International Journal of Scientific Reports

Oral fire, mental storm: the profound interplay between trigeminal neuralgia, burning mouth syndrome and mental health disorders

Komal Rewatkar — 2026-10-28

Chronic orofacial pain conditions such as trigeminal neuralgia (TN) and burning mouth syndrome (BMS) extend well beyond physical discomfort and are increasingly recognized as disorders that affect psychological and emotional well-being. Both are frequently overlooked in dental and general medical practice, yet both produce functional limitation, social withdrawal and measurable psychiatric morbidity. This narrative review examines the links between chronic orofacial pain and mental health, with emphasis on the neurobiological and psychosocial mechanisms that connect them. It also considers the role of modifiable behavioral risk factors, particularly tobacco and nicotine exposure, which sensitize transient receptor potential channels on trigeminal and oral mucosal afferents and may aggravate oral burning and neuropathic facial pain. Peripheral sensitization drives central sensitization within trigeminal pathways and alters affective-motivational circuits, contributing to the depression, anxiety, sleep disruption and cognitive impairment reported in these patients, and creating a self-sustaining pain-distress loop. The review argues for interdisciplinary management that combines pharmacological neuromodulation, adapted dental care, psychological therapy, tobacco cessation support, nutritional correction and patient education, delivered within a preventive public health framework. Dental practitioners are well placed to detect these conditions early, to screen for tobacco use and emotional distress, and to coordinate referral. Treating the mouth and the mind together, rather than sequentially, offers the best prospect of restoring function and quality of life.

High entropy engineering ceramics: a critical review of mechanical, structural, thermal and electrical properties

Gemeda Jemal Usa — 2026-10-28

High entropy oxides (HEOs) have emerged as a transformative class of materials, stabilized by configurational entropy and lattice distortion, offering multifunctional properties across mechanical, structural, thermal, electrical, and catalytic domains. This review provides a comprehensive synthesis of current knowledge, critically evaluating processing pathways, property correlations, and application areas ranging from energy storage and catalysis to thermoelectrics and environmental technologies. The novelty of this review lies in its integrative framework: mapping research gaps across temporal, methodological, application, materials, and conceptual dimensions; introducing comparative tables and schematic visualizations that unify diverse findings into defense ready, presentation friendly formats; highlighting entropy driven multifunctionality as the central paradigm linking synthesis, properties, and applications into a coherent roadmap; and proposing future directions that combine computational design, scalable green synthesis, defect engineering, and sustainability to accelerate translation into real world devices. By bridging fundamental insights with practical applications and embedding novelty through structured gap analysis, visual synthesis, and entropy centered roadmaps, this review positions HEOs as cornerstone materials in the pursuit of resilient energy, electronic, and environmental systems.

Assessment of healthcare professionals’ knowledge and practices regarding the appropriate use of medical devices in Morocco: a cross-sectional study

Mahila Lafhal — 2026-10-28

Background: Appropriate use of medical devices (MDs) is essential to ensure quality of care and patient safety. This study aimed to assess healthcare professionals’ knowledge and practices regarding the appropriate use of MDs in Morocco and to identify associated factors.

Methods: A descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study was conducted from June 2025 to February 2026 among 116 healthcare professionals in Morocco using an anonymous structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the chi-square or Fisher’s exact test.

Results: Of 116 participants, 35 (30.2%) were pharmacists, 34 (29.3%) physicians, 29 (25.0%) nurses, and 18 (15.5%) other healthcare professionals. Only 26 (22.4%) had received specific training on MDs. Thirty-one (26.7%) could distinguish MD risk classes, 41 (35.3%) knew traceability procedures, and 27 (23.3%) knew incident reporting procedures, while 80 (69.0%) systematically verified MD functioning before use. Specific training was significantly associated with knowledge of risk classes (p<0.001), traceability (p=0.001), and incident reporting procedures (p=0.009). Professional experience was associated with verification of MD functioning (p=0.006). Overall, 63 (54.3%) considered MD use moderately appropriate. Lack of training (84.5%), workload (53.4%), and poor quality of some MDs (50.0%) were the main reported barriers. Regular training (86.2%), strengthened biomedical monitoring (69.8%), and standardized protocols (65.5%) were the main proposed improvements.

Conclusions: Gaps were identified in healthcare professionals’ training and knowledge regarding MDs. Strengthening training, standardized procedures, and materiovigilance could promote safer MD use in Morocco.

Prevalence and associated risk factors of hypertension in care homes of Makawanpur district, Nepal

Mahesh Rijal — 2026-10-28

Background: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are increasingly burdensome. Hypertension stands out as a major NCD responsible for numerous deaths and disabilities in Nepal. Various factors, socio-demographic, socio-economic, and behavioral, affect hypertension. This study aims to determine the prevalence of hypertension and identify its associated risk factors among residents of care homes in Makawanpur district.

Methods: A cross-sectional quantitative study was conducted to gather data from residents in four care homes in Hetauda Sub-Metropolitan, Makawanpur district, Nepal. The care homes were selected using a census approach. Data were collected from each institution as a sample, totaling 139 individuals. A structured questionnaire, based on the NCD STEPS survey, was used along with Kobo-Toolbox for data collection. After collection, data were cleaned, sorted, coded, and decoded for analysis with SPSS software.

Results: In 139 care home residents in Makawanpur district (median age of 75 years), 51.1% of the participants had hypertension. The history of smoking was strongly associated with developing high blood pressure (58.4%; p=0.03), as well as the family history of hypertension (68.6%; p<0.005), and the presence of anxious or stressful (or mental pressure) symptoms (60.5%; p=0.01). The participants who were physically active also had higher rates of having hypertension (58.7%).

Conclusions: Hypertension was highly prevalent (51.1%) among elderly care home residents in Makawanpur. Smoking history, family history of hypertension, and psychological stress were significantly associated with hypertension.