The Possession level of the Specialized Professional Standards in Saudi Biology Teachers from their Supervisors' Point of views

This paper aimed to identify how biology male and female teachers possess professional biology standards from their supervisors' point of View. The population and sample included all male and female supervisors in all educational districts in Saudi Arabia (N=262). Only 208 of them responded; and 32 of this number were excluded since they did not provide their specialization or they were not specialized in biology. The data was collected through a questionnaire constructing based on the standards and indicators included in the Professional Biology Standards for Biology teachers developed by the National Center for Assessment in Higher Education (Qias, 1434). The result indicated a high possession for the standards for male and female biology teachers; however, as individual standard, the result indicated that three of them had very high possession, four of them had high possession, and four of them had moderated possession. It also indicated higher possession for standards related to biology comparing with standards related to teaching. It was found also that there were significant differences between the responses of males and females supervisors in the total mean and on the means of six out of the eleven standards

Investigation of anti-nociceptive, anti-inflammatory potential and ADMET studies of pure compounds isolated from Isodon rugosus Wall. ex Benth

The strong ethnopharmacological utilization of Isodon rugosus Wall. Ex. Benth is evident in the treatment of several types of pain and inflammation, including toothache, earache, abdominal pain, gastric pain, and generalized body pain and inflammation. Based on this background, the antinociceptive effects of the crude extract, various fractions, and essential oil have been reported previously. In this research work, we isolate and characterize pure bioactive compounds from I. rugosus and evaluate possible mechanisms using various in vivo and in vitro models. The pure compounds were analyzed for analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities through various assays. The column chromatography of the chloroform fraction of I. rugosus led to the identification of two pure compounds, i.e., 1 and 2. Compound 1 demonstrated notable inhibition (62% writhing inhibition, 72.77% COX-2 inhibition, and 76.97% 5-LOX inhibition) and anti-inflammatory potential (>50% paw edema inhibition at various intervals). The possible mechanism involved in antinociception was considered primarily, a concept that has already been elucidated through the application of naloxone (an antagonist of opioid receptors). The involvement of adrenergic receptors was investigated using a hot plate model (an adrenergic receptor antagonist). The strong ethnomedicinal analgesic background of I. rugosus, supported by previous reports and current observations, leads to the conclusion that I. rugosus is a potential source of antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory bioactive compounds. It may be concluded from the results that the isolated analgesic compounds of I. rugosus may be a possible alternative remedy for pain and inflammation management with admirable efficacy and safety profiles

The inclusion of Key Nature of Science Concepts in Saudi Middle School Science Textbooks

The purpose of this study was to investigate the NOS (Nature of Science) inclusion in Saudi middle school science textbooks. To be specific, this study examines the included NOS aspects, the frequency of NOS inclusion; the contexts exist for NOS inclusion, and the accuracy of NOS inclusion. This study utilizes the Master Aspects of Nature ofScience [MA-NOS], which includes 12 NOS aspects that ought to be included in K-12 science curriculum. To facilitate the content analysis of the selected textbooks, the study utilized a modified version of The Collection Data Coding Guide developed by Alshamrani; and includes six parts describing the aspects of NOS and the process of identifying and collecting data. The findings of this study indicated low inclusions of NOS aspects in the textbooks; it also revealed that not all NOS aspects are included

Hemi-Babim and Fenoterol as Potential Inhibitors of MPro and Papain-like Protease against SARS-CoV-2: An In-Silico Study

The coronaviruses belong to the Coronaviridae family, and one such member, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), is causing significant destruction around the world in the form of a global pandemic. Although vaccines have been developed, their effectiveness and level of protection is still a major concern, even after emergency approval from the World Health Organisation (WHO). At the community level, no natural medicine is currently available as a cure. In this study, we screened the vast library from Drug Bank and identified Hemi-Babim and Fenoterol as agents that can work against SARS-CoV-2. Furthermore, we performed molecular dynamics (MD) simulation for both compounds with their respective proteins, providing evidence that the said drugs can work against the MPro and papain-like protease, which are the main drug targets. Inhibiting the action of these targets may lead to retaining the virus. Fenoterol is a beta-2 adrenergic agonist used for the symptomatic treatment of asthma as a bronchodilator and tocolytic. In this study, Hemi-Babim and Fenoterol showed good docking scores of −7.09 and −7.14, respectively, and performed well in molecular dynamics simulation studies. Re-purposing the above medications has huge potential, as their effects are already well-proven and under public utilisation for asthma-related problems. Hence, after the comprehensive pipeline of molecular docking, MMGBSA, and MD simulation studies, these drugs can be tested in-vivo for further human utilisation

Hemi-Babim and Fenoterol as Potential Inhibitors of MPro and Papain-like Protease against SARS-CoV-2: An In-Silico Study

The coronaviruses belong to the Coronaviridae family, and one such member, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), is causing significant destruction around the world in the form of a global pandemic. Although vaccines have been developed, their effectiveness and level of protection is still a major concern, even after emergency approval from the World Health Organisation (WHO). At the community level, no natural medicine is currently available as a cure. In this study, we screened the vast library from Drug Bank and identified Hemi-Babim and Fenoterol as agents that can work against SARS-CoV-2. Furthermore, we performed molecular dynamics (MD) simulation for both compounds with their respective proteins, providing evidence that the said drugs can work against the MPro and papain-like protease, which are the main drug targets. Inhibiting the action of these targets may lead to retaining the virus. Fenoterol is a beta-2 adrenergic agonist used for the symptomatic treatment of asthma as a bronchodilator and tocolytic. In this study, Hemi-Babim and Fenoterol showed good docking scores of −7.09 and −7.14, respectively, and performed well in molecular dynamics simulation studies. Re-purposing the above medications has huge potential, as their effects are already well-proven and under public utilisation for asthma-related problems. Hence, after the comprehensive pipeline of molecular docking, MMGBSA, and MD simulation studies, these drugs can be tested in-vivo for further human utilisation

Prevalence and Correlates of Paternal Postpartum Depression in Saudi Arabia

Background and objective Literature concerning paternal postpartum depression (PPPD) is rare. However, PPPD is a highly relevant disorder and can have a detrimental effect on the well-being of the family. Paternal care is an essential factor for infants’ mental development, and PPPD has been clearly shown to influence infants’ psychopathology and behavior later in life. This preliminary study aimed to detect the prevalence of PPPD and the correlated demographic and socioeconomic factors in fathers to newborns at the King Abdulaziz University Hospital (KAUH) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Materials and methods This was a cross-sectional study conducted at KAUH in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, between January 1, 2017 and June 25, 2018. We collected data telephonically through questionnaires based on previous studies. A PPPD cutoff score of >10 using a validated Arabic translation of the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale was used. We enrolled 150 fathers with a mean age of 36.61±7.72 years in the study. Results The results showed that more than a quarter (27.3%) of the participants suffered from PPPD. Factors that correlate with PPPD included a weak relationship with the partner/mother (p=0.001), trouble sleeping (p=0.010), lower self-esteem (p=0.012), family-related problems (p<0.0001), work-related problems (p=0.002), work–family conflict (p<0.0001), and perceived perinatal and postpartum stress (p=0.001 and <0.0001 respectively). Conclusions The results confirm that PPPD is prevalent among fathers in Jeddah. Screening for and treatment of PPPD in Saudi Arabia is currently lacking, and the prevalence of PPPD according to these findings indicates that these deficiencies urgently need to be addressed. Counselling and support for managing health, family, and work issues during and after pregnancy could contribute to preventing PPPD

In-Silico Screening and Molecular Dynamics Simulation of Drug Bank Experimental Compounds against SARS-CoV-2

For the last few years, the world has been going through a difficult time, and the reason behind this is severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), one of the significant members of the Coronaviridae family. The major research groups have shifted their focus towards finding a vaccine and drugs against SARS-CoV-2 to reduce the infection rate and save the life of human beings. Even the WHO has permitted using certain vaccines for an emergency attempt to cut the infection curve down. However, the virus has a great sense of mutation, and the vaccine’s effectiveness remains questionable. No natural medicine is available at the community level to cure the patients for now. In this study, we have screened the vast library of experimental drugs of Drug Bank with Schrodinger’s maestro by using three algorithms: high-throughput virtual screening (HTVS), standard precision, and extra precise docking followed by Molecular Mechanics/Generalized Born Surface Area (MMGBSA). We have identified 3-(7-diaminomethyl-naphthalen-2-YL)-propionic acid ethyl ester and Thymidine-5′-thiophosphate as potent inhibitors against the SARS-CoV-2, and both drugs performed impeccably and showed stability during the 100 ns molecular dynamics simulation. Both of the drugs are among the category of small molecules and have an acceptable range of ADME properties. They can be used after their validation in in-vitro and in-vivo conditions

Structure-Based In Silico Approaches Reveal IRESSA as a Multitargeted Breast Cancer Regulatory, Signalling, and Receptor Protein Inhibitor

Breast cancer begins in the breast cells, mainly impacting women. It starts in the cells that line the milk ducts or lobules responsible for producing milk and can spread to nearby tissues and other body parts. In 2020, around 2.3 million women across the globe received a diagnosis, with an estimated 685,000 deaths. Additionally, 7.8 million women were living with breast cancer, making it the fifth leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women. The mutational changes, overexpression of drug efflux pumps, activation of alternative signalling pathways, tumour microenvironment, and cancer stem cells are causing higher levels of drug resistance, and one of the major solutions is to identify multitargeted drugs. In our research, we conducted a comprehensive screening using HTVS, SP, and XP, followed by an MM/GBSA computation of human-approved drugs targeting HER2/neu, BRCA1, PIK3CA, and ESR1. Our analysis pinpointed IRESSA (Gefitinib-DB00317) as a multitargeted inhibitor for these proteins, revealing docking scores ranging from −4.527 to −8.809 Kcal/mol and MM/GBSA scores between −49.09 and −61.74 Kcal/mol. We selected interacting residues as fingerprints, pinpointing 8LEU, 6VAL, 6LYS, 6ASN, 5ILE, and 5GLU as the most prevalent in interactions. Subsequently, we analysed the ADMET properties and compared them with the standard values of QikProp. We extended our study for DFT computations with Jaguar and plotted the electrostatic potential, HOMO and LUMO regions, and electron density, followed by a molecular dynamics simulation for 100 ns in water, showing an utterly stable performance, making it a suitable drug candidate. IRESSA is FDA-approved for lung cancer, which shares some pathways with breast cancers, clearing the hurdles of multitargeted drugs against breast and lung cancer. This has the potential to be groundbreaking; however, more studies are needed to concreate IRESSA’s role

Nephroprotective Effect of Diosmin against Cisplatin-Induced Kidney Damage by Modulating IL-1&beta;, IL-6, TNF&alpha; and Renal Oxidative Damage

Cisplatin (CP) is a platinum compound of the alkylating agent class that is used for the treatment of various types of cancer. However, CP treatments in cancer patients are accountable for nephrotoxicity, as it is a major adverse effect. Hence, this research study was proposed to investigate the nephroprotective effect of diosmin, a flavonoid glycoside of hesperidin derivatives against cisplatin-induced kidney damage. Wistar rats received a single intraperitoneal (i.p) injection of CP (7.5 mg/kg, i.p) to induce nephrotoxicity. The administration of CP significantly (p &lt; 0.001) increased the markers of kidney function test (creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, and uric acid) and demonstrated histopathological changes in the kidney of the CP-treated nephrotoxic group. In addition, the CP-treated nephrotoxic group demonstrated a significant (p &lt; 0.001) increase in lipid peroxidation (LPO) levels and depleted activities of reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT).However, diosmin (100 and 200 mg/kg) treatments significantly reduced the elevated levels of kidney function test parameters and restored structural changes in the kidney (p &lt; 0.001). The administration of diosmin (100 and 200 mg/kg) significantly (p &lt; 0.001) reduced LPO levels, increased GSH content and showed improvements in the activities of GPx, GR, SOD and CAT. The markers of inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1&beta;, IL-6 and TNF&alpha; significantly (p &lt; 0.001) increased in the CP-treated nephrotoxic group, whereas diosmin (100 and 200 mg/kg) treatments significantly (p &lt; 0.001) reduced the elevated levels of these cytokines. The findings of this research demonstrate the nephroprotective effect of diosmin against CP-induced kidney damage. Therefore, we conclude that diosmin may be used as a supplement in the management of nephrotoxicity associated with CP treatments in cancer patients