Genotoxic evaluation of locally produced dental porcelain using the ames salmonella and comet assays [RK1-715].

Porselin merupakan bahan sintetik gantian yang kelihatan paling asli yang digunakan untuk pemulihan gigi, dan ia mempunyai tempat yang istimewa dalam bidang pergigian kerana ia memberikan hasil yang cantik dari sudut estetik. Porcelain is the most natural-appearing synthetic replacement dental restorative material, holding a special place in dentistry because of its most aesthetically pleasing result

A Simple Method of Obtaining Spherical Nanosilica from Rice Husk

This paper describes the synthesis of nanosilica from rice husk. Synthesis was done by precipitation using different acids, namely, orthophosphoric acid and nitric acid which yielded nanosilica. The effect of different acids and different solvents (polar and non-polar) on the size and degree of agglomeration of the silica particles were studied. When precipitation was done without the use of solvents, the silica particles  obtained were non-spherical in shape, whereas, when precipitation was done using polar solvents (ethanol or 2-propanol), the silica particles were spherical. The use of non-polar solvents (toluene and diethyl ether) resulted in silica particles that were irregular in shape and in the case of orthophosphoric acid, a high degree of agglomeration was also noted. The degree of agglomeration was less when orthophosphoric acid was used with polar solvents as compared to nitric acid in conjunction with polar solvents. As regards the size, it ranged from approximately 70nm to 400nm when either acid was used in conjunction with polar solvents. When non-polar solvents were used, the silica particles were irregular in shape and the particle size was not estimated

Effect of Erythropoietin on Haematological Parameters in Chronic Renal Failure Patients Undergoing Dialysis in Malaysia

Background: The worldwide rise in the number of patients with chronic renal failure (CRF). Chronic Renal Failure is a major health problem resulting in considerable increase in mortality and morbidity, decreased quality of life and heavy cost of therapies. . Objective: This study aims to evaluate the haematological parameters and iron status during monitoring of Chronic Renal Failure patients and to study the effects of subcutaneously and intravenously administered erythropoietin (EPO) in treating anaemia in Chronic Renal Failure patients. Methods: A retrospective record review study was conducted among the CRF patients treated at Hospital Pulau Pinang between 2005 and 2009. A total of 45 patients were randomly selected by using simple random sampling. The parameters were taken one to two weeks prior to EPO treatment and at 1 month and 3 months after EPO therapy was started. Data analyses were performed by using paired t test and independent t test via SPSS Version. 18.0.0. Results: After one month post-EPO, there was a significant difference of mean serum iron between continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) and haemodialysis groups where the mean value of serum iron was higher in CAPD group. After three months post-EPO, there were significant differences of mean white blood cells and serum iron between the two groups. Conclusions: Chronic renal failure patients undergoing dialysis responded to EPO treatment and subcutaneous EPO administration appeared to give more favourable results compared to intravenous EPO.The authors of this study wish to thank the Ministry of Health, Malaysia, for thier giving us perminssion to conduct in this study and health staff of the Hospital Pulau Pinang, for their assistance during this study period. We would like to send our deepest thanks to all the partcipants who partcipated in this study

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus endemicity in United Arab Emirates, 2019

© 2020 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). All rights reserved. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) in dromedary camels and attached ticks at 3 locations in the United Arab Emirates. Results revealed a high prevalence of CCHFV-reactive antibodies in camels and viral RNA in ticks and camel serum, suggesting the virus is endemic in this country

Construction of copy number variation landscape and characterization of associated genes in a Bangladeshi cohort of neurodevelopmental disorders

Introduction: Copy number variations (CNVs) play a critical role in the pathogenesis of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) among children. In this study, we aim to identify clinically relevant CNVs, genes and their phenotypic characteristics in an ethnically underrepresented homogenous population of Bangladesh. Methods: We have conducted chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) for 212 NDD patients with male to female ratio of 2.2:1.0 to identify rare CNVs. To identify candidate genes within the rare CNVs, gene constraint metrics [i.e., “Critical-Exon Genes (CEGs)”] were applied to the population data. Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-Second Edition (ADOS-2) was followed in a subset of 95 NDD patients to assess the severity of autism and all statistical tests were performed using the R package. Results: Of all the samples assayed, 12.26% (26/212) and 57.08% (121/212) patients carried pathogenic and variant of uncertain significance (VOUS) CNVs, respectively. While 2.83% (6/212) patients’ pathogenic CNVs were found to be located in the subtelomeric regions. Further burden test identified females are significant carriers of pathogenic CNVs compared to males (OR = 4.2; p = 0.0007). We have observed an increased number of Loss of heterozygosity (LOH) within cases with 23.85% (26/109) consanguineous parents. Our analyses on imprinting genes show, 36 LOH variants disrupting 69 unique imprinted genes and classified these variants as VOUS. ADOS-2 subset shows severe social communication deficit (p = 0.014) and overall ASD symptoms severity (p = 0.026) among the patients carrying duplication CNV compared to the CNV negative group. Candidate gene analysis identified 153 unique CEGs in pathogenic CNVs and 31 in VOUS. Of the unique genes, 18 genes were found to be in smaller (<1 MB) focal CNVs in our NDD cohort and we identified PSMC3 gene as a strong candidate gene for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Moreover, we hypothesized that KMT2B gene duplication might be associated with intellectual disability. Conclusion: Our results show the utility of CMA for precise genetic diagnosis and its integration into the diagnosis, therapy and management of NDD patients

Predictors of COVID-19 Vaccine Intention among the Saudi Arabian Population: A Cross-Sectional Survey

The long-term solution to managing the current COVID-19 pandemic is through mass immunization of the population. However, uncertainty or unwillingness to receive the vaccine could be a barrier in attaining sufficient vaccine coverage. Therefore, understanding the psychology of the population towards the vaccines against COVID-19 is of paramount importance. Our study was aimed at determining the predictors of COVID-19 vaccine intention in the Saudi Arabian population. A structured questionnaire guided by the ‘Report of the SAGE working group on vaccine hesitancy’ was administered during a span of two months among the general population from all administrative regions of Saudi Arabia, proceeding the launch of the vaccination campaign. In total, 879 out of 1600 subjects responded and completed the survey (response rate 54.9%). About 56 percent of the participants intended to be vaccinated. The predictors of a higher intention to vaccinate included those 50 years of age or older, male subjects, people suffering from systemic disease/s, subjects who were not previously infected with COVID-19, those who follow the updates about COVID-19 vaccines, and adults with a higher level of anxiety about contracting coronavirus (p &lt; 0.05). Results from our study and other similar studies can aid policy makers and stakeholders in planning effective strategies based on the changing behavior of the population

Nutritional evaluation of commercially important fish species of Lakshadweep archipelago, India.

Estimation of nutrition profile of edible fishes is essential and thus a bio-monitoring study was carried out to find out the nutritional composition of commonly available fishes in Agatti Island water of Lakshadweep Sea. Protein, carbohydrate, lipid, ash, vitamin, amino acid and fatty acid composition in the muscle of ten edible fish species were studied. Proximate analysis revealed that the protein, carbohydrate, lipid and ash contents were high in Thunnus albacares (13.69%), Parupeneus bifasciatus (6.12%), Hyporhamphus dussumieri (6.97%) and T. albacares (1.65%), respectively. Major amino acids were lysine, leucine and methionine, registering 2.84-4.56%, 2.67-4.18% and 2.64-3.91%, respectively. Fatty acid compositions ranged from 31.63% to 38.97% saturated (SFA), 21.99-26.30% monounsaturated (MUFAs), 30.32-35.11% polyunsaturated acids (PUFAs) and 2.86-7.79% branched fatty acids of the total fatty acids. The ω-3 and ω-6 PUFAs were ranged 13.05-21.14% and 6.88-9.82% of the total fatty acids, respectively. Hence, the fishes of Lakshadweep Sea are highly recommended for consumption, since these fishes are highly enriched with nutrition. The results can be used as a baseline data for comparing the various nutritional profiles of fishes in future

Neo Banking System in India - A Digital India Programme Initiative

ABSTRACT The rise of the neobanking sector in India resulted from the digitalization of the traditional banking structure, which provided customers with an innovative digital banking experience. Neobanks still face a lack of identity in the sector and security factors in their early stages. The chapter aims to identify an investor’s perspective on new banking and the factors leading to such a perspective while analyzing the prospects of neobanking in the Indian banking sector. The law mandates neobanks to tie up with a traditional bank to offer their banking services. Also, lack of physical presence creates hesitancy among the investors to deposit their money in neobanks. It aims to identify the association between the demographic variables of the Investors and their perception of neobanking services and to understand the investors’ perception of the neobanking sector. Data collected from 276 respondents indicated that more than half of the respondents were aware of neobanks, and a significant portion of them was willing to invest. The chapter intends to highlight the acceptance and growing adaptiveness amongst the investors. The chapter would help convey insightful information for future research exploring the neobanking sector through its analysis. Keywords: Banking, Digitalization, FinTech, Neobank, Virtual Ban