Characteristics, Risk Factors, and Treatment Practices of Known Adult Hypertensive Patients in Saudi Arabia

Objective. To determine the prevalence, risk factors, characteristics, and treatment practices of known adult hypertensives in Saudi Arabia. Methods. Cross-sectional community-based study using the WHO stepwise approach. Saudi adults were randomly chosen from Primary Health Care Centers catchment areas. Data was collected using a questionnaire which included sociodemographic data, history of hypertension, risk factors, treatment practices, biochemical and anthropometric measurements. Collected data was cheeked, computer fed, and analysed using SPSS V17. Results. Out of 4719 subjects (99.2% response), 542 (11.5%) subjects were known hypertensives or detected by health workers in the past 12 months. Hypertension was significantly associated with age, gender, geographical location, education, employment, diabetes, physical inactivity, excess body weight, and ever smoking. Multiple logistic analysis controlling for age showed that significant predictors of hypertension were diabetes mellitus, ever smoking, obesity, and hypercholesteremia. Several treatment modalities and practices were significantly associated with gender, age, education, and occupation. About 74% were under prescribed treatment by physicians, 62% on dietary modification, 37% attempted weight reduction, 27% performed physical exercise, and less than 7% used herbs, consulted traditional healers or quitted smoking. Income was not significantly associated with any treatment modality or patient practices. Conclusion. Hypertension (known and undetected) is a major chronic health problem among adults in Saudi Arabia. Many patients' practices need changes. A comprehensive approach is needed to prevent, early detect, and control the disease targeting, the risk factors, and predictors identified

Nanotechnology to remove polychlorinated biphenyls and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from water: a review

Persistent pollutants cause adverse effects to human and environmental health. Most polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are toxic and stable in the environment, yet their removal is rarely targeted by conventional remediation methods. Alternatively, nanotechnology appears promising for contaminant removal. Indeed, nanomaterials have unique size-dependent properties due to their high specific surface area. Nanomaterials also possess fast dissolution properties, strong sorption, supermagnetic characteristics and quantum confinement. This manuscript reviews the application of nanotechnologies for the removal of PCB and PAH from contaminated water sources. © 2020, Springer Nature Switzerland AG

Pancreatic lipase inhibitory activity of selected pharmaceutical agents

Twenty-five structurally diverse compounds have been tested in vitro for their pancreatic lipase (PL) inhibitory activity. Despite the diversity of tested compounds, the relationship comprising structural attributes of the compounds could be established to correlate with the observed inhibitory activity. Compounds that exerted inhibitory action through surface activity were of different profile from the rest of compounds. When co-incubated with orlistat (OsT), important synergistic effects for some compounds (orphenadrine, gliclazide, cefuroxime and sulfacetamide) were revealed, while antagonistic effects were demonstrated for others (camphor sulfonic acid and dinitro salicylic acid). Docking studies for the most active molecules were performed and molecular interaction forces with the PL active site were identified. The results suggested co-binding of OsT along with the other inhibitor in the binding site in cases of synergistic effect but not in the case of antagonistic effect. These results were additionally supported by affinity capillary electrophoresis. In conclusion, synergistic lipase inhibitory activity between OsT and some other pharmaceutical compounds was demonstrated for the first time, which might help improve the pharmacological effect of OsT

Factors influencing public attitudes and willingness to utilize telepharmacy services in the UAE

Background: Telepharmacy, utilizing telecommunications to dispense pharmaceutical products and deliver patient care, offers numerous benefits for both the public and pharmacists. Previous research on exploring attitudes and willingness to use telepharmacy services has primarily focused on pharmacists, rather than the general population.Aim: This study aimed to assess the attitudes and willingness of the UAE population to utilize telepharmacy services and to identify the factors influencing their inclination to use these services.Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a survey was distributed using convenience and snowball sampling to individuals aged 18 or older across the UAE through various social media platforms, including Twitter, Facebook, and WhatsApp. The survey domains included socio-demographics, attitudes, and readiness to utilize a telepharmacy service. A binary logistic regression analysis was conducted to investigate the variables associated with participants’ willingness to utilize telepharmacy in the future.Results: In total, 963 individuals participated in the study. Participants showed overall positive attitudes towards telepharmacy, with 70.9% believing that telepharmacy saved time and effort. While only 32% of the participants acknowledged that numerous telepharmacy services were available for use in the UAE, most were interested in using telepharmacy services in the future (79.2%). Participants who had higher attitude scores (AOR = 1.147, 95% CI :1.11-1.18) and those who had used these services previously (AOR = 3.270, 95% CI: 1.692-6.320) were more interested in using telepharmacy services in the future.Conclusion: Forthcoming healthcare strategies should focus on expanding the availability of telepharmacy services throughout various regions of the country. This expansion will facilitate the broader utilization of these services and ultimately contribute to improved health outcomes

Utilization Potential of Glass Fiber and Crumbled Rubber as Subgrade Reinforcement for Expansive Soil

Due to its high potential for volume change, expansive soil is a problematic building material that can cause harm to road infrastructure. The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of glass fiber and rubber on the properties of expansive soil and their suitability as subgrade reinforcement in road applications. For different percentages of glass fiber and rubber in the soil, the Maximum Dry Density (MDD), Optimum Moisture Content (OMC), and CBR were measured. The results demonstrated that the incorporation of glass fiber and rubber improved the soil's properties. With increasing fiber and rubber content, the MDD and CBR increased, while the OMC decreased. In addition, the strength of the reinforced soil was significantly greater than that of the unreinforced soil. The research indicates that the addition of glass fiber and rubber can improve the efficacy of expansive soil as subgrade reinforcement in road applications.   Doi: 10.28991/HEF-2023-04-03-06 Full Text: PD

Impact of plastic surgery medical training on medical students' knowledge, attitudes, preferences, and perceived benefits: Comparative study

Introduction: Misconceptions surrounding the discipline of plastic surgery are widespread among not only the public, but medical students and professionals, as well. The purpose of this study was to explore how the inclusion of plastic surgery rotation into the medical curriculum affects medical students’ knowledge, attitudes and preferences regarding plastic surgery specialization and referral.  Design and Methods: A descriptive-correlational design was utilized to collect data from 200 medical students in the final two years of education from two separate six-year medical programs in Jordan. Data was collected using self-reported questionnaires regarding knowledge of surgical procedures allocation, attitude towards plastic surgery, preference of specialization, and benefits of plastic surgery to physicians and patients.Results: Analysis showed that medical students of plastic surgery integrate rotation (program A) had a higher average score of correct procedure-allocation (M = 12.57, SD = 3.14), compared to non-integrated plastic survey rotation program (program B) (M = 8.29, SD = 3.05) 8.29. About 83% of students in program A had their knowledge on plastic surgery from direct exposure to a plastic surgeon, compared to 43% of program B, and 24% of students in program A reported that their perception of plastic surgery influenced by media compared to 62% of those in program B.Conclusions: medical students who have been exposed to plastic surgery education are more confident about procedures of plastic surgery specialty and had more reliable sources of knowledge about plastic surgery than those who were not exposed to plastic surgery rotation

The management and outcome for patients with chronic subdural hematoma: a prospective, multicenter, observational cohort study in the United Kingdom

Symptomatic chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) will become an increasingly common presentation in neurosurgical practice as the population ages, but quality evidence is still lacking to guide the optimal management for these patients. The British Neurosurgical Trainee Research Collaborative (BNTRC) was established by neurosurgical trainees in 2012 to improve research by combining the efforts of trainees in each of the United Kingdom (UK) and Ireland's neurosurgical units (NSUs). The authors present the first study by the BNTRC that describes current management and outcomes for patients with CSDH throughout the UK and Ireland. This provides a resource both for current clinical practice and future clinical research on CSDH

Population‐based cohort study of outcomes following cholecystectomy for benign gallbladder diseases

Background The aim was to describe the management of benign gallbladder disease and identify characteristics associated with all‐cause 30‐day readmissions and complications in a prospective population‐based cohort. Methods Data were collected on consecutive patients undergoing cholecystectomy in acute UK and Irish hospitals between 1 March and 1 May 2014. Potential explanatory variables influencing all‐cause 30‐day readmissions and complications were analysed by means of multilevel, multivariable logistic regression modelling using a two‐level hierarchical structure with patients (level 1) nested within hospitals (level 2). Results Data were collected on 8909 patients undergoing cholecystectomy from 167 hospitals. Some 1451 cholecystectomies (16·3 per cent) were performed as an emergency, 4165 (46·8 per cent) as elective operations, and 3293 patients (37·0 per cent) had had at least one previous emergency admission, but had surgery on a delayed basis. The readmission and complication rates at 30 days were 7·1 per cent (633 of 8909) and 10·8 per cent (962 of 8909) respectively. Both readmissions and complications were independently associated with increasing ASA fitness grade, duration of surgery, and increasing numbers of emergency admissions with gallbladder disease before cholecystectomy. No identifiable hospital characteristics were linked to readmissions and complications. Conclusion Readmissions and complications following cholecystectomy are common and associated with patient and disease characteristics