Association between adult-onset hearing loss and dementia biomarkers: A systematic review.

Background And Objective: People with adult-onset hearing loss (AoHL) are at increased dementia risk. In this study, we explore potential aetiological mechanisms by synthesising the evidence on the association between AoHL and neuropathological, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), blood and imaging biomarkers of dementia.

Methods: We systematically searched electronic databases from inception to 30 April 2024 for cross-sectional and longitudinal studies, including quantitative data on the association between AoHL and dementia biomarkers.

Shell-based agricultural wastes biomass valorization for biofuel production: a bibliometric analysis into the circular bioeconomy.

The valorization of shell-based agricultural waste biomass for biofuel production represents a promising approach within the circular bioeconomy. This study employs a bibliometric analysis to investigate research trends and identify key developments in the field from 1997 to 2023, using data from the Web of Science and VOSviewer for scientific mapping. A total of 1333 research articles were examined, revealing notable shifts in research focus: from pyrolysis and biomass energy (1997-2005) to gasification (2006-2014), and more recently, to enzymatic hydrolysis and lignocellulosic biomass gasification (2015-2023).

Assessment of Health Science Students' Knowledge of Ocular Chemical Injuries and Proper Immediate Action: A Cross-Sectional Study at King Khalid University.

Introduction Chemical injuries are considered to be one of the true ocular emergencies that require years of visual rehabilitation in addition to immediate medical intervention to maintain eyesight. Thus, it is imperative that medical professionals and the general public are both aware of the damage and how to treat it. Objective The current study's objectives were to determine what influences students' understanding of ocular first aid in trauma scenarios and to evaluate the degree of knowledge among health university students at King Khalid University.

Molecular detection of infection (Q fever) in livestock in Makkah Province, Saudi Arabia.

The study aims to investigate the prevalence of Q fever in livestock and ticks in Makkah Province, Saudi Arabia, by molecular methods. Using DNA obtained from (40) blood samples, (60) vaginal swabs and ticks (120) samples. Real-time PCR was used to detect the insertion sequence of in aborted animals.

Oxidative Stress in Alzheimer's Disease: The Shortcomings of Antioxidant Therapies.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by gradual and progressive cognitive decline leading to dementia. At its core, the neuropathological features of AD include hallmark accumulations of amyloid-β and hyperphosphorylated tau proteins. Other harmful processes, such as oxidative stress and inflammation, contribute to the disease's neuropathological progression.

User interface design in mobile learning applications: Developing and evaluating a questionnaire for measuring learners' extraneous cognitive load.

Mobile learning is increasingly popular due to its flexibility in timing and location. However, challenges such as small screen sizes and poor user interface design can elevate learners' cognitive load, especially extraneous cognitive load, which hinders learning. Extraneous cognitive load, stemming from user interface design complexity, must be minimized to enhance learning focus.

Comparative study between retrograde intrarenal surgery and ultrasound- guided shock wave lithotripsy for treatment of 1 to 2 cm radiolucent lower calyceal stones.

Objectives: The objective is to compare the safety and efficacy of retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) and ultrasound-guided (US-guided) shock wave lithotripsy (SWL) for the treatment of radiolucent lower pole calculi of 1-2 cm.

Materials And Methods: This prospective randomized study was performed at our tertiary care urology institute of Benha University Hospitals; cases were randomized either to undergo RIRS (Group A) or US-guided SWL with a triple focus system (Group B). The safety and effectiveness of both therapies were compared using new criteria for stone-free rate (SFR): Grade A (absolutely stone free), Grade B (≤2 mm fragments), and Grade C (>2 mm up to 4 mm fragments), fluoroscopy time, operative time, auxiliary procedures, retreatment, and complications.

Study on fresh and hardened state properties of eco-friendly foamed concrete incorporating waste soda-lime glass.

Improper waste management is causing global environmental problems. Waste glass may have adverse impacts on the ecosystem. While a substantial amount of soda-lime glass bottle (SGB) undergoes recycling to create new glass items, a significant volume still ends up in landfills.

Awareness and Knowledge of Parents and Caregivers Regarding Pediatric Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Jazan, Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background Pediatric obstructive sleep apnea (POSA) is a common sleep disorder that can cause major health problems if untreated. Parental knowledge and awareness are critical for early detection and management of POSA in children. This study sought to measure parents' and caregivers' knowledge and awareness of pediatric POSA in Jazan, Saudi Arabia, as well as to uncover sociodemographic correlates of knowledge levels.

Knowledge and Attitudes Toward Pressure Ulcer Prevention Evidence-based Guidelines among Nursing Students at Jazan University, Saudi Arabia.

Background: Pressure ulcers (PUs) are a common global problem. They affect health-care costs and patient health because of increased morbidity and mortality rates. Critically ill patients are more prone to acquiring PUs than other patients.

Translation and psychometric properties of the Arabic version of the ageism scale for dental students (ASDS-Ar): A multi-institutional validation.

Background And Objective: Ageism represents an important barrier to high-quality healthcare for older adults. The present study sought to translate and validate the Arabic version of the Ageism Scale for Dental Students (ASDS-Arabic).

Materials And Methods: The 27-item ASDS tool was translated from English into Arabic following recommended cross-sectional forward and backward translation guidelines.

An evaluation of sample size requirements for developing risk prediction models with binary outcomes.

Background: Risk prediction models are routinely used to assist in clinical decision making. A small sample size for model development can compromise model performance when the model is applied to new patients. For binary outcomes, the calibration slope (CS) and the mean absolute prediction error (MAPE) are two key measures on which sample size calculations for the development of risk models have been based.

Penalized Regression Methods With Modified Cross-Validation and Bootstrap Tuning Produce Better Prediction Models.

Risk prediction models fitted using maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) are often overfitted resulting in predictions that are too extreme and a calibration slope (CS) less than 1. Penalized methods, such as Ridge and Lasso, have been suggested as a solution to this problem as they tend to shrink regression coefficients toward zero, resulting in predictions closer to the average. The amount of shrinkage is regulated by a tuning parameter, commonly selected via cross-validation ("standard tuning").

Knowledge and Attitudes Regarding Depression Among a Sample of Iraqi Non-Psychiatric Nurses: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Introduction: Nurses, comprising the largest profession in healthcare, play a significant role in the identification and management of mental health disorders in hospitals.

Objectives: The study assessed the knowledge and attitudes of non-psychiatric nurses and their encounters with depressive patients throughout their careers.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study with 400 non-psychiatric nurses from different hospitals in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq during October and November 2022.

Etiology of Childhood Profound Sensorineural Hearing Loss: The Role of Hearing Loss Gene Panel Testing.

Objective: Establishing the cause of hearing loss (HL) is important and rewarding, though not without its challenges. While our ability to identify the etiology for HL has improved with advances in scientific knowledge, a significant proportion of cases remain of unknown etiology. Recent protocol changes within the NHS Genomic Medicine Service support the utilization of the HL gene panel test, rather than individual gene tests.

Adult-onset hearing loss and incident cognitive impairment and dementia - A systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies.

Background: We comprehensively summarized the cohort evidence to date on adult-onset hearing loss as risk factor for incident cognitive impairment and dementia, and examined the evidence for dose-response, risk for various dementia subtypes, and other moderators. Previous meta-analyses were less comprehensive.

Methods: We included cohort studies with participants without dementia and with hearing assessments at baseline, minimum 2 years follow-up and incident cognitive outcomes.

BECN1 mRNA expression in breast cancer tissue; significant correlation to tumor grade.

Breast cancer (BC) is a heterogenous disease with multiple pathways implicated in its development, progression, and drug resistance. Autophagy, a cellular process responsible for self-digestion of damaged organelles, had been recognized as eminent player in cancer progression and chemotherapeutic resistance. The haploinsufficiency of Beclin 1 (BECN1), autophagy protein, is believed to contribute to cancer pathogenesis and progression.

Macrophage depletion overcomes human hematopoietic cell engraftment failure in zebrafish embryo.

Zebrafish is widely adopted as a grafting model for studying human development and diseases. Current zebrafish xenotransplantations are performed using embryo recipients, as the adaptive immune system, responsible for host versus graft rejection, only reaches maturity at juvenile stage. However, transplanted primary human hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSC) rapidly disappear even in zebrafish embryos, suggesting that another barrier to transplantation exists before the onset of adaptive immunity.

Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial of Face-to-Face Counseling and Mobile Phone Messages Compared to Usual Care for Smokeless Tobacco Cessation in Indian Primary Care: Project CERTAIN.

Introduction: Smokeless tobacco (SLT) use in low- and middle-income countries has adverse health consequences. We hypothesize that it is feasible to test an intervention of mobile phone messages and face-to-face counseling sessions for SLT cessation in India.

Aims And Methods: We conducted an exploratory, individual parallel two group, randomized controlled trial (RCT), with baseline and end-point (3 months from randomization) assessments in urban primary health centers in Odisha, India.

Contextualizing injury severity from occupational accident reports using an optimized deep learning prediction model.

Background: This study introduced a novel approach for predicting occupational injury severity by leveraging deep learning-based text classification techniques to analyze unstructured narratives. Unlike conventional methods that rely on structured data, our approach recognizes the richness of information within injury narrative descriptions with the aim of extracting valuable insights for improved occupational injury severity assessment.

Methods: Natural language processing (NLP) techniques were harnessed to preprocess the occupational injury narratives obtained from the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) from January 2015 to June 2023.

Tackling Infectious Diseases with Rapid Molecular Diagnosis and Innovative Prevention.

Infectious diseases (IDs) are a leading cause of death. The diversity and adaptability of microbes represent a continuing risk to health. Combining vision with passion, our transdisciplinary medical research team has been focussing its work on the better management of infectious diseases for saving human lives over the past five decades through medical discoveries and innovations that helped change the practice of medicine.