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Background and Aims: Sleep issues pose a significant burden to public health and well‐being in Saudi Arabia. However, research evidence on sleep health among psychiatry physicians in this territory is limited. Therefore, to bridge the research gap, this study was designed to assess the prevalence and predictors of poor sleep quality among psychiatry physicians in the country. Methods: This cross‐sectional study included 554 psychiatry physicians in Saudi Arabia from March to August 2023. Data were collected via online through a structured questionnaire (Google survey form). Sleep quality, the outcome variable of our study, was evaluated with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI; 19 items). Independent variables included sociodemographic and behavioral characteristics, sleep habits, major depression (assessed with Patient Health Questionnaire‐9), and anxiety (measured with Generalized Anxiety Disorder‐7) symptoms. Binary logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the correlates of poor sleep quality. Results: Based on the PSQI, 61.3% of the study participants had poor‐quality sleep (age range: 24–56 years, male: 48.0%). The adjusted model revealed that male participants (AOR = 2.80, 95% CI = 1.70–4.61) and those who had on‐call duties ≥ 2 times per week (for three/four per week: AOR = 3.41, 95% CI = 1.89–6.14) were at higher risk of developing poor sleep quality compared to their respective counterparts. Participants with depressive symptoms (AOR = 3.46, 95% CI = 1.60–7.48) and smoking habits (AOR = 3.47, 95% CI = 1.32–9.08) had higher odds of developing poor sleep quality than their counterparts. Moreover, participants who always used their smartphone/laptop before going to bed were more likely to have poor sleep quality than those who never used such (AOR = 3.15, 95% CI = 1.31–7.60). Conclusion: Poor sleep quality is extremely prominent among psychiatry physicians in Saudi Arabia. Male sex, higher on‐call duty, smoking habits, depression, and smartphone/laptop use before bedtime were significantly associated with poor sleep quality. These findings emphasize the need for sleep‐health promotion interventions for Saudi psychiatry physicians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oral administration, as a traditional approach of taking therapeutic drugs, is easily accepted by patients due to its convenience and compliance. However, the harsh digestive environment and mucosa‐epithelial cell barriers limit the absorption of drugs through the oral route, particularly for biomacromolecules such as protein, peptide, or nucleic acid drugs. To address this issue, active carriers such as micro/nanomotors and mechanical devices have been engineered as novel delivery systems that are capable of converting various energy into mechanical force. The active delivery of these carriers holds promise for overcoming absorptive barriers and improving drug delivery efficiency, making them an attractive option for precision medicine applications that include drug delivery, gene and cell therapy, biopsy, tissue penetration, intracellular delivery, and biosensing. This article presents an overview of the progress and challenges associated with orally delivering macromolecular drugs, as well as strategies to enhance drug absorption. Additionally, it discusses recent developments and potential applications of active carriers in drug delivery and related fields, which may provide inspiration for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mental training can be beneficial when learning new motor skills. Objective: To evaluate whether a combination of physical and mental training can replace physical training. Methods: Sixty dental students were randomly divided into six groups, which were assigned different regimens of physical and mental training: A. 75% mental 25% physical; B. 50% mental 50% physical; C. 75% physical 25% mental; D. 100% mental; E. 100% physical; F. control, no practice. The physical training comprised eight different tasks performed on the Purdue Pegboard: four tasks with direct vision (PD) and four tasks with indirect vision (PIND). The mental training involved listening to a recording explaining the actions to be performed. The tests were performed twice: T0, before training; and T1, at 24 h after training. The non‐parametric Mann–Whitney test was used to detect differences between the groups. Changes between T0 and T1 within a group were analysed by Wilcoxon signed‐rank test. Results: There were no significant differences between the groups at T0. At T1, members of Groups A, B, C, and E had improved at five to eight tasks, while Groups D and F had improved at two tasks. Notably, Group D improved in the assembly tasks. Ranking the extent of improvement at T1, indicated that For PD Groups B, E > F, D while for PIND B, C, E > A, F and E > D. Conclusion: Substituting some physical training by mental training can provide similar improvements in fine motor skills, although the optimal combination remains to be determined. Mental training may be more effective for cognitive tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dolabellane‐type diterpene dictyoxetane represents a significant challenge to synthetic organic chemistry. Methodology directed towards the total synthesis of naturally occurring (+)‐dictyoxetane is reported. Catalytic asymmetric synthesis of the trans‐hydrindane ring system is achieved through chemoselective deoxygenation of the Hajos‐Parrish ketone. An alternative to the Garst‐Spencer furan annulation is developed for the synthesis of a 2,5‐dimethyl, tetrasubstituted furan, employing a tandem 5‐exo‐dig alcohol to alkyne cyclisation/aromatisation reaction as a key step. The (4+3) cycloaddition reaction of an oxyallyl cation with a tetrasubstituted furan is established on a cyclohexanone‐derived model system, and a range of related (4+3) cycloadditions investigated on a homochiral, trans‐hydrindane‐fused furan, where regio‐ and diastereoselectivity is required for the natural product synthesis. In an alternative (4+2) Diels‐Alder approach, a C2‐symmetric vinyl sulfoxide‐based chiral ketene equivalent is used to prepare oxanorbornenes with the same oxygen bridge stereochemistry found in the 2,7‐dioxatricyclo[4.2.1.03,8]nonane ring system of the natural product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After cataract, glaucoma is one of the second leading retinal diseases in the world. This paper presents the methodology to detect the glaucoma using principal component analysis. The images are involved in dilation as a preprocessing, enhancement using the contrast limited adaptive histogram equalization method, and followed by the extraction of features using principal component analysis. The extracted features are classified using support vector machine, Naive Bayes, and K-nearest neighbor classifiers. Comparing with other classifiers, the Naive Bayes provides high accuracy of 95% which demonstrates the effectiveness of the feature extraction and the classifier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two stereocontrolled, efficient, and modular syntheses of eicosanoid lipoxin B4 (LXB4) are reported. One features a stereoselective reduction followed by an asymmetric epoxidation sequence to set the vicinal diol stereocentres. The dienyne was installed via a one‐pot Wittig olefination and base‐mediated epoxide ring opening cascade. The other approach installed the diol through an asymmetric dihydroxylation reaction followed by a Horner‐Wadsworth‐Emmons olefination to afford the common dienyne intermediate. Finally, a Sonogashira coupling and an alkyne hydrosilylation/proto‐desilylation protocol furnished LXB4 in 25 % overall yield in just 10 steps. For the first time, LXB4 has been fully characterized spectroscopically with its structure confirmed as previously reported. We have demonstrated that the synthesized LXB4 showed similar biological activity to commercial sources in a cellular neuroprotection model. This synthetic route can be employed to synthesize large quantities of LXB4, enable synthesis of new analogs, and chemical probes for receptor and pathway characterization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identified in December 2019, SARS-CoV-2 quickly spread worldwide with a resultant increase in global morbidity, mortality, and economic disruption on a scale not seen since the 1918 Spanish flu. Health officials recommended universal masking to further reduce human-to-human spread of SARS-CoV-2. The state of Hawaii and the Department of Defense (DOD) adopted strict mask policies early in the pandemic and is shown to be effective at reducing transmission. We report a case of Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia in an immunocompetent 21-year-old man attributed to local skin irritation with resultant infection in the setting of continuous reuse of a mask that resulted in bilateral cavernous venous thrombosis and septic pulmonary embolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have become a strong reality in the field of hybrid photovoltaics. Their ability to operate in diffused light conditions and the possibility of fabrication of modules bearing different colors make these cells attractive for different applications, for example, wearable electronics, building integration, etc. This review focuses on one of the compounds rather often studied for DSSCs, namely, poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT). It has been introduced both as a substitute for liquid electrolytes, in order to facilitate cells fabrication and increase their durability, and as an alternative to platinum for counter electrodes. The literature counts many studies on PEDOT and this manuscript collects them following a classification criterion based on applications, functionalization/doping strategies, and deposition methods. In addition to comparing the performance obtained for PEDOT‐based systems with those of traditional cells (i.e., assembled with liquid iodine‐based electrolytes and platinum cathodes), the manuscript also offers a brief analysis of costs and sustainability aspects, built up on experimental data found in the literature; this latter is expected to constitute a precious resource to catalyze the attention of the scientific community on relevant and preliminary aspects when figuring out the industrial scalability of newly proposed cell components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Macronutrient limitation and increased solar exposure coincide with ocean warming‐enhanced stratification, with consequences for phytoplankton within the upper mixing layer. In this study, we grew a diatom, Thalassiosira punctigera, under nitrogen‐limited and replete conditions for more than 14 generations and investigated both the biochemical composition of treated cells and their photochemical responses to high light and UV exposure. The photosynthetic pigment and the particulate organic nitrogen (PON) content significantly decreased in the low nitrate grown cells, with drastic decline of the absorption of UV absorbing compounds. Under an acute exposure to high light or UV radiation, we observed a significant decline in the photochemical yield along with an increase of nonphotosynthetic quenching (NPQ), with the former lowered and the latter raised in the low‐nitrogen grown cells. The results reveal a decreased repair rate and enhanced photoinhibition of the diatom under nitrogen limitation when exposed to increased levels of light and UV radiation, suggesting a higher vulnerability of the diatom phytoplankton under influences of oceanic global change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) in emergency medicine (EM) residents is associated with patient safety. However, studies regarding EDS in EM residents are limited. The objective of this study was to identify the prevalence of EDS and its associated factors among EM residents. Methods. Epworth sleepiness scale scores, working hours per week (WHW), night working days per month, working environment, and depression were analyzed using data from the 2019 Korean Emergency Medicine Resident Survey. Results. The survey response rate was 63.8% (384/601). Among 241 respondents, the prevalence rate of EDS was 32.4%. Multivariable logistic regression analysis demonstrated that WHW (odds ratio [OR] = 1.03, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.01–1.06) and depression (OR = 3.64, 95% CI = 1.91–6.96) had increased ORs for EDS. Conclusions. Approximately one-third of EM residents had EDS. Depression and WHW were the associated factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The synthesis of Lipoxin B4 analogs (LXB4) to gain access to stabilized inflammation resolving compounds is an actual field of research. Focusing on variation and stabilization of the conjugated E,Z,E,E C6–C13 tetraene moiety of natural LXB4, a methylene bridge introduced between C6 and C11 suppresses any Z/E isomerization of the C8–C9 olefin. Intending to enable prospective structure variations in connection with the C1–C5 and C14–C20 fragments, a convergent total synthesis has been developed. Optically active C1–C12 building blocks were build‐up from cycloheptatriene 1‐carbonester (C6–C11, C21) and glutaryl chloride (C1–C5) using Friedel‐Crafts‐type acylation and chiral HPLC. The C13–C20 segment had been generated via a five‐step sequence starting from heptanoyl chloride. Horner key olefination enabled the assembly of the carbon backbone. A final five‐step sequence including a chelate Cram reduction of the unsaturated ketone moiety afforded the target 6,11‐methylene LXB4 methyl ester. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present this case of a young woman with SARS-CoV-2 viral infection resulting in coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) lung disease complicated by a complex hydropneumothorax, recurrent pneumothorax, and pneumatoceles. A 33-year-old woman presented to the hospital with a one-week history of cough, shortness of breath, and myalgia, with no other significant past medical history. She tested positive for COVID-19 and subsequently, her respiratory function rapidly deteriorated, necessitating endotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation. She had severe hypoxic respiratory failure requiring a protracted period on the mechanical ventilator with different ventilation strategies and multiple cycles of prone positioning. During her proning, after two weeks on the intensive care unit, she developed tension pneumothorax that required bilateral intercostal chest drains (ICD) to stabilise her. After 24 days, she had a percutaneous tracheostomy and began her respiratory wean; however, this was limited due to the ongoing infection. Thorax CT demonstrated a left-sided pneumothorax, with bilateral pneumatoceles and a sizeable, complex hydropneumothorax. Despite the insertion of ICDs, the hydropneumothorax persisted over months and initially progressed in size on serial scans needing multiple ICDs. She was too ill for surgical interventions initially, opting for conservative management. After 60 days, she successfully underwent a video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for a washout and placement of further ICDs. She was successfully decannulated after 109 days on the intensive care unit and was discharged to a rehabilitation unit after 116 days of being an inpatient, with her last thorax CT showing some residual pneumatoceles but significant improvement. Late changes may mean patients recovering from the COVID-19 infection are at increased risk of pneumothoracies. Clinicians need to be alert to this, especially as bullous rupture may not present as a classical pneumothorax. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Active fluorescence measurements can provide rapid, non‐intrusive estimates of phytoplankton primary production at high spatial and temporal resolution, but there is uncertainty in converting from electrons to ecologically relevant rates of CO2 assimilation. In this study, we examine the light‐dependent rates of photosynthetic electron transport and 13C‐uptake in the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean to derive a conversion factor for both winter (July 2015–August 2015) and summer (December 2015–February 2016). The results revealed significant seasonal differences in the light‐saturated chlorophyll specific rate of 13C‐uptake, (PmaxB), with mean summer values 2.3 times higher than mean winter values, and the light limited chlorophyll specific efficiency, (αB), with mean values 2.7 times higher in summer than in winter. Similar patterns were observed in the light‐saturated photosynthetic electron transport rates (ETRmaxRCII, 1.5 times higher in summer) and light limited photosynthetic electron transport efficiency (αRCII, 1.3 times higher in summer). The conversion factor between carbon and electrons (Φe:C (mol e− mol C−1)) was derived utilizing in situ measurements of the chlorophyll‐normalized number of reaction centers (nRCII), resulting in a mean summer Φe:C which was ∼ 3 times lower than the mean winter Φe:C. Empirical relationships were established between Φe:C, light and NPQ, however they were not consistent across locations or seasons. The seasonal decoupling of Φe:C is the result of differences in Ek‐dependent and Ek‐independent variability, which require new modelling approaches and improvements to bio‐optical techniques to account for these inter‐seasonal differences in both taxonomy and environmental mean conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives/hypothesis: To characterize clinical, imaging, and sialendoscopy findings in patients with chronic parotitis and multiple parotid calcifications.Study Design: Retrospective review.Methods: Clinical history, radiographic images and reports, lab tests, and operative reports were reviewed for adult patients with chronic parotitis and multiple parotid calcifications who underwent parotid sialendoscopy.Results: Thirteen of 133 (10%) patients undergoing parotid sialendoscopy for chronic sialadenitis had more than one calcification in the region of the parotid gland. Seven patients (54%) were diagnosed with immune-mediated disease from autoimmune parotitis (positive Sjögren's antibodies or antinuclear antibodies) or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease. The six patients (46%) who did not have an immune-mediated disorder had most calcifications located anterior or along the masseter muscle. Eight of 13 patients (61%) had at least one calculus found in the parotid duct on sialendoscopy. Four patients (38%) had multiple punctate calcifications within the parotid gland, all of whom had either autoimmune parotitis or HIV. None of the proximal or punctate parotid calcifications posterior to the masseter were visualized on sialendoscopy.Conclusions: Chronic parotitis in conjunction with multiple parotid calcifications is uncommon and was identified in 10% of our cohort. We contrast two classifications of parotid calcifications: 1) intraductal stones that cause recurrent duct obstruction and are often located within the main parotid duct along or anterior to the masseter and 2) punctate intraparenchymal parotid gland calcifications that are not visualized on sialendoscopy and may represent underlying inflammatory disease.Level Of Evidence: 4 Laryngoscope, 127:1565-1570, 2017. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photosystem II (PSII) is a pigment-protein complex that photochemically extracts electrons from water, generating the reductant that supports biological productivity in all biomes. Estimating the content of active PSII reaction centers in a liquid sample is a key input for estimating aquatic photosynthesis rates, as well as for analyzing phytoplankton stress responses. Established procedures for PSII content quantification based on oxygen evolution are slow, imprecise and require dense cell suspensions, and are thus inapplicable to many laboratory or field studies. A new approach uses baseline chlorophyll fluorescence emission divided by the effective absorbance cross section for PSII photochemistry, with both variables derivable from single turnover fluorescence induction protocols. This approach has not been widely tested and is potentially subject to variation in samples suffering progressive photoinactivation or induction of non-photochemical quenching under variable light. We evaluated the validity of this approach for a marine picocyanobacteria, low and high light Prochlorococcus ecotypes, arctic and temperate prasinophyte green alga and two centric diatoms, generating 209 paired determinations from a range of growth and treatment conditions. We successfully calibrated the fluorescence derived estimator for PSII reaction center content, and demonstrate a modification that corrects for the short term influence of photoinactivation. The modified parameter shows little response to induction of non-photochemical quenching. In doing so we show the potential and limitations of an estimator of active PSII reaction center content that is sufficiently robust to support rapid, time-resolved autonomous measures of primary productivity from lakes and oceans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presented herein is a mild, operationally simple, mix-and-go procedure for the synthesis of acyclic trisubstituted Z-enediynes, from readily available terminal alkynes, in good yields. This method stems from a serendipitous discovery, and makes use of cooperative palladium/copper bimetallic catalysis and air as an oxidant to effect an intriguing alkyne trimerization to yield the valuable Z-enediyne moiety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presented herein is a mild, operationally simple, mix-and-go procedure for the synthesis of acyclic trisubstituted Z-enediynes, from readily available terminal alkynes, in good yields. This method stems from a serendipitous discovery, and makes use of cooperative palladium/copper bimetallic catalysis and air as an oxidant to effect an intriguing alkyne trimerization to yield the valuable Z-enediyne moiety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multisubstituted olefins are fundamental motifs in organic compounds. In this account, we describe the synthesis of organic molecules bearing an olefinic moiety by the transition-metal-catalyzed regio- and stereoselective addition of a variety of interelement compounds to alkynes. Regio- and stereoselective silaboration, diborylation, and chlorothiolation have been achieved by using the transition-metal catalysts. The subsequent cross-coupling reactions of the boron-containing alkenes to install various aryl groups afforded the corresponding tri- and tetraarylated olefins. This account describes our research on the highly regio- and stereoselective synthesis of multifunctionalized olefins such as tetraarylethenes with four different aryl groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

El Oral cancer is a devastating disease, and despite advances in treatment, the survival rate remains low. Early diagnosis can improve survival and outcomes. Delayed referrals are often due to the inadequate knowledge of general health professionals. The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge of oral cancer among recently graduated dental and medical professionals interested in working in a cancer center in Amman, Jordan. The study was conducted using a questionnaire to assess the knowledge of risk factors and the ability to correctly identify the oral lesions most commonly associated with oral cancer. A total of 112 individuals completed the questionnaire. The results revealed an inadequate level of knowledge of oral cancer among the study population, with significant differences between the dental and medical professionals. This study suggests there is a need for improvement of the undergraduate curriculum in oral cancer in both medical and dental schools in Jordan and for the provision of postgraduate and continuing education on this topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An efficient and unprecedented palladium-catalyzed S-glycosylation reaction of a range of alkenyl and alkynyl halides by using thiosugars as nucleophile partners has been established. With palladium diacetate in combination with Xantphos as the catalytic system, a variety of β-alkenylthioglycosides as well as β-alkynylthioglycosides can be prepared in good to excellent yields. The efficiency of this general protocol was well-demonstrated by the formal synthesis of a leaf-closure β-glucosidase inhibitor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of aqueous media in palladium-catalyzed reactions has become popular because water-based synthetic processes are inherently safer as well as being inexpensive. Moreover, it does not require dry solvents, and the products may easily be isolated by extraction, which greatly facilitates the operation. Thus the use of water in palladium-catalyzed reactions represents one of the most economically and environmentally viable options for many organic transformations. In this review, recent developments of Sonogashira reaction in water or aqueous media will be disclosed. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Once limited to the preparation of alkynes, the chemistry of 1,1-dibromoalkenes has clearly undergone a renaissance through the application of palladium and copper catalysis. Remarkably efficient, innovative, and reliable methods have been recently designed around this chemistry, which has found many applications for the preparation of sophisticated building blocks as well as natural and/or biologically active products. This review article highlights major developments in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indium tin oxide (ITO) is a broadly deployed transparent conductive electrode (TCE) with various applications in solar energy harvesting and optoelectronics. However, the low transmittance of ITO in the ultraviolet range has motivated researchers to opt for alternative materials as TCE. In this paper, the fabrication of a hybrid TCE made up of silver nanowire (AgNW) and peroxo‐constructed amorphous strontium stannate (pcaSS) is reported, employing facile spin coating solution‐processed method at 150 °C. The fabricated TCE demonstrated low sheet resistance of 32.8 Ω sq−1 and high transmittance of 88.2% at 550 nm. Furthermore, benefitting from the ultra‐high band gap of as‐synthesized pcaSS (4.5 eV), this TCE maintained its high transmittance (above 80%) inside ultraviolet range down to wavelength of 250 nm. This research contributes to the fabrication of more efficient solar energy and ultraviolet optoelectronic devices. Transparent conductive electrode (TCE), comprised of silver nanowire (AgNW) and peroxo‐constructed amorphous strontium stannate (pcaSS), is fabricated by spin coating method at 150 °C, obtaining low sheet resistance of 32.8 Ω sq−1 and high transmittance of 88.2% at 550 nm. Due to ultra‐high band gap of pcaSS (4.5 eV), the TCE maintains its high transmittance in ultraviolet range down to 250 nm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]