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Here, we compared the modulatory effects of different dose levels of Uxi (Endopleura uchi aqueous bark extract, EUAE) vs simvastatin (SIM) on hyperlipidemia, metabolic stress, and liver dysfunction in HFD-induced obese rats. HFD significantly increased BMI, lee index, body adipose index, atherogenic indices, cellular toxicity markers, blood glucose level, adipokines, pro-inflammatory mediators, lipid peroxidation and promoted lipid accumulation and HMGCR and ACC. Furthermore, it significantly decreased antioxidants, ghrelin, and AG/UAG ratio as well as hepatic glycogen content, while these changes were mitigated by either SIM or EUAE treatment. The expression of FASN & SREBP1c genes were elevated in the HFD group, with downregulation of PPARα expression. These alterations were ameliorated by SIM or EUAE treatment. The beneficial effects of EUAE may be attributed to its phenolic compounds and their derivatives. This study supports the hypothesis that Uxi may have antihyperlipidemic, antioxidant, hepatoprotective, and anti-inflammatory properties in rat model of obesity.

Abstract There is widespread use of incremental shuttle walking test (ISWT) to measure functional capacity in cardiac rehabilitation patients. Due to occasional physical space limitations, an incremental shuttle walking test on a treadmill (ISWT-T) was suggested as an alternative. Knowledge about the cardiopulmonary response between the two tests and the factors associated with the distance achieved in Phase IV cardiac rehabilitation is limited. Thus, the study aims to compare the cardiopulmonary response between ISWT and ISWT-T and investigate the factors associated with distance achieved in both tests. Thirteen participants (66.3 ± 7.3 years, 84.6% males) attending phase IV cardiac rehabilitation participated in repeated measures counterbalanced trials. Each participant performed one ISWT and one ISWT-T separated by seven days. Main outcome measures included peak heart rate (HR), systolic and diastolic blood pressure post-test, distance achieved, respiratory frequency, tidal volume (VT), minute ventilation, respiratory exchange ratio, peak oxygen uptake (VO2PEAK), and secondary outcome measures included height, weight, waist circumference (WC) leg length (LL). There were no significant differences in the cardiopulmonary responses between ISWT and ISWT-T except for VO2PEAK (25.4 ± 5.8 vs 23.7 ± 5.1, p = 0.05, respectively). Age and height were significantly correlated with distance achieved during ISWT, and ISWT-T [age (r = − 0.72, vs. r = − 0.73, p ≤ 0.05, respectively)], [height (r = 0.68, vs. r = 0.68, p ≤ 0.05, respectively)]. LL was only correlated with distance achieved on ISWT-T (r = 0.59, p ≤ 0.05). These findings suggest a similar cardiopulmonary response between the two tests, but doing ISWT in the hallway evoked a higher metabolic demand than doing it on a treadmill. Additionally, distance achieved on both tests was related to height and inversely to age.

(1) Objectives: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to summarize current evidence regarding the prognostic role of perineural invasion (PNI) in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). (2) Methods: We searched Cochrane Central, ProQuest, PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, and Web of Science, using relevant keywords to identify eligible articles. Two independent reviewers conducted two-stage screening, data extraction, and quality assessment. The risk of bias was assessed using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale (NOS) criteria. All analyses were performed using comprehensive meta-analysis (CMA; version 3.3.070) software. (3) Results: The study included 101 published articles encompassing 26,062 patients. The pooled analyses showed that PNI was associated with significantly worse overall survival (OS; HR = 1.45, 95% CI: 1.32–1.58; p < 0.001), worse disease-specific survival (DSS; HR = 1.87, 95% CI: 1.65–2.12; p < 0.001), and worse disease-free survival (DFS; HR = 1.87, 95% CI: 1.65–2.12; p < 0.001). Similarly, both local recurrence-free survival (LRFS) and regional recurrence-free survival (RRFS) were worse in patients with PNI (HR = 2.31, 95% CI: 1.72–3.10, p < 0.001; and HR = 2.04, 95% CI: 1.51–2.74, p < 0.001), respectively. The random-effect estimate of three studies demonstrated that the presence of PNI was associated with worse failure-free survival (FFS; HR = 2.59, 95% CI: 1.12–5.98, p < 0.001). (4) Conclusions: The current evidence suggests that PNI can be used as an independent predictor of the prognosis for patients with OSCC. The presence of PNI was associated with worse OS, DFS, DSS, FFS, and with recurrence. Asian patients and patients with extra-tumoral or peripheral PNI invasion were associated with worse prognosis.

Abstract Background People with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy (CAN) is an underdiagnosed risk factor for CVD, which is prevalent among people with 2DM and can lead to CVD and CVD-related mortality. Little is known about the risk factors associated with CAN in type 2DM. Thus, the study was aimed to assess CAN using five cardiovascular autonomic reflex tests (represented by Ewing’s score) and explore the factors associated with CAN in people with type 2DM. The studied factors include traditional and serological CVD risk factors obtained from a fasting blood sample and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) obtained via attainment of the highest peak of volumes of O2 (VO2Peak). Results Univariate analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between resting systolic blood pressure (SBP) and Ewing’s score (r=0.47, p=.02) and an inverse correlation between VO2Peak and Ewing’s score (r=−0.64, p=.001). Multivariate linear regression revealed that a significant model that included resting SBP and VO2Peak explained 93.8% of Ewing’s score variance. Conclusion CAN was associated with two CVD parameters, including resting SBP and CRF, which may indicate the importance of controlling these two factors to prevent or reduce CAN in people with type 2DM.

Abstract Background Prevalence of frailty has been previously established in different Western countries; however, the prevalence and the burden of in the aging populations of Saudi Arabia has not been examined. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of frailty, and associated factors among Saudi older population. Methods The study included a total of 486 community-dwelling elderly adults aged 60 years and over living in the Riyadh area. This study took place from August 2019 to June 2020. The prevalence of frailty was determined using the Fried’s frailty phenotype. Association between sociodemographic features and clinical factors and frailty was estimated by Odds Ratio and confidence intervals (OR, IC 95%) using a multinomial logistic regression model. Results The overall prevalence of pre-frailty and frailty were 47.3 and 21.4%, respectively. The following factors were associated with being frail: age (OR: 6.92; 95%CI 3.11–15.41); living alone (OR: 2.50; 95%CI: 1.12–5.59); had more chronic conditions (OR: 1.96; 95%CI: 1.16–3.30); and cognitive impairment (OR: 7.07; 95%CI: 3.92–12.74). Conclusions The Compared with other populations, the prevalence of frailty and pre-frailty in the Riyadh region of Saudi Arabia was high. The implications of frailty in this population should be discussed in future study.

Abstract Background The use of smartphones has become widely popular, especially among young people, for multiple purposes other than communication, including gaming and internet browsing. The hand and wrist weakness is one of the main complications associated with the increased use of smartphones. This weakness occurs due to the repetitive flexion and extension of the wrist, thumb, and fingers, leading to a significant musculoskeletal pathology. Little is known about the relationship between smartphone usage duration (using the phones ability to monitor screen time) and hand-grip, pinch-grip strength. Therefore, the study was aimed to investigate the association between smartphone usage duration and hand-grip, pinch-grip strength among young people. Methods One hundred young males volunteered to participate in the study. Participants were briefly examined for height and weight using a portable stadiometer and a digital scale. Hand-grip, pinch-grip strength measurement was performed using a hand-held dynamometer. Smartphones usage duration was obtained from the daily average screen time reported in the last seven days. Results Mean daily usage of smartphone among the participants was 7.8 ± 2.2. There was a weak significant inverse relationship between smartphone usage duration and hand-grip strength (r=-.22, p = .03) and pinch-grip strength (r=-.28, p = .004). Linear regression revealed that 18.8 % of the variance in hand-grip strength and 20.4 % of the variance in pinch-grip strength was explained by age, and smartphone usage duration, with the addition of BMI only to hand-grip strength (p’s

BACKGROUND: In elderly people, obesity may induce changes in the autonomic nervous system via alteration of the balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. Little is known about obesity and parasympathetic reactivation following exercise testing, particularly in young people in Saudi Arabia, and its relationship with body composition parameters. OBJECTIVES: Compare parasympathetic reactivation using heart rate recovery (HRR) following the exercise test between young obese and nonobese people and explore the association between body composition parameters with HRR. DESIGNS: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: University research lab. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty-seven young male college students underwent anthropometric measurements and treadmill exercise testing, during which the heart rate was monitored via 12-lead electro-cardiography. Participants were divided into a group (n=15) with high body fat percentage (>30%), and a group (n=12) with a normal body fat percentage (

OBJECTIVE: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a respiratory disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, which complicates the functioning of multiple systems, including the autonomic nervous system (ANS), causing dysautonomia. Investigation of dysautonomia and its association with exposure to COVID-19 is limited in healthy people. Therefore, the study aimed to investigate the relationship between ANS dysautonomia and coronavirus exposure and compare the ANS function between exposed and non-exposed to COVID-19. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The study involved 141 participants, with a mean age of 18-24.5 years, 83% male (49.6% exposed to COVID-19). The ANS was measured using a composite autonomic symptom scale (COMPASS-31) questionnaire and heart rate variability (HRV) using photoplethysmography. Exposure to COVID-19 was investigated using two national health-status tracking and COVID-19 exposure applications, "Sehhaty" and "Twakkalna". RESULTS: A significantly inverse weak correlation between COMPASS-31 scores and COVID-19 exposure (r=-0.2, p=0.04). No significant association was found between HRV and COVID-19 exposure. COMPASS-31 scores for the exposed group (median=15, n=70) were significantly higher than those for the non-exposed group (median=12, n=71), U=1,913.5, p=0.03. Height (r=-0.4, p=0.002) and gender (r=0.3, p=0.001) were moderately correlated with COMPASS-31 among the exposed group. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicated that exposure to COVID-19 was associated with poorer ANS scores measured via COMPASS-31. Additionally, exposure to COVID-19 resulted in higher dysautonomia symptoms than non-exposed. Height and gender differences contribute to the severity of dysautonomia among exposed people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human interferon (IFN) is a type of cytokine that regulates the immune system’s response to viral and bacterial infections. Recombinant IFN-α has been approved for use in the treatment of a variety of viral infections as well as an anticancer medication for various forms of leukemia. The objective of the current study is to produce a functionally active recombinant human IFN-α2a from transgenic Raphanus sativus L. plants. Therefore, a binary plant expression construct containing the IFN-α2a gene coding sequence, under the regulation of the cauliflower mosaic virus 35SS promoter, was established. Agrobacterium-mediated floral dip transformation was used to introduce the IFN-α2a expression cassette into the nuclear genome of red and white rooted Raphanus sativus L. plants. From each genotype, three independent transgenic lines were established. The anticancer and antiviral activities of the partially purified recombinant IFN-α2a proteins were examined. The isolated IFN-α2a has been demonstrated to inhibit the spread of the Vesicular Stomatitis Virus (VSV). In addition, cytotoxicity and cell apoptosis assays against Hep-G2 cells (Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma) show the efficacy of the generated IFN-α2a as an anticancer agent. In comparison to bacterial, yeast, and animal cell culture systems, the overall observed results demonstrated the efficacy of using Raphanus sativus L. plants as a safe, cost-effective, and easy-to-use expression system for generating active human IFN-α2a.

Background: People living with HIV (PLWH) might be at risk of more severe COVID-19. Although anti-retroviral therapy (ART) may have theoretical activity against COVID-19, which can protect PLWH from COVID-19. Therefore, this study aims to assess the negative consequences of the COVID-19 lockdown on HIV care and antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence. Methods: This cross-sectional study included HIV+ patients in Jeddah aged =18 years old who had clinic visits during the lockdown period (April-August 2020) and were on ART for = 2 years; newly diagnosed patients were excluded. Data were collected by a tele-questionnaire and electronic medical records system. Results: A total of 85 participants were recruited. The results showed that 58.82% of participants reported no change in their ART adherence during the lockdown, whereas 37.65% increased and 3.53% had decreased compliance. About 63.53% of participants could come to the clinic, yet 36.47% were disturbed. Approximately 10.59% couldn't reach healthcare providers, and nearly 89.41% could disclose their healthcare providers during the lockdown. Thus, 95.29% disagreed that the lockdown affected their HIV care in general. Though, 34.11% did not have ART refills for some period during the pandemic, with median days of 13 [IQR: 5-30]. Clinically, no significant change was observed in lab results before and after the lockdown. Conclusion: The results showed a minimum negative impact on HIV care during the COVID-19 lockdown; this might be due to the enhanced policies applied by the hospital. However, additional research is necessary to raise the standard of healthcare in Saudi Arabia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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