Relevance. The study examines the quantitative and qualitative colonization of microorganisms in the oral cavity (OC) and its dependence on exogenous and endogenous factors, as well as the variability related to the design and number of removable dentures (RD). A microbial “landscape” — including the types, colonization levels, and quantity of microorganisms — was determined for clinically healthy adults to establish normative parameters for oral microflora. Objective. To diagnose dysbiotic conditions of the oral cavity, establish the normative microbial “landscape,” and substantiate the role of removable dentures in microbial colonization and composition. Materials and Methods. The study included 260 individuals (males and females aged 18–60 years). Group I (n=105) consisted of individuals diagnosed with various degrees of oral dysbiosis (61 males [58.09%], 44 females [41.9%]; mean age 44.6 years). Group II (n=96) included patients with oral dysbiosis of varying severity and the presence of removable dentures (41 males [43.15%], 54 females [56.84%]; mean age 49 years). Group III (n=60) served as the control group for determining the microbiological norm (27 males, 33 females; mean age 37 years). Results. In the clinically healthy adult population of Andijan City, the quantitative range of oral microflora was established as follows: Lactobacillus spp. 10³–10⁴, Streptococcus spp. 10⁵–10⁸, Str. pyogenes – absent, Leptotrichiaspp. 10²–10⁴, Staphylococcusspp. 10²–10⁴, Candida spp. 10²–10³, conditionally pathogenic Enterobacteriaceae10–10², Corynebacterium spp. <10², Bacteroides spp. <10³, Veillonella spp. 10³–10⁸, Fusobacterium spp. 10³–10⁴, Staphylococcus aureus– absent, Neisseria spp. 10⁵–10⁷. Dysbiotic states of the oral cavity were classified as follows: Grade I — reduction of resident microflora; Grade II — alteration of resident and conditionally pathogenic species composition; Grade III — predominance and proliferation of Candida spp. fungi. Conclusions. A classification of oral dysbiosis severity (Grade I–III) was developed and normative microbiological indices were established for the adult population of Andijan City. The microbial “landscape” of oral cavities with removable dentures was characterized. The obtained results substantiate the clinical and preventive significance of using Anethum graveolens leaf extract and decoction in orthopedic dental practice to enhance treatment outcomes and predict the effectiveness of therapeutic-preventive measures.
Emanuel et al. (2004) proposed eight ethical benchmarks to assess the ethical integrity of human participants' research in low- and middle-income countries: collaborative partnership, social value, scientific validity, fair participant selection, favorable risk-benefit ratio, independent review, informed consent, and respect for recruited participants and their communities. We conducted a retrospective, descriptive analysis of 67 doctoral research proposals submitted between 2016 and 2019 to the Tashkent Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education in Uzbekistan.Results While all protocols addressed social value (67/67) and most demonstrated scientific validity (53/67) and collaborative partnership (40/67), far fewer adequately addressed fair participant selection (12/67), favorable risk-benefit ratio (3/67), independent review (3/67), informed consent (4/67), or respect for communities (3/67).Conclusion This is the first empirical study to apply the Emanuel framework to doctoral research in Uzbekistan. The findings underscore the need for more systematic integration of these benchmarks into national ethics oversight and academic review procedures.
IntroductionBetween 2021 and 2023, a project was funded in order to explore the mortality burden (YLL–Years of Life Lost, excess mortality) of COVID-19 in Southern and Eastern Europe, and Central Asia.MethodsFor each national or sub-national region, data on COVID-19 deaths and population data were collected for the period March 2020 to December 2021. Unstandardized and age-standardised YLL rates were calculated according to standard burden of disease methodology. In addition, all-cause mortality data for the period 2015–2019 were collected and used as a baseline to estimate excess mortality in each national or sub-national region in the years 2020 and 2021.ResultsOn average, 15–30 years of life were lost per death in the various countries and regions. Generally, YLL rates per 100,000 were higher in countries and regions in Southern and Eastern Europe compared to Central Asia. However, there were differences in how countries and regions defined and counted COVID-19 deaths. In most countries and sub-national regions, YLL rates per 100,000 (both age-standardised and unstandardized) were higher in 2021 compared to 2020, and higher amongst men compared to women. Some countries showed high excess mortality rates, suggesting under-diagnosis or under-reporting of COVID-19 deaths, and/or relatively large numbers of deaths due to indirect effects of the pandemic.ConclusionOur results suggest that the COVID-19 mortality burden was greater in many countries and regions in Southern and Eastern Europe compared to Central Asia. However, heterogeneity in the data (differences in the definitions and counting of COVID-19 deaths) may have influenced our results. Understanding possible reasons for the differences was difficult, as many factors are likely to play a role (e.g., differences in the extent of public health and social measures to control the spread of COVID-19, differences in testing strategies and/or vaccination rates). Future cross-country analyses should try to develop structured approaches in an attempt to understand the relative importance of such factors. Furthermore, in order to improve the robustness and comparability of burden of disease indicators, efforts should be made to harmonise case definitions and reporting for COVID-19 deaths across countries.
