Evaluation of the effect of handheld mobile phone use on activity of the parotid glands amylase enzyme

Introduction: Alpha amylase is the most abundant enzyme of parotid gland. This enzyme starts digestion of carbohydrates in the mouth. A pair of parotid glands is located in front of ears. Several studies have been conducted on the effects of mobile phones on the parotid gland. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of mobile phones on the activity of the amylase enzyme. Materials &Methods: Totally, 251 men and women aged 18 to 55 years, who only used Hamrahe Aval's operator were included. Parotid salivary samples of each individual were bilaterally collected using capillary tube placed in the vicinity of Stensen's duct. Bilateral amylase activity of each individual was evaluated with spectrophotometric method in the laboratory considering dominant sides of phone conversation and chewing. Data were analyzed using Two-way ANOVA, χ2, T test and SPSS software. Results: The relationship between the dominant phone conversation side and parotid amylase activity was not statistically significant but the correlation between prevailing chewing side and amylase activity was statistically significant (p=0.001). Conclusion: Handheld mobile phone was not effective on parotid amylase enzyme activity whereas chewing was effective on parotid amylase enzyme activity

Mapping 123 million neonatal, infant and child deaths between 2000 and 2017

Since 2000, many countries have achieved considerable success in improving child survival, but localized progress remains unclear. To inform efforts towards United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3.2—to end preventable child deaths by 2030—we need consistently estimated data at the subnational level regarding child mortality rates and trends. Here we quantified, for the period 2000–2017, the subnational variation in mortality rates and number of deaths of neonates, infants and children under 5 years of age within 99 low- and middle-income countries using a geostatistical survival model. We estimated that 32% of children under 5 in these countries lived in districts that had attained rates of 25 or fewer child deaths per 1,000 live births by 2017, and that 58% of child deaths between 2000 and 2017 in these countries could have been averted in the absence of geographical inequality. This study enables the identification of high-mortality clusters, patterns of progress and geographical inequalities to inform appropriate investments and implementations that will help to improve the health of all populations