Unpleasant Effects Research Articles

BSFL As Alternative Halal Animal Feed

Black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) as a bioconversion agent in converting organic waste into nutrient-rich biomass makes it a valuable alternative and sustainable protein source for animal feed formulation, addressing the high cost of traditional protein sources. Despite its nutritional benefits, the halal status of animals fed with BSFL is primarily concerned due to the impurity of larvae consumption. This study discusses the halal implications of feeding livestock with BSFL according to the Islamic jurisprudence. Findings suggest that animals predominantly fed with BSFL could be classified as al-Jallalah as feed of these animals are filth, requiring a quarantine process to eliminate any unpleasant effects on the animal’s meat or milk. If these effects are removed, the animals are permissible for consumption. The study concludes that while BSFL consumption is forbidden for mankind, its use as animal feed is permissible under the Islamic law, with necessary precautions are taken to maintain the halal status of the animals.

OPTIMIZING THE ROLE OF KPM STUDENTS IN DEVELOPING CIAWIGAJAH VILLAGE THROUGH DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION WITH WEB PLATFORM

Two critical innovations that support environmental sustainability and community empowerment are waste processing into alternative fuels and village digitalization through the Internet. Both innovations offer solutions to the problem of waste accumulation while reducing our dependence on fossil fuels. This technology converts organic and inorganic waste into usable energy, such as biogas or RDF. This method can produce cleaner energy sources and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. On the contrary, village digitization through web platforms is a strategic step in increasing access to information, services, and economic opportunities for rural communities. By using this platform, villages can develop local potential, improve the efficiency of public services, and encourage broader digital inclusion. This platform can meet many needs, including village administration management, promotion of local products, and further training and education. The combination of these two innovations demonstrates collaborative efforts to realize sustainable development that combines environmentally friendly technology solutions and digital community empowerment. The results are hoped to improve the quality of life, reduce unpleasant environmental effects, and accelerate economic transformation in rural areas

Environmental noise reduction by sonic crystals barrier

In order to reduce unpleasant effects on human health in environment, recent research has moved towards low-frequency and broadband noise mitigation. However, traditional noise barriers have several common shortcomings: airflow blocking, inefficient noise reduction, visual obstruction. Inspired by the classic design of sonic crystals (SCs), the basic C-shaped unit is improved to replace the conventional vertical outdoor barriers with a compact size. This paper explores the acoustic performance of the shadowed-C-shaped SC both numerically and experimentally. The simulation results show that this novel design can achieve broader band gap in the range below 5000Hz, especially at the resonant frequencies, the transmission coefficients approach to zero. Experiments are carried out with a full-scale model to evaluate the practical application of SC as noise barriers. It is verified that there is a good performance of insertion loss in broadband which is basically consistent with the simulation results.

Adherence to DOTS Therapy and its Impact on Quality of Life

A descriptive study “to assess the adherence to DOTS therapy and its impact on quality of life among clients registered at selected DOTS centers of Punjab”. The objectives of the study were to assess the adherence to DOTS therapy among patients who were registered at selected DOTS centers in Punjab, to identify the problems related to adherence among the patients, to assess the impact of DOTS therapy on the quality of life of patients registered at selected DOTS centers of Punjab, to assess the association between adherence to DOTS treatment and socio-demographic variables. A quantitative research approach was designed, and 100 subjects were selected through convenient sampling. The results of the study showed that the majority of the subjects (56%) were non-adhered, while 44% adhered to DOTS treatment. The results revealed that the majority of the subjects 74(74%), felt the unpleasant effects of medication, and 97(97%) felt weird on medication. While 83(83%) subjects felt negative feelings such as blue mood, despair, anxiety, and depression, the majority of the subjects 83(83%) were not satisfied with their health status. Findings revealed that the most affected domain of quality of life was the environment domain (21.41±2.68), physical domain (19.36±3.21), and psychological domain (16.31±1.87). Whereas the social domain is 7.60±1.66 lowest. The study emphasized the need to strengthen adherence to DOTS therapy among the subjects and then reduce the impact of tuberculosis on quality of life.

Hypoxic Cardioprotection by New Antihypertensive Compounds in High Salt-Diet Hypertensive Rats: Glucose Transport Participation and Its Possible Pathway.

Hypertension (HP) is a health condition that overloads the heart and increases the risk of heart attack and stroke. In an infarction, the lack of oxygen causes an exclusive use of glycolysis, which becomes a crucial source of ATP for the heart with a higher glucose uptake mediated by glucose transporters (GLUTs). Due to the unpleasant effects of antihypertensives, new drugs need to be researched to treat this disease. This study aimed to evaluate the cardioprotective effect of three novel antihypertensive compounds (LQMs, "Laboratorio de Química Medicinal") synthesized from Changrolin under hypoxic conditions with the participation of two primary cardiac GLUT1 and GLUT4 using a high-salt diet HP model. The model used a diet with 10% salt to increase arterial blood pressure in Wistar rats. In isolated cardiomyocytes from these rats, glucose uptake was measured during hypoxia, evaluating the participation of GLUTs with or without the animals' previous treatment with LQM312, 319, and 345 compounds. In silico calculations were performed to understand the affinity of the compounds for the trafficking of GLUTs. Results: Control cells do shift to glucose uptake exclusively in hypoxia (from 1.84 ± 0.09 µg/g/h to 2.67 ± 0.1 µg/g/h). Meanwhile, HP does not change its glucose uptake (from 2.38 ± 0.24 µg/g/h to 2.33 ± 0.26 µg/g/h), which is associated with cardiomyocyte damage. The new compounds lowered the systolic blood pressure (from 149 to 120 mmHg), but only LQM312 and LQM319 improved the metabolic state of hypoxic cardiomyocytes mediated by GLUT1 and GLUT4. In silico studies suggested that Captopril and LQM312 may mimic the interaction with the AMPK γ-subunit. Therefore, these compounds could activate AMPK, promoting the GLUT4 trafficking signaling pathway. These compounds are proposed to be cardioprotective during hypoxia under HP.

The anxiety level of pregnant women at Siti Khodijah Muhammadiyah Sepanjang Hospital during COVID-19 pandemic

Pregnant women are one of the vulnerable groups who have to face the unpleasant effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the effects is the psychological impact that is bad for both the mother and the fetus. This study aims to describe the level of anxiety experienced by pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic at Siti Khodijah Muhammadiyah Sepanjang Hospital. The results of this study are expected to be used as information to help overcome more serious mental health problems. This research uses using quantitative descriptive design with a cross-sectional approach. The sample of this study was 112 pregnant women who met the research criteria. This research was conducted by giving them questionnaires consisting of their age, job, parity, gestational age, history of COVID-19 illness, history of mental problems, knowledge about COVID-19, and level of anxiety. Statistical analysis showed 84.8%, 8.9% and 6.3% of pregnant women experience low, moderate, and concerning levels of anxiety, respectively. The majority of pregnant women are primigravida, aged 20-35 years, with a gestational age of 28-41 weeks, housewives, and the level of knowledge about COVID-19 is very good. Correlation analysis using Kendall's tau-b showed a significance value of 0.038 (<0.05), which means a relationship exists between the level of knowledge about COVID-19 and the level of anxiety of pregnant women. In conclusion, the level of anxiety of pregnant women the most is low anxiety, followed by moderate and concerning levels of anxiety.

Application of Quantum Dots for Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

There is increased interest in the conversion of solar energy into green chemical energy because of the depletion of fossil fuels and their unpleasant environmental effect. Photocatalytic hydrogen generation from water involves the direct conversion of solar energy into H2 fuels, which exhibits significant advantages and immense promise. Nevertheless, photocatalytic efficiency is considerably lower than the standard range of industrial applications. Low light absorption efficiency, the rapid recombination of photogenerated electrons and holes, slow surface redox reaction kinetics and low photostability are well known to be key factors negatively affecting photocatalytic hydrogen production. Therefore, to construct highly efficient and stable photocatalysts is important and necessary for the development of photocatalytic hydrogen generation technology. In this review, quantum dots (QDs)-based photocatalysts have emerged with representative achievements. Due to their excellent light-harvesting ability, low recombination efficiency of photogenerated electrons and holes, and abundant surface active sites, QDs have attracted remarkable interest as photocatalysts and/or cocatalyst for developing highly efficient photocatalysts. In this review, the application of QDs for photocatalytic H2 production is emphatically introduced. First, the special photophysical properties of QDs are briefly described. Then, recent progress into the research on QDs in photocatalytic H2 production is introduced, in three types: semiconductor QDs (e.g., CdS, CdMnS, and InP QDs), metal QDs (e.g., Au, Pt and Ag QDs), and MXene QDs and carbon QDs (CDQs). Finally, the challenges and prospects of photocatalytic H2 evolution with QDs in the future are discussed.

Adherence to weekly iron folic acid supplementation and associated factors among adolescent girls – A mixed-method study

ABSTRACT Context: Despite the Weekly Iron folic acid supplementation (WIFS) program, the prevalence of anaemia among adolescent girls remains high. Phase 1 Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) task force study conducted in 2016 in Kallur showed that the IFA provision rate for adolescent girls was 72% but the consumption rate was only 15% in the Kallur area. The present study was done to identify the gaps for the difference between provision and consumption rate of weekly IFA tablets among adolescent girls using the WHO conceptual framework in home-based settings. Materials and Methods: This crosssectional study with a mixedmethod design was conducted from October 2020 to December 2021. Quantitative data were collected from 972 adolescent girls and their parents using a structured pretested questionnaire, whereas qualitative exploration was done by focus group discussions. Descriptive analysis and bivariate analysis were used to analyse the quantitative data. Qualitative data were analysed and integrated with quantitative results. Results: The overall number of girls who were aware of Iron Folic acid therapy (IFAT) was 704 (72%). However, only 132 (13%) adolescent girls were found to be adherent to IFA therapy. Multivariable regression analysis revealed that side effects encountered on intake of IFAT (Odds ratio (OR) =0.5, P = 0.009) were associated with higher rates of nonadherence, whereas regular supply (OR = 13.6, P = 0.000), health education to parents (OR = 2.76, P = 0.002), and experiencing benefits (OR = 1.72, P = 0.006) were associated with higher rates of adherence. These were substantiated by qualitative findings. Conclusions: Ignorance on the impact of anaemia on adolescent health, fear of side effects, unpleasant effects experienced on intake of Iron folic acid (IFA), and inadequate counselling determines the adherence to weekly IFA supplements among adolescent girls.

A Streamline Upwind Petrov-Galerkin Reduced Order Method for Advection-Dominated Partial Differential Equations Under Optimal Control

Abstract In this paper we will consider distributed Linear-Quadratic Optimal Control Problems dealing with Advection-Diffusion PDEs for high values of the Péclet number. In this situation, computational instabilities occur, both for steady and unsteady cases. A Streamline Upwind Petrov–Galerkin technique is used in the optimality system to overcome these unpleasant effects. We will apply a finite element method discretization in an optimize-then-discretize approach. Concerning the parabolic case, a stabilized space-time framework will be considered and stabilization will also occur in both bilinear forms involving time derivatives. Then we will build Reduced Order Models on this discretization procedure and two possible settings can be analyzed: whether or not stabilization is needed in the online phase, too. In order to build the reduced bases for state, control, and adjoint variables we will consider a Proper Orthogonal Decomposition algorithm in a partitioned approach. It is the first time that Reduced Order Models are applied to stabilized parabolic problems in this setting. The discussion is supported by computational experiments, where relative errors between the FEM and ROM solutions are studied together with the respective computational times.

Investigating the Status of Contamination With Pulex irritans and Xenopsylla cheopis in Pets, Guard and Stray Dogs in Tabriz, Iran

Introduction: Fleas are the most prevalent ectoparasites indoors and outdoors due to their high reproductive rate, ability to feed on different hosts, and the unpleasant effects of their bites. Methods: This study was conducted on 360 dogs in and around Tabriz to find the rate and type of human flea contamination in these dogs, which were divided into three categories: pets, guards, and stray dogs. After fleas were identified in the dogs’ skin, they were taken with glue and fixed on the slide with glue. When the number of fleas was large, the captured fleas were transported to a test tube and treated with 70% alcohol. Dehydration of fleas was performed with ascending percentages of ethanol from 50 to 100% absolute and was kept inside each alcohol percentage for 10 to 20 minutes. Results: Regarding the dogs studied in this research, the rate of actual contamination in guard dogs was 76.67% (92 dogs were contaminated with flea feces). However, 74 dogs (about 15%) were infested with different fleas. Unfortunately, the rate of contamination in stray dogs was 100%. The rate of real contamination based on the separation of fleas and flea excrement from the body of this group of dogs was equal. The rate of flea infestation in pet dogs was 14 out of 100 dogs, representing 14% contamination. Conclusion: It should be acknowledged that, unfortunately, flea infestation is expected in the region’s dogs, depending on the type of dogs kept. Infestation with these insidious skin parasites with varying rates and symptoms is common, which, in addition to the economic damage of spending time and money on medicine for disease in animals, causes environmental pollution, increases the likelihood of disease transmission by these parasites, and increases the possibility of human infection and disease transmission from them to humans, as well as environmental pollution.

Current Therapeutic Strategies for Chagas Disease

Abstract: Trypanosoma cruzi, the parasite that causes Chagas disease, can only be cured with one of two drugs, benznidazole or nifurtimox. The main disadvantages of these drugs include their ineffectiveness outside of the acute or early infection phase, their unpleasant effects, and the parasite's tolerance to their activities. On the other hand, several institutions and research groups have been working on a number of ways that can help find a solution to the problem. These strategies have evolved over the last few years. Several examples of such advancements include the utilization of combination therapy, the repurposing of current treatments, and the change of dosages for traditional drugs. Research has also been conducted on antiparasitic plants and the substances that may be obtained from them, and it makes use of existing knowledge gathered through medical procedures. Some works have studied the parasite in order to identify important genes that have the potential to be used as therapeutic targets in the development of novel targeted medications. Even though a lot of these studies have shown promising results, only a small fraction of them make it to the clinical testing phase of the study. Institutions and research organizations should be rewarded for coordinating their efforts and addressing all areas of drug development, given their resources and information. Last but not least, distributing this information will result in novel Chagas disease therapies, which would assist impacted populations.

Study of Urine Treatment After BCG Intravesical Instillation Therapy — A Secondary Publication

Background and methods: Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) intravesical instillation therapy is used to treat non-muscle invasive bladder cancer. Instilled BCG is typically collected at the time of initial urination and disposed of after sterilization with 10% sodium hypochlorite or household bleach, however, these methods can have unpleasant effects, such as pungent odor, rapid foaming, and fever. We investigated whether isopropanol can be used to sterilize and dispose of urine after BCG intravesical instillation therapy since isopropanol at a concentration of 33% or higher (70% isopropanol was used in this study) has the same disinfectant and bactericidal effects against Mycobacterium tuberculosis as 10% sodium hypochlorite or household bleach. Results: The use of isopropanol eliminated the unpleasant effects experienced with sodium hypochlorite and no growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis was observed in culture tests. Conclusion: Isopropanol is safer than sodium hypochlorite, and should be considered for sterilizing and disposing of urine after BCG intravesical instillation therapy in the future. However, fire and ventilation precautions are required.

Factors Associated with Medication Error Underreporting Among Health Care Professionals in Nigerian Air Force Hospital, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria

Medication errors are the commonest form of medical error whereby medications are wrongfully prescribed or used by the patients while in the care of a health professional. Assessing the factors associated with medication error underreporting is a crucial step in identifying and proffering solutions in order to avoid re-occurrence and minimize the unpleasant effect it has on the patient, healthcare professional, facility or the general public. A descriptive cross-sectional survey design was used to study the factors associated with medication error underreporting. It was carried out among 520 health care professionals comprising of Medical doctors, Pharmacists and Nurses who work in Nigerian Air Force Hospital Ikeja. A semi structured, pre tested questionnaire was randomly distributed to 249 respondents which formed the sample size as calculated using the Slovin’s formular. Findings from this study shows 106 (51.4%) of the respondents which represents more than half strongly agreed that poor working condition was a major factor to under reporting of medication error from the managerial point. Also, 101(49%), 96(46.6%) and 94(45.6%) of the respondents strongly agreed that the other factors included; poor reward system to self-medication reporting, poor utilization of information system to detect and analyze error and unclear channel of communication respectively. Employee factors to medication underreporting recorded was fear of some variables including, litigation (61.2%), criticism (54.4%) and fear of being seen as incompetent (50.5%). It is therefore recommended that management should make it a point of duty to ensure a conducive working environment is created, that employees work under a stress-free environment and that their welfare carted for and importantly ensure that a clear reporting system is put in place which will aid voluntary error reporting.

Disulfiraminės psichozės atvejis

Introduction. Disulfiram is one of three medications approved by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) to treat alcohol dependence. Patients tend to abstain from alcohol to avoid the unpleasant effects of alcohol toxicity. There may be some side effects, the most common of which are drowsiness, unusual tiredness, headache, metallic taste in mouth, skin rashes, decreased libido. Disulfiram induced psychosis is a psychiatric side effect that occurs very rarely.
 Case report. We report the case of a 33-year-old patient with nearly 15 years history of psychiatric personality disorder and alcohol dependence. Approximately 4 days of alcohol abstinence, as an inpatient he was administered disulfiram. After two weeks, the patient began to feel some side effects. He was admitted to hospital and was diagnosed with disulfiram induced psychosis.
 Discussion. The effect of disulfiram on alcohol metabolism was noticed in the 1940s. It should be used only by motivated patients who must be fully informed about the alcohol-disulfiram reaction. Disulfiram should only be started after about 10 days of sobriety, and the recommended dosage is 500 mg/day. The drug should be used with caution in people with a history of heart disease, diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism, cerebral damage, nephritis, liver cirrhosis, epilepsy. Caution is recommended for patients who use benzodiazepines, some antibiotics, anticoagulants, tricyclic antidepressants. There may be some adverse effects, more serious ones include changes in vision, numbness, pain or weakness in the limbs, liver cell damage, peripheral neuropathy, seizures – but these are considered to be very rare. Psychiatric side effects may include mood changes, psychotic reactions, memory impairment. Reliable data is lacking, but cases of disulfiram induced psychosis are considered to be rare. Patients taking disulfiram should be monitored carefully.

Analgesic Efficacy of Suprascapular Nerve Block versus Combined Suprascapular and Axillary Nerve Block in Patients Undergoing Shoulder Arthroscopy: A Prospective, Randomized, Comparative Study

Abstract Background: Immediate post-operative pain can be severe and is an important outcome measure for patients in shoulder arthroscopic surgeries. Interscalene block is the most widely used and studied technique for post shoulder arthroscopy pain relief and is associated with certain unpleasant adverse effects. Suprascapular nerve block (SSNB) has been suggested as an alternative and safer block. As the suprascapular nerve contributes to 70% of the sensory nerve supply to the shoulder joint, and the axillary circumflex nerve is the other major nerve contributing to 25%; therefore, a combined block of these two nerves should provide more effective pain relief than SSNB alone. Aim: This study aimed to compare the efficacy of combined SSNB and axillary nerve block (ANB) with SSNB alone for analgesia after shoulder arthroscopy in terms of level of pain scores, total analgesic consumption, and patient satisfaction in 24 h. Methods: Forty-one patients posted for shoulder arthroscopy were randomly allocated into two groups, Group S (n = 20) receiving SSNB and Group C (n = 21) receiving combined SSNB and ANB. Visual Analog Scale (VAS) both at rest and during movement at 1, 3, 6, 12, 24 h, and at the time of first demand, total consumption of analgesics in 24 h and patient satisfaction score at 12 and 24 h were noted. Statistical Analysis: The data was analyzed by Student’s t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, and Fisher’s exact test using Graph Pad PRISM 9, a p<0.05 was considered significant. Results: The VAS scores both at rest and during movement were significantly less in Group C at 1, 6, 12 h, and at the time of the first demand of analgesic (p<0.05). Compared to Group S, Group C had a longer pain-free duration (154.3 ± 11.41 min vs. 36.60 ± 6.553 min; P < 0.001) and lesser cumulative consumption of pethidine (300.0 ± 8.894 mg vs. 336.8 ± 13.27 mg; P = 0.0256). The satisfaction level was better in Group C at 12 h (P = 0.002) but comparable to the Group S at 24 h (P = 0.0673). Conclusion: Combined SSNB and ANB provided better pain relief in first 12 h, better patient satisfaction in the first 12 h and decreased overall consumption of analgesics in the first 24 h compared to SSNB alone.

Death of Socrates: a likely case of poison hemlock (Conium maculatum) poisoning

Introduction The death of Socrates in 399 BCE is described in Plato’s dialogue, the Phaedo, written an unknown time afterwards from accounts by others. The evidence Socrates’ death has almost always been attributed to his drinking an extract of poison hemlock, Conium maculatum, despite apparent discrepancies between the clinical features described in classical translations of the Phaedo and general clinical experience of poisoning with the toxic alkaloids it contains. Evaluation Recent acute philological analysis of the original Greek text has resolved many of the discrepancies by showing that the terms used in the classical translations were misinterpretations of the clinical signs described. It is also likely that the unpleasant clinical effects, such as vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhoea and muscle fasciculation commonly described in modern reports of poison hemlock poisoning, were not mentioned to present the death of Socrates in a way consistent with his philosophical ideals and those of his pupil Plato. Conclusions Seen in this way, the death of Socrates can be accepted as a limited case report of Conium maculatum poisoning. Even after reaching that conclusion, intriguing scientific questions remain about the toxicity of the coniine alkaloids and the mechanisms of their effects.

Otkrivanje prevare u bagremovom medu sa područja Tuzle primenom Pivot profile tehnike

This research aimed to examine the applicability of the Pivot Profile (PP) technique in detecting adulteration in acacia honey from the Tuzla region, Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H). The PP technique captured the relative meaning of descriptors and gathered free descriptions of differences between a target product and a pivot product (PVT), which served as a standard. Four pairs of samples were evaluated: original acacia honey (PVT) versus honey samples adulterated with 20%, 40%, 60%, and 80% fructose-glucose syrup. The sensory assessment involved 72 participants (25 women and 47 men), all acacia honey producers aged from 20 to 55 years of age. The chi-square test (ch² = 3032.37, p < 0.001) revealed significant statistical differences among values, indicating that the consumer panel effectively distinguished the samples. The chi-square test per cell was used to explore variation within the data matrix, identifying descriptors significantly differing from PVT in citation frequency. A total of 48 sensory attributes were generated (5 for appearance, 14 for odours, 4 for basic tastes, 3 for aftertastes, 16 for flavours, 2 for trigeminal effects, and 4 for texture). Correspondence Analysis (CA) was employed to visually represent sensory changes in honey samples based on adulteration levels, illustrating consumer perception of samples and attributes. CA effectively explained nearly 60% of the variability observed across the initial two dimensions, thus emphasizing the connection between sensory alterations and consumer perception. The results revealed a reduction in aroma and appearance attributes, along with occurrences of sensory defects such as off-flavours, unpleasant trigeminal effects, and altered viscosity properties. PP technique provided detailed information about each sample, assessing similarities and differences compared to PVT in a single session using multivariate techniques, contrasting with traditional trained or expert assessments. The PP technique appears promising for further exploration in vocabulary use and data analysis, not only for other honey types but also for various food products susceptible to adulteration.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation Effectively Reduces Nausea and Vomiting Postoperative Laparotomic Surgery

Nausea and vomiting are unpleasant effects that often occur after surgery. Some efforts to reduce the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting can be done with several strategies. Progressive muscle relaxation is a complementary approach to minimize physical and psychological stress. Peppermint aromatherapy by inhalation or inhalation in postoperative patients with general anesthesia can reduce the average frequency of nausea and vomiting. The method used in this research was quasi-experimental with a pre-post-test control group design. The population in this study was 60 postoperative laparotomy patients. The technique used in taking this research sample is a consecutive sampling technique. Data analysis used Wilcoxon and Kruskal-Wallis at α < 5%. In the treatment group, according to the hospital's SPO, there was a difference in the score of nausea and vomiting before or after treatment, but it was not significant, with a p-value of 0.090. Progressive muscle relaxation therapy for 15 minutes can reduce nausea and vomiting scores but not significantly in the intervention group, with a p-value of 0.003. Combination therapy of progressive muscle relaxation and peppermint aromatherapy for 15 minutes is effective and significantly reduces nausea and vomiting scores in the combination group with a p-value of 0.000. There was a significant difference in the nausea and vomiting scores of the three groups. The combination of progressive muscle relaxation and peppermint aromatherapy was effective in reducing postoperative nausea and vomiting compared to other groups with a score of p-value of 0.000.

Factors Influencing Delay in Seeking Care for Mental Illness Among a Sample of Adult Saudi Arabian Patients.

Treatment and prognosis of psychiatric disorders could be negatively affected by delay in seeking mental health care.The development of mental health services depends on understanding the reasons for delays in help-seeking and pathways to care and the duration of illness before treatment is initiated. The aim of the present study is to examine the reasons why patients with psychiatric symptoms delay their visits to psychiatry clinics in Saudi Arabia. This was a cross-sectional, observational, survey-based study that included 268 patients, of which 60.8% were males. Data were collected through a questionnaire (either online or distributed to patients who attend the outpatient psychiatric clinics) in Taif, Saudi Arabia. Most patients were married males below 40 years old, with a university degree level, employed, and having average financial status. The most common symptom reported by responders was anxiety (41.8%). The most common reason in both age groups was the fear of side effects of medication (31.9% in those over 40 years and 18.4% below 40 years), followed by the patient belief that these are non-psychiatric symptoms and will disappear with time. The trial of folkmedicine was the least common reason for both age groups (1.8% in patients below 40 years and 0% for patients above 40 years). Fear of psychotropic drug adverse effects was the most frequent reason given for postponing mental health counseling. This could be due to some unpleasant or intolerable effects. Anxiety was the most common psychiatric symptom among patients delaying their first psychiatric consultation. These findings serve as a guide for the improvement of mental health services and psychoeducation in Saudi Arabia.

Natural Inhibitors of Mammalian α-Amylases as Promising Drugs for the Treatment of Metabolic Diseases.

α-Amylase is a generally acknowledged molecular target of a distinct class of antidiabetic drugs named α-glucosidase inhibitors. This class of medications is scarce and rather underutilized, and treatment with current commercial drugs is accompanied by unpleasant adverse effects. However, mammalian α-amylase inhibitors are abundant in nature and form an extensive pool of high-affinity ligands that are available for drug discovery. Individual compounds and natural extracts and preparations are promising therapeutic agents for conditions associated with impaired starch metabolism, e.g., diabetes mellitus, obesity, and other metabolic disorders. This review focuses on the structural diversity and action mechanisms of active natural products with inhibitory activity toward mammalian α-amylases, and emphasizes proteinaceous inhibitors as more effective compounds with significant potential for clinical use.