Laryngopharyngeal reflux: knowledge, attitudes, and practices among primary healthcare physicians.

Objective: The aim of this study was to estimate the level of knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) among primary healthcare (PHC) physicians in Saudi Arabia.

Methods: This quantitative cross-sectional study used an online-based questionnaire distributed to physicians in PHC facilities and hospitals in Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire consisted of four sections that provided data on demographics, knowledge, attitudes, and practices.

Student Performance and Perceptions of Flipped Classrooms and Small Group Discussions as Teaching Tools in Practical Anatomy.

Introduction A quasi-experimental study was conducted to assess students' attitudes toward the flipped practical classroom and evaluate its effectiveness in teaching practical anatomy. Methods Two survey questionnaires were developed: the first assessed students' attitudes toward flipped practical classrooms, while the second focused on the obstacles and difficulties students might encounter in this learning environment. Results We found that students rated flipped learning significantly higher compared to other teaching methods, particularly in terms of the quality of learning materials, enhancement of learning skills, engagement and understanding of anatomy topics, and problem-solving abilities.

Reference Hallucination Score for Medical Artificial Intelligence Chatbots: Development and Usability Study.

Background: Artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots have recently gained use in medical practice by health care practitioners. Interestingly, the output of these AI chatbots was found to have varying degrees of hallucination in content and references. Such hallucinations generate doubts about their output and their implementation.

Biofiltering capacity of Chambardia rubens (Bivalvia: Unionidae) may modulate expression of stress and growth genes inhibited by the neonicotinoid insecticide acetamiprid in zebrafish.

Neonicotinoid insecticides specifically target insect subtypes of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Acetamiprid (ACE: C10H11ClN4), the neonicotinoid insecticide, is used to control crop insect pests worldwide. It is a nitrile, monochloropyridine, and carboxamidine that is highly soluble and accessible to waterways.

Persistent Shortness of Breath in Post-COVID-19 Patients: Inducible Laryngeal Obstruction Can Be a Cause.

Background: Inducible laryngeal obstruction (ILO) is the adduction of the true vocal folds during inspiration or, less frequently, expiration. Its etiology is unknown.

Purpose: This study aimed to identify ILO as a possible cause of shortness of breath (SOB) in post-COVID-19 patients.

Validity and Reliability of the Arabic Version of the Glottal Function Index in Dysphonic Patients.

Objectives/hypothesis: The Glottal Function Index (GFI) is a four-item self-administered survey suitable for the evaluation and treatment of patients with glottal dysfunction. To date, it has been translated into Lithuanian, Persian, and Hebrew. This study is intended to translate and cross-culturally adapt the GFI for use in Arabic-speaking patients with dysphonia.

Translation and Validation of an Arabic Version of the Voice Disability Coping Questionnaire.

Objectives/hypotheses: Voice disorders can significantly affect the quality of life. This study aimed to translate, culturally adapt, and validate an Arabic version of the voice disability coping questionnaire (A-VDCQ) for use in Arabic-speaking populations with dysphonia.

Study Design: This was a cross-sectional study involving the translation and cultural adaptation of the VDCQ into Arabic.

Validity and Reliability of the Arabic Thyroidectomy-Related Voice and Symptom Questionnaire (A-TVSQ) for Assessing Post-Thyroidectomy Patients.

Objective: Post-thyroidectomy patients commonly experience voice changes, swallowing symptoms, and neck discomfort, a condition known as post-thyroidectomy syndrome. The Thyroidectomy-Related Voice and Symptom Questionnaire (TVSQ) is a validated tool showing strong correlations with established tools with a potential predictive value for post-thyroidectomy voice outcomes. Our study aims to translate and validate the TVSQ into Arabic.

Biogenic Silver Nanoparticles Produced by Soil Rare Actinomycetes and Their Significant Effect on -derived mycotoxins.

The current investigation addressed the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using newly isolated silver-resistant rare actinomycetes, SNPRA1 and SNPRA2, and investigated their impact on the mycotoxigenic fungi ATCC 11498 and ATCC 60532. The formation of AgNPs was evidenced by the reaction's color change to brownish and the appearance of the characteristic surface plasmon resonance. The transmission electron microscopy of biogenic AgNPs produced by SNPRA1 and SNPRA2 (designated Gn-AgNPs and La-AgNPs, respectively) revealed the generation of monodispersed spherical nanoparticles with average sizes of 8.

Biosynthesis of Novel Tellurium Nanorods by sp. TNPM15 Isolated from Mangrove Sediments and Assessment of Their Impact on Spore Germination and Ultrastructure of Phytopathogenic Fungi.

The biosynthesis of nanoparticles using green technology is emerging as a cost-efficient, eco-friendly and risk-free strategy in nanotechnology. Recently, tellurium nanoparticles (TeNPs) have attracted growing attention due to their unique properties in biomedicine, electronics, and other industrial applications. The current investigation addresses the green synthesis of TeNPs using a newly isolated mangrove-associated bacterium, sp.

Prognostic value of free air under diaphragm on chest radiographs in correlation with peritoneal soiling intraoperatively.

Purpose: Gastrointestinal perforation is a significant injury that originates mainly from gastrointestinal ulcers. It is associated with a high rate of morbidity and mortality. The height of the column of the air under the diaphragm can be used to estimate the amount of peritoneal soiling due to viscus perforation.

Self-perceived dysphagia in non-invasively ventilated COVID-19 patients.

Purpose: COVID-19 is known to present with a wide range of clinical symptoms. COVID-19-related dysphagia has been frequently investigated in patients who were critically ill and mechanically ventilated, but not in those with less severe presentations. This study aims to identify the frequency, characteristics, and severity of self-perceived oropharyngeal dysphagia in non-intubated COVID-19 patients.

Novel Torque and Drag Model for Drilling Two-Dimensional High-Angle Wells.

Planning high-angle wells involves diverse areas; one of the most important of these areas is torque and drag (T&D) management. Not only could uncontrolled T&D cause various drilling problems like drill string (D/S) failures, casing wear, stuck pipes, and slow rates of penetration but it could also entirely stop the drilling progress, if torque and/or drag exceed rig or string capabilities. Modeling T&D in advance would alleviate these problems by prediction of friction forces to be encountered and urging the drilling team to take the required measures to mitigate these forces or upgrade the drilling hardware (rig equipment and/or D/S).

Impact of photodynamic therapy as an adjunct to non-surgical periodontal treatment on clinical and biochemical parameters among patients having mild rheumatoid arthritis with periodontitis.

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of photodynamic therapy (PDT) as an adjunct to non-surgical periodontal therapy on the clinical periodontal and biochemical parameters among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) having periodontitis.

Methods: A total of 50 RA patients with periodontitis were included. The subjects were equally divided into two groups: Group A - scaling and root planning (SRP) + PDT; Group B - SRP only, respectively.

Bioactive Levan-Type Exopolysaccharide Produced by ZMR7: Characterization and Optimization for Enhanced Production.

Levan is an industrially important, functional biopolymer with considerable applications in the food and pharmaceutical fields owing to its safety and biocompatibility. Here, levan-type exopolysaccharide produced by Pantoea agglomerans ZMR7 was purified by cold ethanol precipitation and characterized using TLC, FTIR, H, and C NMR spectroscopy. The maximum production of levan (28.

Molecular cloning, structural modeling and characterization of a novel glutaminase-free L-asparaginase from Cobetia amphilecti AMI6.

The exploration of new sources of L-asparaginase with low glutaminase activity is of great interest in both medical and food applications. In the current study, a novel L-asparaginase gene (CobAsnase) from halotolerant Cobetia amphilecti AMI6 was cloned and over-expressed in Escherichia coli. The enzyme had a molecular mass of 37 kDa on SDS-PAGE and dynamic light scattering (DLS) analysis revealed that CobAsnase is a homotetramer in solution.

Effect of high-dose Omega 3 on lipid profile and inflammatory markers in chronic hemodialysis children.

Atherosclerosis, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), and inflammation are important problems in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients on chronic hemodialysis (HD). Prevention of CKD patients of CVD can lower the mortality rate in them. Omega 3 may help in the treatment of inflammation and lipid abnormalities in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients on chronic HD.

Colonization of intestinal microbiota with carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae in paediatric intensive care units in Cairo, Egypt.

Background And Study Aims: Colonized patients with carbapenamase producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) are vulnerable to invasive infections from their endogenous flora. We aimed to assess faecal colonization with (CPE) among children admitted to Cairo University paediatric intensive care units (ICUs). The phenotypic and genotypic characterizations of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae were also studied.

Development of the Arabic Voice Pathology Database and Its Evaluation by Using Speech Features and Machine Learning Algorithms.

A voice disorder database is an essential element in doing research on automatic voice disorder detection and classification. Ethnicity affects the voice characteristics of a person, and so it is necessary to develop a database by collecting the voice samples of the targeted ethnic group. This will enhance the chances of arriving at a global solution for the accurate and reliable diagnosis of voice disorders by understanding the characteristics of a local group.

Application of in-plant control measures in some Egyptian micro-scale dairy enterprises and its impact on heavy metal contents of their products.

Egypt is encouraging micro-scale enterprises as proved to be one of the most important reasons of economic growth. Most of the annual milk production is processed in micro-scale dairy enterprises located in squatter areas with high health risks and negative environmental impact. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of in-plant control measures in controlling lead and cadmium levels in dairy products from nine Egyptian micro-scale enterprises.

Intra- and Inter-database Study for Arabic, English, and German Databases: Do Conventional Speech Features Detect Voice Pathology?

A large population around the world has voice complications. Various approaches for subjective and objective evaluations have been suggested in the literature. The subjective approach strongly depends on the experience and area of expertise of a clinician, and human error cannot be neglected.

An Investigation of Multidimensional Voice Program Parameters in Three Different Databases for Voice Pathology Detection and Classification.

Background And Objective: Automatic voice-pathology detection and classification systems may help clinicians to detect the existence of any voice pathologies and the type of pathology from which patients suffer in the early stages. The main aim of this paper is to investigate Multidimensional Voice Program (MDVP) parameters to automatically detect and classify the voice pathologies in multiple databases, and then to find out which parameters performed well in these two processes.

Materials And Methods: Samples of the sustained vowel /a/ of normal and pathological voices were extracted from three different databases, which have three voice pathologies in common.

Self-Perception of Swallowing-Related Problems in Laryngopharyngeal Reflux Patients Diagnosed with 24-Hour Oropharyngeal pH Monitoring.

Background And Objectives: Swallowing difficulty is considered one of the nonspecific symptoms that many patients with laryngopharyngeal reflux complain of. However, the relationship between laryngopharyngeal reflux and swallowing problems is not clear. The purpose of this work is to explore correlation between swallowing-related problems and laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) in a group of patients diagnosed with oropharyngeal pH monitoring and to study the effect of laryngopharyngeal reflux on the patients' self-perception of swallowing problems.