Technological Advances in SPECT and SPECT/CT Imaging.

Single photon emission tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) is a mature imaging technology with a dynamic role in the diagnosis and monitoring of a wide array of diseases. This paper reviews the technological advances, clinical impact, and future directions of SPECT and SPECT/CT imaging. The focus of this review is on signal amplifier devices, detector materials, camera head and collimator designs, image reconstruction techniques, and quantitative methods.

Heavy Metal Exposure-Induced Cardiovascular Diseases: Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutic Role of Antioxidants.

Globally, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the main cause of mortality every year worldwide. CVD health is influenced by various health factors, such as blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and glucose control. The main risk factors include smoking, physical activity, food intake, and body mass index.

Anatomical variations of Koerner's septum: a computed tomography-based, single-centered study.

Background: Koerner's septum (KS) is a bony plate located at the junction of the petrous and squamous parts of the temporal bone. The reported prevalence of KS varied between studies. KS variations are associated with various pathologies and pose difficulties during surgeries.

Efficacy of plastinated specimens in anatomy education: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Plastination, a permanent preservation method for human tissues and organs, is increasingly being used in anatomy education. However, there is a paucity of systematic reviews and meta-analyses summarizing the educational efficacy of plastinated specimens. This meta-analysis compared the assessment scores of students exposed to plastinated specimens against those exposed to other common instructional methods.

Deleterious Biological Effects of Endocrine Disruptors: An Insight into Human Health Risks.

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are environmental pollutants. Since EDCs are present in various consumer products, contamination of human beings is very common. EDCs have deleterious effects on various systems of the body, especially the endocrine and reproductive systems.

Computed-tomography evaluation of parietal foramen topography in adults: a retrospective analysis.

Background: The parietal foramen (PF) of the skull is a variable anatomic feature with important implications for venous drainage, infection, and injury. Its topography is clinically relevant for neurosurgeons for intracranial navigation and preoperative planning.

Methods: PF topography was investigated in a series of 440 head computed-tomography scans of Omani subjects at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital.

Does Frontal Recess Cell Variation Associate with the Development of Frontal Sinusitis? A Narrative Review.

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) can have a significant impact on quality of life. With persistent symptoms and the failure of initial medical treatments, surgical management is indicated. Despite the excellent results of endoscopic sinus surgery for persistent CRS, it is quite a challenging procedure for frontal sinusitis given the complex anatomy and location of the frontal sinus.

Anatomical variations of the frontal sinus: A computed tomography-based study.

The pneumatization of the frontal sinus is variable between individuals, including monozygotic twins. The volumetric anatomic variants of the frontal sinus are classified into aplasia, hypoplasia, medium-sized, and hyperplasia. We aimed to study the frontal sinus morphology in Omani patients using computed tomography (CT) evaluations.

Insulin Resistance and Hypertension: Mechanisms Involved and Modifying Factors for Effective Glucose Control.

Factors such as aging, an unhealthy lifestyle with decreased physical activity, snacking, a standard Western diet, and smoking contribute to raising blood pressure to a dangerous level, increasing the risk of coronary artery disease and heart failure. Atherosclerosis, or aging of the blood vessels, is a physiological process that has accelerated in the last decades by the overconsumption of carbohydrates as the primary sources of caloric intake, resulting in increased triglycerides and VLDL-cholesterol and insulin spikes. Classically, medications ranging from beta blockers to angiotensin II blockers and even calcium channel blockers were used alone or in combination with lifestyle modifications as management tools in modern medicine to control arterial blood pressure.

Physiological Intracranial Calcifications in Children: A computed tomography-based study.

Objectives: This study aimed to examined the frequency of physiological intracranial calcifications (PICs) in paediatric population using computed tomography (CT).

Methods: The brain CT scans of consecutive patients (age range: 0-15 years) who had visited Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Oman, from January 2017 to December 2020 were retrospectively assessed for the presence of PICs. The presence of calcifications was identified using 3 mm-thick axial images and coronal and sagittal reformats.

Atrazine Toxicity: The Possible Role of Natural Products for Effective Treatment.

There are various herbicides which were used in the agriculture industry. Atrazine (ATZ) is a chlorinated triazine herbicide that consists of a ring structure, known as the triazine ring, along with a chlorine atom and five nitrogen atoms. ATZ is a water-soluble herbicide, which makes it capable of easily infiltrating into majority of the aquatic ecosystems.

Radiologic Assessment of Orbital Dimensions among Omani Subjects: A computed tomography imaging-based study at a single tertiary centre.

Objectives: This study aimed to determine the orbital dimensions of Omani subjects who had been referred for computed tomography (CT) of the brain at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Oman. Good knowledge of the normal orbital dimensions is clinically essential for successful surgical outcomes. Racial, ethnic and regional variations in the orbital dimensions have been reported.

The Efficacy of Gum Arabic in Managing Diseases: A Systematic Review of Evidence-Based Clinical Trials.

Gum arabic (GA) is a natural product commonly used as a household remedy for treating various diseases in the Sub-Saharan Africa region. Despite its claimed benefits, there has been a lack of research on the findings of current clinical trials (CTs) that investigated its efficacy in the treatment of various medical diseases. The aim of this systematic review was to study CTs which focused on GA and its possible use in the management of various medical diseases.

Students' Performance in Face-to-Face, Online, and Hybrid Methods of Teaching and Assessment in Anatomy.

In recent times, online teaching and assessment have provided a great opportunity to explore better methods in medical education. There are inconsistent views concerning the effectiveness of online assessment. Hence, the present study aimed to evaluate online teaching and assessment methods in relation to face-to-face methods by comparing students' performances.

Prevalence of cervical ribs and elongated transverse processes in Omani population: a computed tomography-based study.

Introduction: Cervical ribs are the supernumerary ribs that usually arise from the seventh cervical vertebra. Ethnic and geographical variations in cervical ribs and elongated transverse processes have been reported. Therefore, we aimed to study the prevalence of cervical ribs and elongated transverse processes and morphometry of cervical ribs in Omani subjects using computed tomography (CT).

Natural Products in Mitigation of Bisphenol A Toxicity: Future Therapeutic Use.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a ubiquitous environmental toxin with deleterious endocrine-disrupting effects. It is widely used in producing epoxy resins, polycarbonate plastics, and polyvinyl chloride plastics. Human beings are regularly exposed to BPA through inhalation, ingestion, and topical absorption routes.

Pathomechanisms of bone loss in rheumatoid arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease, in which the inflammatory processes involve the skeletal system and there is marked destruction of the bones and the surrounding structures. In this review, we discuss the current concepts of osteoimmunology in RA, which represent the molecular crosstalk between the immune and skeletal systems, resulting in the disruption of bone remodeling. Bone loss in RA can be focal or generalized, leading to secondary osteoporosis.

Low-Carbohydrate Ketogenic Diet for Improvement of Glycemic Control: Mechanism of Action of Ketosis and Beneficial Effects.

The incidence of metabolic syndrome and diabetes mellitus is increasing globally. A diet rich in carbohydrates increases the hyperglycemic state. While considering the lifestyle changes to combat life-threatening diseases, there is an effort to decrease the daily intake of carbohydrates.

Treatment of Glaucoma with Natural Products and Their Mechanism of Action: An Update.

Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of irreversible blindness. It is generally caused by increased intraocular pressure, which results in damage of the optic nerve and retinal ganglion cells, ultimately leading to visual field dysfunction. However, even with the use of intraocular pressure-lowering eye drops, the disease still progresses in some patients.

Variations of Peroneus Tertius Muscle in Omani Population: A Surface Anatomical Study.

Background: Peroneus tertius muscle (PTM) is a muscle of the anterior compartment of the leg. It is a highly variable muscle with a prevalence rate ranging from 42%-100% in different populations worldwide. We sought to explore the frequency of PTM and its existing variants, based on surface anatomical evaluation of the foot, in Omani subjects.

Role of Bisphenol A in Autophagy Modulation: Understanding the Molecular Concepts and Therapeutic Options.

Bisphenol A (4,4'-isopropylidenediphenol) is an organic compound commonly used in plastic bottles, packaging containers, beverages, and resin industry. The adverse effects of bisphenol A in various systems of the body have been studied. Autophagy is a lysosomal degradation process that leads to the regeneration of new cells.

Kinase Inhibitors Involved in the Regulation of Autophagy: Molecular Concepts and Clinical Implications.

All cells and intracellular components are remodeled and recycled in order to replace the old and damaged cells. Autophagy is a process by which damaged, and unwanted cells are degraded in the lysosomes. There are three different types of autophagy: macroautophagy, microautophagy, and chaperone-mediated autophagy.

Maternal resveratrol supplementation ameliorates bisphenol A-induced atherosclerotic lesions formation in adult offspring ApoE mice.

Unlabelled: Current evidence suggests that intrauterine bisphenol A (BPA) exposure increases the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases in later stages of life. The beneficial effect of resveratrol (Rsv) on developmental programming of atherosclerosis lesions formation in offspring is seldom reported. Hence, we sought to study the effect of maternal Rsv in ameliorating perinatal BPA exposure-induced atherosclerosis lesions formation in adult offspring using the apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE) mice model.

Radiologic evaluation of congenital anomalies of anterior and posterior arch of atlas in Omani subjects.

The atlas (C1) is known to present congenital anomalies in its anterior and posterior arches. The reported incidence of C1 anomalies is varied among the ethnic groups. We sought to determine the prevalence and various existing variations of C1 arch congenital anomalies in Omani subjects.

Radiological study of fabella in Omani subjects at a tertiary care center.

Ethnic diversity is associated with variability in the prevalence rates of fabella. We aimed to evaluate the prevalence and the radiological features of fabella in Omani patients. This is a retrospective analysis of hospital electronic database of patients referred for radiological investigations (radiographs and magnetic resonance imaging) of the knee, at a tertiary care referral center.