Smart information desk system with voice assistant for universities

This article aims to develop a smart information desk system through a smart mirror for universities. It is a mirror with extra capabilities of displaying answers for academic inquiries such as asking about the lecturers’ office numbers and hours, exams dates and times on the mirror surface. In addition, the voice recognition feature was used to answer spoken inquiries in audio responds to serve all types of users including disabled ones. Furthermore, the system showed general information such as date, weather, time and the university map. The smart mirror was connected to an outdoor camera to monitor the traffics at the university entrance gate. The system was implemented on a Raspberry Pi 4 model B connected to a two-way mirror and an infrared (IR) touch frame. The results of this study helped to overcome the problem of the information desk absence in the university. Therefore, it helped users to save their time and effort in making requests for important academic information

Eleven-Year Surveillance of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Infections at an Academic Health Centre

Introduction. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is an important human pathogen associated with nosocomial and community infections. There is a continual focus on the epidemiology of this public health threat owing to the increase in its spread and rapid development of resistance. Aim. We aimed to describe the clinical presentations of MRSA infections at an academic health centre by demonstrating the time trend of antibiotic resistance. Methodology. We retrospectively reviewed cases during an 11-year period (from January 2009 to December 2019) with positive cultures for MRSA from various clinical sites in King Fahad Hospital of the University, to understand their clinical and microbiological profiles. Screening and colonisation samples were excluded. Results. A total of 1338 MRSA isolates were identified, with an increasing trend from 5.2% to 14.5% during 2009–2019. Skin and soft tissue samples were the most common source (52.4%) of MRSA infections. Vancomycin activity remained stable against MRSA, and only one isolate showed resistance to linezolid (<1%). A significant reduction in susceptibility to clindamycin (p = 0.003), trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (p = 0.001), and rifampin (p <0.0001) was detected over the study period. Conclusion. MRSA infections still represent a significant burden on healthcare systems. Our data support the need for constant local and regional surveillance to devise relevant protocols to manage MRSA infections. Empirical therapy needs to consider the changing antimicrobial susceptibility trends among MRSA isolates

Viridiflorol Induces Anti-Neoplastic Effects on Breast, Lung, and Brain Cancer Cells Through Apoptosis

All active natural molecules are not fully exploited as therapeutic agents, causing delays in the advancement of anticancer drug discovery. Viridiflorol is a natural volatile element that may work as anti-cancer compound. We tested the anticancer properties of viridiflorol at different concentrations ranging from 0.03 to 300 μM in vitro on three cancer cells including breast (MCF-7), lung (A549) and brain (Daoy). The cancer cells responses were documented after treatment using MTT and Annexin V assays. Viridiflorol showed cytotoxic effects against all tested cell lines, reducing cell viability in a concentration-dependent manner with variable IC50 values. Daoy and A549 cell lines were more sensitive to viridiflorol when compared with temozolomide and doxorubicin, respectively. Viridiflorol demonstrated the highest anticancer activity against the Daoy cells with an estimated IC50 of 0.1 µM followed by MCF-7 at 10 µM, and A549 at 30 µM. In addition, upon exposure to concentrations ranging from 30 µM to 300 µM of viridiflorol, early and late apoptotic cell death was induced in a concentration dependent manner in Daoy (55.8%-72.1%), MCF-7 (36.2%-72.7%) and A459 (35%-98.9%) cell lines, respectively. In conclusion, viridiflorol demonstrates cytotoxic and apoptotic ability in three different cancer cell lines (brain, breast and lung)

Alterations in motor modules and their contribution to limitations in force control in the upper extremity after stroke

The generation of isometric force at the hand can be mediated by activating a few motor modules. Stroke induces alterations in motor modules underlying steady-state isometric force generation in the human upper extremity (UE). However, how the altered motor modules impact task performance (force production) remains unclear as stroke survivors develop and converge to the three-dimensional (3D) target force. Thus, we tested whether stroke-specific motor modules would be activated from the onset of force generation and also examined how alterations in motor modules would induce changes in force representation. During 3D isometric force development, electromyographic (EMG) signals were recorded from eight major elbow and shoulder muscles in the paretic arm of 10 chronic hemispheric stroke survivors and both arms of six age-matched control participants. A non-negative matrix factorization algorithm identified motor modules in four different time windows: three “exploratory” force ramping phases (Ramps 1–3; 0–33%, 33–67%, and 67–100% of target force magnitude, respectively) and the stable force match phase (Hold). Motor module similarity and between-force coupling were examined by calculating the scalar product and Pearson correlation across the phases. To investigate the association between the end-point force representation and the activation of the motor modules, principal component analysis (PCA) and multivariate multiple linear regression analyses were applied. In addition, the force components regressed on the activation profiles of motor modules were utilized to model the feasible force direction. Both stroke and control groups developed exploratory isometric forces with a non-linear relationship between EMG and force. During the force matching, only the stroke group showed abnormal between-force coupling in medial-lateral and backward-forward and medial-lateral and downward-upward directions. In each group, the same motor modules, including the abnormal deltoid module in stroke survivors, were expressed from the beginning of force development instead of emerging during the force exploration. The PCA and the multivariate multiple linear regression analyses showed that alterations in motor modules were associated with abnormal between-force coupling and limited feasible force direction after stroke. Overall, these results suggest that alterations in intermuscular coordination contribute to the abnormal end-point force control under isometric conditions in the UE after stroke

Genetic Diversity of Imipenem-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii Infections at an Intensive Care Unit

Introduction. Imipenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (IRAB) represents a major clinical threat. Dissemination in critical care areas necessitates effective action measures including genotyping tools to study the clonality of these strains and trace their origin. The main aim of this study is to assess the genetic relatedness between IRAB isolates in our institution intensive care units (ICU) which are at a particular risk of outbreaks. Methods. Nonreplicate IRAB strains were serially collected over 3 years period (January 2016–December 2018) from patients admitted to the ICU. The isolates were phenotypically identified by a matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight- (MALDI-TOF-) based system (VITEK MS), and their susceptibility was tested by the phenotypic-based VITEK 2 system. Molecular fingerprinting was performed by enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus (ERIC-PCR) followed by hierarchal clustering. The patterns were analysed by the software of BioNumerics package version 7.6.3 (Applied Maths, Belgium). Results. A total of eighty IRAB were isolated from 31 colonization and 59 infection sites in patients admitted to the ICU. Sixty-two samples were respiratory in origin (77.5%). The generated dendrogram revealed distinct patterns for majority (95%) of the strains. Meropenem maintained activity against 43.8% of the imipenem-resistant A. baumannii. Conclusion. Meropenem can be a therapeutic option for imipenem-resistant A. baumannii. The banding patterns propose that multiple IRAB strains are circulating in the intensive care units of the institution. Drivers for this diversity need to be evaluated including antimicrobial consumption

The Impact of COVID-19 on Maintaining Physical Activity and Its Associated Factors among Medical Students

Background. Stay-home orders and the shutdown of university campuses and fitness centers have greatly influenced health behaviors, resulting in a widespread reduction in physical activity. This study aimed to identify factors associated with maintaining physical activity among Jazan University medical students during the COVID-19 shutdown. Methods. An official Arabic short form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire was used to assess physical activity before and during the COVID-19 home quarantine. Differences between groups were examined using chi-square analyses and the Mann–Whitney U test. Multinomial logistic regression was used to test whether certain demographic and exercise-related variables were significant predictors of maintaining physical activity levels during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results. More than half of the participants (53%) reported no change or increased physical activity level. Several factors were significantly related to physical activity heterogeneity including income (p = 0.04), fitness center membership (p < 0.01), usage of fitness tracker devices (p < 0.01), and the purchase of physical activity equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic (p < 0.01). The odds of maintaining physical activity were higher among those who tracked their physical activity (AOR = 6.160; 95% CI = 3.782–10.032, p < 0.001). Similarly, the odds of maintaining physical activity were higher among those who purchased home-exercise equipment during the pandemic (AOR = 2.243; 95% CI = 1.386–3.632, p = 0.001). Conclusions. Understanding the factors affecting physical activity behaviors is an essential step toward addressing the reduction in physical activity. This could help maintain physical activity levels during a potential future pandemic-related shutdown

Econometric Assessment of Institutional Quality in Mitigating Global Climate-Change Risk

Background: Environmental deterioration is the alarming situation that results from rapid urbanization and development. The rising temperature and climate volatility are accounted for by the massive carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The research on climate-change mitigation is trying to curtail the situations before they become irreversible and unmanageable. This study explores the role of institutions in mitigating climate change by moderating the impact of environmental quality on climate change risk. Methodology: Global data sets have been collected from world big data depositories like the World Economic Forum (WEF), the World Development Indicators (WDI), and the International Country Risk Guide (ICRG). Countries that are listed in WEF were used as the sample of the study. An analysis was based on 114 countries that are based on the availability of data. For estimation, descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, change effects, and a Panel Feasible Generalized Least Squares (FGLS) model were used for estimating the results. Results: The global assessment indicates that CO2 emissions increase the climate risk, but its impact can be reduced by increasing the quality of institutions. Additionally, an increase in renewable energy consumption and economic growth reduces the climate risk. Implications: It is an instrumental study that empirically investigated the role of institutions in reducing climate risk by moderating CO2 emissions. The results of this study will help policymakers to formulate policies regarding environmental protection

Angiotensin II Exaggerates SARS-CoV-2 Specific T-Cell Response in Convalescent Individuals following COVID-19

Dysregulation of renin−angiotensin systems during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection worsens the symptoms and contributes to COVID-19 severity and mortality. This study sought to investigate the effect of exogenous angiotensin II (Ang-II) on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-specific T-cells response in recovered COVID-19 patients. Human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were treated with Ang II and then stimulated with a SARS-CoV-2 peptide pool. T-cell responses were measured using flow cytometry, while enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and intracellular cytokine staining (ICS) assays determined functional capability and polarization. Additionally, the relative level of protein phosphorylation was measured using a phosphokinase array. Our results showed that Ang II treatment significantly increased the magnitude of SARS-CoV-2-specific T-cell response in stimulated PBMCs with a SARS-CoV-2 peptide pool. Moreover, the phosphorylation levels of numerous proteins implicated in cardiovascular diseases, inflammation, and viral infection showed significant increases in the presence of Ang II. The mitogenic stimulation of PBMCs after Ang II and SARS-CoV-2 peptide pool stimulation showed functional polarization of T-cells toward Th1/Th17 and Th17 phenotypes, respectively. Meanwhile, ELISA showed increased productions of IL-1β and IL-6 in Ang II-stimulated PBMCs without affecting the IL-10 level. To our knowledge, this study is the first to demonstrate that Ang II exaggerates SARS-CoV-2-specific T-cells response. Therefore, during COVID-19 infection, Ang II may aggravate the inflammatory response and change the immune response toward a more inflammatory profile against SARS-CoV-2 infection

Prevalence, Predictors, and Awareness of Coffee Consumption and Its Trend among Saudi Female Students

This study aimed to investigate the prevalence, trends, and predictors of coffee consumption among Saudi female students and its association with anthropometric and demographic variables. A survey-based study using a face-to-face interview was designed, and 930 (aged 21.5 ± 2.1 years) apparently healthy female students from different departments of King Saud University participated. The prevalence of coffee consumption was significantly higher (88.2%, p < 0.03) in the central Riyadh region. Coffee consumers had significantly higher prevalence of being overweight than non-consumers (p = 0.02). The frequency of coffee consumption was significantly higher (p < 0.02) in students who were single and belonged to families with a moderate income level. Coffee consumption was significantly higher among first-year students with a high-scale grade point average (GPA) (p < 0.001 and p = 0.03, respectively). Increased coffee consumption during exam and stress conditions was associated with unhealthy dietary habits such as using more sugar and spices. The prevalence of coffee consumption was high among Saudi females. High body mass index (BMI) and increased family income level were strong determinants for coffee consumption. Continued nutritional education and awareness about the potential positive and negative health effects of coffee consumption and the importance of food label use should be provided to younger generations in order to correct the wrong perceptions

Oral semaglutide effectiveness and safety in real world practice; The REVOLUTION study

Aims: This study seeks to provide insights into the practical application and effects of oral semaglutide in Saudi T2DM patients under routine medical supervision. Methods: The primary outcome measure was the laboratory HbA1c. Secondary measures included fasting blood glucose (FBG), weight, and hypoglycemia. All variables were checked after six months and 12 months of initiation. Results: The analysis of this study included 245 uncontrolled (HbA1c > 7 %) T2DM patients. The mean baseline HbA1c was 10.1 % (1.2). HbA1c was reduced by an average of 3.1 % (0.8) and 3.2 % (0.8) at 6 and 12 months, respectively. The frequency of hypoglycemia events in the last three months before semaglutide was initiated was 4.4 (1.1). The frequency of hypoglycemia events in the last three months was 2.2 (0.8) and 0.7 (0.4) at 6-month and 12-month follow-up visits, respectively. The percent reduction in body mass index (BMI) was an average of 13.0 % (1.4) and 19.7 % (3.4) at six months and 12 months, respectively. Lipid profile and blood pressure were improved at six months and 12 months. Conclusions: Oral semaglutide provided substantial glycemic and weight-loss benefits in adult individuals with T2DM