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The significance of Pantoea agglomerans bacteria in diseases linked to healthcare is underappreciated due to a shortage of information on their spread. This is the first study in Saudi Arabia to examine the possible contribution of medical students' cell phones (CPs) to the transmission of P. agglomerans to hospitalized patients and to evaluate their antibiotic susceptibility profiles. In total, 250 CPs were swabbed. P. agglomerans was isolated and identified using standard techniques. The suspected colonies were confirmed by the Vitek 2 compact system. The isolates' antimicrobial susceptibility profiles were assessed using Epsilon assays, and the results were interpreted according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines. The frequency of P. agglomerans contamination of CPs was found to be relatively high (20.40%; 51 isolates/250 samples). Many isolates showed varying degrees of reduced sensitivity to ampicillin, aztreonam, cefazolin, cefotaxime, cefuroxime, and ertapenem antibiotics. To implement optimal infection prevention and control policies regarding the possibility of antibiotic-resistant P. agglomerans transmission through medical students' contact points with hospitalized patients during their frequent activities in healthcare settings, health policymakers may find value in utilizing this study's results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION 290 II. OVERVIEW OF ZAKAT 292 III. KEEPING ADMINISTRATIVE AND COMPLIANCE COSTS LOW 295 A. Zakat is Primarily a Wealth Tax 296 B. Zakat is [...], Recently there has been increased interest in wealth taxes, which tax the value of personal assets. Although wealth taxes have advantages relative to income taxes, wealth taxes also can create problematic administrative and compliance issues. This article examines a nearly 1400-year-old wealth tax: zakat, which is a key component of an Islamic socio-economic system and a main form of worship. The article examines many of the primary traditional zakdt calculation, collection, and distribution practices. It argues that these practices were consistent with largely minimizing the administrative and compliance costs of the zakdt system in the agrarian and mercantile economy of seventh century CE Arabia, sometimes even at the expense of equity. Because of dramatic economic, financial, and societal changes over the last 1400 years, however, many of the administrative and compliance issues regarding zakdt have changed greatly. As a result, the necessary tradeoffs between equity and administrative and compliance costs have been altered as well. This arguably affects how zakdt should be calculated, collected, and distributed today.

ABSTRACT Advertisements and product labels for a wide range of consumer and investment products have highlighted product characteristics that some people erroneously believe make them superior to competitor goods and [...]

Purpose: A number of disinfectants and sanitisers are used in dentistry, and there are numerous commercial solutions available. Nonetheless, because each cleaning solution has its own set of indications and limits, there is no one-size-fits-all approach for processing all types of dental equipment. Functional water, such as electrolysed hypochlorite microbubbled water, efficiently eliminates and sterilises biofilms. The objective of the study was to evaluate whether ozonated water could be used to sterilise and disinfect dental-unit water pipelines (DUWP) that had been contaminated with micro-organisms, including Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacilli and cocci. Materials and Methods: Three different groups were formed: group A - ozonated water (Cantoosh); group B - 1% povidine iodine; and group C: conventional distilled water. Group A was the test group, group B the control group, and group C was the positive control group. The water sterilising system was replaced with the appropriate sterilising agent as per the allocated group classification, with 2 min of purging, so that the complete DUWP was filled with the water sterilising system. Samples were collected and analysed, along with a 2-min purge after 24 h, 7 days and 21 days, at the 3 outlet (OL) points: the 3-way syringe at the dental tray(OL1), the cup filler (OL2), and the 3-way syringe of the assistant zone (OL3). Repeated measures ANOVA was used to test for statistical significance between colony-forming units of control and experimental groups (p < 0.05). Results: The cup filler yielded higher counts than did the 3-way syringe at the dental tray (OL1) (6.40 and 8.05 on the log scale, respectively). A statistically significant difference in the CFUs was also observed between samples taken after 24 h vs 21 days between groups A, B and C. Conclusion: The findings showed that exposing DUWP tube systems to ozonated water for an extended length of time drastically lowered the number of microorganisms adhering to their surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethanol-producing dysbiotic gut microbiota could accelerate the progress of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Metformin demonstrated some benefits in NAFLD. In the present study, we tested the ability of metformin to modify ethanol-producing gut bacterial strains and, consequently, retard the progress of NAFLD. This 12-week study included forty mice divided into four groups (n = 10); normal diet, Western diet, Western diet with intraperitoneal metformin, and Western diet with oral metformin. Oral metformin has a slight advantage over intraperitoneal metformin in ameliorating the Western diet–induced changes in liver function tests and serum levels of different cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-17, and TNF-α). Changes in liver histology, fibrosis, lipid content, Ki67, and TNF-α were all corrected as well. Faecal ethanol contents were increased by the Western diet but did not improve after treatment with metformin although the numbers of ethanol-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) and Escherichia coli (E. coli) were decreased by oral metformin. Metformin did not affect bacterial ethanol production. It does not seem that modification of ethanol-producing K. pneumoniae and E. coli bacterial strains by metformin could have a significant impact on the therapeutic potentials of metformin in this experimental model of NAFLD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) Backgrounds and Objectives: The global battle to contain the severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is still ongoing. This cross-sectional study aimed to detect the seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgM/IgG among previously symptomatic/asymptomatic and vaccinated/unvaccinated inhabitants of Sakaka City, Aljouf, Saudi Arabia. (2) Methods: Blood samples of 400 participants were tested for the presence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgM/IgG using colloidal gold immuno-chromatography lateral flow immunoassay cards. (3) Results: The prevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgM and IgG positivity was 45.8% and 42.3%, respectively. Statistically significant correlations (p < 0.05) were found between the previous RT-PCR testing for SARS-CoV-2-RNA and positivity for IgM and/or IgG. The highest seroprevalence of IgM and IgG were detected among smokers, participants aged ≥40 years, and patients with chronic diseases. Although most of the participants (58.5%) did not previously experience COVID-19 like symptoms, the anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgM and IgG seropositivity amongst them was 49.1% and 25.6%, respectively, with higher seroprevalence among males than females. At the time of the study, the SARS-CoV-2 vaccination rate at our locality in Saudi Arabia was 43.8% with statistically significant correlation (p < 0.001) between being vaccinated and anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgM and/or IgG positivity, with more positivity after receiving the second vaccine dose. (4) Conclusions: Public assessment reflects the real scale of the disease exposure among the community and helps in identifying the asymptomatic carriers that constitute a major problem for controlling the SARS-CoV-2. To limit the spread of the virus, rigorous implementation of large-scale SARS-CoV-2 vaccination and anti-SARS-CoV-2 serological testing strategies should be empowered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Evaluate the prevalence, antibiotic susceptibility and toxigenic activity of Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile) detected in water samples collected from Mansoura city, Egypt. Methods: A total of 200 water samples were collected. Standard microbiological methods including enrichment/selective cultures were used for isolation and identification of C. difficile. Epsilon tests were used to detect resistance/susceptibility of the iso- lates to clindamycin, metronidazole and vancomycin antibiotics. Xpect CD Toxin A/B test was used to detect their toxigenicity. Results: Prevalence of C. difficile isolates was 19.0% (38 isolates / 200 collected samples) and the majority (78.9%) of them were toxigenic. Distribution of isolates was as follows; 17 from water supply intake pipe (13 of them were toxigenic), 13 from waste water treatment (12 of them were toxigenic), 5 from house tap water (two of them were toxigenic) and three from public swimming pool (all of them were toxigenic). Variable degrees of resistance to clindamycin and metronidazole were detected. All isolates were sensitive to vancomycin. Conclusion: The study has illustrated that C. difficile is widespread in water sources including the municipal water supply from domestic housing and swimming pool water samples. Water can be a source for antibiotic resistant toxin producing C. difficile transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BOTOX is a neurotoxin used in the management of dystonia as it blocks Ach release resulting in temporary muscle paralysis. It could be used for correction of gummy smile resultant from over functioning elevator muscles of the upper lip. The current study aimed to investigate botulinum toxin as a treatment modality of patients with gummy smile. This study enrolled 37 patients; gingival display was assessed as the vertical distance from the gingival zenith of the upper central incisor to the upper lip inferior border. Before Botox, the gingival display during smile ranged between 6-9 mm and 5-7 mm at the incisor and buccal regions, respectively. One week after Botox administration, a significant reduction in gingival display was observed. During smiling, the mean gingival display between maxillary central incisors and upper lip was approximately 1.5± 0.2 mm. In addition, the gingival display at the incisor and the buccal regions was ranged between 1.2 to 2 mm and 1-1.6 mm, respectively. Botulinum toxin injection is simple, effective, painless, conservative way for correction of gummy smile, and achieving high patient satisfaction. It can be used for subjects with excessive gingival display without invasive surgical procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advertisements of many goods and services feature testimonials from consumers who have had atypically positive experiences with them. However, substantial evidence suggests that consumers often erroneously assume that advertised atypical results are typical. Thus, the Federal Trade Commission ("FTC") requires advertisements of atypical results also to disclose the typical results. However, the FTC has created an exception for advertisements featuring atypically positive opinions regarding a product. The exception exists because the FTC assumes that consumers believe that advertised opinions only necessarily represent the opinions of the people expressing the opinions, not the typical consumer opinion regarding the product. To test the FTC's assumption, we conduct two controlled experiments. We find evidence that, contrary to the FTC's assumption, consumers often believe that an advertised opinion is the typical consumer opinion. In addition, we find evidence that requiring these advertisements to also disclose the typical consumer opinion would cause consumers to greatly discount advertised atypical opinions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relative high burden of morbidity and mortality caused by Staphylococcus aureus (SA) in healthcare and community settings is a major concern worldwide. It can cause invasive infections, sepsis and deaths. Despite progress in methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) prevention in healthcare settings, there is a critical need for assessment of the problem in both healthcare and community settings. This study was conducted for examining the prevalence, risk factors and antimicrobial susceptibility of MRSA in Mansoura University Hospitals (MUHs), Egypt. Samples were collected from patients in MUHs with clinically suspected nosocomial infections. MRSA isolates were identified by the standard bacteriological methods, biochemical reactions and disc diffusion method as recommended by the Clinical & Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI), then confirmed by MecA gene PCR. A total of 2006 isolates was obtained. SA (32%) was the most frequently isolated pathogen. MRSA (130 isolates) represented 20% of SA and 6.48 % of all isolates. The mecA PCR identified SA as MRSA in 99.2% of cases. MRSA was isolated with another organism (mostly Gram-negative bacilli) from 40.8% of cases while 59.2% of MRSA was isolated alone. The most important reported risk factors for MRSA infections were prolonged hospital stays, recent antibiotic therapy, ICU admission, indwelling devices and presence of surgical sutures. MRSA was resistant to many antibiotics but sensitive to vancomycin in 99.2% of cases. Minimizing exposure to the risk factors with rapid diagnosis of MRSA infections are essential for early initiation of appropriate antibiotic treatment and limitation of the non-optimal use of glycopeptides and deaths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]