Prevalence of Bipolar Disorder and Associated Risk Factors Among Population in Western Region Of Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Objective: To determine the prevalence of bipolar disorder and associated risk factors among the population in the Western Region, KSA. Methods:This research will employ a cross-sectional study design. Cross-sectional studies are well-suited for assessing the prevalence and risk factors of a particular condition in a specific population at a single point in time. This design will allow us to gather data on the prevalence of bipolar disorder and identify associated risk factors among the population in the Western region of Saudi Arabia. Results: The study included 407 participants. The most frequent weight among them was 51-65 kg (n= 109, 26.8%), followed by 66-75 kg (n= 93, 22.9%). The most frequent height among study participants was 1.61-1.70 m (n= 137, 33.7%) followed by 1.51-1.60 m (n= 128, 31.4%). The most frequent body mass index value was 18.5-24.9 kg/m2 (n= 161, 39.6%), followed by 25-29.9 kg/m2 (n= 142, 34.9%). The gender of study participants is almost equal with male (n= 204, 50.1%) and female (n= 203, 49.9%). The most frequent age among them was 62 years and above (n= 157, 38.6%), followed by 40-50 years (n= 92, 22.6%). Participants were asked the participants about what is the duration of their mental illness(bipolar). The most frequent answer was nothing (n=277,68.1%), followed by one year (n=96, 23.6%), and the least of them were six years (n=1,0.2%). Conclusion: The results showed that most of the study participants are married and intermediate owners and most of them have a university education. Most participants are not overweight according to their body's bodies. Most of the study participants had a good social link

Exploring the Natural Compounds in Flavonoids for Their Potential Inhibition of Cancer Therapeutic Target MEK1 Using Computational Methods

The Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway plays an important role in cancer cell proliferation and survival. MAPKs’ protein kinases MEK1/2 serve as important targets in drug designing against cancer. The natural compounds’ flavonoids are known for their anticancer activity. This study aims to explore flavonoids for their inhibition ability, targeting MEK1 using virtual screening, molecular docking, ADMET prediction, and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Flavonoids (n = 1289) were virtually screened using molecular docking and have revealed possible inhibitors of MEK1. The top five scoring flavonoids based on binding affinity (highest score for MEK1 is −10.8 kcal/mol) have been selected for further protein–ligand interaction analysis. Lipinski’s rule (drug-likeness) and absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity predictions were followed to find a good balance of potency. The selected flavonoids of MEK1 have been refined with 30 (ns) molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. The five selected flavonoids are strongly suggested to be promising potent inhibitors for drug development as anticancer therapeutics of the therapeutic target MEK1

BIAXIAL FLEXURAL STRENGTH AND HARDNESS OF RESIN-MATRIX CERAMIC CAD/CAM MATERIALS

This study evaluated the biaxial flexural strength (BFS) and hardness of four resin-matrix ceramic CAD/CAM materials namely, Vita Enamic (EN), Lava Ultimate (LU), Cerasmart (CS), Crystal Ultra (CU) and one glass-matrix ceramic material, Vitablocs Mark II (VM2). Disc-shaped specimens (12 mm in diameter and 1.2mm in thickness) were prepared from the CAD/CAM materials and were accordingly allocated into two groups. One group was used for baseline measurements and the other group was subjected to ageing by thermal-cycling (TC) for 10,000 cycles. The BFS and hardness was evaluated by a universal testing machine and a Vickers hardness tester, respectively. A two-way ANOVA, one-way ANOVA with Tukeys post hoc test, and Students t-test (=0.05) were used to analyse the data (α=0.05). The highest and lowest BFS was seen in CS and VM2 and the difference in the BFS among the materials was statistically significant (p˂0.05). The comparison between the baseline and TC groups showed significant difference in the BFS for EN (p ˂0.001), LU (p˂0.001), and CS (p˂0.012) but no difference was seen for VM2 (p= 0.238) and CU (p˂0.159). The Vickers hardness number (VHN) ranking of the materials for the baseline and TC specimens, was VM2˃EN˃LU˃CS˃CU and VM2˃EN˃LU˃CU˃CS, respectively. Following the TC, all the materials showed a significantly lower VHN (p ˂ 0.05) except for VM2 (p= 0.727). The CS material had the highest BFS among the baseline and TC groups; however, it had the lowest hardness among the materials in the baseline group and had comparable values to CU after the TC. Ageing by thermal-cycling significantly lowered the BFS of the CAD/CAM materials except for VM2 and CU, and lowered the hardness of the resin-matrix ceramic materials

Effect of CeO2/spherical silica and halloysite nanotubes engineered for targeted drug delivery system to treat breast cancer cells

Cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO2 NPs) and flavonoid curcumin that has been widely studied for treating diseases involving high reactive oxygen species (ROS). In nanotherapeutics, the particle size, shape, metal oxide dispersity and surface properties of nanocarriers are vital for drug delivery and therapeutic efficiency. Here, cisplatin release behavior on cerium impregnated two different shaped nanocarriers, CeO2/monodispersed spherical silica (Sil) and CeO2/halloysite (Hal) nanotube was studied for potential anti-cancer therapies. For comparison, CeO2 impregnated mesoporous silica MCM-41, SBA-16, Hydroxyapatite and clay were prepared. Subsequently, the nanocomposites were coated with curcumin (25% wt/wt), and cisplatin (Cp) functionalization (5% wt/wt). 5wt%CeO2/Hal/Cp and 5wt%CeO2/Sil/Cp samples were pegylated using lyophilization technique. Physico-chemical analyses revealed the nanosized distribution of CeO2 and functionalization of cisplatin and curcumin. Cp release was studied using automated Franz cell and dialysis membrane techniques. The different structured nanocarriers delivering mechanism was studied by determining the drug kinetic release using four different kinetic models (first order, second order, Higuchi and Korsmeyer-Peppas). In vitro cytotoxicity assay of nano formulations along with free cisplatin and curcumin (Cur) were tested against the breast cancer cell line (MCF-7) for multiple timepoints by MTT assay. The results reveled the efficacy of 5wt%CeO2/Sil/Cp/Cur nanoparticles in delivering cisplatin. On the other hand, 5wt%CeO2/Hal/Cur nanoparticles enhanced the uptake of curcumin in comparison to free curcumin. Overall, pegylated CeO2/Silica nano formulation demonstrated an effective carrier to cisplatin for potential treatment of breast cancer

Evaluating Effective Dose: A Comparison of Methods Based on Organ Dose Calculations versus Dose-Length Product and Monte Carlo Simulation

Computed tomography (CT) has had a massive impact on diagnostic radiology over the past few decades. Serious concerns exist because of the increase in the effective radiation dose associated with CT scans, which could pose significant health risks. In CT, the effective dose can be estimated by Monte Carlo simulations. The aim of the study was to estimate and compare the effective doses for CT from organ dose-based calculations using the tissue weighting factors of the International Commission on Radiological Protection publications (ICRP 60, 103), Monte Carlo CT-Expo v2.6, and dose-length product (DLP)-based estimates. For 165 CT scans, the effective doses (Ed) of the most common routine radiological investigations were assessed. There were 112 male patients (68%) and 53 female patients (32%). When compared to organ dose-based estimates, the DLP-based estimates of the effective dose produced by applying ICRP 60 coefficients were less than 55–57% (head) and more than 18.1% (chest) and 20% (abdomen). The ICRP 103 values of the Ed were less than 79% (head) and more than 17% (chest), and they changed randomly with the tissue weighting factors for the abdomen. For Monte Carlo CT-Expo, the Ed values were lower by 54% (head), 6% (abdomen), and more than 2% (chest) compared to organ dose-based estimates. Effective doses calculated using the tissue-weighting factors of ICRP 103 values comparable to ICRP 60 differ greatly by an average of 2.3, 2.9, and 4.5 mSv for the head, chest, and abdomen, respectively. In conclusion, all estimates of Ed are subject to the biases inflicted by the assumptions in the methods used; therefore, no significant agreement should be expected. The reason for evaluating ICRP 60 is to make a point that ICRP’s update is indeed more accurate. The variability associated with the use of various methodologies to estimate and compare the effective dose Ed in CT scans was shown to be significant in this study

Assessing the awareness, knowledge, and attitudes of adults in the general population in Saudi Arabia towards testicular torsion: A cross-sectional study

Introduction: Testicular torsion (TT) is a rare but urgent condition; it leads to severe pain and swelling that must be diagnosed and treated immediately, where there is an expectant period of 6–8 h. It is an important prognostic factor in the arrival time to the emergency department. Raising awareness about TT is essential to ensure early diagnosis and timely treatment, which can prevent irreversible damage and loss of fertility. Aim: Our study aimed to measure the awareness, knowledge, and attitude toward testicular torsion (TT) among the general population in Saudi Arabia. Subject and Methods: This is a cross-sectional study conducted among the general population living in Saudi Arabia. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed among the population using an online survey. The questionnaire includes socio-demographic characteristics (i.e., age, gender, region, etc.), a questionnaire to assess the knowledge of testicular torsion, and questionnaires to assess the prevalence, management, and attitude toward testicular torsion. Results: Of the 473 participants, 56% were males, and 61% were aged between 18 to 30 years old. Unfortunately, One quarter of our population has a good knowledge level about testicular torsion. The overall mean knowledge about Testicular Torsion score was below average (3 out of 8 points). Factors associated with increased knowledge include younger age, male gender, living in the Central Region, working in the medical field, having heard of testicular torsion, and having a personal or family history of testicular torsion. Conclusion: In conclusion, there was a lack of testicular torsion knowledge among the general population. Further studies and social campaigns should be done to encourage the general population's understanding and increase their knowledge level

A rare mutation in PRUNE 1- gene causing a neurodevelopmental disease with rare systemic manifestations in a Saudi child

PRUNE 1- related disorder, is a neurodevelopmental problem characterized by microcephaly, hypotonia, and variable central nervous system abnormalities, it is a unique uncommon autosomal recessive disease caused by a homozygous or compound heterozygous mutation in the PRUNE1 gene on chromosome 1q21.4. Here we report a 15 months old girl who presented with characteristic features compatible with Prune syndrome informed of severe developmental delay, progressive microcephaly, hypertelorism, micrognathia and low set ears. The neurological evaluation revealed profound central hypotonia and spastic limbs with increased deep tendon reflexes. At the age of 15 months, she became more flaccid, with multiple hospitalizations because of recurrent aspiration, refractory seizure and severe gastroesophageal reflux disease. Eye examination showed severe optic atrophy. Further molecular genetic analysis revealed a homozygous variant c.383G>A – P(Arg128Gln)-chr1:150997134

FRACTURE TOUGHNESS OF DENTAL CAD/CAM RESIN-MATRIX CERAMICS EXPOSED TO AN ACIDIC ENVIRONMENT

This study aimed to assess the effects of an acidic environment on the fracture toughness of dental CAD/CAM resin-matrix ceramics. One hundred rectangular specimens (18 × 4 × 3 mm³) were obtained from four CAD/CAM resin-matrix ceramic blocks - Crystal Ultra (CU), Vita Enamic (VE), Lava Ultimate (LU), Cerasmart (CS) - and a Vitablocs Mark II (VMII) glass-matrix ceramic. Specimens from each material group were aged either in artificial saliva or cola for one week (n=10). The fracture toughness (KIc) was evaluated using the single-edge v-notch beam (SEVNB) method in a three-point bending set-up. The fractured specimen surfaces were analysed using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The data were analysed using a two-way ANOVA with the post hoc Bonferroni and paired t-test (p˂.05). The two-way ANOVA suggested that the materials significantly affected the KIc (p˂.001), while the ageing environment had no significant effect on the KIc (p=.285). The highest KIc was observed in the CU group aged in cola (1.53±0.12 MPa m1/2), while the lowest mean KIc was observed in the CS group aged in saliva (1.17±0.08 MPa m1/2). All the tested CAD/CAM resin-matrix ceramics showed improved fracture toughness in an acidic environment compared to the artificial saliva. However, the fracture toughness of the CS and CU groups significantly improved in an acidic environment compared to the artificial saliva, demonstrating the ability of these materials to resist an erosive acidic environment

The participants’ reasons for using dietary supplements (n = 275).

The participants’ reasons for using dietary supplements (n = 275).</p