Understanding Frailty in Older Adults: Examining Attributes, Antecedents, and Consequences

Frailty has still been debated concept in the literature since thirty years ago. Conducting concept analysis contributes significantly to fully understanding the concept and paving the road to researchers to conduct their research on. The conceptual analysis of frailty in this article was guided by what is postulated by Walker and Avant (2011) textbook pertaining to concept analysis, including attributes, antecedents, consequences, and empirical referents of frailty. This analysis was elaborated based on the literature review posted in the matrix. Frailty as a multidimensional concept is more holistic in terms of addressing the psychological and social aspects, in addition to physical ones, of how older adults perceive their daily living at their later life. This analysis is a salient step in conducting further research in how frailty should be conceptually defined in the future

Psychometric properties of a Saudi Arabian version of the Birth Satisfaction Scale-Revised (BSS-R)

Background: Maternal outcomes are closely associated with birth satisfaction, and the Birth Satisfaction Scale-Revised (BSS-R), a concise, multidimensional self-report measure, has undergone translation and validation internationally. However, research on birth satisfaction in Saudi Arabia is scarce. The absence of valid Arabic-language tools for the Saudi population may impede critical research on this topic, necessitating the translation and use of psychometrically sound instruments for measuring birth satisfaction in Saudi women. Objective: This study aimed to translate and evaluate the psychometric properties of the Saudi Arabian version of the BSS-R (SA-BSS-R). Methods: A total of 218 Saudi women participated in the study, and psychometric analysis of the translated SA-BSS-R involved confirmatory factor analysis, divergent validity analysis, and known-group discriminant validity assessment within a cross-sectional study design. Results: The three-factor BSS-R measurement model displayed poor fit, and internal consistency fell below the threshold value. Additionally, it was observed that women undergoing an episiotomy had significantly lower overall SA-BSS-R scores. Conclusion: The SA-BSS-R manifested atypical measurement properties in this population. Despite insightful observations related to episiotomy, the identified measurement shortcomings highlight the need for a more robust and culturally sensitive translation to enhance measurement characteristics

Assessment of DNA damage using chromosomal aberrations assay in lymphocytes of waterpipe smokers

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the genotoxicity of waterpipe smoking in the lymphocytes of waterpipe smokers using chromosomal aberrations (CAs) assay. Materials and Methods: Fifty waterpipe smokers and 18 healthy nonsmokers volunteered to participate in the study. Additionally, 18 heavy cigarette smokers were recruited for comparison. Chromosomal aberrations (CAs) assay was used to evaluate DNA damage in the lymphocytes. Results: The results showed that similarly to cigarette smoking, waterpipe smoking significantly increased the frequencies of CAs (p < 0.01). In addition, the frequencies of CAs increased with more waterpipe use. Conclusions: Waterpipe smoking causes DNA damage to lymphocytes and the damage increases with more waterpipe use

The association between the serum level of vitamin D and ischemic heart disease: a study from Jordan

Mohamad I Jarrah,1 Nizar M Mhaidat,2 Karem H Alzoubi,2 Nasr Alrabadi,3 Enas Alsatari,2 Yousef Khader,4 Moath F Bataineh5 1Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan; 2Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan; 3Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan; 4Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan; 5Department of Sport Rehabilitation, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Hashemite University, Zarqa, Jordan Background: Decreased levels of vitamin D were associated with increased risk of multiple diseases, including cardiovascular diseases. However, there seem to be some discrepancies among the results obtained from different studies. The aim of the present study was to explore the importance of having sufficient serum levels of vitamin D in reducing the incidence and the progression of coronary artery stenosis and ischemic heart disease (IHD). Methods: Serum levels of vitamin D were measured using radioimmunoassay in 186 Jordanian patients who underwent investigative coronary catheterization. Of these patients, 133 were suffering from coronary artery stenosis. The association between vitamin D levels, coronary stenosis and many risk factors was determined using SPSS software. Results and conclusions: Interestingly, the current results did not show an association between vitamin D abnormalities and the incidence or the reoccurrence of coronary artery stenosis. Moreover, significant differences were detected in the prevalence of vitamin D abnormalities based on the patient&rsquo;s gender, and there was a significant association between vitamin D abnormalities and both body mass index and dyslipidemia. However, current results did not show any significant association with other risk factors for IHD. For instance, no association was found with smoking, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, stable and unstable angina or with acute recent myocardial infarction. Keywords: vitamin D, ischemic heart disease, IHD, coronary artery stenosis, cardiovascular syste

Assessment of genotoxicity of vincristine, vinblastine and vinorelbine in human cultured lymphocytes: a comparative study

Vincristine (VCR), vinblastine (VBL) and vinorelbine (VRL) are anticancer agents from the Vinca alkaloid family that have the potential to induce genotoxic effect. The aim of the present study was to compare the genotoxic effect of VCR, VBL and VRL. Levels of 8-hydroxy-2-deoxy guanosine (8-OHdG) and sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs) were measured in cultured human blood lymphocytes treated with VCR, VBL and VRL at concentrations of 0.01 and 0.1 μg/mL. Results showed that VCR, VBL and VRL significantly increased the 8-OHdG levels (p VCR>VRL. In conclusion, VCR, VBL and VRL induce DNA damage as indicated by the increase in the 8-OHdG biomarker but with different magnitude

Effects of argan spinosa oil in the treatment of diaper dermatitis in infants and toddlers: A quasi-experimental study

الملخص: أهداف البحث: التهاب الجلد الناتج عن الحفاظ هو أحد أكثر الأمراض الجلدية شيوعا لدى الأطفال. الأدوية شائعة الاستخدام للعلاج لها العديد من الآثار الجانبية، مما يفرض الحاجة إلى تقييم استراتيجيات علاجية آمنة. لذلك، فإننا نهدف إلى مقارنة فعالية زيت الأرغان سبينوزا ومرهم الهيدروكورتيزون 1٪ على شفاء التهاب الجلد الحفاظي. طريقة البحث: أجريت دراسة شبه تجريبية في الأردن على أطفال تتراوح أعمارهم بين عامين أو أقل يعانون من التهاب الجلد الحفاظي الخفيف إلى الشديد. في البداية، تم تسجيل 73 مشاركا في مجموعة زيت الأرغان سبينوزا و 74 مشاركا في مجموعة مرهم الهيدروكورتيزون 1 ٪. تم تعيينهم بشكل عشوائي، بعد إجراء القياس الأساسي لالتهاب الجلد الحفاظي. تم قياس الشفاء في الأيام 1و3 و 7 من خلال الزيارات المنزلية، باستخدام مقياس تصنيف مكون من 5 نقاط. تم تحليل البيانات باستخدام نماذج فيشر، مان ويتني يو، ومعادلات التقدير المعممة من خلال برنامج اس بي اس اس الإصدار 25. النتائج: من بين 147 طفلا تم تسجيلهم، أكمل 140 منهم الدراسة. لوحظ انخفاض في درجات التهاب الجلد الحفاظي في كلا المجموعتين. بعد استبعاد العوامل المربكة، كشفت نماذج معادلات التقدير المعممة أن الأطفال الذين استخدموا علاج زيت الأرغان سبينوزا كانوا أقل عرضة بنسبة 25 مرة للإصابة بدرجات التهاب الجلد الحفاظي الحاد وتحسنوا بشكل أسرع من الأطفال الذين استخدموا الهيدروكورتيزون 1٪. كشف الانحدار اللوجستي المتعدد على بيانات خط الأساس أن استخدام كريم الحاجز وتكرار الاستحمام مرة واحدة في الأسبوع كانت تنبؤية بحدوث التهاب الجلد الحفاظي. الاستنتاجات: يعتبر زيت الأرغان سبينوزا أكثر فعالية في علاج التهاب الجلد الحفاظي ويمكن استخدامه كخيار تكميلي. ومع ذلك، ستكون التجارب السريرية الإضافية على عينات أكبر ضرورية لتأكيد النتيجة وإصدار حكم موثوق. Abstract: Objectives: Diaper dermatitis (DD) is one of the most common dermatological disorders in children. Commonly used drugs for treatment have several adverse effects; therefore, assessment of safe therapeutic strategies is necessary. We, therefore, aimed at comparing the efficacy of argan spinosa oil and 1% hydrocortisone ointment on DD healing. Methods: A quasi-experimental study was conducted in Jordan on children 2 years old or younger with mild to severe DD. Initially, 73 participants were enrolled in the argan spinosa oil group, and 74 participants were enrolled in the 1% hydrocortisone ointment group. Participants were assigned to groups randomly after the baseline measurement of DD. Healing was measured on a 5-point scale on days 1, 3, and 7, through home visits. Data were analyzed with Fisher's exact test, the Mann–Whitney U test, and generalized estimating equation (GEE) models in SPSS version 25 software, with a significance level of p < 0.05. Results: Of the 147 enrolled children, 140 completed the study. A significant decrease in the DD grades was observed in both groups. After the exclusion of confounding factors, the GEE models revealed that children treated with argan spinosa oil were approximately 0.25 times less likely to have severe DD grades and to show faster improvement than children treated with 1% hydrocortisone (p < 0.025). Multiple logistic regression on the baseline data revealed that the use of barrier cream (OR: 0.35; 95% CI: 0.18, 0.72; p = 0.004) and a frequency of bathing one or fewer times per week (OR: 1.15; 95% CI: 0.65, 2.10; p = 0.002) predicted DD occurrence. Conclusion: Argan spinosa oil is more effective than 1% hydrocortisone in healing DD and might be used as a complementary treatment. However, further clinical trials on larger samples will be essential for confirming the results and making a reliable judgment. Trial registration: NCT04210674