Notes

Achievement and steering associated with light-induced sub-wavelength longitudinal magnetization sequence.
In clinical practice, there are often discrepancies between the oncological prognosis of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) and the actual clinical course. This study aimed to check with our collective how reliably the current classifications (Miettinen, Fletcher) predict the prognosis of GIST and to evaluate whether an extension of the classifications by the parameter proliferation activity could make sense. This prospective study enrolled 58 patients who underwent surgery on GIST from 01/2006 to 12/2016. The postoperative course (curation, recurrence, progress) was correlated with the identified risk classification and the proliferative activity. Coincidences with other tumors were strikingly common in patients with GIST (43%). Based on the risk group assignment of GIST, no assessment of the probability of the occurrence of second neoplasia could be derived. Individual patients were under- or over-graduated concerning the assessment of biological behavior based on the standard risk classifications. The inclusion of proliferative activity did not allow for a more precise predictive power - neither to the risk of recurrence and metastasis nor to the development of a second neoplasia. The study showed that there is currently no parameter or logarithm that reliably predicts the biological behavior of GIST. Due to the frequency of coincidence of second neoplasia and (rare) distant metastases, for everyday clinical practice, appropriate staging diagnostic and regular follow-up care should also be used for benign GIST.Inappropriate antibiotic prescriptions contributed to a global issue of antimicrobial resistance. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of bacterial pathogens and antimicrobial resistance isolated from maxillofacial infections (MIs). Two hundred and twenty-two patients with different MIs were included in this study. Swab samples were taken from the site of infections. Samples were cultured, and isolated bacteria were identified using various biochemical tests. Antimicrobial resistance patterns of isolates were assessed by the disk diffusion method. The mean age of the patients was 50.8 years. The male-to-female ratio was 127/95 (P less then 0.05). Smoking and alcohol consumption were found in 60.36% and 37.38% of patients, respectively. Most patients had a ≤1-week infection duration (P less then 0.05). Abscess lesion was the most predominant infection type (P less then 0.05). The prevalence of aerobic bacteria among abscess, pus localization, and deep facial infections was 59.33%, 64.28%, and 46.66%, respectively. The prevalence of anaerobic bacteria among abscess, pus localization, and deep facial infections was 40.66%, 23.80%, and 53.33%, respectively. Staphylococcus aureus (10.36%) and Prevotella buccalis (8.55%) had the uppermost distribution amongst all examined samples. Isolated bacteria exhibited the uppermost resistance rate toward penicillin (65.76%), tetracycline (61.26%), gentamicin (58.10%), and ampicillin (57.65%) antimicrobials. The lowest resistance rate was obtained for linezolid (25.67%), ceftriaxone (31.08%), and azithromycin (31.08%) antimicrobials. Linezolid, ceftriaxone, and azithromycin had effective antimicrobial activities toward bacteria isolated from MIs. Therefore, cautious antibiotic prescription might decrease the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance in dental and maxillofacial infections.Recognizing hepatic manifestations of COVID-19 and their impact on the severity and outcome is crucial in managing this emerging pandemic. However, we lack such reported data in Saudi Arabia regarding this clinical entity. This is a retrospective observational study conducted on 387 patients with COVID-19 disease who were hospitalized at King Fahad Hospital of the University from March-September 2020. The total cohort was divided into two groups liver and non-liver involvement. Then, the frequency of hepatic manifestations was determined, followed by comparing severity and outcome among the two study groups. A total of 387 patients were included, of which 72.87% had hepatic manifestations. The most prevalent abnormalities were high LDH in 308 (79.58%) followed by AST 205 (52.97%), GGTP 124 (31.26%), ALT 74 (19.12%), PT/INR 66 (17.05%), direct bilirubin 51 (12.40%), total bilirubin 46 (11.88%), and low albumin 48 (12.4%). Univariate analyses showed that liver involvement was significantly associated with severe (31.91%) and critical (34.75%) presentation (P less then 0.001). Multivariate regression analysis showed that the presence of liver involvement was an independent risk factor for severe or critical COVID-19 disease (OR 2.44; P less then 0.001), longer hospitalization (OR 2.27; P=0.001), and ICU admission (OR 2.27; P=0.006). The current study showed that liver involvement is common in the setting of COVID-19 disease. Such patients had a higher disease severity and a worse clinical outcome.This research aimed to assess the availability and need of dental emergency kits in Saudi Arabia university hospitals. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 267 dentists, including undergraduate, dental interns, general dentists, and specialists in 6 university hospitals (private and government colleges). In addition, a closed-ended questionnaire was distributed through emails using the online platform. The data revealed that 49.4% of dentists faced medical emergencies. Out of them, 72.7% said that emergency kits were available in their clinics. Sugar sources and oxygen were most commonly available. On the other hand, 37.8% of dentists handled emergencies independently, 34.5% considered themselves competent with cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and 28.8% were confident of using emergency (ER) drugs. The most common medical emergencies were vasovagal syncope and hypoglycemia. The emergency kit in dental clinics is relatively available, and the incidence of medical emergencies is relatively minor. However, the competence and confidence of the dentists in tackling an emergency is low, including handling of emergency (ER), knowledge of CPR, and its performance. Therefore, CPR courses should be improved and promoted more widely for this purpose.Local plants can save natural resources and be used as a source of biologically active compounds, which can be high-quality, effective, and safe ingredients for pharmacological or chemical industries. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the properties of two medicinal plants - the fine-scaled larch (Lárix Kaémpferi) and Siberian larch (Lárix Sibirica), which are growing in the Republic of Kazakhstan. We compared the two types of larches according to botanical affiliation and species description. We studied the alcoholic extracts from Lárix Kaémpferi and Lárix Sibirica to determine their physical and chemical properties. The data on the chemical composition of extractive compounds were generalized and systematized. The authenticity of Lárix Kaémpferi and Lárix Sibirica was established by external, anatomical, and diagnostic signs in microscopic examination and qualitative reactions. Specific indicators and their norms for raw materials were identified. This is the standard for both types of larch and determines their quality. We experimented with grinding fineness for studied materials and tested the impurities and moisture content of raw materials, total ash, and ash insoluble in a 10% hydrochloric acid solution. Determination of heavy metals and radionuclides was also considered. The quality specifications were developed based on the standardization of fine-scaled larch and Siberian larch.ST segment, T wave changes, QT interval changes, and QTc dispersion are among the parameters used to diagnose ischemic heart disease. The increase in the QT dispersion can be caused by myocardial ischemia, among other heart diseases, whereas cardiac diseases such as coronary artery disease (CAD) can be diagnosed by observing an abnormally high QTc dispersion. This study aimed to evaluate the variations in the QTc dispersion (depolarization and repolarization) of surface electrocardiography as a result of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with chronic total occlusion. This study took place in the Iraqi Center for Heart Disease from October 2020 to February 2021. 110 patients who suffered from chronic occlusion of the coronary artery and underwent PCI revascularization were examined. Twelve-lead electrocardiograms were recorded at the time of admission (12 hours before intervention) and more than one hour after the intervention. The measured ECG parameters included corrected QT interval durations and corrected QT dispersion in both pre and post-PCI electrocardiograms, and their values were compared. The average corrected QT interval and QTC dispersion changed significantly before and after the percutaneous coronary intervention. Performing percutaneous coronary intervention on patients who suffer from coronary artery total occlusion shows a major reduction in the corrected QT dispersion.The lockdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted normal life. At the beginning of March 2020, few cases of infected individuals were recorded, but then the number increased with time, and millions of Iraqi people were forced to stay home, losing many of their daily habits. Banning sports teams from gatherings was a global and local problem facing sports, affecting weight, dietary habits, and other life aspects. This observational retrospective study aimed to determine the changes in athletes' lifestyles like training hours, sleeping hours, weight, and other daily habits. The data were recorded 8 months before the lockdown by their coaches and the medical staff of wrestling teams and after the lockdown by surveys and questionnaires directly from the athletes for this study. The results confirmed that Iraqi wrestlers were still committed to not smoking nor drinking alcohol as before the lockdown, but training hours were down to one hour compared to 3 hours daily before the lockdown. All parts of society were affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, and athletes were on top of the social pyramid to manage the problems that resulted from the quarantine and social distancing. Athletes, coaches, medical sports staff, nutritionists, and captains should carry the responsibility to return life to its main road as they should double their efforts to win this battle.Eye care is one of the most critical tasks of intensive care unit (ICU) nurses. Patients in this unit are exposed to potential ocular problems due to critical conditions. This study aimed to establish a new eye care protocol for preventing ocular surface disorders in patients admitted to ICU. This was a clinical trial study performed on patients admitted to ICU in 2019. The data gathering tools included the demographic questionnaire, the Schirmer test for dry eye, fluorescein staining and slit lamp manual for examining corneal ulcers, and slit lamp manual to check keratitis and conjunctivitis. A type of eye care protocol was performed on the patient's eyes. After five consecutive days of executing the protocol, the data were analyzed using SPSS software version 18. The use of eye care protocol reduced the risk of keratitis (P=0.027), conjunctivitis (P=0.012), eye dryness (P=0.001), and corneal ulcer (P=0.003) in patients admitted to ICU in the intervention group compared to the control group. Ophthalmology protocols reduced the incidence of keratitis, conjunctivitis, dry eye, and corneal ulcers in ICU patients.
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