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Objective This study aims to assess the knowledge and attitudes toward clinical trial (CT) participation among the adult population in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Material and methods This cross-sectional study was conducted among the population of the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed among the general population using an online survey. Results A total of 334 participants completed the questionnaire. Participants' ages ranged from 18 to 65 years, with a mean age of 31.2 ± 13.9 years, 56.6% of whom were males, 42.2% were employed, 29.6% were students, and 23.1% were unemployed. Surprisingly, only a small percentage of respondents (7.5%) were requested to participate in a randomized controlled trial (RCT), of which the majority did partake. Additionally, 25.4% of participants believe CTs are used to evaluate new drugs; others believe that CTs are used to understand diseases and human behavior. The data show that most participants believe that CTs improve patient care, welfare, and society. Also, participants were more likely to take part if they were aware of the study's purpose and findings and were given more time to consider their options. Conclusion Participants believed that the biggest obstacle was a lack of knowledge of CTs. It is crucial to educate patients more about CTs. Multimodal strategies such as improved patient-provider communication and online information for trial information sharing may be effective in boosting knowledge and CT recruitment., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2023, Almaqhawi et al.)

Smart materials are versatile material systems which exhibit a measurable response to external stimuli. Recently, smart material systems have been developed which incorporate graphene in order to share on its various advantageous properties, such as mechanical strength, electrical conductivity, and thermal conductivity as well as to achieve unique stimuli-dependent responses. Here, a graphene fiber-based smart material that exhibits reversible electrical conductivity switching at a relatively low temperature (60 °C), is reported. Using molecular dynamics (MD) simulation and density functional theory-based non-equilibrium Green's function (DFT-NEGF) approach, it is revealed that this thermo-response behavior is due to the change in configuration of amphiphilic triblock dispersant molecules occurring in the graphene fiber during heating or cooling. These conformational changes alter the total number of graphene-graphene contacts within the composite material system, and thus the electrical conductivity as well. Additionally, this graphene fiber fabrication approach uses a scalable, facile, water-based method, that makes it easy to modify material composition ratios. In all, this work represents an important step forward to enable complete functional tuning of graphene-based smart materials at the nanoscale while increasing commercialization viability., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Emphysematous epididymo-orchitis (EEO) is a rare but serious condition that involves the presence of gas within the tissues of the testicle and/or the epididymis. It is a medical emergency that can be life-threatening if left untreated. Management of this condition may involve a combination of antibiotics, surgical drainage, and supportive care. In March 2023, A systematic review of case reports was conducted to identify and examine cases of EEO. We used PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar for a methodical search. Only seven out of 136 studies met our criteria for this review of case reports. However, this review discusses symptom presentation, imaging findings, complications, and possible management of EEO., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2023, Bokhari et al.)

A tension-type headache (TTH) is a recurrent headache that is mild to moderate in intensity, unlike migraine (MH), which is accompanied by crippling effects of nausea, vomiting, photophobia, or phonophobia. TTH is more frequent than migraine, but it is less likely to cause severe pain and physical dysfunction. TTHs account for more lost workdays due to their prevalence. The study aimed to evaluate the prevalence, frequency, and disability of MHs and TTHs among the general population in the Eastern Region of Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional study was employed using a validated questionnaire. The questionnaire implemented the HARDSHIP algorithm to diagnose MH and TTH and questions to correlate their prevalence to socio-demographic data, measurement of the level of disability, headache management, and treatment effectiveness using the chi-square test. The study reviewed 877 subjects (46.6% males vs . 53.4% females). 52.9% of the participants experienced headaches during the previous three months, and 35.6% experienced headaches recently. The most common type of headache was a probable MH (32.1%), followed by a TTH (26.9%), probable TTH (19.5%), and MH (15%). It was reported that some disability was attributed to 47% of MHs and 26% of TTHs. The most commonly used headache medication was paracetamol (53.5%). This study revealed that TTH and MH are common illnesses in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Region. TTH and MH are correlated with significant individual and social burdens, particularly for MH. Headache sufferers mostly manage their headaches using conventional over-the-counter methods., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (©2022 JOURNAL of MEDICINE and LIFE.)

Background: Yasui procedure is surgical repair intended to preserve biventricular function for patients with left ventricle outflow tract obstruction associated with aortic arch lesions and ventricular septal defect., Methods: Retrospective chart review analysis of all patients who had Yasui procedure (2008-2020) comparing midterm outcome of one versus two stage repair., Results: Twenty patients (70% female) underwent Yasui procedure in our center. Eight patients (40%) had left ventricle outflow tract obstruction /interrupted aortic arch, 7 patients (35%) had left ventricle outflow tract obstruction /coarctation of aorta, 3 patients (15%) had double outlet ventricle and ventricular septal defect that were unattainable for tunneling to one of the semilunar valves without creating obstruction, and 2 patients (10%) had aortic atresia with hypoplastic aortic arch. All patients had associated ventricular septal defect. Fifteen patients (75%) had one-stage repair and 5 patients (25%) had two-stage repair. Means age and weight for one and two-stage repair were 1.3 ± 2 months, 13.4 ± 11.5 months and 3.3 ± 0.6 kg, 7.8 ± 3.4 kg, respectively. During follow up, 8 patients (40%) required re- intervention, mainly for right ventricle-pulmonary artery conduit either dilation or replacement. The average duration of follow up was 5 years with nil mortality., Conclusion: Yasui procedure is effective approach for children who have left ventricle outflow tract obstruction associated with aortic arch anomalies and ventricular septal defect. Survival rate with single or staged repair is comparably good. During the first 5 year of follow up, nearly 40% of operated patients required re-intervention.

Introduction Mental stigma is when patients of mental illness are labeled by their disorders, viewed negatively, and discriminated against due to their illness. This has a big impact on people's attitudes and behaviors toward the mentally ill. Moreover, mental stigma leads people to avoid patients with mental health issues, blame them for their conditions, and associate them with negative features like being dangerous, unpredictable, and hard to communicate with. The primary objective of this study is to assess the mental stigma among the population of the Al-Ahsa region in Saudi Arabia. Methods This is a cross-sectional study conducted in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia, between June and August 2021. The target population of the study was people aged 18-65 years old whose place of residency during the time of the study was Al-Ahsa. The questionnaire used in this study contained a mental stigma scale called community attitudes toward mental illness (CAMI). Results A total of 758 participants were enrolled in the study. The mean of the stigma score was 99.24 ± 15.622, with a minimum of 53 and a maximum of 176. The means of the subscales were as follows: authoritarianism (26.18 ± 4.420), benevolence (23.26 ± 4.762), community mental health ideology (24.66 ± 5.896), and social restrictiveness (25.13 ± 4.6). There was a positive relationship between age and stigma score. Healthcare workers were found to have a lower level of stigma, as were those who spoke more languages. Also, being diagnosed with a mental illness and knowing someone who is diagnosed with a mental illness were associated with a lower level of stigma. Conclusion Most of the population (91.96%) had a low to medium-low level of stigma. The variables found to affect the level of stigma were age, career, number of spoken languages, being diagnosed with a mental illness, and knowing someone who is diagnosed with a mental illness. Mental stigma has a great impact on the person, as it can prevent the patient from seeking help, lead to isolation, and suicidal ideation. Future stigma-targeted campaigns are recommended., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2021, Alamer et al.)

Expandable graphite (EG) and few-layer graphene (FLG) have proven to be instrumental materials for various applications. The production of EG and FLG has been limited to batch processes using numerous intercalating agents, especially organic acids. In this study, a Taylor-Couette reactor (TCR) setup is used to expand and exfoliate natural graphite and produce a mixture of EG and FLG in aqueous solutions using an amphiphilic dispersant and a semiflexible stabilizer. Laminar Couette flow structure and high shear rates are achieved via the rotation of the outer cylinder while the inner cylinder is still, which circumvents vortex formation because of the suppression of centrifugal forces. Our results reveal that the level of expansion and exfoliation using an aqueous solution and a TCR is comparable to that using commercial EG (CEG) synthesized by intercalating sulfuric acid. More importantly, the resultant EG and FLG flakes are more structurally homogeneous than CEG, the ratio of FLG to EG increases with increasing shearing time, and the produced FLG sheets exhibit large lateral dimensions (>10 μm). The aqueous solutions of EG and FLG are wet-spun to produce ultralight fibers with a bulk density of 0.35 g/cm 3 . These graphene fibers exhibit a mechanical strength of 0.5 GPa without any modification or thermal treatment, which offers great potential in light-weight composite applications.