Strengthening Public Institutions and Social Inclusion of Vulnerable Groups in A Developing Country - Innovation in Organizations and Artificial Intelligence Implications

Background: In the context of a developing nation, children\u27s participation in communal life is almost non-existent. The goal of the study is to contribute to national policies for local development that should prioritize the safety and well-being of the most vulnerable populations, particularly children under the age of 18. Innovating, including children in decision-making and maintaining local services in three pilot municipalities in order to prevent and combat all forms of exploitation to which they are exposed. How can Youth engagement in social and political community life be improved through better understanding of their needs and interests, and what are the artificial intelligence implications? Method: The methodology was used and designed to re-validate an existing program using pre-defined components of an agreement between the Italian and Lebanese governments. A needs study on the socio-demographic profile of youth and a situational analysis was conducted answering three objectives in the program of the Child Friendly City initiative. Results: Assuring the long-term viability and social inclusion of a significant socio-demographic group was successfully implemented: a free call center, software applications, a library, a digital network center, and the involvement of children on the municipal board of directors were established. The findings need to be adapted to various locations using artificial intelligence (AI) solutions and strategies for social awareness and behavior analysis. Conclusion: The importance of this study was underscored during the Covid-19 sanitary crisis, when some of these technologies enabled young people in impacted areas to integrate and become aware of the pandemic\u27s risk. The case was based on theories such as Gender Inequalities and Children\u27s Inclusion, Municipal Governance & Reform, Organizational Innovation (Public Sector), and Social Inclusion, and it demonstrates the value of innovating in the public sector and protecting vulnerable populations through the use of AI

2012 ACCF/AHA/ACP/AATS/PCNA/SCAI/STS guideline for the diagnosis and management of patients with stable ischemic heart disease

The recommendations listed in this document are, whenever possible, evidence based. An extensive evidence review was conducted as the document was compiled through December 2008. Repeated literature searches were performed by the guideline development staff and writing committee members as new issues were considered. New clinical trials published in peer-reviewed journals and articles through December 2011 were also reviewed and incorporated when relevant. Furthermore, because of the extended development time period for this guideline, peer review comments indicated that the sections focused on imaging technologies required additional updating, which occurred during 2011. Therefore, the evidence review for the imaging sections includes published literature through December 2011

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Attitude towards Online Shopping during Pandemics: Do Gender, Social Factors and Platform Quality Matter?

Because of the advancement of electronic commerce, online shopping has emerged, merging commercial and social activities and enhancing the social presence and value of the online environment. To improve the understanding of the changes in the consumer behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic, this study proposes a set of characteristics connected to the social side of online shopping and their influence on client purchasing attitude in addition to the quality of the platforms that are being used (service quality, system quality and information quality). For this matter, a survey of 289 Lebanese people was circulated in 2021 and a quantitative method was used to answer three research questions. Types of goods purchased and frequency of buying on-line were tested to check the presence of any gender differences, in addition to the relationship between the variables studied in the model. According to the research, social presence, social value, and tendency to compare products on different shopping platforms all have a significant correlation with the attitude towards online shopping, where the system quality was the least significant. When it comes to purchasing frequency and product types, the data gathered imply that gender disparities are considerable. This study does not consider the consumer’s living environment or whether there are any age differences between the generations shopping online

Attitude towards online shopping during pandemics: Do gender, social factors and platform quality matter?

Because of the advancement of electronic commerce, online shopping has emerged, merging commercial and social activities and enhancing the social presence and value of the online environment. To improve the understanding of the changes in the consumer behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic, this study proposes a set of characteristics connected to the social side of online shopping and their influence on client purchasing attitude in addition to the quality of the platforms that are being used (service quality, system quality and information quality). For this matter, a survey of 289 Lebanese people was circulated in 2021 and a quantitative method was used to answer three research questions. Types of goods purchased and frequency of buying on-line were tested to check the presence of any gender differences, in addition to the relationship between the variables studied in the model. According to the research, social presence, social value, and tendency to compare products on different shopping platforms all have a significant correlation with the attitude towards online shopping, where the system quality was the least significant. When it comes to purchasing frequency and product types, the data gathered imply that gender disparities are considerable. This study does not consider the consumer's living environment or whether there are any age differences between the generations shopping online

In vitro evaluation of three engineered multispecies endodontic biofilms on a dentinal disk substrate

AbstractThe aim of this study was the development of a complex multispecies endodontic biofilm using Candida albicans, Proteus mirabilis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa on a biofilm of Enterococcus faecalis in a dentinal substrate design.The endodontic pathology is a biofilm-mediated infection, and the aim of root canal therapy is to reduce, as much as possible, the bacterial population. Thus, it is important to develop a laboratory endodontic biofilm to test the effect of new irrigation and obturation techniques on reduction of bacterial count.The culture of Enterococcus faecalis from ATCC 29212 began with aerobic cultivation on blood agar, followed by transfer to Brain Heart Infusion (BHI) broth with 5% sucrose. Incubation occurred in a shaker at 37 °C for 24 h, followed by an additional 24-h static phase. After 10 d, Proteus mirabilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Candida albicans were introduced sequentially in three distinct groups. Group 1: the order of addition was Candida albicans, Proteus mirabilis, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Group 2: the order was Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida albicans, and Proteus mirabilis; and Group 3: Proteus mirabilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Candida albicans. After 16 days, the biofilm was carefully extracted, transferred to sterile BHI, and dissected using a sterile needle technique. Subsequently, an optical density test, bacterial counts, and colony enumeration were performed on various agar plates.Group 2 in which Pseudomonas aeruginosa was added directly after Enterococcus faecalis followed by Candida albicans and Proteus mirabilis showed significantly greater total bacterial count than the other two groups

In vitro evaluation of enterococcus faecalis growth in different conditions on dentinal substrate

AbstractThe aim of this study was to find the best growth conditions of Enterococcus faecalis on a dentinal substrate in order to be used for the development of a complex multispecies endodontic biofilm. Fifty two single rooted extracted human teeth and fifty two dentinal disks were mechanically prepared, sterilized, inoculated with Enterococcus faecalis and divided randomly into 8 groups where the substrate, the inoculation technique, the medium type, and the pre-treatment with collagen type I was varied. Bacterial count was evaluated and colonies were counted and confirmed by colony morphology observation on blood agar and Gram staining at 3,7, 14, 21, and 28 days. On day 14 of the culture, the bacterial count showed the highest values in all groups. Root canals and Type 1 collagen pre-treatment and glucose proved to have significant positive effects on the bacterial count compared to dentinal disks and BHI media only. The increase in bacterial count found with the direct inoculation technique was not significantly different from that of the indirect technique

Gastroesophageal reflux disease and asthma exacerbation: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GORD) is highly prevalent and often coexists with asthma exacerbation. Divergent findings about the association between the two diseases were reported. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine whether there exists an association between GORD and asthma. Methods: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and other databases and then performed a manual search, to identify eligible studies. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using fixed- and random-effect models. We evaluated the quality of included studies, explored heterogeneity between studies, undertook subgroup analyses, assessed publication bias, and performed sensitivity analyses. Results: We identified 32 eligible studies, conducted in 14 countries and including a total of 1,612,361 patients of all ages. Overall, GORD shows a weak association with asthma exacerbation (OR = 1.27; 95% CI 1.18–1.35). This association was observed in cohort, case-control, and cross-sectional designs and in European as well as non-European populations. Subgroup analyses show that GORD is associated with frequent asthma exacerbations (≥3 exacerbations, OR = 1.59; 95% CI 1.13–2.24) and with exacerbations needing oral corticosteroid therapy (OR = 1.24; 95% CI 1.09–1.41). GORD pediatric patients are at higher odds of asthma exacerbation than adults. We did not detect any evidence of publication bias and the association between GORD and asthma exacerbation held in all undertaken sensitivity analyses. Conclusions: Gastroesophageal reflux disease and asthma exacerbation are weakly associatedBT's work is funded by a Grant from the Regional Ministry of Education, Universities, and Vocational Training, Santiago de Compostela, Spain, ED431C 2018/20.S

Spirulina (<i>Arthrospira platensis</i>) Improved Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Characteristics and Microbiota and Did Not Affect Organ Fibrosis Induced by a Fructose-Enriched Diet in Wistar Male Rats

Spirulina (Arthrospira platensis) is reported to play a role in improving nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and intestinal microbiota (IM). To study spirulina’s effects in the improvement of NAFLD characteristics, IM, and pancreatic–renal lesions induced by a fructose-enriched diet, 40 Wistar healthy male rats, weighing 200–250 g, were randomly divided into four groups of 10, and each rat per group was assigned a diet of equal quantities (20 g/day) for 18 weeks. The first control group (CT) was fed a standardized diet, the second group received a 40% fructose-enriched diet (HFr), and the third (HFr-S5) and fourth groups (HFr-S10) were assigned the same diet composition as the second group but enriched with 5% and 10% spirulina, respectively. At week 18, the HFr-S10 group maintained its level of serum triglycerides and had the lowest liver fat between the groups. At the phylae and family level, and for the same period, the HFr-S10 group had the lowest increase in the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio and the Ruminococcaceae and the highest fecal alpha diversity compared to all other groups (p < 0.05). These findings suggest that at a 10% concentration, spirulina could be used in nutritional intervention to improve IM, fatty liver, metabolic, and inflammatory parameters associated with NAFLD