Impact of Access Cavity Design on Fracture Resistance of Endodontically Treated Maxillary First Premolar: In Vitro

Abstract This study was designed to investigate the impact of access cavity designs on fracture resistance of endodontically treated maxillary first premolars. The study sample consisted of 72 intact maxillary first premolars, randomly divided into six groups (n = 12). A standardized proximal cavity preparation was prepared for all samples using standard bur. Groups I: control group with only standard proximal cavity and no endodontic access, group II: Truss access cavity, group III: Separated access to buccal and palatal canals without removal of dentine in between, group IV: Access to buccal and palatal canals with removal of dentine in between, group V: Traditional access cavity, group VI: Mesio-occlusal-distal cavity (MOD). For groups I and VI, only composite restoration was used to restore the proximal cavity, while for groups II- V, the access was prepared and endodontic treatment was performed on all teeth, then composite restoration was placed. The root canals were instrumented using nickel-titanium files, irrigated with sodium hypochlorite, and filled with AH plus sealer and gutta-percha using warm vertical condensation. All samples were then placed in an acrylic mold and underwent thermal aging for 10,000 cycles between 5 and 55°C. The samples were fixed in a universal testing machine with the long axis of the roots positioned at 20° to a load applied at a crosshead speed of 1 mm/min using a stainless steel semi-spherical indenter (Ø = 3 mm) until fracture occurred to determine the fracture resistance force in Newton. The normality test (Shapiro-Wilk) showed that data are normally distributed. Group II exhibited the highest mean fracture resistance, and group VI was the least likely to resist the fracture. No statistically significant differences between tested groups (p-value = 0.237). The MOD group showed a more unfavorable mode of fracture compared to other groups. No significant difference in fracture resistance between conservative and traditional access cavities. The missing marginal ridges, such as in MOD cavities played an important role in decreasing the fracture resistance of endodontically treated teeth.

Resumo O objetivo deste estudo foi investigar o impacto do design da cavidade de acesso na resistência à fratura de primeiros pré-molares superiores tratados endodonticamente. MÉTODOS: A amostra do estudo consistiu em 72 primeiros pré-molares superiores intactos, divididos aleatoriamente em seis grupos (n = 12). Um preparo padronizado da cavidade proximal foi realizado para todas as amostras usando broca padrão. Grupos I: grupo de controle com apenas cavidade proximal padrão e sem acesso endodôntico, grupo II: cavidade de acesso Truss, grupo III: acesso separado aos canais vestibular e palatino sem remoção de dentina entre eles, grupo IV: acesso aos canais vestibular e palatino com remoção de dentina entre eles, grupo V: cavidade de acesso tradicional, grupo VI: cavidade mesio-oclusal-distal (MOD). Para os grupos I e VI, apenas a restauração de compósito foi usada para restaurar a cavidade proximal. Já nos grupos II e V, o acesso foi preparado e o tratamento endodôntico foi realizado em todos os dentes e, em seguida, foi colocada a restauração de resina composta. Os canais radiculares foram instrumentados com limas de níquel-titânio, irrigados com hipoclorito de sódio e preenchidos com AH plus sealer e guta-percha usando condensação vertical quente. Todas as amostras foram então colocadas em molde de acrílico e submetidas a envelhecimento térmico por 10.000 ciclos entre 5 e 55°C. As amostras foram fixadas em uma máquina de teste universal com o eixo longo das raízes posicionado a 20° para uma carga aplicada a uma velocidade de cruzeta de 1 mm/min usando indentador semiesférico de aço inoxidável (Ø = 3 mm) até que ocorresse a fratura para determinar a força de resistência à fratura em Newton. RESULTADOS: O teste de normalidade (Shapiro-Wilk) mostrou que os dados são normalmente distribuídos. O grupo II apresentou a maior resistência média à fratura, e o grupo VI foi o menos propenso a resistir à fratura. Não houve diferenças estatisticamente significativas entre os grupos testados (p-valor = 0,237). O grupo MOD apresentou um modo de fratura mais desfavorável em comparação com os outros grupos. CONCLUSÕES: Não houve diferença significativa na resistência à fratura entre as cavidades de acesso conservador e tradicional. A ausência de cristas marginais, como nas cavidades MOD, desempenhou um papel importante na diminuição da resistência à fratura dos dentes tratados endodonticamente.

The Prevalence, Severity and Pattern of First Permanent Molars’ Dental Caries in Children Attending A Postgraduate Dental Hospital: A Retrospective Study

@#Introduction: First permanent molars (FPMs) erupt early and their anatomy and location leave them susceptible to dental caries. This study aimed to retrospectively determine the prevalence, severity and pattern of dental caries of FPMs and investigate their relationship if any with demographics and medical health status of the partcipants. Methods: This was a retrospective cross-sectional study. A sample of the digital case notes and radiographs of children aged 5 to 12 years who attended the only postgraduate dental hospital in Dubai were accessed. The recorded data included the children’s demographic variables and the carious status of each FPM as recorded in the notes on the initial assessment. Descriptive and statistical analyses were conducted (P<0.05). Results: A total of 2984 FPMs were obtained from the digital records of 774 children. Their mean age was 8.07 (±2.23) years and only those that met the inclusion criteria were included in the study. The prevalence of dental caries and mean Decayed Missing Filled Surfaces of FPMs, were 42% and 0.3 (±0.04), respectively. The most prevalent decayed surface was the occlusal (29.2%), followed by mesial, buccal, palatal/ lingual, distal surfaces (24.2 %; 6.6 %; 3.1 %; 2.3 %) respectively. Children with medical problems and/or special needs had a significantly higher level of caries in the buccal surfaces (12.3%) (P=0.042). Conclusion: Caries of FPMs in a sample of Dubai children studied was prevalent, especially in those with special healthcare needs, thus indicating a necessity for targeted prevention and treatment focused on these keystone teeth.

The Effect of Chlorhexidine on Bacterial Contamination of Hall Technique Elastomeric Orthodontic Separators and Gingival Health: A Pilot Study

ABSTRACT Objective: To study the effect of chlorhexidine on elastomeric orthodontic separators (EOS) bacterial-colonisation and gingival-health in Hall technique (HT) patients. Material and Methods: Prospective in-vivo pilot clinical study of EOS bacterial colonisation and primary-molar gingival health assessment in 20 patients (mean age 5.45±1.27 years) requiring bilateral HT crowns (40 teeth). One side received 1-minute 0.12% chlorhexidine-soaked-EOSs (Chx-EOSs), and the other side dry-EOSs (NoChx-EOSs). The EOSs were removed five-days later and underwent a bacterial enumeration technique. Plaque (PI) and Gingival (GI) indices were assessed pre-, five-days and three-months post-treatment. Wilcoxon-Signed-Rank/McNemar-Chi-square statistics were used (p<0.05). Results: Baseline unused/packaged EOSs' sterility check yielded zero colony-forming-units (CFU) per millilitre, but 100% of the used EOSs became colonised by oral-microorganisms. An overall trend of lower mean CFU count in Chx-EOSs (3.415± 0.78 x105 CFU/ml) compared to NoChx-EOSs (6.157±1.48 x105 CFU/ml) was observed (p=0.009). Both NoChx-EOSs and Chx-EOSs insertion sites showed evidence of gingivitis with no difference between PI and GI indices by site over time. Conclusion: There was a lower trend of bacterial colonization in chlorhexidine treated EOSs and an occurrence of gingivitis pre/post HT-treatment regardless of EOS type. The lack of difference in the gingival health may be inconclusive due to this pilot's low power suggesting the need for robust large scale studies.

Study of Lung Function Disorders of Headstone and Stone Mortar Crafters and Factors That Affect Them

@#Introduction: Dust is one of the chemical substances that cause occupational disease, especially among stone crafters. Its deposition for a long period can lead to various health problems, hence, there is a need for early detection. Therefore, this study aims to assess the occurrence of lung function disorder in headstone and stone mortar crafters. Methods: A cross-sectional design was used and the sample population consists of all headstone and stone mortar crafters in Allakuang Village, Sidrap Regency, Indonesia. They were selected using a purposive sampling method, and 33 out of 148 people met the criteria. Subsequently, their lung function was measured once using spirometry as well as FVC and FEV1 parameters. The data obtained were then analyzed using Chi-Square. Results: 18 of 33 respondents with lung function disorders. They had a long tenure, a normal working time, bad exercise habits, as well as a normal and overweight nutritional status based on their BMI category. The statistical test results showed that tenure, working time, and exercise habits had an effect on the disease condition with p=0.000. Meanwhile, other factors, such as age and nutritional status had no effect with p-values of 0.981 and 0.14, respectively. Conclusion: Based on the results, the majority of headstone and stone mortar crafters have lung function disorders, and the influential factors include tenure, working time, and exercise habits.

Amelogenesis Imperfecta Restorations Survival Rate: A Retrospective Study

@#Introduction: Amelogenesis imperfecta (AI) is a rare genetic disease affecting both dentitions. Factors such as age, socioeconomic status, dentition and AI type and severity should be taken into consideration in treatment planning. Aim: This retrospective study aimed to assess the survival rate of AI main restorative options and the effects of gender and dentition type. Methods: The study sample comprised 28 dental records of patients aged 5-17 years affected by AI (15 females, 13 males) and with anterior and/or posterior restoration in primary and/or permanent tooth/teeth. The fate of each restoration was classified into three categories: failed, withdrawn and censored and analyzed by the life table method of survival analysis. Results: Out of 233 restorations performed, the most frequently used restoration was preformed metal crowns (PMCs), followed by anterior composite, posterior composite, adhesive casting, Ketac fill and amalgam respectively. The two main restorations, PMCs and anterior composite were included in the statistical analysis. The survival rate of PMCs was significantly higher than anterior composite (p<0.001). The anterior composite restorations survived significantly longer in males (p<0.05). Females had significantly better survival rate of PMCs (p<0.05). There was no statistically significant effect of the operator group of restoration survival. Conclusion: The anterior composite restorations survived significantly longer in males and females had significantly better survival rate of PMCs than males.

Solriamfetol impurities:Synthesis,characterization,and analytical method(UPLC-UV)validation / 药物分析学报

Given that impurities may affect the quality and safety of drug products,impurity identification and profiling is an integral part of drug quality control and is particularly important for newly developed medications such as solriamfetol,which is used to treat excessive daytime sleepiness.Although the high-performance liquid chromatography analysis of commercial solriamfetol has revealed the presence of several impurities,their synthesis,structure elucidation,and chromatographic determination have not been reported yet.To bridge this gap,we herein identified,synthesized,and isolated eight process-related solriamfetol impurities,characterized them using spectroscopic and chromatographic tech-niques,and proposed plausible mechanisms of their formation.Moreover,we developed and validated a prompt impurity analysis method based on ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography with UV detection,revealing that its selectivity,linearity,accuracy,precision,and quantitation limit meet the acceptance criteria of method validation stipulated by the International Council for Harmonization of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use.Thus,the developed method was concluded to be suitable for the routine analysis of solriamfetol substances.

Phenomenology of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in Sudan and its association with Socio-demographic Factors

Background: Symptoms of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder OCD tend to be shaped by socio-cultural context. There are very few studies related to OCD in Sudan. Aim: This study aimed to explore the phenomenology of obsessive-compulsive disorder in a sample of Sudanese patients in relation to socio-demographic factors. Methods: We reviewed the case notes of Sudanese patients with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder who presented to a psychiatry clinic in Khartoum, Sudan during a period of two years. Data was collected using a checklist of obsessive and compulsive features, subtypes of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, comorbidities, as well as socio-demographic data. Results: Eighty-nine Sudanese patients were included in this study. The mean age of the first onset of the disorder was 21.72 years (SD ±7.51). The most common obsession among participants was doubting followed by Religious thoughts while the most common compulsion was washing, then checking. Obsession of contamination was significantly higher in females while religious obsessions were more common in males. Obsession of contamination and compulsive washing was significantly associated with younger age of onset. Conclusion: Common features of obsessive-compulsive disorder in Sudanese patients are doubts, religious thoughts, contamination obsession, and washing compulsion which is likely to be related to the strong emphasis on traditional values and religiosity in Sudanese culture.

Safety and efficacy of omecamtiv mecarbil for heart failure: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Aim: To assess the safety and efficacy of omecamtiv mecarbil compared with placebo in heart failure (HF) patients. Methods: We searched PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and SCOPUS until August 15th, 2021. We included all randomized controlled studies comparing omecamtiv mecarbil with placebo in heart failure patients. The meta-analysis was carried out using Rev Man software V5.4. Results: A total of eight studies were included in our systematic review. Pooled analysis showed that omecamtiv mecarbil is not associated with increased incidence of death, any adverse events, hypotension, heart failure, ventricular tachyarrhythmia, dyspnea, dizziness, and serious adverse events. Regarding the efficacy, omecamtiv mecarbil significantly reduced heart rate with some studies demonstrating its significant improvement in left ventricular ejection fraction and systolic function. Conclusion: Omecamtiv mecarbil is a well-tolerated drug in heart failure patients. The limited data regarding the efficacy suggested that it may improve ejection fraction and systolic function

Performance & clinical utility of oropharyngeal versus nasopharyngeal swabs in COVID-19

Background & objectives: The oropharyngeal (OP) and nasopharyngeal (NP) swab samples are the most recommended clinical specimens for detecting SARS-CoV-2 in an individual through the quantitative real-time reverse-transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) method. The primary objective of this study was to compare the performance of NP and OP swabs for the diagnosis of COVID-19 among 2250 concomitant samples (1125 NP + 1125 OP) using rRT-PCR test. Methods: This study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital in southern India. The study compared the specificity and efficacy of the two samples (NP & OP swabs) in 1125 individuals suspected having COVID-19 infection. The rRT-PCR values from all the samples were compared based on gender, age group and viral load. The differences between unmatched proportion and matched proportion were analysed. Agreement between the two methods was assessed using Kappa statistic. Absolute sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values (PPV and NPV) for OP and NP swabs were analysed. Results: The study identified a fair degree of agreement between OP and NP swabs in diagnosis of COVID-19 (kappa = 0.275, P<0.001). There was also a fair degree of agreement between NP and OP swabs irrespective of gender, age or duration of symptoms. NP swabs had better sensitivity and NPV as compared to OP swabs, however, specificity and PPV were 100 per cent for both. Interpretation & conclusions: The present study showed that both OP and NP swabs had similar sensitivity and specificity for predicting the presence of SARS-CoV-2.

Clinico-epidemiological study of safe and unsafe chronic suppurative otitis media

Introduction: Chronic Suppurative Otitis Media (CSOM) remains one of the most commonest chronic infectious diseases worldwide particularly in children and adolescents. India has been classified as the high prevalence country with national prevalence of 4%. Knowledge of differential regional prevalence of risk factors is required for adequate health education of masses and for customised preventive and control measures in respective areas. Aims: To study the clinical and sociodemographic profile of patients with CSOM. Methods: The study was carried out in the department of Otorhinolaryngology, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, AMU, Aligarh from November, 2017 to December, 2019. Patients with CSOM attending the otorhinolaryngology OPD and those admitted in IPD were included in the study. Results: A total 200 cases of chronic suppurative otitis media including both safe (mucosal) and unsafe (squamous) type were studied. The mean age of participants was 22.8 ± 15.18 years. Of the total participants, 111 (55.5%, 95% CI 48.6 to 62.2) were males, 89 (44.5%, 95% CI 37.8 to 51.4) were females and the majority (60.5%, 95% CI 53.6 to 67) of them were from rural background. Around onefourth of the patients were illiterate (23%, 95% CI 17.7 to 29.3) and the patients mostly belonged to lower side (lower middle, upper lower and lower) of the spectrum of Kuppuswamy socioeconomic classification. The distribution of age-group, gender and laterality (side of involvement) was similar (P>0.05) in both safe and unsafe type. Overall, 151(75.5%, 95% CI 69.9 to 80.9) patients were found to have conductive hearing loss, 30 (15%, 95% CI 10.7 to 20.6) with mixed and 19 (9.5%, 95% CI 6.2 to 14.4) did not have any hearing loss at presentation. The distribution of patients with regards to hearing loss was found to be similar in both safe and unsafe groups (P = 0.311). Conclusion: CSOM particularly afflicts younger age populations from rural background with poor socioeconomic status. Appropriate timely interventions in the form of health promotion, education about the risk factors and improvement in the living conditions will result in decrease in incidence and prevalence of the disease. Moreover, knowledge of symptoms and signs of the disease is likely to result in early seeking of healthcare and hence better treatment outcomes and prevention of complications.

Efficacy evaluation of pepsin enzyme-based gel in chemo-mechanical caries removal on primary anterior teeth: a randomized controlled clinical study / Avaliação da eficácia do gel à base de enzima pepsina na remoção químico-mecânica da cárie em dentes anteriores decíduos: um estudo clínico controlado randomizado

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of a new pepsin enzyme-based gel compared with Carisolv as a CMCR agent. Clinical and radiographical evaluations of recurrent caries were made 3 and 6 months after treatment. Material and Methods: A split-mouth designed randomized controlled clinical study was carried out on 40 primary anterior teeth of children aged between 4-7 years. Pepsin enzyme-based gel and Carisolv solution were applied to carious lesions until complete removal of caries. The efficacy of both agents was evaluated by the number of application times to remove all caries. Recurrent caries were evaluated clinically and radiographically after 3 and 6 months of treatment. Results: Results showed no statistically significant differences in the efficacy of caries removal by the number of application times (P = 0.919). Concerning recurrent caries, clinical and radiographical evaluation after three and six months showed no statistically significant differences between the two groups (P = 0.574, P = 0.547, respectively). Conclusion: Pepsin enzyme-based gel can be considered similar to Carisolv gel regarding its efficacy as a CMCR agent for small carious lesions on primary anterior teeth in children aged 4-7 years old. (AU)

Objetivo: avaliar a eficácia de um novo gel a base de enzima pepsina comparada com o Carisolv como um agente na remoção químico-mecânica da cárie. Avaliações clínicas e radiográficas de cárie recorrente foram feitas em 3 e 6 meses apos o tratamento. Material e Métodos: um estudo clínico controlado randomizado de boca-dividida foi realizado em 40 dentes deciduos anteriores de crianças com idade entre 4-7 anos. Gel à base de enzima pepsina e a soluçao de Carisolv foram aplicados sobre a lesão cariosa até a completa remoção da carie. A eficácia de ambos agentes foi avaliada pelo número de tempo de aplicações para a remoção de todo tecido cariado. Cárie recorrente foi avaliada clinicamente e radiograficamente após 3 e 6 meses de tratamento. Resultados: Não houve diferença significativa na eficácia de remoção de cárie pelo número de tempo de aplicação (P = 0.919). Em relação à cárie recorrente, avaliação clínica e radiográfica apos 3 e 6 meses mostraram que não houve diferença estatisticamente significante entre os 2 grupos (P = 0.574, P = 0.547, respectivamente). Conclusão: o gel à base de enzima pepsina pode ser considerado similar ao gel Carisolv em relação a sua eficácia como um agente químico-mecânico na remoção da cárie para lesões cariosas pequenas em dentes anteriores decíduos em crianças entre 4-7 anos de idade.(AU)

Assessment of Variation in Clinical Presentation of Visceral Leishmaniasis Among Patients Attending the Tropical Diseases Teaching Hospital in Sudan

Background: Visceral leishmaniasis (also known as Kala-azar) is a systemic parasitic infection with many clinical presentations. The present study assesses the variation in presentations among patients who attended the Tropical Diseases Teaching Hospital (TDTH) in Khartoum, Sudan. Methods: This analytical cross-sectional, hospital-based study was conducted at the TDTH between November 2019 and September 2020. Medical records of patients who presented at the TDTH were reviewed using a structured data extraction checklist. The Chi-square test was used to determine the associations between sociodemographic and clinical presentations of patients. P-value < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: Out of 195 patients, 79.5% were male and 48.2% were <31 years old. Fever was the main clinical presentation (90.2%) while 53.3% presented with weight loss and 72.3% and 39% presented, respectively, with splenomegaly and hepatomegaly. HIV was detected in 4.6% of the patients. RK39 was the main diagnostic test. We found a significant association between the abdominal distention and the age of the patients (P < 0.05) ­ age groups 11­20 and 41­50 years were more likely to present with abdominal distention than other age groups. Conclusion: There is no exact clinical presentation or routine laboratory findings that are pathognomonic for visceral leishmaniasis; therefore, it should be considered in the differential diagnosis of any patient with fever, weight loss, and abdominal distention, and among patients with HIV.

Determinants of Healthcare Workers’ Willingness to Receive COVID-19 Vaccination

@#Introduction: The expedited COVID-19 vaccine has challenged people’s belief and perception of its effectiveness. The purpose of this study was to identify whether knowledge related to Covid-19 and perception of effectiveness of Covid-19 vaccine would predict health-care workers’ willingness to take the vaccine. Methods: A cross-sectional design using a convenience sampling technique was used to collect data from 302 HCWs. HCWs targeted included all those working at healthcare settings in Jordan. Data collected regarding knowledge related Covid-19 and perception of effectiveness of Covid-19 vaccine. Data collected using a self-administered questionnaire. Results: HCWs have moderate to high level of knowledge related to vaccines of Covid-19 and its effectiveness. High level of willingness to take the vaccine was also observed among HCWs. Those with higher level of knowledge and positive perception of effectiveness of Covid-19 vaccine are more likely to take the vaccine (p < .05); however, not highly influential (R2 = 27%). Demographic characteristics have not been found to influence HCWs’ decision to take the vaccine. Conclusion: There is a need to enhance positive perception of effectiveness of Covid-19 vaccine among health professionals through appropriate education and procedures.

Clinical manifestations and pregnancy outcomes of COVID-19 in indonesian referral hospital in central pandemic area

Objectives@#Data on the clinical manifestations and pregnancy outcomes of pregnant women with COVID-19 are limited, particularly in developing countries. The aim of this study was to analyze the clinical manifestations and pregnancy outcomes in COVID-19 maternal cases in a large referral hospital in Indonesia. @*Methods@#This study used a prospective cohort design and included all pregnant women with suspected COVID-19. Subjects were divided into COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 groups based on the results of real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. Clinical characteristics, laboratory results, and pregnancy outcomes were compared between the two groups. @*Results@#Of the 141 suspected maternal cases, 62 cases were COVID-19-confirmed (43.9%), while 79 suspected cases were negative (56.1%). The clinical manifestations and laboratory findings between the two groups were not significantly different (P>0.05). However, the maternal mortality directly caused by COVID-19 was significantly higher than that in the non-COVID-19 group (8.3% vs. 1.3%; P=0.044; odd ratio, 6.91; 95% confidence interval, 0.79-60.81). @*Conclusion@#The clinical manifestations and laboratory results of suspected pregnant women with positive and negative RT-PCR COVID-19 results were similar. However, within the Indonesian setting, COVID-19 significantly increases the risk of maternal death through both direct and indirect factors.

Association of Socio-Demographic and Clinicopathological Risk Factors with Oral Cancers: A 19-Year Retrospective Study

ABSTRACT Objective: To determine the association of socio-demographic and clinic-pathological risk factors with oral cancer in Kelantan, Malaysia. Material and Methods: A 19-year cross-sectional survey was performed in Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (HUSM), Malaysia. Medical record of 301 oral cancer patients was retrieved from the Medical Records office. Results: The majority of the oral cancer cases were male (62.8%), non-smokers (57.5%), non-alcohol consumers (83.4%), non-betel quid chewers (96.7%), and belonged to Malay ethnicity (68.8%). At the time of diagnosis, most of the patients were at stage II (38.9%). Approximately one-third (30.6%) of the total OC patients experienced loco-regional/distant metastasis, whereas no metastasis was detected in around two-thirds of cases (69.4%). A combination of surgery and radiotherapy was the most commonly employed treatment modality (27.2%). At the time of this study, the survival status of most of the patients was alive (69.1%). The most frequently encountered oral cancer in the Kelantanese population was oral squamous cell carcinoma (70.1%), with the tongue being the most frequently involved oral cavity site (35.5%). Conclusion: More than three-fourths of the cases were alive at follow-up, which included the cases that did not undergo any form of treatment.

High-performance computing for SARS-CoV-2 RNAs clustering: a data science‒based genomics approach

Nowadays, Genomic data constitutes one of the fastest growing datasets in the world. As of 2025, it is supposed to become the fourth largest source of Big Data, and thus mandating adequate high-performance computing (HPC) platform for processing. With the latest unprecedented and unpredictable mutations in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the research community is in crucial need for ICT tools to process SARS-CoV-2 RNA data, e.g., by classifying it (i.e., clustering) and thus assisting in tracking virus mutations and predict future ones. In this paper, we are presenting an HPC-based SARS-CoV-2 RNAs clustering tool. We are adopting a data science approach, from data collection, through analysis, to visualization. In the analysis step, we present how our clustering approach leverages on HPC and the longest common subsequence (LCS) algorithm. The approach uses the Hadoop MapReduce programming paradigm and adapts the LCS algorithm in order to efficiently compute the length of the LCS for each pair of SARS-CoV-2 RNA sequences. The latter are extracted from the U.S. National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) Virus repository. The computed LCS lengths are used to measure the dissimilarities between RNA sequences in order to work out existing clusters. In addition to that, we present a comparative study of the LCS algorithm performance based on variable workloads and different numbers of Hadoop worker nodes.

Ethno-Pharmacological Profile of Corallium Rubrum L., an Important Marine Drug, in the Unani System of Medicine

Since ancient times, various herbal medicines have been used in folk medicine to treat a variety of diseases. While the majority of drugs belong to the Kingdom of Plantae, some drugs from the Kingdom of Animalia are listed in various Materia medica of alternative medicines. Animal-derived drugs are mentioned in the Unani system of Medicine (USM) and have been used successfully to treat a variety of diseases. Marjan (Corallium rubrum) is a vital marine drug of animal origin that has been used in USM since ancient times and continues to be used today. It possesses a variety of beneficial pharmacological properties, including tonic effects on the heart, brain, stomach, and eyes, pregnancy protection, expectorant, and hemostyptic properties. It is used to treat hemoptysis, palpitation, bleeding piles, hemiplegia, heart failure, and general weakness. It is also an ingredient in a variety of Unani formulations with pharmacological significance. Unani physicians expanded the uses of Marjan and successfully used it to treat a variety of new diseases. There is a dearth of scientific research on its pharmacological and medicinal properties. The urgent need is to validate the Unani claims about its beneficial cardiac and nervine actions, as well as other significant actions mentioned in the Unani literature.

Transepithelial Laser versus Alcohol Assisted Photorefractive Keratectomy Safety and Efficacy: 1-Year Follow-up of a Contralateral Eye Study

Purpose@#To compare single-step transepithelial photorefractive keratectomy (TPRK) to conventional alcohol assisted epithelial removal then photorefractive keratectomy (AAPRK) regarding pain, epithelial healing, visual acuity, corneal haze measured subjectively and objectively, higher order aberrations changes, contrast sensitivity and vector analysis of astigmatic correction with one year follow-up. @*Methods@#A prospective double-blind randomized study of 29 subjects (58 eyes) who underwent myopic aberration-free laser correction by smart pulse technology using Schwind Amaris 1050 Hz with 1-year follow-up. Right eye was randomly treated by AAPRK or TPRK. Postoperative assessment was performed on day 1 and 3, at 1st week, and 1st, 3rd, 6th, and 12th months. Patients were assessed for pain, epithelial healing, visual acuity, corneal haze, astigmatic correction, higher order aberrations and contrast sensitivity. @*Results@#Epithelial healing was complete by the 3rd day in 62.1% of AAPRK eyes and in 89.7% of TPRK eyes. First day postoperative pain was higher in TPRK group (p = 0.0134). The decimal uncorrected visual acuity at 12 months was 1.47 ± 0.39 and 1.57 ± 0.38 in the AAPRK and TPRK groups respectively (p = 0.3719). Post-photorefractive keratectomy haze reached a final level of 0.04 ± 0.14 and 0.02 ± 0.1 in AAPRK and TPRK groups respectively (p = 0.5607). Contrast sensitivity was comparable in low and high frequency cycles per degree. Vector analysis of astigmatic correction showed correction index at one year of 0.99 and 1.05 for AAPRK and TPRK groups respectively. @*Conclusions@#Alcohol assisted and transepithelial photorefractive keratectomy have comparable results regarding safety and efficacy.

Epidemiological distribution of primary central nervous system tumors in the Western Province of Saudi Arabia: a local registry from neuroscience-affiliated centers / 한국역학회지

OBJECTIVES@#Central nervous system (CNS) tumors are a major and growing global healthcare challenge. Western Saudi Arabia has an inconsistent data registry; therefore, the epidemiology of CNS tumors is unclear across the country. This study is aimed to assemble the epidemiological matrix of CNS tumors in the Western Province of Saudi Arabia. @*METHODS@#A retrospective analysis was performed using clinical data obtained from 3 neuroscience centers in Western Saudi Arabia in the period 2014-2019. The sample size included 663 adult and pediatric cases from the local and expatriate populations diagnosed with CNS tumors. The distributions of age, sex, clinical presentation, tumor location, type of surgery, histological subtype, genetic characteristics, and recurrence rate were explored. @*RESULTS@#The analysis included 500 adult cases and 163 pediatric cases up to 18 years of age with a male-to-female ratio of 1.16. The mean age at diagnosis was 38.0±22.6 years. The supratentorium was the most common location (n=515, 77.7%). Most patients presented with headache (n=298, 44.9%), followed by a focal neurological deficit (19.9%). The most common primary CNS tumor was glioblastoma (n=234, 35.3%), followed by meningioma (n=100, 15.1%). The recurrence rate after surgery was estimated to be 40.9% among all CNS tumors. @*CONCLUSIONS@#This is the first tumor registry of Western Province of Saudi Arabia that describes the distribution of primary CNS tumors and highlights their epidemiological matrix. Several incidence trends in terms of histological type, age group, sex, location, and recurrence were determined, and some genetic characteristics were recognized.

Ethno-Pharmacological Profile of Corallium Rubrum L., an Important Marine Drug, in the Unani System of Medicine

Since ancient times, various herbal medicines have been used in folk medicine to treat a variety of diseases. While the majority of drugs belong to the Kingdom of Plantae, some drugs from the Kingdom of Animalia are listed in various Materia medica of alternative medicines. Animal-derived drugs are mentioned in the Unani system of Medicine (USM) and have been used successfully to treat a variety of diseases. Marjan (Corallium rubrum) is a vital marine drug of animal origin that has been used in USM since ancient times and continues to be used today. It possesses a variety of beneficial pharmacological properties, including tonic effects on the heart, brain, stomach, and eyes, pregnancy protection, expectorant, and hemostyptic properties. It is used to treat hemoptysis, palpitation, bleeding piles, hemiplegia, heart failure, and general weakness. It is also an ingredient in a variety of Unani formulations with pharmacological significance. Unani physicians expanded the uses of Marjan and successfully used it to treat a variety of new diseases. There is a dearth of scientific research on its pharmacological and medicinal properties. The urgent need is to validate the Unani claims about its beneficial cardiac and nervine actions, as well as other significant actions mentioned in the Unani literature.