bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
In Vitro Comparison of Cyclic Fatigue Resistance of ProTaper Next and TruNatomy Endodontic Rotary Files
Authors: Ramteke Payal , Prajapati Mitulkumar R. , Vashisth Diwakar , Aga Nausheen , Mohanty Rajat , Chougule Prajakta G. , Hassan Muna E. M. 
Published: April 2024

ABSTRACT

Aim:
The purpose of this comparative in vitro study was to investigate the cyclic fatigue resistance (CFR) of two different rotary endodontic file systems, namely, TruNatomy and ProTaper Next filing systems.

Material and Methods:
A stainless steel artificial canal with a 60° curvature angle and a 5 mm radius of curvature was used to simulate clinical settings to carry out the test. Twenty ProTaper Next X2 files and 20 TruNatomy Prime files were used to run a total of forty instruments until a fracture occurred, and the amount of time it took for the fracture to occur was taken into account. The files were driven by an endodontic motor set when the settings were adjusted according to the manufacturer’s recommendations. A digital meter was employed to record the duration until fracture occurrence, thus ensuring precision.

Results:
The TruNatomy files had a larger mean cycle fatigue life, which indicates that they have a higher resistance.

Conclusions:
Given the constraints of this in vitro testing, the CFR of TruNatomy files was found to be significantly higher than that of ProTaper Next files.
The Evolution of Digital Dentistry: A Comprehensive Review
Authors: Gawali Nishad , Shah Priti P. , Gowdar Inderjit M. , Bhavsar Kevalkumar A. , Giri Debanti , Laddha Rashmi 
Published: April 2024

ABSTRACTDigital dentistry has revolutionized the traditional practice of dentistry, offering new tools and technologies that enhance diagnosis, treatment, and patient care. This comprehensive review explores the evolution of digital dentistry, its role in modern dental practice, and the advantages, limitations, and future prospects. By examining the current state of digital dentistry, this review aims to provide insights into its transformative impact on dental healthcare.
Study of Prevalence of Gastritis Caused by H. pylori and Correlation of Urease Test with Serology (ELISA) Test
Authors: Ranjan Maitreyi , Hameed Hany , Jain Shailesh , Garg Yogesh , Singh Roli , Tyagi Manjulika , Jain Romesh 
Published: April 2024

ABSTRACT

Introduction:

H. pylori are a pathogen of global importance. Gram-negative curved flagellate bacilli are implicated as one of the most trivial complaints of and are associated with peptic ulcer disease gastritis ulcer and gastric malignancy. This study was performed to find out the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection in patients presenting the symptoms related with gastritis with or without chemically known peptic ulcer.

Materials and Methods:
The study was undertaken with the help of the Christensen and quotes urease test on endoscopic biopsy specimen and correlated with the detection of immunoglobulin IgG in the serum against H. pylori by an ELISA technique.

Results:
A total of 67 cases were analyzed in which 29 (43%) cases were positive for H. pylori. The endoscopic findings of acid peptic diseases show 21 (31.4%) cases of stomach ulcer, and 3 (4.5%) have esophagitis, whereas 43 (64.1%) have nonulcer dyspepsia. There is strong positive association between the urease tesr and ELISA test.

Conclusion:
The urease test is a quick and inexpensive test with high specificity and sensitivity, but since it is an invasive test, it has reduced patient compliance.
Assessment of Oral Health Status among the Sevayats of Shree Sakhigopal Temple, Puri – A Cross-sectional Study
Authors: Kumar Gunjan , Dash Payal , Tripathi Ranjan M. , Khandelwal Sourabh , Sharma Oshin , Pany Gitanjali 
Published: April 2024

ABSTRACT

Aim:
To assess the oral health status of the Sevayats of Sakhigopal temple, Puri, Odisha.

Methodology:
An assessment of the oral health status of 111 Sevayats at the Sakhigopal temple in Puri was carried out using a cross-sectional survey. The World Health Organization oral health assessment form for adults (2013) was used to collect data. Chi-square test and one-way analysis of variance were the statistical tests used for the investigation using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences 27 version. When the P value was less than 0.05, it was deemed statistically significant.

Results:
The mean DMFT of all the participants was 3.70 ± 1.71. The prevalence of caries was 91%. Bleeding and periodontal pocket were present in 82.9% and 83.8% of Sevayats, respectively.

Conclusion:
There was a higher prevalence of dental caries and periodontal disease among the subjects.
Clinical effectiveness and safety of ustekinumab in youth with refractory inflammatory bowel disease: A retrospective cohort study
Authors: Alhadab Abdulhamid , Almarhoon Amal , AlAlwan Amena , Hammo AbdelHai 
Published: April 2024

Abstract

Background:
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) incidence and prevalence has been increasing worldwide. Limited data exists on the effectiveness of ustekinumab (UST) in children. We aimed to describe the effectiveness and safety of UST in pediatric patients with IBD.

Methods:
A single-center retrospective study was conducted between January 2017 and February 2022. The study included patients ≤16 years of age who were treated with UST and followed up for ≥1 year. Clinical remission was defined as a score of the Pediatric Crohn’s Disease (CD) and Pediatric Ulcerative Colitis (UC) Activity Indices ≤10 at week 52.

Results:
Thirteen patients who had failed anti-tumor necrosis factor-α (anti-TNFα) therapy were included, eight (61.5%) with CD and five (38.5%) with UC. The median age was 13 years (interquartile range [IQR]: 11.5 to 14). UST treatment was initiated at a median age of 3 years (IQR: 2.3 to 7) after diagnosis. Ten patients (76.9%) achieved clinical remission. There were no statistically significant differences in characteristics between patients who achieved and did not achieve clinical remission. Biochemical remission (BioR) was achieved in six patients (46.2%). Body mass index (BMI) significantly improved, C-reactive protein (CRP) significantly decreased, and the need for corticosteroids significantly decreased in the remission group. Endoscopy conducted post-treatment in seven patients confirmed remission in six patients. Adverse events included two cases of infection and one of headache.

Conclusions:
UST was effective as a secondary biologic therapy for the induction and maintenance of remission in patients with anti-TNFα refractory IBD. At one year, 84% of patients remained on UST with no severe adverse reactions reported.
Understanding risks for stroke and the importance of a healthy lifestyle among stroke patients at a tertiary hospital in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Althomali Mohammed , Liberatos Penny , Mubaraki Adnan A. , Alqasim Marzouq Abdullah 
Published: April 2024

Background:
Stroke accounts for 11% of deaths worldwide. Stroke prevalence has been rising in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), where the death rate per 100,000 is 95.93 versus 22.27 in the US.

Aim:
This study was conducted to assess knowledge about stroke risk factors and willingness to make the behavioral changes among KSA individuals who had experienced a stroke.

Methods:
A 61-item survey was orally administered to 101 stroke patients from King Abdulaziz Hospital in Taif, Saudi Arabia in July 2020. Topics covered included: knowledge of stroke risk factors; health behaviors regarding diet, physical activity, smoking, and medical adherence; and importance/barriers to changing unhealthy behaviors and willingness to make changes.

Statistical Methods:
Comparisons of risk factor knowledge as related to the other variables were made using the Chi-square statistics.

Results:
Approximately half of the participants correctly identified stroke risk factors, one-third reported poor medication adherence, 20%–30% reported engaging in unhealthy dietary behaviors, and only one-third reported any physical activity (walking). About two-thirds did not think that maintaining a healthy weight or engaging in physical activity were important and one-third did not see the importance of taking medicine on time. Knowledge of stroke risk factors was significantly related to the importance of dietary behaviors and readiness to improve medication adherence.

Conclusion:
This study found an apparent lack of knowledge of stroke risk factors and the importance of a healthy lifestyle and medication adherence, highlighting a need for broad health education of the public in the KSA.
Psychological distress of medical students in western Saudi Arabia: A mixed-methods study
Authors: Abozaid Hani Ahmed 
Published: April 2024

Background:
Psychological distress such as anxiety and depression can negatively affect medical students’ academic performance and future careers.

Aim:
This study examined the prevalence and impact of psychological distress on medical students’ academic achievement, their associated learner characteristics, and how students handle stress in western Saudi Arabia.

Setting and Design:
This cross-sectional study incorporated a mixed-methods design, including quantitative and qualitative components for Phase 2 medical students.

Methods:
A self-administered questionnaire was used for quantitative components to examine the prevalence of psychological distress among medical students. In addition, a qualitative study component was conducted with students with severe psychological distress using structured interviews with a predetermined list of responses to which to select and assess factors that lead to severe psychological distress and how students handle stress. This study began on January 15, 2018, at the medical college Taif University and lasted 3 months.

Statistical Analysis Used:
The quantitative and qualitative data were coded, verified, and analyzed by a statistician using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software (SPSS version 22.0). Chi-squared tests were used to examine differences between proportions.

Results:
This study (n = 289) revealed that more than 69% of medical students experienced some form of psychological distress, 52% suffered from mild and moderate psychological distress, and 17% with severe psychological distress. There were no statistically significant differences between genders and years of study regarding psychological distress. Overall, there was no statistically significant association between grade point average and psychological distress scores.

Conclusions:
This study revealed a high prevalence of psychological distress among medical students. This study recommends establishing a psychological counseling unit at medical schools in western Saudi Arabia to detect psychological distress in medical students and timely referrals of those who need medical advice.
Expatriate professional nurses’ experiences of preceptorship in a tertiary hospital in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Mazibu Andiswa , Downing Charlene , Rasesemola Richard 
Published: April 2024

Background:
Professional nurses relocate to foreign countries as expatriate nurses due to host countries’ push or pull factors. Preceptorship programs are designed to support newly hired nurses in transitioning into a new health-care environment.

Aims:
This study aimed to understand expatriate professional nurses’ preceptorship experiences in a tertiary hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with the goal of providing recommendations to enhance the preceptorship program and facilitate better adaptation among expatriate nurses.

Setting and Design:
This study was conducted at a tertiary military hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and employed a phenomenological research approach.

Materials and Methods:
Based on inclusion criteria, ten expatriate professional nurses were selected by purposive sampling. Data were collected through unstructured, audio-recorded, verbatim transcribed interviews, observations, and field notes.

Statistical Analysis:
Colaizzi’s seven-step methodology was employed for data analysis.

Results:
The results identified three themes: (1) participants experienced both positive and negative aspects of preceptorship, encountering personal adjustment challenges and issues with the initial orientation program; (2) preceptors’ abilities and dedication played a crucial role in assisting participants in adjusting to their new workplace; and (3) participants reflected on their preceptorship experience, expressing their expectations and opinions of the preceptorship program.

Conclusions:
Preceptorship is an effective onboarding strategy to support expatriate nurses in their adaptation process, emphasizing the importance of teamwork and continued management support.
Prevalence of Classical Extraintestinal Manifestations among Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients in Saudi Arabia: A Single Tertiary Center Experience
Authors: Alotaibi Abdullah , Alhubayshi Abrar , Allehibi Abed , Almtawa Abdullah , Alotaibi Nawaf , Alghamdi Adel , Alrajhi Saad , Alqutub Adel , Aleid Ahmad , Alamr Abdulrhman , Ibrahim Bashaar , Alahmari Mohammed , Alhamidi Hussam , Ahmad Shameem , AlBayyat Hadeel , Alshaya Osama , Altannir Youssef , Alghamdi Ahmed 
Published: April 2024

Abstract

Background:
Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) may also experience extraintestinal manifestations (EIMs), which can affect various organ systems, and their occurrence is based on disease activity.

Objectives:
To determine the prevalence of EIMs and their most common types among IBD patients from Saudi Arabia.

Materials and Methods:
This retrospective study included all IBD patients aged 14–80 years who visited the Gastroenterology and Hepatology clinics at King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, between February 2017 and December 2022. The collected data included demographic characteristics, disease characteristics, EIMs, and treatment.

Results:
The study included 578 IBD patients, of which 65 (11.2%) had at least one EIM, with primary sclerosing cholangitis (46.2%) and sacroiliitis (16.9%) being the most common. Patients with ulcerative colitis were more likely to have EIMs than those with Crohn’s disease (15.1% vs. 9%; P = 0.026). Patients with ileocolonic (L3) Crohn’s disease reported a higher prevalence of EIMs (7.5%) than those with other disease locations (P = 0.012), while in patients with ulcerative colitis, those with extensive colitis (E3) reported higher prevalence of EIMs (19.2%) (P = 0.001). Patients receiving 6 MP had a significantly high prevalence of EIMs (P = 0.014).

Conclusion:
The prevalence of extraintestinal manifestations among IBD patients in Saudi Arabia is 11.2%. These findings suggest the need for clinicians to screen for EIMs and manage them early. Further research is needed to understand the mechanisms underlying EIMs for the development of more effective treatments.
Unplanned Readmissions in Children with Medical Complexity in Saudi Arabia: A Large Multicenter Study
Authors: Alotaibi Futoon , Alkhalaf Hamad , Alshalawi Hissah , Almijlad Hadeel , Ureeg Abdulaziz , Alghnam Suliman 
Published: April 2024

Abstract

Background:
Children with medical complexity (CMC) account for a substantial proportion of healthcare spending, and one-third of their expenditures are due to readmissions. However, knowledge regarding the healthcare-resource utilization and characteristics of CMC in Saudi Arabia is limited.

Objectives:
To describe hospitalization patterns and characteristics of Saudi CMC with an unplanned 30-day readmission.

Methodology:
This retrospective study included Saudi CMC (aged 0–14 years) who had an unplanned 30-day readmission at six tertiary centers in Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Alahsa, and Almadina between January 2016 and December 2020. Hospital-based inclusion criteria focused on CMC with multiple complex chronic conditions (CCCs) and technology assistance (TA) device use. CMC were compared across demographics, clinical characteristics, and hospital-resource utilization.

Results:
A total of 9139 pediatric patients had unplanned 30-day readmission during the study period, of which 680 (7.4%) met the inclusion criteria. Genetic conditions were the most predominant primary pathology (66.3%), with one-third of cases (33.7%) involving the neuromuscular system. During the index admission, pneumonia was the most common diagnosis (33.1%). Approximately 35.1% of the readmissions were after 2 weeks. Pneumonia accounted for 32.5% of the readmissions. After readmission, 16.9% of patients were diagnosed with another CCC or received a new TA device, and the in-hospital mortality rate was 6.6%.

Conclusion:
The rate of unplanned 30-day readmissions in children with medical complexity in Saudi Arabia is 7.4%, which is lower than those reported from developed countries. Saudi children with CCCs and TA devices were readmitted approximately within similar post-discharge time and showed distinct hospitalization patterns associated with specific diagnoses. To effectively reduce the risk of 30-day readmissions, targeted measures must be introduced both during the hospitalization period and after discharge.
Quality and Readability Assessment of Web-based Arabic Health Information on Early Childhood Caries
Authors: Alkhuwaiter Shahad S. , Alssafi Fatimah , Alshunaiber Renad , Ahmed Yasser Bin , Albdah Bayan 
Published: April 2024

Abstract

Background:
Patients are increasingly using the internet for searching health-related information. However, the quality and readability of the information available on the internet need to be assessed. To date, no study has assessed the quality and readability of web-based Arabic health information on early childhood caries.

Objectives:
To evaluate the quality and readability of patient-oriented online Arabic health information regarding early childhood caries.

Materials and Methods:
For this infodemiological study, the Google and Yahoo search engines were searched using specific Arabic terms for early childhood caries, and the top 100 searches from both search engines were considered. Eligible websites were categorized in terms of affiliation as commercial, health portal, dental practice, professional, and journalism. The quality of the websites was assessed using the QUality Evaluation Scoring Tool (QUEST), and readability using the Gunning Fog index (GFI).

Results:
A total of 140 websites were included after applying the exclusion criteria, of which 50.7% websites were of journalism. The majority of the websites (70%) had an overall low-quality level, with a QUEST score <10. The quality of websites retrieved from Google searches was of significantly higher quality than those from Yahoo (P < 0.0001). More than half (51.4%) of the websites had good readability, with a GFI score ≤8. Journalism websites had a significantly higher proportion of websites with poor readability level (62%) compared with other affiliations (P = 0.0072).

Conclusion:
The web-based Arabic information regarding early childhood caries is currently of low quality and moderate readability level, thereby indicating a need for improving such patient-facing content.
Preface Special Issue: Developments in Earthquake Precursors Studies
Authors: Potirakis Stelios M. , Biagi Pier Francesco , Hayakawa Masashi 
Published: April 2024

This Special Issue of Annals of Geophysics is dedicated to present recent developments in the field of earthquake (EQ) precursors. Due to their potentially catastrophic nature, EQs have early attracted the attention of humans. During the last decades, a considerable amount of scientific effort has been devoted to the study of EQ precursors, aiming at EQ forecast. Prediction of large EQs, especially in the short-term, is of outmost importance for our society, since it could prevent, or at least restrict, their disastrous consequences, both in terms of infrastructure / material damages and in terms of casualties. It is clear that EQ preparation processes are complex and multifaceted, which call for a multidisciplinary approach. Many possible precursors have been reported and studied during the last decades, which include (just to mention some): foreshock activity, pre-slip effect, surface deformation, seismic electric signals (SES), ultra-low frequency (ULF) magnetic field anomalies, fracture-induced electromagnetic emissions (FEME) (fracture-induced electromagnetic radiation, FEMR), ULF/ELF (extremely low frequency) atmospheric electromagnetic radiation, atmospheric anomalies (such as SLHF, OLR etc.) and ionospheric (lower and upper regions) anomalies, lithosphere-atmosphere-ionosphere (LAI) coupling, even abnormal animal behavior.
Ingesta proteica y composición corporal en adultos jóvenes que asisten a consulta externa a un Centro de Salud. Ecuador
Authors: Delgado López Verónica Carlina , Ramos Padilla Patricio David , Hernández Pacheco Ligia María , Villavicencio Barriga Verónica Dayana 
Published: April 2024

Introducción: Se conoce que una dieta que cubre las necesidades diarias de proteínas recomendadas se asocia con un mayor porcentaje de masa libre de grasa entre adultos jóvenes. Objetivo: Determinar la relación entre la ingesta proteica y la composición corporal en adultos jóvenes que acuden a consulta externa de un Centro de Salud de la ciudad de Guaranda-Ecuador. Metodología: Estudio de diseño no experimental, de tipo transversal. Participaron 93 sujetos con edades entre 18 y 60 años. Se tomó peso, talla, se midió la composición corporal con bioimpedancia y se aplicó un recordatorio de 24 horas para medir la ingesta proteica. Se usó ANOVA y t-student para identificar diferencias entre grupos. Se consideró p<0.05 para significancia estadística. Resultados: 55% de sujetos presentó masa muscular baja, 78% masa grasa alta, 17% grasa visceral alta, 59% sobrepeso y obesidad. La ingesta proteica y masa muscular fue mayor en hombres que en mujeres. No se encontró relación estadísticamente significativa entre ingesta proteica y composición corporal según sexo y grupos de edad, sin embargo, se encontró que las mujeres con mayor ingesta proteica presentaron adecuada masa grasa, masa muscular y grasa visceral mientras que los hombres con alta ingesta proteica tenían adecuada masa muscular y alta grasa corporal y visceral. Conclusiones: La ingesta proteica no se relacionó estadísticamente con la composición corporal en adultos jóvenes.
Desnutrición aguda infantil en la Zona 3. Estudio ecológico- descriptivo del “Sistema de Seguimiento de Salud del MSP” del Ecuador. 2016-2018
Authors: Guanga Lara Verónica Elizabeth , Carpio Arias Tannia Valeria , Moreno Andrade María Belén , Silva Salas Silvio Dudar 
Published: April 2024

Introducción: El crecimiento y desarrollo es influenciado los primeros 1000 años de vida. La desnutrición aguda debe tratarse lo antes posible para evitar complicaciones futuras. Objetivo: Describir la prevalencia de la desnutrición aguda (DA) en niños y niñas y el seguimiento nominal en la recuperación de los mismos de la Zona 3 – Salud, basados en la política de atención en salud del Ministerio de Salud Pública (MSP) del gobierno del Ecuador. Métodos: Estudio ecológico. Se determinó la prevalencia de casos de desnutrición aguda y el seguimiento nominal que tuvieron los niños y niñas con esta patología durante los años 2016-2018 en la zona de Salud 3 reportados en el sistema de vigilancia epidemiológica “VIEPI”. Resultados: 1412 niños y niñas con DA fueron reportados en el sistema nacional “VIEPI” entre los años 2016-2018, el diagnóstico inicial de DA moderada fue del 81.1%, mientras que DA severa el 18.9%; la DA es más prevalente en pacientes de género masculino que en femenino (52.3% y 47.7% respectivamente). En los años 2016-2018 los distritos que más casos de DA reportaron fueron el distrito de salud Latacunga: 23.3% (329), Chambo-Riobamba: (17.8% (251), Ambato: 12%. Los distritos que reportaron menos casos fueron: Cumandá-Pallatanga: 0.2% (3), Alausí: 0.4 (6), La Mana: 0.9 % (La variación de cada distrito fue de 0.4% hasta el 23.3%. 75.1% de casos recibieron seguimiento nominal (n=1060) con una recuperación del 64.1% (n = 679). Conclusión: El seguimiento nominal muestra ser una herramienta adecuada para la identificación, control y recuperación de la DA infantil.