Knowledge Of Disease Research Articles

Survey of farmers’ knowledge of yam pests and diseases and management practices in southern Ethiopia

Abstract Yam is a widely consumed food in the tropics and subtropics. Determination of pests (pathogens and insects) and diseases (developed pest invasions and symptoms) and the appropriate management practices are critical in existing crop production systems. This study aimed to document farmers’ knowledge about yam pests and diseases and their management practices in southern Ethiopia. Data were collected from 342 systematically selected farmers and 96 yam fields in 5 major yam-growing zones (Dawuro, Gofa, Gamo, Kembata-Tembaro, and Wolaita) in southern Ethiopia using a semi-structured interview guide. The results showed that 54.1% of the farmers saved their planting materials for the next growing season, while 39.2% of the farmers purchased the planting materials from the local market every year. Most farmers (63.5%) reported that the cultivation of yam has been declining annually due to pests and diseases. White yam (Dioscorea rotundata) (Poir, Dioscoreales, Dioscoreaceae) and water yam (Dioscorea alata) are severely damaged by pests and diseases, as perceived by 33.9% and 24.9% of farmers, respectively. Farmers use healthy-looking pest- and disease-free tubers (39.5%), remove infected plants (24.0%), practice crop rotations (17.3%), and use animal manure (7.0%) to manage yam pests and diseases. Farmers’ knowledge can be a starting point for seeking solutions to yam pests and disease risks. This study could play an important role in improving yam cultivation by identifying strategies to improve the recent decline in yam production to meet future food needs for a rapidly growing population.

Vascular Anastomosis Course for Core Surgical Trainees (VACT)

Abstract Introduction: On completion of Core Surgical Training, Core Surgical Trainees (CSTs) are expected to have an understanding of emergency and elective vascular conditions as well as practical experience of vascular suturing. A proportion of CSTs will have a vascular rotation and may have been unable to acquire these skills during their placement. We used the postgraduate virtual learning environment (PGVLE) developed by Health Education England West Midlands (HEEWM) in combination with practical sessions to provide a Vascular Anastomosis Course for CSTs (VACT). There are few courses aimed at teaching CSTs the practical skills needed to become a vascular surgeon. VACT aims to improve tissue handling and teach anastomotic technique to CSTs whilst exposing them to the vascular specialty and increasing their knowledge of vascular disease and its management. Methods: VACT is a one-day course consisting of one hour of online material and a one day in-person session. The online content was distributed via the PGVLE platform and included pre-course video tutorials, information and a survey. The in-person portion of the day included two lectures on vascular surgery and trauma and four practical stations covering embolectomy, inlay grafting, end-to-side anastomosis and patch repair. Course feedback was collected anonymously on PGVLE with automated certificate distribution after completion. The results were analysed qualitatively. Results: Thirty East and West Midlands trainees attended the course, of whom 25 (83%) completed the post-course feedback. Three had been on a previous vascular course and 15 would consider applying for higher level vascular training. Eight trainees (32%) self-scored their knowledge of common vascular conditions as good/excellent before the course; this increased to 20 (74%) post-course. The number of trainees self-scoring themselves as confident/very confident with vascular emergencies increased from 0 (0%) pre-course to 15 (56%) post-course. The delivery, content and equipment for the practical stations was rated as excellent/good by all participants in the embolectomy station and by 96% of participants in all other stations. Prior to the course one person (4%) rated their practical skills in vascular surgery as good/excellent. After the course this increased to 14 (56%). In all four practical stations, self-rated confidence levels increased after completing the course.100% of attendees would recommend this course to their colleagues. Conclusion: Feedback from VACT was extremely positive with comments requesting further similar courses. With an increasing need for vascular surgeons, it is essential we provide CSTs with the skills required to complete core surgical training and pursue a career in vascular surgery. VACT could be replicated and adapted to provide vascular training to CSTs across the country.

Artificial Intelligence and Mental Health

In addition to identifying challenges and prospects for such application, this paper intends to present significant implementation science ideas that may be pertinent to comprehending and aiding artificial intelligence (AI) deployment in mental health care. This paper provides an overview of AI technology in modern mental health care and evaluates recent research developments, with a focus on the developing field of digital psychiatry. AI application in psychiatry to improve our knowledge, diagnosis, and treatment of mental diseases; to address concerns with availability, appeal, and accessibility of mental health-care services. Nursing staff members and other medical professionals, who operate in clinical settings, such as mental health facilities, stand to gain significantly from AI’s potential to increase workplace productivity and efficiency. Using the phrases “AI in mental health,” “diagnosis of mental health disorders,” “artificial intelligence,” and “deep learning,” we searched PubMed psychological testing and psychotherapy are being impacted by cutting-edge technologies such as artificial and Web of science. The research covered in this overview of the literature discusses how intelligence. This is a survey article, hence not applicable. The advantages and moral dilemmas associated with the use of AI in psychiatry are outweighed by its potential uses. More research and advancement are needed to get past these obstacles and guarantee the ethical and safe integration of AI in the psychiatric sector. By doing this, AI can significantly advance both long-term outcomes and the organization of mental health services.

The Knowledge Level of Patients About Rheumatology and Rheumatic Diseases in Developing Country: A Tertiary Care Hospital Study

Background: In developing nations, rheumatic diseases bear significant health issues, affecting millions of people and placing a substantial burden on healthcare systems. Education of the patient is crucial for the management and prevention of rheumatic diseases. Objectives: To determine the level of patient knowledge regarding rheumatology and rheumatic diseases in a developing nation. Methods: Patients attending rheumatology clinics of Mayo Hospital, Lahore, in 2021-23, participated in this cross-sectional study. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data on demographic characteristics and rheumatology and rheumatic disease knowledge of patients. Questions pertaining to the definition, symptoms, causes, and treatment of rheumatic diseases were included in the questionnaire. Results: The study enrolled a total of 1306 patients. Demographic characteristics of rheumatic disease patients comprised 377 males (28.9%) and 929 females (71.1%), whereby the proportion of female patients was significantly high (p[Formula: see text]0.05). The mean age of the participants was 43.22+10.98 years. Patients’ locations were categorized as either rural or urban with statistically significant number (p[Formula: see text]0.05) of 757 (57.96%) and 549 (42.03%), respectively. Majority of patients were educated (p[Formula: see text]0.05), with 706 females (74.5%) and 248 males (65.7%). Patients’ overall knowledge of rheumatology and rheumatic diseases was inadequate, with majority of the patients (56.4%) had scores between 0 and 2, indicating a lack of understanding of these conditions. Rheumatic disease causes, symptoms, and treatment options were poorly understood by patients. Conclusion: In developing nations, patient education regarding rheumatology and rheumatic diseases appears to be deficient. Providers of healthcare should address this deficiency by providing patients with adequate education and resources. Improved patient knowledge will ultimately improve patient outcomes and lessen the burden of rheumatic diseases on the healthcare systems of developing nations.

Demystifying primary bone leiomyosarcoma: A case study and literature overview

Primary leiomyosarcoma of the bone (LMSB). It's indeed an extremely rare and challenging condition, and case reports like the one you mentioned are valuable in increasing awareness and understanding among clinicians and researchers. LMSB is a subtype of leiomyosarcoma that originates in the bone, specifically the primary bone tissue, and it's distinct from more common bone tumors like osteosarcoma or chondrosarcoma. Given its rarity, diagnosing and treating LMSB can be quite complex, and histopathological examination is often essential to confirm the diagnosis. Treatment options for LMSB are generally limited, and the approach may involve a combination of surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy, although the optimal treatment strategy may vary from case to case. The prognosis for LMSB is generally poor, but early diagnosis and timely intervention can make a difference in patient outcomes. Case reports like the one you mentioned are essential for improving our knowledge of rare diseases like LMSB. They can help clinicians and researchers better understand the condition, its clinical features, and potential treatment strategies. Sharing such cases within the medical community can lead to the development of more effective diagnostic and treatment approaches and potentially improve the prognosis for affected individuals in the future.

Insect Models to Study Human Lipid Metabolism Disorders.

Disorders of lipid metabolism such as obesity have become some of the most significant diseases of the twenty-first century. Despite these metabolic diseases affecting more than a third of the population in highly industrialized nations, the mechanisms underlying disease development remain poorly understood. Insect models, such as Drosophila melanogaster, offer a means of systematically examining conserved lipid metabolism and its pathology. Over the past several decades, Drosophila melanogaster has been used to greatly expand on our knowledge of metabolic disease, often taking advantage of the extensive genetic tools available to researchers. Additionally, Drosophila melanogaster has served and will continue to serve as a powerful tool for validating the results of genome-wide approaches to the study of diseases. This chapter explores the advancements of insect models in the study of lipid metabolism disorders as well as highlight opportunities for future areas of research.

Adolescence and Nursing, Together for the Promotion of Healthy Nutritional Habits

Unhealthy eating habits during adolescence increase the risk of developing chronic diseases in the future. The lack of knowledge about nutrition among adolescents is a problem that must be urgently addressed. In the Tulcán canton, the existence of nutritional diseases among adolescents from different areas has been confirmed. The objective of this research is to propose nursing strategies to reduce nutritional complications in adolescents from the Tulcán canton. A diagnosis was made regarding adolescents' knowledge of nutritional complications in the canton. A mixed methodology was used in the research, which was non-experimental with a cross-sectional design, action-oriented, descriptive, bibliographic, field-based, and applied. The theoretical methods employed were inductive-deductive, analytical-synthetic, and historical-logical. The empirical method used was scientific observation. The study population consisted of 75 adolescents attending the Tulcán Sur Health Center. A survey was used to obtain information. Among the results, it stands out that more than 45% had no knowledge of nutritional diseases; 53% practiced inadequate eating habits, at inappropriate times, without engaging in physical activity. Strategies related to Education, Promotion, Prevention, and Evaluation were taken into account. Addressing these challenges from a comprehensive perspective, promoting policies and programs that foster the availability, accessibility, and affordability of healthy foods, as well as nutritional education and the promotion of healthy lifestyles from adolescence, benefits the well-being of the Ecuadorian population.Keywords: Adolescence, nutrition, healthy habits

Test your knowledge of cardiovascular disease

Test your knowledge of cardiovascular disease

A unique collaborative model providing supportive and self-advocacy tools to the rare disease community

The National Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes (EDS) service is a highly specialised NHS commissioned service for diagnosing and supporting people with a rare, monogenic type of EDS. The service consists of a team of medical specialists and genetic counsellors. The EDS service has strong ties with national and international EDS charities, and together they participate in working and strategy groups alongside patients and carers. Acquired funding for research means that the service contributes to international knowledge regarding diagnosis and management of rare, monogenic EDS types. As a result of being a highly specialised service, there are multiple points of contact with patients, providing frequent opportunities for feedback. Patient data, surveys and collaborative working have enabled the development not only of extensive information resources and self-advocacy tools for patients, but also guidelines for health care professionals on the best ways to support their rare disease patients. The main challenges faced by patients affected by rare disease and the importance of self-advocacy are discussed, with the highly specialised National EDS service and the patients seen in this service as an example. The recommendations from this unique collaborative model include eight specific domains of self-advocacy: increasing knowledge of rare disease, taking care of mental well-being, taking care of physical well-being including routine care, the development of good working relationships between patients and health care professionals, information accessibility, emergency preparedness, taking part in education and outreach, and involvement in research and feedback opportunities. The service aims to be an example of patient-centred innovation and progress, providing a patient-focused supportive model that can be adapted by the rare disease community and other health care professionals.

Knowledge of Noncommunicable Diseases and Social Media among Secondary School Teachers in Akinyele Local Government Area Oyo State Nigeria

Abstract Background: Social media (SM) are now widely available and can potentially play an important role in the prevention of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). The school environment is a key location for educating children about NCDs and the teachers’ level of knowledge may have an impact on them. This study investigated the knowledge of NCDs and SM among secondary school teachers. Materials and Methods: Using a self-administered questionnaire, data were collected from 423 randomly selected male and female secondary school teachers teaching in both public and private secondary schools located in Akinyele Local Government Area, Oyo State, in May 2018. Knowledge of SM was measured on a 10-point scale (scores 0–3, 4–6, and 7–10 were rated as poor, fair, and good, respectively), while knowledge of NCDs was measured on a 28-point scale (scores 0–8, 9–18, and 19–28 were rated as poor, fair, and good, respectively). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple regression tests at a 5% level of significance. Results: Findings showed that the mean age of respondents was 33.5 ± 0.5 and 52.5% were female. About half (51.5%) of the respondents had good knowledge of SM. Less than half (28.1%) had good knowledge of NCDs. Knowledge of SM was significantly associated with age (P < 0.001), while knowledge of NCDs had no significant association. Conclusion: Based on these results, a gap exists regarding teachers’ knowledge of NCDs. Health professionals may contribute to teacher training curriculum development to include health education targeted toward NCD prevention.

Knowledge and Attitude to Eye Disorders among pediatricians in Saudi Arabia

Background: Pediatric eye disease can affect any part of the eye and potentially lead to a permanent eye injury. The study aimed to assess the knowledge and attitudes of pediatricians in Saudi Arabia towards common eye conditions in children. Methods: A self-administered questionnaire, distributed online and in hard copy, measured responses from 105 participants using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) for analysis. Participants had a mean age of 32 ± 9.0 years and a mean practice experience of 6 ± 6.8 years, with 59% being female and 56.2% pediatric residents. Results: The causes of a red painful eye were identified, with glaucoma (96.5%), conjunctivitis (95.2%), corneal abrasions/trauma (93.3%), and uveitis (89.5%) being most commonly reported. Leukocoria was recognized as sight-threatening by 89.5% and life-threatening by 88.6% of participants. Causes of strabismus, including central causes (89.5%) and amblyopia (88.6%), were acknowledged. Signs of congenital glaucoma, such as a large cornea (88.6%), hazy cornea (86.7%), and excessive tearing (76.2%), were well-identified. Approximately 70.5% of participants conducted eye examinations for children, citing a lack of equipment as the main obstacle. For retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) screening, 59% would refer premature babies at 4-6 weeks or 32 weeks. Immediate referral to an ophthalmologist for painful red eyes was endorsed by 82%, while 9.5% suggested eye drops. A high percentage (92.4%) would promptly refer cases of strabismus to an ophthalmologist. Conclusion: In conclusion, pediatricians exhibited good knowledge of common eye disorders but demonstrated a need for improved understanding of retinopathy of prematurity and the importance of regular eye examinations. Initiatives like workshops and educational programs are recommended for enhancing knowledge in pediatric eye diseases.

Test your knowledge of infectious diseases

Test your knowledge of infectious diseases

Not all plaques are created equal: Uncovering a unique molecular signature in Alzheimer's disease.

Although neuritic plaques - comprised of aggregated fibrils of the misfolded protein, amyloid β (Aβ) - have formed a central focus of Alzheimer's disease (AD) research for decades, it is now well understood that plaque burden alone is a poor correlate of cognitive decline. This is highlighted especially when compared against other neuropathological hallmarks, such as synapse loss (the strongest correlate) and hyperphosphorylated protein tau. However, it is known that Familial AD arises due to autosomal dominant mutations directly influencing the generation of Aβ, suggesting that Aβ pathology may play a key upstream role in the disease. Such contrasting lines of evidence have thus raised questions as to why some aged individuals with high plaque burden develop AD while others remain cognitively healthy. In their recent study, published in Analytical Chemistry (June 2024), Enzlein and colleagues aimed to investigate whether differences in the molecular composition of plaques between individuals with sporadic Alzheimer's disease (N = 9) versus age-matched amyloid positive but cognitively unaffected controls (N = 8) could go towards explaining this outstanding question in the field. Using novel methods integrating mass spectrometry imaging with machine learning feature extraction, the authors compared peptide and lipid profiles to a resolving limit of 400 μm2 for >5000 individual plaques. In doing so, a distinct peptide signature was identified in sporadic Alzheimer's disease plaques that was characterised by strongly increased aggregation of the short amyloid β isoform, Aβ1-38 coupled with a lesser co-aggregation of pyroglutamate-modified Aβ3-42pE. Sporadic Alzheimer's disease plaques also demonstrated a robust lipid signature denoted by an increased presence of cell membrane components, GM1 and GM2 gangliosides. Here, we review this work; aiming to place these findings within the context of existing literature and with a view to discussing their importance in developing our current knowledge of Alzheimer's disease.

Assessment of knowledge, attitudes, and practices of occupational risks and diseases among healthcare providers of the Regional Hospital Center of Dosso, Niger.

In Niger, a low-income country, occupational medicine is little known and practiced, particularly in the health sector, where healthcare workers are exposed to numerous occupational risks. This study aimed to assess knowledge, attitudes, and practices about occupational risks and diseases among healthcare providers working at the Hospital of Dosso (Niger) to determine their knowledge, attitudes, and practices level about occupational risks and diseases. A descriptive and quantitative census-based study was conducted among the 105 healthcare providers practicing at the hospital of Dosso between 1 April and 31 May 2023, using a self-administered questionnaire in the French language comprising a sociodemographic part and a knowledge, attitudes, and practices part about occupational risks and diseases. Knowledge, attitudes, and practices scores were calculated and Mann-Whitney U or Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to assess their association with sociodemographic characteristics. In total, 83 healthcare providers agreed to participate in the study, with a participation rate of 79%. A total of 28% of participants had received training on occupational risks and diseases. The knowledge score about occupational risks and diseases showed that 55.4% of participants had a knowledge level varying from medium to high. The score of attitudes and practices showed that 68.7% of responders had an attitudes and practices level varying from medium to high about occupational risks and diseases. According to the composite score of knowledge, attitudes, and practices, 53% of participants had a knowledge, attitudes, and practices level between medium and high. A significant association was found between the composite score of knowledge, attitudes, and practices and the workstation occupied, mainly medical imaging service (p = 0.006). The study showed that 53% of responders had an overall level of knowledge, attitudes, and practices about occupational risks and diseases between medium and high. Among their sociodemographic characteristics, only the workstation occupied (mainly medical imaging service) was statistically associated with the composite score of knowledge, attitudes, and practices. Considering these findings, the administrators of the Hospital of Dosso must recruit an occupational medicine specialist to provide information and prevention visits on occupational risks and diseases to healthcare providers working in this institution.

Self-Supervised Contrastive Learning on Attribute and Topology Graphs for Predicting Relationships Among lncRNAs, miRNAs and Diseases.

Exploring potential association between long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), microRNAs (miRNAs) and diseases is an essential part of prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases. Since determining these relationships experimentally is resource-intensive and time-consuming, therefore computational methods have emerged as an attractive way to address this issue. However, existing computational approaches for inferring lncRNA-disease associations (LDA), miRNA-disease associations (MDA) and lncRNA-miRNA interactions (LMI) tend to focus on single task, neglecting the benefits of leveraging multiple biomolecular interactions and domain-specific knowledge for multi-task prediction. Furthermore, labeled data for LDA, MDA and LMI is scarce and costly in real-word applications, making it challenging for models to learn comprehensive node embedding patterns. Building on our previous work, this paper proposes a multi-task prediction model (called SSCLMD) that employs self-supervised contrastive learning on attribute and topology graphs to identify potential LDAs, MDAs and LMIs. Specifically, firstly, domain knowledge of lncRNAs, miRNAs and diseases as well as their interactions are exploited to construct attribute graph and topology graph, respectively. Then, the nodes are encoded in the attribute and topology spaces to extract the specific and common feature. Meanwhile, the attention mechanism is performed to adaptively fuse the embedding from different views. SSCLMD incorporates a contrastive self-supervised learning task as a regularize to guide the learning of node embeddings in both attribute and topology space without relying on labels. Severing as a regularize in multi-task learning paradigm, it to improves the model's generalization capabilities. Extensive experiments on 2 manually curated datasets demonstrate that SSCLMD significantly outperforms other baseline methods in LDA, MDA and LMI prediction tasks. Additionally, case studies on both new and old datasets further supported the ability of SSCLMD to uncover novel disease-related lncRNAs and miRNAs. The source codes and supplementary file of this work are publicly available on \url{https://github.com/sheng-n/SSCLMD}.

Factors associated with parental Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination intention of daughter: A national survey in Finland

BackgroundHuman papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines are offered free of charge in Finland to 10–12-year-old children. Nationally about 80% of girls are vaccinated, with regional differences in first dose coverage varying from 62% to 82% in girls born in 2011. This study examined the factors associated with HPV vaccination intention. Furthermore, we assessed the realisation of HPV vaccination among the daughters of the participating parents. MethodsA web-based survey was conducted for randomly selected parents of girls (N = 6 465) aged 10 to 14 years of age. Data was collected in February and March 2022 in five Finnish high and low coverage municipalities. The national vaccination register was employed to assess realisation of vaccination. ResultsParticipation rate was 13.7% (n = 883 parents). Almost all parents were aware of the association between HPV and cervical cancer, but only one fifth was aware of other diseases associated with HPV. Adherence to the national vaccination programme, parents’ mother tongue, and trusting in official information were associated with positive vaccination intention. The most often reported reason for non-vaccination was fear of adverse effects (22%). Overall, parental attitudes towards HPV vaccination were positive, with 83% of parents indicating their daughter had received or will receive the vaccination. Vaccination realisation was subsequently examined and 88% of the daughters were vaccinated. ConclusionsDespite low knowledge of HPV-related diseases overall, majority of parents held a positive intention to vaccinate their daughter. Realisation of intention was high in our study, higher than the national uptake. Foreign-origin parents had lower intention to vaccinate their daughters. As information on HPV and its vaccine is available in 11 languages, there is a need to re-think accessibility. In-depth interviews are needed to better explore the reasons behind non-vaccination.

Awareness and knowledge of inflammatory bowel disease among the population of Qassim

Objective: This study aimed to assess awareness and knowledge about the symptoms, risk factors, complications, and management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and the differences between IBD and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), in Al-Qassim population. Results: In this cross-sectional study the data were collected from 648 individuals. The questionnaires were distributed through social media applications, and also online in public places in the Qassim region in the form of an electronic barcode that opened directly to the online questionnaire to reach the maximum diversity of participants. Results: A sizeable majority of participants had some awareness of IBD (42.9%). A significant portion (42%) had acquired information from the media. Most participants (62%) correctly reported abdominal pain or cramping diarrhea as symptoms of IBD. About the same number were aware that family history was a risk factor for IBD. Nearly three-quarters of the participants were aware that medical treatment exists for IBD depending on the case. However, the study identified significant knowledge gaps; only a minority correctly reported that IBD patients have high risks of anemia and colon cancer, and the distinctions among various bowel diseases (e.g., ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, IBS, IBD) were generally poorly understood by participants. The results established statistically significant associations between awareness of IBD and age, medical specialty, employment status, education, and family history of IBD. Conclusion: The study highlighted the need for targeted education and awareness campaigns to increase public knowledge and reduce the prevalence of the disease in the community.

Unusual presentation of extranodal Rosai-Dorfman disease: A scalp lump

Rosai-Dorfman disease (RDD) is a benign and idiopathic proliferative histiocytic disorder that typically manifests with extensive cervical lymphadenopathy, fever, polyclonal gammopathy, and leukocytosis with neutrophilia. However, the purely cutaneous variant of RDD is exceptionally uncommon, occurring in only 3% of all RDD cases. In this abstract, we present a rare case of RDD exhibiting a purely cutaneous form. The patient, a 40-year-old male, presented with a scalp lump. Diagnostic investigations, including histopathological examination, confirmed the diagnosis of RDD. No lymphadenopathy or systemic involvement was detected, highlighting the uniqueness of the cutaneous presentation. The rarity of pure cutaneous RDD underscores the significance of reporting such cases to enhance our understanding of the diverse clinical manifestations of this condition. Awareness of this atypical presentation is crucial for accurate diagnosis and appropriate management, as the treatment approach for purely cutaneous RDD may differ from the more common systemic forms. Through this case report, we aim to contribute to the existing medical literature on RDD, emphasizing the need for careful evaluation of skin lesions to include RDD in the differential diagnosis, even in the absence of lymphadenopathy or systemic symptoms. Further research and documentation of similar cases will undoubt­edly advance our knowledge of this intriguing disease and aid clinicians in providing optimal patient care.

Malaria Transmission and Home-based Preventive Practices Amongst Women of Reproductive Age in South-South Nigeria

Malaria infection accounts for over 60% of outpatient visits to healthcare facilities, 30% of child fatalities, 25% of infant deaths, and 11% of maternal mortality in Nigeria. Notably, in Nigeria, children under five years of age and pregnant women are especially vulnerable to malaria-related illnesses and death. The study, therefore, seeks to assess the knowledge of malaria disease, transmission, and use of home-based prevention strategies amongst women of reproductive age group. A cross-sectional study design was employed to assess the knowledge of malaria transmission and home-based preventive practices amongst a multistage sample of 379 women of reproductive age seeking healthcare services at the public PHC facilities in South-South, Nigeria. Data was collected using an interviewer-administered semi-structured questionnaire. Descriptive and inferential analyses of data collected were carried out using the IBM SPSS version 20 software. The mean age of the respondents surveyed in this study was 32.2 (SD ± 6.9) years. Most respondents [88.4% (n = 335)] had good knowledge of malaria transmission and prevention; however, the majority were not knowledgeable about the period mosquitoes commonly enter the house (71.5%) and the peak mosquito biting period (63.1%). There were varied degrees of practice of the various malaria home-based prevention strategies. In conclusion, a significant proportion of the surveyed reproductive-age women had some grasp on the fundamental issues of malaria transmission and prevention with some identified gaps, and they used different home-based malaria prevention measures at varied degrees. Keywords: Home-based malaria preventive practices, Knowledge, Malaria transmission and prevention, Primary healthcare, Reproductive age women, South-South Nigeria.

Cardiac Masses and Pseudomasses: An Overview about Diagnostic Imaging and Clinical Background.

A cardiac lesion detected at ultrasonography might turn out to be a normal structure, a benign tumor or rarely a malignancy, and lesion characterization is very important to appropriately manage the lesion itself. The exact relationship of the mass with coronary arteries and the knowledge of possible concomitant coronary artery disease are necessary preoperative information. Moreover, the increasingly performed coronary CT angiography to evaluate non-invasively coronary artery disease leads to a rising number of incidental findings. Therefore, CT and MRI are frequently performed imaging modalities when echocardiography is deemed insufficient to evaluate a lesion. A brief comprehensive overview about diagnostic radiological imaging and the clinical background of cardiac masses and pseudomasses is reported.