A Qualitative Look at Faculty Perspectives on Ergonomics in Dental Education

Due to the high-risk nature of musculoskeletal disorder development in dentistry, ergonomic education and evaluation are needed in predoctoral programs. The purpose of this pilot study is to investigate perceptions of ergonomics within the School of Dentistry (SOD), current ergonomic clinical practices among third- and fourth-year dental students, and dental students' level of knowledge of ergonomics. The study was conducted utilizing an explanatory sequential mixed methods design to collect both quantitative and qualitative data. While the data collection occurred in three phases, this article will primarily focus on Phase III. The three phases of data collection were: Phase I consisted of a questionnaire distributed to all dental students; Phase II consisted of clinical observations of third- and fourth-year dental students' ergonomic postures during patient care, and Phase III consisted of SOD faculty focus groups to determine perceptions of ergonomic education with the predoctoral curriculum. Data revealed three overarching themes: (1) Didactic to clinical disconnect, (2) Elective impacts, and (3) A ready commitment. Phase I yielded a response rate of 84% (n=135). Phase I responses noted that 81.5% (n=110) of the dental students reported experiencing musculoskeletal pain. Ninety-three dental students reported receiving one or two lectures on ergonomics; however, 60% (n=27) failed to implement proper ergonomic postures while caring for patients in the clinical environment during Phase II. Phase III, revealed faculty support of ergonomic evaluation and correction among dental students. The results indicated a need to establish and implement an ergonomic evaluation and corrective program within the SOD

COVID-19 Pandemic and Mode Choice of Alabamian Truck Drivers’ Mobility to Grocery Shopping

Background: In late December 2019, COVID-19, commonly referred to as the Coronavirus was identified in China because of the main explanation for recent human respiratory health cases. The virus was first detected in Wuhan City, and during a space of months, it had covered the whole globe. The virus has engendered huge drastic changes to world healthcare, economic, transportation, and education systems around the world. Purpose: The general purpose of this study was to investigate the intersection of demographic characteristics and how truck drivers view change in their grocery shopping (CGS) under the COVID-19 circumstances of selected counties in Alabama. Specifically, the objectives of the study are to (1) examine if there is any relationship between marital status (MS) and CGS and (2) know and assess the choice of transport mode used for grocery shopping during the covid-19 pandemic Methods: The research paper's goal necessitated the truck drivers’ views regarding commuting to the workplace. Following a summary of the literature review research phase, the researcher conducted a variety of semi-structured interviews with truck drivers in Alabama through Survey Monkey by a postgraduate student in June-July 2020. Overall, 50 truck drivers have completed the survey. The info was stored on Survey Monkey servers within the Center for Urban and Rural Research (CURR), Department of Community and Regional Planning, Alabama A&M University. Results: The data analysis reveals their main workplace before the COVID-19 pandemic 94% of the truck drivers residing in Alabama especially from Jefferson county provided information about commuting to workplaces, while 4% to the places of educations (lecture room0 and a couple of production sites. Furthermore, 92% of the truck drivers reported NO change within the means of transport in commuting trips during the COVID-19 pandemic, while 8% indicated changes within the means of transport. Implications: This research paper contributes important new empirical analysis of the truck drivers’ views regarding commuting to the workplace under the COVID-19 pandemic to some extent where there's an abundance of conceptual papers and opinion pieces but still scant evidence on the particular road safety of the pandemic for researchers to think about on potential person and situation factors related to COVID-19 that would affect road safety during and after the pandemic. Collaborative efforts by researchers and public and personal sectors are going to be needed to collect data and develop truck drivers' road safety strategies in reference to the new reality of COVID-19. Keywords: COVID‐19, health disparities, roadway safety, syndemics, truck driver

The Big Five Personality as A Predictor of Involvement in Violence among Students in Secondary Schools in Nyando Sub-County, Kenya

Involvement in violence among students is a common menace not only in Nyando Sub-county, Kenya but also in the whole world. Predicting involvement in violence based on the big five personalities could be useful in developing various personality-based interventions to involvement in violence. This prompted the present study to investigate both qualitative and quantitative Predictiveness of the big five personalities to involvement in violence. The convergent parallel mixed-method research design was used. Multistage random sampling was used to generate a sampling size of 418 students. Apart from the students, 26 teacher counselors and 26 deputy headteachers were also interviewed in order to triangulate the sources of information. Both self-report questionnaires and interview schedules were used to collect data. The results indicated that the big five personalities were significantly predictive of involvement in violence at 23.4% (F (5, 391) = 26.886 p < 0.05 and R2 = 0.23). Hence other factors (apart from the big five personalities) predictive of involvement in violence which was qualitatively explored included: environmental factors, social factors, economic factors, familial factors, political factors, cultural factors, the psychosocial stages of development, exposure levels of a person, temperamental issues, modernism, and post-modernism. These other factors were assumed to predict involvement in violence at 76.6%. Therefore to minimize involvement in violence, more personality-based interventional measures should be applied.

Perception of Nursing Students of a Good Clinical Preceptor

Nursing training is a blend of both theoretical and practical learning. Students learn practically in the clinical environment. Despite the progression in nursing education, in some clinical settings, the effective teaching behavior of clinical instructors is absent that affects student learning. The aim of this study is to assess nursing students' perception of a good clinical preceptor. A descriptive cross-sectional study design was used for the study. Data were collected from all 4th year nursing students (n=130) in the Department of Nursing at the Faculty of Medical Technical Sciences, Alzaiem Alazhari University (AAU). The result shows that 68 out of 130 (52.3%) nursing students considered teaching ability as very important followed by competencies 57 (43.8%).

Atherosclerosis: Causes and Cures

Atherosclerosis is a systemic disease that occurs due to the formation of Fibro-fatty lesions in arteries that block blood flow. The process of Atherosclerosis is initiated through mechanical, chemical, and immunological activation of the endothelium. Even there are microorganisms involved in the different stages of atherosclerosis. There are a number of molecular factors, RNA’s, macrophages and enzymes that play a vital role in the progression and development of Atherosclerosis that alter the metabolism of Fibro-fatty. Receptors of micro RNA proliferate and regulate endothelial activation and smooth cell Macrophages, monocytes, t-cell and natural killer cells involved in the boosting of the immune system to prevent the atherosclerotic lesion formation. In this review, we can know how RNA’s involved in the pathophysiology side of atherosclerosis and explore the mechanism to regulate Atherosclerosis, and how macrophages evoke an immune response. Therefore, the use of synthetic and natural drugs and following the right diet timely prevent and reduce the risk of development of Atherosclerosis.

Circadian Rhythm & Its Effect on Health

Circadian Rhythm (CR), which is the interchange between day and night, has a vital role in the health of all living creatures including plants. It is a biological process that echoes an internal clock in the body oscillating during the whole 24 hours of the day. Within that time, it fluctuates to control the sleep period that alternates with wakefulness at regular intervals. There is a complex interaction between sleep and all parts of the human body. A good night's sleep influences CR and is essential for the body organs and cells' efficient physiological function. Industrial development, modernization, and many other illnesses are all causes for the disturbance of the CR. Such disruption may lead to several dangerous health problems like; cerebral problems, cardiovascular diseases, pulmonary embolism, metabolic syndromes, infections, gastrointestinal issues, menstrual irregularities, mental disorders, and psychiatric illnesses. Besides, CR disruption has a carcinogenic effect on various organs. In this review, we highlight the functional importance of CR and the health consequences of its disruption.

Review of Bovine Brucellosis and Its Public Health Significance

Brucellosis is an infectious zoonotic bacterial disease caused by a member of the genus Brucella. The disease affects both animals and human beings resulting in a serious economic loss in the animal production sector and deterioration of public health. Bovine brucellosis is highly prevalent and has significant economic and zoonotic implications for the rural communities in consequence of their traditional lifestyles, feeding habits, and disease patterns. The possible sources of infections include all infected tissues, aborted fetuses, vaginal discharges, and potentially contaminated materials. The nature of the pathogenesis of the diseases lies in the presence of the bacteria in the cells and employing various methods to survive in the phagocytic cells. The disease can be transmitted from an infected host to susceptible animals in direct and indirect contact. Various methods are employed for the diagnosis of brucellosis including microscopic examination, culture methods, serological and molecular biology. The public health importance of brucellosis is much related to the infected animal species from which human transmission occurs. The economic importance of brucellosis depends upon the species of animal affected. It can cause considerable losses in cattle as a result of abortion and a reduction in milk yield. The most rational approach for control of Brucella abortus infection is by vaccinating young female animals. To deal with diseases like brucellosis, the public in general and high-risk groups, in particular, should be made aware of the zoonotic and economic importance of brucellosis through veterinary extension education.

Antibacterial Effect of Silver Nanoparticles on Klebsiella spp

Silver nanoparticles (AgNP) can be incorporated into medical devices, such as tissues, to circumvent bacterial resistance such as Klebsiella spp, which can lead to skin and mucosal infections. Thus, the aim of the present study was to synthesize silver nanoparticles for later incorporation into cotton fabrics and in vitro tests against Klebsiella spp. The AgNP colloidal solution was synthesized (AgNO3 - 0.1 mM, 100 mM trisodium citrate, polyvinylpyrrolidone - 0.24 g, H2OH2) and then impregnated into the cotton fabric pretreated with poly diallyl dimethylammonium chloride (PDDA) of 100/500 tissue, shaken for 30 minutes). The material produced was analyzed by the FTIR; DLS and reflectance spectroscopy. The tests of the antimicrobial activities were by the microdilution technique against Klebsiella spp, in tubes containing Brain Heart Infusion (BHI), with the solution of silver (1); Tissue containing AgNP - 4 mm (2); Negative control (3) and positive control - ceftriaxone (4). Regarding MIC, the inhibitory activity occurred of the dilutions between 1/2 and 1/16. The AgNP particles had an average size of 24.75 nm. As synthesized AgNPs demonstrate the excellent antimicrobial activity against Klebsiella spp, with special emphasis on applications in nanotechnology and nanomedicine, targeting multiresistant antibiotic bacteria.

A Survey of the Implementation and Usage of Electronic Dental Records in Private Dental Practices in Mississippi

Implementation of electronic health records by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health has led to the implementation of electronic dental records in dental offices. The study was conducted to determine the state of implementation and usage of electronic dental records by the private general and pediatric dental practices in Mississippi as well as reasons why the dental practices are not moving forward with the advanced technology. A survey consisting of six research questions was emailed via SurveyMonkey to 712 private general and pediatric dental practices in Mississippi with an invitation to participate in the study: 116 responded (16% response rate) and 104 consented to participate (89.66%). The data collection process transpired over a six-week period (September 18 – October 29, 2017). Results of the survey indicated dental practices in Mississippi using electronic dental records were 46.07%, electronic dental records with paper records were 42.70%, and only paper records were 11.24%. Dissemination of the study results among medical and dental practitioners may raise awareness and thus encourage more dentists to embrace EDRs. The response rate was affected by the number of dental practices that chose not to participate or did not open the survey email as well as the number of emails that were undeliverable. A second limitation was the lack of certainty of collecting all email addresses through the collection method. Third, there was no certainty that the person who responded knew the correct answers.

Assessing Sexual Function of Women after 12 Months of IUD Usage

The Intrauterine Device (IUD) is a well-accepted method of contraception. Most women are currently using it because of its effectiveness, longevity, and affordability. Moreover, users need no strict routine instructions for IUD. However, many women in the absence of any pre-existing conditions that may impair sexual functions discontinue the method due to poor sexual satisfaction. This paper aims to assess and measure the effects of IUDs on sexual function in women with no underlying condition over a period of 12 months. This study employed a longitudinal approach. To be eligible to participate, the study enrolled 260 women who have chosen to use IUDs willingly on their own at these selected centers during this period and are aged 20 years and above. It collected data at baseline and at 12 months of use. Measurements at these two timelines were done using the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI). The prevalence of female sexual dysfunction among participants after 12 months was 47.7% (124). In the analysis of Mean scores, FSFI at baseline and at 12 months was 31.31 and 24.76 respectively (p<0.05). Significantly reduced scores (p=0.001), for all the six domains (desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain) of sexual function were noted. Desire and pain were the most affected areas of sexual function with very low scores. Without any underlying and related triggers of sexual health, the study discovered that IUDs have the potentials to cause female sexual dysfunction in almost half of its users.