The Journal of Middle East and North Africa Sciences

1-4

Authors: Mustafa Gozu; Ahmet Arik; Nazim Karalezli

Purpose: The main purpose of this study was to report the 12 to 36 months’ results of posterior cruciate ligament sparing type total knee arthroplasty in elderly patients. Methods: A retrospective evaluation was made of a total of 75 patients with advanced stage tibio - femoral arthrosis with the pain of a degree that would limit daily activities, and which had not responded to conservative treatment, and who then underwent total knee arthroplasty between April 2013 and May 2015. Results: The mean age of the patients was 71.7 years, and the mean follow-up time was 21 months (range, 12- 36 month). Body Mass Index (BMI) was calculated as >30 kg/m2 in 15 (20%) patients, 25-30 kg/m2 in 41 (54,6%), and 20-25 kg/m2 in 19 (25,3%) patients. The mean operating time was 61.06 min (range, 50-90 min). Preoperatively, the knees of all the patients were evaluated as varus. The angles shown in the AP radiographs for placement of the components were determined as alpha angle mean 96.2° (range, 89°-103°), beta angle mean 88.7° (80°-92°). Preoperative and postoperative mean knee and functional scores of the knees, according to the KSS was evaluated at 28.6°, 40.1°, 79.6°, and 78.1° respectively. The mean range of movement at the last follow-up was 96° (85-120). Conclusion: In conclusion, the results of this study showed good results were obtained with total knee arthroplasty in the treatment of knee arthrosis occurring at an advanced age, although an increase in postoperative complications was determined with increased BMI, which is consistent with other studies in the literature.

10-12

Authors: Marzia Cottini; Francesco Terrieri; G. Piffaretti; C. Beghi

Ascending Aortic Pseudoaneurysm (AscAP) is a late and rare complication after cardiac surgery. This may occur 0.02-0.2% of after cardiac surgery procedures and the hospital mortality rate could be 6.9-15.4%. Multidetector computed tomography can provide accurate diagnoses as to the exact location and size of AscAP for surgical planning and follow-up. According to the scientific literature, the gold standard treatment is surgery but many case reports describe conservative therapy. Authors presented a case of giant posterior aortic pseudoaneurysm originating from the left side of the previous aortotomy.

1-4

Authors: Jiang Chun-Xuan

All eyes are on the Riemann’s hypothesis, zeta, and L-functions, which are false, read this paper.

11-16

Authors: Jiang Chun-Xuan

Please see the attached article

1-4

Authors: Adedeji David Atere; David Bolaji Akinbo; Ilesanmi Paul Ige Olaiya Paul Abiodun; Olaniyi Felix Sanni

Background: The pre-analytical stage is so complex that a mistake at any step often becomes apparent in the analytical or post-analytical phase. Many medical laboratorians do not carefully evaluate the suitability of the pre-analytical challenges in laboratory testing especially in the area of washing test tubes by various forms of detergent in the wash-up room. Objective: This study was then aimed at the effect of different concentration of detergent solution on glucose assay in the clinical chemistry laboratory. Materials and Methods: A total of twenty (20) subjects who visited a clinic in Chemical pathology unit, Federal Medical Centre, Owo were randomly recruited for this case study. The recruited subjects were analyzed for glucose assays normally and also at a different concentration of the detergent solution. Results: There was a statistically significant difference between glucose value with no dilution and detergent stock solution while others were not significantly different from normal statistically even though there is slightly different in their mean values. Conclusion: Prevention of pre-analytical errors from detergent solution remains an ongoing problem in the wash-up room and ultimately affects the ability of clinical laboratories to produce accurate results. Therefore, it is important to establish close working relationships with laboratory attendants working in the wash-up room and also, developing a surveillance program should be considered to prevent such occurrences.

13-20

Authors: Jiang Chun-Xuan

Jiang’s function is accurate sieve function. Using Jiang’s function, we prove about 600 prime theorems Jiang’s function provides proofs of the prime theorems which are simple enough to understand and accurate enough to be useful.

27-29

Authors: Dana Hasbini; Ahmad Mansour

Severe myoclonic epilepsy in infants, also known as Dravet syndrome, is a rare refractory form of epilepsy and its control requires a combination of several antiepileptic drugs. We describe a child who had Dravet syndrome unresponsive to a combination of drugs. Work-up for repeated infections revealed immunoglobulin G subclasses deficiency. Administration of intravenous immunoglobulin in addition to valproic acid did not control epilepsy but followed by Vagal Nerve Stimulator, resolution of seizures was sustained.

34-40

Authors: Hassaan Tohid

Objective: To study how people behave under stressful conditions and how Javed Miandad behaved and thought during the famous Sharjah last ball sixer. Method: Besides literature search a survey was conducted with 126 participants from ages 18 to 59 with half of them males and half of them females. Only one survey question was included. The question was “If you were batting instead of Javed Miandad on the last ball and 4 runs were needed and it was the same match the final India vs Pakistan. You were 110 not out and a batsman of that caliber. What would you be feeling?” The study was conducted from September 1st, 2014 to September 30th, 2015 in the San Francisco Bay Area, California including participants from different parts of the world including Pakistan and India. Results: The results came out with 73.8 % people saying they would be confident with a belief that they can hit a six, 31 % said they would be nervous or fearful while the rest had mix feelings. Conclusion: The study concludes that the behavior under the stressful situation when millions of people are watching is independent of the situation but depends on the individual. Some people will react with confidence while other react in a different manner. While Miandad’s real behavior, feelings and thought process could not be assessed because the behavior, feelings and thought process varies and depends on person to person.

1-7

Authors: Monireh Dizaji; Arash Ketabforoush Badri; Monireh Shafaei

In recent years the impact of economic growth on environmental quality has attracted the attention of many scholars and experts. The second half of the 1990s, researchers have attempted to identify factors affecting the relationship between economic growth and environmental hazards and use them in models. One of the items that gives examined this relation is Environmental Kuznets Curve, which shows an inverse U-shaped relationship between environmental pollution and economic growth. This curve shows that economic growth destroys the environment in low-income levels, but when the income increases, harmful environmental impacts reduced. For this purpose, present study examined the relationship between economic growth and environmental quality in D8 member countries, including Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkey using panel data model in the period 1975-2012. The results show that the Environmental Kuznets Curve hypothesis is confirmed the studied countries.

1-9

Authors: J. T. Oladeji; A. O. Alade; S. A. Popoola; A. D. Ogunsola

The challenge to find and develop alternative sources of energy so that our decreasing reserves of crude oil and other fossil fuels may be conserved is of concern. However, this energy source must not interfere nor compete with human means of survival. The brewery industries generate a large amount of waste with a spent grain (SG) being the major one, which is currently under-utilized and usually disposed off indiscriminately. This has raised environmental concern. However, spent grain is a rich source of lignocellulose, which can be converted through hydrolysis and fermentation to bio-ethanol and this can be used as pure or blended fuel for automobile and heating purposes. The aim of this article is to review the composition, applications and other uses of brewer’s spent grain (SG). The full utilization of existing technology and the promise of new development were also examined in this review. Also reviewed were works of few researchers who had worked on brewer’s spent grain. This study concluded that spent grain though a waste product can be used to generate energy in form of ethanol production and that the quantity of ethanol that can be produced from spent grains depends on the quantity of reducing sugar and residual starch content. The higher the reducing sugar and residual starch content the higher the quantity of ethanol that can be extracted. Thus, spent grain is a potential biomass for the production of bio-fuel particularly in developing nations.

15-30

Authors: Muhammad Shahid; Muhammad Nadeem; Usman Mehmood

The idea that consumers differ in the amount and type of effort they put into shopping is not new to marketing. Consumer Involvement is a need-based motivational attitude toward information systems and their development. The Means-Ends Chain (MEC) approach is used to identify the consequences and values that consumers attach to product attributes. Attributes differentiate competing products from each other in the mind of the consumers. Consumers’ involvement with purchasing influences their purchase behavior and that different consumer types (market segments) can be identified on the basis of their involvement. Purchasing involvement is a promising variable in marketing for three reasons. First, it may be combined with products and situation involvement to better explain buying behavior. Second, it is possible that purchasing involvement may be significantly related to personality variables. Third, and perhaps of most immediate practical significance, purchasing involvement may be related to a number of purchasing activities which are not product specific and significantly impact marketing strategy.

39-46

Authors: Briliya Rajabel Devadas

Purposes: The purpose of this paper is to reveal interview findings from an empirical study, conducted with a nursing education leader currently working in the UAE, to remedy the paucity of literature, related to leadership issues in nursing education in the country; and to synthesize all relevant literature review material into proposing a culturally suitable model for nursing education leadership in the UAE. Design: A review of the literature on authentic transformative leadership was conducted and select successful leadership attributes have been discussed. A hermeneutic, phenomenological, semi-structured interview with a nursing leader in the field of nursing education currently working in the UAE was also conducted. Findings: Emerging themes reflected global patterns such as the presence of a hierarchical leadership model, lack of communication, poor teaching resources and low student numbers. Successful attributes that can help cope with the challenges include-taking care of self, building the trust economy, perseverance, maintaining strong professional networks and cultivating relationships among faculty members. The Excellence in Nursing Education Model by the National League for Nursing has been adapted for the proposed conceptual model for successful nursing education in the UAE.

50-57

Authors: Ahtisham Younas

Introduction: High-stress levels can directly or indirectly impede academic learning, performance, and health of the nursing students. There is ample literature reporting levels of stress and coping strategies used by the nursing students from within western world. However, this may not be applicable to Asian context. Therefore, there is a need to synthesize evidence regarding stress and coping of nursing students from Asia. Purpose: The purpose of this paper was to critically review and appraise existing studies and identify data gaps regarding stress and coping strategies among nursing students in the Asian context. Methods: Literature search was performed using keywords and different combinations of keywords such as “level of stress, stressors, coping strategies, nursing students, interns, undergraduate nurses” from PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane, CINHAL, ASSIA, PsycInfo, Science Direct, and Google Scholar and other sources such as research gate, websites, reference lists, and Higher Education Commission of Pakistan’s Electronic Library. The search limit was focused on Asian countries and limited studies were found in this area. The review included nine studies published between 2007 and 2014 from India, Pakistan, Iran, Philippines, Hong Kong, and Jordan. Results: The critical appraisal of the studies was done in terms of study population, purpose, methodology, and ethical considerations. The key findings of the studies were described under four themes; levels of stress, common stressors, coping strategies, and association among stress, coping, and the demographic variables. Most of the studies reported that the nursing students experience moderate stress levels. In terms of coping, students used more positive coping strategies than negative strategies. Conclusion: This review underlined the strength and limitations of the studies identifying the levels of stress and coping strategies of nursing students in Asian context. A number of methodological limitations were found in these studies indicating that this topic has not been adequately investigated. Therefore, further research is needed to expand the literature in this area.