RESUMEN
Purpose: Despite the surge of melatonin supplement consumption in recent years, data on the prevalence and patterns of melatonin usage in Saudi Arabia is lacking. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and pattern of sleep-related melatonin usage among adults in Saudi Arabia. Methods: This was a cross-sectional, web-based, self-administered survey study conducted across all regions of Saudi Arabia. Participants were recruited from the general population (≥18 years). The survey was distributed between February and April 2023. Chi-squared tests and t-tests were performed for comparative bivariate analyses where binary logistic regression was performed to derive the main predictors of melatonin consumption. Results: Out of 5,606 participants, 536 (10 %) were consumers of melatonin. Older age (Adjusted OR = 1.01, 95 % CI = 1.01-1.02, p = 0.002), being a male (Adjusted OR = 1.76, 95 % CI = 1.46-2.14, p = 0.001), individuals with a doctorate degree or an equivalent (adjusted OR 2.37 95 % CI = 1.35-4.17, p = 0.003), perceived poor sleep quality (Adjusted OR = 1.52, 95 % CI = 1.10-2.11, p = 0.01), and being diagnosed with a sleep disorder (Adjusted OR = 2.55, 95 % CI = 2.04-3.18, p = 0.001) were all associated with increased likelihood of sleep-related melatonin usage. 35 % of consumers self-reported taking ≥1 tablet per day, while 26 % of them were uncertain about the dosage they consume. Conclusion: With a notable prevalence of 10% among the general population in Saudi Arabia, melatonin usage was more common in older adults, males, and those with higher education.
RESUMEN
The COVID-19 infection caused by the new SARS-CoV-2 virus has been linked to a broad spectrum of symptoms, from a mild cough to life-threatening pneumonia. As we learn more about this unusual COVID-19 epidemic, new issues are emerging and being reported daily. Mucormycosis, also known as zygomycosis or phycomycosis, causes severe fungal illness to individuals with a weakened immune system. It is a devastating fungal infection, and the most frequent kind is the rhino cerebral type. As a devastating second wave of COVID-19 sweeps India, doctors report several instances involving a strange illness-sometimes known as the "black fungus"-among returning and recovered COVID-19 patients. This paper analyzes the existing statistical data to address the severity of prevalence and further notes the nano-based diagnostic parameters, clinical presentations, its connection with other conditions like diabetes, hypertension, and GI disorders, and the importance of anti-fungal therapy in treating the same. Anti-fungal therapies, as well as surgical interventions, are currently used for the treatment of the disease. Proper and timely diagnosis is necessary, along with the reduction in the spread of COVID-19. From the review, it was found that timely pharmacologic interventions and early diagnosis by using a nano-based diagnostic kit can help control the disease. Additionally, this paper provides novel information about the nanotechnology approaches such as fungal detection biosensors, nucleic acids-based testing, point-of-care tests, and galactomannans detection, in the diagnosis of mucormycosis, and thereby reinforces the need for further research on the topic.
RESUMEN
Photoacoustic computed tomography (PACT) has been widely explored for non-ionizing functional and molecular imaging of humans and small animals. In order for light to penetrate deep inside tissue, a bulky and high-cost tunable laser is typically used. Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have recently emerged as cost-effective and portable alternative illumination sources for photoacoustic imaging. In this study, we have developed a portable, low-cost, five-dimensional (x, y, z, t, λ ) PACT system using multi-wavelength LED excitation to enable similar functional and molecular imaging capabilities as standard tunable lasers. Four LED arrays and a linear ultrasound transducer detector array are housed in a hollow cylindrical geometry that rotates 360 degrees to allow multiple projections through the subject of interest placed inside the cylinder. The structural, functional, and molecular imaging capabilities of the LED-PACT system are validated using various tissue-mimicking phantom studies. The axial, lateral, and elevational resolutions of the system at 2.3 cm depth are estimated as 0.12 mm, 0.3 mm, and 2.1 mm, respectively. Spectrally unmixed photoacoustic contrasts from tubes filled with oxy- and deoxy-hemoglobin, indocyanine green, methylene blue, and melanin molecules demonstrate the multispectral molecular imaging capabilities of the system. Human-finger-mimicking phantoms made of a bone and blood tubes show structural and functional oxygen saturation imaging capabilities. Together, these results demonstrate the potential of the proposed LED-based, low-cost, portable PACT system for pre-clinical and clinical applications.