Most cancers while pregnant and also Pediatrics
Endophytic fungi serve as a reservoir for important secondary metabolites. The current study focused on the antibacterial properties of endophytic fungi isolated from Artemisia sieberi. Initially, six endophytic fungi were isolated and purified from the stem of A. sieberi. Endophytic fungi were identified by morphological characteristics, as well as by molecular identification using 18S rRNA gene sequencing method. All the six isolates were subjected to the preliminary screening for their antibacterial activity against nine important pathogenic bacteria using the disk-diffusion method. Crude extracts of the most active isolate were obtained using ethyl acetate. Antibacterial activity of the ethyl acetate extract was evaluated using well diffusion method on the selected isolate. The antibacterial efficiency of the selected isolate was evaluated by determining the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC). MIC values were in appreciable quantity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria ranging from 3.125 to 6.25 µg/mL and 12.5 to 50 µg/mL, respectively. This result indicated that Gram-positive bacteria were more susceptible to the endophytic fungi extract. Moreover, the molecular identification results revealed that all the isolates belong to Ascomycota and represented Aspergillus and Penicillium genera and three species A. oryzae (three isolates), A. niger (one isolate), and P. chrysogenum (two isolates). All six endophytic fungi were able to inhibit the growth of at least two of the tested bacteria. Among the isolated strains, isolate AS2, which identified as P. chrysogenum, exhibited the highest antibacterial activity against all nine tested bacteria and was higher than or equal to the positive control against most of the tested bacteria. Future studies are required to isolate and identify these bioactive substances, which can be considered as a potential source for the synthesis of new antibacterial drugs to treat infectious diseases.Errors in transfusion of blood and blood products can lead to preventable morbidity and mortality. Nurses constitute a significant aspect of the transfusion process as they are the last in the chain of getting blood directly to the patient. They must, therefore, be conversant with the current standard of national and international guidelines on blood transfusion and appropriate management of adverse transfusion events. This study assesses the knowledge and practices of blood transfusion safety among nurses at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital. A descriptive cross-sectional design was employed, and structured questionnaire (Routine Blood Transfusion Knowledge Questionnaire) was used to collect data from 279 nurses from seven clinical directorates of the hospital. The data were processed with Stata version 14.0. Variables were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and relationships were drawn using inferential statistics. Over 90% of the respondents had a minimum of a diploma in nursing or midwifery, 63% had performed blood transfusion at least 5 times, and 46% had never received any training on blood transfusion. The mean score obtained in all four categories of blood transfusion knowledge assessed was 29, with 54% of the respondents scoring below the mean. The highest overall score on knowledge was 53%. SP2509 This indicates that nurses had poor knowledge regarding safe blood transfusion practices as stipulated in the clinical guidelines for blood transfusion by Ghana's National Blood Service. There was no statistically significant relationship between training/experience and knowledge of safe blood transfusion practices. Regular and continuous update training and audit are needed to safeguard patient safety during blood transfusion.Fe3O4@C/Au nanoparticle (AuNP) nanocomposites were prepared through electrostatic adsorption of AuNPs onto PDDA-functionalized core/shell Fe3O4@C magnetic nanospheres, which had been synthesized by a facile solvothermal method. The morphology and composition of the nanocomposites were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), etc. Moreover, highly electrocatalytic activity to the reduction of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) was also exhibited on the Fe3O4@C/AuNP-modified indium tin oxide (ITO) electrode. The effect of solution pH and the modification amount of Fe3O4@C/AuNPs on the performance of electrocatalytic H2O2 reduction was investigated. Under the optimal conditions, the catalytic current showed a linear relationship with the increase of H2O2 concentration in the range of 0.007-15 mM and a detection limit of 5 μM. The H2O2 sensor showed high selectivity for H2O2 detection, which could effectively resist the interference of ascorbic acid (AA), uric acid (UA), and citric acid (CA). Finally, the H2O2 sensor was used in the real fetal bovine serum to detect H2O2 and obtained satisfactory results with the recovery values ranging from 95.14 to 103.6%.This study aimed to clarify the effect of large hair clips on patient head posture on the dental chair headrest and its harmful impact on orthodontist body posture and neck-back pain. One hundred orthodontists voluntarily participated in a web-based questionnaire designed and distributed online by using the Google form posted in the Telegram group of Iraqi orthodontists to assess the opinions of orthodontists regarding the effect of a large hair clip on the patient's position on the dental chair and site of pain perception during different stages of orthodontic treatment. Ninety percent of the orthodontists get bothered by the large hair clip. About 92% of the responses preferred their patients to remove the large hair clip; 99% of them responded that the large hair clip does affect the position of the patient's head on the chair's headrest. Eighty-nine percent responded that a large hair clip could disturb the operator during taking intraoral photographs, and 64% disturbed while taking dental impressions. Orthodontists reported that 4% had "back pain," 28% had "neck pain," and 60% had both "back and neck pain" during bonding appointment, while only 8% reported "no pain." Regarding the activation appointments, 4% had "back pain," 26% had "neck pain," and 48% had both, while only 22% reported "no pain." During the debonding appointments, 7% of the respondents had "back pain," 29% had "neck pain," and 44% had both "back and neck pain," yet 20% stated absence of pain. Wearing a hair clip and changing patient position on dental chair and orthodontist posture during different stages of orthodontic work such as bonding, regular recall, and depending on the procedure may be directly related to the neck-back pain perception to an orthodontist.