Knowledge, Beliefs, and Preventive Behaviors Regarding Osteoporosis among University Students: Scoping Review

Context: Osteoporosis is a universally growing health problem. Adequate calcium intake and physical activity, alongside a high level of knowledge and health beliefs, play a crucial role in preventing or delaying diseases. Aim: This scoping review provides an overview of university students' prevailing knowledge, beliefs, and behaviors regarding osteoporosis. Methods: CINHAL, PubMed, and MEDLINE databases were searched to cover the period between 2014 to 2019. Twenty-seven articles were selected out of 4078 were retrieved. The following searching terms were used: (osteoporosis knowledge OR osteoporosis awareness) AND osteoporosis beliefs AND (osteoporosis practices OR osteoporosis behaviors OR calcium intake OR physical activity) AND (osteoporosis OR bone mineral density) AND (nursing students OR university students OR undergraduate students OR college-age students OR young adults). Finally, the level of osteoporosis knowledge, health beliefs, preventive behaviors, the relationship between practices/behaviors and lifestyle with bone health, and the educational intervention's significant/nonsignificant positive effect on the students' osteoporosis knowledge, the prevailed beliefs, and the level of engagement in the osteoporosis preventive behaviors were documented. Results: Most articles demonstrate that the students' osteoporosis knowledge was insufficient and seriously lacking in osteoporosis's perceived susceptibility and severity. This finding clarified that most students were not adequately engaging in the osteoprotective preventive behaviors (Physical activity ad Ca intake). Also, the finding indicates that following a healthy lifestyle and engaging in osteoprotective behaviors positively affect BMD and vice versa. Conclusion: The lack of osteoporosis awareness among the university students and the low perception of osteoporosis susceptibility and severity explains why most participants are not engaged in osteoporosis preventive behaviors due to the strong influence of personal beliefs, perceptions, and misconceptions. Therefore, it is important to design educational programs targeting these groups to raise awareness and change their subsequent beliefs

Cross-cultural discourse analysis of Saudi women's representation in British and Saudi media: stereotypes, and reader’s reactions

This thesis examines the portrayal of Saudi women in British and Saudi newspapers from April 25, 2016, to April 25, 2020. Using corpus-assisted methods and critical discourse analysis, the research delves into the impact of Saudi Vision 2030. Three corpora (British broadsheets, tabloids, and Saudi newspapers) were examined, revealing shared themes like "People," "Law and Order," and "Rights and Freedom." Positive coverage of developments such as the lifting of driving bans is observed in both British and Saudi media. However, differences emerge: British media focuses on controversies and challenges, emphasising dissent, violence, and clothing choices, potentially oversimplifying cultural nuances. In contrast, Saudi newspapers prioritise social cohesion, empowerment, and positive narratives, depicting Saudi women as active agents in society. This study emphasises the need to critically analyse media representations, promote gender equality, and challenge stereotypes. It significantly contributes to the discourse on gender representation in the media. The lack of comparative research on media representations of Saudi women constitutes a significant gap in the existing literature. In the second study, I address this scarcity by focusing on stereotypical portrayals of Saudi women in articles. This analysis involves examining a smaller sample from the main corpora, including articles from Al Riyadh, The Guardian, and The Times. To conduct a more in-depth qualitative analysis, I employ van Leeuwen's Social Actor Approach, allowing for a nuanced exploration of the portrayals of Saudi women in the selected media articles. The findings reveal distinct patterns in media representations: British media predominantly employ activated foregrounded inclusion, emphasising active roles, yet subtly reinforcing social stereotypes. British newspapers, in contrast to Saudi articles, often highlight Saudi women's activism, framing them primarily as protestors and recipients of societal change. This nuanced portrayal challenges traditional stereotypes but at the same time perpetuates certain social biases. On the other hand, Saudi articles predominantly employ activated backgrounded inclusion, depicting women as beneficiaries of external actions, although functionalization in these articles challenges prevailing Western stereotypes by highlighting influential positions held by Saudi women. Despite these nuances, the research underscores the evolving narrative around Saudi women, emphasising their multifaceted roles while also shedding light on persistent social stereotypes prevalent in British media coverage. Furthermore, the third study explores individuals' responses on Twitter to articles shared by the official accounts of @Alriyadh and @Guardian, examining whether these responses display similarities or differences across diverse social and cultural backgrounds. By applying Martin and White's Appraisal Theory, the analysis specifically focuses on attitudes towards the issues concerning Saudi women discussed in the shared articles. The findingsindicate that reactionsto tweetsfrom Al-Riyadh primarily consist of appreciation, followed by judgment, and affect. Most comments express support for the reforms, demonstrating a favourable impression and response. However, conflicting responses are evident through negative appreciation and negative evaluations of human behaviour within the judgment category. Affect appears less frequently but predominantly conveys positive emotions. Similar patterns are observed in reactions to tweets from The Guardian, with positive appreciation being the most common mode of response. Negative appreciation also constitutes a substantial proportion, while the judgment category primarily manifests negative sentiments. Affect, as the least frequently employed category, underscores the prevalence of positive emotional expressions. In summary, this thesis offers a comprehensive and comparative analysis of the representation of Saudi women in British and Saudi newspapers, highlighting the implications of political and cultural transformations and the impact of different cultural/pollical perspectives on the representations of Saudi women. It challenges stereotypes and reveals women's active roles and contributions in society. Additionally, it explores individuals' responses on Twitter, indicating support for reforms and varying sentiments. The research contributes significantly to understanding evolving media representations and societal perceptions of Saudi women

The Degree of Effectiveness of Comprehensive Exam System in PhD Program of Educational Administration in Saudi Universities from Students viewpoint

The study aimed to identify the degree of effectiveness of the comprehensive exam system in the PhD program of educational administration in Saudi universities from the students' point of view. The researcher used the descriptive method and the questionnaire was a study tool consisting of three axes: the degree of effectiveness of the comprehensive exam system, the difficulties faced of students, and suggestions to the development of a comprehensive exam. The study sample consisted of (62) Doctorate students from Saudi universities during the academic year 1437/1438H. The study reached many results, the most important of which is that the degree of effectiveness of the comprehensive exam system was "medium" according to the answers of the study sample, ambiguity of comprehensive exam topics and its axes, ambiguity of the correction mechanism and insufficient time to perform a comprehensive exam. The study sample provided some many suggestions: linking comprehensive exam objectives with Program plan and clarifying the method and mechanism of evaluating of students' performance in the exam. The study recommended: The integration and Interconnection between the Program Subjects and Comprehensive Exam Subjects of the PhD program of educational administration

The prognostic significance of BMI1 expression in invasive breast cancer is dependent on its molecular subtypes

Purpose: BMI-1, which is a major component of the polycomb groupcomplex 1 is an essential epigenetic repressor of multiple regulatory genes and has been identified as a cancer stem cell (CSC) marker in several cancers. However, its role in breast cancer (BC) remains to be defined. In this study, we have evaluated the prognostic significance of BMI-1 among the different molecular subtypes and assessed its association with other breast CSC markers (BCSC).Material and Method: BMI-1 copy number and mRNA was assessed in large and well-characterised cohorts of early-stage BC patients [METABRIC (n=1980) and the Bc-GenExMiner (n=9616) databases]. BMI-1 protein expression was assessed using tissue microarray and immunohistochemistry in a cohort of 870 invasive BC patients with long- term outcome data and the expression of a panel of BCSC markers was monitored.Result: BMI-1 expression, prognostic significance and its association with BCSC markers were differed between molecular classes. In the luminal oestrogen receptor positive (ER+) BC, BMI-1 showed significantly higher expression compared to ER- tumours. BMI-1 showed positive correlation with favourable prognostic features and it was negatively associated with the expression of key BCSC markers (ALDH1A1, CD24, CD44, CD133, SOX10 and SOX9). High expression of BMI-1 was associated with longer breast cancer specific survival (BCSS) independent of other prognostic variables. In the basal triple negative BC subtype, BMI-1 expression showed positive association with CD133 and SOX10 and it was significantly associated with shorter BCSS.Conclusion: High variables and outcome in BC. However, this association is dependent on the molecular subtypes. Further functional assessment to detect its underlying mechanistic roles in BC subtypes is warranted

Effect of Preoperative Education on Patient Anxiety Level: A Scoping Review

Context: A surgical intervention generally causes physical and psychological strain, which leads to excessive anxiety. The provision of knowledge and patient education during the preoperative period help to reduce anxiety levels among surgical patients.Aim: This review was conducted to investigate the effect of preoperative education on anxiety levels among patients undergoing surgery or invasive procedure irrespective of general or local anesthesia.Methods: Searching for related articles performed in four databases (MEDLINE, CINHALE, Trip, and Pub Med) between 2014 to 2018. Out of all searched literature, nine studies were retrieved (5 randomized controlled trials, three quasi-experimental studies, and one descriptive study) to be included with a total of 1670 patients. The articles involved in the given review (verbal education, telephone, booklet, and PowerPoint presentation) used different types of educational media.Results: All the studies where included in this literature review revealed that the most planned and structured preoperative education could reduce anxiety among patients scheduled for surgery or invasive procedure irrespective of general or local anesthesia. Conclusions: Most of the articles demonstrate the positive effect of planned and structured preoperative educations on anxiety levels, regardless of the types of media in delivering education to patients

The prognostic significance of ALDH1A1 expression in early invasive breast cancer

Aims: Aldehyde dehydrogenase family 1 member A1 (ALDH1A1)is reportedly a key ALDH isozyme linked to the cancer stem cells (CSC) of many solid tumours, where it is involved in self-renewal, differentiation and self-protection. In this study, the prognostic significance of ALDH1A1 expression in early invasive breast cancer (BC) and its role as a BC stem cell (BCSC) were evaluated.Methods: ALDH1A1 expression was assessed, using immunohistochemistry and tissue microarrays, in a large well- characterised BC cohort. ALDH1A1 mRNA expression was also assessed at the transcriptomic levels, utilising data from the Molecular Taxonomy of Breast Cancer International Consortium. The associations of ALDH1A1 with clinicopathological parameters, other stem cell markers and patient outcomes were determined.Results: ALDH1A1 was expressed in 71% of BC cases, at both the protein and mRNA levels. High ALDH1A1 expression was associated with poor prognostic features, including high grade, poor Nottingham Prognostic Index (NPI), lymph node metastasis and highly proliferative ER+ (luminal B) and triple negative (TNBC) subtypes. ALDH1A1 expression was positively correlated with the expression of CD44, CD24, TWIST, SOX9, EPCAM and CD133. The high immunoexpression of ALDH1A1 was significantly associated with poor BC-specific survival [less than] 0.001), and specifically in the luminal B and TNBC subtypes (P=0.042 and P=0.003, respectively). The immunoexpression of ALDH1A1 was an independent predictor of poor prognosis (P=0.015).Conclusions: ALDH1A1, as assessed using IHC, seems to act as a BCSC marker associated not only with other BCSC markers but also with poor prognostic characteristics and poor outcomes, particularly in the luminal B and TNBC subtypes

The road to developing standard time for efficient nursing care : a time and motion analysis

(1) Background: The amount of time nurses spend with their patients is essential to improving the quality of patient care. Studies have shown that nurses spend a considerable amount of time on a variety of activities––which are often not taken into account while estimating nurse-to-patient care time allocation––that could potentially be eliminated, combined or delegated with greater productivity. The current study aimed to calculate standard time for each activity category by quantifying the amount of time required by nurses to complete an activity category and determine the adjustment time that can be given during work, as well as determine factors that can be altered to improve the efficiency of nursing care on inpatient general wards of a governmental hospital. (2) Method: A time and motion study was conducted over two weeks using 1-to-1 continuous observations of nurses as they performed their duties on inpatient general wards, while observers recorded each single activity, and specifically the time and movements required to complete those activities. (3) Result: There was 5100 min of observations over 10 working days. Nurses spent 69% (330 min) of time during their 8 h morning shift on direct patient care, (19.4%) ward/room activities (18%), documentation (14%), indirect patient care (12%) and professional communication (5%). Around 94 min of activities seem to be wasted and can be potentially detrimental to nurses’ overall productivity and threaten patient care quality. The standard number of hours that represents the best estimate of a general ward nurse regarding the optimal speed at which the staff nurse can provide care related activities was computed and proposed. (4) Conclusions: The findings obtained from time–motion studies can help in developing more efficient and productive nursing work for more optimal care of patients. © 2023 by the authors

Prevalence and practice of oestrogen use among the male gym participants

BackgroundOestrogen is the primary female sex hormone and has important functions in both female and male physiology. Recently oestrogen abuse among male gym participants had raised as it is considered to enhance gym performance and breast size. AimsThis study assesses the prevalence of oestrogen use among male gym patrons in Saudi Arabia, their practice related to oestrogen abuse, and the profiles of users. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted from February 2017 to May 2017 and included 4,860 male gym patrons. The participants were given a questionnaire with a total of 19 questions regarding socioeconomic information, knowledge and practices related to oestrogen, and lifestyle habits.Results The participants had a mean age of 28.6+6.2 years, 6.1 per cent of them abused oestrogen, and the most common forms used were ethinylestradiol (0.03mg) and drospirenone (3mg). Furthermore, 80.7 per cent of the users used it before exercise only. Breast enlargement was the main reason for oestrogen use, and local drug stores were the main source. Compared to non-users, oestrogen users were older (P=0.322), reported lower incomes (P=0.395), were more likely to be active smokers (P=0.597), and had a longer duration of gym participation (P < 0.001).ConclusionThe results indicate that 6.1 per cent of the surveyed male participants abused a combination of oestrogen and progesterone for breast enlargement, which was significantly more likely among males who had longer durations of gym participation

The role of PIP5K1α/pAKT and targeted inhibition of growth of subtypes of breast cancer using PIP5K1α inhibitor

Despite recent improvement in adjuvant therapies, triple-negative, and ER+ subtypes of breast cancer (BC) with metastatic potentials remain the leading cause of BC-related deaths. We investigated the role of phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate 5-kinase alpha (PIP5Kα), a key upstream factor of PI3K/AKT, and the therapeutic effect of PIP5Kα inhibitor on subtypes of BC. The clinical importance of PIP5K1α and its association with survivals were analyzed using three BC cohorts from Nottingham (n = 913), KM plotter (n = 112) and TCGA (n = 817). Targeted overexpression or knockdown of PIP5K1α were introduced into BC cell lines. The effects of PIP5K1α and its inhibitor on growth and invasion of BC were confirmed by using in vitro assays including proliferation, migration, apoptosis and luciferase reporter assays and in vivo xenograft mouse models. All statistical tests were two-sided. PIP5K1α was associated with poor patient outcome in triple-negative BC (for PIP5K1α protein, p = 0.011 and for mRNA expression, p = 0.028, log-rank test). 29% of triple-negative BC had PIP5K1A gene amplification. Elevated level of PIP5K1α increased expression of pSer-473 AKT (p < 0.001) and invasiveness of triple-negative MDA-MB-231 cells (p < 0.001). Conversely, inhibition of PIP5K1α using its inhibitor ISA-2011B, or via knockdown suppressed growth and invasiveness of MDA-MB-231 xenografts (mean vehicle-treated controls = 2160 mm3, and mean ISA-2011B-treated = 600 mm3, p < 0.001). ISA-2011B-treatment reduced expression of pSer-473 AKT (p < 0.001) and its downstream effectors including cyclin D1, VEGF and its receptors, VEGFR1 and VEGFR2 (p < 0.001) in xenograft tumors. In ER+ cancer cells, PIP5K1α acted on pSer-473 AKT, and was in complexes with VEGFR2, serving as co-factor of ER-alpha to regulate activities of target genes including cyclin D1 and CDK1. Our study suggests that our developed PIP5K1α inhibitor has a great potential on refining targeted therapeutics for treatment of triple-negative and ER+ BC with abnormal PI3K/AKT pathways

Nucleolar protein 10 (NOP10) predicts poor prognosis in invasive breast cancer

PurposeNucleolar protein 10 (NOP10) is required for ribosome biogenesis and telomere maintenance and plays a key role in carcinogenesis. This study aims to evaluate the clinical and prognostic significance of NOP10 in breast cancer (BC).MethodsNOP10 expression was assessed at mRNA level employing the Molecular Taxonomy of Breast Cancer International Consortium (METABRIC) (n = 1980) and Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) BC cohorts (n = 854). Protein expression was evaluated on tissue microarray of a large BC cohort (n = 1081) using immunohistochemistry. The correlation between NOP10 expression, clinicopathological parameters and patient outcome was assessed.ResultsNOP10 expression was detected in the nucleus and nucleolus of the tumour cells. At the transcriptomic and proteomic levels, NOP10 was significantly associated with aggressive BC features including high tumour grade, high nucleolar score and poor Nottingham Prognostic Index. High NOP10 protein expression was an independent predictor of poor outcome in the whole cohort and in triple-negative BC (TNBC) class (p = 0.002 & p = 0.014, respectively). In chemotherapy- treated patients, high NOP10 protein expression was significantly associated with shorter survival (p = 0.03) and was predictive of higher risk of death (p = 0.028) and development of distant metastasis (p = 0.02) independent of tumour size, nodal stage and tumour grade.ConclusionHigh NOP10 expression is a poor prognostic biomarker in BC and its expression can help in predicting chemotherapy resistance. Functional assessments are necessary to decipher the underlying mechanisms and to reveal its potential therapeutic values in various BC subtypes especially in the aggressive TNBC class