Metal-Organic Framework-Derived High-Entropy Oxides as Coreaction Accelerators for an Efficient Luminol/Dissolved Oxygen Electrochemiluminescence System for Ultrasensitive Mercury Detection.

The development of luminol-dissolved O2 (luminol-DO) electrochemiluminescence (ECL) systems is crucial for real-world applications. Despite its stability and low biotoxicity, luminol-DO ECL systems struggle with low ECL performance due to their low reactivity. Investigating new materials like coreactant accelerators increases reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation and enhances luminol-DO ECL intensity. Motivated by the ROS-mediated ECL process, for the first time, we designed oxygen vacancy (OV)-rich high-entropy oxides (HEO) with five metal components [(FeCoNiCuZn)O] derived from metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) as coreaction accelerators to establish efficient luminol-DO ECL systems. High entropy (HE) MOFs were annealed at four different temperatures (600, 700, 800, and 900 °C). Indeed, the HE MOFs annealed at 800 °C (HEO-800) showed a 120-fold stronger ECL intensity compared to the bare glassy carbon electrode in the luminol-DO ECL system. The enhanced ECL performance can be attributed to the porous structure, unique morphology, heterostructures, high-density active sites, rich OV, unsaturated metals, and synergistic impact, which act as catalysts to accelerate the conversion of DO to ROS. The developed HEO-800-based luminol-DO ECL system can be effectively used for the high-sensitivity detection of mercury ions (Hg2+). The system detected Hg2+ over a wide concentration range from 0.1 nM to 100 µM, with a detection limit of 0.02 nM. The sensing mechanism relied on high-affinity metallophilic Hg2+-HEO-800 interactions, effectively quenching the ECL intensity of the luminol-DO/HEO-800 ECL system. The ECL sensing platform, developed without H2O2, offers a novel method for detecting substances, demonstrating significant potential for clinical diagnosis and biomarker analysis.

Quality of Root Canal Fillings and Procedural Errors for In Vivo Studies Prepared in Different Clinical Settings and with Rotary Systems: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND This systematic review of the literature aimed to identify published studies and evaluate them on the quality of root canal fillings (RCF) and procedural errors with rotary systems for in vivo studies prepared for different clinical settings. MATERIAL AND METHODS A full literature exploration was conducted in Clarivate Analytics' Web of Science, Elsevier's Scopus, Embase, and PubMed for studies published between January 2020 and March 2024. A manual search was also performed by reviewing the references of selected papers. The following keywords were used: quality of root canal filling(s) OR quality of root canal obturation, root canal obturation OR endodontic treatment, clinical setting (academic, private, governmental), AND/OR procedural errors and rotary instrumentation. RESULTS Sixteen clinical studies were included in this review. The acceptance percentages for obturation length, density, and taper were 76.3%, 74.7%, and 82.5%, respectively, indicating significantly high, good ratios. The overall RCF recorded showed that 68.2% of root canal obturations were considered acceptable. Acceptable rates remained higher than unacceptable rates in academic, hospital, and private settings, and percentages ranged from 65.2% to 93.0%. Only 5 studies reported procedural errors, namely, ledge formation, separated instruments, apical perforation, transportation, lateral perforation, and root/foramen perforation. CONCLUSIONS Using rotary instruments for different root canal treatment steps as instrumentation and obturations is highly recommended. Among different clinical setting and practice, these instruments resulted in a good and acceptable RCF, overall quality performed by those instruments, and few procedural errors.

Study the Anticancer Properties of Thymol-Loaded PEGylated Bovine Serum Albumin Nanoparticles Conjugated with Folic Acid.

Phenolic compounds such as Thymol have an effective role in suppressing cancer, however, their low solubility in aqueous solution has limited their use. This study aimed to prepare Thymol (TY)-loaded bovine serum albumin (BSA) nanoparticles surface-modified with polyethylene glycol (PEG) conjugated with folic acid (FA) and evaluate their inhibitory activity on cancer cells. The TY-BSA-PEG-FA was characterized using DLS, FESEM, and FTIR. The encapsulation efficiency (EE) was evaluated indirectly by using UV absorption. The antioxidant property of nanoparticles was evaluated by 2,2'-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), and ferric reducing ability of plasm (FRAP) methods. The effects of nanoparticles against cancer cells were investigated by MTT, AO/PI, flow cytometry, and real-time qPCR methods. The results showed the spherical morphology of TY-BSA-PEG-FA with an average size of 70.0 nm, a PDI of 0.32, a zeta potential of -11.3 mV, and an EE of 89.0±2.3 %. The cytotoxicity effects of nanoparticles against all cell lines were in a concentration-dependent manner. AGS gastric cancer cells were reported to be the most vulnerable to treatment, while pancreatic cancer cells (PANC-1) and normal skin cells (HFF) would be the most resistant. The SubG1 phase arrest of about 66 % occurred at 85 µg/mL. An increase in apoptotic cells in fluorescent staining, along with decreased expression of Bcl-2 and increased expression of the BAX gene demonstrated the induction of apoptosis in treated cells. The powerful inhibitory effect of nanoparticles in inhibiting ABTS free radicals (IC50 =82 µg/mL) and DPPH free radicals (IC50 =844 µg/mL) and the ability to reduce iron ions indicated the antioxidant effects of TY-BSA-PEG-FA. Based on these results, the synthesized nanoparticles may be suitable for further investigation in the treatment of cancer, notably gastric cancer.

A Systematic Review of Cross-Sectional Studies Conducted in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on Levels of Dental Anxiety Between Genders and Demographic Groups.

BACKGROUND Dental anxiety can impact oral health and dental treatment in patients of all age groups, which seems to be an obstacle to quality dental care. This systematic review of the literature aimed to evaluate the findings from cross-sectional studies conducted in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) on levels of dental anxiety (DA) between genders and among various demographic groups. MATERIAL AND METHODS An electronic search of PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases was carried out in January 2022. Studies that measured dental anxiety in Saudis in all regions of the KSA by direct evaluation and interviews were included. Studies that were not in the English language or used proxy measures were excluded. Quality assessment was carried out using Joanna Briggs Institute's critical appraisal tool for cross-sectional studies. RESULTS A total of 19 cross-sectional studies from the KSA were identified that used validated anxiety scales, including the Corah Dental Anxiety Scale (DAS), the Corah Dental Anxiety Scale, Revised (DAS-R), and the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS). All studies were rated as having a high risk of bias. A mild level of DA was the most common among participants in the KSA. CONCLUSIONS The findings from this systematic review showed that in the KSA, although a mild level of dental anxiety was most common in the study participants, women, young adults, and university students showed a higher prevalence of dental anxiety. However, the lack of sufficient literature to support the current findings make an overall conclusion about DA extremely difficult.

Effects of urolithins on obesity-associated gut dysbiosis in rats fed on a high-fat diet.

Obesity is a global health concern associated with the dysbiosis of intestinal microbial composition. In this study, we investigated the potentials of urolithin A (Uro-A) and urolithin B (Uro-B), two gut microbiota-derived metabolites of ellagitannins, in reducing body weight gain through the modulation of the gut microbiota. We established a high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity model in rats that were later administered with either 2.5 mg/kg of Uro-A or Uro-B. Serum biochemical parameters were quantified, and changes in the composition of the gut microbial community were analysed using 16S rDNA gene sequencing. Our results showed that the urolithins significantly decreased the body weight in HFD-fed rats and restored serum lipid profile. The taxonomic analysis showed that both Uro-A and Uro-modulated gut microbes related to body weight, dysfunctional lipid metabolism and inflammation. Overall, our results suggest that Uro-A and Uro-B possess anti-obesity properties, which may be related to the modulation of the gut microbial composition.

The success of using 2% lidocaine in pain removal during extraction of mandibular premolars: a prospective clinical study.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the anesthetic effectiveness of a buccal infiltration technique combined with local massage (using 2% lidocaine) in the extraction of mandibular premolars to be utilized as an alternative to the conventional inferior alveolar nerve block. METHODS: Patients eligible included any subject with a clinical indication for tooth extraction of the mandibular 1st or 2nd premolars. All patients were anesthetized buccally by local infiltration technique followed by an external pressure applied for 1 min directly over the injection area. In each case, another local injection was given lingually. All operations were started at approximately 5 min after the buccal injection. The collected data included age, gender, pain perception and its intensity during treatment at three checkpoints, apical tenderness, and the type of extraction. Any associated complications or difficulties were also recorded. Then the results were analyzed and interpreted using appropriate statistical tests. The significance level was set at P ≤ 0.05. RESULTS: A total of 247 cases (1st premolar, n = 119; 2nd premolar, n = 128), predominantly male, were included. In 95% of study sample, the patients were satisfied with the dental extraction without any pain. However, in 5% of cases, pain was reported at the stage of tooth removal. Apical tenderness was found to be present in 11% of the total cases. Three teeth required surgical removal. Upon analysis, no significant differences in the success rates were detected between the 2 premolar groups or amongst the various age groups. Minor and transient side effects were reported in this study. CONCLUSION: The technique is simple and effective as well. It might be considered as an alternative anesthetic injection to the inferior alveolar nerve block for dental extraction of the mandibular premolars.

Bioengineered intravaginal isolate of Lactobacillus plantarum expresses algal lectin scytovirin demonstrating anti-HIV-1 activity.

Efforts to develop preventatives against HIV infection through sexual route have identified, among many, algal lectins as the potent molecules for scaffolding HIV entry inhibition. Algal lectin scytovirin (SVN) from Scytonema varium, a cyanobacterium, has anti-HIV effects with the potential for use in sculpting HIV neutralization. We created a recombinant strain of human vaginal L. plantarum for extracellular expression of recombinant (r)SVN. The rSVN protein containing culture supernatant was analyzed for its binding with HIV-1 gp160, and for inhibiting infection with primary R5 and X4 HIV-1 strains in TZM-bl cells. The rSVN protein extant in recombinant L. plantarum culture supernatant binds to HIV-1 gp160 and reduces the HIV-induced cytopathic effect to nearly 56.67% and 86.47% in R5 and X4 HIV-1 infected TZM-bl cells, respectively. The fortified L. plantarum may be explored for its use as a live virucide in vaginal mucosa of high risk women to prevent HIV entry.

Cytomegalovirus aggravates the autoimmune phenomenon in systemic autoimmune diseases.

BACKGROUND: Human Cytomegalovirus (CMV), because of its ability to extensively manipulate host immunity during active infection, has been suggested to be involved in autoimmunity. However, its influence on T-cells and cytokines in systemic autoimmune diseases like systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and systemic sclerosis (SSc) is indistinct. METHODS: We investigated the in-vitro response of T lymphocytes from SLE and SSc patients to CMV antigen. Functional activity of T lymphocytes was determined by estimating Th1 (IL-2 and IFN-γ) and Th2 (IL-4 and IL-10) cytokines. RESULTS: We observed that CMV antigen stimulation in-vitro resulted in significant increase in CD4:CD8 T-cell ratio in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from SLE and SSc patients; response dominated by CD4+ than CD8+ memory T-cells. SSc T-cell response was differentiated by aberrant increase in CD4+CD25+ T-cells. CMV antigen caused elevation in IL-4 and IFN-γ production in both patient PBMCs, whereas IL-2 was also raised in SLE PBMCs. The development of large pool of memory T-cells and overproduction of IFN-γ may result in flare-up of autoimmunity in these patients. CONCLUSION: Our study provides an insight into the immunopathological potential of CMV-reactive immune cells to develop new potential strategies for targeted therapeutic intervention.

Meta-analysis Reveals No Association of DNMT3B -149 C>T Gene Polymorphism With Overall Cancer Risk.

BACKGROUND: DNA methyltransferase-3B (DNMT3B) plays a key role in establishment and maintenance of genomic methylation patterns. Polymorphism in promoter region -149 C>T (C46359T) of DNMT3B gene may alter DNMT3B activity which leads to increased susceptibility to cancer. Inconsistent results regarding this have been reported in a number of studies. OBJECTIVE: To carry out a meta-analysis of the studies reported to assess the precise relationship between the DNMT3B -149 C>T polymorphism and the overall cancer risk. METHOD: PubMed (MEDLINE) web database was searched for the studies concerning DNMT3B -149 C>T polymorphism and its association with cancer risk. The pooled odds ratios (ORs) along with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated for all the genetic models, from the selected case-control studies, by meta-analysis. RESULTS: Overall eighteen studies containing 5583 cancer cases and 7618 controls were analyzed. No significant risk was observed overall for T allele carrier (T vs. C: p=0.303; OR=1.032, 95% CI=0.972-1.097), homozygous (TT vs. CC: p=0.336; OR=1.063, 95% CI=0.939-1.204), heterozygous (CT vs. CC: p=0.802; OR=1.022, 95% CI=0.860-1.216), dominant (TT vs. CC+CT: p=0.298; OR=1.101, 95% CI=0.919-1.319) and recessive (TT+CT vs. CC: p=0.656; OR=1.021, 95% CI=0.931-1.121) genetic models. Subgroup analysis of Asian and Caucasian populations also did not demonstrate any cancer risk in all the genetic models studied. CONCLUSION: Our meta-analysis proposes that the DNMT3B -149 C>T polymorphism may not be an independent predisposing factor for the risk of cancer. However, larger sample size and expression studies are required to confirm the observation.

Estimates and determinants of health facility delivery in the Birhan cohort in Ethiopia.

Health facility delivery is one of the critical indicators to monitor progress towards the provision of skilled delivery care and reduction in perinatal mortality. In Ethiopia, utilization of health facilities for skilled delivery care has been increasing but varies greatly by region and among specific socio-demography groups. We aimed to measure the prevalence and determinants of health facility delivery in the Amhara region in Ethiopia. From December 2018 to November 2020, we conducted a longitudinal study from a cohort of 2801 pregnant women and described the location of delivery and the association with determinants. We interviewed a subset of women who delivered in the community and analyzed responses using the three delays model to understand reasons for not using health facility services. A multivariable poisson regression model with robust error variance was used to estimate the presence and magnitude of association between location of delivery and the determinants. Of the 2,482 pregnant women followed through to birth, 73.6% (n = 1,826) gave birth in health facilities, 24.3% (n = 604) gave birth at home and 2.1% (n = 52) delivered on the way to a health facility. Determinants associated with increased likelihood of delivery at a health facility included formal maternal education, shorter travel times to health facilities, primiparity, higher wealth index and having attended at least one ANC visit. Most common reasons mothers gave for not delivering in a health facility were delays in individual/family decision to seek care. The proportion of deliveries occurring in health facilities is increasing but falls below targets. Interventions that focus on the identified social-demographic determinants and delays are warranted.

Prevalence, Incidence, and Reversal Pattern of Childhood Stunting From Birth to Age 2 Years in Ethiopia.

Importance: Although there has been a reduction in stunting (low-height-for-age and low-length-for-age), a proxy of malnutrition, the prevalence of malnutrition in Ethiopia is still high. Child growth patterns and estimates of stunting are needed to increase awareness and resources to improve the potential for recovery. Objective: To estimate the prevalence, incidence, and reversal of stunting among children aged 0 to 24 months. Design, Setting, and Participants: This population-based cohort study of the Birhan Maternal and Child Health cohort in North Shewa Zone, Amhara, Ethiopia, was conducted between December 2018 and November 2020. Eligible participants included children aged 0 to 24 months who were enrolled during the study period and had their length measured at least once. Data analysis occurred from Month Year to Month Year. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome of this study was stunting, defined as length-for-age z score (LAZ) at least 2 SDs below the mean. Z scores were also used to determine the prevalence, incidence, and reversal of stunting at each key time point. Growth velocity was determined in centimeters per month between key time points and compared with global World Health Organization (WHO) standards for the same time periods. Heterogeneity was addressed by excluding outliers in sensitivity analyses using modeled growth trajectories for each child. Results: A total of 4354 children were enrolled, out of which 3674 (84.4%; 1786 [48.7%] female) had their length measured at least once and were included in this study. The median population-level length was consistently below WHO growth standards from birth to 2 years of age. The observed prevalence of stunting was highest by 2 years of age at 57.4% (95% CI, 54.8%-9 60.0%). Incidence of stunting increased over time and reached 51.0% (95% CI, 45.3%-56.6%) between ages 12 and 24 months. Reversal was 63.5% (95% CI, 54.8%-71.4%) by age 6 months and 45.2% (95% CI, 36.0%-54.8%) by age 2 years. Growth velocity point estimate differences were slowest compared with WHO standards during the neonatal period (-1.4 cm/month for girls and -1.6 cm/month for boys). There was substantial heterogeneity in anthropometric measurements. Conclusions and Relevance: The evidence from this cohort study highlights a chronically malnourished population with much of the burden associated with growth faltering during the neonatal periods as well as after 6 months of age. To end all forms of malnutrition, growth faltering in populations such as that in young children in Amhara, Ethiopia, needs to be addressed.

Whole-genome sequencing of multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli causing urinary tract infection in an immunocompromised patient: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Escherichia coli is a major human pathogen responsible for a broad range of clinical illnesses. It has been linked to endemic and epidemic nosocomial diseases caused by multidrug-resistant pathogens in Sudan as well as throughout the globe. CASE PRESENTATION: A 76-year-old African woman arrived at Saad Rashwan Medical Centre complaining of backaches and discomfort during urination. Throughout the preceding 5 years, the patient had recurrent urinary tract infections. Following overnight incubation at 37 °C, Escherichia coli was found in her midstream urine specimen on cysteine lactose electrolyte deficient agar media. Minimum inhibitory concentration (colorimetric/turbidimetric method) was employed to test a wide range of antimicrobial drugs against this bacterial strain, and the results revealed significant multidrug resistance. QIAamp® DNA Mini Kit was used to obtain DNA Template from the purified Escherichia coli (Qiagen, Hilden, Germany). The bacterial whole-genome sequence was done by Novogene company (Hong Kong) using Illumina HiSeq 2500 (Illumina, San Diego, CA, USA), followed by whole genome reconstructions, and identification of antibiotic-resistant genes. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that our strain was related to the Escherichia coli DSM30083 ( genome sequence ID: CP033092.2) from the USA. Our strain possessed the following antimicrobial-resistant genes: aminoglycoside (kdpE, baeR, cpxA, aadA5), nitroimidazole (msbA), phosphonic acid (mdtG), tetracycline (emrY), macrolide, penam, tetracycline, (evgA, TolC, H-NS), fluoroquinolone, cephalosporin, glycylcycline, penam, tetracycline, rifamycin, phenicol antibiotic, disinfecting agents and antiseptics (acrB; marA), sulfonamide (sul1), macrolide (Mrx), cephalosporin, penam (CTX-M-15), carbapenem, cephalosporin, and penam (OXA-1). CONCLUSION: This study found that the isolated Escherichia coli strain had varied antimicrobial resistance genes on the basis of whole-genome sequencing and phenotypic resistance analyses. Whole-genome sequencing is critical for control and preventative methods to battle the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance. A larger investigation is recommended for improved generalization of results.

Community experience and awareness regarding foreign body aspiration in Asir region, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Foreign body aspiration (FBA) is a serious preventable pediatric health problem and one of the main causes of accidental death in children. Although unusual in adults, it is often overlooked as a cause of airway obstruction with serious consequences. This study assessed awareness and previous FBA experiences in the Asir community, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Using validated questionnaire, an annonymous online survey was conducted among 870 people aged 18 years and above. The questionnaire was used to collect data about the personal and sociodemographic characteristics of the respondents, as well as their experiences with FBA, and participants' knowledge and perceived seriousness of FBA. The level of knowledge was deemed good if the score ranged between 60% and 100%, and bad if the score fell below 60%The level of knowledge was deemed good if the score ranged between 60% and 100%, and bad if the score fell below 60%. The majority of the participants (79.7%) were females, 48.1% were aged 18 to 30 years, 72.9% had university degree, 30.6% were students, 26.9% worked in the educational sector, 43.6% reported monthly income of <5000 Saudi Riyals and 19.8% of them identified themselves as healthcarepractitioners. Although the community experience with FBA was considerably high (70.6%) among the study participants, their awareness levels about FBA were deficient. Only 24.7% of the respondents had good knowledge of FBA. Older age, being a health practitioner, and perceiving FBA as a serious incident were significantly associated with good knowledge (P < .001). The findings of this study indicate an urgent need to raise community awareness of FBA. To reduce FBA morbidity and mortality, health education efforts in community and healthcare settings are required to educate people about the seriousness and importance of early diagnosis and management of the condition.

Knowledge of Diabetes Mellitus and Practices Regarding Lifestyle Factors and Diabetes Management in a General Adult Population of Aseer Region, Saudi Arabia.

Introduction: Many studies report a lack of public awareness of the risk factors and complications of Diabetes Mellitus. Adequate glycemic control is crucial in preventing or delaying the onset of type 2 diabetes complications, and medication adherence is one of the key factors in achieving this goal. This study aimed to measure the knowledge about diabetes mellitus and practices regarding lifestyle factors and diabetes management in the study population in the Aseer region, of Saudi Arabia. Material and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted in Abha, a city in the Aseer region of Saudi Arabia. The general population of 18 years of age and above, who were residing in the study area during the period of study, ie, January 2023 to June 2023, were included. The questionnaire was distributed through social media and e-mail for data collection. The descriptive variables were presented using frequency, percentage, and graphs. Pearson's chi-square test was used at a 5% level of significance. Multivariate tests were applied to further explore the findings of univariate analysis. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 20.0. Results: Out of the total 348 participants, a higher proportion was males (56.3%). About 78.7% of the participants were ever diagnosed with diabetes mellitus and 21.3% were never diagnosed with diabetes mellitus. Nearly 31.6% knew that the major cause of diabetes mellitus was obesity and 31.3% knew that it was a hereditary disease. About 42.2% of respondents exercised regularly and 27.6% were smokers. Adherence to prescribed anti-diabetic medications was seen in 63.2% of the respondents. Self-alterations in the timing and dose of prescribed anti-diabetic drugs were seen in 36.5% and 34.8%, respectively. About 60.1% had a moderate level of self-rated knowledge about Diabetes Mellitus, and 27.6% and 12.4% had good and poor self-rated knowledge levels of Diabetes mellitus, respectively. On multivariate analysis, the age group 60-69 years had significant variations as compared to the other age groups on DM, bachelor's degree holders had significant variations as compared to other education variables, being married had significant differences as compared to those unmarried, those employed had significant variations as compared to the other occupation categories, and smokers had a significant impact on DM as compared to non-smokers. Conclusion: Findings indicated less number of respondents exercised regularly, low adherence to prescribed anti-diabetic medications and low levels of self-rated knowledge of diabetes mellitus. Enhancing the patients' knowledge of diabetes mellitus and improving their self-management and adherence to its medications is necessary through public health education.

Association of angiotensin converting enzyme gene insertion/deletion polymorphism and familial hypercholesterolemia in the Saudi population.

BACKGROUND: The study of the association between genotype and phenotype is of great importance for the prediction of multiple diseases and pathophysiological conditions. The relationship between angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) Insertion/Deletion (I/D) polymorphism and Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH) has been not fully investigated in all the ethnicities. In this study we sought to determine the frequency of I/D polymorphism genotypes of ACE gene in Saudi patients with FH. RESULTS: This is a case-control study carried out purely in Saudi population. Genomic DNA was isolated from 128 subjects who have participated in this study. ACE gene I/D polymorphism was analyzed by polymerase chain reaction in 64 FH cases and 64 healthy controls. There was no statistically significant difference between the groups with respect to genotype distribution. Furthermore, we did not find any significant difference in the frequency of ACE I/D polymorphism in FH subjects when stratified by gender (p = 0.43). CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that ACE gene I/D polymorphism examined in this study has no role in predicting the occurrence and diagnosis of FH.

Expectations of a medical student: the deficit between 'what is' and 'what should be'.

BACKGROUND: Over past few decades, the expectations of medical students about their academics, extracurricular support from college and about their social life at campus have all been changed greatly. The relative scarcity of data about the expectations of Pakistani medical students has merited this study. METHOD: A cross-sectional survey was undertaken at Ayub Medical College, Abbottabad at the in December, 2012 based on random sampling technique. Expectation questionnaire of University of Northumbria for Survey of Student Attitudes, Experiences and Expectations was used. RESULTS: One hundred and sixty-two students responded to the questionnaire with 93 (58.1%) males. Students had a fairly realistic picture of academic demands and college environment. There was major difference in the opinions of male and female students about physical environment of college with female having prior misconception about it. Forty-eight percent student found medical education challenging. About 63.3% students had realistic picture about study habits needed in the college. About 77.9% and 73.8% students had reasonable picture of academic staff and teaching methods at the college respectively. Students had a fair picture of the thorough help from teachers. About 63.5% students seemed well-prepared for the extent to which they would need to be independent learners at medical college. However expectations of 55.6% students about non-academic support were higher than provided. Also only 20.3% students found social adjustments easier than expected. About 39.5% students had fairly accurate expectations regarding the physical environment of the college; however in gender based comparison, about 55% female students felt being mistaken about the environment. CONCLUSION: Academic demands are fairly in accordance with the expectations of students. However there is a need to make course content interesting and more understandable. Also the extracurricular support in form of various facilities should be bolstered. Most importantly, the physical environment needs to be made more amicable especially for female students.

Comparing the cancer in Ninawa during three periods (1980-1990, 1991-2000, 2001-2010) using Poisson regression.

BACKGROUND: Iraq fought three wars in three consecutive decades, Iran-Iraq war (1980-1988), Persian Gulf War in 1991, and the Iraq's war in 2003. In the nineties of the last century and up to the present time, there have been anecdotal reports of increase in cancer in Ninawa as in all provinces of Iraq, possibly as a result of exposure to depleted uranium used by American troops in the last two wars. This paper deals with cancer incidence in Ninawa, the most importance province in Iraq, where many of her sons were soldiers in the Iraqi army, and they have participated in the wars. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The data was derived from the Directorate of Health in Ninawa. The data was divided into three sub periods: 1980-1990, 1991-2000, and 2001-2010. The analyses are performed using Poisson regressions. The response variable is the cancer incidence number. Cancer cases, age, sex, and years were considered as the explanatory variables. The logarithm of the population of Ninawa is used as an offset. The aim of this paper is to model the cancer incidence data and estimate the cancer incidence rate ratio (IRR) to illustrate the changes that have occurred of incidence cancer in Ninawa in these three periods. RESULTS: There is evidence of a reduction in the cancer IRR in Ninawa in the third period as well as in the second period. Our analyses found that breast cancer remained the first common cancer; while the lung, trachea, and bronchus the second in spite of decreasing as dramatically. Modest increases in incidence of prostate, penis, and other male genitals for the duration of the study period and stability in incidence of colon in the second and third periods. Modest increases in incidence of placenta and metastatic tumors, while the highest increase was in leukemia in the third period relates to the second period but not to the first period. The cancer IRR in men was decreased from more than 33% than those of females in the first period, more than 39% in the second period, and regressed to 9.56% in the third period. CONCLUSION: Our paper confirms the media reports that there are increases in the number of cancer cases, but when it analyzed statistically with population growth in the Ninawa province, there are decreases in incidence rates in most cancer types.

Convalescent Plasma Therapy against COVID-19: An Update on the Changing Facets of the ongoing Pandemic.

The severe respiratory infections in the current pandemic coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) have influenced more or less every human life. The first person to get infected with this virus was reported in the capital of Hubei province (Wuhan), China, in late December 2019. Since the disease has been declared a pandemic, research scholars and experts have been manufacturing new vaccines or targeted therapies to curb the spread of SARS-CoV-2. However, only limited options have emerged so far, which yet require complete scientific validation by long-term data collection regarding safety and efficacy. In the wake of the recent emerging wave of the pandemic viz omicron variant, changing facets of the viral genome and dearth of preventative and therapeutic possibilities for the management of COVID-19, the usage of Convalescent Plasma Therapy (CPT) may be looked at as a potentially viable option of treatment in the existing situation. Earlier, immune plasma has been used with success in the management of H1N1 influenza virus, MERS-CoV, and SARS-CoV-1 epidemics. In the present unpredictable situation created by the COVID-19 pandemic, the CPT is used with a positive outcome amongst many infected individuals in different parts of the world with acceptable efficacy. This article aimed to present an up-to-date evaluation of existing literature on the efficacy of convalescent plasma as a potential therapy, its safety and effectiveness and the challenges in treating COVID-19.

Potential biomarkers in Japanese encephalitis from different hosts and geographical locations.

Japanese encephalitis (JE) is a single-stranded, mosquito-borne, positive-sense RNA flavivirus that causes one of the most severe encephalitides. There are treatments available for those who contact this illness; however, there are no known cures. This disease has a 30% fatality rate, and of the people who survive, 30-50% develops neurologic and psychiatric sequelae. The JE virus genome size is 10.98 kb and contains two coding DNA sequences (CDS), two genes, and 15 mature peptides; the CDS polyprotein is 10.3 kb. In this study, we used 29 genomics sequences of the JE virus reported from different countries and infecting different animals and analysed vast dimensions of the genomic annotation of JE comparatively to understand its evolutionary aspects. The extensive SNPs analysis revealed that KF907505.1, reported from Taiwan, has only three SNPs, similar to sequences reported from India. Repeat and polymorphism analyses revealed that the genome tends to be similar in most JE sequences.

Cross-sectional prevalence and pattern of non-anaemia severe malaria among 2-10 year olds in Sokoto in Northwestern Nigeria.

Malaria is highly prevalent in Nigeria and accounts for approximately 40% of global malaria mortality. However, most reports on severe malaria in Nigeria are from hospital-based studies without accurate information from communities; thus, malaria-related deaths in the community are left untracked. This study aimed to describe the prevalence and pattern of severe malaria in a community in Northwestern Nigeria. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 2-10-year-old children in Sokoto, in August and December 2016, to determine the endemicity of malaria based on Plasmodium falciparum prevalence rate (PfPR2-10) and to describe the disease pattern. Severe malaria was diagnosed according to the World Health Organisation criteria. Data were described using Stata version 15. The prevalence of non-anaemia severe malaria was higher than expected (2.6%), considering the endemicity pattern which was mesoendemic based on a PfPR2-10 of 34.8%. The mean age of children with severe malaria was 3.73 years, and the male-female ratio was 2:1. However, 54.0% of the patients had hyperparasitaemia. A relatively high prevalence of non-anaemia severe malaria was found in Wamakko. This finding suggests the need to identify and treat cases in the community using modifications of current strategies, particularly seasonal malaria chemoprophylaxis.