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This study aims to review student-athletes resilience power, coping power, and protective power in surviving the new norm routine in Malaysia. Aspects of the resilience dimension include self-confidence, self-discipline, self-ability, self-control, and self-determination. In addition, this study also aims to identify whether there are differences in resilience and coping dimensions based on some demographic factors. Both aspects of the survey, namely the level of resilience and coping, identify this difference obtained from data collected through questionnaires. The study sample consisted of school students in Malaysia. A total of 190 study samples were randomly selected. This study uses a quantitative approach. The findings of the study through exploratory analysis using principal component analysis (PCA) revealed the structure of four factors: self-confidence, self-discipline, self-ability, and self-control. Structural equation modeling (SEM) showed that the scale items formed four factors related to higher coping. The structure turns out to be stable over different age groups. The study's implications showed the need for exposure to Co-Curriculum education patterns and social support applied directly in increasing the protective power against challenges for student-athletes. © 2023 by authors, all rights reserved.
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Background Understanding health trends and estimating the burden of disease at the national and subnational levels helps policy makers track progress and identify disparities in overall health performance. The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019 provides comprehensive estimates for Pakistan. Comparison of health indicators since 1990 provides valuable insights about Pakistan's ability to strengthen its health-care system, reduce inequalities, improve female and child health outcomes, achieve universal health coverage, and meet the UN Sustainable Development Goals. We present estimates of the burden of disease, injuries, and risk factors for Pakistan provinces and territories from 1990 to 2019 based on GBD 2019 to improve health and health outcomes in the country. Methods We used methods and data inputs from GBD 2019 to estimate socio-demographic index, total fertility rate, cause-specific deaths, years of life lost, years lived with disability, disability-adjusted life-years, healthy life expectancy, and risk factors for 286 causes of death and 369 causes of non-fatal health loss in Pakistan and its four provinces and three territories from 1990 to 2019. To generate estimates for Pakistan at the national and subnational levels, we used 68 location-years of data to estimate Pakistan-specific demographic indicators, 316 location-years of data for Pakistan-specific causes of death, 579 location-years of data for Pakistan-specific non-fatal outcomes, 296 location-years of data for Pakistan-specific risk factors, and 3089 location-years of data for Pakistan-specific covariates. Findings Life expectancy for both sexes in Pakistan increased nationally from 61 center dot 1 (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 60 center dot 0-62 center dot 1) years in 1990 to 65 center dot 9 (63 center dot 8-67 center dot 8) years in 2019;however, these gains were not uniform across the provinces and federal territories. Pakistan saw a narrowing of the difference in healthy life expectancy between the sexes from 1990 to 2019, as health gains for women occurred at faster rates than for men. For women, life expectancy increased by 8 center dot 2% (95% UI 6middot3-13middot8) between 1990 and 2019, whereas the male life expectancy increased by 7 center dot 6% (3 center dot 5-11 center dot 8). Neonatal disorders, followed by ischaemic heart disease, stroke, diarrhoeal diseases, and lower respiratory infections were the leading causes of all-age premature mortality in 2019. Child and maternal malnutrition, air pollution, high systolic blood pressure, dietary risks, and tobacco consumption were the leading all-age risk factors for death and disability-adjusted life-years at the national level in 2019. Five non-communicable diseases-ischaemic heart disease, stroke, congenital defects, cirrhosis, and chronic kidney disease-were among the ten leading causes of years of life lost in Pakistan. Burden varied by socio-demographic index. Notably, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had the lowest observed gains in life expectancy. Dietary iron deficiency was the leading cause of years lived with disability for both men and women in 1990 and 2019. Low birthweight and short gestation and particulate matter pollution were the leading contributors to overall disease burden in both 1990 and 2019 despite moderate improvements, with a 23 center dot 5% (95% UI 3 center dot 8-39 center dot 2) and 27 center dot 6% (14 center dot 3-38 center dot 6) reduction in age-standardised attributable DALY rates during the study period. Interpretation Our study shows that progress has been made on reducing Pakistan's disease burden since 1990, but geographical, age, and sex disparities persist. Equitable investment in the health system, as well as the prioritisation of high-impact policy interventions and programmes, are needed to save lives and improve health outcomes. Pakistan is facing several domestic and foreign challenges-the Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan, political turmoil, catastrophic flooding, the COVID-19 pandemic-that will shape the trajectory of the country's health and development. Pakistan must address the burden of infectious disease and curb rising rates of non-communicable diseases. Prioritising these three areas will enhance Pakistan's ability to achieve universal health coverage, meet its Sustainable Development Goals, and improve the overall health outcomes.
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This paper presents an IoT-based heart monitoring system using 8266 NodeMCU. According to the Malaysian Department of Statistics, ischemic heart disease is the leading cause of death, accounting for 15.0% of the 109,164 medically certified deaths in 2019. The coronary heart is a vital organ that pumps oxygen and blood across the body. Meanwhile, if the heart is not getting sufficient oxygen, the patient will experience chest pain, typically on the left side of the body, which can be mistaken for a heart problem. During the Covid-19 pandemic, a patient cannot attend regular treatment at the hospital as it is operating at full capacity. During this phase, the hospital can only focus on the critical and high-risk patient. The proposed heart monitoring system monitors the patient by measuring the heart rate and oxygen level in the comforts of home. Therefore, the patient can provide his current health record for the doctor's evaluation. The idea behind this proposed system is to construct an IOT-based system that automatically monitors the health condition in terms of heartbeat and oxygen detection. The prototype provides data to the Blynk for the patient and the I-Heart web-based application for the medical practitioner. © 2022 IEEE.
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The Movement Control Order (MCO) has forced significant segments of Malaysia's economy to shut down or scale back operations in a nationwide effort to curb the spread of COVID-19. However, one segment of the population that is perhaps more susceptible to the adverse economic effects of the pandemic is the mental well-being of those who need to work remotely at home. This study expands on previous research by examining workers' perceptions of remote working practices at home and their impact on a person's mental condition. The reviewed literature presents four (4) main indoor environmental quality factors: spatial and thermal comfort;noise distraction and privacy;visual comfort;and overall satisfaction with their home and its relation to the work stress level, in addition to the emergence of the new norm of working during the pandemic. This study has shown that the quality of the indoor environment plays an important role in ensuring comfort when working from home, as the practice could have a negative or positive impact depending on the IEQ. From the results, most of the IEQ score values were more than 1, and the mean was the highest, which demonstrates a positive scale. The input from respondents on IEQ also indicates their mental well-being due to the fact that IEQ strongly affects workers' stress and productivity levels when working from home. This paper recommends extending the study on gender and productivity level, as well as mental well-being (Factor 3), when working from home, and how this relationship may affect an organisation when such a policy is implemented. © 2022 by MIP.
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Purpose: The novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) variant of 2019 has taken more than 3.8 million lives according to the World Health Organization. To stop the spread of such a deadly and contagious disease, lockdown of varying nature was imposed worldwide. Lockdown, preventive techniques and observation of standard operating procedures (SOPs) have effectively decreased the spread of contagious diseases but have affected various businesses and industries economically. The food industry has been hit hard by different restriction parameters, due to which a disruption in food supply and demand was observed. Therefore, this study aims to study this disruption in the supply chain of processed food. Design/methodology/approach: A comprehensive review was conducted on PubMed, Google Scholar, and Scopus to locate articles on processed foods, food delivery and supply chain. The selected articles were evaluated using the context analysis method. Findings: The pandemic situation has increased the consumption and demand for processed food products from retail stores, and decreased the demand for food service products. These circumstances called for technological advancement in the field of food supply from farm to fork. This study reviews research articles, policies and secondary literature. Several advances have been made to deliver safe, nutritious and wholesome food to consumers. Block chain-based food supply chains, value stream mapping, sustainable supply chain domain and online ordering systems via mobile apps have been discussed in correspondence with information and communication technology (ICT) during COVID-19. Research limitations/implications: This study concludes that the use of advanced software and its adequate knowledge by suppliers, logistics companies and consumers have assisted in handling shocks to the global food system and provided in-time food delivery, traceability, database information and securely processed food to consumers. Originality/value: This study shows the effects of COVID-19 pandemic on global food systems;disruption in food demand and supply chain is overlooked and changed;use of technological advances in food supply chain to tackle pandemic;online food ordering system gained popularity and improved technically. Highlights The review highlights the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on global food systems. The disruption in food demand and supply chain is overlooked and changed. The use of technological advances in the food supply chain to tackle the pandemic. The online food ordering system gained popularity and improved technically. © 2022, Zainab Bintay Anis, Rashid Iqbal, Wahab Nazir and Nauman Khalid.
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Objective: The aim of this study is to analyze the perception of Dentists in Pakistan towards Tele-Dentistry and its usefulness during Covid-19 pandemic. Material(s) and Method(s): The study was conducted among general dentists of Lahore after taking approval from the Ethics and Research Committee of the institution. This descriptive cross-sectional study was completed over the period of three months. Non-probability snowball sampling technique was used. Result(s): The results revealed that most of the dentists (89.5%) perceived that Tele-Dentistry can be of help during COVID 19 Pandemic in Pakistan. Conclusion(s): Most of the dentists were aware of teledentistry, and its uses, advantages and disadvantages in Covid-19 pandemic. Copyright © 2022 Lahore Medical And Dental College. All rights reserved.
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BACKGROUND: In previous studies, COVID-19 complications were reported to be associated with periodontitis. Accordingly, this study was designed to test the hypothesis that a history of periodontal therapy could be associated with lower risk of COVID-19 complications. METHODS: A case-control study was performed using the medical health records of COVID-19 patients in the State of Qatar between March 2020 and February 2021 and dental records between January 2017 and December 2021. Cases were defined as COVID-19 patients who suffered complications (death, ICU admissions and/or mechanical ventilation); controls were COVID-19 patients who recovered without major complications. Associations between a history of periodontal therapy and COVID-19 complications were analysed using logistic regression models adjusted for demographic and medical factors. Blood parameters were compared using Kruskal-Wallis test. RESULTS: In total, 1,325 patients were included. Adjusted odds ratio (AOR) analysis revealed that non-treated periodontitis was associated with significant risk of need for mechanical ventilation (AOR = 3.91, 95% CI 1.21-12.57, p = 0.022) compared to periodontally healthy patients, while treated periodontitis was not (AOR = 1.28, 95% CI 0.25-6.58, p = 0.768). Blood analyses revealed that periodontitis patients with a history of periodontal therapy had significantly lower levels of D-dimer and Ferritin than non-treated periodontitis patients. CONCLUSION: Among COVID-19 patients with periodontal bone loss, only those that have not received periodontal therapy had higher risk of need for assisted ventilation. COVID-19 patients with a history of periodontal therapy were associated with significantly lower D-dimer levels than those without recent records of periodontal therapy. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The fact that patients with treated periodontitis were less likely to suffer COVID-19 complications than non-treated ones further strengthen the hypothesis linking periodontitis to COVID-19 complications and suggests that managing periodontitis could help reduce the risk for COVID-19 complications, although future research is needed to verify this.
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Alveolar Bone Loss , COVID-19 , Periodontitis , Humans , Case-Control Studies , COVID-19/complications , COVID-19/therapy , Periodontitis/therapy , Periodontitis/complications , BiomarkersABSTRACT
Background and Aim: This study aims to audit the process of patient management with aerosol generating procedure (ultrasonic scaling) while adherence to the guidelines for healthcare workers during the COVID-19. Methods: Audits records at the Department of Periodontology at University College of Dentistry Hospital Lahore - Pakistan were collected (prospectively) over the period of 1 October to 30 November 2020 (1st cycle) and 14 December 2020 to 12 February 2021 (2nd cycle). The audit was divided into three components based on the guidelines: (i) Physical environment, (ii) patients/appointments and (iii) COVID SOPs related to HCWs. Results: The recommended physical layout and procedural factors, as suggested by the guidelines for dental clinics, were observed during the first cycle of audit, and discrepancy of ventilation system was fixed after the first cycle. Only one house officer got COVID positive (PCR) on 3rd day of house job. There were four procedural slots per day with three fallow time of half an hour each in the first cycle. Audit team reported the observance of fallow time three times daily, which revealed that 83.3% observance of fallow time. Later in the 2nd cycle when the extra oral high volume air evacuator was installed, the fallow time was reduced to 15 min and not only we did five procedural slots per day but our fallow time was also observed 100% of the time. There were few occasions in each cycle where the appointed patients had to wait more than 10 min before they were seated, and waiting time decreased in the cycle 2 when the dental staff were sensitized with its importance repeatedly as part of our weekly dissemination of knowledge. Conclusions: Following the standard guidelines resulted in more efficient working environment and lesser risk for health care workers while performing aerosol-generating procedures.
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Objective: We aimed to investigate the knowledge of medical students about COVID-19, the effects of the traumatic situation they experienced, the stress they perceived and the factors affecting them. In addition, we aimed to learn the thoughts of the students about the virus due to the uncertainties. Methods: The study was carried out online between May 30, June 5, 2020 with a questionnaire prepared with google forms. For the study, all students studying at the Faculty of Medicine of University of Health Sciences, Lahore were called through class representatives and WhatsApp class groups. The questionnaire included sociodemographic information, knowledge and sources of information about the disease, to agreement degree the proposition whether covid 19 is produced as a biological weapon. The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and Impact of Events Scale-Revised (IES-R) were applied. Results: The total number of participants was 275 students. No student was infected with COVID-19 at the time of the survey. The presence of chronic disease in the participants was found to be a factor that increased anxiety (p = 0.01). Majority of participants (60.40%) stated that they agree with COVID-19 is a biological weapon. The mean scores of women 's total PSS and IES-R were higher than men. It was found that the families of the students had a lower monthly income than the minimum monthly wage is increasing the anxiety about getting COVID-19 infection and perceived stress. One third of the students reported that sleep and appetite were impaired than the before pandemic. The announcements and website of Ministry of Health and the social media was the main source of information of the participants. Conclusions: It was found that medical students were highly worried about being infected with COVID-19. The scores obtained from the pre-clinic students' anxiety to become infected with COVID-19, PSS and IES-R total scores were found to be significantly higher than their clinical students.
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Objective: To assess outcomes of neonates born to mothers who were COVID-19 positive. Study Design: Prospective observational study. Place and Duration of Study: Secondary and Tertiary Care Hospitals of the Armed Forces, Pakistan, from Apr to Aug 2020. Methodology: We studied 106 pregnant women who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. Stable asymptomatic newborn babies were kept in SARS-CoV-2 specified incubators, at specially designated areas for observation. Nasopharyngeal swabs were taken at first 24 hours and if negative, babies were handed over to clinically stable mothers who were educated regarding use of facemasks and proper hand washing. Neonates who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 were evaluated for SARS-CoV-2 again at 48 hours and then every 48-72 hours, until found to be negative. Results: Total 106 women were found to be SARS-CoV-2 positive during the study period. All the women delivered singleton babies. Of the 106 babies, 5 (4.71%) were found to be positive for SARS-CoV-2 at 24 hours and only 1 (0.94%) baby was found to be positive at 48 hours and then tested negative at 7th day. Conclusion: Babies born to SARS-CoV-2 mothers were mostly asymptomatic and there was no increased risk of morbidity or mortality to the neonates suffering from the infection.
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Background. Probable and suspect SARS-CoV-2 reinfection has been reported globally, with implications for risk assessment and pandemic control. Genomic sequencing and supporting data are frequently unavailable to confirm SARS-CoV-2 reinfection. Methods. In March 2021, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health began interviewing suspect reinfection cases, defined as individuals with SARSCoV-2 RNA detected ≥ 90 days after the first detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA via molecular testing. We conducted a cross-sectional study of case interview data from March 10 to June 1, 2021 to estimate the prevalence of suspect reinfection cases;describe the interval between repeat positives ≥ 90 days;and, estimate bivariate prevalence odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for suspect reinfections and age, sex, race/ethnicity, reason for testing, symptomology, and comorbidities. Results. From March 10 to June 1, 2021, we attempted 29,983 case interviews, including 1,901 (6.3%) suspect reinfection cases and 28,082 (93.7%) initial cases. Among suspect reinfection cases, the median interval between repeat positive tests was 117 days (interquartile range: 102, 141). Suspect reinfection cases had decreased odds of completing case interviews (n=738;38.8%) compared to initial cases (n=13,263;47.2%) (OR: 0.71;95% CI: 0.65, 0.78). Among completed case interviews, suspect reinfection cases had increased odds of being older (50-64 years OR: 1.63 [95% CI: 1.32, 2.01];≥ 65 years OR: 3.77 [95% CI: 3.00, 4.74];ref. 30-49 years);Hispanic/Latino (OR: 2.64 [95% CI: 2.10, 3.33];ref. White);female (OR: 1.21 [95% CI: 1.04, 1.41]);reporting screening as their testing reason (OR: 10.39;[95% CI: 7.45, 14.48];ref. known exposure);and reporting underlying health conditions (OR: 2.64;95%CI: 2.24, 3.10). Suspect reinfection cases had decreased odds of being symptomatic (OR 0.15;95% CI: 0.13, 0.18). Conclusion. This analysis of case interview data indicates individuals who are older, Hispanic, female, and have underlying health conditions may be vulnerable populations for suspect reinfection. Limitations include unconfirmed reinfection and alternative explanations such as persistent positivity with decreased symptoms and infectivity over time.
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Lung diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, and pneumonia are causing many global health problems. The COVID-19 pandemic has directed the scientific community's attention toward performing more research to explore novel therapeutic drugs for pulmonary diseases. Herein, gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry tentatively identified 44 compounds in frankincense ethanol extract (FEE). We investigated the antibacterial and antibiofilm effects of FEE against Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria, isolated from patients with respiratory infections. In addition, its in vitro immunomodulatory activity was explored by the detection of the gene expression of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cycloxygenase-2 (COX-2), and nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). In addition, its anticancer activity against the A549 lung cancer cell line and human skin fibroblast (HSF) normal cell line was studied. Moreover, the in vivo lung protective potential of FEE was explored histologically and immunohistochemically in mice using a benzo(a)pyrene induced lung damage model. FEE exhibited antibacterial and antibiofilm activities besides the significant inhibition of gene expression of TNFα, IL-6, and NF-κB. FEE also exerted a cytotoxic effect against A549 cell line. Histological and immunohistochemical investigations with morphometric analysis of the mean area percentage and color intensity of positive TNF-α, COX-2, and NF-κB and Bcl-2 reactions revealed the lung protective activity of FEE. This study outlined the promising therapeutic activity of oleoresin obtained from B. dalzielii in the treatment of different pulmonary diseases.
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The Covid-19 pandemics caused by SARS-CoV-19, and the inadequacy of targeted medications, compelled scientists to seek new antiviral drugs. We present our current understanding of plant extracts containing polyphenols that inhibit Covid-19. Natural phytochemicals (polyphenols) derived from plants have the potential to establish research using extracts and/or individual compounds in the treatment and prevention of coronavirus. The polyphenolic drugs (antivirus) capable of inhibiting the coronavirus protein, that are vital for infection and virus replication. The benefit of phytochemicals is that they promote patient well-being while causing minimal side effects. To understand the antiviral behavior of isolated phytochemicals 1–6, various molecular descriptors, molecular electrostatic potential (MEP), and frontier molecular orbitals (FMO) were investigated. A systematic analysis of isolated phytochemicals was accomplished then molecular descriptors, docking score, active sites, and FMOs energies were compared to the commonly used drugs recently to treat COVID19, namely favipiravir, remdesivir dexamethasone and hydroxychloroquine. Using a molecular docking technique, we demonstrate for the first time that these plant phytochemicals can be inhibited by the core protease (6LU7) protein of COVID19. © 2021
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The purpose of this study is to probe the impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak on stock market returns and volatility in developed markets. We employ a panel quantile regression model to capture unobserved individual heterogeneity and distributional heterogeneity. The study's findings reveal that there is a heterogeneous impact of COVID-19 on stock market returns and volatility. More specifically, there is a negative impact of COVID-19 on stock returns in the bearish stock market;however, there is an insignificant impact of COVID-19 on stock returns in the bullish stock market. Furthermore, COVID-19 has a positive impact on stock market volatility across all quantiles.
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Purpose: Corona viruses have spiked structure and enveloped glycoproteins in their structure, along with specific proteins in membranes. The mode of action of COVID-19 consists of three phases, i.e. viral replication, immune hyperactivity and pulmonary destruction. However, angiotensin-converting enzyme is an essential receptor that causes COVID-19. After infecting any individual, COVID-19 develops in specific pattern with the following stages: replication stage and adaptive immunity stage. After adaptive immunity stage, the clinical symptoms of patient include cough, fever, runny nose, shortness of breath and many more. To cope with this COVID-19, food and nutrition played an important role. The purpose of this review article is to emphasize the significance of food and immunity to reduce COVID-19 attack among susceptibles. Design/methodology/approach: In the present era, corona virus, a member of crown-shaped type, created a pandemic situation around the globe owing to its capability to move from human to animals and vice versa. This virus can transfer its 35% infection to the individuals. Contemporarily, this outbreak was observed in Wuhan, China in December 2019 and affected a huge number of communities by spreading like common flu. However, after investigation, it was revealed that COVID-19 is different from common flu regarding respiratory illness created by this novel coronavirus along with its taxonomy. Findings: Over and above to all the aforementioned food safety concerns, it is suggested to use sufficient supply of green leafy vegetables along with fiber-rich foods such as legumes, beans, whole grains and vegetables. It is further good for health to get all these varieties whole and organic. The individuals should use probiotics (lactobacillus) on daily basis as a source of diary probiotic that can further bind to the virus directly and then can inhibit the viral attachment with body cells;also the probiotics are claimed to enhance the immune system of the body. Research limitations/implications: In the case of fruits and vegetables purchased, it must be thoroughly washed with water and then disinfected;after pat drying, these fruits and vegetables can be moved to the refrigerator and stored along with other foods. During the outbreak of COVID-19, the partially cooked or ready-to-eat foods should be avoided, especially eggs, meat, meat products, milk and milk-related products. On the other side, nuts should not be consumed;if required, then it must be properly roasted at home before consumption. Practical implications: The baked product right after coming out of oven is completely safe;however, these are contaminated during handling such as crumb in case of bread and with knives;so in the breakout of any viral attack, the individuals should avoid slicing of the bread. Moreover, it is recommended to place the baked products in personal bags instead of bulk quantity. Before the consumption, the baked products should be toasted, microwaved or heated with the help of pan (traditional) to reduce the amount of viral load. Social implications: Dietary supplements are taken by most of the people on daily basis or sporadically especially when they are suffering from inflammation or cold. They have options while selecting these types of supplements such as probiotics, Echinacea, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins D and E, calcium glucosamine, garlic and iron. These supplements are beneficial for the group of population who do not eat diversity of food as sufficient amount of essential nutrients is provided through this pathway. Originality/value: This work is original in its novelty. © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited.
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This paper examines the impact of COVID-19 on the integration and dynamic linkages of the cryptocurrencies (Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, XRP and Stellar). ARDL bound test approach and Granger causality tests are used in this study for the period from 17 April 2019 to 15 September 2020. We found evidence of no cointegration among the cryptocurrencies in both pre- and during COVID-19. Thus, the cryptocurrencies market offers an ample opportunity for the potential benefits from portfolio diversification and hedging strategies even during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, Granger causality tests show that Bitcoin is the most influential cryptocurrency in the short-run. The findings of this study may have implications for crypto-investors, international investors and fund managers who want to diversify their investments in cryptocurrencies. © 2022, Institute of Technology PETRONAS Sdn Bhd.
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The exploration of natural sources of antioxidant phytochemicals for human use with little toxicity gained worldwide attention. The preliminary screening of Malva sylvestris extracts revealed that its phytochemicals such as polyphenols, flavonoids and tannins, have high therapeutic potential. The total phenolic/flavonoids compounds of Malva sylvestris were extracted and isolated using bioassay guidelines, as well as in-silico studies. The extracts radical scavenging activity was further investigated using 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and nitric oxide (NO) radical bioas-says. The antioxidant potentials of various fractions were compared to standard antioxidants such as ascorbic acid and quercetin. The dichloromethane extracts of Malva sylvestris exhibited the antiradical activity against DPPH and NO with radical scavenging activities (RSA) of 88.52 and 91.05% with IC50 values 22.11 and 19.01 mu g/mL respectively. Bio guided isolation form the dichloromethane sub fractions that afforded twelve phytochemicals. Furthermore, the frontier molecular orbitals (FMO), several molecular descriptors, electron affinity, ionization potential and molecular electrostatic potential (MEP) have been discussed to probe the active sites of various phytochemicals. A systematic study of isolated drugs was conducted, as well as docking, frontier molecular orbitals energies, active sites and molecular descriptors were compared with drugs currently used against COVID19 namely, dexamethasone, hydroxychloroquine, favipiravir and remdesivir. For the first time, through molecular docking approach, the inhibitions of these plant phytochemicals with NADPH were recorded to show antioxidant behavior and to explore anti-SARS-CoV-2 using core protease (6LU7) protein. (C) 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of King Saud University.
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BACKGROUND: On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 to be a global pandemic. This prompted many countries, including Saudi Arabia, to suspend students' attendance at schools and to start distance education. This sudden shift in the educational system has affected students' learning, particularly for d/Deaf and hard-of-hearing (d/Dhh) students, who have unique language and communication needs. AIM: This study explores the challenges and support methods for d/Dhh students during their distance education in Saudi Arabia. METHODS: A qualitative research study using semistructured interviews was conducted with 37 parents of d/Dhh students to answer the research questions. RESULTS: Three themes emerged from the parents' responses: (1) the challenges faced by d/Dhh students in distance education; (2) the specific needs of d/Dhh students in distance education; and (3) the supports provided to d/Dhh students in distance education. CONCLUSIONS: Distance education is a strategic choice, and parents must be informed about how to use the Madrasati e-learning platform effectively by providing solutions and supports. Additionally, d/Dhh students require various forms of ongoing support from both their families and schools to ensure that they succeed and benefit from their experiences.