Assessment of the status of spam in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

AbstractSpam is a serious threat to Information and Communications Technology (ICT) worldwide. It is used to not only transmit unsolicited messages, but also malware of every stripe and to propagate various types of phishing schemes. Spam has become so internationally wide-spread that in some regions it represents over 90% of the total e-mail traffic.The purpose of this paper is to report the findings of the study commissioned by the Communications and Information Technology Commission to ascertain the magnitude of spam in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and formulate a comprehensive multi-pronged solution for handling spam in Saudi Arabia based upon best international practices, current situation and national requirements.This paper will only focus on determining the current state of spam in KSA, focusing on obtaining a good understanding of the nature and prevalence of spam within Saudi Arabia. This information will then form the basis upon which the anti-spam national strategy framework will be based.The study was compiled using the statistics that were gathered from stakeholders via different means including questionnaires, interviews and meetings. It covers e-mail, mobile and fax spam. It also highlights some of the stakeholders’ concerns and recommendations regarding spam, as well as the measures taken by these stakeholders to control spam in their networks

Corneal imaging by spectral domain optical coherence tomography

AIM OF WORK: 1. measure CCT by SD-OCT healthy eyes and compare it with the CCT obtaind by Scheimpflug camera and AC Master. 2. describe the application of SD-OCT to cross-sectional imaging of corneal pathologies. CONCLUSION: SD-OCT is non invasive imaging method that allowed high-resolution, descriptive morphological evaluation of the corneal structure and a wide range of corneal pathologies. The CCT measurement with SD-OCT showed a very good correlation with both Scheimpflug camera and AC Master and could be used as an alternative in the CCT

EXPLORING THE ROLE OF SULFORAPHANE IN PROSTATE METABOLISM

Prostate cancer is a worldwide health problem with a higher incidence in older men. Prostate cancer risk is lower in Asian countries compared to the west, this has largely been attributed to difference in diets between the two populations. To date evidence from casecontrol studies has indicated that cruciferous vegetables and regular exercise reduce the risk of prostate cancer progression; however, other similar studies have shown no association. These contrasting results may be due to study heterogeneity and the long latent period of prostate cancer. The aim of the work presented in this thesis is to further understand the role of sulforaphane, an isothiocyanate derived from broccoli plants in preventing prostate cancer by exploring its effect on the metabolic microenvironment of the prostate. One of the key metabolic pathways that is altered in prostate cancer is the Krebs� cycle. Citrate, a product of the Krebs� cycle accumulates in healthy prostate tissue and is reduced in prostate cancer. It was demonstrated by using a novel liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry method that the levels of citrate within in vitro models of prostate cancer are markedly different to those of human tissue. Furthermore, citrate levels altered when prostate cells were exposed to reactive oxygen species. The addition of physiological quantities of sulforaphane to prostate cells in culture inhibited the reactive oxygen speciesmediated changes on the Krebs� cycle. A randomised, double-blinded human intervention study was undertaken to further understand the role of sulforaphane in prostate cancer by recruiting men with early prostate cancer into three different study arms delivering sulforaphane in increasing concentrations through naturally bred broccoli varieties. A subgroup analysis demonstrated significant metabolite changes in prostate tissue that were driven by the study diet with accumulation of sulfate common to all three arms. This was positively correlated with lower rates of cancer at 12 months. The work presented here strengthens the argument that sulforaphane in physiologically achievable concentrations can alter the metabolic environment of the prostate and that this may contribute to the cancer preventing properties of cruciferous vegetables

Meckel’s diverticulum: a rare cause of intestinal perforation in a preterm newborn

Meckel’s diverticulum (MD) is the most common congenital anomaly of the gastrointestinal tract. It is usually encountered as an incidental finding at operation or autopsy. Symptomatic cases usually present during infancy with intestinal obstruction, intestinal hemorrhage, diverticulitis, or perforation. We report on a preterm newborn who developed abdominal distension at 17 h of age and pneumoperitoneum at 30 h. At laparotomy, a  narrow-based MD with a small  perforation at the tip was encountered. Segmental resection of the ileum,  including the MD, and end-to-end anastomosis was performed. A review on perforated MD from the English medical literature is also presented. Perforated MD, although rare, should be included in the differential diagnosis of neonatal gastrointestinal perforations and acute abdomen.Keywords: acute abdomen, gastrointestinal perforation, perforated Meckel’s diverticulum, preterm newbor

Non-Pharmacological Pain Management

Non-pharmacological pain therapy refers to interventions that do not involve the use of medications to treat pain. The goals of non-pharmacological interventions are to decrease fear, distress and anxiety, and to reduce pain and provide patients with a sense of control. When deciding the most effective non-pharmacological technique, take into consideration the patient’s age, developmental level, medical history and prior experiences, current degree of pain and/or anticipated pain. The advantage of non-pharmacological treatments is that they are relatively inexpensive and safe

Effect of storage methods on viability of some hepatic enzymes in farm animals

In the course of a study of serum hepatic enzymes in the ruminants with storage effect was discovered, whose serum contained an Alanine transaminase (ALT), Aspartate transaminase (AST), Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) which was indistinguishable from sheep, cattle, and goats. However, the fundamental storage study of these enzymes is poorly understood in farm animals. Therefore this paper was aimed to determine the relations of two storage methods. The same enzyme was demonstrated in high concentration in the cattle and its linear decreases during storage over 8 weeks in all three animals tested. This single case demonstrates the possibility that elevated serum alkaline phosphatase in animals with -20 oC can be of neoplastic rather than of hepatic storage at 5 oC

A renal colic fast track pathway to improve waiting times and outcomes for patients presenting to the emergency department

Introduction: Renal colic is commonly encountered in the emergency department (ED). We validated a fast track renal colic (FTRC) initiative to decrease patient waiting times and streamline patient flow. Method: The FTRC pathway was devised according to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence clinical summary criteria for the management of patients with suspected renal colic. ED triage nurses use the pathway to identify patients with likely renal colic suitable for fast track to analgesia, investigation and management. Investigations, diagnosis and patient demographics were recorded for 1157 consecutive patients coded as renal colic at a single-center ED over 12 months. Results: Three hundred and two patients were suitable for the FTRC pathway (26.1%), while 855 were seen by the ED clinicians prior to onward referral. Also, 83.9% of patients underwent computed tomography scan. In the FTRC group, 57.3% of patients had radiologically confirmed calculi versus 53.8% in the non-FTRC group (p=0.31). Alternative diagnoses among FTRC patients (2.6%) included ovarian pathology (n=1), diverticulitis (n=2) and incidental renal cell carcinoma (n=2), while 26.1% had no identifiable pathology. No immediately life-threatening diagnoses were identified on imaging. Computed tomography scans performed in the non-FTRC group identified two ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms and alternative diagnoses (2.57%) including ovarian pathology (n=7), cholecystitis (n=2), incidental renal cell carcinoma (n=3) and inflammatory bowel disease (n=1); 31.2% identified no pathology. Time in ED and time to radiologist-reported imaging were lower for the FTRC group versus non-FTRC group (p<0.0001). Conclusion: The FTRC pathway is a safe and efficacious method of reducing diagnostic delay and improving patient flow in the ED

Urachal Actinomycosis Mimicking a Urachal Tumor

A 26-year-old man presented with lower abdominal discomfort and a palpable mass in the right lower quadrant. An abdominal computed tomography (CT) scan revealed an abdominal wall mass that extended from the dome of the bladder. Fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron-emission tomography/CT (PET/CT) showed hypermetabolic wall thickening around the bladder dome area that extended to the abdominal wall and hypermetabolic mesenteric infiltration. Differential diagnosis included a urachal tumor with invasion into adjacent organs and chronic inflammatory disease. Partial cystectomy with abdominal wall mass excision was performed, and the final pathologic report was consistent with urachal actinomycosis

Transcriptional changes in prostate of men on active surveillance after a 12-mo glucoraphanin-rich broccoli intervention—results from the Effect of Sulforaphane on prostate CAncer PrEvention (ESCAPE) randomized controlled trial

Background Epidemiological evidence suggests that consumption of cruciferous vegetables is associated with reduced risk of prostate cancer progression, largely attributed to the biological activity of glucosinolate degradation products, such as sulforaphane derived from glucoraphanin. Because there are few therapeutic interventions for men on active surveillance for prostate cancer to reduce the risk of cancer progression, dietary approaches are an appealing option for patients. Objective We evaluated whether consumption of a glucoraphanin-rich broccoli soup for 1 y leads to changes in gene expression in prostate tissue of men with localized prostate cancer. Methods Forty-nine men on active surveillance completed a 3-arm parallel randomized double-blinded intervention study for 12 mo and underwent transperineal template biopsy procedures and dietary assessment at the start and end of the study. Patients received a weekly 300 mL portion of soup made from a standard broccoli (control) or from 1 of 2 experimental broccoli genotypes with enhanced concentrations of glucoraphanin, delivering 3 and 7 times that of the control, respectively. Gene expression in tissues from each patient obtained before and after the dietary intervention was quantified by RNA sequencing followed by gene set enrichment analyses. Results In the control arm, there were several hundred changes in gene expression in nonneoplastic tissue during the 12 mo. These were associated with an increase in expression of potentially oncogenic pathways including inflammation processes and epithelial–mesenchymal transition. Changes in gene expression and associated oncogenic pathways were attenuated in men on the glucoraphanin-rich broccoli soup in a dose-dependent manner. Although the study was not powered to assess clinical progression, an inverse association between consumption of cruciferous vegetables and cancer progression was observed. Conclusion Consuming glucoraphanin-rich broccoli soup affected gene expression in the prostate of men on active surveillance, consistent with a reduction in the risk of cancer progression. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01950143

Major urological cancer surgery for patients is safe and surgical training should be encouraged during the COVID-19 pandemic : A multi-centre analysis of 30-day outcomes

Funding Information: Funding/Support and role of the sponsor: Wei Shen Tan is funded by the Urology Foundation . Publisher Copyright: © 2021 The Author(s) Copyright: Copyright 2021 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.COVID-19 has resulted in the deferral of major surgery for genitourinary (GU) cancers with the exception of cancers with a high risk of progression. We report outcomes for major GU cancer operations, namely radical prostatectomy (RP), radical cystectomy (RC), radical nephrectomy (RN), partial nephrectomy (PN), and nephroureterectomy performed at 13 major GU cancer centres across the UK between March 1 and May 5, 2020. A total of 598 such operations were performed. Four patients (0.7%) developed COVID-19 postoperatively. There was no COVID-19–related mortality at 30 d. A minimally invasive approach was used in 499 cases (83.4%). A total of 228 cases (38.1%) were described as training procedures. Training case status was not associated with a higher American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score (p = 0.194) or hospital length of stay (LOS; p > 0.05 for all operation types). The risk of contracting COVID-19 was not associated with longer hospital LOS (p = 0.146), training case status (p = 0.588), higher ASA score (p = 0.295), or type of hospital site (p = 0.303). Our results suggest that major surgery for urological cancers remains safe and training should be encouraged during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic provided appropriate countermeasures are taken. These real-life data are important for policy-makers and clinicians when counselling patients during the current pandemic. Patient summary: We collected outcome data for major operations for prostate, bladder, and kidney cancers during the COVID-19 pandemic. These surgeries remain safe and training should be encouraged during the ongoing pandemic provided appropriate countermeasures are taken. Our real-life results are important for policy-makers and clinicians when counselling patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.Peer reviewe