Antifungal Activity of Syzygium aromaticum (Dianthus) against toxigenic Rhizopus stolonifera and its immunomodulatory effects in aflatoxin-fed mice

Purpose: To evaluate the antifungal potency of Syzygium aromaticum (Dianthus) seed extract against the growth and aflatoxin production of Rhizopus stolonifer, and its immunomodulatory effect.Methods: Disc diffusion method was used for assay of antifungal effect of aqueous extract of Dianthus. Lymphoid cell counts, total and differential peritoneal exudate cell counts (PEC), phagocytic activity of PEC, and plaque-forming activities were determined. In addition, E-rosette-forming cells (RFC), T-cell mitogenesis cells and liver functions were measured.Results: The aqueous extract of Dianthus (50 %) exhibited high inhibition zone against most isolates of R. stolonifera. It produced significant increases in the number of splenocytes, as well as in the absolute number and relative proportion of macrophages (p < 0.05). The extract also produced a gradual increase in the scavenging activity of PEC, and significant reduction in serum ALT, relative to control.Conclusion: These results suggest that Dianthus modifies biological responses by enhancement of the immune system, activation of phagocytosis, boosting of immune response, and prevention of liver damage.Keywords: Aflatoxin, Syzygium aromaticum, Rhizopus stolonifer, Lymphocytes, T-cells, B-cells, Macrophage

Secure and Efficient WBAN Authentication Protocols for Intra-BAN Tier

Telecare medical information system (TMIS) is a technology used in a wireless body area network (WBAN), which has a crucial role in healthcare services. TMIS uses wearable devices with sensors to collect patients’ data and transmit the data to the controller node via a public channel. Then, the medical server obtains the data from the controller node and stores it in the database to be analyzed. Unfortunately, an attacker can try to perform attacks via a public channel. Thus, establishing a secure mutual authentication protocol is essential for secure data transfer. Several authentication schemes have been presented to achieve mutual authentication, but there are performance limitations and security problems. Therefore, this study aimed to propose two secure and efficient WBAN authentication protocols between sensors and a mobile device/controller: authentication protocol-I for emergency medical reports and authentication protocol-II for periodic medical reports. To analyze the proposed authentication protocols, we conducted an informal security analysis, implemented BAN logic analysis, validated our proposed authentication protocol using the AVISPA simulation tool, and conducted a performance analysis. Consequently, we showed that our proposed protocols satisfy all security requirements in this study, attain mutual authentication, resist active and passive attacks, and have suitable computation and communication costs for a WBAN

Epidemiology and clinical characteristics of Morganella morganii infections: A multicenter retrospective study

Background: Morganella morganii is a Gram-negative, opportunistic pathogen that can cause a variety of infections, including bloodstream infections, especially in those with compromised immune systems. It is often resistant to antibiotics, making it a difficult organism to treat. Limited studies have addressed M. morganii, but the organism is becoming increasingly recognized as a public health threat. More research is needed to understand the epidemiology and virulence factors of M. morganii in Saudi Arabia, as well as to develop effective treatment strategies. Methods: This retrospective study included all M. morganii bloodstream infections patients admitted to five tertiary care hospitals in Saudi Arabia between 2015 and 2022. Results: The study population included 75 patients (45 males and 30 females) between the age of 53–72 with a 54% ICU admission rate. The most comorbidities were hypertension followed by diabetes. The most common symptoms were fever, cough, shortness of breath, vomiting, and fatigue. The study also found that M. morganii was often resistant to multiple antibiotics, including ciprofloxacin, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, gentamicin, amoxicillin, nitrofurantoin, and colistin. The most common treatment for M. morganii bacteremia was carbapenems, followed by aminoglycosides, ciprofloxacin, and colistin. Source control measures, such as surgery, line removal, drainage, and tissue removal, were also used in some cases. The study found that the in-hospital mortality rate for M. morganii bacteremia was 41%. The risk of mortality was increased in patients who were admitted to the ICU, who were older than 65 years, and who had Klebsiella pneumoniae co-infection. Conclusion: M. morganii bacteremia is a serious infection that is often resistant to antibiotics. Elderly patients and patients with comorbidities are at increased risk of mortality. Source control measures and appropriate antibiotic therapy are important for improving outcomes

BIAXIAL FLEXURAL STRENGTH AND HARDNESS OF RESIN-MATRIX CERAMIC CAD/CAM MATERIALS

This study evaluated the biaxial flexural strength (BFS) and hardness of four resin-matrix ceramic CAD/CAM materials namely, Vita Enamic (EN), Lava Ultimate (LU), Cerasmart (CS), Crystal Ultra (CU) and one glass-matrix ceramic material, Vitablocs Mark II (VM2). Disc-shaped specimens (12 mm in diameter and 1.2mm in thickness) were prepared from the CAD/CAM materials and were accordingly allocated into two groups. One group was used for baseline measurements and the other group was subjected to ageing by thermal-cycling (TC) for 10,000 cycles. The BFS and hardness was evaluated by a universal testing machine and a Vickers hardness tester, respectively. A two-way ANOVA, one-way ANOVA with Tukeys post hoc test, and Students t-test (=0.05) were used to analyse the data (α=0.05). The highest and lowest BFS was seen in CS and VM2 and the difference in the BFS among the materials was statistically significant (p˂0.05). The comparison between the baseline and TC groups showed significant difference in the BFS for EN (p ˂0.001), LU (p˂0.001), and CS (p˂0.012) but no difference was seen for VM2 (p= 0.238) and CU (p˂0.159). The Vickers hardness number (VHN) ranking of the materials for the baseline and TC specimens, was VM2˃EN˃LU˃CS˃CU and VM2˃EN˃LU˃CU˃CS, respectively. Following the TC, all the materials showed a significantly lower VHN (p ˂ 0.05) except for VM2 (p= 0.727). The CS material had the highest BFS among the baseline and TC groups; however, it had the lowest hardness among the materials in the baseline group and had comparable values to CU after the TC. Ageing by thermal-cycling significantly lowered the BFS of the CAD/CAM materials except for VM2 and CU, and lowered the hardness of the resin-matrix ceramic materials

A rare mutation in PRUNE 1- gene causing a neurodevelopmental disease with rare systemic manifestations in a Saudi child

PRUNE 1- related disorder, is a neurodevelopmental problem characterized by microcephaly, hypotonia, and variable central nervous system abnormalities, it is a unique uncommon autosomal recessive disease caused by a homozygous or compound heterozygous mutation in the PRUNE1 gene on chromosome 1q21.4. Here we report a 15 months old girl who presented with characteristic features compatible with Prune syndrome informed of severe developmental delay, progressive microcephaly, hypertelorism, micrognathia and low set ears. The neurological evaluation revealed profound central hypotonia and spastic limbs with increased deep tendon reflexes. At the age of 15 months, she became more flaccid, with multiple hospitalizations because of recurrent aspiration, refractory seizure and severe gastroesophageal reflux disease. Eye examination showed severe optic atrophy. Further molecular genetic analysis revealed a homozygous variant c.383G>A – P(Arg128Gln)-chr1:150997134

A Single Oral Vitamin D₃ Bolus Reduces Inflammatory Markers in Healthy Saudi Males

Vitamin D deficiency has increased in the general population and is a public health issue. Vitamin D plays an important role in regulating the immune system, e.g., by modulating the production of inflammatory cytokines. In most countries, the recommended maximal daily dose of vitamin D3 is 4000 IU (100 µg) per day. In this study, we investigated whether a single vitamin D3 bolus can reduce the levels of the inflammatory markers interleukin (IL) 6, IL8 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) within one month. Fifty healthy Saudi males were recruited from the local community in Jeddah city and were orally supplemented with a single dose of 80,000 IU vitamin D3. Serum samples were collected at time points 0, 1 and 30 days, and serum levels of IL6, IL8 and TNF, parathyroid hormone (PTH), 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25(OH)D3), triglycerides, cholesterol, calcium (Ca2+) and phosphate (PO4−) were determined. On average, the vitamin D3 bolus resulted in a significant increase in vitamin D status as well as in a significant decrease in the levels of inflammatory cytokines even one month after supplementation without changing serum Ca2+, PO4− or lipid levels. In conclusion, single high-dose vitamin D3 supplementation is safe for reducing inflammation markers and may lead to an update of current recommendations for vitamin D intake, in order to prevent critical health problems

Characteristics of Pediatric Primary Healthcare Visits in a University-Based Primary Healthcare Center in Saudi Arabia

This study aimed to identify the characteristics of pediatric primary health care (PHC) visits and evaluate the outcomes of patients presenting with complaints along with their referral and consultation capabilities. This was a retrospective medical record-based study. The study population included any pediatric patient (≤14 years old), including females and males, Saudis, and non-Saudis. Research data were gathered for visits from 2016–2021. Sampling was performed using a stratified random sample based on age groups, followed by simple random sampling with proportional allocation to different age groups. The number of pediatric visits included was 1439 (males, 52.2%). The most common age group was toddlers, and 60% of the total sample was from Saudi Arabia. The most common cause of visits was vaccination (32%), followed by general checkups and/or a well-baby visit (25.4%), and fever (11.2%). Approximately 10% of visits needed referral to other subspecialties. Approximately 50% of visits with complaints concerning ophthalmology, cardiology, and surgical intervention were referred to a specialized department. More awareness needs to be raised about the important role of PHC services in the pediatric age group, as it was capable of handling approximately 90% of their cases

A Single Vitamin D₃ Bolus Supplementation Improves Vitamin D Status and Reduces Proinflammatory Cytokines in Healthy Females

Vitamin D deficiency is a global health problem that not only leads to metabolic bone disease but also to many other illnesses, most of which are associated with chronic inflammation. Thus, our aim was to investigate the safety and effectiveness of a single high dose of vitamin D3 (80,000 IU) on vitamin D status and proinflammatory cytokines such as interleukin (IL)6, IL8 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) in healthy Saudi females. Fifty healthy females were recruited and orally supplemented with a single vitamin D3 bolus (80,000 IU). All participants donated fasting blood samples at baseline, one day and thirty days after supplementation. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25(OH)D3), IL6, IL8, TNF, calcium, phosphate, parathyroid hormone (PTH) and blood lipid levels were determined. Serum 25(OH)D3 significantly increased one and thirty days after supplementation when compared with baseline without causing elevation in calcium or phosphate or a decrease in PTH to abnormal levels. In contrast, the concentrations of the three representative proinflammatory cytokines decreased gradually until the end of the study period. In conclusion, a single high dose (80,000 IU) is effective in improving serum vitamin D status and reducing the concentration of the proinflammatory cytokines in a rapid and safe way in healthy females

Prevalence and Correlates of Paternal Postpartum Depression in Saudi Arabia

Background and objective Literature concerning paternal postpartum depression (PPPD) is rare. However, PPPD is a highly relevant disorder and can have a detrimental effect on the well-being of the family. Paternal care is an essential factor for infants’ mental development, and PPPD has been clearly shown to influence infants’ psychopathology and behavior later in life. This preliminary study aimed to detect the prevalence of PPPD and the correlated demographic and socioeconomic factors in fathers to newborns at the King Abdulaziz University Hospital (KAUH) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Materials and methods This was a cross-sectional study conducted at KAUH in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, between January 1, 2017 and June 25, 2018. We collected data telephonically through questionnaires based on previous studies. A PPPD cutoff score of >10 using a validated Arabic translation of the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale was used. We enrolled 150 fathers with a mean age of 36.61±7.72 years in the study. Results The results showed that more than a quarter (27.3%) of the participants suffered from PPPD. Factors that correlate with PPPD included a weak relationship with the partner/mother (p=0.001), trouble sleeping (p=0.010), lower self-esteem (p=0.012), family-related problems (p<0.0001), work-related problems (p=0.002), work–family conflict (p<0.0001), and perceived perinatal and postpartum stress (p=0.001 and <0.0001 respectively). Conclusions The results confirm that PPPD is prevalent among fathers in Jeddah. Screening for and treatment of PPPD in Saudi Arabia is currently lacking, and the prevalence of PPPD according to these findings indicates that these deficiencies urgently need to be addressed. Counselling and support for managing health, family, and work issues during and after pregnancy could contribute to preventing PPPD

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease burden – Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates, 2017–2030

Background/Aim: Due to epidemic levels of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM), nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and resulting nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) will be driving factors in liver disease burden in the coming years in Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates (UAE). Materials and Methods: Models were used to estimate NAFLD and NASH disease progression, primarily based on changes in adult prevalence rates of adult obesity and DM. The published estimates and expert interviews were used to build and validate the model projections. Results: In both countries, the prevalence of NAFLD increased through 2030 parallel to projected increases in the prevalence of obesity and DM. By 2030, there were an estimated 12,534,000 NAFLD cases in Saudi Arabia and 372,000 cases in UAE. Increases in NASH cases were relatively greater than the NAFLD cases due to aging of the population and disease progression. Likewise, prevalent cases of compensated cirrhosis and advanced liver disease are projected to at least double by 2030, while annual incident liver deaths increase in both countries to 4800 deaths in Saudi Arabia and 140 deaths in UAE. Conclusions: Continued high rates of adult obesity and DM, in combination with aging populations, suggest that advanced liver disease and mortality attributable to NAFLD/NASH will increase across both countries. Reducing the growth of the NAFLD population, along with potential therapeutic options, will be needed to reduce liver disease burden