Publications by authors named "M Z Awadalla"

Introduction: Anxiety and depression are major causes of disability in Arab countries, yet resources for mental health services are insufficient. Mobile devices may improve mental health care delivery (mental m-Health), but the Arab region's mental m-Health app landscape remains under-documented. This study aims to systematically assess the features, quality, and digital safety of mental m-Health apps available in the Arab marketplace.

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Introduction: In Saudi Arabia, the HPV vaccine is administered to young females through school-based immunization programs; however, the program's efficacy depends on parental consent, with physicians acting as primary determinants in parental decision-making regarding HPV vaccination.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we recruited 128 physicians and assessed their knowledge and attitudes toward cervical cancer, HPV, and the HPV vaccine, and unraveled predictors of HPV vaccine acceptability and factors that would influence recommending the vaccine.

Results: Although the major factor that influenced recommending the vaccine negatively was the fear of vaccine side effects, a positive influence of the physician's personal reading (91%), recommendations from colleagues (88%), and government directives (87%) provided reassurance and increased confidence in recommending the vaccine.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates how variants in the HLA-G gene and soluble HLA-G (sHLA-G) levels may relate to susceptibility to COVID-19 in 65 patients compared to 67 healthy controls.
  • Key findings indicate that the 14-bp INS/DEL polymorphism increases the likelihood of experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, while the +3196C/G polymorphism appears protective.
  • Additionally, higher serum levels of sHLA-G were found in COVID-19 patients, suggesting that these genetic factors could inform on immune responses and help identify individuals at higher risk or needing targeted treatments.
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Introduction: Cervical cancer is a highly prevalent disease among women worldwide. However, the advent of a vaccine against HPV, the main cause of the disease, has prevented its spread. The acceptability of the HPV vaccine to different sectors of the Saudi community has yet to be clarified.

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Purpose: Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) is a proinflammatory cytokine produced by epithelial cells that is involved in the activation of allergic disorders. To date, no study has examined TSLP induction during Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection. Herein, we aimed to study the effects of the recombinant spike protein of MERS-CoV on TSLP production.

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