Acceptance and Attitude towards Digital Rectal Examination for the Evaluation of Anorectal Conditions in Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia

Objectives:Digital Rectal Examination (DRE) is crucial for diagnosing various medical conditions, including prostate and colorectal cancer. Our study aims to assess the knowledge and acceptance of DRE among the Saudi population.Methodology:This cross-sectional study used a bilingual online survey distributed among Saudi residents in the Eastern Province. The survey included 22 questions on demographics, DRE awareness, and acceptance. Data was analyzed using SPSS.Results:Out of 443 participants, 65.2% were male, and 53.7% were aged 18-25 years. Awareness of DRE was high (65.7%), but only 21.7% had undergone the procedure. 56.0% would agree to a DRE if recommended by a doctor, but 57.0% cited shame and disgust as barriers. Pain (61.4%), mass sensation (57.1%), and bleeding (53.7%) were key symptoms prompting acceptance. Cultural and traditional factors were significant barriers for 57.6% of participants, and 49.0% would consider traditional medicine for anal and rectal diseases. Knowledge about hemorrhoids was varied, with 46.2% correctly identifying them as dilated anal blood vessels, and preventive measures included dietary and behavioral adjustments.Conclusions:There is a need for educational efforts to improve DRE acceptance in Saudi Arabia. Addressing cultural barriers and misconceptions can enhance preventive healthcare practices and early disease detection

Isotretinoin musculoskeletal side effects: a systematic review

This study aimed to investigate musculoskeletal complications secondary to isotretinoin use. A systematic review was conducted, and a total of 49 studies, including analytical studies, case reports, and case series, were included in the analysis. The studies examined musculoskeletal symptoms, diagnostic findings, and treatment approaches associated with isotretinoin use. Musculoskeletal symptoms reported in the studies included lethargy, myalgia, low back pain, arthralgia, tendinopathy, and sacroiliitis. Physical examination findings and radiological findings were used to confirm the diagnoses. Treatment approaches ranged from [non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)] to discontinuation of isotretinoin. Some studies have explored the impact of isotretinoin dosage, treatment duration, and vitamin levels on musculoskeletal symptoms. Isotretinoin-induced sacroiliitis and [diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH)] emerged as notable musculoskeletal complications. The findings highlight the importance of monitoring patients for potential musculoskeletal side effects and implementing appropriate interventions

Characterisation of lamina I anterolateral system neurons that express Cre in a Phox2a-Cre mouse line

A recently developed Phox2a::Cre mouse line has been shown to capture anterolateral system (ALS) projection neurons. Here, we used this line to test whether Phox2a-positive cells represent a distinct subpopulation among lamina I ALS neurons. We show that virtually all lamina I Phox2a cells can be retrogradely labelled from injections targeted on the lateral parabrachial area (LPb), and that most of those in the cervical cord also belong to the spinothalamic tract. Phox2a cells accounted for ~ 50–60% of the lamina I cells retrogradely labelled from LPb or thalamus. Phox2a was preferentially associated with smaller ALS neurons, and with those showing relatively weak neurokinin 1 receptor expression. The Phox2a cells were also less likely to project to the ipsilateral LPb. Although most Phox2a cells phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinases following noxious heat stimulation, ~ 20% did not, and these were significantly smaller than the activated cells. This suggests that those ALS neurons that respond selectively to skin cooling, which have small cell bodies, may be included among the Phox2a population. Previous studies have defined neurochemical populations among the ALS cells, based on expression of Tac1 or Gpr83. However, we found that the proportions of Phox2a cells that expressed these genes were similar to the proportions reported for all lamina I ALS neurons, suggesting that Phox2a is not differentially expressed among cells belonging to these populations. Finally, we used a mouse line that resulted in membrane labelling of the Phox2a cells and showed that they all possess dendritic spines, although at a relatively low density. However, the distribution of the postsynaptic protein Homer revealed that dendritic spines accounted for a minority of the excitatory synapses on these cells. Our results confirm that Phox2a-positive cells in lamina I are ALS neurons, but show that the Phox2a::Cre line preferentially captures specific types of ALS cells

An assessment of reliability and validity of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire C30 among breast cancer patients in Qatar

Introduction: Breast cancer has been the most common cancer type that affects women worldwide and subsequent treatment is oftenassociated with considerable psychological and quality of life (QoL). Aim: This study aimed to assess psychometric properties of theArabic version of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) general QoL questionnaire (QLQ‑C30)for breast cancer patients in Qatar. Materials and Methods: This is a cross‑sectional hospital‑based study conducted on 678 breastcancer patients using Arabic version of the EORTC QLQ‑C30 tool. Results: The mean age of women was 47.7 ± 10.2 years and33.4% of women had consanguineous parents. Six subscales out of the nine met the standards of reliability with coefficientsranging from 0.55 to 0.89. The mean score of all functioning scales was high >55. Advanced breast cancer stages of III–IV hadhigher symptomatic scores significantly than those in early stages for the physical function, cognitive, fatigue, insomnia, appetiteloss, constipation, and financial difficulties. Correlation coefficients between each item ranged from –0.113 to 0.960, and item21 (tense) and item 23 (irritable) had strongest negative correlations with their corresponding emotional functioning subscale,whereas items 29 (physical condition) and 30 (overall QoL) had the strongest positive correlation with Global Health/QoL subscale.Item 6 (limited work) showed a higher correlation with fatigue (r = 0.749). Likewise, item 19 (pain interfered with daily activities)of the pain subscale had higher correlations with physical functioning, role functioning, and fatigue subscales. Conclusion: QatariArabic version of the EORTC QLQ‑C30 showed acceptable psychometric properties, which is a reliable and valid instrument, thatcan be used by oncologists

One-step-ahead predictive control of a steering mobile robot

In this paper, a one-step-ahead predictive controller is applied to solve a tracking control problem of steering mobile robot. The derived control law is simple for implementation and no online optimization is needed. Further, to constraint the control signals inside the acceptable range, saturation technique is used. The stability analysis of the closed loop system is provided. Simulation results show the efficiency of this approach where good tracking performances have been obtaine

Screening and interventions for developmental fluency disorders

This chapter considers work aimed at addressing the characterization of stuttering and its developmental changes. It starts by examining the EXPLAN model of developmental stuttering and justifies its use by considering supportive evidence. Specific fluency failure patterns are described that, according to EXPLAN, account for how different symptom types are associated with different types of communicative disorders. Phonological performance, measured by the universal non-word repetition task, is proposed as a sensitive screening procedure that can identify children who stutter, and separate them from children who have word-finding difficulty alone that affects their speech. The latter part of the chapter looks at extending the non-word repetition tests to accommodate languages with different phonetics and phonological features from English, such as Arabic