Initial experience with Scepter Mini dual lumen balloon for embolization of cerebrovascular diseases

Objective@#Endovascular treatment of cerebrovascular diseases is often challenging due to small caliber, tortuous distal vessels. Several devices and techniques have evolved to overcome these challenges. Recently, a low profile dual lumen microballoon catheter, specifically designed for distal navigation is employed for neurovascular procedures. Due to its recent advent, scarce data is available on clinical utility and safety of Scepter Mini. The aim of this case series is to report our initial experience with Scepter Mini in the management of various cerebrovascular diseases. @*Methods@#All interventional neurovascular cases performed using Scepter Mini between January 2020 till April 2021 were included. Data regarding patient demographics, procedural details and complications was retrospectively collected from patient’s electronic medical record and procedure reports. @*Results@#Total twelve embolization procedures were performed in eleven patients, including six brain arteriovenous malformation, two dural arteriovenous fistula, one vein of Galen malformation and three hyper-vascular glomus tumor embolizations. All procedures were successfully performed with adequate penetration of the embolic agent. Complete embolization was performed in six procedures, while intended partial embolization was performed in the rest of procedures. Scepter Mini was solely used in ten procedures, however in the other two embolization procedures it was used as an additional conjunct tool to complete the intended embolization. No balloon related complication was observed in any procedure. @*Conclusions@#Scepter Mini dual lumen microballoon catheter is safe and feasible for delivery of liquid embolic agents for cerebrovascular embolization procedures.

Evaluating the responses of some wheat landraces and cultivars cultivated locally in Saudi Arabia to three sources of irrigation water

This study was aimed to investigate the response of some wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) landraces to three irrigation sources, freshwater (FW), well water (WW), and treated municipal wastewater (TMW), regarding the impact on growth, yield, and grains elements contents. The results showed that the various wheat landraces irrigated with treated wastewater were significantly taller (117.3 cm) with multi tillers (22 tiller plant-1), had maximum spikes per plant (2.6), and longer weighty spikes (14.5 cm & 12.1 g). Landraces L1(Burr), L2 (Baldy Burr), C7 (Yecora Rojo), had maximum tillers, L4 (Alssamaa Burr), L5 (Bahaal Burr), L7 (Yecora Rojo) had more spikes per plant and the longer weighty spikes were recorded in L5 Baldy Burr, L1(Burr), heavy spikes were reported in L5 (Bahaal Burr) and L1(Burr). Moreover, these landraces had the highest yield per plant and 1000 grains weight (49.8 g, 12.5 g) respectively. The N, P, K, and Mg contents were increased under TMW, and their levels in landraces and cultivars in order are 3>L2>L4>L5>L1>C6>C7. Even Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn levels were higher in various landraces irrigated with TMW, however, L3, L2, and L4 had maximum contents of all microelements. TMW irrigation enhanced growth, yield, and grain quality in terms of essential elements. The irrigation of landraces L1, L4, L5 with TMW may be a feasible alternative for sustainable wheat production and safe water in arid regions such as Saudi Arabia.

Anti-hyperglycemic and anti-hypercholesterolemic activity of Schouwia schimperi in glucose loaded and streptozotocin induced diabetic rats

Background: Diabetes mellitus has assumed epidemic proportion, its incidence is continuously increasing although of that estimates are imprecise, only providing a rough picture, and probably underestimate the disease burden. There were about 150 million cases estimated in the year 2000 which rose to 422 million people worldwide in 2020 according to the World Health Organization statistics. Medicinal plants such as Schouwia schimperi are one of many traditional treatments used in folk medicine by the people of Eastern Sudan for diabetes mellitus but have not been studied or evaluated scientifically. Aims and Objectives: This study evaluates the hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effect of S. schimperi ethanol extract and compares it with standard glibenclamide in glucose loaded rats and streptozotocin induced diabetic rats. Materials and Methods: Diabetes mellitus was experimentally induced in rats by subcutaneous injection of streptozotocin at a dose of 60 mg/kg. S. schimperi ethanol extract was given orally at doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg and compared with control (2 ml distilled water) and standard (Glibenclamide 10 mg/kg). The same doses were given to glucose loaded diabetic rats as a model for type 2 diabetes mellitus. Results: The 200 mg/kg dose significantly lowered the plasma glucose levels in glucose loaded rats by 31% 2 h after the glucose load (P < 0.05) and by 68% in comparison to the negative control, the 400 mg/kg dose reduced plasma glucose levels by 33% in comparison to negative control (P < 0.05). Reductions in plasma glucose levels were 33.12% and 12.34% after 4 h of the glucose load for the 200 mg/kg and the 400 mg/kg doses respectively. In streptozotocin diabetic rats no significant reductions in plasma glucose levels were seen. However, strong hypocholesterolemic effect was seen after 3 h for both of the 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg doses by 85.4% (P < 0.05) and 88.2% (P < 0.05), respectively, and by 89.97% (P < 0.001) and 90.6% (P < 0.001) respectively 6 h after oral administration. Conclusion: Our study concludes that S. schimperi extract has a favorable effect in reducing plasma glucose in glucose loaded rats and excellent hypolipidemic effects.

Factors associated with the helmet use among motorcycle drivers in District IV, Quezon City

Background@#In the Philippines, 34 Filipinos are killed daily due to road injuries. Of the reported road traffic fatalities, 25% in the world, 34% in South East Asia, and 53% in the Philippines are riders of motorized two- or three-wheeled vehicles. @*Objectives@#Considering that motorcycle drivers are most affected by road-related injuries in Metro Manila, this study aimed to determine the prevalence of helmet use, identify the factors affecting the intent to use helmets, and determine the factors associated with consistent helmet use among motorcycle drivers in District IV, Quezon City. @*Methods@#Eight barangays were included in the sample and respondents were chosen through systematic random sampling. @*Results@#A self-administered questionnaire was used. There were 421 respondents with a prevalence for consistent helmet-use of 67.46% (CI 95%: 62.81-71.78). It was found that the aggregate belief score was associated with the intention to use helmets. Meanwhile, every unit increase in knowledge score increased the odds of consistent helmet use by 1.21 (95% CI: 1.06-1.37). In addition, those with intention were 7.48 times more likely to consistently wear helmets than those who do not (95% CI: 2.80- 19.97). @*Conclusion@#Various sub-factors such as experience, formal driving education, perceived behavioral control, benefits, and ergonomic barriers may have contributed to the result; however, further studies are needed to establish these relationships.

Assessment of knowledge, attitude and practice on family planning among women of reproductive age at hospitals and clinic centers in the rural Western Sierra Leone

Informed decisions about one's sexual and reproductive health can be made through family planning. Women of reproductive age in rural Sierra Leone's Western area were asked to participate in a survey to determine their attitudes and knowledge toward family planning and the use of contraceptives. A descriptive cross-sectional study survey was conducted in the Western Area Rural of Sierra Leone. Females in the range of 15 to 49 years old were included in the study. The research was conducted from November 2021 to December 2021. Using a pre-designed and pretested questionnaire, 180 women were assessed for their knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding family planning. According to the study, all participants knew about family planning, but only 68.3% had used contraceptives. There were more than half who learned about it from the media. The study found that 95% of participants had a positive attitude towards contraceptives. Most commonly, contraceptives used were oral pills (31.6), injections (21.1%), implants (19.1%), lactational amenorrhea (13.8%), condoms (8.8%), and intrauterine devices (5%). In our study, the most common reasons given by participants for not using contraceptives were; not willing to disclose 52.6%, a desire for a child 19.2%, fear of side effects 15.7%, currently pregnant 8.7%, and against religious beliefs 3.5%. The study shows that even if people are aware and educated about contraceptives, they may not use them. Educating and motivating people and improving access to family planning services are still necessary to improve the effectiveness and appropriateness of contraceptive use and halt the population growth trend. (Afr J Reprod Health 2022; 26 [6]:15-21).

Clinical neglect of aspergillosis in pulmonary tuberculosis co-infection: a case report of avoidable mortality in a resource-constrained setting

Background: Pulmonary aspergillosis (PA) is common among patients with tuberculosis (TB). With both infections presenting with similar clinical and radiologic features, diagnosis of PA is often made too late or missed completely due to lack of clinical suspicion and poor diagnostic laboratory capacity for mycotic infections prevalent in our settings. We present a case of preventable mortality caused by delayed diagnosis and treatment of PA in a patient with pulmonary TB (PTB). Case presentation: A 13-year-old female was diagnosed and treated for PTB, having received anti-TB regimen for 8 months in a mission hospital from where she was referred due to worsening cough, chest pain and progressive breathlessness. The patient was re-assessed and investigated, with GeneXpert detecting Mycobacterium tuberculosis, susceptible to rifampicin. Diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis complicated by right pneumothorax was made indicating an emergency thoracotomy and chest tube insertion and continuation of the first line anti-TB regimen. At about 2 weeks into admission, patients had features of superimposed acute bacterial sepsis with fever becoming high grade, marked neutrophilia with toxic granulation and elevated sepsis biomarker, and this necessitated empiric antibiotic treatment with parenteral meropenem and vancomycin. However, the patient only had mild clinical improvement following which there was progressively worsening respiratory symptoms and massive haemoptysis. Result of sputum fungal study was available on admission day 20 and revealed a growth of Aspergillus flavus. Treatment with intravenous voriconazole was however commenced rather late when the fungal respiratory disease could no longer be remedied. The patient died on admission day 23. Conclusion: Diagnosis of PA in patients with background TB is often made too late to guarantee timely and effective antifungal treatment with negative consequences on patients' outcomes. Improving clinical and laboratory capacities is essential to reducing mortality from PA in healthcare facilities.

Acute Myocardial Infarction Patients’ Knowledge Regarding the Modifiable Risk Factors of Heart Disease

Background: Acute myocardial infarction (heart attack) is a condition of the heart that occurs when blood flowto the heart muscles is stopped abruptly. The disruption in blood flow to the heart muscles is usually caused by ablockage of one or several coronary arteries. Heart attacks can be fatal owing to the critical functions performedby blood in the heart. Fatalities arising from heart attacks are witnessed all over the world. The difference infatality rates of heart attacks is highly dependent on the exposure to risk factors such as smoking and obesity.Healthy living populations will rarely encounter high cases of a heart attack. This study was set out to assess anddocument the knowledge level of acute myocardial infarction patients regarding the modifiable risk factors of aheart attack in Saudi Arabia. Patients suffering from a heart attack are at great danger of fatality. Knowledge ofmodifiable factors can promote healthy living habits and behaviors among them. Methods: A cross-sectionalsurvey was developed to assess knowledge levels of acute myocardial infarction patients in the three cities ofRiyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam. A total of 123 participants were recruited through convenient sampling across15 hospitals in the cities. The eligibility criteria for recruitment included a mandatory age of 18 years and SaudiArabian citizenship. Participants were issued with questionnaires containing different questions on modifiablerisk factors (fatty foods, vegetables, fruits, smoking, physical exercise, and obesity). Results: Five out of the sixmodifiable factors represented knowledge levels of less than 50%. Participants were only knowledgeable on therisk factor of obesity which saw 52.8% associating it with a heart attack. Conclusion: There is a need to boosteducation and awareness among acute myocardial infarction patients in Saudi Arabia.

Knowledge, attitude, and practices towards diabetes mellitus among non-diabetes community members of Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Background: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is in the midst of a diabetes mellitus (DM) epidemic whose originscan be traced to (a) the widespread adoption of the Western diet that is high in sugar, (b) an increase in sedentaryactivity, and (c) ignorance of the importance of DM. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to quantifyvarious aspects of (a) knowledge, (b) attitudes, and (c) practice relating to DM. Methods: The three researchquestions addressed in this study were: (1) Is there any significant relationship between attitudes to DM andpractices related to DM? (2) Is there any significant relationship between knowledge of DM and practices relatedto DM? (3) Is there any significant relationship between knowledge of DM and attitudes to DM? Separate surveysfor each question collected data from a representative sample of 1,067 adult both male and female Saudis fromRiyadh who have not been diagnosed with DM. Results: Data analysis of the data from the study indicated thatfor each of the three research questions, the null hypothesis could not be rejected, indicating that none of therelationships were statistically significant. Conclusion: The absence of significance for each of the findings hasimportant implications, including (a) the possibility that many Saudis incorrectly believe themselves to beunsusceptible to DM and (b) the high prevalence of DM-causing behaviors in the Saudi population. These twoimplications should be of particular concern to public health authorities and health educators in Saudi Arabia,who may need to work more diligently to educate non-DM-diagnosed Saudis on their vulnerability to DM

Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Saudi Patients Regarding Diabetic Retinopathy: A Multi-Center Cross Sectional Survey

Objective: This study is aimed at investigating the knowledge, practice and attitude of the patients with type-2diabetes mellitus regarding diabetic retinopathy in Saudi Arabia. Introduction: Diabetes self-management isdefined as a crucial factor in patients’ care. Many studies show that the lack of sufficient knowledge, goodpractice, and positive attitude among the patients concerning their disease and its complications is due toilliteracy. Therefore, presenting knowledge, practices, and attitudes towards the management of diabetes shouldbe done before considering any possible intervention. The materials and methods section explains the datacollection and analysis along with their limitations. In the results part, the data collected from each section areexplained and summarized in tables. In the discussion section, the results are explained and then related to theprevious studies. Then the conclusion sums up all the results found and subsequently recommends the best wayfor the future researchers to improve the results of the research.

Assessment of Maximum Bite Force in Oral Submucous Fibrosis Patients: A Preliminary Study

Abstract Objective: To determine the maximum bite force (MBF) in oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF) patients and to compare them with that of healthy subjects. Material and Methods: Twenty patients who were clinically confirmed, as OSMF and 20 healthy controls matched for age, gender, and number of intact functional teeth were included in this study. For each subject, age, gender, weight, height and body mass index (BMI) were recorded. The MBF registration was carried out by the two evaluators, who were previously calibrated. Bite force was measured in the first molar region using a force transducer occlusal force meter for each subject seated at the upright position, with Frankfort's plane nearly parallel to the floor, and no head support. The Student's independent t-test was used to determine the statistical significance in relation to mean height, weight, BMI and the presence of number of intact teeth and MBF between the healthy subjects and OSMF individuals. A comparison of grades of OSMF with all variables was carried out by one-way ANOVA test. Results: No significant difference was found in mean age, mean height, weight, BMI and the presence of the number of intact teeth between healthy individuals and OSMF patients. The mean MBF in healthy subjects was 628.23 ± 24.39 N and 635.47 ± 31.22 N in OSMF patients. Even though the healthy subjects reported a higher MBF than OSMF patients did, the difference was statistically non-significant. With regards to sides, no significant difference was observed in mean MBF in healthy subjects and OSMF patients on the right (p=0.7818) and left side (p=0.6154). Conclusion: The healthy subjects reported higher MBF values than OSMF patients did and the difference was statistically non-significant.

De la conjonctivite à l'ulcère de Mooren : errance diagnostique ou insuffisance des spécialistes

Nous rapportons une observation d'un homme âgé de 25 ans, mélanoderme sans antécédent médico-chirurgical connu, qui a consulté pour douleur oculaire,larmoiement, baisse de l'acuité visuelle, photophobie évoluant depuis environ huit mois, l'examen ophtalmologique note une hyperhémie conjonctivale, une ulcération cornéenne marginale compliquée de perforation cornéenne avec hernie de l'iris rongeant la moitié de la cornée, une excavation papillaire asymétrique.Le diagnostic d'ulcère de Mooren bilatéral est fortement suspecté, puis retenu sur la base d'argument épidémiologique ; clinique ophtalmologique (kératite ulcéreuse chronique inflammatoire qui affecte initialement la périphérie de la cornée, avec progression circonférentielle et centrale, puis perforation) ; paraclinique (la négativité de tous les examens complémentaires : les facteurs rhumatoïdes, les sérologies de l'hépatite B, C, VIH et de la syphilis, l'examen parasitologique des selles, la protéinurie de 24 h …) mais aussi après avoir exclu un certain nombre de diagnostics,notamment les maladies systémiques, les maladies infectieuses, les atteintes traumatiques des yeux.La collaboration entre ophtalmologiste et interniste a abouti à la mise en route immédiate d'un traitement à base de corticothérapie locale, d'antibiothérapie et des topiques locaux. L'évolution a été favorable avec récupération progressive de l'acuité visuelle au niveau des deux yeux deux semaines après la mise en route du traitement

Relationship between serum level of ionized calcium, magnesium, phosphate, vitamin D and parathyroid hormone with stages of CKD

Background: Chronic kidney disease is defined as either damage or a decreased Glomerular Filtration Rate of less than 60ml/min/1.73m2 for 3 or more months. There is destruction of renal mass with irreversible sclerosis and loss of nephron leading to a progressive decline in GFR.Secondary hyperparathyroidism hyperphosphataemia, hypocalcaemia and vitamin-D deficiency are common complications of CKD. Objective: To determine relationship between serum level of ionised calcium, magnesium, phosphate, vitamin-D and parathyroid hormone with stages of CKD. Method: This study was conducted at ABUTH Zaria. 125 consecutive adult patients in various stages of CKD who presented were enrolled and 125 apparently healthy matched for sex and age controls were also recruited. Results: 9% of patients were in stage-1, 16% in stage-2, 22% in stage-3, 12% in stage-4 and 41% in stage-5. Serum ionised calcium, vitamin-D and eCrCl showed a progressive decline as the stage of CKD advances, while serum phosphate, creatinine and iPTH showed a progressive increase as the stage of CKD advances. Changes in serum magnesium showed a slight change with advancing stages of CKD. The difference in mean serum levels of calcium, phosphorus, vitamin-D, parathyroid hormone, creatinine and eCrCl with different stages of CKD were statistically significant. eCrCl correlated negatively with phosphate and iPTH while serum creatinine correlated negatively with calcium and positively with phosphate and iPTH. Conclusion: Majority of CKD patients were in late stage. Correlation of analytes with stages was more in late stages and biochemical derangements occurred in late, rather than early stages of CKD

Distribution of ABO, Rhesus D and Subgroups of ABO among Blood Donors in Sokoto, North Western Nigeria

ABO, Rhesus D and subgroups of ABO are highly immunogenic and are the common cause of antibody production in mismatched blood transfusions, haemolytic transfusion reaction and maternal alloimmunization. The aim of this study was to determine the occurrence of ABO, Rh D and subgroups of ABO among blood donors attending Specialist Hospital Sokoto, Nigeria. ABO, Rhesus D and subgroups of ABO antigen status of 176 blood donors with mean age of 30.44 � 8.210 years attending Specialist Hospital Sokoto were determined using tile method for ABO and Rh D and conventional tube method for anti- A1, anti- H reagents for ABO subgroups respectively. Among the 176 subjects tested, blood group O+ was the most frequent group with 93 (52.8%), 39 (22.2%) were blood group B+, 37(21.0%) were blood group A+, 5 (2.8%) were blood group AB+, 2 (1.1%) were blood group O-. No data was obtained for A-, B- and AB- blood groups. Out of 37 A blood groups obtained, 31 (83.8%) had A1 antigens and 6 (16.2%) had A2 antigens. Out of the 5 AB blood groups, all had A1B antigens. The study also shows that there was statistically significant difference between blood group A and ethnic groups (Hausa, Fulani and Yoruba) (p<0.05). Blood group O was found to be the most frequent followed by B, A and AB except among Hausa which revealed a pattern of O> A> B> AB. ABO, subgroups shows majority had A1 followed by A2 and A1B respectively.

Awareness of Saudi Population about the Role of the Emergency Rooms

Background: The hospital Emergency department (ED) is one of the most important components of the health delivery system. Objectives: To investigate the public awareness of the ERs in KSA, what the public knows about the provided services, and if they know the difference between the outpatient clinic and ERs. Methods: It is a cross-sectional descriptive community-based study carried out on 977 male and female, young and adult participants from all age groups, in different areas of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, during the period from 1st January to 31st July 2019. Data was collected through filling the pre-designed online questionnaire which guided us to the needed data. We utilized the SPSS program version 16. The X2 test was used as a test of significance, and differences considered significant at p-value less than 0.05. Results: Most of the participants (87.5%) reported that they know the difference between the outpatient clinic and ER. The majority (68.1%) of subjects said that ERs is meaning rapid and unplanned medical care, 17.3% said any needed health care is available there, 12.2% said that it means insufficient medical care and only 2.5% said it means availability of physician at any time for any purpose. As regards evaluation to the provided services in ERs; 32.5% of cases said it was very good followed by 28.5% good, 19.8% excellent, 10.2% accepted and 10% reported it was bad services. There were significant relations between the awareness and age (p=0.03) and education level (p=0.003), but no relation was found with the gender of the participant (p>0.5). Conclusion: In our study, Most of the participants reported that they know the difference between the outpatient clinic and ERs. The majority of subjects said that ERs is meaning rapid and unplanned medical care and/or availability of physician at any time for any purpose. There were significant relations between the awareness and age and education level, but insignificant relation was found with the gender of the participant.

Sclerosing Encapsulating Peritonitis (SEP) Due To Mycobacterium Bovis

Sclerosing Encapsulating Peritonitis (SEP), a visceral encapsulation syndrome of inflammatory origin either primary or secondary based on causation, is an infrequent cause of mechanical bowel obstruction that may commonly be seen in young patients. Preoperative diagnosis is quite challenging and usually missed due to the non-specific nature of the clinical picture. In most of the cases, a definitive diagnosis is reached intra and postoperatively with histopathological and culture findings. Herein, we report a young male patient that presented to our emergency department with signs and symptoms suggestive of intestinal obstruction. Intraoperatively, a thin membrane encasing the small bowels with transmesenteric herniation noted with a clinical diagnosis of SEP as the primary cause of obstruction. Postoperatively, a definitive cause was identified by histopathological findings and specimen culture. The report of this case, as one of the few male patients with this entity in the published literature, highlights the notion that surgeons should be vigilant to keep in mind this extremely rare cause while managing a patient with intestinal obstruction

Thyroid hormones, blood glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin in healthy Sudanese subjects

Background: Diabetes mellitus and thyroid diseases are the most prevalent metabolic disorders in Sudan. The value of HbA1C reflects the glycemic status over the last 2-3 months. So, in this study, an insight for thyroid hormone regulation of glucose metabolism is investigated. Is to study the association between thyroid hormones levels, fasting blood sugar (FBS) and HbA1c in healthy adults.Methods: A cross sectional study was performed in a healthy Sudanese cohort in the period between September 2017 to November 2018, involving 610 healthy adult Sudanese aged 20 to 60 years. HbA1c, fasting blood sugar (FBS), T3, T4 and TSH were measured.Results: The study results demonstrated a significant association between the median concentration of T3 and T4 with plasma level of HbA1c. A significant linear correlation between serum concentration of T3 and fasting blood sugar (FBS) was observed. Inverse correlation was detected between serum TSH and HbA1c, FBS in study population.Conclusions: The present study concluded that FBS and HbA1c levels were increased with increasing of both T3 and T4. Based on this study all the thyroid patients’ especially hyperthyroid patients should have regular checkup of their glucose levels.

Regional Left Ventricular Function Analysis By 128-Row Multi-Detector Computed ‎Tomography in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease

Purpose: The aim of this study was to estimate the role of multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) in the evaluation of LV regionalwall motion abnormalities (RWMA) in subjects complaining of coronary artery heart disease (CAD) and to compare MDCT data with twodimension standard echocardiography (2DSE) as the standard reference. Patients and Methods: Sixty subjects with supposed coronaryartery heart disease were submitted to retrospective gating contrast-enhanced MDCT. 10 phases of the cardiac cycle were performed todetect end-systolic and end-diastolic phases at LV short-axis view. LV Regional wall motion was assessed qualitatively (visually in cinemode) and quantitatively (measuring the percentage of systolic wall thickening on static end-diastolic and end-systolic images) on cardiacshort-axis view and long-axis views using a 17-segment model. 2DSE was performed within two weeks before MDCT. Results: Goodsegmental agreement was found between echocardiography and MDCT (k=0.7; p < 0.001), MDCT detected 720 (98.7%) of 729 segmentsthat showed normal motility, 172 (74.7%) of 230 segments showed hypokinesia and 49 (80.3%) of 61 segments showed akinesia ordyskinesia. Regarding the diagnostic performance, the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of MDCT reached 80.4%, 97.4%, and 93.5%,respectively, assuming 2DSE as the gold standard. Conclusion: Evaluation of regional left ventricular function by using MDCT is a precisemethod, with good agreement with 2D ECG.

The Impact Of Physicochemical Characteristics On Therapeutic Efficacy Of Anticancer Nanomaterials: A Review

Cancer is a global leading cause of death which suffers from treatment failures mainly due to intensive toxicity and lack of effectiveness of conventional drugs. The application of nanotechnology in cancer treatment promises to overcome the limitations of conventional drugs/drug delivery systems and improve their therapeutic efficacy. Materials at the nano scale possess novel properties that have an impact on their biological behaviour. The physiological interactions of nanomedicines in the body, which differ from those of conventional medicines, may provide benefits in pharmaceutical and/or clinical applications including, improvements in solubility, stability, efficacy, reduction of side effects, prevention and treatment of diseases. This paper discusses the unique characteristics and distinguished advantages of nanomaterials as anticancer drug carriers. Physicochemical properties of nanomaterials are critical parameters to their clinical translation. Hence, the impact of the main physicochemical properties on the efficacy of anitcancer nanomaterials, which are found to effective for cancer treatment and/or diagnosis, are presented. It is important to have reliable and robust characterization techniques that could enable relate physicochemical properties of nanomaterials with their in vivo behaviour. Brief explanation of the different techniques that can be used for studying the different physicochemical characteristics of nanomaterials is given. An important consideration, to achieve fast and successful development of nanotechnology-based anticancer drug products, is assessment and optimization of physicochemical and biopharmaceutical properties at the early stage. Obviously this requires collaboration among the different discovery and development scientists.

The Employment of CBCT in Assessing Bone Loss around Dental Implants in Patients Receiving Mandibular Implant Supported over dentures

The aim of this study is to evaluate bone loss around implants after delivery of implant supported over dentures using CBCT.This study was performed to evaluate Postoperative bone level around mandibular dental implants using cone beamcomputed tomography (CBCT). The study was conducted on 10 completely edentulous patients that were rehabilitated bycomplete overdentures Patients retained mandibular overdentures by two implants installed in the canine region andretained locator attachments. Standard clinical and laboratory techniques were followed for implant insertion and dentureconstruction for all patients. The implants were divided in two groups. Implants bearing locator attachment with blue nyloninsert (Group I) and implants bearing locator attachment with transparent nylon insert (Group II). The twenty insertedimplants were left undisturbed for three months to achieve osseointegration. The mesial, distal, buccal and lingual bonelevel around the dental implants was evaluated, using the CBCT i-CAT scan with Blue sky Plan® software. Bone level wasobtained at six and twelve months after loading. The CBCT measurements of bone level revealed that there was bone lossaround all aspects of the inserted twenty dental implants

Risk Factors of Household Chemical Unintentional Poisoning Among Children (0-4) Years Old Reported at the Public Health Administration In Jeddah, Saudi Arabia From 2014 to 2016: A Case-Control Study

Background: Poisoning is an injury caused by a xenobiotic ora substance exogenous to the human body, which may lead tocell damage or death. It can enter the body through respiratory,gastrointestinal or skin routes, leading to acute or chronicproblems according to dose and time. The present study aimsto examine the risk factors of poisoning of preschool (0-4)years old in Saudi Arabia and to analyze the role of the parentsand the characteristics of the house and the environment inthese accidents.Materials and Methods: The present case-controlled studywere conducted in the Institute, State during one year. Allpreschool children (0-4) years involved reported as householdpoisoning cases in the poisoning department under the publichealth administration in Jeddah city during the years 2014-2016. Socio-demographic variables, e.g., interviewer relation toa child, parents' characteristics such as age, sex, nationality,education, occupation, marital status, number of children, etc.were recorded. Characteristic of the residence of thehousehold such as a type of house, ownership, number ofrooms, number of family and siblings, etc. were noted. All thedata were arranged in a tabulated form and analyzed usingSPSS software.Results: The age of the studied groups of cases and controlschildren ranged from zero to 48 months, with the mostcommonly affected group was (13 to 24 months) whichoccupied 40.9 % of cases, while occupied 29.8% of controls.Besides, the mean age of cases was nearly double the meanage of controls (43.42 ± 16.084 and 16.37±11.535respectively) so, there was a statistically significant difference(P<0.05) between cases and controls according to age groupand mean of age. In 88.3 % of cases, the poisoning material isaccessible to children and place from where the child caneasily access the substance. The oral root of the poisoningsubstance occurred among of the cases 69% while only 49%of the cases had gastrointestinal manifestations. 72.5% of thecases were stable when they arrived at the hospital. 84.8% offamilies did not have a history of any health education aboutpoisoning before the accident.Conclusion: The tender’s age was children aged 0 to 12months. Data revealed significant results about the first baby,Saudi, male child, married mother, father had primaryeducation, a mother with secondary education, housewifemothers, owner house; and large family size. Oral, powderedform poisoning accounted for highest incidences.