Anti-proliferate Activity and 5α-reductase Inhibitors of Chiral Macrocyclic (Nα-di-nicotinoyl)[L-phenylalaninyl-L-leucinyl]Pentapeptide Candidates Against LNCaP and PC-3 Prostate Cancer Cell Lines

60-65A series of macrocyclic derivatives 2-6 were prepared using Nα-dinicotinoyl-bis[L-phenylalaninyl-L-leucyl]hydrazide 1 and cyclo pentapeptide hydrazide 2 as starting materials. The hydrazide 1 was cyclized with diaminoalkanes to macrocyclic hezaazahexaamide derivatives 3a-c, respectively. Finally, compound2 was condensed with 3,5-diacetylpyridine gave the corresponding macrocyclic Schiff base 4. Finally, condensation of 2 with substituted aromatic or heterocyclic aldehyde derivatives gave the corresponding Schiff base derivatives 5a-f and 6a-c, respectively. The synthesized compounds were screened as 5α-reductase inhibitors and anti-proliferative activity against prostate cancer cell lines

Awareness and Regulatory Measures in Caffeine Addiction: Medical Statistical Review

This study aimed at analyzing the degree of awareness and regulatory measures in the caffeine addiction within a medical statistical survey in Jordan, by attempting to answer the study two questions: What are the level of awareness and regulatory measures in caffeine addiction for positive psychological effects (alertness, attention and concentration)?, and: What are the level of awareness and regulatory measures in caffeine addiction for negative psychological effects (anxiety, depression and irritable)? The results of the study showed that there will be a statistically significant differences at the level of significance (α=0.05) of the awareness of caffeine addiction for both positive psychological effects (alertness, attention and concentration) and negative psychological effects (anxiety, depression and irritable) in Jordan. The researchers recommended to educate university students about the importance of controlling their caffeine intakes, and encourage university students to exploit the medical information provided by the medical studies about the risks of high doses of caffeine intakes

Prevalence of Chronic Kidney Diseases in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus in the Middle East: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Aims. The prevalence of CKD in patients with diabetes mellitus in the Middle East region is unknown. Therefore, we aimed to understand the pooled prevalence of CKD in patients with diabetes mellitus in the Middle East region. Methods. PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases were searched for relevant studies up to October 2020. The search strategy was conducted using both keywords and MeSH terms. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies that included patients from all age groups and any study design that reported on the prevalence of CKD in patients with diabetes mellitus were included. The pooled estimate for the prevalence of CKD in patients with diabetes was calculated using random-effect models with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results. A total of 489 citations were identified, of which only nine studies matched our inclusion criteria and were included in the meta-analysis. All of the studies used an observational study design covering a total of 59,395 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. The pooled estimate of the prevalence of CKD in patients with diabetes mellitus was 28.96% (95% CI: 19.80–38.11). Conclusions. A high prevalence of CKD in patients with diabetes mellitus in the Middle East region was found. Further epidemiological studies are warranted in this area to have a better estimate of the prevalence of CKD among DM in the Middle East region

Adherence to antidiabetic medication during the month of Ramadan among diabetes mellitus patients in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Background: Ramadan may lead to reduced adherence to antidiabetic medications among Saudi diabetes patients due to fasting, changes in daily routine, social and cultural influences, health risks, and inadequate awareness. This study aimed to assess the Saudi population adherence to the diabetes management medication in Ramadan. Methodology: A convenience sampling method was used to recruit participants for the study. Participants were sourced from social media platforms, diabetes mellitus patient groups, and healthcare providers groups. The Medication Adherence Rating Scale (MARS), a tool, was used to assess medication compliance. Results: A total of 384 individuals were included in this study, 20.3% were from Riyadh, 52.3% were males, 35% aged 31-50 years, and 64.1% had type 2 diabetes mellitus of participants. Age between 31-50 years was negatively associated with compliance (β = -1.06, p = 0.002), while age between 51-65 years is positively associated ((β= 1.00, p = 0.003). Being male was negatively associated with compliance (β= -0.72, p = 0.001). Different fasting behaviors like non-fasting one day or more (β = -2.92, p < 0.001) and fasting all month (β = -2.90, p < 0.001), significantly affect compliance scores with negative associations indicating lower compliance during fasting periods. Various HbA1c levels were significant predictors of compliance. Higher HbA1c levels were associated with increased compliance. Conclusions: The study reveals that age, gender, fasting behaviors and HbA1c levels significantly impact medication compliance among patients with diabetes mellitus during Ramadan

Viral RNA Metagenomics of Hyalomma Ticks Collected from Dromedary Camels in Makkah Province, Saudi Arabia

Arthropod-borne infections are a medical and economic threat to humans and livestock. Over the last three decades, several unprecedented viral outbreaks have been recorded in the Western part of the Arabian Peninsula. However, little is known about the circulation and diversity of arthropod-borne viruses in this region. To prepare for new outbreaks of vector-borne diseases, it is important to detect which viruses circulate in each vector population. In this study, we used a metagenomics approach to characterize the RNA virome of ticks infesting dromedary camels (Camelus dromedaries) in Makkah province, Saudi Arabia. Two hundred ticks of species Hyalomma dromedarii (n = 196) and Hyalomma impeltatum (n = 4) were collected from the Alkhurma district in Jeddah and Al-Taif city. Virome analysis showed the presence of several tick-specific viruses and tick-borne viruses associated with severe illness in humans. Some were identified for the first time in the Arabian Peninsula. The human disease-associated viruses detected included Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic fever virus and Tamdy virus (family Nairoviridae), Guertu virus (family Phenuiviridae), and a novel coltivirus that shares similarities with Tarumizu virus, Tai forest reovirus and Kundal virus (family Reoviridae). Furthermore, Alkhurma hemorrhagic virus (Flaviviridae) was detected in two tick pools by specific qPCR. In addition, tick-specific viruses in families Phenuiviridae (phleboviruses), Iflaviridae, Chuviridae, Totiviridae and Flaviviridae (Pestivirus) were detected. The presence of human pathogenetic viruses warrants further efforts in tick surveillance, xenosurveillence, vector control, and sero-epidemiological investigations in human and animal populations to predict, contain and mitigate future outbreaks in the region

Viral RNA Metagenomics of Hyalomma Ticks Collected from Dromedary Camels in Makkah Province, Saudi Arabia

Arthropod-borne infections are a medical and economic threat to humans and livestock. Over the last three decades, several unprecedented viral outbreaks have been recorded in the Western part of the Arabian Peninsula. However, little is known about the circulation and diversity of arthropod-borne viruses in this region. To prepare for new outbreaks of vector-borne diseases, it is important to detect which viruses circulate in each vector population. In this study, we used a metagenomics approach to characterize the RNA virome of ticks infesting dromedary camels (Camelus dromedaries) in Makkah province, Saudi Arabia. Two hundred ticks of species Hyalomma dromedarii (n = 196) and Hyalomma impeltatum (n = 4) were collected from the Alkhurma district in Jeddah and Al-Taif city. Virome analysis showed the presence of several tick-specific viruses and tick-borne viruses associated with severe illness in humans. Some were identified for the first time in the Arabian Peninsula. The human disease-associated viruses detected included Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic fever virus and Tamdy virus (family Nairoviridae), Guertu virus (family Phenuiviridae), and a novel coltivirus that shares similarities with Tarumizu virus, Tai forest reovirus and Kundal virus (family Reoviridae). Furthermore, Alkhurma hemorrhagic virus (Flaviviridae) was detected in two tick pools by specific qPCR. In addition, tick-specific viruses in families Phenuiviridae (phleboviruses), Iflaviridae, Chuviridae, Totiviridae and Flaviviridae (Pestivirus) were detected. The presence of human pathogenetic viruses warrants further efforts in tick surveillance, xenosurveillence, vector control, and sero-epidemiological investigations in human and animal populations to predict, contain and mitigate future outbreaks in the region

Improved Performance and Stability of Organic Solar Cells by the Incorporation of a Block Copolymer Interfacial Layer

In a proof-of-concept study, this work demonstrates that incorporating a specifically designed block copolymer as an interfacial layer between a charge transport layer and the photoactive layer in organic solar cells can enhance the interface between these layers leading to both performance and stability improvements of the device. This is achieved by incorporating a P3HT50-b-PSSx block copolymer as an interfacial layer between the hole transporting and photoactive layers, which results in the improvement of the interfacial roughness, energy level alignment, and stability between these layers. Specifically, the incorporation of a 10 nm P3HT50-b-PSS16 and a 13 nm P3HT50-b-PSS23 interfacial layer results in a 9% and a 12% increase in device efficiency respectively compared to the reference devices. In addition to having a higher initial efficiency, the devices with the block copolymer continue to have a higher normalized efficiency than the control devices after 2200 h of storage, demonstrating that the block copolymer not only improves device efficiency, but crucially, prevents degradation by stabilizing the interface between the hole transporting layer and the photoactive layer. This study proves that appropriately designed and optimized block copolymers can simultaneously stabilize and improve the efficiency of organic solar cells

AI-based Monte Carlo event generator for electron-proton scattering

We present a new strategy using artificial intelligence (AI) to build the first AI-based Monte Carlo event generator (MCEG) capable of faithfully generating final state particle phase space in lepton-hadron scattering. We show a blueprint for integrating machine learning strategies with calibrated detector simulations to build a vertex-level, AI-based MCEG, free of theoretical assumptions about femtometer scale physics. As the first steps towards this goal, we present a case study for inclusive electron-proton scattering using synthetic data from the PYTHIA MCEG for testing and validation purposes. Our quantitative results validate our proof of concept and demonstrate the predictive power of the trained models. The work suggests new venues for data preservation to enable future QCD studies of hadrons structure, and the developed technology can boost the science output of physics programs at facilities such as Jefferson Lab and the future Electron-Ion Collider.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:2001.1110

Machine Learning-Based Event Generator for Electron-Proton Scattering

We present a new machine learning-based Monte Carlo event generator using generative adversarial networks (GANs) that can be trained with calibrated detector simulations to construct a vertex-level event generator free of theoretical assumptions about femtometer scale physics. Our framework includes a GAN-based detector folding as a fast-surrogate model that mimics detector simulators. The framework is tested and validated on simulated inclusive deep-inelastic scattering data along with existing parametrizations for detector simulation, with uncertainty quantification based on a statistical bootstrapping technique. Our results provide for the first time a realistic proof of concept to mitigate theory bias in inferring vertex-level event distributions needed to reconstruct physical observables

Anti-proliferate Activity and 5α-reductase Inhibitors of Chiral Macrocyclic (Nα-di-nicotinoyl)[L-phenylalaninyl-L-leucinyl]Pentapeptide Candidates Against LNCaP and PC-3 Prostate Cancer Cell Lines

A series of macrocyclic derivatives 2-6 were prepared using Nα-dinicotinoyl-bis[L-phenylalaninyl-L-leucyl]hydrazide 1 and cyclo pentapeptide hydrazide 2 as starting materials. The hydrazide 1 was cyclized with diaminoalkanes to macrocyclic hezaazahexaamide derivatives 3a-c, respectively. Finally, compound2 was condensed with 3,5-diacetylpyridine gave the corresponding macrocyclic Schiff base 4. Finally, condensation of 2 with substituted aromatic or heterocyclic aldehyde derivatives gave the corresponding Schiff base derivatives 5a-f and 6a-c, respectively. The synthesized compounds were screened as 5α-reductase inhibitors and anti-proliferative activity against prostate cancer cell lines