Effect of moderate sedation regimen (diazepam, meperidine, and hydroxyzine) dosages on patient behavior and outcome of sedation in Pediatric Dentistry: a retrospective study

Purpose: To determine if behavior at consult visit and sedation medication dosages are associated with the success of sedation visits and patient’s behavior using the diazepam, meperidine, and hydroxyzine (DMH) regimen. Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted of 324 VCU Pediatric Dentistry Department patients who underwent 404 moderate conscious sedation visits with DMH regimen from April 2017 to June 2022. Sedation visits were graded as “Successful” or “Unsuccessful” and “Good” or “Poor behavior.” The primary variables of interest included Frankl behavior at consult visit and the sedation medication dosages. Logistic regression models were used to determine if these factors were associated with sedation success and overall sedation behavior while adjusting for other patient and sedation characteristics. Results: The regimen yielded mostly successful sedations (89%) and “Good Sedation Behavior” (Frankl 3 and 4) (72%). Lower Frankl scores at consult visits (OR: 2.3, P=0.0140) were associated with increased odds of failure. Increased age (OR: 0.8, P=0.0047) was associated with decreased odds of sedation failure. Meperidine dose demonstrated trends towards significant association with potential for clinical relevance. Conclusion: This study shows that the diazepam, meperidine, and hydroxyzine (DMH) regimen is an effective moderate sedation regimen. Patient selection is a significant factor in the success of the DMH moderate sedation

Hajj Pilgrims’ Perceptions of Trust and Internet Use for (Emergency) Information

This empirical study examines the patterns of internet use during Hajj, with the broader aim of providing suggestions on how organisations can improve risk communication at crowded religious venues using traditional and new media. The research team adopted a convenience sampling strategy to conduct in-person surveys of 348 Hajj pilgrims in the vicinity of the Grand Mosque in Madinah, Saudi Arabia during the October 2013 season. Of these, 150 pilgrims used the internet and their responses were analysed using simple descriptive statistics and binary regression analyses. The findings of this study suggest that Hajj pilgrims prefer accessing the internet through their smartphone devices and laptops, and both first timers and repeat pilgrims trusted websites hosted by the Saudi Arabian authorities, and their group leaders. Additionally, findings suggest that the trust in information sources and patterns of social media use differed by demographic characteristics such as age, language and economic characteristics. This underscores the need for diversifying the use of both traditional and new media communication channels to increase the diffusion and penetration of risk information for varied groups. Cross-checking of government efforts with such empirical studies helps demonstrate whether the funds expended to improve risk communication and raise hazard awareness are on point to make the pilgrims safer. The paper concludes by acknowledging that although the internet and social media are revolutionising the kinds of information available to pilgrims, they may lead to a loss in the sanctity, simplicity and equanimity of partaking in a pilgrimage, or bring harm to pilgrims through the misuse of personal data collected through social media sites. Suggestions are made to authorities and event organisers to keep a balance between traditional and modern practices of conducting a pilgrimage and designing information and communication technologies. A call for inspiring pilgrims to not only be consumers of information, but rather, providers of information by being ever vigilant is made. Presently, few pilgrimage destinations are using the power of the internet and social media for garnering pilgrims’ participation in risk communication and crisis preparedness which is a missed opportunity

Characterisation of novel thin n-in-p planar pixel modules for the ATLAS Inner Tracker upgrade

In view of the high luminosity phase of the LHC (HL-LHC) to start operation around 2026, a major upgrade of the tracker system for the ATLAS experiment is in preparation. The expected neutron equivalent fluence of up to 2.4 * 1e16 1 MeV neq./cm2 at the innermost layer of the pixel detector poses the most severe challenge. Thanks to their low material budget and high charge collection efficiency after irradiation, modules made of thin planar pixel sensors are promising candidates to instrument these layers. To optimise the sensor layout for the decreased pixel cell size of 50 * 50 {\mu}m2, TCAD device simulations are being performed to investigate the charge collection efficiency before and after irradiation. In addition, sensors of 100-150 {\mu}m thickness, interconnected to FE-I4 read-out chips featuring the previous generation pixel cell size of 50 * 250 {\mu}m2, are characterised with testbeams at the CERN-SPS and DESY facilities. The performance of sensors with various designs, irradiated up to a fluence of 1 * 1e16 neq./cm2, is compared in terms of charge collection and hit efficiency. A replacement of the two innermost pixel layers is foreseen during the lifetime of HL-LHC. The replacement will require several months of intervention, during which the remaining detector modules cannot be cooled. They are kept at room temperature, thus inducing an annealing. The performance of irradiated modules will be investigated with testbeam campaigns and the method of accelerated annealing at higher temperatures.Comment: 11 pages, 10 figures, proceedings of the PSD Conference 201

Cytotoxic Activity of Non-specific Lipid Transfer Protein (nsLTP1) from Ajwain \u3cem\u3e(Trachyspermum ammi)\u3c/em\u3e Seeds

Background Trachyspermum ammi, commonly known as Ajwain, is a member of the Apiaceae family. It is a therapeutic herbal spice with diverse pharmacological properties, used in traditional medicine for various ailments. However, all previous studies were conducted using small molecule extracts, leaving the protein’s bioactivity undiscovered. Aim The current study aimed to demonstrate the cytotoxic activity of Ajwain non-specific lipid transfer protein (nsLTP1) in normal breast (MCF10A), breast cancer (MCF-7), and pancreatic cancer (AsPC-1) cell lines. Also, to evaluate its structural stability in human serum as well as at high temperature conditions. Methods The cytotoxic activity of Ajwain nsLTP1 was evaluated in MCF-7 and AsPC-1 cell lines using MTT assay. Annexin V-FITC and PI staining were used to detect the early apoptotic and late apoptotic cells. The role of nsLTP1 in inducing apoptosis was further studied by quantifying Bcl-2, Bax, Caspase-3, Survivin, EGFR, and VEGF genes expression using RT-PCR. CD spectroscopy analyzed the nsLTP1 conformational changes after thermal treatment for structure stability determination. The RP-HPLC was used to analyze the nsLTP1 degradation rate in human serum at different time intervals incubated at 37 °C. Results Ajwain nsLTP1 showed a potent cytotoxic effect in MCF-7 and AsPC-1. The IC50 value obtained in MCF-7 was 8.21 μM, while for AsPC-1 4.17 μM. The effect of nsLTP1 on stimulating apoptosis revealed that the proportions of apoptotic cells in both cell lines were relatively increased depending on the concentration. The apoptotic cells percentage at 20 μM was in MCF-7 71% (***P \u3c 0.001) and AsPC-1 88% (***P \u3c 0.001). These results indicate that nsLTP1 might efficaciously induce apoptosis in multiple types of cancerous cells. Genes expression in MCF-7 and AsPC-1 showed significant upregulation in Bax and Caspase-3 and downregulation in Bcl-2, Survivin, EGFR, and VEGF protein. The CD analysis of nsLTP1 showed a significant thermostable property. In serum, nsLTP1 showed a slow degradation rate, indicating high stability with a half-life of ~ 8.4 h. Conclusion Our results revealed the potential anticancer activity of Ajwain nsLTP1 and its mechanism in inducing apoptosis. It further exhibited thermostable properties at high temperatures and in human serum, which suggested this protein as a promising anticancer agent

Effects of exercise training programmes on fasting gastrointestinal appetite hormones in adults with overweight and obesity: a systematic review and meta-analysis

A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed to determine the effect of exercise training on fasting gastrointestinal appetite hormones in adults living with overweight and obesity. For eligibility, only randomised controlled trials (duration ≥ four weeks) examining the effect of exercise training interventions were considered. This review was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (CRD42020218976). The searches were performed on five databases: MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Scopus. The initial search identified 13204 records. Nine studies, which include sixteen exercise interventions, met the criteria for inclusion. Meta-analysis was calculated as the standardised mean difference (Cohen's d). Exercise training had no effect on fasting concentrations of total ghrelin (d: 1.06, 95% CI -0.38 to 2.50, P = 0.15), acylated ghrelin (d: 0.08, 95% CI: −0.31 to 0.47, P = 0.68) and peptide YY (PYY) (d = −0.16, 95% CI: −0.62 to 0.31, P = 0.51) compared to the control group. Analysis of body mass index (BMI) (d: −0.31, 95% CI: −0.50 to −0.12, P < 0.01) and body mass (d: −0.22, 95% CI: −0.42 to −0.03, P = 0.03) found a significant reduction after exercise compared to controls. Overall, exercise interventions did not modify fasting concentrations of total ghrelin, acylated ghrelin, and PYY in individuals with overweight or obesity, although they reduced body mass and BMI. Thus, any upregulation of appetite and energy intake in individuals with overweight and obesity participating in exercise programmes is unlikely to be related to fasting concentrations of gastrointestinal appetite hormones

A comprehensive introduction to the genetic basis of non-syndromic hearing loss in the Saudi Arabian population

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Hearing loss is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous disorder. Mutations in the <it>DFNB1 </it>locus have been reported to be the most common cause of autosomal recessive non-syndromic hearing loss worldwide. Apart from <it>DFNB1</it>, many other loci and their underlying genes have also been identified and the basis of our study was to provide a comprehensive introduction to the delineation of the molecular basis of non-syndromic hearing loss in the Saudi Arabian population. This was performed by screening <it>DFNB1 </it>and to initiate prioritized linkage analysis or homozygosity mapping for a pilot number of families in which <it>DFNB1 </it>has been excluded.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Individuals from 130 families of Saudi Arabian tribal origin diagnosed with an autosomal recessive non-syndromic sensorineural hearing loss were screened for mutations at the <it>DFNB1 </it>locus by direct sequencing. If negative, genome wide linkage analysis or homozygosity mapping were performed using Affymetrix GeneChip^®Human Mapping 250K/6.0 Arrays to identify regions containing any known-deafness causing genes that were subsequently sequenced.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Our results strongly indicate that <it>DFNB1 </it>only accounts for 3% of non-syndromic hearing loss in the Saudi Arabian population of ethnic ancestry. Prioritized linkage analysis or homozygosity mapping in five separate families established that their hearing loss was caused by five different known-deafness causing genes thus confirming the genetic heterogeneity of this disorder in the kingdom.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The overall results of this study are highly suggestive that underlying molecular basis of autosomal recessive non-syndromic deafness in Saudi Arabia is very genetically heterogeneous. In addition, we report that the preliminary results indicate that there does not seem to be any common or more prevalent loci, genes or mutations in patients with autosomal recessive non-syndromic hearing loss in patients of Saudi Arabian tribal origin.</p

A search for the dimuon decay of the Standard Model Higgs boson with the ATLAS detector

A search for the dimuon decay of the Standard Model (SM) Higgs boson is performed using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb(-1) collected with the ATLAS detector in Run 2 pp collisions at root s = 13 TeV at the Large Hadron Collider. The observed (expected) significance over the background-only hypothesis for a Higgs boson with a mass of 125.09 GeV is 2.0 sigma (1.7 sigma). The observed upper limit on the cross section times branching ratio for pp -&gt; H -&gt; mu mu is 2.2 times the SM prediction at 95% confidence level, while the expected limit on a H -&gt; mu mu signal assuming the absence (presence) of a SM signal is 1.1(2.0). The best-fit value of the signal strength parameter, defined as the ratio of the observed signal yield to the one expected in the SM, is mu = 1.2 +/- 0.6. (C) 2020 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V