Factors Affecting Job Satisfaction and Their Correlation with Educational Standards among Dental Assistants

A disparity exists in the educational qualifications of dental assistants working in various public and private institutions in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of professional and personal characteristics on job satisfaction among dental assistants. A cross-sectional survey was performed among dental assistants using a 24-item self-administered questionnaire. Multinomial logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between overall job satisfaction and other variables. The overall response rate was 72.1%. Factor analysis suggested that five underlying factors were related to job satisfaction. The mean score for overall job satisfaction was 3.86 (satisfied) out of 5. Among the work environment factors, the highest mean score, 4.26 (satisfied), was obtained for quality of service, and the lowest mean score, 2.78 (neutral), was obtained for the perception of income. The income and general prospects of the profession was significantly associated with overall job satisfaction. This study suggests that for dental assistants, professional and personal life, quality of service, perception of income and prestige and self-respect are important factors for job satisfaction. Despite differences in professional formation standards, in general, the study participants were considerably satisfied with their jobs.     

Prevalence of hepatitis A virus infection in sewage plant workers of Central Italy: is indication for vaccination justified?

Prevalence of antibodies to hepatitis A virus (HAV) was studied in a group of 65 sewage plant workers living in Tuscany, Central Italy. In order to evaluate the effect of several confounders (age, place of birth, income, educational degree, sea-food consumption, etc.), subjects under study were matched with 160 other workers residing in the same area. Anti-HAV was detected in about 51% of sewage workers and 44% of other employees. The difference was not statistically significant. Both univariate and multivariate analysis showed that the main variables related to previous HAV infection were increasing age (P<0.001), birth in Southern Italy (P<0.01) and lower educational degree (P<0.001). Although other studies in Northern and Central Europe showed a slightly higher risk of infection in sewage workers versus general population, lack of evidence of occupational risk in Italy might be explained by the relative importance of a higher degree of viral circulation in the past. The changing epidemiology of HAV infection in Italy with increasing numbers of susceptibles in adults and the potential occupational risk suggest that the present indication to immunize sewage plant workers against hepatitis A should be maintained.     

Cortisol, energy intake, and food frequency in overweight/obese women

Objective

This retrospective study investigated the relation between daily urinary free cortisol excretion rate, as a marker of cortisol production rate, to daily caloric intake, food choice, body mass index (BMI), and waist circumference.

Methods

One hundred twenty-seven overweight/obese women and 21 normal-weight subjects were enrolled in the study. Fasting blood samples for metabolic parameters were taken from each subject, followed by an oral glucose tolerance test. Cortisol excretion rate was assessed on 24-h urine collection (UFC/24 h). In obese patients, the daily caloric intake was calculated, and a weekly food-frequency questionnaire was assessed. Analysis of variance was used to assess the differences between groups. The relations between parameters were investigated by simple and multiple regressions.

Results

Obese women had significantly higher UFC/24 h than the normal-weight women (P < 0.001). The obese subjects had an unbalanced diet, particularly rich in saturated lipids, and weekly food choice showed a preference for highly caloric foods. UFC/24 h values and waist circumference were significantly correlated (P < 0.001), regardless of BMI. In the obese group, after adjustment for BMI, the UFC/24 h values were also significantly and positively correlated to daily carbohydrate and lipid intake and to weekly starchy food consumption.

Conclusion

We demonstrated a significant association between higher UFC/24 h and energy intake, fats, and consumption of starchy foods, and that these relations were independent of BMI.     

Experimental intrahepatic portacaval anastomosis: use of expandable Gianturco stents

Original Gianturco expandable stents and their modifications were used to create an experimental intrahepatic portacaval anastomosis (EIPCA) in 30 young domestic swine without portal hypertension. The study focused on the design of a suitable stent, the technique of its application, and the evaluation of short-term patency of the EIPCA. A stent with a 2.5-cm-long body and wire skirts on both ends was most suitable for EIPCA creation. Well-positioned stents shunted most of the portal blood in the inferior vena cava circulation and remained patent for 4-6 weeks. Ingrowth of liver parenchyma and abundant proliferation of the intima and connective tissue inside the stent lumen in these rapidly growing animals gradually decreased EIPCA patency, and thrombus formation with diminished blood flow closed them completely.     

Effect of cefodizime (HR 221) on immunological defects induced by surgical stress.

Cefodizime, a new aminothiazolylcephalosporin, has been shown to possess immunomodulating activity in many experimental models in vivo and in vitro. The in-vivo effect of the drug was evaluated in a model represented by the surgical patient, being surgical practices usually associated with an immunological impairment involving many aspects of the immune response. Two groups of ten subjects were treated respectively with cefodizime (2 g i.v. daily) and another cephalosporin (ceftriaxone) at the same dosage. Aspecific immunity (complement activity, neutrophil phagocytosis, chemiluminescence and superoxide anion production) and cell-mediated reactivity (lymphocyte subpopulations and E-rosette-forming cells) were evaluated before, and at predetermined intervals after, surgery and antibiotic treatment. In the control group an important immunological derangement is observed, involving both lymphocytes and neutrophil functions and complement system. The treatment with cefodizime displays a positive effect with a significant improvement of impaired functions. The effect of the drug particularly influences neutrophil phagocytosis, explored with both the NBT test and determinations of chemiluminescence, and the complement system, through both the classic and the alternative pathways. A slight effect is observed on lymphocyte functions.     

Benzodiazepines Inhibit in Vitro Free Radical Formation from Human Neutrophils Induced by Fmlp and A23187.

Diazepam (DZP) inhibited in vitro in a concentration-dependent manner superoxide anion generation and chemiluminescence from human neutrophils stimulated by the formylated oligopeptide FMLP and by the calcium ionophore A23187.

The dose-dependent inhibitory effect of DZP on A23187-dependent superoxide generation in the presence of Ca⁺⁺ 0.6 mM was highly antagonized by increasing extracellular Ca⁺⁺ concentration to 1.5 mM and to 2.0 mM.

Ro 5-4864, a specific ligand for peripheral type benzodiazepine (BZ) binding site, inhibited superoxide generation induced by FMLP, while clonazepam (CNZ), which is selective for brain sites, did not possess any activity. Ro 15-1788, a central type BZ receptor antagonist, did not show any antagonistic activity on DZP-dependent inhibition.

A new physiological property for substances presenting an affinity for peripheral type BZ binding sites is supposed. The inhibitory effect of BZ on neutrophil functions seemed to be associated with a Ca⁺⁺-involving mechanism.     

Clinical study on pharmacological interaction between nimesulide and warfarin.

This article describes the pharmacological interaction between nimesulide, a recently introduced non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, and warfarin, an indirect anticoagulant. The aim of the study was to demonstrate if nimesulide could potentiate the activity of this anticoagulant drug, as previously shown by some authors. Ten patients, who were taking 5 mg/day of warfarin, were treated with nimesulide 100 mg twice a day, for seven days: the association of the two drugs did not alter, in a statistical way, neither prothrombin time, nor partial thromboplastin time, nor fibrinogenemia, nor bleeding time. The findings showed that, in a short-term treatment, there was no bleeding risk in combining warfarin with nimesulide.     

Transient synovitis of the hip in children: role of US

Transient synovitis of the hip remains a common diagnostic problem for the clinician. The physical signs are not pathognomonic of the condition, and the classic technical examinations are of little help. Therefore, the authors retrospectively studied the value of hip arthrosonography in 46 children with clinical symptoms suggesting pathologic hip conditions. In 20 of the 21 patients with a final diagnosis of transient synovitis, articular effusion was detected on ultrasound (US). Conventional radiography showed an increased medial joint space in only eight of these patients. Increased echogenicity of the articular fluid was found in both transient synovitis and septic arthritis. The high sensitivity of US in detecting intraarticular fluid was demonstrated by cadaver studies.     

Nitroprusside in vitro inhibits platelet aggregation and intracellular calcium translocation. Effect of haemoglobin

The biologically final active compound of nitrovasodilators is now supposed to be nitric oxide (NO), a labile substance identical to EDRF. The effects of nitroprusside on platelet functions were studied in vitro. Platelet aggregation induced by several stimuli (ADP, collagen, arachidonic acid and PAF) was inhibited by increasing concentrations of the drug (1-50 uM); interestingly, the potency of nitroprusside is higher when PAF is employed as stimulating agent in comparison with the other agonists (ED50 = 2 uM for ADP, 2.5 uM for A.A., 4.5 uM for collagen and 0.3 uM for PAF-induced aggregations). The concomitant addition of haemoglobin is able to reverse the inhibitory effect of nitroprusside, according to the view that haemoglobin possesses a high affinity for NO, thus antagonizing the effect of this compound. Nitroprusside was also able to inhibit intracellular calcium translocation, as studied with the Quin 2 technique, induced by PAF and arachidonic acid. Fron these observations the hypothesis may be suggested that nitroprusside inhibits platelet functions by mimicking the endogenous NO, and that the intracellular calcium metabolism is involved in the inhibitory activity of the drug.