The Prevalence of Aflatoxinogenic Aspergillus parasiticus in Jordan

Aflatoxins are potent carcinogens and produced by almost all Aspergillus parasiticus isolates and about 35% of Aspergillus flavus isolates. Chemical methods are used for detection of aflatoxins in food and feed. These methods cannot detect aflatoxinogenic fungi in samples, which contain undetectable amounts of aflatoxins. The objective of this research work was to ascertain the importance of molecular and microbiological methods in detection of aflatoxinogenic fungus A. parasiticus in food and feed samples in Jordan. Specific media for the detection of aflatoxins showed the prevalence of A. parasiticus (6–22%) in contaminated food and feed samples. HPLC method confirmed the presence of aflatoxins B1, B2, G1, and G2 in food sample contaminated with A. parasiticus. Primer set OmtBII-F and OmtBII-R amplified DNA fragment of 611 base pairs from genomic DNA of aflatoxinogenic A. parasiticus isolated from food and feed samples but could not amplify DNA fragment of nonaflatoxinogenic A. flavus. The results of this study showed the prevalence of aflatoxinogenic A. parasiticus in food and feed samples in Jordan and give further evidence of suitability of microbiological and molecular methods in detection of aflatoxins, which are reliable low-cost approach to determine food and feed biosafety

Contemporary Endodontic Sealers

Endodontic treatment over goes multiple phases to ensure long term successful outcome. Starting with an accurate diagnosis and treatment planning, through proper debridement and disinfection of the root canal system. Finally maintaining a sterile environment of the pulpal space, by filing its root’s with an inert biocompatible material and securing it with a final restoration, a process known as obturation. Accordingly, quality of the seal was shown to be an influencing factor in the long term success of an endodontic treatment, as root canal obturation act as a barrier isolating both periapical tissue and radicular space from ingress of microbial contaminant, and promotes healing as it entombs any remaining pulpal or microbial irritants. (1)(2) Traditionally, root canal obturation consist of a core material most typically gutta-percha (GP), and some sort of an endodontic sealant to produce a homogenous filling. (3) These Sealers play a major role in obturation by overcoming the physical limitation of the core material, they help to seal minor anomalies, accessory canals and foramina, and fill any voids between root canal walls and core material. (4)  Sealers also facilitate placement of core material. (5)(6) While the broader objective of these sealers is to ban microbial ingress, some sort of micro leakage does occur in almost all types of sealant used. (7) Apart from antimicrobial activities, ideal properties desired in an endodontic sealer were outlined by Grossman. These sealers must be biocompatible or at least non-toxic, insoluble in tissue fluids but dissolve in retreatment solvent, and must display excellent sealing ability. Other include; appropriate adhesion to dentinal walls, bacteriostatic, dimensionally stable, provide adequate working time, radiopaque, and must not stain the tooth. (8) Unfortunately, no available sealer displays all of these properties yet. (9) In light of this, selection of any type of an endodontic sealer could therefore affect treatment outcome. (10-13) Root canal sealers are available in various quantities and have been grouped in a number of arrangement according to either their chemical composition, usage, or tissue absorbance (14) This paper will touch upon conventional ones and will attempt to introduce contemporary and new ones

Data Mining Techniques with Electronic Customer Relationship Management for Telecommunication Company

Organizations must improve decisional quality, and the continuous usage of data mining techniques is a crucial issue for management. This issue mostly involves an individual's motivation to engage in the behavior. This could perhaps be characterized in terms of the working regimen. technology utilization and employee activity are the two main difficulties that this dilemma revolves around. This study aims to address the aspect associated with data mining and E-CRM in the telecom industry. The methods that are used in the current study,  analysis studies of the data mining techniques are applied to E-CRM that has been identified. Moreover, PHP with the update of the DeLone and McLean methods has been used in the current study. The results show the significance in affecting the continuance used intention of data mining techniques. User satisfaction, technology, and data mining are critical predictors of employment intentions

Brain Stroke Prediction Model Based SMOTE and Machine Learning Algorithms

A brain stroke is a critical medical emergency condition that causes disability and death. The pre-diagnosis of this case can reduce the complications and problems that affect the brain as a result of being affected by the complications that occur during the injury. This study lists an analysis process on a brain stroke dataset using the KNIME tool, which provides a set of different machine learning components such as random forest, Decision Tree Learner, Gradient Boosted Trees Learner, and Logistic Regression algorithms. The problem of imbalanced data will be handled as part of data preprocessing. The factors that affect the brain stroke will be explored based on feature selection approaches such as forward feature selection, backward feature elimination, genetic algorithms, and random. The aim is to build a model that helps doctors diagnose the disease accurately based on the results we obtained from the study and analysis. The results showed that logistic regression outperformed the other algorithms after applying the algorithm with forward feature selection and backward feature elimination

The level of stress experienced by Hamad Medical Corporation Paramedics before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: Paramedics are at risk of burnout which represents a concern for the healthcare system and public health 1 . In Italy, about 20% of health practitioners were infected, and some died during their work fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic 2 , but little is known regarding paramedics. This study assessed the level of stress associated with the work of Hamad Medical Corporation Ambulance Service (HMCAS) paramedics in Qatar before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: An online survey combining validated tools including the Workplace Stress Scale 3 , with additional questions, was sent to all HMCAS frontline staff (n = 1,100) between January and May 2021 with text message reminders. The items upon which the level of stress of paramedics was determined before and during the pandemic are presented in Table 1. The level of stress was determined based on the responses to 9 questions. Results: 274 valid responses were received. The level of stress was then split into five categories, from low to dangerous. Based on the paramedics’ responses, their reported level of stress was in the moderate range before the pandemic and reached the severe level during the pandemic (Table 2). Conclusion: The reported level of stress among HMCAS paramedics was significantly higher during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to prior levels of stress. This can probably be explained by the very nature of their profession as frontline clinicians responding to emergency calls and being potentially exposed to the viral infection. Strategies need to be put in place to effectively mitigate the effects of increased stress levels experienced, so that paramedics remain safe and able to provide effective medical care rather than succumb to mental and physical illness related to stress

Impact of ethnicity on Paramedic perceived work-related stress and coping strategies adopted before and during the COVID-19 pandemic

Background: People respond to stressful situations differently based on their ethnicity. 1 This study explored the impact of ethnicity on coping strategies used to deal with work-related stress among Hamad Medical Corporation Ambulance Service (HMCAS) paramedics in Qatar before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is based on the associated work conducted by the same team. 2,3 Methods: An online survey combining validated tools with additional demographic questions was sent to all HMCAS paramedics (n = 1,100) between January and May 2021. The survey collected demographic information and data regarding the coping strategies they used before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: 274 valid responses were received and categorized into 5 ethnic groups. For statistical analysis purposes, only the three main groups with a sufficient number of participants could be considered; Arabian (n = 151), South Asian (n = 45), and Southeast Asian (n = 60) (Total n = 256). The other ethnic groups were represented by too few participants. Overall, stress levels were higher for all ethnicities during the pandemic compared to before (Table 1). However, stress levels were lower in the Southeast Asian subgroup before and during the pandemic as compared to South Asian and Arabian counterparts (Table 1). The usual coping strategies such as visiting the cinema, spending time with friends, and playing team sports decreased for all study subgroups during the pandemic (Table 2); likely due to restrictions imposed to control the pandemic. The practice of religious rituals as a coping strategy showed a significant decrease in the South Asian and Southeast Asian subgroups during the pandemic. Although not statistically significant, subgroup Arabian staff have reported smoking more cigarettes or shisha as a coping strategy during the pandemic and consumed more alcohol or recreational drugs than the other two groups. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that ethnicity has impacted the perceived work-related stress. Further, the coping strategies among the various ethnic groups also differed. Additional studies with larger sample sizes and in different settings are important to inform policy design related to work stress potentially considering staff ethnicity

Di-iron trioxide hydrate-multi-walled carbon nanotube nanocomposite for arsenic detection using surface plasmon resonance technique

We present surface plasmon resonance-based sensor for arsenite [As(III)] detection using Di-iron trioxide hydrate - multi-walled carbon nanotube (Fe 2 H 2 O 4 -MWCNT) nanocomposite as a sensing layer. The enticing traits of Fe 2 H 2 O 4 -MWCNT having high surface to volume ratio and good affinity toward arsenic have proven to enhance As(III) absorption onto the sensing surface and consequently increase the sensitivity of the sensor. When tested with different concentrations of As(III) within the range of 0.2 ppb to 1 ppb, sensitivity value was obtained at 1.756° ppb -1 with Fe 2 H 2 O 4 -MWCNT thickness of 7 nm. The detection limit was achieved at 0.2 ppb which surpassed conventional methods and reported studies on SPR-based sensor for As detection

Impact Of Bariatric Surgery on Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease: A Cross-Sectional Study

Objective: To assess the occurrence of GERD after bariatric surgery and surgery impact on GERD. Methods: This research employs a cross-sectional study design to investigate the impact of bariatric surgery on Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) among individuals who have undergone various types of bariatric surgeries. Results: The study included 302 participants. The most frequent weight among them was more than 96 kg (n= 130, 43%) followed by 76-85 kg (n= 51, 16.9%). The most frequent height among study participants was 1.61-1.70 m (n= 100, 33.1%) followed by 1.51-1.60 m (n= 99, 32.8%). The most frequent body mass index (BMI) value among study participants was more than 35 kg/m2 (n= 126, 41.7%) followed by 25-29.9 kg/m2 (n= 67, 22.2%). The most frequent age among study participants was 26-36 years (n= 104, 34.4%) followed by 15-25 years (n= 83, 27.5%). The most frequent gender among study participants was Female (n= 162, 53.6%) followed by Male (n= 140, 46.4%). Participants were asked about the type of obesity surgery. The most frequent was Gastric sleeve (n=222, 73.5%), followed by Gastric bypass (n=33, 10.9%).   Conclusion: Study results showed that most of the study participants are extremely obese according to their BMI. The most common obesity surgery type was a Gastric sleeve followed by a Gastric bypass. The most of participants were a non-smoker. Most of them had weight loss. In addition, most of the study participants had good social connection

Neuroprotective effect of ranolazine improves behavioral discrepancies in a rat model of scopolamine-induced dementia

BackgroundRanolazine (Rn), an antianginal agent, acts in the central nervous system and has been used as a potential treatment agent for pain and epileptic disorders. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is one of the most prevalent neurodegenerative diseases and the leading factor in dementia in the elderly.AimWe examined the impact of Rn on scopolamine (Sco)-induced dementia in rats.MethodsThirty-two albino male rats were divided into four groups: control, Rn, Sco, and Rn + Sco.ResultsA significant decrease in the escape latency in the Morris water maze test after pre-treatment with Rn explained better learning and memory in rats. Additionally, Rn significantly upregulated the activities of the antioxidant enzymes in the treated group compared to the Sco group but substantially reduced acetylcholinesterase activity levels in the hippocampus. Moreover, Rn dramatically reduced interleukin-1 β (IL-1β) and IL-6 and upregulated the gene expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Furthermore, in the Sco group, the hippocampal tissue’s immunohistochemical reaction of Tau and glial factor activating protein (GFAP) was significantly increased in addition to the upregulation of the Caspase-3 gene expression, which was markedly improved by pre-treatment with Rn. The majority of pyramidal neurons had large vesicular nuclei with prominent nucleoli and appeared to be more or less normal, reflecting the all-beneficial effects of Rn when the hippocampal tissue was examined under a microscope.ConclusionOur findings indicated that Rn, through its antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic effects, as well as the control of the expression of GFAP, BDNF, and Tau proteins, has a novel neuroprotective impact against scopolamine-induced dementia in rats

Climate change and human health in the Eastern Mediterranean and middle east: Literature review, research priorities and policy suggestions

Human health is linked to climatic factors in complex ways, and climate change can have profound direct and indirect impacts on the health status of any given region. Susceptibility to climate change is modulated by biological, ecological and socio-political factors such as age, gender, geographic location, socio-economic status, occupation, health status and housing conditions, among other. In the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East (EMME), climatic factors known to affect human health include extreme heat, water shortages and air pollution. Furthermore, the epidemiology of vector-borne diseases (VBDs) and the health consequences of population displacement are also influenced by climate change in this region. To inform future policies for adaptation and mitigation measures, and based on an extensive review of the available knowledge, we recommend several research priorities for the region. These include the generation of more empirical evidence on exposure-response functions involving climate change and specific health outcomes, the development of appropriate methodologies to evaluate the physical and psychological effects of climate change on vulnerable populations, determining how climate change alters the ecological determinants of human health, improving our understanding of the effects of long-term exposure to heat stress and air pollution, and evaluating the interactions between adaptation and mitigation strategies. Because national boundaries do not limit most climate-related factors expected to impact human health, we propose that adaptation/mitigation policies must have a regional scope, and therefore require collaborative efforts among EMME nations. Policy suggestions include a decisive region-wide decarbonisation, the integration of environmentally driven morbidity and mortality data throughout the region, advancing the development and widespread use of affordable technologies for the production and management of drinking water by non-traditional means, the development of comprehensive strategies to improve the health status of displaced populations, and fostering regional networks for monitoring and controlling the spread of infectious diseases and disease vectors.This project received funding from the Cyprus Institute's Core funds and from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 856612 and the Cyprus Government. All authors are members of the Task Force on Health of the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East Climate Change Initiative (EMME-CCI).Peer reviewe