Elemental analysis of levitated solid samples by microwave-assisted laser induced breakdown spectroscopy.

A novel analysis technique of elements at ambient conditions has been developed. The technique is based on microwave-assisted laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (MW-LIBS) applied to acoustically levitated samples. The technique has been demonstrated using three solid samples with different properties and compositions. These are ore containing multiple elements (OREAS 520), aluminium oxide (Al3O2) and gypsum (CaSO4·2H2O). The mass of samples was 21 mg, 23 mg, and 55 mg for gypsum, mineral ore, and Al3O2, respectively. Significant signal enhancements were recorded for a variety of elements, using microwave-assisted laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy and levitation (MW-LIBS-Levitation). The signal enhancement for Mn I (403.07 nm), Al I (396.13 nm) and Ca II (393.85 nm) was determined as 123, 46, and 63 times, respectively. Moreover, it was found that MW-LIBS-Levitation minimises the self-absorption of the Ca I (422.67 nm) and Na I (588.99 nm and 589.59 nm) spectral lines. In addition to the signal enhancements, the levitation process produces a spinning motion in the solids with an angular frequency of 7 Hz. This feature benefits laser-based analysis as a fresh sample is introduced at each laser pulse, eliminating the need for the usual mechanical devices. Based on the single-shot analysis, it was found that ∼80% of the laser pulses produced successful MW-LIBS-Levitation detection, confirming an impressive repeatability of the process. This contactless analytical technique can be applied in ambient pressure and temperature conditions with high sensitivity, which can benefit disciplines such as forensics science, isotope analysis, and medical analysis, where the sample availability is often diminutive.

Prevalence and Risk Factors of Deep Vein Thrombosis Among Adult Surgical Patients in Aseer Central Hospital, Saudi Arabia.

INTRODUCTION: Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a medical disorder that arises when a coagulation of blood forms in a deep vein, entirely or partially blocking veins, and commonly affects the lower limb. The occurrence is fairly common worldwide and it is said to increase with age, with males being at a higher risk than females. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to determine the prevalence and risk factors of DVT among adult surgical patients in Aseer Central Hospital in the Aseer Region of Saudi Arabia. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study involving 602 adult surgical patients hospitalized in the Aseer Central Hospital. Self-administered questionnaires were used to collect data from the respondents, and the data collected were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 24.0 (Released 2016; IBM Corp., Armonk, New York, United States). Statistical tests of association were used among the categorical variables. Association between variables was considered significant when p-value was less than 0.05. Binary logistic regression was performed to eliminate the effect of confounders in determining the risk factors for developing DVT among the respondents. RESULTS: The questionnaire response rate was 100%, with the mean age of the respondents being 44.2 ± 19.7 years. The prevalence of DVT was 7% (n=42). Obesity with adjusted OR (aOR) 17.9 (95%CI =5.39-59.18), hypertension with aOR 0.3 (95%CI =0.08-1.03), ischemic heart disease with aOR4.5 (95%CI =1.18-16.83), and orthopedics aOR 0.1 (95%CI=0.013-.240) were found to be independent risk factors for developing DVT among the respondents (p-value <=0.05). Other variables like diabetes, contraception, and pregnancy were not statistically associated with the development of DVT (p-value> 0.05) in these respondents. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study indicated a significantly low prevalence in comparison to Saudi Arabian research. Key risk factors included obesity (18x higher risk), ischemic heart disease, and hypertension. Surgery location, orthopedic cast, and Doppler ultrasound also influenced risk, while age and sex weren't significant predictors.

Potential Candidate Genes for Therapeutic Targeting in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia: A Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND: Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a prevalent hematological malignancy known for the presence of the Philadelphia chromosome and activation of the BCR-Abl kinase activity. Although tyrosine kinase inhibitors are widely used as the standard treatment, resistance remains a concern among certain patients. This study aimed to investigate the gene expression profile of a group of CML patients in comparison to a control group in order to identify novel candidate genes associated with the disease. METHODS: Whole transcriptome sequencing was performed, and gene expression levels were validated using quantitative real-time PCR. Additionally, single nucleotide and insertion/deletion variants were analyzed in the selected candidate genes among 10 CML patients and 4 healthy control subjects. RESULTS: Analysis revealed a set of differentially expressed genes, whose up- or downregulation was further confirmed by qRT-PCR. Among the upregulated genes in the patient group were ribosomal protein like (RPL) members, specifically RPL9, RPL34, RPL36A, and RPL39, while downregulation was observed in CCDC170, LDB1, and SBF1 compared to the healthy subjects. Furthermore, gene variant studies identified novel genetic changes in these candidate genes, suggesting potential clinical significance in CML. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights RPL9, RPL34, RPL36A, RPL39, CCDC170, LDB1, and SBF1 as potential targets in CML. Additionally, it underscores the importance of investigating these genes and their variants in larger cohort studies to assess their clinical significance in CML patients.

ADAMTS14, ARHGAP22, and EPDR1 as potential novel targets in acute myeloid leukaemia.

Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) is a blood cancer with a heterogeneous genomic landscape. This study aimed to mine bioinformatics data generated by RNA sequencing to unveil an AML case transcriptome profile and identify novel therapeutic targets and markers. In this study, we have determined the transcriptomic profile and analysed gene variants of an AML patient at the time of diagnosis and validated some genes by quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. ADAMTS14, ARHGAP22, and ependymin-related protein 1 (EPDR1) were markedly upregulated compared to the corresponding control. In addition, novel exonic single-nucleotide and insertion/deletion variants were identified in these genes. Hence, ADAMTS14, ARHGAP22, and EPDR1 can be proposed as potential novel targets in AML, and their exact roles should be further explored.

Population healthy lifestyle changes in Abha city during COVID-19 lockdown, Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: The pandemic emergence was in Asia late last year, the virus has spread to every continent except Antarctica. Cases are rising daily in Africa the Americas, and Europe. (2, 3) coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Many preventive measures were recommended by WHO to minimize virus transmission including hand washing and social distancing, travel restrictions, and the closing of gathering areas including universities and schools up to partial or complete lockdown. These measures affected public lifestyle which obligated many persons and families to modify their living condition, sleep hygiene and their routine daily activities to cope with new procedures which is a challenge. AIM: To assess population healthy lifestyle changes during lockdown in Abha city, KSA during COVID-19 pandemic. METHODOLOGY: A descriptive cross-sectional approach was used targeting all accessible population in Abha city. Data were collected from participants using electronic pre-structured questionnaire. The tool will cover participants' socio-demographic data, participants' medical history, perception regarding lockdown and home quarantine, and different lifestyle aspects during lockdown. RESULTS: A total sample of 1641 respondents were included in the current survey. Male participants were 733 (44.7%) and (61.1% of the participants aged 35 years or more. Exact of 85% of the participants agreed on lockdown efficacy. Daily sleep hours for less than 8 hours were recorded for 662 (40.3%) participants. As for dietary habits, exact of 885 participants (53.9%) changed their dietary habits during lockdown. sport practice during lockdown was reported by 981 (59.8%) of the participants. Lockdown related behaviour data showed that 98.5% of the participants were committed to lockdown either partially (18.8%) or completely (79.6%). CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS: In conclusion, the current study revealed that COVID-19 pandemic through lockdown as one of the recommended precautions to minimize virus transmission modified nearly all aspects of daily lifestyle including dietary habits, behaviour, social relations, and life sharing.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors. A clinicopathological study.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the clinical presentations and immunohistochemical (IHC) properties of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) and to compare them to internationally published data. METHODS: Thirty-six patients diagnosed with GISTs between January 1997 and December 2015 were retrospectively studied in 2 tertiary hospitals. Immunohistochemical staining was carried out prospectively when it has not been completed fully at the beginning. Results: The median age of patients was 54 years  (range; 17-81 years). Predominantly, we found more females were affected. The male to female ratio was 1:1.7. The most frequently affected organs were the stomach (63.8%) followed by small bowel (25%) and colorectal region (8.4%). Abdominal pain was the most frequent presentation in 33.3% of the patients then gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding in 30.5%. Most of the gastric GISTs were at early stages at presentation: stage 1 and II (60.8%), while in non-gastric GISTs, the tumor stage was advanced: stage III and IV (69.3%). The IHC characteristic of GIST in descending order showed positivity for vimentin (88.9%), CD117 (83.3%), CD34 (77.8%), Ki67 (63.9%), SMA (38.9%), desmin (27.8%), and S100 (19.4%). CONCLUSION: Gastrointestinal stromal tumors in our study demonstrates a major similar feature as the published international data. However, minor differences do exist in terms of clinical features and immunohistochemistry.