Search

This study delves into writing scores in both tests, aiming to uncover the reasons behind score differences. Through comprehensive comparative analysis, this research explores scoring patterns, criteria, and score distributions in IELTS and PTE writing sections. It investigates sources of score variation, including task design, rating criteria, and test administration. This study utilizes interviews as the primary instruments for data collection. The combination of these instruments allows for a comprehensive exploration of the factors leading to disparity scores in writing between the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) and the Pearson Test of English (PTE). The culmination of this journey traverses the intricate pathways of language proficiency assessment, revealing that the writing score differences between PTE and IELTS are not mere numerical variations. They encapsulate a lot of factors, from automated scoring intricacies and assessment criteria nuances to task types and test takers' perspectives. These differences, rather than being divisive, reflect the diverse dimensions of linguistic communication and evaluation. These findings serve as guideposts. They illuminate the nuanced forces that shape candidates' performance, perceptions, and trajectories in these assessments.

Abstract Background Calcifying epithelial odontogenic tumor is a rare benign tumor that predominantly occurs in posterior sites of the mandible in adults. Case presentation This case report describes a case of calcifying epithelial odontogenic tumor in a 37-year-old Iranian female with the chief complaint of swelling in the anterior region of the mandible and tooth displacement. This paper summarized the pathological findings, radiographical features and clinical management of the patient. Clinical examinations revealed a bony hard swelling ~ 3 cm × 4 cm in size with tenderness in the chin area. Radiography revealed an expansile mixed radiolucent and radiopaque lesion with cortical borders. A minimally aggressive surgical approach is used to remove the lesion. Conclusion This case report outlines the successful outcomes of this surgical approach and the positive outcome associated with the restoration of lost functions of displaced mobile teeth in an arranged and nonmobile way after treatment.

Abstract Background Improving health equity and access to the highest possible standard of health care is a key issue of social accountability. Centretown Community Health Centre in Ottawa, Canada has iteratively developed a program to target and serve marginalized and complex populations since 1999. The program implementation was evaluated using a validated implementation framework. Methods Quantitative and qualitative data were collected through a health records extraction (n = 570), a client complexity assessment tool (n = 74), semi-structured interviews with clients and key stakeholders (n = 41), and a structured client satisfaction survey (n = 30). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and inductive thematic analysis. Results Five hundred and seventy unique clients were seen between November 1–30, 2021. A third of clients (34%) did not have a provincial health card for access to universal health care services, and most (68%) were homeless or a resident of rooming houses. Most clients who reported their income (92%) were at or below Canada’s official poverty line. The total mean complexity score for clients seen over a one-month period (n = 74) was 16.68 (SD 6.75) where a total score of at least 13 of 33 is perceived to be a threshold for client biopsychosocial complexity. Clients gained the majority of their total score from the Social support assessment component of the tool. Clients (n = 31) and key informants (n = 10) highlighted the importance of building relationships with this population, providing wrap-around care, and providing low-barrier care as major strength to the Urban Health program (UH). Key areas for improvement included the need to: i) increase staff diversity, ii) expand program hours and availability, and iii) improve access to harm reduction services. Clients appeared to be highly satisfied with the program, rating the program an average total score of 18.50 out of 20. Conclusions The program appears to serve marginalized and complex clients and seems well-received by the community. Our findings have relevance for other health care organizations seeking to better serve marginalized and medically and socially complex individuals and families in their communities.

Plant phenological and growth responses to experimental warming are widely documented, but less is known about warming effects on plant–pollinator interactions. We investigated the effects of short- and long-term passive warming on flowering phenology, insect visitation, fruit production, and floral rewards in the Low Arctic in northern Alaska. To better understand the role of insect visitors in plant reproductive success, we quantified pollen loads on floral visitors and tested for pollen limitation in four species. Long-term warming advanced flowering onset in evergreen shrubs and forbs. Warming, in general, increased the duration of flowering for forbs, evergreen shrubs, and deciduous shrubs. Considering all growth forms together, long-term warming increased floral density. This pattern was primarily driven by deciduous and evergreen shrubs. Dipterans accounted for more visits than Hymenopterans, although Hymenopterans had higher pollen loads. Insect exclusion and warming decreased fruit set in the forb, Bistorta officinalis Delarbre. Nectar volume in the deciduous shrub, Vaccinium uliginosum, was higher in the warmed plots than the control, but nectar quality did not differ. Advanced flowering onset, longer flowering duration, and increased flower density and nectar volume may have important implications for the pollinator community, warranting further research on long-term warming effects on tundra ecosystems.

This study investigates the antibacterial activity and spectral characteristics of Cu-doped ZnO nanoparticles synthesized via the gelatin-based sol-gel method, focusing on their potential biomedical applications. Zn₁₋ₓCuₓO nanoparticles (x = 0.0, 0.01, 0.03, and 0.05) were fabricated using this method. The incorporation of copper dopants into the ZnO matrix significantly influences both the crystalline structure and spectral properties of the nanoparticles. X-ray diffraction analysis confirms the presence of a wurtzite structure without any pyrochlore phase. The broadening of spectral features indicates modifications in lattice parameters and elastic constants. XRD results reveal that adding Cu to the ZnO lattice causes a decrease in crystallite size from 32 to 18 nm. Transmission electron microscopy shows spherical-shaped ZnO nanoparticles with sizes ranging from 30 to 40 nm. Moreover, Cu-doped ZnO nanoparticles exhibit considerable inhibition against bacterial growth. Adding Cu enhances the antibacterial activity of ZnO nanoparticles, suggesting their potential in biomedical applications. Overall, these findings highlight the promising prospects of sol-gel synthesized Cu-doped ZnO nanoparticles in the biomedical field.

"nBackground and Aims: Intrabony periodontal defects are one of the important problems in periodontal diseases. Treatment of intrabony periodontal defects with synthetic materials such as Cerasorb has been shown to enhance periodontal regeneration. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of Cerasorb with autogenous bone graft (A.B.G) as a gold standard in treatment of two to three wall periodontal defects."nMaterials and Methods: In this interventional or randomized clinical trial study, 24 two to three wall intrabony defects were selected in a double blind manner. Defects were randomly (with tossing a coin) divided into two groups (test and control). Defects in test group were treated with flap surgery and Cerasorb. In control group, defects were treated with flap surgery and autogenous bone graft. At baseline and 3-month, 6-month and one-year follow up evaluations; clinical and radiographic assessments were performed. Data were statistically analyzed using the paired t test, Wilcoxon and Mann-whiteny. The level of significance was set at P0.05). However, in each group there was significant difference in 4 parameters before and after surgery (P

Background and Aim: Improving esthetics is a major goal in periodontal treatments and specially reconstruction of dental papilla is of great importance. Different techniques have been developed, however the results are not completely predictable. The aim of the present study was to compare the possibility of papilla reconstruction using connective tissue graft with and without Emdogain.Materials and Methods: In this clinical trial, 40 class II lost interdental papilla (Nordland- Tarnow classification) in 18 patients (4 male and 14 female) were studied. Samples were randomly devided into two groups. Case group was treated by connective tissue graft and emdogain (Straumann-USA) and controls were treated using connective tissue graft only. Periodontal parameters including papilla height (PH), periodontal pocket depth (PPD) and clinical attachment level (CAL) were measured before surgery, and 3 and 6 months after treatment. At the tenth days and 1 month after treatment only the papilla height was measured. Repeated measures analysis was used for data analysis with p0.05).Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, use of connective tissue with or without emdogain is not effective in interdental papilla reconstruction.

Abstract Background Complex social determinants of health may not be easily recognized by health care providers and pose a unique challenge in the vulnerable pediatric population where patients may not be able to advocate for themselves. The goal of this study was to examine the acceptability and feasibility of health care providers using an integrated brief pediatric screening tool in primary care and hospital settings. Methods The framework of the Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) and Pediatric Intermed tools was used to inform the selection of items for the 9-item Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths-Pediatric Complexity Indicator (CANS-PCI). The tool consisted of three domains: biological, psychological, and social. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with health care providers in pediatric medical facilities in Ottawa, Canada. A low inference and iterative thematic synthesis approach was used to analyze the qualitative interview data specific to acceptability and feasibility. Results Thirteen health care providers participated in interviews. Six overarching themes were identified: acceptability, logistics, feasibility, pros/cons, risk, and privacy. Overall, participants agreed that a routine, trained provider-led pediatric tool for the screening of social determinants of health is important (n = 10, 76.9%), acceptable (n = 11; 84.6%), and feasible (n = 7, 53.8%). Interpretation Though the importance of social determinants of health are widely recognized, there are limited systematic methods of assessing, describing, and communicating amongst health care providers about the biomedical and psychosocial complexities of pediatric patients. Based on this study’s findings, implementation of a brief provider-led screening tool into pediatric care practices may contribute to this gap.

Abstract Background Burn injuries are important medical problems that, aside from skin damage, cause a systemic response including inflammation, oxidative stress, endocrine disorders, immune response, and hypermetabolic and catabolic responses which affect all the organs in the body. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) supplementation on inflammation, oxidative stress, and clinical outcomes in burn patients. Methods In a double-blind placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial, 60 burn patients were randomly assigned to receive 100 mg CoQ10 three times a day (total 300 mg/day) or a placebo for 10 days. Inflammatory markers including erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), oxidative stress markers including total antioxidant capacity (TAC), malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, fasting blood glucose (FBG), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, white blood cells (WBC), and body temperature were assessed as primary outcomes and albumin, prothrombin time (PT), partial thromboplastin time (PTT), international normalized ratio (INR), other hematological parameters, blood pressure, O2 saturation, ICU duration, and 28-mortality rate were assessed as secondary outcomes. Results Fifty-two participants completed the trial. CRP and ESR levels were not significantly different between CoQ10 and placebo groups at the end of the study (P = 0.550 and P = 0.306, respectively). No significant differences between groups were observed for TAC (P = 0.865), MDA (P = 0.692), and SOD activity (P = 0.633) as well. Administration of CoQ10 resulted in a significant increase in albumin levels compared to placebo (P = 0.031). There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in other measured outcomes (P > 0.05). Conclusion Results showed that in patients with burn injury, CoQ10 administration had no effect on inflammatory markers and oxidative stress, although serum albumin levels were improved after supplementation. Further studies with albumin as the primary outcome are needed to confirm this finding.

Hematological cancers include leukemia, myeloma and lymphoma and up to 178.000 new cases are diagnosed with these tumors each year. Different kinds of treatment including radiotherapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy and stem cell transplantation have been employed in the therapy of hematological cancers. However, they are still causing death among patients. On the other hand, curcumin as an anti-cancer agent for the suppression of human cancers has been introduced. The treatment of hematological cancers using curcumin has been followed. Curcumin diminishes viability and survival rate of leukemia, myeloma and lymphoma cells. Curcumin stimulates apoptosis and G2/M arrest to impair progression of tumor. Curcumin decreases levels of matrix metalloproteinases in suppressing cancer metastasis. A number of downstream targets including VEGF, Akt and STAT3 undergo suppression by curcumin in suppressing progression of hematological cancers. Curcumin stimulates DNA damage and reduces resistance of cancer cells to irradiation. Furthermore, curcumin causes drug sensitivity of hematological tumors, especially myeloma. For targeted delivery of curcumin and improving its pharmacokinetic and anti-cancer features, nanostructures containing curcumin and other anti-cancer agents have been developed.

Background and Aim: Several risk factors directly affect the development of periodontal diseases. Also some systemic diseases act indirectly as predisposing and aggrevating factors. Osteoporosis is one of these factors and one of its main causes is lack of physical activity in postmenopause period. The incidence of osteoporosis is increasing in our country. The goal of this study was to evaluate the periodontal condition of women with osteoporosis and osteopenia referred to bone densitometric division of Loghman hospital in 2003 and compare to control group. Materials and Methods: In this case control study based on BMD (Bone Mineral Density) measurement of back and thigh using DEXA method, 60 patients referred to bone densitometric division of Loghman hospital, were randomly selected. Cases were divided into three groups, 20 with osteoporosis, 20 with osteopenia and 20 normal cases. Periodontal indices consisting of plaque index (PI), tooth loss (TL), gingival recession (GR), probing pocket depth (PPD) and papilla bleeding index (PBI) were evaluated by clinical and radiographic examination. Data were analyzed by Kruskall Wallis and Dunn tests with p

Statement of Problem: Systemic analgesics are frequently prescribed for pain reduction following periodontal surgery. This type of treatment, however, brings about some disadvantages due to its late effect and inherent side effects. Benzydamine hydrochloride mouth wash is a non steroidal anti-inflammatory drug with local anaesthetic properties. Side effects of benzydamine are minor such as tissue numbness, burning and stinging. It brings relief to pain and inflammation rapidly. Purpose: The goal of this study was to compare benzydamine HCL 0.15% and Acetaminophen codeine as analgesics following periodontal surgery. Materials and Methods: This clinical study was performed on 18 patients referred to periodontics Department, Faculty of Dentistry, Tehran University of Medical Sciences. All patients were affected with chronic mild or moderate periodontitis and required surgery at least at two oral sites with similar lesions. Each patient received benzdamine HCL after first surgery and Acetaminophen codein following second operation. Pain reduction was evaluated by Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Data were analyzed with Wilcoxon-Signed and Mann-Whitney non-parametric tests. Results: Analgesic effect of Acetaminophene codeine was significantly more than that of benzydamine HCL following Reriodontal surgery (P=0.008). No significant difference was found between analgesic effects of Acetaminophene codeine and benzydamine HCL in patients with chronic mild periodontitis (P=0.9), and in cases that osteoplasty (P=0-31) or no osseous surgery (P=0.18) were performed. Conclusion: In cases with mild post-operative pain following periodontal surgery, Benzydamine HCL and be prescribed as an analgesic. However, in other cases this mouth wash should be prescribed along with Acetaminophene codein to reduce systemic drugs consumption.

Statement of Problem: One of the problems associated with the treatment of periodontal diseases is caused through the extension of disease toward furcation area. Several techniques in Conservative, Resective and Regenerative categories have been suggested for the treatment of furcation involvement."nPurpose: The aim of this study was to compare the results of the treatment of grade II furcation involvement in mandibular molars using an allograft material named 'Dynagraft' (a type of demineralized bone matrix) and the coronally positioned flap. Materials and Methods: In this randomized controlled clinical trial study, twelve patients (9 females and 3 males), aged 25 to 40, suffering from bilaterally grade II furcation involvement of mandibular molars who referred to dental faculty Tehran University of medical Sciences, were investigated. The molars of one side were treated by Dynagraft whereas those of the opposite side underwent the CPF method. Measurements of the probing pocket depth (PPD), clinical attachment level (CAL), keratinized gingiva (KG) and horizontal probing depth (HPD) were recorded at baseline, 3 and 6 months after surgery. In order to investigate the bone radiographic changes, radiovisiography at the mentioned periods in addition to clinical investigation, were performed. For statistical analysis, Paired West was used."nResults: The mean PPD reduction three months and six months after the operation were 1.75 mm and 2.25mm, respectively in the Dynagraft (test) group whereas 1.26mm and 1.27mm in the CPF (control) group (P