Correction: Men's knowledge, attitude, and barriers towards emergency contraception: A facility based cross-sectional study at King Saud University Medical City.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0249292.].

Novel Therapeutic Agents for Management of Diabetes Mellitus: A Hope for Drug Designing against Diabetes Mellitus.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is characterized by an absolute decline in insulin secretion and peripheral resistance and is the most prevalent metabolic and endocrine disorder. However, the pathogenesis of DM also includes adipocyte insulin resistance, increased glucagon secretion, increased renal glomerular glucose absorption, and neurotransmitter dysfunction. Although there is a wide spectrum of therapeutics available for glycemic control, owing to the identification of various pathogenic determinants of DM, management of DM remains challenging and complex. Current therapeutic interventions against DM focus mostly on glycemic control without considering the other pathological determinants that eventually lead to treatment failure and the progression of DM. Furthermore, long-term use of these conventionally available anti-diabetic drugs leads to various side effects, henceforth development of novel drugs against DM remains an unending search strategy for researchers. Various studies conducted in various parts of the world have proposed that these novel therapeutic interventions target multiple and alternate pathogenic hotspots involved in DM. The current review article discusses novel therapeutic options that hold particular promise to support their safety and discuss the side effects resulting from their use so that these novel candidate drugs can be effectively fabricated into potential drugs for the treatment of DM.

Estimation of Vitamin D Levels Using a Chairside Diagnostic Test Kit in Patients with Gingivitis and Periodontitis: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Aim: Periodontitis is an inflammatory condition of the periodontium that is instigated by microbial biofilms developed on the teeth. The purpose of the study was to ascertain the vitamin D status of gingivitis and periodontitis patients while maintaining a healthy group as the control using simple low-cost chairside pre-coated with 25-OH Vitamin D antigen rapid test kits. Materials and Methods: From outpatients visiting the college's periodontics clinics, a total of 101 patients were screened. The study sample includes 38 patients in the periodontitis group, 32 in the gingivitis group, and 31 in the healthy group. A middle-digit needle was used to collect blood samples, which were put into a test cassette with membrane that had been coated with 25-OH Vitamin D antigen on the test line area of the strip. Vitamin D Quick Test (Natejah) Semi-quantitatively detects 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25 (OH) D) in human finger-stick complete blood at a cutoff convergence of 30 ± 4 ng/mL. Vitamin D blood levels below 80 nmol/L are considered to have deficient vitamin 25(OH)D levels. Clinical parameters between healthy, gingivitis, and different stages of periodontitis subjects were compared using one-way ANOVA and Tukey's multiple comparison. Fisher's exact test was done to compare vitamin D levels in the three groups. Results: Fisher's exact test revealed that there was a statistically significant increase in the number of subjects with stages 4 and stage 3 periodontitis who lacked vitamin D levels (less than 80 nmol/L). Whereas least deficient in Vit D were noticed among Healthy and Gingivitis subjects. When compared to healthy individuals, gingivitis, and various stages of periodontitis had significantly higher mean PI values in a Tukey's multiple comparison. Vitamin D deficiency was found to be 27.5% in subjects with gingivitis and 71.5% in subjects with periodontitis. Conclusion: Periodontitis is associated with vitamin D deficiency, in contrast to gingivitis and healthy subjects. The severity of periodontitis was likewise linked to the amount of vitamin D in the individual's blood. When compared to expensive, time-consuming, and laborious laboratory methods, the findings of this study suggest that a simple inexpensive chairside pre-coated with 25-OH Vitamin D antigen rapid test kits can be considered a viable alternative for determining vitamin D levels.

Zika virus antibody-positivity among symptomatic/asymptomatic pregnant women in the Aseer region displays pre-exposure to dengue viruses.

Antibody cross-reactivity among flaviviruses is a major limitation in understanding the prevalence without vector control measures. In this study, we investigated the presence of Zika virus (ZIKV)-specific antibodies and the significance of their cross-reactivity with other flaviviruses, which could affect the serological specificity in both symptomatic and asymptomatic pregnant women. Among the results obtained from 217 serum samples tested for ZIKV-specific IgM and IgG, no specific predictions regarding seropositivity or exposure due to extensive cross-reactivity with dengue virus (DENV) serology could be made. Clear-cut positivity was observed in 1.8% (n = 4) and 1.0% (n = 2) for ZIKV IgM and IgG, respectively. The same samples assessed for DENV showed 1.3% (n = 3) seropositivity each for IgM and IgG levels. None of the samples were positive for ZIKV and DENV IgM or IgG. However, one sample (0.4%) tested positive for ZIKV and DENV IgM. No significant correlation was observed between DENV IgM and IgG when comparing the overlapped serotiters. On the other hand, the ZIKV IgG-positive sample showed higher serotiters for DENV IgG, indicating cross-reactivity with ZIKV but without statistical significance. Therefore, screening for the incidence of ZIKV becomes particularly challenging in a population where the presence or pre-exposure to DENV is observed. Our observations further suggest that unless flavivirus prevalence is properly addressed, determining the prevalence of ZIKV antibodies, which may be confounded with other uninvestigated flaviviruses, will be complicated.

Relationship Between Socio-Demographics, Study Skills and Distress Among Pakistani School Students: A Cross-Sectional Study in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Purpose: The increasing prevalence of distress among students is of global concern. Several factors such as school and family environment and ineffective study skills could influence mental health. The study explored the rate of distress symptoms among school students' and its relationship with their study skills, stressors and demographic factors. Methods: In this cross-sectional analytical study, a sample of 215 students from a community school participated in the study. Three questionnaires, demographic questionnaire, Study Skills Inventory and the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, were used for data collection. Data were analyzed using Student's t-test, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation coefficient and stepwise linear regression. Results: Response rate was 70% (n = 150). A high proportion of respondents (75%) was distressed (mean 27.28 ± 8.77). Correlation analysis showed that distress (K10 score) was negatively related to study skills (SSI total score) (r = -0.247, p = 0.002). The rate of distress symptoms was higher among female students (79%) compared to their male counterparts (72%). The factors associated with distress included negative association of teachers' level of help to develop competencies (p = 0.000, ß = -0.278, R2 = 0.249), unfavorable school environment (p = 0.000, ß = 0.285, R2 = 0.123), inability to cope with studies (p = 0.005, ß = 0.205, R2 = 0.038), family problems (p = 0.014, ß = 0.184, R2 = 0.173) and lower study skills (p = 0.031, ß = -0.164, R2 = 0.270). The overall regression analysis explained 33.6% of the variance (corrected R2 = 0.336). Conclusion: Higher than expected levels of distress (75%) was found in immigrant school students. Poor study skills have a significant relationship with distress. Learning environment and related stress factors were associated with distress among students. Based on the findings, it is recommended that stakeholders in education address the hidden curriculum, as it is usually unacknowledged and might affect students' wellbeing, and move from student centered to an interpersonal relation-centered education.

Assessing the Validity of Health Messages Used by the Saudi Public in WhatsApp.

Objective: WhatsApp is the most frequently used social media platform in Saudi Arabia. Inaccurate information could negatively impact public health. The number of studies worldwide investigating health-related misinformation in social media increased steadily, with limited data from Arabic-speaking communities. This study aimed to estimate the validity and safety of Arabic-language health information messages circulated on WhatsApp and identify the different categories of these messages based on their credibility. Participants and Methods: A descriptive, analytical cross-sectional study was conducted from February to April 2021. A total of 374 students were randomly selected from the common first preparatory year college at King Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and participated by sharing up to three health-related WhatsApp messages per student that they or their relatives had recently read. Four board-certified physicians reviewed and classified the messages based on their credibility and sources. Results: 282 students provided 326 messages (1.2 messages per student). Most messages (86%) had either invalid or inaccurate content, and 83.7% came from unknown sources. Only 26 messages (8%) of the total were written by trusted scientific sources. Most of the messages from unknown sources or unqualified persons were either invalid or invalid, with potential health risks for the public, and the difference from trusted sources was statistically significant. Conclusion: This study showed a high percentage of inaccurate and invalid health-related messages on WhatsApp. Invalid messages with potential health risks were authored mostly by unknown sources or unqualified persons. Most health messages written by trusted authorities and qualified persons were valid. Trusted scientific authorities should thus be more active in public education on social media platforms. They should advise their communities on how to discern the validity of such messages. More efforts are needed to guide patients from where to obtain accurate and valid health information.

Zika virus antibody-positivity among symptomatic/asymptomatic pregnant women in the Aseer region displays pre-exposure to dengue viruses

@#Antibody cross-reactivity among flaviviruses is a major limitation in understanding the prevalence without vector control measures. In this study, we investigated the presence of Zika virus (ZIKV)-specific antibodies and the significance of their cross-reactivity with other flaviviruses, which could affect the serological specificity in both symptomatic and asymptomatic pregnant women. Among the results obtained from 217 serum samples tested for ZIKV-specific IgM and IgG, no specific predictions regarding seropositivity or exposure due to extensive cross-reactivity with dengue virus (DENV) serology could be made. Clear-cut positivity was observed in 1.8% (n = 4) and 1.0% (n = 2) for ZIKV IgM and IgG, respectively. The same samples assessed for DENV showed 1.3% (n = 3) seropositivity each for IgM and IgG levels. None of the samples were positive for ZIKV and DENV IgM or IgG. However, one sample (0.4%) tested positive for ZIKV and DENV IgM. No significant correlation was observed between DENV IgM and IgG when comparing the overlapped serotiters. On the other hand, the ZIKV IgG-positive sample showed higher serotiters for DENV IgG, indicating cross-reactivity with ZIKV but without statistical significance. Therefore, screening for the incidence of ZIKV becomes particularly challenging in a population where the presence or pre-exposure to DENV is observed. Our observations further suggest that unless flavivirus prevalence is properly addressed, determining the prevalence of ZIKV antibodies, which may be confounded with other uninvestigated flaviviruses, will be complicated.

Phytochemical Analysis, Antioxidant, and Antimicrobial Activities of Ducrosia flabellifolia: A Combined Experimental and Computational Approaches.

Ducrosia flabellifolia Boiss. is a rare desert plant known to be a promising source of bioactive compounds. In this paper, we report for the first time the phytochemical composition and biological activities of D. flabellifolia hydroalcoholic extract by using liquid chromatography-electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS) technique. The results obtained showed the richness of the tested extract in phenols, tannins, and flavonoids. Twenty-three phytoconstituents were identified, represented mainly by chlorogenic acid, followed by ferulic acid, caffeic acid, and sinapic acid. The tested hydroalcoholic extract was able to inhibit the growth of all tested bacteria and yeast on agar Petri dishes at 3 mg/disc with mean growth inhibition zone ranging from 8.00 ± 0.00 mm for Enterococcus cloacae (E. cloacae) to 36.33 ± 0.58 mm for Staphylococcus epidermidis. Minimal inhibitory concentration ranged from 12.5 mg/mL to 200 mg/mL and the hydroalcoholic extract from D. flabellifolia exhibited a bacteriostatic and fungistatic character. In addition, D. flabellifolia hydroalcoholic extract possessed a good ability to scavenge different free radicals as compared to standard molecules. Molecular docking studies on the identified phyto-compounds in bacterial, fungal, and human peroxiredoxin 5 receptors were performed to corroborate the in vitro results, which revealed good binding profiles on the examined protein targets. A standard atomistic 100 ns dynamic simulation investigation was used to further evaluate the interaction stability of the promising phytocompounds, and the results showed conformational stability in the binding cavity. The obtained results highlighted the medicinal use of D. flabellifolia as source of bioactive compounds, as antioxidant, antibacterial, and antifungal agent.

Does professionalism change with different sociodemographic variables? A survey of Arab medical residents.

BACKGROUND: Medical professionalism reflects the commitment of physicians to their patients, society, themselves, and the profession. The study examined residents' attitudes towards professionalism and how these attitudes vary among the different demographic groups, namely gender, specialty, and year of residency. METHODS: A proportionate random sampling strategy was used to select the study sample. Medical residents from six specialties at a large tertiary care teaching facility were invited to participate in an online survey. The survey used the modified Learners Attitude of Medical Professionalism Scale (LAMPS), which consists of five domains: respect, excellence, altruism, duty/accountability, and integrity. Chi-square, Student t-test, one-way ANOVA, factorial ANOVA, and post hoc analysis were used to examine the attitudinal differences towards professionalism among the different demographic factors. RESULTS: The overall response rate was 82.7%. Overall, the residents' self-reported attitudes towards professionalism was positive. The highest score was for the "respect" domain (4.61), and the lowest was for "altruism" (3.67). No significant association was found between the mean scores and the three studied variables, namely, gender, specialty (surgical/nonsurgical), and level (senior/junior). CONCLUSIONS: No significant differences were observed in the overall attitude towards professionalism among the residents regarding their year of residency, gender, and specialty. The low altruism score and absence of improvement of the total score regarding the residents' increasing experience in the profession are concerns that need remedial action. Therefore, we suggest that future research look for possible explanations by using multi-institutional surveys that explore not only the residents' attitudes, but also the trainers' attitudes and practice, work situations, the hidden curriculum, and culture. Key messagesAttitudes towards professionalism among different demographic groups of residents do not show similar variations as has been reported in the literature, albeit in different sociocultural contexts.The low altruism score and absence of improvement of the total score as the residents gained more experience in the profession are concerns that need remedial action.A longitudinal study involving more than one institution for both residents and their faculty members to compare faculty scores with those of residents, while controlling for specialty and gender, may help elucidate the factors affecting attitudes towards professionalism and suggest possible means of addressing unfavourable attitudes.

Hedgehog signalling molecule, SMO is a poor prognostic marker in bladder cancer.

INTRODUCTION: Hedgehog (HH) pathway is an important signalling cascade for growth and patterning during embryonic development. Constitutive activation of Hedgehog pathway can be found in various types of malignancies including medulloblastoma, basal cell carcinoma, gastrointestinal, breast, pancreatic, prostate cancer and leukaemia. Little is known about the expression and role of Hedgehog signalling in bladder cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The purpose of this study was to investigate the immunohistochemical expression of SMO in 112 bladder cancer cases and determine their association with demographic and clinicopathological parameters. Bladder cancer tissues were obtained from the Hospital Kuala Lumpur. RESULTS: SMO was expressed in the cytoplasm of all cases of bladder cancer. 6 cases (5.4%) showed low expression, while 106 cases (94.6%) showed high expression. Positive expression of SMO protein was correlated with a few variables which include grade and stage of tumour, lymph node metastasis and distant metastasis. SMO expression showed statistically significant association with higher grade (p=0.001) and higher stage (p=0.042) of bladder cancer. SMO expression also showed borderline association with lymph node metastasis (p=0.056). CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that SMO expression may be a poor prognostic marker in bladder cancer.

Induction of apoptosis and role of paclitaxel-loaded hyaluronic acid-crosslinked nanoparticles in the regulation of AKT and RhoA.

Cancer is a complex multifactorial disease and leading causes of death worldwide. Despite the development of many anticancer drugs, there is a reduced survival rate due to severe side effects. The nontargeted approach of convention drugs is one of the leading players in context to toxicity. Hyaluronan is a versatile bio-polymer and ligand of the receptor (CD44) on cancer cells. The MCF-7 and HT-29 cancer cell lines treated with hyaluronic acid-paclitaxel (HA-PTX) showed the distinguishing morphological features of apoptosis. Flow cytometric analysis showed that HA-PTX induces apoptosis as a significant mode of cell death. The activation level of tumor suppressor protein (p53) increased after PTX treatment in MCF-7, but no changes observed in HT-29 might be due to hereditary mutations. The lack of suppression in AKT and Rho A protein suggest the use of possible inhibitors in future studies which might could play a role in increasing the sensitivity of drug towards mutated cells line and reducing the possibilities for cancer cell survival, migration, and metastasis.

The relationship between study skills and depressive symptoms among medical residents.

BACKGROUND: The cost of depression among residents is staggering as it extends into the quality and safety of patient care. Finding an explanation to resident depression by investigating the associated factors is therefore important. Study skills can be a possible factor, and a clear gap in the literature exists in this regard. We sought to investigate the relationship between depressive symptoms among residents and their study skills. METHODS: This was a correlational study and a non-probability sample of 240 residents completed the Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II) and the Study Skills Inventory (SSI). Chi-square test was used to compare different categorical variables, while student t-test and ANOVA for continuous data. Pearson's correlation coefficient was performed to find the relationship between depressive symptoms and study skills and the association that these measures have with the demographic variables. RESULTS: Overall, 186 residents (76%) filled out the questionnaire. The SSI total score was found to have a significant negative association with the BDI-II depression score (Pearson correlation = - 0.447and p < 0.000). No significant association was found between the total SSI score and the residents' sex, age, marital status, smoking status, training years or specialties. CONCLUSION: Poor study skills were found to be correlated with higher depressive symptoms. Future studies are required to develop a deeper understanding of this relationship and reconfigure the approach to study skills for the well-being of the future physicians.

Efficacy of live attenuated vaccine derived from the Streptococcus agalactiae on the immune responses of Oreochromis niloticus.

Streptococcus agalactiae species have been recognized as the main pathogen causing high mortality in fish leading to significant worldwide economical losses to the aquaculture industries. Vaccine development has become a priority in combating multidrug resistance in bacteria; however, there is a lack of commercial live attenuated vaccine (LAV) against S. agalactiae in Malaysia. The aim of this study is to compare two methods using attenuated bacteria as live vaccine and to evaluate the efficacy of selected LAV on the immune responses and resistance of Oreochromis niloticus (tilapia) against S. agalactiae. The LAV derived from S. agalactiae had been weakened using the chemical agent Acriflavine dye (LAV1), whereas the second vaccine was weakened using serial passages of bacteria on broth media (LAV2). Initial immunization was carried out only on day one, given twice-in the morning and evening, for the 42 day period. Serum samples were collected to determine the systemic antibody (IgM) responses and lysozymal (LSZ) activity using ELISA. On day 43 after immunization, the fish were injected intraperitoneally (i.p) with 0.1 mL of S. agalactiae at LD50 = 1.5 × 105 (CFU)/fish. Fish were monitored daily for 10 days. Clinical signs, mortality and the relative percent of survival (RPS) were recorded. Trial 1 results showed a significant increased (P < 0.05) in serum IgM titers and LSZ activity as compared to LAV2 and the control group (unvaccinated fish). The efficacy of LAV1 was proven effective as determined by the RPS values, LAV1 at 81.58% as compared to LAV2 at 65.79%. Trial 2 of LAV1 and control group were further determined by administering primary and booster doses revealed a RPS value for LAV1 of 82.05%, with the significant enhancement on the immune responses of tilapia as compared to control group. In conclusion, LAV revealed to elevate antibody IgM levels, LSZ activity and provide long-term protection when added to feed. LAV is a low-cost vaccine shown to rapidly increase the immune response of fish and increase survival rates of fish against S. agalactiae infection.

Acquaintance of dental implants as a treatment modality in edentulous states among health workers in Aseer Province, KSA.

PURPOSE: To identify the acquaintance of dental implant (DI) as a treatment modality in edentulous states among health workers in the Aseer region and also to assess the level of understanding about DI among them. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A questionnaire set of 18 questions was used for 500 health workers from the concerned area about DI. Questionnaire set basically consists of questions to assess the attitude, perception, and knowledge among them about DI. The data collected and association with the factors were tested for significance using the Chi-square test and P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The response rate was 89%. More than 75% were aware of DI, but only 50% of the total respondents were knowing about the difference between the DI, fixed prosthesis, and removable prosthesis. Of the latter, 47.4% have suggested implants for patients and about 55% respondents were agreeing to get DI done for themselves. Dental health care workers have more knowledge than the medical health workers, and the difference was found to be statistically significant. Of respondents, >90% were willing to know more about DI. CONCLUSION: The practice of implant dentistry is growing in the Aseer region. However, general health workers are not fully aware of proper DI information. In addition, all the efforts should be made to include basic implant education in all the branches of health sciences and the CDE program should be conducted regularly to enhance the knowledge, so that correct information can be channelized to the patients.

Modified Unipolar Hemiarthroplasty for the Treatment of Metastatic Lesions of Proximal Femur with Pathological Fractures: Case Series of Six Patients.

Introduction: Proximal femur resection and endoprosthetic reconstruction is the preferred treatment for extensive bony destruction and pathological fractures. Due to the relatively high cost of endoprosthesis, we adopted the modified unipolar hemiarthroplasty (MUH) for reconstruction when the mode of treatment was for palliation. Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective case study of six patients, who had bone and multi-organs metastases with extensive proximal femur involvement with pathologic fractures who underwent resection and MUH reconstruction during the period 2013 to 2017. All patients were classified as Group B / C based on Scandinavian Sarcoma Group survival scoring, with estimated survival of maximum six months. The basic MUH construct consisted of Austin-Moore prosthesis which was secured to a Küntscher nail using cerclage wire and cemented into the femoral canal. Subsequently, the whole length of the prosthesis which remained outside the canal was coated with cement. Results: The mean age was 61.8 years. The mean survival was 3.9 months, post-operation. There was no implant failure during patients' life span; however, a third of the patients developed infection. Wheel chair ambulation was started immediately post-operation for all patients, and two patients progressed to walking frame ambulation. The total cost of each construct was below US$490 in comparison to long-stem hemiarthroplasty (roughly US$ 1700). Conclusion: Our aim was to alleviate pain, facilitate rehabilitation, ease nursing care and improve quality of life for metastatic bone disease patients until end of life. MUH for the treatment of pathological fracture in proximal femoral metastases is a feasible palliative surgical modality in resource-limited settings.

The use of diffusion-weighted MR imaging in the functional assessment of the testes of patients with clinical varicocele.

We aimed to evaluate the use of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in the assessment of the varicocele effect on testicular parenchyma and spermatogenesis, with estimation of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value changes in the testicular parenchyma. We prospectively evaluated 30 consecutive patients (18 patients with bilateral varicocele and 12 patients with unilateral varicocele) and 10 healthy controls. US and DWI were performed to all patients. A total of 80 testes were included, which divided into three groups: group A: testes ipsilateral to the varicocele (n = 48, 60%); group B: testes contralateral to the varicocele (n = 12, 15%); and group C: normal testes of the control (n = 20, 25%). There was a statistically significant difference in mean ADC value between all groups (p-value < 0.001). In groups A and B, there was a negative correlation between mean ADC values and varicocele grade as well as pampiniformis venous diameter. In group A, there was a significant positive correlation between mean ADC value and sperm count (p-value = 0.01, r-value = 0.48) as well as sperm motility (p-value = 0.04, r-value = 0.33). DWI sequence can be used to evaluate the sequel of varicocele, with decreased ADC values that are significantly correlated with abnormal semen parameters. Thus, ADC values may be considered as an ancillary indicator of testicular parenchyma changes.

Validation of a new study skills scale to provide an explanation for depressive symptoms among medical students.

BACKGROUND: Medical students are faced with enormous academic demands that may influence their emotional wellbeing. The high rate of depression among medical students and its negative impact is an impetus to find explanation for the factors associated with it. Study skills that students possess might be such a factor. The current tools for the assessment of the study skills may have certain limitations, particularly for different cultural settings. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to develop and validate a Study Skills Inventory (SSI), and to investigate the relationship between the students' study skills and the extent (severity) of depressive symptoms, measured using the validated tool. METHOD: The first version of the SSI was developed through expert consensus. The inventory was then administered to a randomly selected group of medical students. Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted for the internal validity. External validation was conducted by comparing the results of the SSI with the "Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students" (ASSIST). After validation, the correlation between the SSI total score with the Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II) total score was investigated using the Pearson correlation coefficient. The means of the total study skills scores for each severity category of depression were compared using ANOVA. RESULTS: A total of 23 items, representing five sub-scales, were included in the inventory. Based on 372 student responses (response rate of 93%), the five-factor solution explained a cumulative variance of 52% and Cronach alpha was 0.84. The SSI total score had a significant negative association with the BDI-II depression score (Pearson correlation of -.348** and P<0.0001). CONCLUSION: This study showed evidence for acceptable reliability and validity of the newly developed SSI. Poor study skills were found to correlate with higher depressive symptoms. This association needs confirmation in future research and could open a new door for better understanding of student depression.

The pattern of social media use and its association with academic performance among medical students.

BACKGROUND: There are concerns that the use of social media (SM) among medical students could affect academic performance. The objectives of the study were to investigate the pattern and reasons for SM use and their association with academic performance. METHODS: A stratified random sample, frequency distribution and comparison of categorical variables with Chi-square and Fisher exact tests were used. RESULTS: Of the 97% who responded, 98% used SM. The most popular were Whatsapp (87.8%), You tube (60.8%) and Twitter (51.8%) for general use; while You tube (83.5%), Whatsapp (35.5%) and Twitter (35.3%) for learning. For general use, there was a significant higher number of visits to You tube and Facebook among male students, while the reverse was true for Instagram and Path. Around 71% visited SM >4 times/day and 55% spent 1-4 hours/day. The main reasons for SM use were entertainment (95.8%), staying up-to-date with news (88.3%), and socializing (85.5%); for academic studies (40%). There was no significant association between Grade Point Average and the frequency of daily SM use or use during lectures. CONCLUSIONS: While almost all the students used SM, only a minority used them for academic purposes. SM use was not associated with academic performance.

Effect of feeding Acacia nilotica pods to sheep on nutrient digestibility, nitrogen balance, ruminal protozoa and rumen enzymes activity.

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of supplying two levels of Acacia nilotica (A. nilotica) pods to rations of sheep on nutrient digestibility, nitrogen balance and rumen liquor parameters (pH, total protozoa count, protein concentration and enzymes activity). Twelve mature rams (50 ± 1.25 kg B.W.) were distributed into three groups, each with four rams. Animals in group one were considered as a control which fed a basal diet, consisting of concentrate mixture and Egyptian clover. The second group and the third one received the same basal diet with supplying the concentrate mixture by 1.5% and 3.0% of A. nilotica pods meal respectively. The experiment lasted for 3 weeks. It was found that supplementation of A. nilotica pods to the concentrate mixture at a rate of 1.5% and 3.0% significantly improved the total feed intake compared to the control. The digestibility of dry matter and crude fibre was significantly reduced with A. nilotica supplements, whereas the digestibility of crude protein was significantly improved. All of nitrogen intake and N-retained were significantly increased in rams fed on concentrates with 1.5% and 3.0% A.  nilotica pods when compared to the control. The pH of ruminal fluid was not affected by the dietary treatments. Nevertheless, the total rumen protozoa count was significantly decreased in A. nilotica pods supplemented groups. Also, the rumen protein concentration and the ruminal enzymes activity, especially α-amylase, cellulase and protease, were lower in A. nilotica pods supplemented treatments. In conclusions, inclusion of low levels of A. nilotica pods (1.5% and 3.0%) in the concentrates can be used as a natural protein protectant in ruminants by forming tannin protein complexes in the rumen to maximize the amino acids available in the lower digestive tract. Also, these levels can increase the protein digestibility as well as the N-retained in the body .

The effect of dietary Chlorella vulgaris inclusion on goat's milk chemical composition, fatty acids profile and enzymes activities related to oxidation.

The impact of dietary supplementation with microalgae on goat's milk chemical composition, fatty acids (FA) profile and enzymes activities related to antioxidant mechanism has not been well documented. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the effects of dietary inclusion of Chlorella vulgaris on the following: (i) milk yield, chemical composition and FA profile, (ii) the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione transferase (GST) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) in blood plasma and (iii) the activities of SOD, GR and lactoperoxidase (LPO) in milk of goats. Furthermore, the oxidative stress indicators for measuring total antioxidant and free radical scavenging activity [ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) and 2, 2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) assays] and oxidative stress biomarkers [malondialdehyde (MDA) and protein carbonyls (PC)] were also determined in blood plasma and milk of the animals. For this purpose, 16 cross-bred goats were divided into two homogenous groups. Each goat of both groups was fed individually with alfalfa hay and concentrates separately. The concentrates of the control group (Control) had no microalgae, while those of the Chlorella group were supplemented with 10 g lyophilized Chlorella vulgaris/kg concentrates (Chlorella). Thus, the average intake was 5.15 g Chlorella vulgaris/kg DM. The results showed that the dietary inclusion of Chlorella vulgaris had not noticeable impact on goat's milk yield, chemical composition and FA profile. Significantly higher SOD (by 10.31%) and CAT (by 18.66%) activities in the blood plasma of goats fed with Chlorella vulgaris compared with the control were found. Moreover, the dietary supplementation with Chlorella vulgaris caused a significant increase in SOD (by 68.84%) activity and a reduction in PC (by 24.07%) content in goat's milk. In conclusion, the Chlorella vulgaris inclusion in goat's diets improved the antioxidant status of both animals and milk.