Biomimetic Mineralization for Smart Biostimulant Delivery and Crop Micronutrients Fortification.

Sustainable and precise fortification practices are necessary to ensure food security for the increasing human population. Precision agriculture aims to minimize the use of fertilizers and pesticides by developing smart materials for real-life agricultural practices. Here, we show that biomimetic mineralization can be efficiently employed to encapsulate and controllably release plant biostimulants (MiZax-3) to improve the quality and yield of capsicum (Capsicum annum) crops in field experiments. ZIF-8 encapsulation of MiZax-3 (MiZIFs) could significantly enhance its stability up to around 679 times (6p value = 0.0072) at field conditions. Our results demonstrate that the coordinating Zn ions and the MiZax-3 play a vital role in improving Zn content in the produced fruits by 2-fold, which is the first report of this nature on Zn content in fruits. We envision this platform as a starting point to investigate other biocompatible coordination-based platforms for micronutrient delivery in precision agriculture.

Analysis of Emergency Department Use by Non-Urgent Patients and Their Visit Characteristics at an Academic Center.

Objective: We studied the extent and reasons for non-urgent emergency department (ED) visits in a single university hospital, their predictors, and patient outcomes to propose solutions suitable for Middle Eastern healthcare systems. Design: We conducted a retrospective review of electronic medical records, including all non- and less-urgent ED visits with complete triage records (levels 4 and 5 triage based on the Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale (CTAS) over one year. The data on patient demographics, visit characteristics, and patient disposition were analyzed using SPSS software. Setting: The study was conducted in the ED at King Abdullah Bin Abdul-Aziz University Hospital (KAAUH), a Saudi university hospital located within the campus of Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University. Participants: A chart review was carried out for 18,880 patients with CTAS 4 or 5 visiting the KAAUH ED between July 2020 and July 2021. Additionally, a total of "11,857" patients with missing triage acuity or CTAS levels 1, 2, or 3 were excluded from the study. Results: The majority (61.4%) of the 30,737 ED visits were less-urgent or non-urgent. The most common reasons for non-urgent visits were routine examination/investigation (40.9%), medication refilling (14.6%), and upper respiratory tract infection/symptoms (9.9%). Most visits (73.4%) were during weekdays and resulted in the prescription of medication (94.2%), laboratory tests (62.8%), sick leaves (4.7%), radiology examinations (3.6%), and a visit to primary healthcare clinics (family medicine) within a week of the emergency visit (3.6%). Conclusion: Less- and non-urgent ED visits often did not need any further follow-ups or admission and represented a burden better managed by a primary healthcare center. Policymakers should mitigate unnecessary ED visits through public awareness, establish clear regulations for ED visits, improve the quality of care in primary healthcare centers, facilitate booking for outpatient department appointments, and regulate the systems of payment coverage/insurance and referral by other organizations.

The Reliability of the Apple Watch's Electrocardiogram.

Background An electrocardiogram (ECG) is a standard tool used to detect various cardiovascular abnormalities. Detection sensitivity for atrial fibrillation (AF) was recently shown to be greatly increased by using short, intermittent ECG recordings. Modern mobile ECG recording devices that can monitor patients' heart activities around the clock have made this a reality. The Apple Watch is one of these portable ECG devices that can detect heart rhythms and is approved by the American FDA for screening and detecting AF. Objectives We compared the results of the Apple Watch I lead ECG with conventional ECG results to assess the sensitivity and specificity of the Apple Watch I lead ECG. We then determined the abnormalities that can be detected by the Apple Watch I lead ECG. Methods This study was conducted on outpatient cardiac clinics at King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz University Hospital (KAAUH), and Prince Sultan Cardiac Center (PSCC), from May to October 2021. A standard 12-lead ECG was recorded and compared with the Apple Watch I lead ECG. A total of 469 ECG comparisons were included in this study and evaluated by two investigators. The data on patient demographics, medical and medication history, and ECG data were reviewed and analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 23 (Released 2015; IBM Corp., Armonk, New York, United States). Results No significant differences were seen between the Apple Watch and the 12-lead ECG in terms of the studied ECG characteristics. A significant and strong positive correlation between the heart rate measurements in the 12-lead ECG and Apple Watch ECG was documented. The most commonly found abnormalities in the Apple Watch ECG were AF in 37 (7.9%), followed by first-degree atrioventricular (AV) block in 32 (6.8%). The sensitivity of Apple Watch's automated interpretation to detect an AF was 99.54%, while the manual interpretation yielded a sensitivity of 100%. Conclusion The results of this study demonstrated a robust relationship between the 12-lead ECG and Apple Watch ECG in the diagnosis of arrhythmias. Consequently, cardiac patients may consider the Apple Watch ECG a trustworthy remote monitoring technique.

Added sugar intake among the saudi population.

Diet is a contributor to the pathogenesis of many non-communicable diseases. Among contributors to poor diet is high added sugar consumption, which is unfortunately on the rise nowadays. The recommended sugar intake by The American Heart Association (AHA) is 24g/day and 36g/day for women and men, respectively. The study's aim is to assess added sugar intake among adults in Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional study design was used via an online survey among adults in Saudi Arabia using convenience sampling, and social media platforms were used to collect the data. The authors conducted descriptive statistics to present demographic variables using Chi-square χ2 tests for categorical and t-tests for continuous variables. All statistical tests used a 95% confidence interval with a two-sided P-value <0.05 as significance level. A total of 1163 respondents were included in the study. The study has shown an overall added sugar intake average of 73 g/day. There was a significant difference in means of overall added sugar intake across genders for the age group 18-30 and the age group >60. Equivalently, there was a statistically significant difference in means of added sugar intake food across gender (P-value 0.008). Females tended to consume more added sugar in their food than males. The highest consumption was in the Northern region (123.71 g/day), followed by the Southern region (98.52 g/day), the Western region (86.14 g/day), and lastly, the Central and Eastern regions (66.95 and 62.02 g/day, respectively). The total added sugar intake of added sugar is extremely high in Saudi Arabia. Poor dietary habits lead to many adverse health consequences, including obesity and diabetes. Healthcare providers and public health officials are highly encouraged to shed light on added sugar consumption and create opportunities to promote healthy dietary patterns. The Saudi population is recommended to abide by the added sugar dietary recommendations to avoid future chronic medical conditions.

Dietary trends and obesity in Saudi Arabia.

Introduction: Dietary habits in Saudi Arabia have been shifting toward the Western diet, which is high in fat, salt, and sugar, leading to a high obesity rate. Different dietary strategies such as the Ketogenic Diet (KD), Intermittent Fasting (IF), Gluten Free Diet (GFD), and Calorie Restriction Diet (CRD) have shown an influential role in weight loss. This study aimed to compare trending diets and correlate different types of diet with obesity and lifestyle among adults in Saudi Arabia. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed on Saudis and non-Saudis over 18 years old. We used convenience sampling, an online questionnaire distributed via social media channels, including WhatsApp, LinkedIn, and Twitter. SPSS 28 software was applied for data analysis. The chi-square test was used to determine associations between different variables. Statistical significance was considered at a value of p less than 0.05. Results: Most participants were females residing in the Eastern and Central regions of Saudi Arabia. Although most do not follow any dietary plan, they exhibited acceptable exercise and lifestyle. The minority of the study population followed different types of diet plans, such as KD, IF, and GFD. The purpose of most of the participants who have used these strategies was for weight loss but failed to sustain the dietary plan for more than 1 month. Conclusion: Obesity remains a challenging issue in Saudi Arabia. Adherence to dietary regimes could help in controlling obesity. Increasing the awareness of the benefits of each dietary plan for health, choosing the appropriate one, and sustaining a balanced nutrition pattern.