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Abstract Surfaces – by breaking bulk symmetries, introducing roughness, or hosting defects – can significantly influence magnetic order in magnetic materials. Determining their effect on the complex nanometer-scale phases present in certain non-centrosymmetric magnets is an outstanding problem requiring high-resolution magnetic microscopy. Here, we use scanning SQUID microscopy to image the surface of bulk Cu2OSeO3 at low temperature and in a magnetic field applied along $$\left\langle 100\right\rangle$$ 100 . Real-space maps measured as a function of applied field reveal the microscopic structure of the magnetic phases and their transitions. In low applied field, we observe a magnetic texture consistent with an in-plane stripe phase, pointing to the existence of a distinct surface state. In the low-temperature skyrmion phase, the surface is populated by clusters of disordered skyrmions, which emerge from rupturing domains of the tilted spiral phase. Furthermore, we displace individual skyrmions from their pinning sites by applying an electric potential to the scanning probe, thereby demonstrating local skyrmion control at the surface of a magnetoelectric insulator.

This paper explores the vibrational, thermophysical, and structural properties of thorium nitride using density functional theory. An agreement is observed between the calculated and experimental properties of the lattice constant and bulk modulus. In the density functional perturbation theory, diagrams of phonon spectrums and vibrational densities of states along high symmetry paths are calculated. Based on the phonon dispersion diagram, no imaginary frequencies are found, indicating that the crystalline structure is dynamically stable. The compound also exhibits a phonon gap in the range 154-300 cm-1. Under high temperature and pressure, quasi-harmonic Debye models are used to evaluate thermodynamic properties such as Debye temperature, thermal expansion coefficient, entropy isothermal bulk modulus, and vibrational specific heat capacity. As the temperature increases, the volume of the system at a constant pressure decreases, while it increases for all pressures at a constant temperature. As temperature increases at a constant pressure, the coefficient of thermal expansion increases, indicating that the crystalline lattice is transferring more heat.

In this paper, the thermo-electric, phonon, electronic, and optical properties of the C3N monolayer have been investigated using the Wien2K computational code based on first principles calculations in the framework of the density functional theory. The study of electronic properties shows the behavior of non-magnetic semiconductors with an indirect gap with a value of 0.5 electron volts for this two-dimensional structure. Also, optical properties such as dielectric function, reflection, energy loss function, absorption coefficient, and optical conductivity are calculated. C3N monolayer is optically anisotropic in z and x direction, which according to the refractive index diagram leads to birefringence, which is a key parameter for this compound's linear optical performance. The results provide a fundamental understanding of the design of composite structures used in nanodevices based on two-dimensional advanced materials. The linear response approach along the symmetric points calculates the phonon dispersion diagram. The results indicate the absence of negative modes in the phonon spectrum, indicating that the structure is dynamically stable. Investigating the thermoelectric properties of the C3N monolayer using the semi-classical Boltzmann theory shows that this monolayer has a value coefficient (ZT) close to one at room temperature and temperatures lower than room temperature. As a result, it can be proposed as a candidate for thermoelectric applications.

In the domain of data-centric networks, Link Prediction (LP) is instrumental in discerning potential or absent connections among entities within complex networks. By employing graph data structures, LP techniques enable a detailed analysis of entity interactions across varied sectors, contributing significantly to overcoming challenges in data filtering and integrity restoration, primarily when the network does not provide embedded data. Although LP methods are widely applicable, especially in recommender systems, their efficacy in current social networks needs to be thoroughly investigated. This study introduces an innovative LP approach using Deep Neural Networks (DNNs). We compare our method against a comprehensive set of established techniques, including traditional score-based methods, classical baselines, and recent deep learning approaches like Graph Neural Networks (GNNs). Our DNN-based solution incorporates a robust feature extraction process and a binary classifier, optimized for accurate prediction of missing links within networks. We performed extensive experimental evaluations on diverse datasets, including co-authorship networks, e-commerce, and social media networks. The study encompasses a comparative analysis with traditional LP techniques, namely Common Neighbors, Resource Allocation Index, Jaccard’s Coefficient, and Adamic/Adar Index, as well as other selected baseline and deep-learning methods. Our findings demonstrate that the DNN-based approach significantly enhances predictive accuracy, outperforming the conventional baseline methods in link prediction.

The actinide-pnictide ceramic materials have attracted great research attention owing to their fundamental and applied prospects in view of modern technological interest in materials engineering, ceramic and energy industry, and domestic usage. In this article, we report on the calculated structural, mechanical, dynamical, and thermodynamic properties of a first time theoretically designed model actinide-pnictide ceramic material, UP. For the high pressure/temperature calculations of the target properties, we employed density functional theory based first-principles procedure within GGA density functional. The computed results suggest that the experimental lattice constant is congruence with our estimated value. The calculated elastic coefficients are positive and satisfied Born-Huang criteria, thus revealing the mechanical stable structure of this ceramic material. The obtained Poisson’s ratio is approximately 0.28, implying the ceramic is ionic having central interatomic forces. The evaluated value for Kleinman parameter is 0.21, implying the presence of a bond bending. The phonon dispersion and density of state curves are computed using density functional perturbation theory. The results reveal the absence of virtual frequencies in the vibrational spectrum, confirming the dynamical stability of the crystalline structure. The thermodynamic properties calculated at elevated pressures and temperatures through Debye’s quasi-harmonic model, include Grüneisen parameter, Debye temperature, thermal expansion, entropy, isothermal bulk modulus, isochoric heat capacity. It is found that entropy is more sensitive to pressure at high temperatures.

In this research, the mechanical and phonon properties of UO in the rock-salt phase have been calculated systematically using density functional theory and ab-initio method in projector augmented wave pseudopotentials parameterization. The obtained lattice constant has good accordance with the experimental one at null pressure and temperature. The mechanical stability is confirmed because the positive elastic constants meet the Born-Huang criterion. The mechanical properties including bulk modulus, shear modulus, and Young’s modulus are evaluated using the Voigt-Reuss-Hill approximation. The value of Poisson’s ratio (v) is obtained to be nearly 0.36, which shows that this compound has an ionic bond and interatomic forces within the crystal are central. The elasticity analysis of the Kleinman parameter reveals that bond bending is dominant within the sublattice of UO. The vibrational density of states and phonon dispersion are investigated through the linear response approach. The results shows the dynamical stability of crystalline structure due to the inexistence of virtual frequencies in dispersion relations.

In this paper, we use density functional theory and first-principles calculations to evaluate the structural, dynamic, and thermophysical properties of thorium phosphide. The structural properties including lattice constant (a0), bulk modulus (B0), and first-order derivative of bulk modulus (B0') are calculated by fitting the Brich-Murnaghan third-order equation of state and compared with other experimental data. This comparison shows a satisfactory agreement between the calculated and experimental lattice constants. The phonon dispersion diagram is calculated by the linear response approach along the high symmetry points. The results indicate the absence of negative modes in the phonon spectrum, which shows that the structure is dynamically stable. We observe a good agreement with the comparison of the obtained optical frequency with the experimental data from the inelastic neutron measurement. The analysis of the phonon density of the states diagram shows a phonon gap in the distance from 115 to 262 cm-1 for this material. Thermodynamic properties including Debye temperature, vibrational entropy, isothermal bulk modulus, isochoric heat capacity, thermal expansion, and Grüneisen parameter are evaluated by the quasi-harmonic Debye method at high pressures and temperatures. It is observed that the Debye temperature of thorium phosphide decreases with increasing temperature at a constant pressure and increases with increasing pressure at a constant temperature. The reduction of the Grüneisen parameter due to the application of pressure shows the changes in the phonon frequencies with the changes in the volume of the unit cell. Also, the increase of the Groningen parameter due to the increase in temperature can be the result of changing the dynamics of the network.

Background & aim: Worldwide, the use of benzodiazepines as hypnotics and sedatives is on the rise. Alprazolam and passion flower (Passiflora incarnata L.) produce calming and sleep-inducing by affecting GABA, which is one of the known neurotransmitters of the brain. There are findings indicating that GABA has been found in the body's endocrine glands, including the ovary. In this research, due to the similarity of the endocrine reproductive control system of fish to humans and having the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal axis the comparison of the effects of the gabanergic drug alprazolam and the passion flower on the ovarian tissue of three-spotted gourami fish was chosen as the target. Methods: In the present basic-experimental study carried out in 2022, 120 pieces of Trichogaster trichopterus with an average weight of 3 ± 0.5g were purchased from ornamental fish farm in Hamedan, Iran. The pieces were divided into eight groups of 15, which included the intact control group, the solvent control group, three treatment groups which received Alprazolam with a dose of 0.5, 1 and 2 mg/kg and three treatment groups receiving Passiflora incarnata extract with doses of 25, 50, and 100 mg/kg. A dose of 0.02 ml of the drug was injected intramuscularly between the dorsal fin and the lateral line every other day for 10 times, over a period of 20 days. Finally, the fish were euthanized and dissected. The ovaries of the fish were isolated and examined with optical and electron microscope, and ELIZA kit was used to measure steroid hormones from tissue fluids. The data were analyzed using SPSS22 software and statistical methods of one-way ANOVA and Duncan at the level of p≤0.05. Findings: According to the obtained results, alprazolam up to a maximum concentration of 100 mg/kg had stimulating effects on the maturation of the ovaries of Trichogaster trichopterus and caused an increase in steroid hormones in them. On the other hand, evening primrose extract has an inhibitory effect on ovarian development in doses of 25-100 mg/kg. Conclusion: According to the results, alprazolam was probably a stimulant of gonadal development, while extract of Passiflora incarnata inhibited it.

Abstract An efficient and highly accurate method for extracting the singularity of scalar potential time‐domain Green's function (TDGF) of layered media is presented. The proposed method is based on the Taylor series expansion and is exploited in the finite‐difference (FD) technique. The presented method is accurate for the singularity behavior of the potential near the source. Also, the effect of singularity extraction box size on the calculation error of Green's functions is explained. Numerical results demonstrating the accuracy of the proposed singularity extraction method for calculating the TDGF of a PEC‐backed dielectric slab are presented. It is shown that the accuracy of the evaluated TDGF is improved by an order of magnitude using the proposed singularity extraction technique. Also, the effect of changing the spatial and temporal steps of the FD scheme on the calculation error is studied.

Gastrointestinal (GI) tract disorders are a significant public health issue. They are becoming more common and can cause serious health problems and high healthcare costs. Small bowel tumours (SBTs) and colorectal cancer (CRC) are both becoming more prevalent, especially among younger adults. Early detection and removal of polyps (precursors of malignancy) is essential for prevention. Wireless Capsule Endoscopy (WCE) is a procedure that utilises swallowable camera devices that capture images of the GI tract. Because WCE generates a large number of images, automated polyp segmentation is crucial. This paper reviews computer-aided approaches to polyp detection using WCE imagery and evaluates them using a dataset of labelled anomalies and findings. The study focuses on YOLO-V8, an improved deep learning model, for polyp segmentation and finds that it performs better than existing methods, achieving high precision and recall. The present study underscores the potential of automated detection systems in improving GI polyp identification.

Abstract Gastrointestinal (GI) tract diseases are responsible for substantial morbidity and mortality worldwide, including colorectal cancer, which has shown a rising incidence among adults younger than 50. Although this could be alleviated by regular screening, only a small percentage of those at risk are screened comprehensively, due to shortcomings in accuracy and patient acceptance. To address these challenges, we designed an artificial intelligence (AI)-empowered wireless video endoscopic capsule that surpasses the performance of the existing solutions by featuring, among others: (1) real-time image processing using onboard deep neural networks (DNN), (2) enhanced visualization of the mucous layer by deploying both white-light and narrow-band imaging, (3) on-the-go task modification and DNN update using over-the-air-programming and (4) bi-directional communication with patient’s personal electronic devices to report important findings. We tested our solution in an in vivo setting, by administrating our endoscopic capsule to a pig under general anesthesia. All novel features, successfully implemented on a single platform, were validated. Our study lays the groundwork for clinically implementing a new generation of endoscopic capsules, which will significantly improve early diagnosis of upper and lower GI tract diseases.

Although fog computing is a new research topic, there are robust and integrated solutions for service activation management and how to distribute IoT services over available fog computing services resources. This paper presents a multi-objective gray wolf optimization (GWO) solution for more efficient fog computing service scheduling and activation management. This solution utilizes a multi-objective function in the resource allocation process by developing and improving the proposed algorithm to check the status of resources and manage tasks. The main purpose of this study is to create a trade-off between energy consumption and task execution time. This research has presented a two-stage multi-objective approach to solve the scheduling and task offloading problem. First, the GWO algorithm is used to solve the scheduling problem, and then container migration is used to solve the task offloading problem and appropriate resource allocation. Container migration causes an idle physical server to turn off, reducing power consumption, improving imbalance, reducing latency, and improving efficiency. The proposed method has been compared with three scenarios with 700 nodes, 1000 nodes, and 5000 nodes. The proposed solution has been implemented and simulated in iFogSim and compared with five classical algorithms. The analytical results indicate the better performance of the proposed strategy with average execution time for host selection averages a reduction of 15, 20, 25, 20, and 21%, respectively, compared to Particle swarm optimization (PSO), Ant colony optimization (ACO), Grasshopper optimization algorithm (GOA), Genetic algorithm (GA), and Cuckoo optimization algorithm (COA), 12% reduction in average time required for reallocation container, and the service-level agreement (SLA) violation rate is maintained in the range of 9-10/% compared to all other solutions.

BACKGROUND: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is associated with substantial mortality as well as morbidity and is largely preventable among hospitalized obstetric women. However, thromboprophylaxis is underutilized in most hospitalized patients. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate VTE risk and adherence to local thromboprophylaxis protocol among hospitalized pre- and postnatal women. METHODS: This retrospective study was conducted at East Jeddah Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in 2020. The electronic record database of the hospitalized pregnant Saudi women during the years 2018 and 2019 was reviewed. Based on the local hospital protocol, the risk stratification was reassessed by researchers, and the hospital adherence to the prophylaxis was reviewed separately for antenatal and postnatal women. RESULTS: One thousand and ninety-five electronic records (539 antenatal and 556 postnatal) were reviewed. The postnatal group showed a significantly higher risk compared with an antenatal group (62.2% vs. 11.7%) (P = 0.000). There was a highly significant difference between risk categories assessment by the physicians and the researchers in both groups (P = 0.000). Thromboprophylaxis was overutilized in the low risk (5% heparin and 41.4% heparin and mechanical devices for antenatal and 17.08% heparin and 6.1% heparin and a mechanical device for the postnatal group) and underutilized in intermediate groups (50% no prophylaxis in antenatal and 51.5% mechanical devices in the postnatal group). There was less adherence to documentation in postnatal as compared to antenatal group (83.6% vs. 95%, P = 0.000) for risk documentation and 85.3% versus 91.5% for physician signature (P = 0.001). Thromboprophylaxis was ordered for 21.3% of antenatal (12.2 heparin, 3.5% mechanical, and 5.6% both) and 23.7% of postnatal patients (16.5 heparin, 2% mechanical, and 5.2% both). There were no reported VTE events or bleeding complications. CONCLUSION: There was a considerable VTE risk among hospitalized obstetric patients which peaked during the postnatal period. Physicians showed good compliance to local VTE protocol with no reported VTE events or drug-induced bleeding. However, the implementation of prophylaxis is associated with both under and overutilization. There is a need for increasing the physicians' awareness of optimizing VTE risk assessment and documentation for hospitalized obstetric patients.

Finding the shortest and cleanest path in the cities is vital, especially in metropolises. Although several algorithms and some software have been introduced to manage the traffic or suggest a path with minimum traffic congestion, none considers air quality a deciding factor. This paper introduces a novel algorithm to find the shortest path based on traffic congestion and air quality. In the proposed algorithm, the city map is fetched from the Google Map app and is converted into a weighted graph. Traffic data is collected from GPS devices, which will be available through the local cloud services. The C-means clustering method is used to cluster traffic congestion. Also, the air quality information is collected from air pollution monitoring stations. The graph weights are calculated based on both air quality and traffic congestion factors, simultaneously. Finding the shortest path problem is then defined as an optimization problem, and the linear programming method is used to solve it. Finally, the proposed algorithm’s performance is evaluated by finding the shortest path in Tehran, Iran in different scenarios.

In this paper, the thermodynamic, structural properties and vibrational spectrum of thorium dioxide have been studied using the Density Functional Perturbation Theory (DFPT) and Density Functional Theory (DFT) in the framework of first principles calculations. Quantum espresso software, which is an open source computing code, has been used in order to compute the kohn-Sham equations to obtain the minimum total energy of crystal. The vibrational spectrum of the thorium dioxide was examined along various symmetrical directions, and the results showed the dynamical stability of the crystal system. The quasi-harmonic Debye-Einstein model as implemented in GIBBS2 Code was used to calculate the thermodynamic properties of thorium dioxide at high temperatures and pressures. The simulation results showed that the Debye temperature of thorium dioxide decreased with increasing temperature at a constant pressure and increased with increasing pressure at a constant temperature. Increasing the Debye temperature indicated an increase in the crystal stiffness and the average sound velocity. It was observed that the volumetric thermal expansion coefficient and gruneisen parameter decreased exponentially with increasing pressure at a constant temperature, while increased with increasing temperature at a constant pressure, indicating an increase in heat transfer in the crystal lattice

The functional interplay between the corticolimbic GABAergic and opioidergic systems plays a crucial role in regulating the reward system and cognitive aspects of motivational behaviors leading to the development of addictive behaviors and disorders. This review provides a summary of the shared mechanisms of GABAergic and opioidergic transmission, which modulate the activity of dopaminergic neurons located in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), the central hub of the reward mechanisms. This review comprehensively covers the neuroanatomical and neurobiological aspects of corticolimbic inhibitory neurons that express opioid receptors, which act as modulators of corticolimbic GABAergic transmission. The presence of opioid and GABA receptors on the same neurons allows for the modulation of the activity of dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area, which plays a key role in the reward mechanisms of the brain. This colocalization of receptors and their immunochemical markers can provide a comprehensive understanding for clinicians and researchers, revealing the neuronal circuits that contribute to the reward system. Moreover, this review highlights the importance of GABAergic transmission-induced neuroplasticity under the modulation of opioid receptors. It discusses their interactive role in reinforcement learning, network oscillation, aversive behaviors, and local feedback or feedforward inhibitions in reward mechanisms. Understanding the shared mechanisms of these systems may lead to the development of new therapeutic approaches for addiction, reward-related disorders, and drug-induced cognitive impairment.

Nowadays, data are generated in a continuous streaming manner as the inputs of various applications. The sources of such generated data can be wired or wireless sensor networks commonly used in various fields of geographical, traffic, Internet of Things (IoT), financial tickers, Web2 and Web3, e-commerce, social networks, and online communities. The high volume, high variety, and high velocity of data have recently posed the challenge of 3Vs to this field, also known as the Big Data Problem. The 3Vs dimensions of complexities for the big data entails high-speed storage, scalability of database systems, suitable data models, real-time responsiveness and so on. Data model, as the representation schema of data is an essential issue since many others (e.g., DBMS systems’ design, DB languages, etc.) rely on. So, the study of data models is a key and fundamental aspect in structuring, organizing, storing, and manipulating big data. It is also the essence in various areas of cloud migration, web-scale, and so forth. In this paper, we have systematically reviewed different types of data models, the rationale behind them, their applications and support capabilities, and the technologies to switch from one model to another. To address the user needs in various fields, a systematic review method is adopted to classify and present different types and characteristics of data models.

Background & aim: The effect of drugs on different receptors causes the effect as well as side effects of the drug. For example, dopamine drugs, in addition to their anti-Parkinsonian effects, block the upper parts of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonad axis and cause infertility. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the effect of fluvoxamine on sex hormone levels and ovarian histology in guar gum after injection of bromocriptine. Methods: In the present basic study conducted at Islamic Azad University in 2020, 90 fish with an average weight of 1.3 g were prepared from the female fish breeding center located in Damavand. The fish were divided into 6 groups of 15 including three intact control groups: solvent (70% ethanol) and bromocriptine and 3 treatments of bromocriptine and fluvoxamine at doses of 1, 5 and 10 mg / kg body weight of fish. The injection was given intramuscularly and intramuscularly and under the dorsal fin, so that the day after injection of 5 mg / kg bromocriptine, fluvoxamine was injected in specific doses and this process continued. 20 days after injection, their ovaries were dissected and isolated for biometrics and light microscopy. Tissue hormones 17-beta-estradiol, testosterone and progesterone were measured using a special kit using tissue fluids. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS software (version 23) and one-way ANOVA and Duncan tests. Excel 2016 software was used to draw the charts. Results: The results of Estradiol and Progesterone and Gonadal index revealed that the groups receiving Fluvoxamine and Bromocriptine had a significant difference with the control group (P≤0.05), and this difference was dose dependent. The results turned out that the levels of these hormones decreased in Bromocriptine control group and increased in Fluvoxamine-receiving treatments. Light microscopy images showed that the ovarian development stage in intact control and solvent control is commonly Cortical stage, but these cells remain in the primary and secondary prenuclear stage in the control group of Bromocriptine. Also in highest dose of fluvoxamine (10mg/kg.Bw) Oocytes are in the vitellogenesis stage and the gonadal index was at its highest. It can be concluded that Bromocriptine blocks the HPG axis while Fluvoxamine restimulates it, therefore there was a possibility of the presence of Serotonin receptors on the gonadal surface. Conclusion: It can be concluded that bromocriptine causes blockade of HPG axis and fluvoxamine re-stimulates the GnRH pathway, so that the ovary in the treatment receiving the highest dose of fluvoxamine was predominantly in the vitellogenesis index and more it was its value, so it is possible for the serotonin receptor to be present on the gonadal surface.

Cloud Computing is a promising paradigm in comparison with traditional information technology approaches, in which organizations and enterprises adopt elastic cloud services on a pay-per-use model in order to reduce costs. Virtualization is a technique pervasively applied in modern datacenters (DCs) to maximize resource utilization, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and lower overall cost. Virtual machine (VM) migration is widely exploited within and across DCs to meet a variety of needs of the virtualized cloud environment. For instance, server consolidation needs VM migration for power management. Also, load balancing, fault tolerance, system maintenance, and minimizing the service-level agreement (SLA) violation rate require live VM migration. The VM migration process is very resource intensive and requires intelligent approaches to avoid saturating network bandwidth and to keep server downtime to a minimum. In addition, in Dynamic Voltage Frequency Scaling (DVFS) in cluster servers in intrinsically heterogeneous DCs the voltage-frequency is varied based on workload to reduce power consumption, which is a large part of the overall cost. Although miscellaneous cloud computing studies have been presented in the literature concerning economic, privacy, and security issues, etc., there is a clear lack of survey studies on VM migration, server consolidation, and DVFS techniques. To fill this gap, we present different schemes to classify commonalities and discrepancies between the perspectives of researchers, based on metrics derived from the literature. Finally, open issues, challenges, and future directions are discussed for improving existing schemes and approaches. Keywords: Cloud computing, VM migration, Server consolidation, DVFS, Load balancing, Power management

Background: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common cause of chronic liver disease (CLD). NAFLD is also related to obesity and metabolic syndromes, which are common in Saudi Arabia. However, it is yet unclear what proportion of CLD cases is because of NAFLD in Saudi Arabia. Objective: To investigate the prevalence and clinical characteristics of NAFLD among patients with CLD in Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study included all patients with any CLD who had successfully undergone transient elastography (FibroScan) examination at King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, between April 2015 and April 2018. These CLD patients were then grouped as NAFLD and non-NAFLD patients. Serum hemoglobin, alanine aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyl transferase, albumin and bilirubin levels; platelet count and international normalized ratio within 1 month after the FibroScan examination were assessed. For NAFLD patients, glycated hemoglobin levels and abdominal ultrasound examination results were also assessed. Statistical analysis was carried out using Student's t-test and linear regression. Results: The prevalence of NAFLD among CLD patients was 22.5% (111 of 494 CLD patients), and it was the third most common CLD after chronic hepatitis B and C. Compared with non-NAFLD patients, NAFLD patients had significantly higher mean age (53.65 ± 12.7 vs. 48.07 ± 14.6 years;P < 0.001), mean serum alanine aminotransferase level (61.84 vs. 50.23 IU/L;P < 0.001) and mean controlled attenuation parameter (297.83 vs. 238.41;P < 0.001). NAFLD patients also had a higher rate of ultrasound-detected features of cirrhosis (16.2% vs. 3.7%,P < 0.001), but there was no significant difference in fibrosis severity. In addition, their mean glycated hemoglobin level (6.85) was elevated (range: 5–13). Age and platelet count were significantly correlated with presence of cirrhosis. Conclusion: NAFLD is the third most common CLD in Western Saudi Arabia, and it is associated with older age and metabolic syndromes, with one-third of the patients having advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis.

Objectives: More than half of the world's population live in areas potentially at risk of acquiring dengue fever (DF). Evaluation of awareness and health beliefs regarding DF among the general population is important for devising disease control strategies. This study assessed knowledge, health beliefs, and preventive practices against DF in different dengue endemic districts of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Methods A Cross-sectional study was conducted in three dengue-endemic districts of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The community members residing in these areas were randomly selected by multistage stratified random sample method and interviewed individually using a structured validated questionnaire. Overall mean scores were calculated for knowledge, practices, and Health Belief Model (HBM) construct. Bivariate analysis using a chi-square test and multivariate regression analysis were performed to test the association between DF knowledge, practices, and predictors. Results: Around 61% (mean = 11.18) and 52% (mean = 5.17) individuals had adequate DF knowledge and practices, respectively. Multivariate regression showed perceived mosquito control benefits (OR=1.857, 95% CI=1.078-3.199, p=0.026) and perceived barriers (OR=0.532, 95% CI=0.305-0.926, p=0.026) as significant predictors for adequate dengue knowledge. For dengue preventive practices the only predictor was their perception of mosquito control benefit (OR=1.864, 95% CI=1.109-3.134, p=0.019). Conclusion: Overall, DF knowledge and practices were rather limited in selected dengue endemic districts of Jeddah. Adequate knowledge leads to satisfactory dengue preventive practices. Health beliefs remain significant predictors of both knowledge and dengue prevention practices. Findings suggest that HBM constructs can be integrated as ways of motivating for the adoption of preventive practices against DF.

Marjolin ulcer is a specific type of squamous cell cancer that can benefit from the use of lymphoscintigraphy.The purpose of this study was to evaluate 3 different injection techniques for sentinel node biopsy in patients with Marjolin ulcer. Forty-eight patients with Marjolin ulcer (27 male and 21 female) ranging in age from 24 to 85 years were included in our study. Intratumoral (IT), peritumoral (PT) and periscar (PS) tissue injections of radiotracer were done in 9, 10, and 29 patients respectively. Injections were done 2–4 h before surgery. Lymphoscintigraphy was done for mapping the lymphatic drainage. During surgery, lymphatic mapping and sentinel node biopsy was performed using a handheld gamma probe. After harvesting sentinel nodes, regional lymph node dissection was done. Sentinel node detection rate was higher in the PS group as compared to the IT and PT groups (89.6% vs. 50% and 22.2%) respectively. False negative rate was 0%. Pathologically involved sentinel nodes were detected in 16% of the included patients of our study which led to management change. None of the patients with pathologically non-involved sentinel nodes developed regional lymph node recurrence. Lymphatic mapping and sentinel node biopsy is feasible in Marjolin ulcer with high detection rate and low false negative cases which by detection of regional lymph node involvement can potentially change the management of patients. Injection site may be an important factor influencing the success of the procedure and injection of the mapping material in the peri-scar normal skin proximal to the lesion is the best technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Tuberculosis (TB) remains a global public health threat affecting people in many developing countries, including the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Maintaining a long-term treatment regimen has always been the cornerstone of successful treatment outcomes among tuberculosis patients. In the Jeddah region, the National Tuberculosis Control and Prevention Program is now treating TB patients by means of a community mobile outreach team approach.The objective of this study was to compare the effectiveness of the community mobile outreach approach in improving treatment outcomes (success rate) among local tuberculosis patients with those being treated with a facility-based directly observed treatment, short-course (DOTS). Study design: Our study consisted of a two-sample, parallel design [1:1], statistician -blind randomized control trial with 200 newly diagnosed, TB patients as subjects. Setting/participants: The patients had all presented at the Madain Alfahd Primary Health Care Center, Jeddah. Between Nov 2017 and Nov 2018, a total of 221 TB patients were screened of whom 200 were randomly selected using randomly generated sequences. Intervention: Patients in the intervention sample group were treated by means of mobile outreach teams with oral anti-TB treatment under the DOTS, and control group patients were given the traditional facility-based DOTS treatment according to the WHO recommendations and national guidelines. Main outcome: The primary outcome was the level of overall treatment success rate. It was finally determined and compared in the two sample groups using chi-square analysis and relative risk assessment. Results: In the analysis stage, 97 patients were in the intervention group, while the control group consisted of 76. The overall response rate was 86.5% (173/200). We found that the percentage of overall treatment success rate among the patients served by the mobile outreach team was 97%, compared to 76% in the non-mobile team treated patients. The relative risk of treatment success rate among the intervention group was 1.27 (95% CI = 1.13–1.43) times greater than that amongst the control group. Log-rank test (log-rank statistics = 18.91; p

Background: Different soldering techniques have a variety of applications in dentistry. One of the most important uses of soldering is to join multiple-unit fixed partial dentures together. In this Study, two base metal alloys (Supercast and Minalux) were soldered and their tensile, compressive and flexural strengths were measured and compared to each other. Materials and methods: In this in-vitro study, an aluminum pattern was made by a milling machine according to ASTM (American Society for Testing Material). Eighteen acrylic resin Patterns were duplicated by flasking using putty indices according to the original aluminum pattern. Acrylic resin patterns were divided into two groups of nine and each group was cast with two different alloys named Supercast and Minalux. All eighteen metal rods were separated by 0.008-inch disc and soldered with Vera-solder by means of gas-oxygen torch. Three patterns of each alloy were selected for each of the compression, tensile and flexural tests. Tensile strength was measured by Instron a universal machine and flexural and compression strengths were measured by Dartec machine. Statistical analysis was done by Mann - Whitney test. Results: The mean tensile, flexural and compressive strengths for supercast alloy was 347.6, 44.01 and 1014.8MPa respectively and the mean for tensile, flexural and compressive strengths for Minalux alloy was 350.03, 51.70 and 938.17 MPa respectively. Statistical analysis showed no significant differences between the two alloys in all the three mentioned tests. (p>0.05) Conclusion: Tensile, flexural and compressive strengths of the two soldered alloys, Minalux and supercast, showed no significant differences. Minalux is an alloy manufactured in Iran with the advantage of not including Beryllium, a cariogenic element, as one of the ingredients of the alloy; therefore, it is suggested that Minalux be used instead of supercast in soldering procedures in fixed prosthodontics.

Abstract This study aimed to assess the effect of 4-nonylphenol (4-NP), a ubiquitous aquatic micro-chemical pollutant substance on some on some reproductive parameters and histology in koi carp. Fish were intraperitoneally subjected to ascending doses of 4-NP at 10, 50 and 100 μg/g body weight (BW) on days 7, 14 and 21 after the initiation of the experiment. Also, one group was treated with 17β-estradiol (E2) at 2 μg/g BW, positive control group (C2) received the vehicle (50 μL of coconut oil + 50 μL Ethanol) per fish and a negative control group (C1) was considered without injection. The results showed that 4-NP induced significantly an increase in E2, progesterone, and plasma vitellogenin at 50 μg/g in both male and female, while level of testosterone significantly decreased in the treated fish compared to control fish (P

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of probioenzyme on the control of yersiniosis as well as to assess the impact of probioenzyme on the expression of immune-related genes in the head kidney of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Probioenzyme was supplemented at 0.3, and 0.5g/kg diet and fed to fish (average weight: 26 g) in 200l tanks for 60 days. At the end of the feeding period, fish were challenged with yersinia ruckeri. Only the fish fed the diet containing high dose of probioenzyme showed significantly (P < 0.05) improved protection against y. ruckeri compared to the low dose and control groups. Subsequently, real-time PCR was employed to determine the mRNA levels of IL-1β and TNF- α cytokines in the head kidney of the control and probioenzyme groups. High dose of probioenzyme significantly (P < 0.05) up-regulated the TNF- α transcription in the kidney compared with low dose and control groups. Meanwhile, the probioenzyme didn,t change nterleukin-1β mRNA level in the kidney in treatment groups compared with control group (P >0.05). Only, high dose of probioenzyme noticeably differs IL-1β and TNF-α gene expressions. Based on results, expression levels of studied cytokines were different, dose-dependent and tissue-specific. Results showed that cytokine gene expressions, especially TNF-α, in kidney may affect fish disease resistance. Present study suggests that probioenzyme especially at 0.5g/kg feed may effectively stimulate the immune system and enhance disease resistance in rainbow trout. Meanwhile, it is necessary to study effects of probioenzyme on cytokines in various tissue and different growth period of breeding species.

In today’s competitive and media-influenced health care environment, resource utilization is driven by patient outcome. A key criterion to evaluate the quality of health care services is to assess patients’ satisfaction. The objectives of this study were to compare patients’ satisfaction in the first and last quarters after Primary Health Care Centers’ (PHCCs) integration with Ministry of Health (MOH) hospitals in Jeddah, and to identify the factors contributing toward patient’s satisfaction in first and last quarters. This cross-sectional study was conducted among patients visiting PHCCs in the first and last quarters. Randomly selected participants were interviewed using a validated closed-ended questionnaire, part of which also included modified Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire (PSQ18) with its subscales and standard cutoffs. Chi-squared test and multinomial logistic regression analysis were run to find the factors associated with satisfaction. The overall satisfaction in our study participants was 66.3% in the first quarter as compared with 83% in the last quarter. The mean scores of most PSQ18 subscales in the first and last quarters after the integration showed significant difference. Multinomial logistic regression analysis of the first quarter after integration showed three to fourfold increase in satisfaction of individuals who perceive an improvement in registration counters’ load, cleanliness of centers, satisfaction with the staff’s behavior, and ease in referral as compared with non-satisfaction [OR 3.60 (p = 0.018); OR 4.33 (p = 0.001); OR 2.47 (p = 0.055); and OR 4.45 (p = 0.005), respectively]. However, in the last quarter those satisfied with the staff’s behavior (OR 2.48, p = 0.038), and dental facilities (OR 2.74, p = 0.043) had an odds ratio of ≥2. PHCCs integration with the hospitals is an effective strategy, which not only has improved functionality but has a significant effect on patient’s satisfaction. Treating patients served by PHCCs integrated with hospitals is thus recommended.