Patients’Knowledge, Attitude and Practices on Disposal Methods of Expired and Unused Medicines: Implication for Creation of Drug Take-Back Program

Background: Handling of medicines is a day-to-day activity by patients and many health care providers. However, multiple studies have brought to light inappropriate disposal methods for expired and unused medication (EUM). Improper disposal of expired and unused medicines is hazardous both to humans and the environment. Objective: This sought to measure patients’ knowledge, attitude, and practices on disposal methods of EUM. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out among 384 patients at three outpatient pharmacies at the University Teaching Hospitals (UTHs). The structured questionnaire was used to collect data and STAT version 15.1 was used to analyse the data. Results: 384 respondents participated in this study and, at some point, had EUM. In this study, 356 (92.7%) of the participants reported that they had never heard of a drug take-back system. Most of the participants 285 (74.2%) and 239 (62.2%) kept and donated their unused medicine, respectively. Additionally, 244 (63.5%), 212 (55.2%), and 176 (44.8%) of the participants disposed of expired medicines in the bin or garbage, flushed them in toilets or sinks, or burned them, respectively. Occupation was significantly associated with unsafe disposal of unused medicine [P-value = 0.019]. Conclusion and Relevance: Knowledge of safe disposal methods for EUM was good amongst most participants. However, used unsafe disposal methods. The majority of the participants exhibited positive attitude concerning safe disposal methods. This study highlights the need for drug-take-back program creation in Zambia.

Research on the development methodology for clinical practice guidelines for organic integration of traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine

Integrated traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)and Western medicine(WM)is a new medical science grounded in the knowledge bases of both TCM and WM,which then forms a unique modern medical system in China.Integrated TCM and WM has a long history in China,and has made important achievements in the process of clinical diagnosis and treatment.However,the methodological defects in currently published clinical practice guidelines(CPGs)limit its development.The organic integration of TCM and WM is a deeper integration of TCM and WM.To realize the progression of"integration"to"organic integration",a targeted and standardized guideline development methodology is needed.Therefore,the purpose of this study is to establish a standardized development procedure for clinical practice guidelines for the organic integration of TCM and WM to promote the systematic integration of TCM and WM research results into clinical practice guidelines in order to achieve optimal results as the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

Insight Into the Separation-of-Variable Methods for the Closed-Form Solutions of Free Vibration of Rectangular Thin Plates

The separation-of-variable(SOV)methods,such as the improved SOV method,the variational SOV method,and the extended SOV method,have been proposed by the present authors and coworkers to obtain the closed-form analytical solutions for free vibration and eigenbuckling of rectangular plates and circular cylindrical shells.By taking the free vibration of rectangular thin plates as an example,this work presents the theoretical framework of the SOV methods in an instructive way,and the bisection–based solution procedures for a group of nonlinear eigenvalue equations.Besides,the explicit equations of nodal lines of the SOV methods are presented,and the relations of nodal line patterns and frequency orders are investigated.It is concluded that the highly accurate SOV methods have the same accuracy for all frequencies,the mode shapes about repeated frequencies can also be precisely captured,and the SOV methods do not have the problem of missing roots as well.

Practice patterns among ophthalmic surgeons in treating concomitant oculoplastic conditions in preoperative period:A questionnaire-based study

BACKGROUND Addressing oculoplastic conditions in the preoperative period ensures both the safety and functional success of any ophthalmic procedure.Some oculoplastic conditions,like nasolacrimal duct obstruction,have been extensively studied,whereas others,like eyelid malposition and thyroid eye disease,have received minimal or no research.AIM To investigate the current practice patterns among ophthalmologists while treating concomitant oculoplastic conditions before any subspecialty ophthalmic intervention.METHODS A cross-sectional survey was disseminated among ophthalmologists all over India.The survey included questions related to pre-operative evaluation,anaesthetic and surgical techniques preferred,post-operative care,the use of adjunctive therapies,and patient follow-up patterns.RESULTS A total of 180 ophthalmologists responded to the survey.Most practitioners(89%)felt that the ROPLAS test was sufficient during pre-operative evaluation before any subspecialty surgery was advised.The most common surgical techniques employed were lacrimal drainage procedures(Dacryocystorhinostomy)(63.3%),eyelid malposition repair(36.9%),and ptosis repair(58.7%).Post-operatively,47.7%of respondents emphasized that at least a 4-week gap should be maintained after lacrimal drainage procedures and eyelid surgeries.Sixty-seven percent of ophthalmologists felt that topical anaesthetic procedures should be preferred while performing ocular surgeries in thyroid eye disease patients.CONCLUSION Approximately 50%of ophthalmologists handle prevalent oculoplastic issues themselves,seeking the expertise of an oculoplastic surgeon under particular conditions.Many ophthalmologists still favor using ROPLAS as a preliminary screening method before proceeding with cataract surgery.Eyelid conditions and thyroid eye disease are not as commonly addressed before subspecialty procedures compared to issues like nasolacrimal duct obstruction and periocular infections.

Importance of etiologies of secondary diabetes:How often do we think off in clinical practice?

The article"Secondary diabetes due to different etiologies:Four case reports"by Song et al,published in the World Journal of Clinical Cases,delves into the identi-fication of rare causes of secondary diabetes and emphasizes the necessity for healthcare professionals to recognize these conditions.Failure to do so can result in treatment delays and compromised patient outcomes.The article discusses spe-cific types of diabetes,including maturity onset of diabetes in young,pancreas-related diseases,endocrinopathies,drug-induced diabetes,infections,and con-genital genetic syndromes associated with diabetes mellitus.Case summaries highlight how patients with secondary diabetes,stemming from conditions such as Williams-Beuren syndrome and pituitary adenoma,often exhibit distinct characteristics overlooked in clinical practice.The authors stress the importance of a holistic diagnostic approach and advocate for proactive management through early intervention,including genetic tests and antibody detection.Increased awa-reness and education are crucial for timely identification and proper management,ultimately improving patient well-being.These findings prompt a call to action for healthcare professionals to consider rare causes of secondary diabetes,facili-tating better glycemic control and overall patient care.

Machine learning applications in healthcare clinical practice and research

Machine learning(ML)is a type of artificial intelligence that assists computers in the acquisition of knowledge through data analysis,thus creating machines that can complete tasks otherwise requiring human intelligence.Among its various applications,it has proven groundbreaking in healthcare as well,both in clinical practice and research.In this editorial,we succinctly introduce ML applications and present a study,featured in the latest issue of the World Journal of Clinical Cases.The authors of this study conducted an analysis using both multiple linear regression(MLR)and ML methods to investigate the significant factors that may impact the estimated glomerular filtration rate in healthy women with and without non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD).Their results implicated age as the most important determining factor in both groups,followed by lactic dehydrogenase,uric acid,forced expiratory volume in one second,and albumin.In addition,for the NAFLD-group,the 5th and 6th most important impact factors were thyroid-stimulating hormone and systolic blood pressure,as compared to plasma calcium and body fat for the NAFLD+group.However,the study's distinctive contribution lies in its adoption of ML methodologies,showcasing their superiority over traditional statistical approaches(herein MLR),thereby highlighting the potential of ML to represent an invaluable advanced adjunct tool in clinical practice and research.

Research and Practice of the Blended Teaching Model of BOPPPS Teaching Method Under the Background of Digital Education: Taking Operations Research Course as an Example

The rapid development of digital education provides new opportunities and challenges for teaching model innovation.This study aims to explore the application of the BOPPPS(Bridge-in,Objective,Pre-assessment,Participatory learning,Post-assessment,Summary)teaching method in the development of a blended teaching model for the Operations Research course under the background of digital education.In response to the characteristics of the course and the needs of the student group,the teaching design is reconstructed with a student-centered approach,increasing practical teaching links,improving the assessment and evaluation system,and effectively implementing it in conjunction with digital educational technology.This teaching model has shown significant effectiveness in the context of digital education,providing valuable experience and insights for the innovation of the Operations Research course.

Structural Modal Parameter Recognition and Related Damage Identification Methods under Environmental Excitations: A Review

Modal parameters can accurately characterize the structural dynamic properties and assess the physical state of the structure.Therefore,it is particularly significant to identify the structural modal parameters according to the monitoring data information in the structural health monitoring(SHM)system,so as to provide a scientific basis for structural damage identification and dynamic model modification.In view of this,this paper reviews methods for identifying structural modal parameters under environmental excitation and briefly describes how to identify structural damages based on the derived modal parameters.The paper primarily introduces data-driven modal parameter recognition methods(e.g.,time-domain,frequency-domain,and time-frequency-domain methods,etc.),briefly describes damage identification methods based on the variations of modal parameters(e.g.,natural frequency,modal shapes,and curvature modal shapes,etc.)and modal validation methods(e.g.,Stability Diagram and Modal Assurance Criterion,etc.).The current status of the application of artificial intelligence(AI)methods in the direction of modal parameter recognition and damage identification is further discussed.Based on the pre-vious analysis,the main development trends of structural modal parameter recognition and damage identification methods are given to provide scientific references for the optimized design and functional upgrading of SHM systems.

On the Improvement Method of Photography Practice Teaching

Photography teaching is different from general culture teaching.There are obvious differences in teaching methods and teachers' teaching styles.To this end,photography teaching should be innovative,really interested in students,love the photography course,and put photography knowledge into practice.At present,some photography teachers have some problems in the way of explai-ning photography knowledge,which makes it difficult for students to really grasp the practical knowledge of photography,and is not conducive to arousing students' interest in learning. The reason is that photography teachers do not attach importance to practical teaching.

Strategic information perception methods and practices in the open source intelligence

Open source intelligence is one of the most important public data sources for strategic information analysis. One of the primary and core issues of strategic information research is information perception,so this paper mainly expounds the perception method for strategic information perception in the open source intelligence environment as well as the framework and basic process of information perception. This paper argues that in order to match the information perception result with the information depiction result,it conducts practical exploration for the results of information acquisition,perception,depiction and analysis. This paper introduces and develops a monitoring platform for information perception. The results show that the method proposed in this paper is feasible.

Response of yield increase for dryland winter wheat to tillage practice during summer fallow and sowing method in the Loess Plateau of China

Soil moisture is the most critical limiting factor impacting yields of dryland winter wheat(Triticum aestivum L.) and it is strongly affected by tillage practice and sowing methods. This study was to assess the link between sowing method and tillage practice during summer fallow and their subsequent effect on soil moisture and grain yield. Furthermore, we sought to identify a more appropriate farming management practice for winter wheat production in Loess Plateau region of China. The experiment was conducted from 2011 to 2013, using a two-factor split plot design, including subsoiling(SS) or no tillage(NT) during summer fallow for main plots, and conventional drill sowing(DS) or plastic film drill sowing(FM) for subplots. Results showed that the maximum soil water storage(SWS) was under SS×FM treatment with values of 649.1 mm(2011–2012) and 499.4 mm(2012–2013). The SWS during the 2011–2012 growing season were 149.7 mm higher than that in the 2012–2013 growing season. And adoption of SS×FM significantly increased precipitation use efficiency(PUE) and water use efficiency(WUE) compared to other treatments for both seasons. Moreover, adoption of SS×FM significantly increased yield by 13.1, 14.4, 47.3% and 25.9, 39.1, 35.7% than other three treatments during the two growing seasons, respectively. In summary, combining subsoiling during summer fallow with plastic film drill sowing(SS×FM) increased SWS at sowing and effectively improved WUE, thus representing a feasible technology to improve grain yield of dryland winter wheat in the Loess Plateau of China.

Practice-oriented Teaching Methods of Chinese Architecture History

Through analyzing problems in the teaching of Chinese architecture history, this paper fi gured out the crucial reasons why history lessons fail to stimulate students' learning enthusiasm, and explored the practice-oriented teaching methods from the perspectives of teaching means, methods and objectives to solve the problems. By introducing such teaching means as visual practices, experience practices and design practices into the teaching of Chinese architecture history, the history course could be united with design course effectively, and become significant theory support and guideline for the architectural design, which will improve the teaching quality of Chinese architecture history comprehensively, stimulate students' learning enthusiasm, and promote their learning effi ciency and achievements.

Innovation Practices of Virtual Simulation Teaching Method in Landscape Architecture Majors

Based on foreign and domestic literature about teaching theories and simulation application,advantages and disadvantages of simulation teaching and other teaching methods were compared,organization forms and efficiency of simulation teaching in network environment discussed,students' learning patterns and styles summarized,and the theoretical research foundation for the simulation teaching and students' learning system in network environment established.Common problems of simulation teaching and corresponding students' learning styles were discussed,application and supervision system of simulation teaching established,students' learning styles innovated.Views and innovations of virtual simulation teaching in simulation teaching of landscape architecture were given,and the research framework sorted out as reference.

College English Teaching Methods In Practice

This paper briefly presents some typical problems in EFL teaching in China at first. Then, some practical methods in EFL teaching are suggested. It indicates that an English teacher should not only teach the students linguistic knowledge but also cultivate their competence to use the language.

Method and Practice on Water Function Division of the Yangtze River Region

Water function classification is to divide the waters in a basin or a region into different water function regions according to the natural features such as water resources condition, physical geographical location, environmental condition, etc. and social features such as the status quo of development and utilization, the requirement of social and economic development on water quantity and quality etc. Water function division has not ever been carried out in China and no ready-made theory and method can be complied with, in the meantime, it is a fundamental work with strong practical function. Therefore, the basic concept and theory foundation and research method are put forward on the base of summary of water resources management and developed and will be perfected in practice process of water function division. The Yangtze function zone covers the Yangtze river basin, the Lancang river basin and the rivers in the western area of the Lancang river in Southwest China. According to the technical outline of national water function division and combined with division practice of the Yangtze function zone, this paper presents the scope determination, procedure and method of water function division.

Knowledge about Sexual and Reproductive Health Services and Practice of What Is Known among Ghanaian Youth, a Mixed Method Approach

Most young person will become sexually active before their 20th birthday having to battle with early and unplanned pregnancies, unsafe abortions, maternal deaths and injuries. This study examined young person’s sexual knowledge, attitudes and practices and their levels of utilization of sexual reproductive health. Our study progresses beyond current research of reporting only sexual behaviour among youth to have insight into sexual and reproductive health update drivers yielding new empirically robust results for the Ghanaian case for sexual and reproductive health service uptake. The descriptively cross sectional design was employed in sampling 170 youth (150 surveyed and 20 Interviewed) using the stratified sampling technique together with a purposive selection of one key informant. Test of significance and associations were performed with the Chisquare test. In all 45.2% (77/170) of youth (10 - 24) had had sexual experience in life time. In respect of in-school youth, 42% (63/150) had had sexual experience whiles 70% (14/20) out-of-school youth had had sexual intercourse in life time. A total of 28.8% (49/170) of all the youth had sexual intercourse in the last six months with only 40.1 (20/49) using condom for protection. Parental discussion of contraceptive methods (29.3%) and sexual and romantic relationship (28.0%) was the least sexual and reproductive health area discussed among in-school youth. Youth knowledge of the available sexual reproductive health service was statistically associated with reproductive health service utilization (X2 = 0.00, P ≤ 0.05). A concerted effort is required from government, NGO, Civil society organizations and religious bodies to help translate youth knowledge about sexual health into responsible sexual life and protective sex.

Analysis of Common Clinical Practice Teaching Methods in Medical Colleges and Universities

Clinical practice teaching is an important part of medical education.For medical students in colleges and universities,the teaching method is mostly single before the teaching reform.Innovative clinical practice teaching methods have been implemented in colleges and universities with the deepening of the teaching reform in recent years.

A Review on Sources,Extractions and Analysis Methods of a Sustainable Biomaterial:Tannins

Condensed and hydrolysable tannins are non-toxic natural polyphenols that are a commercial commodity industrialized for tanning hides to obtain leather and for a growing number of other industrial applications mainly to substitute petroleum-based products.They are a definite class of sustainable materials of the forestry industry.They have been in operation for hundreds of years to manufacture leather and now for a growing number of applications in a variety of other industries,such as wood adhesives,metal coating,pharmaceutical/medical applications and several others.This review presents the main sources,either already or potentially commercial of this forestry by-materials,their industrial and laboratory extraction systems,their systems of analysis with their advantages and drawbacks,be these methods so simple to even appear primitive but nonetheless of proven effectiveness,or very modern and instrumental.It constitutes a basic but essential summary of what is necessary to know of these sustainable materials.In doing so,the review highlights some of the main challenges that remain to be addressed to deliver the quality and economics of tannin supply necessary to fulfill the industrial production requirements for some materials-based uses.

Improvement of decocting method for Kampo medicines using a microwave oven to extend its applications in clinical practice

Decoction of Kampo medicines plays an important role in clinical practice, especially in individualized treatment, while the inconvenience and a long time requirement of the decocting process are impediments to its widespread use in Japan. In this study, we improved the decocting method by using a microwave oven such as those found in most kitchens. To validate the feasibility and safety of this new method, we decocted kakkonto, which is the most widely used formula in clinical treatment in Japan, and keishikabushito, which contains toxic components using a microwave oven. Regarding the contents of 8 characteristic components in the kakkonto decoction and the contents of 6 toxic components in the keishikabushito decoction as indices, and with the extraction and detoxification effects equal to those of the conventional decocting method as targets, we optimized the decocting conditions with Response Surface Methods. With this new method, it took 35 min to obtain almost the same extraction effect for kakkonto as with the conventional decocting method, which takes 40 min;meanwhile, it took only 45 min to detoxify keishikabushito, which takes 60 min using the conventional decocting method. Decocting Kampo medicines with a microwave oven is feasible and as safe as the conventional decocting method. It is a convenient, safe, time-saving method, and may be applied widely in clinical practice. This innovation should allow more patients to benefit from decoction and the individualized treatment it offers.

The Application and Practice of TBL Method in the Teaching of “Zhuang Medical Prescriptions”

The application of TBL teaching method to"Zhuang Medical Prescriptions"is an actual practice of group cooperative learning mode.Through this method,a more active learning atmosphere can be constructed,and it is also an activity to jointly achieve the teaching goals.From the perspective of the practice of basic teaching,it is a creative teaching strategy.Let students develop the awareness and habit of using team groups for cooperative inquisitive learning,so as to gradually improve students'level of comprehensive application analysis.This paper discusses in detail from the perspective of practical research and building,and compares data under different teaching methods with test results to prove that TBL teaching method is superior to traditional teaching method.