Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) enzyme level, which is routinely measured at clinical laboratories, increases in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and hepatitis patients. This study investigated the difference in ALP level among ESRD and hepatitis patients. ALP level was measured in sera of patients suffering from ESRD, HCV and HBV infections, as well as patients suffering from comorbidity of these diseases, then the obtained values of ALP level were statistically compared to a control group. The results of three-Way ANOVA revealed that the mean of ALP level increased significantly (P-value< 0.05) in all types of diseases compared to the control group, with the highest increase in case of ESRD patients infected with Hepatitis B and C. Also, it was found that the interaction of group-gender significantly (P-value< 0.05) altered ALP level in patients suffering from HCV or HBV infections, while the interaction of group-age, gender-age, group-gender-age were found not to significantly alter it. In conclusion, ESRD patients with HBV/HCV coinfection may have a higher risk of liver-related morbidity and mortality than ESRD or HBV or HCV patients. arabic 25 English 103
HA Alemam, A Bashein(1-2020)

Objective: In Libya, no pertussis booster doses are administered to children after 18 months of age. In light of evidence of waning of vaccine-induced immunity to pertussis, this study aimed to evaluate the waning of immunity in vaccinated school-entry age children, as measured by susceptibility to infection at population level. For this purpose, IgG and IgA levels were measured as markers of recent (infection in the last 6 months) and non-recent infections (infection in the last 12 months). Material and Methods: This was a cross sectional study undertaken in Tripoli, in February 2015. Children of school-entry age (> 5 to ≤ 7 years) were recruited on convenience basis at vaccination centers. Sera were tested for antibodies to pertussis. Results: Samples from791 children (421 males and 370 females, mean age 6.50 were tested). All of the participants had received 4 doses of Whole cell pertussis containing vaccine in the first 2 years of life. The prevalence of recent and non-recent pertussis infection were 4.8% and 2.5%, respectively. The proportion of children with undetectable level of IgG was 76.1%. Conclusion: The findings of this study showed significant circulation of Bordetella pertussis among vaccinated children by school-entry age. The circulation of B. pertussis in this population may be an indirect sign of waned immunity, which is simply corroborated by the absence of detectable antibodies in 76.1% of the children. arabic 14 English 76
Suleiman Abusrewil, Abdulla Bashein(1-2019)

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused an unprecedented disruption in medical education and healthcare systems worldwide. The disease can cause life-threatening conditions and it presents challenges for medical education, as instructors must deliver lectures safely, while ensuring the integrity and continuity of the medical education process. It is therefore important to assess the usability of online learning methods, and to determine their feasibility and adequacy for medical students. We aimed to provide an overview of the situation experienced by medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to determine the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of medical students regarding electronic medical education. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with medical students from more than 13 medical schools in Libya. A paper-based and online survey was conducted using email and social media. The survey requested demographic and socioeconomic information, as well as information related to medical online learning and electronic devices; medical education status during the COVID-19 pandemic; mental health assessments; and e-learning knowledge, attitudes, and practices. A total of 3,348 valid questionnaires were retrieved. Most respondents (64.7%) disagreed that e-learning could be implemented easily in Libya. While 54.1% of the respondents agreed that interactive discussion is achievable by means of e-learning. However, only 21.1% agreed that e-learning could be used for clinical aspects, as compared with 54.8% who disagreed with this statement and 24% who were neutral. Only 27.7% of the … arabic 23 English 116
Ahmed Alsoufi, Ahmed Zaid(1-2020)