Curriculum mapping of dental physiology curriculum: The path towards outcome-based education.

Introduction: Curriculum mapping provides a clear picture of curriculum content, learning opportunities and assessment methods employed to measure the achievement of learning outcomes with their interrelationships. It facilitates educators and teachers to examine the extent to which the curricular components are linked and hence to find out gaps in the curriculum. The objective of the study was, therefore, to evaluate the physiology curriculum of Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) programme through curriculum mapping.

Public perception and attitudes to disaster risks in a coastal metropolis of Saudi Arabia.

Disaster risk reduction is an increasingly important policy issue, especially in developing countries that suffer most of the global human and economic losses associated with disasters. Indeed, public awareness and attitudes can help in disaster risk reduction and management efforts toward reducing mortality and economic losses. In Saudi Arabia, many cities have been recently experiencing incidences of disasters, such as floods, disease epidemics, and sandstorms.

Therapeutic Nanoemulsion: Concept to Delivery.

Nanoemulsions (NEs) or nanometric-scaled emulsions are transparent or translucent, optically isotropic and kinetically stable heterogeneous system of two different immiscible liquids namely, water and oil stabilized with an amphiphilic surfactant having droplet size ranges up to 100 nm. They offer a variety of potential interests for certain applications: improved deep-rooted stability; excellent optical clarity; and, enhanced bioavailability due to its nanoscale of particles. Though there is still comparatively narrow insight apropos design, development, and optimization of NEs, which mainly stems from the fact that conventional characteristics of emulsion development and stabilization only partly apply to NEs.

Public acceptability of treated wastewater reuse in Saudi Arabia: Implications for water management policy.

Treated wastewater reuse is increasingly important for sustainable water resource management, especially in water-stressed countries located in the world's arid regions that rely on groundwater and desalination process for meeting their water demands. This study investigates the socio-demographic variables influencing public perceptions of reusing grey and mixed wastewater for non-domestic uses: firefighting, swimming pools, and car washing. Data were collected from 624 households in the Dammam Metropolitan Area, Saudi Arabia using a structured questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics.

SVR modelling of mechanomyographic signals predicts neuromuscular stimulation-evoked knee torque in paralyzed quadriceps muscles undergoing knee extension exercise.

Background And Objective: Using traditional regression modelling, we have previously demonstrated a positive and strong relationship between paralyzed knee extensors' mechanomyographic (MMG) signals and neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES)-assisted knee torque in persons with spinal cord injuries. In the present study, a method of estimating NMES-evoked knee torque from the knee extensors' MMG signals using support vector regression (SVR) modelling is introduced and performed in eight persons with chronic and motor complete spinal lesions.

Methods: The model was developed to estimate knee torque from experimentally derived MMG signals and other parameters related to torque production, including the knee angle and stimulation intensity, during NMES-assisted knee extension.

Lipid-Based Nanosystem As Intelligent Carriers for Versatile Drug Delivery Applications.

The contemporary drug discovery research shows that most of the drug candidates are highly potent, but showing poor aqueous solubility leads a variety of challenges for formulation scientists to develop a suitable formulation to improve the systemic bioavailability of such drugs. Lipid-based nanocarriers act as a major and most projecting approach overcoming the limitations which affect several physiochemical properties of drug such as the solubility, partition coefficient and bioavailability or absorption. This also fulfills a variety of product requirements and helps to overcome several limitations as decided by symptoms of the disease, various routes of administration of drug, price concern, increasing strength of product, noxious or harmful effect of drug, and dose efficacy.

Thyroxine-loaded chitosan/carboxymethyl cellulose/hydroxyapatite hydrogels enhance angiogenesis in in-ovo experiments.

Angiogenesis is one of the most important processes in repair and regeneration of many tissues and organs. Blood vessel formation also play a major role in repair of dental tissue(s) after ailments like periodontitis. Here we report the preparation of chitosan/carboxymethyl cellulose/hydroxyapatite based hydrogels, loaded with variable concentrations of thyroxin i.

Metabolomic Profiling of the Immune Stimulatory Effect of Eicosenoids on PMA-Differentiated THP-1 Cells.

Honey bee venom has been established to have significant effect in immunotherapy. In the present study, (Z)-11-eicosenol-a major constituent of bee venom, along with its derivations methyl cis-11-eicosenoate and cis-11-eicosenoic acid, were synthesised to investigate their immune stimulatory effect and possible use as vaccine adjuvants. Stimuli that prime and activate the immune system have exerted profound effects on immune cells, particularly macrophages; however, the effectiveness of bee venom constituents as immune stimulants has not yet been established.

Health care providers' perceptions regarding antimicrobial stewardship programs (AMS) implementation-facilitators and challenges: a cross-sectional study in the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia.

Background: Infections result from invasions of an organism into body tissues leading to diseases and complications that might eventually lead to death. Inappropriate use of antimicrobials has led to development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) which has been associated with increased mortality, morbidity and health costs. Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programs are designed to ensure appropriate selections of an effective antimicrobial drugs and optimizing antibiotic use to minimize antibiotic resistance by implementing certain policies, strategies and guidelines.

Bioresponse Inspired Nanomaterials for Targeted Drug and Gene Delivery.

The traditional drug delivery techniques are unresponsive to the altering metabolic states of the body and fail to achieve target specific drug delivery, which results in toxic plasma concentrations. In order to harmonize the drug release profiles, diverse biological and pathological pathways and factors involved have been studied and consequently, nanomaterials and nanostructures are engineered in a manner so that they respond and interact with the target cells and tissues in a controlled manner to induce promising pharmacological responses with least undesirable effects. The bioinspired nanoparticles such as carbon nanotubes, metallic nanoparticles, and quantum dots sense the localized host environment for diagnosis and treatment of pathological states.

Correction to: Renewable energy utilization to promote sustainability in GCC countries: policies, drivers, and barriers.

In the abstract, the statement "The GHG emissions avoidance expected to be achieved by the GCC countries will vary between 5 and 247 million tons of CO equivalent by 2030."

Deciphering the Role of WNT Signaling in Metabolic Syndrome-Linked Alzheimer's Disease.

It has been well established in recent research that there is a strong correlation between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the knowledge of exact mechanistic behind this association remains elusive. It has been reported in recent studies that inflammation and hypercoagulation are pivotal to the pathophysiology of MetS-induced AD.

The survivorship experience for patients with metastatic melanoma on immune checkpoint and BRAF-MEK inhibitors.

Purpose: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) and BRAF and MEK inhibitors (BMi) have improved survival in metastatic melanoma (MM). However, the experience of long-term responders remains undescribed. This study characterised survivorship issues faced by long-term responders to ICI or BMi.

Nanopaclitaxel therapy: an evidence based review on the battle for next-generation formulation challenges.

The poor solubility of paclitaxel (PTX), the most commonly used anticancer drug (Taxol), has long hindered the development of successful formulations. In 2005, the launch of Abraxane, a human albumin-based preparation of PTX, competed with Taxol in the commercial market. The success of Abraxane pushed other generic preparations aside, sparking competition among the global pharmaceutical companies to develop the novel and superior PTX nanotechnology-driven formulations.

Renewable energy utilization to promote sustainability in GCC countries: policies, drivers, and barriers.

There is a growing focus on the role of renewable energy (RE) policies such as feed-in tariffs (FITs), renewable portfolio standards (RPSs), subsidies, incentives, and research and development in the global energy policy mix and in promoting environmental sustainability. Although most developed countries have well-formulated RE policies, in developing countries, such policies face many barriers. This study analyzes the policies, drivers, and barriers to RE deployment for fostering environmental sustainability in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.

Lower urinary tract symptoms and feeling of incomplete emptying in Saudi Arabian men and its correlation with postvoid residual urine.

Purpose: This study was conducted to assess the clinical value of postvoid residual (PVR) urine measurement and associate it with the feeling of incomplete emptying in men with lower urinary tract symptoms.

Methods: Two hundred men were surveyed in the King Fahd Hospital of the University. Patients who had previous urological surgery and patients who are currently on urology treatment were excluded.

Regulation of the Expression of DAPK1 by SUMO Pathway.

Death Associated Protein Kinase 1 (DAPK1) is an important signaling kinase mediating the biological effect of multiple natural biomolecules such as IFN-γ, TNF-α, curcumin, etc. DAPK1 is degraded through both ubiquitin-proteasomal and lysosomal degradation pathways. To investigate the crosstalk between these two DAPK1 degradation pathways, we carried out a screen using a set of ubiquitin E2 siRNAs at the presence of Tuberous Sclerous 2 (TSC2) and identified that the small ubiquitin-like molecule (SUMO) pathway is able to regulate the protein levels of DAPK1.

Propolis Exerts an Anti-Inflammatory Effect on PMA-Differentiated THP-1 Cells via Inhibition of Purine Nucleoside Phosphorylase.

Previous research has shown that propolis has immunomodulatory activity. Propolis extracts from different geographic origins were assessed for their anti-inflammatory activities by investigating their ability to alter the production of tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and the cytokines interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6 and IL-10 in THP-1-derived macrophage cells co-stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). All the propolis extracts suppressed the TNF-α and IL-6 LPS-stimulated levels.

Benefits of a brief psychological intervention targeting fear of cancer recurrence in people at high risk of developing another melanoma: 12-month follow-up results of a randomized controlled trial.

Background: People with melanoma want and need effective interventions for living with fear of cancer recurrence (FCR).

Objectives: This study reports the 12-month outcomes of a brief, psychological intervention designed to reduce FCR in people at high risk of developing another primary melanoma compared with usual care.

Methods: In this two-arm randomized controlled trial, adults previously diagnosed with stage 0, I or II melanoma were randomly allocated to the intervention (n = 80) or control (usual care) arm (n = 84).

Impact of metabolic syndrome on nutrients intakes among Saudi females.

Objective: To estimate the adequacy of nutrients intake among females with metabolic syndrome.

Methods: The quantitative case-control study was conducted in November 2015 at King Fahd University Hospital, Al Khobar, Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia, and comprised patients who had three or more risk factors associated with metabolic syndrome. Group I had patients who met three of the six criteria components, Group II had those who met four components, and Group III had those who met more than four components.

Paclitaxel-loaded Nanolipidic Carriers with Improved Oral Bioavailability and Anticancer Activity against Human Liver Carcinoma.

The poorly water-soluble chemotherapeutic agents, paclitaxel (PTX), exhibit serious clinical side effects upon oral administration due to poor aqueous solubility and a high degree of toxic effects due to non-specific distribution to healthy tissues. In our efforts, we formulated biocompatible dietary lipid-based nanostructured lipidic carriers (NLCs) to enhance the oral bioavailability of PTX for treatment of the liver cancer. A three-factor, three-level Box-Behnken design was employed for formulation and optimization of PTX-loaded NLC formulations.

Health risk assessment of trace metals from spinach grown on compost-amended soil.

The present study evaluates the impact of two commercially available composts on the accumulation of trace metals in soil and spinach, and their potential health risks to humans. The treatments were municipal waste compost (MC) and agricultural waste compost (AC) applied at 0.5, 1.

The importance of ctokeratins in the early detection of oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: Oral cancer is usually diagnosed at advanced stages. The pattern of keratin expression in normal epithelia and the change in their expression in premalignant lesions and carcinomas have suggested the possibilities of improving diagnosis. The aim of this study is to determine the use of acidic cytokeratins (CKs) as biomarkers of histopathological progression in oral carcinogenesis.

Unknown mutations and genotype/phenotype correlations of autosomal recessive congenital ichthyosis in patients from Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.

Background: Autosomal recessive congenital ichthyosis (ARCI) is a genetically and phenotypically heterogeneous skin disease, associated with defects in the skin permeability barrier. Several but not all genes with underlying mutations have been identified, but a clear correlation between genetic causes and clinical picture has not been described to date.

Methods: Our study included 19 families from Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and Pakistan.

Association between MTHFR 677C>T Polymorphism and Vitamin B12 Deficiency: A Case-control Study.

Background: Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) deficiency is a prevalent worldwide health concern. Several factors are associated with vitamin B12 deficiency including lifestyle, genetic predisposition, and malfunctions in the absorption and transport of vitamin B12. In the current case-control study, we aimed at investigating the association between MTHFR polymorphisms and vitamin B12 deficiency in a Jordanian population.