Efficacy of Nanosil and Listerine Antiseptics for Infection Control in Dental Unit Waterline

Objectives The aim of this study was to compare the antibacterial efficacy of two antiseptic agents namely Nanosil and Listerine for controlling water contamination.Methods A In this experimental study, six dental units were divided into three groups of A, B, and C. First, sampling of the water from the turbines’ water ducts and the dental air-water sprays was performed early in the morning during two consecutive weeks on Saturdays (the first working day) and Wednesdays (the last working day). The samples were sent to a laboratory in sterile containers for bacterial colony counting. Next, group A and B units underwent decontamination once a week by Nanosil (1% hydrogen peroxide + silver ion) and Listerine, respectively. Group C was the control group. Afterwards, sampling was conducted again as in stage 1 to determine the bacterial colony count.Results The Wilcoxon test indicated a statistically significant difference in the mean bacterial count between the samples taken before and after decontamination in Nanosil and Listerine groups, and the mean bacterial count was lower in the Nanosil group than in the Listerine group (P<0.001). A statistically significant difference was also found in the mean bacterial count between samples taken on Saturdays and Wednesdays before decontamination, and the mean bacterial count was higher on Saturdays than on Wednesdays (P<0.001).Conclusion Both Listerine and Nanosil were effective in decreasing the microbial colony count in the dental unit water lines (DUWLs). The mean bacterial count was lower in the Nanosil group than in the Listerine group

Effect of Dietary Supplementation with Conjugated Linoleic Acid on Bone Mineral Density, Bone Metabolism Markers and Inflammatory Markers in Healthy Post-menopausal Women: a Randomized Double Blind Placebo Controlled Trial

AbstractIntroduction: Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) has been shown to positively influence on calcium and bone metabolism in experimental animals and cell culture, but there are limited human data available.Material and Methods: This double-blind, placebo-controlled trial study was done on 76 healthy post-menopausal women (aged 55.1) which randomly assigned to receive daily four CLA capsules G80 containing 3.2 g isomer blend (50:50% cis-9, trans-11: trans-10, cis-12 isomers) or four capsules containing high oleic sunflower oil as placebo for 12 weeks. Urine and blood samples were collected at weeks 0 and 12 and were analyzed for biomarkers of calcium and bone metabolism and inflammatory markers (TNF-α and IL-6). Subjects completed 3-day dietary records during the trial, in weeks 0 (baseline), 6 and 12.Results: supplementation with 3.2 g CLA isomer blend (50:50% cis-9,trans-11:trans-10,cis-12 isomers) for 12 weeks had no significant effects on bone formation markers (serum osteocalcin, bone-specific alkaline phosphatase) or bone resorption (urine C-telopeptide-related fraction of type 1 collagen degradation products), parathyroid hormone (PTH), urinary calcium, urinary creatinine and CTP to creatinine ratio. But serum interlukine-6 did not change significantly over 12 weeks in postmenopausal women.Conclusion: Under the conditions tested in postmenopausal women, 3.2 g CLA isomer blend (50:50% cis-9, trans-11: trans-10, cis-12 isomers) did not affect markers of bone metabolism and calcium

An assessment of health research impact in Iran

Background: In recent years, Iran has made significant developments in the field of health sciences. However, the question is whether this considerable increase has affected public health. The research budget has always been negligible and unsustainable in developing countries. Hence, using the Payback Framework, we conducted this study to evaluate the impact of health research in Iran. Methods: By using a cross-sectional method and two-stage stratified cluster sampling, the projects were randomly selected from six medical universities. A questionnaire was designed according to the Payback Framework and completed by the principle investigators of the randomly selected projects. Results: The response rate was 70.4%. Ten point twenty-four percent (10.24%) of the studies had been ordered by a knowledge user organization. The average number of articles published in journals per project was 0.96, and half of the studies had no articles published in Scopus. The results of 12% of the studies had been used in systematic review articles and the same proportion had been utilized in clinical or public health guidelines. The results of 5.3% of the studies had been implemented in the Health Ministry’s policymaking. 62% of the studies were expected to affect health directly, 38% of them had been implemented, and among the latter 60% had achieved the expected results. Concerning the economic impacts, the most common expected impact was the reduction of ‘days of work missed because of illness or disability’ and impact on personal and health system costs. About 36% of these studies had been implemented, and 61% had achieved the expected impact. Conclusion: In most aspects, the status of research impact needs improvement. A comparison of Iran’s ranking of knowledge creation and knowledge impact in the Global Innovation Index confirms these findings. The most important problems identified were, not conducting research based on national needs, and the lack of implementation of research results. Keywords: Research impact assessment, Payback, Health research syste

Global, regional, and national burden of disorders affecting the nervous system, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

BackgroundDisorders affecting the nervous system are diverse and include neurodevelopmental disorders, late-life neurodegeneration, and newly emergent conditions, such as cognitive impairment following COVID-19. Previous publications from the Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factor Study estimated the burden of 15 neurological conditions in 2015 and 2016, but these analyses did not include neurodevelopmental disorders, as defined by the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-11, or a subset of cases of congenital, neonatal, and infectious conditions that cause neurological damage. Here, we estimate nervous system health loss caused by 37 unique conditions and their associated risk factors globally, regionally, and nationally from 1990 to 2021.MethodsWe estimated mortality, prevalence, years lived with disability (YLDs), years of life lost (YLLs), and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), with corresponding 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs), by age and sex in 204 countries and territories, from 1990 to 2021. We included morbidity and deaths due to neurological conditions, for which health loss is directly due to damage to the CNS or peripheral nervous system. We also isolated neurological health loss from conditions for which nervous system morbidity is a consequence, but not the primary feature, including a subset of congenital conditions (ie, chromosomal anomalies and congenital birth defects), neonatal conditions (ie, jaundice, preterm birth, and sepsis), infectious diseases (ie, COVID-19, cystic echinococcosis, malaria, syphilis, and Zika virus disease), and diabetic neuropathy. By conducting a sequela-level analysis of the health outcomes for these conditions, only cases where nervous system damage occurred were included, and YLDs were recalculated to isolate the non-fatal burden directly attributable to nervous system health loss. A comorbidity correction was used to calculate total prevalence of all conditions that affect the nervous system combined.FindingsGlobally, the 37 conditions affecting the nervous system were collectively ranked as the leading group cause of DALYs in 2021 (443 million, 95% UI 378–521), affecting 3·40 billion (3·20–3·62) individuals (43·1%, 40·5–45·9 of the global population); global DALY counts attributed to these conditions increased by 18·2% (8·7–26·7) between 1990 and 2021. Age-standardised rates of deaths per 100 000 people attributed to these conditions decreased from 1990 to 2021 by 33·6% (27·6–38·8), and age-standardised rates of DALYs attributed to these conditions decreased by 27·0% (21·5–32·4). Age-standardised prevalence was almost stable, with a change of 1·5% (0·7–2·4). The ten conditions with the highest age-standardised DALYs in 2021 were stroke, neonatal encephalopathy, migraine, Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, diabetic neuropathy, meningitis, epilepsy, neurological complications due to preterm birth, autism spectrum disorder, and nervous system cancer.InterpretationAs the leading cause of overall disease burden in the world, with increasing global DALY counts, effective prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation strategies for disorders affecting the nervous system are needed

Seizure recurrence after a first unprovoked seizure:With and without treatment

<ul> <li><strong>BACKGROUND</strong>: Most of the studies have shown that approximately one third of patients with single seizure will experience a second one. Data regarding seizure-free survival time and recurrence rate vary widely. We investigated the likelihood of a second attack and seizure-free survival time with and without early treatment in our epileptic patients.</li> <li><strong>METHODS</strong>: Patients of the first unprovoked seizures were recruited between 2000-2005 years. They were randomized into two groups: one treated with carbamazepine and the other was not treated. After obtaining a written consent, all patients were followed up for a second seizure for a period ranging from 12 to 36 (19.1 ± 5) months.</li> <li><strong>RESULTS</strong>: A total number of 150 patients were enrolled in this study, of which 13 patients were lost to follow up. The remaining patients (71 males and 66 females) were followed up during 5 years. They were randomized into two groups: treatment (50 patients) and non-treatment (87 patients); 30.2% of all patients were without relapsing, of which 48.9% were on treatment (case) and 19.5% did not receive any treatment (the control group). The mean seizure-free survival times were 6 months and 3.8 months in the treated and non-treated patients, respectively (P = 0.017).</li> <li><strong>CONCLUSIONS</strong>: We found strong correlation between relapse and treatment started after the first attack (P < 0.05); i.e., the patients who received treatment in their first attack may be at lower risk of relapsing.</li> <li><strong>KEY </strong><strong>WORDS: </strong>Unprovoked seizure, first seizure, recurrence, treatment, survival time.</li> </ul&gt

Abducens Nerve Palsy in a Patient with Multiple Myeloma: A Case Report

One of the complications of multiple myeloma (MM) is central nervous system (CNS) involvement. Intracranial plasmacytomas are rare and almost always originate from myelomatous lesions of the skull or plasmacytomas involving the clivus or base of the skull. In this study, a 55-year-old male MM patient with headache and diplopia due to skull base mass lesion near the clivus is presented as a rare presentation of MM

Failed Quest in Samuel Beckett’s How It Is

In this paper Beckett’s novel, How It Is, is discussed in the light of the monomyth of quest. It is argued that this novel does not follow the traditional framework of novel and it has an antihero of the twentieth century with a vague and uncertain quest. In most works of fiction, the quest is followed by fulfillment and accomplishment to make the protagonist worth his painstaking labor and suffering, while with Beckett’s characters, failure becomes the dominant issue. Most of his characters are narrators of their own tale who face failure of expression though they are obliged to express it. The characters with one syllable names of Bem, Bom and Pim represent the mankind stuck in the "mud" of the present unable to distinguish past, present or future. There is a constant tendency to reach the goal which is unattainable. 

Sterile Setup Table in the Operating Room Is Not So Sterile

BACKGROUND: One of the important factors for surgical site infection prevention is the implementation of an ultraclean operating room. This study was designed to evaluate back-table sterility during total joint arthroplasty. METHODS: This prospective study includes 52 patients undergoing primary total joint arthroplasty between November 2021 and January 2022. A total of 4 swabs (2 air swabs and 2 table swabs) were obtained for each case, at the conclusion of surgery and prior to the takedown of drapes. One swab from each set was sent for culture, and the other was sent for next-generation sequencing (NGS) analysis. RESULTS: Among 104 back-table swabs, a total of 13 (12.5%) organisms were isolated. Of these, 7 organisms were isolated by culture and 6 by NGS. No microorganisms were isolated by both culture and NGS from back-table swabs. Among 104 air swabs, a total of 11 (10.6%) organisms were isolated. Of these, 6 microorganisms were isolated by culture and 5 by NGS. In 4 of the 104 swabs, both culture- and NGS-isolated organisms were from air swabs. Of the 104 (12.5%) back-table and air swabs, 13 were culture positive. While more than 1 pathogen was identified in 2 air swabs, all back-table swabs were monomicrobial by culture. Pathogens were identified from 11 of 104 (10.6%) swabs by NGS, while more than 1 pathogen was identified in 4 swabs (2 air and 2 back table). CONCLUSION: The findings of this study raise an important issue that the surgical field including the sterile table setup for instruments is not sterile and can harbor pathogens

New-onset acute ischemic stroke following COVID-19: A case-control study

Background: Neurological manifestations of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been highlighted. COVID-19 potentially increases the risk of thromboembolism. We aimed to compare patients with COVID-19 with and without new-onset acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Materials and methods: In this single-center retrospective case-control study, demographics, clinical characteristics, laboratory findings, and clinical outcomes were compared between 51 patients with both COVID-19 and AIS (group A) and 160 patients with COVID-19 and without AIS (group B). Results: Patients in group A were significantly older, more likely to present with critical COVID-19 (P = 0.004), had higher rates of admission in the intensive care unit (P \u3c 0.001), more duration of hospitalization (P \u3c 0.001), and higher in-hospital mortality (P \u3c 0.001). At the time of hospitalization, O2 saturation (P = 0.011), PH (P = 0.04), and HCO3 (P = 0.005) were lower in group A. White blood cell count (P = 0.002), neutrophil count (P \u3c 0.001), neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (P = 0.001), D-Dimer (P \u3c 0.001), blood urea nitrogen (BUN) (P \u3c 0.001), and BUN/Cr ratio (P \u3c 0.001) were significantly higher in patients with AIS. Conclusion: Stroke in COVID-19 is multifactorial. In addition to conventional risk factors of ischemic stroke (age and cardiovascular risk factors), we found that patients with more severe COVID-19 are more prone to ischemic stroke. Furthermore, leukocyte count, neutrophil count, neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio, D-Dimer, BUN, and BUN/Cr ratio were higher in patients with AIS following COVID-19 infection

The role of coping strategies in the academic engagement of students in Bushehr University of Medical Sciences

Introduction: Coping strategies are a set of cognitive and behavioral efforts that are employed to interpret and modify a stressful situation. For students, it seems appropriate to employ coping strategies, which seems to be an important factor for academic achievement. Therefore, this study endeavored to examine the relationship between coping strategies and academic engagement in students of Bushehr University of Medical Sciences in 2017. Methods: This correlational study was performed with 232 undergraduate students of Bushehr University of Medical Sciences through relative stratified random sampling. The instruments were three questionnaires of demographic information and academic achievement of Frederick Bloomfield, as well as a short scale of coping with Andrew Parker's stress conditions. Data analysis was done through independent t-test and Pearson test within the significance level of 0.05. Results: The average age of students was 21.75± 2.72 and most of them were single (86%). The mean score of students' academic motivation was 51/0 2/79 0/51 and the mean score of coping strategies was 2.99 0.43. It was found that there is a direct and significant relationship between the score of coping strategy and the score of academic motivation (p=0. 001). Conclusion: The results reveled that the variable of academic engagement is of special importance in predicting coping strategies in students. As a result, guiding students in the right direction could have positive educational consequences