The Assessment of Spinal Pathology among Taif City Population Using MRI

Background: Spinal disorders are common worldwide. Causes of spinal disorders include trauma, degenerative and congenital abnormalities. The aim of this study was to assess the presence of spinal disorders among Taif population using MRI.Methods: Medical files of 500 patients suffering from back pain who visited the medical, surgical and family medicine clinics were reviewed and 265 cases had spinal pathology based on MRI findings. Information about the spinal disorder for each case including the age, gender, signs and symptoms, differential diagnosis of the treating physician and MRI findings (main disorder, site of the spinal disorder, associated findings) were collected and analyzed. Data analysis was performed using SPSS software and statistical significance was considered when p value is less than 0.05.Results: Our findings revealed bulge and protrusion were the commonest spinal disordered observed in 88.7% of cases. Also, higher incident of spinal diseases was detected in the age groups 45-59 and 30-44 years old.Conclusion: Finding from this study may be used as database for spinal disorder at Taif region. MRI is useful tool to differentiate spinal disorders efficiently

Effect of Gallium-68 isotope injection on hemoglobin derivatives concentrations after instant injection and its recovery in male rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus)

Oxidizing effects of ionizing radiation are well established and almost understood. However, exposure to low doses of widely used isotopes may result in minor and hidden oxidative stress in some forms of hemoglobin. This formation alteration regarding the legends of hemoglobin's stereochemical function may play a role in hemoglobin dysfunction. There are limited studies related to the effect of gallium isotope injections.  The study intends to find the effect of gallium-68 isotope injection on male rabbits. It was conducted on thirty-two male rabbits (Orycytolagus cuniculus) divided into Group I: control and Group II: animals exposed to gallium-68 isotope at a similar dose commonly used in diagnostic protocols for humans. Blood samples were collected twice: the first was after two hours of injection with isotopes and the second was after twelve hours of injection. A linear, four-mathematical-equations matrix based on the Lamber-Beer law was used to measure the concentration of different hemoglobin derivatives. Results revealed a significant elevation (P<0.05) of methemoglobin, the oxidized form of hemoglobin, two hours after injection (Total hemoglobin = 4.463 ± 0.83), but this effect was completely reversed after twelve hours. This concluded that even low doses of isotopes result in oxidation of hemoglobin that recovers shortly. Furthermore, the outcome of the study supports the healthcare centres to understand the effect of gallium-68 injections on animals.           

Tumor Anti-Initiation and Anti-Progression Properties of Sulphated-Extract of Colocasia esculenta

Colocasia esculenta (Taro) is an edible tuberous plant; however, corms are its most worldwide consumed part while the corm powder is widely used in food industries. In this work, a sulphated polysaccharide extract of C. esculenta corm (SCE) was prepared and its cancer chemopreventive properties was explored. The amending of carcinogen metabolism and radical scavenging affinity revealed that SCE is a strong tumor anti-initiation agent via suppressing cytochrome P450-1A and enhancing glutathione and the carcinogen detoxification enzyme; glutathione S-transferase. SCE exhibited a strong scavenging affinity towards critical radicals (hydroxyl and peroxyl). It induced lymphocyte growth and modulated the macrophage functions into an anti-inflammatory profile, via elevating macrophage proliferation and its binding affinity of fluorescein isothiocyanate-lipopolysaccharide (FITC-LPS) and inhibiting nitric oxide and tumor necrosis factor-α generation. Furthermore, SCE showed a potent cytotoxicity against human breast MCF-7 carcinoma cells (IC50 27.73 µg/mL), whereas SCE treatment inhibited the activity of histone deacetylase (HDAC IC50 37.70 µg/mL) and disturbed the pattern of cell cycle phases. An arrest in both S- and G2/M-phases was linked with shifted cell populations towards late apoptosis and necrosis, as detected by flow cytometry. SCE is a promising cancer chemopreventive agent to be used in healthy food industries and for high breast cancer-risk population

Evaluation of CT dose and establishment of local DRLs for abdomen and pelvis examinations in hospitals in Taif City, Saudi Arabia

This study measures the CT dose of the abdomen and pelvic examinations for adult patients, as well as establishes the provincial diagnostic reference level (DRL) for hospitals in Taif city, Saudi Arabia. A total of 200 patients who underwent pelvis and abdomen examinations in two main hospitals in Taif city were selected for this study. The data were collected in a spreadsheet that records patients’ demographic data, exposure parameters and dose indicators such as dose length product (DLP) and volume computed tomography dose index (CTDIvol) for each examination. The patients’ average age and BMI were 37.3 years and 25.5 kg/m2, respectively. The mean DLP and CTDIvol for the pelvis were found to be 379.6 mGy-cm and 10.8 mGy, respectively, whereas the corresponding mean values for the abdomen were 369.5 mGy-cm and 11.5 mGy, respectively. The average effective dosages for the abdomen and pelvis in both hospitals were estimated to be 5.6 and 7.2 mSv, respectively. Based on the third quartile data of DLP and CTDIvol, this study suggests DRL for pelvic DLP and CTDIw are 402.5 mGycm and 21.8 mGy, respectively, whereas the respective values are 407.5 mGy-cm and 18.4 mGy for CT abdominal DLP and CTDIw. The present study reports lower values for effective dose and DRL when compared with earlier data available in the literature. However, this work suggests further studies with different kV stations on pediatric patients in the future

Biological Synthesis of Nanocatalysts and Their Applications

Over the past few decades, the synthesis and potential applications of nanocatalysts have received great attention from the scientific community. Many well-established methods are extensively utilized for the synthesis of nanocatalysts. However, most conventional physical and chemical methods have some drawbacks, such as the toxicity of precursor materials, the requirement of high-temperature environments, and the high cost of synthesis, which ultimately hinder their fruitful applications in various fields. Bioinspired synthesis is eco-friendly, cost-effective, and requires a low energy/temperature ambient. Various microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, and algae are used as nano-factories and can provide a novel method for the synthesis of different types of nanocatalysts. The synthesized nanocatalysts can be further utilized in various applications such as the removal of heavy metals, treatment of industrial effluents, fabrication of materials with unique properties, biomedical, and biosensors. This review focuses on the biogenic synthesis of nanocatalysts from various green sources that have been adopted in the past two decades, and their potential applications in different areas. This review is expected to provide a valuable guideline for the biogenic synthesis of nanocatalysts and their concomitant applications in various fields