The use of Bioceramics as root-end filling materials in periradicular surgery: a literature review

Introduction: Periradicular surgery involves the placement of a root-end filling following root-end resection, to provide an apical seal to the root canal system. Historically several materials have been used in order to achieve this seal. Recently a class of materials known as Bioceramics have been adopted. The aim of this article is to provide a review of the outcomes of periradicular surgery when Bioceramic root-end filling materials are used on human permanent teeth in comparison to “traditional” materials. Methods & results: An electronic literature search was performed in the databases of Web of Science, PubMed and Google Scholar, between 2006 and 2017, to collect clinical studies where Bioceramic materials were utilised as retrograde filling materials, and to compare such materials with traditional materials. In this search, 1 systematic review and 14 clinical studies were identified. Of these, 8 reported the success rates of retrograde Bioceramics, and 6 compared treatment outcomes of mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) and traditional cements when used as root-end filling materials. Conclusion: Bioceramic root-end filling materials are shown to have success rates of 86.4–95.6% (over 1–5 years). Bioceramics has significantly higher success rates than amalgam, but they were statistically similar to intermediate restorative material (IRM) and Super ethoxybenzoic acid (Super EBA) when used as retrograde filling materials in apical surgery. However, it seems that the high success rates were not solely attributable to the type of the root-end filling materials. The surgical/microsurgical techniques and tooth prognostic factors may significantly affect treatment outcome

Speaking and Silence as Means of Resistance in Alifa Rifaat\u27s \u3cem\u3eDistant View of a Minaret\u3c/em\u3e and \u3cem\u3eBahiyya\u27s Eyes\u3c/em\u3e

This study aims at investigating the dilemma of creating a counter discourse that speaks against the dominant androcentric one in Alifa Rifaat’s fiction. The study explores the characterization of the protagonists of two short stories: “Distant View of a Minaret” and “Bahiyya’s Eyes,” culled from Rifaat’s collection Distant View of a Minaret and Other Short Stories (1983). These stories present two different paradigms of resistance that the female protagonists use, which are speaking and silence. The study argues that both speaking and silence are attempts to heal women’s cyclic trauma, as they are means of representing women’s experience and oppression over time. The protagonists’ response to the hegemonic discourse in the two stories is carnivalesque because the use of language (or its absence) aims at deconstructing the phallogocentric discourse and establishing a new one. Accordingly, Rifaat uses two narrative points of view in each story to express the protagonists’ new discourses. Speaking and silence, thus, are not to be judged according to the symbolic discourse of men; instead they are placed in the purview of the Discourse of the Hysteric, which is regarded as an arena of resistance for women

The influence of user participation attributes on e-government implementation success in developing countries: a study of Uganda

This paper examined the influence of user participation attributes on e-government implementation success in Uganda. The quantitative data were collected through a survey of 277 employees from three Ministries (ICT, Finance and Works) in Uganda and was analysed using PLS-SEM aided by Smart PLS3. Using Stakeholder theory as a primary theory for addressing user participation who are key stakeholders and UTAUT to capture the technology usage of egovernment users. Findings revealed that user participation attributes have a significant positive influence on e-government implementation success in Ugandan context. Findings from the Smart PLS assessment measurement model portended that user participation attributes have a statistical positive relationship on e-government implementation success in Uganda. Therefore, policy makers, managers, Information System developers, electronic service providers, and egovernment implementers should consider involving end-users in active e-government implementation process. This ensures accountability, transparency, trust in electronic-services and online-information from the central government to the users, among other benefits. These findings contribute to sparse literature of user participation in e-government implementation success in developing nations hence providing empirical foundation for future academia. More so, all stakeholders of e- government implementation work towards curbing the factors affecting and hindering end-users from active participation in e-government implementation in Uganda

E-logistic Practices and Health Care Supply Chain Management for Public Referral Hospitals in Uganda

This paper examined e-logistic practices and health care supply chain management in the context of Ugandan public referral hospitals. The prime objective was to examine the relationship between e-logistics operations and performance of health care supply chain management. A quantitative research approach was utilized to gather data from public referral hospitals respondents using structured survey questionnaires.  For data analysis, descriptive statistics and Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modelling were utilised, aided by SmartPLS 3. Findings showed a positive significant relationship between e-logistics operations and performance of health care supply chain management in the context of Ugandan public referral hospitals. This study implies that the key e-logistics operations in relation to the performance of health care supply chain management, are central management of drugs, the correct order picking of drugs given to the right patients for quality control, and presence of an electronic system to update stock daily. Additionally, the findings designated that, e-logistics operations are related to the performance of health care supply chain management in terms of ICTs tracking systems and data transparency. The practical implication to the health sector- stakeholders, is to consider ICT-tracking systems and data transparency for e-logistics operations and performance of health care supply chain management

Optimized Algorithm for Face Detection Integrating Different Illuminating Conditions

Face detection is a significant research topic to contrive identity for many automated systems. We present a novel face detection algorithm to detect a single face in an image sequence in the real-time environment by finding structural features. The proposed method allows the user to detect the face in case the lighting conditions, pose, and viewpoint vary. The proposed algorithm combines two segmentation approaches. The first approach is a Pixel-based approach by using the components Y, Cb, and Cr in YCbCr color model as threshold conditions to segment the image into luminance and chrominance components. Based on the components of YCbCr color model, the pixel can be classified to have skin tone if it's value is between two specific thresholds. The second approach is an Edgebased approach by using Roberts cross operator. It approximates the magnitude of the gradient of the test image. It also separates the integrated regions into the face and highlights these regions of high spatial gradients which correspond to the edges of the face. The new algorithm achieves high detection rate and low false positive rate

Role of serum procalcitonin level in early diagnosis of bacterial pneumonia in children, a hospital based study

Background: Procalcitonin (PCT) is a precursor of hormone calcitonin. It is composed of 116 amino acids and is produced by para follicular C cells of the thyroid and by neuroendocrine cells of lungs and intestine. The level of Procalcitonin in healthy individuals is below the limit of detection (0.01µg/L).These levels may rise from extra thyroid tissues especially in response to inflammatory stimulus of bacterial origin. PCT has the greatest sensitivity and Specificity for differentiating patients with sepsis from those with systemic inflammatory response syndrome. And the objective of the study is to discuss the method for early diagnosis and use of antibiotic therapy in patients of bacterial pneumonia.Methods: A hospital based study was conducted in our hospital from January 2015 to June 2015. Eighty six children with severe pneumonia were enrolled from Department of Paediatrics and were divided into two groups according to bacteriological detection; bacterial pneumonia group consisting of 44 children patients and non-bacterial pneumonia group of 42 children patients. Meanwhile, 45 healthy children were also enrolled and grouped into normal control group. Chest X-ray and Peripheral venous blood of all children was collected to detect complete blood count, CRP and procalcitonin (PCT).Results: Serum PCT level of patients with bacterial pneumonia was significantly higher than that in the non-bacterial pneumonia patients and normal controls ; serum PCT level of patients with bacterial pneumonia, before and after treatment had statistical significance ; Serum PCT level of patients with non-bacterial pneumonia had no statistical significance before and after treatment .Conclusions: Serum PCT is an important biomarker for prompt diagnosis of bacterial infection and a sensitive indicator to distinguish bacterial from non-bacterial pneumonia. Evaluating serum PCT levels helps in early use of antibiotic therapy and prognosis of underlying disease.

Assessment the Effect of Some Reagents on the Planktonic Cells and Biofilms of Red Complex Periodontal Pathogens

The current study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of four regents; two naturals, olibanum and alum, and two standards, ciprofloxacin (CIP) and chlorhexidine (CHX) to affect the growth and biofilm of three types of periodontal pathogens, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Treponema denticola, and Tannerella forsythia, "the red complex group". Clinical isolates of the red complex pathogens were isolated from chronic periodontitis. They were identified by phenotypic properties and molecular method. The inhibitory activity of the four reagents was tested by microdilution method. Minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) on the bacterial plankton and minimal biofilm inhibitory concentration (MBIC) on biofilm of the four reagents in a single and combinational use was determined on mono- and polymicrobial populations. Simple linear regression modeling was used to explore the effect of each reagent and determine MICs and MBICs. All reagents showed inhibition activity against the growth of mono- and polymicrobial planktonic population. MIC values on polymicrobial growth were higher than on monomicrobial growth and MBICs were much higher. All reagents had antibacterial activity on a monomicrobial biofilm with greater significant effect on T. denticola then T. forsythia and P. gingivalis. On polymicrobial biofilm, just olibanum continued showing its effect whilst CHX was less effect and both alum and CIP had no effect. Combinational use with Olibanum encouraged the effect of other regents on polymicrobial biofilm. This combination is a promising medicated preparation to combat the subgingival plaque of red complex pathogens

A study on assessment of knowledge, attitude and practice of premenstrual syndrome among female in urban area

Background: Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a significant clinical disorder affecting a substantial percentage of women. This study aims to investigate the existence, knowledge, and attitude of female students towards PMS. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted, with 250 female participants between the ages of 18 to 30 years. The participants completed a self-reporting menstrual distress questionnaire (MDQ) and a standardized health questionnaire to assess the prevalence and severity of premenstrual symptoms and also to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice of PMS for subjective perceptions of health, stress, lifestyle, and demographic variables. The questionnaire was set in four parts, one each to assess the knowledge, the attitude, and practices regarding PMS and one to assess the gap between self-perceived PMS and actual PMS. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics. Results: The results revealed that 80% of the participants reported experiencing PMS, but only 48% met the criteria defined by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). The most common symptoms reported were irritability, mood swings, headache, fatigue, and menstrual cramps. PMS had a significant impact on participants’ normal life, with 60.4% reporting disturbances in their routine. While 51.2% believed that PMS/menstrual leave should be an option at universities, only 39.2% supported the idea at the workplace. Conclusions: Surprisingly, over 60% of participants did nothing to relieve their PMS symptoms. So, there is a significant impact of PMS in the lives of urban women and it is also a common problem all over the globe. The study underscores the need for increased awareness and education about PMS and its management, as well as the importance of promoting a stress-free environment to mitigate its impact on women’s quality of life