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The families Metapelmatidae and Neanastatidae (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea) are recorded for the first time from Saudi Arabia based on the presence of Metapelma mirabile Brues, 1906 and Neanastatus africanus Ferrière, 1938, respectively.

An overview of the family Leucospidae (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea) is provided for the leucospid fauna of the Arabian Peninsula. Two genera containing four species are identified based on morphometrics and colour patterns. One species, Leucospis ayezae Usman, Anwar & Ahmad, sp. nov. , is described. Leucospis elegans Klug had been previously recorded from Arabia Felix (= Yemen) and is recorded here for the first time from Saudi Arabia. The status of Leucospis aff. namibica from Yemen has been clarified, and this species is placed here in the genus Micrapion Kriechbaumer as M. clavaforme Steffan. An updated key and a map showing the distribution of the family Leucospidae in the Arabian Peninsula is provided. The occurrence and color morphs of all leucospid species that have been recorded so far from the region are briefly discussed.

Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) is a common cotton pest that causes massive economic losses yearly, directly or indirectly. This study aimed to investigate the effects of Bt cotton on the biological and life table parameters of B. tabaci under controlled conditions.The incubation, nymphal, and pupal periods were recorded as shortest on Bt and longest on non-Bt cultivars. It completed immature stages within 27.8, 28.2, and 28.6 days on Bt, whereas it took 30.4 days on the non-Bt cultivars. Adult longevity increased in Bt cultivars while decreasing innon-Bt cultivars. The male lived for a shorter duration and was smaller than the female. Pre-oviposition was higher in non-Bt cultivars and lowered in Bt cultivars. Bt cultivars had longer oviposition periods than non-Bt cultivars. Fecundity was relatively higher on Bt (57.5, 55.1, and54.2 eggs/female) but reduced on non-Bt (48.2 eggs/female). The life table parameters were also modified using different cotton cultivars. Age-survivorship declined with age, and the highest mortality was recorded at the egg stage, with non-Bt having a longer life span than Bt cultivars. In the egg stages, life expectancy was similarly greater. The net reproductive rate (RO) was recorded as the highest, and the intrinsic rate of increase (rm) was the lowest on Bt cultivars. Non-Bt cultivars had the highest finite rate of increase, mean generation time, and population doubling time, while Bt cultivars had the lowest. The experimental findings showed that Bt was slightly more suitable for developing B. tabaci than non-Bt cultivars.

Two new mymarid species Dicopomorpha heratyi Anwar & Zeya, sp. nov. and Dicopomorpha mirzai Anwar & Zeya, sp. nov., are described from Himalayan belts of Himachal Pradesh, India and also male of D. albithorax Rameshkumar & Manickavasagam is recorded and described for the first time. The type specimens are deposited in the Insect Collections, Department of Zoology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Despite the species richness of the blow fly (Calliphoridae: Diptera) fauna (1600 species), the relevant environmental, medical, agricultural, and forensic knowledge of these species found in Saudi Arabia is limited. As part of a study on the biodiversity of Diptera of south-western Saudi Arabia a survey of the Diptera fauna of Jazan, Asir and Najran was performed between 2010-2016 at 17 sites, mainly using Malaise traps, sweep nets and baited traps. Eighteen species of Calliphoridae were identified and recorded in this study, seven of which were recorded for the first time. This makes the total number of Calliphoridae species in Saudi Arabia (including 26 species previously recorded and excluding two species which were synonymized namely: Rhyncomya zumptii Peris 1952; Chrysoma regalis Robineau-Desvoidy 1830) to be 44. A list of all species of Calliphoridae recorded from Saudi Arabia is provided. Images of five species are presented. Biological information on each species (where known) and geographical distribution are included. In addition to the results of the identifications all available literature about Calliphoridae of Saudi Arabia is summarized and analysed. The species recorded in this study are more Afrotropical in origin than they are to other regions. The need for further field and laboratory work and surveillance is highlighted.

Brain is a vital organ of the human body which performs very important functions such as analysis, processing, coordination, and execution of electrical signals. For this purpose, it depends on a complex network of nerves which are ensheathed in lipids tailored myelin; an abundant source of lipids in the body. The nervous system is enriched with important classes of lipids; sphingolipids and cholesterol which compose the major portion of the brain particularly in the form of myelin. Both cholesterol and sphingolipids are embedded in the microdomains of membrane rafts and are functional units of the neuronal cell membrane. These molecules serve as the signaling molecules; hold important roles in the neuronal differentiation, synaptogenesis, and many others. Thus, their adequate provision and active metabolism are of crucial importance in the maintenance of physiological functions of brain and body of an individual. In the present review, we have highlighted the physiological roles of cholesterol and sphingolipids in the development of the nervous system as well as the association of their altered metabolism to neurological and neurodegenerative diseases.

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are one of the fundamental infrastructures for Internet of Things (IoTs) technology. Efficient energy consumption is one of the greatest challenges in WSNs because of its resource-constrained sensor nodes (SNs). Clustering techniques can significantly help resolve this issue and extend the network’s lifespan. In clustering, WSN is divided into various clusters, and a cluster head (CH) is selected in each cluster. The selection of appropriate CHs highly influences the clustering technique, and poor cluster structures lead toward the early death of WSNs. In this paper, we propose an energy-efficient clustering and cluster head selection technique for next-generation wireless sensor networks (NG-WSNs). The proposed clustering approach is based on the midpoint technique, considering residual energy and distance among nodes. It distributes the sensors uniformly creating balanced clusters, and uses multihop communication for distant CHs to the base station (BS). We consider a four-layer hierarchical network composed of SNs, CHs, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), and BS. The UAV brings the advantage of flexibility and mobility; it shortens the communication range of sensors, which leads to an extended lifetime. Finally, a simulated annealing algorithm is applied for the optimal trajectory of the UAV according to the ground sensor network. The experimental results show that the proposed approach outperforms with respect to energy efficiency and network lifetime when compared with state-of-the-art techniques from recent literature.

Controlled-release effervescent floating bilayer tablets reduce dosage frequency and improve patient compliance with enhanced therapeutic outcomes. Generally, two different tablets of clarithromycin and esomeprazole, respectively, are given for the treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection and it might be worth incorporating both in a single tablet. In the current study, controlled-release floating bilayer tablets of clarithromycin and esomeprazole (F1–F4) were developed with different rates of polymeric materials by a direct compression method. During the formulation, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis was performed for possible interactions between drugs and excipients. No interactions between drugs and excipients were noted. Moreover, the bilayer tablets’ thickness, diameter, friability, hardness, weight variation, dissolution, and percent purity were found within the acceptable limits. The floating lag time and total floating time of all formulations were found to be < 25 s and 24 h, respectively. The release of both the clarithromycin and esomeprazole started at the same time from the controlled-release floating bilayer tablets by anomalous non-Fickian diffusion, and the polymeric materials extended the drug release rate up to 24 h. In the case of F1, the results approached ideal zero-order kinetics. The dissolution profiles of the tested and reference tablet formulations were compared, but no significant differences were observed. It can be concluded that such controlled-release effervescent floating bilayer tablets can be efficiently used in clinical practice to reduce dosage frequency and increase patient compliance with continuous drug release for 24 h, which ultimately might enhance therapeutic efficacy.

This study aims to investigate the prevalence and patterns of cardiovascular and renal complications among patients with T2DM in the Saudi population and elucidate the extent of these comorbidities and their potential risk factors. A cross-sectional observational study was conducted across three research locations in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The study incorporated the first 248 T2DM patients who met the criteria and provided their consent. The sites for this research comprised one secondary care public hospital, one public primary care clinic, and one private medical facility. Efforts were made to evenly distribute patients across the six locations, spanning three distinct sectors. Should any location fall short of its patient target, other sites would step in to balance the deficit. Patient data was gathered during their enrollment visit as well as the patient's medical records. These encompassed variables such as age, gender, race, smoking status, residential location, duration of T2DM, most recent HbA1c, blood pressure, lipid levels, kidney function, and most recent weight/body mass index (BMI). Those with diabetes for five years or longer were more likely to have CKD (2.1 times higher), CAD (3.2 times higher), cerebrovascular disease (4.3 times higher), and hypertension (6.2 times higher). Most participants knew diabetes was a common health problem, and those with diabetic relatives were at a higher risk. In the present study, patients with uncontrolled HbA1C diabetes demonstrated a notably increased prevalence of various comorbidities CKD (OR=3.9, p < 0.0001), CAD (OR=2.3, p = 0.007), CHF (OR=3.1, p = 0.0001), cerebrovascular disease (OR=2.4, p = 0.0004), CVD (OR=4.2, p=<0.0001) and hypertension (OR=3.5, p = 0.0001) compared to those without uncontrolled HbA1C diabetes. However, CVD and hypertension shows a stronger association with diabetes The analysis demonstrated that diabetes was highly correlated to neuropathy (t = 2.204, p = 0.002), coronary artery disease (t = 1.53, p = 0.03), congestive heart failure (CHF) (t = 1.34, p = 0.05), cerebrovascular Disease (t = 2.65, p = 0.009), and hypertension (t = 5.05, p = 0.000). We concluded that patients who had diabetes for five years or more had considerably greater risks of developing comorbidities such as chronic kidney disease, coronary artery disease, cerebrovascular disease, and hypertension. Among others hypertension being a major comorbidity that significantly influences the progression or presence of diabetes. This highlights the necessity of beginning treatment as early as possible and maintaining glycemic control to reduce the risk of diabetes-related problems in the long run. One limitation of this study is its cross-sectional design, which only captures data at a single point in time, preventing the establishment of causal relationships between variables.

Severe sepsis is cognate with life threatening multi-organ dysfunction. There is a disturbance in endocrine functions with alterations in several hormonal pathways. It has frequently been linked with dysfunction in the hypothalamic pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA). Increased cortisol or cortisolemia is evident throughout the acute phase, along with changes in the hypothalamic pituitary thyroid (HPT) axis, growth hormone-IGF-1 axis, insulin-glucose axis, leptin, catecholamines, renin angiotensin aldosterone axis, ghrelin, glucagon, hypothalamic pituitary gonadal (HGA) axis, and fibroblast growth factor-21. These changes and metabolic alterations constitute the overall response to infection in sepsis. Further research is essential to look into the hormonal changes that occur during sepsis, not only to understand their potential relevance in therapy but also because they may serve as prognostic indicators.