Post-COVID syndrome: analysis of the prevalence of chemosensory dysfunction and predictive factors of recovery in COVID-19 long-haulers in Jordan.

OBJECTIVE: One of the major concerns of the post-COVID-19 era is elucidating and addressing the long-term complications of COVID-19. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A web-based questionnaire was distributed in Jordan to assess the prevalence and recovery from chemosensory dysfunction among COVID-19 long-haulers in Jordan. RESULTS: A total of 611 respondents complained of chemosensory dysfunction (age range = 18-68 years), and the majority of the respondents were female (88.4%). Parosmia was the most prevalent olfactory dysfunction reported (n = 337, 33.3%), and parageusia was the most frequently reported gustatory dysfunction (n = 239, 36.4%). Medications were not reported to be associated with a better perception of smell or taste by nearly half of those who had been treated (n = 146, 46.1%). Among participants who had received olfactory rehabilitation/training (n = 215, 35.2%), 43.7% (n = 94) reported modest improvement, with the most frequently helpful scents being coffee (n = 80, 24.8%), aromatic oils (n = 74, 23%), and perfumes/colognes (n = 73, 22.7%). Age was found to have a significant negative correlation with complete recovery. In addition, age (p < .05), anosmia (p < .001), hyperosmia (p < .001), ageusia (p < .05), and duration of olfactory dysfunction (p < .001) were all independent predictors of complete recovery. CONCLUSIONS: Chemosensory dysfunctions are largely subjective; therefore, more objective examinations are required to draw more definite conclusions.

First Lebanese Antibiotic Awareness Week campaign: knowledge, attitudes and practices towards antibiotics.

Antibiotic resistance (ABR) is a major global health threat that increases the risk of treatment failure and increases medical costs. One of the most common factors contributing to the spread of ABR is self-medication. The public, as well as workers in clinical and veterinary sectors, commit false practices towards appropriate antibiotic use, favouring the spread of resistance. As such, the first Lebanese Antibiotic Awareness Week campaign was initiated with a human-centred and interactive approach. The data showed a strikingly low level of antibiotic awareness. Cooperation between relevant stakeholders, policy-makers and health actors is crucial to control and overcome the problem of ABR.

On the stability of a class of slowly varying systems.

Slowly varying systems are common in physics and control engineering and thus stability analysis for those systems has drawn considerable attention in the literature. This paper uses the "frozen time approach" to derive Lyapunov inequality conditions for the stability of a wide class of slowly varying systems. These conditions refine those developed in (Khalil in Nonlinear Systems, 2002) and display generality and effectiveness for both linear and nonlinear systems. To illustrate the utility of the proposed results, an example has been included.

Photophysical properties and localization of chlorins substituted with methoxy groups, hydroxyl groups and alkyl chains in liposome-like cellular membrane.

Some of the photophysical properties (stationary absorbance and fluorescence, fluorescence decay times and singlet oxygen quantum yields) of chlorins substituted with methoxy groups, hydroxyl groups and hydrocarbonic chains were studied in ethanol and dipalmitoyl-phosphatidylcholine (DPPC) liposomes using steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopies. The photophysical behaviors of the chlorins in liposomes like cellular membrane were compared with those obtained from chlorin-liposome systems delivered to Jurkat cells in order to select potent photosensitizers for the photodynamic treatment of cancer. The localization of the studied chlorins inside liposomes was found to depend strongly on the substituents of chlorins. Absorption spectra of chlorins embedded in DPPC-liposomes have been recorded in the temperature range of 20-70 degrees C. It is demonstrated that the location of the chlorin molecules depends on the phase state of the phospholipids. These observations are confirmed by the fluorescence lifetimes, singlet oxygen lifetimes and singlet oxygen quantum yields results.

A new approach in the management of lower Mullerian atresia.

Over the past 20 years we have encountered 13 cases of lower genital tract atresia or obstruction. There were eight cases due to a high transverse vaginal septum. These were dealt with by standard surgical reconstruction. One later recurred and required hysterectomy. Five patients presented with cervical atresia. These were successfully treated by a new abdomino/vaginal approach. All menstruated normally after the procedure and one became pregnant and delivered a normal baby by caesarean section at term. None of the cases had recurrent obstruction and none required hysterectomy.