Phthalate Exposure and Coronary Heart Disease: Possible Implications of Oxidative Stress and Altered miRNA Expression.

The relationship between phthalate exposure and coronary heart disease (CHD) is still unclear. This study aimed to investigate the association between phthalate exposure and CHD and determine the possible atherogenic mechanisms of phthalates by assessing oxidative stress and altering miRNA expression. This case-control study included 110 participants (55 CHD patients and 55 healthy controls).

Designing an App to Support Measurement-Based Peer Supervision of Frontline Health Workers Delivering Brief Psychosocial Interventions in Texas: Multimethod Study.

Background: The unmet need for mental health care affects millions of Americans. A growing body of evidence in implementation science supports the effectiveness of task sharing in the delivery of brief psychosocial interventions. The digitization of training and processes supporting supervision can rapidly scale up task-shared interventions and enable frontline health workers (FLWs) to learn, master, and deliver interventions with quality and support.

Attitudes of parents towards influenza vaccine in the Eastern Mediterranean Region: A multilevel analysis.

Background: Seasonal influenza vaccines (SIVs) can protect against influenza and substantially reduce the risk of influenza-related hospitalizations and fatalities in children. This study aimed to assess parental attitudes towards SIVs in the Eastern Mediterranean region (EMR).

Methods: Through an anonymous online survey conducted in 19 countries in the EMR, parents or caregivers over 18 years who had at least one child above 6 months filled out the Parent Attitudes about Childhood Vaccines questionnaire.

External validation of the parental attitude about childhood vaccination scale.

Introduction: Internal validation techniques alone do not guarantee the value of a model. This study aims to investigate the external validity of the Parental Attitude toward Childhood Vaccination (PACV) scale for assessing parents' attitude toward seasonal influenza vaccination.

Methods: Using a snowball sampling approach, an anonymous online questionnaire was distributed in two languages (English and Arabic) across seven countries.

Trends of HIV indicators in Egypt from 1990 to 2021: time-series analysis and forecast toward UNAIDS 90-90-90 targets.

Background: Infection with Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and the development of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) pose severe threats to public health across the world. This study aimed to describe and forecast the trend of HIV indicators, including progress towards the 90-90-90 targets in Egypt since 1990.

Methods: The HIV indicators were graphically described, where the X axis is the time in a year and the Y axis is the value of the selected indicator for each year using data retrieved from UNAIDS.

Efficacy and Effectiveness of SARS-CoV-2 Vaccines: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has threatened global health and prompted the need for mass vaccination. We aimed to assess the efficacy and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines to prevent mortality and reduce the risk of developing severe disease after the 1st and 2nd doses. From conception to 28 June 2021, we searched PubMed, Cochrane, EBSCO, Scopus, ProQuest, Web of Science, WHO-ICTRP, and Google Scholar.

A systematic review and meta-analysis on chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine as monotherapy or combined with azithromycin in COVID-19 treatment.

Many recent studies have investigated the role of either Chloroquine (CQ) or Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) alone or in combination with azithromycin (AZM) in the management of the emerging coronavirus. This systematic review and meta-analysis of either published or preprint observational studies or randomized control trials (RCT) aimed to assess mortality rate, duration of hospital stay, need for mechanical ventilation (MV), virologic cure rate (VQR), time to a negative viral polymerase chain reaction (PCR), radiological progression, experiencing drug side effects, and clinical worsening. A search of the online database through June 2020 was performed and examined the reference lists of pertinent articles for in-vivo studies only.

Molecular and hormonal changes caused by long-term use of high dose pregabalin on testicular tissue: the role of p38 MAPK, oxidative stress and apoptosis.

In 1990, pregabalin was introduced as a novel antiepileptic drug that acts by binding selectively to the alpha-2-delta subunits of voltage-gated calcium channels resulting in increasing neuronal GABA levels and inhibiting the release of exciting neurotransmitters. The aim of our study is to assess the hazardous effects of prolonged high-dose pregabalin (like that abused by addicts) on testes and to clarify the potential causative mechanisms. The current study was conducted on 70 adult male Wistar albino rats which were divided into 7 groups.

The neurotoxic effect of long-term use of high-dose Pregabalin and the role of alpha tocopherol in amelioration: implication of MAPK signaling with oxidative stress and apoptosis.

Pregabalin abuse has become an emerging concern; thus, the current study has been designed to study the neurotoxic hazards of prolonged high-dose of pregabalin (akin to that abused by addicts) and to evaluate the effect of alpha tocopherol as a possible ameliorating agent. The current study evaluated the brain neurotransmitters; dopamine, glutamate, and norepinephrine. The study also assessed the expression of the apoptosis-related markers Bax, Bcl2, and caspase 3.

Verification and measurement of the side-cut angle of corneal flap in patients undergoing LASIK surgery using FS 200 kHz femtosecond laser system versus conventional mechanical microkeratome.

This is a prospective nonrandomized interventional clinical trial conducted to measure and verify the intended versus the achieved LASIK flap side-cut angle in two groups of patients, Femtosecond laser-assisted in-situ keratomileusis (FS-LASIK) using Wavelight FS200 (Alcon Laboratories Inc. Fort Worth, TX, USA) and the conventional mechanical microkeratme (Moria M 90). This prospective clinical trial was conducted on 40 eyes of 20 patients (20 eyes in each group) in the interval between December 2017 and August 2018.

What should prompt an urgent referral to a community mental health team?

Background There is often little guidance to advise general practitioners on whether a referral to a community mental health team should be classified as 'urgent' or not.Aims (1) To identify the proportion and appropriateness of referrals considered urgent by the referrer; (2) To develop a set of criteria to guide what should constitute an 'urgent' referral.Methods One hundred consecutive referral letters to a community mental health team were analysed to determine the proportion that were considered urgent by the referrer compared to a consensus panel of psychiatrists.