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HARVEST

School of Public Health

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    Evaluating the anti-Candida effects of selenium nanoparticles impregnated in acrylic resins: An in vitro study
    (Tuoms Press, 2024) Rostamzadeh, Masoumeh; Sangdehi, Seyyed Amin Sadeghi; Salimizand, Himen; Nouri, Bijan; Rahimi, Farshad
    Background. Candida albicans in the oral cavity causes denture-induced stomatitis, but current treatments have side effects and contribute to drug resistance. Selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) show promise as an antimicrobial agent, but their effectiveness against C. albicans is unknown and warrants further research. Methods. Acrylic resins containing different concentrations of SeNPs (0.2, 2, and 10 g/mL) were formulated and evaluated against C. albicans isolates. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of SeNPs was determined, and a fungal biofilm was developed on acrylic samples. The quantity of biofilm was assessed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and optical density (OD) at 570 nm after staining with crystal violet. Statistical analysis was performed using STATA software, with Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests to establish significance (P<0.05). Results. The MIC of SeNPs was 25%. The OD in the group with 10% SeNPs was 0.477 and 0.547 in the group with 0.2%. Kruskal-Wallis test results showed that at least two groups among those studied had significant differences (P=0.0273). In pairwise comparisons, the differences between all the groups were statistically significant (P=0.049). SEM analysis confirmed the destruction of C. albicans cell walls, leading to reduced colonization, with the 10% group showing the highest efficacy. Conclusion. The study demonstrated that SeNPs are effective against C. albicans colonization when combined with acrylic resin. Specifically, SeNPs exhibited enhanced antifungal properties at a concentration of 10%. These findings confirm that SeNPs are a promising alternative to traditional antifungal agents for treating oral candidiasis and denture-induced stomatitis.
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    Physicians’ Intentions to Recommend Influenza Vaccine: A Multi-Centered Hospital-Based Study Using the Theory of Planned Behavior in Bangladesh
    (MDPI, 2025-01-09) Jubayer Biswas, Md Abdullah Al; Rahman, Mahbubur; Khairul Basher, Ahamed; Islam, Md Ariful; Pyash, Ashrak Shad; Shoshi, Homayra Rahman; Ahmed Riaj, Md Altaf; Islam, Md Nazrul; Rabbany, Md Arif; Haque, Md Azizul; Chakraborty, Shishir Ranjan; Parvin, Syeda Rukhshana; Rahman, Mahmudur; Chowdhury, Fahmida; Shirin, Tahmina; Hassan, Md. Zakiul
    Background: Influenza remains a significant public health challenge in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) like Bangladesh, where vaccine uptake remains low despite the substantial disease burden. Physicians play a vital role in promoting vaccination, yet their intentions and influencing factors are not well understood. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study from June to October 2022 across four tertiary-level hospitals in Bangladesh using a questionnaire grounded in the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). Hierarchical logistic regression was employed to identify factors associated with vaccine recommendation intentions. Results: Among 972 physicians with an average age of 32.1 years, 40.1% intended to recommend and administer the influenza vaccine. Most (85.3%) agreed vaccination reduces risk, 65.5% desired vaccination for self-protection, 63.5% would vaccinate if available at work, and 85.3% anticipated Ministry of Health support. Male (OR = 1.9, 95% CI: 1.5–2.3) and married (OR = 1.5, 95% CI: 1.1–1.9) physicians were more likely to recommend vaccination. Each unit increase in attitude score doubled the likelihood of recommending the vaccine (OR = 2.0, 95% CI: 1.4–3.0). Conclusions: Physicians’ influenza vaccine recommendations in Bangladesh are suboptimal, influenced by gender, marital status, and attitudes. Targeted educational interventions addressing attitudinal barriers and leveraging institutional support could improve recommendation practices.