Medicine Science Research Articles

Policy and practice implication of - and tools to address - mental health and psychosocial support needs in Sierra Leone

The last two decades have seen increased awareness of the impact of mental health issues on the population of Sierra Leone. Local capacity to respond to these needs is severely limited. In 2017, the Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MoHS) worked with staff of the College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences (COMAHS – part of the University of Sierra Leone) and Queen Margaret University (QMU) in Edinburgh – and other stakeholders, including members of the Mental Health Coalition Sierra Leone – to define a research agenda that would support the development of community-based mental health and systems support in the community. This paper summarizes work over the course of the following six years in relation to this agenda, and indicates its relevance to ongoing and planned service developments. In terms of research advance, studies have – through participatory and ethnographically-informed methods – identified both local idioms and social determinants of distress and mapped health seeking pathways and barriers to care. This information was utilized in the development and validation of two culturally appropriate measures: the Sierra Leone Psychological Distress Scale (to assess mental health and psychosocial needs at the community level) and the Sierra Leone Perinatal Psychological Distress Scale (to identify common perinatal mental disorder in amongst pregnant and lactating mothers). For this latter population, a culturally adapted form of a problem solving intervention delivered through existing mother-to-mother supports has been shown to be feasible, acceptable and potentially effective. This work has major policy and practice implications, and early evidence of uptake is noted. This includes mental health capacity development through the online availability of training guides for the developed assessment scales and plans for incorporation of material regarding idioms and social determinants of distress in pre-and post-professional training curriculum. In terms of community-based initiatives, there has been evidence of uptake from the Mental Health Coalition Sierra Leone. In terms of policy, findings reinforce key principles regarding community-based provision, integration of mental health care into primary health care, and actions to reduce stigma associated with mental health.

PEGylated Nanoliposomes Encapsulated with Anticancer Drugs for Breast and Prostate Cancer Therapy: An Update

There are different types of cancer treatments, including surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. However, the complexity of cancer has resulted in treatment challenges to medicinal scientists and a socio-economic burden to the public health system globally. The pharmacological limitations associated with the current conventional anticancer drugs include lack of specificity, poor bioavailability, toxicity, drug resistance, and poor delivery mechanisms, which make cancer treatment challenging. Thus, the number of cancer cases is escalating rapidly, especially breast and prostate cancer in women and men, respectively. The application of nanoformulations is gaining momentum for treating different cancer types. However, they also exhibit challenges that must be addressed for effective cancer treatment. Nanoliposomes are nanoformulations that are widely explored for cancer treatment with interesting therapeutic outcomes. They have been functionalized with PEG to further improve their therapeutic outcomes. Hence, this review provides an update on PEGylated nanoliposomes loaded with anticancer drugs for the treatment of breast and prostate cancer, focusing on pre-clinical studies published in the last decade (2015 to 2024) to reflect the recent advancements made in the design of PEGylation nanoliposomes. Highlights of the clinically and commercially available PEGylation nanoliposomes are also presented in this review.

Prevalence and Demographic Correlates of Social Anxiety Disorder among Medical Students at Sultan Qaboos University: A Cross-sectional Study

Introduction and Objective: Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is an excessive and irrational fear of social situations, leading to an avoidance of those situations. Individuals with SAD may fear acting in a certain way or exhibiting anxiety symptoms in front of others, which can significantly impact their daily functioning and quality of life. Among medical students, SAD can negatively influence academic performance, particularly in exams, and lead to employment difficulties. The COVID-19 pandemic introduced unique stressors, including social isolation and the transition to online learning, which may have exacerbated anxiety-related conditions. Understanding the prevalence and associated factors of SAD during this period is essential to develop targeted interventions for students. Thus, this work aimed to assess the prevalence and demographic correlates of SAD among medical students at the College of Medicine and Health Sciences at Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) in Oman during the pandemic. Methods: A questionnaire-based cross-sectional study was conducted from September to October 2020 in SQU, College of Medicine and Health Sciences. Medical students from all academic years were invited to complete demographic data and the Liebowitz social anxiety scale (LSAS). The LSAS is a 24-item self-rating scale to assess SAD. An analysis using a Chi-square test was performed to obtain the factors associated with SAD. Results: A total of 558 students completed the questionnaire, of which 348 were female (62%). The total prevalence of SAD was 64%, whereas moderate grade SAD accounted for 27% of the participants, marked grade 19%, severe grade 11%, and very severe grade 7%. Among the students who had the disorder, 71% suffered a generalized subtype of SAD. A significant association between SAD and phase of study (p<0.001), age group (p<0.001), and gender (p<0.001) was found. Phase 1 (69%) exhibited the highest prevalence, followed by phase 2 (66%) and phase 3 (48%). Among the age groups, 17-19 years group (67%) demonstrated the highest prevalence, followed by age groups 20-22 (64%) and 23-25 (46%). In terms of gender, females (70%) were more likely to display SAD symptoms than males (52%). Conclusion: The results of this study indicated a high prevalence of SAD among medical students and showed a significant association between SAD and the phase of study, age group, and gender. These results could help justify the establishment of targeted mental health interventions to support medical students in managing their anxiety, which can ultimately result in an improvement in their academic performance and overall quality of life. University administrators and psychologists should aim to develop supportive programs for students.

Midclavicle block: An anatomical study.

Recent studies indicate that clavipectoral fascia plane block (CPB) efficacy may stem from injectate distribution to the anterosuperior clavicular periosteum. We conducted an anatomical study combining the CPB with injection within the subclavius muscle. Our hypothesis was that the anaesthetic injectate would fully cover both the anterosuperior and posteroinferior surfaces of the clavicular periosteum in the midclavicular region. Observational human cadaver study. Laboratory of Surgical Neuroanatomy, Unit of Anatomy and Human Embryology of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Barcelona. Five fresh human cadavers. The cadavers received both a CPB and subclavius muscle injections under ultrasound guidance in 10 clavicular regions. After the procedures on the cadaveric models, an anatomical dissection by planes was performed to evaluate the distribution pattern of methylene blue on the clavicular periosteum. A probabilistic map of the colour spectrum and staining temperature on the clavicular surfaces was generated. Methylene blue stained 37 ± 16% of the anterosuperior surface and 23 ± 13% of the posteroinferior surface of the clavicular periosteum, particularly in the middle third of each surface. Although the staining did not achieve complete circumferential coverage or perfect alignment between the surfaces, the areas exhibited a close relationship, indicating significant distribution and relevant coverage. Our anatomical study demonstrates that the midclavicular block achieves effective distribution around the middle third of the clavicle, although complete circumferential anaesthesia of the clavicular periosteum was not achieved. Although this block may provide periosteal and bone anaesthesia, it does not address other sources of pain, such as muscle spasms and skin components. Additional clinical studies are needed to evaluate the overall efficacy of this dual block technique for clavicle surgery.

Biosynthesis of trimetallic nanoparticles and their biological applications: a recent review.

Trimetallic nanoparticles (TMNPs) have emerged as a pivotal area of research due to their unique properties and diverse applications across medicine, agriculture, and environmental sciences. This review provides several novel contributions that distinguish it from existing literature on trimetallic nanoparticles (TMNPs). Firstly, it offers a focused exploration of TMNPs, specifically addressing their unique properties and applications, which have been less examined compared to other multimetallic nanoparticles. This targeted analysis fills a significant gap in current research. Secondly, the review emphasizes innovative biosynthesis methods utilizing microorganisms and plant extracts, positioning these green synthesis approaches as environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional chemical methods. This focus aligns with the increasing demand for sustainable practices in nanotechnology. Furthermore, the review integrates discussions on both medical and agricultural applications of TMNPs, highlighting their multifunctional potential across diverse fields. This comprehensive perspective enhances our understanding of how TMNPs can address various challenges. Additionally, the review explores the synergistic effects among the different metals in TMNPs, providing insights into how these interactions can be harnessed to optimize their properties for specific applications. Such discussions are often overlooked in existing studies. Moreover, this review identifies critical research gaps and challenges within the field, outlining future directions that encourage further investigation and innovation in TMNP development. By doing so, it proactively contributes to advancing the field. Finally, the review advocates for interdisciplinary collaboration among material scientists, biologists, and environmental scientists, emphasizing the importance of diverse expertise in enhancing the research and application of TMNPs.

Western College of Veterinary Medicine scientists respond to emerging One Health threats

Western College of Veterinary Medicine scientists respond to emerging One Health threats

Analysis of the Quality of Patient Treatment Data in MIMIC-IV Using Alpha, Heuristic, and Inductive Miner

MIMIC-IV (Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV), is a medical dataset used for research in the fields of medicine and health computer science. This dataset contains health information collected from intensive care units (ICUs) at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, MA. This research uses process mining to analyze data quality of patient treatment in the MIMIC-IV dataset using the Alpha Miner, Heuristic Miner, and Inductive Miner algorithms. It begins with planning and justification, followed by database reconstruction, data quality assessment, and data extraction, leading to the development of a control flow model. Subsequently, conformance checking is performed, and the study concludes with an evaluation of the results. It is expected that the results of this study will provide a better understanding of the quality of patient care process data in the MIMIC-IV dataset and a positive contribution to developing more effective health services.

Gambaran Pengetahuan Ablasio Retina pada Mahasiswa Fakultas Kedokteran dan Ilmu Kesehatan Universitas Kristen Krida Wacana

Introduction: Retinal detachment is the visual nerve layer in the eyeball from the lower layer or retinal layer of pigment epithelium with accumulation in subretinal fluid. The clinical manifestation of retinal detachment is that the patient's vision can decrease from mild to severe. The symptom that suf erers often complain about is floaters, which are visible objects floating around. Purpose: The research is to determine the knowledge of retinal detachment among medical students at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Krida Wacana Christian University. Methods: The design of this research is cross-sectional. Participants completed the questionnaire via Google form from 7 December 2022 to 15 December 2022. This research used random sampling; sample selection was carried out randomly. Participants numbered 108 students. Results: Students who had a high level of knowledge 69 respondents (63.9%), followed by a low level of knowledge, namely 22 respondents (20.4%), and then for a medium level of knowledge there were 17 respondents (15.7%). Conclusion: Most students at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Krida Wacana Christian University have a high level of knowledge. This study had variations in respondents' knowledge levels because there were pre-clinical and clinical clerkship students

Magnetic Nanoparticles: Advances in Synthesis, Sensing, and Theragnostic Applications

The synthesis of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) via the chemical, biological, and physical routes has been reported on along with advantages and attendant limitations. This study focuses on the sensing and emerging theragnostic applications of this category of nanoparticles (NPs) in clinical sciences by unveiling the unique performance of these NPs in the biological sensing of bacteria and nucleotide sequencing. Also, in terms of medicine and clinical science, this review analyzes the emerging theragnostic applications of NPs in drug delivery, bone tissue engineering, deep brain stimulation, therapeutic hyperthermia, tumor detection, magnetic imaging and cell tracking, lymph node visualization, blood purification, and COVID-19 detection. This review presents succinct surface functionalization and unique surface coating techniques to confer less toxicity and biocompatibility during synthesis, which are often identified as limitations in medical applications. This study also indicates that these surface improvement techniques are useful for refining the selective activity of MNPs during their use as sensors and biomarkers. In addition, this study unveils attendant limitations, especially toxicological impacts on biomolecules, and suggests that future research should pay attention to the mitigation of the biotoxicity of MNPs. Thus, this study presents a proficient approach for the synthesis of high-performance MNPs fit for proficient medicine in the detection of microorganisms, better diagnosis, and treatment in medicine.

“You’re not taught to think about the words you use and then it just perpetuates”— a qualitative examination of medical students’ perspectives of stigmatising language in healthcare

BackgroundStigmatising language is used commonly in healthcare, affecting healthcare providers’ perceptions of patients and care delivery. Using person-first language is best practice, however, it does not reflect reality.MethodThis study examined medical students’ perspectives on stigmatising language in healthcare. Twenty-one medical students at the RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences participated in four focus group interviews; a thematic analysis of the data was conducted.ResultsSeven themes were identified: prevalence of stigmatising language, its impact on students and patients, being sensitive versus medically accurate, evolving nature of recommendations for language use, barriers to changing practice, power dynamics and cultural context influencing language use, stigmatising language being a societal issue. Participants provided recommendations for improving language use in healthcare: open discussions and student feedback on language in the learning environment, lecturers signposting person-first language, training workshops on person-first language for clinicians and lecturers, and social intelligence skills training.ConclusionStudy findings highlight the impact of stigmatising language in healthcare. To address this issue and inform guidance for future generations of professionals, medical students recommended more open dialogue and improved social intelligence.

Optical Based Methods for Water Monitoring in Biological Tissue.

Skin homeostasis is strongly dependent on its hydration levels, making skin water content measurement vital across various fields, including medicine, cosmetology, and sports science. Noninvasive diagnostic techniques are particularly relevant for clinical applications due to their minimal risk of side effects. A range of optical methods have been developed for this purpose, each with unique physical principles, advantages, and limitations. This review provides an in-depth examination of optical techniques such as diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, optoacoustic spectroscopy, optoacoustic tomography, hyperspectral imaging, and Raman spectroscopy. We explore their efficacy in noninvasive monitoring of skin hydration and edema, which is characterized by an increase in interstitial fluid. By comparing the parameters, sensitivity, and clinical applications of these techniques, this review offers a comprehensive understanding of their potential to enhance diagnostic precision and improve patient care.

Stable laser-acceleration of high-flux proton beams with plasma collimation

Laser-plasma acceleration of protons offers a compact, ultra-fast alternative to conventional acceleration techniques, and is being widely pursued for potential applications in medicine, industry and fundamental science. Creating a stable, collimated beam of protons at high repetition rates presents a key challenge. Here, we demonstrate the generation of multi-MeV proton beams from a fast-replenishing ambient-temperature liquid sheet. The beam has an unprecedentedly low divergence of 1° (≤20 mrad), resulting from magnetic self-guiding of the proton beam during propagation through a low density vapour. The proton beams, generated at a repetition rate of 5 Hz using only 190 mJ of laser energy, exhibit a hundred-fold increase in flux compared to beams from a solid target. Coupled with the high shot-to-shot stability of this source, this represents a crucial step towards applications.

Development of the Big Ten Academic Alliance Collaborative for Women in Medicine and Biomedical Science: "We Built the Airplane While Flying It".

Women-identifying and women+ gender faculty (hereto described as women+ faculty) face numerous barriers to career advancement in medicine and biomedical sciences. Despite accumulating evidence that career development programming for women+ is critical for professional advancement and well-being, accessibility of these programs is generally limited to small cohorts, only offered to specific disciplines, or otherwise entirely unavailable. Opportunities for additional, targeted career development activities are imperative in developing and retaining women+ faculty. Our goal was the development of a new collaborative of Big Ten Academic Alliance (BTAA) institutions to support gender equity for women+ faculty in medicine and biomedical sciences, with two initial aims: (1) hosting an inaugural conference and establishing a foundation for rotation of conference hosts across BTAA schools, and (2) creating an infrastructure to develop programming, share resources, conduct environmental scans, and promote networking. In 2022, leaders from The Ohio State University College of Medicine Women in Medicine and Science envisioned, developed, and implemented a collaborative named CommUNITYten: The Big Ten Academic Alliance for Women in Medicine and Biomedical Science. Conference program development occurred through an iterative and collaborative process across external and internal task forces alongside industry partners. We developed a fiscal model to guide registration fees, budget tracking, and solicitation of conference funding from academic and industry sponsors. Attendees completed postconference surveys assessing speaker or workshop effectiveness and suggestions for future events. Finally, we developed an environmental scan survey to assess gender equity needs and existing programming across BTAA institutions. In June 2024, The Ohio State University hosted the inaugural CommUNITYten conference in Columbus, Ohio, featuring 5 keynote presentations, 9 breakout sessions, and networking opportunities across one and a half days of curated programming. Nearly 180 people attended, with representation from 9 BTAA institutions, 6 industry companies, staff, and trainees. Postconference surveys showed 50% (n=27) of respondents were likely to attend another in-person conference and suggested future conference topics. The environmental scan survey launched in October 2024. We successfully established the CommUNITYten collaborative and hosted the inaugural conference. Establishing key stakeholders from each BTAA institution, obtaining sponsorship, and detailed conference planning and partnerships were critical in ensuring realization of this collaborative. The conference brought together leaders, faculty, staff, trainees, and industry partners from across the country and met the initial goal of networking, sharing resources, and building community for women+ faculty. These efforts lay a robust foundation for the BTAA CommUNITYten collaborative to foster ongoing collaboration, innovation, and progress in the years to come. Given the importance of steady improvements, this viewpoint may further guide the efforts of other individuals, groups, and leadership supporting women+ as they consider approaches and strategies advocating for gender equity at the national level.

Excited-State Proton Transfer for Biomarker Detection

Biomarker detection is imperative in the realms of modern medicine, biology, and environmental science, owing to the numerous avenues for its application. The recent scientific upsurge in the development of molecules, materials, and mechanisms for such scientific development has garnered considerable attention among scientists. In this connection, excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) properties of photoluminescent compounds provide considerable insights into the designing, development, and detection of biomarkers. ESIPT molecules significantly show a Stokes-shifted emission due to their sensitive nature and unique photophysical properties. Leveraging this photophysical property and tunable nature, several fluorescent probes of this genre can be designed and synthesized for a plethora of application spheres. Schiff bases encompass one such category of functional molecules displaying ESIPT properties, which can be mitigated by adding several other functionalities and desired optical characteristics. The current review article spans the basics of ESIPT properties of certain photoluminescent molecules and also envisages biosensing applications of recently developed imine–functionalized Schiff base molecules with such properties as the prima-foci, along with other applications.

Understanding the Psychology of Practical Wisdom.

The longstanding view of doctors as scientists has been an emphasis in the MCAT and medical school training. However, the AAMC recommended recognizing the importance of social and behavioral science for medicine. There is also a growing realization that being a smart problem solver and the physician as scientist model emphasizes a cold cognitive problem-solving paradigm that overlooks other human capacities that may be critical to medical reasoning and decision-making. Considering a smart physician versus a wise physician, intelligence and problem-solving are important, but a wise physician can use other important capacities beyond intelligence and rationality. This could benefit patients by introducing patient and family perspective taking, as well as compassion in doctor-patient interaction. By reconceptualizing professions from the perspective of practical wisdom, this may increase resilience to problems such as burnout. I outline some psychological capacities viewed as important in wise reasoning that are not about traditional views of intelligence. I argue that wise reasoning is not a native talent but a skill that can be developed. I argue that different kinds of experiences can increase aspects of empathy, epistemic humility, perspective taking, and wise reasoning and I examine evidence that wise reasoning may increase resilience.

Relationship between the learning gains and learning style preferences among students from the school of medicine and health sciences

BackgroundThe field of health sciences is constantly evolving, presenting significant challenges to student learning performance. Therefore, it is crucial to identify the factors influencing students' learning style preferences, as these relate to how they acquire, understand, interpret, organize, and process information from their courses. In this study, we evaluated whether there is a relationship between students' learning style preferences and their learning gains.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted between 2021 and 2022 using a convenience sampling approach with students of the School of Medicine and Health Sciences at the Mexico City Campus of Tecnológico de Monterrey. Students completed online questionnaires to assess normalized learning gains, as well as preference questionnaires from the VARK inventory (Visual, Auditory, Reading/Writing, and Kinesthetic types of learning preferences) and the Felder-Silverman learning style model, which is a framework that categorizes learners based on their preferences across several dimensions: active/reflective, sensing/intuitive, visual/verbal, and sequential/global. Descriptive statistics and Spearman’s correlation were used to analyze the data.ResultsIn relation to the VARK inventory, students exhibited a tendency to prefer multimodal sensory learning, particularly favoring the kinesthetic style. The number of VARK styles and the preference for kinesthetic learning were significantly correlated with learning gains. The Felder-Silverman test indicated that students preferred sensing, visual, and sequential learning; however, the levels of preference for active, intuitive, and sequential learning were associated with higher learning gains. Reflective learning demonstrated an inverse correlation with learning gains.ConclusionOur results indicate the importance of incorporating experience and practical skills in the classroom. Additionally, it is recommended that students work collaboratively, share and discuss learning materials, foster innovation and abstract learning, and follow logical and sequential approaches to optimize their educational achievements. It is fundamental to find learning models that improve the academic performance of students with a reflective learning preference.

Migraine among King Khaled University students; prevalence, determinants, and impact on academic life.

Migraine is a common primary headache disorder that significantly affects academic life and is often associated with stress, depression, anxiety, and irregular sleep patterns among university students. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of migraine among King Khalid University (KKU) students, identify its determinants, and evaluate the impact of migraine and other headaches on academic life and performance. An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted among 732 students from Colleges of Medicine, Pharmacy, Engineering, and Computer science. We used a self-administered questionnaire, including the ID Migraine™ screening tool, which was administered either through an online survey or face-to-face. Convenience and snowball sampling methods were adopted to recruit participants between June 1 and August 31, 2024. The median [interquartile range (IQR)] age was 21(2.0) years, 58.2% were female, 97.5% were Saudi, and 93.0% were non-smokers. The prevalence of migraine was 44.1%. The key predictors of migraine were female gender (adjusted odds ratio (AOR)=1.78 (1.29 - 2.46), P<0.001), family history AOR = 2.39 (1.75- 3.27), P<0.001], working alongside education (AOR = 1.95 (1.19 - 3.18), P = 0.007), family debt (AOR = 1.86 (1.06 - 3.29), P=0.03), and having chronic diseases like bronchial asthma (AOR = 2.16 (1.11 - 4.20), P=0.02) and hypertension AOR = 6.23 (1.34 - 28.84), P = 0.01). Over 90% reported migraines affected concentration, sleep, and exam preparation, and 65% indicated an impact on university attendance. Migraines are highly prevalent among KKU students, affecting academic daily life. Early detection and lifestyle changes are essential, and universities should plan and implement coping strategies to support affected students.

The interdisciplinarity of the publications of the Medical University of Silesia in Katowice based on the analysis of the co-occurrence of issues specific to medicine and computer science

Over the years, the study of the interdisciplinarity of publications has taken various forms, from its identification based on the disciplines represented by the authors, through the examination of citations used when writing the article, to the analysis of the publication text itself. The last of these approaches seems to be the most reliable in the context of verifying the real integration between disciplines in a specific text. The approach utilized in the conducted research facilitates a deeper analysis of integration not only between disciplines in general but also between specific issues within their domains, aiding the examination of the intensity of such connections. The research was aimed at analyzing publications affiliated with the Medical University of Silesia in Katowice in terms of their connection with issues included in the area of Computer Science. OpenAlex, a bibliographic database supported by data mainly from Scopus, WoS and Google Scholar, which uses concepts that make up the Wikidata knowledge base to describe the content of publications was used. A list of 14,136 publications from the Medical University of Silesia in Katowice was downloaded from the OpenAlex bibliographic database including such data as: publication id, title, author, abstract, journal, date of publication, ISSN number or concepts. Overall, the most prevalent concepts in the publications were concepts regarding the field of the medicine (medicine, internal medicine, cardiology). The most prevalent concepts concerning computer science in the publications were: computer science, logistic regression and artificial intelligence. The strenght of the connections between concepts regarding medicine and computer science was calculated by calculating the arithmetic mean of the score value for each pair of IT and medical concepts contained in a single publication. The study showed the importance of computer Science issues in the medical publications and highligted the growing importance of AI in the field of medicine.

Interventions in the Sexuality of Men With Stomas: A Scoping Review.

To map interventions in the sexuality of men with stomas. Scoping review, following JBI and PRISMA-ScR guidelines to report results. Databases consulted were PubMed, via National Library of Medicine, Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature, Web of Science, Scopus, Embase, Scientific Electronic Library Online, Brazilian Electronic Library of Thesis and Dissertations, CAPES Catalogue of Thesis and Dissertations and Open Access Scientific Repository of Portugal. Texts were read by independent reviewers, with no time or language restrictions. The final sample included 10 studies. Data were synthesised and grouped for its similarity to approach models, preoperative orientations, self-care promotion, collecting pouch hygiene and safety, sexual health discussion and education, construction of bonds and sexual function evaluation. Interventions in the sexuality of men with stomas included adherence to models for approaching sexuality, focusing on the permission and coparticipation of the patient, open conversations on the topic, self-care promotion, collecting pouch hygiene and safety, encouragement to the creation of bonds, sexual function evaluation in pre- and postoperative periods and individual and/or collective sexual health education. This study contributes to the sexuality of men with stomas. It identified recommendations to approach and conduct the topic at hand, addressing the rehabilitation process since the surgery to place the stoma is considered. This study addressed scientific literature on the sexuality of men with stomas. Most were from Europe and results demonstrated a gap in knowledge. This research will impact the stoma therapy research, affecting teams involved in the care to men with stomas, encouraging reflections on the sexuality of these patients. This study complies with the PRISMA-ScR. There was no patient or public contribution. The protocol of this scoping review was registered in the Open Science Framework, registered under DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/X9DSC. It can be accessed through the following link: https://osf.io/x9dsc/?view_only=a9c62ef6c11f44499f7b2bfe1fe379f9.

The future of AVS, dizziness, and vertigo in emergency departments Part V: Rise of the machines – The role of science and engineering in medicine

The future of AVS, dizziness, and vertigo in emergency departments Part V: Rise of the machines – The role of science and engineering in medicine In the final article of this five-part series, Dr Millie Nakatsuka discusses emerging technologies relevant to acute vestibular syndrome (AVS) in the emergency healthcare setting. Telemedicine, artificial intelligence (AI), and smartphone technology play a key role in healthcare, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. We focus on the current trajectories, potential opportunities, and foreseeable barriers. The history of remote delivery of medical services through telecommunications technology dates back to the 1860s, when the telegraph was used during the American Civil War. Even so, governments worldwide were reluctant to publicly fund and adopt telehealth services before the pandemic.