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Abstract Background Hepatitis C infection is a common cause of liver diseases such as cirrhosis and liver carcinoma. This study aims to determine the clustering of HCV infection among family members of HCV-positive patients (index cases) and the association between internal and external risk factors and HCV infection among these family members. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted during a period from January to June 2024. One hundred and seventeen family members belonging to 26 index cases were enrolled in this study. Blood samples were collected from all family members, and then sera were separated and tested for anti-HCV antibodies by using a commercially available Cobas technique based on ECLIA. Results Among 117 family members, the majority 55.6% were females. The clustering of HCV infection among family members was 7.7%. The highest rates were 9.6% among males and 11.8% among members who were in close contact with female-positive cases, 12.8% in the age group 20–29 years, and 27.3% among brothers, but there were no HCV-positive cases detected among fathers, daughters, and husbands. There was a significant association between HCV infection and some behaviors of family members such as sharing the same sleeping places, nail clippers, and towels with index cases and exposure to cupping (p = 0.0001, 0.002, 0.017, and 0.050), respectively. Conclusion The HCV infection among family members in Aden, Yemen, was low in comparison with most studies globally. The highest rates were found among males, those in contact with female index cases, in the age group 20–29 years, and brothers as relatives, but there were no positive cases among fathers, husbands, daughters, and other relatives.

Abstract Introduction Depression disorders are one of the most widespread mental disorders among college students. In university students, depression has been associated with lower academic performance, worse work performance, and increased dropout risk. his study aims to assess the prevalence of depression and highlight risk factors among Saudi international university students (IUS) in the United States (US), the United Kingdom (UK), and Australia. Subject and methods This cross-sectional study was conducted among Saudi students who chose to study abroad. A self-administered online questionnaire was sent to the students using an online survey. The questionnaire includes socio-demographic data (e.g., age, gender, specialty, etc.), medical characteristics, social status, and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-8) to assess the student's depression. Results Of the 401 students, 52.4% were younger (age 18 – 25 years), and more than half were males (53.9%). Most of the participants were studying in the US (46.6%), followed by the UK (40.6%) and Australia (12.7%). The rate of major depression among Saudi students studying abroad was 40.4%. In univariate analysis, major depression was influenced by age, marital status, specialty, personal and family history of mental illness, contact with family and friends, and feeling like a stranger. However, after conducting multivariate regression analysis, previous diagnoses of mental illness and feeling a stranger were identified as the significant independent risk factors for major depression. Conclusion This study provides insights into the prevalence and risk factors associated with depression among Saudi IUS. The prevalence of major depression among Saudi IUS was 40.4%. Previous history of mental illness and feeling like strangers were identified as the most prominent risk factors in this study. Identifying the prevalence and contributing factors of depression can guide academic institutions and governments in the development of effective interventions and support for IUS’s mental well-being. Future research could diversify the sample and employ longitudinal designs.

Building and construction projects are associated with the country's internal and external conditions, which exposes them to risks throughout their lifespan; hence, the construction industry is one of the industries influencing the country's economy. Therefore, the study aims to identify and evaluate the risks associated with Egyptian building and construction sector conditions. Consequently, this study explained and examined the risk management concept and its emergence in construction projects, along with the five stages of risk management. On the other hand, the study analyzed and demonstrated the concept, characteristics, and significance of the construction industry, its influential role in development plans, the position of that industry in Egypt, and many other factors that hinder this pivotal industry. Therefore, the study investigated many previous studies to identify the most significant risks facing the Egyptian construction sector due to the lack of a fixed database of risks for all projects and classify them according to quality, cost, performance, and schedule. Finally, to assess the significance of these risks and rank them according to the occurrence probability, the hazard size, and the threat degree relative to the Egyptian building and construction industry. A field study was conducted through interviews and a questionnaire based on the Chi-Square test in light of the architectural, urban, and infrastructure projects Egypt is currently undertaking within Vision 2030. Consequently, it will facilitate dealing with, managing, and treating risks and reducing and preventing their consequences as a standardized database.

Abstract Time-based surveys often experience missing data due to several reasons, like non-response or data collection limitations. Imputation methods play an essential role in incorporating these missing values to secure the accuracy and reliability of the survey outcomes. This manuscript proposes some optimal class of memory type imputation methods for imputing missing data in time-based surveys by utilizing exponentially weighted moving average (EWMA) statistics. The insights into the optimal conditions for incorporating our proposed methods are provided. A comprehensive examination of the proposed method utilizing simulated and real-life datasets is conducted. Comparative analyses against the existing imputation methods exhibit the superior performance of our methods, particularly in the scenarios characterized by developing trends and dynamic response patterns. The outcomes highlight the effectiveness of utilizing EWMA statistics into memory type imputation methods, displaying their flexibility to changing survey dynamics.

Abstract Background Preoperative anxiety is commonly found in patients who are waiting for surgery and can lead to negative surgical outcomes. Understanding the sources of surgical anxiety allows healthcare providers to identify at-risk patients and implement psychosocial interventions such as counseling, relaxation techniques, and cognitive‒behavioral therapy to minimize anxiety. Few comprehensive psychiatric measures are available to assess preoperative anxiety in Arabic. Objective Our study aimed to translate, adapt, and validate the Surgical Anxiety Questionnaire (SAQ) into the modern standard Arabic language, also known as Fusha al-Asr Arabic. Methods To translate the questionnaire, the research team used the gold standard process of forward translation by two independent translators along with back translation evaluation by four trained medical doctors. A cross-sectional study was conducted using an online survey completed by 208 Arabic speakers (mean age 38 years, 44% women) from four countries. Psychometric analyses, which included internal consistency, test-retest reliability, convergent validity, confirmatory factor analysis, and item response analysis, were performed. Convergent validity tests were performed against the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 2-item Scale (GAD-2), Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-2), Perceived Stress Scale 4 (PSS-4), and Arabic version of the Visual Analog Scale for anxiety (VAS-A). Results The mean SAQ of our sample was 19.38 ± 12.63 (possible range 0–68). The Arabic SAQ translation demonstrated excellent internal consistency, with McDonald’s omega and a Cronbach’s alpha of approximately 0.90. The test-retest reliability was also high, with an intraclass coefficient of 0.94. The SAQ showed strong convergent validity against the GAD-2 (r = 0.94, p 0.90, RMSEA

Toxoplasma gondii, a ubiquitous zoonotic parasite infecting warm-blooded animals, poses a significant health threat to workers with occupational animal exposure (WOEA) due to their frequent contact with potential reservoirs. Existing data on T. gondii seroprevalence in the WOEA exhibits substantial global variation. This systematic review and meta-analysis, adhering to PRISMA guidelines, aimed to quantify the global seroprevalence of T. gondii infection among WOEA over the past five decades (1972–2023). We identified 66 eligible studies through a comprehensive search strategy encompassing English publications, with a total sample size of 15,279. A random-effects model with the Freeman-Tukey transformation in STATA v16.0 accounted for the high heterogeneity observed. We estimated the pooled global seroprevalence of T. gondii infection in WOEA at 41% (95% CI: 36–47%). Subgroup analyses revealed significant variations by gender: males (63%) vs. females (37%) (p

Abstract Background Dentigerous cysts, deemed of developmental origin, are benign odontogenic cysts characterized by a gradual growth rate. Their occurrence is twice as prevalent in men compared to women. These cysts are recognized as the most frequent developmental cysts affecting the jaws, with a typical manifestation in individuals aged 20 to 40, while infrequently identified in young children. Notably, dentigerous cysts have the potential to attain significant dimensions, resulting in painless enlargement of the jaw and subsequent deformation. Objectives To assess the clinicopathological features and management of ten years of experience with dentigerous cysts. Methods A challenging cases were reported from reviewed records of the patients who were treated by the surgical intervention of various dentigerous cysts throughout the period of ten years, 2012–2022 and only histologically confirmed cases were selected, at Ramadi Teaching Hospital in addition to Rashid, Razi, Zuhur Private Hospitals and private clinics in Iraq. Results 76 patients were included in this clinicopathological research. The highest age group affected was ≤ 18 years (68.4%), 54% were male, the mandible was more affected (63.1%) than the maxilla (36.9%). Marsupialization was applied to 30.3% of the cases, while enucleation was carried out in 69.7%. Conclusions The significance of meticulous examination of radiographs and the consequences associated with undetected and untreated ailments is affirmed by this case study. A comprehensive understanding of oral pathology serves as a valuable resource for dentists, facilitating accurate diagnosis, appropriate referrals, and the provision of anticipatory guidance to patients striving to achieve optimal oral health across various age groups.

Abstract This article aims to suggest an improved estimator for estimation of population median using auxiliary information under simple random sampling. The expression for the bias and mean square error are obtained up to first order approximation. We determine the MLE of the optimal values of the describing scalars. The proficiency of the suggested estimator is evaluated in comparison to the preliminary estimators using the MSE threshold. The suggested estimators are compared numerically to the ones that are currently studied in this study. The performance and novelty of the estimators was evaluated using real data sets and a simulation study. To check the efficiency of estimators empirical and theoretical study has been studied. Based on numerical result it is to be noted that our suggested estimator is more efficient as compared to existing estimators which is considered in this article in terms of least MSE and greater PRE.

Background: Chest X-rays are routinely requested for almost all preoperative patients in our local hospitals, regardless of their medical history, clinical examination, or clear indications. This practice is often justified by the belief that it can help stratify risk, guide anesthetic choices, or influence postoperative management. However, this high demand for chest X-rays places an excessive burden on healthcare system resources, increases exposure to ionizing radiation, and elevates the risk of false-positive findings.Objective: it is to assess the prevalence of incidental findings on preoperative chest X-rays in our city and their impact on surgical decision-making.Methods: This cross-sectional observational study included 260 patients admitted for elective non-cardiopulmonary surgery who underwent preoperative chest X-rays. We systematically analyzed each chest X-ray for abnormalities and classified them as either normal or abnormal. We also determined the consequences of these findings on the intended surgery (proceed to surgery, specialist referral before surgery without postponing the operation, or postponing the surgery).Results: Out of the total chest X-rays included in the study, 229 (88.1%) were reported as normal, and only 31 (11.9%) showed abnormalities. When assessing the impact on the decision to proceed with surgery, 257 (98.8%) of the patients underwent surgery without delay. For those with abnormal chest X-rays, they received specialist consultations without postponing their intended surgery. Only 3 patients (1.2%) experienced delayed surgery, and none of them had significant lung field abnormalities on their chest X-rays. The delays were attributed to other reasons.Conclusion: The use of chest X-rays should be justified on a case-by-case basis and limited to indicated patients based on thorough medical history and clinical examination, in alignment with published international guidelines. This approach will increase the efficacy of the healthcare system, reduce unnecessary costs, and ultimately enhance the safety and benefit for the patient.

يهدف هذا البحث دراسة العلاقة بين النظام النحوي والإبداع الشعري عند الشاعر ابن مشرف الأحسائي. ويسلط الضوء على شاعر لم يحظ بالدراسات الكافية، وتبرز كيفية توظيف الشاعر للقواعد النحوية لخدمة المعاني والانسجام الموسيقي في قصائده؛ لاستكشاف كيفية توظيف ابن مشرف للنظام النحوي في شعره بما يتماشى مع الإيقاع الشعري والقافية، وتحليل بعض الظواهر اللغوية التي استخدمها الشاعر لإثراء نصوصه، مع التركيز على التداخل بين النحو والشعر؛ لتحقيق التعبير الأدبي. وتم اختيار نماذج محددة من شعر ابن مشرف. وتم التركيز على أهمية القافية في شعره، وكيفية توظيفها لخدمة الوزن والإيقاع، مع المرونة في استخدام التقديم والتأخير والتركيب النحوي. وأثبتت الدراسة أن ابن مشرف شاعر ذو براعة لغوية استثنائية، إذ يستخدم النحو العربي بشكل مرن يتناسب مع متطلبات النص الشعري. وأكدت الدراسة أن الظواهر النحوية في شعر ابن مشرف لم تكن أخطاء أو تجاوزات، بل كانت ضرورة شعرية مقصودة تهدف لتحقيق دلالات محددة، سواء أكانت موسيقية أم نصية. وأظهرت الدراسة أن الشاعر لم يلتزم دائما بالقاعدة النحوية، ولكنه استخدم تلك الخروقات بمهارة لتحقيق أهداف موسيقية أو معنوية.

Background: Erectile dysfunction (ED) and sex hormone profile disturbances are common in ESRD patients. Objective: To assess the effect of kidney transplant (KT) and Hemodialysis/peritoneal dialysis (HD/PD) on the serum sex hormone profile and sexual functions in ESRD patients with ED. Patients and methods: A single-center, nonconcurrent cohort study included a hundred ESRD patients with ED, on regular HD/PD (group A, n = 50) and after KT (group B, n = 50) at Armed Forces Hospitals Southern Region, KSA. Results: the mean age of patients was 47.3 ± 7.01 and 56.8 ± 9.6 years in groups A and B, respectively. The cohorts were comparable regarding patient demographics, apart from a higher incidence of comorbidities in group B. After KT the mean testosterone level was higher in Group B (13.64 ± 3.21 nmol/L vs 10.26 ± 3.26 nmol/L, p < 0.001). Similarly, LH and prolactin levels were lower in group B than in group A (p < 0.05). As regards sexual function, ED was reported in 92% of patients in group A compared to 42% in group B (p < 0.001). In groups A and B, mild ED was found in 48% and 14% of patients, while moderate ED was found in 16% and 8%, respectively. The mean total IIEF-15 score was 36.42 ± 9.33 and 43.87 ± 9.146 in groups A and B, respectively (p = 0.0001). Sexual desire and orgasm were significantly better in Group B. Conclusions: Our study showed that kidney transplantation could improve erectile function and restore normal sex hormone levels in ESRD male patients with ED, with better outcomes compared to HD/PD.

Feature selection is a major challenge in data mining which involves complex searching procedure to acquire relevant feature subset. The effectiveness of classification approaches is greatly susceptible to data dimensionality. The Higher dimensionality intricate numerous problems like higher computational costs and over fitting problem. The essential key factor to mitigate the problem is feature selection. The main motive is to minimize the number of features through eliminating noisy, insignificant, and redundant features from the original data. The Metaheuristic algorithm attains excellent performance for solving this kind of problems. In this paper, the grading based binary salp swarm optimization has been proposed to solve various complex problems with lesser computational time. The grading system has been used to maintain the balance among exploitation and exploration. The proposed method is examined using ten benchmark real datasets. The comparative result exhibits the promising performance of our proposed method and surpasses with other optimization interms of investigating evaluation measures.

Introduction Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of key therapies in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are often presented and available as abstracts for significant periods of time prior to full publication, often being employed to make strategic and clinical prescribing decisions. We compared the concordance of prepublication abstract-only reports and their respective full-text manuscripts.Methods Pairs of full-text manuscripts and their respective prepublication abstract-only reports for the same RCT outcomes, at the same time point of analysis were included. The RCTs were on treatments for IBD with full-text manuscripts published between 2010 and 2023.Results We found 77 pairs of full-text manuscripts and their prepublication abstract-only reports. There were significant mismatches in the reporting of stated planned outcomes (65/77 matched, p

We describe our findings in a child with a vein of Galen malformation, in whom the right superior caval and the azygos veins drained into the roof of the morphologically left atrium. A persistent left superior caval vein drained into the morphologically right atrium through the coronary sinus. The additional presence of dual brachiocephalic veins permitted the deployment of a multifunctional ventricular septal defect occluder device to occlude the right superior caval vein, correcting the right-to-left shunt. This also prevented azygos venous drainage into the left atrium.

AbstractResearch on camel milk and urine (CMUR) has gained significant attention because of its nutritional and medicinal applications. The aim of this study was to conduct a bibliometric analysis of the CMUR from 1947 to 2023. Following PRISMA rules, the Scopus database was used to extract 1338 English-language studies, which were analyzed using Scopus Analytics, Bibliometrix, and VOSviewer. The findings indicated that 7.78% of studies focused on camel urine within the CMUR domain. The analysis showed a steady increase in the number of publications over 77 years (R-squared = 0.8308). The CMUR encompasses a wide range of research disciplines, with particular emphasis on the agricultural and medical fields. Saudi Arabia is the top producer of CMUR, with the Journal of Camel Practice and Research being the most prolific source. King Saud University contributed 103 documents to the CMUR, making it the most prolific institution globally. The co-word analysis identified seven prominent research themes within the CMUR, which can be further categorized into four distinct clusters. Notably, ‘Probiotics’, ‘Anti-inflammatory’, and ‘Diabetes’ emerged as trending subjects. The analysis of the CMUR yielded significant insights into the present research trends, identified gaps in the existing knowledge, and provided valuable recommendations for future investigations.

Türkiye possesses abundant geothermal resources. It is ranked seventh globally for this particular energy resources and grade among the first 5 in utilizing geothermal and thermal springs for various purposes such as electricity generation, residential cooling and heating, greenhouse operations, desiccating processes, thermal recreation, therapeutic applications, mining, agricultural uses, and aquaculture. The government's endorsement from renewable power sources is fueling growing interest on this particular energy sector. This article provides a comprehensive analysis of geothermal energy in select locations of Türkiye, including an assessment of its potential and various applications. The study seeks to provide a valuable involvement to the future advancements of a geothermal technology on Türkiye.

This article presents a generalized novel iterative technique for obtaining the approximate solution of systems of linear equations(ABBT0)(xy)=(pq). Parameters involved in the scheme play a vital role to obtain the rapid and best approximate solution. The technique is applied to some important problems and the results are presented in detail. The article compares the effectiveness of the new presented iterative scheme with modified SOR-like method, generalized SOR and SOR-like method for solving large systems of linear equations. The convergence criteria for the iterative scheme are also analysed and it can be observed in the article that the theoretical derivation is supported by numerical calculations and graphical exhibition. Overall, the article provides a new and effective method with a detailed analysis of its performance and convergence criteria for solving systems of linear equations of the form presented. The newly derived technique has potential applications in various fields of science and engineering where systems of linear equations arise and need to be solved.

Given the escalating apprehensions regarding climate change and environmental risks, the construction industry is confronted with the crucial task of guaranteeing the enduring structural robustness of buildings. Building Information Modeling (BIM) has emerged as an innovative tool to tackle these challenges effectively and enhance the performance of building structures processes by developing intelligent and sustainable structures. A comprehensive methodology was utilized to assess the relationships between the BIM factors and their impacts on smart and sustainable structure development by conducting a literature overview, quantitative analysis, exploratory factorial analysis (EFA), structural equation modeling (SEM), and predictive relevance findings. The findings show positive correlations between the implementation of BIM and the elements integral to smart and sustainable structure development. This study investigates the effects of BIM-driven environmental risk assessment, BIM-enabled energy efficiency, environmental performance, climate change adaptation strategies with BIM, and real-time monitoring and maintenance on the effectiveness of smart and sustainable structures development. The BIM-driven environmental risk assessment significantly impacts the sustainable and smart structures development with B = 0.360, followed by the real-time monitoring and maintenance with BIM with 0.316. This study provides the contemporary knowledge base by providing insights into BIM's transformative abilities in shifting sustainable and smart construction practices. The outcomes offer widespread insights to enterprise specialists interested in enhancing task effects and organizing sustainable and environmentally aware built surroundings. The growing popularity of BIM has implications for the future growth of the construction industry in phrases of ecologically smart and sustainable structure development.

تم في هذا البحث تقديم خصائص جديدة لتوسيع لتوزيع معكوس ويبل وهو من التوزيعات المستمرة وذلك عن طريق تركيب توزيع معكوس ويبل Inverse Weibull Distribution مع عائلة مارشال اولكين ويبل The Marshal Olkin Weibull H- Family للحصول على التوزيع الجديد ويطلق عليه توزيع مارشال اولكين ويبل معكوس ويبل Marshal Olkin Weibull Inverse Weibull Distribution ونرمز له بالرمز (MOWIW). وكذلك نقوم بدراسة بعض الخصائص الإحصائية والدوال مثل، دالة (البقاء)، ودالة (الخطر)، الإحصاءات المرتبة، ريني انتروبي، ثم بعد ذلك يتم عرض بعض الرسوم البيانية لبعض للدوال مثال ذلك (التوزيع التراكمي والكثافة الاحتمالية والبقاء والخطر) وكذلك باستخدام طريقة الأماكن الأعظم MLE يتمَّ تقدير المعالم المجهولة للتوزيع الجديد. وقد تم استخدام المحاكاة والتي هي من التقنيات الرقمية التي يمكن اجراء التجارب من خلال الكومبيوتر بحيث تتضمن هذه التقنية عدد من النماذج الرياضية وإن هذه النماذج الرياضية تصف سلوك أو نظام عمل معقد بفترة زمنية محددة أو معينة، لغرض الحصول على توزيعات تتميز بمرونة عالية. ويمكن وصفها بشكل آخر بأن عملية المحاكاة هي تقليد للواقع الحقيقي من خلال وصف الواقع بنماذج معينة بحيث إن هذه النماذج تكون مشابهة للواقع لتحقيق فهم أكبر قدر ممكن لهذا الواقع الحقيقي. وإن من أهم ما تتميز بها المحاكاة وهي تكرار التجربة لعدة مرات وبحجوم عينات مختلفة عن طريق تغيير المدخلات وإن هذه العينات التي يتمَّ توليدها تكون مستقلة.

Summary:. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease that occurs due to gluten intolerance. The prevalence of breast cancer among celiac disease patients is the same as in the general population. It is of note that breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women. Following mastectomy, these patients visit plastic surgeons for breast reconstruction. Based on various factors, autologous reconstruction using abdominal-based flaps is the best option. Patients with celiac disease have a high incidence of thromboembolic disorders, which may prevent plastic surgeons from doing breast reconstruction with free flaps. We present a case of a patient with celiac disease who underwent a free flap for breast reconstruction with an uneventful course after using our routine postoperative protocol. This case report highlights that patients with celiac disease cannot be denied the option of breast reconstruction with free flaps.