Magnitude and Determinants of Latent Tuberculosis Among Inmates of Saudi Correctional Facilities: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Purpose: To estimate the prevalence and determinants of latent tuberculosis (LTBI) among inmates of four correctional facilities in Saudi Arabia.

Methods: This is a retrospective review of health records. All inmates of four correctional facilities in Saudi Arabia were screened for tuberculosis in 2022.

Graphene-Templated Achiral Hybrid Perovskite for Circularly Polarized Light Sensing.

This study points out the importance of the templating effect in hybrid organic-inorganic perovskite semiconductors grown on graphene. By combining two achiral materials, we report the formation of a chiral composite heterostructure with electronic band splitting. The effect is observed through circularly polarized light emission and detection in a graphene/α-CH(NH)PbI perovskite composite, at ambient temperature and without a magnetic field.

The Social and Financial Burden on Families of Type 1 Diabetic Pediatric Patients in Madinah Region, Saudi Arabia.

Introduction: Caregivers and families play an essential role in managing and caring for type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) pediatric patients. However, caregiving is usually associated with social and financial burdens. This study assesses the burden and underlying social and financial factors among Saudi caregivers of pediatric patients with T1DM.

Effect of Verapamil on Glycemic Control in Type 2 Diabetic Hypertensive Patients in Saudi Arabia: A Quasi Experimental Study.

Background: Type 2 diabetes is a common chronic disease that continues to increase in prevalence globally and is a major healthcare burden. Diabetes and hypertension frequently occur concurrently, and the use of antihypertensive agents is common in diabetic patients. One antihypertensive agent, verapamil, has tentatively shown potentially positive effects on glycemic control in assorted pre-clinical models.

Ultrasonographic Characterizations of Radial Artery for Transradial Approach in the Saudi Population: A Pilot Study.

Background The radial artery originates from the brachial artery at the level of the neck of the radius in the cubital fossa. It has multiple branches all over its course, and it is an important artery for multiple procedures across several fields. Objectives The objective of this article is to assess the size and characteristics of the radial artery in the Saudi population for the transradial approach.

Impact of Carbonated Beverages on Color Stability and Home Bleaching Efficacy of BulkFill Composite Resins.

The purpose of this study was to assess, in vitro, the color stability and bleaching response of three bulk-fill composite resins-Activa™, Tetric®-N-Ceram Bulk-Fill, and Filtek™ One Bulk-Fill???and one conventional composite resin, Filtek™ Z250, after immersion in commonly consumed carbonated beverages and subsequent home bleaching with 15 percent carbamide peroxide. Ninety-six samples (two- and four-mm thick) of the materials were immersed in malt drink, energy drink, cola, or distilled water for one day, one week, and two months. After two months, samples underwent home bleaching with 15 percent carbamide peroxide gel.

Risk Factors for Cerebral Vasospasm After Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: A Systematic Review of Observational Studies.

Cerebral vasospasm (CV) following subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) remains one of the leading causes of high mortality and poor outcomes. Understanding the risk factors associated with CV is pivotal to improving patients' outcomes. We conducted an extensive search for analytical observational studies that analyzed the correlation between various variables and the likelihood of CV development among adult patients with SAH (age ≥ 18 years).

The Impact of Repeated Steam Sterilization Cycles on the Efficacy of Chairside Adjustment Kits for Polishing Monolithic Multi-Layered Zirconia Dental Restoration Material.

BACKGROUND Before insertion, chairside adjustment kits are heat sterilized for positioning and polishing dental restorations. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of 2 steam sterilization cycles on the efficacy of polishing highly translucent monolithic zirconia (HTMLZ) dental restoration material. MATERIAL AND METHODS 100 HTMLZ disc-shaped specimens were adjusted (grinding, finishing, polishing) with EVE Diacera kit.

Early Versus Late Antipseudomonal β-Lactam Antibiotic Dose Adjustment in Critically Ill Sepsis Patients With Acute Kidney Injury: A Prospective Observational Cohort Study.

Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common complication of sepsis, contributing to an increased mortality rate. However, some studies have demonstrated that renal function improves in sepsis patients with AKI within 48 hours, raising questions about the necessity for early antibiotic adjustment. This study evaluates the association between the timing of antipseudomonal β-lactam dose adjustment and the outcomes of critically ill sepsis patients with AKI.

Assessment of the Level of Knowledge and Awareness of the Risk of Chronic Use of Steroids in Causing Cataracts Among the General Population in the Western Region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA): A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background/aim: Cataracts consequence blindness to burden and impose health and economic burdens on communities. Steroid-induced cataracts have scarcely been highlighted in previous literature, creating a demand for reinvestigating this issue among the general population of western Saudi Arabia.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2022 using an online survey distributed among the target participants via social media platforms.

Multicenter Study to Validate a Hospitalization Risk Assessment Tool in Hemodialysis Patients.

Introduction Protein-energy wasting is a prevalent condition in patients with chronic kidney disease. Our goal was to validate the risk assessment tool (Hashmi's tool) in multiple centers, developed in 2018, as it was easily applicable and cost-effective. Methods The following variables were scored as 0, 1, 2, or 3 as per severity: body mass index, HD vintage in years, functional capacity, serum albumin, serum ferritin, and the number of co-morbid conditions (diabetes mellitus, hypertension, ischemic heart disease, and cerebrovascular disease).

Retraction: Lemierre's Syndrome: A Case of Life-Threatening Infection From Family Medicine Practice.

[This retracts the article DOI: 10.7759/cureus.20684.

Assessing the Level of Awareness About Breath-Holding Spells Among the General Population in the Makkah Region, Saudi Arabia.

Background and objective Breath-holding spell (BHS) is a serious condition that affects healthy and normal children. It is a paroxysmal non-epileptic disorder and usually occurs after the child gets angry, annoyed, or aroused. In such a scenario, an episode of crying and silent expiration associated with color changes, either cyanosis or pallor, leads to loss of consciousness in the child.

A deep learning model predicts the presence of diverse cancer types using circulating tumor cells.

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are cancer cells that detach from the primary tumor and intravasate into the bloodstream. Thus, non-invasive liquid biopsies are being used to analyze CTC-expressed genes to identify potential cancer biomarkers. In this regard, several studies have used gene expression changes in blood to predict the presence of CTC and, consequently, cancer.

A Deep Learning-Based Approach to Estimate Paneth Cell Granule Area in Celiac Disease.

Context.—: Changes in Paneth cell numbers can be associated with chronic inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. So far, no consensus has been achieved on the number of Paneth cells and their relevance to celiac disease (CD).

Arabic Patient-Reported Measures of Activity and Participation for Children: A Systematic Review of Psychometric Properties.

Aim: To systematically review measurement properties of Arabic patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) that assess activity and participation in children with and without health conditions.

Method: Four databases were searched. Arabic PROMs with focus on activity and/or participation constructs were selected.

Impact of Asthma Education Program 2020-2021 on Asthma Control Among Bronchial Asthma Children in Madinah City, Saudi Arabia.

Background: Asthma control among asthmatic children still remains suboptimal. Saudi literature are scarce in this context, and there is a paucity of reports that compare asthma control level pre- and post-education program directed to asthmatic patients and their parents.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to assess the impact of asthma education and flu vaccination on asthma control in asthmatic children in Madinah region from 2020 to 2021, in terms of ED visits, hospitalization, pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admission, and asthma control level.

Thickness-Dependent Light Transmittance and Temperature Rise in Dual-Cure Bioactive and Light-Cure Bulk-Fill Composite Resins.

This study aimed to assess the light transmittance (T) and temperature increase through different increments of dual-cure bioactive bulk-fill restorative material (ACTIVA), light-cure bulk-fill, and conventional composite resin materials. Cylindrical specimens with a diameter of 8 mm and heights of 1, 2, 3, and 4 mm of ACTIVA, Tetric-N-Ceram bulk-fill (TBF), Filtek One bulk-fill (FBF), and Filtek Z250 (FZ) (n = 6 per group, 96 in total) were light-cured with a visible blue low-intensity light-emitting diode (LED) (650-800 mW/cm irradiance). T, and the temperature increase, were measured using an optical power meter and a digital thermometer during curing.

Assessment of risk factors associated with multidrug-resistant organism infections among patients admitted in a tertiary hospital - a retrospective study.

Background: Bacterial resistance has become a global health concern. To treat suspected multidrug resistant organisms (MDROs), physicians first use broad-spectrum antibiotics; however, this increases the chance of developing antimicrobial resistance. Thus, defining the risk factors for MDROs could aid in the selection of the ideal initial antimicrobial therapy and improve clinical outcomes.

FAIR in action - a flexible framework to guide FAIRification.

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) data more than any other scientific challenge to date. We developed a flexible, multi-level, domain-agnostic FAIRification framework, providing practical guidance to improve the FAIRness for both existing and future clinical and molecular datasets. We validated the framework in collaboration with several major public-private partnership projects, demonstrating and delivering improvements across all aspects of FAIR and across a variety of datasets and their contexts.

Machine learning approaches to identify Parkinson's disease using voice signal features.

Parkinson's Disease (PD) is the second most common age-related neurological disorder that leads to a range of motor and cognitive symptoms. A PD diagnosis is difficult since its symptoms are quite similar to those of other disorders, such as normal aging and essential tremor. When people reach 50, visible symptoms such as difficulties walking and communicating begin to emerge.

Buccaneer model building with neural network fragment selection.

Tracing the backbone is a critical step in protein model building, as incorrect tracing leads to poor protein models. Here, a neural network trained to identify unfavourable fragments and remove them from the model-building process in order to improve backbone tracing is presented. Moreover, a decision tree was trained to select an optimal threshold to eliminate unfavourable fragments.