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Background: Despite the fact that thiocolchicoside has been widely used in the treatment of musculoskeletal pain, its efficacy has never been systematically evaluated. We carried out a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) to appraise the existing evidence on the efficacy of thiocolchicoside for musculoskeletal pain management. Methods: The literature search was performed on multiple databases, extracting reports of RCTs evaluating the efficacy of thiocolchicoside compared to placebo or no exposure. The reduction in pain intensity was evaluated through between-groups mean differences (MDs) in Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) scores after the intervention. The pooled effect estimates were compared to a minimally important difference (MID) of 1 point on a scale from 0 to 10. Results: We retrieved eight RCTs, including a total of 1397 patients. All the included studies were determined as being at high risk of bias. Seven trials evaluated patients with acute low back pain. After 2–3 days of treatment, the pooled MD in VAS score was −0.49 (95%CI = −0.90; −0.09) compared to controls. After 5–7 days of treatment, the summary MD was −0.82 (95%CI = −1.46; −0.18). Conclusions: Although thiocolchicoside was found to significantly reduce patient-reported low back pain, the clinical impact was very small, as the pooled effect estimates were below the MID, and the overall certainty of evidence was very low. In light of the safety concerns raised by the European Medicine Agency, an in-depth analysis on the risk–benefit balance of thiocolchicoside is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to conduct a bibliometric analysis of articles published in Ophthalmology Journals from Arab countries from 2012 to 2022. METHODS: This cross-sectional analysis of all original ophthalmology research and review articles published by authors with an affiliation with an institution from Arab countries and indexed in the ISI Web of Science between January 2012 and December 2022. RESULTS: For the years 2012–2022, 4292 articles published in Ophthalmology Journals by authors from Arab-based institutions were identified. A 2.11-fold progressive increase in the number of publications was observed over the last decade with a substantial increase in publication volume during the first 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic. The countries with the highest number of publications were Egypt (38.51%), Saudi Arabia (35.56%), and the United Arab Emirates (7.88%). According to affiliation, authors from King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital (KKESH) (n = 644) published the highest number of ophthalmology articles, followed by King Saud University (n = 585) and Cairo University (n = 393). CONCLUSION: Over the last decade, the overall productivity of research in the field of ophthalmology has significantly increased. Majority of the articles in ophthalmology were published by authors from Egypt and Saudi Arabia with KKESH as the most productive institution among Arab nations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: An increasing number of individuals use online Artificial Intelligence (AI) - based chatbots to retrieve information on health-related topics. This study aims to evaluate the accuracy in answering vaccine-related answers of the currently most commonly used, advanced chatbots - ChatGPT-4.0 and Google Gemini Advanced., Methods: We compared the answers provided by the World Health Organization (WHO) to 38 open questions on vaccination myths and misconception, with the answers created by ChatGPT-4.0 and Gemini Advanced. Responses were considered as "appropriate", if the information provided was coherent and not in contrast to current WHO recommendations or to drug regulatory indications., Results and Conclusions: The rate of agreement between WHO answers and Chat-GPT-4.0 or Gemini Advanced was very high, as both provided 36 (94.7%) appropriate responses. The few discrepancies between WHO and AI-chatbots answers could not be considered "harmful", and both chatbots often invited the user to check reliable sources, such as CDC or the WHO websites, or to contact a local healthcare professional. In their current versions, both AI-chatbots may already be powerful instrument to support the traditional communication tools in primary prevention, with the potential to improve health literacy, medication adherence, and vaccine hesitancy and concerns. Given the rapid evolution of AI-based systems, further studies are strongly needed to monitor their accuracy and reliability over time.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a metabolic disorder that has reached epidemic proportions worldwide, posing a huge treat on people's health and quality of life. From a pathogenetic prospective, T2DM is driven by insulin resistance defined as a blunted response of tissues to insulin which leads to chronic hyperglycaemia. Mechanistically, lipotoxicity and particularly the intracellular accumulation of ceramides in the skeletal muscle and the liver, is a primary metabolic aberration underpinning insulin resistance. Indeed, intracellular ceramide accumulation can hamper insulin signal transduction pathway thereby promoting insulin resistance. This review will provide an updated overview of the metabolic defects underlaying ceramide buildup and the molecular mechanism by which ceramides imping upon insulin signalling. Additionally, the role of specific ceramide subspecies as potential biomarkers for T2DM and the role of both long- and medium-chain saturated fatty acids as a modulator of ceramide metabolism will be discussed.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to conduct a bibliometric analysis of articles published in Ophthalmology Journals from Arab countries from 2012 to 2022., Methods: This cross-sectional analysis of all original ophthalmology research and review articles published by authors with an affiliation with an institution from Arab countries and indexed in the ISI Web of Science between January 2012 and December 2022., Results: For the years 2012-2022, 4292 articles published in Ophthalmology Journals by authors from Arab-based institutions were identified. A 2.11-fold progressive increase in the number of publications was observed over the last decade with a substantial increase in publication volume during the first 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic. The countries with the highest number of publications were Egypt (38.51%), Saudi Arabia (35.56%), and the United Arab Emirates (7.88%). According to affiliation, authors from King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital (KKESH) ( n = 644) published the highest number of ophthalmology articles, followed by King Saud University ( n = 585) and Cairo University ( n = 393)., Conclusion: Over the last decade, the overall productivity of research in the field of ophthalmology has significantly increased. Majority of the articles in ophthalmology were published by authors from Egypt and Saudi Arabia with KKESH as the most productive institution among Arab nations., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2024 Middle East African Journal of Ophthalmology.)