Assessment of vitamin D status and associated risk factors in high-altitude populations affected by multiple sclerosis: A case-control study.

Several studies have suggested a correlation between serum vitamin D (VitD) level and multiple sclerosis (MS). MS has a known latitudinal distribution pattern, with greater incidence, prevalence, and mortality rates at higher latitudes. This study aims to assess levels of VitD and serum potassium in subjects with MS and the impact of gender and age as disease risk factors. A cross-sectional case-control study was conducted in a high-altitude region of Saudi Arabia. VitD deficiency was defined as serum 25 (OH)D level of ≤20 ng/mL and insufficiency as a serum level between >20 ng/mL and <30 ng/mL. Two hundred patients with MS volunteered for the study, and 160 healthy participants served as controls. VitD and serum potassium were measured in patients and controls. Student t test and regression analysis were used to analyze the data. The average MS patient age was 37.37 ±â€…10.8 years. Most (73.02%) MS patients suffered from deficient vitamin D, while insufficiency (20-29 ng/mL) was found in 12.17%. Only 6.35% had sufficient vitamin D (30-40 ng/mL). VitD was significantly decreased in MS patients compared to the healthy controls (17.036 vs 25.01 ng/mL, P < .001), while serum potassium was also decreased (4.278 vs 4.329 mmol/L, P = .269). Risk factors found to have a statistically significant association with MS included female gender (odd ratio [OR] = 1.72, 95% confidence interval: 1.016-2.915; P = .044) and patient age < 40 years (OR = 1.04, 95% confidence interval: 1.023-1.054; P = .044). VitD was significantly lower in MS patients. The prevalence of MS was higher among women and younger individuals in a high-altitude population in Saudi Arabia.

Advancing brain tumor detection: harnessing the Swin Transformer's power for accurate classification and performance analysis.

The accurate detection of brain tumors through medical imaging is paramount for precise diagnoses and effective treatment strategies. In this study, we introduce an innovative and robust methodology that capitalizes on the transformative potential of the Swin Transformer architecture for meticulous brain tumor image classification. Our approach handles the classification of brain tumors across four distinct categories: glioma, meningioma, non-tumor, and pituitary, leveraging a dataset comprising 2,870 images. Employing the Swin Transformer architecture, our method intricately integrates a multifaceted pipeline encompassing sophisticated preprocessing, intricate feature extraction mechanisms, and a highly nuanced classification framework. Utilizing 21 matrices for performance evaluation across all four classes, these matrices provide a detailed insight into the model's behavior throughout the learning process, furthermore showcasing a graphical representation of confusion matrix, training and validation loss and accuracy. The standout performance parameter, accuracy, stands at an impressive 97%. This achievement outperforms established models like CNN, DCNN, ViT, and their variants in brain tumor classification. Our methodology's robustness and exceptional accuracy showcase its potential as a pioneering model in this domain, promising substantial advancements in accurate tumor identification and classification, thereby contributing significantly to the landscape of medical image analysis.

Ultrasound Imaging in Subjects with Sickle Cell Disease: The Saudi Arabia Experiences.

Background: Abdominal organ sonography is a crucial part of the workup for treating sickle cell disease (SCD) patients. Objective: The main objective of this study was to evaluate the abdominal organs in SCD patients using ultrasonography. Methodology: A non-interventional descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out in Asir region Saudi Arabia from April 2019 to July 2020. The study was conducted in 78 patients with sickle cell disease (SCD). Data were gathered using a data collection sheet included demographic information, clinical information including medication types, and complications linked to SCD. Furthermore, the study evaluated abdominal ultrasound findings pertaining to the liver, gall bladder, spleen, and kidneys. The data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Results: More than half of the study participants 43 (55.1%) were females. About 53.8% of the study participants received blood transfusions, and (11.5%) receive extra-vaccine. Concerning ultrasound findings, hepatomegaly was found in seventeen (21.8%), focal liver lesions in four (5.1%), gallstones in five (6.4%), splenomegaly in fifteen (19.3%), and the presence of splenic focal lesions was found in seven (9.0%). The most frequent complication associated with SCD was osteomyelitis sepsis in six cases (7.7%). The study revealed a significant correlation between the type of crisis and type of medication used and the size of the spleen (P-value <0.01), and no notable correlation was found between the types of crises and the size of the liver (P-value >0.05). Conclusion: Abdominal sonography in SCD patients revealed a wide range of alterations in the liver, gallbladder, and spleen. The most frequently observed complications in SCD were hepatomegaly, splenomegaly, localized lesions in both organs, and the presence of gallstones.

Fabrication and Characterization of a Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)@Tungsten Trioxide-Graphene Oxide Hybrid Electrode Nanocomposite for Supercapacitor Applications.

With the rapid development of nanotechnology, the study of nanocomposites as electrode materials has significantly enhanced the scope of research towards energy storage applications. Exploring electrode materials with superior electrochemical properties is still a challenge for high-performance supercapacitors. In the present research article, we prepared a novel nanocomposite of tungsten trioxide nanoparticles grown over supported graphene oxide sheets and embedded with a poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) matrix to maximize its electrical double layer capacitance. The extensive characterization shows that the poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) matrix was homogeneously dispersed throughout the surface of the tungsten trioxide-graphene oxide. The poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)@tungsten trioxide-graphene oxide exhibits a higher specific capacitance of 478.3 F·g-1 at 10 mV·s-1 as compared to tungsten trioxide-graphene oxide (345.3 F·g-1). The retention capacity of 92.1% up to 5000 cycles at 0.1 A·g-1 shows that this ternary nanocomposite electrode also exhibits good cycling stability. The poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)@tungsten trioxide-graphene oxide energy density and power densities are observed to be 54.2 Wh·kg-1 and 971 W·kg-1. The poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)@tungsten trioxide-graphene oxide has been shown to be a superior anode material in supercapacitors because of the synergistic interaction of the poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) matrix and the tungsten trioxide-graphene oxide surface. These advantages reveal that the poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)@tungsten trioxide-graphene oxide electrode can be a promising electroactive material for supercapacitor applications.

Unveiling the Chemical Profiling Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Algerian Myrtus communis L. Essential Oils, and Exploring Molecular Docking to Predict the Inhibitory Compounds against Cyclooxygenase-2.

Considering the large spectrum of side effects caused by synthetic drugs and the development of natural alternatives utilizing Algerian flora, this study aimed to place a spotlight on the chemical profile and antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of Myrtus communis L. essential oils (MCEOs). In this study, essential oils (EOs) were collected via hydro-distillation of the plant's leaves, and a chemical constituent analysis was performed using gas chromatography-mass spectrophotometry (GC-MS). The in vitro antioxidant activity was evaluated using DPPH, ABTS, and hydroxyl radical scavenging tests. The in vitro anti-inflammatory capacity was estimated by studying the antidenaturation effect using bovine serum albumin (BSA) as a protein model. The in vivo anti-inflammatory activity was carried out by utilizing the classical model of carrageenan-induced paw edema in rats, using diclofenac (DCF) as the reference drug. Moreover, the molecular interaction of the compounds obtained from the GC-MS analysis was studied within the binding site of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) using an in silico approach as the confirmatory tool of the in vitro and in vivo experiments. The GC-MS analysis revealed that MCEOs were mainly composed of oxygenated monoterpenes (70.56%), oxygenated sesquiterpenes (3.1%), sesquiterpenes (4.17%), and monoterpenes (8.75%). Furthermore, 1,8-cineole was the major compound (19.05%), followed by cis-geranyl acetate (11.74%), methyl eugenol (5.58%), α-terpineol (4.62%), and ß-myrcene (4.40%). MCEOs exhibited remarkable concentration-dependent free radical scavenging activity, with an IC50 of 15.317 ± 0.340 µg/mL, 18.890 ± 2.190 µg/mL, and 31.877 ± 0.742 µg/mL for DPPH, ABTS, and hydroxyl radical, respectively. The significant in vitro anti-inflammatory activity due to the inhibition of BSA denaturation was proportional to the EO concentration, where the highest value was recorded at 100 µg/mL with an approximately 63.35% percentage inhibition and an IC50 of 60.351 ± 5.832 µg/mL. MCEOs showed a good in vivo anti-inflammatory effect by limiting the development of carrageenan-induced paw thickness. The in silico study indicated that, among the 60 compounds identified by the GC-MS analysis, 9 compounds were observed to have a high binding energy to cyclooxygenase-2 as compared to diclofenac. Our study revealed that EOs from Algerian Myrtus communis L. can be considered to be a promising candidate for alleviating many debilitating health problems and may provide new insights in the fields of drug design, agriculture, and the food industry.

Advancing Brain Tumor Classification through Fine-Tuned Vision Transformers: A Comparative Study of Pre-Trained Models.

This paper presents a comprehensive study on the classification of brain tumor images using five pre-trained vision transformer (ViT) models, namely R50-ViT-l16, ViT-l16, ViT-l32, ViT-b16, and ViT-b32, employing a fine-tuning approach. The objective of this study is to advance the state-of-the-art in brain tumor classification by harnessing the power of these advanced models. The dataset utilized for experimentation consists of a total of 4855 images in the training set and 857 images in the testing set, encompassing four distinct tumor classes. The performance evaluation of each model is conducted through an extensive analysis encompassing precision, recall, F1-score, accuracy, and confusion matrix metrics. Among the models assessed, ViT-b32 demonstrates exceptional performance, achieving a high accuracy of 98.24% in accurately classifying brain tumor images. Notably, the obtained results outperform existing methodologies, showcasing the efficacy of the proposed approach. The contributions of this research extend beyond conventional methods, as it not only employs cutting-edge ViT models but also surpasses the performance of existing approaches for brain tumor image classification. This study not only demonstrates the potential of ViT models in medical image analysis but also provides a benchmark for future research in the field of brain tumor classification.

Modification of Dispersin B with Cyclodextrin-Ciprofloxacin Derivatives for Treating Staphylococcal.

To address the high tolerance of biofilms to antibiotics, it is urgent to develop new strategies to fight against these bacterial consortia. An innovative antibiofilm nanovector drug delivery system, consisting of Dispersin B-permethylated-ß-cyclodextrin/ciprofloxacin adamantyl (DspB-ß-CD/CIP-Ad), is described here. For this purpose, complexation assays between CIP-Ad and (i) unmodified ß-CD and (ii) different derivatives of ß-CD, which are 2,3-O-dimethyl-ß-CD, 2,6-O-dimethyl-ß-CD, and 2,3,6-O-trimethyl-ß-CD, were tested. A stoichiometry of 1/1 was obtained for the ß-CD/CIP-Ad complex by NMR analysis. Isothermal Titration Calorimetry (ITC) experiments were carried out to determine Ka, ΔH, and ΔS thermodynamic parameters of the complex between ß-CD and its different derivatives in the presence of CIP-Ad. A stoichiometry of 1/1 for ß-CD/CIP-Ad complexes was confirmed with variable affinity according to the type of methylation. A phase solubility study showed increased CIP-Ad solubility with CD concentration, pointing out complex formation. The evaluation of the antibacterial activity of CIP-Ad and the 2,3-O-dimethyl-ß-CD/CIP-Ad or 2,3,6-O-trimethyl-ß-CD/CIP-Ad complexes was performed on Staphylococcus epidermidis (S. epidermidis) strains. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) studies showed that the complex of CIP-Ad and 2,3-O-dimethyl-ß-CD exhibited a similar antimicrobial activity to CIP-Ad alone, while the interaction with 2,3,6-O-trimethyl-ß-CD increased MIC values. Antimicrobial assays on S. epidermidis biofilms demonstrated that the synergistic effect observed with the DspB/CIP association was partly maintained with the 2,3-O-dimethyl-ß-CDs/CIP-Ad complex. To obtain this "all-in-one" drug delivery system, able to destroy the biofilm matrix and release the antibiotic simultaneously, we covalently grafted DspB on three carboxylic permethylated CD derivatives with different-length spacer arms. The strategy was validated by demonstrating that a DspB-permethylated-ß-CD/ciprofloxacin-Ad system exhibited efficient antibiofilm activity.

Work-related musculoskeletal symptoms among Saudi radiologists: a cross-sectional multi-centre study.

BACKGROUND: Musculoskeletal disorders are common health problems worldwide. Several factors cause these symptoms, including ergonomics and other individual considerations. Computer users are prone to repetitive strain injuries that increase the risk of developing musculoskeletal symptoms (MSS). Radiologists are susceptible to developing MSS because they work long hours analysing medical images on computers in an increasingly digitalised field. This study aimed to identify the prevalence of MSS among Saudi radiologists and the associated risk factors. METHODS: This study was a cross-sectional, non-interventional, self-administered online survey. The study was conducted on 814 Saudi radiologists from various regions in Saudi Arabia. The study's outcome was the presence of MSS in any body region that limited participation in routine activities over the previous 12 months. The results were descriptively examined using binary logistic regression analysis to estimate the odds ratio (OR) of participants who had disabling MSS in the previous 12 months. All university, public, and private radiologists received an online survey containing questions about work surroundings, workload (e.g., spent at a computer workstation), and demographic characteristics. RESULTS: The prevalence of MSS among the radiologists was 87.7%. Most of the participants (82%) were younger than 40 years of age. Radiography and computed tomography were the most common imaging modalities that caused MSS (53.4% and 26.8%, respectively). The most common symptoms were neck pain (59.3%) and lower back pain (57.1%). After adjustment, age, years of experience, and part-time employment were significantly associated with increased MSS (OR = .219, 95% CI = .057-.836; OR = .235, 95% CI = 087-.634; and OR = 2.673, 95% CI = 1.434-4.981, respectively). Women were more likely to report MSS than males (OR = 2.12, 95% CI = 1.327-3.377). CONCLUSIONS: MSS are common among Saudi radiologists, with neck pain and lower back pain being the most frequently reported symptoms. Gender, age, years of experience, type of imaging modality, and employment status were the most common associated risk factors for developing MSS. These findings are vital for the development of interventional plans to reduce the prevalence of musculoskeletal complaints in clinical radiologists.

Color Doppler ultrasound in high-low risk pregnancies and its relationship to fetal outcomes: a cross-sectional study.

Objective: To calculate the multivessel color Doppler indices in high-risk and low-risk pregnancies and relate these to fetal outcomes. Methods: The investigation involved 60 patients who were pregnant. The patients were separated into groups according to assessment of low and high risk. The patients underwent color Doppler ultrasonography to detect the maternal and fetal blood vessels, and the measured Doppler indices were then analyzed for any association with fetal outcomes. Results: The gestational stages (in weeks) of the participants at the respective times of investigation and delivery were 32.06 ± 2.98 and 36.2 ± 1.78 in the low-risk group and 29.21 ± 1.95 and 29.83 ± 1.86 in the high-risk group. The pulsatility index (PI), resistive index (RI), and systolic/diastolic ratio (SD) decreased with gestation length in the low-risk group, whereas in the high-risk group, these values increased in the uterine and umbilical arteries. With increased gestational stage, MCA-PSV (peak systolic velocity) in the middle cerebral artery (MCA) increased, while PI decreased. Pulsatile and reversal flow of the uterine vein, the vein of Galen, and the umbilical vein were noted in high-risk pregnancies, and these negatively affected the fetal outcome. The fetal venous parameters were more specific and sensitive for predicting an unfavorable fetal outcome than the arterial factors, with a greater negative predictive value. Conclusion: The results of our study indicate that abnormal Doppler indices of the blood vessels in high-risk pregnant patients will result in adverse clinical outcomes. Therefore, the patients can be monitored and managed accordingly using Doppler ultrasonography.

Association of Smoking with the Blood Concentration of 25-Hydroxy Vitamin D and Testosterone at High and Low Altitudes.

PURPOSE: This research examined the association of cigarette smoking and altitude with the blood levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D, testosterone and carotid artery thickness. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This comparative cross-sectional study involved 37 non-smokers and 24 smokers from a high-altitude area (≥2245 m above sea level) and 40 smokers and 40 non-smokers from a low-altitude area (39-283 m above sea level). The blood testosterone level was determined spectrophotometrically, and the 25-hydroxy vitamin D concentration was measured by ELISA. The IMT of the right and left carotid arteries was determined using ultrasound imaging. RESULTS: Smoking notably elevated the thickness of the intima media of the right and left carotid arteries at both high and low altitudes (p ≤ 0.001). Smoking at high altitude was associated with a significant increase in the concentration of 25-hydroxy vitamin D and testosterone, while at low altitude it was associated with a significant decrease in both parameters (p ≤ 0.046). CONCLUSION: These contrasting results suggest that future studies should focus on finding out if other biochemical parameters show any significant differences in smokers or/and non-smokers when they are tested at elevated height and sea-level. This indicates that dose modifications of medicines (related to alterations in vitamin D and testosterone levels) should be kept in mind while treating smokers and non-smokers at elevated height above sea level.