Prevalence and epidemiological trends in mortality due to COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia.

OBJECTIVES: This article describes the prevalence and epidemiological trends of COVID-19 mortality in the largest registry in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). STUDY DESIGN: A prospective epidemiological cohort study using data from all healthcare facilities in KSA collected between March 23, 2020, and April 30, 2022. Data on the number of daily deaths directly related to COVID-19 were gathered, analyzed, and reported. METHOD: Data analysis was carried out using national and regional crude case fatality rate and death per 100,000 population. Descriptive statistics using numbers and proportions were used to describe age, gender, nationality, and comorbidities. The mortality trend was plotted and compared with international figures. In addition, the most common comorbidities associated with mortality and the proportion of patients who received COVID-19 vaccine were reported. RESULTS: The total reported number of deaths between March 23, 2020, and April 30, 2022, was 9085. Crude case fatality rate was 1.21%, and death per 100,000 population was 25.38, which compared favorably to figures reported by several developed countries. The highest percentages of deaths were among individuals aged between 60 and 69 years, males (71%), and individuals with diabetes (60%). Only 2.8% of mortalities occur in patients who received COVID-19 vaccine. Diabetes, hypertension, and heart failure had the highest attributable risk of mortality among patients who died due to COVID-19. CONCLUSION: Case fatality rate and death per 100,000 population in KSA are among the lowest in the world due to multiple factors. Several comorbidities have been identified, namely, diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and cardiac arrhythmias.

Dynamic rheological properties of corn starch-date syrup gels.

The rheological, pasting, and gel textural properties of corn starch blended with date syrup (DS) or sugar (SG) were studied. The average amylose content of the starch was 27.8%. Corn starch gel is considered elastic since the elastic modulus (G') was much greater than the viscous modulus (G″). Different effect between DS and SG on corn starch gel was observed, where SG addition and DS replacement experiments exhibited the highest G'. The tan δ of all samples was in the range of 0.02-0.20 indicating elastic behavior since it is less than unity. The hardness of starch gel ranged from 13 to 146 g and 212-145 for DS replacement and DS addition, respectively. Unlike the replacement experiment, the addition experiment exhibited significant increase in peak viscosity, setback and pasting temperature (p > 0.05). The magnitude of the effect of DS on corn starch gel was more evident compared to SG. This was apparent by looking at the slopes of the linear regression of the log of G' or G″ versus the log of frequency. Based on the information provided here, date syrup application can expand to cover the baking and beverage industries.

Ultrabroadband nonreciprocal transverse energy flow of light in linear passive photonic circuits.

Using a technique, analogous to coherent population trapping in an atomic system, we propose schemes to create transverse light propagation violating left-right symmetry in a photonic circuit consisting of three coupled waveguides. The frequency windows for the symmetry breaking of the left-right energy flow span over 80 nm. Our proposed system only uses linear passive optical materials and is easy to integrate on a chip.

Food packaging's materials: A food safety perspective.

Food packaging serves purposes of food product safety and easy handling and transport by preventing chemical contamination and enhancing shelf life, which provides convenience for consumers. Various types of materials, including plastics, glass, metals, and papers and their composites, have been used for food packaging. However, owing to consumers' increased health awareness, the significance of transferring harmful materials from packaging materials into foods is of greater concern. This review highlights the interactions of food with packaging materials and elaborates the mechanism, types, and contributing factors of migration of chemical substances from the packaging to foods. Also, various types of chemical migrants from different packaging materials with their possible impacts on food safety and human health are discussed. We conclude with a future outlook based on legislative considerations and ongoing technical contributions to optimization of food-package interactions.

Computational screening of natural and natural-like compounds to identify novel ligands for sigma-2 receptor.

Sigma-2 (σ2) receptor is a transmembrane protein shown to be linked with neurodegenerative diseases and cancer development. Thus, it emerges as a potential biological target for the advancement of anticancer and anti-Alzheimer's agents. The current study was aimed to identify potential σ2 receptor ligands using integrated computational approaches including homology modelling, combined pharmacophore- and docking-based virtual screening, and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. Pharmacophore-based screening was conducted against a database composed of 20,523 small natural and natural-like products. In total, 1200 structures were found to satisfy the required pharmacophore features and were then exposed to docking-based screening against the generated homology model of σ2 receptor. On the basis of the pharmacophore fit scores, docking scores, and mechanism of binding interaction, 20 potential hits were retained. Five promising candidates were selected (SR84, SR823, SR300, SR413, and SR530) on the basis of their binding score and interaction. Further, in silico ADMET profiling of these compounds showed that the selected compounds possess favourable ADME properties with low toxicity risk. The mechanism of interaction of these compounds with σ2 receptor as well as their binding stability were characterized by MD simulation.

The Effect of Germinated Sorghum Extract on the Pasting Properties and Swelling Power of Different Annealed Starches.

Starches were extracted from chickpea (C.P.), corn (C.S.), Turkish bean (T.B.), sweet potato (S.P.S.), and wheat starches (W.S.). These starches exhibited different amylose contents. The extracted starches were annealed in excess water and in germinated sorghum extract (GSE) (1.0 g starch/9 mL water). The α-amylase concentration in the GSE was 5.0 mg/10 mL. Annealing was done at 40, 50, and 60 °C for 30 or 60 min. The pasting properties of annealed starches were studied using Rapid Visco-Analyzer (RVA), in addition to the swelling power. These starches exhibited diverse pasting properties as evidenced by increased peak viscosity with annealing, where native starches exhibited peak viscosity as: 2828, 2438, 1943, 2250, and 4601 cP for the C.P., C.S., T.B., W.S., and S.P.S., respectively, which increased to 3580, 2482, 2504, 2514, and 4787 cP, respectively. High amylose content did not play a major role on the pasting properties of the tested starches because sweet potato starch (S.P.S.) (22.4% amylose) exhibited the highest viscosity, whereas wheat starch (W.S.) (25% amylose) had the least. Therefore, the dual effects of granule structure and packing density, especially in the amorphous region, are determinant factors of the enzymatic digestion rate and product. Swelling power was found to be a valuable predictive tool of amylose content and pasting characteristics of the tested starches. The studied starches varied in their digestibility and displayed structural differences in the course of α-amylase digestion. Based on these findings, W.S. was designated the most susceptible among the starches and S.P.S. was the least. The most starch gel setback was observed for the legume starches, chickpeas, and Turkish beans (C.P. 2553 cP and T.B. 1172 cP). These results were discussed with regard to the underlying principles of swelling tests and pasting behavior of the tested starches. Therefore, GSE is an effortless economic technique that can be used for starch digestion (modification) at industrial scale.

Wheat-millet flour cookies: Physical, textural, sensory attributes and antioxidant potential.

Millet flour (water washed or alkali washed) was replaced with wheat flour (WF) at 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100% levels. Objectives of the research were to characterize the flour blends for their technical properties and to produce cookies with less or no gluten contents. All types of flour blends were evaluated for their pasting properties. The cookies were baked and evaluated for their textural and physical attributes. Inclusion of millet flour (both types) in wheat flour resulted in significant reduction in peak and final viscosities while setback viscosities were affected non-significantly. Pasting temperature was increased from 65 ℃ (100% wheat flour) to 91 ℃ (100% millet flour). The hardness of cookies was reduced in the presence of millet flour. Fracturability values of cookies with higher millet flour were higher as compared to control cookies (prepared from 100% wheat flour). Cookies prepared from blends having more that 50% millet flour were not much liked by sensory panelists. The phenolic contents of cookies containing higher levels of either water washed or alkali washed millet flour were found to be higher when compared to cookies prepared from plain WF (1.90 ± 0.14 mg gallic acid/g sample). The 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl activity (%) of cookies ranged from 16.39 ± 0.34 (100% water washed millet flour) to 10.39 ± 0.26 (100% WF; control). The study will help the non-coeliac people to consume low gluten (≈1.6-6.5%) or gluten intolerant people to consume gluten-free cookies (0%) from millet flour having abundant of antioxidants and health-promoting polyphenols.

Perspectives of telemedicine: a cross-sectional study among health care personnel

Background: Telemedicine is the remote delivery of medical services. There has yet to be sufficient data in our community on perspectives on telemedicine. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the perception and attitude of physicians and medical students in Bisha region toward telemedicine. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among physicians in ten hospitals and primary health care centers in Bisha and medical students at the College of Medicine, University of Bisha, Saudi Arabia. A structured, self-administered online questionnaire with optional participation was distributed. Results: 239 responses were received with diverse distribution among different ages, genders, nationalities, occupations, and frequencies of daily technology use. The participants showed 60.3% acceptance of telemedicine, especially its helpfulness in transferring information among sectors. Various sociodemographic-dependent debates were retrieved regarding the viability of telemedicine approach, its integration ability, time and money saving, and flexibility. The frequency of personal computer use correlated positively with the participants’ perceptions and attitudes (p=0.001 and 0.003). A positive attitude was retrieved from 79.1% of participants, with readiness to obtain telemedicine training for better professional growth, especially in non-Saudi personnel. The lack of suitable equipment, patient satisfaction and compliance, weakness of the doctor-patient relationship, familiarity with technology, and extra load for physicians were the most prominent barriers mentioned by the participants. Conclusions: Meetings, training, and orientation programs still need to be scheduled for the general population, healthcare personnel, and information technologists to override the weaknesses in community awareness and telemedicine deficiencies and to get the benefit of this technology.

Dissection of Genetic Factors underlying Wheat Kernel Shape and Size in an Elite × Nonadapted Cross using a High Density SNP Linkage Map.

Wheat kernel shape and size has been under selection since early domestication. Kernel morphology is a major consideration in wheat breeding, as it impacts grain yield and quality. A population of 160 recombinant inbred lines (RIL), developed using an elite (ND 705) and a nonadapted genotype (PI 414566), was extensively phenotyped in replicated field trials and genotyped using Infinium iSelect 90K assay to gain insight into the genetic architecture of kernel shape and size. A high density genetic map consisting of 10,172 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers, with an average marker density of 0.39 cM/marker, identified a total of 29 genomic regions associated with six grain shape and size traits; ∼80% of these regions were associated with multiple traits. The analyses showed that kernel length (KL) and width (KW) are genetically independent, while a large number (∼59%) of the quantitative trait loci (QTL) for kernel shape traits were in common with genomic regions associated with kernel size traits. The most significant QTL was identified on chromosome 4B, and could be an ortholog of major rice grain size and shape gene or . Major and stable loci also were identified on the homeologous regions of Group 5 chromosomes, and in the regions of (6A) and (7A) genes. Both parental genotypes contributed equivalent positive QTL alleles, suggesting that the nonadapted germplasm has a great potential for enhancing the gene pool for grain shape and size. This study provides new knowledge on the genetic dissection of kernel morphology, with a much higher resolution, which may aid further improvement in wheat yield and quality using genomic tools.

Interdependence of Cultivar and Environment on Fiber Composition in Wheat Bran.

Starch and cellulose are among the best known renewable reinforcing components. Scientists are continuously looking for various renewable sources such as flax, hemp, jute, and corn hulls with polymer matrixes to form composite materials and make structural biocomposites a reality. Wheat is a major cereal grain in the US and the world. During wheat milling, a large amount of wheat bran, a by-product, is disposed off as waste. The high percentage of water-insoluble fiber in wheat bran could be advantageous for reinforcing industrial material. However, the utilization of cellulosic fibers derived from wheat byproduct has not been explored in processing of biocomposites. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to characterize wheat bran fiber compositions including dry matter (DM), ash, crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), cellulose (Cell), hemicellulose (Hemi), calcium (Ca), fat, starch, and acid detergent lignin (ADL); identify the interrelationship between the fiber composition traits and the influence of the environment and genotype on these traits. The experiment included six diverse and popular hard red spring wheat (HRSW) cultivars commonly grown in spring wheat region of the Northern Plains of USA. The experiment was installed in three different environments in the Dakotas States, USA. Results from this study showed that the DM, ash, Ca, Cell, starch, and ADL contents were influenced mainly by environments. However, CP along with fat, ash and Ca contents were influenced by genotypes in addition to environment. All bran components were influenced by the genotype × environment (G × E) interactions. We observed significant negative correlation of Cell with CP and ADL which make wheat bran a suitable reinforcing industrial material. However surface treatment of bran fiber would make it even more efficient. These preliminary results indicate the potential use of wheat bran components as biocomposite, but further studies to elucidate more these finding are warranted.