Waste tissues such as mammalian bone are a valuable source from which to extract hydroxyapatite. Camel bone-based hydroxyapatite (CBHA) was extracted from the femur of camel bones using a defatting and deproteinization procedure. The extracted CBHA was mechanically, chemically, physically, morphologically and structurally characterized. Fourier-Transform Infra-Red (FTIR) spectra, Micro-Raman, and X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed successful extraction of hydroxyapatite. The mechanical properties of the CBHA scaffold were measured using a Universal Instron compression tester. Scanning electron microscopy showed the presence of a characteristic interconnected porous architecture with pore diameter ranging from 50–600 µm and micro-computer tomography (Micro-CT) analysis identified a mean porosity of 73.93. Thermogravimetric analysis showed that the CBHA was stable up to 1000 °C and lost only 1.435% of its weight. Inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and Energy-dispersive-X-ray (EDX) analysis demonstrated the presence of significant amounts of calcium and phosphorus and trace ions of sodium, magnesium, zinc, lead and strontium. Following 21 days of incubation in simulated body fluid (SBF), the pH fluctuated between 10–10.45 and a gradual increase in weight loss was observed. In conclusion, the extracted CBHA is a promising material for future use in bone tissue regeneration applications.

Prophylactic anticoagulant therapy is recommended for reducing the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) after a total hip replacement (THR). However, it is not clear which anticoagulant is preferable. Hence, a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized double-blind controlled trials (RDBCTs) were conducted to investigate the clinical efficacy and safety of enoxaparin in comparison with newer oral anticoagulants for the prevention of VTE after THR. The Cochrane Library, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, and PubMed/Medline databases were used for PICO search strategy. Relative risks (RR) of symptomatic VTE, clinically relevant bleeding, mortality, and a net clinical endpoint were estimated employing a random effect meta-analysis. ITC and RevMan software were used for indirect and direct comparisons, respectively. Nine RDBCTs comprising 24,584 patients were included. As compared to enoxaparin, a reduced risk for symptomatic VTE was observed with rivaroxaban (confidence interval [CI]: 0.32–0.77; RR: 0.46%) and comparable with apixaban (0.12–1.26; 0.42%) and dabigatran (0.22–2.20; 0.70%). Contrarily to enoxaparin, a greater risk for clinically relevant bleeding was observed with rivaroxaban (1.03–1.48; 1.23%), comparable with dabigatran (0.96–1.33; 1.10%) and reduced with apixaban (0.19–5.66; 0.96%). In indirect or direct comparisons, the interventions did not differ on the net clinical endpoint. In conclusion, the findings of this meta-analysis revealed no significant difference in the efficacy and safety of new oral anticoagulants as compared to enoxaparin for the prevention of VTE after total hip replacement surgery.

Background. Dental professional’s competency comprises a comprehensive management of the oral health care of their patients, and an evaluation of competence level is an important step towards assessing the quality of the graduating dentists. This study assessed the level of self-rated competencies of dental graduates from Saudi dental colleges. Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted online through a structured questionnaire that consisted of three domains of “Knowledge, Skills, and Values.” The study population was dental graduates who have studied the same curriculum and were working in Saudi dental settings. Dental graduates included interns, general practitioners, and specialists/consultants, both male and female, grouped into age groups (20-24, 25-29, and ≥30 years), Saudi/non-Saudi, with qualifications (Bachelor, Master, and Fellowship/Board), working in any region inside Saudi Arabia. Results. Complete responses received from 197 graduates were analyzed. ≥75% of the respondents felt that they were well prepared for 40% and half of the respondents felt that they were not well prepared in 50% competencies in the domain of “Knowledge.” ≥75% of the respondents felt that they were well prepared for 36% and 50% were not well prepared in 36% competencies in the domain of “Skills.” ≥75% of the respondents felt that they were well prepared for 67% competencies in the domain of “Values.” Statistically, mean values were significant ( ) for female genders and nonsignificant for qualification and rank categories. The overall mean scores for self-perceived competencies for the domains of “Knowledge,” “Skills,” and “Values” were , , and , respectively. Participants showed the highest level of “Knowledge” in medical problem diagnosis and least level in basic life support. The highest level of “Skills” was noted in the differential diagnosis and lowest in the dental emergency management. Most participants had shown a value for service to humanity. Conclusions. Dental graduates of this study sample perceived themselves well prepared for many aspects of dental practice and have highlighted areas that need improvement in their training at the undergraduate level.