Venom of the desert black snake enhances anti-tumor immunity via its beneficial modulatory effects on pro- and anti-tumorigenic inflammatory mediators in cultured colon cancer cells.

The role of inflammation in colon cancer is understood as a well-accepted factor that has the tendency to release multiple pro- and anti-tumorigenic inflammatory mediators. Inflammation-induced increased expression of anti-tumorigenic inflammatory mediators and decreased expression of pro-tumorigenic inflammatory mediators encourage beneficial inflammatory effects in terms of powerful anti-tumor immunity. The present study aims to screen the beneficial inflammatory effects of venom via determining its modulatory tendency on the expression of 40 pro- and anti-tumorigenic inflammatory mediators (cytokines/growth factors/chemokines) in LoVo human colon cancer cell line.

Factors That Influence Mortality in Critically Ill Patients with SARS-CoV-2 Infection: A Multicenter Study in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Background: SARS-CoV-2 infection has a high mortality rate and continues to be a global threat, which warrants the identification of all mortality risk factors in critically ill patients.

Methods: This is a retrospective multicenter cohort study conducted in five hospitals in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). We enrolled patients with confirmed SARS-COV-2 infection admitted to any of the intensive care units from the five hospitals between March 2020 and July 2020, corresponding to the peak of recorded COVID-19 cases in the KSA.

Diosmin Alleviates Doxorubicin-Induced Liver Injury via Modulation of Oxidative Stress-Mediated Hepatic Inflammation and Apoptosis via NfkB and MAPK Pathway: A Preclinical Study.

Hepatotoxicity caused by chemotherapeutic drugs (e.g., doxorubicin) is of critical concern in cancer therapy.

A Study to assess the awareness and use of Silver Diammine Fluoride and Hall Technique among dental professionals and dental students in the Eastern Province.

Background: A major shift has occured in the trend of dealing with dental caries from primary to secondary prevention, specially after SDF approval off-label by US FDA in recent years and Hall Technique (HT) in the last decade.

Objectives: To determine the frequency of awareness and use of Silver Diammine Fluoride (SDF) and Hall technique among dental professionals in the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in a public hospital, metropolitan city of Middle Eastern region between March 15, 2019 & January 31, 2020.

Prevalence of alopecia and its contributing factors among primary healthcare attendees in the Jazan region, Saudi Arabia.

Background: Alopecia is a common health condition that can be associated with social and psychological consequences.

Aims: This study aims to estimate the prevalence of hair loss and its associated risk factors among primary healthcare center (PHC) attendees in the Jazan region.

Methods: This investigation was a cross-sectional study conducted in the Jazan region of southwest Saudi Arabia.

Structural Features of the Mental Foramen in a Saudi Subpopulation: A Retrospective CBCT Study.

Introduction: Accurate and precise knowledge about the position, size, and shape of the mental foramen (MF) are critical in avoiding procedural complications. The MF's anatomical features vary among different ethnic groups, and various radiographic techniques have been used to determine these variations.

Aims: To evaluate the MF's shape, vertical and horizontal positions, and distance from the border of the mandible.

Bradyarrhythmia in COVID-19 Patients.

The emergence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in 2019 has rapidly become a global health emergency. COVID-19 develops from a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) infection, which directly impacts the cardiovascular system by disrupting angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 receptors in the tissues. This leads to severe complications that cause major morbidity and mortality.

Bariatric Surgery as the One Route to Achieving Donor Heart Transplantation in a Patient with a Left-Ventricular Assist Device.

Bariatric and metabolic surgery is currently the most effective procedure of achieving and maintaining weight loss. In the case under discussion, a 48-year-old male patient with heart insufficiency and an implanted left-ventricular assist device (LVAD) wanted to reduce his high BMI (48.6 kg/m2), so as to qualify for the heart transplant waiting list.

Prenatal exome sequencing and chromosomal microarray analysis in fetal structural anomalies in a highly consanguineous population reveals a propensity of ciliopathy genes causing multisystem phenotypes.

Fetal abnormalities are detected in 3% of all pregnancies and are responsible for approximately 20% of all perinatal deaths. Chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) and exome sequencing (ES) are widely used in prenatal settings for molecular genetic diagnostics with variable diagnostic yields. In this study, we aimed to determine the diagnostic yield of trio-ES in detecting the cause of fetal abnormalities within a highly consanguineous population.

Knowledge, Attitudes and Perception toward COVID-19 Vaccines among Adults in Jazan Province, Saudi Arabia.

Background: Saudi Arabia is one of the countries that initiated early vaccination programs despite the global challenges concerning the availability of COVID-19 vaccines. Massive vaccination campaigns have been undertaken in the country; however, negative perception and hesitancy toward vaccines may exist which could reduce public response to vaccination. Further, studies evaluating the current perception and attitude toward COVID-19 vaccines are scarce.

Gastric Volvulus: A Rare Etiology of Acute Chest Pain.

Chest pain is one of the most common complaints in the emergency department. The etiologies of chest pain include a wide spectrum of conditions, ranging from mild and self-limited to life-threatening conditions. Gastrointestinal origins of acute chest pain, including esophageal, gastric, and biliary conditions, are not uncommon.

Habitual khat chewing alters urinary inorganic profile in adult healthy males.

Objectives: Khat () is a stimulant plant, and it is abusive to induce euphoria, alertness and activity. Concomitant use of medications and khat chewing predisposes to the appearance of drug interactions result in treatment failure or toxicity. This study determined the changes in the urinary inorganic profile in adult healthy males who are chewing khat compared with non-khat chewer males.

Selection of SARS-CoV-2 main protease inhibitor using structure-based virtual screening.

Conserved domains within SARS-CoV-2 nonstructural proteins represent key targets for the design of novel inhibitors. The authors aimed to identify potential SARS-CoV-2 NSP5 inhibitors using the ZINC database along with structure-based virtual screening and molecular dynamics simulation. Of 13,840 compounds, 353 with robust docking scores were initially chosen, of which ten hit compounds were selected as candidates for detailed analyses.

Hematocolpos: An Unusual Cause of Right Iliac Fossa Pain.

Acute appendicitis is the most frequent indication for emergency abdominal surgery in childhood. Despite being a common condition, the diagnosis of acute appendicitis can be challenging. Ultrasound examination remains the imaging tool of choice for the diagnosis of acute appendicitis.

Anxiety, depression-like behaviors and biochemistry disorders induced by cannabis extract in female mice.

Cannabis is an annual herbaceous plant sometimes grown for decoration and used as bird food that looks like flax. The study wanted to determine if a Cannabis extract may have an effect on how anxious and depressed the female mice behaved. forty healthy female mice were divided into four groups.

Primary Sleeve Gastrectomy and Leaks: The Impact of Fundus-Wall Thickness and Staple Heights on Leakage-An Observational Study of 500 Patients.

The most feared complication of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) is staple-line leakage. Staple height and fundus-wall thickness might influence such leakage, and this study examined their possible impact on leak incidence. Factors including gender, age, comorbidities, and reinforcement of the staple line were also investigated.

Awareness of dehydration state and fluid intake practice among adults population in the Jazan Region of Saudi Arabia, 2019.

Despite the hot climate and high humidity in the Jazan Region of Saudi Arabia, which increases risk for dehydration, no previous studies have assessed awareness of dehydration and fluid intake practice among adults in this region. Therefore, the aim of this cross-sectional study was to determine awareness of the dehydration state and fluid intake practices among 440 adults in the Jazan Region of Saudi Arabia. Out of the total, 51⋅8 % were male and 48⋅2 % were females.

High-throughput virtual screening and preclinical analysis identifies CB-1, a novel potent dual B-Raf/c-Raf inhibitor, effective against wild and mutant variants of B-Raf expression in colorectal carcinoma.

Paradoxical Raf activation via Raf dimerization is a major drawback of wild/mutant B-Raf inhibitors. Herein, we report that CB-1 a novel, potent B-Raf/c-Raf dual inhibitor, effective against colon cancer cells, irrespective of their genetic status. High-throughput virtual screening of the ChemBridge library against wild B-Raf (B-Raf), mutant B-Raf (B-Raf), and c-Raf was performed using an automated protocol with the AutoDock-VINA.

Melatonin attenuates morphine-induced conditioned place preference in Wistar rats.

Purpose: Morphine is the predominantly used drug for postoperative and cancer pain management. However, the abuse potential of morphine is the primary disadvantage of using opioids in pain management. Melatonin is a neurohormone synthesized in the pineal gland and is involved in circadian rhythms in mammals, as well as other physiological functions.

The Relationship Between Weight Self-Stigma and Quality of Life Among Youth in the Jazan Region, Saudi Arabia.

Background: Studies on the role of weight self-stigma on the quality of life of young adults are limited. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine the relationship between different forms of weight self-stigma (self-devaluation and fear of enacted stigma) and the quality of life among Saudi youth in the Jazan region.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed using a sample of 399 participants who were invited through social media platforms.

Intracranial haemorrhage in late-onset neonatal group B streptococcal disease: A case report.

This report aims to alert clinicians to the possibility of intracerebral haemorrhage as a rare manifestation of late-onset neonatal group B streptococcal (LOGBS) disease. This case also highlights the need for effective treatment guidelines for LOGBS disease. We report a case of LOGBS disease in a 17-day-old full-term female neonate, complicated by bilateral subarachnoid haemorrhage confirmed on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Studying the effect of particulate matter as SARS-CoV-2 transmitters.

Background: Studies of risk factors are especially valuable at this difficult time in the midst of a pandemic. High levels of particulate matter (PM) represent a serious risk factor on health. While this is a direct impact on health, indirect effects are worth considering, too.

Role of miRNA-495 and NRXN-1 and CNTN-1 mRNA Expression and Its Prognostic Importance in Breast Cancer Patients.

Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease in which genetic factors are involved in disease worsening and higher mortality. Epidemiological and clinical research revealed that breast cancer incidence continues to rise. 100 histopathologically confirmed untreated newly diagnosed cases of invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) of breast and 100 healthy subjects were involved and blood samples were collected in non-EDTA plain vials.