Uporedna analiza hemijskog sastava, antimikrobne, antioksidantne i spazmolitičke aktivnosti etarskog ulja Cymbopogon nervatus (Hochst.) Chiov. i Cymbopogon schoenanthus (L.) Spreng (Poaceae) iz Sudana

This PhD dissertation deals with investigation of two species from genus Cymbopogon, Cymbopogon nervatus (Hochst.) Chiov. and Cymbopogon schoenanthus (L.) Spreng. collected in Sudan. They were investigated in terms of content and detailed chemical analysis of essential oils obtained from different plant parts and collected in different time periods. In addition, essential oils from both species were investigated for antimicrobial, antioxidant and spasmolytic activities. For analyses of essential oils, obtained by steam distillation from dried plant material, GC and GC-MS were applied. The most dominant constituents in the oils of C. nervatus were p-menthadienols: trans-p-mentha-1(7),8-dien-2-ol (19.9-32.6%), cisp- mentha-1(7),8-dien-2-ol (18.9-23.3%), trans-p-mentha-2,8-dien-1-ol (10.6-21.0%) and cis-p-mentha-2,8-dien-1-ol (8.1-10.4%). The major constituents in the oils of C. schoenanthus were piperitone (47.7-71.5%), intermedeol (6.1-17.3%), δ-2-carene (4.5-10.0%) and elemol (2.7-9.0%). The antimicrobial activities of the essential oils of both plants were tested using broth microdilution method against seven standard strains of bacteria and two strains of fungi. MIC values obtained for the essential oils of C. nervatus were in the range of 783-1060 μg/ml and those for C. schoenanthus were 771-1300 μg/ml. It was concluded that investigated essential oils exhibited weak antimicrobial activity. The total antioxidant capacity of the investigated essential oils estimated by Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) test was in the range of 2.03-2.88 nmol Fe/mg EO for C. nervatus essential oils and for C. schoenanthus in the range of 2.49- 2.96 nmol Fe/mg and weaker than the capacity of rutin (5.17 μmol Fe/mg) and ascorbic acid (10.40 μmol Fe/mg) used as the referent antioxidants. In the DPPH radical scavenging assay, essential oil of C. nervatus showed moderate activity with SC50 value of 23.8 μl/ml. DPPH scavenging activity of essential oils of C. schoenanthus represented by percentage (%) of inhibition was 62.8-65.1% when using 40 μl of essential oil per mL of test solution. In comparison with reference substances (rutin and ascorbic acid) the essential oils exhibited a weaker activity...Glavni cilj istraživanja u okviru ove doktorske disertacije je ispitivanje dve biljne vrste koje pripadaju rodu Cymbopogon (Poaceae), a koje su zastupljene u flori Sudana. Jedna je Cymbopogon nervatus (Hochst.) Chiov.. Ova vrsta je najzastupljeniji predstavnik ovog roda koja se javlja u spontanoj flori Sudana. Veoma je popularna u narodnoj medicine i često se koristi. Drugi vrsta, koja je bila predmet ispitivanja u okviru ove disertacije, jeste Cymbopogon schoenanthus (L.) Spreng. Pošto je veoma cenjena kao lekovita vrsta u Sudanu, ali i u širem region, često se gaji, pa su uzorci za potrebe ovog rada i uzeti iz organizovane proizvodnje. Istraživanja su podeljena u dve celine. U okviru prvog dela urađeno je određivanje sadržaja i detaljna hemijska analiza etarskih ulja izolovanih destilacijom vodenom parom iz različitih delova vrste C. nervatus, sakupljenih na lokalitetima u istočnom i zapadnom delu Sudana u različitim vremenskim periodima, kao i iz uzoraka gajenog C. schoenanthus (The Medicinal & Aromatic Plants Research Institute - MAPRI, Khartoum state, Sudan), sakupljenih u različitim vremenskim periodima. Drugu celinu je predstavlja farmakološki skrining etarskih ulja dobijenih iz ispitivanih Cymbopogon vrsta. U okviru ovog dela, urađeno je ispitivanje antimikrobne, antioksidativne i spazmolitičke aktivnosti. Dobijeni rezultati hemijskog ispitivanja, kao i rezultati farmakoloških testova upoređivani su međusobno, kao i sa literaturnim podacima koji su dostupni za obe ispitivane biljne vrste, odnosno za druge vrste roda Cymbopogon. Utvrđeno je da je prinos etarskog ulja u uzorcima vrste C. nervatus, koji su prikupljeni u regionu zapadnog i istočnog Sudana u maju 2014. godine (letnji period) i februaru 2015. godine (zimski period), bio veći u cvasti (0.6%-2.1% v/v) nego u stabljici (0.1%-0.2% v/v). Takođe, sadržaj ulja bio je veći u biljnom materijalu prikupljenom tokom zime (februar 2015. godine). Svi uzorci etarskog ulja C. nervatus bili su slični u pogledu kvalitativnog sastava uz postojanje razlika u odnosu sastojaka. Glavni sastojci ulja pripadaju grupi oksidovanih monoterpena (81.1-94.6%), dok su aciklični i biciklični monoterpeni potpuno odsutni..

Endothelial cell loss rate after penetrating keratoplasty: Optical versus therapeutic grafts

Background: This study aimed to compare the rate of endothelial cell loss (ECL) after penetrating keratoplasty (PKP) for optical versus therapeutic grafts at 3-, 6-, and 12-month postoperatively. Furthermore, the study aimed to investigate postoperative graft viability and the rate of graft rejection during the first year of follow-up for both indications. Methods: This was a prospective, observational, comparative study that included patients who sought medical advice at the cornea outpatient clinic of Ain Shams University Hospitals, Cairo, Egypt. The study recruited 60 patients: group 1 included 30 transplanted corneas of 30 patients who underwent optical PKP for various indications, while group 2 included 30 transplanted corneas of 30 patients who underwent therapeutic PKP for unhealed, resistant infectious keratitis. Specular microscopy was performed for all patients at the 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-up visits using Nidek CEM-530 specular microscopy. Postoperative clinical examinations were performed at the same follow-up visits to detect graft rejection. Results: There were no statistically significant differences between the groups concerning the postoperative timing of graft clarity or the rate of ECL at 3- and 6-months postoperatively; however, the rate of ECL was significantly greater in group 2 than in group 1 at 12-months postoperatively (P = 0.03), although the difference was small from a clinical point of view. Moreover, there was no statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of the graft rejection rate. Conclusions: Therapeutic PKP results were comparable to optical PKP with respect to graft viability, the rate of ECL, and the rate of graft rejection 1 year after grafting

Appraisal of Foreign Direct Investment Terrain of Brazil

Globalization has made worldwide mobility of money easy. Investors prefer to invest in places that offer attractive returns and are relatively less risky. The inflow of FDI gives developing countries access to capital that would otherwise be not available. FDI also provides much needed foreign exchange and thus helps to adjust some of the macroeconomic imbalances in developing countries.  Brazil is in the development mode, trying to boost up the growth rates from all corners, but the resources available are limited and very often insufficient, hence the country is competing against others to make the investment climate more investor-friendly and project itself as an investor-friendly destination for the FDI.  The main objectives of this study are to find out the status of Brazil as a destination for FDI, the factors that attract FDI into Brazil and the factors that hinder the flow of FDI into Brazil. This study is based on secondary data and covers five years.  The study analysis various determinants of FDI like market size, economic growth, infrastructure, political risk, corruption, labor market, raw materials, technological readiness, innovation, financial system, taxation, cost of capital, ease of doing business, and government policies. The study reveals that Brazil’s position in the global FDI map is on the decline as most of its rankings by global agencies are declining. Keywords: Foreign direct investment, Investment environment, Transnational Corporations DOI: 10.7176/EJBM/12-23-05 Publication date:August 31st 202

Intestinal parasitic infections among expatriate workers in various occupations in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

Intestinal parasitic infections are prevalent throughout many countries. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of intestinal parasite carriers among 21,347 expatriate workers, including food handlers and housemaids attending the public health center laboratory in Sharjah, UAE. Stool sample collection was performed throughout the period between January and December 2013. All samples were examined microscopically. Demographic data were also obtained and analyzed. Intestinal parasites were found in 3.3% (708/21,347) of the studied samples (single and multiple infections). Among positive samples, six hundred and eighty-three samples (96.5%) were positive for a single parasite: Giardia lamblia (257; 36.3%) and Entamoeba histolytica/Entamoeba dispar (220; 31.1%), respectively, whereas mono-infections with helminths accounted for 206 (29.1%) of the samples. Infection rates with single worms were: Ascaris lumbricoides (84; 11.9%), Hookworm (34; 4.8%), Trichuris trichiura (33; 4.7%), Taenia spp. (27; 3.81%), Strongyloides stercoralis (13; 1.8%), Hymenolepis nana (13; 1.8%), and Enterobius vermicularis (2; 0.28%), respectively. Infections were significantly associated with gender (x2 = 14.18; p = 0.002) with males as the most commonly infected with both groups of intestinal parasites (protozoa and helminths). A strong statistical association was noted correlating the parasite occurrence with certain nationalities (x2= 49.5,

Enhancing Teaching Skills Through Short Courses: A Quantitative Review of Public Health Education in Sudan

This evaluation draws evidence on the effectiveness and outcome of learning and teaching courses that were offered to a number of teaching staff of the Academies of Health Sciences, Midwifery Schools and Centres for Continuous Professional Development in Sudan. It is based on a cross-sectional study consisting of self-administered questionnaires conducted from October 2017 to January 2018. The questionnaires were used to measure the extent to which the participants of the training courses acquired knowledge and skills and applied these skills in their jobs. Data was analysed using Excel sheets and SPSS version 21 and significant tests performed. The response rate for the self-administered questionnaire was 80%. Most of participants were females, early middle-aged, bachelor’s degree holders with more than 9 years of experience in the area of teaching health care professionals. The results are presented following the Kirkpatrick framework for evaluation of training, which was used to measure participants' reactions, learning and change of behaviour. Most of the participants were satisfied with the design and content of the course but expressed concerns regarding its duration and lack of residential facilities for course participants. Pre and post tests were used to measure learning. Comparison of the two results showed that participants gained knowledge in writing learning outcomes, although presentation skills showed no improvement following the training and the use of technology remained a challenge even after the course. In terms of application of the newly gained knowledge and skills, the findings illustrated that over 90% of the participants were satisfied with what they had learned after 3 months or more following the training course, and over 65% of the participants stated that the knowledge gained from the training remained useful. In conclusion, short courses on teaching and learning can be a valuable investment to both instructors and students. The evaluation has shown that course participants were satisfied with the training courses, gained new knowledge, and were able to apply the acquired knowledge and skills without any difficulties. It is therefore suggested to cascade these training courses to all remaining States in Sudan in order to improve the skills and capabilities of teaching staff

Prevalence of Smoking among Male Medical Students at Majmaah University, Saudi Arabia

Smoking is defined as burning dry tobacco leaves and inhaling smoke from the burn. This process may be done using different forms of tobbaco products, including cigarettes (Cigars, Little Cigars, Cigarillos), electronic cigarettes, and hookah (shisha). Smoking can give rise to lung diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and has been proven to be the underlying cause in  84% of deaths in lung cancer and 83% mortalities in COPD. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of tobacco smoking among male students of the Majmaah University, Saudi Arabia. This cross-sectional study was performed from January to February 2020 on among medical students of Majmaah University, Saudi Arabia. A pretested questionnaire was used to collect data while the SPSS was used for data analysis. From 256 male medical students, only 113 responded to the questionnaire. The prevalence of smoking was found to be 19.5% (n=22) with most smoked cigarettes (50%). Most smokers (50 %) were in the lowest age group, 19-21 years. There was an increase in smoking with an increase in income. Of the 22 respondents who smoked, 10 started smoking when they were 14 to 17 years old. In conclusion, the study shows a low prevalence of smoking among male medical students in the College of Medicine of Majmaah University. Most smokers consume cigarettes, and the majority are not considering quitting

Impact of opioid-free analgesia on pain severity and patient satisfaction after discharge from surgery: multispecialty, prospective cohort study in 25 countries

Background: Balancing opioid stewardship and the need for adequate analgesia following discharge after surgery is challenging. This study aimed to compare the outcomes for patients discharged with opioid versus opioid-free analgesia after common surgical procedures.Methods: This international, multicentre, prospective cohort study collected data from patients undergoing common acute and elective general surgical, urological, gynaecological, and orthopaedic procedures. The primary outcomes were patient-reported time in severe pain measured on a numerical analogue scale from 0 to 100% and patient-reported satisfaction with pain relief during the first week following discharge. Data were collected by in-hospital chart review and patient telephone interview 1 week after discharge.Results: The study recruited 4273 patients from 144 centres in 25 countries; 1311 patients (30.7%) were prescribed opioid analgesia at discharge. Patients reported being in severe pain for 10 (i.q.r. 1-30)% of the first week after discharge and rated satisfaction with analgesia as 90 (i.q.r. 80-100) of 100. After adjustment for confounders, opioid analgesia on discharge was independently associated with increased pain severity (risk ratio 1.52, 95% c.i. 1.31 to 1.76; P < 0.001) and re-presentation to healthcare providers owing to side-effects of medication (OR 2.38, 95% c.i. 1.36 to 4.17; P = 0.004), but not with satisfaction with analgesia (beta coefficient 0.92, 95% c.i. -1.52 to 3.36; P = 0.468) compared with opioid-free analgesia. Although opioid prescribing varied greatly between high-income and low- and middle-income countries, patient-reported outcomes did not.Conclusion: Opioid analgesia prescription on surgical discharge is associated with a higher risk of re-presentation owing to side-effects of medication and increased patient-reported pain, but not with changes in patient-reported satisfaction. Opioid-free discharge analgesia should be adopted routinely

The evolving SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Africa: Insights from rapidly expanding genomic surveillance

INTRODUCTION Investment in Africa over the past year with regard to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sequencing has led to a massive increase in the number of sequences, which, to date, exceeds 100,000 sequences generated to track the pandemic on the continent. These sequences have profoundly affected how public health officials in Africa have navigated the COVID-19 pandemic. RATIONALE We demonstrate how the first 100,000 SARS-CoV-2 sequences from Africa have helped monitor the epidemic on the continent, how genomic surveillance expanded over the course of the pandemic, and how we adapted our sequencing methods to deal with an evolving virus. Finally, we also examine how viral lineages have spread across the continent in a phylogeographic framework to gain insights into the underlying temporal and spatial transmission dynamics for several variants of concern (VOCs). RESULTS Our results indicate that the number of countries in Africa that can sequence the virus within their own borders is growing and that this is coupled with a shorter turnaround time from the time of sampling to sequence submission. Ongoing evolution necessitated the continual updating of primer sets, and, as a result, eight primer sets were designed in tandem with viral evolution and used to ensure effective sequencing of the virus. The pandemic unfolded through multiple waves of infection that were each driven by distinct genetic lineages, with B.1-like ancestral strains associated with the first pandemic wave of infections in 2020. Successive waves on the continent were fueled by different VOCs, with Alpha and Beta cocirculating in distinct spatial patterns during the second wave and Delta and Omicron affecting the whole continent during the third and fourth waves, respectively. Phylogeographic reconstruction points toward distinct differences in viral importation and exportation patterns associated with the Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants and subvariants, when considering both Africa versus the rest of the world and viral dissemination within the continent. Our epidemiological and phylogenetic inferences therefore underscore the heterogeneous nature of the pandemic on the continent and highlight key insights and challenges, for instance, recognizing the limitations of low testing proportions. We also highlight the early warning capacity that genomic surveillance in Africa has had for the rest of the world with the detection of new lineages and variants, the most recent being the characterization of various Omicron subvariants. CONCLUSION Sustained investment for diagnostics and genomic surveillance in Africa is needed as the virus continues to evolve. This is important not only to help combat SARS-CoV-2 on the continent but also because it can be used as a platform to help address the many emerging and reemerging infectious disease threats in Africa. In particular, capacity building for local sequencing within countries or within the continent should be prioritized because this is generally associated with shorter turnaround times, providing the most benefit to local public health authorities tasked with pandemic response and mitigation and allowing for the fastest reaction to localized outbreaks. These investments are crucial for pandemic preparedness and response and will serve the health of the continent well into the 21st century