The Arab COVID‐19 Anxiety Syndrome Scale (C‐19ASS): COVID‐19 anxiety syndrome and psychological symptoms in the Saudi Arabian population

Introduction: The COVID-19 Anxiety Syndrome Scale (C-19ASS) is a reliable scale assessing dysfunctional coping strategies activated in response to COVID-19 fear and threat. The present study aimed to provide a validation of the Arabic version of the C-19ASS and to explore the association between the C-19ASS and psychological symptoms syndrome. Method: In Study 1, a community sample of 404 participants completed the Arabic version of the C-19ASS and results were subjected to an Exploratory Factor Analysis. In study 2, a community sample of 903 participants completed the Arabic version of the C-19ASS and a series of measures assessing depressed mood and anhedonia, generalized anxiety and health anxiety. Internal consistency, construct validity, and incremental validity were assessed. Associations between C-19ASS and psychological symptoms were assessed. Results: Factor analysis identified a two-factor solution (i.e., C-19ASS Perseveration and C-19ASS Avoidance) and confirmatory factor analysis suggested a two-factor model best fits the data. The Arabic version of the C-19ASS showed good internal consistency, good construct, and incremental validity. COVID-19 anxiety syndrome was associated with more severe anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, and health anxiety. Females had higher levels of COVID-19 anxiety syndrome than males. Participants diagnosed with COVID-19, and those who had experienced loss as a consequence of COVID-19, had higher levels of COVID-19 anxiety syndrome (Perseveration). Conclusions: The Arabic version of the C-19ASS appears to be a reliable and valid measure of the COVID-19 anxiety syndrome. The COVID-19 anxiety syndrome could be a suitable therapeutic target to improve psychological recovery during the COVID-19 pandemic among Arabs

An assessment of job satisfaction: A cross-sectional study among orthodontists of Saudi Arabia

AIM OF THE STUDY: The main objective of the present study was to investigate the level of job satisfaction among professional orthodontists in relation to some significant intrinsic and extrinsic factors that generally affect their performance. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among orthodontists working in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia using an online survey questionnaire through Survey Monkey. A total of 161 responses were received; among those, 57.8% of the respondents were Saudi and 42.2% were non-Saudi. RESULTS: On an overall satisfaction basis, a majority of orthodontists (80.7%) were satisfied with orthodontics as their profession irrespective of their gender. Only 4.4% showed dissatisfaction, whereas the remaining 14.9% were moderately satisfied with orthodontics as a profession. In-depth analysis revealed that a majority of the respondents (56.2%) showed reservations over having ample time for their family life. 52.8% of the respondents strongly agreed that they are assigned significant paperwork. Likewise, 66.5% of the orthodontists showed moderate to dissatisfaction over time adherence by the patients. CONCLUSION: The findings of the present investigations depicted a higher level of passion and commitment among the male and female respondents for the profession in spite of the fact that they do not have adequate time for their personal life. The working efficiency of orthodontists may be significantly enhanced by sparing them from too much paperwork and ensuring that their patients appear on time

Assessment of Respiratory Complications Associated with End Stage Renal Disease in Northern Saudi Arabia

Background. The prevalence of End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) is increasing in different parts of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), particularly Hail Region. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the respiratory complications that associated with ESRD

The Arab COVID-19 Anxiety Syndrome Scale (C-19ASS): COVID-19 anxiety syndrome and psychological symptoms in the Saudi Arabian population

Introduction: The COVID-19 Anxiety Syndrome Scale (C-19ASS) is a reliable scale assessing dysfunctional coping strategies activated in response to COVID-19 fear and threat. The present study aimed to provide a validation of the Arabic version of the C-19ASS and to explore the association between the C-19ASS and psychological symptoms syndrome. Method: In Study 1, a community sample of 404 participants completed the Arabic version of the C-19ASS and results were subjected to an exploratory factor analysis. In Study 2, a community sample of 903 participants completed the Arabic version of the C-19ASS and a series of measures assessing depressed mood and anhedonia, generalized anxiety and health anxiety. Internal consistency, construct validity and incremental validity were assessed. Associations between C-19ASS and psychological symptoms were assessed. Results: Factor analysis identified a two-factor solution (i.e., C-19ASS-Perseveration and C-19ASS-Avoidance), and confirmatory factor analysis suggested a two-factor model best fits the data. The Arabic version of the C-19ASS showed good internal consistency, good construct and incremental validity. COVID-19 anxiety syndrome was associated with more severe anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms and health anxiety. Females had higher levels of COVID-19 anxiety syndrome than males. Participants diagnosed with COVID-19, and those who had experienced loss as a consequence of COVID-19, had higher levels of COVID-19 anxiety syndrome (Perseveration). Conclusions: The Arabic version of the C-19ASS appears to be a reliable and valid measure of the COVID-19 anxiety syndrome. The COVID-19 anxiety syndrome could be a suitable therapeutic target to improve psychological recovery during the COVID-19 pandemic among Arabs

Influence of TiO2 and ZrO2 Nanoparticles on Adhesive Bond Strength and Viscosity of Dentin Polymer: A Physical and Chemical Evaluation

The present study aimed to formulate an experimental adhesive (EA) and reinforce it with 5 wt.% titanium dioxide (TiO2) or zirconium oxide (ZrO2) to yield 5% TiO2 and 5% ZrO2 adhesives, respectively, and then analyze the impact of this reinforcement on various mechanical properties of the adhesives. The EA contained a blend of monomers such as bisphenol A glycol dimethacrylate (BisGMA), triethylene glycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA), 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA), and ethyl 4-dimethylamino benzoate and camphorquinone. The EA included ethyl 4-dimethylamino benzoate and camphorquinone photo-initiators, and diphenyliodonium hexafluorophosphate (DPIHP) was also included to act as an electron initiator. The TiO2 and ZrO2 nanoparticles were incorporated into the EA post-synthesis. To characterize the filler nanoparticles, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and line-energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy were performed. The adhesives were characterized by analyzing their rheological properties, shear-bond strength (SBS), and interfacial failure types. Further, the resin–dentin interface was also analyzed via SEM. The TiO2 nanoparticles were spherically shaped on the SEM micrographs, while the ZrO2 nanoparticles were seen as non-uniformly shaped agglomerates. The EDX mapping demonstrated the presence of Ti and oxygen for TiO2 and Zr and oxygen for the ZrO2 nanoparticles. Both 5% TiO2 and 5% ZrO2 adhesives revealed decreased viscosity as compared with the EA. The 5% TiO2 adhesive demonstrated higher SBS values for both non-thermocycled (NTC) and thermocycled samples (NTC: 25.35 ± 1.53, TC: 23.89 ± 1.95 MPa), followed by the 5% ZrO2 adhesive group (NTC: 23.10 ± 2.22, TC: 20.72 ± 1.32 MPa). The bulk of the failures (>70%) were of adhesive type in all groups. The SEM analysis of the resin–dentin interface revealed the development of a hybrid layer and resin tags (of variable depth) for the EA and 5% TiO2 groups. However, for the 5% ZrO2 group, the hybrid layer and resin tag establishment appeared compromised. Reinforcement of the EA with TiO2 or ZrO2 caused an increase in the adhesive’s SBS (with the 5% TiO2 group demonstrating the highest values) in comparison with the EA (without nanoparticles). However, both nanoparticle-containing adhesives revealed decreased viscosity compared with the EA (without nanoparticles). Further studies investigating the impact of diverse filler concentrations on the properties of adhesives are suggested

Greener Synthesis of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles: Characterization and Multifaceted Applications

Nanoparticles (NPs) have unique properties compared to their bulk counterparts, and they have potentials for various applications in many fields of life science. Green-synthesized NPs have garnered considerable interest due to their inherent features such as rapidity, eco-friendliness and cost-effectiveness. Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) were synthesized using an aqueous extract of Kalanchoe blossfeldiana as a reducing agent. The resulting nanoparticles were characterized via X-ray diffraction (XRD), dynamic light scattering (DLS), UV-Vis spectroscopy, photoluminescence (PL), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The antimicrobial potential of the synthesized ZnO NPs against bacterial and fungal strains was examined by the disk diffusion method, and they showed a promising antibacterial and antifungal potential. The catalytic activity of the synthesized ZnO NPs in reducing methylene blue (MB) and eosin was studied via UV-Vis spectroscopy. The decolorization percentages of the MB and Eosin Y dyes were 84% and 94%, respectively, which indicate an efficient degradation of the ZnO NPs. In addition, the cytotoxic activity of the ZnO NPs on the HeLa cell line was evaluated via in vitro assay. The MTT assay results demonstrate a potent cytotoxic effect of the ZnO NPs against the HeLa cancer cell line