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Abstract Background PPHN is a common cause of neonatal respiratory failure and is still a serious condition and associated with high mortality. Objectives To compare the demographic variables, clinical characteristics, and treatment outcomes in neonates with PHHN who underwent ECMO and survived compared to neonates with PHHN who underwent ECMO and died. Methods We adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guideline and searched ProQuest, Medline, Embase, PubMed, CINAHL, Wiley online library, Scopus and Nature for studies on the development of PPHN in neonates who underwent ECMO, published from January 1, 2010 to May 31, 2023, with English language restriction. Results Of the 5689 papers that were identified, 134 articles were included in the systematic review. Studies involving 1814 neonates with PPHN who were placed on ECMO were analyzed (1218 survived and 594 died). Neonates in the PPHN group who died had lower proportion of normal spontaneous vaginal delivery (6.4% vs 1.8%; p value > 0.05) and lower Apgar scores at 1 min and 5 min [i.e., low Apgar score: 1.5% vs 0.5%, moderately abnormal Apgar score: 10.3% vs 1.2% and reassuring Apgar score: 4% vs 2.3%; p value = 0.039] compared to those who survived. Neonates who had PPHN and died had higher proportion of medical comorbidities such as omphalocele (0.7% vs 4.7%), systemic hypotension (1% vs 2.5%), infection with Herpes simplex virus (0.4% vs 2.2%) or Bordetella pertussis (0.7% vs 2%); p = 0.042. Neonates with PPHN in the death group were more likely to present due to congenital diaphragmatic hernia (25.5% vs 47.3%), neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (4.2% vs 13.5%), meconium aspiration syndrome (8% vs 12.1%), pneumonia (1.6% vs 8.4%), sepsis (1.5% vs 8.2%) and alveolar capillary dysplasia with misalignment of pulmonary veins (0.1% vs 4.4%); p = 0.019. Neonates with PPHN who died needed a longer median time of mechanical ventilation (15 days, IQR 10 to 27 vs. 10 days, IQR 7 to 28; p = 0.024) and ECMO use (9.2 days, IQR 3.9 to 13.5 vs. 6 days, IQR 3 to 12.5; p = 0.033), and a shorter median duration of hospital stay (23 days, IQR 12.5 to 46 vs. 58.5 days, IQR 28.2 to 60.7; p = 0.000) compared to the neonates with PPHN who survived. ECMO-related complications such as chylothorax (1% vs 2.7%), intracranial bleeding (1.2% vs 1.7%) and catheter-related infections (0% vs 0.3%) were more frequent in the group of neonates with PPHN who died (p = 0.031). Conclusion ECMO in the neonates with PPHN who failed supportive cardiorespiratory care and conventional therapies has been successfully utilized with a neonatal survival rate of 67.1%. Mortality in neonates with PPHN who underwent ECMO was highest in cases born via the caesarean delivery mode or neonates who had lower Apgar scores at birth. Fatality rate in neonates with PPHN who underwent ECMO was the highest in patients with higher rate of specific medical comorbidities (omphalocele, systemic hypotension and infection with Herpes simplex virus or Bordetella pertussis) or cases who had PPHN due to higher rate of specific etiologies (congenital diaphragmatic hernia, neonatal respiratory distress syndrome and meconium aspiration syndrome). Neonates with PPHN who died may need a longer time of mechanical ventilation and ECMO use and a shorter duration of hospital stay; and may experience higher frequency of ECMO-related complications (chylothorax, intracranial bleeding and catheter-related infections) in comparison with the neonates with PPHN who survived.

This paper introduces the Poisson-Lindley minification integer-valued autoregressive (PL-MINAR) process, a novel statistical model for analyzing count time series data. The modified negative binomial thinning and the Poisson-Lindley (PL) marginal distribution served as the foundation for the model. The proposed model was examined in terms of its basic stochastic properties, especially related to conditional stochastic measures (e.g., transition probabilities, conditional mean and variance, autocorrelation function). Through comprehensive simulations, the effectiveness of various parameter estimation techniques was validated. The PL-MINAR model's practical utility was demonstrated in analyzing the number of Bitcoin transactions and stock trades, showing its superior or comparable performance to the established INAR model. By offering a robust tool for financial time series analysis, this research holds potential for significant improvements in forecasting and understanding market dynamics.

Abstract Self-reported shorter/longer sleep duration, insomnia, and evening preference are associated with hyperglycaemia in observational analyses, with similar observations in small studies using accelerometer-derived sleep traits. Mendelian randomization (MR) studies support an effect of self-reported insomnia, but not others, on glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c). To explore potential effects, we used MR methods to assess effects of accelerometer-derived sleep traits (duration, mid-point least active 5-h, mid-point most active 10-h, sleep fragmentation, and efficiency) on HbA1c/glucose in European adults from the UK Biobank (UKB) (n = 73,797) and the MAGIC consortium (n = 146,806). Cross-trait linkage disequilibrium score regression was applied to determine genetic correlations across accelerometer-derived, self-reported sleep traits, and HbA1c/glucose. We found no causal effect of any accelerometer-derived sleep trait on HbA1c or glucose. Similar MR results for self-reported sleep traits in the UKB sub-sample with accelerometer-derived measures suggested our results were not explained by selection bias. Phenotypic and genetic correlation analyses suggested complex relationships between self-reported and accelerometer-derived traits indicating that they may reflect different types of exposure. These findings suggested accelerometer-derived sleep traits do not affect HbA1c. Accelerometer-derived measures of sleep duration and quality might not simply be ‘objective’ measures of self-reported sleep duration and insomnia, but rather captured different sleep characteristics.

الملخص: أهداف البحث: التحمل القلبي الرئوي مهم للمشاركة بشكل مريح في أنشطة الحياة اليومية. تستخدم اختبارات التمرين، مثل اختبار المشي لمدة ست دقائق، بشكل شائع لتقييم القدرة على التحمل القلبي الرئوي. نحن نهدف إلى دراسة تأثيرات اختبار المشي لمدة ست دقائق القائم على الممر والمعتمد على مختبر تحليل المشية في الوقت الحقيقي التفاعلي على الأداء الوظيفي. طريقة البحث: تم تقسيم ثلاثين رجلا أصحاء بشكل عشوائي إلى مجموعتين. أجرى المشاركون في المجموعة (أ) اختبار المشي لمدة ست دقائق على الممر، تليها فترة الراحة (ساعة واحدة)، وبعد ذلك، قاموا بإجراء اختبار المشي في الوقت الحقيقي للتحليل التفاعلي القائم على المشي لمدة ست دقائق. في المجموعة (ب)، أجرى المشاركون الاختبارات بتسلسل عكسي لتلك التي أجراها المشاركون في المجموعة (أ). النتائج: أدى اختبار المشي لمدة ست دقائق القائم على الممر إلى زيادة كبيرة في مسافة ست دقائق سيرا على الأقدام (6 ميجاوات) وسرعة المشي لمدة ست دقائق مقارنة باختبار المشي لمدة ست دقائق القائم على مختبر التحليل التفاعلي في الوقت الحقيقي. لم يلاحظ أي فروق ذات دلالة إحصائية بين المجموعتين في أي من النتائج الثانوية التالية: ضغط الدم الانقباضي، وضغط الدم الانبساطي، وتشبع الأكسجين، ومعدل ضربات القلب، وضيق التنفس، والتعب العام. ولوحظ وجود علاقة إيجابية قوية بين مسافة اختبار المشي البالغة ست دقائق وسرعة اختبار المشي لمدة ست دقائق. الاستنتاجات: لا ينبغي استخدام اختبار المشي لمدة ست دقائق القائم على الممر واختبار المشي في الوقت الحقيقي للتحليل التفاعلي القائم على المختبر لمدة ست دقائق بشكل تبادلي. Abstract: Objective: Cardiopulmonary endurance is important for comfortably participating in activities of daily living. Exercise tests, such as the 6-minute walk test (6MWT), are commonly used to evaluate cardiopulmonary endurance. We investigated the effects of the Gait Real-Time Analysis Interactive Lab (GRAIL)- and corridor-based 6MWTs on functional performance. Methods: Thirty healthy men were randomly divided into two groups. Group A participants performed a corridor-based 6MWT, followed by a washout period (1 h). Subsequently, they performed the GRAIL-based 6MWT. Group B participants performed the tests in the reverse order of that performed by Group A participants. Results: The corridor-based 6MWT resulted in significantly higher 6MW distance and 6MW speed than the GRAIL-based 6MWT. No significant differences were observed between the two groups in any of the following secondary outcomes: systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, oxygen saturation, heart rate, dyspnea, and overall fatigue. A strong positive correlation was observed between the 6MW distance and 6MW speed. Conclusion: The corridor- and GRAIL-based 6MWT should not be used interchangeably.

Background: Healthcare work is a major risk for having musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), including low back pain (LBP). This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of LBP and define its associated risk factors among resident physicians. Material and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted among all resident physicians of all specialties in Abha city during the period from July 2020 to September 2020. Data were collected using an online pre-structured data collection tool. The Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) (back pain section) was applied to assess the effect of LBP on the residents’ ability to perform job duties effectively. Results: A total of 312 resident physicians responded. Their age ranged between 25 and 41 years. Males represented 57.7% of them. The prevalence of LBP was 64.7%. The most common reported aggravating factors for LBP were working in uncomfortable posture (73.3%), standing for long periods (64.4%), and long sitting sessions (51.5%). Regarding the pain-relieving factors, sleeping ranked first (60.4%), followed by taking analgesics (48.5%) and maintaining a good posture (35.6%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that obese subjects were at higher risk than underweight subjects to develop LBP (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) =6.18, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.26–30.34, P = 0.025). Compared to resident physicians without family history of back pain, those with such history were at almost 4-fold higher risk of developing LBP (AOR = 3.90, 95% CI: 2.33-6.52, P < 0.001). Conclusion: LBP is a very prevalent problem among resident physicians, particularly obese subjects and those with family history of back pain. LBP adversely impacts the work performance of the affected physicians.

Solar energy is a crucial and sustainable source of electricity that may be harnessed for a long duration without causing pollution. Moreover, it reduces pollution, thus improving the quality of life and reducing the cost of energy in the long term. This study analyzes and uses the modified Angstrőm–Prescott equation to estimate the monthly average global solar radiation in the Erbil governorate depending on latitude and daylight hours. The data is collected from the Agriculture Directorate in Erbil for ten stations in different locations for the period (2016-2023). Results show that the global solar energy in the region reaches a maximum of 8.4 kW.day-1.m-2 in the summertime and descends to a minimum of 1.6 kW.day-1.m-2 in winter. The equation used to estimate global solar energy is in strong agreement with measured data from the ground base weather station, and to validate the results, mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) and residual mean square error (RMSE) were used. They found the value of MAPE = 4.34 -7.98 and RMSE= 0.183-0.426, indicating that the model is suitable for estimating solar radiation.

The Saudi Initiative for Asthma 2024 (SINA-2024) is the sixth version of asthma guidelines for the diagnosis and management of asthma for adults and children that was developed by the SINA group, a subsidiary of the Saudi Thoracic Society. The main objective of the SINA is to have guidelines that are up-to-date, simple to understand, and easy to use by healthcare workers dealing with asthma patients. To facilitate achieving the goals of asthma management, the SINA Panel approach is mainly based on the assessment of symptom control and risk for both adults and children. The approach to asthma management is aligned for age groups: adults, adolescents, children aged 5–12 years, and children aged

Background: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are frequently diagnosed in the Emergency Departments (EDs) in Saudi Arabia. Despite their prevalence, there is a lack of localized data on antibiotic prescribing practices for UTIs in EDs, hampering optimal patient care and antibiotic resistance management. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the appropriateness of antibiotic prescriptions for UTI patients by examining adherence to treatment guidelines at a tertiary care ED in Saudi Arabia. Methods: A retrospective cohort analysis was performed in UTI patients with ≥18 years of age who were presented to the ED at a tertiary care hospital between January 2022 and January 2023. 179 patients were randomly selected for enrollment, and data related to their demographics, medical history, microbial isolation, administered antibiotics, and incidence of recurrent infections were collected. Results: Ciprofloxacin (38 %), Cefuroxime (26.8 %), and Nitrofurantoin (16.8 %) were the most prescribed antibiotics. The female population accounted for 87.3 % of UTI cases. Notably, 40.7 % lacked microbial growth or data. Inappropriateness was found in 55.3 % of selection, 27.9 % of dosing, and 38.5 % of treatment duration confined to antibiotics in UTI management. Moreover, complicated UTIs rather than duration and indication for antibiotic therapy were independent risk factors for the re-occurrence of UTIs. Conclusions: The study depicted an overall 44.7 % of appropriate antibiotic prescriptions in UTI patients. However, it also highlighted the necessity for tailored interventions and promotional efforts aimed at promoting the rational use of antibiotics in patients, thereby preventing resistance and treatment failure.

A wealth of data is available from electronic health records (EHR) that are collected as part of routine clinical care in hospitals worldwide. These rich, longitudinal data offer an attractive object of study for the field of circadian medicine, which aims to translate knowledge of circadian rhythms to improve patient health. This narrative review aims to discuss opportunities for EHR in studies of circadian medicine, highlight the methodological challenges, and provide recommendations for using these data to advance the field. In the existing literature, we find that data collected in real-world clinical settings have the potential to shed light on key questions in circadian medicine, including how 24-hour rhythms in clinical features are associated with-or even predictive of-health outcomes, whether the effect of medication or other clinical activities depend on time of day, and how circadian rhythms in physiology may influence clinical reference ranges or sampling protocols. However, optimal use of EHR to advance circadian medicine requires careful consideration of the limitations and sources of bias that are inherent to these data sources. In particular, time of day influences almost every interaction between a patient and the healthcare system, creating operational 24-hour patterns in the data that have little or nothing to do with biology. Addressing these challenges could help to expand the evidence base for the use of EHR in the field of circadian medicine.

Abstract Objectives Retraction of publications is critical to maintaining scientific integrity, yet there is a lack of research on its occurrence in Otolaryngology. This study investigates characteristics, trends, and reasons for retraction of publications in otolaryngology journals. Study Design Bibliometric analysis. Setting PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science. Methods A PubMed search for publications retracted during 1990 to 2022 from the top 60 journals with the subject “Otorhinolaryngology” using Scopus' CiteScore was performed. Publications were excluded if they were not in English, had missing information or did not have available abstracts or full‐text. Publication and retraction dates, journal, country of origin, citation counts, journal impact factor (JIF), topic, and reason for retraction were recorded. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated to identify potential associations in the data. Results Fifty‐three publications were included. The 2020s had the highest number of retractions per year (4.33), with publications being retracted on average, 35 months after initial publication. The most common retracted topic and country of origin were head and neck (26.4%) and China (17.0%), respectively. Most publications were retracted because of plagiarism or duplicate publication (52.8%). Mean citation count was 6.92 ± 8.32 and mean JIF was 2.80 ± 1.35. Citation count was positively associated with months until retraction (r = .432, P = .001). There was no significant correlation between months to retraction and JIF (r = .022, P = .878). Conclusion The most cited reasons for retraction were plagiarism and duplicate publication. An understanding of the reasons for retraction can better position journals to enforce more meticulous review standards and reduce such publications from being published. Level of Evidence Level 4.

Abstract Influenza epidemic data are seasonal in nature. Zero-inflation, zero-deflation, overdispersion, and underdispersion are frequently seen in such number of cases of disease (count) data. To explain these counts’ features, this paper introduces a flexible model for nonnegative integer-valued time series with a seasonal autoregressive structure. Some probabilistic properties of the model are discussed for general seasonal INAR(p) model and three estimation methods are used to estimate the model parameters for its special case seasonal INAR(1) model. The performance of the estimation procedures has been studied using simulation. The proposed model is applied to analyze weekly influenza data from the Breisgau- Hochschwarzwald county of Baden–Württemberg state, Germany. The empirical findings show that the suggested model performs better than existing models.

This study explores the impact of mind mapping on the writing of English as a Foreign Language [EFL] among Saudi learners and the bilateral effects of mind mapping and other writing processes. Little research has been devoted to the effect of electronic mind mapping as a mediating tool. Despite the cyclical nature of writing processes, the co-effect of mind mapping—electronic or manual (a pre-writing process)—and other writing processes have barely been examined in second language writing research. The study employed an experimental design with convenience sampling and qualitative data from interviews with the participants. The participants were divided into three groups according to the type of mind mapping used: manual, electronic, and control groups. The electronic and manual mind mapping groups outperformed the control group, and the electronic mind mapping group performed significantly better than the manual group. The findings revealed that both types of mind mapping had a positive impact on overall writing achievement. The participants’ responses to the interview questions clearly reflected that other writing processes changed the initial mind maps. It is hoped that the positive findings on the effects of mind mapping reported in this study will encourage EFL teachers to implement innovative min mapping techniques in order to raise EFL learners’ writing standards.

Abstract In this study, a versatile model, called $$\alpha$$ α -monotone inverse Weibull distribution ( $$\alpha$$ α IW), for lifetime of a component under stress is introduced by using the $$\alpha$$ α -monotone concept. The $$\alpha$$ α IW distribution is also expressed as a scale-mixture between the inverse Weibull distribution and uniform distribution on (0, 1). The $$\alpha$$ α IW distribution includes $$\alpha$$ α -monotone inverse exponential and $$\alpha$$ α -monotone inverse Rayleigh distributions as submodels and converenges to the inverse Weibull, inverse exponential, and inverse Rayleigh distributions as limiting cases. Also, slash Weibull, slash Rayleigh, and slash exponential distribuitons can be obtained under certain variable transformation and parameter settings. The $$\alpha$$ α IW distribution is characterized by its hazard rate function and characterizing conditions are provided as well. Maximum likelihood, maximum product of spacing, and least squares methods are used to estimate distribution parameters. A Monte-Carlo simulation study is conducted to compare the efficiencies of the considered estimation methods. In the application part, two practical data sets, Kevlar 49/epoxy and Kevlar 373/epoxy, are modeled via the $$\alpha$$ α IW distribution. Modeling performance of the $$\alpha$$ α IW distribution is compared with its rivals by means of some well-known goodness-of-fit statistics and results show that $$\alpha$$ α IW distribution performs better modeling than them. Results of comparison also indicate that obtaining the $$\alpha$$ α IW distribution by using the $$\alpha$$ α -monotone concept is cost effective since the new shape parameter added to the distribution by using the $$\alpha$$ α -monotone concept significantly increases the modeling capability of the IW distribution. As a result of this study, it is shown that the $$\alpha$$ α IW distribution can be an alternative to the well-known and recently-introduced distributions for modeling purposes.

Abstract The study aims to assess groundwater resources in Sinai's central area using remote sensing, geoelectric, and well-logging data, utilising techniques for modelling hydrogeological frameworks and evaluating desert regions' groundwater potential. Its utilized satellite image sources, soil maps, and geological maps to map the effects of various factors on groundwater potentiality recharge, dividing it into five zones. Eighteen deep VES stations were used to examine the upper part of the groundwater aquifer in Central Sinai, Egypt, comparing it with available borehole information (Well-1, and JICA-1) to establish subsurface geology and hydro-geology positioning. Borehole data, VES interpretation results, hydro-geophysical maps, and four geoelectrical cross-sections were used to visualize the rearward expansion of eight lithological units, groundwater-bearing sections, and aquifer-filled thicknesses. From interpretation data output reveal three zones with significant recharge and storage potential, including two groundwater aquifers. The shallow aquifer has a saturation thickness of the fractured limestone of 35–250 m, while the deep aquifer Nubian sandstone is detected at depths ranging from 660–1030 m. NW–SE and NE–SW faults likely recharge conduits connecting shallow and deep aquifers, providing sites with acceptable groundwater potential for living, agriculture, and development in Sinai.

Background The rising popularity of eggs as an alternative source of protein to meat has led to significant increase in egg consumption over the past decade. To meet the increasing demand for eggs, poultry farmers have used antibiotics to treat infections and, to some extent, promote growth and egg production in raising layer. However, the emergence and global spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria has now necessitated antibiotic-free poultry farming. As alternatives to antibiotics, prebiotics are feed additives that can be used to improve the growth and laying performance of poultry which positively impacts their performance and general health. In this study we evaluated the effect of lactulose, formulated as Vetelact, on body weight, egg production, egg quality, blood biochemical parameters and expression of genes associated with reproductive performance in laying hens. Results Vetelact supplementation improved egg weight, egg production as well as egg quality. Following Vetalact supplementation, the levels of total bilirubin, total protein, globulin and phosphorus were increased, while the activities of alkaline phosphatase and lipase enzymes were increased compared to control. Vetelact at 0.10 ml/kg body weight upregulated OCX-36, OVAL, CALB1, OC-116, OCX-32 and IL8 transcripts while downregulating the transcription of Gal-10, PENK and AvBD9. At this optimal inclusion rate of Vetalect, histomorphologic analyses of intestinal tissue showed increased villi length with more goblet cell distribution and obvious mucus covering a surface, increase in the depth of intestinal crypts produce digestive enzymes, as well as more developed muscle layer that promote improved nutrient absorption. Conclusion Vetelact at a dose of 0.10 ml/ kg body weight was effective in improving productive performance of laying hens. Adding lactulose (0.10 ml/ kg body weight) to layer diet is recommended to promote growth and improve egg laying performance in antibiotics-free poultry production.

This paper presents a multiple step-stress accelerated life test using type II censoring. Assuming that the lifetimes of the test item follow the gamma distribution, the maximum likelihood estimation and Bayesian approaches are used to estimate the distribution parameters. In the Bayesian approach, new parametrizations can lead to new prior distributions and can be a useful technique to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of Bayesian modeling, particularly when dealing with complex or high-dimensional models. Therefore, in this paper, we present two sets of prior distributions for the parameters of the accelerated test where one of them is based on the reparametrization of the other. The performance of the proposed prior distributions and maximum likelihood approach are investigated and compared by examining the summaries and frequentist coverage probabilities of intervals. We introduce the Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithms to generate samples from the posterior distributions in order to evaluate the estimators and intervals. Numerical simulations are conducted to examine the approach’s performance and one-sample lifetime data are presented to illustrate the proposed methodology.

This paper explores bimodal skew-symmetric distributions, a versatile family of distributions characterized by parameters that control asymmetry and kurtosis. These distributions encapsulate both symmetrical and well-known asymmetrical behaviors. A simulation study evaluates the model’s estimation accuracy, detailing the score function and the robustness of the observed information matrix, which is proven to be non-singular under specific conditions. We apply the bimodal skew-normal model to protein data from cancer cells, comparing its performance against four established distributions supported on the entire real line. Results indicate superior performance by the proposed model, underscoring its potential for enhancing analytical precision in biological research.

It is well known that there are many mathematical financial failure models that have been proposed in the financial literature for specific stock markets. Some researchers are not aware these mathematical models were constructed to be fitted for that market data, not for other markets. Iraq stock market exchange is one of these markets in which the researchers used imported models such as Kida, Sherrod, Altman, and others to predict financial failure. Therefore, the development of a financial failure warning model for banks has become very crucial for the Iraqi bank sector in the stock market exchange. Unfortunately, there is no clear information about the financial failure of Iraqi banks as a response variable, and the financial indicators contain outliers. The objective of this paper is to propose an algorithm to know the performance of efficient and inefficient banks based on their indicators during specific time periods. The output of this algorithm will be considered as response variables. Then, a weighted adaptive lasso logistic regression algorithm that has a high breakdown point is used to tackle outliers’ problem. Thirteen banks have been chosen as the most traded during the period (2010-2017), and for each bank (27) financial indicators were collected. Our proposed model is compared with adaptive lasso logistic regression by using Deviance, Misclassification, Area Under Curve, Mean Square Errors, and Mean Absolute Errors. Consequently, the results showed that the weighted Adaptive Lasso Logistic Regression model is more robust and relevant than others to be a financial model to warn of the failure of the banks in Iraq's stock market.

Samar Sindi,1,&ast; Norah Hamdi,1,2,&ast; Sabah Hassan,1,3 Magdah Ganash,1 Mona Alharbi,1 Najla Alburae,1 Sheren Azhari,1 Shadi Alkhayyat,4 Ayman Linjawi,5 Heba Alkhatabi,6,7 Aisha Elaimi,7,8 Ghadeer Alrefaei,9 Nouf Alsubhi,10 Aziza Alrafiah,7 Safiah Alhazmi1,3 1Department of Biological Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; 2Department of Biology, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia; 3Princess Dr. Najla Bint Saud Al-Saud Center for Excellence Research in Biotechnology, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; 4Department of Internal Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; 5Medical Reference Clinics, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; 6Hematology Research Unit (HRU), King Fahad Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; 7Department of Medical Laboratory Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; 8Centre of Excellence in Genomic Medicine Research, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; 9Department of Biology, University of Jeddah, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; 10Biological Sciences Department, College of Science & Arts, King Abdulaziz University, Rabigh, Saudi Arabia&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Aziza Alrafiah, Tel +966‐126401000 (ext. 23495), Fax +966‐126401000 (Ext. 21686), Email aalrafiah@kau.edu.saBackground: Breast cancer is one of the most common malignancies among women. Recent studies revealed that differentially methylated regions (DMRs) are implicated in regulating gene expression. The goal of this research was to determine which genes and pathways are dysregulated in breast cancer when their promoters are methylated in an abnormal way, leading to differential expression. Whole-genome bisulfite sequencing was applied to analyze DMRs for eight peripheral blood samples collected from five Saudi females diagnosed with stages I and II of breast cancer aligned with three normal females. Three of those patients and three normal samples were used to determine differentially expressed genes (DEG) using Illumina platform NovaSeq PE150.Results: Based on ontology (GO) and KEGG pathways, the analysis indicated that DMGs and DEG are closely related to associated processes, such as ubiquitin-protein transferase activity, ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis, and oxidative phosphorylation. The findings indicated a potentially significant association between global hypomethylation and breast cancer in Saudi patients. Our results revealed 81 differentially promoter-methylated and expressed genes. The most significant differentially methylated and expressed genes found in gene ontology (GO) are pumilio RNA binding family member 1 (PUM1) and zinc finger AN1-type containing 2B (ZFAND2B) also known as (AIRAPL).Conclusion: The essential outcomes of this study suggested that aberrant hypermethylation at crucial genes that have significant parts in the molecular pathways of breast cancer could be used as a potential prognostic biomarker for breast cancer.Keywords: breast cancer, DNA methylation, biomarker, differentially methylated regions, differentially expressed gene, whole-genome bisulfite sequencing

A flexible distribution has been introduced to handle random variables in the unit interval. This distribution is based on an exponential transformation of the truncated positive normal distribution with two parameters and can effectively fit data with varying degrees of skewness and kurtosis. Therefore, it presents an alternative for modeling this type of data. Several mathematical and statistical properties of this distribution have been derived, such as moments, hazard function, the Bonferroni curve, and entropy. Moreover, we investigate the characterizations of the proposed distribution based on its hazard function. Parameter estimation has been performed using both the maximum likelihood method and method of the moments. Because of this, we were able to determine the best critical region and the information matrix, facilitating the calculation of asymptotic confidence intervals. A simulation study is presented to analyze the behavior of the obtained estimators for different sample sizes. To demonstrate the suitability of the proposed distribution, applications and goodness-of-fit tests have been performed on two practical data sets.

Moments of order statistics (OSs) characterize the Weibull–geometric and half-logistic families of distributions, of which the extended exponential–geometric (EEG) distribution is a particular case. The EEG distribution is used to create the log-extended exponential–geometric (LEEG) distribution, which is bounded in the unit interval (0, 1). In addition to the generalized Stirling numbers of the first kind, a few years ago, the polylogarithm function and the Lerch transcendent function were used to determine the moments of order statistics of the LEEG distributions. As an application based on the L-moments, we expand the features of the LEEG distribution in this work. In terms of the Gauss hypergeometric function, this work presents the precise equations and recurrence relations for the single moments of OSs from the LEEG distribution. Along with recurrence relations between the expectations of function of two OSs from the LEEG distribution, it also displays the truncated and conditional distribution of the OSs. Additionally, we use the L-moments to estimate the parameters of the LEEG distribution. We further fit the LEEG distribution on three practical data sets from medical and environmental sciences areas. It is seen that the estimated parameters through L-moments of the OSs give a superior fit. We finally determine the correspondence between the entropies and the OSs.

The role of industrial lubricants in machinery is to reduce friction and wear between moving components. Due to the United Nations’ tendency to reduce dependency on fossil fuel, a general awareness is strongly driven towards developing more eco-friendly lubricants. Palm oil possesses promising properties, which promote it to be a competitive alternative to the hostile mineral oils. Still, marginal oxidation stability, viscosity, and tribological properties remain critical issues for performance improvement. This paper presents an improved palm grease using reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and zinc oxide (ZnO) nano-additives at different concentrations. Oil and grease samples were tested for viscosity, oxidation stability, pour point, penetration, roll stability, dropping point, churned grease-oil release, copper corrosion, friction, and wear. ZnO additives enhanced the oxidation stability by 60% and shifted the pour point to 6 °C. Adding ZnO and rGO to the palm grease increased the load-carrying capacity between 30% and 60%, respectively, and reduced the friction coefficient by up to 60%. From the wear scar morphologies, it is believed that graphene 2D nanoparticles formed absorption layers which contributed to the increase in load-carrying capacity, while ZnO chemically reacted with the metallic surface layer, forming zinc compounds that resulted in a protective boundary lubricating film.

Unit distributions, exhibiting inherent symmetrical properties, have been extensively studied across various fields. A significant challenge in these studies, particularly evident in parameter estimations, is the existence and uniqueness of estimators. Often, it is challenging to demonstrate the existence of a unique estimator. The major issue with maximum likelihood and other estimator-finding methods that use iterative methods is that they need an initial value to reach the solution. This dependency on initial values can lead to local extremes that fail to represent the global extremities, highlighting a lack of symmetry in solution robustness. This study applies a very simple, and unique, estimation method for unit Weibull and unit Burr XII distributions that both attain the global maximum value. Therefore, we can conclude that the findings from the obtained propositions demonstrate that both the maximum likelihood and graphical methods are symmetrically similar. In addition, three real-world data applications are made to show that the method works efficiently.

Entyposis frici Bezděk & Sehnal, sp. nov., from Somaliland is described and relevant diagnostic characters are illustrated. The new species is compared with the morphologically closely similar Entyposis Kolbe, 1894 species. An updated checklist and an identification key to northeastern African Entyposis species are provided.

Background Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), experienced in 10% to 20% of the population, has been associated with cardiovascular disease and death. However, the condition is heterogeneous and is prevalent in individuals having short and long sleep duration. We sought to clarify the relationship between sleep duration subtypes of EDS with cardiovascular outcomes, accounting for these subtypes. Methods and Results We defined 3 sleep duration subtypes of excessive daytime sleepiness: normal (6–9 hours), short (9 hours), and compared these with a nonsleepy, normal‐sleep‐duration reference group. We analyzed their associations with incident myocardial infarction (MI) and stroke using medical records of 355 901 UK Biobank participants and performed 2‐sample Mendelian randomization for each outcome. Compared with healthy sleep, long‐sleep EDS was associated with an 83% increased rate of MI (hazard ratio, 1.83 [95% CI, 1.21–2.77]) during 8.2‐year median follow‐up, adjusting for multiple health and sociodemographic factors. Mendelian randomization analysis provided supporting evidence of a causal role for a genetic long‐sleep EDS subtype in MI (inverse‐variance weighted β=1.995, P=0.001). In contrast, we did not find evidence that other subtypes of EDS were associated with incident MI or any associations with stroke (P>0.05). Conclusions Our study suggests the previous evidence linking EDS with increased cardiovascular disease risk may be primarily driven by the effect of its long‐sleep subtype on higher risk of MI. Underlying mechanisms remain to be investigated but may involve sleep irregularity and circadian disruption, suggesting a need for novel interventions in this population.

AbstractIn this paper, we propose a tractable Kumaraswamy Bell exponential (KwBE) distribution as a submodel of the Kumaraswamy Bell-G family of distributions. Several well-established properties are obtained for the KwBE distribution, such as the linear functional representation, [Formula: see text]th moment, incomplete moment, moment generating function using Wright generalized hyper-geometric function, conditional moment and Réyni entropy. Based on the KwBE model, a group acceptance sampling plan (GASP) for the truncated life test is presented using median life as a quality index. Moreover, the essential design parameters are derived by defining the consumer risk and the test termination duration. The comparative study of GASP with ordinary sampling plan (OSP) is performed. A simulation study is performed to highlight the behavior of the estimates. On the inferential side, the associated parameters are estimated using a well-established maximum likelihood estimation method. The detailed model’s comparison analysis, graphical as well as numerical evidence to real-data applications, supports the theoretical work.

A two-parameter unit distribution and its regression model plus its extension to 0 and 1 inflation is introduced and studied. The distribution is called the unit upper truncated Weibull (UUTW) distribution, while the inflated variant is called the 0−1 inflated unit upper truncated Weibull (ZOIUUTW) distribution. The UUTW distribution has an increasing and a J-shaped hazard rate function. The parameters of the proposed models are estimated by the method of maximum likelihood estimation. For the UUTW distribution, two practical examples involving household expenditure and maximum flood level data are used to show its flexibility and the proposed distribution demonstrates better fit tendencies than some of the competing unit distributions. Application of the proposed regression model demonstrates adequate capability in describing the real data set with better modeling proficiency than the existing competing models. Then, for the ZOIUUTW distribution, the CD34+ data involving cancer patients are analyzed to show the flexibility of the model in characterizing inflation at both endpoints of the unit interval.

BACKGROUND: Mental stigma occurs when patients with various mental disorders are labeled by their disorders. Little is known about the burden of mental stigma on patients with mental disorders. The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence of mental stigma on patients with psychiatric disorder in Saudi Arabia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted among previously diagnosed patients with any psychiatric disorder attending King Khalid Hospital, Abha, Saudi Arabia. The patients were interviewed with a sociodemographic questionnaire and a validated Arabic version of the Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness (ISMI-29) scale. Chi-square test and t-test were used to assess the association between various demographic characteristics and presence of stigma. RESULTS: The study included 489 patients with different psychiatric disorders. The mean age of the participants was 32.8 years and 54.6% were females. About 39% participants showed no to minimal internalized stigma, 37.4% of total sample had mild stigma, 20% had moderate stigma, and 3.7% had severe stigma. A signficantly higher proportion (71.4%) of widowed patients had stigma (P = 0.032). CONCLUSION: Self-stigma is prevalent among patients with psychiatric disorders in Abha, Saudi Arabia, but lower than the prevalence in developing countries. Marital status has a significant impact on the prevalence and severity of the self-stigma of patients. There is a need for awareness program to reduce self-stigma. Psychiatric institutions should also focus on promotion of patients' social life and increase patient's awareness of certain issues that could prevent stigma.

BACKGROUND: Rare bleeding disorder (RBDs) encompasses a deficiency of one or more of FXIII, FXI, FX, FVII, FV, FII, and FI clotting factors, leading to bleeding disorders with variable presentations and outcomes ranging from none or minimal to life-threatening events. RBDs are still underdiagnosed and underreported, especially in Saudi population with a high prevalence of consanguinity. OBJECTIVES: The study aimed to determine the frequency of RBDs, grading of their bleeding severity, and assessment of clinical manifestations and management of RBDs in tertiary Saudi Arabian hospitals. DESIGN AND SETTINGS: This retrospective study of RBDs describes the clinicopathological features of refereed cases to both Prince Sultan Military Medical City and King Khaled University Hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from September 2018 to September 2021. Any patient who had already been diagnosed or suspected to have RBDs was enrolled in the study. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patient's medical records were reviewed for demographic data, clinical presentations, bleeding and family history, consanguinity, treatment outcomes, and molecular testing. Samples were run in specialized coagulation laboratories. Patients with liver dysfunction or acquired factor deficiency were excluded. Patients were categorized into four groups according to the severity of bleeding episodes: asymptomatic, Grade I, Grade II, and Grade III. RESULTS: A total of 26 cases with RBDs were identified during the study period. Most of the included patients are males and pediatrics (

Purpose: To evaluate the use of Scheimpflug tomography in corneal densitometry (CD) in comparing the stages of keratoconic eyes. Methods: Keratoconic (KC) corneas (stages 1–3 classified according to the topographic parameters) were examined using the Scheimpflug tomographer (Pentacam, Oculus) using the CD software. CD was measured over three different depths (anterior stromal layer [120 μm], posterior stromal layer [60 μm], and middle stromal layer between these two layers), and concentric annular zones (0.0 to 2.0, 2.0 to 6.0, 6.0 to 10.0, and 10.0 to 12.0 mm diameter area). Results: The study participants were divided into three groups: keratoconus (KC) stage 1 (KC1) with 64 participants, keratoconus stage 2 (KC2) with 29 participants, and keratoconus stage 3 (KC3) with 36 participants. Comparing CD of all three layers (anterior, central, and posterior) of the cornea over different circular annuli (0–2, 2–6, 6–10, and 10–12 mm) revealed a significant difference in the 6–10 mm annulus between all groups and in all layers (P = 0.3, 0.2, and 0.2, respectively). Area under curve (AUC) was done. It revealed that the central layer showed the highest specificity (93.8%) in comparing KC1 and KC2, whereas CD in the anterior layer between KC2 and KC3 had the highest specificity (86.2%). Conclusion: CD showed increased values in the anterior corneal layer and in the annulus 6–10 mm more than other locations in all stages of KC.

Background: NAFLD is considered hepatic manifestation of metabolic syndrome, associated with multiple metabolic disturbances as diabetes and hyperlipidemia using Fibroscan as screening tool for steatosis and fibrosis in NAFLD patients. Objectives: The aim of this study is to elucidate the Correlation between Liver function test, Lipid Profile, Fibroscanin NAFLD. Patients and methods: this Prospective Cohort study conducted on 50 subjects with NAFLD and 15 Healthy subjects. Blood samples were obtained for liver function tests (ALT,AST, serum total bilirubin, serum direct bilirubin), lipogram, serology, fasting Blood glucose and HBA1c also abdominal ultrasonography and Fibrscan were done. Results: This study included 65persons that subdivided in to two groups 50 NAFLD patients and 15 healthy volunteer. With mean age of studied patients was 42 years and 32.3% were males and 67.7% were female. We found statistically significant higher values in NAFLD subjects as regard Diabetes mellitus, HBA1c and hypertension than in healthy subjects (p value .003, 0.001,0 .003) respectively. NAFLD subjects showed statistically moderately significant higher values as regard lab investigations (Triglycerides (TriGs), High density lipoprotein(HDL),ALT,AST, Direct bilirubin(Bili-D), Fasting blood glucose(FBG)), p value (.001) and show statistically significant lower value as regard cholesterol (p value = .004) compared to non NAFLD group. Regression analysis was done and revealed that fibroscan could predict the presence of NAFLD. Conclusion: there is strong relationship between liver function tests, lipid profile and fibroscan and diagnosis of NAFLD.

In the vast statistical literature, there are numerous probability distribution models that can model data from real-world phenomena. New probability models, nevertheless, are still required in order to represent data with various spread behaviors. It is a known fact that there is a great need for new models with limited support. In this study, a flexible probability model called the unit Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution, which can model data values in the unit interval, is derived by selecting the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution as a base-line model. The important characteristics of the derived distribution in terms of statistics and mathematics are investigated in detail in this study. Furthermore, the inference problem for the mentioned distribution is addressed from the perspectives of maximum likelihood, method of moments, least squares, and maximum product space, and different estimators are obtained for the unknown parameter of the distribution. The derived distribution outperforms competitive models according to different fit tests and information criteria in the applications performed on four actual air pollutant concentration data sets, indicating that it is an effective model for modeling air pollutant concentration data.

Count data consists of both observed and unobserved events. The analysis of count data often encounters overdispersion, where traditional Poisson models may not be adequate. In this paper, we introduce a tractable one-parameter mixed Poisson distribution, which combines the Poisson distribution with the improved second-degree Lindley distribution. This distribution, called the Poisson-improved second-degree Lindley distribution, is capable of effectively modeling standard count data with overdispersion. However, if the frequency of the unobserved events is unknown, the proposed distribution cannot be directly used to describe the events. To address this limitation, we propose a modification by truncating the distribution to zero. This results in a tractable zero-truncated distribution that encompasses all types of dispersions. Due to the unknown frequency of unobserved events, the population size as a whole becomes unknown and requires estimation. To estimate the population size, we develop a Horvitz–Thompson-like estimator utilizing truncated distribution. Both the untruncated and truncated distributions exhibit desirable statistical properties. The estimators for both distributions, as well as the population size, are asymptotically unbiased and consistent. The current study demonstrates that both the truncated and untruncated distributions adequately explain the considered medical datasets, which are the number of dicentric chromosomes after being exposed to different doses of radiation and the number of positive Salmonella. Moreover, the proposed population size estimator yields reliable estimates.

This paper presents a novel count time-series model, named integer-valued Split-BREAK process of the first order, abbr. INSB(1) model. This process is examined in terms of its basic stochastic properties, such as stationarity, mean, variance and correlation structure. In addition, the marginal distribution, over-dispersion and zero-inflation properties of the INSB(1) process are also examined. To estimate the unknown parameters of the INSB(1) process, an estimation procedure based on probability generating functions (PGFs) is proposed. For the obtained estimators, their asymptotic properties, as well as the appropriate simulation study, are examined. Finally, the INSB(1) process is applied in the dynamic analysis of some real-world series, namely, the numbers of serious traffic accidents in Serbia and forest fires in Greece.

Angiotensin II (Ang II) is a major component of the renin–angiotensin or renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system, which is the main element found to be involved in cardiopathology. Recently, long-term metabolomics studies have linked high levels of angiotensin plasma to inflammatory conditions such as coronary heart disease, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. Monocyte/macrophage cellular function and phenotype orchestrate the inflammatory response in various pathological conditions, most notably cardiometabolic disease. An activation of the Ang II system is usually associated with inflammation and cardiovascular disease; however, the direct effect on monocyte/macrophages has still not been well elucidated. Herein, we have evaluated the cellular effects of Ang II on THP-1-derived macrophages. Ang II stimulated the expression of markers involved in monocyte/macrophage cell differentiation (e.g., CD116), as well as adhesion, cell–cell interaction, chemotaxis, and phagocytosis (CD15, CD44, CD33, and CD49F). Yet, Ang II increased the expression of proinflammatory markers (HLA-DR, TNF-α, CD64, CD11c, and CD38) and decreased CD206 (mannose receptor), an M2 marker. Moreover, Ang II induced cytosolic calcium overload, increased reactive oxygen species, and arrested cells in the G1 phase. Most of these effects were induced via the angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R). Collectively, our results provide new evidence in support of the effect of Ang II in inflammation associated with cardiometabolic diseases.

BackgroundOver the last decade, health mobile apps have become an increasingly popular tool used by clinicians and researchers to track food consumption and exercise. However, many consumer apps lack the technological features for facilitating the capture of critical food timing details. ObjectiveThis study aimed to introduce users to 11 apps from US app stores that recorded both dietary intake and food timing to establish which one would be the most appropriate for clinical research. MethodsTo determine a viable app that recorded both dietary intake and food timing for use in a food timing–related clinical study, we evaluated the time stamp data, usability, privacy policies, the accuracy of nutrient estimates, and general features of 11 mobile apps for dietary assessment that were available on US app stores. The following apps were selected using a keyword search of related terms and reviewed: text entry apps—Cronometer, DiaryNutrition, DietDiary, FoodDiary, Macros, and MyPlate; image entry apps—FoodView and MealLogger; and text plus image entry apps—Bitesnap, myCircadianClock, and MyFitnessPal. ResultsOur primary goal was to identify apps that recorded food time stamps, which 8 (73%) of the 11 reviewed apps did. Of the 11 apps, only 4 (36%) allowed users to edit the time stamps. Next, we sought to evaluate the usability of the apps using the System Usability Scale across 2 days, and 82% (9/11) of the apps received favorable scores for usability. To enable use in research and clinical settings, the privacy policies of each app were systematically reviewed using common criteria, with 1 (9%) Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act–compliant app (Cronometer). Furthermore, protected health information was collected by 9 (82%) of the 11 apps. Finally, to assess the accuracy of the nutrient estimates generated by these apps, we selected 4 sample food items and a 3-day dietary record to input into each app. The caloric and macronutrient estimates of the apps were compared with the nutrient estimates provided by a registered dietitian using the Nutrition Data System for Research database. In terms of the 3-day food record, the apps were found to consistently underestimate daily calories and macronutrients compared with the Nutrition Data System for Research output. ConclusionsOverall, we found that the Bitesnap app provided flexible dietary and food timing functionality capable of being used in research and clinical settings, whereas most other apps lacked in the necessary food timing functionality or user privacy.

Treatment of severe cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is extremely important to minimize death and end-organ damage. Here we performed a proteomic analysis of plasma samples from mild, moderate and severe COVID-19 patients. Analysis revealed differentially expressed proteins and different therapeutic potential targets related to innate immune responses such as fetuin-A, tetranectin (TN) and paraoxonase-1 (PON1). Furthermore, protein changes in plasma showed dysregulation of complement and coagulation cascades in COVID-19 patients compared to healthy controls. In conclusion, our proteomics data suggested fetuin-A and TN as potential targets that might be used for diagnosis as well as signatures for a better understanding of the pathogenesis of COVID-19 disease.

INAR models have the great advantage of being able to capture the conditional distribution of a count time series based on their past observations, thus allowing it to be tailored to meet the unique characteristics of count data. This paper reviews the two-parameter Poisson extended exponential (PEE) distribution and its corresponding INAR(1) process. Then the INAR of order p (INAR(p)) model that incorporates PEE innovations is proposed, its statistical properties are presented, and its parameters are estimated using conditional least squares and conditional maximum likelihood estimation methods. Two practical data sets are analyzed and compared with competing INAR models in an effort to gauge the performance of the proposed model. It is found that the proposed model performs better than the competitors.

Distributions with bounded support show considerable sparsity over those with unbounded support, despite the fact that there are a number of real-world contexts where observations take values from a bounded range (proportions, percentages, and fractions are typical examples). For proportion modeling, a flexible family of two-parameter distribution functions associated with the exponential distribution is proposed here. The mathematical and statistical properties of the novel distribution are examined, including the quantiles, mode, moments, hazard rate function, and its characterization. The parameter estimation procedure using the maximum likelihood method is carried out, and applications to environmental and engineering data are also considered. To this end, various statistical tests are used, along with some other information criterion indicators to determine how well the model fits the data. The proposed model is found to be the most efficient plan in most cases for the datasets considered.

Abstract This work deals with the synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles/activated carbon (ZnO NPs/AC) nanocomposites with different weight ratios (3:1, 1:1, and 1:3), where the antimicrobial, antiviral, and cytotoxicity impact of the formulated nanocomposites were evaluated versus the crude ZnO and AC samples. The formula (3:1; designated Z3C1) exhibited the utmost bactericidal effect against Gram positive group, unicellular and filamentous fungi. Regarding Gram negative group, the sample (Z3C1) was remarkably effective against Klebsiella pneumonia, unlike the case of Escherichia coli. Moreover, the whole samples showed negligible cytotoxicity against the human WI38 cell line, where the most brutality (4%) was exerted by 1000 µg/mL of the formula (Z1C3). Whilst, the formula (Z3C1) exerted the apical inhibition impact against Herpes simplex (HSV1) virus. Consequently, the synthesized (Z3C1) nanocomposite was sorted out to be fully characterized via different physicochemical techniques including FTIR, XRD, SEM, TEM, Zeta potential, TGA, and BET. XRD indicated a predominance of the crystalline pattern of ZnO NPs over the amorphous AC, while the FTIR chart confirmed an immense combination between the ZnO NPs and AC. SEM, TEM, and size distribution images illustrated that the fabricated ZnO NPs/AC was in the nanoscale size swung from 30 to 70 nm. The distinctive surface area of composite material, recording 66.27 m2/g, clearly disclosed its bioactivity toward different bacterial, fungal, and virus species.

This study aimed to shed light on the use of mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) frass (TMF) in rabbit diets and its effects on growth performance, blood profiles, rabbit meat quality, and fatty acid profiles. A total of 48 Gabali rabbits were divided equally and randomly into four groups to be fed one of four dietary treatments: a control (T0) group and three TMF groups, which included TMF meal at 1 (T1), 2 (T2), and 3 (T3) %, respectively. The rabbits were fed on isonitrogenous and isoenergetic diets for 11 weeks, and the growth performance data were recorded. Six rabbits per group were slaughtered at the end of the 11th week, then the pharmacochemical parameters and carcass traits were measured, and meat quality and fatty acid profiles were analyzed. The results indicated that the growth performance of different groups was similar (P > 0.05). The levels of globulin, glucose, and alanine transaminase (ALT) were lower in the mealworm frass groups compared with the control group. Carcass traits were not affected by experimental regimes. Fat was higher in the TMF treatment groups, while moisture was lower compared with the control group. The shear force had a lower value in the treatment groups T3 and T2 compared with the control group. The highest values of redness and chroma (color parameter) of rabbit meat were observed in the treatment groups vs. the control group. Moreover, the proportion of total saturated fatty acids in the meat of rabbits that were fed on the T2 and T3 diets was higher compared to those fed on the control (i.e., T0) and T1 diets. Furthermore, the proportion of monounsaturated fatty acid was higher in the T2, T3, and T1 groups vs. T0 rabbits, whereas the PUFA proportions were lower. It could be concluded that frass has great potential to be used as a partial substitute for rabbit diets.

All active natural molecules are not fully exploited as therapeutic agents, causing delays in the advancement of anticancer drug discovery. Viridiflorol is a natural volatile element that may work as anti-cancer compound. We tested the anticancer properties of viridiflorol at different concentrations ranging from 0.03 to 300 μM in vitro on three cancer cells including breast (MCF-7), lung (A549) and brain (Daoy). The cancer cells responses were documented after treatment using MTT and Annexin V assays. Viridiflorol showed cytotoxic effects against all tested cell lines, reducing cell viability in a concentration-dependent manner with variable IC50 values. Daoy and A549 cell lines were more sensitive to viridiflorol when compared with temozolomide and doxorubicin, respectively. Viridiflorol demonstrated the highest anticancer activity against the Daoy cells with an estimated IC50 of 0.1 µM followed by MCF-7 at 10 µM, and A549 at 30 µM. In addition, upon exposure to concentrations ranging from 30 µM to 300 µM of viridiflorol, early and late apoptotic cell death was induced in a concentration dependent manner in Daoy (55.8%-72.1%), MCF-7 (36.2%-72.7%) and A459 (35%-98.9%) cell lines, respectively. In conclusion, viridiflorol demonstrates cytotoxic and apoptotic ability in three different cancer cell lines (brain, breast and lung).

Background and aim Pseudoexfoliation (PEX) syndrome is an age-related ocular disorder that is known to be linked with early development of cataract. Phacoemulsification, a cataract surgery, is thought to carry higher risk of complication in patients with PEX. This study aimed to evaluate the corneal endothelial cell changes before and after phacoemulsification in pseudoexfoliative patients relative to healthy adults. Patients and methods In total, 100 eyes of 100 patients were enrolled in this prospective nonrandomized study who were divided into two groups (PEX and non-PEX patients). All participants were subjected to ocular examination with specular microscopy before and after phacoemulsification. Data for corneal endothelial cell density (ECD), coefficient of variation (CV), and hexagonal cells were recorded before operation and at 1 week, 1 month, and 6 months postoperative. Results No significant difference was detected between the two studied groups regarding ECD, CV, and hexagonality either preoperatively or postoperatively at 1 week, 1 month, and 6 months. However, a significant difference between preoperative and postoperative data of ECD, CV, and hexagonality was detected in each group. Conclusion Despite the previous conviction that phacoemulsification surgery carries more risks in eyes with PEX, the results of this study prove that phacoemulsification is a safe choice in these eyes without a higher rate of postoperative complications.

Fatma A El Sherif,1 Hala Abdel-Ghaffar,2 Ahmed Othman,1 Sahar Mohamed,1 Mervat Omran,3 Samia Shouman,4 Nivin Hassan,5 Ayat Allam,6– 8 Sahar Hassan9 1Anesthesia, Intensive Care and Pain Management Department, South Egypt Cancer Institute, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt; 2Anesthesia and Intensive Care Department, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt; 3Cancer Biology Department (Pharmacology and Experimental Oncology), National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt; 4Cancer Biology Department, National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt; 5Cancer Biology Department (Pharmacology and Experimental Oncology), South Egypt Cancer Institute, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt; 6Pharmaceutics Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Assiut University, Assiut, 71515, Egypt; 7Pharmaceutics Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Sphinx University, New Assiut City, Egypt; 8Assiut International Center of Nanomedicine, AL-Rajhy Liver Hospital, Assiut University, Assiut, 71515, Egypt; 9Clinical Pharmacy Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Assiut University, Assiut, EgyptCorrespondence: Ahmed Othman Tel +20 1005098394Fax +20 88 2086609Email ahmadhothman@gmail.comBackground: Despite the growing interest in dexmedetomidine as an adjunct to truncal blocks, little is known about the systemic absorption of dexmedetomidine after these blocks and its role in analgesia and in hemodynamics.Objective: We investigated the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of dexmedetomidine as an adjunct to transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block in patients undergoing lower abdominal cancer surgery.Methods: Twenty-four adult patients were randomized to receive a bilateral single-injection TAP block before surgery with 20 mL of bupivacaine 0.5% (TAP group, n = 12) or combined with 1 μg/kg dexmedetomidine (TAP-DEX group, n = 12) and diluted with saline to a volume of 40 mL (20 mL on each side). Plasma concentrations of dexmedetomidine and its pharmacokinetics were investigated using non-compartmental methods, postoperative analgesia, hemodynamics, and adverse events (nausea, vomiting, itching, hypotension, bradycardia, and respiratory depression).Results: Dexmedetomidine was detected in the plasma of 11 patients in the TAP-DEX group. The mean dexmedetomidine peak plasma concentration (Cmax) was 0.158 ± 0.085 (range, 0.045– 0.31) ng/mL. The median time to reach peak plasma concentration of dexmedetomidine (Tmax) was 15 (15– 45) min. From 2 to 8 h postoperatively, visual analog pain scale (VAS) scores at rest and during movement were significantly lower in the TAP-DEX group. Analgesia time was (11.3 ± 3.12 vs 9.0 ± 4.69 h; P = 0.213) and postoperative morphine consumption was (7.4 ± 3.24 vs 11.5 ± 4.46 mg; P = 0.033) in TAP-DEX and TAP groups, respectively. Lower mean heart rate and mean blood pressure were recorded in the TAP-DEX group intraoperatively and 2 h postoperatively (P < 0.05). Except for mild nausea and vomiting, no adverse events were recorded in either group.Conclusion: Systemic absorption of dexmedetomidine administered in a TAP block is common. Direct central effects on the locus coeruleus caused by this systemic absorption may play a role in the analgesia and hemodynamic effects produced by TAP-dexmedetomidine in addition to local mechanisms.Trial Registration: ClinicalTrial.gov (identifier: NCT03328299).Keywords: analgesia, transversus abdominis plane block, dexmedetomidine, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics

Abstract Background Genetic and lifestyle factors have considerable effects on obesity and related diseases, yet their effects in a clinical cohort are unknown. This study in a patient biobank examined associations of a BMI polygenic risk score (PRS), and its interactions with lifestyle risk factors, with clinically measured BMI and clinical phenotypes. Methods The Mass General Brigham (MGB) Biobank is a hospital-based cohort with electronic health record, genetic, and lifestyle data. A PRS for obesity was generated using 97 genetic variants for BMI. An obesity lifestyle risk index using survey responses to obesogenic lifestyle risk factors (alcohol, education, exercise, sleep, smoking, and shift work) was used to dichotomize the cohort into high and low obesogenic index based on the population median. Height and weight were measured at a clinical visit. Multivariable linear cross-sectional associations of the PRS with BMI and interactions with the obesity lifestyle risk index were conducted. In phenome-wide association analyses (PheWAS), similar logistic models were conducted for 675 disease outcomes derived from billing codes. Results Thirty-three thousand five hundred eleven patients were analyzed (53.1% female; age 60.0 years; BMI 28.3 kg/m2), of which 17,040 completed the lifestyle survey (57.5% female; age: 60.2; BMI: 28.1 (6.2) kg/m2). Each standard deviation increment in the PRS was associated with 0.83 kg/m2 unit increase in BMI (95% confidence interval (CI) =0.76, 0.90). There was an interaction between the obesity PRS and obesity lifestyle risk index on BMI. The difference in BMI between those with a high and low obesogenic index was 3.18 kg/m2 in patients in the highest decile of PRS, whereas that difference was only 1.55 kg/m2 in patients in the lowest decile of PRS. In PheWAS, the obesity PRS was associated with 40 diseases spanning endocrine/metabolic, circulatory, and 8 other disease groups. No interactions were evident between the PRS and the index on disease outcomes. Conclusions In this hospital-based clinical biobank, obesity risk conferred by common genetic variants was associated with elevated BMI and this risk was attenuated by a healthier patient lifestyle. Continued consideration of the role of lifestyle in the context of genetic predisposition in healthcare settings is necessary to quantify the extent to which modifiable lifestyle risk factors may moderate genetic predisposition and inform clinical action to achieve personalized medicine.

This study focuses on the design of a robust PD gain-scheduling controller (PD-GS-C) for an unstable SISO (single-input, single-output) magnetic levitation system with two electromagnets (MLS2EM). Magnetic levitation systems offer various advantages, including friction-free, reliable, fast, and cost-effective operations. However, due to their unstable and highly nonlinear nature, these systems require sophisticated feedback control techniques to ensure optimal performance and functionality. To address these challenges, in this study, we derive the nonlinear state-space mathematical model of the MLS2EM and linearize it around five different operating points. The PD-GS-C controller aims to stabilize the system and improve steady-state control error. The strategy for obtaining the PD controller gains involves a parameter space technique, which specifies performance requirements. This technique results in ranges of proportional (KP) and derivative (KD) gains that are used by the PD-GS-C structure. To optimize the controller’s performance further, we utilize the big bang–big crunch optimization technique (BB-BC) to determine the optimal PD gains within the specified ranges. The optimization process focuses on achieving optimal performance in terms of a specific performance index function. This function quantifies the system’s time-domain step response criteria, which include minimizing overshoot percentage, settling time, and rising time. The index function is inversely proportional to the desired performance criteria, meaning that the goal is to maximize the index function to optimize the system’s performance. To validate the effectiveness and viability of the proposed strategy, we conducts MATLAB simulations and real-time experiments. The simulations and experimental findings serve to demonstrate the controller’s performance and verify its capabilities in stabilizing the MLS2EM magnetic levitation system.

Tomato cv. super strain B was widely cultivated in Saudi Arabia under drought stress. Illumina Hiseq-2000 was used to create the transcriptional profile of tomato cultivar super strain B. A total of 98,069 contigs were gathered, with an average length of 766 bp. Most of the genes in the gene ontology (GO) analysis were categorized into molecular function (MF) of ATP binding (1301 genes), metal ion binding (456 genes), protein kinase activity (392 genes), transferase activity (299 genes), Biological process (BP) of DNA-templated genes (366 genes), and regulation of transcription genes (209 genes), while cellular components (CC) of integral component of membrane (436 genes). The most dominant enzymes expressed were transferases (645 sequences). According to the KEGG pathway database, 15,638 transcripts were interpreted in 125 exclusive pathways. The major pathway groups were metabolic pathways (map01100, 315 genes) and biosynthesis of secondary metabolites (map01110, 188 genes). The total number of variants in the twelve chromosomes of super strain B compared with the tomato genome was 5284. The total number of potential SSRs was 5047 in 4806 unigenes. Trinucleotide repeats (3006, 59.5%) were the most found type in the transcriptome. A total of 4541 SNPs and 744 INDELs in tomato super strain B were identified when compared with the tomato genome.

Count data are encountered in real-life dealings. More understanding of such data and the extraction of important information about the data require some statistical analysis or modeling. One innovative technique to increase the modeling flexibility of well-known distributions is to use the convolution of random variables. This study examines the distribution that results from adding two independent random variables, one with the Bernoulli distribution and the other with the Poisson–Lindley distribution. The considered distribution is named as the two-parameter Bernoulli–Poisson–Lindley distribution. Many of its statistical properties are investigated, such as moments, survival and hazard rate functions, mode, dispersion behavior, mean deviation about the mean, and parameter inference based on the maximum likelihood method. To evaluate the effectiveness of the bias and mean square error of the produced estimates, a simulation exercise is carried out. Then, applications to two practical data sets are given. Finally, we construct a flexible count data regression model based on the proposed distribution with two practical examples.