ABSTRACT Objectives: To assess serum anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels as an ovarian reserve marker in adolescent girls with autoimmune thyroiditis (AIT) and explore the relationship of this marker with autoimmunity and thyroid function biomarkers. Subjects and methods: This study included 96 adolescent girls with newly diagnosed AIT and 96 healthy, age- and sex-matched controls. All participants were evaluated with detailed history taking and physical examination, thyroid ultrasound, and measurement of levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free thyroxin (FT4), free triiodothyronine (FT3), antithyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPOAb), antithyroglobulin antibody (TGAb), estradiol, total testosterone, and anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels. The LH/FSH ratio was also calculated. Among 96 patients evaluated, 78 were overtly hypothyroid and 18 were euthyroid. AMH levels were significantly lower in participants with overt hypothyroidism and euthyroidism compared with controls. Results: Serum levels of AMH correlated negatively with age, body mass index (BMI) standard deviation score (SDS), and TPOAb, TGAb, and TSH levels but positively with FT4 levels. In multivariate analysis, AMH levels correlated significantly with age (odds ratio [OR] = 1.65, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.18-2.32, p = 0.05), BMI SDS (OR = 2.3, 95% CI, 2.23-3.50, p = 0.01), TSH (OR = 2.43, 95% CI 1.5-2.8, p = 0.01), and TPOAb (OR = 4.1, 95% CI 3.26-8.75, p = 0.001). Conclusions: Ovarian reserve of adolescent girls with AIT, as measured by serum AMH levels, is affected by thyroid autoimmunity and hypothyroidism, indicating a possible need for ovarian reserve monitoring in these patients.

Abstract Introduction The three-dimensional (3D) endoscope is considered a new surgical tool used in different approaches in intranasal and anterior skull base surgical procedures. There are many advantages of 3D over two-dimensional (2D) endoscopy that have been demonstrated in clinical applications, surgical training, and different experimental studies. Objective To show the difference between using the 3D and 2D endoscopes during endonasal and anterior skull base surgery and its importance. Methods Our study is divided into two phases (clinical and cadaveric phases). In the clinical study we, have performed 52 endonasal and anterior skull base surgical procedures (26 study cases and 26 control cases). We recorded accuracy, duration, and intraoperative complication for each case. The cadaveric study was performed on three cadavers. Differences in accuracy and dissection time were recorded using 3D and 2D endoscopy for each side chosen by randomization. Results In the clinical study, the cases done by 3D endoscope were significantly faster and more accurate with less intraoperative complications compared with cases done using 2D endoscope. In cadaveric dissection, while using 3D endoscope, there was better depth of perception regarding the anatomical landmarks compared with 2D endoscope. Conclusion Three-dimensional endoscopy is an advanced instrument that allows better training for the coming generation of ear, nose, and throat surgeons. Both clinical and cadaveric studies offer a promising outcome in both endonasal and anterior skull base surgery.

Abstract Objective: To assess the knowledge of pregnant women regarding their child’s oral health. Material and Methods: A questionnaire was developed and the 1st section comprised sociodemographic variables. The second section contained questions about the eruption of teeth, fluoride importance, cariogenic food, and dental visits. The questionnaire was shared electronically via a link to the receptionist of the gynaecologist at different health centres of Najran to be filled by expectant mothers. The convenient sampling method was used to collect the responses. Data were presented using descriptive statistics. Results: A total of 572 pregnant women participated in this survey. Three hundred and fifteen (55.1%) knew that 1st primary tooth erupts at the age of 6 months. The majority of the respondents (n=332) agreed that toothbrushes and toothpaste could be used to clean a child's teeth; only 5.4%, 10%, and 24.5% preferred miswak, mouthwash, and toothbrush, respectively. Participants were well familiar with cariogenic food and occasionally allowed their children to take it. They have enough knowledge about fluoride toothpaste, but they were not familiar with the benefits of fluoride varnish. Almost 50% of the respondents agreed that the child should visit the dentist within six months, and 27.4% said they should visit the dentist whenever there is a problem. Conclusion: Almost 50% of participants showed a positive attitude towards most questions. However, there is a need to improve their behaviour and knowledge about many aspects of dental care.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a novel sickness that emerged worldwide as an unprecedented crisis and led to major effects on the daily life of the general public as well as negative impacts on their mental well-beingAIM: This study aimed to assess satisfaction with life and psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic in EgyptSETTING: An online study was conducted in EgyptMETHODS: A cross-sectional online survey was fulfilled by 1056 Egyptian adults from 06 to 13 June 2020. Psychological distress and satisfaction with life were measured by Arabic validated versions of the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10) and the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLSRESULTS: About half of the surveyed respondents (51%) were satisfied with their life, whilst 57.4% experienced severe psychological distress. The independent predictors of satisfaction with life are being married, satisfactory income, low distress, moderate distress and high distress (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.2, 3.0, 2.5, 6.9, 5.2 and 2.1, respectively). Being a female, having secondary education, > secondary education, unsatisfactory income and presence of mental illness are the independent predictors of mental distress (AOR = 2.3, 3.9, 1.9, 1.9, 1.6 and 4.0, respectivelyCONCLUSION: The study provides evidence about the high prevalence of psychological distress during the peak period of Egypt's COVID-19 pandemic. The study results highlight the enhancement of development interventions to promote psychological well-being and feeling of satisfaction with life during the pandemic

Summary In the contemporary society, depression, anxiety, and stress are much more common than it was in history. The recent studies have outlined that the young adults are experiencing depression and anxiety disorders that is affecting their emotional and mental well-being. Aim of this co-relational survey model study is to investigate the impact of anxiety, depression and stress on emotional stability in terms of gender, age, year of study, department and place they stay. The study adapted pre-designed questionnaires to collect data. The sample of the study consists of approximately 260 undergraduate university students from University of Sulaymaniyah in Northern Iraq. The researcher adapted two scales first Henry and Crawford scale that call DASS for measuring the level of anxiety, depression, and stress and second one to measure Emotional stability using a self-reported scale. The collected data was analyzed using SPSS version 22 to find result for this thesis. The results of the study outlined that there is a negative but significant correlation among depression, anxiety, and stress with emotional stability. Also there is no significant relationship between emotional stability in terms of gender and age, other findings of the study show that DASS has no significant relationship with age, and year of study and place of stay in generally, but there a significant difference between DASS in terms of gender and department.

Resumen En la sociedad contemporánea, la depresión, la ansiedad y el estrés son mucho más comunes que en la historia. Los estudios recientes han señalado que los adultos jóvenes están experimentando trastornos de depresión y ansiedad que están afectando su bienestar emocional y mental. El objetivo de este estudio modelo de encuesta correlacional es investigar el impacto de la ansiedad, la depresión y el estrés en la estabilidad emocional en términos de género, edad, año de estudio, departamento y lugar donde permanecen. El estudio adaptó cuestionarios prediseñados para recopilar datos. La muestra del estudio consta de aproximadamente 260 estudiantes universitarios de pregrado de la Universidad de Sulaymaniyah en el norte de Irak. El investigador adaptó dos escalas primero, la escala de Henry y Crawford, que llaman DASS para medir el nivel de ansiedad, depresión y estrés, y la segunda para medir la estabilidad emocional usando una escala autoinformada. Los datos recopilados se analizaron utilizando SPSS versión 22 para encontrar el resultado de esta tesis. Los resultados del estudio esbozaron que existe una correlación negativa pero significativa entre la depresión, la ansiedad y el estrés con la estabilidad emocional. Además, no existe una relación significativa entre la estabilidad emocional en términos de género y edad, otros hallazgos del estudio muestran que DASS no tiene una relación significativa con la edad y el año de estudio y el lugar de estadía en general, pero hay una diferencia significativa entre DASS en términos de género y departamento.

ABSTRACT Objective: To evaluate pupillary size and vital signs following intraoperative intracameral adrenaline during phacoemulsification and postoperative effect of on co specular microscopy findings and macular thickness by OCT. Methods: A prospective interventional study carried out from December 2014 to December 2015 on 90 eyes. They were divided randomly into further 6 groups (15 each). The inclusion criteria consisted of no history of ocular pathologic conditions, trauma, previous ocular surgery, or recent ocular medication use. All patients were dilated preoperatively by phenylephrine 10% and operated under local peribulbar anesthesia. Then systemic monitoring regarding (pulse rate, blood pressure) and measurement of the horizontal pupil diameter by a caliper to the nearest 0.25mm pre and post intracameral adrenaline injection. Results: In our study there were great effect for intracameral epinephrine, with concentrations used, in dilatation and maintainance of papillary dilatation, The mean pre intracameral epinephrine was 4.53± 1.27 mm.The mean post epinephrine papillary diameter was 6.46± 1.00 mm. Three cases from group 1/10000 weren't dilated properly. Also three cases from group 1/9000 weren't dilated properly after intracameral epinephrine. Conclusion: Intracameral epinephrine even in higher concentrations is effective in papillary dilatation especially in cases with long duration and poorly dilated cases by usual topical mydriatics.

This survey examined 30 samples of groundnut and 15 groundnut products from three states (Khartoum, Kordofan and Gadarif) of Sudan for AFB1, AFB2, AFG1, and AFG2 using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method with fluorescence detection. The frequency of contaminated groundnut samples with AFB1 from Khartoum, Gadarif and Kordofan state was 58.3%, 57.1%, and 66.7%, respectively. No sample of groundnut or groundnut product was contaminated with AFG1 or AFG2. The limit of detections (LODs) and limit of quantifications (LOQs) were found to be in a range between 0.01-0.02 ng g-1 and 0.03-0.05 ng g-1, respectively. Some groundnut samples contained AFB1 concentrations above the EU regulatory limits. The highest contaminated samples with aflatoxins were found in Kordofan state.

Esta encuesta examinó 30 muestras de maní y 15 productos de maní de tres estados (Khartoum, Kordofan y Gadarif) de Sudán para determinar AFB1, AFB2, AFG1, and AFG2 usando cromatografía líquida de alta performance (HPLC) con detección de fluorescencia. La frecuencia de muestras de maní contaminadas con AFB1 de Khartoum, Gadarif y Kordofan fue 58,3%, 57,1%, y 66,7%, respectivamente. Ninguna muestra de maní o producto de maní estaba contaminado con AFG1 o AFG2. El límite de detecciones (LDD) y el límite de cuantificaciones (LDC) estuvieron en un rango de 0,01-0,02 ng g-1 y 0,03-0,05 ng g-1, respectivamente. Algunas muestras de maní contenían concentraciones de AFB1 por encima de los límites regulatorios UE. Las muestras más contaminadas con aflatoxinas fueron las del estado de Kordofan.

BACKGROUND: The increase in disease burden has continued to weigh upon health systems in Africa. The role of the laboratory has become increasingly critical in the improvement of health for diagnosis, management and treatment of diseases. In response, the World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa (WHO AFRO) and its partners created the WHO AFRO Stepwise Laboratory (Quality) Improvement Process Towards Accreditation (SLIPTA) program. SLIPTA IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS: WHO AFRO defined a governance structure with roles and responsibilities for six main stakeholders. Laboratories were evaluated by auditors trained and certified by the African Society for Laboratory Medicine. Laboratory performance was measured using the WHO AFRO SLIPTA scoring checklist and recognition certificates rated with 1-5 stars were issued. PRELIMINARY RESULTS: By March 2015, 27 of the 47 (57%) WHO AFRO member states had appointed a SLIPTA focal point and 14 Ministers of Health had endorsed SLIPTA as the desired programme for continuous quality improvement. Ninety-eight auditors from 17 African countries, competent in the Portuguese (3), French (12) and English (83) languages, were trained and certified. The mean score for the 159 laboratories audited between May 2013 and March 2015 was 69% (median 70%; SD 11.5; interquartile range 62-77). Of these audited laboratories, 70% achieved 55% compliance or higher (2 or more stars) and 1% scored at least 95% (5 stars). The lowest scoring sections of the WHO AFRO SLIPTA checklist were sections 6 (Internal Audit) and 10 (Corrective Action), which both had mean scores below 50%. CONCLUSION: The WHO AFRO SLIPTA is a process that countries with limited resources can adopt for effective implementation of quality management systems. Political commitment, ownership and investment in continuous quality improvement are integral components of the process.

Se implementó un prototipo de comunicación inalámbrica para medición de presiones plantares, empleando un protocolo de comunicación unidireccional y utilizando un microcontrolador y módulos de transmisión y recepción de radiofrecuencia (RF) de bajo costo fabricados por la empresa Linx Technologies (Merlín, Oregon, USA). Se presenta la forma utilizada para detección de errores, codificación y sincronización. La transmisión de datos se realizó a 5 Kbps en las frecuencias disponibles de 315 y 433 MHz. Las frecuencias empleadas para la transmisión y recepción de la señal RF no presentaron niveles de interferencia superiores al umbral de ruido. La transmisión inalámbrica evita el uso de cables y proporciona más comodidad de uso del sistema de medición por un paciente. Detalles de la caracterización de los sensores y del diseño y la implementación del sistema de medición se han reportado previamente [<a href="#r1">1</a>] [<a href="#r2">2</a>].

A prototype of wireless communication for the measurement of plantar pressures was implemented by employing a one-way communications protocol and by using a microcontroller and low cost modules for RF transmission and reception from the company Linx Technologies (Merlín, Oregon, USA). The method for error detection, codification and synchronization is presented. Data transmission was carried out at 5 Kbps in the available frequencies of 315 and 433 MHz. The employed frequencies for the transmission and reception of the RF signal did not present significant interference above noise level. The wireless communication avoids the use of cables and provides more comfort in the use of the measurement system by a patient. Details of sensor characterization and the design and implementation of the measurement system have been reported previously [<a href="#r1">1</a>] [<a href="#r2">2</a>].