Surgical resection of giant pleural solitary fibrous tumor: a case report

Solitary fibrous tumors of the pleura (SFTP) are uncommon neoplasms. We present the case of a 73-year-old male diagnosed with SFTP, exhibiting two masses measuring 20×18 cm and 9×8 cm in diameter, resulting in a notable cardio mediastinal shift towards the right side. The patient underwent successful surgical resection without experiencing any postoperative complications and was discharged in favorable condition. Although complete resection diminishes the risk of recurrence in both malignant and benign SFTP cases, long-term follow-up is necessary.

Efficacy of metformin monotherapy in newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus patients treated at Prince Mohammed Bin Abdulaziz hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Background: Metformin monotherapy is the primary therapeutic approach in most cases of newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) as it is safe, efficient, and is known to lower risks like vascular complications in patients. Previous studies have shown that glycemic control provided by metformin monotherapy is not consistent and needs to be monitored in association with other factors. Due to the complex nature of the disease and other factors like genetic predisposition, ethnicity, and geographic distribution, it is crucial to investigate its effect on the Saudi population. This study aimed to evaluate the glycemic response of metformin monotherapy in individuals with newly diagnosed T2DM who had not previously taken any other medications. Methods: A retrospective study model was followed to determine metformin monotherapy in newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes patients. The efficacy of the metformin monotherapy was evaluated in the patients who were drug naive and had undergone treatment for six months. Results: HbA1c levels for our study population (n=136) before and after metformin monotherapy for a period of six months was collected from patient records. The study cohort included both male (n=71) and female (n=67) patients. There was a significant difference in the HbA1c levels of all diabetes patients before (Mean=9.1, SD=2.84) and after (Mean=7.13, SD=1.51) medication; 2-tailed significance p<0.001. Conclusions: Metformin monotherapy was effective in reducing the HbA1c levels across both genders and all age groups in the present study. These results suggest that metformin monotherapy could be the first line of therapy for newly diagnosed T2DM individuals

Computer vision syndrome among Al-Rayan Medical Colleges students, Madinah, Saudi Arabia

Background: Digital devices now become a part of university student’s life, and with prolonged use, they may experience some ocular problems like dryness, headache, eye strain, and pain. These symptoms and others constitute computer vision syndrome (CVS). Our study aimed to assess CVS among Al-Rayan medical college students and to evaluate students’ behaviors related to preventing CVS. Methods: A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study was performed among the students of Alrayan Medical College from the period from November to December 2022, with a sample size of 270 cases. Data were collected using (CVS-Q) questionnaire. Results: Near half of the participants (53.7%) were suffering from CVS. The most reported symptoms included headache (43.3%), tearing (42.9%), burning (39.3%), and blurred vision (35.1%). The most significant measures applied to minimize the impact of electronic devices were putting the digital device at enough distance (p value=0.001) and adjusting the screen brightness of the digital device (p value=0.004). Conclusions: This study disclosed that CVS is a common problem among medical students. The manifestation of CVS was affected by the frequency and duration of electronic device use

Technologies Enabling Single-Molecule Super-Resolution Imaging of mRNA

The transient nature of RNA has rendered it one of the more difficult biological targets for imaging. This difficulty stems both from the physical properties of RNA as well as the temporal constraints associated therewith. These concerns are further complicated by the difficulty in imaging endogenous RNA within a cell that has been transfected with a target sequence. These concerns, combined with traditional concerns associated with super-resolution light microscopy has made the imaging of this critical target difficult. Recent advances have provided researchers the tools to image endogenous RNA in live cells at both the cellular and single-molecule level. Here, we review techniques used for labeling and imaging RNA with special emphases on various labeling methods and a virtual 3D super-resolution imaging technique

Self-reported long COVID-19 symptoms are rare among vaccinated healthcare workers

Introduction: COVID-19 pandemic adversely affected healthcare workers (HCWs). Here, we evaluate the occurence of long-COVID-19 symtoms among HCWs. Methods: This is a questionnaire-based study of HCWs who had COVID-19 in two medical centers in Saudi Arabia and were mostly vaccinated. Results: The study included 243 HCWs with a mean age (+ SD) of 36.1 (+ 7.6) years. Of them, 223 (91.8%) had three doses of COVID-19 vaccine, 12 (4.9%) had four doses, and 5 (2.1%) had two doses. The most common symptoms at the start of the illness were cough (180, 74.1%), shortness of breath (124, 51%), muscle ache (117, 48.1%), headache (113, 46.5%), sore throat (111, 45.7%), diarrhea (109, 44.9%) and loss of taste (108, 44.4%). Symptoms lasted for one week and 2 months and 3 months in 15 (6.2%). The main symptoms present> 3 months were hair loss (8, 3.3%), cough (5, 2.1%), and diarrhea (5, 2.1%). A binomial regression analysis showed no relationship between persistence of symptoms for> 3 months and other demographic or clinical symptoms characteristics. Conclusion: The study showed a low rate of the occurence of long-COVID> 3 months during the Omicron-wave among mostly vaccinated HCWs with no significant comorbidities. Furhter studies are needed to examine the effect of different vaccines on long-COVID-19 among HCWs