Impact of Glycemic Control on Shoulder Proprioception in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Mediating the Connection - Insights from a Cross-Sectional Analysis

Mastour Saeed Alshahrani,1,&ast; Ravi Shankar Reddy,1,&ast; Adel Alshahrani,2,&ast; Saud F Alsubaie3,&ast; 1Department of Medical Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Khalid University, Abha, 61421, Saudi Arabia; 2Department of Medical Rehabilitation Sciences-Physiotherapy Program, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Najran University, Najran, 55461, Saudi Arabia; 3Department of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj, 11942, Saudi Arabia&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Ravi Shankar Reddy, Department of Medical Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Khalid University, Abha, 61421, Saudi Arabia, Tel +966 503587903, Email [email protected]: Shoulder proprioception is vital and this cross-sectional study investigated the association between glycemic control and shoulder joint proprioception in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM).Methods: A total of 120 participants, including 60 with T2DM and 60 healthy individuals, were assessed for shoulder joint position sense (JPS) using a digital inclinometer. The T2DM group exhibited significantly greater mean shoulder joint position errors in flexion (4.32° vs 2.15°), abduction, medial rotation, and lateral rotation compared to the healthy group (p < 0.001).Results: The study found significantly greater shoulder joint position errors in the T2DM group compared to the healthy group, highlighting notable proprioceptive deficits in individuals with T2DM. Additionally, a significant positive correlation was found between HbA1c levels and shoulder joint position errors in the T2DM group, suggesting a link between long-term glycemic control and proprioceptive accuracy.Discussion: The significant positive correlation between HbA1c levels and shoulder joint position errors suggests that poor glycemic control is associated with impaired proprioception in T2DM patients. This underscores the need for comprehensive management strategies to mitigate proprioceptive deficits and improve the quality of life in individuals with T2DM.Keywords: joint position sense, diabetes complications, sensory feedback, neuromuscular function, HbA1c Level

Cost-Savings Associated with Multi-Disciplinary Team Approach for Reducing Macrovascular and Microvascular Complications in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: A Predictive Model

Abdulmajeed Alshowair,1 Saleh Altamimi,1 Faisal A Alruhaimi,1 Saad Alshahrani,2 Fatima Alsuwailem,3 Mona Alkhaldi,4 Haiam Abdalla,5 Fahad Hamad Alkhuraiji,6 Montaser Saad Alaqeel,6 Salman Sulaiman Almureef,7 Salman Alhawasy,8 Amro Abdel-Azeem3,9 1Community Health Excellence, Riyadh First Health Cluster Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 2Academic and Training Affairs, Riyadh First Health Cluster Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 3Population Health Management and Research, Riyadh First Health Cluster Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 4Health Administration Office, Riyadh First Health Cluster Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 5Model of Care, Riyadh First Health Cluster Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 6Financial Affairs, Riyadh First Health Cluster Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 7Cost Department, Riyadh First Health Cluster Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 8Reporting Department, Riyadh First Health Cluster Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 9Department of Community, Environmental and Occupational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Zagazig University, Zagazig, EgyptCorrespondence: Amro Abdel-Azeem, Population Health Management and Research, Riyadh First Health Cluster Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Tel +966547135224, Email [email protected]: This study aims to predict the expected cost savings associated with implementing a multidisciplinary team (MDT) approach to reduce macrovascular and microvascular complications among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).Methods: This economic evaluation study was conducted in Riyadh First Health Cluster, Saudi Arabia as a predictive model conceptualized by the authors based on models used in previous studies, particularly the CORE Diabetes Model. Our model was designed based on 1) the level of glycemic control among 24,755 T2DM patients served by MDTs; 2) the expected incidence of diabetes-related complications without intervention; 3) the predicted risk reduction of developing diabetes-related complications with MDTs. Costs of complications and cost savings were then calculated and expressed as mean incremental annual cost savings adjusted for a 1% reduction in HbA1c, and a 10 mmHg reduction in systolic blood pressure (SBP).Results: Along with the expected reduction in all diabetes-related complications, the average incremental cost savings per diabetic patient is predicted to be (&dollar;38,878) with approximately (&dollar;11,108) in the year of complication onset and (&dollar;27,770) over the subsequent post-index 10-years. On adjustment of cost savings, the average incremental cost savings are predicted to be (&dollar;22,869) for each 1% reduction in HbA1c per diabetic patient and (&dollar;27,770) for every 10 mmHg reduction in SBP per diabetic patient.Conclusion: MDT as a model of care is effective in glycemic control among T2DM patients with a predicted significant reduction of all diabetes-related complications and in turn, a predicted significant cost savings.Keywords: cost-savings, multi-disciplinary team, complications, type 2 diabetes, predictive mode

Comorbidities and Risk Factors for Severe Outcomes in COVID-19 Patients in Saudi Arabia: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Purpose: The first novel coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) case in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) was reported in Qatif in March 2020 with continual increase in infection and mortality rates since then. In this study, we aim to determine risk factors which effect severity and mortality rates in a cohort of hospitalized COVID-19 patients in KSA. Method: We reviewed medical records of hospitalized patients with confirmed COVID-19 positive results via reverse-transcriptase-polymerase-chain-reaction (RT-PCR) tests at Prince Mohammed Bin Abdulaziz Hospital, Riyadh between May and August 2020. Data were obtained for patient’s demography, body mass index (BMI), and comorbidities. Additional data on patients that required intensive care unit (ICU) admission and clinical outcomes were recorded and analyzed with Python Pandas. Results: A total of 565 COVID-19 positive patients were inducted in the study out of which, 63 (11.1%) patients died while 101 (17.9%) patients required ICU admission. Disease incidences were significantly higher in males and non-Saudi nationals. Patients with cardiovascular, respiratory, and renal diseases displayed significantly higher association with ICU admissions (p&lt; 0.001) while mortality rates were significantly higher in COVID-19 patients with cardiovascular, respiratory, renal and neurological diseases. Univariate cox proportional hazards regression model showed that COVID-19 positive patients requiring ICU admission [Hazard’s ratio, HR=4.2 95% confidence interval, CI 2.5– 7.2); p&lt; 0.001] with preexisting cardiovascular [HR=4.1 (CI 2.5– 6.7); p&lt; 0.001] or respiratory [HR=4.0 (CI 2.0– 8.1); p=0.010] diseases were at significantly higher risk for mortality among the positive patients. There were no significant differences in mortality rates or ICU admissions among males and females, and across different age groups, BMIs and nationalities. Hospitalized patients with cardiovascular comorbidity had the highest risk of death (HR=2.9, CI 1.7– 5.0; p=0.020). Conclusion: Independent risk factors for critical outcomes among COVID-19 in KSA include cardiovascular, respiratory and renal comorbidities

Does advancing male age influence the expression levels and localisation patterns of phospholipase C zeta (PLCζ) in human sperm?

Socio-economic factors have led to an increasing trend for couples to delay parenthood. However, advancing age exerts detrimental effects upon gametes which can have serious consequences upon embryo viability. While such effects are well documented for the oocyte, relatively little is known with regard to the sperm. One fundamental role of sperm is to activate the oocyte at fertilisation, a process initiated by phospholipase C zeta (PLCζ), a sperm-specific protein. While PLCζ deficiency can lead to oocyte activation deficiency and infertility, it is currently unknown whether the expression or function of PLCζ is compromised by advancing male age. Here, we evaluate sperm motility and the proportion of sperm expressing PLCζ in 71 males (22–54 years; 44 fertile controls and 27 infertile patients), along with total levels and localisation patterns of PLCζ within the sperm head. Three different statistical approaches were deployed with male age considered both as a categorical and a continuous factor. While progressive motility was negatively correlated with male age, all three statistical models concurred that no PLCζ–related parameter was associated with male age, suggesting that advancing male age is unlikely to cause problems in terms of the sperm’s fundamental ability to activate an oocyt

SPARC 2018 Internationalisation and collaboration : Salford postgraduate annual research conference book of abstracts

Welcome to the Book of Abstracts for the 2018 SPARC conference. This year we not only celebrate the work of our PGRs but also the launch of our Doctoral School, which makes this year’s conference extra special. Once again we have received a tremendous contribution from our postgraduate research community; with over 100 presenters, the conference truly showcases a vibrant PGR community at Salford. These abstracts provide a taster of the research strengths of their works, and provide delegates with a reference point for networking and initiating critical debate. With such wide-ranging topics being showcased, we encourage you to take up this great opportunity to engage with researchers working in different subject areas from your own. To meet global challenges, high impact research inevitably requires interdisciplinary collaboration. This is recognised by all major research funders. Therefore engaging with the work of others and forging collaborations across subject areas is an essential skill for the next generation of researchers

Characters of Bacterial Vaginosis and Association with Dyspareunia and Dysuria in Pregnant Women in Saudi Arabia

Majed Saeed Alshahrani Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, College of Medicine, Najran University, Najran, Kingdom of Saudi ArabiaCorrespondence: Majed Saeed Alshahrani, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, College of Medicine, Najran University, Najran, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Tel +966555741514, Email [email protected]: Bacterial vaginosis is one of the most frequent vaginal tract infections during pregnancy. It is characterized by elevated vaginal pH, milky, creamy discharge, and an amine- or fishy-smelling odor.Study Aim: Our study aimed to describe the characteristics and presenting manifestations of bacterial vaginosis in pregnant women.Methods: This cross-sectional analytical study included pregnant Saudi women who have been diagnosed with bacterial vaginosis. Data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire. We used the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26 for data management and statistical analysis.Results: The study included 456 women and found that 59.7% of people felt vulval itching, 7.7% reported swelling, 81% reported increased secretions, 62.5% reported dyspareunia, and 44.6% reported burning micturition. Thirty-one percent of individuals reported yellowish discharges, while 32.1% reported a foul odor. Older women with lower educational levels, who had vaginal itching and swelling, had significantly higher rates of burning urination.Conclusion: Our study found that most of the presenting symptoms were significantly associated with dyspareunia and dysuria. The study also shows that nearly all the participants recovered with proper treatment. We recommend healthcare systems meticulously detect and cure bacterial vaginosis as it is a preventable cause of complicated pregnancy.Keywords: bacterial vaginosis, dysuria, vaginal secretions, Saudi Arabi

The rejection of mono- and di-valent ions from aquatic environment by MWNT/chitosan buckypaper composite membranes: Influences of chitosan concentrations

© 2019 Elsevier B.V. Owing to the scarcity of proper drinking water is an urgent problem, MWNT/Chitosan membrane is greeting to reject mono- and di-valent ions from water. MWNT/Chitosan membrane was fabricated through the dispersion of Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) in an aqueous solution containing different concentrations of chitosan. The influence of solution concentration on membrane salt rejection properties, as well as contact angle, electrical conductivity, water permeability, mechanical properties, zeta potential, surface area and internal pores morphologies has been investigated. The resulting buckypaper demonstrate that the contact angle (91° ± 4° to 124° ± 3°), electrical conductivity (17 ± 1 to 83 ± 3 S/cm), water permeability (0.59 ± 0.04 to 5.73 ± 0.3 L/m2 h bar), surface area and internal pores morphologies of the buckypaper membranes were decreased by increasing the concentration of chitosan. While, the mechanical properties (tensile strengths varied between 35 ± 2 and 75 ± 3 MPa) and zeta potential of these buckypaper membranes were found to increase with increasing the amounts of chitosan. A buckypaper fabricated from MWNTs and a high concentration of chitosan (0.4% w/v) showed a higher rejection efficiency for these salts, possibly due to their smaller internal pore volumes and lower specific surface area