Autoimmune diseases arise from dysregulated innate and adaptive immunity, often driven by persistent inflammation, exposure to self-antigens, and defective immune tolerance. Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) play a dual role in host defense and autoimmunity by exposing DNA–protein complexes that activate nucleic acid–sensing receptors. Efficient degradation of extracellular DNA, largely mediated by deoxyribonuclease I (DNase I) encoded by the DNASE1 gene, is essential for preventing chronic inflammation. Impaired DNase I activity contributes to systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, and vasculitis by allowing NET accumulation, autoantibody production, and endothelial damage. Parasitic helminths induce eosinophilia and Th2-skewed responses, which modulate neutrophil activity, neutralize inflammatory mediators such as histamine, and interact with extracellular traps. We hypothesize that helminth-induced eosinophil activation protects against autoimmunity by limiting neutrophil-mediated tissue toxicity, enhancing NET clearance via DNase I, and regulating histamine-driven inflammation. In this model, DNASE1 serves as a central integrator of extracellular DNA metabolism, innate immune sensing, and eosinophil–neutrophil cross-talk. Disruption of this axis predisposes to autoimmunity, whereas helminth-driven modulation restores immune tolerance. This framework provides a testable hypothesis linking extracellular DNA clearance, helminth exposure, and autoimmune disease pathogenesis.

Posterior maxillary implant with sinus lifting is technique sensitive. Opting a precise procedure within the clinical constraints will eventually payoff. The purpose of this systematic review is to analyse a specific procedure based on notable clinical parameters apt to an individual subject. A Systematic search on PubMed databases with the MeSH terms “sinus lift, bone gain, trans-crestal, lateral “was performed. Articles were critically reviewed by the examiners basing on inclusion criteria. Letters to the editor, case reports, commentaries, and articles published in languages other than English were excluded. A total of 969 articles presenting various studies conducted in maxillary posterior region with respect to sinus lift were evident. Out of which 21 prospective studies were considered relating to the procedural and background parameters included in the study. The parameters considered were the residual bone height, type of approach and the endo sinus bone gain following a prescribed interval. Due to heterogeneity across all the studies, meta-analysis was not performed. Within the limitations of the study, the results revealed that the selection of type of approach depends on the pre residual bone height. In order to obtain maximum bone, gain lateral approach is to be preferred to other two approaches.

Validated standard-setting methods for multiple choice questions in dental education will ensure fairness and defensibility. However, many tertiary institutions in Nigeria still depend on arbitrary cut off scores. Written assessments in dental and medical education increasingly rely on multiple choice questions (MCQs) that target higher levels of Bloom’s taxonomy rather than simple recall. This study explored the familiarity, training and current practices of clinical dental teachers regarding established standard setting approaches and examined their Angoff judgments for two clinical vignette MCQs designed to assess higher order cognition. A descriptive cross sectional electronic survey was completed by 65 clinical teachers across major dental specialties. Sample reflected established teachers rather than novices. Many respondents reported low familiarity with standard setting method particularly for the Ebel, borderline, contrasting groups and blueprinting methods.44.6% reported attending workshops, courses or seminars on standard setting or MCQ construction, whereas 55.4% reported only self study or no training at all. The pattern across methods suggests that formal training is particularly impactful for familiarity with the Angoff method. Challenges identified included time constraint, insufficient training opportunities, limited access to materials and software, and absence of formal standard setting panels. Participants expressed strong interest in workshops, guidelines, mentorship, and analytical tools. The findings highlight critical gaps in the application of standard setting methods in Nigerian dental education and underscore the need for institutionalised faculty development, clearer definitions of borderline competence, and routine psychometric analysis to enhance the validity and defensibility of MCQ based assessments.

This review investigates the relationship between board composition and the financial sustainability of savings and credit cooperatives (SACCOs) in Uganda while drawing comparisons to global contexts. Employing an integrative literature review framed by agency theory and resource dependence theory, the study synthesizes scholarly evidence regarding pivotal board characteristics, including independence, diversity, expertise, and size. The findings reveal that board composition significantly influences financial outcomes, such as loan recovery and capital adequacy, in Uganda. Nonetheless, challenges such as limited capacity, political interference, and weak regulatory enforcement impede the implementation of optimal governance practices. International models from Kenya, Canada, and Scandinavia underscore the advantages of independent and professional boards; however, these models are challenging to replicate in Uganda due to contextual disparities. The review concludes that effective board composition remains an underutilized factor in the sustainability of SACCOs. Recommendations include ongoing board training and digital literacy, context-specific performance metrics, enhanced regulatory oversight, and targeted capacity-building initiatives for rural SACCOs. Furthermore, the study highlights a critical need for more qualitative and longitudinal research to explore the intricate governance dynamics in low-resource settings.

Introduction: Infertility affects about 15% of reproductive-age couples globally and is a highly stressful experience, especially for women facing psychological, social, and cultural impacts. Employment status may influence how women cope with infertility stress. Objective: To compare perceived mental stress levels between working and non-working infertile women attending selected infertility centres in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and to identify associated socio-demographic, reproductive, and social factors. Materials & Methods: This cross-sectional study from January to December 2022 was conducted at Mohammadpur Fertility Services and Training Center and BSMMU, Dhaka. It involved 110 infertile women (55 working, 55 non-working), aged 20-49, with primary infertility, selected via purposive sampling. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews with a pretested semi-structured questionnaire including the PSS-10. Height and weight were measured for BMI. SPSS v25 was used for analysis, employing descriptive stats, t-tests, chi-square, Fisher's exact tests, and regression, with p<0.05 as significant. Results: Working women had higher education (43.6% graduates vs 16.4%, p=0.001) and income (39,845 BDT vs 26,735 BDT, p=0.001), married later (22.16 vs 19.99 years, p=0.011), and shorter infertility duration (4.72 vs 6.05 years, p=0.022). Among working women, 61.8% had moderate stress and 36.4% low stress, while among non-working women, 89.1% had moderate stress and 7.3% had low stress (p=0.001). Marriage duration was linked to stress only among non-working women (p=0.031), with >5 years married experiencing higher stress. Caffeine intake correlated with stress only among non-working women (p=0.041). Social stigma was more common among non-working women (60.0% vs 49.1%). Conclusion: Non-working infertile women face higher moderate mental stress than working women. Employment acts as a protective factor via financial independence, social identity, and coping resources. Support services should target non-working women, who encounter greater social stigma, longer infertility duration, and fewer coping resources.

This study focused on demonstrating the inhibitory activity of essential oils from four aromatic plants, Cymbopogon citratus, C. giganteus, Eucalyptus globulus, and Syzygium aromaticum, on strains of Candida albicans and Microsporum spp. in the Kisangani region. The essential oils were extracted by hydrodistillation and the antifungal activity was evaluated by aromatogram. The results revealed that, on the C. albicans strain, the average inhibition diameter was 3 mm for C. citratus essential oil, 1 mm for C. giganteus and E. globulus essential oils, and 24 mm for S. aromaticum essential oil. Furthermore, on the Microsporum spp. strain, the average inhibition diameter was 16 mm for C. citratus essential oil, 15.5 mm for C. giganteus essential oil, 8 mm for E. globulus essential oil, and 12 mm for S. aromaticum essential oil. This study shows that the inhibition diameters of the essential oils of the plant species studied have different activities on the two fungal strains (C. albicans and Microsporum spp.) tested. However, using Student's t-test, the probability obtained is p-value = 0.01, indicating a very significant difference in sensitivity between the two strains tested.

Background: Pediatric ameloblastoma is an uncommon odontogenic tumor that demonstrates clinicopathologic characteristics distinct from adult cases. Precise delineation of demographic distribution, anatomic predilection, radiographic presentation, and histopathologic subtypes is essential for risk-adapted surgical planning and improved long-term outcomes. Objective: To characterize the demographic, clinical, radiographic, and histopathological features of ameloblastoma in children and adolescents treated at a tertiary referral center in Lagos State, Nigeria, and to evaluate predictors of biologic tumor type. Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted among 63 patients younger than 18 years diagnosed with ameloblastoma between 2013 and 2025. Data collected included age, sex, duration of symptoms, tumor site, radiographic appearance, and histopathologic classification according to the 2022 WHO criteria. Associations between biologic type [unicystic vs. conventional] and clinical variables were examined using chi-square or Fisher’s exact tests. Binary logistic regression analysis was performed to identify independent predictors of conventional ameloblastoma among 59 cases with specified classification. Results: The majority of patients were aged 11–15 years [42.9%], followed by 16–18 years [38.1%]; no cases occurred below 6 years. Males predominated [63.5%]. Tumors overwhelmingly involved the mandible [90.5%], with maxillary lesions accounting for 3.2%. Conventional ameloblastoma constituted 49.2% of cases, unicystic ameloblastoma 44.4%, and 6.3% were unspecified. Plexiform architecture predominated among conventional tumors [25.4% of total cohort], whereas the mural variant was most frequent among unicystic lesions [22.2%]. Radiographic appearance demonstrated a strong association with biologic type: 96.4% of unicystic tumors were unilocular, while 96.8% of conventional tumors were multilocular [p < 0.001]. On multivariable analysis, increasing age [OR 1.328 per year; 95% CI 1.067–1.654; p = 0.011], male sex [OR 4.208; 95% CI 1.516–11.681; p = 0.006], and multilocular radiographic pattern [OR 133.2; 95% CI 12.61–1407.3; p < 0.001] independently predicted conventional ameloblastoma. Duration of symptoms was not significantly associated with biologic type. Conclusion: Pediatric ameloblastoma in this cohort demonstrated teenage predominance, significant male preponderance in conventional tumors, and marked mandibular localization. Conventional ameloblastoma slightly exceeded unicystic ameloblastoma. Multilocular radiographic appearance, older age, and male sex were strong independent predictors of conventional histology. These findings underscore the importance of integrating demographic and imaging features with histopathologic classification to guide surgical decision-making in pediatric patients.