Prevalence of Eating Disorders among Female College Students of Northern Broader University, Arar, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Objective: The study aimed at examining the prevalence and correlates of eating disorder among female college students of Northern Broader University, Arar city, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.Methods: A cross sectional survey was conducted among female college students. The total sample size was 160 (66.66% of total population of college) and stratified random sampling technique was used to select female students age ranged between 18 and 23 years from faculty of medical and faculty of applied medical science. Subjects were ask to fill pre tested questionnaire about socioeconomic status, age at menarche, body image and Eating attitude test 26 (EAT 26), there height and weight were measured and BMI was calculated.Results: Out of 160 female college students only 120 (75%) returned completely filled questionnaires and they were considered for statistical analysis. It was found that, 32 (26.66%) of study population scored 20 or above, which is the cutoff point of EAT-26, indicating negative eating attitudes. There was significant difference found in prevalence of disordered eating attitudes in different BMI ranges. However, the association between student’s age at menarche and abnormal eating attitude was not statistically significant. Conclusion: The findings support our hypothesis of a relatively high rate of abnormal eating attitudes (as reflected by high EAT-26 score) in this population. The results have important implication for increasing awareness about an emerging clinical problem. The prevalence of eating disorder is the most useful measure for planning health care facilities, as it indicates the demand for care

Exacerbation of N-nitrosodiethylamine Induced Hepatotoxicity and DNA Damage in Mice Exposed to Chronic Unpredictable Stress

Psychological stress contributes to increased susceptibility to a number of diseases including cancer. The present study was designed to assess the effect of chronic unpredictable stress on N-nitrosodiethylamine induced liver toxicity in terms of in vivo antioxidant status and DNA damage in Swiss albino mice. The animals used in this study were randomized into different groups based on the treatment with N-nitrosodiethylamine or chronic unpredictable stress alone and post-stress administration of N-nitrosodiethylamine. The mice were sacrificed after 12 weeks of treatment, and the status of major enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants, liver function markers, lipid peroxidation and the extent of DNA damage were determined in circulation and liver tissues of all the groups. The N-nitrosodiethylamine treated group showed significantly compromised levels of the antioxidant enzymes, lipid peroxidation, and the liver function markers with enhanced DNA damage as compared to chronic unpredictable stress or control groups. A similar but less typical pattern observed in the chronic unpredictable stress treated mice. All the measured biochemical parameters were significantly altered in the group treated with the combination of chronic unpredictable stress and N-nitrosodiethylamine when compared to controls, or chronic unpredictable stress alone and/or N-nitrosodiethylamine alone treated groups. Thus, exposure to continuous, unpredictable stress conditions even in general life may significantly enhance the hepatotoxic potential of N-nitrosodiethylamine through an increase in the oxidative stress and DNA damage

Assessment of pond water quality in Lubok Bongor, Kelantan area

Recently, the water quality is deteriorating day by day due to anthropogenic input of dissolved nutrient and organic matter and industrial effluent which is built up on its bank. So it is of vital importance to monitor and simulate the water quality parameters to ascertain whether the water is still suitable Tor various uses. Therefore in this paper, determination of the BOD and COD in the pond water samples in Lubok Bongor, Kelantan area. The BOD and COD were identified based on dissolved oxygen (DO). The results showed the value of BOD in the range of 2.58 ± 1.17 mg/L which indicated moderately clean and the demand for oxygen by the bacteria is lower. The observed value of COD was 94 .2 ± 2.44 mg/L which showed tbe presence of high concentration of chemical present in pond water. Therefore, based on the results, it can be concluded that the pond water at Lubok Bongor are still safely to use for plants

Synthesis of Polyaniline Supported CdS/CdS-ZnS/CdS-TiO2 Nanocomposite for Efficient Photocatalytic Applications

Photocatalytic degradation can be increased by improving photo-generated electrons and broadening the region of light absorption through conductive polymers. In that view, we have synthesized Polyaniline (PANI) with CdS, CdS-ZnS, and CdS-TiO2 nanocomposites using the chemical precipitation method, characterized and verified for the photo-degradation of Acid blue-29 dye. This paper provides a methodical conception about in what way conductive polymers “PANI” enhances the performance rate of composite photocatalysts (CdS, CdS-ZnS and CdS-TiO2). The nanocomposites charge transfer, molar ratio, surface morphology, particle size, diffraction pattern, thermal stability, optical and recombination of photo-generated charge carrier properties were determined. The production of nanocomposites and their efficient photocatalytic capabilities were observed. The mechanism of photocatalysis involved with PC, CZP and CTP nanocomposites are well presented by suitable diagrams representing the exchange of electrons and protons among themselves with supported equations. We discovered that increasing the number of nanocomposites in the membranes boosted both photocatalytic activity and degradation rate. CdS-Zinc-PANI (CZP) and CdS-TiO2-PANI(CTP) nanocomposites show entrapment at the surface defects of Zinc and TiO2 nanoparticles due to the demolition of unfavorable electron kinetics, and by reducing the charge recombination, greater photocatalytic activity than CdS-PANI (CP) with the same nanoparticle loading was achieved. With repeated use, the photocatalysts’ efficiency dropped very little, hinting that they may be used to remove organic pollutants from water. The photocatalytic activity of CZP and CTP photocatalytic membranes was greater when compared to CdS-PANI, which may be due to the good compatibility between CdS and Zinc and TiO2, as well efficient charge carrier separation. PANI can also increase the split-up of photo-excited charge carriers and extend the absorption zone when combined with these nanoparticles. As a result, the development of outrageous performance photocatalysts and their potential uses in ecological purification and solar power conversion has been facilitated. The novelty of this article is to present the degradation of AB-29 Dye using nanocomposites with polymers and study the enhanced degradation rate. Few studies have been carried out on polymer nanocomposites and their application in the degradation of AB-29 dyes and remediation of water purposes. Nanoparticle CdS is a very effective photocatalyst, commonly used for water purification along with nanoparticle ZnS and TiO2; but cadmium ion-leaching makes it ineffective for practical and commercial use. In the present work, we have reduced the leaching of hazardous cadmium ions by trapping them in a polyaniline matrix, hence making it suitable for commercial use. We have embedded ZnS and TiO2 along with CdS in a polyaniline matrix and compared their photocatalytic activity, stability, and reusability, proving our nano-composites suitable for commercial purposes with enhanced activities and stabilities, which is a novelty. All synthesized nanocomposites are active within the near-ultraviolet to deep infrared (i.e., 340–850 nm). This gives us full efficiency of the photocatalysts in the sunlight and further proves the commercial utility of our nanocomposites

Lumbar drain for temporary cerebrospinal fluid diversion: Factors related to the risks of complications at a university hospital

Objective: Lumbar drains (LDs) are often used for temporary cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) diversion. However, limited data are available on the risk factors associated with complications. We reviewed our institutional LD data to identify the common indications and outcomes, including the risk factors associated with the occurrence of complications.Methods: We performed a retrospective review of the patient medical records. All adult patients, who had an LD placed at our hospital during a 5-year period, were included in the present study. The Fisher Exact test and Mann-Whitney U test were used to compare the categorical data and continuous data, respectively; p ≤ 0.05 was considered to indicate statistical significance.Results: During the study period, 211 patients had an LD placed and were included in the present study, of whom 133 were men (63.0%). The most common reason for LD placement was for an iatrogenic CSF leak and pseudomeningocele in 95 patients (45.0%). The mean duration of an indwelling LD was 3.7 ± 1.9 days. Meningitis was the most common complication after LD insertion, occurring in 12 patients (5.5%), followed by low pressure headaches in 10 patients (4.8%). Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were the most common organisms on culture. Manipulation of the LD to draw CSF samples for analysis was a significant risk factor for the development of meningitis (p = 0.039).Conclusions: The most common complications in our institution were meningitis and low pressure headaches. Minimizing LD manipulation during CSF sampling could potentially decrease the risk of meningitis. Our protocol of continuing routine prophylactic antibiotics for patients with an indwelling LD might reduce the risk of meningitis; however, the results from a prospective cohort study would provide stronger evidence

Multivitamin-mineral supplement is more efficacious than vitamins (E+C) in the prevention of chronic unpredictable stress induced oxidative damage in mice

Stress triggers a physiological response by increasing the metabolic rate which translates into oxidative stress, resulting in the etiopathogenesis of many diseases. Several micronutrients like antioxidant vitamins and minerals can modulate the state of oxidative stress. This study tests whether an MM (consisting of functionally diverse dietary antioxidants) compares favourably with a combination of vitamins E and C, in providing increased anti-oxidative protection against chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) induced oxidative damage in mice. Thirty-two Swiss albino mice were randomized to one of the following groups: control+vehicle, CUS+ vehicle, CUS+ MM, and CUS+ vitamins (C+E). CUS was applied for 4 weeks and MM and vitamins (C+E) were administered orally for the same period. CUS led to a negative impact on all the biochemical parameters analyzed in circulation, liver and kidney with elevation of malondialdehyde and reduction of glutathione levels. The activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione S-transferase, and glutathione reductase were decreased by CUS, with an elevation of liver marker enzymes, glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT) and glutamate pyruvate transaminase (GPT) in the circulation and liver. Supplementation with MM and vitamins (C+E) restored the disturbed antioxidant status in the stress exposed mice. However, MM was found more effective than vitamins (C+E) in reinstating the altered parameters. The results of the study suggest that the cumulative action of diverse vitamins and minerals in an MM exert greater antioxidative effect than vitamins (C+E) in combating the CUS induced oxidative stress, thus supplementation of MM alone can be an effective measure to combat stress induced oxidative derangements both under normal and pathological conditions

Development of Therapeutic and Prophylactic Zinc Compositions for Use against COVID-19: A Glimpse of the Trends, Inventions, and Patents

Zinc is an essential nutrient for human health; it is involved in the catalytic, structural, and regulatory functions of the human cellular system. Different compositions of zinc, as well as its pharmaceutically acceptable salts, are available on the market. Recent studies have demonstrated the role of zinc in combating COVID-19. It has been determined that zinc prevents the entry of SARS-CoV-2 into cells by lowering the expression of ACE-2 receptors and inhibiting the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase of SARS-CoV-2. Zinc also prevents the cytokine storm that takes place after the entry of SARS-CoV-2 into the cell, via its anti-inflammatory activity. The authors believe that no study has yet been published that has reviewed the trends, inventions, and patent literature of zinc compositions to treat/prevent COVID-19. Accordingly, this review has been written in order to fill this gap in the literature. The information about the clinical studies and the published patents/patent applications was retrieved from different databases. This review covers patent literature on zinc compositions up to 31 January 2022. Many important patents/patent applications for zinc-based compositions filed by innovative universities and industries were identified. The patent literature revealed zinc compositions in combination with zinc ionophores, antioxidants, antivirals, antibiotics, hydroxychloroquine, heparin, ivermectin, and copper. Most of these studies were supported by clinical trials. The patent literature supports the potential of zinc and its pharmaceutical compositions as possible treatments for COVID-19. The authors believe that countless zinc-based compositions are still unexplored, and there is an immense opportunity to evaluate a considerable number of the zinc-based compositions for use against COVID-19