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Background and objective: The presence of carbapenemase enzymes among Enterobacterales is the main mechanism to reduce susceptibility to a wide range of antibiotics. Carbapenemase enzymes such as the Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC) hydrolyse beta-lactam antibiotics group, which includes carbapenem, leads to fewer treatment options. We aim to describe the first report of carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae (CRKP) sequence type (ST) 11 harbouring KPC in Oman. Material and methods: Five confirmed CRKP isolates were isolated from clinical samples during the period of January 2019 till December 2019. Strains were genotyped by pulse field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) for genetic relatedness. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) was performed to observe relationships with global strains using multilocus sequence typing (MLST). Antimicrobial genes, capsular loci-K-types, plasmids types and virulence genes were also identified using whole genome sequence data. Results: All five CRKP were determined to have blaKPC-2 with or without blaOX-A48 and blaNDM-2. The molecular genotyping by PFGE showed 100% similarity among the five isolates. The MLST allelic profile analysis clonally clustered our strains with SL-258, CG-11 and ST11 mainly reported from South Asia. Further molecular characterization of the capsular K-locus and O-locus genes, revealed the strains to belong to KL-47 type and OL101 type respectively. The core genome typing suggests that our strains were clonally related to Chinese strains with less than five chromosomal nucleotides differences. Conclusion: Epidemiological and molecular analyses confirmed that these KPC-producing K. pneumoniae strains are from a single clone that caused multiple nosocomial infections in one health institution. This finding highlights the importance to sustain the surveillance and infection prevention efforts and to step up active screening to prevent the spread of nosocomial infection.

الأهداف: تهدف الدراسة الحالية إلى الكشف عن فاعلية التعلم القائم على دمج تقنية الطباعة ثلاثية الأبعاد في تعلم مادة الفيزياء في تنمية الممارسات العلمية والهندسية لدى طلبة الصف العاشر في سلطنة عمان. المنهجية: اتُّبِعَ المنهج الكمي باستخدام التصميم شبه التجريبي ذي مجموعتين: ضابطة وتجريبية، تم تدريس المجموعة التجريبية باستخدام التعلم القائم على دمج تقنية الطباعة ثلاثية الأبعاد، في حين درست المجموعة الضابطة بالطريقة الاعتيادية. تكونت عينة الدراسة الحالية من (131 ) طالبًا وطالبة من طلبة الصف العاشر، وقد تم استخدام اختبار الممارسات العلمية والهندسية لقياس الممارسات العلمية والهندسية لدى الطلبة. النتائج: أظهرت النتائج وجود فروق ذات دلالة احصائية بين متوسطي المجموعتين الضابطة والتجريبية في اختبار الممارسات العلمية والهندسية ككل لصالح المجموعة التجريبية، وبحجم أثر كبير، وتحديدًا أظهرت النتائج وجود فروق ذات دلالة إحصائية في ست ممارسات، هي (طرح الأسئلة وتحديد المشكلة، استخدام النماذج وتطويرها، تخطيط وتنفيذ الاستقصاءات، بناء التفسيرات وتصميم الحلول، الاندماج في الجدل القائم على الأدلة، الحصول على المعلومات وتقييمها وتبادلها) لصالح المجموعة التجريبية. الخلاصة: لقد وفر دمج تقنية الطباعة ثلاثية الأبعاد في التعلم فرصة للطلبة لاكتساب ممارسات العلماء والمهندسين في حل المشكلات من خلال دروس الفيزياء في منهج الصف العاشر؛ ما ساعدهم في حل المشكلات بطريقة تقنية ملموسة باستخدام إحدى تقنيات الثورة الصناعية الرابعة، لذا توصي الدراسة الحالية بدمج هذه التقنيات في تعلُّم العلوم من خلال المناهج الدراسية وإجراء المزيد من البحوث بشأن فاعليتها في متغيرات أخرى.

Background: Flecainide is an anti-arrhythmic medication with a narrow therapeutic index and a high mortality rate, when overdosed. Few cases of flecainide toxicity in neonates and children due to medication error have been reported in the literature. A case of an accidental flecainide overdose in a neonate in Oman was presented. Case Presentation: A 19-day-old newborn girl developed persistent supra ventricular tachycardia (SVT) after receiving nebulized albuterol for acute bronchitis. After unsuccessful treatment with adenosine, she was given flecainide 5.6 mg orally every 24 hours for resolution of the SVT. On day four of admission, the child inadvertently received 100 mg of flecainide orally due to a dose calculation error. The child developed wide complex tachyarrhythmia followed by pulseless ventricular tachycardia (VT) requiring cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Sodium bicarbonate IV bolus followed by an infusion was administered. The patient developed two additional episodes of pulseless VT that coincided temporally with two interruptions of the sodium bicarbonate infusion, and required high dose of inotropic support. The patient developed convulsions but her brain ultrasound was normal. Her condition stabilized on day three after the toxicity occurred. Repeated echo showed a normal EF. The patient was discharged on propranolol and levetiracetam and was doing well on outpatient follow up. Conclusion: Flecainide is a potentially lethal medication in overdose due to its sodium channel blocking properties. Sodium bicarbonate remains an essential component of treatment. [SJEMed 2024; 5(1.000): 049-054]

هدفت الدراسة إلى قياس مستوى المعرفة التدريسية للمحتوى لدى معلمات العلوم الجدد خلال العام الدراسي بواقع ثلاث مرات، في ضوء عدد من المتغيرات التصنيفية، هي: مؤسسة الإعداد، والمعدل التراكمي، والصفوف التي تدرسها المعلمة، وسنوات الخبرة، ومستوى الإنماء المهني، وشملت العينة (38) معلمة، واستُخدم المنهج المسحي الوصفي ذو التصميم الطولي (Longitudinal Descriptive Survey) الذي يتيح الفرصة لتعرف الظاهرة وقياس التغيرات عبر الزمن، وذلك بجمع البيانات من خلال مقياس كمي قائم على تحليل محتوى خطط الدروس والملاحظة الصفية والمقابلات، وأظهرت النتائج وجود تغير دال إحصائيا عند قيمة احتمالية أقل من (0.05) في مستوى المعرفة التدريسية للمحتوى لدى معلمات العلوم الجدد، إلا أن هذا التغير كان منحنيا (غير خطي)، كما أشارت النتائج إلى عدم وجود تفاعل دال إحصائيا عند قيمة احتمالية (0.05) للتغير في مستوى المعرفة التدريسية للمحتوى وجميع المتغيرات، وهي: مؤسسة الإعداد، وسنوات الخبرة، والصفوف التي تدرسها المعلمة، والمعدل التراكمي، ما عدا متغير مستوى الإنماء المهني لصالح المعلمات ذوات مستوى الإنماء المهني المرتفع، وقد أوصت الدراسة بضرورة تقديم جميع التربويين الدعم والمساندة للمعلمات الجدد في بيئة العمل، وتقديم برامج تنمية مهنية مستمرة تلبي احتياجات المعلمات الجدد خلال السنوات الأولى من التدريس.

Purpose - The study aims at assessing the effect of digital employee experience on organisational performance, particularly in the telecommunications sector in the Sultanate of Oman, using quantitative and qualitative analysis. Research methodology - The techniques used in this empirical research include scientific literature analysis, correlation analysis, multiple regression, and sentiment analysis. Findings - The results indicate that organisational performance has a higher association with elements of the digital employee experience like work environment, organisational culture, training availability, technology accessibility, digital tool usability, and leadership support and is statistically significant at the 5% level. Also, 80% of respondents were favourable or indifferent about their digital experience. Research limitations - The study exclusively covers Oman's telecoms industry and six important digital employee experience elements, so additional factors and industries may be examined further. A direct interview may improve findings since self-reported responses from individuals with demanding work schedules may be biased. Practical implications - Telecommunication companies must increase their efforts to engage employees in the use of digital tools and encourage their employees to utilise the different digital technologies. Originality/Value - The study investigated the six elements of the digital experience of telecom employees and its impact on organisational performance with multiple regression and sentiment analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Immunization against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 became necessary to control the menace of COVID-19. However, the safety of COVID-19 vaccines must be monitored continuously. The present study aims at comparing the effectiveness and adverse effects of Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines among the cohort of medical students. Methods: It was a single-cohort comparative study, and the data were collected using an online survey from participants who took at least two doses of AstraZeneca or Pfizer vaccines. The data included demography, breakthrough infections, and adverse effects following vaccination. Bivariate and logistic regression models were used to find associations between effectiveness and independent variables. Statistical significance was considered at P < 0.05. Results: In total, 115 students who had received Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccines were included in the study. The mean age of the participants was 21.52. Female (n = 90) participants were more compared to males (n = 25). The majority of them received Pfizer vaccine (95), while AstraZeneca was received by only 20 participants. Overall effectiveness of both AstraZeneca and Pfizer was nearly 85%, while almost 100% protection was observed among those who were vaccinated after contracting the disease. Logistic regression revealed an independent effect of COVID-19 before any vaccination dose offered 66% protection against any subsequent breakthroughs (odds ratio 0.44, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.095–2.08). At least one adverse effect was reported by 96 (83.5%) participants (95% CI: 75.4%–89.75%). Pain at the site of injection, fever, generalized weakness, and headache were the most common adverse effects. Fever (P < 0.001), body ache (P < 0.001), generalized weakness (P = 0.002), and joint pain (P = 0.014) were significantly more common in AstraZeneca as compared to Pfizer. Conclusion: Coronavirus vaccines were well tolerated, safe, and induced protection in most participants. Most postvaccine adverse events were mild to moderate, mainly due to induction of immune response by the body for protection. Furthermore, these mild to moderate adverse effects should not be hindrance to vaccination.

Purpose – The study aims at assessing the effect of digital employee experience on organisational performance, particularly in the telecommunications sector in the Sultanate of Oman, using quantitative and qualitative analysis. Research methodology – The techniques used in this empirical research include scientific literature analysis, correlation analysis, multiple regression, and sentiment analysis. Findings – The results indicate that organisational performance has a higher association with elements of the digital employee experience like work environment, organisational culture, training availability, technology accessibility, digital tool usability, and leadership support and is statistically significant at the 5% level. Also, 80% of respondents were favourable or indifferent about their digital experience. Research limitations – The study exclusively covers Oman’s telecoms industry and six important digital employee experience elements, so additional factors and industries may be examined further. A direct interview may improve findings since self-reported responses from individuals with demanding work schedules may be biased. Practical implications – Telecommunication companies must increase their efforts to engage employees in the use of digital tools and encourage their employees to utilise the different digital technologies. Originality/Value – The study investigated the six elements of the digital experience of telecom employees and its impact on organisational performance with multiple regression and sentiment analysis.

This study aimed to developing the skills of critical reading for the tenth basic school female students through a training program using the reflective thinking method. The study sample consisted of (64) students. To achieve the objective of the study, the researcher uses the quasi-experiment approach consisting of a control group (32 students) and an experimental group (32 students). The researcher used three research inventories as follows: 1) A list of critical reading skills included (30) skills within three aspects (Recognition – Deduction – Evaluation and Judgment). 2) An executive program using reflective thinking for developing critical reading skills. 3) Achievement test to measure critical reading skills. The study reached the following conclusions: 1) A list of critical reading skills required for students hereof included (30) skills within three aspects. 2) Remarkable growth of the student's critical reading skills according to the effect size results after using the proposed program using the reflective thinking method. 3) There are no significant differences between the average scores of both groups in the post and prior tests attributed to the way of teaching. The study provided various recommendations to develop the field of education.

ABSTRACT: Objective: To assess the seroprevalence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) in Oman and longitudinal changes in antibody levels over time within the first 11 months of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Methods: This nationwide cross-sectional study was conducted as a four-cycle serosurvey using a multi-stage stratified sampling method from July to November 2020. A questionnaire was used and included demographics, history of acute respiratory infection and list of symptoms, COVID-19 contact, previous diagnosis or admission, travel history and risk factors. Results: In total, 17,457 participants were surveyed. Thirty percent were female and 66.3% were Omani. There was a significant increase in seroprevalence throughout the study cycles, from 5.5% (4.8–6.2%) in Cycle 1 to 22% (19.6–24.6%) in Cycle 4. There was no difference in seroprevalence between genders, but significant differences were found between age groups. There was a transition of seroprevalence from being higher in non-Omanis than Omanis in Cycle 1 [9.1% (7.6–10.9%) vs 3.2% (2.6–3.9%)] to being higher in Omanis than non-Omanis in Cycle 4 [24.3% (21.0–27.9%) vs 16.8% (14.9–18.9%)]. There was remarkable variation in the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 according to governorate. Close contacts of people with COVID-19 had a 96% higher risk of having the disease [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 1.96, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 1.64–2.34]. Labourers had 58% higher risk of infection compared with office workers (AOR 1.58, 95% CI 1.04–2.35). Conclusion: This study showed a wide variation in the spread of SARS-CoV-2 across governorates in Oman, with higher estimated seroprevalence in migrants in the first two cycles. Prevalence estimates remain low and are insufficient to provide herd immunity.

Prior to binding to a high affinity peptide and transporting it to the cell surface, major histocompatibility complex class I molecules are retained inside the cell by retention in the endoplasmic retlculum (ER), recycling through the ER-Golgi intermediate compartment and possibly the cis-Golgi, or both. Using fluorescence microscopy and a novel in vitro COPII (ER-to-ERGolgi intermediate compartment) vesicle formation assay, we find that in both lymphocytes and fibroblasts that lack the functional transporter associated with antigen presentation, class I molecules exit the ER and reach the cis-Golgi. Intriguingly, in wild-type T1 lymphoma cells, peptide-occupied and peptidereceptive class I molecules are simultaneously exported from ER membranes with similar efficiencies. Our results suggest that binding of high affinity peptide and exit from the ER are not coupled, that the major histocompatibility complex class I qualitycontrol compartment extends into the Golgi apparatus under standard conditions, and that peptide loading onto class I molecules may occur in post-ER compartments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Fusobacterium necrophorum causes a wide range of invasive and non-invasive infections. • Genome sequence analysis gives an overview of the pathogenic mechanisms involved in F. necrophorum infections. • Phylogenomics of human isolates shows no grouping relevant to their clinical features, although animal isolates are grouped separately. • Virulome reveals marker genes that can be used for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Fusobacterium necrophorum causes a range of mild to life threatening infections and there is uncertainty in terms of diagnosis and treatment due to the lack of knowledge on their pathogenic mechanisms. This study characterised genomes of F. necrophorum to compare their virulence factors and investigate potential infection markers. 27 isolates of F. necrophorum from patients with pharyngotonsillitis were subjected to whole genome sequencing and compared with 42 genomes published in the NCBI database. Phylogenomics, pangemome, pan-GWAS and virulome were analysed to study strain variations with reference to virulence factors. Core genome based phylogenomic tree exhibited three clades of which Clade A belonged to F. necrophorum subsp necrophorum , clades B and C were F. necrophorum subsp funduliforme. Pan-GWAS and Pan-Virulome suggest some marker genes associated with clinical sources of isolation that needs further validation. Our study highlights some interesting features of the pathogenesis of F. necrophorum infections. Although the animal isolate genomes had some marker genes, the genomes of human isolates did not exhibit clear correlation to their clinical sources of isolation. This prompts to think of other mechanisms such as co-infections or host factors that can be involved in the pathogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]