The effectiveness of Moringa oleifera in the preservation of periodontium after radiation therapy: An experimental animal study.

Background: Radiation therapy produces reactive oxygen species, which have been linked to various degenerative conditions in periodontal attachment. This study aimed to assess the beneficial effects of aqueous Moringa oleifera leaf extract on the periodontium of albino rats exposed to fractionated gamma radiation. Materials and methods: This experimental study involved 24 adult male albino rats divided into three groups: Group M received M. oleifera leaf extract (300 mg/kg) intraperitoneally for 14 days; Group R received 20 Gy fractionated gamma irradiation; and Group MR received the same M. oleifera regimen as Group M and then fractionated gamma irradiation dose as Group R. On the first and seventh days post-radiation, bone, cementum, and periodontal ligament samples were histologically and histomorphometrically examined. Results: The periodontal ligament, alveolar bone, and cementum showed structural damage in Group R. A relative persistence of normal periodontal tissue structures was seen in Group MR, showing less disruption of the periodontal ligament and greater trabecular bone thickness than Group R. The histomorphometric analysis showed that the mean periodontal ligament width was highest in Group R7 (245.20 µm) and lowest in Group M7 (54.55 µm). In addition, the mean cementum width was highest in Group R1 (88.99 µm) and lowest in Group M1R1 (17.87 µm) and differed significantly between groups. Conclusion: Within the limitations of this study, Moringa oleifera leaf aqueous extract showed the potential to reduce the adverse effects of radiation, control inflammation, and support tissue healing in a rat model.

Self and public stigma towards mental illnesses and its predictors among university students in 11 Arabic-speaking countries: A multi-site study.

This study aimed to explore self and public stigma towards mental illness and associated factors among university students from 11 Arabic-speaking countries. This cross-sectional study included 4241 university students recruited from Oman, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Syria, Sudan, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine and Egypt. The participants completed three self-administrative online questionnaires-Demographic Proforma (age, gender, family income, etc.), Peer Mental Health Stigmatization Scale and Mental Health Knowledge Questionnaire. There was a significant difference in the average mean between the 11 countries (p < 0.01) based on stigma agreement (self) and stigma awareness (public). The mean stigma agreement towards mental illnesses among university students was 19.7 (SD = 6.0), with the lowest in Lebanon, 15.9 (SD = 5.1) and the highest in UAE, 24.1 (SD = 5.6). The factors associated with stigma agreement included poor knowledge, being male, high family income, age, weak cumulative grade point average (cGPA), mothers with primary education, an unemployed parent, students in scientific colleges and fathers who completed secondary or university degrees. Furthermore, the factors associated with stigma awareness included good knowledge, acceptable cGPA and having a father who has a low income and is illiterate. Stigma towards mental illness varies among university students across Arabic-speaking countries. There is a need to sensitize youngsters to the need for a humanitarian approach in society to individuals affected by mental health concerns. Major governmental reforms must be initiated for the provision of mental health services for individuals with mental illnesses.

An Experimental Investigation on the Thermo-Rheological Behaviors of Lactic Acid-Based Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents.

The rheological studies of Lactic Acid (LA)-based Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents (NADES) are provided in the present investigation. Those mechanisms were also studied in which three distinct Hydrogen Bond Acceptors (HBAs) of Choline Chloride (ChCl), Betaine (Be), and ß-Alanine (ß-Al), after being added to a specific Hydrogen Bond Donor (HBD) at a predefined mole-to-mole ratio of 1:1, affected the rheological properties of the prepared NADES. The alterations in the rheology-related characteristics in association with the mechanical and physical properties indicate the tolerance of the material under various operational conditions in the field and show their potential utilization as environmentally suitable and feasible solvents for industrial applications. In the present research, the viscoelastic properties of the three samples of NADES were assessed along with their shear flow properties. The backward and forward temperature change in the Apparent Viscosity (AV) pattern related to the NADES system was described by a rheogram. Furthermore, the density was determined and compared with the AV while considering the temperature-related factor. On a further note, the viscoelastic characteristics were utilized in describing and investigating the network disturbance on the level of the microstructure of NADES upon frequency sweep. A series of experiments were carried out using Thermogravimetry Analysis (TGA) to investigate the thermo-physical properties to optimize them. The rheological properties of shear flow measurements were analyzed using the Bingham model that is best suited for the AV developed with the shear rate with the dynamic yield stress of three systems. The Bingham model was used to determine the lowest stress necessary to disturb the network structure and commence the flow of LA-based NADES. Overall, the viscoelastic behavior of the LA-based NADES revealed the dissimilarity between their strength and viscosity. In addition, shear flow investigations demonstrated that LA-based NADES systems exhibit non-Newtonian properties and substantial shear-thinning effects equivalent to those of alternative IL sorbents. Assessing the rheological properties of LA-based NADES is crucial for a better understanding the key challenges associated with high viscosity. Defining the transport yield stress requirements for NADES systems under different conditions benefits their future development and potentially opens the door to more challenging applications.

The fight against the COVID-19 pandemic: Vaccination challenges in Sudan.

The first COVID-19 case in Sudan was announced on March 13th, 2020. 1835 deaths were recorded as of February 7th, 2021. 800,000 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine were allocated to Sudan through COVAX in March 2021. However, multiple challenges exist in vaccinating the Sudanese population, ranging from an inadequate cold chain system to low acceptance rates of COVID-19 vaccination among the Sudanese population. Economic crises, high inflation rates and long-standing economic sanctions have also negatively impacted the healthcare system in Sudan as a result of deprivation of access to research and development funding.

Ameliorative Effects of Aspergillus awamori against the Initiation of Hepatocarcinogenesis Induced by Diethylnitrosamine in a Rat Model: Regulation of Cyp19 and p53 Gene Expression.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common cancer in humans. Despite advances in its treatment, liver cancer remains one of the most difficult cancers to treat. This study aimed to investigate the ameliorative action and potential mechanism of Aspergillus awamori (ASP) administration against the initiation process of liver carcinogenesis induced by diethylnitrosamine (DEN) in male Wistar rats. Seventy-two male rats were divided equally into eight groups as follows, Group 1: untreated control; Group 2: DEN (200 mg/kg bw) intra-peritoneally for the initiation of HCC; Groups 3-5: DEN + ASP at a dose of 1, 0.5, and 0.25 mg/kg bw and groups 6-8: ASP at a dose of 1, 0.5, and 0.25 mg/kg bw. Supplementation of A. awamori significantly lightened the adverse impacts induced by DEN via restoring the leukogram to normal, lowering the elevated serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), and γ-glutamyl transferase (GGT), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP). Furthermore, it enhanced the hepatic antioxidant capacity through increasing the reduced glutathione (GSH) level and catalase (CAT) activity with a marked reduction in malondialdehyde (MDA) level. In addition, it decreased the positive GST-P foci. Likewise, a significant alteration of DEN-associated hepatocarcinogenesis occurred through inhibiting cytochrome P450 (Cyp19) and activating p53 gene expression. In conclusion, supplementation of A. awamori counteracts the negative effects of DEN, inhibits the early development of GST-P-positive foci and could be used as a new alternative strategy for its chemo-preventive effect in liver cancer. To the best of our knowledge, the present study is the first to report the hepato-protective effect of A. awamori in induced hepatocarcinogenesis.