Search

Moawia Gameraddin,1 Kamal Al-sultan,1 Suliman Salih,2 Awadia Gareeballah,1 Mohamed Hasaneen,2 Wijdan Alomaim,2 Awatif Omer1 1Department of Diagnostic Radiologic Technology, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Taibah University, Al-Madinah, Saudi Arabia; 2Radiology and Medical Imaging Department, Fatima College of Health Sciences, Abu Dhabi, United Arab EmiratesCorrespondence: Moawia Gameraddin, Department of Diagnostic Radiologic Technology, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Taibah University, Al-Madinah, Saudi Arabia, Tel +966534821130, Email gameraldinm@gmail.comBackground: It is necessary to determine what motivates students to pursue a particular specialty of their choosing to maintain a balance of medical practitioners from various disciplines.Objective: The study aims to assess factors influencing undergraduate students of Applied Medical Sciences in choosing a specialty or discipline.Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among first-year students of the faculty of applied medical sciences at Taibah University. One hundred and twenty-five participants were enrolled in the study. The students were asked to respond and complete the designed 9-item questionnaire. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (BM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 23.0, Armonk, NY: IBM Corp.) was used to analyze the data. A comparison between departments of the faculty was carried out.Results: 125 participants were satisfied with their current faculty or discipline. They stated that medicine was the first choice (43.2%), followed by clinical nutrition (11.2%), dentistry (8%), diagnostic radiology (7.2%), and clinical laboratory (5.6%). The most important factors that affect students’ choice of discipline were helping patients and the community (32.8%), personal desire (30.4%), personal desire and helping patients (22.4%), and job opportunity and prestige (9.5%), with gender variations. Family enforcement and finances were less frequent factors affecting students’ specialty preferences.Conclusion: The human medicine specialization was the first choice for most female and male undergraduate students who entered the faculty of applied medical sciences. Furthermore, the most influencing factor affecting students’ choices was helping patients and the community.Keywords: applied medical sciences, students, speciality, choice, personal, factors

Ayodele Alaiya,1 Abeer Alshukairi,2 Zakia Shinwari,1 Mariam AL-Fares,3 Jawaher Alotaibi,4 Waleed AlOmaim,3 Ibtihaj Alsharif,5 Razan Bakheet,6 Layla Alharbi,5 Rabab Allam,1 Ayed Asiri,7 Ziad Memish,8 Khaldoun Alromaih,6 Maha Al-Mozaini5 1Proteomics Unit, Stem Cell and Tissue Re-Engineering Program, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, 11211, Saudi Arabia; 2Department of Medicine, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; 3Clinical Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 4Department of Medicine, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; 5Immunocompromised Host Research Unit, Department of Infection and Immunity, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 6Centre for Genomic Medicine, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; 7Critical Care Services, Al Imam Abdulrahman Al Faisal Hospital, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; 8Research and Innovation Center, King Saud Medical City, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi ArabiaCorrespondence: Ayodele AlaiyaProteomics Unit, Stem Cell and Tissue Re-Engineering Program, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, KFSH&RC, BOX 3354, Riyadh, 11211, Saudi ArabiaTel +966 114424178Email aalaiya@kfshrc.edu.saMaha Al-MozainiImmunocompromised Host Research Unit, Department of Infection and Immunity, KFSH&RC, Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaTel +966 114439632Email mmozaini@kfshrc.edu.saPurpose: This study aimed to understand the pathophysiology of host responses to infections caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)/(COVID-19) and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) and to identify proteins for patient stratification with different grades of illness severity.Patients and Methods: Peripheral blood samples from 43 patients with different grades of COVID-19, 7 MERS-CoV patients admitted to the ICU, and 10 healthy subjects were analyzed using label-free quantitative liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS).Results: We identified 193 and 91 proteins that differed significantly between COVID-19 and MERS-CoV sample groups, respectively, and 49 overlapped between datasets. Only 10 proteins are diagnostic of asymptomatic cases, 12 are prognostic of recovery from severe illness, and 28 are prognostic of a fatal outcome of COVID-19. These proteins are implicated in virus-specific/related signaling networks. Notable among the top canonical pathways are humoral immunity, inflammation, acute-phase response signaling, liver X receptor/retinoid X receptor (LXR/RXR) activation, coagulation, and the complement system. Furthermore, we confirmed positive viral shedding in 11.76% of 51 additional peripheral blood samples, indicating that caution should be taken to avoid the possible risk of transfusion of infected blood products.Conclusion: We identified COVID-19 and MERS-CoV protein panels that have potential as biomarkers and might assist in the prognosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The identified markers further our understanding of COVID-19 disease pathophysiology and may have prognostic or therapeutic potential in predicting or managing host cell responses to human COVID-19 and MERS-CoV infections.Keywords: COVID-19, SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, expression proteomics, biomarkers

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) results from physical or traumatic injuries to the brain's surrounding bony structures and associated tissues, which can lead to various sequelae, including simple concussion, acute epidural hematoma, parenchymal contusions, subarachnoid hemorrhage, diffuse axonal injury, and chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) has enhanced the accuracy of neuroimaging for these injuries. SWI is based on 3D gradient echo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with long echo times and flow compensation. Owing to its sensitivity to deoxyhemoglobin, hemosiderin, iron, and calcium, SWI is extremely informative and superior to conventional MRI for the diagnosis and follow-up of patients with acute, subacute, and prolonged hemorrhage. This systematic review aimed to evaluate and summarize the published articles that report SWI results for the evaluation of TBI and to determine correlations between clinical status and SWI results. Consequently, our analysis also aimed to identify the appropriate MRI sequences to use in the assessment of patients with TBI. We searched the Medline and Embase online electronic databases for relevant papers published from 2012 onwards. We found that SWI had higher sensitivity than gradient echo MRI in detecting and characterizing microbleeds in TBIs and was able to differentiate diamagnetic calcifications from paramagnetic microhemorrhages. However, it is important that future research not only continues to evaluate the utility of SWI in TBIs but also attempts to overcome the limitations of the studies described in this review, which should help validate the conclusions and recommendations from our analysis., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2024 by the authors.)

Advances in the field of molecular biology have had an impact on biomedical applications, which provide greater hope for both imaging and therapeutics. Work has been intensified on the development of radionuclides and their application in radiopharmaceuticals (RP S ) which will certainly influence and expand therapeutic approaches in the future treatment of patients. Alpha or beta particles and Auger electrons are used for therapy purposes, and each has advantages and disadvantages. The radionuclides labeled drug delivery system will deliver the particles to the specific targeting cell. Different radioligands can be chosen to uniquely target molecular receptors or intracellular components, making them suitable for personal patient-tailored therapy in modern cancer therapy management. Advances in nanotechnology have enabled nanoparticle drug delivery systems that can allow for specific multivalent attachment of targeted molecules of antibodies, peptides, or ligands to the surface of nanoparticles for therapy and imaging purposes. This review presents fundamental radionuclide properties with particular reference to tumor biology and receptor characteristic of radiopharmaceutical targeted therapy development.

Radiologic examinations are valuable tools in the evaluation of COVID-19. A patient-centered care approach encourages patient involvement in decision-making related to their health management. Therefore, patients should have basic knowledge about their disease and its evaluation tools. Therefore, the purpose of this prospective study is to evaluate the public level of knowledge and awareness regarding COVID-19 and radiation safety in the UAE. Methods : A cross-sectional survey study was conducted using an online questionnaire (Google platform). The data collection instrument contained close-ended questions in both Arabic and English. The questions aimed to collect demographic information and to measure the level of knowledge and awareness of COVID-19 and radiation safety. The questionnaire was distributed online using different social media platforms. Results : A total of 1548 participants have completed the questionnaire; 84% were females and 16% were males. The participants' average age was 24 years. Sixty-eight percent of the participants showed a high level of awareness of the COVID-19 pandemic, while most of the participants (51%) only showed a low level in the radiation safety awareness section. Factors such as Emirates of residence and passively receiving awareness information were shown to predict knowledge and awareness level. Conclusions : The UAE public was found to have a high level of knowledge and awareness about the COVID-19 disease. However, the same could not be said about radiation safety. More effort should be put towards raising the public's knowledge and awareness about the risk of radiation in order to enable them to participate actively in decisions regarding the radiologic management of their disease.

Background: Laboratory hematological tests are widely used in clinical practice to assess health and disease conditions. Reference ranges provided by laboratory reports are considered the most authoritative medical tools to assist in the decision-making phase. International standards institutes recommend that reference ranges be established for each region., Objectives: Provide reference values of routine hematological parameters in Saudi adults according to age and gender., Design: Cross-sectional SETTING: Central province of Saudi Arabia., Patients and Methods: Apparently healthy Saudi adults were subjected to laboratory testing of routine hematological parameters (full blood count, hemostatic profile, and serum hematinics), after completing a detailed health medical questionnaire., Main Outcome Measures: Hematological reference values based on the local population., Sample Size and Characteristics: 637 after screening 827 potentially healthy Saudi adults with ages ranging from 15 to 65 years., Results: The reference values of routine hematological parameters for the full population and by gender are presented with 90% CI as the lower and upper limits. Reference ranges mostly differed from universal established ranges shown in textbooks., Conclusion: The reference ranges of routine hematologic parameters for accurate assessment and appropriate management will help improve the routine clinical care of the adult Saudi population., Limitations: Difficulty in assessing health status of participants, who could have subclinical illnesses not reflected in the evaluated blood measurement. Lack of ability to eliminate individuals who might be carriers for haemoglobinopathies. Studies with larger sample sizes from different areas of the country are required to achieve a more accurate representation of the whole Saudi population., Conflict of Interest: None.

In order to find a consistent, simple and time-efficient method of assessing mammographic breast density (MBD), different methods of assessing density comparing subjective, quantitative, semi-subjective and semi-quantitative methods were investigated. Subjective MBD of anonymized mammographic cases ( n = 250) from a national breast-screening programme was rated by 49 radiologists from two countries (UK and USA) who were voluntarily recruited. Quantitatively, three measurement methods, namely VOLPARA, Hand Delineation (HD) and ImageJ (IJ) were used to calculate breast density using the same set of cases, however, for VOLPARA only mammographic cases ( n = 122) with full raw digital data were included. The agreement level between methods was analysed using weighted kappa test. Agreement between UK and USA radiologists and VOLPARA varied from moderate (κw = 0.589) to substantial (κw = 0.639), respectively. The levels of agreement between USA, UK radiologists, VOLPARA with IJ were substantial (κw = 0.752, 0.768, 0.603), and with HD the levels of agreement varied from moderate to substantial (κw = 0.632, 0.680, 0.597), respectively. This study found that there is variability between subjective and objective MBD assessment methods, internationally. These results will add to the evidence base, emphasising the need for consistent, simple and time-efficient MBD assessment methods. Additionally, the quickest method to assess density is the subjective assessment, followed by VOLPARA, which is compatible with a busy clinical setting. Moreover, the use of a more limited two-scale system improves agreement levels and could help minimise any potential country bias.

Purpose: To assess whether subjective breast density categorization remains the most useful way to categorize mammographic breast density and whether variations exist across geographic regions with differing national legislation., Methods: Breast radiologists from two countries (UK, USA) were voluntarily recruited to review sets of anonymized mammographic images (n = 180) and additional repeated images (n = 70), totaling 250 images, to subjectively rate breast density according to the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data system (BI-RADS) categorization. Images were reviewed using standardized viewing conditions and Ziltron software. Inter-rater reliability was analyzed using the Kappa test., Results: The US radiologists (n = 25) judged fewer images as being "mostly fatty" than UK radiologists (n = 24), leading a greater number of images classified in the higher BI-RADS categories, particularly in BI-RADS 3. Overall agreement for all data sets was k = 0.654 indicating substantial agreement between the two cohorts. When the data were split into BI-RADS categories, the level of agreement varied from fair to substantial., Conclusion: Variations in how radiologists from the USA and UK classify breast density was established, especially when the data were divided into breast density categories. This variation supports the need for a reliable breast density assessment method to enhance the individualized supplemental screening pathways for dense breasts. The use of two-scale categorization method demonstrated improved agreement., Advances in Knowledge: Larger sample of radiologists from different breast density jurisdictions confirms international subjective variability in density categorization and improved agreement with the two-scale (low, high) categorization. With this variability, a standardized and automated breast density assessment shows to be timely., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier Inc.)