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Background: Nearly half of the Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients develop lung involvement. The study assessed the extent of pulmonary involvement among SLE patients and to identify the associated factors in the population. Methodology: This retrospective cohort study was conducted at Aseer Hospital and Khamis Myshat Hospital in the Southern region of Saudi Arabia. The study spanned from January 1, 2016, to June 3, 2023. Patient inclusion criteria encompassed individuals who received a definitive diagnosis and classification as per American College of Rheumatology criteria, while patients under 18 years of age and those with mixed connective tissue diseases were exclude. Results: A total of 247 participants were included. 41.7% (n=103) aged 41 years and older, 95.1% (n = 235) were females. Around 10.10% had diabetes mellitus and 17.00% had hypertension and hypothyroidism. Lupus Nephritis was in 15.40%. Chest involvement was reported in 21.9%, in the form of pleuritis (6.10%), pleural effusion (4.00%), and lupus pneumonitis (4.00%), interstitial lung disease (4.00%), pulmonary embolism (3.60%) of individuals, and pulmonary hemorrhage (2.80%). The respiratory symptoms reported by SLE were; dyspnea, cough, and chest pain each having a prevalence of around 18.0%. Palpitations have a relatively high occurrence at 13.80%. Meanwhile, hemoptysis (blood coughing) has a lower prevalence of 1.20%, and fever is reported at 2.80%. Having chronic kidney disease and hypertension were significantly associated with having pulmonary involvement; (χ2=3.308, p=0.027) and (χ2=7.782, Fisher's p=0.002) respectively. The seropositivity for antiphospholipid Abs, anti-CCP, and antids-DNA were significantly associated with pulmonary involvement (χ2=3.239, =p=0.049), (χ2=4.621, Fisher's p=0.023), and (χ2=8.248, p=0.010) respectively. Conclusion: The study found that 21.9% of SLE patients experience chest involvement, with varying degrees of pulmonary symptoms. Factors such as chronic kidney disease, hypertension, antiphospholipid antibodies, Anti-CCP positivity, and seropositivity for Anti-dsDNA were found to be significant associations with lung involvement, contributing to our understanding of SLE.
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This research reports the first-ever study on abundantly available, environmentally friendly, low-cost and ready-for-use Nutraceutical Industrial Cumin Seed Spent (NICUS) as an innovative adsorbent for bioremediation of a bisazo Acid Red 119 (AR119) dye, a probable mutagen from textile industrial effluents (TIEs). The experiment at the laboratory scale is designed to suit the concepts of sustainability and valorisation under the domain of circular economy. The experimental qe value obtained was 96.00 mg g-1. The optimised conditions of parameters are as follows: pH of 2; adsorption time, 210 min; adsorbent dosage, 0.300 g L-1; particle size, 175 µM; initial dye concentration, 950 mg L-1; orbital shaking, 165 rpm and temperature, 50 °C, producing an impressive value of 748 mg of dye adsorbing on 1 g of dry NICUS. The adsorption capacity of NICUS obtained from the quadratic model developed for process optimisation gave values of 748 mg g-1. As a prelude to commercialisation, five variables that affect the adsorption process were experimentally studied. For the feasibility and efficiency of the process, a two-level fractional factorial experimental design (FFED) was applied to identify variables that influence the adsorption capacity of NICUS. The identified variables were applied to scale experiments by three orders. Nine isotherm models were used to analyse the adsorption equilibrium data. The Vieth-Sladek adsorption isotherm model was found to be the best fit. The pseudo-second-order reaction was the appropriate mechanism for the overall rate of the adsorption process. Mechanistic studies related to mass transfer phenomena were more likely to be dominant over the diffusion process. Techniques such as SEM, FTIR and CHN analysis were used to characterise NICUS. The dye-adsorbed NICUS obtained as "sludge" was used as a reinforcing material for the fabrication of composites using plastic waste. The physicomechanical and chemical properties of thermoplastic and thermoset composite using dye-adsorbed NICUS were evaluated and compared with NICUS composites. Prospects of integrating Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) into the circular economy of Nutraceutical Industrial Spent (NIS) are discussed.
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OBJECTIVES: To identify prevalence and risk factors of depression among caregivers of Alzheimer' disease (AD) patients. METHODS: In a cross-sectional study, 110 caregivers of AD patients participated in this study (51 males and 59 females). Patients data were obtained from patients' records at Aseer Central Hospital. Depression among caregivers was assessed by using the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression. RESULTS: The age of caregivers ranged from 17 to 85 years (Mean±SD: 41.1±14.0 years). Prevalence of depression among caregivers was 70%. Caregivers were mainly sons/daughters (69.1%) or spouses (11.8%). A total of 33 caregivers (30%) had mild depression while 44 (40%) had moderate depression. Prevalence of depression was significantly higher among caregivers of AD patients who were exposed to repeated falling down (p=0.003), but did not differ significantly among caregivers who were exposed to repeated pneumonia or getting lost. Caregivers' scores of depression positively correlated with duration of caregivers' daily stay with AD patients (r=0.272, p=0.004), but did not correlate significantly with either caregivers' age or patients' age. Moreover, caregivers' depression did not differ significantly according to their marital status, educational status, employment status, or monthly income. CONCLUSIONS: Prevalence of depression among AD caregiver is high. Risk factors for depression include patients' exposure to repeated falls and prolonged stay with patients. Therefore, psychiatric care should be provided to caregivers, home safety should be maintained to avoid falls, and several persons should interchangeably provide care to AD patients.
