Background: Human behavior has been worldwide reported as the main cause of road accidents. It has been mentioned that beliefs probably impress driver’s perception, and consequently, the driving behavior. Taxi drivers account for a high proportion of professional drivers. This study aimed at exploring belief-oriented safety-seeking behaviors in taxi drivers. Methods: In this phenomenological study, eleven drivers were invited from different regions of BLINDED. Using purposeful sampling, six in-depth interviews (IDIs) and one focus group discussion (FGD) were conducted. Findings: In almost all the interviews, the participants highlighted the observance of traffic regulations and concentration on driving were the causes of accidents, however, they adopted other actions to be safe while driving. In this study, three themes emerged. The first two themes (verbal and practical endeavors) were mainly related to religion. Nonetheless, beliefs that were not related to religion (mental endeavors) also emerged. Conclusion: The drivers’ belief-oriented safety precautions are rooted in primary and socio-instrumental control beliefs. In point of view of road traffic safety, investments to change these beliefs does not seem to be necessary.
Background: Improper shade selection is one of the most common causes behind restorations’ remake and patient dissatisfaction. Multiple protocols and devices have been proposed to address the limitations of visual shade selection. Objective: To compare the accuracy of dental shade matching gathered visually with both VITA Classical (VC) and VITA 3D-Master (V3D) shade guides with those obtained instrumentally with both 3Shape Trios 3 and VITA Easyshade® Advance 4.0. Materials and Methods: For visual shade selection (VSS), one- hundred participants from King AbdulAziz University, Faculty of Dentistry participated in the study and asked to select the shade of six masked shade tabs from both VC [A1, A2, B1] and V3D [1M1, 2M3, 3R1.]. Later, Instrumental shade determination (ISD) was completed by one experienced participant for six cycles using: VEasy and Trios 3. Results: Significant difference was found between VSS and ISD. The results suggested that although participants significantly preferred VC over V3D in terms of VSS, this did not improve the shade selection performance. Besides, in ISD, no significant difference was reported between VEsay and Trios 3. There was no statistical significance difference between neither Trios 3 when combined with VC and V3D nor between VEasy when combined with VC and V3D. VEasy showed the best shade selection performance when combined with V3D, although the difference was non-significant. Conclusion: The result of the present study supports the promising use of the intra oral scanner 3Shape Trios 3 and dental spectrophotometer VITA Easyshade® Advance 4.0. Combination with a visual selection method may result in more accurate and reliable results.
Objective was assess the knowledge of the adult women with regards to the benefits of breastfeeding at Prince Bader Housing. This study was a cross-sectional survey targeting mothers visiting primary health care clinics. Nearly 200 single-page questionnaires with 20 questions were distributed to visiting mothers at the well-baby clinics. Sampling was convenient and randomness was assumed by visit sequence, on a "first-come-first-serve" basis, and those who agreed to participate. Mothers visiting the O.B clinic or visiting the Pediatrician and Well-Baby Clinic within the PHC centers for immunization of their children (under 2 years of age) SPSS was used for data analysis. The total subjects in this study were 188, the average age of the participants was 32.6 years with a standard deviation of 32, the youngest age of the participant was 22 years and oldest age was 46 years and the average family size was 1.5 (roughly 2 children). A substantial majority of mothers agreed that breast milk is better than any formula milk. More than three-fourths of the mothers responded that Exclusive breastfeeding should be given. The majority of mothers can identify the colostrum in breast milk, majority of mothers believed that breastfeeding will protect their baby from specific diseases.In this study, more than two-thirds of the mothers answered questions in a manner that indicates they are well educated about the benefit of breastfeeding. This points towards the implementation of a good educational program for mothers by healthcare providers.
Background/Aims: Dengue virus (DENV) spreads widely in many tropical and sub-tropical countries by Aedes sp. In recent decades, dengue has been alarmingly on the rise and affects approximately half of the world population. The current dengue treatments are still mainly supportive without any approved vaccines or effective anti-dengue drugs. This leads to an urgency to seek alternative solutions in reducing dengue morbidity and mortality. Methods: A total of 94 articles describing in vitro and in vivo studies were screened and selected through curated databases. The selected articles underpinned the potentials of natural products as alternative anti-dengue compounds. Results: Those compounds have been employed as larvicide, mosquitocide, mosquito repellents, agents in sticky traps and non-specific interventions for dengue. In this review, their direct and indirect effects on dengue virus replication and dengue diseases were deliberated. Inteestingly, the majority of them demonstrated remarkable anti-inflammatory effects on dengue diseases. Several phytochemical contents such as luteolin, coumarins and geraniin were shown to inhibit DENV replication in vitro. Conclusion: Natural product-based anti-dengue agents are believed to be less costly, easy to derive, biologically effective and less toxic. This review, therefore, aims to provide current updates and insights on the benefits of natural products in preventing, managing and treating dengue.
The paper studies the directions of rehabilitation of patients who have suffered injuries of the musculoskeletal system. The author notes that rehabilitation of patients after injuries of the musculoskeletal system is a complex and multifaceted process that includes many approaches and techniques. Each patient has his own individual picture of the damage, so the approach to his treatment and rehabilitation should be individual and comprehensive. Modern rehabilitation methods, such as virtual reality, robotics, transcranial magnetic stimulation, Internet of Things technologies, stem cells and three-dimensional printing, provide new opportunities for effective rehabilitation of patients after injuries of the musculoskeletal system. However, it is important to remember that each of these methods has its advantages and disadvantages, and the choice of method should be based on the individual characteristics of the patient. In addition, psychological support and support of the relatives are equally important components of the rehabilitation process. It must be remembered that the process of recovery after injury of the musculoskeletal system can be long and difficult, and the support of others can significantly improve the quality of life of the patient and speed up the rehabilitation process.
Aim: To assess the characterization, antimicrobial activity of green synthesised magnesium oxide nanoparticles using Psydium guajava leaves. Materials And Methods: Psydium guajava leaves were dried and ground, of which 2 g of the powder was used for the study.the powder was then dissolved in 100ml of distilled water. 1 mg of magnesium chloride salt was dissolved in 20 ml of distilled water. Both the solutions were mixed and subjected to centrifuge. After the preparation of the nanoparticle, it was subjected for further investigation like SEM analysis, EDAX, UV-VIs, cytotoxicity and anti microbial tests. The cytotoxicity was investigated using a brine shrimps bioassay.The number of surviving naupli cells were manually counted under dissection microscope. The antibacterial activity was examined against four bacterial strains- E.coli, E.fecalis,S.aureus,P.aurogenosa by agar well diffusion method .The inoculated plates were incubated overnight (for about 24 hours at 37 degree celsius) and the inhibition zone around the nanoparticle solution was calculated. The antimicrobial tests were carried against standard antibiotic and the results were tabulated. Results: SEM analysis showed a particle size of 70 nm and the UV -Visible spectroscopy showed a peak at 320nm confirming the presence of magnesium oxide nanoparticles that is prepared using Psydium guajava. Cytotoxicty tests revealed that 83% of the brine shrimp cells survived .The anti microbial tests revealed that the nanoparticle was effective against two micro-organisms -S.aureus and E.fecalis and their zone of inhibition was nearly equal to that of standard antibiotic against which the organisms were incubated. Conclusion: Psydium guajava synthesized magnesium nanoparticles were found to have good cytotoxicity and acceptable anti-microbial activity especially against two most commonly harbouring micro-organism(S.aureus and E.faecalis) .Hence they can be extended for use in soft tissue healing.
The unidentified virus that causes tomato fever is an infectious illness. The infection's primary signs and symptoms are tomato-shaped blisters that appear all over the body and expand to resemble a tomato, hence the name "Tomato flu." mostly impacts young children under the age of five. A "Hand, Foot, and Mouth illness" is tomato flu. In most situations, the clinical presentation is minimal. The infection is self-limiting and will go away on its own in 7–10 days. In areas where there are outbreaks, the diagnosis is established on the clinical history and physical examination. The etiological agent of this infectious disease, its course of therapy, and its vaccine are still unknown, and this is an important topic of research right now. By repurposing medications and vaccines, which are also synonymously being tried to treat the ailment at the moment, COVID-19 has given us lessons for epidemic preparedness and case management in emergency situations.
Background: Since chronic periodontitis has destroyed the root surface, it is challenging for fibroblast cells to bind to the root during root covering therapy. The ability of the gingival fibroblast to deposit collagen and regain attachment depends on the root surface microstructure; thus, the surface must be treated to be more compatible with gingiva cells. Aim of Study: The study aimed to compare the efficiency of EDTA/EMD root conditioning agents and the capability to modify the root surface at the microstructure grade to deliver a fundamental surface to stimulate fibroblast adherence.Materials and methods: Healthy extracted teeth were collected; a total of samples (n=30) have been split into a control group and four test groups, each with six samples. The test groups have been conditioned with either HA, 24% EDTA, EMD, or EDTA/EMD for two different time intervals. Fibroblast cells were planted on each sample and then incubated for 72 hours. Cell density in groups was determined using the MTT assay.Results: Adhesion of viable fibroblast to the root surface showed variable results with varied materials and application times. Generally, it was higher in the longer-time duration groups except for HA. The most favorable result was observed in the EDTA plus EMD group, followed by the EDTA group when applied for 4 minutes. The least favorable result is with HA after 2 minutes of application.Conclusion: EDTA plus EMD group display remarkable root surface modifications that induce fibroblast adhesion to the surface compared to other groups, as they showed a synergistic effect when applied to the same sample.
Introduction: Nigella sativa, also known as black seed, black cumin, and/or Habbatul Barakah, is a medicinal herbal plant. Thymoquinone (TQ), one of Nigella sativa's active ingredients, has been shown to be anticarcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and antimicrobial. Hydroxyapatite (HA) is an inorganic mineral with the apatite lattice structure (A10(BO4)6C2). The aim of the current study is to incorporate thymoquinone with blackcumin hydroxyapatite crystals to form a new nanoformulation and to find out its cytotoxicity and antimicrobial properties against dental pathogens. Materials and method: Streptococcus mutans, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, and Candida albicans were the species used. The antimicrobial efficacy of the nanoparticles was evaluated using the agar well diffusion method at different concentrations ranging from 25 micron litres to 100 micron litres. UV double beam spectrophotometers in the wavelength range of 250-750nm were used to characterise the synthesised nanoparticles. Results: The zone of inhibition against Staphylococcus mutans and Candida albicans was found to be highest at 100 L concentration. As the concentrations of new nano formulation solution increased, the mean zone of inhibition grew. Conclusion: The study showed that there is potential antimicrobial property of the new nano formulation against Streptococcus mutans and Staphylococcus aureus also there is antifungal activity against Candida albicans
Background: Several plant extracts are now prescribed as nutraceuticals for human ailments in developed countries like China, France, Germany, the UK, USA including Oman. The objective of this study was to investigate on morphological characteristics, chlorophyll content of leaves, leaf chlorophyll, essential oil, and its chemical compounds to examine the possibility of isolating its incipient chemical compounds commercially in wild Salvia macilenta Boiss. Methods: Leaf samples of ten randomly selected Salvia plants were collected from two diversified wadi habitats. Edaphic features of the sites were recorded and their chemical contents, determined. Morphological characters were measured and chlorophyll contents, recorded. The essential oil (EO) was extracted and analyzed for chemical compounds. The data were statistically analyzed. Results: Al-Khoud plants had higher expressivity in all the morphological characters and chlorophyll contents than those of Halban. The EO yields of Salvia macilenta were 0.06 % (v/w) and 0.088 % (v/w) for the plant samples of Al-Khoud and Halban, respectively. The values of commonly occurring chemical contents of plants of two sites were found statistically similar (p<0.05). The top ten chemical compounds of plants contributed over 75% of the total and were common with seven chemical compounds. Of the ten top chemical compounds, alpha-Pinene, beta-Eudesmol, and Nerolidol contributed the highest in the same range from 61.13% (Al-Khoud) to 62.95% (Halban). These three compounds have the potential for use in both the pharmaceutical and perfumery industries. Conclusion: Wild Salvia plants can be exploited with Good Agriculture Practices for their medicinal and aromatic application.
Background: Green synthesized nanoparticles are perceived as an inexpensive, safe & ecologically beneficent approach to control pathogenic oral microbes compared to conventional methods. In the current study, silver nano particles (AgNPs) were effectively synthesised using clove and cardamom plant extracts. Methods: In the present study, aqueous silver nitrate was reacted with the clove, cardamom extracts and characterization was analyzed using UV-vis spectrophotometer and TEM analysis. Clove and cardamom reinforced silver nanoparticles were examined at 25 µL, 50 µL and 100 µL concentrations for their antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus mutans, Lactobacillus species and Candida albicans. Cytotoxicity was assessed using brine shrimp assays. Results: The formation of AgNPs was observed as shifting in color from orange-red color to dark brown at the end of the day three. Reducing silver ions to AgNPs, as shown by UV-vis spectroscopy, has produced an emission peak at 462 nm. TEM imaging showed that the particles were spherical and varied in size from 5-20 nm. Antimicrobial activity of the AgNPs at 100 µL was superior to that of antibiotics against Streptococcus mutans. Excellent antibacterial activity was shown by a zone of inhibition that was closer to that of antibiotics when examined against Lactobacillus. Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans were also moderately impacted. There was no evidence of cytotoxicity. Conclusion: Silver nanoparticles reinforced with clove and cardamom exhibited no cytotoxicity and showed promise as a potent antibacterial agent against oral pathogensKey words: silver nanoparticles.
Euphorbia hirta L.. is a common herb with global spread. Different parts of E. hirta are used in traditional medicine for the treatment of a variety of human and animal conditions, such as skin diseases, inflammation, digestive and respiratory disorders. This bibliometric study aimed to provide a panoramic view of the publication landscape in the last thirty years of Euphorbia hirta research. VOSviewer was used to analyze 603 documents retrieved from Scopus database during the period, 1992 to 2021. Dominant research themes in the last thirty years were centred on the application of crude extracts or isolated compounds from E. hirta against diabetes, oxidative stress, inflammation, tuberculosis, snake bite, gastro-intestinal disorders, respiratory infections, skin pathologies, bacterial, fungal and viral infections. Current paradigm shift in E. hirta research are targeted at improving the efficacy of phytomolecules against resistant bacterial pathogens and cancer cells via green synthesis of nanoparticles and the application of in silico technologies in predicting the activities of nano-phytomolecules against SARS-CoV-2 and the dengue virus. This study recommends further research in the determination of the bioavailability of molecules in in vivo models. Researchers should carry out more preclinical investigations with the aim of establishing the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of phytocompounds instead of relying solely on in silico predictions.
The article analyzes the features of the manifestation of various neurological complications in patients who have had a coronavirus infection. Coronavirus infection can affect the neurological system of the body, causing various symptoms and complications. The virus can enter the nervous system through blood vessels and neural pathways, causing inflammation and damage to nerve cells. Some of the most common neurological symptoms associated with coronavirus infection include headache, smell and taste, coordination disorders, weakness, fatigue, and sleep problems. It is also reported about rare cases when the coronavirus can cause encephalitis (inflammation of the brain), acute myelitis (inflammation of the spinal cord) and other serious neurological complications. The author notes that neurologists today face an unprecedented need to understand and treat the neurological consequences of the long-term development of COVID-19. Today, there is a need for international cooperation between medical societies, rapid and transparent transfer of research data, as well as further mandatory fundamental research to understand the pathophysiological correlates of the long-term development of COVID. In addition, taking into account the growing public demand for evidence-based interventions, it is time for scientists to join forces with each other and to develop preventive and therapeutic strategies for COVID-19 survivors in order to mitigate the consequences for the community
Aims Of the Study: To study the type of light chain restriction and correlate it with the morphological parameters, proliferation index, angiogenesis and clinical parameters. Materials And Methods: The study includes 46 cases of myeloma diagnosed over the period of five years. The histomorphological features like plasma cell morphology, percentage of plasma cells and pattern of infiltration were studied. Immunohistochemistry for kappa and lambda light chains was done. Angiogenesis was assessed by calculating the microvessel density (MVD) using anti CD34 immunohistochemistry. Proliferation was assessed immunohistochemically using Ki67 by comparing with anti CD38 which was used to highlight the plasma cells. Results: The cases with kappa light chain restriction had significantly less of poorly differentiated morphology (7.4% vs 36.8%; p=0.02) and diffuse pattern of infiltration (22% vs 63%; p=0.01) compared to lambda. The kappa group also had lower MVD (9.9 vs 16.5; p=0.02) and proliferation index (4.7 vs 94; p=0.04) compared to the lambda. Conclusion: Therefore, the type of light chain restriction is also a prognostic factor in plasma cell myeloma.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) known as a set of behavioral and neurocognitive problems that are identified by challenges in difficulties interacting and communicating with others, as well as heightened repetitive and/or restrictive behaviors. Elevated immune reaction and enhancements in pro-inflammatory cytokines have been discovered in the brains of those who have ASD. A recent article associated autism with abnormalities in mitochondrial respiratory control. Based on various studies, mitochondrial dysfunction is caused by oxidative stress, inadequate nutrition, insufficiency of vitamins, compromised immune system, contact with harmful environmental substances, and modified calcium signaling. Polyphenols found in our diet are active compounds that have the potential to prevent and treat various chronic illnesses including, neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental problems. This is mainly due to their ability to regulate crucial pathways that cause inflammation and oxidation in the body. The application of polyphenols may result in a reduction of neuroinflammation, facilitating an improvement in the manifestations of ASD. This review focused on the preclinical and clinical studies that documented the beneficial impacts of diet related for the modulation of ASD.
Background: Cytokine IL18, also known as IFN-inducing factor, is an important regulator of innate and acquired immune responses and plays a number of roles in chronic inflammation and dysfunction autoimmune disorder. Several polymorphisms in the IL18 promoter region have been identified. As there is little evidence for IL18 polymorphisms and periodontitis, this study aimed to evaluate the genetic association of polymorphisms of the IL18 gene (rs1946518). Materials and Methods: A total of 100 subjects were recruited for this study, including 50 patients with periodontitis (stage II, III and grade B) and 50 patients with healthy gingiva clinically intact periodontium. Genomic DNA was extracted from the blood obtained from the subjects. DNA was amplified using primers specific to the MseI region of the IL18 receptor gene. Amplicon was further genotyped using the restriction fragment length using the BtgI enzyme. Genotyping obtained on the basis of the RFLP model was recorded and used for statistical analysis. The distributions of genotypes and allele frequencies in the periodontal disease group and the control group were compared using the Chi Square test. Risks associated with individual alleles or genotypes were calculated using odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals. Statistical significance in all trials was determined at p <0.05. Result: The frequencies of genotypes and the distribution of IL18 receptor MseI polymorphisms were not significantly different at ꭕ2df (P = .818). The results of our study showed that there was no significant difference between homozygous and heterozygous genotypes (GG vs TG TT) between periodontitis patients and control group with a P value of 0.8316. The detection frequencies of the TG (20% vs 22%) and TT (14% vs 10%) genotypes showed a significant difference (P value = 0.8316) between the control and experimental groups. experience. There were no significant differences for the G allele (76% vs 79%) and the T allele (24% vs 21%) between the experimental and control groups. Conclusions: The present study indicated that the polymorphism of the IL18 gene was not associated with CP in the analyzed study group.
Background: Refractive errors are common globally with an estimated number of 2.3 billion people suffering from impaired vision secondary to uncorrected refractive errors. This study aimed to estimate a piece of proper evidence about the overall prevalenceof refractory errors within the kingdom. Methods: A process of collection of relevant key words was conducted followed by database search. All data were analyzed with R software version 4.0.2. Using a “meta” package. The event rate and the corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to assess the prevalence of refractive errors in the study. Results: The sample size was 16850 individual with the highest sample size was 5176 and the lowest one was 162. The male prevalence in our sample was 55%. All the included papers were published after 2010 and were of fair quality. Eleven studies of 12,121 individuals reported the overall prevalence of different refrative erros. The pooled overall prevalnce rate was 27.28% (95% CI= 18.29-40.69) (Figure 2A); ranging from 4.55% to 72.20% among individual studies. This wide range of the reported prevalence rates was evident with a significant heterogenity among the included studies (I2= 99%; P-value< 0.001). Conclusion: A huge part of the high rates might be attributable to medical students. Moreover, myopia was the most common refractive error followed by astigmatism and hyperopia.
Objective: The present study aims to explore the impact of a multimodal mental practice approach on enhancing upper extremity function in chronic stroke patients. Specifically, we seek to investigate the potential benefits of incorporating MMP into the existing rehabilitation protocols for stroke survivors and assess its effectiveness in improving motor outcomes. Methods: The study utilized a randomized controlled trial design with chronic stroke patients who experienced upper extremity impairments. The participants were provided multimodal physical practice, multimodal mental practice, and blended multimodal practice regimen for three months. Results: The ANOVA analysis revealed a significant difference among the groups for the MMPG measure, indicating that the Blended Multimodal Practice Group (BMPG) performed significantly better compared to the Multimodal Physical Practice Group (MPPG) and the Multimodal Mental Practice Group (MMPG). Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that incorporating multimodal mental practice approaches into stroke rehabilitation programs can enhance upper extremity function in chronic stroke patients.
This article examines current approaches to the treatment of chronic diseases and prospects for the use of innovative methods and technologies in medicine. The paper presents an overview of modern methods of treatment of chronic diseases, such as drug therapy, exercise, diet and lifestyle changes. New methods are also being considered, such as the use of technologies related to AI, biotechnology, gene therapy, nanotechnology, etc. In addition, the authors describe how these methods can help in more accurate diagnosis and the choice of individual treatment for the patient. The article also discusses the advantages and disadvantages of each method, as well as the potential risks and ethical issues associated with their use. The authors conclude that the use of innovative methods and technologies can significantly improve the effectiveness of treatment of chronic diseases and improve the quality of life of patients, but also requires additional research and regulation by medical organizations and governments. One of the most promising areas in the treatment of chronic diseases is the use of AI and machine learning. These technologies can help in more accurate diagnosis, selection of individual treatment, monitoring of the patient's condition and prediction of possible complications. Biotechnologies also provide new opportunities in the treatment of chronic diseases. For example, the use of therapeutic proteins and gene therapy can be effective in the treatment of certain forms of cancer, cystic fibrosis and other diseases. Nanotechnology may also have significant potential in the treatment of chronic diseases. Nanoparticles can be used to deliver drugs to specific places in the body and to diagnose early stages of diseases. However, it should be borne in mind that the use of innovative methods and technologies is also associated with risks and ethical issues. For example, when using gene therapy, unexpected side effects are possible, and the use of AI and machine learning can lead to problems with the confidentiality of patient data. In general, the use of innovative methods and technologies can significantly improve the effectiveness of treatment of chronic diseases and improve the quality of life of patients. However, before the introduction of these methods and technologies into medical practice, it is necessary to conduct thorough research, evaluate the effectiveness and safety, as well as take into account ethical and legal aspects
