Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Novel Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19): From causes to preventions in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia is one of the countries that has been affected by COVID-19. At the beginning of March 2020, it revealed a steadily rising number of laboratory-confirmed cases. By 20th May 2020, 59,854 infected cases had been confirmed, with 329 deaths. To prevent a further outbreak of COVID-19, this article discusses the current understanding of COVID-19 and compares it with the outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in 2012 in Saudi Arabia. It also discusses the causes, transmission, symptoms, diagnosis, treatments and prevention measures to identify an applicable measure to control COVID-19

The Accumulation Risk of Heavy Metals in Vegetables which Grown in Contaminated Soil

أجريت الدراسة الحالية لتقييم الحركة، التراكم الأحيائي ونقل المعادن الثقيلة (الحديد، الزنك، الكادميوم، النيكل، الكروم، المنجنيز، النحاس والرصاص) من التربة الملوثة إلى أنسجة الجذور ومن الجذور إلى الأجزاء الهوائية عن طريق حساب معامل التركيز الأحيائي وعامل الانتقال. جمعت عينات التربة والعينات النباتية لثمانية أنواع من الخضروات خلال موسم الصيف 2019 من أربعة مواقع مختلفة تقع في وادي الأرج ، محافظة الطائف ، المملكة العربية السعودية. بشكل عام ، سجلت عينات التربة المأخذوه من الموقع الثالث والرابع قيمًا مرتفعة من المعادن الثقيلة مقارنةً بالموقعين الأول والثاني. أظهرت التربة من الموقع الرابع أعلى تركيز من Mn و Ni و Cr و Pb و Cu و Cd بلغ 31.63 و 14.05 و 13.56 و 22.79 و 31.02 و 2.98 ملجم / كجم تربة جافة على التوالي ، بينما أظهرت التربة من الموقع الثالث أعلى تركيز للزنك. أشارت البيانات من الدراسة إلى أنه يمكن التعرف على نباتات الخس، النعناع، الشبث، الخيار، الفلفل والقرع التي نمت في مواقع الدراسة على أنها مناسبة للاستهلاك البشري، فهذه الخضروات الستة تراكم المعادن الثقيلة في أعضائها بكميات مقبولة بأقل من المستويات المسموح بها لمنظمة الأغذية والزراعة للأمم المتحدة. بخلاف ذلك، وجد أن تركيزات المعادن الثقيلة في نبات الطماطم ونبات الباذنجان أعلى من الحدود المسموح بها لمنظمة الأغذية والزراعة. الطماطم والباذنجان أيضاً أظهرت قيم عامل التركيز الأحيائي  مرتفعة لمعظم المعادن الثقيلة المقاسة. بالنسبة للطماطم كان معامل التركيز الأحيائي لكل من الكادميوم، النحاس، الحديد، الرصاص، المنجنيز، الزنك، الكروم والنيكل 27.250، 42.150، ،1.023، ND، 4.649، 0.459، 5.926 و 29.409 على التوالي. بينما كان في الباذنجان 21.333، ND، 2.360، 0.170، 3.113، 0.623، ND و 50.318 على التوالي.لتجنب الآثار الضارة لتراكم المعادن الثقيلة على صحة الإنسان ، يجب مراعاة الفحص المستمر للمحاصيل المزروعة في الترب الملوثة بالمعادن الثقيلة. أشارت البيانات من الدراسة إلى أنه يمكن التعرف على نباتات الخس، النعناع، الشبث، الخيار، الفلفل والقرع التي نمت في مواقع الدراسة على أنها مناسبة للاستهلاك البشري، فهذه الخضروات الستة تراكم المعادن الثقيلة في أعضائها بكميات مقبولة بأقل من المستويات المسموح بها لمنظمة الأغذية والزراعة. بخلاف ذلك، وجد أن تركيزات المعادن الثقيلة في نبات الطماطم ونبات الباذنجان أعلى من الحدود المسموح بها لمنظمة الأغذية والزراعة. الطماطم والباذنجان أيضاً أظهرت قيم عامل التركيز الأحيائي  مرتفعة لمعظم المعادن الثقيلة المقاسة. بالنسبة للطماطم قيم عامل التركيز الأحيائي لكل من الكادميوم، النحاس، الحديد، الرصاص، المنجنيز، الزنك، الكروم والنيكل كانت 27.250، 42.150، ،1.023، 0.000، 4.649، 0.459، 5.926 و 29.409 على التوالي. بينما كانت في الباذنجان 21.333، 0.000، 2.360، 0.170، 3.113، 0.623، 0.000 و 50.318 على التوالي. لا ينصح بزراعة الطماطم والباذنجان في التربة الملوثة بالمعادن الثقيلة بدون معالجة التربة مع ضرورة إجراء تحليل دوري للأجزاء الصالحة للأكل من الخضروات المزروعة في التربة الملوثة بالمعادن الثقيلة لمراقبة هذه المواد في النظام الغذائي البشري وتجنب آثاره الضارة على صحة الإنسان.The present study has been carried out to estimate heavy metals mobility, bioconcentration and transfer from polluted soil to roots tissues and from roots tissues to aerial parts using bioconcentration factor and translocation factor. Soil samples and the biomass of the eight vegetable species have been collected during summer season, 2019 from four different sites in Wadi Al-Arg, Taif Governorate, KSA. In general, heavy metals content of soil samples in site III and IV have recorded elevated values compared with those of site I and II. The soil from site IV has shown the highest concentration of Mn, Ni, Cr, Pb, Cu, and Cd amounted 31.63, 14.05, 13.56, 22.79, 31.02 and 2.98 mg/kg dry soil respectively, while the soil from site III has shown the highest concentration of Zn. The data referred to the fact that Mentha longifolia, Cucumis sativus, Capsicum annuum, Lactuca sativa Cucurbita pepo, and Anethum graveolens that grown in sites of investigation could be recognized as suitable for human consumption. These six vegetables could accumulate the measured heavy metals in their tissues with acceptable quantities, less than the permissible levels of Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Otherwise, heavy metal concentrations in Solanum lycopersicum and Solanum melongena have been found to be higher than permissible limits of FAO. Both plants also have shown elevated bioconcentration factors values for most of measured heavy metals. For S. lycopersicum the bioconcentration factor values of Fe, Cd, Cu, Pb, Cr, Mn, Ni, and Zn have been found to be 42.150, 27.250, 1.023, ND, 5.926, 4.649, 29.409, and 0.459 respectively. While for S. melongena, they have been 2.360, 21.333, ND, 0.170, ND, 3.113, 50.318, and 0.623, respectively. To avoid the harmful effects of the heavy metals accumulation on human health, consideration should be given to the constant examination to the edible parts of the vegetables grown in heavy metals contaminated soil

Structural, electronic, vibrational and dielectric properties of LaBGeO5_5 from first principles

Structural, electronic, vibrational and dielectric properties of LaBGeO$_5$ with the stillwellite structure are determined based on \textit{ab initio} density functional theory. The theoretically relaxed structure is found to agree well with the existing experimental data with a deviation of less than $0.2\%$. Both the density of states and the electronic band structure are calculated, showing five distinct groups of valence bands. Furthermore, the Born effective charge, the dielectric permittivity tensors, and the vibrational frequencies at the center of the Brillouin zone are all obtained. Compared to existing model calculations, the vibrational frequencies are found in much better agreement with the published experimental infrared and Raman data, with absolute and relative rms values of 6.04 cm$^{-1}$, and $1.81\%$, respectively. Consequently, numerical values for both the parallel and perpendicular components of the permittivity tensor are established as 3.55 and 3.71 (10.34 and 12.28), respectively, for the high-(low-)frequency limit

Characterization and evaluation of the performance of starch and cellulose as excipients for direct compression technique

Purpose: To investigate the influence of two often-used excipients (starch and microcrystalline cellulose) on the physical properties of powder blends and tablets that contain mannitol as diluent.Methods: Powder and powder mixtures of three commonly used excipients (starch, mannitol and microcrystalline cellulose) were thoroughly examined using the angle of repose for flowability, particle size analyzer to determine the diameter of the particles, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for morphological assessment, and x-ray diffraction to determine crystalline/amorphous characteristics. Tablets were prepared by direct compression technique and were evaluated for mechanical strength and disintegration behavior as part of quality control test.Results: The results showed that increase in MCC concentration of the mixture leads to significantly enhanced flowability (p < 0.05) when compared to starch. The angle of repose for mannitol/MCC powder mixture with 70 % w/w MCC was approximately 29°, indicating good flow properties of thepowder mix. Moreover, starch tablets containing MCC exhibited better mechanical strength and longer disintegration time, while, at 1:1 ratio of MCC and mannitol, tablet disintegration was faster (33.0 ± 5.2s)Conclusion: MCC (at 30 %w/w in the blend) produces optimal flow of the powder blend and superior mechanical strength, Keywords: Tablet disintegration, Flowability, Starch, Hardness, Mechanical strengt

Germination and Early Growth of Brachychiton populneus (Schott & Endl.) in Response to Different Shade Percentages and Sowing Depths.

A tree's ability to develop and its full potential depends on the environment in which it grows, especially during its early growth and germination stage. Due to the importance of planting depth and shadowing % as two important parameters for seed germination and early seedling growth under nursery conditions, this experiment was conducted to generate Brachychiton populneus seedlings at the optimal depth. In this study, three levels of shade conditions were tested with depths of 0, 1, 2, and 3 cm, respectively (0 percent shade, 50 percent shade, and 75 percent shade, respectively). The experimental design was factorial complete randomized design (CRD) with four replications for each treatment. At the end of the trial final germination percentages and vegetative growth parameters were measured. The results indicated that the different sowing depths and shade percentage treatments had a great significant influence on germination percentage, stem length, basal stem diameter, leaf number, and root length either in separately or in combination between both. Mean of germination percentage under zero shade percentage (full sunlight) significantly better than those under 50 and 75 shade percentage. Furthermore, the highest germination percentage was 80 % when the seeds were sown under full sunlight (zero shade percentage) and in 1 cm deep or under 50% shade percentage and 2 cm deep. Our results will help forest nurseries to produce healthy and a high quality of B. populneus seedlings for better chance of plantation programs

A Multi-task Network to Detect Junctions in Retinal Vasculature

Junctions in the retinal vasculature are key points to be able to extract its topology, but they vary in appearance, depending on vessel density, width and branching/crossing angles. The complexity of junction patterns is usually accompanied by a scarcity of labels, which discourages the usage of very deep networks for their detection. We propose a multi-task network, generating labels for vessel interior, centerline, edges and junction patterns, to provide additional information to facilitate junction detection. After the initial detection of potential junctions in junction-selective probability maps, candidate locations are re-examined in centerline probability maps to verify if they connect at least 3 branches. The experiments on the DRIVE and IOSTAR showed that our method outperformed a recent study in which a popular deep network was trained as a classifier to find junctions. Moreover, the proposed approach is applicable to unseen datasets with the same degree of success, after training it only once.Comment: MICCAI 2018 Camera Ready Versio

Thoracic Fluid Content. A Possible Determinant of Ventilatory Efficiency in Patients with Heart Failure

A eficácia ventilatória, avaliada por prova de esforço cardiorrespiratória (PECR), tem um importante valor prognóstico em doentes (dts) com insuficiência cardíaca crónica (ICC) por disfunção sistólica ventricular esquerda (DSVE). Os seus determinantes mantêm-se, contudo, controversos. Objectivo: Investigar a eventual correlação entre parâmetros de eficácia ventilatória, obtidos por PECR, e o valor do fluido torácico total (FTT), avaliado por bioimpedância eléctrica torácica (BET), em dts com ICC por DSVE. Métodos: Estudámos 120 dts com ICC por DSVE, referenciados ao nosso laboratório para PECR — 76% do sexo masculino, idade 52,1 ± 12,1 anos, 37% de etiologia isquémica, fracção de ejecção ventricular esquerda 27,6 ± 7,9%, 83% em ritmo sinusal, 96% sob iECA e/ou ARAII, 79% sob beta-bloqueante e 20% tratados com dispositivo de ressincronização cardíaca. Os dts efectuaram PECR, em tapete rolante, protocolo de Bruce modificado,sendo considerados para análise, como parâmetro de capacidade funcional, o consumo de oxigénio de pico (VO2p) e, como parâmetros de eficácia ventilatória, o declive (d) da relação entre ventilação minuto(VE) e produção de CO2 (VCO2) e o valor do VE/VCO2 no limiar anaeróbico (LANA). Os estudos por BET, média de 20 minutos de aquisição, foram efectuados após 15 minutos de repouso, em posição supina, imediatamente antes das PECR, sendo analisado o valor do FTT. Resultados: O valor do FTT variou entre 20,6 e 45,8 kOhm−1, média = 32,2, DP = 5,7, mediana = 32,7, o de VO2p entre 8,9 e 40,6 ml/kg/min, média = 21,0, DP = 6,2, mediana = 20,2, o do dVE/VCO2 entre 19,8 e 60,7, média = 30,7, DP = 7,9, mediana = 29,1 e o do VE/VCO2 no LANA entre 21 e 62,média = 33,1, DP = 7,5, mediana = 31,5. Por regressão linear, o FTT não se correlacionou com o VO2p — r = 0,05, p = 0,58 — mas apresentou correlação com os parâmetros de eficácia ventilatória analisados: r = 0,20, p = 0,032, r² = 0,04 com dVE/VCO2 e r = 0,25, p = 0,009, r² = 0.06 com VE/VCO2 no LANA. Conclusão: O FTT correlaciona-se com os parâmetros de eficácia ventilatória, avaliados por PECR, em dts com ICC por DSVE, o que indica que poderá ser um dos seus determinantes

The hypertension cascade of care in the midst of conflict: the case of the Gaza Strip

Although hypertension constitutes a substantial burden in conflict-affected areas, little is known about its prevalence, control, and management in Gaza. This study aims to estimate the prevalence and correlates of hypertension, its diagnosis and control among adults in Gaza. We conducted a representative, cross-sectional, anonymous, household survey of 4576 persons older than 40 years in Gaza in mid-2020. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews, anthropometric, and blood pressure measurements. Hypertension was defined in anyone with an average systolic blood pressure ≥140 mmHg or average diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mmHg from two consecutive readings or a hypertension diagnosis. The mean age of participants was 56.9 ± 10.5 years, 54.0% were female and 68.5% were Palestinian refugees. The prevalence of hypertension was 56.5%, of whom 71.5% had been diagnosed. Hypertension was significantly higher among older participants, refugees, ex-smokers, those who were overweight or obese, and had other co-morbidities including mental illnesses. Two-thirds (68.3%) of those with hypertension were on treatment with one in three (35.6%) having their hypertension controlled. Having controlled hypertension was significantly higher in females, those receiving all medications for high blood pressure and those who never or rarely added salt to food. Investing in comprehensive but cost-effective initiatives that strengthen the prevention, early detection and timely treatment of hypertension in conflict settings is critical. It is essential to better understand the underlying barriers behind the lack of control and develop multi-sectoral programs to address these barriers

First Permian occurrence of the shark egg capsule morphotype Palaeoxyris Brongniart, 1828

© 2016, © by the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology.Citation for this article: Abu Hamad, A., J. Fischer, S. Voigt, H. Kerp, J. W. Schneider, and F. Scholze. 2016. First Permian occurrence of the shark egg capsule morphotype Palaeoxyris Brongniart, 1828. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. DOI: 10.1080/02724634.2016.1112290