The Development and Evaluation of the Hearing Intervention Battery in Arabic (HIBA) for Auditory Perception in Children with Cochlear Implants

The Hearing Intervention Battery in Arabic (HIBA), is a multi-modal auditory training intervention, that was developed based on the recommendations from our published systematic review of the literature on the effectiveness of auditory training (AT) for children with cochlear implants (CIs). HIBA was primarily intended to help improve speech and pitch perception in Arabic-speaking children with CIs. Due to the lack of auditory and speech assessment tools for the Arabic language, the A-CAPT, an Arabic version of the English Chear Auditory Perception Test (CAPT) was developed. The A-CAPT was validated prior its use in this project with 26 children with typical hearing. There was a strong agreement between the test and retest measures and normative data and the critical difference values were calculated which were similar to the British English CAPT. A randomized control trial (RCT) to evaluate the HIBA training programme was conducted with 14, 5- to 13-year-old Arabic-speaking children with CIs. The control group received art training following step-by-step drawing and face-paint exercises while the HIBA multi-modal training group received games involving communication interactions (DiaPix), speech cue discrimination (Alefbata.com), and pitch discrimination (musical discrimination using a keyboard). All tasks were interactive and designed to be completed by the children together with their parents or caregivers. There was a double baseline measurement, followed by a 4-week intervention period before a post intervention assessment. There was a significant improvement in consonant perception for children who received the HIBA multi-modal training intervention but this was not observed in the active control group. There was some evidence of generalization of learning, as observed by improvements in the non-trained task (phoneme discrimination) for the intervention group but not for controls. It was unclear if one particular element of the HIBA led to these improvements. Parents were actively involved in the multi-modal training group and their feedback indicated that the most preferred part of multi-modal training was the communication interaction tasks using the Diapix. To understand which element of the HIBA led to improvements in speech perception and whether the duration of training and sample size masked any gains, a trial forward in a larger scale should be conducted. In addition, to improve the quality of evidence of the study, collaboration is need to achieve a double blinded study and minimize bias. Findings of this project may suggest that children with CIs and their parents can benefit from regular and sustained access to age-appropriate auditory training materials and activities. In addition, findings would extend the current understanding of the impact of auditory training on CI outcomes in children and provide inspiration for a more comprehensive rehabilitation scheme for CI users

DESIGN OF PORTABLE HUMIDITY CONTROL CHAMBER

The title of this Final Year project is 'The Design of Humidity Control Chamber'. This system is created initially to provide a proper environment for the sensor to work; the idea has been expanded so that it can be used as a humidity control chamber. By providing different levels ofhumidity, user will get to choose and set the required humidity level in the range from 0 to 99%RH. To offer these useful functions, the system has been built as a combination of a water bubbler system, test chamber, valve system, and proper tubing; all are controlled by a pre-programmed PIC microcontroller. A standard relative humidity sensor is located inside the chamber to provide inputs to the PIC. Current percentage of relative humidity and temperature will be displayed by LCD Display connected to the PIC. An electronic keypad will be connected as the interface for users to key in inputs. The test system is then to be connected to dry air supply to start functioning as needed. The project has been started with literature reviews on the basic concept of humidity, the importance and current market trend, with sets of experiments done to strengthen the fundamentals during Final Year Project 1. During the second semester, the focus is more on the compact, portable and practical design of the system. The controller circuit is then constructed and connected to the mechanical parts so that the whole system can work automatically the moment an input from used is received

FOOD SAFETY PRACTICES AMONG FOOD CARTS IN -NORTH LEBANON

Street food carts serve different types of popular and traditional foods; it is a common economic sector worldwide. In North Lebanon, food carts are mobile or centered in specific places serving common and well known RTE meals. In addition, the increasing incidence of foodborne illnesses associated with street foods sheds light on the importance of inspecting the practices of street vendors. Therefore, the aim of this study is to assess the food safety in 30 food carts using an observational checklist and to perform microbiological analysis for the detection of foodborne pathogens namely; yeast, mold, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella, Enterohemorrhagic E.coli, B-glucuronidase E.coli, Enterobacteriaceae and Clostridium perfringens in 10 samples of orange juice, 10 samples of cheese caek and 10 samples of meat shawarma; moreover to investigate the prevalence of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in RTE foods and street vendor’s hands. Out of 30 vendors, 100% were males, 80% with an age between 25-44, 80% of them had less than high school level and 66.7% had fixed stalls. When vendors were observed for food safety practices, 70% and 86.7% of them did not store raw materials separately nor in suitable form respectively, 43.5% cleaned their carts monthly, 96% shared utensils between many types of food, 70% did not clean the counter top surface before starting food preparation; moreover 96%, 76 % and 83% of vendors were not wearing net, gloves nor an appropriate uniform, respectively. Results showed that all tested samples were contaminated with at least one of the tested foodborne pathogens, unsatisfactory levels of yeast and mold were recorded in 10 and 9 orange juice samples, respectively. On the other hand, B-glucuronides E.coli exceeded standard limit in two samples of RTE food, one shawarma sample did not meet standard with respect to C. perfringens, Remarkably, unsatisfactory levels of S. aureus were detected in 55 % of RTE samples and in 30 % of vendor’s hands. S. aureus strains were susceptible to at least one of the used antibiotics, accordingly one isolated from vendor’s hand is considered as MRSA. Therefore, the unsatisfactory levels of yeast, mold and S. aureus in tested samples were induced by vendor’s violation of food safety practices. Consequently, the current proposes to improve the legislation needs to provide safe food for the end consumer

DESIGN OF PORTABLE HUMIDITY CONTROL CHAMBER

The title of this Final Year project is 'The Design of Humidity Control Chamber'. This system is created initially to provide a proper environment for the sensor to work; the idea has been expanded so that it can be used as a humidity control chamber. By providing different levels ofhumidity, user will get to choose and set the required humidity level in the range from 0 to 99%RH. To offer these useful functions, the system has been built as a combination of a water bubbler system, test chamber, valve system, and proper tubing; all are controlled by a pre-programmed PIC microcontroller. A standard relative humidity sensor is located inside the chamber to provide inputs to the PIC. Current percentage of relative humidity and temperature will be displayed by LCD Display connected to the PIC. An electronic keypad will be connected as the interface for users to key in inputs. The test system is then to be connected to dry air supply to start functioning as needed. The project has been started with literature reviews on the basic concept of humidity, the importance and current market trend, with sets of experiments done to strengthen the fundamentals during Final Year Project 1. During the second semester, the focus is more on the compact, portable and practical design of the system. The controller circuit is then constructed and connected to the mechanical parts so that the whole system can work automatically the moment an input from used is received

Mortality from gastrointestinal congenital anomalies at 264 hospitals in 74 low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries: a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study

Summary Background Congenital anomalies are the fifth leading cause of mortality in children younger than 5 years globally. Many gastrointestinal congenital anomalies are fatal without timely access to neonatal surgical care, but few studies have been done on these conditions in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We compared outcomes of the seven most common gastrointestinal congenital anomalies in low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries globally, and identified factors associated with mortality. Methods We did a multicentre, international prospective cohort study of patients younger than 16 years, presenting to hospital for the first time with oesophageal atresia, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, intestinal atresia, gastroschisis, exomphalos, anorectal malformation, and Hirschsprung’s disease. Recruitment was of consecutive patients for a minimum of 1 month between October, 2018, and April, 2019. We collected data on patient demographics, clinical status, interventions, and outcomes using the REDCap platform. Patients were followed up for 30 days after primary intervention, or 30 days after admission if they did not receive an intervention. The primary outcome was all-cause, in-hospital mortality for all conditions combined and each condition individually, stratified by country income status. We did a complete case analysis. Findings We included 3849 patients with 3975 study conditions (560 with oesophageal atresia, 448 with congenital diaphragmatic hernia, 681 with intestinal atresia, 453 with gastroschisis, 325 with exomphalos, 991 with anorectal malformation, and 517 with Hirschsprung’s disease) from 264 hospitals (89 in high-income countries, 166 in middleincome countries, and nine in low-income countries) in 74 countries. Of the 3849 patients, 2231 (58·0%) were male. Median gestational age at birth was 38 weeks (IQR 36–39) and median bodyweight at presentation was 2·8 kg (2·3–3·3). Mortality among all patients was 37 (39·8%) of 93 in low-income countries, 583 (20·4%) of 2860 in middle-income countries, and 50 (5·6%) of 896 in high-income countries (p<0·0001 between all country income groups). Gastroschisis had the greatest difference in mortality between country income strata (nine [90·0%] of ten in lowincome countries, 97 [31·9%] of 304 in middle-income countries, and two [1·4%] of 139 in high-income countries; p≤0·0001 between all country income groups). Factors significantly associated with higher mortality for all patients combined included country income status (low-income vs high-income countries, risk ratio 2·78 [95% CI 1·88–4·11], p<0·0001; middle-income vs high-income countries, 2·11 [1·59–2·79], p<0·0001), sepsis at presentation (1·20 [1·04–1·40], p=0·016), higher American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score at primary intervention (ASA 4–5 vs ASA 1–2, 1·82 [1·40–2·35], p<0·0001; ASA 3 vs ASA 1–2, 1·58, [1·30–1·92], p<0·0001]), surgical safety checklist not used (1·39 [1·02–1·90], p=0·035), and ventilation or parenteral nutrition unavailable when needed (ventilation 1·96, [1·41–2·71], p=0·0001; parenteral nutrition 1·35, [1·05–1·74], p=0·018). Administration of parenteral nutrition (0·61, [0·47–0·79], p=0·0002) and use of a peripherally inserted central catheter (0·65 [0·50–0·86], p=0·0024) or percutaneous central line (0·69 [0·48–1·00], p=0·049) were associated with lower mortality. Interpretation Unacceptable differences in mortality exist for gastrointestinal congenital anomalies between lowincome, middle-income, and high-income countries. Improving access to quality neonatal surgical care in LMICs will be vital to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 of ending preventable deaths in neonates and children younger than 5 years by 2030

Patients’ own perception and knowledge of periodontitis : A pilot study

Syfte: Syftet med studien var att undersöka patienters kunskap om parodontala sjukdomarnas prevalens, etiologi och behandling samt om patienterna är medvetna om sina egna parodontala tillstånd, och hur väl deras uppfattning överensstämmer med professionens bedömning. Material och metod: Totalt inkluderades 72 patienter som kom för basundersökning på Tandvårdshögskolan. Patienterna fyllde i enkäter med frågor om parodontala sjukdomars prevalens, etiologi och behandling samt om deras egna uppfattning om sin munhälsa i relation till deras parodontal sjukdom. På motsvarade sätt fyllde de undersökande tandläkarna (professionen) i enkäter om patienternas munhälsa i relation till patienternas parodontal sjukdom. Enkätsvaren sammanställdes och analyserades i syfte att studera patienternas kunskap om parodontit samt deras överensstämmelse med professionen. Resultat: Uttalade kunskapsbrister fanns bland både sjuka och friska patienter gällande parodontala sjukdomars prevalens, etiologi och behandling. Det var enbart en tredjedel av de parodontalt sjuka patienterna som var medvetna om sin sjukdom. Patienter som var medvetna om sin parodontit verkade visa även bättre medvetenhet gällande sin munhygien, risk att förlora tänder samt behandlingskrav i jämförelse med de som inte var medvetna om sin parodontit. Slutsats: Det finns ingen större skillnad mellan friska och sjuka gällande kunskap om parodontala sjukdomar. De parodontalt sjuka patienternas medvetenhet om sin sjukdom var överlag bristfällig. Patienter som inte är medvetna om sin parodontit verkar ha sämre förståelse för sin munhygien, sin risk att förlora tänder samt sitt behandlingsbehov. Framtida forskning är nödvändig för att få ett mer tillförlitligt och representativt resultat.Aim: The purpose of this study was to examine patients´ knowledge about prevalence, etiology and treatment of periodontal diseases. Another aim was to examine whether the patients were aware of their periodontitis, and how well the patients´ and dentists´ perception of the patients´ periodontitis occurred. Material and method: A total of 72 patients who came for a clinical examination at Tandvårdshögskolan were included. The patients answered questionnaires about prevalence, etiology and treatment of periodontal diseases as well as their own oral health in relation to periodontitis. Similarly, the examining dentists (the profession) answered questions about the patients´ oral health in relation to periodontitis. The data was compiled and analyzed. Results: Severe knowledge deficits among both healthy patients and patients with periodontitis were found regarding prevalence, etiology and treatment of periodontal diseases. Only one third of the patients with periodontitis were aware of their disease. Those patients also seem to show better awareness regarding their oral hygiene, risk for tooth loss and treatment need compared to patients not aware of their periodontitis. Conclusion: There is no major differences in knowledge regarding periodontal diseases between healthy patients and patients with periodontitis. Patients with periodontitis had a poor awareness of their own disease. Patients not aware of their periodontitis seem to have more severe knowledge deficits regarding their oral hygiene, risk of tooth loss and treatment need. However, future research is necessary to obtain more reliable and representative results

Patients’ own perception and knowledge of periodontitis : A pilot study

Syfte: Syftet med studien var att undersöka patienters kunskap om parodontala sjukdomarnas prevalens, etiologi och behandling samt om patienterna är medvetna om sina egna parodontala tillstånd, och hur väl deras uppfattning överensstämmer med professionens bedömning. Material och metod: Totalt inkluderades 72 patienter som kom för basundersökning på Tandvårdshögskolan. Patienterna fyllde i enkäter med frågor om parodontala sjukdomars prevalens, etiologi och behandling samt om deras egna uppfattning om sin munhälsa i relation till deras parodontal sjukdom. På motsvarade sätt fyllde de undersökande tandläkarna (professionen) i enkäter om patienternas munhälsa i relation till patienternas parodontal sjukdom. Enkätsvaren sammanställdes och analyserades i syfte att studera patienternas kunskap om parodontit samt deras överensstämmelse med professionen. Resultat: Uttalade kunskapsbrister fanns bland både sjuka och friska patienter gällande parodontala sjukdomars prevalens, etiologi och behandling. Det var enbart en tredjedel av de parodontalt sjuka patienterna som var medvetna om sin sjukdom. Patienter som var medvetna om sin parodontit verkade visa även bättre medvetenhet gällande sin munhygien, risk att förlora tänder samt behandlingskrav i jämförelse med de som inte var medvetna om sin parodontit. Slutsats: Det finns ingen större skillnad mellan friska och sjuka gällande kunskap om parodontala sjukdomar. De parodontalt sjuka patienternas medvetenhet om sin sjukdom var överlag bristfällig. Patienter som inte är medvetna om sin parodontit verkar ha sämre förståelse för sin munhygien, sin risk att förlora tänder samt sitt behandlingsbehov. Framtida forskning är nödvändig för att få ett mer tillförlitligt och representativt resultat.Aim: The purpose of this study was to examine patients´ knowledge about prevalence, etiology and treatment of periodontal diseases. Another aim was to examine whether the patients were aware of their periodontitis, and how well the patients´ and dentists´ perception of the patients´ periodontitis occurred. Material and method: A total of 72 patients who came for a clinical examination at Tandvårdshögskolan were included. The patients answered questionnaires about prevalence, etiology and treatment of periodontal diseases as well as their own oral health in relation to periodontitis. Similarly, the examining dentists (the profession) answered questions about the patients´ oral health in relation to periodontitis. The data was compiled and analyzed. Results: Severe knowledge deficits among both healthy patients and patients with periodontitis were found regarding prevalence, etiology and treatment of periodontal diseases. Only one third of the patients with periodontitis were aware of their disease. Those patients also seem to show better awareness regarding their oral hygiene, risk for tooth loss and treatment need compared to patients not aware of their periodontitis. Conclusion: There is no major differences in knowledge regarding periodontal diseases between healthy patients and patients with periodontitis. Patients with periodontitis had a poor awareness of their own disease. Patients not aware of their periodontitis seem to have more severe knowledge deficits regarding their oral hygiene, risk of tooth loss and treatment need. However, future research is necessary to obtain more reliable and representative results

Design and Performance Analysis of Misalignment Tolerant Charging Coils for Wireless Electric Vehicle Charging Systems

In order to design a high efficiency Wireless Electric Vehicle Charging (WEVC) system, the design of the different system components needs to be optimized, particularly the design of a high-coupling, misalignment-tolerant inductive link (IL), comprising primary and secondary charging coils. Different coil geometries can be utilized for the primary and the secondary sides, each with a set of advantages and drawbacks in terms of weight, cost, coupling at perfect alignment and coupling at lateral misalignments. In this work, a Finite Element Method (FEM)-based systematic approach for the design of double-D (DD) charging coils is presented in detail. In particular, this paper studies the effect of different coil parameters, namely the number of turns and the turn-to-turn spacing, on the coupling performance of the IL at perfect alignment and at ±200 mm lateral misalignment, given a set of space constraints. The proposed design is verified by an experimental prototype to validate the accuracy of the FEM model and the simulation results. Accordingly, FEM simulations are utilized to compare the performance of rectangular, DD and DDQ coils. The FEM results prove the importance of utilizing an additional quadrature coil on the secondary side, despite the added weight and cost, to further improve the misalignment tolerance of the proposed inductive link design

Evaluation of 2-Thioxoimadazolidin-4-one Derivatives as Potent Anti-Cancer Agents through Apoptosis Induction and Antioxidant Activation: In Vitro and In Vivo Approaches

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most widespread malignancies and is reported as the fourth most prevalent cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the probable mechanistic cytotoxic effect of the promising 2-thioxoimidazolidin-4-one derivative on liver cancer cells using in vitro and in vivo approaches. The compounds were tested for the in vitro cytotoxic activity using MTT assay, and the promising compound was tested in colony forming unit assay, flow cytometric analysis, RT-PCR, Western blotting, in vivo using SEC-carcinoma and in silico to highlight the virtual mechanism of action. Both compounds 4 and 2 performed cytotoxic effects against HepG2 cells with IC50 values of 0.017 and 0.18 μM, respectively, compared to Staurosporine and 5-Fu as reference drugs with IC50 values of 5.07 and 5.18 µM, respectively. Compound 4 treatment revealed apoptosis induction by 19.35-fold (11.42% compared to 0.59% in control), arresting the cell cycle at G2/M phase. Moreover, studying gene expression that plays critical roles in cell cycle and apoptosis by RT-PCR demonstrated that compound 4 enhances the expression of the pro-apoptotic genes p53, PUMA, and Caspase 3, 8, and 9, and impedes the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 gene in the HepG2 cells. It can also inhibit the PI3K/AKT pathway at both gene and protein levels, which was reinforced by the in silico predictions of the molecular docking simulations towards the PI3K/AKT proteins. Finally, in vivo study verified that compound 4 has a promising anti-cancer activity through activating antioxidant levels (CAT, SOD and GSH) and ameliorating hematological, biochemical, and histopathological findings