Knowledge about Cervical Cancer Early Warning Signs and Symptoms, Risk Factors and Vaccination among Students at a Medical School in Al-Ahsa, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Al-Darwish, Abdulaziz Ahmed,Al-Naim, Abdullah Fouad,Al-Mulhim, Khalid Saleh,Al-Otaibi, Nasser Khaled,Morsi, Mohammed Saad,Aleem, Ansari Mukhtar Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.6

Background: Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among females and also the most preventable. In the literature there is abundant evidence that awareness regarding cervical cancer and its prevention is low in the developing countries. Medical students are the future health professionals and can play an important role in increasing awareness among the general population. To assess the knowledge regarding symptoms, risk factors and prevention of cervical carcinoma among medical students in th Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the present study was planned. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire with students at the College of Medicine, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa, KSA, from December 2012 to May 2013. Results: The responses of 188 students (males 111, females 77) in their second, third, fourth, and fifth years were recorded and used in the data analysis. The majority of the students were not aware of the early warning signs, symptoms and risk factors. On average, only 43.7% males and 56% of females were aware about the early signs and symptoms whereas 51.4% males and 57.8% females had knowledge about the risk factors of cervical cancers. Some 55% males and 46.8% females were unable to select the correct answer regarding human papilloma virus (HPV) infection as the cause of cervical cancer. Majority of the students (67%) were not aware about the availability of vaccine against HPV. Conclusions: Lack of knowledge regarding early signs and symptoms, risk factors and prevention of cervical cancer was observed in the present study.

Knowledge Sharing Among Accounting Students: An Exploratory Study

Omer Ali BAGAIS,Khaled Salmen ALJAAIDI,Ehsan Saleh AL-MOATAZ 한국유통과학회 2020 The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Busine Vol.7 No.11

This paper explores the attitudes of accounting students toward knowledge sharing at Umm Al-Gura University for the academic year 2013-2014. The study explored knowledge sharing among 202 accounting students at Umm Al-Gura University in session during the 2013- 2014 academic year. Primary data came from a 3-item questionnaire collected from students; secondary data were source from scholarly publication. Descriptive statistics was used. The findings of this study revealed that the students had a medium to high degree of positive attitude toward knowledge sharing. The students had a positive perception of the use of knowledge sharing in supporting their education. The findings are essential for several stakeholders, such as university policymakers, lecturers, and the students, to provide a deeper understanding of knowledge sharing at the university education level. The findings may encourage policymakers at the university and the classroom levels to organize activities that promote knowledge sharing such as seminars, symposiums, or knowledge sharing exercises during the classroom hours to raise the students’ knowledge sharing behavior and enhance education. The results of this study should be useful to policy makers at the university level and the classroom level as there is a positive attitude in disseminating knowledge in the higher educational setting.

Hypogene kaolin deposits from felsic intrusive rocks (Peninsular Malaysia) with special reference to rare earth elements and stable isotopes geochemistry

Hassan Baioumy,Mohsen Farahat,Mohd Hariri Arifin,Mohammad Noor Akmal Bin Anuar,Khaled Al-Kahtany 한국지질과학협의회 2021 Geosciences Journal Vol.25 No.6

Clay fractions of the hypogene kaolin deposits from Ipoh granite and Jerai pegmatite are composed of kaolinite, while the greenish kaolin horizon of Ipoh area comprises of illite and kaolinite. Al2O3 and SiO2 are the main constituents in the studied kaolins with very low concentrations of other oxides. K2O occurs in relatively high contents in the illite-rich kaolin that formed by hydrothermal alteration of biotite-granite of the greenish kaolin horizon of Ipoh area. The higher contents of Ba, Cr, Cs, Ga, Rb, Sc, and Sn in the illiterich horizon are inherited from its source rock. The relative enrichment of light rare earth elements (LREE) over heavy rare earth elements (HREE) as indicated from the high (La/Yb)n ratios and positive correlations between ΣREE and P2O5 in the studied kaolins suggest the occurrence of REE as authigenic florencite, churchite and/or rhabdophane and, therefore, reflect the kaolinitization process rather than the parent rocks. δH and δO values are similar in both Ipoh and Jerai kaolins with dH values range from –84 to –99‰ and positive δO values varying between 0.95 and 5.47‰. H- and O-isotopes data fall close to the left side of the kaolinite line in equilibrium with meteoric water at temperatures of > 100 °C. The pronounced negative Eu anomalies, absence of positive Ce anomaly and high crystallization temperature (94–113 °C) indicate the hydrothermal (hypogene) origin of the studied kaolins as a result of the Triassic postmagmatic hydrothermal activities in Peninsular Malaysia. Mineralogical and geochemical variations among the studied deposits although they formed by the same kaolinitization process, suggest a significant role of parent rocks in their compositions.

A shooting method for buckling and post-buckling analyses of FGSP circular plates considering various patterns of Pores' placement

Khaled Alhaifi,Ahmad Reza Khorshidvand,Murtadha M. Al-Masoudy,Ehsan Arshid,Seyed Hossein Madani 국제구조공학회 2023 Structural Engineering and Mechanics, An Int'l Jou Vol.85 No.3

This paper studies the effects of porosity distributions on buckling and post-buckling behaviors of a functionally graded saturated porous (FGSP) circular plate. The plate is under the uniformly distributed radial loading and simply supported and clamped boundary conditions. Pores are saturated with compressible fluid (e.g., gases) that cannot escape from the porous solid. Elastic modulus is assumed to vary continuously through the thickness according to three different functions corresponding to three different cases of porosity distributions, including monotonous, symmetric, and asymmetric cases. Governing equations are derived utilizing the classical plate theory and Sanders nonlinear strain-displacement relations, and they are solved numerically via shooting method. Results are verified with the known results in the literature. The obtained results for the monotonous and symmetric cases with the asymmetric case presented in the literature are shown in comparative figures. Effects of the poroelastic material parameters, boundary conditions, and thickness change on the post-buckling behavior of the plate are discussed in details. The results reveal that buckling and post-buckling behaviors of the plate in the monotonous and symmetric cases differ from the asymmetric case, especially in small deflections, that asymmetric distribution of elastic moduli can be the cause.

Coupled thermal and structural analysis of roller compacted concrete arch dam by three-dimensional finite element method

Khaled H. Bayagoob,Jamaloddin Noorzaei,A. Abdulrazeg,Awad A. Al-Karni,Mohd Saleh Jaafar 국제구조공학회 2010 Structural Engineering and Mechanics, An Int'l Jou Vol.36 No.4

This paper focuses on the development, verification and application of a three-dimensional nite element code for coupled thermal and structural analysis of roller compacted concrete arch dams. The Ostour Arch dam located on Ghezel-Ozan River, Iran, which was originally designed as conventional concrete arch dam, has been taken for the purpose of verication of the nite element code. In this project, RCC technology has been ascertained as an alternative method to reduce the cost of the project and make it competitive. The thermal analysis has been carried out taking into account the simulation of the sequence of construction, environmental temperature changes, and the wind speed. In addition, the variation of elastic modulus with time has been considered in this investigation using Concard’s model. An attempt was made to compare the stresses developed in the dam body five years after the completion of the dam with those of end of the construction. It was seen that there is an increase in the tensile stresses after five years over stresses obtained immediately at the end of construction by 61.3%.

Prognostic performance of combined use of high-sensitivity troponin T and creatine kinase MB isoenzyme in high cardiovascular risk patients with end-stage renal disease

Khaled Abdul-Aziz Ahmed,Wahda Mohammed Al-Attab 대한신장학회 2017 Kidney Research and Clinical Practice Vol.36 No.4

Background: The principal goal of this study was to determine the importance of high-sensitivity troponin T (hs-TnT) and creatine kinase MB isoenzyme (CK-MB) in predicting cardiovascular events in asymptomatic end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients.Methods: This study included 110 participants; 54 ESRD patients undergoing hemodialysis and 56 healthy control participants. Biochemical parameters and cardiac markers were estimated. Comparative utilities were assessed through logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses.Results: We found that 96.3% of ESRD patients had an elevated level of hs-TnT (mean, 0.049 ± 0.0324 μg/L) compared to healthy participants. Among patients with ESRD, hs-TnT showed significant correlations with the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (P = 0.042, r = 0.278) and total cholesterol/HDL-C (P = 0.044, r = 0.276) ratios. CK-MB (odds ratio [OR], 1.138; P = 0.04) and hs-TnT (OR, 2.153; P = 0.017) predicted cardiovascular events on logistic regression analysis, and the prediction was improved by the model that combined two cardiac markers. The diagnostic performance of hs-TnT and CK-MB alone and the combination of the two biomarkers was assessed by the area under the ROC curve (AUC). The highest AUC was produced by the combination of hs-TnT and CK-MB markers (0.920) compared to hs-TnT or CK-MB alone.Conclusion: In asymptomatic patients with ESRD, hs-TnT appeared to be an important predictor for cardiovascular mortality, and its diagnostic accuracy improved with CK-MB. This study provides new insights into the predictive value of multiple biomarkers for identifying cardiovascular events in ESRD patients on hemodialysis.

Breast Cancer Knowledge, Perception and Breast Self-Examination Practices among Yemeni Women: an Application of the Health Belief Model

Al-Sakkaf, Khaled Abdulla,Basaleem, Huda Omer Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2016 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.17 No.3

Background: The incidence of breast cancer is rapidly increasing in Yemen with recent indications of constituting one-third of female cancers. The main problem in Yemen remains very late presentation of breast cancer, most of which should have been easily recognisable. Since stage of disease at diagnosis is the most important prognostic variable, early diagnosis is an important option to be considered for control of breast cancer in low resourced settings like Yemen. In the present study, we aimed at describing breast cancer knowledge, perceptions and breast self-examination (BSE) practices among a sample of Yemeni women. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study covered 400 women attending four reproductive health centres in Aden, Yemen through face-to-face interview using a structured questionnaire during April - July 2014. We collected data on sociodemographic characteristics, knowledge about breast cancer, and screening practices as well as respondents' perceptions based on the five sub scales of the Health Belief Model (HBM): perceived susceptibility; perceived severity; perceived barriers; perceived benefits; and self-efficacy. The response format was a five-point Likert scale. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS 20) was used for statistical analysis. Statistical significance was set at p<0.05. Logistic regression analysis was conducted with BSE as a dependent variable. Results: The mean age of women was 26.5 (S.D=5.6) years. The majority (89.0%) had never ever performed any screening. Two-thirds of respondents had poor knowledge. Perceived BSE benefits and self-efficacy and lower BSE barriers perception were significant independent predictors of BSE practice. Conclusions: Poor knowledge and inadequate BSE practices are prevailing in Yemen. The need for implementing culturally sensitive targeted education measures is mandatory in the effort to improve early detection and reduce the burden of breast cancer.

Blocking of Histamine Release and IgE Binding to FcεRΙ on Human Basophils by Antibodies Produced in Camels

Al-Qaoud Khaled,Yousef Sana,Rawashdeh Abdulrahman,Khalil Raida,Abdel-Hafez Sami 대한천식알레르기학회 2015 Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Research Vol.7 No.6

Purpose: The production of camel heavy-chain antihuman IgE (huIgE) that has the potential to block IgE-FcɛRI interaction and histamine release by basophils. Methods: Camels were immunized with a synthetic loop peptide (SLP) designed in a multiple antigen peptide system (MAPS) forming SLP-MAPS immunogen. Camel polyclonal antibodies (PCAs) were produced, purified, characterized using Protein A & G, ELISA, and SDS-PAGE, and tested for their potency to block passive sensitization and histamine release of human basophils using flow cytometry (FCM) and ELISA, respectively. Results: FCM data indicated that camel conventional (IgG1) and heavy chain antibodies (HCAbs; IgG2, and IgG3) had blocking activities of 43.9%, 72%, and 96.6%, respectively. Moreover, both IgG2 and IgG3 achieved remarkable inhibition rates of 93.98% and 97.05% in histamine release, respectively, whereas the IgG1inhibiting activity was 60.05%. Conclusions: Camel PCAs produced against SLP-MAPS were capable of blocking the IgE-receptor interaction and the release of histamine by basophils with superiority to HCAbs. These findings may pave the way toward the possible use of camel anti-huIgE HCAbs as blocking antibodies in the treatment of IgE-mediated allergy and asthma

A Randomized, Placebo-controlled Trial of Digestive Enzymes in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Khaled Saad,Azza A. Eltayeb,Ismail L. Mohamad,Abdulrahman A. Al-Atram,Yasser Elserogy,Geir Bjørklund,Amira A. El-Houfey,Bubba Nicholson 대한정신약물학회 2015 CLINICAL PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY AND NEUROSCIENCE Vol.13 No.2

Objective: There is growing evidence for a gut-brain connection associated with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). This suggests a potential benefit from introduced digestive enzymes for children with ASD. Methods: We performed a double-blind, randomized clinical trial on 101 children with ASD (82 boys and 19 girls) aged from 3 to 9 years. ASD patients were diagnosed according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 4th edition, text revision (DSM-IV-TR) diagnostic criteria. Structured interviews of at least one hour each both with the parents and the child were performed. Later on, another two hours-session was conducted applying the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS). ASD patients were randomized to receive digestive enzymes or placebo. Results: The ASD group receiving digestive enzyme therapy for 3 months had significant improvement in emotional response, general impression autistic score, general behavior and gastrointestinal symptoms. Our study demonstrated the usefulness of digestive enzyme in our population of ASD patients. Conclusion: Digestive enzymes are inexpensive, readily available, have an excellent safety profile, and have mildly beneficial effects in ASD patients. Depending on the parameter measured in our study, we propose digestive enzymes for managing symptoms of ASD. Digestive enzyme therapy may be a possible option in treatment protocols for ASD in the future.

New Monte-Carlo based simulation program suitable for low-energy ions irradiation in pure materials

Al-Malkawi Ghadeer H.,Al-Ajlony Al-Montaser Bellah A.,Al-Shboul Khaled F.,Hassanein Ahmed 한국원자력학회 2023 Nuclear Engineering and Technology Vol.55 No.4

A new Monte-Carlo-based computer program (RDS-BASIC) is developed to simulate the transport of energetic ions in pure matter. This computer program is utilizing an algorithm that uses detailed numerical solutions for the classical scattering integral for evaluating the outcomes of the binary collision processes. This approach is adopted by several prominent similar simulation programs and is known to provide results with higher accuracy compared to other approaches that use approximations to shorten the simulation time. Furthermore, RDS-BASIC simulation program contains special methods to reduce the displacement energy threshold of surface atoms. This implementation is found essential for accurate simulation results for sputtering yield in the case of very low energy ions irradiation (near sputtering energy threshold) and also successfully solve the problem of simultaneously obtaining an acceptable number of atomic displacements per incident ions. Results of our simulation for several irradiation systems are presented and compared with their respective TRIM (SRIM-2013) and the state-of-the-art SDTrimSP simulation results. Our sputtering simulation results were also compared with available experimental data. The simulation execution time for these different simulation programs has also been compared.