infected with T. spiralis. One infected group of mice was left untreated (negative control) while the remaining two infected groups received either 300 mg/kg of the ethanolic extract of A. annua or 50 mg/kg of albendazole (positive control). All treatments started from the third day post-infection (dpi) for 3 successive days. All animals were sacrificed on the 7th dpi for evaluation of treatment efficacy. Results: Our findings showed that A. annua treatment reduced the T. spiralis adult-worm count in the intestine of infected animals. Moreover, treatment with A. annua restored the normal intestinal architecture, reduced edema, alleviated inflammation as demonstrated by reduced inflammatory infiltrate and expression of TGF-ß in intestinal tissues of A. annua-treated animals compared to infected untreated animals. Conclusions: Our findings show that A. annua extract is effective in treating experimentally induced trichinellosis which highlight the therapeutic potential of A. annua for intestinal trichinellosis.

Clinical Characteristics, Outcomes and Prognostic Factors for Critical Illness in Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients in Saudi Arabia: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background: A good understanding of the possible risk factors for coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) severity could help clinicians in identifying patients who need prioritized treatment to prevent disease progression and adverse outcome. In the present study, we aimed to correlate clinical and laboratory characteristics of hospitalized COVID-19 patients to disease outcome in Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods: The present study included 199 COVID-19 patients admitted to King Fahd Specialist Hospital, Buraydah, Qassim, Saudi Arabia, from April to December 2020. Patients were followed-up until discharge either for recovery or death. Demographic data, clinical data and laboratory results were retrieved from electronic patient records. Results: Critical COVID-19 cases showed higher mean of age and higher prevalence of co-morbid conditions. Fifty-five patients died during the observation period. Risk factors for in hospital death for COVID 19 patients were leukocytosis (OR 1.89, 95% CI 1.008-3.548, p = 0.081), lymphocytopenia (OR 2.152, 95% CI 1.079-4.295, p = 0.020), neutrophilia (OR 1.839, 95% CI 0.951-3.55, p = 0.047), thrombocytopenia (OR 2.152, 95% CI 0.852-5.430, p = 0.085), liver injury (OR 2.689, 95% CI 1.373-4.944, p = 0.003), acute kidney injury (OR 1.248, 95% CI 0.631-2.467 p = 0.319), pancreatic injury (OR 1.973, 95% CI 0.939-4.144, p = 0.056) and high D dimer (OR 2.635, 95% CI 0.747-9.287, p = 0.091). Conclusion: Clinical and laboratory data of COVID-19 patients may help understanding the pathogenesis of the disease and subsequently improve of the outcome of patients by determination of the associated risk factors and recognition of high risk group who are more liable for complications and in hospital death. The present study put an eye on some parameters (laboratory and clinical) that should be alarming signs that the patient is at high risk bad prognosis.

Ginger Is a Potential Therapeutic for Chronic Toxoplasmosis.

Background:Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is an opportunistic parasite that causes serious diseases in humans, particularly immunocompromised individuals and pregnant women. To date, there are limited numbers of therapeutics for chronic toxoplasmosis which necessitate the discovery of effective and safe therapeutics. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the antitoxoplasmosis potential of ginger extract in mice with experimentally induced chronic toxoplasmosis. Results: Treatment with ginger extract significantly reduced cysts count in the brains of T. gondii-infected mice with a marked alleviation of edema and inflammation, and a reversal of neuronal injury. Moreover, ginger extract treatment reduced inflammation in liver and lungs and protected hepatocytes from infection-induced degeneration. Consistently, apoptosis was significantly mitigated in the brains of ginger extract-treated mice compared to infected untreated animals or spiramycin-treated animals. Methods: Four groups of Swiss albino mice (10 mice each) were used. The first group was not infected, whereas 3 groups were infected with Me49 T. gondii strains. One infected group remained untreated (infected untreated), whereas the other two infected groups were treated with either ginger extract (250 mg/kg) or spiramycin (positive control; 100 mg/kg), respectively. The therapeutic potential of ginger extract was evaluated by calculation of the parasite burden in infected animals, and examination of the infected tissues for reduced pathologic changes. Conclusions: Our results showed for the first time that ginger extract exhibited marked therapeutic effects in mice with chronic T. gondii infection which indicates that it can be used as a safe and effective treatment for chronic toxoplasmosis.

Interfacial coupling effects on adsorptive and photocatalytic performances for photoresponsive graphene-wrapped SrTiO3@Ag under UV-visible light: experimental and DFT approach.

Understanding the graphene/semiconductor/metal interactions is crucial to design innovative photocatalytic materials with efficient photocatalytic activity for environmental cleanup applications. SrTiO3 on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) with various graphene contents was successfully synthesized in this study utilizing a simple hydrothermal method, followed by decorating the surface with Ag particles by using the photodeposition process. Under UV-visible light irradiation, the resulting composites were tested for their improved photocatalytic activity to decompose methylene blue (MB). The prepared photocatalysts were characterized by XRD, SEM, EDX, DLS, FT-IR, Raman spectroscopy, and DRS. First-principle density functional theory calculations (DFT) were also carried out by using the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) and PBE functional with the addition of on-site Coulomb correction (GGA + U). The obtained SrTiO3/rGO@Ag composites showed great improvement in the photocatalytic performances over pristine SrTiO3. For the degradation reaction of MB, SrTiO3/rGO20%@Ag4% composites yielded the best photocatalytic activity with efficacy reach 94%, which was also shown that it could be recycled up to four times with nearly unchanged photocatalytic activity.

Pancreatic Pathological Changes in Murine Toxoplasmosis and Possible Association with Diabetes Mellitus.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have reported involvement of Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) infections in the pathogenesis of some autoimmune diseases, such as polymyositis, rheumatoid arthritis, autoimmune thyroiditis, and Crohn's disease. However, data on the association between T. gondii infections and Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) are still controversial. Therefore, in the present study, we aimed to investigate the pancreatic pathological changes in mouse models with acute and chronic toxoplasmosis and their association with T1DM. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Three groups (10 mice each) of male Swiss Albino mice were used. One group of mice was left uninfected, whereas the second and third groups were infected with the acute virulent T. gondii RH strain and the chronic less virulent Me49 T. gondii strain, respectively. T. gondii-induced pancreatic pathological changes were evaluated by histopathological examination of pancreatic tissues. Moreover, the expression of insulin, levels of caspase-3, and the pancreatic infiltration of CD8+ T cells were evaluated using immunohistochemical staining. RESULTS: Pancreatic tissues of T. gondii-infected animals showed significant pathological alterations and variable degrees of insulitis. Mice with acute toxoplasmosis exhibited marked enlargement and reduced numbers of islets of Langerhans. However, mice with chronic toxoplasmosis showed considerable reduction in size and number of islets of Langerhans. Moreover, insulin staining revealed significant reduction in ß cell numbers, whereas caspase-3 staining showed induced apoptosis in islets of Langerhans of acute toxoplasmosis and chronic toxoplasmosis mice compared to uninfected mice. We detected infiltration of CD8+ T cells only in islets of Langerhans of mice with chronic toxoplasmosis. CONCLUSIONS: Acute and chronic toxoplasmosis mice displayed marked pancreatic pathological changes with reduced numbers of islets of Langerhans and insulin-producing-ß cells. Since damage of ß cells of islets of Langerhans is associated with the development of T1DM, our findings may support a link between T. gondii infections and the development of T1DM.

Identification of Theileria spp. in sheep and goats from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, using molecular techniques.

BACKGROUND: Thileriosis is a tick -born disease caused by hemoprotozoan parasites which has global veterinary and economic implications. METHODS: Blood samples were collected from 216 sheep and 83 goats from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, were analyzed to determine whether the animals were infected with Theileria spp. parasites. The parasites were detected using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting the gene of 18S rRNA followed by sequencing. RESULTS: According to obtained findings, Theileria spp. were detected in sheep (57.8%, 48/83) and goats (51.9%, 112/216). Phylogenetic analysis to sequence data showed that T. ovis identified in this study were found to be closely connected to an isolate from Turkey, with 84.4-99.8% pairwise identity and 52.35-99.79% coverage.

Physical and Dielectric Properties of Ni-Doped In2S3 Powders for Optical Windows in Thin Film Solar Cells.

This paper reports the effect of Nickel (Ni) on indium sulfide (In2S3) powder. This work presents a systematic study of the physical and dielectric properties of In2-xS3Nix powders with 0, 2, 4, and 6 at.% of nickel. Doped and undoped samples were investigated by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, thermal gravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and impedance spectroscopy. XRD patterns revealed that each In2-xS3Nix composition was crystalline, which was also confirmed by the FTIR results. The presence of Ni in the samples was confirmed by energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The Raman studies show different peaks related to the In2S3 phase and do not reveal any secondary phases of In-Ni and Ni-S. The SEM images of the undoped and Ni-doped In2S3 samples indicated a correlation between dopant content and the surface roughness and porosity of the samples. The impedance analysis indicated semiconductor behavior present in all samples, as well as a decrease in resistance with increasing Ni content. This work opens up the possibility of tailoring the properties and integrating Ni-doped In2S3 nanocomposites as thin film layers in future solar cells.

Penile Pseudoepitheliamatous Hyperkeratosis balanitis: A case report and review in Assiut university urology department 2021.

A 35 years old man present with a skin lesion on his glans complaining of mild irritation. The condition began 3 years ago, he took wrong medication as he was diagnosed as psoriasis, mostly because the disease in it the beginning is very similar and could trick the dermatologist. He was diagnosed by the biopsy taken,Pseudo-epitheliomatous hyperkeratotic and micaceous balanitis. 5-Flouracil was given in combination with oral Acitretin, Dramatic improvement occurred in both the skin lesion and the symptoms associated.

A generic approach to evaluate costs and effectiveness of agricultural Beneficial Management Practices to improve water quality management.

Nutrient export from agricultural areas is among the main contributors to water pollution in various watersheds. Agricultural Beneficial Management Practices (BMPs) are commonly used to reduce excessive nutrient runoff and improve water quality. The successful uptake of BMPs not only depends on their effectiveness but also on their costs of implementation. This study conducts a set of cost-effectiveness analyses to help stakeholders identify their preferred combinations of BMPs in the Qu'Appelle River Basin, a typical watershed in the Canadian Prairies. The considered BMPs are related to cattle and cropping farms and are initially selected by agricultural producers in this region. The analyses use a water quality model to estimate the impact of implementing BMPs on nutrient export, and the cost estimation model to approximate the cost of implementing BMPs at tributary and watershed scales. Our results show that BMPs' effectiveness, total costs of implementation and costs per kilogram of nutrient abatement vary between tributaries. However, wetland conservation is among the optimal practices to improve water quality across the watershed. It is also found that the rates of BMP adoption by stakeholders can influence the effectiveness of practices in a large watershed scale, which highlights the importance of stakeholder engagement in water quality management. This type of analyses can help stakeholders choose single or a combination of BMPs according to their available budget and acceptable levels of reduction in nutrients.

Teaching patients clean intermittent self-catheterisation: key points.

Intermittent self-catheterisation (ISC) is recognised as the gold standard for the treatment of neurological bladders. ISC involves the introduction of a catheter by the patient into the bladder and its immediate removal when drainage stops. This process needs to be repeated four to six times a day. Therapeutic patient education (TPE) is commonly used nowadays to treat and care for patients with chronic disease. Community nurses can play an active role in introducing ISC to patients and teaching them to perform it. This review emphasises the important points to consider when teaching patients ISC.

Toxoplasmosis in humans and animals in Saudi Arabia: A systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: The causative agent of toxoplasmosis is Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii); an intracellular obligate parasite causes abortion in humans and animals. The review aims to clarify the situation of the disease in humans and animals in different parts of the country so that data will be available for any future work regarding the control of the disease. METHODOLOGY: All humans and animal research studies published in the last 18 years between 2000 and 2018 in Saudi Arabia were targeted, including prevalence or seroprevalence of T. gondii infection or antibodies. The searched strategy included human or pregnant women or children as well as animals or any particular species. RESULTS: The result showed that approximately one-third of the population in Saudi Arabia had IgG seropositivity, and 6.4% had IgM seropositivity. Moreover, the disease was widespread in almost all the regions except AL- Jouf, where no data published. The prevalence of the chronic infection was high in sheep in Riyadh 68%, and the prevalence of acute was found in Najran 19% in sheep, goats, and camels. CONCLUSIONS: The current article showed the importance of the disease in Saudi Arabia for both humans and animals. The educational programs should be established to impart people to avoid the infection by the parasite.

Effectiveness of ECG educational workshops among undergraduate medical students.

BACKGROUND: The electrocardiogram (ECG) remains one of the most important and commonly used diagnostic tools in medicine. At the faculty of Medicine of Tunis (FMT), teaching ECG interpretation to undergraduate medical students is an important part of the curriculum. AIMS: To assess the effectiveness of pedagogical workshops in ECG learning among students of First-year of the primary cycle of medical studies (PCMS 1). In addition, we aimed to assess the students' perceptions of the tutorials. METHODS: It was an exhaustive cross-sectional study that was carried out at the FMT during the academic year 2017-2018 and that included students from PCMS 1. All participants completed a pre-test, a workshop session and a post-test. Each of the tests consists of five Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) covering the same topics. An evaluation of students' satisfaction with the tutorial was made at the end of the session. RESULTS: Ten workshops were held at the FMT, including 160 students. The overall score increased from 4 out of 10 points in the pre-test to 6.8 out of 10 points in the post-test (p <0.001). A statistically significant improvement was noted in all tests questions (p<0.001). Sixty-one learners (39.3%) were "Not satisfied" with the number of students per group. On the whole, 83.8% (n=130) of students found the session beneficial. CONCLUSIONS: Students indicated a positive attitude toward the workshop and its utility. More research among similar populations is needed to support these conclusions and to assess the effectiveness of medium- and long-term educational workshops on medical students.