Portable Infrared-Based Glucometer Reinforced with Fuzzy Logic.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic metabolic condition characterized by high blood glucose levels owing to decreased insulin production or sensitivity. Current diagnostic approaches for gestational diabetes entail intrusive blood tests, which are painful and impractical for regular monitoring. Additionally, typical blood glucose monitoring systems are restricted in their measurement frequency and need finger pricks for blood samples.

Passive Articulated and Non-Articulated Ankle-Foot Orthoses for Gait Rehabilitation: A Narrative Review.

The aim of this work was to study the different types of passive articulated and non-articulated ankle-foot orthoses for gait rehabilitation in terms of working principles, control mechanisms, features, and limitations, along with the recent clinical trials on AFOs. An additional aim was to categorize them to help engineers and orthotists to develop novel designs based on this research. Based on selected keywords and their composition, a search was performed on the ISI Web of Knowledge, Google Scholar, Scopus, and PubMed databases from 1990 to 2022.

Critical appraisal of simulated patient methodology to assess the practice of community pharmacist in the Middle East and North Africa region: A systematic review.

Background: The use of simulated patient (SP) methodology in pharmacy practice settings has increased recently. However, its applications can vary significantly within a region, hence affecting the quality of the SP methodology.

Objective: The purpose of this systematic review is to critically assess the use of the SP methodology for assessing the practice of community pharmacists (CP) in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

Biomechanical Assessment of Endodontically Treated Molars Restored by Endocrowns Made from Different CAD/CAM Materials.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the deflection and stress distribution in endodontically treated molars restored by endocrowns from different materials available for the computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) technique using three-dimensional finite element analysis. The models represented extensively damaged molars restored by endocrowns from the following materials: translucent zirconia; zirconia-reinforced glass ceramic; lithium disilicate glass ceramic; polymer-infiltrated ceramic network (PICN) and resin nanoceramic. Axial and oblique loadings were applied and the resulting stress distribution and deflection were analyzed.

Community pharmacists' response to complaints of gastroesophageal reflux: A simulated patient study in the Northern United Arab Emirates.

Introduction: Patients frequently use gastric acid-reducing agents (ARAs) to treat symptoms affecting the gastrointestinal tract. Thus, the risk for drug-drug interactions (DDI) is a serious concern. This potentially makes the community pharmacist (CP) act as a primary intervention by providing the appropriate counseling and dispensing practice.

Experimental Investigation on the Structural Performance of Single Span Hollow Core Slab under Successive Impact Loading.

In Lebanon and many other countries where structures are vulnerable to impact loads caused by accidental rock falls due to landslides, specifically bridges with hollow core slab, it is mandatory to develop safe and efficient design procedures to design such types of structures to withstand extreme cases of loading. The structural response of concrete members subjected to low velocity high falling weight raised the interest of researchers in the previous years. The effect of impact due to landslide falling rocks on reinforced concrete (RC) slabs has been investigated by many researchers, while very few studied the effect of impact loading on pre-stressed structures, noting that a recent study was conducted at Beirut Arab University which compared the dynamic behavior of reinforced concrete and post-tensioned slabs under impact loading from a 605 kg impactor freely dropped from a height of 20 m.

Adaption of distance learning to continue the academic year amid COVID-19 lockdown.

This work investigates the use of distance learning in saving students' academic year amid COVID-19 lockdown. It assesses the adoption of distance learning using various online application tools that have gained widespread attention during the coronavirus infectious disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Distance learning thrives as a legitimate alternative to classroom instructions, as major cities around the globe are locked down amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Morphological changes in amblyopic eyes in choriocapillaris and Sattler's layer in comparison to healthy eyes, and in retinal nerve fiber layer in comparison to fellow eyes through quantification of mean reflectivity: A pilot study.

Purpose: Establishing the reliability of a new method to check the mean retinal and choroidal reflectivity and using it to find retinal and choroid changes in amblyopia.

Methods: Design: Retrospective case-control. Population: 28 subjects of which 10 were healthy controls (20 eyes): 8 with refractive errors, 1 with strabismus, and 1 with both.

A Modified Two-Way Active Avoidance Test for Combined Contextual and Auditory Instrumental Conditioning.

Available two-way active avoidance paradigms do not provide contextual testing, likely due to challenges in performing repetitive trials of context exposure. To incorporate contextual conditioning in the two-way shuttle box, we contextually modified one of the chambers of a standard two-chamber rat shuttle box with visual cues consisting of objects and black and white stripe patterns. During the 5 training days, electrical foot shocks were delivered every 10 s in the contextually modified chamber but were signaled by a tone in the plain chamber.

Potentiating Hemorrhage in a Periadolescent Rat Model of Closed-Head Traumatic Brain Injury Worsens Hyperexcitability but Not Behavioral Deficits.

Post-traumatic epilepsy (PTE) and neurocognitive deficits are devastating sequelae of head injuries that are common in adolescents. Investigating desperately needed treatments is hindered by the difficulties in inducing PTE in rodents and the lack of established immature rat models of pediatric PTE. Hemorrhage is a significant risk factor for PTE, but compared to humans, rats are less prone to bleeding because of their rapid blood coagulation system.

Integrating contextual sentiment analysis in collaborative recommender systems.

Recently. recommender systems have become a very crucial application in the online market and e-commerce as users are often astounded by choices and preferences and they need help finding what the best they are looking for. Recommender systems have proven to overcome information overload issues in the retrieval of information, but still suffer from persistent problems related to cold-start and data sparsity.

High-Dose Levetiracetam for Neonatal Seizures: A Retrospective Review.

Background: Neonatal seizures are frequently encountered in the neonatal intensive care unit and may be associated with serious long-term neurological sequelae. Response to treatment continues to be modest, and treatment guidelines remain unclear. The use of levetiracetam has been on the rise in the past several years due to its favorable safety profile in the face of limited data on its efficacy and optimal dosing regimens.

Cohort retrospective study: the neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio as an independent predictor of outcomes at the presentation of the multi-trauma patient.

Background: Although the association of neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) with mortality in trauma patients has recently been shown, there is a paucity of research on the association with other outcomes. Recent studies suggest that the NLR has a predictive value of mortality in trauma patients during various times of admission. This study aimed to determine the prognostic impact of NLR at the presentation in critically ill trauma patients.

Factors associated with anxiety disorders among patients with substance use disorders in Lebanon: Results of a cross-sectional study.

Objectives: Estimate the rate of anxiety disorders (AD) and associated factors among patients with substance use disorder (SUD) in Lebanon.

Methods: A cross-sectional study, conducted between April and September 2017, enrolled 57 inpatients with SUD.

Results: The rate of AD in patients with SUD was 61.

Identification of Factors Affecting the Quality of Life Among Patients With Addiction in Lebanon.

Our objective was to assess factors associated with the physical (Short-Form 12-physical component summary [SF-12-PCS]) and mental (Short-Form 12-mental component summary [SF-12-MCS]) quality of life (QOL) in the Lebanese population. A cross-sectional study, conducted between July and September 2017, enrolled 57 patients with substance use disorder from the Psychiatric Hospital of the Cross. The SF-12 scale was used to assess the QOL among participants.

Finite element analysis of stress distribution on the mandible and condylar fracture osteosynthesis during various clenching tasks.

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effect of clenching tasks on the stress and strain of condylar osteosynthesis screws and plates, as well as on the stress, strain distribution and displacement on the whole mandible and bone surrounding screws.

Methods: Three-dimensional finite element models of the mandible, two straight four-hole plates and eight screws were established. Six static clenching tasks were simulated in this study: incisal clench (INC), intercuspal position (ICP), right unilateral molar clench (RMOL), left unilateral molar clench (LMOL), right group function (RGF) and left group function (LGF).

Assessment of the Biomechanical Performance of 5 Plating Techniques in Fixation of Mandibular Subcondylar Fracture Using Finite Element Analysis.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare the performances of 5 plating techniques for fixation of unilateral mandibular subcondylar fracture.

Materials And Methods: Five titanium plating techniques for fixation of condylar fracture were analyzed using the finite element method. The modeled techniques were 1) 1 straight plate, 2) 2 parallel straight plates, 3) 2 angulated straight plates, 4) 1 trapezoidal plate, and 5) 1 square plate.

Evaluation of the rigidity of sagittal split ramus osteotomy fixation using four designs of biodegradable and titanium plates--a numerical study.

Purpose: This study was conducted to determine the best design of biodegradable plates for providing rigidity when used for fixation of sagittal split ramus osteotomy.

Methods: A computerized tomography image of a patient was used to generate a 3D model of a hemi-mandible. Four plate designs were merged with the hemi-mandible.

Assessment of sagittal split ramus osteotomy rigid internal fixation techniques using a finite element method.

In this study, finite element analysis (FEA) was used to evaluate nine rigid internal fixation techniques for sagittal split ramus osteotomy. To achieve this, a computed tomography (CT) scan of a healthy patient was obtained and used to generate the geometry of a half-mandible. The geometries of bicortical screws, miniplates, and monocortical screws were designed and combined with the mandible in nine models simulating various techniques.

Efficient organometal trihalide perovskite planar-heterojunction solar cells on flexible polymer substrates.

Organometal trihalide perovskite solar cells offer the promise of a low-cost easily manufacturable solar technology, compatible with large-scale low-temperature solution processing. Within 1 year of development, solar-to-electric power-conversion efficiencies have risen to over 15%, and further imminent improvements are expected. Here we show that this technology can be successfully made compatible with electron acceptor and donor materials generally used in organic photovoltaics.

Is sildenafil an effective therapy in the management of persistent pulmonary hypertension?

Persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN) is a life-threatening neonatal pathology resulting from poor hemodynamic and respiratory transition to extra uterine life. Inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) is a current, commonly used treatment of PPHN. However, iNO is not available therapy in many developing countries and around 50% of infants with PPHN do not respond to iNO therapy.

Salbutamol versus cation-exchange resin (kayexalate) for the treatment of nonoliguric hyperkalemia in preterm infants.

Our objective was to compare the efficacy and safety of rectal cation-exchange resin (Kayexalate) versus salbutamol infusion for the treatment of nonoliguric hyperkalemia (NOHK) in preterm infants. Data of all neonates born with NOHK during the study period of 6 years and 8 months were recorded. Diagnostic criteria of NOHK included serum potassium (SK) concentration > or = 7 mmol/L during the first 72 hours of life with urine output > or = 1 mL/kg/hour.

Does prophylactic phototherapy prevent hyperbilirubinemia in neonates with ABO incompatibility and positive Coombs' test?

Objective: The objective of the study was to determine whether initiation of early phototherapy in positive direct Coombs' test (DCT) with ABO-incompatible newborns would prevent severe jaundice.

Study Design: A prospective controlled study was performed at Al Qassimi Hospital. Infants born at term and weighing >2000 g with ABO incompatibility and a positive DCT were included in the study.

Clinical presentation of hypernatremic dehydration in exclusively breast-fed neonates.

Objective: To identify the clinical presentation of dehydration related to failure of lactation in exclusively breast-fed term infants.

Method: A prospective study was performed between January 2000 and June 2003 in Al Qassimi Hospital in the Emirate of Sharjah. Enrollment criteria included term neonates whose birth weight of > 2000 g with no underlying organic illness causing poor feeding admitted for clinical manifestations of dehydration with weight loss of > 10% during the first 2 weeks of life.

Epidemiology and outcome of "early-onset" vs "late-onset" necrotizing enterocolitis.

Objective: We hypothesized that among neonates with necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), important epidemiologic and outcome differences exist between those with early-onset vs. those with late-onset NEC.

Methods: We reviewed all records of neonates cared for in the King Fahad University Hospital during the past ten years who had the diagnosis of NEC.