Pre and postharvest characteristics of Dahlia pinnata var. pinnata, cav. As affected by SiO2 and CaCO3 nanoparticles under two different planting dates.

Agriculture faces many challenges because of climate changes. The nutrients present in nano-sized form improve plant productivity, especially when used at the appropriate planting time. Field experiments were conducted as a factorial experiment for evaluating two planting dates (20th September and 20th October), foliar application with nanoparticles (NPs) including silica nanoparticles (SiO2-NPs) at 1.5 and 3 mM, calcium carbonate nanoparticles (CaCO3-NPs) at 5 and 10 mM and distilled water (control) on pre- and post-harvest characteristics of Dahlia pinnata var. pinnata Cav. The results indicate that the interactions during the late planting time (20th October) and exogenous applications of SiO2-NPs at 1.5 mM or CaCO3-NPs at 10 mM have improved plant growth including plant height, stem diameter, fresh and dry weights of plant, leaf area, inflorescence diameter, inflorescence stalk length, branches number, tuber numbers, inflorescences number on the plant, and the vase life. At the same time, insignificant differences appeared in the interaction during the planting dates and SiO2 or CaCO3 -NPs concentrations on inflorescence stalk diameter, total soluble solids, membrane stability index, maximum increase in fresh weight (FW), and Si and Ca contents. In addition, all exogenous applications of NPs at the late planting time promoted the plant growth characteristics like lignin %, cellulose %, inflorescence water content, change in FW, and total water uptake. Moreover, the controls through the two planting dates recorded the maximum change in water uptake and water loss values. In short, it can be recommended to use SiO2-NPs at 1.5 mM or CaCO3-NPs at 10 mM as a foliar application at the late planting time (20th October) for obtaining the optimum quantitative and qualitative parameters of D. pinnata.

Colorectal cancer in Saudi Arabia as the proof-of-principle model for implementing strategies of predictive, preventive, and personalized medicine in healthcare.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among Saudi males and ranks third in females with up to 73% of cases diagnosed at late stage. This review provides an analysis of CRC situation in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) from healthcare perspective. A PUBMED (1986-2018) search was done to identify publications focusing on CRC in KSA. Due to reports of increased CRC incidence among young age group (< 50), and given the young population of KSA, the disease may burden the national healthcare system in the next decades. Environmental factors attributed to increasing incidence rates of CRC include red meat consumption, sedentary lifestyle, and increased calorie intake. Despite substantial investment in healthcare, attention to predictive diagnostics and targeted prevention is lacking. There is a need to develop national screening guidelines based on evidence that supports a reduction in incidence and mortality of CRC when screening is implemented. Future approaches are discussed based on multi-level diagnostics, risk assessment, and population screening programs focused on the needs of young populations that among others present the contents of the advanced approach by predictive, preventive, and personalized medicine. Recommendations are provided that could help to develop policies at regional and national levels. Countries with demographics and lifestyle similar to KSA may gain insights from this review to shape their policies and procedures.

Emerging paradigms in the treatment of liver metastases in colorectal cancer.

Efforts to combat colorectal cancer have benefited from improved screening and surveillance, which facilitates early detection. The survival rate associated with diagnosis at stage I is approximately 90%. However, progress in improving survival in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) has been minimal. This review focuses on mCRC with special emphasis on the molecular aspects of liver metastases, which is one of the most frequently involved organ site. Better molecular evidence is required to guide the decisions for surgical and other interventions used in the clinical management of mCRC. Results from different treatment modalities have exposed significant gaps in the existing paradigms of the mCRC management. Indeed there is a critical need to better understand molecular events and pathways that lead to colorectal cancer liver metastasis. Such a focused approach may help identify biomarkers and drug targets that can be useful in the clinical applications. With this focus, we provide an account of the molecular pathways involved in the spread of CRC to the liver. Specifically, the molecular changes at the DNA and RNA levels that are associated with liver metastases are discussed. Similarly, we describe relevant microRNAs that are identified as regulators of gene expression and can also serve as biomarkers. Conventionally applied biomarkers are not yet specific and sensitive enough to be relied in routine clinical decision making. Hence search for novel biomarkers is critically needed especially if these can be utilized using liquid biopsies. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of current molecular evidence along with potential future directions that could reshape the diagnostic and management paradigms and thus mitigate the devastating impact of colorectal cancer metastasis to the liver.

Depression Among Caregivers of Patients With Dementia.

We aimed to assess depressive symptoms in caregivers of patients with dementia, taking into account variables such as severity of dementia, sex, age, and financial state of the patient. We recruited 222 caregivers of patients with dementia from King Abdulaziz Medical City, Saudi Alzheimer's Disease Association, and online, from February to June 2017, and employed the Patient Health Questionnaire to assess depression, and the Blessed Dementia Scale to assess severity of dementia. The prevalence of clinical depression among the caregivers was 14.9%. Minimal symptoms of depression were experienced by 96 caregivers (43.2%), moderate by 45 (20.3%), moderate-severe by 15 (6.8%), and severe by 8 (3.6%). Forty-six patients had mild dementia (22%), 73 had moderate (34.9%), and 90 had severe (43.1%). Caregivers of patients with dementia experience considerable burden and lower level of health-related quality of life and may be predisposed to developing clinical depression.