Norm in cultivated honey in Malaysia and concomitant effective dose to consumers.

Present study concerns the radiological character of Malaysian honey. A total of 18 samples (representative of the various most common types) were obtained from various honey bee farms throughout the country. Using a high-purity germanium γ-ray spectroscopic system, the samples were analysed for the naturally occurring radionuclides 226Ra, 228Ra and 40K. The respective range of activities (in Bq/kg) was: 3.49 ± 0.35 to 4.51 ± 0.39, 0.99 ± 0.37 to 1.74 ± 0.39 and 41.37 ± 3.26 to 105.02 ± 6.91. The estimated associated committed effective doses were derived from prevailing data on national consumption of honey, the annual dose being found low compared with the UNSCEAR reference dose limit of 290 µSv y-1. The estimated threshold consumption rate for honey indicates a maximum intake of 339 g/d, which poses an insignificant radiological risk to public health; however, the total dietary exposure may not, the guidance level of 290 µSv y-1 being applicable to dietary intake of all foodstuffs. The study is in support of the cultivation of a healthy lifestyle, acknowledging prevailing radioactivity within the environment.

Knowledge, attitude, and practice of the Saudi population toward COVID-19 vaccination: A cross-sectional study.

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination is the most effective protective measure to control the spread of infections and provide protection against hospitalization and mortality during the pandemic. There was a necessity to measure public knowledge and acceptance for COVID-19 vaccines in different countries. Thus, the current study is aimed at evaluating the knowledge, attitude, and practice of the population in all regions of Saudi towards COVID-19 vaccination. This was a cross-sectional, online self-reported survey of Saudi residents that was conducted between March 2021 and April 2021. To be eligible for the study, participants had to be above 18 years old. All participants were adult, Arabic speakers and residents of Saudi Arabia. In total, 1658 adults participated in this study and showed high knowledge (81.8%), attitude (71.2%), and practice (59.3%). The level of knowledge, attitude, and practice differed based on different demographic characteristics. Regression analysis showed that having a low income, low education level, and middle-aged status, living in a village, and being married were associated with lower scores in knowledge, attitude, or practice. Targeted education and campaigns should be provided for these populations to increase their knowledge, attitude, and practice towards COVID-19 vaccination.

An Efficient Framework to Detect Intracranial Hemorrhage Using Hybrid Deep Neural Networks.

Intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) is a serious medical condition that necessitates a prompt and exhaustive medical diagnosis. This paper presents a multi-label ICH classification issue with six different types of hemorrhages, namely epidural (EPD), intraparenchymal (ITP), intraventricular (ITV), subarachnoid (SBC), subdural (SBD), and Some. A patient may experience numerous hemorrhages at the same time in some situations. A CT scan of a patient's skull is used to detect and classify the type of ICH hemorrhage(s) present. First, our model determines whether there is a hemorrhage or not; if there is a hemorrhage, the model attempts to identify the type of hemorrhage(s). In this paper, we present a hybrid deep learning approach that combines convolutional neural network (CNN) and Long-Short Term Memory (LSTM) approaches (Conv-LSTM). In addition, to propose viable solutions for the problem, we used a Systematic Windowing technique with a Conv-LSTM. To ensure the efficacy of the proposed model, experiments are conducted on the RSNA dataset. The suggested model provides higher sensitivity (93.87%), specificity (96.45%), precision (95.21%), and accuracy (95.14%). In addition, the obtained F1 score results outperform existing deep neural network-based algorithms.

Radiological and environmental hazards of granitic rocks in Wadi Faliq El Sahl and El Waar area, North Eastern Desert, Egypt.

Chronologically, the main exposures in the study area include; tonalite, granodiorite, adamellite, Hammamat Sediments, monzogranite, syenogranite, rapakivi syenogranite, alkali feldspar granite and dykes. This work aims to determine the suitability of the granitic rocks for using as ornamental stones through detecting their radiological and ecological impacts. The studied samples were measured radiometrically by using Na-I detector for determination of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K concentrations. External hazard indices (Hex) in some samples are more than unity, also, the (Raeq) are higher than the exemption limits (370 Bq.kg-1) exceeds the upper limit of exposure. The hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) was applied to investigate the correlation between the radionuclides and the corresponding radiological hazard variables. Based on the statistical analysis, 232Th and 226Ra mainly contribute to the radioactive risk of the studied rocks. Regarding ecological indices, 42.1% of younger granite samples have Pollution load index values greater than 1, indicating deterioration, while the majority of older granite samples are lower than 1 suggesting perfection samples. Where, some sample from the older granitoids and younger granites have many radiological and ecological parameters greater than the recommended international limits, so, these samples should not be used in construction for safety reasons.

Prevalence of Symptomatic Knee Osteoarthritis in Saudi Arabia and Associated Modifiable and Non-Modifiable Risk Factors: A Population-Based Cross-Sectional Study.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of knee osteoarthritis (OA) in Saudi Arabia and the association between knee OA and modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors. METHODS: A self-reported, population-based, cross-sectional survey between January 2021 and October 2021 was conducted. A large, population-representative sample (n = 2254) of adult subjects aged 18 years and over from all regions of Saudi Arabia was collected electronically using convenience sampling. The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) clinical criteria were used to diagnose OA of the knee. The knee injury and osteoarthritis outcome score (KOOS) was used to investigate the severity of knee OA. This study focused on modifiable risk factors (body mass index, education, employment status, marital status, smoking status, type of work, previous history of knee injury, and physical activity level) and non-modifiable risk factors (age, gender, family history of OA, and presence of flatfoot). RESULTS: The overall prevalence of knee OA was 18.9% (n = 425), and women suffered more compared to their male counterparts (20.3% vs. 13.1%, p = 0.001). The logistic regression analysis model showed age (OR: 1.06 [95% CI: 1.05-1.07]; p < 0.01), sex (OR: 2.14 [95% CI: 1.48-3.11]; p < 0.01), previous injury (OR: 3.95 [95% CI: 2.81-5.56]; p < 0.01), and obesity (OR: 1.07 [95% CI: 1.04-1.09]; p < 0.01) to be associated with knee OA. CONCLUSIONS: A high prevalence of knee OA underlines the need for health promotion and prevention programmes that focus on modifiable risk factors to decrease the burden of the problem and the cost of treatment in Saudi Arabia.

Awareness level, knowledge and attitude towards breast cancer among staff and students of Hail University, Saudi Arabia.

INTRODUCTION: Awareness of screening procedures and illness warning signals is critical for expanding and implementing screening programs in society, which would improve the odds of early identification of breast cancer. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge, awareness, attitudes, and practices related to breast cancer risk factors, signs, symptoms and methods of screening among female faculty and students at Hail University in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted from January 2021 through February 2021 in the Hail region of Saudi Arabia. A closed-ended questionnaire, which consisted of 37 questions, was distributed online (using a Google Forms link) in both English and Arabic languages. Data was collected from 425 female subjects who participated in the study. RESULTS: The study showed an overall knowledge level of 46.36% regarding breast cancer. Participants had average knowledge about risk factors, signs, and symptoms, whereas their awareness and practice of breast self-examination and screening methods were weak. CONCLUSION: The current study concluded that public awareness of breast cancer remains relatively low, and Saudi Arabia still needs several public awareness initiatives using mass media, such as television, the Internet, and radio, as well as social media. Special awareness programs should also be held in places where a large number of women can easily be reached, such as colleges, universities, and hospitals.

Feature Extraction Using a Residual Deep Convolutional Neural Network (ResNet-152) and Optimized Feature Dimension Reduction for MRI Brain Tumor Classification.

One of the top causes of mortality in people globally is a brain tumor. Today, biopsy is regarded as the cornerstone of cancer diagnosis. However, it faces difficulties, including low sensitivity, hazards during biopsy treatment, and a protracted waiting period for findings. In this context, developing non-invasive and computational methods for identifying and treating brain cancers is crucial. The classification of tumors obtained from an MRI is crucial for making a variety of medical diagnoses. However, MRI analysis typically requires much time. The primary challenge is that the tissues of the brain are comparable. Numerous scientists have created new techniques for identifying and categorizing cancers. However, due to their limitations, the majority of them eventually fail. In that context, this work presents a novel way of classifying multiple types of brain tumors. This work also introduces a segmentation algorithm known as Canny Mayfly. Enhanced chimpanzee optimization algorithm (EChOA) is used to select the features by minimizing the dimension of the retrieved features. ResNet-152 and the softmax classifier are then used to perform the feature classification process. Python is used to carry out the proposed method on the Figshare dataset. The accuracy, specificity, and sensitivity of the proposed cancer classification system are just a few of the characteristics that are used to evaluate its overall performance. According to the final evaluation results, our proposed strategy outperformed, with an accuracy of 98.85%.

Association between Physical Activity Levels and Brain Volumes in Adults Visiting Radio-Imaging Center of Tertiary Care Hospital.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: There is evidence to support the favorable impact of physical activity (PA) on brain volume. However, the empirical evidence exploring the relationship between physical and sedentary behavior remains mixed. We aimed to explore the relationship between PA and sedentary behavior and brain volume. METHODS: The study sample (n = 150, mean age = 39.7 years) included patients interviewed with the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) who underwent an MRI brain scan. From the images obtained, we measured total intracranial, gray matter, and white matter volume along with the hippocampus, amygdala, parahippocampal gyrus, and posterior cingulate cortex (PCC). Multivariable linear regression analysis was done. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Left hippocampus and overall PA were positively and significantly associated (ß = 0.71, p = 0.021) whereas time spent on vigorous physical activity showed a negative association (ß = -0.328, p = 0.049) with left hippocampal volume. CONCLUSION: We found a positive association between total PA and the left hippocampus, whereas vigorous PA showed a negative association with the left hippocampus.

Influence of Sedentary Behaviour Interventions on Vascular Functions and Cognitive Functions in Hypertensive Adults-A Scoping Review on Potential Mechanisms and Recommendations.

Since the workplace has become desk-based and leisure time has become dominated by digital relaxation modes, the world is moving at a pace where physical activity has become a time-bound routine. The negative effects of extended sitting are a global concern since the workforce is becoming more desk based. There is a dearth of reviews that may link the knowledge on the effects of sedentary behaviour on hypertension and its accompanying damage to the brain and blood vessels and provide a future scope for the investigations connected to the relationship between sedentary behaviour and hypertension. Methods: Based on the database search and extensive research we did, we found studies that concentrated on the adverse effects of sedentary behaviour in association with blood pressure, cognitive decline and brain damage on adults. Results: We extracted 12 articles out of 20,625. We identified the potential adverse effects of sedentary behaviour, methods to reduce sedentary behaviour and the positive changes on health due to the interventions introduced. Sedentary lifestyle has shown a decline in human health. However, the visible symptoms presented later in life makes it very important to know the areas of decline and look for ways to curb the decline or procrastinate it.

Public acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination among residents of Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional online study.

OBJECTIVES: The acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine is essential for protecting the world population and stopping the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper aimed to measure public acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccination and the factors that may play an important role in increasing the acceptance of vaccinations in future pandemics. DESIGN: A cross-sectional, observational study was conducted through a survey designed using the Google Forms platform. In this study, a logistic regression analysis was used to study and detect the variables linked to the acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination. To meet inclusion criteria, participants had to be 18 years or older at the time of collecting the data, reside in Saudi Arabia at the time of the survey, agree to the consent form and be able to complete the survey in Arabic. SETTING: Randomly selected residents of Saudi Arabia. NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS: 1658. RESULTS: In general, the population of Saudi Arabia is supportive of the COVID-19 vaccine (72.0%) and has one of the highest acceptance rates, according to global studies. We found that men (OR 0.73; 95% CI: 0.55 to 0.97) were less likely to hesitate with regard to taking the vaccine, whereas previously infected individuals were more likely to hesitate (OR 1.77; 95% CI: 1.25 to 2.50). Those with a lower monthly income (<3000 Saudi riyal) were more likely to refuse the vaccine (OR 3.54; 95% CI: 1.81 to 6.91), while those living in cities (OR 0.62; 95% CI: 0.39 to 0.99) and the unemployed (OR 0.52; 95% CI: 0.33 to 0.83) were less likely to refuse it. Participants' history of viral infection and trust in the healthcare system were found to be important factors in the public's acceptance of the vaccine. CONCLUSION: In general, acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccination is high in Saudi Arabia. Several factors have shown a method for predicting those who might reject the vaccine or hesitate to take it; thus, the healthcare system should target those residents throughout the campaign. Based on the conclusions of the current research, the acceptance of vaccinations could be increased.