Patient-Reported Outcomes and Impact of Type 2 Diabetes: A Cross-Sectional Study in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has the second highest prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in the Middle East. There is a paucity of research on the experiences and treatment preferences of patients with T2DM in KSA. This study explored Saudi patients' health-related quality of life, eating habits, experiences during Ramadan, and preference between two glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA) treatment devices. METHODS: A cross-sectional, observational study was conducted in three cities in KSA. Participants completed sociodemographic and clinical forms, EQ-5D-5L, Impact of Weight on Self-Perceptions, and a diabetes treatment survey. Participants also viewed instructional videos on GLP-1 RA injection devices and indicated their device preference. RESULTS: Of the 310 participants, 53% were male. The mean age was 43 years (range: 30.0-75.0), duration since diabetes diagnosis was 6.3 years (range: 0.2-27.1), the most commonly reported last HbA1c level was between ≥7.1% and 8% (45%). The mean EQ-5D-5L index score was 0.90, with some participants reporting problems with pain/discomfort (34.5%) and usual activities (33.2%). Patients reported a low-to-moderate impact of weight on self-perception. In preparation for Ramadan, participants sought physician advice on diabetes management (37%) and/or increased checks of their blood glucose (37%). After watching the videos, 89% (n=277) of participants indicated a device preference, with significantly more preferring the dulaglutide device (n=186, 67%) over the semaglutide device (n=91, 33%) (p<0.0001). CONCLUSION: This study indicates that T2DM has a significant social, emotional, and behavioral impact on the lives of patients in KSA.

Hantzsch Ester-Mediated Synthesis of Phenanthridines under Visible-Light Irradiation.

An efficient photocatalytic synthesis of phenanthridines mediated by an organo-photoredox initiator Hantzsch ester has been developed via denitrogenative intramolecular annulation of benzotriazolyl chalcones. The highly reducing photoactivated Hantzsch ester facilitates the transformation of benzotriazolyl chalcones into phenanthridinyl chalcones through photoinduced electron transfer (PET) and hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) processes. The mild reaction conditions utilizing inexpensive Hantzsch ester as photosensitizer, wide reaction scope and excellent functional group tolerance are notable attributes of the methodology.

Hantzsch Ester-Mediated Benzannulation of Diazo Compounds under Visible Light Irradiation.

A metal-free benzannulation of diazo compounds under visible light irradiation was developed. The photocatalytic single electron transfer by Hantzsch ester to the diazo enolates results into enolate vinyl radicals, which were trapped by alkynes leading to functionalized naphthalene-1-ols. The enolate vinyl radicals were also trapped intramolecularly by o-aryl groups to access phenanthren-10-ols. The wide substrate scope and mild conditions employing inexpensive Hantzsch ester as photosensitizer are noteworthy attributes of the reaction.

Qualitative interviews to identify burden of illness, impacts and costs associated with surgical site infections.

AIM: To gather qualitative data from patients on the burden, impacts and costs of surgical site infections (SSI) requiring second surgeries. PATIENTS & METHODS: 15 adults with SSIs from spinal (n = 4), knee replacement (n = 3) or hip replacement (n = 8) surgery participated in a focus group or individual interview. Patients completed the PROMIS Physical Functioning (PF) Short Form 10A (PROMIS-PF). RESULTS: Patients reported impacts within four primary domains: PF/activity-related; social/emotional; financial/employment; and energy/sleep. The mean PROMIS-PF score was 39.3 (standard deviation = 12.1), over one standard deviation below 50, the US norm. CONCLUSION: SSIs impart a broad and significant impact on patients and their families. These burdens will be important to capture when selecting patient-reported outcome measures for this patient population.

Visible light catalyzed Mannich reaction between tert-amines and silyl diazoenolates.

The present work documents the α-C-H functionalization of tertiary amines via the visible light catalyzed Mannich reaction with silyl diazoenolates. The reaction takes place at room temperature with an organic dye, Rose Bengal, as a photocatalyst and oxygen as the oxidant. The resulting multifunctional products bearing an α-diazo-ß-keto group undergo Rh-carbenoid mediated cyclization, affording stable ammonium ylides in high yields.

Electrophysiological characterization of Nsc-34 cell line using Microelectrode Array.

Neurons communicate with each other through intricate network to evolve higher brain functions. The electrical activity of the neurons plays a crucial role in shaping the connectivity. With motor neurons being vulnerable to neurodegenerative diseases, understanding the electrophysiological properties of motor neurons is the need of the hour, in order to comprehend the impairment of connectivity in these diseases. NSC-34 cell line serves as an excellent model to study the properties of motor neurons as they express Choline acetyltransferase (ChAT). Although NSC-34 cell lines have been used to study the effect of various toxicological, neurotrophic and neuroprotective agents, the electrical activity of these cells has not been elucidated. In the current study, we have characterized the electrophysiological properties of NSC-34 cell lines using Micro-Electrode Array (MEA) as a tool. Based on the spike waveform, firing frequency, auto- and cross-correlogram analysis, we demonstrate that NSC-34 cell culture has >2 distinct types of neuronal population: principal excitatory neurons, putative interneurons and unclassified neurons. The presence of interneurons in the NSC-34 culture was characterized by increased expression of GAD-67 markers. Thus, finding an understanding of the electrophysiological properties of different population of neurons in NSC-34 cell line, will have multiple applications in the treatment of neurological disorders.